What is the Best Ability? (John 14:23-29; Acts 16:9-15 Sermon)
What Is the Best Ability?
John 14:23-29; Acts 16:9-15
Introduction
Last Sunday, I spoke about finding our way through life by using our GPS. By GPS, I don’t mean the tech in your phone that helps you get from here to there. I mean that when we are trying to figure out where we fit and where we can serve God and others, we use our GPS: gifts, passions, and skills.
Gifts are God-given. You are naturally good at things. It doesn’t mean you don’t hone or work to get better, but it’s natural. Passions are what move your heart. Skills are abilities you’ve picked up. All of those, your gifts, passions, and skills, are things God has brought about in you to help you love and serve others.
There is a wide variety of gifts, passions, and skills. Everyone in here has something they can offer to this world and this church. Everyone has something in them that can be used to uplift others.
Now, I know that it is common to judge ourselves against others. There might be a voice in us that says, “My gift and skill set are limited. So and so is much better at it than I am.” And we get into the comparison game. So, let me talk openly about that: what is the best ability?
Is it preaching? Is it the ability to tame the butterflies in your stomach and talk through a text? Is that the best ability? Or is the best ability prayer, encouragement, organization, administration, or prophecy? Is it evangelism, that is, sharing the good news of God with others? Or is it generosity, being able to give so that the ministry can have the funds necessary? Or is it something else?
Combing through the Bible, I can confidently tell you what the best ability is. In your Christian life, the most valuable ability to possess is availability.
The best, most valuable ability is to be willing to walk daily with God and to either keep course and be faithful or be open and available to change course when the Spirit leads you. Availability is the best ability. God can do amazing things through us if we are available.
So, today we are going to talk about openness, and we will see why it is important for us to use our GPS, and we will see the benefits of availability.
1. First, we see that God opened Paul’s ears. Paul was available to listen.
In Acts 16, Paul and Silas have been traveling and preaching, trying to go where they believe the Spirit is leading them.
Like many of you, Paul had his life changed by the gospel of Jesus. And shortly thereafter, he felt called to spread the good news of Jesus to people who had never had a chance to hear.
Day after day, he wakes up, takes risks, shares the message, and people believe. His normal pattern is this: he prays, enters a town, goes to the synagogue and teaches. People learn about Jesus as the Messiah and the Christian church would be formed for the first time ever in that city.
He establishes a church, trains leaders, and when the church can care for itself, he’s off to another city, another synagogue, and another church development.
“Lord, where do you want us to go next?” Asia? There are tons of people there, Lord.
No.
Bithynia? No.
Plans are made. Plans fall apart. Wait, God. What’s going on? Why is it so hard to do the right thing the right way?
They are doing their best to serve God, but the doors keep shutting.
He’s trying. He’s asking. They are in the process of discernment, which is when we figure out together, in community, what God is calling us to next.
He may not have the answer, but he has the best ability – availability.
And in verse 9, we read that Paul has a vision. Paul sees a man in Macedonia pleading with him: “Come over to Macedonia and help us.”
This is a pivot point. The God-given vision and Paul and Silas’ availability changed history. Did you know that?
For the first time, the gospel crosses into Europe. That’s worth pausing on. This is the moment when the good news of Jesus Christ touches a whole new continent. It will reach cities and nations that shape much of the global church to this very day – and it started with availability.
He's open to hearing a yes – that’s the fun part. He’s open to hearing a no – that’s not fun at all. He’s open to hearing a new direction.
Availability means you don’t cling to your plan so tightly that you can’t be rerouted.
It’s a great thing that God opened Paul’s ears. Next, God opened a way.
2. God Opened a Way
Paul and Silas obey the vision and set sail immediately. They are out of the known, out of their comfort zone. This is new geography, new people, new ways, and new risks.
They travel to Philippi, which Luke, the author of the book of Acts, describes as a leading city of the district of Macedonia and a Roman colony.
What’s been Paul’s method up to this point? He would enter a city and go where? To a synagogue.
He was a rabbi. He taught. He would share the good news of God in Jesus. God would open ears and hearts to the gospel and the Christian Church would be formed.
It was his method. It’s what he knew. It was effective.
He’s listened to God. He’s prayed. He’s put in so much effort. The game plan is fixed – city, synagogue, and then growth.
Paul gets to Philippi, walks around, and there’s no synagogue. “But God, we’ve always done it that way in the past.”
He has to change his method of ministry and use the best ability – availability.
Since there is no synagogue, Paul says, “Uh, I guess we should go to where people gather to pray.” It’s not in the city. It’s outside the city, by a river.
He trusts God’s call. He knows there are people there who are spiritually hungry. He’s brought availability and his GPS.
Thus far, we’ve seen that God opened Paul’s ears, God opened a way, and next, Paul opens his mouth.
3. Paul Opens his Mouth
Here is where the story surprises us. In Paul’s vision, what did he see? Or, better yet, who did he see?
Paul had a vision of a man asking for help. But when they arrive at that prayer spot, it’s women gathered by the river. There is no Macedonian man in sight.
Trust. Availability.
Paul rolls with it. He doesn’t say, “Oh, sorry, wrong group.” He doesn’t wait for the man in the dream to materialize. He opens his mouth and shares what he knows.
This is such a radical moment: A Jewish man speaks the good news to Gentile women in a Roman colony. That might not be the story he expected, but it is the story God is writing.
That brings up a good question: are we available not just to go, but to go to people we didn’t expect? Sometimes the Spirit leads us to places and people who don’t look like the vision we had in mind. Are we open to that?
Are we open to stepping into our GPS and seeing what God does with our gifts, passions, and skills?
Are you ready to see why it’s important to live into your gps?
4. God Opened Lydia’s Heart
And now we meet Lydia. A businesswoman. A dealer in purple cloth, which means she’s wealthy, connected, and influential. She’s also a worshipper of God. This means that God was already at work in her life before Paul said a word. She and the others were gathered to pray. They were seeking.
The church can often fall into the habit of thinking we bring God’s presence with us. And we forget that God is already there, already with that person, and already at work.
God was already at work. Paul speaks—he just …talks. He uses his gps – teaching is a gift, telling others about God’s love in Christ is his passion, and being available is a skill. And through that, God opens Lydia’s heart, and she listens eagerly.
She and her entire household are baptized and offers hospitality, “If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come and stay at my home.” And thus, through the best ability of all – availability – and the grace and power of God, the first church is established in the home of an influential, spiritually, businesswoman in Philippi.
5. Where are we in the text?
One of the questions I ask to help me in my own spiritual life, is after I read the passage I ask, “Where am I in the text?” Am I Paul, Silas, Lydia? Am I the guy on the boat who helps people get to where they are called to go?
Where are we in the text? This is my 12th Sunday with you and probably the 10th sermon of mine you’ll remember verbatim. I am incredibly optimistic about what God is doing here in us and through us already.
That said, we are in the process of listening and being open right now. Christian Education is in the process of listening to parents and kids to see how we can best serve our children and help in their formation. After church next week, we will have a listening session.
Methods, how we carry out our ministry, change. The message doesn’t change.
The Christian Education Committee is seeking to discern the needs of the congregation around Mental Health. There’s a survey that went out . . .
A church that’s willing to plan and stay the course is good. A church that is willing to plan, execute, and be open to change is just as good. Paul had always done ministry the same way, until this moment. The form of ministry changes, but not the message. I notice a spirit of openness here.
Are we open to having a church that doesn’t look the way we imagined?
Where are you in the text? We’ve all got our GPS – our gifts, passions, and skills. Is there a Macedonian call for you? Is there a person or a group of people crying out for your and what you bring with God’s grace: Come and help us!
May God open our ears to the calling.
May God open a way for us to serve others.
May God help us open our mouths to speak.
And may God open the hearts of others to receive.
Lord, give us the best ability of all.
