Receive New Life - Acts 16:13-34 - January 25, 2009

Sunday School Lesson – Receive New Life - January 25, 2009

This is lesson four (4) in our series entitled “Do You Need a Fresh Start?”

Our scripture is Acts 16: 13-34.

Most of us view the beginning of a New Year with hope and confidence that things will be better than the previous year. That is usually based upon our assessment of our physical situation e.g. weight will go down, more exercise, more money, buy some of the things we have been wanting, read the Bible through, make wiser decisions, manage our household better and the list goes on.

Most of us do not take spiritual inventory each year. But it is a good idea. Do we know CHRIST better than we did a year ago? Have we grown spiritually in the last year? What kind of relationship do we have with HIM? These and many more questions come to mind when assessing our spiritual life.

Often we equate growing and maturing with doing more work in our church or other religious organizations, which is good. It is important that we examine our relationship with CHRIST and allow HIM to direct our activities. We need to study HIS Word, pray, learn of HIM, learn to trust HIM and obediently serve HIM. We need to ask HIM to examine our hearts and reveal to us where we are, where HE wants us to be and to reveal the path forward. HE may reveal some barriers in our lives that need to be removed or dealt with before we can move forward spiritually. We may need to settle some grudges we have with others or any number of things.

Our lesson this week focuses upon CHRIST empowering believers to grow in HIM. It is all about CHRIST in us, the hope of glory. CHRIST in us transforms us through the renewing of our minds as we learn of HIM and serve HIM. It is often on-the-job-training. As HE works in our lives HE opens opportunities for us to put our faith and confidence in HIM into action. HE will open our eyes to the opportunity. We need to pray for discernment so we will know the leading of GOD versus the leading of our flesh.

The Book of Acts was written by Doctor Luke. Doctor Luke wrote the Book of Luke which was a historical review of the life and ministry of CHRIST. He wrote the historical account for a man named Theophilus. Acts was Doctor Luke’s second account of the actions of the Apostles and the HOLY SPIRIT since CHRIST lived upon earth. The focus of our scripture is on the activity of the Apostle Paul during a missionary journey to Philippi.

Let’s read Acts 16:13-15:

13 On the Sabbath day we went outside the city gate by the river, where we thought there was a place of prayer. We sat down and spoke to the women gathered there. 14 A woman named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth from the city of Thyatira, who worshiped God, was listening. The Lord opened her heart to pay attention to what was spoken by Paul. 15 After she and her household were baptized, she urged us, “If you consider me a believer in the Lord, come and stay at my house.” And she persuaded us.

When the Apostle Paul entered a city to preach the gospel, he normally went to the local synagogue. Philippi may not have had a local synagogue. It is likely that when Paul or someone in his group was inquiring about a synagogue, some of the locals may have told them about a group meeting every Sabbath down by the river. They checked it out and found a group of ladies gathered there. So the Apostle Paul used the opportunity to preach. The fact that Paul and his group would meet with a group of ladies must have impressed them and set a positive tone for the message Paul was about to deliver. Normally Jewish men would not worship with women.

As he preached the gospel, there was a lady named Lydia who was listening intently. Lydia was seeking a relationship with GOD since she and her household gathered on the Sabbath in a special place by the river to worship and pray. She was likely the instigator for bringing the group together. This shows her heart toward GOD.

Again, we see the timing of GOD. Lydia was seeking and Paul had the message. GOD brought them together.

Paul delivered the message GOD had placed upon his heart. It was exactly the message Lydia needed to hear. The LORD knew her heart and gave her an opportunity to receive CHRIST as her SAVIOR. Not only did she receive CHRIST and was baptized but her household accepted CHRIST and was baptized.

Lydia invited Paul and his group to stay with her. She gave an invitation that was hard for Paul to turn down – “If you consider me a believer in the LORD, come stay at my house.” WOW!!! How could Paul decline such an invitation? He didn’t. Paul staying with Lydia gave her and her household an opportunity to ask questions regarding their new relationship with CHRIST.

Lydia was a dealer in purple and was likely a very wealthy woman, who would also help support the spread of the gospel.

Let’s read Acts 16:16-24:

16 Once, as we were on our way to prayer, a slave girl met us who had a spirit of prediction[3] Or a spirit by which she predicted the future and made a large profit for her owners by fortune-telling. 17 As she followed Paul and us she cried out, “These men are the slaves of the Most High God, who are proclaiming to you[4] Other mss read us the way of salvation.” 18 And she did this for many days.

But Paul was greatly aggravated, and turning to the spirit, said, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her!” And it came out right away.[5] Lit out this hour 19 When her owners saw that their hope of profit was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace to the authorities. 20 And bringing them before the chief magistrates, they said, “These men are seriously disturbing our city. They are Jews, 21 and are promoting customs that are not legal for us as Romans to adopt or practice.” 22 Then the mob joined in the attack against them, and the chief magistrates stripped off their clothes and ordered them to be beaten with rods. 23 After they had inflicted many blows on them, they threw them in jail, ordering the jailer to keep them securely guarded. 24 Receiving such an order, he put them into the inner prison and secured their feet in the stocks.

Doctor Luke cites another incident during this mission trip to Philippi. Paul and his group were going back to the place of prayer. This is likely the place by the river, when they encountered a slave girl who was possessed by an evil spirit. She was a fortune-teller. She was good at her trade and made a lot of money for her owners. She was possessed by an evil spirit.

We see from the words Doctor Luke recorded that the evil spirit had revealed to her the truth about Paul and his group. But notice that she is a slave and she refers to Paul and his group as slaves of the Most High GOD. The evil spirit was trying to give the impression that her source of power was the same as Paul’s and his group’s source of power. Satan is always trying to legitimize and draw people into his web of enslavement. The owners of the slave girl allowed her to follow Paul and his group around for many days telling others they represented the Most High GOD. We might think that free publicity would be a benefit to Paul. We are not sure when GOD revealed to Paul that the slave girl was possessed by an evil spirit. She likely had a group following her. GOD wanted to demonstrate that her power and Paul’s and his group’s power did not come from the same source. Paul may have been restrained by the HOLY SPIRIT until the right moment to rebuke the evil spirit and deliver the slave girl from her bondage. Delivering her would be a demonstration of the power of GOD over the power of Satan and all who witnessed it would see GOD’S power manifested through Paul. This definitely dispelled any notion of a tie between the slave girl and Paul’s group.

In Greek, the meaning of “spirit of prediction” is “a python spirit.” The Python was a symbol for the Greek god Apollo. In Greek mythology, Apollo was believed to be able to predict the future. The Greeks considered people who had the ability to predict the future as having the “spirit of the python.” Both Greek and Roman military commanders consulted with someone who was able to see or predict the future. People who had this ability were highly regarded and as we see from our scripture, it brought her owners a lot of money.

GOD’S timing and plan is always perfect. It seems that Paul’s rebuke came abruptly and in a split second. It was the moment GOD chose for her deliverance to take place. Paul rebuked the evil spirit and the slave girl was set free. She had heard the gospel being preached many times and she likely accepted CHRIST when she was freed of the evil spirit. I would think Paul would make sure she at least had the opportunity to be born-again and filled with the HOLY SPIRIT to replace the evil spirit that had left her.

It was vital that she be filled with the HOLY SPIRIT and Paul was aware of that need. Of course the slave girl had to be willing to accept CHRIST into her life. JESUS addressed this subject in HIS teachings in Matthew 12:43:

43 “When an unclean[15] Morally or ceremonially impure spirit comes out of a man, it roams through waterless places looking for rest but doesn’t find any. 44 Then it says, ‘I’ll go back to my house that I came from.’ And when it arrives, it finds [the house]* The bracketed text has been added for clarity. vacant, swept, and put in order. 45 Then off it goes and brings with it seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they enter and settle down there. As a result, that man’s last condition is worse than the first. That’s how it will also be with this evil generation.”

Dealing with the occult is not to be taken lightly. It is real and dangerous. It is always enslaving and controlling. A believer needs discernment to know the difference between a mental disorder and possession by an evil spirit. If you encounter a possessed person, pray and claim the blood of CHRIST. If you are ever led to deliver a person from an evil spirit, bathe the matter in prayer and search the scripture and be armed with the scripture. Always be free of any known sin and active in relationship with the LORD. You should have several spiritually mature believers with you who are praying and a group of spiritually mature believers along with you. Folks, this is dangerous. The following scripture will enlighten you more on this subject.

Acts 19:11-20:

11 Now God worked unusual miracles by the hands of Paul, 12 so that even handkerchiefs or aprons were brought from his body to the sick, and the diseases left them and the evil spirits went out of them. 13 Then some of the itinerant Jewish exorcists took it upon themselves to call the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits, saying, "We exorcise you by the Jesus whom Paul preaches." 14 Also there were seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, who did so. 15 And the evil spirit answered and said, "Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are you?" 16 Then the man in whom the evil spirit was leaped on them, overpowered them, and prevailed against them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded. 17 This became known both to all Jews and Greeks dwelling in Ephesus; and fear fell on them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was magnified. 18 And many who had believed came confessing and telling their deeds. 19 Also, many of those who had practiced magic brought their books together and burned them in the sight of all. And they counted up the value of them, and it totaled fifty thousand pieces of silver. 20 So the word of the Lord grew mightily and prevailed.

It is vital that all believers stay away from anything of the occult – fortune-telling, fortune-tellers, horoscopes, tarot cards, reading of tea leaves, reading of the palm, séance, medians and any other activity to foresee the future or contact the dead. Believers must trust and rely upon GOD and HIS guidance through life’s circumstances. Sadly many believers dabble in the things of the occult. My advice to anyone dabbling in the occult is to stop, confess it, ask GOD to forgive them and repent. Notice what the people did in verses18-19. Repent means to turn around and go in the opposite direction. Put it behind you. It is not harmless but enslaving.

Serving GOD is not always a bed of roses. GOD’S timing is always perfect. GOD knows the hearts of all people. HE needed to get Paul and Silas to the next person to receive salvation. So the slave owners had Paul and Silas arrested. They were stripped of their clothes, beaten with rods and thrown into jail. When the magistrates ordered the jailer to make sure they were securely guarded, he put them into the inner cell and in stocks. They were as secure as they could be from a human point-of-view. But GOD had a plan.

Let’s read Acts 16:25-34:

25 About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them. 26 Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the jail were shaken, and immediately all the doors were opened, and everyone’s chains came loose. 27 When the jailer woke up and saw the doors of the prison open, he drew his sword and was going to kill himself, since he thought the prisoners had escaped. 28 But Paul called out in a loud voice, “Don’t harm yourself, because all of us are here!” 29 Then the jailer[6] Lit Then he called for lights, rushed in, and fell down trembling before Paul and Silas. 30 Then he escorted them out and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” 31 So they said, “Believe on the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household.” 32 Then they spoke the message of the Lord to him along with everyone in his house. 33 He took them the same hour of the night and washed their wounds. Right away he and all his family were baptized. 34 He brought them up into his house, set a meal before them, and rejoiced because he had believed God with his entire household.

[Just as side note: Guess where Paul and Silas went after they left the jailers house?

We find the answer in Acts 16:40:

40 After leaving the jail, they came to Lydia’s house where they saw and encouraged the brothers, and departed.]

Can you imagine after all you had done in the name of the LORD and treated the way Paul and Silas had been treated that a believer would be singing? It shows the trust Paul and Silas had in GOD. GOD is sovereign and they trusted HIM completely.

Again we see GOD’S timing. HE sends an earthquake. The most secure place the jailer had was now open. It was dark and the jailer knew that his prisoners had escaped. After all the jail was wide open. He was about to take his own life because he knew that he was in real trouble. Paul called out to him and told him not to harm himself because they were all there. The jailer quickly called for a light. How did the jailer spell relief? What do I need to do to have what you have? The jailer knew these men were different. The jailer had been listening to Paul and Silas singing. It likely kept him awake but at least he knew they were still secure in their cell. The jailer was likely used to hearing the inmates curse but he knew that what Paul and Silas had been singing they also practiced.

Paul gives him a simple plan of salvation. Not only was the jailer saved but also his household. He washed the wounds of Paul and Silas and all were baptized. Then they all went up to the jailers house and sat down for a meal. It was likely a time Paul used to tell them about their new relationship with CHRIST and what they needed to do to grow in the LORD.

Salvation is a free gift and is available to all who will receive it.

If you have never prayed to receive CHRIST, what a wonderful way to begin this New Year by asking CHRIST to forgive you of your sins and to come into your life.

If you are already a Christian, are you living the abundant Christian life in fellowship and in relationship with CHRIST? If not, why not? Pray and ask GOD to reveal to you any barriers preventing this and to help you restore your joy, fellowship and relationship. It is all about getting to know HIM, not just knowing about HIM.