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A Sermon by The Reverend Yvonne McLean tssf
Nelson Cathedral
Sunday, 13 July 2008
Readings
Acts 16:25 – 34
Matthew 18:19 - 20
Today our church calendar celebrates Silas, Companion of St Paul.
The lives of the first Christian missionaries can be described with many words, but boring is not one of them. There were days of great excitement as men and women who had never heard of Jesus responded to the gospel. There were dangerous journeys over land and sea. Health risks and hunger were part of the daily routine and there was open and hostile resis¬tance to Christianity in many cities. Silas was one of the first missionaries, and he found out that serving Jesus Christ was certainly not boring!
Silas′s name appears 17 times in Acts, and in each of 2 Corinthians, 1 Thessalonians, 2 Thessalonians and 1 Peter. His initial appearance in Acts 15 is at the end of the first church council on the Jewish/Gentile problem. The majority of early Christians were Jews who realized that Jesus was the fulfillment of God′s Old Testament promises to his people; however, the practical details of applying those promises had been overlooked. Many felt that becoming Jewish was a prerequisite to becoming a Christian. For Jews, the idea that God could accept a Gentile pagan was too incredible. But Gentiles began to accept Christ as Saviour; and the transformation of their lives and the presence of God′s Spirit confirmed their conversions. Some Jews were still reluctant, though, and insisted these new Christians take on various Jewish customs. The issue came to a boiling point at the Jerusalem council but was peacefully resolved, something that we should perhaps take note of in light of today’s divisions?
Silas was one of the representatives from Jerusalem sent with Paul and Barnabas back to Antioch with an official letter of welcome and acceptance to the Gentile Christians. Having fulfilled this mission, Silas returned to Jerusalem. Within a short time, however, he was back in Antioch at Paul′s request to join him on his second missionary journey. Paul, Silas, and Timothy began a far-ranging ministry that included some amazing adventures. We heard in our reading from Acts 16 that Paul and Silas spent a night singing in a Philippian jail after being severely beaten. There was an earthquake, their chains fell off and the resulting panic led to the conversion of their jailer. Later, they narrowly missed another beating in Thessalonica, prevented by an evening escape. In Berea there was more trouble, but Silas and Timothy stayed to teach the young believers, while Paul traveled on to Athens. The team was finally reunited in Corinth. In each place they visited, they left behind a small group of Christians.
We know that Silas accompanied Paul on his trip to Antioch and second missionary journey to Galatia but Silas then leaves the story as suddenly as he entered it. We know that he co-authored Paul′s first and second letters to the Thessalonians. And later Peter also mentions him as the co-author of 1 Peter, but we do not know when he joined Peter. Silas was an effective believer before leaving Jerusalem, and he doubtless continued to minister after his work with Paul was completed. He took advantage of opportunities to serve God and was not discouraged by the setbacks and opposition he met along the way. Silas, though not the most famous of the early missionaries, certainly led a life worth imitating.
As I have said Silas is commemorated as the companion of Paul. What does it mean to be a companion?
The dictionary defines companion as:
A person who accompanies or associates with another; a comrade, a partner or consort.
A person employed to assist, live with, or travel with another.
One of a pair or set of things; a mate.
To be a companion means to be there for each other. It′s someone to pray with, to build up and encourage. Someone to share the good times and the laughter and someone to share the pain and the hardships, even to the point of being thrown into prison together! Silas was just such a companion to Paul and Timothy. But Paul is the one we remember, the one whose words are quoted and actions emulated. Behind every great person there are always others, which although going unnoticed for much of the time, make a significant contribution.
There are no momentous deeds or inspiring sermons documented for us to learn about Silas but that doesn’t mean his role was any the less significant. We do know from 2 Corinthians that he did preach, he was also described as a prophet and someone who encouraged and strengthened others and Peter named him as a faithful brother. Silas was a dependable Christian.
There are no ranks when we serve God. All are servants, all receive their reward.
But Silas was a "someone". Frequently we talk about needing someone to do this or that, someone who can help others make things happen. Silas was just such a "someone". Someone who stepped up, was willing to play his part, willing to follow another’s lead. When Paul and Silas set out they didn’t know what the outcome would be. It was only much later that they found out whole churches had grown up as a result of their missionary encounters.
You can′t always see what is there, the potential is often hidden, a bit like Ian and my holiday last week. When we boarded the Tranz Alpine train in Greymouth it was raining intermittently. By the time we got to Otira the weather had deteriorated and there was very poor visibility. By Arthur’s Pass, because the train had been an hour behind schedule, it was getting dark. For the last two hours of the journey scenery flew by the train windows unseen.
Ok, we sat there in comparative comfort, but we traveled on unaware of what was happening around us, traveling through 16 tunnels with no difference between the view outside whether we were in the tunnel or not!
When we took the return journey to Greymouth on the Saturday it was after a heavy snowfall and in bright sunshine! What a difference! It was the same scenery; only this time we could see it. The mountains and fields had been iced with snow, branches so motionless that that each one still bore an inch of snow. It was magnificent!
Many times we soldier on for God and the fruit of our work is unseen. Just like traveling in the dark. We are the unnoticed companions. We are the travelers pressing on without knowing what the terrain around us holds ready to reveal. It takes God′s hand to complete the picture. God′s grace to show us what is really there. Paul and Silas worked hard and they worked together. They traveled on no matter what and the rewards were reaped by many future generations.
What has God done in your life that was unseen until later?
Who are the Silas’s keeping you company?
The faithful companions walking beside you through thick and thin?
The ones sitting beside you even through the dark tunnels?
Much of what they do remains unseen to others.
In our reading from Matthew Jesus tells us that;
“where two are gathered in my name I am there among them.”
Matthew 18:20
When we choose to follow God’s path for our lives we are never alone, God is always with us. But when two or more are gathered in Jesus name Jesus is there among us ready to act, ready to answer our petitions. And Matthew verse 19 tells us that "when two agree on earth about anything and ask, it will be done for them by Father God in heaven." No wonder Paul never traveled alone! No wonder Jesus always sent the disciples out in pairs.
We all need companions in life even for our reasonably uneventful lives.
But if you are traveling into unknown territory, facing hostiles communities, highway bandits and occupying armies you definitely need a friend with you!
Paul and Silas had been beaten and thrown in Jail, but were they bemoaning their circumstances and full of self pity? No. They were encouraging each other by singing hymns! They were praising God. What a witness! Then of course the miracle happened.
In Acts 12 Peter too had been freed from his chains when an angel appeared to him in prison, but this time it wasn′t just Paul and Silas but all the prisoners that were freed. No wonder the guard was about to kill himself! Paul built on God′s miraculous intervention and through these events the guard and his entire household believed and was saved. Amazingly the magistrates then ordered their release from prison! Acts 16:36.
I believe Acts is one of the most exciting books of the Bible and we can learn so much from the lives and events described there. The missionaries like Silas endured much but they also saw so much answered prayer and experienced God′s empowering and saw God′s miracles. In an instant dark and difficult times were transformed into exciting opportunities and entire households were changed.
God does not promise that we won′t have to face suffering, but he does promise to be our faithful companion in all we face, and we are also shown that we need each other′s support to be effective in our ministries. We too are called to be faithful companions for each other, to help each other on the journey of life, to work with one another in partnership for the sake of the gospel. There are very few Paul′s in History but there are many of us who can emulate Silas.
Someones who are there to share the load and celebrate the joys.
May we too be known as faithful brothers and sisters in Christ.
May we be dependable servants with or without recognition for what we do.
This I pray in Jesus′ name.
Amen.
The Reverend Yvonne McLean tssf
This sermon was written and delivered by The Reverend Yvonne McLean tssf at Nelson Cathedral, 13 July 2008
