The week I was remembering an old sermon preached by Horace Douty at Culpeper Presbyterian Church in Culpeper, VA, was the same week my mother brought me a file of his old sermons (my aunt had mailed them to her each week). I quickly went through the file thinking if I actually found the sermon I remembered, it would really add something to what I was trying to do. But, that was not one of the sermons in the file (I guess since we heard it in person, there was no reason to mail it to us). Although I did not worship in that church that many times, my aunt and uncle would often have the minister and his wife over for dinner, so I learned some things from him that have impacted my own ministry. I find it fascinating to look back and see how people impacted my life in various ways throughout the years. That, of course, is the topic of another sermon!
I was challenged in my time management in the week leading up to this sermon, so I did not have as much time to prepare the sermon as I would have liked. I also glossed over the idea of God putting roadblocks in our way, not because I did not have time to reflect on the issue, but because I do not know what to do with that concept. The text also has ample opportunity to reflect on how the Holy Spirit works, but I did not go there either.
“A Change of Course” St. Andrew, Denton; May 26, 2019; Acts 16: 6-15 Richard B. Culp
Acts 16: 6-15 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. 11We set sail from Troas and took a straight course to Samothrace, the following day to Neapolis, 12and 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. 13On 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. 14A 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. 15When 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.
Introduction: Does anyone remember last week’s sermon?
Maybe most of you do since last week was our graduating senior sermons, but how many of you remember the sermon the week before last?
when I saw that this passage from Acts was the suggested lectionary passage for this morning, I remembered a sermon I heard years ago on this text that I have carried with me ever since.
When I was growing up, we would spend much of each summer in Virginia with relatives. Part of the summer, we spent in Culpeper, VA, where I had had numerous relatives, including a great-aunt and great-uncle. She was Southern Baptist; he was a stalwart ruling elder in the Presbyterian church.
Their usual pattern was one Sunday at the First Baptist church; the next Sunday at Culpeper Presbyterian Church. Except when the Presbyterian relatives from TX were in town. Then, my uncle took us to Presbyterian church two, three. sometimes four Sundays in a row.
One of these weeks in one of those summers, the minister preached on this text. I do not remember many details, but for the last 40 years or so, whenever I hear the word Troas, I have immediately had this thought: Paul changed course at Troas; if Paul can change course, God might want me to change course at some point in life.
A simple memory that has stuck with me and in some ways probably shaped how I understand discipleship.
As I studied the text this week, I was reminded that the story is bit more complicated than simply Paul changed course.
I remember a sermon I heard preached at Culpeper Presbyterian Church years ago.
Move 1: God has a plan
a. God has a plan for your life.
1. Easy to say.
2. Helpful and hopeful to believe.
3. True to how we see the biblical story lived out by God’s people.
4. Good news for us as we live out our discipleship.
5. God has a plan and calls us to follow and live into that plan.
6. if all you remember from this story in Acts and from this sermon is that God has a plan for your life and you are called to seek out God’s plan, that will be good news.
b. Less good news - if we are like Paul, it may take a few roadblocks before we get it figured out.
1. To just say that Paul had to change course to follow God’s plan does not describe what has taken place.
2. Paul changes direction because he has run into some roadblocks.
3. Roadblocks connected to God.
4. Paul wanted to spread the good news in Asia, but the Holy Spirit forbid him to do so.
5. Paul attempted to go into Bithynia, but the spirit of Jesus did not allow it.
d. we do not know what transpired, but we know Pual.
1. We know Paul was a determined man.
2. We know Paul would take on any challenge.
3. Which suggests to me that Paul was working hard to move in other areas of Asia; which suggests that Paul’s attempt to go into Bithynia was a serious attempt - lots of effort and work.
4. But God, by the power fo the Holy Spirit, stopped him.
e. the good news that God has a plan for us also brings with it that we might have some challenges along he way.
1. A failure or two might be in the works as we discover God’s plan.
2. Our attempts to do what we think we are being called to do might be met with resistance as we discover the need to change direction.
3. I want to know if you can live with failure, yours or mine, and still stand on the edge of a lake and shout to the silver of the full moon, “YES!" (By Oriah © Mountain Dreaming,
from the book The Invitation published by HarperONE, San Francisco,
1999 All rights reserved; http://www.oriahmountaindreamer.com)
4. Can you fail, and still say yes when God calls you in a new direction?
Move 2: there are people out there who need you.
a. Paul has a dream.
1. Seems like a Paul thing.
2. In fact, when the text tells us that the “spirit of Jesus” stopped his attempt to go into Bithynia, it is the only time that phrase is used in the biblical text. A reminder of Paul on the ground on the road to Damascus hearing the voice of the risen Christ. (New Interpreter’s Bible, Vol X, 226).
b. But in the dream is a man asking for Paul to “come and help us.”
1. Notice the connection between God closing doors for Paul and someone in Macedonia who needs help.
2. Paul is moved by this man in his dream to go to Phillipi.
3. God’s plan for Paul leads to people who need to someone sent from God.
4. That might be the best way of knowing if you are following God’s plan for your life - are you finding people who need from God what you bring them?
b. What do you imagine the man needs?
1. Could be lots of things, I suppose.
2. when we think of people needing something, we often go straight to people who have financial need, or need to be fed.
c. In this story, the first person Paul finds in Phillipi is Lydia.
1. she does not appear to need food, or financial assistance, or clothing.
2. she is doing pretty well in a material sense. Her description reeks of someone who has it together, has money, is secure in life.
3. Except she needs more spiritually. She has an inkling about God, but needs more.
4. God redirects Paul, and he ends up with her.
5. Interestingly enough, this is not how Pual usually operates when he gets to a new place. Usually, he goes to the synagogue and begins to debate.
6. But when he arrives in Phillipi, he goes off the beaten path to the river to some women who were there to pray.
7. Before he’s done Lydia and her household were baptized and she becomes one fo the key elders in the church in that area.
8. Paul’s attempts to do something in Asia and Bithynia fail; but Lydia is waiting for him and the good news of Jesus Christ he brings her down by the river in Phillipi.
9. God at work.
Move 3: Final thought.
a. Notice how Paul responds when he gets the message from God to change direction.
1. He Immediately goes
2. Because he is convinced that God has called
3 and he goes to proclaim
b. As you live out your calling as a disciples of Christ, as you face failures and hear God’s call to go in new directions,
I hope you will have the urgency to go immediately; that you will be convinced that God has called you,; and that you will never forget your talk - to proclaim the gospel in word and deed.
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