'Answering The Call - Sermon Outlines. Org



"Answering The Call!"

Acts 16:6-34

INTRO. Jesus told His disciples, just prior to His ascension to the Father, "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost; Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen." (Matthew 28:19-20). This Commandment or "Call to Action" was given to not only those disciples present then, but also for us today, His Church!

I want to title the message, "Answering The Call!" But before we respond to this "Call to action", we must see a need to act! In Psalm 126:5-6, the Scripture tells us, "They that sow in tears shall reap in Joy. He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing His sheaves with him."

God desires to teach us 5 things in v6 of that passage of Scripture: (1) "He that goeth forth"--We must go!, (2) "He that goeth forth and weepeth"--We must have a broken heart! , (3) "Bearing precious Seed"--We must carry God's Word, (4) "Shall doubtless come again... bringing his sheaves with him"--God will give results, and (5) "Shall doubtless come again with rejoicing”--We will be rejoicing! But, before we act, we must see a need to act. This is where a broken heart comes in. We must have a "broken heart" or we will never go!

In our text, Acts 16, Paul is on his 2nd missionary journey. He has been journeying from town to town establishing Churches and strengthening them in the faith. As he came to Derbe and Lystra, he desired that young Timothy join him in the ministry and the furtherance of the Gospel. They continued to journey on with Paul having a strong desire to go into Asia with the Gospel, but the Holy Spirit forbade him.

This is where we begin the message, for in v9, Paul has a night vision of a Macedonian man, saying, "Come over into Macedonia, and help us." A call (The Macedonian Call, we call it) was laid before Paul and His companions. Now the question was, "Would Paul answer the call?" There is a call laid before us, Will we answer the call?

TO ANSWER THE CALL:

(1) We Must Hear The Voice of The Spirit

Text: Acts 16:6-8

A. THE LEADERSHIP OF THE SPIRIT (Romans 8:14). What does it

mean to follow the leadership of the Holy Spirit?

ILLUS: Ideally, when Christians meet, as Christians, to take counsel

together, their purpose is not--or should not be--to ascertain

what is the mind of the majority but what is the mind of the

Holy Spirit--something which may be quite different. -- English

Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher in the Saturday Evening

Post (July/August 1989). Christianity Today, Vol. 33, no. 12.

Paul wanted to preach the Gospel in Asia but the Holy Spirit forbade

him. He didn’t follow his own desire or will, but the desire and will of

the Spirit of God! Ministries that genuinely touch the world all can be

traced to movement of the Holy Spirit. This is a truth that seems lost

to today's church. -- Ray Stedman in a private conversation.

Christianity Today, Vol. 33, no. 7.

B. THE LONGING OF THE SPIRIT. God’s Spirit will always lead us in

perfect harmony with the will of God. When we go contrary to the

leadership of God’s Spirit in our lives we grieve Him and stifle the

work God has for us to do. Luke says, that Paul and his companions

“were forbidden of the Holy Ghost to preach the word in Asia.” The

reason of this was, doubtless, that it was the intention of God to

extend the gospel further into the regions of Greece than would have

been done if they had remained in Asia Minor. This prohibition was

the means of the first introduction of the gospel into Europe. (Albert

Barnes’ Notes On The Bible).

TO ANSWER THE CALL, WE MUST HEAR THE VOICE OF THE SPIRIT and secondly…

(2) We Must Have a Vision Of The Sinner

Text: Acts 16:9-10

A. A VISION OF HIS FATE (Proverbs 29:18). The man of Macedonia

said, “Come over into Macedonia, and help us.” Friends, we must see

sinners as helpless, hopeless, and hell bound. We MUST SEE the sinner

as HOPELESS IN DESPAIR and HEADED FOR DESTRUCTION or else

we will not try to win him!

B. A VISION THAT IS FOCUSED. We should see the lost as Christ does!

In Matthew 9:36 we read—“But when he saw the multitudes, he was

moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were

scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd.” Notice what it says of

Paul in v10—“And after he had seen the vision, immediately we

endeavoured to go into Macedonia, assuredly gathering that the Lord

had called for us to preach the gospel unto them.” Is our vision that

focused on souls?

TO ANSWER THE CALL, WE MUST HEAR THE VOICE OF THE SPIRIT, HAVE A VISION OF THE SINNER, and finally…

Then---

(3) We Will Have the Victory of The Savior

Text: Acts 16:11-34

A. THE EXHIBITION OF GOD’S POWER. VV. 11-34 give us 3 Victories

of the Savior through Paul because he answered the call and followed

the leadership of the Spirit:

1) Lydia (Text: Acts 16:11-15).

2) Damsel With The Demon (Text: Acts 16:16-24).

3) The Philippian Jailer (Text: Acts 16:25-34).

B. THE ENCOURAGMENT FOR GOD’S PEOPLE. If we will by faith

answer the call we can enjoy the victory of the Savior in our lives also.

1 John 5:4-5 tells us, “For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the

world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.

Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is

the Son of God?” Paul says in 1 Corinthians 15:57-58—“But thanks

be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmovable, always

abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your

labour is not in vain in the Lord.”

CLOSING: Christ, just prior to His Ascension, called His disciples to “Go and

tell this World about Him and His saving power." That call to action

was not only to Christ's disciples then, but to us, His church today!

I ask you, "Are you answering the Call?" do you HEAR THE VOICE

OF THE SPIRIT and HAVE A VISION OF THE SINNER so you can

enjoy THE VICTORY OF THE SAVIOR? "Will you win others for

Him?" Proverbs 11:30 says, "The fruit of the righteous is a tree of

life; and he that winneth souls is wise."

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