Acts Message 38

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God is always worthy of our praise
Acts 16:16–34 NKJV
16 Now it happened, as we went to prayer, that a certain slave girl possessed with a spirit of divination met us, who brought her masters much profit by fortune-telling. 17 This girl followed Paul and us, and cried out, saying, “These men are the servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to us the way of salvation.” 18 And this she did for many days. But Paul, greatly annoyed, turned and said to the spirit, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.” And he came out that very hour. 19 But when her masters saw that their hope of profit was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace to the authorities. 20 And they brought them to the magistrates, and said, “These men, being Jews, exceedingly trouble our city; 21 and they teach customs which are not lawful for us, being Romans, to receive or observe.” 22 Then the multitude rose up together against them; and the magistrates tore off their clothes and commanded them to be beaten with rods. 23 And when they had laid many stripes on them, they threw them into prison, commanding the jailer to keep them securely. 24 Having received such a charge, he put them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks. 25 But at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them. 26 Suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone’s chains were loosed. 27 And the keeper of the prison, awaking from sleep and seeing the prison doors open, supposing the prisoners had fled, drew his sword and was about to kill himself. 28 But Paul called with a loud voice, saying, “Do yourself no harm, for we are all here.” 29 Then he called for a light, ran in, and fell down trembling before Paul and Silas. 30 And he brought them out and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” 31 So they said, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household.” 32 Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house. 33 And he took them the same hour of the night and washed their stripes. And immediately he and all his family were baptized. 34 Now when he had brought them into his house, he set food before them; and he rejoiced, having believed in God with all his household.
Intro:
I. He has power over Evil. VS 16-18
1. God’s word warns us of the evil in the word.
Eph 6:12 “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against rulers of darkness of the world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.”
a. How do we stand against wickedness or evil? (Paul in Eph Armor of God, VS 18 Eph 6, Praying always with prayer and supplication in the spirit”
VS 16a
Acts 16:16 (NKJV)
16 Now it happened, as we went to prayer, that a certain slave girl possessed with a spirit of divination met us, who brought her masters much profit by fortune-telling.
1. Prayer: Paul spent much time in prayer.
VS 16b
Acts 16:16 (NKJV)
16 Now it happened, as we went to prayer, that a certain slave girl possessed with a spirit of divination met us, who brought her masters much profit by fortune-telling.
1. Young slave girl. Elab
a. “Spirit of divination” Divination is a word the literally means “Python: A spirit supposed to be inspired by the python Apollo
VS 16c
Acts 16:16 (NKJV)
16 Now it happened, as we went to prayer, that a certain slave girl possessed with a spirit of divination met us, who brought her masters much profit by fortune-telling.
1. Her masters made lots of money because of her fortune telling.
a. She was a valuable piece of property.
b. Those that Satan uses today, are every
VS 17
Acts 16:17 NKJV
17 This girl followed Paul and us, and cried out, saying, “These men are the servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to us the way of salvation.”
1. At first glance this may look good, at least on the surface.
a. “These men are the servants of the most high God, which shew unto us the way of salvation”
b. She was telling the truth. So what was wrong? It was coming from a demon.
2. We find in the gospels that Jesus never appreciated or accepted the testimony of demons.
3. Satan and his demons know about the scriptures.
a. Whenever a demon met Jesus during His public ministry they immediately confessed Him as the Son of God.
b. At Gadara, the demon cries out. “What have we to do with thee, thou Son of God? Art thou come hither to torment us before the time?
c. In Capernaum. Jesus met a man with an unclean spirit which cried out, “Let us alone; what have we to do with thee, thou Jesus of Nazareth? Art thou come to destroy us?
4. The demon that possessed the girl recognized Paul and his team as men of God.
a. She was under the power of the demon, and the demon was using her as a dangerous weapon against the church.
1. She was telling the truth. VS 17
a. When the devil tells the truth about the Bible, Jesus, believers, a danger is created.
2. All throughout Jesus ministry, there were men that denied Him and called Him an imposter. While the demons called Him “Son of God”.
a. But every time the demons told the truth about Him, Jesus refused to here there testimony, commanded them to be quiet and cast them out.
3. The Holy Spirit had led Paul to Philippi; he was in fellowship with Jesus. He knew what the demon was up to and that his plan was to hinder the message of the gospel in this great city of idolatry and sin.
4. The devil will tell the truth just enough to get his foot in the door. That is when the danger begins.
5. Let’s fit this in to today.
a. Preachers who don’t preach the truth of the gospel.
b. They tell just enough of the truth to sound good. But many will deny that the scriptures divinely inspired. Some deny the virgin birth. Some will deny the blood of Jesus covers sin, or want even talk about sin. Some even deny the resurrection.
c. When people like this are allowed to take part in the work of a bible believing church they do great harm to the cause of Christ.
d. They say just enough of the right thing that they have many fooled.
II Corn 11:13-15
2 Corinthians 11:13–15 NKJV
13 For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ. 14 And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light. 15 Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works.
f. Jesus knew who they were and did not allow them any part of His ministry and neither would Paul.
VS. 18
Acts 16:18 NKJV
18 And this she did for many days. But Paul, greatly annoyed, turned and said to the spirit, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.” And he came out that very hour.
1. After she had followed Paul and his team for “many days” She annoyed them. She was trying to hinder their work.
a. Paul was “grieved” “thoroughly annoyed” Paul had, had enough. Why did he allow this for many days?
b. Commands the spirit “in the name of Jesus” to come out of her. Paul an Apostle, messenger from God. Elab
c. The demon comes out of her. “Same hour” Instant. At that very moment the demon came out of her. She was a new person, her life had changed. It was good for her, but not so good for those that owned her. Jesus has power over evil.
VS 19
1. Their business was in trouble, their profits were gone.
a. Paul didn’t go after their business; he used the power of Jesus to go after the devil.
b. Abortion protest: Matt Freederman.
c. The devil doesn’t give up easy. He will change his tactics.
VS 19b
1. Paul and Barnabas brought before the civil authorities. Probably officers in the Roman army.
II. During Persecution. VS 20-25
1. “These men do exceedingly trouble our city”
a. This was a lie. They didn’t trouble the city. They were doing great things for the city. A church had been started there.
b. The problem was their financial gain had been hurt.
c. They didn’t say anything about the slave girl that was free of the demon. They were greedy. Greedy people don’t care who they hurt, or how they do it.
VS 21
1. Now suddenly these men become concerned about their city and the laws of the land.
a. They had concern about rules and regulations when it benefitted them.
2. They had no respect for the law, they just wanted to get rid of the preachers of the gospel because it interfered with them making money. Money gave them power, they didn’t like that power taken from away.
VS 22
1. Mob violence:
a. “The multitude rose up together against them”
b. They stirred things up just like the unbelieving Jews in Acts 14
c. It is amazing how a few people can get a multitude of people to turn against what the Lord is doing. This is what Satan loves to do.
VS 23
1. strips: wounds. Beat with rods.
II Corn 11:25 “Thrice I was beaten with Rods”
1. Jewish law prohibited more than 40 stripes.
II Corn 11:24 “5 times received I 40 stripes save 0ne”
2. There was no limit to the number of stripes the Romans could give.
VS 23b
1. They would have been stripped down to their loincloth.
a. The jailer was given his orders. Elab what would have happened if they would have escaped.
VS 24
1. Put into the max surety, were the most dangerous prisoners would be.
a. Feet in stocks. Elab
b. This jailer wasn’t taking any chances. He was just doing his job.
c. Little did he know that his life was about to change. Close door open door.
III. When we see His power at work. VS 25-34
1. Paul and Silas, following the lead of the Holy Spirit, reaching the lost, cast of a demon. Now they are in prison, they have been beaten, in a dark prison. Up would be next, possible death.
a. Elab on the conversation between Paul and Silas.
b. What are we going to do now Paul?
c. Lets pray, lets sing praises to God.
D They sang praises for all to hear. VS 25b
VS 26
1. The power of God.
a. They may have had Paul and Silas may have been locked in, but they couldn’t lock out God.
b. They praised and God spoke. An earthquake, the foundation shook, the walls didn’t come down but the doors were open and their bands were loosed.
c. The power of God will lose whatever you has bound. Sin, depression, hurt, nothing is more powerful than God. His power will set you free.
VS 27
Elab the fear of the jailer.
VS 28
1. Paul could have let him kill himself and ran, but looked for the opportunities to share Jesus.
a. We’re still here, it’s ok.
VS 29,30
1. The jailer with his light in his hand falls to their feet. Bring them outside the cell.
a. What must I do to be saved. He was under convection. Elab
VS 31,32
1. They shared the gospel with him. Not just him, but his family and all that were in his house.
a. All the suffering they had gone through would have wroth to them.
VS 33
1.The first act the newly converted man His sins had been washed away by the blood of Jesus, now he was washing the wounds of Paul and Silas.
VS 34
1. He brings them into his house, he feeds them.
Rejoiced.
In Ch 16 we 3 people whose lives were changed because of the power of Jesus.
Lydia: cultured women.
The demon possessed slave girl.
The keep of the Jail.
1. When a life is because of Jesus, it is I great time to save praise him.
Do you have a reason to praise him today?
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