EASTER
5
May
2-4, 2015
Pastor
Timothy J. Spaude
Text:
Acts 16:11-15
“OPEN!”
1.
The
Lord opens hearts to believe.
2.
Believers
open hearts to serve.
Acts 16:11-15
(NIV 1984) “From Troas we put out to sea and
sailed straight for Samothrace, and the next day on to Neapolis. 12
From there we traveled to Philippi, a Roman colony and the leading city of that
district 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 named
Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth from the city of Thyatira, who 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.”
“Open Sesame!” I sure hope kids today
are still reading classics like Ali Baba and the 40 Thieves, probably more
likely, seeing an animated version or adaption of it. What a great story as a
kid. I remember hearing how that secret magical phrase opened the cave filled
with riches. I remember going with brothers and friends and trying it out on
everything from make believe caves to actual locked doors. Open Sesame! Nothing
really ever happened but the thought of having the power to open what was
closed certainly was appealing. Today in God’s word we see some power to open
what is closed put into play.
It starts with what only God open. We
are joining the Apostle Paul on what’s known as his second missionary journey.
Starting from Jerusalem Paul and his companions made their way north through modern day Turkey and Greece then back
to Jerusalem. They arrive at the city of Philippi. Paul followed a familiar
pattern. He looked for a gathering place to speak God’s word to any who might
listen. Here it was outside the city gate at the river. Some women had gathered
there. Paul and his companions began talking to them. What do you think they
said? How’s the weather been? Do you know any good Greek restaurants? How do
you think the Philippian Flyers will do this season? NO! They spoke the word of
God to these women. They told the women about Jesus of Nazareth who was the
Messiah. If there were Jewish ladies there they pointed to the Old Testament prophecies
about the Messiah and connected the dots to Jesus’ fulfillment. And then? Open
Sesame!
The Lord opened hearts to believe. “One of those listening was a woman named
Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth from the city of Thyatira, who was a worshiper
of God. The Lord opened her heart to respond to Paul's message.” Look closely at what this word of God says
and learn to give glory to God. The Lord opened her heart. The Lord enabled her
to respond. Without the Lord she would have stayed a closed book ever hearing
but never understanding, ever seeing but never perceiving. Scripture is so
clear on this truth. Give glory to God! The sinful mind is hostile to God it
does not accept the things that come from God indeed it cannot do so. The man
without the Spirit cannot understand the things that come from the Spirit they
must be spiritually discerned. No one can say that Jesus is Lord except by the
Holy Spirit. Give glory to God. Only the Lord can open hearts to believe. Why
then do some believers act like they did it? I accepted Christ into my heart. Foolishness!
Give glory to God. Why do we find it so easy to look down on the unbelieving
world? Do we not understand that if the Lord had not opened our hearts we would
be just like them? It’s grace alone.
But it wasn’t just Lydia’s heart that
got opened. “She and the members of her household
were baptized.” There is no waiting period. She and her whole household are
baptized. Paul no doubt had told her what Jesus said, “Go and make disciples by
baptizing them in the name of the Father and
of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” and so everyone she had influence
over, her whole household was baptized. The Lord was opening hearts to believe.
When is the last time you thought of your own Baptism? Were you awed to think
of the fact that Lord Himself was working in you? When we see a Baptism use
your eyes of faith and see God at work opening hearts to believe. God’s power
is not limited to adults. He works in
babies and children just as well. The Lord opens hearts to believe.
And then believers open their hearts
to serve. Did you notice that connection in our Scripture readings today? Those
whose hearts the Lord has opened respond. Believers are like the branches
connected to the grapevine. As long as they stay connected they bear much
fruit. They hear “Let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in
truth,” and they say, “Yes. That is so. I will show love with actions and
truth.”
Listen and learn from Lydia who
teaches us. “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.” Ah what a master she is! Do
you see how she traps Paul? Clearly she understands that it is a privilege to
be a believer. “If you consider me a believer in the Lord, come and stay at my
house.” What is he going to say? No you are not! He’s stuck. But what was Lydia
fighting for here? Come and stay at my house. She was bargaining for the
privilege of supporting Paul and his companions in their work of spreading the
Gospel. She was begging for the opportunity to spend of what God had given her
so that Paul and his companions could proclaim the Gospel without worrying
about where their next meal would come from or where they would lay their head
at night. Lydia opened her heart to serve the Lord who had opened her heart to
believe.
That’s the way it works. To be clear
there is nothing we can do to earn the right to be a believer in Jesus. We can’t
turn our hearts to faith. That is the work of God and God alone. Give God the
glory. But having been brought to faith, being born again of water and the
Spirit we have new life. We are temples of the Holy Spirit. We have Christ
living in us and now we can respond to God’s word and open our hearts to serve
Him not because He can’t live without us or get His work done without us but
because it is a privilege and an honor. If you consider us believers, Lord, let
us…make sure your lambs are taught. Let us support the missionary in Japan. Let
us.
It’s a privilege. It doesn’t always
feel that way does it? Sometimes the thought of giving what we have for others
is hard to do. That’s because even though we are believers we still have a
sinful nature. It is selfish. It is more concerned with things for me for right
now than storing up treasures in heaven and using worldly wealth to gain
heavenly friends. We need to rebuke that part of us. If giving your offerings
isn’t fun, if volunteering at St Jacobi doesn’t give you joy, if living for
Christ is a have to and not a want to, the wrong you is in the driver seat of
your heart. It’s time to have Christ living in you trade places. Now what do
you want to do? What would you go to the Lord and say, “If you consider me a
believer let me…”
We have been having what we would call
a good spring here in Wisconsin. Yes it could be warmer but remember last year?
God is sending the sunshine. God is sending the rain. There is a purpose and a
plan. God is expecting and causing things to grow. God does that because He
likes to hide behind nature to provide for His creation the food it needs to
survive. Why does God give you and me the abilities He has? Why has he given us
more time than we need to just survive, more money than we need? He likes to
hide behind us to get His work done, His gospel of Jesus Christ spread. He’s
got countless angels at His bidding but He reserves that privilege for believers whose hearts He has opened to
believe so that they open their hearts to serve. We don’t have to go looking
for pretend caves filled with treasure. Opportunities to find treasures by serving
Jesus will come to us in simple ways like the needs of a child, family member
or a neighbor. They will come through appeals to carry out Christ’s work here
or through missions. Because God has opened your heart to believe you can open
yours to serve. Out of love for Christ, Open says me! Amen.
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