How Much Mission Turbulence Is Too Much for You?
Acts 15:36-16:40
“The full missionary experience”
Minor Discomfort or Fasten Seat Belts
WHY Turbulence?
- People don’t like change, critique, sacrifice, discomfort, restraint, boundaries, self-discipline, killing sin, being wrong
- Satan hates the mission.
Facing Turbulence Successfully—Fasten your seatbelts!!
1. Requires choosing the right thing over the relational thing (Acts 15:36-16:5)
You need the right team: the turbulence of disappointing people
Grace, not circumcision! (Acts 15)
- No to Mark; yes, to Silas
“deserted them, not continued with them in the work” - A circumcised Timothy
“foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds” R.W. Emerson
(why AI can’t actually replace humans)
2. Requires choosing God’s surprising plans over your “sensible” plans (Acts 16:6-12; Prov. 16:9)
You need the right placement: the turbulence of the unfamiliar—never been there, never done it that way
From familiar to an entirely different thing—my plans; God’s ordered steps
- When the wind blows and the fur flies (encounter turbulence), you want to be certain you’re in the right place.
In the darkness you will stick to the decisions you made in the light. - How do you know the difference?
God doesn’t squander limited resources—He sends you where He is already at work.
3. Requires choosing to trust God to work out the unexpected (Acts 16:11-24)
You need the right approach: we struggle to be bold because we fear the turbulence of the unexpected—can I, will I be able—Can GOD!
Two different ‘place of prayer’ experiences:
- An unexpected bridgehead
The Lord opened her heart to respond... - Unhelpful publicity—a Python spirit endorsing A way of salvation
4. Requires choosing to live in joy rather than a “debtors ethic” (Acts 16:25-40)
You need the right attitude: the turbulence of unlawful, unfair, painful mistreatment/persecution
Why singing in prison? Paul and Silas had not set their joy meter to personal pleasure—it was set to experiencing the pleasure of Jesus and His promised treasures: YOU have made known to me the path of life/ YOU fill me with joy in YOUR presence/ with eternal pleasures at YOUR right hand. (Ps. 16:9)
VS.
Debtor’s ethic:
“HE’S done so much for me; the least I can do is obey.” Not strong enough to resist temptation (just put the sin on my already infinite tab of offences!) – “Living by Faith in Future Grace” Piper
- From temptations to turbulence, a heart totally fixed on the joy found in the enduring presence of Jesus and His promise of forevermore pleasures is key robust living and mission critical. (Ps. 16:11)
- It is proper to insist that the government do its divinely appointed job to promote and protect righteousness (Rom. 13:4)—not out of “revenge or showmanship”, but for the protection of future Christians to be treated in evangelism lawfully.
Sirs, what must I do to be saved?
Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved... to entrust one’s life, have faith in another.
If you can believe, BELIEVE!
The Lord opened up her heart to respond to Paul’s message. (14)
Filled with joy because he had come to believe in God—he AND his whole family. (34)
ARE YOU A CASUALTY OF TURBULENCE—somewhere along the journey you stepped onto the sidelines because the headwinds were too harsh, the cost too daunting, the rewards too elusive—you quit—get back in the mission. The later scoop on Mark—he became extremely valuable to the cause—to Paul and to Peter as God used him to assist recording Peter’s recounting of time with Jesus and authored a Gospel.
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