Clear Direction - Part Three


Overcoming Obstacles 


     While Paul, Silas, Timothy, and Luke gathered by the riverside, an obstacle was placed in their path.  Scriptures tell us that these men repeatedly encountered a slave girl who was possessed by a spirit of divination that was providing revelation on who they were.  “These men are servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to you the way of salvation.” [1] (Acts 16:17 ESV) Why do you think Paul grew tired of this pesky spirit speaking words of truth?  Was it due to annoyance over being interrupted, or could Paul have understood that this spirit had something else up its sleeve other than truth-telling?  What we can draw from this account is, Paul was aware that this spirit was not of the flesh and required the weapons of spiritual warfare, “For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God and take every thought captive to obey Christ, [2]  (2 Corinthians 10:3-5 ESV) Paul uses the name of Jesus Christ to remove this spirit from the slave girl.  We can refresh our memories by reading a similar account found in Luke 10 regarding the 70-men who Jesus sent out to proclaim the coming of His Kingdom; these stories reveal the same power, the name of Jesus. 

     Another example, we see in Acts 13 where Paul ‘shook the dust from his feet’ in response to the Jewish reception to the gospel in Iconium, follows the same precedent set by Jesus as he instructed his disciples how to respond to those who did not welcome their message (Matthew 10, Luke 9, and Mark 6).  We see that this is the turning point in Paul’s ministry who always took God’s message to the Jews first, but now more readily seeks the Gentile population. 

     In the INTRODUCTION to this three-part series, I established the concept where Paul sets himself as an example for us to imitate.  This model was not an arrogant request on Paul’s part, but a move of submission to the will of God.  Paul allowed Scriptures to create the boundaries around his behavior and he observed how Jesus had walked and instructed his followers.  Paul set a very high standard for himself, as though he were willing to live in a glass house.  He allowed us to observe both his motives and his behavior.  How willing are we to live in glass houses, allowing others to scrutinize our steps of faith?  How imitable are we?


False Accusations

     How many stories in the Bible teach us how to handle false accusations? My mind land first on Joseph and Potiphar’s wife.  Most accounts leave us without a desire for similar experiences.  Paul and Silas’ landing in prison while falsely accused of civil disobedience moves to the top of my ‘un-bucket’ list (things I hope never to experience).  Paul’s viper bite is big on my list too.  Scriptures tell us that the slave girl’s owner knew that he had just taken a huge financial hit when Paul, through the power of the Holy Spirit, removed the spirit of divination from his slave girl.  He did not present his case before the magistrate as a personal injury lawsuit.  No, he wanted the magistrate to see this as a threat to Rome (civil disobedience).  Why?  In his vague accusation, he aligned his desires with the interest of those who he sought restitution from as he indicated, “These men are Jews, and they are disturbing our city. They advocate customs that are not lawful for us as Romans to accept or practice.”  [3] (Acts 16:20-21 ESV)  No one seemed to know that Paul was a Roman citizen.  Might that not have been an easy ‘get out of jail free card?’   Paul wasn’t looking for easy avoidance of persecution.  Why not?  Does it not seem that he was willing to take a hit for the sake of the gospel?  Did he see his mission far greater than his personal comfort?  What made him so wise?   How often do we allow words to proceed out of our mouths without consideration of what we are defending (our rights, or God’s cause)?   How could Paul and Silas have known that this providential incarceration would lead a man and his family to Salvation?  Here we see an account of an inside experience in prison ministry.  We also will see how Paul’s Roman citizenship would play a big part in opening the doors for church expansion in Philippi and beyond as it later earned him the level of respect with these Roman magistrates that matched his integrity. 

     Paul and Silas allowed their prayer and praise to become the vehicle that God would  use to move prison walls and doors as well as the hearts of the jailer and all his household.  They didn’t preach at anyone; they followed the Holy Spirit's guidance and responded in worship.  This example overwhelms me as I realize how entitled I feel to justice and fairness.  When we allow these feelings of entitlement to guide us, we aren’t listening to the Spirit inside us.  Because of Paul and Silas integrity while in shackles and chains, the jailer did not commit suicide as he intended, but he fell at their feet and asked, ‘how can I have what you have?’  The jailer worded this differently, but it held the same meaning.  After all, how could he have known what Salvation meant unless he had been eavesdropping?

Question:

1.  How would you or have you responded to false accusations?  Did your actions promote grace and mercy, or something else?
2.  Can you see yourself adopting Paul and Silas approach when being falsely accused of something in the future? 

Seeing the Outcome as God’s Plan


     While Paul and Silas were behind prison gates, where do you suppose that Timothy and Luke stayed?  Could they have accepted the hospitality of Lydia to stay in her home?  Could this have been the next ‘place of prayer’ or the first home church in Philippi?  The account of Paul and Silas leaving prison shows they were escorted with magistrates’ apologies  as they left town.  Their honor and dignity had been restored.  It became evident to the magistrate that they had responded inappropriately to Roman citizens (both Paul and Silas) by disrobing and beating them.  It might even be considered a case of racial profiling considering they had been introduced as Jewish men. 

     How easy would it be for Paul, and Silas (and Timothy) to feel dissatisfied with the fruits of their labor (and persecution) as they had traveled 400 miles to bring salvation to only two households?  No evidence exists in this passage (Acts 16) that other spiritual conversions had taken place before Paul and Silas left town.  From the story, we do read that Paul and Silas went to Lydia’s house.  It says, ‘and when they had seen the brothers, they encouraged them and departed.’ [4] (Acts 16:40 ESV)  Some commentators like to interject the idea that ‘brothers’ mean more conversions had taken place at the church established in Lydia’s home; however, could it be possible that ‘the brothers’ found in verse 40 referred to Timothy and Luke?  In the very next chapter, Acts 17, we see the text shift back to an outsider’s perspective using pronouns to refer to the men who left as ‘they’ rather than ‘we.’  This pronoun shift indicates that Luke, the author, remained behind after receiving encouragement. 

     Paul and Silas could not have foreseen the significance of these two households who had come to see the plan of Salvation.  Nearly a decade will pass before Paul’s epistles to the Philippians would be written.  Just like Paul, we cannot expect to see the full impact of our efforts.  Let's not judge our efforts as small and insignificant.  God may be using us as vessels for far more grand and glorious outcomes than we can imagine.  Something as simple as being a Sunday School teacher has been known to create a future evangelist that changes the world like Billy Graham.  When asking the question, “How many churches did the apostle Paul plant,” the general opinion is remarkably small, yet from his thirteen known epistles, we see his significant influence on the church (the bride of Christ).  

Question: 


1.  Do you get discouraged that you are not producing enough for God’s kingdom?  How can Acts 16 inspire you knowing that Paul didn't see the full impact of his ministry either?
2.  Can obedience to God’s calling be enough for us without knowing the outcome?

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