Acts 16,9-15. Sexagesima

✠ One Message: Christ crucified and risen for you ✠

The Word of the Lord Endures Forever 

se cwide þæs béaggiefan ábireþ ferhþ

Acts 16,9-15        1419 

Sexagesima 021 

Matthias, Apostle. Martyr at Jerusalem or Colchis, Georgia 80 

24. Februar 2019 

1. O Heavenly Father, Thou art Merciful and Loving, send to us Your Holy Spirit to gently remind us of Your grace to us in Jesus Christ, so that we may rest knowing that You answer our prayers.  Amen. (Löhe 10)

2. »And a vision appeared to Paul in the night: a man of Macedonia was standing there, urging him and saying: „Come over to Macedonia and help us.“ And when Paul had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go on into Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them. So, setting sail from Troas, we made a direct voyage to Samothrace, and the following day to Neapolis, and from there to Philippi, which is a leading city of the district of Macedonia and a Roman colony. We remained in this city some days. And on the Sabbath day we went outside the gate to the riverside, where we supposed there was a place of prayer, and we sat down and spoke to the women who had come together. One who heard us was a woman named Lydia, from the city of Thyatira, a seller of purple goods, who was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to pay attention to what was said by Paul. And after she was baptized, and her household as well, she urged us, saying: „If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come to my house and stay.“ And she prevailed upon us.«  

3. In Acts 16, St. Luke tells us that the Apostle Paul, Silas, Timothy and Luke himself traveled to Philippi to preach the gospel. The city had a thriving Greek population and it was popular with Roman legionnaires as a good place to retire. The Jewish population was so sparse that there was no synagogue in the city. On the Sabbath they only found a few Jewish women gathered for prayer. St. Paul spoke to them of Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection. Only Lydia believed the gospel that Saturday, and she and her household were then baptized; a small church was established. Acts 16 shows us how God’s grace is passively received. 

4. The Prophet Elijah experienced such grace. In 870 bc he had to flee the wrath of Israel’s Queen Jezebel; he eventually hid in a cave and lamented the widespread idolatry among the Lord’s people. »The Lord asked Elijah: „What are you doing here, Elijah?“ He said: „I have been very jealous for the Lord, the God of hosts. For the people of Israel have forsaken Your covenant, thrown down Your altars and killed Your prophets with the sword; I am the only one left, and they seek my life, to take it away.“ And the Lord said to him: „Go, return to Damascus and anoint Jehu to be the new king over Israel. I have 7000 in Israel who have not bowed down to Baal“« (1. Kings 19,13-16.18). 

5. Notice that it is God performing the actions of grace. »The Lord opened Lydia’s heart to pay attention to what was said by Paul. The Lord has 7000 faithful in Israel.« Such activity is particularly the work of the Holy Spirit in the lives of people. The Lord sows HisWord, and He cultivates the growth. Luther describes this in his Small Catechism with his explanation to the 3. Article of the Creed: „I believe that I cannot by my own reason or strength believe in Jesus Christ, my Lord, or draw near to Him; but the Holy Spirit has called me by the gospel, enlightened me with His gifts, sanctified and kept me in the true faith. In the same way He calls, gathers, enlightens and sanctifies the whole Christian Church on earth, and keeps her with Jesus Christ in the one true faith.“ 

6. God’s grace is passively received. Lydia did not seek out Paul, but Paul found her and proclaimed the gospel. Likewise, someone brought the gospel to us: parents, a friend, a coworker, perhaps this congregation. The Holy Spirit went looking for us, found us and sowed the gospel upon our heart. We heard this gospel, and the Holy Spirit created our faith. He has done it all, and we have merely received the gospel as the precious gift that it is. 

7. In Matthew 13, Jesus told His disciples this parable: »The reign of heaven is like a merchant in search of beautiful pearls, who, on finding one pearl of great value, went and sold all that he had and bought it« (Matthew 13,45-46). Jesus went looking for us, found us and paid all He had to purchase us; He paid our redemption price on the cross. It cost Him everything: His dignity, His body and His life. The Apostle Paul beautifully described it this way: »Jesus was in the form of God, He did not count equality with God a thing to be held onto, but made Himself nothing, taking the form of a slave, having become the likeness of men; And being found in human nature, He humbled Himself having become obedient to the point of death on the cross« (Philippians 2,6-8). The ransom price has been paid, and the world belongs to Christ, but the world is not enough, thus every field is now His possession and every buried pearl there under is His to find and own. 

8. »The Lord’s faithfulness endures to all generations; His promise upholds us« (Psalm 119,89.114). The Lord’s promise is fulfilled in His Son, who is Jesus Christ our Lord. He is our Light and Salvation; May we daily put our trust in Him and receive from the Holy Spirit His refining fire that purifies us in all holy living.   Amen. 

14. Let us pray. O Lord Jesus Christ, the Word of God made flesh; today we have heard Your Voice and now cultivate our hearts to remain the good soil, so that we receive Your precious gospel with joy and faith.  Amen. 

15. Matthias: tradition says he was stoned and beheaded in Jerusalem in ad 80. 

To God alone be the Glory 

Gode ealdore sy se cyneþrymm

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All Scriptural quotations are translations done by The Rev. Peter A. Bauernfeind using the Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia, 4. Edition © 1990 by the Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft, Stuttgart, and the Novum Testamentum Graece, Nestle-Aland 28. Revised Edition © 2012 by Deutsch Bibelgesellschaft, Stuttgart. 

ELKB. Evangelisch-Lutherische Kirche in Bayern. www.bayern-evangelisch.de/www/index.php. Copyright © 2013 Evangelisch-Lutherische Kirche in Bayern. 

VELKD. Vereinigte Evangelisch-Lutherische Kirche Deutschlands. www.velkd.de. Copyright © 2013 Vereinigte Evangelisch-Lutherische Kirche Deutschlands. 

Löhe, Wilhelm. Seed-Grains of Prayer: A Manual for Evangelical Christians. Wartburg Publishing House, Chicago circa 1912. Concordia Publishing House; Concordia on Demand.