God Is Still in the Business of Saving and Changing Lives

In one paragraph

This message came from Acts 16, following Paul, Silas, Timothy, and Luke as they traveled through Macedonia and landed in Philippi. The pastor used three people from that chapter as evidence for what he called the two big ideas of Thanksgiving: that God is still in the business of saving and changing lives, and that He does it through ordinary people dedicated to His glory and the advancement of...

Read together

1. Matthew 6:21 quoted as 'where your treasure is, there your heart will be also' during the offering
2. Acts 16:6 Paul and Silas prevented by the Holy Spirit from preaching in the province of Asia
3. Acts 16:7 the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them to go into Bithynia
4. Acts 16:9 Paul's vision of a man from Macedonia pleading 'come over to Macedonia and help us'
5. Acts 16:13 on the Sabbath they went to a riverbank outside the city where they thought people would be meeting for prayer
6. Acts 16:14 Lydia from Thyatira, a merchant of purple cloth, heard Paul and the Lord opened her heart
7. Acts 16:16 they met a demon-possessed slave girl who was a fortune teller earning money for her masters
8. Acts 16:17 the slave girl followed Paul shouting 'these men are servants of the most high God and they have come to tell you how to be saved'
9. Acts 16:18 Paul commanded the demon to come out of the girl in the name of Jesus Christ
10. Acts 16:22-24 Paul and Silas stripped, beaten, and thrown into the inner dungeon with feet in stocks
11. Acts 16:25 around midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God
12. Acts 16:26 a massive earthquake shook the prison, doors flew open and chains fell off
13. Acts 16:27-28 the jailer nearly killed himself thinking prisoners had escaped; Paul called out to stop him
14. Acts 16:30 the jailer asked 'sirs, what must I do to be saved'
15. Acts 16:31 Paul answered 'believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved along with everyone in your household'
16. Acts 16:33-34 the jailer washed their wounds, was baptized, set a meal before them, and his household rejoiced because they all believed in God
17. Acts 16:37 Paul objected to secret release, citing that he and Silas were Roman citizens who had been beaten without trial

Talk about it

1. The pastor talked about Paul and Silas being prevented by the Holy Spirit from going into Asia and Bithynia, without being told exactly why. Have you ever felt like God closed a door without explaining himself? How did you respond to that?
2. The Mayflower Compact stated that the pilgrims undertook their voyage 'for the glory of God and the advancement of the Christian faith.' If you had to write down your stated purpose the way they did, what would it say?
3. In each of the three vignettes from Acts 16, the person who came to faith immediately showed generosity toward others. Lydia urged Paul's group to stay at her home, the jailer washed their wounds and fed them a meal. Why do you think generosity showed up so quickly in each case?
4. The pastor pointed out that when the earthquake opened the prison doors, the other prisoners did not run. They stayed. What do you think it was about Paul and Silas praying and singing hymns at midnight that made the other prisoners want to stick around?
5. The sermon ended with the idea that God accomplishes his work in the real world by using people who have been saved and changed and who are dedicated to his glory and the advancement of his kingdom. What does that look like in a practical, everyday way for someone sitting in this congregation?