Acts chapter 16 in our study
this morning. Let's look at verse 14. Acts
16 verse 14 and we're taking our title for the message from
this verse 14. A certain woman named Lydia. She was there at a certain time
to meet a certain man, a certain preacher, and she was in a certain
business. She was a businesswoman selling
her Goods seller purple. She was of the city of fiber
Tyra and she was walking in what light God had given her. Worshipping
God. And she heard us Paul and Silas
Timothy whose heart the Lord had opened. that she attended
unto the things which were spoken by Paul, God opened her heart."
Now, here's the title. The Lord must open our heart. He must work in us the will of
God. Salvation by the grace of God
is a heart work. Christ in you is a hope of glory. It's a heart work upon the sinner. It is almighty God that must
wound and convict of sin, and it's the same God who must heal
us. It is the same God that must
raise us up from the dead to enable us to hear the gospel,
to enable us to believe the gospel. of the Lord Jesus Christ. Those
who believe the gospel are those who are born of God the Holy
Spirit. That's the only reason that Lydia
heard, and that's the only reason that we hear the gospel. We have
been begotten of God by the power of God. You have to be quickened
who were dead. You remember the scripture in
1 John Chapter 5, whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ, that
person is born of God. We only believe according to
the working of His mighty power. Now that's exactly what happened
to Lydia. And that's exactly what happens to all those that
are affectionately called with the gospel of the Lord Jesus
Christ. There is a stripping and there
is a filling. There is an emptying and there
is a completing and a making whole. Now, let's go back to
verse six, Acts 16, verse six, seven, and eight. So the churches
were established in the faith and increased daily in the number.
And Paul moved on after he had preached to those churches, verse
6, when he had gone through out Phrygia and the region of Galatia
and was forbidden of the Holy Ghost to preach the word in Asia.
And after they would come to Mysia, they are said to go into
Bithynia, but the Spirit, that is the Holy Spirit, permitted
them not. and they passing by missia you
think about that the apostle paul passing by some of these
cities and he came down to the city of troas we see the lord
leading and guiding the apostle and these men paul and silas
and timothy traveled and preached the gospel we see where god led
them to go and to preach they were forbidden at this time to
preach in Asia, although later he does. They were forbidden
to go into Bithynia, although on his third trip he did. and
churches were established in those areas, we find when Peter
writes his first epistle to the believers there in Asia and Bithynia,
he writes this, Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the strangers
scattered throughout Pontius, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and
Bithynia, elect according to the foreknowledge of God, the
Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ. Now, we know that God had an
elect there, because later they were called out, but this time
was not the time when they were called with the gospel, so Paul
bypasses those areas, and he probably didn't really know why,
but the Lord had a purpose in all this. Now look at verse nine,
and a vision as he goes past Mysia, and he comes down to Troas,
And a vision appeared to Paul in the night, and there stood
a man in Macedonia and prayed to him saying, come over into
Macedonia, and I love this statement, come over and help us. Come over
and help us. While Paul was at Troas, and
while he was sleeping, God sent him a special vision where to
go and where to preach the gospel. Now, I don't know how that works.
Because I've never had a vision like that. I must admit, I do
have dreams, but most of the time, my dreams are just crazy
dreams like yours. I don't know much how this worked
with Apostle Paul, but it did. Him being a special apostle,
and God at that time, because the word of God wasn't complete,
we had the completed word. WE DON'T NEED A VISION. WE HAVE
THE RECORD OF GOD. BUT AT THAT TIME, GOD SPOKE TO
CERTAIN MEN BY DREAMS AND VISIONS. NOW, I WOULD BE VERY WARY OF
ANY MAN THAT SAYS I HAD A VISION AND GOD SPOKE TO ME LAST NIGHT.
I'D RUN FROM HIM AS FAST AS I COULD. God speak to his people today
through the word. Now, no doubt, Paul had been
seeking the will of the Lord in this matter, and he received
the answer from the Lord in an unusual and special way. This
vision was about sinners needing to hear the gospel, in need of
salvation, in need of the forgiveness of sin. The need is still there
today, is it not? I believe the Lord is still calling
and sending men to preach the gospel to his people wherever
they may be. Now, I thought of three things
in this regard of come over and help us. In Ashland, Kentucky
in 1950, there was a church there in Ashland
who sent out a call to a man by the name of Roth Barnard.
And they sent out a call to him to come over to Ashland, Kentucky
and preach the gospel. And he did. In April of 1950,
he came there preaching the gospel. You know who else came to town
that same week that Roth Barnard came to Ashland, Kentucky in
April 1950? Henry Mahan hit the town the same day, the same week,
in the same meeting. and Roth preached the gospel
of God's sovereign saving purpose in saving sinners, and the Lord
saved that young preacher named Henry Manham. Isn't that amazing? Come over and help us. In 1985
and 1986, here in the Zebulon community, You remember the story of Paul
Thacker. Paul Thacker was a construction
man, a businessman in this city. And the Lord revealed the gospel
to him through the ministry of Brother Mahan in Ashland. And in 1986, when Paul had completed
this building, and he sent out the call to Pastor Mahan in Ashland,
come over and help us. And in 1986, I came here, that
meeting, I actually drove the vehicle and drove Pastor Mahan
up to preach the gospel that Sunday evening in April of 1986. Come over and help us. You see,
the Lord is still using men today to raise up and establish gospel
churches. How we've been blessed through
that, haven't we? Roth Barnard came to Ashland
in 1986. 50, that's 70 years ago, 70 years
ago. And Brother Mahan came here,
preached the gospel to the folks here in 1986. And then I thought
of another thing too. In 2005, 2006, I got acquainted
with some people in Kingsport, Tennessee, people that I didn't
know, had never met, but got acquainted with them through
the internet ministry that I had established for Brother Mahan.
And you know what they said? They said, come over and help
us. We want to establish a gospel ministry here in Kingsport. And
they called me to come and preach the gospel to them, and I did
that. ALMOST EVERY SUNDAY FOR SIX YEARS, SUNDAY EVENING. AND
THE LORD ESTABLISHED A GOSPEL MINISTRY THERE AND RAISED UP
GABE SONNECKER SEVEN YEARS AGO ALMOST NOW TO GO THERE ALMOST
EIGHT YEARS AGO NOW TO PREACH THE GOSPEL OF THE LORD JESUS
CHRIST. SEE HOW THE LORD USES THESE THINGS?
THE LORD'S STILL CALLING AND SENDING MEN, COME OVER AND HELP
US. and that's what we need. I soon
look at verse 10 now, and after he had seen the vision, immediately
we endeavored to go into Macedonia, assuredly gathering that the
Lord had called us. Called us to do what? Go over
there and let's start a soup kitchen. People over there in
Philippi need a soup kitchen. Let's go over there and build
a hospital. People need a hospital there in Philippi. No, the Lord
called us to preach the gospel. That's the whole business of
God's church is to preach the gospel and minister to the Son
of God. As soon as the Apostle Paul received
his marching orders, he followed the word of the Lord, assuredly,
notice, assuredly gathering that the Lord had called us. TO PREACH
THE GOSPEL OF THE LORD JESUS CHRIST. NOW THIS IS THE PRIMARY
PURPOSE OF EVERY GOSPEL CHURCH WHEN WE GATHER TOGETHER TO PREACH
THE GOSPEL OF THE LORD JESUS CHRIST FROM THE WORD OF THE LORD. PAUL SAID I'M DETERMINED TO KNOW
NOTHING AMONG YOU BUT JESUS CHRIST AND HIM CRUCIFIED AND AS WE STUDIED
IN I CORINTHIANS 9 HE SAID WOE IS DONE TO ME IF I DO NOT PREACH
THE GOSPEL OF THE LORD JESUS CHRIST. THAT IS THE COMMAND AND
MANDATE THE LORD HAS GIVEN TO HIS CHURCH. HE HAS NOT RESCINDED
THE ORDER OR CANCELLED THE ORDER. IT'S STILL AN ONGOING CURRENT
COMMAND TODAY TO GO INTO ALL THE WORLD AND PREACH THE GOSPEL
TO EVERY CREATURE. HE THAT BELIEVETH and is baptized
shall be saved, he that believeth not shall be condemned." They
went there and they preached the decrees ordered and ordained
of God. Now, he that believeth and is
baptized shall be saved, he that believeth not. shall be damned."
Now, it reminded me of this verse, and I was going back over this
this morning, and this verse came to my mind. These are the
words of John the Baptist regarding the Lord Jesus Christ, Behold
the Lamb of God. He said, The Father loveth the
Son, hath given all things into his hands. He that believeth
on the Son hath everlasting life. He that believeth not the Son
shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him. Faith comes by hearing, hearing
by the word of the Lord. The gospel of the Lord Jesus
Christ is still the power of God unto salvation to everyone
that believes it. PAUL SAID, I'M NOT ASHAMED OF
THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST. IT IS THE POWER OF GOD TO EVERYONE
WHO BELIEVES THAT GOSPEL AS THE POWER OF GOD AND THE SALVATION.
FOR IN THAT GOSPEL IS THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD REVEALED HOW GOD SAVED
SINNERS BY THE LORD JESUS CHRIST. LOOK AT VERSE 11 AND 12 IN OUR
TEXT. LOOSING FROM THOAS WE CAME STRAIGHT
COURSE TO THAMSAMOTHRACIA. and the next day to Neapolis,
and from thence to Philippi, which is the chief city, that
part of Macedonia, and a colony. And we were there certain days,
and on the Sabbath day we went out down by the riverside, not
to go fishing, not for fish, but fishing for men. You remember
the Lord said to His apostles, I'll make you fishers of men?
Paul and his companions sailed from Troas, north across the
Aegean Sea, to the region of Macedonia in the chief city of
Philippi, which was part of the Roman Empire. It was a city full
of paganism. It was a city full of idolatry
and religious people. And we know the Lord was pleased
to raise up a gospel church there. Here's the point. The Lord has
his elect where they are. And he will send a gospel preacher
there to call them out with the word of truth, the gospel, not
with tricks, not with gimmicks, not with THE LIES OF MEN, BUT
HE CALLS THEM OUT WITH THE PREACHING OF THE GOSPEL TRUTH. OUR LORD
SAID YOU SHALL KNOW THE TRUTH, AND THE TRUTH WILL SET YOU FREE.
IT PLEASED GOD BY PREACHING TO CALL OUT HIS PEOPLE. THAT'S WHY
WE EMPHASIZE UPON PREACHING CHRIST HIS PERSON AND HIS GLORIOUS WORK. ON THE SABBATH DAY, PAUL WAS
IN THE CITY ABIDING CERTAIN DAYS WHEN IT CAME AROUND TO THAT JEWISH
SABBATH DAY. THEY SOUGHT A PLACE TO WORSHIP.
USUALLY HE WENT TO THE SYNAGOGUE, REMEMBER? TURN ONE PAGE TO ACT
17, WE'RE GONNA SEE THIS. USUALLY ON A SABBATH DAY HE HEADED
TO THE JEWISH SYNAGOGUE TO FIND AN AUDIENCE TO PREACH THE GOSPEL.
ACT 17, VERSE 1, NOW WHEN THEY HAD PASSED THROUGH AMPHIPHILUS,
APOLLONII, THEY CAME TO THESSALONICA, ALSO A REGION OF MACEDONIA, WHERE
IT WAS A SYNAGOGUE OF THE JEWS. AND PAUL, AS HIS MANNER WAS,
WENT IN UNTO THEM, and three Sabbath days reasoned with them
out of the scripture, opening and alleging that Christ must
need suffer, risen again from the dead, and that this Jesus,
whom I preach unto you, is the Christ. Some believed those things,
and some did not believe those things." Evidently, here in Philippi,
there was not enough Jewish people to establish a synagogue an assembly
of the Jews So they met down by the riverside and it was known
Look at verse 13 and on the Sabbath. We went out of the city by Riverside
where prayer was known to be made and we sat down and spake
unto the women which resorted is there now just kind of picture
this in my mind and down by the riverside. Here's a river flowing. Maybe Paul took the water of
life as his text. He said, see that river? Christ
is that river. He is a water of life. I know
one thing for sure. He preached the gospel of the
Lord Jesus Christ to these women. I would rather He went down and
sat down with them, probably on a nice smooth rock, and He
taught them very clearly and plainly the Word of God, who
the Lord Jesus Christ is, God Almighty in the flesh, what He
has done for His people, putting away sin by the sacrifice of
Himself, and the Lord bless the Word of the Lord. Now, I thought about this. And
I'm sure that you would agree with me. I'd rather meet on a
riverbank with the people of God and hear the gospel of the
Lord Jesus Christ than any beautiful cathedral that men have built
where the gospel is denied. Wouldn't you? I'd rather meet
you in a barn and a hayloft. WHERE THE GOSPEL IS PREACHED
BECAUSE THE LORD IS THERE THAN ANY GREAT BIG GOTHIC CATHEDRAL
IN ROME OR SOMEWHERE ELSE. THESE WOMEN, LOOK AT VERSE 14,
AND A CERTAIN WOMAN NAMED LYDIA The Lord knows his sheep by name. He reckoned how long the Lord
has known this woman. The foundation of God standeth
sure, having this seal, the Lord knoweth them that are his. A
certain woman named Lydia, she was a seller of purple, city
of the Thyatira. She worshiped the God of Israel. She heard us, and through hearing
of the gospel, the Lord opened her heart. she attended to the
things which were spoken of by the Apostle Paul. Now, there
were many women and children there, probably that morning,
but God had his eye on one particular woman. Her name is Lydia. She was chosen by God in that
eternal covenant of grace. We are bound to give thanks to
God for you, brethren, beloved of the Lord. She was redeemed
by the precious blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. She was not
redeemed with anything else, tradition or ceremony. silver
or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ. Therefore, she
must be called out of darkness to God's marvelous light and
quickened by the Holy Spirit and made a lover of the Lord
Jesus Christ. That's what happened to her that
morning on the river bank. The Lord still is operating the
same way today. Now, several things, four things
I want us to see in this verse. First of all is this, the sovereign
providence of God arranging all things in this meeting. It wasn't
an accident, was it? Paul was there on purpose on
a certain day at a certain time, known unto God all of his works
from the beginning, and a certain woman met a certain apostle at
a certain place a certain day a certain time. How'd all that
happen? God arranged it. Aren't his arrangements
beautiful and wonderful? Lydia was from Thyatira, Asia,
where Paul was forbidden to go. We see the Lord controlling all
events to bring this woman to hear the gospel from the lips
of Paul, Silas, and Timothy. Before the world began, God chose
in time and place and means to call her out of darkness into
his marvelous light, and the scriptures call that a time of
love. Lydia must hear the gospel. And
she must be given faith to believe it, and she was. When Peter writes
about that, he said, but you are a chosen generation, a royal
priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people that you should show forth
the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his
marvelous light. This is true of everyone whom
God saves. It's no accident that you bumped
into the gospel. God sent you here on purpose
and God sent me here on purpose on our paths crossed with the
gospel and God was pleased to use the preached word to call
you out and to save you by his grace. This is true of your life
and mine. God saves every sinner whom he
wisely saved by his purpose and grace given us in Christ before
the foundation of the world. Can't you see that in your conversion
experience? NOT THAT WE'RE SEEKING ANY KIND
OF AN EXPERIENCE, BUT SALVATION THAT WE HAVE BY THE GRACE OF
GOD IS CERTAINLY SOMETHING WE EXPERIENCE, ISN'T IT? Second
thing is this, the Lord saved Lydia by his grace alone. She was a religious woman. She
was down that morning, according to the Jewish law, approaching
and worshiping God in the light and the way that she knew. She
didn't know anything about the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ.
She didn't know anything about salvation. God saved her by his
grace alone. It was a sovereign, irresistible
grace of God that opened her heart and gave her faith. You see, without faith, it is
impossible to please God. This grace of God is more than
just a divine attribute of God. It's a divine determination and
sovereign operation of God upon the heart. God operates upon
the heart. If you turn over to Romans 10,
it tells us here about the heart. Look at verse 9, that if thou
shalt confess with the mouth, the Lord Jesus, and believe in
thine heart that God raised him from the dead, thou shalt be
saved. Believe in the heart. For with
the heart man believeth unto righteousness, and with the mouth
confession is made unto salvation. For the scripture saith, whosoever
believeth on him shall not be ashamed. For whosoever, verse
13, shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. Verse 17, Romans 10. So then
faith comes by hearing, and hearing comes by the word of God, the
word, the living word, the Lord Jesus Christ. We only believe
the gospel by the grace of God. Remember Peter's sermon? In Acts
15, 11, when he stood up in that council and he said, oh, we believe
through the grace of God we shall be saved even as others. God alone determines who will
be saved. It's not determined by the puny,
sinful will of the creature, is it? not of him that willeth,
nor of him that runneth, but of God that showeth mercy." Grace
is never caused by us, merited by us, earned by us. The only reason for grace is
grace, the grace of God, of His fullness, The word was made flesh
and dwelt among us, and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the
only begotten of the Father. He's full of grace and truth,
and of his fullness have we all received grace for grace." That's
the reason for grace, is grace. FOR THE LAW WAS GIVEN BY MOSES,
BUT GRACE AND TRUTH CAME BY THE LORD JESUS CHRIST. THIS GRACE
IS ETERNAL, SOVEREIGN LIKE HIS LOVE. HE'S LOVED HIS PEOPLE WITH
AN EVERLASTING LOVE, THEREFORE HE IS GRACIOUS UNTO HIS PEOPLE. WE ONLY HAVE A GOOD HOPE OF SALVATION
THROUGH GRACE. GRACE ALONE. GRACE ALONE. SO
HERE'S THE THIRD THING. OPENED LYDIA'S HEART. NOW REMEMBER IN ACTS CHAPTER
2 WHEN WE STUDIED OVER THERE WHEN PETER PREACHED THERE THAT
GREAT SERMON AT PENTACOST HE SAID THIS SAME JESUS WHOM YOU
CRUCIFIED IS BOTH LORD AND CHRIST. YOU REMEMBER WHAT IT SAID IN
THE NEXT VERSE AND THEIR HEART WAS PRICKED. GOD CONVICTED AND
BROKE THEIR HEART. The Lord opened Lydia's heart,
and that's what must happen with us. God must do a work in our
heart. God changed her will, created
an interest in her mind, worked upon her thoughts, corrected
her thoughts about the great salvation that's in the Lord
Jesus Christ. This is something she could not
do for herself. She had no desire to change her
ways of her fleshly religion. God must do this alone. This
is the work of God alone in the heart. Remember what we read
a moment ago in Philippians 1, verse 6. Remember? Being confident of this very
thing, that God, who hath begun a good work in you, HE WILL FINISH
IT IN THE DAY OF HIS POWER. THAT'S WHAT SALVATION IS. IT'S
GOD INVADING US. OUR MIND, OUR THOUGHTS, OUR WILL,
OUR AFFECTION, THE WHOLE YOU. THAT'S WHAT HAPPENS WHEN GOD
DOES A WORK OF GRACE IN THE HEART. Only our great God, who created
the heart, can rule the heart and save us by His grace. Only God alone can give us an
understanding to the revealed mysteries of the gospel and enlighten
our mind and inspire our heart. You see, it's God who hid these
things from the wise and prudent and has revealed them unto babes. Why? Even so, father, for so
it seems good in your sight. You see, the Lord has come and
he's given us an understanding. THINGS WE DON'T KNOW, NATURALLY. THE MYSTERIES OF THE GOSPEL ARE
HIDDEN. THEY MUST BE REVEALED TO US. JOHN WRITES THIS, WE KNOW
THAT THE SON OF GOD HAS COME, AND HE'S GIVEN US AN UNDERSTANDING.
OH, WE UNDERSTAND WHO WE ARE. SINFUL, SINFUL, SINFUL. AND WE
UNDERSTAND WHO HE IS. HOLY, HOLY, HOLY LORD GOD ALMIGHTY. HOW CAN THIS SINFUL MAN BE RECONCILED
TO THIS HOLY GOD? only in the Lord Jesus Christ. God was in Christ reconciling
us unto himself. John writes this, we know the
Son of God has come. He's given us an understanding
that we may know him that is true. We are in him that is true. Even in his son Jesus Christ,
this is the true God. And this is eternal life. Eternal
life is to know the true and living God as He's revealed in
the Lord Jesus Christ. Only God, the God of all grace
and the Father of all mercies can show us and reveal unto us
the way of salvation in the Lord Jesus Christ alone. Peter again
said before that Sanhedrin council, neither is there salvation in
any other. Know the name of the heaven given
among men whereby we must be saved. Only the God of all light
can command the light of the gospel to shine in our dead and
darkened heart. And he does that by his command.
God who commanded the light to shine out of darkness in the
original creation has commanded the light of the gospel to shine
in our heart that we might see the glory of God the glory of
his mercy, the glory of his love in the face of the person of
the Lord Jesus Christ. Only God alone can cause us to
set our affection on things above instead of our things of this
earth to set our love upon him. We only love him because he first
loved us. Only God alone can make us love
those things that we once hated. What do we love by nature? Men
love darkness, not the light, because their deeds are evil.
God must cause us to love him or we never will love him. Men are born in sin, hating God,
and he's got to do something radical in us to make us to love
him. Only God can strip us and then
clothe us. Only God can empty us and then
fill us. You remember the psalmist said,
he said, I'm nigh them of a broken heart. I save us such as be of
a contrite spirit. Only God can take away that stony
heart and give us a heart of flesh. Only God can give us a
repentant heart. Only God can grant us faith to
believe the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. It's obvious and
evident to every person who's been taught of God That salvation
is of the Lord. It's His doing. This is the Lord's
doing, as the psalmist said. Oh, it's marvelous. It is marvelous
in our eyes. She heard us speak whose heart
the Lord opened. That's salvation. And she attended
unto the things which she heard Paul speak, and she fell in love
with the Lord Jesus Christ. Now I'm sure she appreciated
Paul because she opens up her home, but she loved the one that
Paul preached. Paul preached Christ as everything
in salvation. Now watch what happens, watch
what happens in verse 15, and I'll just be a minute here, verse
15. And when she was baptized, and her household baptized, that
is, confessing Christ in believer's baptism, she sought us saying,
if you have judged me faithful to the Lord, faithfully believing
the Lord Jesus Christ, come into my house and stay with us. and let us open our home unto
you." And she constrained us. She wouldn't let them go. She
said, you come, you come to our house. Now, she believed the
gospel and was baptized according to the command of the Lord Jesus
Christ. And here's his command, Matthew
28. Lord Jesus, the risen Lord, came
and spake unto the apostles and said, all power is given unto
me in heaven and earth. Go ye therefore and teach all
nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son, and
Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe whatsoever I've commanded
you. And lo, I'm with you always, even to the end of the world."
Now, like Enoch, who heard the gospel and was given faith to
believe the gospel. Turn back over there to Acts
chapter 8. Remember the eunuch? Not eunuch, I mean
the eunuch, like the eunuch who heard the gospel and was given
faith to believe in Acts chapter 8. You remember he had gone to
Jerusalem seeking something that he was missing and he was returning
to his home country and he was reading Isaiah the prophet verse
35 of Acts chapter 8. the Ethiopian eunuch, then Philip
opened his mouth and began at the same scripture, and preached
unto him, what? The Lord Jesus Christ. And as
they went on their way, they came unto a certain water, and
the eunuch said, see here is water, what doth hinder me to
be baptized? Now watch this carefully. And
Philip said, if thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest
And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son
of God. And he commanded the chariot
to stand still. They went down both into the
water, and Philip and the eunuch, and he baptized him, confessing
Christ as everything in salvation. Now, we know that baptism is
not salvation. Baptism does not wash away sin. Baptism does not put us into
the kingdom of Christ, but it is the biblical way to publicly
confess Christ as everything in salvation. That is saying
by being baptized as a believer, baptism is for believers. You
remember, she heard the word and believed it, and then she
was baptized. IT'S A BIBLICAL WAY TO CONFESS
THE LORD JESUS CHRIST AS ALL OF OUR SALVATION. HIS DEATH IS
OUR DEATH. HIS BURIAL IS OUR BURIAL. HIS
RESURRECTION HE WAS DELIVERED FOR OUR OFFENSES AND RAISED AGAIN
FOR OUR JUSTIFICATION. HE IS EVERYTHING IN OUR SALVATION
AND THAT'S WHAT BAPTISM CONFESSES OF DEATH, BURIAL AND RESURRECTION. GOD OPENED HER HEART. And then
Lydia opened her home. God loved her and she loved the
gospel that she heard from the mouth of Paul and Silas and loved
them for telling her the truth. And she constrained us. Now,
as I read earlier, don't turn to it because we read it earlier,
when Paul and Silas and Timothy were let out of prison there
in Philippi, verse 40, they went out of the prison and entered
into the house of Lydia. And when she had seen the brethren
and comforted them, they departed. God opened her heart, made her
a new creature, and she opened her home. You see, God has given
us that love in our heart and that makes us to love one another. By this shall all men know that
you're my disciple, that you love one another. Now here's
the prayer for us. May God be pleased to do that
for us. To open our heart, to give us
a love for the Lord Jesus Christ. TO GIVE US FAITH IN HIM, TO GIVE
US EARS TO HEAR HIM, AND MAY GOD DO THIS WORK OF GRACE IN
OUR HEARTS. OPEN OUR HEARTS AND MAKE US WILLING
IN THE DAY OF HIS POWER, AND CAUSE US TO BELIEVE AND LOVE
THE GOSPEL OF THE LORD JESUS CHRIST. ISN'T THAT A GREAT STORY?
I LOVE THOSE STORIES. HER STORY IS A STORY OF EVERYONE
WHO'S HEARD AND BELIEVED THE GOSPEL. YOU CAN LOOK BACK THROUGH
YOUR LIFE HOW GOD IN HIS PURPOSE AND HIS GRACE ORDERED EVERYTHING
AND BROUGHT YOU TO THE PLACE WHERE YOU HEARD THE GOSPEL. AND
THEN GOD SAVED YOU BY HIS GRACE.