Interestingly, God used Paul, the formerly devout Jew, to bring the gospel to these three very different people in Philippi. God's intentionality in this scene is even more amazing when we know that the ancient prayer of Jewish men was, "O Lord God, I thank you that you did not make me a woman, a slave, or a Gentile." This prayer was a part of Paul's vernacular, embedded in his very identity, similar to how the Lord's Prayer is engrained in us.
The beauty of God's handiwork is that while He was sending the Gospel out to new places and people, He was at the same time working something beautiful in the tangled, religious mess of Paul's past. Somewhere in the midst of these scenes, the Holy Spirit prompted Paul to write the familiar words of Philippians 2:1-5,
If you've gotten anything at all out of following Christ, if his love has made any difference in your life, if being in a community of the Spirit means anything to you, if you have a heart, if you care - then do me a favor: Agree with each other, love each other, be deep-spirited friends.... Think of yourselves the way Christ Jesus thought of himself, He had equal status with God but didn't think so much of himself that he had to cling to the advantages of that status no matter what. Not at all.In the midst of religious hangups, doctrinal differences, and church baggage, it encourages my soul to know that God is at work in me and through me at the same time.
[Many of the ideas in this post are taken from Tim Keller's sermon on Acts 16.]
2 comments:
Your post spoke to my heart, Staci. As our family continues to try to love our neighbors well by getting to know them, inviting them into our home, reaching out to them when we see a need, all with the hope that God will graciously allow us to point them to Jesus as Savior and Lord...I am reminded how challenging it is to love people that are very different from me.
I feel like my neighbors are similar to this diverse crowd Paul was dealing with: a woman, slave and Gentile. For me, it's a couple of elderly, quirky ladies, a young bachelor party guy, and a few moms who are practicing Jews or into Eastern philosophy. Bottom line: it's tough. It's hard work.
But this passage gives me hope, especially the story of the jailer. Not only did the jailer get saved, but his ENTIRE household. Culturally, that was the norm back then: the father made a decision and it impacted the entire family. Today, not so much. But I pray that as we love on our neighbors and plant seeds of truth and gospel-centered actions, that ENTIRE HOUSEHOLDS would be saved.
Big hopes. But we worship a big God.
Lord Jesus, I pray that You would use me, my children, and my husband in our neighborhood, to point others to Jesus. I know You don't need us at all to do Your work, but I beg You to allow us to be a part of Your Kingdom work because there is nothing more joyful and satisfying than giving all glory, worship and honor to You!
Amen. so encouraged by the posts in acts recently! (well, always) :) Amen to entire households being saved. I never would've known it was a prayer to thank God for not being a woman, slave or gentile and how that directly lines up with Acts 16. Encouraged and challenged by how as Paul continues to share the Gospel with all kinds of people- no distinctions made- God is at work in him, changing him, making him new.
I pray that the Lord would continue to do that in my life as I continue to go out and share the Word. I pray that God would continue to transform my heart, my identity- everything about who I am inside and out to make myself more like him in all ways, including loving like Him. I pray my entire household would come to trust and love Jesus! I already see how Jesus is changing us. I pray that nations would continue to hear and come to faith in JC. I pray His name would continue to be known and glorified in my life and this world. So thankful to know God by grace and faith in Jesus today. We're all so desperately in need of His saving love, holy sacrifice and forgiveness. And nothing else satisfies.
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