Sermon Acts 16:6-34
My favourite book in the Old Testament is the Book of Proverbs and in the New Testament is the Book of Acts.
The Book of Acts is written to Theophilus which means in Greek Lover of God from Theos meaning God and Phileo meaning love.
What he a man who was Luke’s patron for the book or was he simply named as a lover of God wanting to find out more about the Christian movement – or as it was known at that time “the Way”
Scholars are pretty well unanimous in the opinion that Acts is the sequel to the Gospel of Luke, not least because the Gospel of Luke is also addressed to Theophilus.
And Luke right at the beginning of his Gospel tells us the aim of his book and its sequel Acts when he writes this:
1 Many have undertaken to draw up an account of the things that have been fulfilled among us, 2 just as they were handed down to us by those who from the first were eyewitnesses and servants of the word.
3 With this in mind, since I myself have carefully investigated everything from the beginning, I too decided to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, 4 so that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught. (Luke 1:1-4)
Following the end of Luke’s Gospel, St Luke in Acts tells the story of how the church grew from a backwoods sect of Judaism to a widespread religious movement in the first century AD.
Perhaps the key verse to sum up the book of Acts can be found in Acts 1:8
Jesus said to his disciples:
“It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” (Acts 1:7-8)
If you will bear with me I’ll give you a bit of a whistle-stop tour of the first 15 Chapters of Acts as they pertain to Acts 16
In Acts 2, we see immediate fulfilment of Jesus’ words in Acts 1:7 and 8 when the power of the Holy Spirit falls on the Church and three thousand were added to the church after one sermon and the Church grows phenomenally in Jerusalem.
But not everyone is impressed with the Gospel and in Acts 4 we read of the Jewish authorities trying to put the movement down
In Chapter 7, we read of the death of the first Christian martyr Stephen. And as Stephen is killed, a great persecution broke out against the church (Acts 8:1).
This is a key event to get the Church out of the comfort of Jerusalem and to take the Gospel to Judea and Samaria and to the ends of the earth”
As a result all in the church except the apostles flee Jerusalem and are scattered in Judea and Samaria, and it is specifically noted that Philip takes the Gospel to Samaria
We then hear of the conversion of St Paul in Acts 9 and in Chapter 10 we read of a watershed event of how the Gospel is taken by Peter to the Gentiles in the person of the Centurion Cornelius and all his household.
The following Chapters we follow the progress of Paul and Barnabas of what is known as the First Missionary Journey.
In Chapter 15 we read of the first Church Council in Jerusalem, where they are asked to settle the doctrinal matter which has plagues Paul and Barnabas:
“Do Gentile believers need to be circumcised to become Christians”
And the Church leadership in Jerusalem speaks a decisive no answer.”
Then at the end of Chapter 15 we read of the big split up between Paul and Barnabas over the suitability of taking John Mark on the second missionary journey.
As a result Barnabas returns to his home island of Cyprus and Paul sets off with Silas on the Second Missionary journey
And it in Acts Chapter 16 we read of Paul taking the the Gospel to Europe for the first time.
The Revd. Jerry Shirley, an American Baptist minister has summed Acts 16 particularly nicely with three headings:
1. The Vision ,
2. The Venture and
3. The Victory
in Europe.
http://www.sermoncentral.com/sermons/the-vision-the-venture--the-victory--gospel-in-europe-jerry-shirley-sermon-on-evangelism-how-to-81923.asp
1. The Vision
Up until this time, the missionary work of Paul has been confined to the Middle East and Asia.
Paul has come from the East and he tries to go south into Bithinya. He then turns north and tries to go into the province of Asia. Both times the Holy Spirit stops him.
So he goes West and lands up at Troas.
Often we get an idea where God wants us to go but the door closes.
Note that it was the Holy Spirit each time that stopped them going where they wanted to go.
Paul and Silas were sensitive to the moving of the Holy Spirit.
Very often God moves through circumstances. What we see as a lost opportunity may indeed be because that is not what God wants you to do.
And even the great apostle Paul got it wrong twice.
If you are prepared to allow God to guide you – there will be times when you get it wrong
But I find the words of the prophet Isaiah very encouraging
Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, "This is the way; walk in it." (Isaiah 30:21)
When God calls He expects us to step out in faith, but he doesn’t give us the final destination till me need it.
Because it was God’s call, Paul was very successful
And isn’t it sad that of the countries where Paul preached, only the countries in Europe still has some strong Christian churches.
2. The Venture
Paul and Silas got into a boat and crossed the Aegean Sea from Troas to Philippi.
They began the new venture and arrived the next day.
But when they came back we read
6 But we sailed from Philippi after the Festival of Unleavened Bread, and five days later joined the others at Troas, where we stayed seven days.! (Acts 20:6)
When God is behind what you are doing you get a following wind!
Can you imagine how Paul and Silas must have felt when they came to Philippi and could not find a synagogue to preach in.
Yet God had prepared a way already.
A group of women were praying outside the city gate down by the river.
And from that group of women praying, God raised up a church that was to become Paul’s pride and joy.
A Church that supported him through his hardship.
A church to whom Paul wrote his letter to the Philippians.
The lesson for us is this. Don’t give up when the going gets tough.
When God calls he prepares a way.
And Paul’s first recorded convert was Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth from Thyatira.
Interestingly it is in the book of Revelation that we find Thyatira as one of the seven churches.
We read this in Revelation 2:
18 “To the angel of the church in Thyatira write:
These are the words of the Son of God, whose eyes are like blazing fire and whose feet are like burnished bronze. 19 I know your deeds, your love and faith, your service and perseverance, and that you are now doing more than you did at first.
Was Lydia involved in taking the gospel home to Thyatira and building a church in her home town.
Sadly we shall never know.
But she is used by God to build the first Church in Europe – in Philippi.
Isn’t God - the God of surprises, as Gerard Hughes entitled his book.
Paul the apostle - a Pharisee - was in for a surprise when he stepped onto European soil.
You may recall that a good Pharisee when he woke up in the morning would religiously pray three things.
He would thank God that
he was not a woman,
he was not a slave, and
he was not a Gentile.
And guess who the first three converts were in Europe?
A woman - Lydia, a slave girl, and a Gentile – the Philippian gaoler!
If Paul might have been tempted to be disappointed only to reach the women of the city, God certainly wasn’t.
And for me this just underlines the importance of the ministry of women in the church.
Who was the first person to witness the Risen Lord – Mary Magdalene.
Who was the first church leader in Europe – Lydia of Thyatira.
Is God saying something to us?
3. The Victory
We read in Acts 16:14
14 One of those listening was a woman from the city of Thyatira named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth. She was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to respond to Paul’s message.
Note it wasn’t Paul’s clever message that brought her to faith
It was God at work in response to Paul and the team’s prayers no doubt
Who was Lydia?
Jerry Shirley put it very well when he said this about Lydia
She was a “seller of purple”, meaning she was in the business of designer clothes.
Only the rich and the royal could wear purple.
In those days, the purple dye came from a shellfish, and one shellfish would yield only one drop of the purple dye.
It was extremely expensive.
So, she was well to do herself.
She would have had prestige and influence, and yet she still had a hungry heart.
Lydia shows us that you can have wealth and still not have satisfaction until you find the Lord and start joining in the vision he has for the place you are in.
This quote was put on Facebook on 1st August 2013 entitled: My Life With God
Money can buy a house, but not a home.
Money can buy a bed, but not sleep.
Money can buy a clock, but not time.
Money can buy a book, but not knowledge.
Money can buy food, but not an appetite.
Money can buy you friends but not Love.
Money can buy position, but not respect.
Money can buy blood, but not life.
Money can buy insurance, but not safety.
Money can buy a Bible, but not a relationship with Jesus.
Money can buy religion, but not salvation.
"..But the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord." -Romans 6:23
The last thing I would like to say about Lydia is this
Lydia had a generous heart
15 When she and the members of her household were baptized, she invited us to her home. “If you consider me a believer in the Lord,” she said, “come and stay at my house.”
Down by the river was the place to have church in Philippi before Lydia heard the Gospel and responded to it.
Then she took Paul and the others into her home.
Lydia’s prayer meeting down by the river was very much like our Church on Sunday.
But when the Gospel penetrated Lydia’s heart, she moved church from the river to her house.
For a true Christian : Church - i.e. spending time with God with our Christians is more than just Sunday service.
The Christian life is 24/7.
We need to take Sunday church to our homes Monday to Saturday as well – Like Lydia.
May I leave you with a thought.
Have you thought of using your house for a monthly prayer meeting or a monthly Bible Study?.
My thanks to Revd. Jerry Shirley for some of the ideas in this sermon. May I commend his sermon: http://www.sermoncentral.com/sermons/the-vision-the-venture--the-victory--gospel-in-europe-jerry-shirley-sermon-on-evangelism-how-to-81923.asp
