The Surprising and Diverse Power of the Gospel

REFLECTION QUOTES

“The difference between fiction and reality? Fiction has to make sense.”

~Tom Clancy (1947-2013), American author

“The operation of the Church is entirely set up for the sinner; which creates much misunderstanding among the smug.”

~Flannery O’Connor (1925-1964), American author


“The best argument for Christianity is Christians…But the strongest argument against Christianity is also Christians – when they are somber and joyless, when they are self-righteous and smug…But, though it is just to condemn some Christians for these things,…it is not just to condemn Christianity itself for them. Indeed, there are impressive indications that the positive quality of joy is in Christianity – and possibly nowhere else.”

~Sheldon Vanauken (1914-1996), American author

“There is a healthful hardiness about real dignity that never dreads contact and communion with others, however humble.”

~Washington Irving (1783-1859), American author, historian, and statesman

“…once the heart is opened, the home is opened too.”

~John Stott (1921-2011), British theologian and clergyman

The “…three individuals…singled out by Luke among those whose lives were influenced for good by the gospel at Philippi…differ so much one from another that he might be thought to have selected them deliberately in order to show how the saving power of the name of Jesus was shown in the most diverse types of men and women.”

~F.F. Bruce (1910-1990), Scottish-born Biblical Scholar on Acts 16

“Against [the Roman state and the ancient pagan religions] Christianity seemed to have little chance. The state cults had the support of the government and…sought to stamp out any serious dissent…Christianity’s success is to be found in its absolute inclusiveness. More than any other of its competitor religions it attracted all races and classes…Christianity…gloried in its appeal to Jew, Gentile, African, and Barbarian…There was no other religion that took in all groups and all strata of society.”

~Kenneth Scott Latourette (1884-1968), American historian at Yale University

SERMON PASSAGE

Acts 16:11-34 (NASB)

11 So putting out to sea from Troas, we ran a straight course to Samothrace, and on the day following to Neapolis; 12 and from there to Philippi, which is a leading city of the district of Macedonia, a Roman colony; and we were staying in this city for some days. 13 And on the Sabbath day we went outside the gate to a riverside, where we were supposing that there would be a place of prayer; and we sat down and began speaking to the women who had assembled.

14 A woman named Lydia, from the city of Thyatira, a seller of purple fabrics, a worshiper of God, was listening; and the Lord opened her heart to respond to the things spoken by Paul. 15 And when she and her household had been baptized, she urged us, saying, “If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come into my house and stay.” And she prevailed upon us.

16 It happened that as we were going to the place of prayer, a slave-girl having a spirit of divination met us, who was bringing her masters much profit by fortune-telling. 17 Following after Paul and us, she kept crying out, saying, “These men are bond-servants of the Most High God, who are proclaiming to you the way of salvation.” 18 She continued doing this for many days. But Paul was greatly annoyed, and turned and said to the spirit, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her!” And it came out at that very moment.

19 But when her masters saw that their hope of profit was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the market place before the authorities, 20 and when they had brought them to the chief magistrates, they said, “These men are throwing our city into confusion, being Jews, 21 and are proclaiming customs which it is not lawful for us to accept or to observe, being Romans.”

22 The crowd rose up together against them, and the chief magistrates tore their robes off them and proceeded to order them to be beaten with rods. 23 When they had struck them with many blows, they threw them into prison, commanding the jailer to guard them securely; 24 and he, having received such a command, threw them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks.

25 But about midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns of praise to God, and the prisoners were listening to them; 26 and suddenly there came a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison house were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone’s chains were unfastened. 27 When the jailer awoke and saw the prison doors opened, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, supposing that the prisoners had escaped. 28 But Paul cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Do not harm yourself, for we are all here!” 29 And he called for lights and rushed in, and trembling with fear he fell down before Paul and Silas, 30 and after he brought them out, he said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”

31 They said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.” 32 And they spoke the word of the Lord to him together with all who were in his house. 33 And he took them that very hour of the night and washed their wounds, and immediately he was baptized, he and all his household. 34 And he brought them into his house and set food before them, and rejoiced greatly, having believed in God with his whole household.