Sermon Central
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Acts 16:16-34 Background:
Contributed by Rick Crandall on Sep 29, 2025 (message contributor)
Acts 16:16-34 Background:
In today's Scripture, Paul and his mission team were in the city of Philippi. They had been guided to that region by a God-given vision. And people were responding to the good news about Jesus Christ.
*But then a young slave girl began to follow the team around. This woman was a fortune-teller by trade. And she was very persuasive, because she was possessed by an evil spirit.
*Act 16:16-17 tells us:
-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."
*Of course, that statement was true, but the Lord doesn't need any help from the devil! And partnership with evil is the last thing God wants for His church, -- because it makes evil seem good. It disguises evil, and makes it seem innocent, much like a wolf in sheep's clothing.
*Jesus warned us about this in Matthew 7:15-20. There God's Word says,
15. "Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves.
16. You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles?
17. Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit.
18. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit.
19. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.
20. Therefore by their fruits you will know them."
*Partnership with evil also puts a stain on the cause of Christ. That's why in Acts 16:18, Paul cast out that evil spirit. With this background in mind, let's read vs. 19-34, thinking about how God wants to change our lives.
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