Luke details this second missionary journey as an eyewitness in
Acts 16. What struck me as I read this chapter is the contrasts. One the one hand, there is the quiet and calm conversion of the businesswoman Lydia and the very intense and dramatic confrontation with a demon possessed girl and then the salvation of the jailer with an earthquake and the soldier about to commit suicide.
In
Acts 16:11, Paul and the team headed northwest to Macedonia to preach the Gospel. They sailed for 2 days, first going to Samothrace, an island in the Aegean Sea halfway between Asia and the Greek mainland. This island was quite a landmark for sailors, a 5,000-foot mountainous island which jutted conspicuously out of the sea. They had favorable winds to Samothrace, then on to Neapolis, the port city of Philippi. They landed in Neapolis then traveled by walking ten miles to the main city of Philippi. (See Bruce,
The Book of the Acts (New International Commentary on the New Testament), p. 309, and MacArthur,
Acts 1-12: The MacArthur New Testament Commentary, p. 91.)
On Sunday, I preached on this passage. Of all possible Sundays, guess who was a guest at our church on the very day I preach on
Acts 16? Evangelist Randy Fair brought with him Pastor Saso Georgevski from
Macedonia! I love it when God does things like this. There is no way I could have coordinated preaching this section of Acts on the very Sunday that Pastor Saso was in America, in Austin, TX, and visiting our church, Great Hills Baptist Church.
Lydia was the first convert to Christ on the continent of Europe. She would be thrilled to know (maybe God will tell her in heaven) about what is happening in Macedonia today. Randy Fair tells me that many are coming to faith in Christ. Yes, you read that correctly, in southeast Europe, God is saving many and bringing them into the Church.
At times, we can get discouraged because we are not seeing many people saved, baptized, and discipled. But in those moments, we should keep in mind that God is still working. He may have us in the planting season while others are harvesting. That is okay! Keep being faithful, and watch what God will do. He will do some cool, amazing, and miraculous things for His glory. Be faithful!
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