to receive, this will be a great
blessing. It was to me in studying it.
Now, the Apostle Paul and Silas were on a missionary journey.
I think this was their second one, the second of three. And they were preaching the gospel
throughout the land, throughout the world. There are some places they had
not been before, and some they had. They were
revisiting some places and visiting new places. This is the story
of how the Lord led them to this town called Philippi. And their Lord's amazing providence
in calling out some people and raising up a church And this
is the Lord's doings, and this is marvelous, how he called these
people in his providence by his gospel and raised up this church. It's just marvelous. You're going
to enjoy this. All right, verse 1. It says in
Acts 16, Then came he to Derbe and Lystra, and behold, a certain
disciple was there, named Timotheus, Timothy, son of a certain woman.
which was a Jewish and believed, but his father was a Greek. Paul
and Silas came to Derby, this town, and a young man named Timothy
was there, a fine young man, a believer. And Paul, I believe,
knew his mother, Eunice, and her mother, Lois. And Paul decided
that he wanted Timothy to go with him. This was the meeting
of these two, and they were inseparable from this day forward. Verse
3, he was well-reported of. Verse 3, him would Paul have
to go forth with him, and took and circumcised him for reasons
known to him in Paul's wisdom. And he took Timothy, encouraged
him to go with him. Paul wanted Timothy to accompany
he and Silas on this missionary trip. Now, young Timothy, being
young and being zealous, I'm sure he thought, oh boy, I'm going to be a preacher. Going out preaching. Might even
be a pastor. This is so romantic, it's so
wonderful. No, it's not, Timothy. Nothing but trouble. But I'm
sure he thought that. I'm sure he did. Oh boy, can
I go? Yes. He quickly found out. Well, verses 4 and 5. And they
went through the cities, Paul, Silas, and now Timothy. They
went through the cities, various cities, Ephesus, various places,
delivered them the decrees to keep that were ordained of the
apostles and elders which were at Jerusalem. And so the churches
were established in the faith and increased in number daily. God added to the church daily
such as should be ordained, chosen, elect. He added to his church
daily. The numbers increased daily.
It says they delivered the decrees to these Gentile churches, decrees
that had been sat down by the church at Jerusalem. Back in
chapter 15, go back there quickly. In chapter 15, they had a big
meeting at Jerusalem. The apostles were there, head
of the church at Jerusalem, James and others were there, all the
leaders and the people were there and had this big meeting because,
and Paul wrote the book of Galatians about that some people were saying,
you need to be circumcised and keep the law and all that. And
they had a big meeting, and it was a big thing. They had to
settle this issue. What must we do to be saved? And Paul was getting ready to
go out preaching all throughout the world. What shall we tell
these Gentiles must be done to be saved? And so the church issued a letter
like this. Look at it, verses 28 and 29.
They sent this letter, verse 27, "'We have sent, therefore,
Judas and Silas, who shall also tell you the same things by mouth.'"
This is another Judas, one of the apostles. There was later
a separation, Barnabas and Paul separated, and he took Silas
and so on. He says they'll tell you the
same things by mouth, they're going to tell you in person.
For it seemed good to the Holy Ghost, now this is the Holy Spirit,
and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary
things. Now here it is. That you abstain
from meats offered to idols, and from blood, and from things
strangled, and from fornication, from which, if you keep yourselves,
you shall do well, fare you well, good-bye, God bless you." That's
it. Do that. These are good things.
You have the gospel. Believe Christ, trust him, but
just don't eat this bad meat that's sitting there for days,
and abstain from all appearances of evil, and farewell. So those
are the ordinances. They will set down these rules
from the church. That was it. No greater burden
than necessary thing. That was it. Well, go back to
the text. So here Paul and Silas delivered
the decrees, along with preaching the gospel. Now, they didn't
go just to deliver that letter. They went to preach the gospel,
and that's what is the power of God, and that's what God used
it to do, the gospel. And it says the churches were
established in the faith, not in the ordinances, but in the
faith, you see, which is Christ crucified, trust in Christ, his
righteousness, his atonement. Well, verses six and seven. Now,
when they'd gone through Phrygia and the region of Galatia, They
were forbidden of the Holy Ghost to preach the word in Asia. If
you would look at your map, they were coming up the coast there,
or coming up through the middle of what is now Turkey, and they
wanted to go straight through Asia, a huge, vast country, Asia. They wanted to go straight through
it, but somehow they were forbidden. The Holy Spirit, God, just barred
the way. No, no. And he turned them, I
think it was due north, yeah, due north up toward the little
city up there. Turned them due north. They wanted
to go into Asia and preach. Now, this is important. They
wanted to go into Asia. Big country, vast country, a
lot of people there. We need to preach the gospel
there. A lot of cities there. No. No, God said. And he turned them in another
direction. Now when they had come to Mysia, they had said
to go into Bithynia. Now they wanted to go someplace
else. This was another large country up in the far north there. They wanted to go up there into
this country where the Spirit said, No. No, you're not going
there. It suffered them not. So they
turned due west from there. Verse 8, they passed by Mysia. passed by this town. And that came down to Troas in
verse 9. And a vision appeared to Paul
at night. They got there about day dawn,
or not dawn, but in the evening, and night time came and they
went to sleep. And a vision appeared to Paul
in the night, and there stood a man of Macedonia, and prayed
him, saying, Come over into Macedonia and help us." Macedonia. Now, God does not speak in dreams
and visions anymore. Let me make this plain. God does not speak in dreams
and visions to anyone anymore. only through his word. See, the
Apostle Paul was writing the word of God at this time. He was writing the word of God. Peter, James, John, they were
writing the word of God. It was not written yet. God spoke
to them. God, who at sundry times in a
diverse manner spake unto the fathers by the prophets, hath
unto these last days spoken unto us by his Son. spoke through
the apostles, the word was being written. Make that clear, OK?
God doesn't speak to anyone in dreams and visions anymore. Uh-uh. We have a more sure word
of prophecy, Peter said. We do well to take heed. All
right? OK, so the Lord spoke to Paul
through this dream, and this man said, Come over to Macedonia.
And verse 10, after Paul had that vision, that dream, after
he had seen the vision immediately, Paul said, and Luke is narrating
this, Luke's with them too, or at least Paul recounted this
later. Immediately after, we endeavored
to go into Macedonia, assuredly gathering. Now we're sure where
we're supposed to go. That's what they said. Now we
know where we're supposed to go. See, they were going on an
adventure. Where do we go? Let's go to Asia.
Well, let's go to Bithynia. No. Where are we going to go?
Macedonia. Go on over. Okay, now we know
where we're supposed to go. The Lord assuredly told us where
we're going, gathering that the Lord had called us to do this
one thing, to go to Macedonia to preach the gospel unto them. That's what they were sent to
do. And that's what they did. Paul said, Though I preach the
gospel, I have nothing to glory in, yea, necessity is laid upon
me, and woe is unto me if I preach not the gospel. Because the gospel
is the power of God unto salvation. To the Jew first, and to the
Greek. We go to preach the gospel. That's
why Paul and Silas went. That's what God sent them to
do, preach the gospel. They were not sent to organize,
to socialize, but to preach the gospel. Not even to start churches.
I hear that a lot. My ministry is starting churches.
Ain't no man anywhere ever started a church. It's God's church. It's Christ's church. These fellows
endeavored to go here and go there. They didn't know where
they were supposed to go. until God led them, God's going
to establish his church. Except the Lord build the house,
they labor in vain to build it. I greatly beg to differ with
these fellows talking about starting churches. God must build his
church. He starts his church. And we're
going to see how he starts his church. It's not like we would.
He started his church Not the way we would. Well, this is what
God is pleased to use, preaching. And so that's what they did.
I believe he told Timothy at this time. They were headed toward
Macedonia now. Now we know where we're supposed
to go. We're assuredly convinced that this is where we're supposed
to go and preach the gospel. And Timothy said, How are we
going to get a hearing? Now you listen to me. Paul said,
you listen to me. The time is coming when they're going to turn away
their ears. People aren't going to want to hear what we have
to say. Turn away their ears from the truth and be turned
unto faith. Timothy, God is chosen by the foolishest preaching to
save them that believe. This is what I heard and what
you heard, Silas. Yes, the preaching of the gospel.
This is what God saved me with, the preaching of the gospel.
I heard you preach it, Paul. And Timothy, I want you to preach
the Word. Someday, God equips you, sends
you, opens the door, preach the Word, Timothy, be instant, in
season, out of season. Sound familiar? That's what he's
telling them. You preach the Word. They're going to turn away
their ears from the truth. This is what God used. So they
headed toward Macedonia. They headed toward Macedonia.
And a few days later, they arrived in Macedonia. Verse 12, "...from
thence they came to Philippi." They came to Philippi, which
is the chief city, or that is the first city, the first city
established there, part of Macedonia, a colony, a Roman colony. It
really wasn't a big city, but it was the first city. And Paul
said, the writer says, we were in that city abiding certain
days. They were there and they been
there a few days. Now, they tried to preach in
Asia. They wanted to go into Asia, big play. Couldn't go. They went, tried to go to Bithynia. Couldn't go. They didn't know
where they were supposed to go. A dream. Here they go to Macedon. Here they come and here they
are. And they abide there for a few days, all right? They traveled
a long way. They traveled over 1,000, 1,500
miles from Jerusalem. on foot, boat, however they could
get there. Long way. Now remember, they
wanted to go into Asia, but couldn't. Now they end up here in Philippi,
this little town, this little Roman colony named Philippi. And I'm sure each of them thought,
as a couple of days went by, why are we here? Why are we here at Philippi?
in Macedonia, and passed by all those towns and all those places,
and here we are in Philippi. Why are we here? Well, verse
13, on the Sabbath day, we went out of the city by a riverside. They walked down on the Sabbath
day to the river where prayer, some people praying. And we sat
down, and there were some women. All it was, was a little handful
of women sitting by the river, a riverside prayer meeting. Here
we are in Philippi. Let's walk down by the river,
okay? Let's go, Silas. They walk down by the river and
some women pray in there. And it says they sat down and
they spake to the women that were there. Thousands and thousands
of miles they traveled to preach the gospel. They passed by vast
places, great cities, to get to this little place, to go down
by a river and preach to a handful of women. I was going to raise up a church. A church. Riverside Baptist. A church. Oh, boy. Just a handful of women. This
small group, what's it, women? Yeah. This is the Lord's doing
and it is marvelous. Look at verse 14. A certain woman
named Lydia, a seller of perfume, a cloth salesperson of the city. This woman was in Philippi on
business. She had traveled to Philippi
on business. Perhaps business was bad in her
hometown of Thyatira. You know where Thyatira is? Asia. You catch that? Asia. Paul said, Let's go preach in
Asia. God said, No. Why not? They don't have any
sheep there. But I got one from Asia. She's
going to be in Philippi. Go meet her. Ah, boy. She had traveled herself hundreds
of miles doing business and ended up in this town. Business got
good there. Ended up there, ended up staying
there. Now she's down by the river. And just like our Lord
met a woman at the well at the exact time, just like he met a man up a tree. Just like a man, a blind man,
sitting by the wayside, he just happened by. Just like that eunuch was riding
in his chariot through the wilderness, and all of a sudden here comes
a preacher. Lydia, now sitting down by the river, and up walked
the apostle Paul. Well, she's in the right place
at the right time. Yeah, God's good time. In the fullness of
time, God sent a preacher. God sovereignly directed her
to leave home, Lydia. There is no gospel here. Leave
home. Go a long ways. Stay there. Paul, don't go to Asia. Go to
Philippi. I've got someone I want you to
meet. I want you to preach to them, to hear the gospel. So Paul spoke to these women.
Paul spoke to these women and said, he sat down and he spoke
unto the women. What do you suppose he said? Well, I know what he said. There
was no doubt in my mind. I quoted it to him. He said,
Well, it was unto me if I preach not the gospel. Listen in the
book of Philippians. Paul said this to these women.
He came down and he sat down and he talked to these women
about God manifesting the flesh. He said, He who being in the
form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God, but made
himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant,
and was made in the likeness of man. You've heard of Jesus
of Nazareth, haven't you, Lydia? Yes, we have. That's God manifest
in the flesh. Yes, God became a man. He who,
being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with
God, made himself of low reputation, took upon him the form of a servant,
made in the likeness of men, being found in the fashion of
a man, he humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even
the death of the cross." Well, you heard that Jesus was crucified
on a cross, didn't you? And the lady, yeah, I did. I don't know why, though. Why
did they do that to him? Because he was made sin for us, Lydia.
God gave him a people. He is the Lamb of God. He is
the sinner's sacrifice. He is the substitute for his
people. God laid on him the iniquity
of all his people. God gave him, the Messiah, his
Son, a people before the foundation of the world, and he came down
here to do for them what they could not do for themselves.
to live according to God's perfect law. God demands it, Lydia. He
demands it. You can't do it. I couldn't do
it. I thought I could, Lydia. I'm a Hebrew of Hebrews. Concerning
the righteousness of the Lord, I was blameless, Lydia. For what
things were gained of me, I can't but loss. I was rich and increased
with goods and righteousness and all that, but I didn't know
God, Lydia. I thought I was righteous, but
I was exceedingly sinful. until God revealed unto me Christ's
righteousness. And, oh, Lydia, I want to be
found in Him, not having mine own righteousness which is of
the law, but that righteousness which is of Him by faith, by
what He did. I'm quoting everything you wrote
in Philippians right now. Lydia, God put on Him my sin,
and if you're one of His elect, if you need this righteousness,
God gave you His righteousness. gave me his righteousness. Now I'm accepted in the beloved. I just wrote that to the Ephesians
the other day. God laid on him the iniquity
of all his people, and God slew him. It pleased the Lord to bruise
him. This is what Isaiah said, Lydia.
It pleased the Lord to bruise him. Have you ever read Isaiah
53? By the chastisement our peace
was laid on him, by his traps we are healed, by his knowledge
shall my righteous servant justify many. This is that substitute. Jesus of Nazareth was crucified
for his people. The law slew him from me, and
now the law has no claims on me. I am crucified with Christ. Nevertheless, I live, but yet
not I. Christ liveth in me. I'm crucified, buried, and risen,
and that's what baptism's all about, Lydia. Christ said he
would believe in his baptized. That's what you're doing when
you confess Christ. You need his righteousness, you
need his shed blood, you're a sinner before a holy God. And he preached it much better
than I could. This is Christ, Lydia. This is
Jesus, the Christ, who lived, who was crucified for his people
and now is ascended on high where he ever lives to make intercession
for his people. And I pray, I'm not going to
count myself to have apprehended, but just one thing I do. I forget
those things which are behind. I'm pressing toward the mark
for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus, and so
are all his people. They want to win Christ, be found
in him, they might know him. Do you believe, Lydia? Do you
need a Christ, Lydia? You need a righteous man. You've
been worshiping God all these years, haven't you? Trying. You
don't even know the God of the Bible. You don't know how to
get to God, do you? Well, this is the way. Christ
said, I am the way, the truth, and the life. No man cometh unto
the Father but by me. But he said, all the Father giveth
me shall come unto me. And he sent me to preach this
gospel to everyone that believeth. And he that believeth and is
baptized, confesses Christ, who he is and what he did in the
waters of baptism, shall be saved. Do you believe, Lydia? Yes. Yes,
I do. So what happened? That's what he
said. That's what he preached. He said
it may be longer and much better, the gospel. Look at it in verse
14. said, whose heart the Lord opened. What opens a heart? The gospel. That's the sword. And she attended
unto the things which were spoken. And when she was baptized, and
her household, evidently her, whoever was there, her relatives
were there, and they all, the Lord saved them all. And they were all baptized. And
look at what she did. She besought us, saying, If you
have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, would you come into
my house and abide there? And she constrained him. Oh,
my. The Lord opened her heart, she
confessed Christ, and she constrained Paul. A stranger to her. She was a stranger to her, Lydia,
Jeanette. Paul was a stranger to her. But
she entertained him anyway. And boy, wasn't he an angel. Come on over. Would you come
over? And from that day forward, you know that when this whole
story is over, Paul went back to her house. It was a haven
of rest for Paul and the apostles. Oh, who was blessed! Paul needed
a place to stay and something to eat. Lydia's. She's the one that was blessed
in her house. Well, so Paul preached and the Lord opened her heart.
This is the first member of the Church at Philippi, down by the
river. That's how God calls his people. Takes somebody from Asia, moves
them to Philippi, and brings a preacher from Jerusalem. Oh, boy, about a Savior from
heaven. All right, look at verses 16
through 18. Here's just this short story,
an interim story here. It came to pass as we went to
prayer, they stayed there a while, and they went to prayer. Where?
Down by the river. A certain damsel, possessed with
a spirit of divination, met us. She was a soothsayer. She was
a psychic. She was a woman preacher. Will God save a woman preacher?
I only know of one right here. That's what she was. This is
what she was. Verse 16. Spirited divination
met us. She had a spirit, all right.
It wasn't the spirit of God. And she brought her masters much
gain. Had a lot of women The same followed Paul and us, and
cried, Saying, These men are servants of the Most High God,
which show unto us the way of salvation." That's strange, isn't it? She spoke the truth. Yes, she did. That just shows
me that God He's not left himself without a witness. He declared
the truth through what he did through a donkey one day. And
now he did this, even this woman, to her condemnation, to the condemnation
of all around her. She didn't understand a thing
she was saying. And isn't that so? Those who hold the truth
in unrighteousness, for unrighteous gain, their own evil purposes
and so forth, yet they still, I hear them say some truth. And God's going to speak even
through an ass, isn't He? Well, it says in verse
18, she did this many days, and Paul, being grieved, turned and
said to the Spirit, I command thee in the name of Jesus Christ
to come out of her. And he came out the same hour,
that evil spirit. Paul confronted that spirit.
And God removed it. So how do you know she was saved? Well, every single person out
of whom God cast an evil spirit in the scriptures in the name
of the Lord Jesus Christ was saved. Every one of them. Every one of them. The evil spirit
was removed. Every single instant, that person
was converted. And so this lady was saved. in the name of Christ, took out
this evil spirit and the Holy Spirit set up resin. You know
what it did? You know what it gave her? You don't hear about
her anymore. You sure don't hear from her. What did it do? It shut her mouth. You're not going to hear another
word, another peep out of this woman. We've already heard too
much. Paul is going to do the preaching
now. And she's going to sit and listen, realizing, I didn't know
anything. It was rare, but it happened. Now, this woman's supporters,
her supporters, her masters, you know, those that she worked And they were getting great gain
out of it, and they just lost it all. And they got mad. They
got mad at Paul and Silas. And it says in verse, look at
this, verse 23, they cast them into prison. First they beat
them, verse 23. They laid many stripes upon them,
and they cast Paul and Silas into prison. And there was a
jailer there. He's an old retired soldier,
an old retired Roman soldier relegated to a jail house. He
used to be somebody, and now he's old and getting up in years
and kind of not good for much else. We'll have him keep a jail
down in Philippi, this jailer. Please, Caesar, I beg of you,
send me to one of these major cities. I'll do anything. Let
me just serve in the courts of Pilate, of Herod, or somebody."
No, you're going to Philippi. Jailer John, that's all you're
fit for. Go on down there and keep a jail
now. Do a job well, or we'll have you put in stocks. Best thing that ever happened
to me. They told this jailer, and he
said, You keep them safely. Verse 24, so this old jailer,
he received such a charge, he thrust them into prison. Sam,
he didn't treat them kindly, but he thrust them into the inner
prison, it says, the inner prison, the worst, the hole, the dungeon,
the darkest, dampest place in that whole place. threw him in there. He was tired
at the end of the day. He wanted to go home and get
him a big plate of something and a glass of grog and have
him a little nap. That's all he wanted. Go back to the office. He wanted his eight hours to
be up. Get in there. And he says he
made their feet fast in the stocks. He made those bonds tight. Now, what's this all about? Boy, God's purpose is messed
up now, isn't it? Here they are sent down to Philippi
to preach the gospel, and so far a cloth salesperson and a
former soothsayer have been saved. And now here they are in prison. What are we doing here? I guarantee
you. Paul and Silas were just men. I guarantee you. They sat
there in that dark, damp... What's God doing? We know he
sent us down here to preach the gospel. We know this. Silas? But why
has God done this? What purpose could be in us sitting
in this darkness like this? What purpose could—Silas said,
wait a minute, Paul. Purpose. Paul said, yes, that's it. Purpose. And we know. Silas,
we know this. We do. How could I have been
so foolish? We know that all things work
together for good to them that love God, who they're called
according to his purpose. We know this, Silas, don't we?
Yes, we do, Paul. Well, let's just pray to the
God who does all things on purpose. What do you say? Let's pray.
Why are you all downcast within me, O my soul? Let's pray to
God who does—we're here on purpose, Silas. What are we getting down
to mouth for, huh? I don't know. Let's just pray. who reigns in the armies of heaven
among the heavens and the earth. None can stay his hand or say
unto him, What doest thou? None unto whom are all his works
from the beginning, who works all things according to your
counsel, according to your purpose, whose will will be done in heaven
and upon earth, by whose will we're sitting in this burnt-backed
jail cell. We thank you, O God, that we're
in this burnt-backed cell according to your all-arising, total purpose,
ordained in all things, and sure concerning us. Thank you, thank you, thank you.
Now let's sing a song, Silas, what do you say? What are we
going to sing? Praise God. That's what they
sang praises, look at it. Verse 25, they prayed and sang
praises. Praise God, from whom all blessings
flow. Praise him, all creatures here
below. Above ye heavenly hosts, praise
Father, Son, and Holy Ghost." It says the prisoners were listening
to him. I bet you there was an old boy sitting in a chair, taking
a nap, but couldn't sleep very well, listening to him. He said, shut up. And it says, verse 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 bands were loosed." That is the gospel,
John David! Foundations shaking, prison doors
open, bands are loosed. That's what happened when the
gospel was preached. Paul and Silas were discussing
the gospel together, praying to God, singing praises of Christ. Foundations were shaken. Standing on whatever you're standing
on, God will have to shake it. Your security, your past, the
heart's door has to be opened. Christ the door has to be revealed. And all those chains of darkness,
those grave clothes have to be removed. That's what happens
when the gospel is preached. Well, this old soldier, this
jailer, He was asleep on the job. And it says, he woke up,
verse 27, the keeper of the prison, awaking out of his sleep, seeing
the prison doors open. It was dark in these jails, dark,
and they couldn't see if anybody was in there or not. But all
he saw was these doors off their hinges, all the doors of all
the prisoners. And it says he got out his sword.
He drew out his sword because he knew that a breach of duty,
that he was derelict of his duty, and he was going to be killed.
They were going to kill him for losing his prisoners. He was
doomed. He was damned. He was going to
die. So he thought, I'll just kill myself. It's all hopeless
now. He drew out his sword and would
have killed himself, supposing the prisoners had fled, but God with his great mercy, wherewith
he loved an old Philippian jailer, sent a preacher named Paul, whose
voice this man heard, crying out, Do thyself no harm. We're all here. We're all here. Then it said he called for a
light. Give me a torch, said to his deputy. Give me a torch,
and he sprang in, verse 29, and came trembling and fell down
before Paul in silence. I'm just certain through all
of this, if God doesn't God works in mysterious ways, but God works
pretty much the same way. God convicts of sin, of righteousness,
of judgment, doesn't he? Yes, he does. And through all
of this, I'm just sure the Lord was working on this man's heart.
How long they'd been in prison, I don't know, but a good while.
And the Lord, I believe, was working on this man's heart and
his conscience, his treatment of these innocent men. He observed
their calm resignation to God's will. He heard them. How can
they say this is God's will, to be in prison like that? What
purpose? He's the object of it. And he
observed their trust in their God, their happy contentment
and worshipful deportment He seems happier than I am being
in that prison, and I don't understand that. I'm going to sleep." Their
constant talk of Christ, and now this miraculous deliverance
and mercy received in spite of his wickedness, in spite of his
dereliction of duty. Verse 30, and he brought them
out. He brought them out of darkness into the light. and said, Sirs,
what must I do to be saved? What must I do to be saved? Believe. Believe, Paul said. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ
and thou shalt be saved and thy house, whoever believes, Christ
will be saved too. In verse 32, it says, "...they
spake unto him the word of the Lord." What do you reckon they
said? I know what they said! They said, and we're good again! Christ, being in a form of God,
who sought it not robbery to be equal with God, who made himself
of no reputation took upon him the form of a servant, was made
in the likeness of men, being found in the fashion of man,
became obedient." He humbled himself, became obedient unto
death, even unto the death of the cross. You see, Mr. Javers,
God became a man. Have you ever heard of Jesus?
Lazarus? That's God. And he preached the
gospel. That's what God did. He didn't
just say, well, do you believe on Jesus? See that darned hell? He didn't just say, do you believe
on Jesus? I'll tell you who he is. He told me who he is, why
he came, where he is now, and what he's done. The gospel, the
word of the Lord. Well, look at verse 32. And they spake unto him the word
of the Lord, and all that were in his house. And verse 33, that
jailer took them the same hour of the night, took them home. entertained these strangers,
took them home, washed their stripes. Oh, blessed God, Christ
washed his. By his stripes, this man was
healed. So this man washed Paul's stripes,
the very stripes he had inflicted. It says he was baptized. And
he and all his house, straight away, straight immediately, no hesitation. Christ said, he that confesseth
me, I'll confess, he that denieth me, I'll deny. This is how you
confess a believer back to them. So he did right away, he and
all his house, all his house. Well, that's the Church of Philippi. a sorcerer and a jailer. And look how God did it. Look how he did it. Down by a
river, walking back to the river, getting thrown in jail. That's God. This is the Lord's
doing. It's marvelous in our eyes. Marvelous. So the jailer washed them. This
is interesting. says verse 34, When he had brought
them into his house, he set the meat before them, and rejoiced,
believing in God with all his house." But he had a problem. He had a problem. The jail was unsecure, and they
were going to find out he was asleep and all this happened.
And what's he going to do about this problem? And his big problem
was over. Sin. Christ did something like that,
he said. And the rest of them, very minor.
God worked his out. You know what happened? I'll
tell you in short what happened. The rulers of the city sent word
to him, to the jailers, sent people down to the jail and said,
let your prisoners go. He'd already let them go. Let
them go! OK. They're loose! I've turned them loose. Good
job. Isn't the Lord doing marvelous? This man rejoiced. He rejoiced. And from that day forward, he
was a member of the Church at Philippi. Let me read this in
closing to you. We read it in opening. Now, close. Paul wrote to the Philippians.
He wrote this letter. By the way, while he was in Philippi,
he stayed there many days, remember? He stayed there many days in
Philippi. Remember he said they abode there
several days, and then finally one day they went? But while
they were there, Paul decided to write some letters. He wrote two letters. First and
second, Corinthians. Why are we going to Philippi?
Well, he wrote back to the Philippians later on and said, Paul and Simotheus,
servants of Jesus Christ. Now, here's Lydia, here's Susie
Soothsayer, whatever her name is, here's the jailer, John the
jailer, they get this letter. All the saints in Christ that
fill up our grace unto you. Oh, he has, he was, isn't he,
isn't he? And peace. Oh, I've got it, Joseph,
I've got it. Didn't have it before. From God
our Father, he's my Father, yes he is. And from the Lord Jesus
Christ, I know him. Bless God, I know him. Paul says,
I thank God upon every remembrance of you, in every prayer of mine
for you all, making requests with joy for your fellowship
in the gospel from the first day. Until now. For your fellowship, Jader thought
back, it is sweet, this fellowship. Paul said, now I'm confident
of this very thing, that he hath done a good work in you. He's
going to perform it. He's going to fish it until the
day of Jesus Christ. It's neat for me to think this
of you all. I have you in my heart. And as
much as in my bonds where I'm in prison, In the defense and
confirmation of the gospel, you are all partakers of this grace."
Lydia said, Amen. Soothsayer said, Amen. And Jada
said, Amen and Amen. And so saith the Church at this time. Let's thank the Church's one
foundation. 186 is Jesus Christ, our Lord. Let's stand and sing. A church's one foundation is
Jesus Christ, her Lord. She is his new creation by water
and by word. Come, can we claim and suffer
to be his holy bride? with his own blood he fought
her, and for her life he died." mid toil and tribulation, and
to look of her womb, she waits the consolation of peace forevermore. Till with thou vision, Gloria,
her longing eyes are bled, and the great Church Victorian shall
be the Church at rest. Yet she honored that union with
God the free in heart, and this makes me