The Battle For Souls (Sixth Sunday Of Easter 2022)

THE BATTLE FOR SOULS

Text: Acts 16: 14 - 20, & Acts 16: 23- 31

Acts 16: 14 - 20, & Acts 16: 23- 31 (14) A certain woman named Lydia, a worshiper of God, was listening to us; she was from the city of Thyatira and a dealer in purple cloth. The Lord opened her heart to listen eagerly to what was said by Paul.  (15)  When she and her household were baptized, she urged us, saying, "If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come and stay at my home." And she prevailed upon us.  (16)  One day, as we were going to the place of prayer, we met a slave-girl who had a spirit of divination and brought her owners a great deal of money by fortune-telling.  (17)  While she followed Paul and us, she would cry out, "These men are slaves of the Most High God, who proclaim to you a way of salvation."  (18)  She kept doing this for many days. But Paul, very much annoyed, turned and said to the spirit, "I order you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her." And it came out that very hour.  (19)  But when her owners saw that their hope of making money was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace before the authorities.  (20)  When they had brought them before the magistrates, they said, "These men are disturbing our city; they are Jews  ….  (23)  After they had given them a severe flogging, they threw them into prison and ordered the jailer to keep them securely.  (24)  Following these instructions, he put them in the innermost cell and fastened their feet in the stocks.  (25)  About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them.  (26)  Suddenly there was an earthquake, so violent that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone's chains were unfastened.  (27)  When the jailer woke up and saw the prison doors wide open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, since he supposed that the prisoners had escaped.  (28)  But Paul shouted in a loud voice, "Do not harm yourself, for we are all here."  (29)  The jailer called for lights, and rushing in, he fell down trembling before Paul and Silas.  (30)  Then he brought them outside and said, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?"  (31)  They answered, "Believe on the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household."

God is all knowing (omniscient), God is all powerful (omnipotent) and God is everywhere (omnipresent). God knew and plan for us before we we born and the plans he designed for us with a future and a hope in Jesus Christ (Jeremiah 29:11). God can see things from an aerial picture and from a panoramic picture ---the complete and comprehensive picture through time in every age. The point is that God knows what we need, when we need it and how to help us with that need. God knows all that are in need right now in real time. God knew what was needed in Macedonia, when it was needed and whom God planned to use to help meet that need and how the “meetings” will take place.

God was sending Paul on his second missionary journey to Macedonia to share the Gospel. Paul had other places in mind but the Holy Spirit compelled them to go to Macedonia. It is obvious that God was arranging the meeting with three significant people (Lydia, a slave girl and a jailer). It should not surprise that the Lord arranges meetings. In the Old Testament the Lord arranged when Moses met Pharoah because God used Moses to be his instrument to deliver the Children of Israel from Egyptian bondage. In the fullness of time, God sent His only begotten Son to deliver us from slavery to sin and death. The Lord arranged the meeting between Annanias and Saul aka Paul in Acts 9, because Paul was God’s chosen instrument to share the Gospel with the Gentiles. The Lord arranged the meeting between Peter and Cornelius as we saw in Acts 11 as we talked about in last week’s sermon. Beyond a doubt, the Lord was arranging the meeting these three significant people in Acts 16. The Lord has planned and is planning how and when he sends us as His instruments to share the Gospel.

Today we want to talk about conquest and consequences.

CONQUEST

How can anyone have any true freedom apart from knowing the truth that will set them free (John 8:32)?

1) Freedom threatened: The Christians of the first century had obstacles similar to what we are facing today. Right now, in real time our freedom as Christians is being threatened daily. This threat is nothing new. Christianity has been threatened in every generation.