Perfect Grace
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A. Rapport for the time
The idea behind something being perfect in this world.
B. Reading of the text
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.
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.
C. Review of the text
Door was shut on them..By the Holy Spirit. Entire Trinity involved in those verses.
Paul, Silas, Timothy and Luke are called into Mesopotamia by a vision from the Lord.
D. Relevance of the text
As we enter into the text today They make the trip into Philippi and Luke describes the events in chapter 16 with Lydia vs. 11-15, a possessed servant Girl 16-24, Jailer in 25-34, and Paul vs. the City in 35-40.
As we dive into the Lydia passage today our task is to see how God moves in the life of those that he calls his children.
I. Word Travels
I. Word Travels
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.
To travel from Troas to Philippi would have taken about two day in this direction and time of year. It is 156 miles by sea(the optimum speed by ship was a hundred miles per day whereas even mounted travelers by land traversed at most 30 miles in a normal day. Later in Acts 20:6 going the opposite way will take 5 days to return..God was providing a way to open up the Gospel Message to Rome just at the correct time.
6 but we sailed away from Philippi after the days of Unleavened Bread, and in five days we came to them at Troas, where we stayed for seven days.
Philippi was settled from ancient times largely because of the copper and gold deposits in the region.
City was named after Alexander the great father Philip of Macedon. Under roman domination in 167 B.C.
It is not the capitol of Macedonia or the largest city but definitely has a great history and stands as it s own Roman colony.
Philippi became a Roman colony in 31 B.C. —so it carried the right of freedom(it was self-governing and independent of the provincial government), the right of exemption from tax and the right of holding land in full ownership.
G. Campbell Morgan—How little the world knows of the Divine movements. Rome had small idea that day, that the van of the army of its ultimate Conqueror had taken possession of one of its frontal defences. On that day when Paul hurried from Neapolis, over the eight miles up to Philippi—and came into the city and made arrangements for his own lodging…the flag was planted in a frontier colony of Rome, which eventually was to make necessary the lowering of her flag, and the change of the world’s history.
Kent hughes’ calls this a beachhead in Europe—Reminder of D-Day when allied forces would take back the continent of Europe from the Germans in WWII
T.S. Setting foot in Phillipi marked a transition for the message of the Gospel to begin to spread to the world. And Paul as he has in other towns seeks out those that are seeking God first.
II. Gathering for Prayer
II. Gathering for Prayer
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.
A town would need 10 men household heads to have a synagogue.
God fearers is what Paul sought out this day as they gathered some mile away from city by a river.
God called them to this place. A man had cried out for help to Paul in a vision and the Lord has set up a divine appointment on this day with Paul, Silas, Timothy & these woman by the river.
We stop from time to time in Acts and think about how God has connected all the events together to get to this event. From the calling of Paul to the spread of the Gospel to Europe is an amazing trip that only God could plan.
III. Conversion of an entire household
III. Conversion of an entire household
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.
Lydia is a Gentile who is a worshiper of God. Acts has referred to this as a God Fearer before. Reminds me of Cornelius--
1 At Caesarea there was a man named Cornelius, a centurion of what was known as the Italian Cohort,
2 a devout man who feared God with all his household, gave alms generously to the people, and prayed continually to God.
Remember what God had done for Cornelius and his household? (Peter vision)
44 While Peter was still saying these things, the Holy Spirit fell on all who heard the word.
45 And the believers from among the circumcised who had come with Peter were amazed, because the gift of the Holy Spirit was poured out even on the Gentiles.
Lord opened her heart to pay attention to what was said to Paul—God’s direction…This has happened over and over in Acts. The last time was in
48 And when the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord, and as many as were appointed to eternal life believed.
God moves in the lives of his children to bring them to a place of repentance and faith in Christ.
65 And he said, “This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father.”
4 even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love
13 But we ought always to give thanks to God for you, brothers beloved by the Lord, because God chose you as the firstfruits to be saved, through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth.
Faith is a gift from God
8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God,
9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast.
God calling people to himself using his ambassadors and establishing divine appointments that His name might receive all the Glory.
Philippi would be one of Paul’s favorite places and the people would be special to him.
3 I thank my God in all my remembrance of you,
15 And you Philippians yourselves know that in the beginning of the gospel, when I left Macedonia, no church entered into partnership with me in giving and receiving, except you only.
Paul would learn...
16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.