LIMAVADY BAPTIST CHURCH
SERMON NOTES FROM SUNDAY 21 APRIL 2024 – MR JOSEPH
KENNOWAY
Acts 16 verses 16 – 40
Many people
today are asking questions, important questions – what is the purpose of life? Why
am I here? There has to be more to life
than this. The bible has many questions –
verse 31 “what must I do to be saved? And they said believe on the Lord Jesus
Christ and thou shalt be saved and thy house.”
There is only one salvation, only one way to be saved. Simply trusting Christ as Saviour for our
souls. The Lord deals with us as
individuals, in a personal individual way.
No 2 conversions are ever the same.
Some come to Christ suddenly.
Others come forcefully. None is ever
the same. Children bought up in
Christian faith - there is nothing dramatic about their coming to the
Lord. The Lord tenderly opened their
hearts and drew them to himself. In Acts
16 there are different types of conversion.
The gospel has penetrated into Europe for the very first time. The very first convert was a woman, Lydia -
verse 14 "whose heart the Lord opened.”
Nothing dramatic about Lydia’s conversion. The Lord simply calls and she answered the
gospel call. Then we have the conversion
of another lady. She was demon
possessed. She sold herself to the
devil. He had control of her life. She was in a desperate situation. Many people are like that today. They are full of the devil. They are bound and fettered by the evil
one. Humanly speaking there is no way
out. Demonic control but there is power
in the gospel. There is hope in the
gospel. There is life in the gospel.
There is salvation in the gospel. “He
whom the Son sets free is free indeed.”
This woman was in a desperate situation.
“And It came to pass as we went to prayer a certain damsel possessed
with a spirit of divination met us.” A
desperate situation but she was not too far gone from the Lord. One touch from the Lord was all she
needed. Life would never be the same
again. Verse 18 “And this did she many
days. But 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.” 2 conversions so different, both saved, wonderfully
saved by Jesus. I have known people who
have listened to testimonies, dramatic testimonies and as they have begun to
listen they say “I didn’t get saved in that way. It is not how the Lord dealt with me. Maybe I
am not saved at all.” It is not the
circum stances surrounding our salvation but the grace of God that saves
us. Jesus died for me the bible says “For
by grace are ye saved through faith that not of yourselves, it is the gift of
God. Not of works lest any man should boast” (Ephesians 2 verses 8 and 9) The Lord is wonderfully blessing here in Philippi. When you have the blessing of God you have
the opposition of the devil. It happened
here in Philippi. The devil doesn’t like
people getting saved. He isn’t
interested in churches that want people to get saved. Christians have an active role in seeing people
getting saved. The bible says “Be sober,
be vigilant; because your adversary the devil as a roaring lion walketh about
seeking whom he may devour.” (1 Peter 5 verse 8) As believers we need to be careful. The devil will fight us all the way. “Greater is he that is in us than he that is
in the world.” The devil likes to
distract the Christian – he is determined, he despises Christians and he will
discourage them. The devil also likes to
divide the Christians but we have overcoming power in the blood of the Lamb. We will overcome by the power of the Lamb and
the word of testimony. Satanic
opposition came to Philippi – verses 19 and 20.
We would love to turn this town upside down and inside out. The Lord is able to do it. “He is able to do exceedingly abundantly
above all we ask or think.” (Ephesians 3 verse 20) Satanic opposition came to Philippi – what did
they do? Protest? Petition?
No – they had a prayer meeting.
The Lord is blessing in Philippi and it is an answer to prayer. The prayer of God’s people. This is the third mention of prayer in the
chapter. Look at verse 13 – there was a
prayer meeting outside the city and Lydia was converted. In verse 16 they were going to prayer and a
demonic lady was saved. In verse 25 the
Philippian jailer and family were saved.
Two men, Paul and Silas were in this Philippian jail praying. True faithful consistent praying is what
counts in the Christian life. Their
lives counted for God. Their lives were
saturated in prayer. God is “a rewarder
of them that diligently seek him.” (Hebrews 11 verse 6) “Let us come boldly unto the throne of grace
that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” (Hebrews 4
verse 6) “Call unto me and I will answer
thee and shew thee great and mighty things which thou knowest not.” (Jeremiah
33 verse 3) If you are ever going to
turn this town upside down and inside out for God it will be in answer to
prayer. Prayer alone. E M Bounds said “What the church needs today
is not more and better machinery, not new organisations or more innovative
methods but men whom the Holy Spirit can use – men of prayer, men mighty in
prayer. The Holy Spirit does not flow
through methods but through men. He does
not show up on machinery but on men. He
does not annoint plans but men – men of prayer.” Will you be such a man or such a woman? Our spiritual lives are no greater than what
we are on our knees. Our spiritual
barometer is measured by our prayer life.
Verse 26 – not only do we have 3 prayer meetings in this chapter but we
have the first praise service in Europe.
Paul and Silas had been hammered for Christ, whipped for Christ,
physically crushed for Christ. What
suffering is seen here in Philippi. Verse
23. 2 faithful men of God. Bad things can happen to good people. Their only crime was loyalty to Christ, to
the cross of Christ, to the gospel. They
are in prison and what do the Christians do when they suffer? Maybe you are suffering today – you have the
suffering of sickness. You have a loved
one who is sick. Maybe it is a bereavement. What do we do when we lose our loved
ones? Maybe it is the suffering of
financial crisis. What do you do when
you go through that depressed, distressed, desperate situation? Is there any hope and comfort for me? Paul and Silas did not wallow and complain in
their suffering. They took a different
path. They lifted their eyes to heaven –
to Jesus, the Lord. He did not fail
them. “Whosoever offereth praise glorifieth
me and to him that ordereth his conversation aright will I shew the salvation
of God” (Psalm 50 verse 23) There was an
earthquake in Philippi. When the 2 men
prayed and sang the prisoners heard them.
There is no mention that the jailer heard them – perhaps he was like so
many people today. Disinterested. Unconcerned.
Couldn’t care less about the gospel and their soul. The Lord had to speak louder to the jailer
because he wasn’t listening. Maybe you
are listening to the claims of Christ on your life. He wants to come and enter your life and
bring you to the foot of the cross. Are
you listening to the claims of Christ on your life? What is your answer today? The jailer was busy sleeping. Verse 27.
God speaks to men and women in different ways. No 2 conversions are the same. This one was different and dramatic as any
could possibly be. The Philippians
jailer wasn’t listening but he is listening now. He thought all the prisoners had
escaped. He was in deep distress. He was at rock bottom. In a black hole. He was feeling suicidal. In verse 27 he drew out his sword and would
have killed himself. Suicide is so
prevalent today. Is there any way out? There is even hope for the suicidal – it is
in Jesus Christ. Verse 28 “Paul cried
with a loud voice saying Do thyself no harm for we are all here.” There is hope in the gospel. Every circumstance, every situation, every
distressful thought, every black hole. We
need a Saviour in times like these. We
need an anchor – that is Jesus Christ.
There was household salvation promised in Philippi. It was in an unusual place – a prison. It was in an unusual person – a jailer ...
and his family. “What must I do to be
saved? “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved.” Maybe you are not a Christian today. Do you know how to be saved? It is not head knowledge the Lord is looking
for. Even the devils believe and
tremble. It is believing that Jesus died
for you, turning to him in repentance from your sins, asking him into your life
and accepting him as your Saviour. There
are many we meet on the journey of life who we don’t realise are so close to
trusting in Christ. We want to be the
last one who points a person to Christ, to be the last link in the chain but
God sometimes uses us as only one more link on the chain. The best thing you can do for your family is
to be saved. The best thing you can do
for your community is to be saved. The
best thing you can do for your soul is to be saved. The jailer was promised household salvation. What an encouragement for those who have been
prayed for over the years. “It is no
secret what God can do, what he has done for others he can do for you.” God can give you forgiveness of sins, peace
with God and an assurance of a home in heaven.
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