Seven Questions for the 21st-Century Church

Text: Acts 16:6-40

Introduction: When you feel “stuck” in your ministry, remember the four-man, church-planting team of Acts 16:1-8—Paul, Silas, Luke, and Timothy. What a gifted team! These men were eager for a fresh start in ministry, but all they were experiencing was roadblocks (Acts 16:6-8). They were stuck. But then God broke through. One night in the inn in Troas, Paul had a ministry-changing vision. When he told his story at breakfast the next morning, everything changed. What followed provides us with seven questions we need to ask ourselves when eager for a renewed vision.

1. Do we have a workable vision statement? (Acts 16:9). Oftentimes when God closes a door, He is about to open an amazing window of opportunity. For Paul and his team, that included a new continent (Europe), a new country (Macedonia), a new city (Philippi), and a new culture (a Roman colony). Vision energizes a church that has been drifting. Finally, there is focus. The word in 16:10 is immediately. They move at once, ready for a new chapter in God’s work! How about us? Do we have an exciting and workable vision statement that succinctly describes where we are headed as a church?

2. Is the vision shared broadly? (Acts 16:10). As we trace the style of biblical leaders, a pattern evolves. Paul shared the essence of the vision with the team, and off they went to Europe. Nehemiah had a vision of repairing the broken wall of Jerusalem. He shared his vision with a few men (Nehemiah 2), and the wall was repaired in 52 days (6:15). Like a stone thrown into a pond that forms concentric circles moving outward, so a God-given vision is to be shared. From leader to board to church family, the vision is repeated until everyone is on the same page and has embraced what is now called “our vision.”

3. Are we practicing indigenous worship? (Acts 16:13). After sizing up their new challenge in Philippi, the men chose the riverside prayer meeting as their launching pad. This was something new for them. After many months of beginning their ministry in the local synagogue, they had to adjust. Here, women led worship, and it was held outdoors. The four did not quit and go home because of what was, for them, uncharted territory. They joined in and soon gained the opportunity to share the gospel. Lydia was saved, and a church was born. What a lesson for the 21st-century church! We can appreciate the legacy of the past and embrace the challenge of reaching a new generation.

4. Do we have effective outreach? (Acts 16:14-15). Networking proved effective at this riverside prayer meeting. Lydia listened intently, her heart was opened, and she was saved. She must have been eager to share the good news of the gospel, because when she was baptized, so was her household. That’s networking, and it was not only modeled by Lydia but also by the converted jailer (Acts 16:31-34). The key question for us is: What have you and I found effective in the place where God has planted us?

5. Is there a place for intimacy? (Acts 16:15). Lydia was a successful businesswoman in this major Macedonian city. She probably had one of the larger homes in the city. Her first response to God’s grace was to offer her home to the team as evangelistic headquarters. I like to think that evenings were spent gathered around Paul as he and the others taught the new Christians the Scriptures and early steps in the Christian life. Perhaps this was the first small group in Europe. This model is still very applicable today. Every church needs community groups of 8 to 10 people, who can grow together and love one another enough to openly share their hearts.

6. Do we see the bondage of addictions broken? (Acts 16:16-19). The team often returned to the riverside prayer meetings, but a new glitch surfaced. A demon-possessed slave girl (who earned money for her masters by telling fortunes) began to follow the men around, crying out: “These men are the servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to us the way of salvation” (v.17). This troubled Paul. In Mark 1:23-26, Jesus experienced the same annoyance. And Paul did just what Jesus did: He performed an exorcism. Neither Jesus nor Paul wanted advertising from the kingdom of darkness. Because the evil spirit was now gone, the owners of this girl were out of business. I look upon this girl’s release from bondage as symbolic of the number one social problem in our nation—addictions. Churches today who face reality know there’s a need for a helping ministry that leads to victory through Christ. Are we willing to face the challenge?

7.    Does our vision endure adversity? (Acts 16:19-40). The most familiar part of the Acts 16 story is the conversion of the Philippian jailer. For Paul and Silas, ministry included adversity. The owners of the slave girl were so angry that they falsely accused the two. They were arrested, beaten, and thrown in jail. Yet they could sing at midnight, witness to a hardened jail warden, and experience the transforming power of Jesus. After their release from prison, they did not rush out of town as quickly as possible. They stayed to encourage the brethren (v.40). Lesson: When the going gets tough, don’t run away from a God-given vision!