Three Gospel Conversations

Today with JD Greer all mankind the rich, the poor, the black-and-white young, the old, the conservative, the liberal religious figure religious goes from good families and those from broken families, united by one common problem.

Sin and one great hope the salvation of Jesus Christ you believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be safe. Slave girl jailer there could be three more distinctly different people right interestingly have something in common.

They're not the punchline very joke, but instead are three unique stories that remind us that the gospel message is for everyone and welcome to Senate life with pastor JD Greer. I'm your host Molly benefits today. Pastor JD continues our study in the book of acts where he lays out some foundational principles for biblical salvation to grab your Bible and turn to acts chapter 16 as pastor JD starts today's message with a history lesson. Our message today is titled gospel conversation. Scholars say that literally.

Over half of the Roman Empire by 325 A.D. was now identified as Christian, and it's really remarkable. You certify that all started with 11 guys on a hillside who had no money who had no power, no endowments, no celebrity recognition process right now of collecting endorsements for a book that I have coming out one of things that you do neglect endorsements as you look for no famous people that will say all this because Gola, like his book so that other people will buy your books and never heard about you. Well, the apostles had none of that because most celebrities knew they were so it's remarkable when you consider the fact that there message spread faster than any other movement is ever taken place in history and had none of that stuff. All they had was one absolute conviction that Jesus actually had risen from the dead may have this strange power at work within them call the gift of the Holy Spirit. Let me show you this real quick. I really need you feel how fast this this happened to map appear that it shows you by Paul's first missionary journey where people were identified as Christian deliberate around Rome a little bit over Jerusalem.

On Paul's first missionary trip. That's the only people in the world that identified as Christian as sections. There are 4 to 65 A.D. After Paul's second missionary journey.

You see, these are where people are beginning to identify as Christian. Fast-forward is a little bit Sue 325 A.D. that is where people are now identified as Christian was absolutely amazing how fast this message spread and one of the keys. I have told you draw the series was that every person not just a handful of specialized apostles. Every person in this Christian movement saw themselves as a set one as a bearer of the message. I try to show you throughout the series of the author of the book of acts regarding Luke seems to go out of his way to show you that the greatest gospel advancements. No really come through the mouths apostles it comes to just regular people. Hi Stephen Neal, but noted Christian historian, points out that nothing is more notable than the anonymity of the spread of the early Christian movement is about the end of the first century. There are three big famous churches that are now church planting centers when I was in Antioch ones in Alexandria when I was in Rome so what's remarkable is that of all three of those great awesome churches that are now church 20 centers will have any idea found in any of the various churches you see the story of the founding of the church in Antioch. All it says is this brothers who showed a better manner. The Lord was with some unnamed brothers Paul just Roman acts 28.

He's going there to try to plant a church there. When he gets there. Acts 28 he is greeted by the brothers mother just get on the Christians God Aaron establishes her for for him. You're touring around Christiana Christian history in the first century know what qualified as you search Antioch in front of the church and in Rome, and the like.

Some birds should appear with another name submit is brought the gospel with them and they establish these churches there is a question for today. What evangelism my normal people look like since were talking about about what is it actually look like in practice and evangelism. Engage your new just means sharing the good news about Jesus of literally what the word means.

Acts 16 is going to show you what that looks like you have a Bible, I would invite you to open it to accept the €16 to see a picture of what ordinary evangelism by ordinary people. Looks like you to begin down around verse 13 as you're turning there. I'll tell you that anytime we talk about a subject like this always feel like if you're not a Christian. And this is the first time that you come to church. You finally relented that person who invited you and invited you and invited you.

Now you finally here and I through something like this one in your life. This is what I hate about you Christians are always trying to convert me an answer. The question is yes, we are okay let me just ask you if you would consider it from our perspective, I have to own that yes, listening. I will try to convert you but you need to think about it from our perspective if we really believe in Jesus Christ and the dead. Really believe that he provided the way of salvation. How can we not be trying to convert you to do our best to respect you to honor you not push it on you not shove it down the throat were working to try to obey social cues and to be friends with you even if you don't believe we believe with this understanding, we can call ourselves a friend. If we were trying to persuade you to believe some of the things that we believe right. I would encourage you with your church member to take out something to take notes to someone to give you a few things that are bigger going to be really helpful for you reaching out to people around you. So if you care about the people around you take out something to take notes. The person beside you he doesn't have anything to take notes on look at them right now I just judge them okay just judge it.

We got that noncumulative the person next to you and say I prayed all week long I would get to sit next to you say that's all right now. I is a great pickup line for some you church guys are right. That's over 60 verse 13 really good conversation number one really get three gospel conversations with three persons of interest, shall we call them conversation of one act, 1613 on the Sabbath day.

We went outside to the gate at the Riverside where we suppose there was a place of prayer and we sat down and spoke to the women who would come together. There one who heard us was a woman named Lydia.

She was from the city of Thyatira. She was a seller of purple goods. She was a worshiper of God, the Lord opened her heart to pay attention to what was being said by Paul take notes right down Lydia. She is person number one.

Who was Lydia. Well, she's a wealthy businesswoman think I'll put together driven, brilliant, well-known and well-respected. She's in a very prestigious business is a seller purple so she's a fashionista and she got a job on Madison Avenue.

She is religious. She is religious. We know that because she's going to a prayer meeting, but she's not yet a Christ follower. How does she come to Christ.

How does she get say what Paul engages her essentially in an evangelistic Bible study and while he is speaking to her. Boris 14 says God opens her heart to pay attention to what's said Bible were pay attention to grief is the same word that usually somebody is addicted to alcohol, which is kind of a great image. All the sudden she starts to crave the message that I had to hear more about this.

I got a note God is opening her heart. Just add this look like that is exactly what is happening to some of you, you never thought you would find yourself in a church, but you came with a friend and you can help yourself but coming back. You still think you're a little crazy, but there's something about this that is drawing you and it is because the Lord is opening your heart to hear the things of the essay. You may not know what to call that you may deny what will what's happening. It's the work of the Holy Spirit in your life. Verse 15 after she got baptized in the household as well. She urged just saying if you have judge me to be faithful to the Lord, come to my house and stay.

She was a persuasive woman, which is why she was successful businesses or she prevailed upon us.

Conversation number two night bird number 16 as we were going to the place of prayer where they started their evangelism evidently was spiritually the people we were met by a slave girl who had a spirit of divination and broader owners much gained by fortune-telling. Now this girl is the opposite of Lydia scholar say she's probably somewhere in her mid-teen years. She has a demon and she is a slave, which means she is both a spiritual and economic captives. She's not a wealthy businesswoman. She's a slave girl. She's busted up. She's taken advantage of. She is not on her way to the prayer meeting refers she could go. She wanted to slave. Second of all, she has no interest in a prayer meeting. Verse 17 she followed Paul and us, crying out, please serve ads of the most high God will come to us to proclaim the way of salvation now should be sarcastic or to be in serious scholar say this probably little bit about in their C is simultaneously both attracted to the faith and antagonistic toward it as well.

This is a common lesson characteristic of people who are captives of different types I'm there's something about the message that that attracts them.

They needed that they wanted the same time to have so much hurt and mistrust in their heart. They come from abuse that they are antagonistic toward it as well. Verse 18 this. She kept doing for many days. Paul, having become greatly annoyed by the way, I love that chose me to buy was not made out to the site and Paul full of great compassion or for Paul softly and tenderly looks at her and stroked her hair and says, daughter of Eve, may even say that Paul take off. Paul is peeved is what it says. Paul turns and says to the spirit, I command you in the name of Jesus Christ become out of her and it came out that very hour jobs. This girl come to Christ not to Bible study but to Paul performing an act of deliverance upon her, he throws out the demon which also removes her as a circus act.

But her masters can make money on, which then leads us to conversation number three owner owner saw that their hope of gain was gone. They seize Paul and Silas and dragged him into the marketplace before the rulers and the magistrates tore off the garments from them and gave orders to beat them with rods and when they had inflicted many blows upon them, they threw them in the prison bordering the jailer to keep them safely having received this order.

He put them into the inner prison and fastened her feet in the stocks there.

We person number three, the Philippian jailer who is he jailer's were usually highly decorated Roman soldiers who is a retirement gift were given by Caesar Jail to write so this guy is older he is battle hardened these part of the ruling class. I'm sure he's arrogant and cynical because of all the things that he see he puts Paul and Silas in the inner prison which was kind about the lowest most internal part of the prison where they put their worst prisoners. It was the lowest elevations all the refuse of urine and fecal matter. I ran down in the air was dark, dank disgusting was terrible.

He puts their feet in stocks.

Don't think you modern stock like your brother get your picture taken at Williamsburg. I don't think that on these stocks were little chains hung from the ceiling that it would lay you on your back. Take your feet and pull him up to B's.

These these chains and then they would pull the chain so that your back, your shoulders were barely touching the ground and your feet were suspended in the air and then they would take these rods and be the bottom of your feet until they were bloodied and they were bruised. It was excruciatingly painful.

Verse 25 about midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, the prisoners were listening to them and suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken and immediately all the doors were open, and everyone's bonds were unfastened when the jailer woke us all the prison doors were open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, supposing that the prisoners had escaped.

In those days where prisoners escape you pay with your life.

It was, their way of making sure even let anybody go. Verse 28, Paul cried out with a loud voice, Paul cried out with a loud voice serves you right now is not what is this, do not harm yourself you were here were all still here. Here's the question you should ask yourself at that point. Why is Paul still there.

These innocent right. He knows he should be in prison the waterfall down. Chains are often not an act of God, and that just happened to Peter Maxwell walkout. Why would Paul still be there. Paul recognizes usually listen but this is part of the plan of God to reach Philippi you know I got a 70, Philippi was reach people like this happen.

He just prayed that God would use him to reach the people of Philippi. Paul deduces that if part of God's plan to reach Philippi was a put into prison, so that he could suffer well and worship well and hope in the glory of God well before Philippian jailer and had a reason to tell him why he was so happy even in the midst of unfairness and pain and that was a price he was willing to pay. So Paul literally stands there with his freedom is deserved. God given freedom on his right hand and on his left hand accrual jailer that had tortured him unjustly the night before, and Paul turned his back on his freedom so we can go back again and proclaim the way of salvation to this jailer. Wonder the jailer was so moved know it's not the earthquake that shook the jailer it was what Paul and Silas did in the earthquake and after the earthquake that shook the jailer verse 29 so the jailer called for lights and rusting and trembling with fear.

He fell down before Paul and Silas, and he brought them out of sensors, what must I do to be saved and they said to there's nothing you can do. Salvation is not something you do something that has been done for you and then in the shortest, most concise, most direct answer to the question ever answer what must I do to be saved.

They give this one line believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved you and your household salvation is not something you can tell you're asking the wrong question is something that's been done. You just believe it or adhere the summit church. We often describe it like sitting down in a chair when you sat down on the chair that you are in whatever campus you're at, you made a decision that he was an unconscious decision but you decided that that chair would hold the weight of your body so you shifted the weight of your body off of your legs onto that chair right to be saved, it means that you understand that Jesus has done everything necessary to save you and Yuki can save you and you decide to no longer trust in your own abilities to be righteous and you shift the weight of your hope of salvation from your righteousness to what he has finished for you. You can only be in one of two relationships that chair you can either be standing beside it. Hoping that you will you know you keep yourself up or you can be reclining in the chair. You can only be in one of two relationships. Jesus Christ into thinking you can be righteous enough to get to heaven, and in charge of your own life or having sat down in his righteousness fully submitted to him.

It is the most clear explanation of what must I do to be saved. It is unbelievably simple. You believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. You believe that it is finished that is gone for you.

You sit down and trust in it and you will be saved at this very moment.

Verse 32 and they spoke the word Lord to him and all who were in his house.

He took them the same hour the night and wash their wounds and he was baptized at once. We do baptisms spontaneously run here. Well, because the New Testament by any and all of his family.

Many brought them up into his house and set food before them. We rejoice along with his entire household that he believed in God.

This chapter gives you stories of three people who come to faith in Christ. Surely lots of people. Paul's time there came to faith in Christ.

So why, why include the stories of these three is always the kind of question you want to ask when you're studying the Bible, not ICI not only teach you the Bible I will teach you how to study the Bible.

She had asked why these three stories. What is the author trying to show what's with these three stories I will tell you why, due to reasons letter a is a person to show us he records these three stories to show us something important about the gospel. Namely, listen. But the gospel is for everybody.

You cannot find three more different people then these three rich businesswoman, religious woman, you got a slave girl was demon possessed. And you gotta Philippian jailer. These three people would never even speak to each other on the street what you try to show you listen there is no type for a person who becomes a Christian people say that to me all the time whelmed is not the Christian typo, not the religious type. There is no type will have one Creator and God to be creator and Father God we all have one problem sin, which means we rebelled against God is only one hope for all of us and that is Jesus death in our place. Jesus did not die. The rich man he did not die.

Julie did not die as a poor man.

He did not die. The white man, he died as the representative of all humanity.

He died as your representative and because of that the church are people who believe in him is a place for people of vastly different types find unity in Christ that they would find anywhere else.

You see all of us have characteristics about us.

They give us an identity. We typically like to hang out with other people that share that identity sometimes is characteristics make us proud to like it, sets us apart from other people who this can bring to Christ can actually see a woman a slave and a Gentile, why because in the church of Jesus Christ women slaves Gentiles and Hebrew rabbis sit down as brothers and sisters in Christ all mankind the rich, the poor, the black light beyond the old conservative. The liberal religious figure, religious goes from good families and those from Bochum, broken families, united by one common problem. Sin and one great hope the salvation of Jesus Christ which means I don't know who you are this weekend. I don't know what you done. I don't know how far you following what I can tell you that you if you believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved right because you're not more loss than I am. Got the same problem.

Sin. Jesus work on your behalf is not less finish for you than it is for me it's not about the Philippian jailer's ability to fix himself.

It's not about the demon possessed girl's ability to deliver herself is about what Christ is finished for you minister for you and if you will believe it today. You can be saved. That is our great unity because there is no different from his bosses in the book of Romans there is a difference in the Jew, the Greek of the black of the light of the rich to the poor, the younger the older the religious and nonreligious of the male to female the same Lord over all is rich in mercy to all who call upon him, for whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved to be stories are recorded to show you something about the gospel. Namely, that is forever body. Second, they are recorded to give us B glimpses of different people in our city and I believe to cannot give us a pattern for our special region. Just to give us a glimpse of different kinds of people in our city's show was the different ways we reach them will start with Lily Yahoo is the spiritually interested. She's a religious person. She called herself a follower of God, how you engage Olivia Hume while Paul just opened the Bible and engaged her in a spiritual conversation. He studied the Bible, whether there are some there are lots of people in our community and on our college campuses you that this profile sometimes they have a Christian background. Sometimes they're just people of other religions who are open to having spiritual conversations.

Sometimes they're active in church. Sometimes they arguably call CEO Christians Christmas and Easter only Christians that the only times they come, but there open for whatever reason, having spiritual conversations. The best way to reach people like that engage them in the study of the Bible. Now, how do you do that much Amicus as practical as I can as a party should jot himself down right you can first interest in buying the church.

One of things we try to do here is we try to partner with you in reaching your friends. I will get my role. Often this kind of just raising questions that I hope you have a good time answering the lunch or dinner when you later and I say that sometimes will not.

When I say if you have questions about this as the person who brought you a note that you dinner, no pay for no answer all your questions are smarter than I am right, that's my status faith.

You sometimes will compare to airborne ground on what I do appears air war. I fly reunited drop gospel bonsai carpet bomb but your responsibility is to go later in contact these things so my covenant to you is to always do my best to not embarrass you and I think idiotic things that make you have to apologize the next three hours about what I said but to just say it in a way that raises questions that you will be able to follow-up your friends so you can invite your friends. That's a probably be easier. Faith comes by hearing to make sure that you're making some noise you're listening to Pastor JD Greer and this is Summit life throughout our study of axis here at J we talked so much about the call to go in the mission of the church to multiply and plant and grow new churches. That's so important to us that we give a percentage of every dollar donated to Senate life to this mission right Molly, one of the things I'm very grateful to be able to say is that we have set up a ministry here so that 10% at least. In fact, sometimes it's a lot more but at least 10% of every dollar given Summit life goes back out to plant any quit blaming churches and she will get any revenue at this event at Summit life from advertising. We depend entirely on God's provision through the generosity of listeners like you. So when you support this ministry financially you are joining in our mission and helping your fellow listeners dive deeper in the gospel in many cases, people who have no connection to the gospel you're about it for the first time and at the same time you're giving to help start new churches so that the people that are being exposed to the gospel have a place where they can grow and multiply and reach like a happy partner with us today when you get to send you a thing is deliver these messages meant to take you deeper into the gospel.

Remember, you are also helping start and establish new churches all the country as our way of saying things we like to send you a new resource created by the Senate life team just for you. The book of acts, volume 2 is a personal Bible study to help in its interactive questions and insightful commentaries to help you think your mission to reach the last first thing the book of acts, volume 2. When you donate to suggest an amount of $25 for 526 521, line Molly benefits and another strong week of teaching here on enjoying worshiping with you again and again Monday right here in front