Prayer:
Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me and lead me in the way everlasting (Psalms 139:23-24).
Lord, you are the only true God, maker of all things visible and invisible, Holy is your name. Show us today the specific plan that you have for our lives. Reveal in us the spiritual tools that you have provided for us through the presence of your Holy Spirit. Direct us to a place of service for you.
Main Scripture: Read Romans 12:2.
Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is — his good, pleasing and perfect will (Romans 12:2).
Associated Scriptures:
Show me your ways, O Lord, teach me your paths; guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long (Psalms 25:4-5).
Since you are my rock and my fortress, for the sake of your name lead and guide me (Psalms 31:3)
Teach me to do your will, for you are my God; may your good Spirit. Lead me on level ground (Psalms 143:10).
Correlative Quotes:
There are definite patterns to how God Calls. Studying biblical call experiences reveals three primary patterns, or ways, God calls. God calls through sudden experiences, reasoned decisions, and the prompting of others.[1] – Jeff Iorg
Faith never knows where it is being led, but it loves and knows the One who is leading.[2]” – Oswald Chambers
The Lord’s call to service requires total surrender. When God revealed His glory to Isaiah, the prophet offered himself completely (Isaiah 6:8); Paul submitted his whole self to Christ on the Damascus road (Acts 9:15-19); even Jesus, our ultimate example, daily surrendered to His Father’s will (John 5:19). A life of surrender says, “God, whatever, whenever, wherever, and however You want it, my answer is yes.[3] – Charles Stanley
Study:
Historically Strategic:
Philippi is an ancient city in the present-day country of Greece on the continent of Europe. The City of Philippi was established by Philip of Macedonia who was the father of Alexander the Great. Philip realizing its strategic location, halfway between Athens Greece, the center of Greek life, and Troas the gateway to Asia. Its location for trade and the protection from Rome and Athens made it an extremely important city.[4]
10 miracles in Paul’s first visit to Philippi: Acts 16 9-39
The first miracle involves a change of mind. Paul had a desire to finish evangelizing the remainder of Asia. Instead, he traveled to Macedonia due to a vision. God gave Paul a vision that came at night. It concerned a man calling for Paul from Macedonia.
During the night Paul had a vision of a man of Macedonia standing and begging him, "Come over to Macedonia and help us." After Paul had seen the vision, we got ready at once to leave for Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them. From Troas we put out to sea and sailed straight for Samothrace, and the next day on to Neapolis. From there we traveled to Philippi, a Roman colony and the leading city of that district of Macedonia. And we stayed there several days. On the Sabbath we went outside the city gate to the river, where we expected to find a place of prayer. We sat down and began to speak to the women who had gathered there. – Acts 16:9-13
The missionary party first attempted to go to the western province of Asia whose leading city was Ephesus. However, after receiving the vision, they proceeded to Troas to take a boat to Macedonia. The leading city in that region was Philippi.
Paul’s goal in Philippi was to evangelize the city and plant a new church (vs. 13). This particular miracle applies to the location where Paul was led. Ordinarily they had planned to visit a local synagogue to begin teaching the Gospel.
However, there was no synagogue at Philippi. The general requirement for a synagogue was 10 Jewish males. Since there was no synagogue the Jewish population must have been small.[5]
A place of prayer which may have been a place in the open air or a simple building was located by the Gangites River about a mile and one-half west of town.[6]
According to vs. 13, on the Sabbath day the evangelists went out of the city to a river, where prayers were commonly made; and the group spoke to the women that they met there.
The next miracle involves the conversion of Lydia. Acts 16:14 (NKJV) says, “Now a certain woman named Lydia heard us. She was a seller of purple from the city of Thyatira, who worshiped God. The Lord opened her heart to heed the things spoken by Paul. Lydia was a seller of purple cloth. She was from Thyatira, a city known for its commerce in Asia Minor. Lydia was a worshiper of God, a term used for Gentiles. She was not a proselyte to Judaism, but she did worship Yahweh.”
Even though she believed in God, Lydia was not in the body of Christ. However, when the Lord opened her heart she responded to Paul's message.[7]
The fourth miracle involves Lydia’s whole household being saved and baptized. Acts 16:15 (NKJV) “And when she and her household were baptized, she begged us, saying, ‘If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come to my house and stay.’ So, she persuaded us.” The members of her household probably refer to servants as well as to her children, if she was a widow.
While in Philippi, Paul was given the opportunity to cast out an evil spirit. This fifth miracle is found in the account described in Acts 16:16-18, “Now it happened, as we went to prayer, that a certain slave girl possessed with a spirit of divination met us, who brought her masters much profit by fortune-telling.
This girl followed Paul and us, and cried out, saying, ‘These men are the servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to us the way of salvation.’ And this she did for many days. But Paul, greatly annoyed, turned and said to the spirit, ‘I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.’ And he came out that very hour.”[8] So, Paul called out the demon by speaking directly to the spirit. [9]
As a result of this episode, Paul and Silas were beaten and imprisoned. That literally opened the door to another evangelistic opportunity. Another seemingly catastrophic event becomes another miracle by an act of God.
Acts 16:19-24 (NKJV) describes this incident, “But when her masters saw that their hope of profit was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace to the authorities. And they brought them to the magistrates, and said, ‘These men, being Jews, exceedingly trouble our city; and they teach customs which are not lawful for us, being Romans, to receive or observe.’
Then the multitude rose up together against them, and the magistrates tore off their clothes and commanded them to be beaten with rods. And when they had laid many stripes on them, they threw them into prison, commanding the jailer to keep them securely. Having received such a charge, he put them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks.”
God’s action allowed Paul’s punishment to give him an even greater opportunity to witness for Christ.
Paul and Silas singing in the inner prison gives special significance to the theme of joy in Acts and indicates their frame of mind in the Book of Philippians. Psalms 42:8 tells us that, "At night His song is with me."
Their praying and singing were heard not only by God but also by the other prisoners. This supernatural deliverance was certainly an unusual midnight experience in a prison. It included the earth quaking, the prison shaking, doors flying open, and chains falling off.
Because the jailer was responsible for any escaped prisoners, he drew his sword... to kill himself. But Paul, seeing what was about to happen, reassured him that the prisoners had not escaped. The other prisoners were so impressed with the God of Paul and Silas that they did not dare flee.
Going into Paul and Silas' cell, the jailer... trembling... asked, Men, what must I do to be saved? The crisis that could have been the end of the jailer’s life instead of becoming the opportunity for the prisoners to escape opened the door for the jailer’s salvation.[10]
All that is needed for justification is faith in the Lord Jesus. The jailer had asked what he should do. The answer was that he needed to perform no works; he only needed to believe in Jesus who is the Lord.
The next miracle is that the Philippian jailer and his whole household were baptized. “And he took them the same hour of the night and washed their stripes. And immediately he and all his family were baptized. Now when he had brought them into his house, he set food before them; and he rejoiced, having believed in God with all his household” (Acts 16:33, NKJV).
Acts 16:35-39 (NKJV) gives us the ninth miracle when it says, “And when it was day, the magistrates sent the officer, saying, ‘Let those men go.’ The magistrates have sent to let you go. Now therefore depart and go in peace. But Paul said to them, ‘They have beaten us openly, uncondemned Romans, and have thrown us into prison. And now do they put us out secretly? No indeed! Let them come themselves and get us out.’ And the officers told these words to the magistrates, and they were afraid when they heard that they were Romans. Then they came and pleaded with them and brought them out and asked them to depart from the city.”
The tenth and final miracle in Philippi was the complete release and expression of remorse on the part of the Magistrates. When the local rulers discovered that Paul and Silas were Roman citizens, no Roman citizen was supposed to be scourged, they immediately released them and apologized. Thus, Paul and Silas leave Philippi victorious. Acts 16:40 tells us, “So they went out of the prison and entered the house of Lydia; and when they had seen the brethren, they encouraged them and departed.”
Summary Statement:
When Paul arrived in Philippi, he didn’t hesitate to submit himself to the Great Commission commandment. God was faithful to respond to Paul’s actions and, as a result, a new church was started in a very short time.
Those who are joyous share their joy to others. In this case, Lydia and the Roman jailer were the benefactors of the joy that filled Paul and Silas. Experiencing joy in the lives of others draws us closer to God and gives us the incentive to develop joy ourselves.
Lessons within the Lesson:
Why were Paul and Silas filled with joy even though they faced difficult times in Philippi?
How did Paul and Silas share their joy with Lydia and the Roman jailer?
Thinking back on your salvation experience, how did God fill your life with joy?
What is an example of God using your joy to impact the life of another person?
[1] Jeff Iorg, Is God Calling Me?, B & H Publishing Group, Nashville, Tennessee, copyright 2008
[2] Oswald Chambers
[3]..Charles Stanley, How God Calls, In Touch Ministries, copyright 2015, intouch.org/read/magazine/daily-devotions/how-god-calls
[4] Information adapted fromThe New Unger's Bible Dictionary. Originally published by Moody Press of Chicago, Illinois. Copyright © 1988.
[5]Bible Knowledge Commentary/Old Testament Copyright © 1983, 2000 Cook Communications Ministries; Bible Knowledge Commentary/New Testament Copyright © 1983, 2000 Cook Communications Ministries. All rights reserved.
[6] Information adapted from the International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, Electronic Database Copyright © 1996, 2003, 2006 by Biblesoft, Inc. All rights reserved
[7]Adapted from Dr. J. Vernon McGee, Notes & Outlines ACTS, copyright 2012, Through the Bible Radio, www.ttb.org.
[8] Ibid.
[9] Adapted from Adam Clarke's Commentary, Electronic Database. Copyright © 1996, 2003, 2005, 2006 by Biblesoft, Inc. All rights reserved.
[10]Ramsay, William (1897), St. Paul the Traveler and the Roman Citizen, Grand Rapids, MI, Baker, 1962 reprint.
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