Jump Start # 1404

Acts 16:13 “And on the Sabbath day we went outside the gate to a riverside, where we were supposing that there would be a place of prayer; and we sat down and began speaking to the women who had assembled.”

  Our passage today is taken from one of Paul’s early preaching journeys, often referred to as “missionary journeys.” As Luke records this, we understand that he includes himself by using the expression “we.” We were supposing and we sat down is what the text tells us. The group made it to Philippi, the Roman colony named after Herod’s brother, Philip. It was Saturday, the Sabbath day. Away from Jerusalem, Jews would gather to pray and read Scripture. If there were enough Jews in a community, a synagogue would have been established and that became the natural place to worship. But here in Philippi, there doesn’t seem to be a synagogue. That didn’t stop those who believed to still assemble and worship. The choice place was outside the side, down by the river. This is where our passage takes us.

Here, Paul, Silas and Luke find a group of women. They were praying. They believe in God. What is interesting is what happens next. Paul and his group join them. They sit with them and begin talking to them about Christ. One of the women, Lydia, is baptized right then. She and her household become the first Christians in Philippi. In time others would be obedient to Christ. Paul and Silas are imprisoned in Philippi. It is here, at midnight that one of the jailers is converted. In time a church is established. Later, not too far out in the future, Paul writes the book of Philippians. He addresses the book to the saints, overseers and deacons. A congregation with functioning leadership was up and running.

But where all of this started was down by the river with a group of women. Similar to the Lord’s parable of the tiny mustard seed, the word of the Lord grew in that community and a powerful congregation was formed from a very small and tiny beginning.

I wonder what would have happened had Paul, Silas and Luke walked down to that river bank and saw only women and walked away. How they could of said, there was no one there but a bunch of women. They didn’t. They went down there. They sat down with them. They talked to them. Some were baptized.

This simple beginning reminds us that every soul is important. We might find ourselves talking to someone who is well into their eighties. Old and nearing the end of the journey, it’s easy to think, why spend the time? The answer, of course, is because every soul is important. It may be a young person, barely in their teens, but with a curious mind and an open heart, they become a follower of Christ. Every soul is important.

Years ago, I met a man who was very influential in the Lord’s work. He served as a shepherd in the church, was active in teaching and was very impressive about visiting and encouraging others. He and I spent many evenings together going to homes to teach the gospel. His parents had once been believers but something happened. They quit going. The entire family spent Sundays at home. One day, someone cared enough to come by and talk to his parents. He talked about the lack of spiritual guidance that the children were receiving. He talked about the souls of the parents. He talked about how they needed Christ every day in their lives. A spark was struck. What was said sunk deep into the heart of the parents. They decided to get back to the Lord and the work of the kingdom. They became very active. That influence led the children to following the Lord, which in time allowed one of them to become a teacher and leader in the kingdom. When one traces that spiritual story and see all the good that was done, it all points back to that one brave soul who cared enough to stop by and talk to the parents. Had that not happened, who knows how many souls and how much good would have never been accomplished.

We can go to the grocery store and count how many apples are in a bag. We can even count how many apples are hanging in a tree. We can take a knife and open up an apple and count how many seeds are in an apple. What we cannot count is how many apples are in those seeds. If those seeds were planted and they grew to become trees, just how many apples, years later would they produce is hard to know.

When I was a teen, I used to sit in the back row of the church, in folding chairs and sleep. I wasn’t a poster child of what one ought to do. But someone spent some time with me. Showed some interest in me. He saw some potential down the road. I became a Christian my senior year in high school. I went away to college to study science. Within two years I was doing some preaching on Sundays. Within five years, I switched directions and I was preaching fulltime. And now I am preaching all the time every where. The Lord has used me to reach so many people. Just think about how many are reading these simple Jump Starts every day. All of this came from someone helping a teenager see that he needed Jesus. That little apple seed that grew and became a tree.

Paul spent some time talking to a few women down by the river in Philippi. The kid in the neighborhood, if you gave him some guidance, time and instruction may someday stand before audiences and preach. The family that has stopped coming to church, maybe if you went by and encouraged them, they might come back. Simple beginnings. Spending time with someone. Showing them. Teaching them. Being kind with them.

What can seem so unimportant to us today can turn into great things down the road. This is why every person, every soul, must be given the proper attention. That little apple seed may grow and produce apples for years and years. That little seed holds so much potential.

We often want to start big. The big city wide campaign. The big banners. The big newspaper ads. The big announcements. Reach the masses. But in Philippi, it was just a few women down by the river. In the Lord’s parable, the mustard seed was the smallest of all the seeds. So, start at home. This is the first evangelistic mission field. Teach those youngsters the way of the Lord. Turn them from growing up selfish into being servants. Teach them to be thankful and generous. Teach them to love and respect others. Teach them to obey the Lord. The guy at school. The co-worker. The neighbor. Don’t give up on them. Don’t discount them. Spend the time. They may be the apple seed that years later is still putting out a bountiful harvest.

Roger