Begin with 2 minutes of stillness and silence before God.

Three things are happening in the first 15 verses of chapter 16. Paul and Silas welcome Timothy into their ranks; Paul receives a vision to carry his ministry to Macedonia; and while in Philippi, the gang meets Lydia and baptizes her. What is so special about this?

In the first section, the two things that stand out the most have to do with Timothy. First, the way he lived his life apparently allowed for his reputation to precede him. The scripture says, “He was well spoken of by the brethren”. If Paul found himself in the Hattiesburg area and my name were to come up in conversation, would I be a candidate chosen because of my character and good reputation with God, or would I be added to Paul’s prayer list and possibly receive a letter later in the New Testament? Secondly, a grown man was circumcised so that he would be effective in his ministry to both the Jew and the Gentile. This was done to gain acceptance by the Jews and to provide full access to the synagogues he would be visiting with Paul and Silas. Now, I am sure this young man had some questions, but I am in awe of the devotion Timothy had to the gospel. Timothy had a unique background and I just picture Paul saying, “Timothy, we can reach tons of people with the gospel message, but if you would do one more thing before we leave, I bet we could double our audience”.

In the second section, I see Paul being led by the Holy Spirit. He has a vision of a man requesting help in Macedonia. We see Paul recognizing doors being shut and others being open. Granted the vision was pretty straightforward and did not leave much for interpretation. I wish I had a vision that was that direct of a man saying, “Invest $1000 in Apple in 1984”. Often, we are so consumed with our day-to-day that we miss these encounters because we haven’t spent time in the quiet listening to the Holy Spirit directing our paths. We tend to project our own agendas into these doorways and can sometimes end up passing up open doors to kick in the doors that have been shut only to realize they lead to the broom closet and not the promised land.

In the third section, we see the fruits of Paul’s obedience to the Spirit in the form of Lydia being baptized. I love how verse 14 says, “The Lord opened her heart to respond to the things spoken by Paul”. It’s not Paul that changes her life but what Paul is speaking about that changes her life. She was a woman who sold purple fabrics which meant she probably was doing alright financially. After her baptism, we see her hosting Paul and his colleagues in her home.

Acts is all about the Church and what a beautiful picture we have right here in just 15 verses.

Take 2 minutes to reflect in silence.

Reflection:

• Meditate: Spend time reading through these verses and draw lines from the people in this passage to your own life. What areas look similar and what areas could you fine-tune?
  
• Invite someone to House Church. Paul taught others, he invited Timothy to join him, and Lydia hosted. Where do you fall in the mix?
• Lydia not only led her family to Christ but she also opened up her home and her life to make known the name of Jesus! Who in your life has made known the name of Jesus through hospitality and discipleship? How can you impact others through your gifts? For more stories of faithful obedience, go to venturechurch.org/stories or check out Venture Live on Facebook and Instagram.
• Prayer: Help our hearts to hear Your Holy Spirit. Please give us an attitude burdened to further the Gospel. Help us to carry ourselves in a manner that pleases You, brings glory to Your name, and shepherds the Gospel. We love You.