You, Jesus, Are God!

Bereans

(Acts 17:10-12, Preaching: Pastor Stephen Magee, October 28, 2012)

[10] The brothers immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea,

The Lord, He is God.

We think we set events in motion, and we do, but we are only secondary causes. The Lord is God. Paul and Silas made their plans, but God ordained their steps. What took place in Philippi and in Thessalonica was not the wisdom of man, but the wisdom of God. He was working, not through His servants' power, but through their weakness.

What was the key to the apostolic success in Philippi? I think it was the power of God at work in the hearts of His servants when their feet were in the stocks in the inner prison. They prayed and sang hymns to Him there. That was the wisdom and power of God.

What was the key to their success in Thessalonica? I think that it happened after they were sent away by night to Berea. The simple church that had formed in such a brief time in Thessalonica held to the faith after Paul and Silas left. That was the power of love, the power of the kingdom at work. The missionaries were thrown out, but the kingdom of God thrived. This is not a guess. It is what Paul wrote to them in 1 Thessalonians 3 based on the visit of Timothy. Timothy brought back to Paul the good news of the faith and love of the Thessalonian church.

When Jo Eliuk opened her eyes in her hospital bed after her day of surgery, before I had a chance to say “Hello,” she said, “Pastor, what a mighty God we serve!” This is the Thessalonian miracle. The humble people of God filled with faith and love, report the news of the mighty God that we serve in the midst of their own suffering. The Lord, He is God! Paul and Silas had to leave Thessalonica before their work was finished, at least in their opinion. But God moved them on, and He continued His mighty work through the regular people left behind. They had the wisdom of God planted in them. They knew what to say and what to do. But they had something more. They had the power of the love of Christ overflowing in their hearts. They knocked, and doors opened, and the suffering persecuted church in that great city prospered in faith and love.

and when they arrived they went into the Jewish synagogue.

Paul and Barnabas continued to thrive as well, now in the city of Berea. They also knew what to do. They went into the Jewish synagogue there despite the troubles they faced in Thessalonica from the Jews there that rejected the Messiah King who died on a cross. Paul continued his custom. To the Jews first, despite the potential for controversy. They found courage in the Lord, and brought the same bold message that they preached to Jews everywhere. It was necessary for the Christ to suffer and die and then to rise again according to the Hebrew Scriptures. This Messiah had come, and His Name was Jesus, “the Lord is Salvation.” He had saved His people not from the Egyptians, but from a much more formidable enemy, their own sins.

[11] Now these Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica;

Luke tells us that the people in the synagogue in Berea were different that those in Thessalonica. The word that he uses to describe them is only used in two other places in the New Testament. It might help us to examine those two instances.

The first is in Luke 19:12, where Jesus begins a parable with these words:

“A nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom and then return. Calling ten of his servants, he gave them ten minas, and said to them, ‘Engage in business until I come.’”

The second is in 1 Corinthians 1:26, where Paul speaks of what the church in Corinth was generally like:

“For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, so that, as it is written, ‘Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.’”

Despite the fact that we have come to speak of the “Berean” as someone who is spiritually commendable or “noble” because he tests every message by the Word, that is not what the word noble means here. Luke is commenting on the general societal position and education of the people in the Berean synagogue versus those from the synagogue in Thessalonica. The Bereans were well-born. The problem with well-born people is that they often have a pride problem. Being well-born, rich, educated, and powerful is far from a guarantee that a person will give the Bible or the message of the good news a fair hearing. George Whitefield was shocked when he came to Exeter in the 18^th century, because the people were well-born, rich, and educated, yet they actually responded to the message he preached. They were like the Bereans, well-born people that did not resist the Scriptures and the work of the Holy Spirit.

they received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so.

The Bereans were actually very much like the Thessalonians in that they were very willing to eagerly hear the Word that was preached to them. The difference between them was that the average synagogue attendant in Berea was more highly born than those in Thessalonica.

Remember what Jesus said about the rich. It is harder for them to enter the kingdom of God. But all things are possible with God. It happened in Berea. It happened in Exeter in the 18^th century. It can happen again in Southern New Hampshire today. God can humble the proud. And then He can give grace to the humble. The Lord, He can do it. The Lord is God.

What were the Bereans doing with their Bibles? They were “examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so.” What were “these things?” The same bold message that Paul preached in synagogues everywhere. He told them to check the sacred writings to see if it was necessary that the Christ, the Jewish Messiah, would have to suffer and die. He urged them to see the necessity of the death and resurrection of the Messiah from their own sacred writings.

[12] Many of them therefore believed, with not a few Greek women of high standing as well as men.

So many “smarter than thou” people reject the message of the cross without reading the Old Testament. If the unexpected fact of a crucified and resurrected King was actually taught in the ancient Hebrew Law, Prophets, and Writings alongside the fact of a victorious Messsiah should that not give an intelligent person pause? We have seen the victory of the Messiah all over the world. If we can see the suffering part too, should that not convince us that this Jesus really is Lord? See if what I am saying about Jesus is not backed up by the Jewish Bible. Jesus is Lord.

1. Why were Paul and Silas sent away by night to Berea?

2. How was the experience of the apostolic team different in Berea?

3. What is referred to by Luke as “these things” in verse 11?

4. What should be our relationship with the Scriptures?

OT Passage: Exodus 11

Chains of "Must-Haves"

My Child Onesimus

(Philemon 8-10)

[8] Accordingly, though I am bold enough in Christ to command you to do what is required,

Paul had a purpose in writing this letter to Philemon, and it was more than just getting Philemon to grant freedom to Onesimus, the good man's runaway slave. The apostle who wrote this letter is the same one who said to the Corinthian church, “If you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it all to the glory of God.” Paul did want to secure a man's freedom, but more than that, he wanted to glorify the Lord.

Therefore, not only did the result of freedom matter, but the method by which that freedom came mattered. Paul was an apostle. He had church authority as one of the special hand-chosen ambassadors of Jesus, selected by the risen Lord. He could have just commanded Philemon to do what he wanted him to do, and Philemon would have obeyed. But Paul wanted both Onesimus and Philemon to be free.

[9] yet for love's sake I prefer to appeal to you—I, Paul, an old man and now a prisoner also for Christ Jesus—

This way of freedom would glorify the God who freely served us as a slave of the Almighty, and who calls us now to offer up our bodies freely as living sacrifices. The appeal is not made to the power of hierarchy, but to love. Love for Philemon. Love for Paul from Philemon. Love from both men for Jesus. Love from Jesus for them.

The King of Love who died on the cross for our sins is our only Lord of lords. Every other god must go away from the throne of our hearts. “One thing you lack,” Jesus said to the rich young ruler. What did he lack? Jesus. That's why Jesus said “... and follow Me.” But first all other gods had to be cleared away. In that young man's case that meant selling his possessions. What does it mean for me? Put away all thoughts of fame or glory among men? Forget about who will say nice things about me when I die? Stop demanding that my kids or my wife think of me as the person they love above all?

I need to get rid of every chain that would hold back my heart from full devotion to the Lord, and so do you. Only then can we have in fullest measure the one thing we need and the one thing we lack in fullness. Him.

We do have Him, and He will not let us go. Maybe it is best to say this: He has us. Paul wanted Philemon to be what he himself was, a free prisoner of the Lord, freely giving all to Christ, even this man, Onesimus.

[10] I appeal to you for my child, Onesimus, whose father I became in my imprisonment.

This runaway slave had become a new man in Jesus Christ. Who was the midwife and father? The apostle Paul, Philemon's friend and brother in the Lord.

“Do you love Me?” That was the thrice repeated question of Jesus to Simon Peter. It is His question to us. He appeals to us to free the slave, and to loosen our grip on every must-have person that keeps us from the fullness of consecration that Christ exhibited.

The Astounding Fruit of a Good Custom

These Men Turned the World Upside Down

(Acts 17:1-9, Preaching: Pastor Stephen Magee, October 21, 2012)

[17:1] Now when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a synagogue of the Jews. [2] And Paul went in, as was his custom, and on three Sabbath days he reasoned with them from the Scriptures, [3] explaining and proving that it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead, and saying, “This Jesus, whom I proclaim to you, is the Christ.”

Paul and Silas had experienced great things since they came to Macedonia, but not all of them were what they expected or asked for. Neither of them had a plan that called for both men to be in the stocks deep inside a Philippian jail praying to God and singing hymns. Yet God had this plan, and from that moment of bondage the greatest freedom burst forth for the city of Philippi.

As they left that place behind them by the wisdom of God, the work of that church would prosper in the hands of others. Paul and Silas would move on to Thessalonica, the capital of Macedonia and a city about the size of Manchester or Nashua. Most of the people in Thessalonica were Gentiles, but there enough Jews to have a synagogue. It was Paul's common practice to go to the synagogues first wherever he went, and to bring to the Jews the good news of the Messiah.

His method was to go there on Saturdays, the Jewish Sabbath, and as long as he was able to have a hearing, to deliver to the assembled worshipers from the Old Testament Scriptures the central truths of the Christian faith. Paul did not consider His interpretation of the Law, the prophets, and the other biblical books as just one interpretation among many. He labored to show them why certain fundamental facts of recent history were Scriptural necessities.

What were those facts? First, the Scriptures looked to the coming of a Messiah. Second, that Christ had to suffer and die. Third, this same Christ needed to rise from the dead prior to the final resurrection of all mankind at the end of the age. Finally, he set before them as a matter of necessity that Jesus of Nazareth was this Suffering Servant Messiah, and that He had in fact suffered, died, and risen from the dead on third day in accordance with the Scriptures.

[4] And some of them were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, as did a great many of the devout Greeks and not a few of the leading women.

How believable does that message seem to you? Does it seem likely that a Jewish scholar could go into a synagogue in a major city like Thessalonica preaching that message and that the result would be a sizable group of converts? That result is beyond my expectations, so I want to be careful to see exactly how it happened.

It did happen by the way. If you need proof beyond the book of Acts I would encourage you to read two of the earliest books of the New Testament, 1 and 2 Thessalonians. These books entirely confirm the events recorded for us in these brief verses this morning and were written not too long after the events took place.

What I find when I look at Paul's method and message in Thessalonica is that he made His argument based on the guiding principle that the Hebrew Scriptures were true, and that any Messiah who would come for the world would be spoken of in those books, which were the Word of the living God. Paul did not have a long time in this city, and He taught the Bible.

The result in Thessalonica was that some Jews believed, as did some Gentiles who had been worshipers of the God of the Jews without converting to Judaism. Among them were some of the leading women of the city.

[5] But the Jews were jealous, and taking some wicked men of the rabble, they formed a mob, set the city in an uproar, and attacked the house of Jason, seeking to bring them out to the crowd. [6] And when they could not find them, they dragged Jason and some of the brothers before the city authorities, shouting, “These men who have turned the world upside down have come here also, [7] and Jason has received them, and they are all acting against the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king, Jesus.”

Not all of the Jews believed. We are told that those who rejected the message Paul preached became jealous and violent, stirring up trouble against the missionaries and anyone who would provide a safe haven for them. One such man was Jason, a host to Paul and Silas. This Jason quickly learned that he would have to suffer for the name that he had come to love.

As so often was the case from the days of Jesus forward, the enemies of the cross sought to use the civil magistrates as their executioners. Jesus may have been condemned by the leaders of the Jews, but they quickly handed Him over to the Romans so that the Gentiles would be the ones who would kill Him. Romans don't just kill people without a reason. There needed to be charges. As always, the claim in Thessalonica was that that these men, Jason and his guests, were disturbing the peace and were encouraging insurrection.

The exact words recorded for us in their charges are fascinating to consider. They were said to have “turned the world upside down.” Not a bad record for people who walked into town so recently. Their only desire was to preach that Jesus was the crucified and risen Messiah according to the Jewish Scriptures, and that all men everywhere should repent of their sins and follow Him, and there were people dragging them and any of their friends that they could lay a hand on into the town hall saying that they were part of a group that was turning the world upside down. How disappointing when the church can labor for years in a place and no one feels the least bit threatened by anything that we say or do.

I find it hard to believe any of the accusations made against the Christians in places like Philippi or Thessalonica. I doubt that there was any credible evidence that the Christians would be bad citizens, urging everyone as a matter of first importance that they should go against the decrees of Caesar. But this I do believe, that these men were teaching that there was another King, and that His Name was the Name above all names.

[8] And the people and the city authorities were disturbed when they heard these things. [9] And when they had taken money as security from Jason and the rest, they let them go.

When the church takes the Scriptures seriously as the Word of God, and when we see the central importance of the Christ of the cross and the resurrection, when we affirm this Jesus as King, and insist that we want His wisdom more than the wisdom of men, we do what God has blessed in every generation. That will make others jealous and will tend to disturb people. Such events are not so strange that we should be surprised by them. But no such thing will happen among a church that is not asking for the wisdom of God in order to know what to do. If the church simply follows the wisdom of men, they will be a welcomed addition to any New England town.

1. What can we tell from this passage about Paul's ministry customs?

2. What was the reaction to the message?

3. How does the reaction of the enemies of the gospel track with earlier history?

4. What should happen when Jesus and His ministers come into town?

OT Passage: Exodus 7:1-13

Good News and More Good News

The Sharing of Your Faith

(Philemon 4-7)

[4] I thank my God always when I remember you in my prayers,

Paul remembered Philemon in his prayers to God, and he thanked God always for this beloved brother.

[5] because I hear of your love and of the faith that you have toward the Lord Jesus and for all the saints,

Paul had reasons for these prayers of gratitude. He was hearing of Philemon's love that was the foremost fruit of the Holy Spirit's work in his life. He was getting reports of Philemon's life of faith, that he was trusting the Lord Jesus Christ. This faith in Jesus and love for Jesus was overflowing in love for all who belonged to the Lord, the holy ones, the saints, who worshiped together in his house in Colossae.

[6] and I pray that the sharing of your faith may become effective for the full knowledge of every good thing that is in us for the sake of Christ.

Paul not only thanked God for Philemon. He also interceded for him. He asked the Lord to make the faith of Philemon effective in the sharing of a life of love that flows from that faith. Paul looked for the fullness of that life of love. He longed that Philemon, who already knew Jesus, would know Him more and more, and that knowing Jesus, every good gift of Jesus in the church would be expressed there in Colossae for the glory of the Son of God. What a great prayer!

[7] For I have derived much joy and comfort from your love, my brother, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through you.Paul wrote about His thanksgiving and petitions to God not to flatter this friend or to make up nice things of which he had no personal knowledge. Paul himself had derived much joy and comfort from the tangible evidence of Philemon's love for Christ and His people. He knew from firsthand observation that many lives in the church had experienced the refreshment and care that came from this man.

Do we have encouraging words for one another? Do we see signs of God's work in and among us and even through one another to the church and beyond to the world? We should be led by the Lord to speak of these great evidences of His new creation work in our midst. This prepares us to do further deeds of mercy that flow from heaven in accord with the wisdom of God.

Do not boast in the flesh. Boast in the Lord, who is working His kingdom purposes through the church. That encouragement may help the church to see the way of freedom more clearly, and to rejoice in the Lord who gives His sons the wonderful privilege of kingdom service.

Serving a God who sets us on fire...

Servants of the Most High God

(Acts 16:16-40, Preaching: Pastor Stephen Magee, October 14, 2012)

[16] As we were going to the place of prayer, we were met by a slave girl who had a spirit of divination and brought her owners much gain by fortune-telling. [17] She followed Paul and us, crying out, “These men are servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to you the way of salvation.” [18] And this she kept doing for many days. Paul, having become greatly annoyed, turned and said to the spirit, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.” And it came out that very hour.“If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels but have note love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.” Love is the fulfillment of the law. Love is what sent Jesus Christ to this world, and ultimately to the cross. And love is a very hard thing to do. It is the preeminent fruit of the Spirit.

Paul and his companions have come over to Macedonia in response to a plea for help that came to him in a night vision. The whole team concluded that God was calling them to preach the gospel in this new region. They met Lydia there and established a center for ministry in her home. As they were going to the place of prayer outside of the city, they met a pitifully needy young woman with an evil spirit. This woman was enslaved by evil men who like to use everyone and everything for their own purposes, and are ready to indict anyone who stands in the way of their success.

There were, no doubt, many people in Philippi who needed love. Paul was trying to stay focused on what He was supposed to do. He understood His mission of mercy as primarily a teaching and preaching mission. Here was this unfortunate abused woman plaguing him with this true statement: “These men are servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to you the way of salvation.” Yes, but they did not need her help right now, and they did not want her following them with this message for many days. Paul was vexed. So he finally cast that evil spirit of divination out of her in the name of Jesus Christ.

[19] But when her owners saw that their hope of gain was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace before the rulers. [20] And when they had brought them to the magistrates, they said, “These men are Jews, and they are disturbing our city. [21] They advocate customs that are not lawful for us as Romans to accept or practice.” [22] The crowd joined in attacking them, and the magistrates tore the garments off them and gave orders to beat them with rods. [23] And when they had inflicted many blows upon them, they threw them into prison, ordering the jailer to keep them safely. [24] Having received this order, he put them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks.

That was the loving thing to do. Should he have done that in the beginning? To attack the evil that infests a city is to provoke a fight. Everything in its right time. Apparently that time had come, but what a hornet's nest! The abusers were mad enough to see these trouble-makers stopped in the name of their own version of Philippian public decency.

What was their charge against them before the magistrates? 1. These men are Jews, and you know they have unseemly beliefs about a singular god. 2. They are disturbing Philippi with a message that would lead to radical changes in life if it were embraced by the people there. 3. They advocate practices that are illegal according to Roman law. Really? Name three, and bring witnesses. If only Paul had Romans 13 to read in his own defense, but it had not yet been written. Nonetheless, they were outsiders, and they were beaten and thrown into jail.

[25] About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them, [26] and 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 bonds were unfastened.

But God, who is Love... But God who is rich in mercy... But God who is a major supporter of the message of Jesus Christ, was not content with the disposition of this matter by the magistrates. Paul and Silas really were servants of the Most High God. He stepped in with His solution.

First he enabled his servants to be more than patient in affliction. He caused them to rejoice in tribulation. They were praying and singing to him with their feet in stocks in the most secure area of the prison. People were listening. Then the Lord broke open the prison with a very selective earthquake and He unfastened the chains off of every prisoner.

[27] When the jailer woke and saw that the prison doors were open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, supposing that the prisoners had escaped. [28] But Paul cried with a loud voice, “Do not harm yourself, for we are all here.” [29] And the jailer called for lights and rushed in, and trembling with fear he fell down before Paul and Silas. [30] Then he brought them out and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” [31] And they said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.” [32] And they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house. [33] And he took them the same hour of the night and washed their wounds; and he was baptized at once, he and all his family. [34] Then he brought them up into his house and set food before them. And he rejoiced along with his entire household that he had believed in God.The warden was ready to take his own life rather than face the punishment that would come upon him for the loss of his prisoners. Who saved his life? Paul, the prisoner. First the fact is loudly stated, “We are all here.” But the salvation was much bigger than that. Had this man been listening to the hymns and prayers before he went to sleep? “What must I do to be saved?”

What must you do to be saved, not from Roman authorities, but from the God who sets the prisoners free? You must do something that you can only do by a gift from God. Believe. That is what saves whole families out of the mess of paganism. The hero of love who died on the cross for our sins is also the object of our faith. Just as we can truly love only by the gift of His Spirit, we can believe only by that same Spirit. He is the Author and Finisher of salvation. He gives faith and He gives love. We should hear that Word today and respond to it by asking for help.

[35] But when it was day, the magistrates sent the police, saying, “Let those men go.” [36] And the jailer reported these words to Paul, saying, “The magistrates have sent to let you go. Therefore come out now and go in peace.” [37] But Paul said to them, “They have beaten us publicly, uncondemned, men who are Roman citizens, and have thrown us into prison; and do they now throw us out secretly? No! Let them come themselves and take us out.” [38] The police reported these words to the magistrates, and they were afraid when they heard that they were Roman citizens. [39] So they came and apologized to them. And they took them out and asked them to leave the city. [40] So they went out of the prison and visited Lydia. And when they had seen the brothers, they encouraged them and departed.That will not immediately take all our troubles away, but it will be the plan of God for us that leads to a permanent peace, not with the magistrates of the world, but with the Sovereign Ruler of heaven and earth. This God is the great hope and encouragement of His church.

1. What started the controversy in Philippi?

2. What is most striking about the events that took place in the jail?

3. What happened the next day?

4. What can we say about the true servants of the Most High God?

OT Passage: Exodus 3

Free Indeed...

Grace to You

(Philemon 1-3)

[1:1] Paul, a prisoner for Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother,The time has come for a guilty man to be released from bondage. That might require some persuasion.

Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ, but here, a prisoner for Messiah Jesus, not alone, but together with Timothy, writes the letter. Like all of us, he is a willing slave of the Man who has taken captivity captive and freed us from a debt that was beyond our capacity to pay.

To Philemon our beloved fellow worker

He writes the letter to Philemon, also a beloved fellow worker in the cause of Jesus the Messiah. Will he serve Jesus now, or will the cost be too high? Is he free to deny what Jesus would ask of him, or is he, like Paul, a prisoner for Christ Jesus?

[2] and Apphia our sister and Archippus our fellow soldier, and the church in your house:Just as Paul is not alone, but is part of the worshiping community with Timothy, Philemon is not alone. In his house is an assembly of worshipers, including Apphia and Archippus. Apphia is like a sister to Paul, and Archippus is a soldier who serves the King of kings, just as Paul is one of His soldiers. Is Philemon? Will he take orders from the One Leader over all?

[3] Grace to you

The word to this good man is grace. From the fullness of Jesus we have all received, grace upon grace. That grace has touched the life of Philemon.

and peace

He has peace with God, peace with Paul, peace with the brothers and sisters in Christ everywhere, and now he has peace with someone who has wronged him deeply. Will he be at peace with that man?

from God our Father

Does Philemon remember the wrong he did to God, the debt that he racked up against the God of creation and providence? Does he remember that he could have been hauled before the Judge of all the earth and put into the prison of hell until he had paid the last penny? Yes, he must remember that, and so must I. I have peace from God our Father. I am a son of God through the one Son of God who came not to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.

and the Lord Jesus Christ.

That one eternal Son of God is the Lord, and He is also Jesus of Nazareth, the Messiah. He is the better Hoshea, that Old Testament soldier who led former captives into the freedom of the sons of God in a new land. He is even the better Joshua, and every captive who has been purchased by His blood is free indeed. Grace to you! Grace to you, and through you, grace to the world!

Hear my cry, O God...

Come Over and Help Us

(Acts 16:6-15, Preaching: Pastor Stephen Magee, October 7, 2012)

[6] And they went through the region of Phrygia and Galatia,

Paul and Silas together with Timothy were on a kingdom adventure. The specific kingdom that they were proclaiming was the kingdom of God, this same kingdom that Jesus came preaching and teaching in Galilee decades before. They were visiting the churches that had already been established in southern Galatia. But where would they go after they had done what they felt the Lord had for them to do in the towns where they were known? Where would they go next?

having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia. [7] And when they had come up to Mysia, they attempted to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them. [8] So, passing by Mysia, they went down to Troas.

Their own judgment was to continue to move west and south into the large province that was called Asia, which included cities like Ephesus and Thyatira. But they came to see that this was not God's plan at least not right at that moment. How did they know that? We are not specifically told. All we know is that they were “forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the Word in Asia.”

Their next plan was to turn to the north, and to enter the province of Bithynia which was on the Black Sea. Once again, this was not God's plan. “The Spirit of Jesus did not allow them.” Was it God's providence that convinced them of this? Was it some direct revelation? We do not know. All we know is that they had their plans, but God overruled them. They, with all good intentions, wanted to go to the south. Then they wanted to go north. The Lord kept them going west. They passed by Mysia, which was the northern region of Asia bordering the southern part of Bithynia.

Finally they came to Troas and the sea. It appeared that they were out of land. They had gone west. Suddenly there was no more west left, or so they thought.

[9] And a vision appeared to Paul in the night: a man of Macedonia was standing there, urging him and saying, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” [10] And when Paul had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go on into Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.“Come over to Macedonia and help us.” Paul had a vision in the night of a man of Macedonia, that is northern Greece. God had closed the door to Asia in the south. Then God closed the door to Bithynia in the north. Just when they thought that there was no place else to go, the Lord called them over the sea.

He did that by impressing upon Paul the plight of a Macedonian man. Here in a night vision from the Lord was the call of one who needed help. Paul, Silas, Timothy, Luke, and the team that traveled with them had the message of help that was needed for that man. Would anyone go there? God was opening up an unexpected door. The help that was needed in Macedonia was the preaching of the good news of Jesus Christ. Notice the conclusion that this team reached was not just Paul's conclusion. “We” sought to go into Macedonia, concluding that God had called “us” to preach the gospel to them. Did they delay? Not at all. Once it was clear to them that this was God's call, they began “immediately” to seek the open door that He would provide.

We ask for wisdom, the knowledge and will to do what is right, and we can expect to receive. We seek first the kingdom of God, and we find the King of the kingdom, and His heart of love for us and others. If we ask and we receive, if we seek and we find, then we can count on the fact that we will begin to knock and the door will be opened. Jesus died to establish a kingdom that will never fail. He is the Lord of that kingdom. When we become convinced together that He is calling us forward in love, we should knock, and He will open the right door.

Have you been told “No” by some providence and wondered where God is and what He has for you? Could it be that the “No” is part of a much larger “Yes?” Could that “No” open up unexpected pathways of service and love? Perhaps today is the day to hear the call of the one who is in need, to knock on the right door, and to find that the door is opened to you?

[11] So, setting sail from Troas, we made a direct voyage to Samothrace, and the following day to Neapolis, [12] and from there to Philippi, which is a leading city of the district of Macedonia and a Roman colony. We remained in this city some days. [13] And on the Sabbath day we went outside the gate to the riverside, where we supposed there was a place of prayer, and we sat down and spoke to the women who had come together.

Paul and his band were in this together. This was not just a burning in the heart of one man. His own sense of call was first to the south and then to the north. Jesus and the Holy Spirit said “no.” Then the call came from over the sea to the west, and everyone knew that it had to be followed. The pillar of fire, the divine glory cloud, had picked Himself up and was moving across the sea to northern Greece. It was time for the ambassadors of Jesus Christ to go forth.

They went on a boat to the Island of Samothrace in between Turkey and Greece and then arrived in the port city of Neapolis on the Macedonian coast. The neighboring city was Philippi. The next Saturday, the Jewish Sabbath, they went to the riverside and found a place of prayer where some women began to gather. And these men did what God had called them to do. They spoke.

[14] One who heard us was a woman named Lydia, from the city of Thyatira, a seller of purple goods, who was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to pay attention to what was said by Paul. [15] And after she was baptized, and her household as well, she urged us, saying, “If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come to my house and stay.” And she prevailed upon us.

Very soon there was a new place of Christian worship in the home of a businesswoman named Lydia. Interesting that she was not from Macedonia, but from a city right in the middle of Asia, that region where Paul had originally intended to go. She was a worshiper of God, and the Lord opened her heart to pay attention to the message of Jesus as Paul spoke. She and her whole household in Philippi were baptized, and her house became a center of Christian mission in this leading city in Macedonia. Who could have predicted that?

We need wisdom from God in order to know how to follow Jesus. We cannot assume that our eager longings are the pinnacle of that needed wisdom. If the Lord is leading we should expect that others among His people will be able to bring some light concerning the right way to go. The Lord needs to reveal His plan, but we cannot assume that it is His plan just because one person or even one church or denomination is sure of that plan.

Do not despair about doors that may seem closed today. The Lord has His ways of answering prayers that we may have even forgotten about. Ask for wisdom. Seek His heart of love that is at the center of the kingdom. When He shows you and the churches what to do and fills us with a love that must be shared, knock and trust that the door will be opened by the Lion of Judah.

1. How did Paul and his companions determine to go to Macedonia?

2. What did they do when they arrived?

3. What do we know about Lydia?

4. How is a church to understand whether or not it is moving in the right direction?

OT Passage: Genesis 49:8-12, 22-26

Titus - The Conclusion...

10/7/2012 – Evening Service - 5pm

Grace Be With You All!

(Titus 3:12-15)

[12] When I send Artemas or Tychicus to you, do your best to come to me at Nicopolis, for I have decided to spend the winter there. [13] Do your best to speed Zenas the lawyer and Apollos on their way; see that they lack nothing.

The life of grace is a team sport under the direction of a Captain who is the Champion over all. Would we rather do everything alone? That is not the Lord's plan for kingdom victory.

Paul was a towering figure in the New Testament church, yet he knew that he was part of a larger team. Even when our Lord came preaching and teaching the kingdom, He was soon sending forth His inexperienced disciples with the authority to cast out demons.

Paul would send Artemas and Tychicus to continue the work that Titus was doing in Crete, but then he wanted Titus to come spend time with him in Nicopolis. Zenas and Apollos would be going somewhere by way of Crete. Titus was told to speed them on their way and see that they lacked nothing. Funds would come from the churches in Crete in order to see that this other work of Zenas the lawyer and Apollos the Bible scholar and preacher would move forward.

[14] And let our people learn to devote themselves to good works, so as to help cases of urgent need, and not be unfruitful.None of this healthy body life can happen in an environment where everyone decides that each person has a right to his own ease. All things are lawful, but not all things are helpful. Christ is building up His kingdom. What is He calling you to do?

Gifts and callings will vary, but all of God's children who believe in the King who died on the cross are called to devote themselves to good works. Where are the urgent needs. Let the church decide, and let all of us pitch in so that the kingdom of Christ is built up in our day. This is the way for us to be fruitful.

[15] All who are with me send greetings to you. Greet those who love us in the faith.There were people with Paul and they sent greetings. They asked for greetings to be extended to the communities of faith and love in Crete. Christ has established a worldwide family of love and service. We are still rooting for each other today and we love each other. Anything less than that is an insult to the King who shed His blood for the whole body of Christ.

Grace be with you all.

Living this way is a triumph of the grace of God. Without that grace we will end up only with selfishness and hypocrisy. With the grace that comes from heaven we get heavenly love.

May that grace be with you all. Love one another. Serve one another. Let this mind be in you that was also in Christ Jesus. Do not be conformed to this world. Be the kind of person that fits in better in the heavenly assembly because of the renewal of your mind by the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.