Rules versus Book

First Lesson: Acts 16: 9-15
Responsive Reading: Psalm 67
Second Lesson: Revelation 21: 10, 22-22:5
​Gospel Lesson: John 14: 23-29

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Grace and Peace from Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,
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When my dad was in high school, he played Football.  Dad was a backup offensive lineman, who never got into the games much.  One time though Dad got hit hard unsure if it was practice or a game.  Twenty some years later, Dad started having all sorts of problems with his back.  He ends up getting recommended to see a specialist in Milwaukee.  Dad would make frequent trips down to Milwaukee then.  I would always go with him to the appointment, and we would catch the Milwaukee Brewers play.  I always liked this because I would often get out of school to go!   Well, the place that we were supposed to go the Milwaukee Pain Clinic was on the North Side of Milwaukee in what wasn’t known as being the best part of town.  So Dad and I had some time before one of his appointments, we decided to eat beforehand.  We see a restaurant called Roscoe’s BBQ (I believe).  We walk in, let’s just say a couple of Swedes from Lindstrom, Minnesota really stood out among the clientele at Roscoe’s.  I’m pretty sure no one there knew what a “Dala Horse” was?  So as we walk in the door, every eye in the restaurant is upon us.  We merely sit down at Roscoe’s like we would anywhere else.  We order have a great meal of BBQ are welcomed warmly by the staff and locals then go out the door.  

A lot of great things can happen in life when you’re bold enough to step outside what one knows in life.  The tale of Roscoe’s BBQ brings us to the tale of our lesson for today from Acts 16: The story of Paul and Lydia.

Let me begin this morning by telling you a little about the two main characters within our story.  Let me introduce Paul.  Paul goes down to the river.  Paul was stepping out of his comfort zone on this day.  Paul was going to preach to a woman like he rarely preached a non-Jewish, single woman.  Paul had reasons to think the situation ahead wasn’t looking hopeful.  Paul had experienced spiritual dry spells.  Paul kept traveling all over Asia trying to preach the Gospel but encountering dead ends.  Paul though didn’t go through life saying “I tried once or even twice, but it didn’t work out[1].”  Paul believed that his convictions were such that they were ultimately worth dying regardless of previous results.  As I think of Paul on this day, I think of another story.

This week, I came across the story of Sylvester Stallone[2].  Stallone’s rise to the top was anything but easy.  When Stallone was born, his face was paralyzed.  The paralysis gave Stallone slurred speech and a snarling look on his face.  When Sly Stallone was in school, he was picked on because of these things.  Stallone gets sent to a special high school for “troubled kids”.  Kids at this school vote Stallone the most likely person to end up in the electric chair[3]. 

Stallone tries to make it as an actor.  Stallone had to work every kind of dead end job to make ends meet.  Stallone slept nights in the bus terminal[4].  One day, Stallone auditions for a film role fails to get the part yet again.  Stallone then pitches a boxing script that he had written.  Producers are interested in buying Stallone’s movie.  There was just one catch; the producers thought Sly Stallone was such a bad actor that he couldn’t be in his film[5].  Stallone won’t budge, though.  Stallone wouldn’t budge even as he had barely a dollar to his name until Stallone is allowed to play Rocky Balboa.  The rest of the story is Stallone becomes on one of the biggest movie stars of all time.

The great thing about Sly Stallone is that he refused to accept life on its terms.  Stallone’s story is just like the Apostle Paul traveling throughout the world preaching.  Paul had transformed in a matter of mere days from the Christian faith’s greatest enemy to its greatest proclaimer.  Paul would go to the ends of the Earth to reach people because he believed that this was what God was calling him to do.  Paul believed that God’s power would come through, in the end, no matter how dark the day because he had previously experienced Resurrection within his life.  Paul’s convictions had brought Lydia into his life. 

Now let me introduce another person in our story named Lydia.  Lydia is one of the most powerful women in the Bible.  Lydia hails from Thyatira, which is a city in modern Turkey.  Thyatira was a city known for producing the finest linens.  Lydia herself dressed in purple linens looking a person of means or possibly a royal[6].  We have no mention of Lydia’s husband only her children.  Lydia was an independent businesswoman who went through life refusing to follow the crowd.  Lydia one night was down by the river for worship and prayer.  Lydia probably wasn’t a good Jew looking for a different religious cause; Lydia was merely seeking out God’s ways in the world.  Lydia did not get converted on this day because Paul was a dynamic preacher.  Paul personally describes himself as lacking in charisma.  Lydia’s conversion came about because there were forces that came into her life that were more so powerful that Lydia came to believe. 

Last week, I was talking to a Confirmation student who was telling me about his sister.  His sister would like to go out running.  The only problem was she didn’t want to run in town.  She was worried about what other people may think.  Perhaps they might make fun of the way she runs.  What I said is there are two things in this world who can define us.  We either go through life defined by the judgments of others.  These are the type of individuals that wouldn’t spend two minutes actually to explore your true worth.  The other option is we go through life defined by its sources of love and acceptance.  God defines relationships with chosen people way different than everyone else in the world around you.  We need to remember this!

I’ll often have conversations with parents about the faith of their children.  Their kids were baptized, went to Sunday school, probably even got married in a church yet nowadays they have nothing to do with the Church.  People will ask is there a real good solution to this? My advice is things will ultimately happen in God’s time rather than your own. 

Paul went to Macedonia expecting to encounter dead ends.  Paul meets Lydia.  Paul then baptizes her and her children[7].  Paul gets imprisoned[8]. Paul appears to be defeated.  God has other plans.  Pretty soon, The Earth below Paul’s feet begins to shake[9].  Paul’s Jailer soon gets converted[10].  The Jailer’s family then gets saved. The only advice that I have for people who struggle with their kids is when you wake up every morning is to believe that God has the power to change the world today.  God can change the world even if you’re not the greatest preacher like Paul.  God can change the world even if the circumstances seem hopeless.  Go through life believing that ultimately in the end the Gospel can break down walls!  God can bring people out of the whale’s belly of life.  God can above all raise the dead!
What the story of Paul and Lydia points out to us is that we never have God quite figured out.  When we think we’re about ready to unlock the secrets to penetrating heaven, we encounter the reality of the Cross.  We encounter that who God chooses to save in the end is his business, not ours[11].  If God wants to save unconventional people in unconventional ways, then praise be to God!

An interesting thing about the story of Lydia and Paul is that Lydia’s entire household is mentioned to be baptized[12].  I think what the Baptism descriptions throughout the New Testament showcase are the depths and limits of Resurrection as poured out upon in Baptism[13].  When the New Testament describes baptizing entire households[14].  We don’t imagine the process took place where families sat down and debated the pros and cons of Baptism.  Nor is there every any mention of discussion regarding children’s age. What happened is that people such as Lydia believed that God would create faith in the life of their children in Baptism no different than they had experienced faith in their lives.  Paul administers Baptism unto people minus stipulations, minus all sorts of rules or regulations.  We baptize babies without reservation because the whole arc of the Christian scriptures centers around God saving people apart from their own power or decisions.  Paul doesn’t think in terms of limits regarding how God may act in the life of Lydia, because there is no greater limit then the dead are supposed to remain in tombs only until they don’t. 

God doesn’t work salvation through a series of rules.  God works salvation by a book that centers itself around the Cross.  When we consider what, it means to live by faith alone, what this means is that we believe that God will come through in the end.  We might struggle with this at times.  We walk away from plenty of tombs in this life, hoping and believing that these tombs will one day show life.  The following hope is ultimately the meaning of Resurrection. 

Brene Brown: Grace is the whisper when you’re standing in front of the dark that says “I can’t make this less scary for you, but I can remind you that its’ been (you’ve) walked through (it) before[15].”  

This week, I had a dental appointment down in the Twin Cities.  So on Monday night, I go to see Grandma.  Grandma was in a splendid, mood.  It was such a good mood that it almost took me by surprise.  I asked Grandma if she had met a man at the nursing home or something.  To which she always says she’s waiting on George Clooney. 

As I inquire, the reason for Grandma’s mood caught me by surprise.  Grandma had been coloring out of a coloring book all day.  Grandma asks if I want to take a look like at all the pages that she colored.  I assumed that she might pull out about ten pages to look over.  Instead, Grandma pulls out closer to 100 pages to go over with me.  As Grandma’s showing me what she colored, she has the enthusiasm of a child bragging to Mom and Dad about what happened at school.  Grandma asked which one I wanted for my office.  I came across a great one that quotes Cyclist Jamie Paolinetti “Limitations live only in our minds…but if we use our imagination our possibilities becomes limitless.”  What this quote reminds us is that God’s ability to reach people even in the depths of great personal sin and despair often goes far beyond what even our imagination can grasp.  As in the case of Lydia and Paul, barriers can crumble before our eyes. 

A woman named Lydia on a day like this went down to the river.  Lydia appeared successful to everyone that knew her.  Deep down inside, Lydia didn’t have her life altogether.  Lydia struggled with the question of whether she was worthy and deserving of God’s love.  A preacher named Paul then came into Lydia’s life.  Paul told Lydia that God’s mercy knew no limits.  God’s grace was for her and her children! Paul told Lydia about the power of Resurrection! Lydia’s life would soon be changed forever more!  Amen
 
 


[1] This is a quote from Les Brown found in the Mateusz M You Tube video “Awakening”.  
[2] Mateusz M. “Inspiring Success Story of Sylvester Stallone.”. Mateusz M. 28. Apr.2016. Web. Apr.28.2016. 
[3] Mateusz M. “Inspiring Success Story of Sylvester Stallone.”.
[4] Mateusz M. “Inspiring Success Story of Sylvester Stallone.”.
[5] Mateusz M. “Inspiring Success Story of Sylvester Stallone.”.
[6] Hyde, Randy. “If You Have Judged Me to Be Faithful”. Lectionary.org. 2004. Web. Apr.28.2016.
[7] Acts 16:15
[8] Acts 16:23
[9] Acts 16:26
[10] Acts 16:30-31
[11] Madson, Meg. “Is Everybody Saved?” Cross Alone Lutherans. 25. Feb.2006 . Web. Apr.30.2016.
[12] Acts 16:15
[13] Romans 6:4
[14] Acts 16:15, Acts 16:33-34, 1 Cor 1:16
[15] Brown, Brene. “I love it when NOTESONTHEWAY turns quotes into art!”. Facebook. 28. Apr.2016. Web. Apr.28.2016.