Lydia (2)

INTRODUCTION

When you think about teams and athletes considered dark horses, one common thread you find is that when the opportunity came knocking, they were ready to take advantage of the opportunity presented to them.

When I pondered this thought, a couple of names came to mind from the NFL; one is in the NFL Hall of Fame, and the other will be soon.

The two names that came to my mind were Kurt Warner and Tom Brady.

The expectations for neither of these men were very high when they entered the NFL, but when their opportunity came, they were ready.

I remember the hopes for the 1999 Rams were high when starting Quarterback Trent Green went down with a season-ending knee injury from a hit from Rodney Harrison of the Chargers.

I remember Coach Dick Vermeil stood before the media and said the team would stand with Kurt.

I am not sure anyone believed it; who was Kurt Warner?

Well, Kurt tuned one of the best seasons ever by a Quarterback.

Kurt Warner had a passer rating of 109.2 with 4,353 yards, 41 touchdowns, and 13 interceptions in 16 games in 1999.

He was selected to play in his first Pro Bowl.

He won his first MVP award, his first Super Bowl MVP award, and his first championship.

Tom Brady took over for an injured Drew Bledsoe; the rest was history.

Today’s dark horse is a lady we see mentioned in the New Testament.

The Bible verse Acts 16:12-15 is set in the book of Acts, which is a historical account of the early Christian church and its expansion after the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

The specific passage describes the events that took place during the Apostle Paul's second missionary journey.

Historically, during the first century AD, the Roman Empire had control over the region where the events of Acts 16:12-15 occurred.

This region, known as Macedonia, was part of the larger province of Asia Minor (present-day Turkey).

The Roman Empire allowed a certain level of religious freedom, but it also strongly influenced the region's cultural, social, and political aspects.

In Acts 16:12-15, Paul and his companions, including Silas, arrived in the city of Philippi, which was a leading city in Macedonia. Philippi was a Roman colony, meaning it was settled by retired Roman soldiers and held a special status within the empire.

The passage mentions that Paul and his companions went to a place of prayer by the riverside, where they met a group of women.

Among them was a woman named Lydia, who was described as a worshiper of God.

Lydia was a purple cloth dealer, indicating she was likely a wealthy businesswoman.

Purple cloth was considered a luxury item in that era and was associated with royalty or the wealthy elite.

Today, we will see how this dark horse, Lydia, made the most of her opportunity!

Let’s turn to Acts 16.

We will start with verses 11-13.

Acts 16:11–13 (NET 2nd ed.)

11 We put out to sea from Troas and sailed a straight course to Samothrace (SAMOTH RACE), the next day to Neapolis (KNEE A POLIS),

12 and from there to Philippi, which is a leading city of that district of Macedonia, a Roman colony. We stayed in this city for some days.

13 On the Sabbath day we went outside the city gate to the side of the river, where we thought there would be a place of prayer, and we sat down and began to speak to the women who had assembled there.

SERMON

I. An opportunity given.

As I mentioned in the introduction, Philippi was a Roman colony city.

The NET calls it a LEADING CITY.

Philippi enjoyed benefits because they were a Roman colony.

The citizens were proud of their city and status as a Roman Colony.

Their status provided the city with three benefits.

1. They could self-govern.

2. The citizens of the city were free from paying tribute to the Emperor.

3. They enjoyed the rights that those who lived in Italy enjoyed, including wearing Roman dress, a shared language, coinage, as well as shared holidays with Rome.

In the city of Philippi, the apostle Paul and his companions arrived with a clear purpose - to share the good news of Jesus Christ.

God had orchestrated their journey, leading them to Philippi, where a divine appointment awaited them.

As they gathered near the riverbank, they encountered a group of women, and as we will see, this group included Lydia.

This encounter was an opportunity given by God Himself.

Paul would usually enter a city and then find the local synagogue, where he would build relationships and teach.

In Philippi, it appears there was no synagogue.

There had to be ten Jewish men in the area for a synagogue to be established.

In communities where there were less than ten Jewish men, those who were faithful to God would meet by a body of water suitable for many ceremonial washings for prayer.

Such places of prayer may have been no more than a simple circle of stones around a grove of trees.

Once in Philippi for a few days, on the Sabbath, Paul, Silas, Timothy, and possibly Luke found a place they hoped was a place of prayer.

Paul and his group sat down and began to speak to the women who had gathered.

What a great opportunity to be able to hear Paul, Silas, Timothy, and Luke teach!

God gave these ladies a great opportunity to learn and grow.

God led Paul and his crew to Philippi for a reason.

God leads you to places in your life for a reason.

Paul could have surmised that this small group of women was not worth his time and effort.

Sometimes, we can get so caught up in numbers that we miss the opportunity at hand.

God sent Paul to Philippi to teach this small group of ladies about Jesus.

We should never overlook an opportunity to share Jesus.

The ladies who were present could not have met, thinking they were small in number.

How many opportunities has God presented to you in your life?

We have had more than we can imagine because we are not aware of them.

We are not intentional about looking for opportunities.

I think I can safely say that all of us here today, and probably all who are watching our broadcast today, are dark horses.

We are normal, everyday people.

One way to rise above what you thought you could do is to be ready for the opportunities that come to you!

Transition: Just as God granted an opportunity to Paul and his companions and those whom they taught, He also presents us with opportunities in our lives today. The question is, how do we respond?

Let’s turn to verses 13-15

Acts 16:13–15 (NET 2nd ed.)

13 On the Sabbath day we went outside the city gate to the side of the river, where we thought there would be a place of prayer, and we sat down and began to speak to the women who had assembled there.

14 A woman named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth from the city of Thyatira, a God-fearing woman, listened to us. The Lord opened her heart to respond to what Paul was saying.

15 After she and her household were baptized, she urged us, “If you consider me to be a believer in the Lord, come and stay in my house.” And she persuaded us.

II. An opportunity seized.

In the group of ladies, we find a lady named Lydia.

The Jewish character of the meeting becomes obvious in Luke’s description of Lydia.

She was from Thyatira, a city in Roman Asia (in the Hellenistic kingdom of Lydda).

By occupation, she was “a dealer in purple cloth,” a trade well known in Thyatira and a business that produced expensive material often used for royalty.

She was thus a woman of some wealth, a trait also indicated by her possession of a home large enough to keep the missionaries (16:15).

But by religion, she is described as “a worshiper of God,” a phrase used of Gentiles like Cornelius who were informally connected to Judaism.

She would be known as a proselyte of the gate, a phrase used frequently to indicate a Gentile who had adopted elements of Jewish belief and practice but had not become a full proselyte.

A proselyte was a person who converted to Judaism; a person like Lydia was one who had not fully converted but adopted elements of Jewish belief and practice to their life.

Lydia listened to Paul and his group as they taught.

A Commentary on Acts of the Apostles (4. Lydia Converted (16:13–15))

A person’s heart is said to be closed up against instruction when it is unwilling to hear it or to obey it.

Jesus opened the minds of the disciples to understand the scriptures. (Luke 24:45.)

God had led Paul and his company to Lydia, and they had preached the gospel by the power of the Holy Spirit to her and caused her to understand; hence, in this way, the Lord “opened” her heart.

She “listened to the things which were spoken by Paul.”

The word LISTENED means “to hold the mind on, or to keep the mind centered on” the things spoken by Paul, those words captivated her!

When she listened. God opened up her heart to respond to the message Paul preached.

Lydia seized the opportunity to listen attentively, allowing the Holy Spirit to work in her life.

How many times have we had the opportunity to do something for God, or how many times have we had the opportunity to receive a message from the Word of God, only to let the message fall on deaf ears?

Or maybe the message was too close to home, and we decided to tune it out because we were not brave enough to let the message penetrate our hearts.

Many folks claim a walk with Jesus, but yet they cannot even treat their husband or wife with the love and respect God called you to show them.

Excuse after excuse is offered, yet when a message comes from the Word that can help you get on track, you tune it out.

Lydia, a person with a heart for God, listened to the message from God through Paul and his companions and responded!

If we are going to be a person who makes a difference, we have to seize the opportunities God gives us; we have to be ready with an open heart and mind!

Lydia's response was one of faith and action.

Lydia’s response to the message was not to simply hear it and walk away or to go to the group of preachers and tell them GREAT MESSAGE, but rather she and her household were baptized into Jesus!

Lydia was able to seize the opportunity first of all because she was a seeker of truth.

Lydia was looking for something, so when the message of Paul was shared with her, she was ready.

Because Lydia was seeking truth; secondly, she had an attentive heart.

Remember in verse 14, the Lord opened her heart because she listened.

Maybe you have not responded because you have not listened.

These two things allowed her to respond in faith, trusting Jesus with her life!

Lydia's attentive heart led to a profound response.

She and her household were baptized in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Lydia was the first recorded conversion in Europe through Paul’s ministry.

Lydia didn't hesitate or delay; she seized the opportunity to embrace the truth and align her life with God's will.

Her faith was not just a private matter but a visible testimony to those around her.

You may be listening today; how are you going to respond to the opportunity you will have to be baptized into Jesus today?

Transition: Lydia serves as an inspiring example for us to follow. When God presents us with opportunities, how do we respond? Do we seize them with faith and a willingness to act?

Let’s finish with verse 40.

Acts 16:40 (NET 2nd ed.)

40 When they came out of the prison, they entered Lydia’s house, and when they saw the brothers, they encouraged them and then departed.

III. An opportunity maximized.

In verse 15, we see Lydia finally got Paul and his group to stay in her home.

A quick context catch-up from verses 16-39.

While in Philippi, Paul cast out a spirit of divination from a slave girl, which angered her owners, who had been profiting from her fortune-telling abilities.

Consequently, Paul and Silas were dragged before the city authorities, accused of causing trouble, and were publicly beaten and imprisoned.

While in prison, Paul and Silas prayed and sang hymns to God.

Suddenly, a great earthquake shook the prison, opening all the doors and loosening the prisoners' chains.

The jailer, fearing that the prisoners had escaped, was about to take his own life when Paul stopped him, assuring him that all the prisoners were still present.

Deeply moved by this act of compassion, the jailer asked Paul and Silas what he must do to be saved.

They responded, "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household."

After sharing the Word of God with the jailer, the jailer and his entire household were then baptized, and Paul and Silas preached the Word of God to them.

In Acts 16:35-39, the city authorities realized that Paul and Silas were Roman citizens, which meant that their arrest and mistreatment were illegal.

Fearing the consequences, they sent officials to the prison to release them.

However, Paul refused to leave quietly, as he wanted to ensure that the injustice done to them was publicly acknowledged.

He demanded that the officials themselves come to the prison and escort them out.

Once out of prison, they entered Lydia’s house.

Lydia maximized her opportunity by using her home and resources to support the church.

Historically, this verse signifies Paul and Silas' release from prison and their subsequent visit to the house of Lydia, a prominent convert and supporter of their ministry.

It highlights their commitment to strengthening Philippi's newly formed Christian community and encouraging the believers there.

Her home appeared to be the church at Philippi.

Lydia was a prominent woman in Philippi who had become a believer in Jesus Christ and was an important part of God’s work in the area!

CONCLUSION

The story of Lydia teaches us the importance of seizing the opportunity to encounter God and respond in faith.

She sought truth, had an attentive heart, and courageously embraced the Gospel message.

Her example encourages us to seek God's truth and respond in faith when He opens doors before us.

Let us not let the opportunities God places before us slip away unnoticed.

Instead, let us seize them with anticipation, knowing that they are divine appointments orchestrated by our Heavenly Father.

May we be attentive to His leading and respond in faith, just as Lydia did.