WEBVTT 00:00:00.880 --> 00:00:05.599 The rest of us will be studying the Acts of the Apostles again this morning. 00:00:05.839 --> 00:00:11.679 If you would like a sermon outline, you didn't get one, want to follow along on that, please raise your hand. 00:00:11.839 --> 00:00:14.160 Our ushers would be happy to give you one. 00:00:14.240 --> 00:00:17.120 Or if you want to borrow a Bible, we have those too. 00:00:19.600 --> 00:00:21.839 We're a full service minister. 00:00:22.079 --> 00:00:22.320 Okay. 00:00:34.079 --> 00:00:46.799 One day a clerk at a rental car place received a call from a panic motorist who rented a car from them and uh told him to send a tow truck. 00:00:46.880 --> 00:00:48.880 He's stranded on the highway. 00:00:49.119 --> 00:00:55.119 And so the clerk said, Well, uh need the make and model of your car. 00:00:55.439 --> 00:00:59.039 Uh, I need more than it was a blue four-door. 00:00:59.520 --> 00:01:03.679 And the driver said, It's the one on fire. 00:01:03.920 --> 00:01:10.400 Okay, so that would be easy to spot, I think. 00:01:10.640 --> 00:01:21.040 If you want to see a real disciple of Jesus, look for the person who's on fire for Jesus Christ. 00:01:22.799 --> 00:01:36.159 When Paul and Silas came to Lystra, I'll show you in a minute, they found Timothy, who was a disciple, who was on fire for the Lord, and asked Timothy to join them in their missionary journey. 00:01:36.239 --> 00:01:42.319 And today we're gonna continue the story of the Apostle Paul's second missionary journey in Acts chapter 16. 00:01:42.400 --> 00:01:46.799 If you want to turn there in your Bible if you brought it, Acts chapter 16. 00:01:47.599 --> 00:01:56.079 Paul and Silas are coming through here from Antioch. 00:01:56.239 --> 00:02:01.359 They they want to, they're at Lystra with and pick up Timothy here. 00:02:01.680 --> 00:02:09.680 They want to go into Asia, but as we read last time, uh the Holy Spirit, Jesus, God Himself prevented them. 00:02:09.840 --> 00:02:11.039 So they went north. 00:02:11.120 --> 00:02:13.039 They tried to go to Bithynia. 00:02:13.199 --> 00:02:16.800 They were stopped there too, and uh couldn't figure out why. 00:02:16.879 --> 00:02:18.080 So they just kept traveling. 00:02:18.159 --> 00:02:21.759 They came up to Troas, right on the shore. 00:02:22.080 --> 00:02:33.680 Um, and that's where Paul received a vision of a man calling him, saying to from Macedonia, Come over to Macedonia and help us. 00:02:34.000 --> 00:02:42.719 So right away the uh missionary team got together and concluded that's where God wanted them to go, to Macedonia. 00:02:42.879 --> 00:03:03.120 So they boarded a ship, they went to the island of Semothrace, then to the uh island of Neapolis, finally end up in Philippi, which we're gonna look at today, and next time, what happens in Philippi is extremely significant. 00:03:03.680 --> 00:03:11.520 Um let me read the passage today that we'll be looking at in Acts chapter 16, beginning in verse 11. 00:03:11.919 --> 00:03:26.719 So putting out to sea from Troas, we ran a straight course to Samothrace, and on the next day following to Neapolis, and from there to Philippi, which is the leading city in the district of Macedonia. 00:03:26.879 --> 00:03:31.039 It's a Roman colony, and we were staying in this city for some days. 00:03:31.120 --> 00:03:43.520 And on the Sabbath day we went outside the gate to a riverside where we were supposing there would be a place of prayer, and we sat down and began speaking to the women who had assembled. 00:03:43.759 --> 00:03:52.319 A woman named Lydia from the city of Thyatira, a cellar of purple fabrics, a worshipper of God, was listening. 00:03:52.639 --> 00:03:57.280 And the Lord opened her heart to respond to the things spoken by Paul. 00:03:57.599 --> 00:04:07.599 And when she and her household had been baptized, she urged us, saying, If you've judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come into my house and stay. 00:04:07.840 --> 00:04:09.599 And she prevailed upon us. 00:04:09.840 --> 00:04:21.040 As it happened that as we were going to the place of prayer, a slave girl, having a spirit of divination, met us, who was bringing her master's much profit by fortune telling. 00:04:21.279 --> 00:04:30.319 Following after Paul and us, she kept crying out, saying, These men are bond servants of the most high God, who are proclaiming to you the way of salvation. 00:04:30.560 --> 00:04:40.720 She continued doing this for many days, but Paul was greatly annoyed, turned and said to the Spirit, I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her. 00:04:40.959 --> 00:04:43.040 And it came out at that very moment. 00:04:43.439 --> 00:04:53.759 And when her masters saw that their hope of profit was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace before the authorities. 00:04:54.000 --> 00:05:08.800 And when they had brought them to the chief magistrates, they said, These men are throwing our city into confusion, being Jews, and are proclaiming customs which is not lawful for us to accept or to observe, being Romans. 00:05:08.959 --> 00:05:10.560 I'm going to stop there today. 00:05:11.279 --> 00:05:14.240 Part one today, I've got two main points. 00:05:14.480 --> 00:05:18.000 First, we're going to look at the gospel for a religious person. 00:05:18.319 --> 00:05:23.120 Then we're going to look at the gospel for the oppressed person. 00:05:23.680 --> 00:05:30.000 So, how Paul shared the gospel with religious people, we see him, what he does in Philippi. 00:05:30.240 --> 00:05:37.839 Paul's companions came to Philippi, which was a wealthy, strategic Roman colony in Macedonia. 00:05:38.079 --> 00:05:47.439 It was multicultural, it was a Roman city, and had basically a pre-existing Greek Hellenistic culture. 00:05:48.240 --> 00:05:57.600 So there was idolatry, there's all kinds of uh Greek ideas, philosophies, and so on right there in Philippi. 00:05:58.240 --> 00:06:08.399 But Philippi was located on a major Roman road uh connecting Asia and the West, making a very significant hub for trade and travel. 00:06:08.800 --> 00:06:23.439 Um, there were most likely many conversions to Christ in Philippi, but Luke again, what's interesting, he gives us three case studies of conversions to Christ. 00:06:23.839 --> 00:06:27.519 Uh, he chooses these three intentionally. 00:06:28.160 --> 00:06:30.240 He's trying to show us some things. 00:06:30.399 --> 00:06:39.439 Uh, he tells us the story of Lydia, and then this unnamed servant girl, and then the unnamed jailer we'll look at next time. 00:06:39.680 --> 00:06:47.360 Luke wants us to see how the gospel is spread to different people by different ways. 00:06:48.480 --> 00:07:06.480 Um, just like before, the case studies Luke is showing us help us understand what it means to be a Christian, how you become a Christian, and how the gospel is shared differently depending on the people you're sharing it with. 00:07:06.639 --> 00:07:08.000 That's what he's going to show us. 00:07:08.160 --> 00:07:12.639 In fact, that's the main idea of what he does in these three case studies. 00:07:12.800 --> 00:07:20.480 The way the gospel is shared is completely different in all three cases, but all have the same result: conversion. 00:07:21.600 --> 00:07:23.439 I'll draw some lessons for that. 00:07:23.680 --> 00:07:30.240 The first one is in Philippi, sharing the gospel is not a one size fits all. 00:07:30.879 --> 00:07:35.680 They change up how the gospel is being presented to each of these people. 00:07:36.240 --> 00:07:38.240 You'll see, it's amazing. 00:07:38.399 --> 00:07:41.920 Uh so we begin with how the gospel reached Lydia. 00:07:42.319 --> 00:07:46.319 Lydia is a case of the gospel for the religious person. 00:07:47.040 --> 00:07:48.160 Who is Lydia? 00:07:49.120 --> 00:07:55.040 Well, Lydia, um we're told, was from Thyatira. 00:07:55.199 --> 00:07:57.680 Keep in mind, she's now in Philippi. 00:07:57.920 --> 00:08:00.319 I'll explain in a minute, but this was her home. 00:08:00.879 --> 00:08:02.319 She's an Asian. 00:08:02.560 --> 00:08:12.399 Um and Thyatira was was uh world famous basically for its purple dyes and textiles. 00:08:12.639 --> 00:08:17.199 Lydia had come to Philippi to establish a business in that. 00:08:17.600 --> 00:08:33.200 Uh the gospel came to Lydia, which is interesting, uh, through this is how she came to believe in Jesus uh and understand the gospel, through a rational presentation of the gospel in a sermon. 00:08:35.519 --> 00:08:45.039 Some people, many times religious people, hear respond to the gospel in a sermon they hear, a talk or a teaching they hear. 00:08:45.759 --> 00:08:56.159 In other words, what Lydia heard from the scripture from Paul about Jesus Christ made sense to her. 00:08:56.799 --> 00:09:01.759 Rational explanation of the truth of the gospel from the scripture. 00:09:02.080 --> 00:09:03.679 It made sense. 00:09:04.399 --> 00:09:05.840 She said, yes. 00:09:06.559 --> 00:09:20.720 Um, the Greek text uh in Acts 16, 14 says she was listening with a with rapt attention to what Paul was saying, and the Lord opened her heart to respond to the things spoken by Paul. 00:09:21.519 --> 00:09:29.759 Because she was listening and absorbing what Paul was saying from the Word of God, God opened her heart to respond to Paul's message. 00:09:30.000 --> 00:09:34.480 The word respond means she got it. 00:09:35.200 --> 00:09:36.639 She got it. 00:09:37.679 --> 00:09:38.879 That's amazing. 00:09:39.039 --> 00:09:44.000 The light went on and she believed in Jesus, Paul was trying to explain. 00:09:44.320 --> 00:09:53.679 We know that because um uh Luke tells us that she was then baptized and opened her home to Paul and his companions. 00:09:54.159 --> 00:09:57.440 Um she became on fire for the Lord. 00:09:57.679 --> 00:10:09.759 Uh, by the way, have you ever seen a person um who when they discover something and the light goes on when they get it? 00:10:10.480 --> 00:10:15.600 Uh it's what sometimes some people call the eureka moment. 00:10:16.240 --> 00:10:19.759 Uh for it can apply to any discovery we make. 00:10:19.919 --> 00:10:23.679 The aha, ah, re eureka moment. 00:10:23.759 --> 00:10:26.639 Some mystery's been solved, some solutions have been found. 00:10:26.879 --> 00:10:30.639 You know, people also have a gospel eureka moment? 00:10:31.200 --> 00:10:32.080 They do. 00:10:32.720 --> 00:10:33.360 I did. 00:10:35.120 --> 00:10:40.240 When I got it, and Jesus came in to me. 00:10:41.120 --> 00:10:50.399 Man, oh man, I've watched God open other hearts to the Lord and be saved, who are listening to God's word, interacting with God's word. 00:10:50.799 --> 00:10:57.039 When they finally get it, their eyes open, their expression changes. 00:10:57.279 --> 00:10:59.360 There's nothing quite like it. 00:10:59.759 --> 00:11:04.159 Um, Lydia was a wealthy businesswoman. 00:11:04.399 --> 00:11:06.639 She was a dealer in purple goods. 00:11:06.879 --> 00:11:10.799 Purple dye was extremely expensive in the ancient time. 00:11:11.200 --> 00:11:14.879 She was a retailer in fashion and luxury goods. 00:11:15.039 --> 00:11:17.919 There was a great demand for purple fabric. 00:11:18.080 --> 00:11:29.759 It was used as the official toga in Rome, purple toga, if you were uh an official in Rome, and you'd see them wear this in the Roman colonies. 00:11:29.919 --> 00:11:33.519 The officials would wear this purple toga, very expensive. 00:11:33.759 --> 00:11:39.039 Um, well, she was in business to make these things and sell them. 00:11:40.240 --> 00:11:49.600 Lydia was also a gentile, um, but we're told that she was a uh God fearer, a moral and spiritual person. 00:11:49.919 --> 00:12:07.360 Uh being a god fearer is a technical term in in the Bible, meaning uh they uh the person is a gentile, but they they uh are engaged in the Hebrew Bible, the Old Testament, they're worshiping the Hebrew God, they're a God fearer. 00:12:07.519 --> 00:12:18.559 That's what a Gentile who's really uh following the Jewish laws and traditions and beliefs were called. 00:12:18.720 --> 00:12:26.480 Paul met Lydia when he and his companions went down to the river or to the water and found a prayer meeting. 00:12:27.039 --> 00:12:28.639 Let me explain that a minute. 00:12:28.879 --> 00:12:42.720 In Jewish law, a congregation, uh, the minimum you could have for a congregation, official synagogue were ten uh male heads of households. 00:12:42.960 --> 00:12:43.279 Ten. 00:12:43.759 --> 00:12:46.320 Ten male heads of households. 00:12:46.559 --> 00:12:54.000 And uh if you had that and they were regular attenders, you had a synagogue in Jewish law. 00:12:54.240 --> 00:13:00.720 If ten could not be found, then a place of prayer was sought near water. 00:13:01.360 --> 00:13:02.960 All the Jews knew this. 00:13:03.200 --> 00:13:11.600 Okay, if there is a synagogue around, go ahead for the water, a river or the sea, somewhere near the water, on the shore. 00:13:12.000 --> 00:13:18.879 Uh, there will be a prayer meeting of Jews uh praying and seeking God. 00:13:19.279 --> 00:13:29.200 And sometimes a traveling Jewish teacher or rabbi would find a place that where people were Jewish people were praying, and he would teach them and offer his blessing. 00:13:29.360 --> 00:13:31.840 Well, that's what Paul was happening to Paul. 00:13:32.000 --> 00:13:37.200 He comes by this prayer meeting and he begins to open the scripture and teach. 00:13:39.440 --> 00:13:44.000 And here we discover then how the gospel came to Lydia. 00:13:44.159 --> 00:13:48.879 Lydia was religious, she believed in the true God. 00:13:50.159 --> 00:13:55.679 Um, she went to worship and pray to God with others who believed in God. 00:13:56.000 --> 00:13:59.120 She believed in God, the true God. 00:13:59.600 --> 00:14:01.360 She was religious. 00:14:02.000 --> 00:14:10.879 But like Nicodemus, being religious wasn't enough to save her from her sins. 00:14:11.919 --> 00:14:22.320 For that, Paul explained the gospel, that she needed to believe in Jesus the Messiah and be born again, receive the Holy Spirit. 00:14:24.080 --> 00:14:28.799 The thing is, the gospel doesn't make people more religious. 00:14:29.440 --> 00:14:32.000 I've been accused of that by my family. 00:14:32.399 --> 00:14:44.559 When I first came to Christ and came home, uh my family, brothers, and sisters would talk about me and to their friends and so on, and they'd say, He got religion. 00:14:44.799 --> 00:14:46.480 He got more religious. 00:14:47.759 --> 00:14:51.440 That's a common uh response. 00:14:52.159 --> 00:14:55.440 Uh the gospel doesn't make people more religious. 00:14:55.759 --> 00:14:58.399 She was already religious. 00:14:58.960 --> 00:15:08.720 Religion, you see, is you do something uh to help make your your relationship with God work. 00:15:08.960 --> 00:15:12.720 You obey and be religious so God will bless you. 00:15:13.440 --> 00:15:16.240 Uh, Christianity, though, is inside out. 00:15:17.519 --> 00:15:21.679 God blessed me and Jesus freely by grace. 00:15:21.919 --> 00:15:24.559 Therefore, I want to obey. 00:15:26.559 --> 00:15:28.639 It's a critical difference. 00:15:28.960 --> 00:15:31.600 In religion, God is useful to me. 00:15:31.840 --> 00:15:34.960 I obey, I pray, so he'll bless me. 00:15:35.200 --> 00:15:38.639 I give him what he wants, he'll give me what I want. 00:15:38.879 --> 00:15:44.399 All the religious exercises are done in order to gain God's favor. 00:15:45.519 --> 00:15:46.960 That's religion. 00:15:47.279 --> 00:15:52.240 Christianity is God has done something for you. 00:15:52.879 --> 00:15:59.360 You need to receive it and then respond in gracious obedience to him, thanking him. 00:16:00.559 --> 00:16:03.360 It's a huge critical difference. 00:16:03.840 --> 00:16:10.399 Pure religion and Christianity is something we must understand. 00:16:10.480 --> 00:16:29.440 And Lydia was very religious, as was Nicodemus, as were a lot of other people in the New Testament, but they lacked an acknowledgement of faith in Jesus, the Messiah, who came to save them from their sins by dying on the cross and rising from the dead. 00:16:29.679 --> 00:16:42.960 Now, Lydia came to the water to a God who was useful for her, but that day she received a God who was beautiful and gracious toward her, and it changed her life. 00:16:43.519 --> 00:16:46.480 It literally gave her a whole new perspective. 00:16:46.639 --> 00:16:55.039 Religious people, you see, need the gospel because they think they already have it. 00:16:57.120 --> 00:17:01.759 They think they already have it, but they need to understand the gospel. 00:17:04.000 --> 00:17:19.119 And with Lydia, the best way to share with religious people is by opening the scripture, get in the scripture, let them interact with what God is saying about the gospel about salvation. 00:17:21.039 --> 00:17:32.079 Religious people need to know that the gospel, God's grace, favor, salvation, and eternal life is freely given to them because of what Jesus has already done for them. 00:17:33.119 --> 00:17:47.119 Um and the gospel reaches religious people through a rational explanation, like Lydia, through a rational explanation of the scripture, helping them understand what God has already done in Jesus. 00:17:47.440 --> 00:17:54.880 As a result, some people have a gospel eureka moment when they understand and believe the gospel. 00:17:55.039 --> 00:18:03.440 But other people, they're not, they don't respond to a rational explanation from a sermon or a teaching. 00:18:03.680 --> 00:18:15.039 Uh Luke is going to show us the next way, the next person, how they responded in uh how the gospel can reach an oppressed person. 00:18:20.000 --> 00:18:24.319 You heard the account, the they're still at the place of prayer down by the water. 00:18:24.400 --> 00:18:28.400 Paul and his team encounter a demon-possessed slave girl. 00:18:28.720 --> 00:18:31.440 And he she begins to taunt them. 00:18:32.640 --> 00:18:37.599 Um the slave girl is just the opposite of Lydia. 00:18:38.480 --> 00:18:45.759 Economically, she's not just poor, she's a slave, powerless, exploited. 00:18:46.880 --> 00:18:51.519 She wasn't just irreligious, she was demon-possessed. 00:18:52.000 --> 00:18:56.880 You can't get any more diametrically opposed to the people here. 00:18:57.279 --> 00:19:02.640 She wasn't seeking God, she was hounding Paul and Silas about their God. 00:19:03.039 --> 00:19:06.000 How does the gospel come into her life? 00:19:06.960 --> 00:19:09.119 Notice how different it is. 00:19:09.839 --> 00:19:12.640 Lydia was reached through a reasoning from the scripture. 00:19:12.799 --> 00:19:17.440 The slave girl was reached through a power encounter. 00:19:21.519 --> 00:19:24.160 It's important for Christians to notice this. 00:19:24.400 --> 00:19:30.240 She not only has demonic masters, she has human masters who are using her. 00:19:30.880 --> 00:19:35.680 She is psychologically and spiritually bound by demons. 00:19:35.920 --> 00:19:43.599 She's socially and economically bound by human masters exploiting her for their own economic interests. 00:19:44.400 --> 00:19:50.079 She's a victim of demonic oppression and social exploitation. 00:19:51.279 --> 00:19:52.160 And you know what? 00:19:52.319 --> 00:19:54.160 She couldn't go to the authorities. 00:19:54.400 --> 00:19:56.240 They're in on the deal. 00:19:57.119 --> 00:19:59.839 She's powerless, helpless. 00:20:01.279 --> 00:20:03.200 Till Paul comes along. 00:20:03.920 --> 00:20:18.079 It's ironic to me if you caught this, the demons coming along trying to taunt them and basically push people away by their, you know, comments. 00:20:18.319 --> 00:20:29.440 But in Acts 16, 17, following after Paul and thus, she kept crying out, saying, These men are bond servants of the Most High God who are proclaiming to you the way of salvation. 00:20:29.680 --> 00:20:34.160 It's ironic that the demons are actually helping proclaim the gospel. 00:20:34.319 --> 00:20:36.160 I mean, it's amazing. 00:20:36.480 --> 00:20:47.680 But when Paul turns and liberates her in the name of Jesus Christ, listen to me, Jesus liberates her across the board. 00:20:48.799 --> 00:20:50.319 Across the board. 00:20:50.799 --> 00:20:56.000 Spiritually, psychologically, socially, in every way. 00:20:57.440 --> 00:21:03.279 It's what happened when Jesus delivered the demoniac in Mark chapter 5. 00:21:03.680 --> 00:21:08.960 When Jesus cast out the Legion of Dons, the man was transformed. 00:21:09.039 --> 00:21:15.039 He was in his right mind, we're told, and he wanted to follow Jesus who freed him. 00:21:17.200 --> 00:21:23.519 I believe there's evidence here to suggest the same thing happened to this slave girl. 00:21:26.000 --> 00:21:30.720 Because when Jesus frees you, it's across the board. 00:21:33.599 --> 00:21:38.640 Freedom is what Jesus promised would happen when he delivers us. 00:21:38.960 --> 00:21:43.680 Listen to John 8, what he said to the Jews in verses 34 to 36. 00:21:44.480 --> 00:21:52.160 They answered him, the Jews, saying, We are Abraham's descendants, we've never yet been enslaved to anyone. 00:21:52.319 --> 00:21:55.119 How is it that you say you'll become free? 00:21:55.599 --> 00:21:59.759 Jesus answered them, Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin. 00:22:00.240 --> 00:22:02.160 Is a slave of sin. 00:22:03.519 --> 00:22:05.759 The slave doesn't remain in the house forever. 00:22:05.839 --> 00:22:06.960 The sun remains forever. 00:22:07.039 --> 00:22:12.000 I'll tell you what, if the sun makes you free, you are free indeed. 00:22:12.240 --> 00:22:13.839 Cross the board. 00:22:16.240 --> 00:22:19.200 That's the power of Jesus Christ, you see. 00:22:21.039 --> 00:22:26.799 Saves us from our sin, saves us from ourselves, saves us from the flesh, the world. 00:22:27.119 --> 00:22:28.400 He saves us. 00:22:32.799 --> 00:22:40.960 Now, what's interesting, again, I said Luke is intentionally giving us these case studies. 00:22:41.519 --> 00:22:44.400 He could have mentioned others, but he chooses these. 00:22:45.359 --> 00:22:50.720 I think the primary reason is to show us how, you know, the gospel isn't a one-size-fits-all. 00:22:51.759 --> 00:22:57.200 People understand the gospel and the power and freedom Jesus offers us in different ways. 00:22:58.640 --> 00:23:16.480 But the fact that Luke arranges this story of the slave girl is between Lydia and the Philippian jailer's conversions suggests to me that she too believed in Jesus and became part of the Philippian church. 00:23:17.599 --> 00:23:19.440 It just makes sense. 00:23:20.319 --> 00:23:30.799 The people who were exploiting the saved girl, by the way, and making money off of her were furious as their economics crashed. 00:23:31.200 --> 00:23:37.599 And they brought Paul and his team right into the Agora, the marketplace where everything happened. 00:23:37.680 --> 00:23:40.799 We'll see in Acts 17, we'll talk about the Agora. 00:23:41.440 --> 00:23:50.079 But everything happened there in the center of town, and they brought them down there and charged them before the civic authorities. 00:23:51.440 --> 00:23:54.240 Now, I'm not going to get into that part. 00:23:54.319 --> 00:23:58.799 We'll cover that next time, which is very interesting account. 00:23:59.279 --> 00:24:00.160 But let me go back. 00:24:00.240 --> 00:24:07.519 The slave girls' conversion offers us, I think, some important lessons on evangelism and sharing the gospel. 00:24:08.400 --> 00:24:15.759 Not everyone will listen to a reasoned gospel presentation from the scripture. 00:24:17.119 --> 00:24:25.680 We need to recognize that we're also in a spiritual battle with formidable enemies. 00:24:26.160 --> 00:24:30.319 The world, the flesh, the devil, for the eternal souls of people. 00:24:34.559 --> 00:24:41.279 Paul said in as he wrote to the first in 1 Corinthians 4, 3 and 4, he says, you know what? 00:24:41.440 --> 00:24:44.880 Even if our gospel is veiled, people don't get it. 00:24:45.519 --> 00:24:46.559 Tell you why. 00:24:46.799 --> 00:25:02.960 It's veiled to those who are perishing, in whose case the God of this world, Satan, has blinded the minds of the unbelieving so that they will they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. 00:25:03.759 --> 00:25:13.279 But what we learn from the slave girl is the good news of the gospel, namely, Jesus Christ can set you free. 00:25:13.920 --> 00:25:16.960 He is above all rule, power, and authority. 00:25:17.920 --> 00:25:23.359 And calling on Jesus' name can set people free. 00:25:24.160 --> 00:25:42.319 Reaching people with the gospel of Christ who are not religious, even those who are opposed to Christianity, should trigger us to think in terms of we're in a spiritual war for the souls of people, eternal destinies of people. 00:25:43.680 --> 00:25:49.759 It's a power struggle between the kingdom of Christ and the kingdom of darkness. 00:25:50.319 --> 00:25:54.799 And it's only one in the power of Jesus' name. 00:25:55.440 --> 00:25:57.839 Just like we saw what Paul did. 00:25:58.240 --> 00:26:06.319 So the lesson I see here is we need to make sure we're praying for people who need Jesus. 00:26:06.559 --> 00:26:14.799 Just like we have the large poster out in the cafe of first names of people we're praying for to come to know Christ. 00:26:15.440 --> 00:26:18.240 It's not just information they need. 00:26:19.680 --> 00:26:33.279 They need the Lord's help to free them from any kind of worldly, fleshly, demonic influence preventing them from seeing it. 00:26:33.519 --> 00:26:36.640 They're not having a gospel of Eureka moment. 00:26:37.839 --> 00:26:39.119 But they could. 00:26:40.720 --> 00:26:51.119 As we pray, and the Lord opens hearts, his power and authority conquers any kind of obstacle. 00:26:51.440 --> 00:27:01.279 So just to encourage us, keep praying, keep sharing, be sensitive, especially to those who aren't really listening. 00:27:01.519 --> 00:27:03.519 They may even be taunting. 00:27:05.519 --> 00:27:12.160 That's a time to go right to the Lord in the power of Jesus' name and pray. 00:27:13.039 --> 00:27:19.839 You know, the Apostle Paul witnessed many, many incredible conversions to Christ throughout his ministry. 00:27:20.160 --> 00:27:29.440 I think that's why when he finally got around to writing to the Romans, he stated this description of the gospel. 00:27:29.759 --> 00:27:33.839 Romans 1:16, for I am not ashamed of the gospel. 00:27:34.880 --> 00:27:42.079 It is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes. 00:27:43.279 --> 00:27:48.000 To the Jew first, but also to the Greek, all the Gentiles. 00:27:48.319 --> 00:27:55.359 And today we've seen how God will use a reasoned explanation of the scriptures to reach some people with the gospel. 00:27:56.079 --> 00:28:07.200 We'll also see how God used the power of Jesus' name in prayer to set people free from their bondage to sin and evil through Jesus Christ the Messiah. 00:28:07.519 --> 00:28:14.240 And when Jesus saves and liberates you, it's a salvation across the board. 00:28:14.799 --> 00:28:17.279 Sins past, predate, and future. 00:28:17.759 --> 00:28:19.440 You receive eternal life. 00:28:19.599 --> 00:28:20.960 That's forever. 00:28:21.839 --> 00:28:30.319 You release from any bondage to sin and the evil one as you call on the power of Jesus. 00:28:30.480 --> 00:28:34.000 Next time we're going to see one more amazing way God reaches people. 00:28:34.559 --> 00:28:39.039 I've held it off because I want to take a single focus at the Philippian jailer. 00:28:39.200 --> 00:28:42.240 It's probably where most of us are. 00:28:43.119 --> 00:28:51.839 So it's a it's huge to learn the lessons that Luca is giving us in that account about conversions. 00:28:52.400 --> 00:28:56.720 But today, um let's consider this. 00:28:56.880 --> 00:28:58.960 Has the gospel reached you? 00:28:59.920 --> 00:29:02.319 We have all kinds of different people here. 00:29:02.880 --> 00:29:16.720 I can't, you know, between you and God, um, are you convinced that Jesus is the Messiah and is is the only way, it's the only source of eternal salvation ever? 00:29:17.839 --> 00:29:19.759 Acts 4.13. 00:29:20.640 --> 00:29:30.480 What would it take to convince you, if if you haven't, that Jesus is the Son of God who died for your sins and rose again to give you eternal life? 00:29:30.559 --> 00:29:31.759 What would it take? 00:29:33.200 --> 00:29:41.759 Are you willing to open your heart, investigate, seek his truth in the in the word of God? 00:29:42.000 --> 00:29:47.920 And what would God have to do to show you that he's real and his power is great to save and free you? 00:29:52.319 --> 00:29:55.920 You know, religious people need the gospel. 00:29:56.720 --> 00:30:09.119 Um they think they already have it, but most of them are plagued with guilt because they can't seem to be perfect, keeping it all. 00:30:12.400 --> 00:30:24.880 I pray that as you hear these words, if you have not received Jesus, that God would open your heart to receive him and that you would receive the grace of his salvation in Jesus' name. 00:30:25.119 --> 00:30:25.920 Let's pray. 00:30:26.319 --> 00:30:32.799 Father, thank you that you have promised to save everyone who calls on you in Jesus' name. 00:30:33.039 --> 00:30:40.240 I pray that you would cast out the fears and doubts in our heart and open them to receive your abundant grace like Lydia did. 00:30:41.279 --> 00:30:55.279 Show us the power of the gospel of Jesus as you did the slave girl, freeing us and others from the power of sin, evil, and even death, and receive his grace and follow and serve Jesus. 00:30:55.599 --> 00:30:57.279 We pray for all of this, Lord. 00:30:57.359 --> 00:31:01.440 Help us to be uh faithful in our witness to others. 00:31:01.599 --> 00:31:07.359 Help us to be sensitive to how people respond, what they need to hear. 00:31:07.599 --> 00:31:12.559 And uh we ask you to give us the wisdom through your spirit to do this in Jesus' name. 00:31:12.799 --> 00:31:13.440 Amen.