Think on these questions as you dwell in Acts 16:1-15:

1. In Acts 16, we see Paul circumcising Timothy, which may seem contradictory after the Jerusalem Council's decision on circumcision. How does this decision reflect Paul's tactical approach to ministry, considering the audience and cultural context? What can we learn from this example about adapting our methods for effective gospel proclamation in different settings?

2. The Holy Spirit forbids Paul and his companions from speaking the word in Asia and directs them to Macedonia. How does this episode highlight the importance of discerning God's guidance in our ministry endeavors? How can contemporary Christians seek and recognize the leading of the Holy Spirit in their own efforts to share the gospel?

3. The conversion of Lydia in Philippi demonstrates the profound role of divine intervention in salvation. How does this account emphasize the sovereignty of God in opening hearts to the gospel? How can this truth encourage and empower Christians to engage in evangelism, knowing that God is ultimately at work in the process of bringing people to faith?

Transcript:

 Well, we are now on the other side of the council at Jerusalem. We've been seeing this whole movement of the gospel going to the Gentiles and at the council of Jerusalem, they decided that you did not have to be circumcised. So now we come to chapter 16 and something very confusing is happening.  Paul has Timothy circumcised, or it says that he circumcised him.

Why would that happen? We just had this formal decision that you do not need to be circumcised to be saved. Well, we can see the reasoning here.  It says, because of the Jews who were in those places, so they all knew that his father was a Greek, the idea that seems to be coming through here is that, is that while Paul has a deep conviction that, that you do not need to be circumcised to be saved, he doesn't want to go through the hassle.

With the people he's going to minister to about this about whether or not he doesn't want to be attacked by the Jews For being with someone who is uncircumcised and for teaching with someone who is uncircumcised And so while it seems a little bit off to us It's very clear  that Paul had good reason to do so now as they travel we see that They were forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia.

Why would that be? Now, we know that later on, the gospel does go into Asia. They do ministry there.  Good things happen, but at this time, God has something else that he is planning to do. And so, Paul has this vision. They're not allowed to go to Asia, but instead, they're to go to Macedonia. And they see this vision, and they know that God has called them to preach the gospel there.

And so, what happens? They go, and we see that God has prepared a great thing, and we, we see a familiar word here, that they went to Philippi. Now, it says it's a leading city of the District of Macedonia, and why I said Philippi was familiar, the Book of Philippians. Well known. Uh, there was a church established there.

God was doing something. He had a plan for the way that the gospel would spread, and what we find is that, Paul and Silas and Timothy are being faithful to what God is calling them to do, and they're proclaiming the gospel. So, what happens? What confirmation do they get when they arrive here? Well, they go, and they preach, and people come, and people believe.

And we read in verse 14 about the one who heard who was named Lydia. Now, she was a seller of purple goods. Now, what does that mean to us, right? Seller of purple goods, okay. Uh, did you have different people who sell different things of different color? Well, the dye to make things that were purple was very expensive.

And so, you basically were rather well off if you were making purple goods and selling purple goods. Because you were able to get the die and then you were able to pass that along. You know how business works Uh, you were able to sell those things. And so, she was rather well off. And the idea that we basically get here is that she's got herself a pretty, uh, good house.

Okay. So, she, she's well off. She's able to invite, uh, the disciples who are, who are traveling to stay with her. But we see the important thing in the last half of verse 14, the Lord opened her heart to pay attention to what was said by Paul. It says that she was a worshiper of God. But now she is hearing the gospel of Jesus Christ.

And how does that happen?  It happens because the Lord opens her heart. The Lord gives her faith. The Lord causes this to happen within her. And amazing things happen. Amazing thing happens.  God is bringing the gospel to this area. And now they have a place to be. They have a place to have a home base while, while they are with Lydia.

They're able to go out and preach daily. God was doing something amazing, and he leads the way and he also brings people to faith We've seen that all through Acts. That's been a reoccurring theme God is doing something and so the disciples the Apostles are following that leading of God and trusting that when they get there, God is going to do his work.

They proclaim the gospel and people come to faith because God is at work in them. So as we think about what we need to do to apply these assorted stories to our life today, we should look for opportunities to proclaim the gospel. Always we should. And we should do that with a great trust. Why is that?

Because if God is going to be at work, he is going to be at work, he is going to do his thing. We should trust his sovereign hand on our lives. Not only in the big decisions that we make in life, but, but the things that we do from hour to hour, day to day as we interact with people around us. God can use what we do, and he can bring his plan to pass.

Because He is Sovereign Lord, and His Holy Spirit is at work to bring people to faith. So may we find our ministry, may we find our opportunities to proclaim the Gospel, trusting that God is at work, as He has always been.