1. Paul and Silas planned to visit churches but were redirected to Macedonia after a vision. 2. In Philippi, they met Lydia who became the first Christian convert in Europe. 3. Paul and Silas were imprisoned after a girl with a fortune-telling spirit was exorcised, angering her owners. They prayed and sang hymns, causing an earthquake that freed all prisoners.

1. Philippians: Ode to Joy
Part 1
By Samuel E. Ward
1

2. Introduction
Eighteenth century Scottish poet Robert
Burns wrote in a poem entitled, To a
Mouse,
“The best laid schemes of Mice and Men
oft go awry,
And leave us nothing but grief and pain,
For promised joy!”
2

3. The truth of the matter is found in . . .
(Prov 16:9 NIV) In his heart a man plans his
course, but the LORD determines his steps.
3

4. I. From Antioch of Syria to
Philippi
A. The Original Plan—Paul desired to visit the
churches, Acts 15:36-41
(Acts 15:36-41 NIV) Some time later Paul said
to Barnabas, "Let us go back and visit the
brothers in all the towns where we preached
the word of the Lord and see how they are
doing." {37} Barnabas wanted to take John,
also called Mark, with them,
4

5. {38} but Paul did not think it wise to take him,
because he had deserted them in Pamphylia
and had not continued with them in the work.
{39} They had such a sharp disagreement that
they parted company. Barnabas took Mark and
sailed for Cyprus, {40} but Paul chose Silas and
left, commended by the brothers to the grace
of the Lord. {41} He went through Syria and
Cilicia, strengthening the churches.
5

6. B. The New Partner—Timothy was added to the
missionary team, Acts 16:1-3
(Acts 16:1-3 NIV) He came to Derbe and then
to Lystra, where a disciple named Timothy
lived, whose mother was a Jewess and a
believer, but whose father was a Greek. {2} The
brothers at Lystra and Iconium spoke well of
him. {3} Paul wanted to take him along on the
journey, so he circumcised him because of the
Jews who lived in that area, for they all knew
that his father was a Greek.
6

7. C. The New Direction—Paul and the team were
sent to Macedonia due to a vision,
Acts 16:7-11.
(Acts 16:7-11 NIV) When they came to the
border of Mysia, they tried to enter Bithynia,
but the Spirit of Jesus would not allow them to.
{8} So they passed by Mysia and went down to
Troas.
7

8. {9} During the night Paul had a vision of a man
of Macedonia standing and begging him,
"Come over to Macedonia and help us." {10}
After Paul had seen the vision, we got ready at
once to leave for Macedonia, concluding that
God had called us to preach the gospel to
them. {11} From Troas we put out to sea and
sailed straight for Samothrace, and the next
day on to Neapolis.
8

9. We must be careful not to interpret closed
doors as lack of God’s presence or interest.
There is a providence at work to which we
are not privy. Timing is everything and our
labors are not unrewarded.
(1 Cor 15:58 NIV) Therefore, my dear brothers,
stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give
yourselves fully to the work of the Lord,
because you know that your labor in the Lord is
not in vain.
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10. Waiting for the right opportunity to witness is
not a biblical concept. Opportunities
abound.
(John 4:34-36 NIV) "My food," said Jesus, "is to
do the will of him who sent me and to finish his
work. {35} Do you not say, 'Four months more
and then the harvest'? I tell you, open your
eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for
harvest. {36} Even now the reaper draws his
wages, even now he harvests the crop for
eternal life, so that the sower and the reaper
may be glad together."
10

11. 1. We all have been called.
(Mat 28:19-20 NIV) "Therefore go and make
disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the
name of the Father and of the Son and of the
Holy Spirit, {20} and teaching them to obey
everything I have commanded you. And surely I
am with you always, to the very end of the
age."
11

12. 2. We might be re-directed by circumstances .
(Mark 16:19-20 NIV) After the Lord Jesus had
spoken to them, he was taken up into heaven
and he sat at the right hand of God. {20} Then
the disciples went out and preached
everywhere, and the Lord worked with them
and confirmed his word by the signs that
accompanied it.
12

13. D. The First European Convert, Lydia,
Acts16:12-16.
(Acts 16:12-15 NIV) 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.
13

14. {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.
14

15. II. From the Place of Prayer to a
Place of Praise (w/stopover in
jail)
A. The Demon Who Did the Unexpected, Acts
16:16-17.
(Acts 16:16-17 NIV) Once when we were going
to the place of prayer, we were met by a slave
girl who had a spirit by which she predicted the
future. She earned a great deal of money for
her owners by fortune-telling.
15

16. {17} This girl followed Paul and the rest of us,
shouting, "These men are servants of the Most
High God, who are telling you the way to be
saved."
16

17. Just because you or a demon can speak
“gospelese” and even believe the basic facts
concerning the gospel doesn’t mean that
you have placed your faith in Christ.
17

18. (James 2:19-22 NIV) You believe that there is
one God. Good! Even the demons believe that--
and shudder. {20} You foolish man, do you want
evidence that faith without deeds is useless ?
{21} Was not our ancestor Abraham considered
righteous for what he did when he offered his
son Isaac on the altar? {22} You see that his
faith and his actions were working together,
and his faith was made complete by what he
did.
18

19. B. The Charlatans Who Did Exactly the
Expected, Acts 16:18-23.
(Acts 16:18-23 NIV) She kept this up for many
days. Finally Paul became so troubled that he
turned around and said to the spirit, "In the
name of Jesus Christ I command you to come
out of her!" At that moment the spirit left her.
{19} When the owners of the slave girl realized
that their hope of making money was gone,
they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them
into the marketplace to face the authorities.
19

20. {20} They brought them before the magistrates
and said, "These men are Jews, and are
throwing our city into an uproar {21} by
advocating customs unlawful for us Romans to
accept or practice." {22} The crowd joined in
the attack against Paul and Silas, and the
magistrates ordered them to be stripped and
beaten. {23} After they had been severely
flogged, they were thrown into prison, and the
jailer was commanded to guard them carefully.
20

21. Josh McDowell and Don Stewart have offered
five reasons people reject the gospel:
1. Their ignorance of the facts of the gospel
2. The simplicity of the gospel
3. The expectation that life will be boring
4. The guilt related to sin that the gospel
naturally exposes
5. Their love of sin
6. Their self-centeredness and inability to see
their need for Christ
21

22. Acts 16:18-23 reveals another we might add to
the list.
7. Their business would be affected.
Think of all the businesses that would be
hurting in our society if people suddenly
stopped purchasing certain products and
participating in certain activities that are
inconsistent with Christian principles.
22

23. C. The Missionaries Who Found Freedom in
Praise, Acts 16:24.
1. Paul and Silas were alert to every
opportunity to witness.
(Acts 16:24-25 NIV) Upon receiving such
orders, he put them in the inner cell and
fastened their feet in the stocks. {25} About
midnight Paul and Silas were praying and
singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners
were listening to them.
23

24. 2. God is ready to use every opportunity we
take to witness, Acts 16:26-29.
(Isa 55:9-11 NIV) "As the heavens are higher
than the earth, so are my ways higher than
your ways and my thoughts than your
thoughts. {10} As the rain and the snow come
down from heaven, and do not return to it
without watering the earth and making it bud
and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower
and bread for the eater, {11} so is my word that
goes out from my mouth:
24

25. It will not return to me empty, but will
accomplish what I desire and achieve the
purpose for which I sent it."
25

26. 3. God is not opposed to initiating a physical
crisis to awaken unbelievers to a deeper
spiritual need.
(Acts 16:26-29 NIV) Suddenly there was such a
violent earthquake that the foundations of the
prison were shaken. At once all the prison
doors flew open, and everybody's chains came
loose.
26

27. {27} The jailer woke up, and when he saw the
prison doors open, he drew his sword and was
about to kill himself because he thought the
prisoners had escaped. {28} But Paul shouted,
"Don't harm yourself! We are all here!" {29}
The jailer called for lights, rushed in and fell
trembling before Paul and Silas.
27

28. 4. Humans are most prone to call on God when
in a crisis they cannot control.
(Acts 16:30-32 NIV) He then brought them out
and asked, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?"
{31} They replied, "Believe in the Lord Jesus,
and you will be saved--you and your
household." {32} Then they spoke the word of
the Lord to him and to all the others in his
house.
28

29. 5. God sometimes proves His power to save
spiritually by bringing us through physical
crises.
(Acts 16:33-34 NIV) At that hour of the night
the jailer took them and washed their wounds;
then immediately he and all his family were
baptized. {34} The jailer brought them into his
house and set a meal before them; he was
filled with joy because he had come to believe
in God--he and his whole family.
29

30. C. God often does more with our crises than we
expect—Remember, it’s not over until God
says it’s over.
1. The magistrates thought it was over—It
wasn’t.
(Acts 16:35-36 NIV) When it was daylight, the
magistrates sent their officers to the jailer with
the order: "Release those men." {36} The jailer
told Paul, "The magistrates have ordered that
you and Silas be released. Now you can leave.
Go in peace."
30

31. 2. The missionaries properly claimed their
rights as citizens—As they should.
(Acts 16:37 NIV) But Paul said to the officers:
"They beat us publicly without a trial, even
though we are Roman citizens, and threw us
into prison. And now do they want to get rid of
us quietly? No! Let them come themselves and
escort us out."
31

32. 3. The magistrates were alarmed—As they
deserved to be.
(Acts 16:38-40 NIV) The officers reported this
to the magistrates, and when they heard that
Paul and Silas were Roman citizens, they were
alarmed. {39} They came to appease them and
escorted them from the prison, requesting
them to leave the city. {40} After Paul and Silas
came out of the prison, they went to Lydia's
house, where they met with the brothers and
encouraged them. Then they left.
32

33. Conclusion:
“When one door closes, another opens, but we
often look so long and so regretfully upon the
closed door that we do not see the one that
has opened for us.”
-Alexander Graham Bell
33

34. "Our Father refreshes us on the journey with
some pleasant inns, but will not encourage us
to mistake them for home."
C. S. Lewis
Each day is a brand new opportunity to be
Jesus to the world.
- R. Falcon
34

35. I would add a sentence to
Falcon’s remarks.
“Don’t waste any!”
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