Your Faithfulness Could Affect Generations of People-Part 1
Notes
Transcript
Handout
INTRODUCTION:
1. Story of how my family became christian.
2. Story of Bob Stapleton.
Body:
1. One person’s influence can be extremely powerful.
A. With-in one’s own household.
1. Lydia was very influential with-in her household.
14 Now a certain woman named Lydia heard us. She was a seller of purple from the city of Thyatira, who worshiped God. The Lord opened her heart to heed the things spoken by Paul. 15 And when she and her household were baptized, she begged us, saying, “If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come to my house and stay.” So she persuaded us.
A. It was because of the faithfulness of Lydia that her household heard the gospel preached by Paul.
1. Our faithfulness in attendance can possibly be the reason why our household is faithful.
A. Lydia was faithfully meeting or assembling on the Sabbath when she and her household heard Paul preach the gospel.
13 And on the Sabbath day we went out of the city to the riverside, where prayer was customarily made; and we sat down and spoke to the women who met there.
B. Our attendance at worship can affect generations of people and is one of the reason why we are not forsake the assembling of ourselves together.
22 let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. 23 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. 24 And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, 25 not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.
2. The Philippian Jailer was very influential with-in his household.
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.
A. The Jailer was attending to his job and Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns.
1. Whether he understood it or not he was being taught by the prayer and singing of Paul and Silas.
16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.
2. When the earthquake happened and the door of the jail was opened the jailer was going to take his own life but Paul stopped him telling him that they were all there.
3. It was at this point that we know that the jailer was listening to the prayer and songs because they asked the same question as did the people in Acts 2.
37 Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Men and brethren, what shall we do?”
30 And he brought them out and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”
4. We can also surmise from the question what was being taught in the prayer and singing.
22 “Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a Man attested by God to you by miracles, wonders, and signs which God did through Him in your midst, as you yourselves also know—23 Him, being delivered by the determined purpose and foreknowledge of God, you have taken by lawless hands, have crucified, and put to death; 24 whom God raised up, having loosed the pains of death, because it was not possible that He should be held by it. 25 For David says concerning Him: ‘I foresaw the Lord always before my face, For He is at my right hand, that I may not be shaken. 26 Therefore my heart rejoiced, and my tongue was glad; Moreover my flesh also will rest in hope. 27 For You will not leave my soul in Hades, Nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption. 28 You have made known to me the ways of life; You will make me full of joy in Your presence.’ 29 “Men and brethren, let me speak freely to you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. 30 Therefore, being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that of the fruit of his body, according to the flesh, He would raise up the Christ to sit on his throne, 31 he, foreseeing this, spoke concerning the resurrection of the Christ, that His soul was not left in Hades, nor did His flesh see corruption. 32 This Jesus God has raised up, of which we are all witnesses. 33 Therefore being exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He poured out this which you now see and hear. 34 “For David did not ascend into the heavens, but he says himself: ‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at My right hand, 35 Till I make Your enemies Your footstool.” ’ 36 “Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.” 37 Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Men and brethren, what shall we do?”
A. It can be also logically reasoned that if the same question is asked, then the same means of obtaining the question was used.
5. We can also reason that preaching Jesus results in one desiring to be baptised.
A. It happened in Acts 2:41
41 Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them.
B. It happened in Acts 8:35-38 with the Ethiopian eunuch.
35 Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning at this Scripture, preached Jesus to him. 36 Now as they went down the road, they came to some water. And the eunuch said, “See, here is water. What hinders me from being baptized?” 37 Then Philip said, “If you believe with all your heart, you may.” And he answered and said, “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.” 38 So he commanded the chariot to stand still. And both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water, and he baptized him.
C. It happened with the Philippian Jailer in Acts 16:33.
33 And he took them the same hour of the night and washed their stripes. And immediately he and all his family were baptized.
3. The Jailer after being taught had the right heart condition in order to ask the right questions which led to his baptism.
3 Then He spoke many things to them in parables, saying: “Behold, a sower went out to sow. 4 And as he sowed, some seed fell by the wayside; and the birds came and devoured them. 5 Some fell on stony places, where they did not have much earth; and they immediately sprang up because they had no depth of earth. 6 But when the sun was up they were scorched, and because they had no root they withered away. 7 And some fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up and choked them. 8 But others fell on good ground and yielded a crop: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.
A. If he had not had the right heart condition his household would have never had the opportunity to hear the saving message of the gospel.
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.
1. His faithfulness and example had a huge impact on his household.
7 But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.
CONCLUSION:
1. It was because of the faithfulness of Lydia and the Philippian Jailer that generations of people had the opportunity to hear the message of the gospel.
A. Slaves, servants, relatives, children and their families were all affected by the faithfulness of these two individuals.
1. Who will be affected by your faithfulness?