Reflections on “Recognizing a Macedonian” Acts 16: 6-10

I have been thinking about how to preach more creatively than I have in recent months (maybe years), which led to the first-person sermons to start and then finish this summer preaching series.  Sunday, I did a Top Ten list (well, actually 9), which takes a page out of David Letterman's book.  It was kind of fun.  My attempt is to intentionally change up the style of the sermons more often, in part, because it may help the ongoing listeners hear things a bit differently, but also because it adds some fun to my preaching process.

I had intended to incorporate the Genesis passage we read in worship, Genesis 28:1-10 (Jacob's ladder), into the sermon, but it didn't make it. the summer lectionary passages from Genesis represent some of the great stories of the faith.  In fact, this upcoming week is Jacob working to earn his wife's marriage (turns out it is wives') from Laban.  

 “Recognizing a Macedonian” Acts 16: 6-10; St. Andrew Presbyterian Church; July 19, 2026; Footsteps of Paul series; Richard B. Culp

acts 16: 6-10

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.

Introduction: One of our quick trips in Greece was to Veria, Greece (the town known as Berea in the Bible), where there is a prominent monument known as the Altar of Paul the Apostle.

According to local tradition and biblical accounts, this site marks the location where Paul stood and preached to the citizens of Berea. 

The statue stands as part of a larger courtyard plaza that includes the three original 1st-century stone steps where Paul  is believed to have preached, positioned next to a monumental three-paneled mosaic wall.

that morning, I led the devotional, so I presumably presumably where Paul stood as I read the story of Paul coming to Troas and being sent by a vision or a dream into what we know as Europe for the first time.

It was pretty cool to stand next to this statue of Paul and read scripture and do a little mini-sermon.

The beautiful mosaic triptych depicts Paul’s arrival and his preaching to the Bereans.

the first panel of the mosaic wall shows Paul having his dream

the dream in which a Macedonian man stood before Paul.

If you are wondering what a Macedonian man looked like, I can tell you how the mosaic depicted him:

the Macedonian man is standing on rocks wearing a beautifully colored teal robe pointing up upward, presumably to Europe, as Paul lays down on rocks, sleeping (I assume not very comfortably) and looking up at the Macedonian man beckoning him; 

the water separates the two places.

My journal entry that day included the question: how did Paul recognize the Man was from Macedonia

Maybe that’s not an important question, but it is a very important story.

A few weeks ago, we reflected on Paul finding Lydia and the other women down at the river praying.

Today’s story is the prequel to that this.

what we just read in Acts is what took place that led, maybe forced Paul to end up Philippi.

But I can’t get away from this burning question I have: how did Paul recognize the Macedonian man?

So, I’ve got a top ten list - if you are old enough to have seen David letterman’s shows, you are familiar with a top ten list. It starts and the bottom of the list and works it’s way to the top.

Really only 9

So drum roll, please. The top 9 tips for recognizing a Macedonian In your dreams.

Tip #9 for recognizing a Macedonian in your dreams.  Perhaps the mosts obvious one.  

You can recognize a Macedonian man in your dreams because he is wearing Macedonian clothes.

Biblical scholars tell us that In that time, ethnic groups were often distinguishable by specific styles of dress, hair, or hats. 

A Macedonian might have been visualized wearing a traditional causia (a flat felt hat) or a chlamys (a short military cloak associated with the region since the era of Alexander the Great).

I suppose it’s like you can identify the Texan by the cowboy hats and boots, although I don’t see many of you in cowboy hats and boots this morning.

and, in truth, the mosaic’s depiction of the Macedonian did not have the Macedonian man dressed in a the typical hat or cloak, 

but maybe there was something about his clothes that gave him away to Paul.

Tip #8 for recognizing a Macedonian in your dreams

maybe the language gave it away.

Paul perhaps heard the Greek dialect or accent used by the man and recognizes that it sounds like some of those visitors he had met before those visitors that had come from  what now know of as Europe. 

they sounded different than those from Jerusalem or Thessaloniki, because they were different,

so he recognizes the man as coming from across the water.

Stop there for a moment and let is sink in - the different attire and different accent means Paul now learns he is being sent to share the good news of Jesus Christ with outsiders.

they dress differently;

they speak differently;

they live across the water.

the good news Paul has to bear,

This incredible story of the God who resurrects,

  is not to be boxed in by the places and people with whom he is familiar - the good news is for everyone, even those strangers over in Macedonia.

a story that is not ours to keep for ourselves or just for people like us,

but a story meant to be told everywhere, 

to everyone!

Tip #7 for recognizing a Macedonian in your dreams: Be ready for surprises!

the person in the dream is a man.

Paul heads to Macedonia at the request of this Macedonian man.

No doubt, Paul arrives in Macedonia looking for the man.

But who does Paul end of finding first?

Lydia and a group of women down at the river.

these women’s voices might sound like the man in the dream, but no doubt they are dressed differently

and look differently that the man in Paul’s dreams.

to Paul’s credit - he does not say, “oops, wrong person”

or “hey, I’m looking for a Macedonian man! Can you send me to him?”

he sees Lydia and the woman praying,

he recognizes that he has something to offer them,

and he does.

the first house church in Macedonia does not belong to the Macedonian man Paul went looking for, 

but to Lydia.

 Tips #6 and #5 for recognizing a Macedonian in your dreams are tied closely together:  When the Spirit says don’t go there, you don’t;

when the spirit says go there, do.

Don’t forget what starts this whole shift for Paul to go to Macedonia.

Paul had been told by the Spirit not to go to Asia.

Then, Paul tries to go to Bithynia, but the Spirit keeps them from going there.

so, when Paul’s plan for what to do next is thwarted twice, he heads to Troas, which just happens to be the jumping off port for Europe, 

and then he has his dream where the Spirit reveals to him the call to go to Macedonia.

Big change.

Not one Paul was looking for.

But what else can he do when the Spirit says “Don’t go here, but instead go there?”

Indeed, what else can you do?

The biblical story, indeed I suspect most of our stories, are full of examples of people, maybe people  us, who want to do one thing,  it the Spirit sends them to do another.

Paul’s dream reminds us that an ongoing theme in the book of acts is the Spirit directing the work of Christ’s followers.

Not a bad reminder!

Closely tied to Tips #6 and 5# is Tip #4 for recognizing a Macedonian in your dreams: 

You start by looking, probing, testing what you think God might be calling you to do.

The dream catches Paul in the middle of trying to figure out his next move.

Paul is proactively trying to go somewhere,

to determine  the next step in his life of following the resurrected Christ.

he is not content with where he has already been or with what he has.

he does not know what is next, but he’s trying to figure it out.

He learns - no to going to Asia;

no to going to Bithynia;

but now yes to going to Macedonia.

Part of being a disciple of Christ means proactively engaging with your senes of call.

When I was with the youth on their mission trip last month working with Ozark Mission Project in Little Rock, one of the days my work group assisted at the food pantry hosted by the Methodist church where we stayed.

We worked in the food warehouse for much of the day, but then we were asked to help and observe the process for giving away the food.

Anderson and I volunteered to go with the woman who directed traffic - the day we were there they probably had 15-20 cars lined up to drive through the check-in spot and then drive around to get their boxes for food for the day.

apparently, that was a slow day, so it gave us some time to talk with the woman directing the traffic.

it turns out she was a CPA, who now did consulting on her own. 

she had been the lay person who joined with the staff person to help start the food pantry the first week of Covid and had been there just about every week since, doing whatever needed to be done.

she served on the board of the food pantry, in addition to doing all the numbers for the grant applications to get food from the state of AR to distribute.

We asked her how she got started with the food pantry, and she told us she had always dreamed of hosting a community dinner.  She wanted her church to open its doors to the community once a week to serve anyone who wanted dinner.

she said the staff person kept telling that what they really needed was a food pantry, not a community dinner.

she resisted for quite awhile, she told is.

he wanted a food pantry; she wanted a community dinner; nothing happened.

then Covid hits, and she suddenly sees that people need food, but  they weren’t going to be able to come to a community dinner, so she said, “Ok, let’s do the food pantry!”

She heard the “no” for her idea about dealing with food insecurity,, but then heard the “Yes” for another ministry, and 5+ years later, the food pantry is doing incredible work.

Oh, by the way, after Covid, the food pantry started having a community dinner once a week!

Tip #3 for how to recognize a Macedonian In your dreams

with urgency!

Paul has the dream and the text tells that immediately, they went.

no sitting around reflecting in the dream

no waiting until the right moment

they just went.

once they heard what God had in one for them, they did it,

immediately

Tip #2 for how to recognize a Macedonian in your dream: the person one who asks you to come to Macedonia.

The man literally pleads:

"Come over to Macedonia and help us." (Acts 16:9)

who is asking today for our help today?

are we listening?

Tip #1 for how to recognize a Macedonian in your dreams:   

It’s up to you?

you have gist and skills.

God has put you in particular places.

where is the Spirit sending you?

Reflections on “Baptizing, converting, and hosting” Acts 16: 11-15; Philippians 1: 27-30

Another week when I wish we had some type of screen technology in our sanctuary.  We had some great photos from the baptistery and Philippi that would have greatly enhanced the images from the sermon.  It was also another week when I had so much information that the sermon was too broad and not focused enough.  It's a challenge in a normal week, but with all the images and stories from the trip in head, it is hard to focus the sermon.

 “Baptizing, converting, and hosting” Acts 16: 11-15; Philippians 1: 27-30; St. Andrew Presbyterian Church; June 28, 2026; Footsteps of Paul series

acts 16: 11-15

From Troas we put out to sea and sailed straight for Samothrace, and the next day we went on to Neapolis. 12 From there we traveled to Philippi, a Roman colony and the leading city of that district[a] of Macedonia. And we stayed there several days.

13 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. 14 One of those listening was a woman from the city of Thyatira named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth. She was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to respond to Paul’s message. 15 When she and the members of her household were baptized, she invited us to her home. “If you consider me a believer in the Lord,” she said, “come and stay at my house.” And she persuaded us.

Introduction: One of the special times we had together on the St. Andrew trip following the footsteps of Paul around Greece and Turkey,  took place outside the excavation site of the ancient city of Philippi.

It was supposed to be the place where Lydia gathered with other women at the river in the story we read in Acts.

not sure if anyone can confirm this was the exact spot, but they have a created a worship space with built in seating area that rises up from the little river and marked it as the place where Lydia was baptized.

We gathered there to read the story we just read from Acts and to reaffirm our baptisms.

after a brief time of worship, Dr. Patterson and I straddled the stream,

I actually ended up standing in the water and getting me feet wet!

and those from the group who wanted to come down to reaffirm their baptism did so.

they would stoop down,

we would scoop up the water and say words of blessing, affirming that in our baptism we are untied with Christ in his death and resurrection.

Wow! 

I can only speak for what it was like as.a minister - 

You would have to ask those who came forward what it felt like to them.

but as a minister it was powerful to remember this sacrament Of the Presbyterian church and lay claim to it as we stood in a place where Lydia might have stood.

Move 1:  when Lydia gathers at that spot, she is looking for something more for her life.

a. One of the interesting aspects of following in Paul’s footsteps was the realization that everywhere he went,

there seemed to be people already there who were not only open and receptive to the message of the resurrected Christ, 

but were looking for it.

1.  certainly, we hear about those who resist - 

typically the ones entrenched in the structure of the synagogue,

or those who are part of the Roman hierarchy.

there were plenty of people who challenged Paul and hurt Paul, 

even imprisoned Paul - in fact, at the Philippi archaeological site, there is a little cavelike place marked as the place where Paul was imprisoned.

2.  As a quick aside, that ought to be a reminder for those of us who are entrenched in the church structures.

not that there is something wrong with being part of the church structure or church leadership,

but we ought to continually check to make sure our commitment is to Christ, 

who calls the church into being,

not the structures of the church.

b. But Back to Lydia, 

who is a God worshipper, 

which means she has not quite figured out what it means to be a follower of the resurrected Chrsit, 

but she has been looking for and headed in the direction of the Triune God who comes in flesh in Christ.

she is looking for more.

1.  A reminder to us as we live out our calling that we undoubtedly encounter people who are at a point in life where they are looking for something more.

maybe they have achieved a lot in life, but find they are missing something.  Lydia appears to be a successful business woman, but that was not enough.

Maybe someone is on a difficult medical journey and they are looking for a hope that transcends anything the doctors, or medicine, or medical procedures can provide.

Maybe someone has never been in places where they could have heard the good news of Christ, but they feel a spiritual need.

Maybe the religious box someone has created is no longer big enough for them as they discover life its complicated, and they need to hear in new ways about God’s grace and love, and God’s hope of the resurrection.

maybe someone has decided that the world needs something more than what the power driven leaders of the world can offer.

2. We do not know why people like Lydia were looking for the good news and hope that Paul had to share with them;

we do not know why people today are looking for the good news and hope that we have been given to share;

but we know there are people like Lydia,

I suppose we know because we have been those people, 

maybe we still are some days.

Lydia was looking.  Lots of people still looking and waiting for Paul’s message about the resurrected Christ.

Move 2:  Paul is also looking.

a.  If we go back a bit in the story, we know that Paul had seen a man from Macedonia in a dream

and the Macedonian man was urging him to come in their direction.

2.  While in Greece, we saw Greek Orthodox icons of Paul’s dream, which depicted the Macedonian man Paul saw in his dream.

3.  I have no doubt that Lydia looked nothing like the Macedonian man.

4.  A reminder to us that as we look for those who are looking, we might be surprised at whom we encounter!

b.  Apparently, Paul has to go down at the river because Phillipi does not have a synagogue.

1. Remember Paul’s plan to visit the synagogue whenever he arrives at a town?

In Phillipi, a strong Roman colony without many Jews, there is no synagogue established.

So the Jews, and God worshippers like Lydia, who join in worshipping the God of the Jews, would go outside the city gates and gather, 

often at rivers because of the powerful imagery of water fit into their worship of God and the water rituals,

like cleansing oneself, 

related to Jewish worship. (the Acts of the Apostles: A Socio-Rhetorical Commentary, Ben Witherington III, 486-495)

2. Paul has no synagogue to go to, but he is going to keep looking, which takes him down to the river.

3.  Perhaps he is surprised that when we goes  looking, he finds Lydia.

or, maybe not.

Maybe Paul has already learned that those who want to hear the good news,

those who need the hope that only the resurrected Christ can offer,

those people cannot be categorized into one demographic.

4. The gospel of Jesus Christ is not just for one particular group, 

or one nationality,

or men

or women,

or the rich

or the poor,

or whatever categories we have in mind.

5.  When Paul goes looking for those who need to hear the good news he never knows who he is going to find.

c. A reminder to us that our calling is to share the good news, 

not to choose who needs to hear it,

or who is worthy of receiving it.

Lydia is looking for something,

Paul is looking for someone to share his good news,

and God brings them together!

Move 3: first a baptism - but then there are things to do!

a.  Lydia immediately invites Paul to come to her home.

1.  We are told that she “persuades” Paul to come into her home.,

which suggests that was not necessarily what he had in mind at first.

2. But it becomes a model for how the church is going to develop in Europe in those early years.

it will begin in people’s homes and grow from there.

We know that eventually churches as gathering places outside people’s homes came into being.

3. Lydia’s response to hearing the good news sets into motion the next stage in the developing body of Christ.

b.  As we ponder our own sense of call, how do we respond to having heard the good news of the resurrected Christ?

1. Interestingly enough, this morning the Pastors’ Class, 

which is studying “Why Presbyterians are Like that”

was reflecting on the Presbyterian understanding that we are all called to respond to gospel.

We looked at the story of the ten lepers (remembering 9 went on their way and only 1 returned to give thanks)

and also the story of the tax collector Zacchaeus, who repented by returning four times what he had wrongfully taken from others.

Now, we can add Lydia to the list of people who respond in powerful ways to hearing the good news.

the next  story add to the list to might be yours!

how have you responded to hearing the good news of Jesus Christ?

c.  Philippi, of course, becomes a great place for Paul and others to find ways to respond.

1. It was an important Roman colony and perhaps the most important city in Macedonia at the time.

2.  The Via Egnatia runs through Philippi.

The Via Egnatia stretched nearly 700 miles (1,120 km), effectively serving as an extension of the famous Via Appia(Appian Way). Travelers leaving Rome would take the Via Appia to Italy's coast, cross the Adriatic Sea by boat, and pick up the Via Egnatia to travel all the way through Macedonia and Thrace to Byzantium (later Constantinople).

in fact, as we walked around the excavation site that was Philippi, we literally walked along the Via Egnatia, which meant we were walking where Paul and Silas and others walked back in his time.

this means that lots of travelers came through Philippi and could hear the message of the resurrected Christ.

it also means that those who had heard the message might travel along this road to other parts of the world. (the Acts of the Apostles: A Socio-Rhetorical Commentary, Ben Witherington III, 486-495)

3.  The excavated site also shows the skeleton of a bustling town with lots of shops and places for people to gather.

place after place with opportunities for those people like Lydia who were looking for something more to meet up with people like Paul who has something to share.

place after place where people can respond to having heard the good news.

lots of places for baptizing, converting, hosting others.

3.  No surprise that God sends Paul to a place with so many opportunities.

4.   Philippi also sets the example for us - as we go about our daily living,

as we engage the world wherever we are,

we are called to be the people who bring to the good news to those who are desperately seeking good news.

conclusion:  And the place by the river where we stopped to reaffirm our baptisms?

just above it is the only stand alone baptistery in Greece 

the Baptistery of Saint Lydia of Thyatira. 

it’s a working Greek Orthodox baptistery.

it’s small.  we might call it a chapel.

not much there but beautiful icons and a marble baptismal font in the center.

but As we left, people were gathering for a baptism

dressed up as if coming to something special, complete with balloons at a table outside the church and a cake.

the world keeps needing to hear the good news and the invitation to join with Christ in his life,

his death,

and his resurrection.

So we keep looking for people with whom to share. 

Philippians 1: 27-30. 27 Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then, whether I come and see you or only hear about you in my absence, I will know that you stand firm in the one Spirit,[a] striving together as one for the faith of the gospel 28 without being frightened in any way by those who oppose you. This is a sign to them that they will be destroyed, but that you will be saved—and that by God. 29 For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe in him, but also to suffer for him, 30 since you are going through the same struggle you saw I had, and now hear that I still have.