IC/NR 20-05-07
1. Introduction:
I rather like the book of Acts, because it shows the Church in action, warts and all.
It is a dynamic book, written as a sequel to Luke’s Gospel.
And unlike Luke’s Gospel – we see Luke’s personal reminiscences appearing – in the passages where he changes from describing Paul and his companions as “they” and using instead “we”
For example compare Acts 17:1 where Luke records:
“Now when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia they came to Thessolonica ....”
with Acts 21:1 where Luke writes:
“Now it came to pass that when we had departed from them and set sail, running a straight course we came to Cos...”
Luke has first hand experience of some of the events that he is now describing
In the book of Acts we see the Early Church in action. The growth of the Church was exponential
And yet when I compare what I read in Acts with the general malaise of the English Churches today - I wonder at the claim of the Church of England to be a Church in apostolic succession.
The more I read about the Church in the book of Acts - the more I wonder if we even have the same faith in the 21st Century.
One critic put the matter thus:
“It has been said that if the Lord had withdrawn the Holy Spirit in the Early Church 90% of all activity would have stopped and 10% would have gone on.
It has been said that if the Lord were to withdraw the Holy Spirit from the 21st Century Church, 10% of the activities would cease and 90% would go on.!”
A story is recorded of the famous theologian Thomas Aquinas visiting the Renaissance Pope, Pope Innocent II.
The Pope showed Thomas the abundance of funds in the church treasury, the works of art, the extravagant decorations and ornaments in the chapel.
"You see, Thomas," said the Pope, "the church can no longer say, ‘Silver and gold have I none.’ “(referring to the words of Peter and John in Acts 3:6 when healing the paralysed man)
"True," Thomas replied, "but neither can she now say, ‘In the name of Jesus Christ, Rise and walk.’ " (which was the second part of Peter and John’s statement in Acts 3:6)
Perhaps we should, one day, base a series of sermons on all 28 chapters of the Book of Acts.
It would certainly be inspiring
The passage I want to look at this morning comes from our first reading - from Acts 16 – Paul’s first visit to Europe - in the middle of what is termed his second missionary journey.
2. Background to the Missionary Journeys
I think it might be useful to look at the background to this passage and that is why I have produced two maps on the back of the Pew news today
St Paul had three missionary journeys that are recorded in the book of Acts
The final goal of these three missionary journeys was to ground a church in the city of Ephesus with the Gospel
Indeed we see Paul, on his third missionary journey, spending two years in Ephesus building the Church there. Far longer that he spends in any other city of the three journeys
Why was Ephesus so special?
It was the capital of the Roman Province of Asia located just south of modern Izmir in Turkey today .
It was the gateway to the West
It was one of the three greatest cities of the eastern Mediterranean with a population of perhaps 250,000 - the other two being Alexandria in Egypt and Syrian Antioch.
Ephesus was an important port with good access to the interior of Asia Minor.
And ports were excellent centres to pass news on – the Good News of Jesus Christ.
It was - however - a pagan citadel being the centre for the worship of Artemis or Diana - the Asian goddess of fertility
The Temple of Diana was one of the seven wonders of the ancient world and its great theatre could hold 25,000 people:
And you will see if you read Acts 19 that it is the temple craftsmen that eventually were the caiuse of Paul leaving town.
Paul approached his task like a military campaign
3. Review of the Missionary journeys
On Paul’s first missionary journey he takes the Eastern flank of Ephesus.
If you look at the map, you will see that Paul’s starts out from his sending Church Antioch in Syria. (Acts 13)
He passes through the Island of Cyprus, bringing the Governor there to faith.
He continues through the province of Pamphilia to town of Pisidan Antioch, (not to be confused with Syrian Antioch).
He then reaches Lystra (Timothy’s home town – was Timothy a Pauline convert there?), Iconium and Derbe and then returns home.
On Paul’s second missionary journey he takes the Western and Southern flanks around Ephesus
As you will see from the first map, Paul again starts from his home church in Syrian Antioch. (Acts 16)
He passes through his home town of Tarsus and returns to visit some of the churches he planted in the First Missionary journey - at Derbe, Lystra – where Timothy joins the missionary team and Derbe.
Paul and his team then goes through the Roman Provinces of Phrygia, Galatia and Mysia and on to the town of Troas
It is there - in Troas that Paul has his vision of the call of the Macedonian man, which leads Paul and his companions to Philippi, the first city in Europe that Paul brought the Gospel.
It is in Philippi that the story of our lesson today is based.
From there Paul passes through Macedonia to Corinth and Athens then briefly stops off at Ephesus before returning to Syrian Antioch, via Jersualem.
Paul’s third missionary journey - as you will see on your second map - starts again from Syrian Antioch and passes through the cities of his first missionary journey to Ephesus itself. (Acts 18:23)
There Paul remains for 2 years building up the local church that he has planted until a riot causes him to leave the city. (Acts 19)
From Ephesus he goes to the churches planted in Macedonia and Greece on his second missionary journey, returning to the seaport of Troas.
The only notable event recorded in Troas was that Paul preached so long that Eutychus, a young man sank into a deep sleep and fell out of a second floor window. (Acts 20:9)
A warning for all of you who are tempted to drop of in my sermon today!
From Troas Paul moved on to Miletus another seaport, where he gives his famous farewell discourse to the Ephesian Elders, (Acts 20 17 et seq) and from there he sails to Ceasarea and then to Jerusalem.
4. Some of the Warts and all
I said I like the book of Acts because it shows the Church warts and all. It is a book grounded in reality
Sadly , at the end of the first missionary journey, the powerful missionary team of Paul and Barnabas split up (Acts 15:36-41). And all over a seemingly trival matter of whether John Mark (who was eventually to write Mark’s Gospel) should go with them.
Barnabas wanted to keep Mark in the team, but Paul didn’t - because Mark had abandoned them during the first missionary journey.
And so a great team comes to an end.
A tragedy you might say – but God ‘s work continues despite that. Paul goes on evangelising and Barnabas goes off to work with Mark
I personally think the great Apostle Paul got it wrong and Barnabas was right
Indeed it is wonderful to find – in Paul’s last known letter - that there was a reconciliation with Mark.
Paul writes in 2 Tim 4:11 “Get Mark and bring him with you for he is useful to me for ministry”
And so Paul set out on his second missionary journey in Chapter 16 with Silas and Timothy.
When Paul and the team passed through the Roman provinces of Phrygia and Galatia, they tried first to go to Asia but they were forbidden by the Holy Spirit (Acts 16:6) and then into Bithynia, where St Luke records:
“but the Spirit did not permit them” (Acts 16:7)
So passing through the Roman province of Mysia they came to the seaport of Troas.
Let St Luke tell the story himself
During the night Paul had a vision of a man of Macedonia standing and begging him "Come over to Macedonia and help us". After Paul had seen the vision, we got ready at once to leave for Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them. (Acts 16 9-10)
Note the “we” form here – Luke is part of the team.
5. The Bringing of the Gospel to Europe
It is in Philippi that Paul meets Lydia and grounds the first recorded church on European soil (Acts 16:14)
And this leads into the story of our reading from Acts this morning - Acts 16:16-34
6. The exorcism of the Ephesian Slave girl and its consequences
Paul and Silas, on their way to church, start to be followed by a slave girl with an evil spirit – a spirit of divination.
She followed Paul and Silas around saying
"These men are servants of the Most High God, who are telling you the way to be saved" (v17).
Why was Paul bothered by this – surely any publicity is good publicity
True to a point - but evil spirits “witnessing” to the Gospel do not bring credit to the Gospel and so Paul turned around and said
"In the name of Jesus Christ, I command you to come out of her" (v.18).
As you might imagine her owners were none too pleased and took Paul and Silas to the magistrates on a trumped up charge:
"These men are Jews and are throwing our town into an uproar by advocating customs unlawful for us Romans to accept or practice" (v.20)
So without a trial, Paul and Silas are stripped and beaten and after they had been severely flogged are thrown into prison.
This - despite the fact that to do so is illegal – as Paul is a Roman citizen.
In prison their feet are then fastened in the stocks ( Acts 16.22-24).
So not only have they been beaten but they are fastened in stocks - for hours on end - unable to get up and stretch their legs either.
Story: I have just flown back from Florida a 10 hour flight – and I was so grateful to be able to get up and walk up and dwon the plane
Their stay in prison, you might say was pretty uncomfortable.
7. I wonder how would I would have reacted in such circumstances:
7.1 Would I have been tempted to moan?
How unjust it was of God to call us to Macedonia to preach the gospel and then leave us to land up in prison for it.
What’s more, they had been beaten without a trial (v.37-39).
7.2 Or Would I have been tempted to doubt God’s call?
Perhaps I would have thought - we must have got it wrong because if we were in God’s will, we would not be in such a rough situation -in prsion on on a trumped up charge.
7.3 So are you surprised by Paul and Silas’ reaction to this unfair treatment in Philippi?
Because we find Paul and Silas praying and singing hymns to God in prison.
And I see a key from the Early Church that we could do well to apply to our Church life today.
Discipleship is costly – and if we want to follow Christ we may well experience opposition
And then the question comes – how will we react.
Will we follow conventional wisdom and bemoan our lot
Or will we – like Paul and Silas – praise and worship God – DESPITE the circumstances.
Paul and Silas’s attitude was so strange that the hardened Roman jailer becomes curious and asks Paul about his faith.
The way they lived spoke volumes
St Francis of Assisi is reputed to have once said: “Preach the Gospel at all times, and where necessary use words”
Paul and Silas showed by their lives in adversity that their Gospel was something special and attarctive
And while Paul and Silas were holding a praise and prayer session in prison, there was a violent earthquake that threw the prison doors open. Acts 16: 25-29
The jailer was about to kill himself because if the prisoners escaped he would be executed for it.
But Paul tells him not to, as they were all still in the cells.
And though that, the jailer and his family became Christians.
You see praise and prayer brings release to those around us.
We might not experience an actual earthquake, - I don’t think you can blame the church for the earthquake in Folkestone a few weeks ago!
But the shackles of the Devil will fall off people as they experience the power of the Holy Spirit.
Paul started a revival in prison.
Conclusion
Perhaps the challenge to us today is:
How are we going to use the time that God has given to us in Ivychurch/ New Romney?
Are we going to look at the impossibility of the task and despair
How on earth were Paul and Silas in prison going to preach the Gospel of Jesus?
Or do we simply TRUST GOD for the solution and keep on praising and worshipping Him
May I leave you with a story that I have told here before:
There is an ancient legend about Jesus’ ascension into heaven. He is met by the angel Gabriel, who asks him, "Now that your work is finished, what plans have you made to ensure that the truth that you brought to earth will spread throughout the world?"
Jesus answered, "I have called some fishermen and tax-collectors to walk along with me as I did my Father’s will."
"Yes, I know about them," said Gabriel, "but what other plans have you made? "
Jesus replied, "I taught Peter, James and John about the kingdom of God; I taught Thomas about faith; and all of them were with me as I healed and preached to the multitudes."
Gabriel replied. "But you know how unreliable that lot was. Surely you must have other plans to make sure your work was not in vain."
Jesus quietly replied to Gabriel "I have no other plans. I am depending on them!! "
You are God’s plan A and he has no plan B!
