THE LIVING CHURCH
Meditations in the Acts of the Apostles
Acts 16:11-15

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THESE verses are interesting and instructive because we see more plainly than perhaps in other places the missionary situation in which Paul worked. We tend to think that Paul just turned up in a place and preached and immediately people believed. We think of ourselves going on a similar missionary journey, and all we can see is a long slog where nothing seems to happen at all.

However Paul's experience is just like ours. He came to Philippi and he was just as much at loss as we. We are told he stayed several days. Gospel preaching and missionary work takes time. He could not just go up to people in the street. He knew that it was not necessarily going to do much good for him to just shout at people as they went by in town, as so often is the case with open air preaching today.

However he used his common sense. Where was the best place to commence his work of witness. Surely where people congregated for prayer, and on the day that they congregated as a natural rule of life. So he found out where the place of prayer was and he went to this place on the day of prayer, the Sabbath. This is the sort of holy wisdom we are expected to exercise by God. We are meant to use our minds and our common sense, as we always and continually pray for guidance and depend on God for guidance. We may have a vision like Paul did when he was called to Macedonia, but most of the time God means us to use our brains, and act, always ready to hear God's guidance as to whether our decisions are right. We must never be afraid to think again if things plainly are not being blessed by God.

Then at the place of prayer, Paul was not afraid to get into conversation with the ones there who had come to pray. We read that he began to speak to the women who were gathered there. It is interesting to notice that the work commenced with women. We get worried today because it is so difficult to interest men in the Gospel. It does not seem to have been much different in New Testament times in Paul's missionary experience. It was women who were at the place of prayer, so Paul commenced his preaching with them.

Paul bought up every opportunity to speak for Christ. He was Christ's ambassador calling people to be reconciled to God. I remember at College, I and another student had arranged a little social gathering, and we invited, amongst others, another student at the Theological College. He said he was pleased to come, but that he came on the understanding that, as Christ's ambassador, he would speak of Christ if he could without forcing things, and if this was not acceptable he would rather not be their. I have never forgotten this. Religion may not be an acceptable subject at parties, but Christ is always an acceptable subject, and the best. We must work at overcoming shyness in speaking of Christ, and we must never be ashamed of Christ. Although it is unwise to force Christ into a conversation, we should always be praying for opportunities to speak for Christ, and be eagerly looking for the many times Christ opens up such opportunities.

The story of Lydia here is very instructive. Why did she believe? Why did she receive the preaching of Paul? Was it because of the wonderful persuasive speaking of the apostle? No! - it was not anything to do with Paul. The reason is given - the Lord had opened her heart to respond to the message Paul preached. Paul was simply the mouth piece of God. He had no power to win any soul. Paul tells us the truth in 1 Corinthians. Paul preached but it was God who gave the increase. It is never the skill or power of the preacher that wins souls to God. The reason is the grace and power of God.

The expression that God opened Lydia's heart is profound. It speaks of the process of new birth which only Christ can give. It speaks of the fact that we are dead to the Gospel and to God in truth and reality, unless God does open the heart. We may be very religious, but the Gospel in its truth is not understood or received. We are brought to God and reborn, not by might or by power in any human or worldly sense, nor is it by the will of man. Salvation and new birth is solely from God and by the sovereign grace of God. We witness and preach in this truth. We go forth in confidence because we know God who has commissioned us to preach or speak for him has purposed to use us in his gracious work to give new life to souls.

Lastly we see that new life, when it is real, is seen in the life of the one so new born. Lydia believed Paul's message, and this faith was revealed in that she wanted to do what she could to support and further the work of preaching. What she did was to provide hospitality for Paul and Silas, relieving them of having to worrying about their temporal well-being. We may not be called to preach yet we have a ministry in support of the preacher and the work of preaching which is no less important.