Wednesday, May 21

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Yesterday we examined the first of three stories From the book of Acts of people who were transformed by the Gospel of Jesus Christ. 

These three encounters may seem insignificant, but actually they were the beginning of a movement that changed world history. I’m sure that the Roman Emperor, Claudius, would have shrugged his shoulders in apathy if he had learned that a little Jewish man named Paul had set foot on European soil to tell people about Jesus Christ. Claudius had more important matters to attend to than this!  And yet this was the beginning of Christianity in Europe, and its influence there changed the world. These three encounters should encourage us to be faithful to share our faith as we see how God uses the Gospel to save different people.

The first story tells us how the Gospel came to a wealthy, moral and religious woman named Lydia.  The very next story in Acts 16 is also about a woman who has her life changed, but she could not be more different than Lydia...

As we were going to the place of prayer, we were met by a slave girl who had a spirit of divination and brought her owners much gain by fortune-telling. She followed Paul and us, crying out, “These men are servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to you the way of salvation.”  And this she kept doing for many days. Paul, having become greatly annoyed, turned and said to the spirit, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.” And it came out that very hour.   - Acts 16:16-18

This is a story of the gospel for the oppressed and the exploited.  The slave girl is the opposite of Lydia in many ways.  She is poor, she is powerless and exploited, she was demon-possessed, she was deeply troubled and in great spiritual turmoil.  The Greek term is that she had a “Python spirit.” This referred to the legendary snake that guarded the Delphic Oracle in central Greece. Apollo supposedly killed this snake, and the snake’s spirit dwelled in the priestess there. So a “Python spirit” referred to a spirit that enabled someone to predict the future. This slave girl was being used by her owners for fortune-telling, much to the fortunes of the owners!

It may be hard for most of us to relate to a demon-possessed, fortune-telling slave girl, so to put this in context, if Lydia was like a wealthy fashion boutique owner from Geneva, then this slave girl is like a drug addicted teenage prostitute in Aurora.
How does the gospel come to this oppressed and exploited slave girl?  Not at all like it did for Lydia (through reason and dialogue).  It comes to her first as an encounter: a healing, liberating, freeing encounter.  She is healed spiritually, psychologically, and socially. 

Notice – she not only had demonic masters, but human masters as well.  The Gospel frees her completely (16:19-20)!  

The forces that  held her mind and spirit captive, no longer control her.  Her human masters no longer can use her.  The implications of the Gospel go beyond just the personal, individual faith decision.  The girl could not make such a decision—could not respond to the gospel message until she was first liberated, cared for, set free.

If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that?   - James 2:15-16

You see, the gospel changes lives, but it also changes social structures and cultures.  A Gospel focused church is a compassionate church—a church concerned with injustice in the world and the needs of the people in its community.  This is exactly the kind of people that we are called to be as His Church in the world!

Jeff Frazier