Summary of Rev. Marlayna Schmidt’s 5/22/22 sermon: Some things we can learn from Acts 16 about the Spirit’s leadership and how we might respond to it in our lives:
1. Even the most devout Christians run into obstacles, despite sincere hearts and fervent prayers. So, when doors are closed in our faces and our plans are thwarted, don’t give up. Keep praying.
2. Paul didn’t travel on his own. He traveled with others on his journey of faith. So, we need to enlist others to pray for us and with us, particularly when we hit the inevitable closed doors along the way.
3. Prayer involves listening, not just talking. And one way we can hear the Spirit is by listening to what our fellow travelers on the journey of faith have to say. Paul received the vision of the man in Macedonia but he didn’t move ahead until he shared the vision with his companions and they were all “convinced” of the way.
4. If you set out on a new endeavor--a relationship, a job, a mission--and hit a closed door, AND, if you try altering your plans only a little bit (like Paul did at first), and it still doesn’t work, be open to the idea that the Spirit may be calling you to move beyond where you thought you were going and beyond where you feel comfortable. In other words, sometimes the Spirit stretches us.
5. Even if you’re not sure of the way, keep moving, and trust that the Spirit will guide you. Not every door opens, but some will. But we need to keep moving to find them. It’s like if you’re in a hallway and you try one door and it doesn’t work. You don’t just stand there staring at it, you move on and try the next one. Trust the Spirit.
6. Use your reasoning, build off your previous strategies, but, if they don’t work, be open to going with the flow. If Paul had not been able to switch gears--if he kept looking for a synagogue led by men within the city walls, he would never have found one. (In fact, modern archeological work backs up the fact that there were no synagogues in ancient Philippi. New Interpreter’s Bible Commentary, Vol. X, p. 230) Instead, because Paul was open to the Spirit, he found an open air worship center outside the city led by women. Who knew? (The Spirit, that’s who.) Adaptability is key. We need to be willing to let go of our preconceived notions. Have you ever been in a meeting and heard the words, “We’ve never done it that way before.” The implication being “And we’re not going to try it that way now.” That’s a death knell to ministry. The Spirit loves to show us new ways that work even better than the old!
7. The Spirit brings people into our lives to work as partners with us who are sometimes very different than we might expect. In the patriarchal culture in which Paul operated, he probably wasn’t expecting that the Spirit would choose a wealthy, foreign, business woman to work with him to start a church. So, we need to ask ourselves: Who is God bringing into our lives to work with us on this journey of life and faith? We need to be open to the fact that the people God calls to work with us may be completely different than those whom we have previously envisioned. In our world today, where racial and ethnic tensions can so sadly lead to violence like we saw in Buffalo this week, it is vitally important to remember that we are all God’s children and God calls us to build bridges between people, not cause divisions.
8. Paul always kept his primary Vision and Purpose in mind in the midst of his travels. He knew he was called by God to proclaim the good news and strengthen the faith of the churches. So, God calls us, as individuals and as a church community, to stick to the Vision and Purpose that God has given us. The particular methods by which achieve our Purpose and Vision may change, but the Purpose and Vision remain constant.
INTRODUCTION. Today’s Scripture Reading is set by the lectionary. It is from the Book of Acts, which tells the story of how the church grew and expanded following the resurrection of Jesus. Today’s reading recounts part of the second missionary journey of the Apostle Paul. As we hear these words read aloud, let us listen for how the Holy Spirit opened some doors for Paul’s ministry and closed others.
Scripture Reading: Acts 16:6-15 (NRSV, Updated Edition)
6 They went through the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia. 7 When they had come opposite Mysia, they attempted to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them; 8 so, passing by Mysia, they went down to Troas. 9 During the night Paul had a vision: there stood a man of Macedonia pleading with him and saying, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” 10 When he had seen the vision, we immediately tried to cross over to Macedonia, being convinced that God had called us to proclaim the good news to them.
11 We therefore set sail from Troas and took a straight course to Samothrace, the following day to Neapolis, 12 and from there to Philippi, which is a leading city of the district of Macedonia and a Roman colony. We remained in this city for some days. 13 On the Sabbath day we went outside the gate by the river, where we supposed there was a place of prayer, and we sat down and spoke to the women who had gathered there. 14 A certain woman named Lydia, a worshiper of God, was listening to us; she was from the city of Thyatira and a dealer in purple cloth. The Lord opened her heart to listen eagerly to what was said by Paul. 15 When she and her household were baptized, she urged us, saying, “If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come and stay at my home.” And she prevailed upon us.