YOU CAN BE A FOLLOWER/DISCIPLE OF CHRIST.

*WISDOM FOR TODAY.*

*YOU CAN BE A FOLLOWER/DISCIPLE OF CHRIST.*

*Scripture Treasure.*

Acts 16: 8-15

v8 *And they passing by Mysia came down to Troas.*

v9 *And a vision appeared to Paul in the night; There stood a man of Macedonia, and prayed him, saying, Come over into Macedonia, and help us.*

v10 *And after he had seen the vision, immediately we endeavoured to go into Macedonia, assuredly gathering that the Lord had called us for to preach the gospel unto them.*

v11 *Therefore loosing from Troas, we came with a straight course to Samothracia, and the next day to Neapolis;*

v12 *And from thence to Philippi, which is the chief city of that part of Macedonia, and a colony: and we were in that city abiding certain days.*

v13 *And on the sabbath we went out of the city by a river side, where prayer was wont to be made; and we sat down, and spake unto the women which resorted thither.*

v14 *And a certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira, which worshipped God, heard us: whose heart the Lord opened, that she attended unto the things which were spoken of Paul.*

v15 *And when she was baptized, and her household, she besought us, saying, If ye have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come into my house, and abide there. And she constrained us.*

*Insight and Highlight.*

There are people who are 'worshippers of God' yet have not received the gospel of Jesus unto salvation.

*Scripture Commentaries.*

The story of Lydia, a Gentile, succesful merchant and seller of purple cloth, teaches us that people can be worshippers of God yet may not have heard the gospel.

Lydia was a worshipper of God (Acts 16:14).

From her story she hailed from Thyatira but her trade in purple dying took her to Phillipi where she prospered more in her trade prospered.

It was on Paul's missionary journey to Phillipi that he, along with Timothy, Luke, and Silas met her.

It was believed she might have been a Jew because Paul met her with a group of other women on the Sabbath at a place of prayer near the river outside of Philippi. 

It was at the time of Sabbath. This was why she was presumably a Jew to be observing the Sabbath.

Acts 16: 11-15, records Lydia's conversion and how she received the gospel.

Acts 16: 14 tells us that God opened her heart to pay attention to what Paul was saying after which she believed and was baptized, along with the rest of her household.

After Lydia’s conversion and baptism, she insisted that Paul and his friends come to stay at her home.

For a woman who went to observe the Passover, a Jewish tradition to honour the death and crucifixion of Jesus to be immediately persuaded to believe in the gospel of Jesus was exceptional.

This is because many Jews did not believe Jesus was the Messiah. They knew who He was as a son of a carpenter (Matt 16:55, John 6:42, some believed He came from God, John 7 but rebuked Him for telling them that He had been before Abraham was, John 8:58, and that He was not the same as God, John 5:18.

They, however, did not know what He stood for, what He came for, or who He was to them and that He was equal to God, John 6.

It is one thing to observe Church attendance, holy seasons and liturgical calendar of abstinence, observe Holy Communion, etc and it is another thing to have the knowledge of the gospel of Christ unto salvation.

The message of salvation changed Lydia.

After Lydia’s conversion and baptism, she insisted that Paul and his friends come to stay at her home.

While she was now convinced who she was, she challenged them to come to stay at her home, if they judged her to be *“.....a believer (faithful) in the Lord....”* Acts 16:15.

This shows that Lydia was now converted from being a mere observer of the Passover, a regular attendant of the Jewish and traditional religious ceremonies to be a truly saved believer of Christ

Lydia was just making the numbers as a worshipper of God at the Passover. She became a disciple and follower after she received the gospel of Jesus.

The missionaries, Paul, Timothy, Luke and Silas, did indeed judge Lydia to be a true believer, and they stayed at her home while in Philippi.

Rather than being hostile to the word of God, she received it and Luke says that *“.......she prevailed upon us,....”* (".....And she constrained us.*, Acts 16:15) with a strong desire to treat them with keen hospitality.

Her story teaches how God prepares those who will receive the gospel with those who preach it.

Lydia who was from Thyatira (Acts 16:14) went to Phillipi where Paul and his group, having been routed by the Spirit to go to Macedonia wherein was Phillipi (Acts 16:9-12) to meet her in order to encounter Paul and hear the good news of Jesus.

This teaches that the sovereignty of God is the providence of God to provide divine intervention that facilitates divine connection unto salvation.

Are you a follower of Christ?

Are you a disciple of Christ or just a number in the Church of Christ?

You can be transformed like Lydia from those who make up the numbers at the passover to a follower and disciple of Jesus!

*Remorse corner.*

God already prepares those who will preach His gospel unto salvation.

Rom 1:16 *For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.*

*Call to Word action.*

God already prepares those who will accept and receive the preaching of His gospel unto salvation.

John 6:44 says *“No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them”*

*The Christian clarion duty.*

Lydia's invitation to the missionaries that brought the gospel to her was another perfect example of how new converts/believers should bond with existing believers.

*Prayer.*

Lord prepare for me those who will receive Your gospel into their hearts in Jesus name.

Good morning all and have a blessed day.

God bless you.

Shalom.