Acts 28 The Macedonian Call

ACTS 28

“THE MACEDONIAN CALL”

Acts 16:1-40

1 Then he came to Derbe and Lystra. And behold, a certain disciple was there, named Timothy,

the son of a certain Jewish woman who believed, but his father was Greek.

2  He was well spoken of by the brethren who were at Lystra and Iconium.

3  Paul wanted to have him go on with him. And he took him and circumcised him because of the

Jews who were in that region, for they all knew that his father was Greek.

4  And as they went through the cities, they delivered to them the decrees to keep, which were

determined by the apostles and elders at Jerusalem.

5  So the churches were strengthened in the faith and increased in number daily.

6  Now when they had gone through Phrygia and the region of Galatia, they were forbidden by

the Holy Spirit to preach the word in Asia.

7  After they had come to Mysia, they tried to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit did not permit them.

8  So passing by Mysia, they came down to Troas.

9  And a vision appeared to Paul in the night. A man of Macedonia stood and pleaded with him,

saying, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.”

10  Now after he had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go to Macedonia, concluding that

the Lord had called us to preach the gospel to them.

11  Therefore, sailing from Troas, we ran a straight course to Samothrace, and the next day came

to Neapolis,

12  and from there to Philippi, which is the foremost city of that part of Macedonia, a colony. And

we were staying in that city for some days.

13  And on the Sabbath day we went out of the city to the riverside, where prayer was customarily

made; and we sat down and spoke to the women who met there.

14  Now a certain woman named Lydia heard us. She was a seller of purple from the city of

Thyatira, who worshiped God. The Lord opened her heart to heed the things spoken by Paul.

15  And when she and her household were baptized, she begged us, saying, “If you have judged

me to be faithful to the Lord, come to my house and stay.” So she persuaded us.

16  Now it happened, as we went to prayer, that a certain slave girl possessed with a spirit of

divination met us, who brought her masters much profit by fortune-telling.

17  This girl followed Paul and us, and cried out, saying, “These men are the servants of the Most

High God, who proclaim to us the way of salvation.”

18  And this she did for many days. But Paul, greatly annoyed, turned and said to the spirit, “I

command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.” And he came out that very hour.

19  But when her masters saw that their hope of profit was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and

dragged them into the marketplace to the authorities.

20  And they brought them to the magistrates, and said, “These men, being Jews, exceedingly

trouble our city;

21  and they teach customs which are not lawful for us, being Romans, to receive or observe.”

22  Then the multitude rose up together against them; and the magistrates tore off their clothes

and commanded them to be beaten with rods.

23  And when they had laid many stripes on them, they threw them into prison, commanding the

jailer to keep them securely.

24  Having received such a charge, he put them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the

stocks.

25  But at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were

listening to them.

26  Suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken;

and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone’s chains were loosed.

27 And the keeper of the prison, awaking from sleep and seeing the prison doors open, supposing

the prisoners had fled, drew his sword and was about to kill himself.

28  But Paul called with a loud voice, saying, “Do yourself no harm, for we are all here.”

29  Then he called for a light, ran in, and fell down trembling before Paul and Silas.

30  And he brought them out and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”

31  So they said, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household.”

32  Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house.

33  And he took them the same hour of the night and washed their stripes. And immediately he

and all his family were baptized. 34  Now when he had brought them into his house, he set food

before them; and he rejoiced, having believed in God with all his household.

35  And when it was day, the magistrates sent the officers, saying, “Let those men go.”

36  So the keeper of the prison reported these words to Paul, saying, “The magistrates have sent

to let you go. Now therefore depart, and go in peace.”

37  But Paul said to them, “They have beaten us openly, uncondemned Romans, and have thrown

us into prison. And now do they put us out secretly? No indeed! Let them come themselves and

get us out.”

38  And the officers told these words to the magistrates, and they were afraid when they heard

that they were Romans.

39  Then they came and pleaded with them and brought them out, and asked them to depart from

the city.

40  So they went out of the prison and entered the house of Lydia; and when they had seen the

brethren, they encouraged them and departed

I. THE DECREES FROM THE JERUSALEM COUNCIL

Acts 16:4

4 And as they went through the cities, they delivered to them the decrees to keep,

which were determined by the apostles and elders at Jerusalem.

Acts 15:24-29

24 Since we have heard that some who went out from us have troubled you with

words, unsettling your souls, saying, “You must be circumcised and keep the law”—to

whom we gave no such commandment—

25  it seemed good to us, being assembled with one accord, to send chosen men to you

with our beloved Barnabas and Paul,

26  men who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

27  We have therefore sent Judas and Silas, who will also report the same things by

word of mouth.

28  For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden

than these necessary things:

29  that you abstain from things offered to idols, from blood, from things strangled, and

from sexual immorality. If you keep yourselves from these, you will do well.

1. We are saved by faith through grace plus nothing

2. We must keep ourselves after we are saved

3. Established doctrine strengthens the church

II. HOW TO BE LED BY THE SPIRIT

Acts 16:6-10

6 Now when they had gone through Phrygia and the region of Galatia, they were

forbidden by the Holy Spirit to preach the word in Asia.

7  After they had come to Mysia, they tried to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit did not

permit them.

8  So passing by Mysia, they came down to Troas.

9  And a vision appeared to Paul in the night. A man of Macedonia stood and pleaded

with him, saying, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.”

10  Now after he had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go to Macedonia,

concluding that the Lord had called us to preach the gospel to them.

Learn to discern how God speaks to you. For Paul it was dreams and visions. But not

for everybody.

III. SUCCESSFUL PEOPLE NEED JESUS TOO

Acts 16:11-15

11 Therefore, sailing from Troas, we ran a straight course to Samothrace, and the next

day came to Neapolis,

12  and from there to Philippi, which is the foremost city of that part of Macedonia, a

colony. And we were staying in that city for some days.

13  And on the Sabbath day we went out of the city to the riverside, where prayer was

customarily made; and we sat down and spoke to the women who met there.

14  Now a certain woman named Lydia heard us. She was a seller of purple from the

city of Thyatira, who worshiped God. The Lord opened her heart to heed the things

spoken by Paul.

15  And when she and her household were baptized, she begged us, saying, “If you

have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come to my house and stay.” So she

persuaded us.

Purple cloth of all kinds would be in high demand in this colony with its many

Romans. It formed the trimming of the white Roman toga as well as of the tunic; the

rich wore purple.

IV. THE DANGER OF LOOSING YOUR COOL

Acts 16:16-24

16 Now it happened, as we went to prayer, that a certain slave girl possessed with a

spirit of divination met us, who brought her masters much profit by fortune-telling.

17  This girl followed Paul and us, and cried out, saying, “These men are the servants of

the Most High God, who proclaim to us the way of salvation.”

18  And this she did for many days. But Paul, greatly annoyed, turned and said to the

spirit, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.” And he came

out that very hour.

19  But when her masters saw that their hope of profit was gone, they seized Paul and

Silas and dragged them into the marketplace to the authorities.

20  And they brought them to the magistrates, and said, “These men, being Jews,

exceedingly trouble our city;

21  and they teach customs which are not lawful for us, being Romans, to receive or

observe.”

22  Then the multitude rose up together against them; and the magistrates tore off

their clothes and commanded them to be beaten with rods.

23  And when they had laid many stripes on them, they threw them into prison,

commanding the jailer to keep them securely.

24  Having received such a charge, he put them into the inner prison and fastened their

feet in the stocks.

Annoyed - diaponeomai – To provoke or irk

V. THERE IS NOTHING LIKE PRAISE IN THE MIDNIGHT HOUR

Acts 16:25-26

25 But at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the

prisoners were listening to them.

26  Suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were

shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened, and everyone’s chains were

loosed.

VI. MY LIFE MUST BE A TESTIMONY

ACTS 16:27-34

27 And the keeper of the prison, awaking from sleep and seeing the prison doors open,

supposing the prisoners had fled, drew his sword and was about to kill himself.

28  But Paul called with a loud voice, saying, “Do yourself no harm, for we are all here.”

29  Then he called for a light, ran in, and fell down trembling before Paul and Silas.

30  And he brought them out and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”

31  So they said, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your

household.”

32  Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house.

33  And he took them the same hour of the night and washed their stripes. And

immediately he and all his family were baptized.

34  Now when he had brought them into his house, he set food before them; and he

rejoiced, having believed in God with all his household.

VII. THE POWER OF MERCY

Acts 16:35-40

35 And when it was day, the magistrates sent the officers, saying, “Let those men go.”

36  So the keeper of the prison reported these words to Paul, saying, “The magistrates

have sent to let you go. Now therefore depart, and go in peace.”

37  But Paul said to them, “They have beaten us openly, uncondemned Romans, and

have thrown us into prison. And now do they put us out secretly? No indeed! Let

them come themselves and get us out.”

38  And the officers told these words to the magistrates, and they were afraid when

they heard that they were Romans.

39  Then they came and pleaded with them and brought them out, and asked them to

depart from the city.

40  So they went out of the prison and entered the house of Lydia; and when they had

seen the brethren, they encouraged them and departed