Let's go to Acts chapter 15 verse 35 and then verse 40 and verse 41. Acts chapter 15 verse 35 is the actual starting point of the second missionary journey. So as you look at verse 35 of Acts chapter 15, Paul also and Barnabas continued in Antioch teaching and preaching the word with the Lord with many others also. They've gone back to Antioch in Syria. That's where they are. If you look at number 1 in your notes, Paul's second missionary journey would take him in Silas now. Some things are actually going to change. But Paul is back up into Antioch. And if you go down to verse 37 of chapter 15. And Barnabas determined to take with him John, whose surname was Mark. But Paul thought not good to take him with them, who departed from them from Pamphylia, and went not with them to the work. And the contention was so sharp between them that they departed one from another. And so Barnabas took Mark and sailed to Cyprus. He went down the southern route. And then in verse 40, so Paul chose Silas. and departed being recommended by the brethren unto the grace of God. And he went through Syria and Cilicia confirming the churches. So as you look at number one in your notes, Paul's second missionary journey would take him and Silas on a northward route through Cilicia. So if you look at your map, you'll notice on the second missionary journey, Paul is going to take, he's going to start up a northern route. Matter of fact, he'll actually take him through Tarsus and over to Derbe and Lystra and Iconium and up through that way. You should be able to see that on your map. Okay? Let me give you the total of the second missionary journey miles-wise. Okay? The approximate estimated total of miles for the second missionary journey is 2800 miles. That's a long way. You know that? Huh? without the modern transportation that we have now okay you know when you figure all the mileage almost twenty eight hundred miles this is number two his first missionary journey is about twelve hundred thirty miles this was twenty eight hundred he's gonna make a third journey and then finally the journey to Rome and we'll give you all those numbers as we go through that Chapter 16. You may want to write this out beside Chapter 16. This particular period of time at the start of Paul's second missionary journey is right around A.D. 49. Somewhere right around there. It's an approximation. Right around A.D. 49. Paul actually started his missionary journeys in A.D. 47. Runs for a 10 year period to about A.D. 57. So, what we have here in chapter 16 is right around AD 49, probably over to the early part of the mid part of AD 50. And there's some differences in these numbers. It's hard to come up with a definite time, but it's somewhere right around that time. Because keep in mind from AD 47 to 57 was pretty much the span of Paul's missionary journey that we have the best recorded for us. So number two in your notes. He visited the cities in reverse order and they were thriving. His goal was to encourage and to exhort. That's why he went back. He wanted to go back and visit all of those. Then number three. So Paul also takes on another companion during this trip, which is interesting. So let's go to Acts chapter 16 and let's read verse 1 through verse 3. Okay? Acts 16 verse 1 through verse 3. Then he came to Derbe and to Lystra. How many of y'all remember what happened at Derby? Anybody remember what happened at Derby? Okay. He's going back, okay? he's going back to the same he's going back to the same direction I don't know after what they did to me the first go around I don't know if I can go back the second time but he's going back to the second time and I'll tell you why he's going back to the second time because he loved those he administered to he loved just going back to to visit all of those and so he came to Derby and to Lystra behold a certain disciple was there named Timothy or Timotheus, Timothy is his name the son of a certain woman, which was a Jewish, she was a Jew, and believed, but his father was a Greek, which was well reported of by the brethren that were at Lystra and Iconium, speaking of Timothy. Verse 3, him would Paul have to go forth with him, and took and circumcised him, because of the Jews which were in those quarters, for they knew all that his father was a Greek. Well, the first question that comes to everybody's mind is, wait a minute, I thought Paul had been down to Jerusalem and they had already fought over this issue. There was great dissension over the issue that circumcision was not a necessary thing, okay? And which it was not as far as salvation was concerned. But here's what I want you to understand. One of the things that Paul felt would probably be better for Timothy since Timothy was Jewish, even though his father was Greek, Timothy was Jewish. He had Jewish blood in him. One of the best things would be to do so that they would be able to more effectively minister with Timothy, especially being a Jew, that Timothy would go ahead and be circumcised as well. And Timothy consented to that. Unlike Titus, now Titus was Greek. So that was the difference of why Paul never pressed Titus to be circumcised because he was Greek or he was a Gentile versus Timothy who was also Jew as well even though his father was a Greek. Let's go to 2nd Timothy and we'll see some more about Timothy. 2nd Timothy and let's start in verse number one okay and I love this part about Timothy because now I want you to understand the teams have changed okay Barnabas has taken John Mark all right they've gone down through Cyprus back down that direction Paul has taken Silas with him but now they're going to add a third companion to their group and that's going to be Timothy. Timothy is going to have quite an effective ministry along these routes, especially when we come to the church at Thessalonica. One of the things that Paul does, Paul actually sends Timothy back to Thessalonica and leaves Timothy in Thessalonica for a period of time and then report back on what's going in the church at Thessalonica. So it's an interesting relationship between all of them. But starting in verse 1, 2 Timothy chapter 1, Paul an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God according to the promise of life which is in Christ Jesus to Timothy. my dearly beloved son." And I want you to notice... I want you to notice the relationship between Paul and Timothy. It was a very close one. Matter of fact, Paul referred to Timothy as his son. He was his son in the faith. He was his son in the ministry. He was his son in the Lord. Okay? That's how Paul looked at Timothy. You know, and one of the things that is always an encouraging thing, especially for a pastor or someone in the ministry, is to have a Timothy. Okay? Someone alongside of them. So to Timothy, my dearly beloved son, grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and Jesus Christ our Lord. I thank God whom I serve for my forefathers with pure conscience that without ceasing I have remembrance of you in my prayers night and day, greatly desiring to see you being mindful of your tears that I may be filled with joy. when I call to remembrance the unfeigned faith that is in you which dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and I am persuaded that in you also wherefore I put you in remembrance that you stir up the gift of God which is in you by the putting on of my hands for God hath not given us the spirit of fear but of power and of love and of a sound mind Don't be ashamed. He said, Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me. In other words, there's no reason, Timothy, to be ashamed of the Lord or me. but you know you be a partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God verse 9 who hath saved us and called us with a holy calling not according to our works but according to his own purpose and grace which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began but is now made manifest by the appearing of our Savior Jesus Christ who hath abolished death and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel where into I'm appointed a preacher and an apostle and a teacher of the Gentiles and you know Paul also told Timothy you know don't be afraid of your youth okay but to be and Paul continually encouraged Timothy and I'll tell you something to head out on this trip and on this journey with with Paul he needed to be encouraged okay because it was not going to be an easy journey for them so let's go back to Acts will be an act for the rest for the rest of the passages so let me give you this by number one you should have written down Acts 15 verse 35 okay Acts 15 verse 35 through verse 41 right by number one then by number three you should have written down Acts 16 verse 1 through verse 3 and then 2nd Timothy chapter 1 verse 1 through verse 11. That's where we just were. 2nd Timothy chapter 1 verse 1 through verse 11. Number 4 in your notes. Timothy and his mother had been converted when Paul and Barnabas pioneered to work in the area on the first missionary journey through. So he had had some time to kind of grow. And then number 5. Paul, Silas, and Timothy were able to leave the letter from James and Peter with the churches now remember when we talked about last time we talked about the council that took place in Jerusalem over the issue of circumcision the church issued a letter based on the fact that circumcision was not required and so James and John both are going to, or James and Peter, the letter that was brought, matter of fact the letter was brought actually up to Antioch, where they are, and so Paul, Silas and Timothy are going to carry that letter on to the other churches as they go. The letter that came out of the Jerusalem Council down in Jerusalem. where Peter and James and Paul and all that. Could you imagine that meeting? All the heavies were down there. They were all gathered together down there and of course they left out of there with the letter. I'll tell you what, let's go back to Acts 16, look at verse 4 and verse number 5. Okay? Acts 16, verse 4 and verse 5. And as they went through the cities, they delivered them the decrees for to keep are the letters, for to keep, that were ordained to the apostles and elders which were in Jerusalem. that's just what I was the the council I was talking about first five and so were the church is established in the faith increased in number daily okay now number six now of course the Judaizers who are all along the way ignored the decree from Jerusalem continue to teach grace plus works They could basically care less what came out of the church in Jerusalem. As far as the Judaizers were concerned, if a Gentile was going to become a member of the church, they had to be what? They had to be circumcised. Not only circumcised, but they also had to do something else. and to keep the feast days. Parts of the Law of Moses and of course the letter that came out from Jerusalem said otherwise. So that is the letter that was going to be delivered and taken. Number 7. the local church. Let me just make a statement here, because that's the way all of these churches have become. The local church should be evangelistic, should have an outreach, should be winning souls and should be growing. If you look at number 5, verse 5 in chapter 16, and so were the churches established in the faith and they increased in number what? daily. So guess what they had? Something was outreaching. Something was going out to all of those around there. Number 8. Everywhere Paul traveled he saw a need. He just saw it. Let me tell you something. How many of you driving around just in our area alone everywhere you look there's what? There's need. we can't cover every need. One of the things that Paul struggled with is all along this path he saw need everywhere. Well unfortunately Paul, Silas, and Timothy could not could not tend to every need. So that's why it's so important to follow the leading of the Holy Spirit and we're going to see that even in Paul as they begin this particular journey because he's going to pass through some regions he's not going to stay. he's not going to minister while he's there and under the leadership of the Holy Spirit and following the Holy Spirit we're going to see what's going to take place he saw lost people he saw fields white in the harvest he saw that along the way let's go to Acts 16 and look at verse 6 through verse number 8 and you're going to see some of those areas and now when they had gone through Phrygia and the region of Galatia and we're forbidden of the Holy Ghost to preach the word in Asia Minor forbidden by see that's sometimes that's tough okay what do you mean Lord there's lost people out there and you're forbidden me to go there okay well this whole it's not his time it's just not time yet Okay, verse 7, "...and they were come to Mysia." Okay, and they're saved to go into Bithynia. If you look at the map that you've got, if you've got your map and you just kinda look up along that way, you'll see the area that I'm talking about. You'll see the area of Galatia. You'll see the area of Bithynia. You'll see Asia Minor. Okay, you'll see those areas that I was just talking about in this passage of Scripture. Okay, and then in verse number 8 and they passing by Misia came down to Troas. So they're making that journey down through all this region and you should see over... you'll see Misia. How many of y'all see all that on your map? You see it on there? How many of y'all see where Troas is? Do you see where Troas is? So that's where they're going to come to. They're going to come right up to Troas at this moment in time. So let's look at number 9 in your notes. So Paul was under constraint of the Holy Ghost. He was following the leading of the Holy Spirit, under the Holy Spirit's control. It was not yet time for Asia Minor or Bithynia. It just was not time yet. Let me ask you a question. How many of us sometimes we struggle with that? Lord, I want to go. The Lord just doesn't open the door to go. I mean, we struggle with that, don't we? But in the Lord's time, number 10, they walked all across the province of Mysia, still not stopping at any specific location, following the leading of the Holy Spirit until they found themselves in Troas, there on the coast. Number 11, Troas was an impressive and important city with a crowned harbor and was a conduit then into Macedonia and into Greece and into Europe. If you've ever been down into that region, that is some pretty area down there. Down through that, especially in Greece, up through Italy, across over into those areas, it's some beautiful country down there. Number 12, It was here in Troas that Paul sees a vision of the man from Macedonia. How many of y'all remember the Macedonian call out of the book of Acts? Well that happened on Paul's second missionary journey when he saw the vision of the man from Macedonia. So let's look at verse 9 through verse 11. Verse 9 through verse 11. And a vision appeared to Paul in the night. So they're in Troas. So a vision appears to Paul in the night. There stood a man of Macedonia and prayed him saying, Come over into Macedonia and help us. We need you in Macedonia. verse 10 and after he had seen the vision immediately we endeavored to go into Macedonia assuredly gathering that the Lord had called us to preach the gospel unto them just knew okay after that vision that that's exactly what God wanted verse number 11 so therefore loosing or leaving Troas, we came with a straight course to Samothracea and the next day to Neopolis. So how many of y'all see that on your map? If you're following on your map, you'll be able to see. They leave from Troas, they kind of go northwest just a little bit up to Neopolis. Actually passing through uh... samothracea okay you see that right by that little place and so we're up to neophilus alright now number fourteen in your notes now this is this is this is where this is where uh... this is just good okay number 14 evangelism now move westward into Europe and became the great center of Christianity from this region okay number 15 what a call think about this I just I just gathered some highlights with you from where he's at okay to preach in the cities of Alexander the Great Philip of Macedon to preach in the land of Plato, Aristotle, Pythagoras, Archimedes, Homer, and Socrates. Wow! Huh? How many of y'all remember Pythagoras? There you go. Okay. Of course. Socrates, Plato, Homer. Okay? All of those. Alexander the Great. Philip of Macedon. I mean, this is where Paul is. This is where Paul is going to speak. Okay? Number 16. This was the region that had given the world culture, art, sport, democracy, oratory, and ideas came out of this region. You know, I thought about this. What an opportunity to preach at the foot of Mount Olympus. Huh? what an opportunity so imagine Paul going through this region okay and are you ready for this the gospel listen this is the first sweep of the gospel this is not this this is fertile ground their own okay preaching the gospel number 17 Paul and his team traveled on from Troas to Samothracia and the next day on to Neapolis. And in verse 18, Neapolis is an interesting place. It projected out into the sea. It formed a double harbor out there. As a matter of fact, it was a seaport for Philippi. How many of y'all remember the letter to the church at Philippi? Known as the letter or the book of Philippians in the New Testament. Here's another interesting fact about the region that we're in here. This was the start of the Ignatian Way. Has anybody ever heard, studying in history, world civilizations about the Ignatian Way? The Ignatian Way, and I gave you a little bit of a summary of what it was. It was the Roman road that linked the Aegean Sea to the Adriatic Sea. It was that that linked both of them together. A Roman link that linked both of those together known as the Ignatian Way. There are ones to this day who still travel the Ignatian Way. Matter of fact, there's even something called the Ignatian Prayer Walk that goes through that region over there. Could you imagine going down that path that Paul had gone down? Number 20. So, Paul's stop. Now, I want you to understand, he has traveled all this way now from Derbe to Lystra, all the way over to Troas. and then now up to Philippi before he is now going to begin to minister. So what happens when he gets to Philippi? Well, let's look at Acts chapter 16 starting in verse number 12. How many of y'all remember Lydia? that's I'm gonna share something with you tonight and I don't want anybody to get the idea okay nevermind I'll just wait till we get there okay verse 12 and from thence to Philippi so from there you went on to Philippi which is the chief city of that part of Macedonia and a colony and were in that city abiding certain days. If you look at your notes, let me go through these comments before we go any further in the text. It was located ten miles inland from Neapolis. It's where Philippi lay. It crowned a steep hill that was encircled by two rivers. it received its name Philip I actually got its name from Philip of Macedon the father of Alexander the Great Philippi was also the first district of... Here's what Rome would do. Rome would take an area and they divided towns up into... and placed them in what they called districts. And Philippi was actually the first, the number one district in Macedonia where Paul finds himself at here in Philippi. So let's go back to the text. Verse 13. So Paul and them come into... come into Philippi. Now you're going to understand a little bit better verse 13. Remember what I said about Philippi? It sits on the steep of a hill and it's surrounded by two rivers. Okay? It's encircled by two rivers. So when you come to verse 13 on the Sabbath, we went out of the city by a riverside. Encircled by two rivers. They went by a riverside. Where prayer was want to be made and we sit down and we spake unto the women which were there just women all it was there more than likely there was not even a synagogue not even not even a presence of a synagogue in Philippi and here's one of the reasons in order to have a synagogue there had to be at least 10 men could not be women had to be men had to be at least 10 men who Paul is ministering to here is just the women and so that is probably why there was no synagogue in this particular in this particular region now verse 14 and a certain woman named Lydia cellar purple she was born in Thyatira where she was from which worshiped God heard us whose heart the Lord open that she attended unto the things which were spoken of Paul verse 15. When she was baptized, not only her, but her whole household. She besought us saying, if you've judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come into my house and abide there. In other words, she pressed Paul and them to come stay with her. And to stay there and remain there in Philippi and stay with them. So then we come down to verse 16. How many of y'all are familiar with the Philippian jailer? Okay? You're living all of this right now. All I'm doing, all I'm doing is putting together all of these that you've heard, the way that Paul and them walked through all of this. Okay? So verse 16, and it came to pass, as we went to prayer, a certain damsel possessed with the spirit of divination met us, which brought her master's much gained by Susay. She was a money maker. Now, whenever you start messing with somebody's money making process, trouble's coming. It's just around the corner. What do you think Paul's going to do? Verse 17. The same followed Paul and us, and cried, saying, These men are the servants of the Most High God, which show unto us the way of salvation. and this she did many days. But Paul, being grieved, turned and said to the Spirit, I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her. He came out the same hour. Paul had the discernment to know that the one that was speaking to him, following them around, was a demon. so Paul turns to her and speaks to that demon and tells and commands the demon to come out of her in Jesus name verse 19 now hold on and you also notice and he came out the same hour verse 19 and when her master saw that the hope of their gains was gone the money okay was drying up they caught Paul and Silas and they drew them into the marketplace and to the rulers and brought them to the magistrates saying these men being Jews do exceedingly trouble our city and they teach customs which are not lawful for us to receive neither to observe because why? we're what? we're Romans Verse 22, "...and the multitude rose up together against them. And the magistrates ran off their clothes and commanded to beat them. And when they had laid many stripes upon them, they cast them into the prison, charging the jailer to keep them safely. Who, having received such a charge, thrust them into the inner prison and made their feet fast in the stocks." We've got to stop right there. Alright, number 21 in your notes. Paul was unable to follow his usual practices starting in the synagogue. We see that here, because there seems to have been no synagogue there in Philippi. He's met with this group out by the river. He's continuing to meet with those, but I'm going to tell you something. He's getting ready to cause another stir, okay? Boy, it would have been nice to have been with Paul, wouldn't it? Huh? To watch all of this. Amen. Alright. Never mind, I'm not even going to go there. Somebody would think I was sexist, okay? if I said that you know that women were not allowed you couldn't have a synagogue you had just women okay had to be all men couldn't be just women and well sure I mean look who Paul was meeting with down by the river huh who are they they were the women that were going down there to pray Okay? Isn't that amazing? Let me say one other thing. I'm going to make this statement a lot of times in families and so on where it's the women who have the kids and the women are faithful to the church. Amen? This is what we see. this is not the norm I'll take this is not the norm we're in the majority here we are in the majority and we praise the Lord for that but I will say this God made them very special creatures and I believe they've got a special reward one day when they get to heaven I'm going to say that one more time. I believe all the women are going to get a special reward one day when they get to heaven. Boy, y'all are weak. I feel sorry for y'all. I'm trying to get y'all some points here. Boy, y'all are not taking this. Okay, I'm going to do it one more time. Okay. I believe God made women very special. There's going to be a special reward one day when they get to heaven, especially for who they've put up with That came from the wrong side. Amen. What's that, Miss Sandra? What'd you say? That's why men have one less rib than a woman, right? I watch Brother Keith. Brother Keith's back there shaking his head. Just to set everybody straight, okay? A man and a woman have the same number of ribs. Is that correct, Brother Keith? Okay. Alright. Let's stand and be dismissed in the worst prayer before we dig this any deeper.