The Book of Acts | Acts 15:36-16:15 | Dave Jung

·35 min·3 clips

Paul and Barnabas had a sharp disagreement that split their mission team over whether to trust Mark again.

This sermon episode from Renew Church OC continues the church's ongoing series through the Book of Acts, specifically covering Acts 15:36-16:15. Pastor Dave Jung opens with casual remarks about the Dodgers and Shohei Ohtani before transitioning to a food analogy about kimchi jjigae, a Korean stew that improves when reheated as leftovers. He frames this as 'spiritual kimchi jjigae' - revisiting familiar biblical truths about evangelism that become more meaningful with repetition. The sermon then systematically presents four principles for evangelism drawn from the text. First, Jung examines the sharp disagreement between Paul and Barnabas over whether to take John Mark on their second mission trip, noting how their different temperaments (Barnabas as encourager, Paul as task-oriented leader) led to separate mission teams. He compares this to the Shaq-Kobe Lakers dynamic and argues both approaches were right for the gospel's spread. Second, the sermon explores how Paul recruited Timothy not through direct conversion but through 'second generation fruit' - Timothy came to faith through his grandmother Lois and mother Eunice, whom Paul had converted earlier. Third, Jung analyzes why Paul circumcised Timothy for cultural reasons but refused to circumcise Titus for theological reasons, illustrating the 'in them to win them' principle that doesn't compromise the gospel. He shares anecdotes about misguided attempts at this principle by frat guys and a missionary candidate. Fourth, the sermon describes how Paul persevered when God closed mission doors, comparing this to an ant finding new paths around obstacles. Jung concludes that Christians should keep trying doors in evangelism until God provides direction. The episode ends with prayer, service information, and a giving appeal.

As heard by us

Paul and Barnabas's split becomes a practical lesson in flexible evangelism and patient discipleship.

This Acts sermon turns a missionary disagreement into a sober lesson about how evangelism keeps moving through human missteps, strained relationships, revised plans, and gradual growth.

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Why you'd press play

You get a leftovers analogy for flexible evangelism, which is not a sentence heard every Sunday.

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