Welcome back! I pray that you had eyes to see the presence of God through your holiday season. I saw Him in laughter and joy. I saw Him in shared meals and family circles. I saw Him in prayers of thanksgiving to God the Father. I saw Him in broken relationships restoring and strengthening. I saw Him in new birth. I saw Him in mother-love being poured out onto new babies. I saw Him in tears over the pain of loved ones. I saw Him in the joy of 'homecomings'. I saw Him in different precious ones saying, 'How can I help you?' I saw Him ... and I want to see Him more! "Praise God from whom all blessings flow ..."
We are launching a study of Philippians - that little New Testament letter written by the apostle Paul to the church that met in Philippi. In this first week of study, I want us to observe Paul as he travels to Philippi and to see a little of the beginnings of this church that so held Paul's heart.
So ... to begin ... pause and read Acts 15:36 - 16:15
This passage reports the beginning of Paul's second mission journey. A new team has formed. It consists of Paul and Silas. Timothy joins the team in Lystra. And Dr. Luke most likely joins the team in Troas. (notice the pronouns become personal ... changing from 'they' to 'we' in 16:10)
Some observations for your consideration ...
First, Timothy joins the team in Lystra. Timothy is a young man. At this point some commentators think he may have been in late teen years and is already thought of very highly in the region. His mother (Eunice) and his grandmother (Lois) were Godly women who had trained him well. His father was a Greek. We don't know if the father is still alive or not ... we have no word about him. I suppose that Eunice, Lois and Timothy had accepted Christ as Messiah and savior when Paul came through Lystra on his first journey. (Acts 14) Think with me ... if the father is dead and Paul wants to take Timothy with him ... does it not make sense that he would approach Eunice and ask her for her permission or blessing on the proposal? Here's the rub ... when Paul was in Lystra the first time ... he was stoned, dragged outside the city and left for dead! Eunice had to have know that. And Paul was asking her to release her son to THAT work! And Timothy goes with Paul. When we think about heroes of the faith ... I never hear Eunice's name mentioned. But, my friends, I think she is a remarkable pillar of faith and hero. She trained her son to be a God-lover ... then a believer ... then she released him to the work of God. And thus she helped shape the beginnings of the Christian faith! Never, never, never underestimate your influence or importance as a "mom".
Secondly, God is in the business of opening doors. Paul knew where he wanted to go. He wanted to stay in the Middle East and go into Bythinia (modern day Turkey). God had other plans for him and Paul was sensitive enough to the Spirit of God to respond. God wanted him going into a new region ... God wanted him moving into Europe. I love the way scripture tells us that Paul and his team went "at once" (16:10) into Macedonia (modern day Greece). They go to Philippi. How do you respond when God closes a door to you? Do you whine? Feel sorry for yourself because your plans are changed? Do you pout? Never, never, never underestimate what God can and will do when we commit to His plans over our own.
Third, don't miss that the first Christian in Philippi, the first "member" of the church of God in Philippi, was a business woman. They were not at a Synagogue because there was most likely not a Synagogue in Philippi. There had to be a minimum of 10 Jewish men to form a Synagogue ... Philippi did not have one. So we can assume that there were not 10 Jewish men in this city. And we find a group of women gathered for prayer on the Sabbath. Were they Jewish women? Is that why they were there on the Sabbath? Or were they Greek women who honored Sabbath because of knowledge of God? Was it a varied group or was it Lydia and her household only? I want more details! What we do know is that Paul had no reservations about sharing Christ with women ... they mattered! What we do know is that God opened the door to Lydia's heart and she believed. What we do know is that God began the church at Philippi with this upper-class, successful business woman who had a heart for Him. Never, never, never underestimate what God can do with female hearts that are turned toward Him.
And ... the church at Philippi is born!
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