The church today must respond to God’s call and must be hospitable. Acts 16, 9-15

Acts is an important book for us – even though many of us don’t know as much about it as we tend to know about the gospels... It is an important book for us, because it confirms that the power of the spirit which transformed the disciples’ lives while Jesus was still with them, could transform their lives after his death, too. The power of the Holy Spirit has been changing people’s lives ever since... Remember, when in Acts 3 Peter discovers his ability to heal... when in Acts 9 he raises Tabitha from the dead, or in chapter 11 he is challenged by this vision that eventually sends him out not only to the Jews but to all people and show them God’s ways that lead to life?! Several churches had already been started. Homes had been opened as meeting places for those who followed the new movement. There was a church in Tabitha’s home town Joppa. Mary and Rhoda had invited people to prayer meetings at their house in Jerusalem. The first Jewish-Gentile church had been started in Antioch. With amazing care they provided material and spiritual support to the new believers who’d been scattered all over the place by the persecution of the young Christian church earlier on. Saul had become Paul. He’d stopped persecuting the Christians and started spreading the good news of Jesus himself.

And here he is, on a journey, in a foreign country, and God tells him to do something that he doesn’t understand. Something that he has no idea about how it will work out.

1. Respond to God’s call
2. Respect others as equals before God
3. Reach out in love to strangers

And he goes. That’s the first thing I want to say today. God speaks to Paul and he listens and responds.

How do we respond when God tells us to do something unusual? How much are you prepared to change in your life if God calls you to? Would you give up TV for God? Or facebook? Would you move away from your loved ones? Would you give up your job? Would you change churches? Would you go hungry? Would you go to jail? Or to the stake? It’s good to spend time thinking about this. We aren’t all called to be saints and martyrs…are we? At our baptism Fight valiantly as a disciple of Christ against sin, the world and the devil, and remain faithful to Christ to the end of your life. What are you prepared to fight for God’s sake? How will you remain faithful?

And the remaining two things I want to say today relate to this remarkable woman, Lydia. Firstly, note that Paul here treats her with respect, as an equal at a time when women had a very low status. I believe that here we are a given a clue as to how God would have us order His church, and He recognises and encourages the expression of spiritual gifts from all of his people, not just the ones who stay standing up in the smallest room or who have perceived status. In our all-age services we have just as much to learn from the children as we have to teach them.

And finally, Look at how Lydia responds to the activity of God through Paul…with hospitality.

We can read in Hebrews 13, 2: “Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by doing that some have entertained angels without knowing it.”  She reaches out with love.

Hospitality to strangers, among both Jews and Gentiles in the ancient world, was considered a religious must, a God-given task, a virtue.

Jesus, as an observant Jew, Jesus embodies the virtue of hospitality, particularly in the way he shares food and table fellowship. Jesus as gracious host feeds over 5000 people on a hillside, and later explains to the crowd that he is the bread of life, living bread from heaven – all they need. He offers “living water”, and is both: host and meal. Just think of the last supper... the famous gesture of hospitality in the meal that we continue to celebrate as the foretaste of God’s most gracious hospitality...

Lydia responded with hospitality, and in the same way we are expected to be a community that remains open towards strangers.

Something that – let’s be honest – hasn’t always happened throughout the history of the Christian church.

The Greek word used in the New Testament for hospitality does not only suggest acceptance, openness and care --- it literally speaks of love --- love for the stranger. And this in a time when Christians lived in constant danger of discrimination and persecution...

Our risk in offering hospitality, a space where change can take place, is much lower than it was in Lydia’s time. But do we do it often enough: stretch our hands out, open our arms, let the stranger enter and become a friend?

An open door, a warm welcome, food and drink on the table, shelter, and a blessing... and all these to witness Jesus – nothing more and nothing less? Do we do it home? Do we do it here? What more can we do?

So three things…

1.      Respond to God’s call

2.      Respect others as equals before God

3.      Reach out in love to strangers

And look. Here we are…part of the same church that Acts is all about. We are the 29^th chapter of the book…the continuation of the story.