"Keeping The Vision Of Jesus” Series

In Jesus Holy Name October 3, 2022

Text: Acts16:6-9, 13-14 Redeemer Lutheran

“Keeping the Vision of Jesus”

The mysterious Watergate informant known as “Deep Throat” told reporters Woodward and Bernstein: “Follow the money,” He was right The same principle is a lesson the 1st century church learned: Instead of “follow the money” it was “Follow the Holy Spirit”. The vision of Jesus was clear. (Acts 1) “You will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria and to the ends of the earth.” The “how” was not explained. The “how” slowly became visible to the disciples as they listened to the voice of the Holy Spirit, who guided their actions.

In the ancient Greek Theaters an actor would often speak two or three parts The audience would know who is speaking by the “mask” that the actor would hold up. (called “persona”) The audience recognized the role being played by the mask. For example in a youth play there would one person speaking two parts by changing the mask. (have two masks to demonstrate) The first person speaks: "Jesus died for your sins!" To which the actor by changing the mask would ask: "Yeh, but what has He done for me lately?" The same actor, changing to a third mask says: “Follow the Holy Spirit.”

Jesus, in His human body, could only be in one place at any one time, but His Spirit could be everywhere at all times. When Jesus was on earth, He could delegate power but when He was gone, His Spirit would fill the disciples with His power. It happened. (Leonard Sweet)

First on Pentecost… all the new believers in Jesus took the message of the resurrection back home. Second, Jesus told the Peter to include Gentiles. He had a vision and a visit to the home of Cornelius. Third, the Holy Spirit guided them through problems and persecution, including the important “Council” in Jerusalem. (Acts 15) Fourth, the Holy Spirit gave a vision to Saul on the Road to Damascus and then sent him and Barnabas on their first missionary journey.

On their first journey a pattern was set the Holy Spirit always guided them to a logical place, the synagogue. In every city that Paul and Barnabas went, they always started by speaking to Jews in the synagogue, which I referred to as “Common Ground”. They began with the O.T. scriptures. We too have common ground with friends and neighbors who say they believe in God… but remain dechurched. I suggested you begin with the “?” why., to begin your mission to share what Jesus is doing in your life.

Charles Swindoll points out that "When we study the journeys of Paul in the book of Acts, we’re not just reading the travel log of a man; we’re observing the redemptive plan of God unfolding as He promised. Through the ministry of Saul of Tarsus, God’s mission to reclaim His creation from the death grip of evil would move to its next stage.

Acts 16 finds the new missionaries are Paul and Silas returning to visit all the congregations from the first trip. But what happens when Paul tries to visit new areas in Asia. There are road blocks. We are not told what kind just that no matter how many times they tried they were blocked. (Read Acts 16:6-10)

The apostle Paul had a vision in the night while he was in Troas. In the vision a man begged him, “Come over to Macedonia and help us” (v. 9). Paul and his companions immediately adjusted their course and went to Macedonia to share the gospel. But there was a new problem. No synagogue. So where is the common ground?

When Paul and his friends got to Macedonia they tried to find a synagogue in which to worship. Apparently none existed in Philippi. On the Sabbath they found a group of women gathered by the river to pray. Paul spoke to them and shared the gospel. A woman named Lydia was in that group and “The Lord opened her heart” (v. 14). Who opened her heart? Paul’s eloquent sermon? No. The Holy Spirit. As Luther reminds us…”I can not by my own reason or strength believe in Jesus Christ, but the Holy Spirit has called me by the gospel.” Paul shared Jesus as Savior.

Lydia became a helper of Paul and a woman of faith in the area. She was open to the gospel but Paul was open to her and her family. She invited them to her house. "Who are you inviting into your house?" I'm not thinking of the Fuller Brush man, or the individual who sells encyclopedias, the kid from the neighborhood school who is selling candy, the Girl Scout with her cookies, or the college student selling 20-year subscriptions to magazines. (sermon Rev Ken Klaus 2007)