Cultivating Grace in a Cold and Dark World

Shared on February 16, 2025

Introduction

I believe that we can all agree that the world is a divided it place. I believe we can all agree that the world is cold and bitter place.  Does that mean it is OK for we, the child of God, to be cold and bitter in our heart?  In our lesson this week, we are going to take a look at cultivating grace in this cold and dark world.

Listening to the Spirit 

Before we take a look at cultivating grace in the world, let me point out that this week’s lesson first speaks to the need to listen to the Spirit.

Paul was a man who had grand designs when it came to where he wanted to teach and preach.  Paul had already gone on his first missionary journey through parts of modern-day Turkey and with his second journey, he looked to go even further into the region. 

Now, as grand as Paul’s plans were in his second journey, there was a moment when God intervened.  Acts 16:6 tells us that Paul was “forbidden by the Spirit” in his desire to preach further into Asia.  Asia refers to what is modern-day Turkey; it was a province of Rome during that time.  

In Acts 16:7, Paul desired to go into “Bithynia” and the Holy Spirit, once again, didn’t permit Paul to do so.  Bithynia was another region further north in what’s modern-day Turkey – it was another province of Rome.

So, why was God forbidding Paul from going further into Asia?  Was God being a hindrance to Paul’s desire?  

I can imagine that some of us might think that God was hindering Paul from doing what he desired to do.  In my sermon – “Where Lies Your Devotion” – I preached about the importance of including God in all your plans.  God is never a hindrance nor an enemy to your plans and dreams.  In fact, God’s thoughts towards you are of peace, a future and a hope (Jer. 29:11).

God’s plan should come first in our lives, which means we should always heed God’s voice.  You see, God’s plans for us will always be better than what we plan for ourselves.  So, don’t become your own hindrance, blocking your own blessing, by not listening to God.

Here is also an early point being made in our lesson about love. Love often calls for us to put aside our wants and desires to help uplift one another. Yes, we must learn how to be selfless rather than selfish. Are you able to do that?

Ancient Greece

In a night vision, Paul saw where the Spirit was directing him to go (Acts 16:9).  Yes, the Lord will speak to you and send you messages in dreams and visions.  You can receive messages from God through dreams and visions given by the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:16-17).  Paul was sent to Macedonia, specifically to Philippi, a city of Macedonia (Acts 16:11-12).

If you look at a map of Paul’s second missionary journey, you will see that the Spirit led Paul west, across the Aegean Sea, into Greece.  This was Paul’s first time traveling to Greece.  What did Paul find when he entered Greece?

Ancient Greece was a land of wealth and fortune.  Greece was filled with some of the world’s most famous authors, scientists, artists, and philosophers.  At the same time, Ancient Greece was filled with idolatry and pagan worship.  So, Paul had come to a land with a great opportunity for ministering the gospel.

Ministering in Ancient Greece

When Paul said “We were staying in that city for some days”, he spoke about his traveling group.  Paul’s traveling party at one point included Silas, Barnabas, and another who was also named Barnabas but went by Judas (Acts 15:22). Eventually Paul and Barnabas parted ways because Barnabas wanted to add Mark to the group, but Paul didn’t get along with Mark around this point (Acts 15:36-39). Dr. Luke, yes, the same Luke who wrote the gospel according to Luke, was also part of the traveling group as Luke wrote the book of Acts and gives a firsthand report.

The first stop for the group was a place where prayer was customarily made by the riverside in Philippi (Acts 16:13).  When Paul spoke to the Areopagus in Athens, Acts 17:19-34, Paul spoke about what such an area might have looked like.  Paul spoke of all the altars he had seen, and that there was even an altar made for the “UNKNOWN GOD”.  So, we could imagine that this prayer area just outside of Philippi might have been a peaceful and reserved area.

Dealing with rejection

Paul was in the midst of idolatry and not everyone wanted to receive the gospel.  The reason why I point this out is because many believers today struggle with people rejecting the gospel and their testimony.  Many believers feel the need to push and push when one choose not to receive the gospel.  Should we push and push when one turns down receiving the gospel?  

Jesus taught the twelve that when a house refused their presence, they were to shake the dust off their feet and continue on their way (Matt. 10:14).  Paul had experience with shaking the dust off his feet and moving forward.  There was one point on his first missionary journey when Paul was nearly stoned to death (Acts 14:19).  Clearly that incident didn’t stop Paul from ministering the gospel nor did he change the way he ministered.

Paul ministered the gospel out of service to God and love for another.  Whether Paul ministered to hundreds or just to one, Paul always ministered with grace and care.  If Paul was turned away, he didn’t take it personally.  Paul’s goal was a goal that we should share – minister in the same grace that’s been shown to us by the Lord.

Sadly, many Christians have gone cold in the ministering of the gospel.  Some choose to only minister to those they like or are like them.  The church of Ephesus had a major issue that Jesus spoke of – they ministered without love in their heart (Rev. 2:1-7).  As James taught, we must learn to be slow to wrath for wrath does not produce the righteousness of God (Jas. 1:19-20).

Lydia’s Character

A group of women was in the prayer area having what we might call a “prayer circle”.  It is in this prayer circle that we are introduced to Lydia, who was a “seller of purple” (purple cloths) from the city of Thyatira (Acts 16:14).  

As a seller of purple, Lydia was a businesswoman who likely had a good amount of wealth.  From that standpoint alone, Lydia stands out in scripture because Jesus taught that it’s hard for one who is “rich” to enter the kingdom of God.   The rich young ruler wouldn’t give up his riches to follow Jesus (Matt. 19:16-22).  You see, “the rich” are those who cannot turn away from loving the world to turn to the Lord. Many rich die believing that they didn’t need God in their life.

While Lydia might have had some amount of wealth, she worshipped God in her heart.  “The Lord opened her heart” speaks about how one truly heeds His word.  God knew Lydia’s heart and the Spirit had entered in to serve its role of leading her to the divine truth (John 16:13).

What stands out even more about Lydia is her being from Thyatira.  If that name seems familiar to you, Thyatire was the location for one of the seven churches in the book of Revelation (Rev. 2:18-29).  Thyatira was a place where paganism was running rampant.  The people of the church in Thyatira allowed false doctrines to be taught to its congregation!

I imagine that someone like Lydia may have seen what was happening in that city and its church and had to get out.  Paul’s vision of a man in Macedonia reaching out to him was actually a woman – a group of women at that.  Lydia desired some true ministering and the Spirit had led Paul directly to her prayer circle!  The Holy Spirit, should you choose to listen to Him, will put you right where you are needed!

Lydia and her household was baptized that day and when Paul’s group was set to move on, she begged them to stay with her (Acts 16:15).  Lydia, I believe, is an example that even in such a world where paganism was running rampant, light is still able to shine. Just because the world is uncaring, cold, and bitter doesn’t mean that you should become that way.

In her hospitality, Lydia returned the grace of both Paul and the Spirit. Again, keep in mind that Paul had to put aside his wants to help her. I’m not sure how long it took for Paul and his companions to reach Lydia, but in the end, this was a rewarding moment for all of them. This is the reward of love where all benefit rather than just one.

As we saw in last week’s lesson, there truly is a great reward when we live in devotion to each other. When we care about each other, love each other, then we can all prosper. Whereas, if we live according to the flesh, out of selfishness, nobody prospers in the end.