By Richard Harvey

2. Influence
in
and
through
the
Workplace
Acts
16:
11-­‐24
As
People
of
Simplicity

3. Three
Diaspora
People

5. The
Colonia
of
Philippi
12
From
there
we
travelled
to
Philippi,
a
Roman
colony
and
the
leading
city
of
that
district
of
Macedonia.
And
we
stayed
there
several
days.

6. Philippi’s
Social
Makeup
15,000
Romans
Greeks
Slaves
Roman
Elite
3%
-­‐
450
0%
7%
-­‐
1050
Peasant
Colonists
10%
10%
5%
Service
Groups
9%
28%
-­‐
Lydia
8%
-­‐
Prophetess
Poor
6%
14%
0%
Total
28%
(4,200)
52%
(7,800)
20%
(3,000)

7. Philippi’s
Spiritual
Makeup
• Honour,
status
and
power
clearly
defined
• Royalty,
priesthood,
luxury
and
power
all
linked
• Worship
is
personal,
domes[c,
public
and
poli[cal

8. The
Purple
Lady
14
One
of
those
listening
was
a
woman
from
the
city
of
Thya[ra
named
Lydia,
a
dealer
in
purple
cloth.
She
was
a
worshipper
of
God.
The
Lord
(kurios)
opened
her
heart
to
respond
to
Paul’s
message.

9. Lydia
• 1st
European
Chris[an
• Woman
of
influence
• Host
and
patron

10. Lydia
• 1st
European
Chris[an
• Woman
of
influence
• Host
and
patron
• GLF
leader

11. The
slave-­‐girl
prophetess
• Possessed
by
“python
spirit”
• Possession
of
her
owners
• Profit
from
false
prophecy
• Proclaims
distorted
truth
• Power
encounter
produces
opposi[on

13. Outside
the
City
Gate
13
On
the
Sabbath
we
went
outside
the
city
gate
to
the
river,
where
we
expected
to
find
a
place
of
prayer.
We
sat
down
and
began
to
speak
to
the
women
who
had
gathered
there.

14. The
LORD
opened
Lydia’s
heart
• What
did
she
and
Paul
talk
about?
• Life?
• Business?
• Devo[on
to
God?
• Knowing
Jesus?

15. The
Purple
Process
1. Rubia/madder
plant
from
Thya?ra?
2. Kermes-­‐oak
insect?
3. Murex
from
Tyre?
– Murex
shells
crushed
– Excreted
fluids
processed
– Dye
made
– Cloth
soaked
– Stench
and
stains
– Togas
for
Royalty
– Picture
of
Christ?

16. Lydia
–
the
Purple
Lady
• Passionate
for
her
product
• Passionate
for
people
• Passionate
for
God

17. People
of
Influence
• Ac[vists
• Connected
• Impact
• Ac[ve
minds
• Trendseeers

18. ©
Richard
Ascough
2009
Networks
of
Influence

19. “The
Highest
God”
• 17
She
followed
Paul
and
the
rest
of
us,
shou[ng,
“These
men
are
servants
of
the
Most
High
God,
who
are
telling
you
the
way
to
be
saved.”
• tou
theou
tou
hupsistou
• ‘odon
soterias

20. Mission
and
business?
• 18
..,
“In
the
name
of
Jesus
Christ
I
command
you
to
come
out
of
her!”
At
that
moment
the
spirit
lei
her.
19
When
her
owners
realised
that
their
hope
of
making
money
(ergasia)
was
gone,..
The
quadruple
boJom
line:
spiritual,
economical,
social
and
environmental
transforma?on.

21. Advoca[ng
unlawful
customs
• 20
“These
men
are
Jews,
and
are
throwing
our
city
into
an
uproar
(21)
by
advoca[ng
customs
unlawful
for
us
Romans
to
accept
or
prac[ce.”

22. Stocks
and
Snares
• 23
Aier
they
had
been
severely
flogged,
they
were
thrown
into
prison,
and
the
jailer
was
commanded
to
guard
them
carefully.
24
When
he
received
these
orders,
he
put
them
in
the
inner
cell
and
fastened
their
feet
in
the
stocks.
©
Henry
Mar[n.
Free
use
for
ministry
purposes.

23. Work,
Witness
and
Worship
• God’s
work
• Paul’s
work
• Lydia’s
work
• The
prophetess
• Our
work

24. What
is
Mission?
• Our
commieed
par[cipa[on
• as
God’s
people,
• at
God’s
invita[on
and
command,
• in
God’s
own
mission
• within
the
history
of
God’s
world
for
the
redemp[on
of
God’s
crea[on.
• Christopher
J.
H.
Wright,
The
Mission
of
God:
Unlocking
the
Bible's
Grand
Narra?ve
(Downer’s
Wood:
IVP,
2006),
23.

25. Influence
in
and
through
the
workplace
• God
uses
us
• In
the
workplace
• To
transform
the
workplace
• The
whole
world
is
His
workplace
• Our
mission
is
to
be
His
co-­‐workers