This was written for and first given at the Lynnville (IL) UMC on May 16, 2004. The Scripture is from the Book of Acts, chapter 16, verses 9 – 15.

       My freshman year at Edwardsville was the last year that the ninth grade was still in the junior-high building, but some courses were already being held in the high-school building next door. Such was the case with my ag-class, which I had signed up for as one of my electives the year before. The junior-high building had very limited facilities for shop classes, and the high-school’s was huge. Indeed, the shop that was used for their Ag program had originally been the district’s bus garage!

       Taking this class had been very important to me, for, even though I had pretty much grown up on Grandpa’s farm, and was now living on our own, I still knew very little about the ‘business’ of farming. So, even though many of my fellow classmates considered me the ‘odd-man’ out… I was the only one who also sang in choir and performed in plays… I would sit and listen attentively as I attempted to absorb and learn all that I could. At times, though, my inexperience showed through in a big… and usually embarrassingly… big way!

       One example was when we were studying and learning about engines. As part of that, each of us were to bring in some kind of engine from our homes to disassemble and rebuild as needed, and most of us, including me, had brought in a lawn mower. The one dad had me take was actually our newest one, bought the first summer we were on our farm to mow the large yard we now had. That had already been enough years, however, that it was losing power and getting hard to start, so he figured I might as well see what I could do with it.

       Our instructor had had many years trying to teach sometimes un-teachable farm boys, and had admittedly become somewhat jaded with his job. Still, he soldiered on and taught us the basics of how an engine functions and why it works, and then started getting into the specifics of working on one. He told us how to hone a cylinder and install new piston rings into it, and talked about grinding the valves. Then it was time for us to actually work on our own.

I had dad get all of the parts and gaskets that I thought I needed and tore it down to bare metal. I had no major problems taking it apart, honing the cylinder and reassembling the block. Then came grinding the valves. Our teacher hadn’t been real, real clear about that, and since there was a lot of build up on them, I went over to the grinder and started to grind! One of the other kids came over and said he didn’t think that that was the proper way to do it, but by then it was too late. Besides, about that time I lost hold of it and… zing… through the grinder and across the shop it went! “Uh, dad, that engine has a bad valve… we need to get one of those, too.” The next day, our teacher gave us specific instructions as to how to properly grind valves!

By now, I imagine some of you are wondering, “What in the world is he talking about, and what does it have to do with Paul’s journeys in today’s verses?” To understand that, I need to tell you one more story!

In the church that I grew up in, in Hartford, the junior and senior-high students, along with some of those starting college, were combined into one Sunday school class. This class had always been taught by one of the three more serious and studious elders of our church, and their diligence and thoroughness in teaching their subject was well known. This, combined with the fact that all of the other students in that class were those whom I had idolized as being the ‘older kids’, caused me no small trepidation on my first day of being in that class. And I have to say that as time went by, that fear turned out to be well founded. In could take as long as six months or more to cover a single chapter of Acts… and I have to admit, at that age my mind had some trouble paying attention to all of the great orations that took place each week.

Oh, how I wish I had paid better attention… or had a tape recorder of some kind. The knowledge and insight into God’s Word that was expounded in that small room each Sunday was staggering! And I was just too young to recognize and appreciate it! Still, over the years I have come to realize that I must have picked up and retained more of it than I ever thought, for it is amazing how some of it comes back to me from time-to-time. Such is the case of today’s verses… for I remember well that Paul made three journeys throughout the Gentile world, and we studied them in minute detail… and at least some of that is still with me today!

These verses chronicle the start of these journeys as Paul received a vision calling him to Macedonia. In the verses preceding these, we read how the Holy Spirit had ‘forbade’ Paul and his companions from entering Asia and guided them, instead, towards reaching out to the Romans and Greeks. Through the leadings of the Holy Spirit, Paul was to spend the rest of his life spreading the Good News among that part of the world! Our verses also note the conversion of Lydia, noteworthy, among other things, as being the first Roman noted as being converted. And it is true that much could be made from these verses regarding being called and responding to that call… of the significance, if any, of the first convert being a woman… and of how she opened up her heart to God and her home to Paul and his companions. However, this morning I choose not to speak on the verses themselves, but on how well we all have learned them, and others, over the years.

 I started out telling you about my first experience with grinding valves. What I haven’t told, yet, is how I came to be very proficient in doing valve jobs and overhauls on engines and heads of all sizes! Indeed, as an ag-mechanic for many years, I became very adept at rebuilding, modifying or adapting all sorts of standard and non-standard parts… sometimes by choice, sometimes because the correct ones were no longer available! My point is that I didn’t let that first bad experience deter me from learning more and becoming as good at it as I could be… and if I may say so myself, I was certainly one of the best in my hey-day! Now, I didn’t get that way overnight… it took many years of learning by doing… and asking… and I must make note, here, that I have never been afraid to admit that I don’t know something and ask! I’m not saying I wasn’t embarrassed to ask… but I tried very hard to not let that embarrassment keep me from learning all that I needed and wanted to know!

By the same token, while it has taken longer, I still strive to learn all that I can about God’s Word, as well! Though my early experiences with doing so may not have gone well, or may have seemed daunting, I have slowly continued to learn all that I can as time and circumstances have allowed. Now, I am far from an expert… and I must add that this is a never-ending endeavor… but I do feel more comfortable talking about what I do know, and if I have questions, I know where to look or who to ask… and I’m not afraid or ashamed to do so!

How many of you here this morning can stand up and tell us the specifics of Paul’s three voyages? I can’t. But, I have a book at home, and a program on my computer that can tell me if I really need to know! On the other hand, how many of you can recite, “Render unto Caesar that which is Caesar’s… render unto God that which is God’s?”  How about, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’   This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself’.”

You see, you have been learning! Slowly but surely God has been trying to instruct each of us in what He wants us to know… and whether we realized it or not, we have been given, at the very least, the basic knowledge of God… His Son, Jesus… and His sacrifice on the cross for our sins.

In the 14^th chapter of the Gospel of John Jesus says, “If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. He who does not love me will not obey my teaching.” God is teaching us! Sometimes, He teaches us even when we aren’t expecting it… and sometimes the lessons aren’t apparent until they are used at some point in our lives. But in reality, He’s teaching us something everyday! We only need to be open to His teaching and His leading. And then… like Paul in today’s verses… we need to be willing to go where He says and do as He instructs!

I invite you this morning to pause for a moment and consider this question… How and what has God been trying to teach you today? And then… and perhaps even more important… consider what it is He’s asking you to do about it?

May the presence of God the Creator give you strength;

May the presence of God the Redeemer give you peace;

May the presence of God the Sustainer give you comfort;

May the presence of God the Sanctifier give you love.