Sunday 29th June 2014 Teamwork

by David Clarkson

Sunday 29th June 2014 Teamwork

Timothy joins the team

  • The argument they had didn’t prevent the work they did
    • Describe argument over Mark
    • People fall out, leave the church or even denomination, but it doesn’t mean that God won’t or can’t use them
  • They were commissioned by the church to go with the message
    • Commissioning usually involved laying on of hands and prayer – just as we did today
    • Shows love and concern by the church, encourages those who are being sent

The first leg of the journey was to ‘strengthen the churches’

Paul meets Timothy and takes him along

    • Shows that it was not Mark’s age that Paul was worried about
    • Paul has Timothy circumcised – even after telling people that it was not required!
    • Didn’t do that with Silas
    • What was different with Timothy – he was half Jewish!  In order to reach the Jews it was felt that it would be better to take that step – one of the sacrifices of leadership.  We don’t require a theological degree to be members of the church but we do of our ministers.

The continuing providence of God

  • From Phrygia and Galatia they couldn’t go southwest to Asia so they went West to Mysia
  • Then they couldn’t go North to Bithynia so they continue West and to Macedonia
    • The important thing is that they were listening to God – their goal was to follow his direction and go where he wanted them.
    • We need to do the same – how many of us have sat having a conversation we’re not actually engaged in?
    • We sometimes do that with God – come with a list of requests but never take time to listen
    • Need to take time to engage with God every day
    • Elders doing that over the summer

They got ready ‘at once’

The church in Philippi

  • ‘a place of prayer’ – used of synagogues
    • Needed 10 men to have a synagogue but they didn’t have enough – sound familiar?
    • Not an ideal start – but God has big plans
  • They started a conversation
    • That’s all we’re expected to do
    • ‘the Lord opened her heart to respond’ – the work of salvation belongs to God!
  • They shared hospitality






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