The Bible Courseනියැදිය

Philippi, Lydia and a jailer – church planting in Greece

Reflect:

Have you travelled much in your life? People love to travel for the sights and the stories, and some even travel to ‘find themselves’.

Paul travelled a lot – not to find himself, but because he lived his life in step with the Spirit. As you read on in Acts, you’ll see that saying ‘yes’ to God and going where he was sent made for a life full of adventures and many stories to tell …

How did God use Paul in Philippi?

Speaking through a vision of a Macedonian man, God made it clear that he wanted Paul in Philippi. Why? Because he had lives to transform there.

First, we see Paul meeting Lydia, a wealthy and devout woman. God opened her heart to respond to the good news (verse 14), and he’s still in the business of doing this for people today. From the wealthy to the poor, from the respectable to the downtrodden, God is working in people's hearts.

Lydia invited Paul and Silas to her home (verse 15). When the gospel opens your heart, it also opens your home. Hospitality and generosity are by-products of salvation. This may work itself out in slightly different ways in your life, but there’s no doubt that the gospel causes us to fling wide the doors of our lives to love and serve others.

Next, Paul encountered a slave girl who had a spirit that enabled her to predict the future. She was a money-making machine for her owners. As Paul commanded the spirit to leave her, so did her commercial value. We don’t hear exactly what happened to her, but her old life was behind her, a new life was ahead!

Thirdly, when Paul and Silas found themselves in prison, they encountered a jailer. The foundations of the prison had been shaken, and his prisoners supernaturally released. In fear of the consequences, he was ready to take his own life. But Paul and Silas led him to faith in the Lord Jesus, new life and rejoicing instead. And not just for him, but for his whole household (verses 31–34).

What do we learn about the power of the gospel in these conversion stories?

We learn that the power of the gospel is unstoppable. No evil spirit, no human authority, no physical chains can stop it. Starting with Lydia and the jailer, God planted a church in Philippi. It was a strange start, but later we learn, from Paul’s letter to the Philippians, that this church became famous for its love for God and others. With Jesus as their model, generosity became their hallmark.

We shouldn’t be discouraged today if we look at ourselves and our church community and wonder, ‘How could God use this?’ The gospel remains unstoppable. All we need to do is say yes to God.

Respond

In what ways can you say yes to God today?