The Second Journey, Part 2: Help in Macedonia

Call to Worship

Psalm 98:1–3 “Sing to Yahweh a new song, For He has done wondrous deeds, His right hand and His holy arm have worked out His salvation. Yahweh has made known His salvation; He has revealed His righteousness in the eyes of the nations. He has remembered His lovingkindness and His faithfulness to the house of Israel; All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.”

Elder: The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you!

Consecration

Old Testament Reading

Isaiah 49:1-7

New Testament Reading

1 Corinthians 1:1-9

Sermon: The Second Journey, Part 2: Help in Macedonia

Title: Yahweh Directs Our Steps

Introduction & Review

Establishment of the Kingdom (Acts 1-2)

Fulfillment of Ezekiel 37—Davidic King, 12 tribes represented (Matthias), God dwells with His people.

Witness in Jerusalem (Acts 3-7)

Witness in Judea & Samaria (Acts 8-12)

The First Missionary Journey (Acts 13-14)

The Jerusalem Council (Acts 15)

The Second Missionary Journey (Acts 15:36-18:22)

This journey begins with a desire to return to the churches visited in the first journey (Acts 15:36) and ends when they return to Antioch once again (Acts 18:22).

Last time we met, just before Thanksgiving, we examined Timothy's circumcision in Acts 16:3. We saw there were practical and typological reasons for it: entering synagogues and typological sonship and ordination. The principle we drew away was that it is lawful to impose standards on yourself for the purpose of serving Christ and His people, even if others believe a particular standard necessary for salvation.

The Judaizers thought circumcision was necessary for salvation. But Paul still used it to influence those people. The first century Jews were being asked to give up a thousand years of cultural heritage and practice in order to absorb the world into God's kingdom. And we are being asked to do the same thing on an individual level. We are being asked to deny ourselves, to take up our cross, to lay down our lives for the sake of God's kingdom.

The principle here is that we ought to become all things to all people for the sake of Jesus Christ. Are we willing to lay down our rights and freedoms so that others may enjoy rights and freedoms? It is difficult for us to think in this way, but it is the very foundation of what it means to be a Christian: a follower of Jesus who denied Himself, took up His cross, and laid His life down for the sake of a sinful and undeserving people.

Today we will be looking at Acts 16:5-15, Luke's account of how Paul ended up going into Macedonia.

See map

Macedonia is a region like Asia and Achaia. It includes some familiar places: Philippi, Thessalonica, and Berea. Galatia was the region of the first journey, after Cyprus, which included Pisidian Antioch, Iconium, Lystra, and Derbe. Both the first and second journeys begin and end in Antioch (Syrian).

Context: New Testament Books in Circulation

Some have suggested that even in Acts 6, the Apostles began writing the Gospel accounts. Because of the first-person narrative here ("we"), Luke was already gathering data for his Gospel and account of events of the early church. Thus, the Gospels are being written during these years between AD 30 and AD 70. Paul's journey took him through Galatia, which is the region to which his letter to the Galatians was written. The church has historically identified the book of James with James, the leading elder who oversaw the Jerusalem Council in Acts 15. Thus, his epistle may have been already in circulation as well. We are now in the city of Philippi, which was the recipient of Paul's letter to the Philippians. And they will shortly be in Thessalonica, the recipient of first and second Thessalonians. The apostolic testimony was being preserved in writing during these very years, establishing the foundation of our New Testament.

Exposition of Acts 16:6-15

The First Journey Revisited (Acts 16:5)

Acts 16:5: "So the churches were being strengthened in the faith, and were abounding in number daily."

Verse five represents the conclusion of what Paul had set out to do in this second journey. If you look at Acts 15:36: "Now after some days Paul said to Barnabas, 'Let us return and visit the brothers in every city in which we proclaimed the word of the Lord, and see how they are.'" They accomplished their purpose. So the question now becomes: "What next?"

Read the entire passage (Acts 16:6-15)

Have you ever had the sense that God wanted you to do something but you just did not know what it is or how He wants you to do it? I think that is exactly how Paul felt on this second missionary journey. They finished their first task of visiting the churches in Galatia, and then they ask themselves: "What now?" Paul knows that he has been set apart by Jesus as a witness to the Jews and the Gentiles, but he does not necessarily have any clear path forward.

We often have the idea that the Apostles and the prophets simply knew exactly what God wanted them to do. They talked with God, after all, but we fail to recognize that even in that extraordinary time of covenantal succession, from Old to New, God was not continually speaking to people.

When Paul and Barnabas were set apart for the first missionary journey, we saw that the Spirit spoke during a liturgy in Acts 13. He simply said: "Set apart for Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them"—presumably to go to the Gentile lands. The Spirit does not say: "Begin in Cyprus and work through the Synagogues of Galatia and I will tell you exactly what to do and say." And it is similar in this passage.

The Spirit is mentioned three times, but He is not giving clear directions. So Paul and Silas must rely on common sense, the principles of God's Word, and whatever appears to be expedient. In Chapter 1 of the Westminster Confession, it outlines that in some circumstances which are common to human actions and societies, there are three things which ought to guide our decisions: the light of nature, Christian prudence, and Scriptural principle. Common sense, wise judgment, and the general rules of the Word. These three things are guiding Paul and Silas on this journey.

Closed Doors (Acts 16:6-8)

Acts 16:6-8: "And they passed through the Phrygian and Galatian region, having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia; and after they came to Mysia, they were trying to go into Bithynia, and the Spirit of Jesus did not permit them; and passing by Mysia, they came down to Troas."

First, they try to go north into Asia, but are "forbidden by the Holy Spirit." They then try to go north again to Bithynia, but "the Spirit of Jesus did not permit them." It made sense for them to go in these directions. The logical conclusion was that these regions would be next. We have already seen that the route and strategy to this point have been very sensible: they go to Cyprus first because it was Barnabas' hometown, they enter synagogues where they are likely to have a hearing, they move in a progressive manner through regions sensibly. So after completing their review trip, they logically attempt to move north into Asia. They are exercising common sense and Christian prudence.

But the Spirit of God had other plans. Proverbs 16:9 says: "The heart of man plans his way, but Yahweh directs his steps."

Macedonian Vision (Acts 16:9-12)

Acts 16:9-12: "And a vision appeared to Paul in the night: a man of Macedonia was standing and appealing to him, and saying, 'Come over to Macedonia and help us.' And when he had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go into Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to proclaim the gospel to them. So setting sail from Troas, we ran a straight course to Samothrace, and on the day following to Neapolis; and from there to Philippi, which is a leading city of the district of Macedonia, a Roman colony; and we were staying in this city for some days."

Notice that the Spirit does not give them specifics—just a general region. And the Spirit does not even tell them to go. He simply shows them a vision of a man asking for help in the vast region of Macedonia. How helpful is this? Even with a vision given to Paul, there is not really a clear direction here, so they are required once again to exercise discernment and prudence.

They head to a "leading city" in Macedonia and they stay there for a while. They conclude that since the doors had been closed elsewhere, this represented a door opening. So they go that way and patiently wait for the Lord to work.

First Fruits in Macedonia (Acts 16:13-15)

Acts 16:13-15: "And on the Sabbath day we went outside the gate to a riverside, where we were supposing that there would be a place of prayer; and sitting down, we began speaking to the women who had assembled. And a woman named Lydia, from the city of Thyatira, a seller of purple fabrics, a worshiper of God, was listening, whose heart the Lord opened to pay attention to the things spoken by Paul. And when she and her household had been baptized, she urged us, saying, 'If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come into my house and stay.' And she prevailed upon us."

While they are there, they reason that on the Sabbath day there would be a gathering at the riverside. And there was, but it seems to have been only women. This could indicate that the believing/Jewish community in that colony was marginal—so much so that the God-fearers had to meet at the river rather than at a synagogue.

And this is exactly like our Lord. It is not through some big political action, nor through massive conversions of people, but rather a gathering of faithful women at a riverside. In the eyes of that society, a gathering of weak and second-class citizens. I am reminded of Gideon's three hundred men, or the shepherd boy's five smooth stones, or the Lamb of God. God uses the weak things of the world to confound the mighty.

And Lydia deserves some comment:

Lydia's prominence and influence: Lydia's household baptism is the second in the book after Cornelius. She is a prominent Gentile God-fearer, similar to Cornelius, with sizable wealth and influence. She is a businesswoman and must have had a large enough home to house Paul, Timothy, Silas, and Luke who is narrating. We do not know if she was old or young, but we do know that it was uncommon for women to be the heads of a household and that she must have been somewhat wealthy, which usually implies more time and success in her business. Her house presumably becomes the headquarters for the church in Philippi (Acts 16:40: "And they went out of the prison and entered the house of Lydia, and when they saw the brothers, they encouraged them and left.").

Hospitality in the house of a woman: Keener points out a few helpful details about the hospitality that Lydia shows to the missionaries. First, it should be noted that hospitality such as she showed them was common in that time, and desirable for travelers, and was not automatically considered suspicious if a man was staying in a woman's household (provided there were other household members and more than one man being housed). Second, innkeepers and inns at that time were hubs for the night life. In many cases beds were infested with bugs, thieving and murder were always a fear, and women (probably discarded babies raised as sex slaves) were advertised with the rooms. These were not reputable places. Josephus, the Jewish historian, identifies Rahab as an innkeeper, and the Qumran (Dead Sea) scrolls associate the evil woman with inns. Rather than sleeping in the place of the evil woman, these servants of God are invited into a God-fearing woman's home and offered hospitality that honors both propriety and their safety.

Summary

Thus Paul and Silas, after encountering many closed doors, begin their Macedonian mission. They go to a leading city, gather with the marginal group of faithful women, the Spirit brings increase, and the Philippian church is founded. And the context of the New Testament is beginning to take shape.

Application

The Spirit's Orchestration

Throughout the text, the Spirit is behind everything that happens, but mysteriously this interacts with our ability to make decisions sensibly. The Spirit closes doors, gives visions, and opens hearts. When Paul looks back on these events, it is clear that the Spirit was working in them. But I am sure that in the moment it was perplexing and frustrating at times. The path that they were intending to take was being blocked. They were encountering barriers. We view these hiccups as frustrations.

But the house church of Philippi was established and the epistle of Philippians was written because of these decisions that were being orchestrated by the Spirit of Christ. And this has been true throughout the book of Acts up to this point. The Spirit is the real driver of events in the book. In all of the Pentecost accounts in Jerusalem, Cornelius' house, Samaria—it is the Spirit who is working. He is the Paraclete—the Helper and Advocate—that Jesus promised to send. And is He still with us? Does He still operate in this manner? Is He orchestrating things that appear to you and me to be roadblocks? Are they simply nudges in a different direction and reminders that we must look to Jesus?

I believe that how we look at these roadblocks that are placed in front of us is directly tied to how much we pray and seek the Lord in our spirit. How often does your spirit reach out to the Spirit of God? How often do you pour out your heart and soul in prayer to Him? And then, how expectant are you for an answer?

The Spirit is here and He is still working. He is guiding His people. He is very near. So my first exhortation is to pay attention to the direction of the Spirit and seek Him in prayer often.

Christian Prudence

In my experience, the common sense approach of Paul in these missionary journeys is not often emphasized. It was reasonable and logical for them to proceed as they did. And I want to emphasize it now.

Do not wait for the Spirit to tell you specifics. You have God's Word, you have common sense, and you have expedience—which is simply doing what is wise and practical. If you are operating within Scriptural principle and you are using your reason, then do what seems best. If the New Testament is any indication, the Spirit is not going to give you a step-by-step checklist. He calls you to faithfulness and wisdom in serving Him in the kingdom.

He tells us to go into all the world and make disciples of the nations, teaching them everything our Lord has taught us. He does not give us a specific play-by-play to accomplish. So we must ask the question: "What now?" You have professed faith in Jesus, you have been baptized, you are worshipping God in your home and with God's people. What does He want you to do now?

My advice is simply this: go and do whatever you think is best as long as it is in line with Scriptural principle and it is reasonable. If the Spirit does not want you to go in that direction, He will close the door.

The proverb is true: we make plans. It is what we do. We have vision and goals, but how often do these things turn out as we intended initially? This church is not necessarily what I had in mind, but it is better than what I initially envisioned.

This is how the Spirit of God works. Yahweh directs our steps.

So seek the Spirit in prayer and watch for His working. Then ask yourself: "How am I obeying the great commission? How am I making disciples?"

And there is an ordo amoris—what Augustine called the "order of love." The idea that while we are called to love all people, we have special obligations based on proximity and relationship. We do this by loving God first, then our family, then our church and society.

Teaching, in my opinion, has more to do with ordinary obedience than it has to do with head knowledge. It is better to go to work and provide for your family in obedience to God's Word than to not go to work for the sake of some more pious endeavor, like studying Scripture. If you do not provide for your household, then you can study Scripture until you are blue in the face and you will be failing in a fundamental Christian duty.

So we are not supposed to necessarily teach the new converts the finer points of theology. We are to teach them how to be servants of Christ. Obedience is better than sacrifice. And ordinary Christian piety is better than head knowledge.

It is better for you to serve your household, your husband and your children, than it is for you to go to a lady's Bible Study. Ordinary Christian piety is better than head knowledge.

When Paul and Silas go to Philippi, they find a group of believers and they gather. That is not anything rather special. It is ordinary Christian piety.

So we return to our theme: Yahweh directs our steps. This passage teaches us three things: Seek the Spirit through consistent prayer, pay attention to His leading through closed and open doors, and live out your obedience in the ordinary, daily work of being a Christian. Apply God’s word, use your common sense, and do whatever you think is best as you seek to serve Jesus this week.

May God richly bless you as you serve Him.

Communion

John 1:29 “On the next day, he saw Jesus coming to him and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!”

We are here gathered to break bread in celebration of the sacrifice of Christ, the Lamb of God, spotless and without blemish, slain for us so that we might enjoy peace with God. We also drink wine to celebrate our inheritance and victory in Jesus. This is truly a thanksgiving feast.

But it is not just a physical thing that we do. We are in fact gathered around the table of the Lord. The Spirit of God is here dwelling with us. We are in the Holy Place.

And only those who have been washed may enter. The washing is symbolized by our baptism, but it is accomplished by the working of the Holy Spirit in His applying to us the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. The blood of Jesus is applied to us and we are made clean.

Are you ready to commune with the Spirit of God? Are you ready to sup at His table in peace and joy?

Peace and joy are offered to you in this supper—the peace that Christ Himself promised: "Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you" (John 14:27). They truly represent being in the presence of Yahweh. It is as though we have pushed past the curtain that separated the Holy of Holies. We are about to enter into God's presence.

For the ungodly, this is a terrifying reality—just as the unclean could not enter the Holy Place in the Old Testament. This encounter with the living God will undo you. For the righteous in Christ, it is fullness of joy and pleasures forevermore (Psalm 16:11).

For those who repent unto life and have faith in Jesus, this supper is the best reminder that we have a tangible, real, true salvation in the saving blood of Jesus Christ.

For those who do not repent, this stands as yet another call from Heaven to leave the life of shadows and fear, and come walk in the light.

If you are baptized and in good standing with the body of Christ, harboring no unrepented sin against God or your neighbor, then we invite you to eat and drink with us in remembrance of Christ.

If you are not baptized, or if you are harboring unrepented sin in your heart toward God or your neighbor, then we ask you to refrain from the Supper for now. But we invite you to repent, receive Christ, and seek membership in His church.

The Bread

Give thanks

1 Corinthians 11:23–24 LSB

...the Lord Jesus in the night in which He was being betrayed took bread, and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, “This is My body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of Me.”

Read during distribution:

Psalm 40:1–11

The Cup

Give thanks

1 Corinthians 11:25 LSB

In the same way He took the cup also after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood; do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.

Read during distribution:

John 1:29-42

1 Corinthians 11:26 LSB

For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the death of the Lord until He comes.

The Lord’s Prayer

Matthew 6:9–13 LSB

“...Our Father who is in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done, On earth as it is in heaven. ‘Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.”

Matthew 6:14–15 LSB

“For if you forgive others for their transgressions, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. “But if you do not forgive others, then your Father will not forgive your transgressions.

The Commission

Matthew 28:18–20 LSB

And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to keep all that I commanded you; and behold, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

Numbers 6:24–26 LSB

Yahweh bless you, and keep you; Yahweh make His face shine on you, And be gracious to you; Yahweh lift up His face on you, And give you peace.’