Sunday Nov 23, 2008

Acts_16_11-40
Acts_16_11-40

I. As we left off
A. Paul has invited young Timothy to join him in this missionary journey, Silas and Luke are a part of the team traveling with them.
B. The Holy Spirit had forbidden them to go into Asia (Roman Asia) or into Bithynia, and they had come down to Troas a sea port where in a vision Paul had seen a man of Macedonia calling to him to come and help them.
1. By this they had determined that God was calling them to preach the gospel in Macedonia, and they immediately set out to travel to Macedonia.
II. Ministry in Philippi
A. Lydia Baptized
Acts 16:11-15 (NKJV)
11 Therefore, sailing from Troas, we ran a straight course to Samothrace, and the next day came to Neapolis,
12 and from there to Philippi, which is the foremost city of that part of Macedonia, a colony. And we were staying in that city for some days.
13 And on the Sabbath day we went out of the city to the riverside, where prayer was customarily made; and we sat down and spoke to the women who met there.
14 Now a certain woman named Lydia heard us. She was a seller of purple from the city of Thyatira, who worshiped God. The Lord opened her heart to heed the things spoken by Paul.
15 And when she and her household were baptized, she begged us, saying, “If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come to my house and stay.” So she persuaded us.
1. They had to cross the Aegean sea sailing from Troas to Samothrace an Island in the Aegean and then on to Neapolis.
a. Samothrace is about halfway between Troas and Neapolis.
b. They ran a straight course means that they had favorable winds and we see that they made the journey in two days where as later in the reverse direction it took them five days.
2. Then traveling over land they came to Philippi which was a larger city in that part of Macedonia.
a. Paul would target the major cities knowing that it was much easier for the gospel to go out from the large cities than it was for the gospel to come in to the large cities.

b. Luke tells us that it was a colony meaning it was a Roman colony let me read what the "Bible Knowledge Commentary" says here as it is often kind of fun to catch a glimpse of history as we move along.
Philippi, originally named Crenides ("Fountains"), was taken by Philip of Macedon and renamed after him. In 168 b.c. Philippi became a Roman possession. After Mark Antony and Octavian defeated Brutus and Cassius, the assassins of Julius Caesar, near Philippi in 42 b.c., the city was made into a Roman colony. This gave it special privileges (e.g, fewer taxes) but more importantly it became like a "transplanted" Rome (cf. comments on Philippi in the Introduction to Phil.). The primary purpose of colonies was military, for the Roman leaders felt it wise to have Roman citizens and sympathizers settled in strategic locations. So Octavian (who became Caesar Augustus, the first Roman emperor, in 27 b.c.) settled more colonists (primarily former soldiers) at Philippi after his defeat of Antony at Actium, on Greece's west coast, in 31 b.c.

Walvoord, John F. ; Zuck, Roy B. ; Dallas Theological Seminary: The Bible Knowledge Commentary : An Exposition of the Scriptures. Wheaton, IL : Victor Books, 1983-c1985, S. 2:399
3. On the Sabbath "we went out of the city to the riverside, where prayer was customarily made; and we sat down and spoke to the women who met there."
a. Evidently the Jewish population was small in Philippi, they were gathering by the riverside for prayer there not being enough men in good standing to open a synagogue.
b. And to the women gathered there, Paul and company sat down and preached the gospel.
4. Among the women who had gathered was a woman named Lydia who was a seller of purple from the city of Thyatira, who worshipped God.
a. The dyes used for coloring things purple were very expensive and sellers of purple were dealing with very luxurious and highly desired products.
(1) Lydia was apparently successful and had a house large enough to accommodate Paul and his team.
b. We are told that she worshipped God, so likely she was not a proselyte who had converted to Judaism, but had come to believe in and worship Jehovah.
(1) And as Paul preached the Lord open up her heart to believe the message of the gospel and heeding the message she and her household were subsequently baptized.
(2) After her baptism she begs Paul and company to come and stay at her house which they did.
c. Lydia has the distinction of being the first European convert of the Apostle Paul.
(1) Many like to speculate on how history may have been different if the Gospel had gone first to Asia before it went to Europe.
B. A demon possessed girl is delivered
Acts 16:16-18 (NKJV)
16 Now it happened, as we went to prayer, that a certain slave girl possessed with a spirit of divination met us, who brought her masters much profit by fortune-telling.
17 This girl followed Paul and us, and cried out, saying, “These men are the servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to us the way of salvation.”
18 And this she did for many days. But Paul, greatly annoyed, turned and said to the spirit, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.” And he came out that very hour.

1. A group of men were exploiting a slave girl who was possessed with a demon of divination and were profiting off her fortune-telling.
2. And the girl sort of latches on to Paul and company following them around and declaring who they were ( the servants of the Most High God) and what they were doing (who proclaim to us the way of salvation).
a. And after many days of her doing this, Paul being greatly annoyed by what she was doing commands the spirit to come out of her, and the spirit obeys, and she is set free from it.
b. Interesting that they were not interested in the free advertisement she brought, they did not want to be in any way identified with sucha spirit even if it was telling the truth.
2 Corinthians 6:14 (NKJV)
14 Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness?
(1) I marvel at the way much of the church is chasing after the endorsement of the world today...
C. Paul and Silas are persecuted because of this
Acts 16:19-24 (NKJV)
19 But when her masters saw that their hope of profit was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace to the authorities.
20 And they brought them to the magistrates, and said, “These men, being Jews, exceedingly trouble our city;
21 and they teach customs which are not lawful for us, being Romans, to receive or observe.”
22 Then the multitude rose up together against them; and the magistrates tore off their clothes and commanded them to be beaten with rods.
23 And when they had laid many stripes on them, they threw them into prison, commanding the jailer to keep them securely.
24 Having received such a charge, he put them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks.
1. Caring nothing for the well being of the girl and motivated solely by their loss of income from their fortune-telling enterprise, the masters of this girl turn on Paul and Silas and drag them before the magistrates of the city.
a. Paul and Silas are singled out because they are Jews and less likely to be Romans there were one set of laws for Roman citizens and quite another for those who weren't.
(1) Roman citizens had civil rights which were zealously gaurded, non-citizens did not have civil rights.
b. The accusation these men being Jews are trouble makers troubling the city;
(1) Took place shortly after Claudius had expelled Jews from Rome
Acts 18:2 (NKJV)
2 And he found a certain Jew named Aquila, born in Pontus, who had recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla (because Claudius had commanded all the Jews to depart from Rome); and he came to them.
(2) And the people were permitted to have their own religions but were not permitted proselytize Roman citizens.
2. So moved by the crowd the magistrates beat Pail and Silas then threw them into prison (in stocks)
a. The jailers being given specific instructions to keep them securely.
D. Conversion of the Philippian jailer.
Acts 16:25-32 (NKJV)
25 But at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them.
26 Suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone’s chains were loosed.
27 And the keeper of the prison, awaking from sleep and seeing the prison doors open, supposing the prisoners had fled, drew his sword and was about to kill himself.
28 But Paul called with a loud voice, saying, “Do yourself no harm, for we are all here.”
29 Then he called for a light, ran in, and fell down trembling before Paul and Silas.
30 And he brought them out and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”
31 So they said, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household.”
32 Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house.
1. In spite of their circumstance Paul and Silas are full of joy and singing to God.
a. Joy comes when we keep in mind not our circumstances but the promise and knowledge that God is in control of our circumstance.
2. The other prisoners were listening, the world watches and listen to us, what example do they see???
3. Suddenly a supernatural earthquake which loosens the chains of everyone of the prisoners including their doors.
a. With good reason the jailer awakened by the earthquake and seeing all the doors opened was about to kill himself, because the penalty for letting a prisoner escape was that you had to fulfill their penalty.
b. Paul realizing that the jailer would likely harm himself cries out and intervenes.
(1) Paul and Silas care more about the others then they do about their own freedom!!!
4. Now the jailer is really shook up and asks them what he must do to be saved...
a. Paul responds “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household.”
(1) Salvation is through grace by faith.
(2) Promise of household many feel is specific to the jailer...
5. And they believed and are baptized.
Acts 16:33-34 (NKJV)
33 And he took them the same hour of the night and washed their stripes. And immediately he and all his family were baptized.
34 Now when he had brought them into his house, he set food before them; and he rejoiced, having believed in God with all his household.
a. And he is now ministering to them.
E. They don't go quietly
Acts 16:35-39 (NKJV)
35 And when it was day, the magistrates sent the officers, saying, “Let those men go.”
36 So the keeper of the prison reported these words to Paul, saying, “The magistrates have sent to let you go. Now therefore depart, and go in peace.”
37 But Paul said to them, “They have beaten us openly, uncondemned Romans, and have thrown us into prison. And now do they put us out secretly? No indeed! Let them come themselves and get us out.”
38 And the officers told these words to the magistrates, and they were afraid when they heard that they were Romans.
39 Then they came and pleaded with them and brought them out, and asked them to depart from the city.
1. The earthquake was about the salvation of the jailer and his household and not the release of Paul and Silas or why would the message now come to let them go (God surely knew what would happen)!
2. At any rate the magistrates are now ready to let them go, they have made an example of them which will surely keep everyone else in line.
a. But Paul and Silas are not going to let them off the hook so easily and reveal that they are Roman citizens which they had unlawfully beaten without a trial.
b. I would have been anxious to let the matter go, but they are standing up for the others by their protest.
3. They go on their own terms
Acts 16:40 (NKJV)
40 So they went out of the prison and entered the house of Lydia; and when they had seen the brethren, they encouraged them and departed.
a. first ministering to Lydia and the other believers before they depart...
III. God wants you!!!
A. Your heart
1. Two ways
a. First in relationship...
b. Second in relationship...