You may have noticed that this Sunday is Epiphany Sunday. On this day, we commemorate the visit of the wisemen to Bethlehem…to see the Epiphany, the manifestation of God, in the Christ child. And not just see him, but worship him, who is the inextinguishable light of the gospel…the very light that extinguished the ever-present darkness of this world. It is this Epiphany that Paul and Barnabas sought to bring to the Gentile world.
And yet, as we saw last week, that almost came to a halt as the apostles and elders wrestled with the nature of salvation...a salvation that is by grace alone, through faith alone in Christ alone. And with that finally and firmly resolved, Paul and Barnabas set out a second time to encourage and strengthen the churches they started from their first missionary journey. What would their strategy be? It would involve a surprising (and strategic) separation between Paul and Barnabas, a strategic (and surprising) identification in Timothy's circumcision, and lastly, a strategic salvation of Lydia in Philippi. What we'll see is that while man makes his plans, the Lord truly determines his steps. To come prepared for the service this Sunday, take a moment to read and meditate on our sermon text, which is taken from Acts 15:36-16:15. I'd also encourage you to reread the first missionary journey in Acts 13-14, paying special attention to what happens in Acts 13:13.
As we gather on this Epiphany Sunday, we'll worship as the Magi did by singing the Hymn of Praise “Our God, Our Help in Ages Past,” the Acclamation of Praise “Rock of Ages, Cleft for Me,” and the Hymn of Response “Let Us Love and Sing and Wonder.” May this last hymn reflect our worship of Jesus this Lord's Day. May we love him more dearly even as we sing his praise and marvel at his works.
Sermon Information:
Text: Acts 15:36-16:15
Title: A Strategic Epiphany
Outline:
- A Strategic Separation (Acts 15:36-41)
- A Strategic Identification (Acts 16:1-5)
- A Strategic Salvation (Acts 16:6-15)