John 14 : 23-29
Acts 16:9-15 [MSG]
That night Paul had a dream: A Macedonian stood on the far shore and called across the sea, “Come over to Macedonia and help us!” The dream gave Paul his map. We went to work at once getting things ready to cross over to Macedonia. All the pieces had come together. We knew now for sure that God had called us to preach the good news to the Europeans.
Putting out from the harbour at Troas, we made a straight run for Samothrace. The next day we tied up at New City and walked from there to Philippi, the main city in that part of Macedonia and, even more importantly, a Roman colony. We lingered there several days.
On the Sabbath, we left the city and went down along the river where we had heard there was to be a prayer meeting. We took our place with the women who had gathered there and talked with them. One woman, Lydia, was from Thyatira and a dealer in expensive textiles, known to be a God-fearing woman. As she listened with intensity to what was being said, the Master gave her a trusting heart—and she believed!
After she was baptized, along with everyone in her household, she said in a surge of hospitality, “If you’re confident that I’m in this with you and believe in the Master truly, come home with me and be my guests.” We hesitated, but she wouldn’t take no for an answer.
HOW TO BECOME A CHRISTIAN - PART 1
INTRODUCTION:
Over these next three Sundays that I’ll be leading the service, I’d like us to look at three stories from the Book of Acts. First up, today, is the conversion of Lydia of Thyatira in Philippi. It is a low-key story with little pizzazz or fanfare. Next week, we’ll read the gripping story of the conversion of the Philippine Jailer against a cliffhanger backdrop of earthquake, despair, and near-death experience. Lastly is the Day of Pentecost, resplendent with a miraculous outpouring of the Holy Spirit and three thousand being converted. I’d like us to look at each one of these occasions and ask ourselves, “How did they become a Christian?” Certainly, we’d agree, there isn’t just one formula and process for conversion, although there is, as the song says, “ … one way to God by the power of the cross.” I call the series, “How to become a Christian - Parts 1, 2, and 3.
Those of you who know me may recognize that I’m being very facetious in my introduction, and a lot of this is very tongue-in-cheek. The “How to” genre of internet videos, books, seminars and gurus is a multi-billion dollar industry, and Christianity has not missed its place on the roster. Its popularity doesn’t stem simply from a desire to know; it’s our need to control things we don’t understand. We don’t want to be told we can’t have something or do something. We want to be in the driver’s seat of life, so we grab what we think is the “How to” manual and do it ourselves. Matthew records Jesus instructing His disciples, “Anyone who intends to come with me has to let me lead. You’re not in the driver’s seat; I am … Self-help is no help at all. Self-sacrifice is the way, my way, to finding yourself, your true self” (Matt 16:24-25).
We don’t want to accept that something is not possible or desirable, particularly if it is something in life we covet. So we’re going to look at “How to become a Christian,” and I hope we’ll discover, in our hearts and minds, that it’s not, thankfully, nor ever has been, in our hands, but God’s.
SERMON:
Our first story is about the conversion of Lydia of Thyatira, and although I said it was a quiet story, I want you to hang on to your seats because it is filled with many wonderful and strange references and happenings. Our reading began with Paul the Apostle on his second missionary journey, having a dream. He had determined, along with his friend Silas, to tour the churches that had been established on their first journey, to see how they were doing and strengthen them. Along the way, they had acquired a young man, Timothy, who was to come to mean a lot to Paul. Paul had hoped to pass through Asia Minor, but we are told in Acts that the Holy Spirit prevented him. Interestingly, the seven churches that received letters from the Spirit in the first chapters of the book of Revelation are all in Asia Minor, where Paul was prevented from going, at least on this journey.
So Paul’s plans and desires are being thwarted, and he has this dream: “A Macedonian stood on the far shore and called across the sea, 'Come over to Macedonia and help us!” This was no small thing, not a quick jaunt down the I-86. It was a commitment of several weeks and even months to leave the more familiar eastern territories with Jewish synagogues and communities in many towns and enter the uncharted waters of Europe. But Paul was undaunted.
The dream had been vivid enough that he could move forward and set their plans, as Paul’s chronicler put it, “The dream gave [him] his map.” They ventured unhindered despite weeks of travel with connections and various conveyances by sea and land directly to Philippi, a Roman colony and principal city of Macedonia, to preach the good news to the Europeans.” But unfortunately, it didn’t work out very well. They were left to linger there for several days.
Probably very frustrated and beginning to doubt their decisions, they left the city for a Sabbath prayer gathering they’d heard of, and I’m sure fully expected to meet a minion, a group of ten Jewish men, leading a Synagogue. Instead, down by the river, they found a gathering of women, and not necessarily Jewish women, but who worshipped the God of the Jews. They were God fearers. Assuredly not what they had expected. But faithful to their calling, Paul spoke with the women about Jesus and Lydia, of Thyatira, was given a trusting heart to believe in Christ.
Note this, however, it says directly, “As she listened with intensity to what was being said, the Master gave her a trusting heart—and she believed!” It doesn’t say she was convinced by Paul’s compelling arguments, sincerity, or compassion. Nor by some miracle that he’d performed. She wasn’t emotionally moved by the story of Paul’s conversion, nor even that of the passion of Jesus. What Paul spoke about is so incidental and unimportant that we’re only told he talked with them without the slightest hint of the subject matter. He could have been inquiring about where the Jewish men are hiding on this beautiful Sabbath day, although I think it’s fairer to suggest that Paul spoke to them about Christ. But to the accomplishment of the work, it was insignificant. Lydia believed because Jesus, the Master, gave her a gift, a heart ready to trust, so she could believe.
Lydia is an interesting character. We’re told she is from the city of Thyatira, which is one of the seven churches mentioned in Revelation, and so situated in Asia Minor where the Spirit prevented Paul from venturing into. She is a dealer in expensive textiles, the trade that Thyatira was famous for around the known world and is in the province of Lydia in Asia Minor. So Paul was prevented from entering Lydia in Asia Minor so that in Philippi in Macedonia, he could meet Lydia of Thyatira, the dealer in expensive cloth, who, for business reasons we would suppose, was in Philippi. It sounds like the result of a missionary planning session a step above Paul’s pay grade.
We’re not told of an outpouring of the Holy Spirit, no one speaking in tongues or praising God. In fact, Lydia and her household seem to be the only ones at the river prayer meeting who were converted. And we’re given no indication of how Paul recognized her conversion except that she professed her faith and was baptized along with her household; we would presume, right there in the river at hand.
The one evidence of her conversion remarked on is that Lydia is overcome with a “surge of hospitality,” and invites Paul and his companions to be her guests for a time. Now you might say, “Ok, not such a big deal, she’s having some visitors to the prayer meeting over for a meal.” But it is much more than that. First of all, she is a gentile, probably not a Roman citizen, hosting a Jew in her home in a Roman colony city where Jews were not very welcome. She was also a woman, ostensibly the head of her household and therefore alone, and invited male strangers from quite far away to live in her house. Granted, she was probably well off and had a large home, but every social propriety alarm bell would be sounding in her neighbourhood. What she did was bold and courageous, and as the passages attest, inspired by the Holy Spirit.
All of which also explains Paul’s hesitation to accept. It was no small thing for a Jewish man to accept this invitation to stay with a woman and a Gentile. And more so for Paul to signify that he was, as Lydia put it, “confident that I’m in this with you and believe in the Master truly.” But Lydia was inspired and insistent, and they humbly accepted the invitation as God at work. Now, let’s return to our core question, “How did Lydia become a Christian?”
This is an important question. The stories in the Bible, particularly the New Testament Gospels and Acts, are used appropriately by most evangelical outreach programs and ‘How to spread the Gospel’ books. So if we want to know what we’re supposed to do to “make disciples,” it’s important to know how the models we’re using operate. We may ask, “What is the secret of Paul’s success?” Amazingly, Paul starts up one of the long-standing Asia Minor churches mentioned in the Revelation to John by reaching out to a gentile woman in Philippi, on the other side of the Aegean sea in an altogether different district of the Roman Empire. Was this Paul’s excellent and insightful planning? I don’t think so.
Paul had in his heart to go to Asia Minor but was prevented by the Holy Spirit. We’re not told by what means, dreams or circumstances. Still, Paul was essentially herded, for as he turned from Asia Minor intending to enter the region of Bithynia, the Spirit of Jesus prevented this as well, forcing him to the port city of Troas, where he dreamt of the call to Macedonia, across the sea. Assuming God was calling them there rather than places like Thyatira in Asia Minor, he went straight to the big city of Philippi. Still, he found no Synagogue or Jewish community through whom he could begin this work.
At a loss and on a hope, he visited a prayer meeting far outside the city and stumbled upon a group of women who were ‘God fearers’—Gentiles who sought Adonai, the God of Abraham. Paul spoke to them about Jesus, and we are told that Lydia listened intently. God, not Paul, opened her heart and mind to understanding, and she believed and desired to be baptized.
Now, if I were writing the “How to make Christians” manual based on this experience, I’d have to suggest that becoming a Christian is a matter of pure dumb luck. Paul’s intentions and plans did everything but lead him to Lydia. If he had ignored or been frustrated with the leading of the Holy Spirit and gone to Asia Minor as planned, he would have missed Lydia altogether, and neither the church at Thyatira nor Philippi may have gotten started.
Jesus knew Lydia and knew that she was searching for the truth of the Gospel. She’d gotten as far as the God of Abraham, but needed that final revelation, Jesus Christ. So God motivates Paul to go ‘church visiting’ and then shuts doors to prevent his good intentions from making him stray from the path. He entices him forward with a dream. Enough to get him moving in the right direction, but never so much that he would hesitate or doubt the vision's truth. But Paul’s hopes and expectations are again thwarted. Philippi doesn’t seem to be fruitful ground for evangelism. And then, there is another turn of, should we call it luck? Or something much more mysterious, profound and determined. He meets Lydia.
As the scriptures attest, those who seek find, and the beatitudes of Matthew proclaim, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.” God put a heart in Lydia to look for righteousness. She was poor in spirit, mourning for herself and her household, meek and hungering for a relationship with Jesus. So God sent her Paul. He didn’t know anything about God’s plan but followed God’s lead at every step, trusting despite little progress and many setbacks.
I think we have to admit that this was God’s doing from beginning to end. Lydia didn’t know what she was looking for or why. And Paul certainly had no conception that it was through a Gentile woman in Philippi that his hopes for a church in Asia Minor were to come to fruition. But God knew and pulled off a perfect ‘Mission Impossible’ completely unbeknownst to the principals involved.
Is that not how life seems to go? We find ourselves led and attracted to certain good things, like a little church in Beauharnois. We are welcome, and we can participate and help out in many ways, so we anticipate that things will go in the direction we think is best and most glorious to God. Wouldn’t it be great if, for the 200th anniversary, these pews were full? Maybe with a choir to help lead the singing every Sunday, and occasionally provide a lovely piece of inspirational music. There would be so many good activities during the week, such as soup kitchen, food bank, children’s ministry, youth group, and help for the elderly, sick, and families in need. God could do so much here. I’m sure that’s how Paul looked at the province of Asia Minor, which, for some reason, was closed to him.
Returning to the question, “How to become a Christian?” at least in “- Part 1”, we must admit that Lydia’s conversion was entirely God’s plan and work. Executed flawlessly, God even considered the human frailty and failings of the principal actors to ensure they would choose to follow his plan. The lesson we can take away from part one is to focus on what God is doing in our lives now. What does he want us to do now? Jesus’ appeal in Matthew 6 to not worry about tomorrow but “Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now” is so difficult for us. And yet, as we’ve seen in this first story, it is absolutely necessary.
All the promises of Jesus, the peace that passes understanding, the faith to go forward where the way is daunting or uncertain, the joy that we rest in every moment, hinges on this trust that God’s got this even though I have no clue beyond the present moment. May you find that peace in what God has you doing day by day. May you know the trust to allow God to do with this church and this community whatever he wills, knowing it will be far more and exceedingly better than anything you, I, or Paul the Apostle have imagined.
Amen
