Pray and Sing hymns to the Lord
Acts 15:36-16:40
25 About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them.
A. God prepares a dream team for the mission (15:36-16:10)
Paul wanted to know if the churches were doing well(15:36)
On the first mission journey, they had earned quite number of believers. Pisidian Antioch, they attracted a large crowd from the whole city and many gentiles came to believe along with some Jews. Like this, in each of these cities, Iconium, Lystra and Derbe quite number of people became believers. It was a remarkable success. But this success might not last, unless they are protected from or survive from persecutions. On the way back they selected elders for them and committed them to the Lord. But Paul and Barnabas faced persecution wherever they went because of the Jews’ opposition and hostility or jealousy. Paul knew more than anyone else how jealousy the Jews were about this newly breeding group of believers. Though Paul entrusted all of them to God’s grace, he could not sit idle because of his concern for them, knowing all too well how vicious the Jews’ persecution and hostility could be to the new believers.
So he wanted to go back to see how they were doing and asked Barnabas to go along with him. Barnabas was willing to go along with Paul. At the same time, he wanted to take Mark/John along with them. But Paul did not like that idea. His reason was clear, Mark deserted Barnabas and Paul in the early stage of the mission in Pamphylia. To Paul, Mark’s desertion was an unacceptable for the work of God. He would not take another chance of such defection in the middle of the mission. If anyone joins, he must go along all the way throughout the period of mission, until it is finished! So he ‘kept insisting’ that they should not take John. His position was so strong that there was no room for any negotiation or change. Simply for Barnabas’ understanding, Paul seemed to have little care for John’s weakness or trust in John at all. Because of his strong stance on this, he was even willing to lose Barnabas. Here, we can raise two questions on Paul;
On the negative aspect, it was possible that Paul was counting more on man’s ability or quality to do the mission that he rejected John so strongly? If this was so then, it would be problematic. Such idea comes from one’s reliance on men’s ability, men’s strength or knowledge than God’s guidance and God’s power.
On the positive side, Paul felt that to accomplish the mission he needed one that had a full committed heart as his partner! Obviously John’s desertion in the middle of mission was not good. If he does so again, it would greatly compromise or even cripple the work of God.
So in this, we can note that there might be a weakness as well as a strength in Paul’s way. The weakness is a tendency to rely on men’s ability. On the other hand, there is a great plus for the mission. That is an undeterred spirit to do the mission even giving one’s life. In this strong stance, Paul lost the coworker, Barnabas, with whom he went through the first mission trip in its entire length. It was not easy to find one like Barnabas. Practically it is rare to find such a man like Barnabas or Paul himself. Even now, it is hard to find someone who want to take such a mission journey, not to mention of their weakness and character, meaning that now we have a hard time to find a man like Mark! Nevertheless, God was with Paul.
There was a man Silas. He was one of the delegate from Jerusalem church to Antioch with the letter concerning the circumcision. Since he carried the letter, which says all are saved by faith alone, then, it was very obvious that his belief and position was far clearer than anyone else. Like this, he had the same spirit as Paul, and the true heart for the gentiles and for the Gospel truth. He further demonstrated such spirit by encouraging the believer in Antioch, a genuine sign of his love and care for the Gentiles!
In addition, he spoke well Greeks and was also a Roman citizen. Unlike Barnabas, Silas seemed to be junior to Paul. In order to carry out a long and hard mission, Paul needed such an assistant who have one mind and spirit.
Paul demanded and God gave him Silas, the prefect one for the mission. Throughout the second journey, Paul was decision maker, Paul spoke and Paul led the team. Silas was beside Paul always. In Philippi, the owners of the slave arrested Paul and Silas, leaving alone Timothy and Luke. It was because when Paul spoke the Gospel, Silas repeated Paul’s word and reinforced what spoke. He was truly a great companion for the mission. Silas was with Paul all through the second and third mission journey. Near the end of Peter’s life, Silas dictated Peter’s letter for the believers. (1 Pet 5:12) Like this, Silas served the great men of faith to the end! Truly, God provided Paul a right person for the mission. This was God’s encouragement for Paul and His support for this mission trip.
Paul confirms sustaining work of God on the churches established; completion of duty (16:4-5)
Paul and Silas took a journey through high mountains, a rough terrain to cross on foot. But they bore the hardship and went to the first city, Derbe, the last city that they preached on the first mission journey. It was about 140 miles from Antioch to Cilician gate, the highest ridge of Taurus Mountains, and 100 miles from Cilician gate to Derbe, totaling 240 mile through a very rough terrain. It was like for us, Washingtonians, crossing the high Appalachian Mountains and going to Pittsburgh Pennsylvania. It might have been taken at least two weeks. Simply going to the destination was an enormous task. Without a coworker with good in strength and reliable in spirit, it would be a very difficult task.
àIn the course of our walk with the Lord, hardship and stress come often and tests our unity and strength. In such situation, if each one wants to go on their own ideas and want to do anything avoid hardship, then we cannot do any work of godly purpose and godly quality. The work of God is a hard work and demands all our strength! It also demand our unity! When we are united, we can go on such a rough terrain with little stress and even all hardships are easy to bear. ß
When this team got to Lystra, the city where he was nearly beaten to death, there was a man named Timothy. It says that Timothy was a disciple. It implies that he was not only a believer but also was eager to learn and to follow the way of the Lord. He was well spoken of by the believers in Lystra and Derbe. His mother was Jewess and was also a believer. Also his father was a Roman and he was a Roman citizen. At the same time, he considered as a Jew. Paul recognized this young man of his godly zeal and quality. He had him circumcised immediately so that he might take him along through this mission journey.
àAs we noted in our discussion on Silas, meeting a right person is so important for any work. Paul found another one, Timothy. So in addition to Silas, Timothy became Paul’s assistant in mission journey. Silas was at the side of Paul through all mission work. Timothy was an extension of Paul himself. Timothy carried Paul’s messages and letters to other believers and took care of the work that Paul could not finish. Paul considered him as his son! It was even possible that Timothy came to know Christ through Paul’s ministry in Lystra. Near the end of his life Paul wrote a letter to Timothy at Ephesus, where he served as the pastor. In other word, Timothy was a protégé of Paul! In this way, this team grew from two to three and formed a good or perfect number of people to carry out mission in unknown and even hostile land. ß
With Timothy, a team of three members visited Lystra, Iconium, Pisidian Antioch and delivered them the letter from Jerusalem Church.
5 So the churches were strengthened in the faith and grew daily in numbers. (16:5)
That is that no circumcision was needed. The grace of God in Jesus was all sufficient for the church to sustain and to grow and to overcome all hostilities because God was with them in and through the grace given through Jesus. This conclusion marks that Paul’s original purpose of this trip was completed with full satisfaction. There was nothing much Paul or his dream team had to do for these churches since God was with them and they were doing well in growing in numbers daily!
This also indicates that Paul and his team were to look for a new mission field. In order to preach new places, he went further into west and north seeking to find a place to preach.
God direct the mission to Macedonia (6-10)
Read 6-8
6 Paul and his companions traveled throughout the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been kept by the Holy Spirit from preaching the word in the province of Asia. 7 When they came to the border of Mysia, they tried to enter Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus would not allow them to. 8 So they passed by Mysia and went down to Troas.
Paul went toward north, Phrygia and to Galatia. The reason was that the Holy Spirit kept them from preaching in the region of Asia, eastern and south region. Yet even these northern region, Paul did not have chance to preach. So in order to find the place to preach, he went further north-west, to Mysia. There he tried to go to Bithynia, the region sitting between the black sea and the sea of Marimara. But this attempt was also frustrated because the Spirit of Jesus would not allow them to. There was only way to go; that was going further to the west. Finally they reached at Troas, a sea port facing Mediterranean Sea. Truly there was no way to go but into the sea! It was a dead end! Where were they to go? The best team was ready to do God’s work with all their spirit and wisdom and strength, yet so well provisioned team faced a dead end!
It is good for us to think about Paul’s efforts and God’s guidance.
There was three rejections from the spirit of God; first Asia, second Phrygia and Galatia, third Bithynia. Paul had a great team and that team was ready to preach and to do the works of God. Nevertheless, that team could not find a way to do the work of God! I am sure it was more frustrating for Paul than anyone else. A strong willed man, Paul, could not find the way to do what he was eager to do! The work was not for himself but for the Lord! Yet he was frustrated again and again and again three times! Why did God not direct him when he set off from Pisidian Antioch? Instead, God let him try various ways according to his predilection or choice or his wisdom?
Can we say that he was so strongly willed in his own wisdom and understanding and in his confidence, he was not seeking God’s will or his direction? The end of the first journey ended in Derbe in this way; 14:21
Acts 14:21 They preached the gospel in that city and won a large number of disciples. Then they returned to Lystra, Iconium and Antioch, (Act 14:21 NIV)
Was it possible for Paul to look for repeating such moment of success as this in this journey? If so then, he was so much frustrated in that hope. He insisted that he could not take John because he deserted in Pamphylia. He was looking for a man fully committed to the Lord, like himself. Three failures to find right direction raised one serious question! Was Paul personally dependent on God fully for this mission?
For the work of God, forming a dream team is a must. Also dream team with wrong direction may make the dream team useless and powerless. I wonder what Silas and Timothy were thinking at this time. Such missteps of Paul could have served Silas and Timothy with the ample reasons for quitting like Mark did before. But both stood by Paul and persevered through seven hundred miles of journey without any meaningful activity! If they persevered with Paul in such a long and hard journey of a thousand miles, then what else could sever their unity with Paul? Nothing! Can we say that it was God’s training for their unity and oneness so that He might use this dream team for the entire mission for the rest of their lives? What if God needed such a strong and well committed team to pioneer Macedonia? Nobody knows full wisdom of God.
In such dead end, what did Paul do? While he was wondering and seeking God’s will, there came a vision;
9 During the night Paul had a vision of a man of Macedonia standing and begging him, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.”
To his mind, undoubtedly it was will of God and immediately he and his companions packed to get on the ship to go to Macedonia. Why did God wait so long? We do not know God’s wisdom. But we can conjecture that if Paul was given this vision while his mind was packed with plan to go to Asia, Phrygia, Galatia, and Bithynia, that vision might have not much meaning!
à More often than not, we also face dead end. This comes despite of the fact that we try hard and we thought out all that we will do to do the works of God. Is it our failure? May be! But it is more of God’s wisdom for us to know, to grow and to do great mission work for His purpose! When we feel that we are at the dead end, God is the answer and the direction. We all must seek His will and His purpose! Seeking God’s will is the first importance. No arguing, dissension or differing ideas and opinions! In prayer, we are to seek His will. Our work is a mission. It requires a good team, like Paul, Silas and Timothy, who are committed with God’s cause and are willing to bear all hardships for that cause. It also needs a plan and direction. That plan and direction must be of God. Paul’s zeal was good and even great. Yet he was running his zeal, not knowing well of God’s purpose for him.
I believe that this experience got him a great lesson! The work of God is not by his own wisdom and his zeal! It is by God’s grace and mercy and by His discretion from the beginning to the end! We are to seek Him, His will! How does this experience show in his next mission in Macedonia? ß
B. God prepares and saves the people (11-40)
God opened the heart of Lydia (11-15)
Paul and his companions went to Samothrace, Neapolis and then to Philippi. It isn’t it amazing that Troas was the best place to go to Macedonia because it is the shortest distance! Philippi was a Roman colony, and the leading city of Macedonia. Philippi enjoyed all benefits of Roman cities with great autonomy and pride to govern themselves.
It seemed that there was no synagogue. So they went out to look for a place to pray at the river side. There they sat down and began talk to a group of people. There they came across a group people and began to talk to them about the Gospel. God opened a heart of one among them. Since it was called ‘group’ we can assume that they were at least several to more than ten in number. Among them God opened the heart of one! This was a most casual setting and a most personal encounter in all the ministry of the past!
Her name was Lydia. She was from Thyatira (a city in Asia) and was a purple dealer. Though she was not a Jew she was a worshipper of God. This means that she knew of the God of Israel. As soon as she heard the message of the Gospel, God OPENED HER HEART to believe in the Lord Jesus.
What does this tell us? God had prepared her for salvation and for the work of God as God did to Paul as well. As soon as she received the word of God, she invited Paul and all of his companions, Silas, Timothy and Luke to her house. The whole house members were baptized and said this:
15 When she and the members of her household were baptized, she invited us to her home. “If you consider me a believer in the Lord,” she said, “come and stay at my house.” And she persuaded us.
She was eager to serve them! So Lydia was the first believer in Macedonia for Paul’s mission. The house of Lydia became the home for Paul and his companions while they were in mission to Macedonia. (16:40) Since she was dealing with high quality clothes for the rich, it was likely that she was well off and out of her means she supported Paul and His mission team a great deal. This was alluded in
àPhilippians 4:14 Yet it was good of you to share in my troubles. 15 Moreover, as you Philippians know, in the early days of your acquaintance with the gospel, when I set out from Macedonia, not one church shared with me in the matter of giving and receiving, except you only; 16 for even when I was in Thessalonica, you sent me aid more than once when I was in need. (Phi 4:14 NIV)ß
In this way, the conversion of one person, a lady, was Paul’s mission work in Macedonia.
What is the significance of Lydia’s conversion?
Paul and his companions did not plan to preach or did not look for a people to preach. Instead, they were looking for a place to pray! It was very casual and very personal encounter with a group of people. It was not Paul but God that orchestrated in saving of Lydia. This was clear because it says that God opened the heart of Lydia.
Lydia played a very important role for the rest of Paul’s mission for Macedonia. She was the core member in planting the church in Philippi and this church, the first one, in Macedonia played a very important role in supporting the mission for the rest of the Macedonia! So the success of mission depend on how much we follow His will. And then even a small thing would make a great impact on fulfilling God’s purpose for all.
àMore often than not, we think of mission as the kind of one that Paul carried out in the first mission journey. Wherever he went, he went out to preach at Synagogue or do something in order to speak the message of the salvation. Intention, will and purported efforts and preaching with all zeal characterize are considered the true aspect of mission.
But here Paul from the beginning depended on God in prayer! God led him the one whom God wanted to save, who would be so important for the mission for the rest of the Macedonia! God had shut off all the road to preach but now for the first time in long time, God opened the heart of one person, not only for person Lydia but also for Paul! This began when he received the direction of God and when he waited on God’s direction and his leading. Instead of leading God, it is better being led by God for the mission or the work is God’s and He knows far more than we do. God’s dependent life of mission!
**We love to preach to a large crowd of hundreds or even thousands! But God wants us to preach one person! One person is so important! God saves because God opens the heart of the one whom he wanted to use and to save! Can we say that for this one person, Paul wondered so many different places, wondering over seven hundred miles and finally found the one God had prepared for the work of God? Our diligence is good. The more we plant the more we can harvest. Nevertheless, God’s work is not my labor intensive activities! It is something of godly life, searching for God’s will, and faith and obedience. The success of the first mission journey does not warrant a success for the next mission! There must be God’s guidance and seeking God will and submission to God’s purpose.
We have a great team; M David, who loves the word of God and is fully committed to the grace of God in Jesus only, M. Sarah who digs into the words of God every week and has great passion for students, M. Rebekah, who loves Jesus and helps me in every aspect for me to do what God called me to do; David jr. has the faith of M David and is very faithful, thoughtful and consistent in all that he does; Sarah Jr. who is faithful and loving with much grace; now Felix, who is confident in God’s love and His provision and never fail to smile even in a worst condition and is joining with this great team! We have to persevere our journey together for God has already made peoples ready for us to teach and to save! ß
God opened the heart of a jailor (16-40)
As was at the occasion of meeting Lydia, this time also Paul was going to the place of prayer that he met a female slave. This slave girl earned a great deal of money for her owners by fortune telling. Many citizens of Philippi sought comforting answers for their lives from this girl’s fortune telling. It was evil, called spirit of Python. It was the name of the serpent at Delphi. The name was afterwards given to any soothsaying. This girl followed Paul and his companions wherever they went and shouted:
17 She followed Paul and the rest of us, shouting, “These men are servants of the Most High God, who are telling you the way to be saved.”
What she said was true. But no one would count her word in full value and meaning. She did not just once but she kept on this for many days! As long as this girl came along and shouted, Paul and his companions could not preach the word of God, the message of salvation. At first, Paul avoided this girl or tried to pass by. But she kept on following him. He became so annoyed that he turned around and said to the spirit ““In the name of Jesus Christ I command you to come out of her!” At that moment the spirit left her. This girl was not the one Paul wanted to deal with and did not have any compassion for her. But Paul did not have any choice but to drive away this evil spirit from her because Paul thought she hindered him to do the work of God.
Soon, the owners of the girl recognized the loss of their income and seized Paul and Silas and the whole mob joined with the owners. The magistrate ordered him to be stripped and beaten wit rods. They were half naked and beaten so much that they became a spectacle for the people of the town! And then they were put in prison with heavy chains! They had not even have enough chances or time to talk about God or to deliver a message of the Gospel. They could have felt better if they had enough time to preach the word of God and if they suffered because of people’s rejection of God’s word. Where was their mission heading to? They could have been caught with wonder and uncertainty where their mission was heading to. What did they do in such situation?
25 About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them.
The whole body ached with much discomfort and pain. Skin was covered by wounds and was sore. In the midst of such suffering, pain and humiliating treatment for no reason! But their hearts were filled with joy and thankfulness. This was the joy in God’s utmost wisdom and his grace for them, and it is expression of their comfort and peace in God’s mighty hand! There was no wondering heart, no uncertainty, no sadness or sorrow or anguish in pain! Their lives were given to the Lord and whatever was happening was within God’s will and purpose! They rejoiced in God’s utmost will and His blessing in singing! Like this, Joy in suffering was the proof of the living God in them. When all the other prisoners and guard saw these they were so awe struck! What was in them that they were so full of joy and song in such misery!
Right at that moment, an earthquake shocked the prison and the doors were flung open, and the chains came loose. It was a crisis for the guards because if any of prisoners escape, then they should face the fate of that prisoner. When suddenly the jailor woke up and saw all that the door was wide open, he drew his sword to kill himself. But Paul shouted “Don’t harm yourself! We are all here!” (28)
29 The jailer called for lights, rushed in and fell trembling before Paul and Silas. 30 He then brought them out and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”
The jailor was the least likely person to ask for the word of salvation. But when the violent earthquake stroke the prison, he woke up in shock and fear because he could die by it. When the earthquake calmed down, he was caught again in fear to see that the prison door was wide open. It was a sure thing that all the prisoners ran away. So he tried to kill himself. But to his surprise, he heard the words from prisoners, “Do not harm yourself We are all here!” In this way, his life faced death twice, one from earthquake and one from runaway prisoners. Also to him it was obvious that this earthquake came about because of the power of God through Paul and Silas! Simply through the earthquake that came along with Paul and Silas song, the might power of God came upon the heart of the jailor. It was the message of judgment and death from God Almighty, and at the same time it was a message of God’s grace shown through Paul and Silas. In this way, this man was forced by the power of God to face the true predicament for his life, pending judgment. He was forced to seek the grace that Paul and Silas shown.
What do these tell us? He had no understanding of the true God. He had no exposure to biblical truth at all. He was like a blank paper, where there was nothing in regard to the knowledge of God. Nevertheless, God prepared this man to listen to the word of God. So Paul and Silas spoke the message of Jesus and he believed and his entire family were saved and baptized. What was an amazing turnout? Who could imagine that this man, a jailor, could be saved in such time as this? What is God saying to Paul and his team through this event?
Paul and Silas did not do much in terms of searching for people to preach and preaching itself. But in a very unlikely place, a very unlikely man to be saved was prepared by God through earthquake. He and entire his family was saved.
Paul did not look for people to speak the word of God. Instead he was forced to drive out demonic force in Jesus name. He did not have enough chance to preach the word of God. But he and Silas were put in prison. In prison, there was no one to preach. But by earth quake God prepared a man’s heart for the Gospel and Paul and Silas preached to him and his family were saved.
In the life of Paul and Silas, there were evidences of transcendent God and joy in His provisions of life! The pray and songs of praise were the hall marks of those evidences! That spoke powerfully about the God of creation who is invisible but living in power over the world that they were living in. Do you have the living God in your heart? If so then, that must exude even in such situation as Paul and Silas were. They are prayers and songs of praises to the Lord, God Almighty! In a worst condition as such, we must lift up, see, and believe God’s utmost wisdom in prayer. We must lift up to the Lord, the songs of praise! This makes a powerful witness.
What do these two events teaches us?
First, Paul formed a great team that could endure together such a long travel with quite number of missteps. A great team is a team that can endure a long trials together. As we noted earlier, Paul and Silas became partners of life not just for this journey but also the third journey as well. Timothy became Paul’s partners throughout his life. When we are one in the spirit of Christ, all differences and hardship cannot serve as the source of division or dissension but the causes of unity and oneness. In this regard, I thank M David and Sarah for their endurance through mission journey with me for the last few years. This is because of their love for Jesus. We have to persevere through our journey together for God has already made peoples ready for us to teach and to save!
Second, there was a great shift in the way how Paul came to preach. On the first journey, he preached to a group or a large number of people at synagogues. As the result he won large number of people. But in these two events, Paul did not plan to preach but set off their way to pray. But Paul’ team came across the situation where a person, Lydia or a Jailor was readied to receive the words of God. In this way, it was clear that God prepared each of them and God opened their heart for the Gospel. So through this it is made clear that God prepares the hearts of people for the message of the Gospel and God saves the people. We love to preach the message of the Gospel with utmost knowledge, wisdom and zeal. Nevertheless it is God who prepares and opens the hearts of people! What it means is that we have to preach with God-dependent heart! Because it is by his discretion that anyone can be saved!
Third, one person is so important. Can we say that for this one person, Lydia, and/or one person the jailor, Paul wondered so many different places, wondering over seven hundred miles and finally found the one God had prepared for the work of God? God wants us to preach one person! One person is so important! Our diligence is good. The more we plant the more we can harvest. We want to preach to many. Nevertheless, God’s work is not my labor intensive activities! It is something of godly life with faith and obedience, searching for God’s will who is seeking one person of so much importance! The success of the first mission journey does not warrant a success for the next mission! There must be God’s guidance and seeking God will and submission to God’s purpose.
Fourth, unlikely than the first journey, in these two occasions, the preaching came about through personal encounters. In those encounters, instead of the words, the life living in God’s grace speaks powerfully. Is God’s grace living in my heart, in my spirit? If so, then, pray and sing the songs of praise!
God prepared and God save! We must believe in Him and must trust Him! We must sing the songs of praise! Even in the worst situation, we must rejoice because God is in charge and God is using us for his blessing and for his glory! Pray! Sing the praise!
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