Introduction
As summer follows spring, and as night follows day, so obedience follows salvation. Obedience is not the way to obtain salvation. The truth is quite the opposite. Salvation is the way that authentic, God-honoring obedience becomes possible. Lydia’s conversion led spontaneously to acts of obedience.
Outline
An Open Mouth: Conversation (16:13)
A life-changing conversation is bathed in prayer. (16:13a) They went to the river expecting to find a place of prayer. They were a praying team. No wonder they were so effective.
A life-changing conversation is linked to preaching Christ. (16:13b)A life-changing conversation is arranged by a providential God. Paul was brought to Macedonia by the Holy Spirit. He wanted to go to Asia. He wanted to go to Bithynia. But God insisted upon his journey to Europe. Lydia was not from Macedonia. In fact, she was from the region of Bithynia where Paul was denied entry. God brought her there to hear and receive the good news. No one is here by accident. Even when it’s an accident, it’s no accident!
An Open Heart: Conversion (16:14-15)
The heart is prepared through worship. (16:14) She worshiped God and believed in him. Yet it was not enough. She needed to believe in Christ to be saved. Evangelism took place in the worship gathering. Interesting that the missionary work of the Apostle and his team begins in the worship gathering. Not in the saloon. There are many who gather in worship services who are needy and ready to receive the good news. She was obeying the light she had and God saw to it that she got more. “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart” (Jeremiah 29:13).
The heart is informed by the Word. (16:14)
Despite her trade and the demands of it, she takes time to listen.Despite her position and privilege, she takes time to listen.Despite her religious bent, she takes time to listen.
The heart is converted through the will. (16:14-15) The human heart is changed through an act of the will. There is an inward action (the Lord opened her heart to respond to the good news) followed by an outward response (she chose to be baptized).
An Open Home: Transformation (16:15)
Her invitation was a mark of transformation (she invited the men into her home). We need fellowship and intimate relations with other Christians.Her insistence was a mark of transformation (she persuaded the men to come stay with her”).
Conclusion
If God’s children will open their mouths in witness, God will open the hearts of many in salvation. The result is open homes. Lives are transformed so that all of their possessions and priorities are submitted to the Lordship of Christ.
Illustrations
Religious, but Not Saved
John Wesley, like Lydia, was a worshiper of God. The son of a priest, he was named a deacon in 1725 in the Church of England. He entered the priesthood in 1728. Upon his admission to Oxford he led a student group to methodically pursue godliness. From that nucleus the Methodists as a denomination arose. In 1735 he traveled as a missionary to the New World. Despite all of his sincerity and service, he was not personally converted until 1738. Religious people, like Lydia and Wesley, still need the new birth!
Listening to the Word
Erik Weihenmayer is blind, yet on May 25, 2001, he reached the peak of Mt. Everest. Suffering from a degenerative eye disease, he lost his sight when he was 13, but that didn't stop him. On a mountain where 90 percent of climbers never make it to the top -- and 165 have died trying since 1953 -- Erik succeeded, in large measure because he listened well. He listened to the little bell tied to the back of the climber in front of him, so he would know what direction to go. He listened to the voice of teammates who would shout back to him, "Death fall two feet to your right!" He listened to the sound of his pick jabbing the ice, so he would know whether the ice was safe to cross. When we take a perilous journey, listening well can make all the difference. Lydia listened to the word Paul preached.
Karl Taro Greenfield, "Blind To Failure," Time.com [online], cited 12 November 2002. Available on the Internet: http://www.time.com/time/covers/1101010618/story.html.
Additional Sermon Starter
A Meeting that Mattered (Acts 9:1-31)
So many meetings that are convened are frustratingly insignificant. Untold hours are spent in meetings that accomplish little. However, if we ever meet with the Lord Jesus, it is a meeting that matters. Paul met the Lord and it led to a life of obedience and significance. This chapter can be outlined as follows: (1) he met a relentless Savior in Jesus (9:1-9); (2) he met a reluctant servant in Ananias (9:10-19); (3) he met with real suffering in Damascus (9:20-25); and (4) he met a resolute supporter in Barnabas (9:26-31).