Characters
Who is traveling around telling others about God?
Paul and Silas.
Where did Paul try to go to but was unsuccessful? How was he prevented?
He wanted to go to Bithynia in Asia, but the spirit of Jesus prevented him.
What 2 places that God prevent Paul from visiting?
Asia & Bithynia
What did Paul conclude about the vision he had?
That God was telling him the place he needed to go next was Macedonia.
God directed everything. He directed Paul to go to Philippi. God opened up her heart to be receptive to hear the Gospel.
Who did Paul meet in Philippi?
Jewish people. Lydia, a worshiper of God (probably a Gentile who worshipped God)
What did Paul plan to do in Philippi?
Preach the gospel
Where did God send Paul instead?
Philippi in Macedonia
Should we expect God to guide us in exactly the same way today? (through visions)
No, not necessarily. But we have the word of God already, his Spirit, and others.
Who or what can we be praying for when it comes to sharing the gospel?
That God will make it clear who we should talk to, and where we should go. It it not about WHETHER we should talk or WHETHER we should go. We should be doing these things regardless.
Who is Lydia?
Lydia was a woman from Thyatira. She was very rich because she sold purple cloth. This meant that she was the supplier of clothing to nobility and royalty. She was probably very rich, had a high and noble reputation, and was a good businesswoman.
Why did Paul think his next stop should be Macedonia?
He had a vision of a man asking him to “Come over to Macedonia and help us.”
How did Paul get to Macedonia?
By boat
God does. He readies the heart; we need to be willing to obey and GO so that those with ready hearts may hear and receive salvation.
How does Paul’s sudden change of plans and his encounter with Lydia encourage you to use any situation as an opportunity to speak about Jesus?
That God is not only control of all our steps, but that we never know whom God has called. We only need to be faithful sharers and proclaimers of our word.
What does Lydia's family getting baptised tell us?
That Lydia went back and TOLD her family about what she learned (that Jesus is the Savior). They all trusted not only what Lydia said but saw for themselves the validity of the claims of Jesus. They obeyed and wanted to profess their new belief.
How did Lydia respond to the gospel?
1) God opened her heart
2) She and her household were baptized
3) She hosted them in her house.
Name some things we know about Philippi.
- a leading city of the district of Macedonia and a Roman colony.
- there are some Jews there, but no synagogue
- people went to the river to worship and gather together
What is baptism and why does one do it?
Baptism is the public act of submerging oneself with water, and coming out of the water. It is a symbol of one's public confession that you are now a follower and of Lord Jesus and that you are a new person now.
Do you think it was wise for Paul to talk with the women at the river?
....
How can we know if God has ‘blocked’ our way? Does this mean that we shouldn’t bother to tell some people if it becomes hard or they don’t listen?
.
Does one's intelligence or wealth have anything to do with belief in God?
No, absolutely nothing. It is the LORD who changes hearts to be receptive to hear the gospel with JOY. Lydia was ready to hear the gospel and accept it because God had already prepared her heart.
Who had gathered at the river to listen?
Jewish believers. Specifically a group of women. There was no where else for them to meet and worship as there was no synagogue there.
How should we respond when our plans change?
We shouldn't be discouraged! Sometimes our plans change because God is directing the correct path for us. He wants us to do something different from OUR own plan.
What is one way we can display our belief in God?
- Share his love with others practically (providing for those in need or opening up our homes or our resources for others)