An Unstoppable Vision

[Text Announcement] Please look with me in Scripture at Acts 16:6-40.

[Scripture Introduction] The book of Acts is written by Luke, a companion of Apostle Paul. As Luke writes, he states his purpose which is to give an accurate account to his friend Theophilus about how the Ascended Christ is accomplishing salvation history by empowering his church to present the truth of the gospel to the end of the earth. Here in the story, we are presented with three men: Paul, Silas, and Timothy who embarking on their second missionary journey.

[Reannounce and read text] Read with me these words of Paul and his companions journey to Macedonia from Acts 16:6-40. [The preacher reads the Scripture passage out loud.]

[Prayer for illumination]

As I repeat these words of your disciple Peter, let us believe them in our hearts:

Lord, to whom can we go? You alone have the words of eternal life.

Help us to hear your word and put them into practice, through Christ our Lord, Amen.

[Introduction]

Have you ever considered the difference between an ordinary dream and extraordinary vision?

Dreams are often subtly, forgetful, and we misunderstand the meaning of the dream after we wake up. Oppositely, a vision given by the Lord is sophisticated, retentive, and obvious about its purpose. There is no question about what it is trying to communicate with us.

In this vision, the Lord has a divine purpose. He desires for the Macedonians to have eternal life. But this will not come without a struggle. The vision speaks about the culture to which the disciples are heading towards which is plagued by Roman imperialism and paganism.

They must go where God is sending them. But how can they help them? The question we ask ourselves...How does the gospel of Christ unravel the foundation of any ungodly culture?” [FCF]. It is by the inspired vision of God that the disciples can and will make a difference for the unstoppable kingdom.

We will see how the their effort by what God is doing in the story. Certainly, the ungodly Roman and American culture can be conquered and subdued because...

[Proposition] The visionary church possesses the power of the gospel to undo the culture by forming new Christian communities.

It is in Acts 16:6-40 [Scripture Bond] that the church will overcome the culture of their time and ours and deliver enslaved people by the power of the gospel of Christ.

I. The Trinitarian vision sets the destination for the church (v. 6-10).

As for Paul and his company, God made it clear for them the unstoppable vision of the Lord. The Spirit (v.6), Son (v.7), and Father (v.10) all communicated to his through the explicit vision of who they were to reach next for the gospel.

They must sail across the Aegean Sea and travel in new territories which they have never been before in their lives. The comforting truth is that Paul, Silas, Timothy are not heading up this expedition - God goes before them!

Likewise, the Lord always gives the vision to the church, and God will set the destination. You and I only need to follow wherever he is leading.

But here, in the book of Acts, the disciples are heading in Philippi, a Roman colony. (This city would named after Augustus, the first Roman Caesar). It is this city where God calls them to be and to fulfill their vision of the Macedonian call. How will Paul and others combat the culture and preach the cross of Christ? How will they overcome the Roman influence and let the gospel disrupt the reign of Caesar and let Christ be made known as the true Lord of lords?

II. The church unravels the culture with the gospel of Christ (v.11-31).

It begins where God places them and in this chapter we find three separate occasions God directs Paul and his companions in the right spot to unravel the culture of Roman with the preaching of the Word.

First, with Lydia (Purple clothe merchant) found outside the city worshiping at the house of prayer. She’s a marginalized Jew and she has no spiritual home inside the city. (Lack a Jewish presence) And Paul first gospel presentation reveals the truth of Christ and God opened her eyes to it. She is baptized into the family of God.

Second, with the Python-spirited slave, she is freed from the false god Apollo who is credited to fortune telling. Paul embodied the truth and did not want to world to believe a false-spirits’ witness. Hence, he rids the unclean spirit in Jesus’ name. Christ is conquering Roman culture again!

The Romans did not like Paul and Silas for disturbing their profit or way of life. So they blamed their ethnicity and cast them into prison.

Sometimes you don’t feel like you’re in the right place until God shows up.

The last individual to be saved is the Philippian jailer. Who would have killed himself after the prisoner would have gone free. God sent the earthquake not to free Paul and Silas, but to free him from the lies of paganism and bring him into the family of God.

His former master was Cesar, now he is freed from this Roman allegiance and brought into a new life of following the cross.

III. The gospel leaves behind Christian communities who gather together in his name (v.32-40).

However, the good news doesn’t stop there. The vision of God has impacted these three people, but also their household. There the world is forever changed, by the gospel because new Christians communities and live life together. The baptized families commited themselves to the Lord by being joined to the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

Every cultural barrier was torn down, it didn’t matter their sex, class, ethnicity. They are a baptized family into Jesus Christ.

What I love about the gospel is how it makes family hospitality so important (v. 15, 35).

The believing family is one that shares it life together. We are held together for the love of the Savior and celebrate his life, death, and resurrection whenever we gather together in his name.

Even after Paul and Silas were exonerated from their crime, the two went and ate with Lydia and her household and were encouraged by their household.

Christians communities are where fellowship and encourage is to be found.

IV. You must let the Lord set the vision of the church and follow him.

The visionary church possesses the power of the gospel to undo the culture by forming new Christian communities.

We must believe Christ’s mission is more powerful than our American culture. His citizens can subdue it through Christ’s reign in us. Which means, I must to present his gospel in every village, township, and country road because the Lord is leading his church with a vision to go everywhere in the thumb.

We can do what God requires for he is leading our missionary journey.

Trust the vision, and he will set your paths straight for his glory. Amen.