After the decision of the
Council of Jerusalem had been
00:01:37.11\00:01:40.07
reached, it was shared
with the church at Antioch.
00:01:40.10\00:01:44.34
Paul got word that
certain people had come up into
00:01:44.38\00:01:48.58
Galatia and had
confused the believers.
00:01:48.61\00:01:52.68
God put it upon his heart
and the heart of Barnabas,
00:01:52.72\00:01:56.35
a desire to go up and to
clarify the issues and to share
00:01:56.38\00:01:59.97
with them the message of
the Council of Jerusalem.
00:02:00.01\00:02:03.56
Paul and Barnabas decided
to go visit the churches they
00:02:03.60\00:02:07.41
had planted, Barnabas
suggested they take John Mark,
00:02:07.45\00:02:11.13
but Paul refused saying no,
he turned his back on us and
00:02:11.16\00:02:14.81
Perga and we do not
need him to go with us.
00:02:14.84\00:02:17.84
This brought them
into a decision to separate
00:02:17.87\00:02:20.84
and go different directions.
00:02:20.87\00:02:22.94
Barnabas took John Mark
and went to visit the churches
00:02:22.98\00:02:25.93
they had established
in the island of Cyprus.
00:02:25.96\00:02:30.57
Paul chose Silas who
had been sent with him from
00:02:30.60\00:02:35.14
Jerusalem to report from
the Council and the Council's
00:02:35.18\00:02:39.88
decision there to accompany
him to Galatia and Pisidia,
00:02:39.91\00:02:44.58
to share the Councils decision.
00:02:44.61\00:02:47.56
They would have walked up
this Roman road, and crossed
00:02:47.59\00:02:51.75
this Roman bridge, the
Roman road came up through the
00:02:51.79\00:02:55.88
ancient Cilician Gates, gates
carved by the Tarsus River that
00:02:55.92\00:03:02.55
flowed through this gap.
00:03:02.58\00:03:04.53
From here they would have
gone into Anatolian Plateau to
00:03:04.56\00:03:08.63
visit the churches of
Derbe and Lystra and Iconium
00:03:08.67\00:03:12.70
and Pisidian Antioch.
00:03:12.73\00:03:15.28
After being at Pisidian
Antioch, Paul wanted to go up
00:03:15.31\00:03:18.98
to Bithynia, to Byzantium
and preach the gospel there,
00:03:19.02\00:03:22.65
but the Holy Spirit said no.
00:03:22.69\00:03:25.08
So he turned towards
Asia, he wanted to preach and
00:03:25.12\00:03:28.45
establish the message
in Ephesus, or in Pergamum.
00:03:28.48\00:03:31.96
Again the Spirit of
Jesus said no, and so Paul was
00:03:32.00\00:03:35.44
led to Alexandrian Troas.
00:03:35.48\00:03:38.84
Luke describes how the
Holy Spirit lead Paul here
00:03:41.20\00:03:44.76
to Alexandrian Troas, where
he saw a vision of a man from
00:03:44.80\00:03:48.68
Macedonian saying,
come on over and help us.
00:03:48.72\00:03:51.76
Luke joins the apostle
Paul, Timothy and Silas as they
00:03:51.80\00:03:56.56
sailed across the Aegean,
pass Samothrace and came to
00:03:56.60\00:04:01.33
Neopolis looking for
the man from Macedonia.
00:04:01.36\00:04:05.59
The missionaries had a very
uneventful passage, crossing
00:04:16.19\00:04:19.61
from Troas in just two days.
00:04:19.65\00:04:21.45
On another occasion it would
take Paul five days to make
00:04:21.48\00:04:25.30
the same journey by boat.
00:04:25.33\00:04:27.43
It was a very important
moment for Christianity.
00:04:27.47\00:04:30.30
It was the first time that Paul
had reached the European shore.
00:04:30.33\00:04:34.30
But he would not be aware
of this fine distinction, for
00:04:34.33\00:04:37.28
as far as they were
concerned, they were making the
00:04:37.31\00:04:40.22
journey from one
Roman province to another.
00:04:40.26\00:04:42.81
From the province of Asia
to the province of Macedonia.
00:04:42.84\00:04:46.57
Descending from the crest
of the ridge, separating the
00:04:51.80\00:04:56.07
plain of Philippi from
the sea, lush green Macedonia
00:04:56.11\00:05:00.34
open before our missionaries.
00:05:00.38\00:05:02.44
As I walked along this
original section of the Egnatia
00:05:02.47\00:05:07.09
parallels the new modern
highway, I thought of how a
00:05:07.13\00:05:10.92
certain Spring must've
developed in their step.
00:05:10.95\00:05:14.67
How they must have gotten
their second wind, for off
00:05:14.70\00:05:17.09
in a distance you could see
the Roman colony of Philippi.
00:05:17.12\00:05:20.46
As they walked down this road
they must have been praying,
00:05:20.49\00:05:23.79
Lord help us to find
this man that Paul saw
00:05:23.82\00:05:27.25
while in vision in Troas.
00:05:27.28\00:05:30.67
We have now reached Acro
Philippi the Acropolis standing
00:05:35.58\00:05:38.91
behind the city of
Philippi, named after Alexander
00:05:38.95\00:05:42.09
the Great's father.
00:05:42.12\00:05:43.98
And yet when Paul and
Silas reached this city it
00:05:44.01\00:05:47.42
was a Roman colony.
00:05:47.45\00:05:50.07
That meant as you came in
people were speaking Latin and
00:05:50.11\00:05:54.21
acting like Latin citizens.
00:05:54.24\00:05:56.95
The city was special because
was on these plains where
00:05:56.99\00:06:00.77
the Roman Republic ended
and the Roman empire began.
00:06:00.80\00:06:05.01
You see Mark Anthony and
Octavian met Caesar's assassins
00:06:05.04\00:06:09.07
here, and Cassius and
Brutus were defeated and chose
00:06:09.10\00:06:13.09
suicide over surrender.
00:06:13.13\00:06:15.26
The victors, thankful for
the support of the local city,
00:06:15.30\00:06:19.04
granted upon it the special
status of becoming a Roman
00:06:19.07\00:06:22.65
colony, that meant they
settled Roman soldiers here.
00:06:22.68\00:06:26.38
Retired veterans settled
the city and they were given
00:06:26.41\00:06:30.07
large tracts of
land to move here.
00:06:30.10\00:06:32.82
As you enter it into the
city, even though it was in the
00:06:32.85\00:06:35.41
heart of Macedonia, you
might have thought you were
00:06:35.44\00:06:37.96
literally moving into Rome.
00:06:38.00\00:06:40.05
People wore Roman clothes,
they spoke Latin, they had
00:06:40.08\00:06:43.62
Latin inscriptions on
their coins and their monuments.
00:06:43.66\00:06:47.16
And of course they
were ruled by Latin law.
00:06:47.20\00:06:50.32
There were two types of Roman
citizens here in this city.
00:06:50.35\00:06:54.05
The first was those of Italian
extraction, they were born
00:06:54.09\00:06:57.75
in Italy, born Italian,
00:06:57.79\00:07:00.80
and they were
born as Roman citizens.
00:07:00.84\00:07:02.73
The second and perhaps more
numerous, were those of other
00:07:02.77\00:07:07.26
extractions who would
become Roman citizens.
00:07:07.30\00:07:10.52
Perhaps it was a gift
granted because of a heroic deed
00:07:10.56\00:07:14.47
for the Roman empire.
00:07:14.51\00:07:15.82
Perhaps it was an honor given
for a city who withstood with
00:07:15.85\00:07:18.93
the empire for
some strategic battle.
00:07:18.97\00:07:21.05
Both types of citizens
were extremely proud of their
00:07:21.08\00:07:25.64
heritage, for it granted
upon them special rights.
00:07:25.68\00:07:30.47
You see Roman citizens
were exempt from being beaten.
00:07:30.50\00:07:34.94
They were exempt from
being arrested and put in jail,
00:07:34.98\00:07:38.90
except in very extreme
cases, and of course they had
00:07:38.93\00:07:42.82
the right to appeal to Caesar.
00:07:42.85\00:07:45.29
If the death penalty had been
decided for a Roman citizen,
00:07:45.32\00:07:49.05
they could not be crucified,
as Jesus was, they would be
00:07:49.08\00:07:53.75
beheaded, a quick form of
punishment verses crucifixion.
00:07:53.78\00:07:57.92
Of course Paul and Silas
fit into this second category
00:07:57.95\00:08:02.05
and would have
enjoyed the special rights of
00:08:02.08\00:08:05.14
being Roman citizens.
00:08:05.18\00:08:07.09
The two missionaries approached
the city from the east.
00:08:07.12\00:08:11.38
They walked the 8 miles
from Neopolis, came through the
00:08:11.42\00:08:15.32
eastern gate, the Neopolis
Gate and as they walked down
00:08:15.35\00:08:19.01
the Egnatian Way, through
the city, they began looking
00:08:19.04\00:08:23.06
everywhere for the man Paul
had seen in vision in Troas.
00:08:23.10\00:08:27.08
Where was that
Macedonian man who said,
00:08:27.12\00:08:30.39
come over and help us.
00:08:30.43\00:08:32.69
Paul and Silas went through
the city looking, looking,
00:08:32.73\00:08:35.71
and looking for that man.
00:08:35.75\00:08:37.28
On the Sabbath, they could
not attend the Synagogue as
00:08:37.32\00:08:41.44
their custom was,
because there were not even 10
00:08:41.48\00:08:43.55
Jewish men here.
00:08:43.59\00:08:45.11
The law said if there were
10 Jewish men they could have
00:08:45.14\00:08:48.64
synagogue, but there were
apparently not any Jewish men
00:08:48.67\00:08:52.93
here so Paul and Silas
went out the Via Egnatia, the
00:08:52.97\00:08:56.54
other direction, left
the city to the west and went
00:08:56.57\00:09:00.10
out to the river
where prayer was to be made.
00:09:00.14\00:09:03.26
There they met a God-fearing
woman who was worshiping
00:09:03.30\00:09:07.73
by the river, a merchant
princess by the name of Lydia
00:09:07.76\00:09:12.01
whose heart became open
to the Gospel and she became
00:09:12.04\00:09:16.25
a supporter of
God's Church in this city.
00:09:16.29\00:09:19.53
The Bible says on the
Sabbath we went outside the
00:09:25.40\00:09:28.50
city gates to the
river where we expected to
00:09:28.53\00:09:31.72
find a place of prayer.
00:09:31.75\00:09:33.30
We walked about a kilometer
out of the city of Philippi
00:09:33.33\00:09:37.31
down to this spot along
the river that commemorates a
00:09:37.35\00:09:41.29
wonderful story
described in the book of Acts.
00:09:41.33\00:09:44.67
It's a story of how Paul
who has seen a vision of a man
00:09:44.70\00:09:47.86
for Macedonia, came
looking for that man and did not
00:09:47.90\00:09:51.02
find a man at all,
instead he found a woman.
00:09:51.06\00:09:54.81
A woman named Lydia.
00:09:54.84\00:09:57.67
The missionaries walked
out to this spot and here they
00:09:57.70\00:10:01.17
found this group of
women and sat down and shared
00:10:01.21\00:10:04.49
the gospel with them.
00:10:04.52\00:10:06.54
This beautiful spot has
been commemorated by the
00:10:06.58\00:10:09.73
building of a Greek
orthodox church known as
00:10:09.77\00:10:12.89
the Chapel of St. Lydia.
00:10:12.93\00:10:15.09
Inside is a wonderful
baptismal fount where children
00:10:15.12\00:10:18.28
are baptized in the name
of the father the son and the
00:10:18.31\00:10:21.12
Holy Spirit, as a matter of
fact we saw several children
00:10:21.16\00:10:23.93
being baptized this morning.
00:10:23.96\00:10:25.74
In addition to the Chapel
on this site there is also
00:10:25.78\00:10:28.71
an outdoor Chapel
with a outdoor baptistery.
00:10:28.74\00:10:32.78
We want to go down to the
edge of the river, a place
00:10:32.81\00:10:36.04
where the King James said,
prayer was want to be made.
00:10:36.07\00:10:39.26
Let's go down
and examine the site.
00:10:39.29\00:10:42.11
I have had the privilege of
coming to this very special spot
00:10:46.74\00:10:49.16
on several occasions to
worship my Lord on the Sabbath,
00:10:49.20\00:10:52.93
just as Paul, Silas and
Lydia worshiped their Lord here.
00:10:52.97\00:10:56.74
We do not know if Paul
was disappointed to find women
00:10:56.78\00:11:00.36
here and no men, but we
do know that Lydia was a very
00:11:00.40\00:11:03.95
special woman, a
very influential woman.
00:11:03.98\00:11:07.31
Luke says that she was
the seller of purple from
00:11:07.34\00:11:10.30
the city of Thyatira.
00:11:10.33\00:11:12.26
Purple was a very
precious commodity
00:11:12.30\00:11:14.44
in the ancient world.
00:11:14.48\00:11:16.15
It was made from the murex
shell, a sea snail harvested
00:11:16.18\00:11:21.49
off the coast of Canaan.
00:11:21.52\00:11:23.65
As a matter of fact
Canaan means, belonging to
00:11:23.69\00:11:26.28
the land of red purple.
00:11:26.31\00:11:28.38
The industrious people of
Thyatira, invented a new way
00:11:28.42\00:11:32.13
of making purple,
they've developed a process of
00:11:32.16\00:11:35.80
extracting the dye
from the Madder root.
00:11:35.84\00:11:38.47
Obviously was far more
economical to grow the Madder
00:11:38.51\00:11:42.56
root in the ground
than to dive for the
00:11:42.60\00:11:45.07
murex shell in the sea.
00:11:45.11\00:11:47.01
Soon the dye Guild of
Thyatira spread this new process
00:11:47.04\00:11:52.80
throughout the ancient world.
00:11:52.83\00:11:55.16
Lydia knew there would be
a big demand for purple cloth
00:11:55.19\00:11:59.19
in a Roman colony, so she
moved from Asia minor across
00:11:59.22\00:12:03.18
the Aegean to this
Roman colony Philippi.
00:12:03.22\00:12:06.81
She was a very influential
woman, a very wealthy woman.
00:12:06.85\00:12:11.61
She was a merchant
princess, a God-fearer.
00:12:11.64\00:12:15.26
You see she had been
walking in the light, she had
00:12:15.30\00:12:19.00
accepted the monotheistic
God of the Jews, she began
00:12:19.03\00:12:22.71
observing the Sabbath, she
was walking in the light with
00:12:22.74\00:12:27.09
an open heart and now God
showed Paul a vision of a man
00:12:27.13\00:12:31.44
to bring him from Troas
across the sea to Philippi
00:12:31.48\00:12:36.44
to share the gospel
with this special woman.
00:12:36.47\00:12:39.96
She opened her heart to
the gospel and was baptized
00:12:39.99\00:12:43.24
here in this river.
00:12:43.27\00:12:45.30
She became a pillar of
the church at Philippi.
00:12:45.33\00:12:48.54
As a matter of fact Paul writes
how the church of Macedonia
00:12:48.58\00:12:52.15
was the most
generous of the churches.
00:12:52.19\00:12:54.62
I'm sure that is a large
part due to this seller of
00:12:54.65\00:12:59.16
purple, this merchant
princess from Thyatira.
00:12:59.20\00:13:02.93
Paul, Silas, Timothy, Luke
must have been excited with
00:13:02.97\00:13:07.92
this wonderful turn of events,
00:13:07.96\00:13:10.33
but soon things would change.
00:13:10.36\00:13:12.70
Act 16:16 says.
00:13:12.73\00:13:14.92
One day as Paul and Silas
were returning from their place
00:13:50.61\00:13:53.35
of prayer, they were being
followed by a slave girl who
00:13:53.39\00:13:56.10
was possessed by an evil spirit.
00:13:56.13\00:13:58.58
The Scripture said she
had the spirit of divination,
00:13:58.61\00:14:00.85
the spirit of being
able to predict the future.
00:14:00.89\00:14:03.30
The original is very interesting
it is a Puthon spirit,
00:14:03.34\00:14:06.63
a Python spirit is the
same word that was used to
00:14:06.66\00:14:09.38
describe the Oracle at Delphi.
00:14:09.42\00:14:11.93
The ancients believed Delphi
to be the navel of the world
00:14:11.97\00:14:16.16
and there was an oracle
that would go forth from the
00:14:16.19\00:14:19.43
priestess there, a prophetess
would speak and lose her
00:14:19.46\00:14:22.95
mind, speak in an
incoherent way and give ecstatic
00:14:22.98\00:14:26.22
utterances and the priests
would try to interpret and
00:14:26.25\00:14:29.46
piece together the future.
00:14:29.49\00:14:32.16
Caesars were even impressed
with this and would journey
00:14:32.19\00:14:35.57
from Rome to try and
divine the future through this
00:14:35.61\00:14:38.92
oracle, this girl had been
possessed by this evil spirit
00:14:38.95\00:14:41.79
and it will come upon her
and she'd be out of her mind.
00:14:41.82\00:14:45.38
She would speak words in
an incoherent way and project
00:14:45.42\00:14:48.95
her voice from her belly.
00:14:48.98\00:14:51.23
People would listen and
pay money for this and try and
00:14:51.26\00:14:53.90
understand the future.
00:14:53.94\00:14:55.45
Apparently, at least the
interpretations said must have
00:14:55.48\00:14:58.71
come true because people
were paid good money for this.
00:14:58.75\00:15:02.33
Paul did not want the
name of Jesus to be associated
00:15:02.36\00:15:05.98
with the Puthon spirit so
he commended the spirit to
00:15:06.02\00:15:09.00
come out of her and
immediately she was restored
00:15:09.03\00:15:11.98
to her right mind.
00:15:12.02\00:15:13.65
It was an amazing
transformation that happened.
00:15:13.68\00:15:16.72
This girl, who all of her
life, had been possessed by an
00:15:16.76\00:15:20.10
evil spirit is now
free, free in Jesus.
00:15:20.13\00:15:23.31
A tremendous
transformation happened,
00:15:23.35\00:15:26.49
but the devil was angry.
00:15:26.53\00:15:28.18
Her masters used
her as a human tool.
00:15:52.47\00:15:54.84
They had no interest in
the girl and now that she was
00:15:54.87\00:15:57.57
restored to her right
mind they no longer could make
00:15:57.60\00:16:00.23
money from her, they were
angry and seized Paul and Silas
00:16:00.26\00:16:03.52
and brought them here
into the Roman forum and hauled
00:16:03.55\00:16:06.64
them before the authorities,
before the magistrates
00:16:06.67\00:16:09.72
who would be on their platform.
00:16:09.76\00:16:11.23
There they accused them
of doing things that were not
00:16:11.27\00:16:14.03
lawful for Romans to do.
00:16:14.07\00:16:16.29
Paul and Silas had done
one act of random kindness,
00:16:16.32\00:16:20.55
restoring this girl to
her rightful mind and now they
00:16:20.59\00:16:24.96
were accused falsely of
undermining the very principles
00:16:25.00\00:16:29.34
of Rome, you see they
had done nothing illegal.
00:16:29.37\00:16:33.01
They had only restored a
slave girl to her right mind.
00:16:33.05\00:16:36.21
These men brought
trumped up charges before the
00:16:36.25\00:16:40.08
authorities here in this forum.
00:16:40.12\00:16:42.25
And the
authorities rushed to judgment.
00:16:42.29\00:16:46.20
You see Jews were permitted
special permission in the
00:16:46.24\00:16:49.32
Roman empire, they can
circumcise their children,
00:16:49.36\00:16:52.37
they could keep the Sabbath,
they can practice ritual baths,
00:16:52.41\00:16:55.38
but they could not
proselytize Roman citizens.
00:16:55.41\00:16:59.96
This is what the men accused
them of, but they had not
00:16:59.99\00:17:02.94
proselytized a Roman
citizen, this girl was a slave.
00:17:02.97\00:17:05.95
She was restored to her
right mind in the name of Jesus.
00:17:05.99\00:17:09.77
The authorities rushed to
judgment and mob mentality
00:17:09.80\00:17:13.55
set in, the Bible says.
00:17:13.58\00:17:15.61
All of this for doing a
good deed for a slave girl who
00:17:41.07\00:17:43.89
have been
possessed by an evil spirit.
00:17:43.92\00:17:46.46
Things happen so quickly
that Paul and Silas could not
00:17:46.50\00:17:50.66
explain their side of the
story, nor could they even
00:17:50.70\00:17:54.83
use their rights of
appeal as Roman citizens.
00:17:54.86\00:17:58.49
They were stripped and
publicly flogged, beaten with
00:17:58.52\00:18:02.35
rods within an inch of
their life here in this forum.
00:18:02.39\00:18:05.84
Then they were brought
up and placed in a prison,
00:18:05.88\00:18:09.30
the inner dungeon
of the Roman jail,
00:18:09.33\00:18:11.87
a converted cistern.
00:18:11.91\00:18:13.89
There they were placed in
the stocks, and when you think
00:18:13.92\00:18:17.03
about it, their feet were
spread in such a way that only
00:18:17.07\00:18:20.14
way they could get
comfortable was to lay down.
00:18:20.18\00:18:22.92
They're back was lacerated,
it would be a horrible
00:18:22.95\00:18:25.66
experience, there
they were placed in a jail.
00:18:25.70\00:18:29.75
Yet there they were
singing, singing at midnight the
00:18:29.79\00:18:33.88
Bible says, singing because
they could not sleep with
00:18:33.92\00:18:37.74
the pain from the lacerations
they had experienced.
00:18:37.78\00:18:41.57
Singing and
praying go hand-in-hand.
00:18:41.61\00:18:43.80
Later Paul would
remind the Philippians.
00:18:43.84\00:18:46.00
I don't think they
were singing at midnight
00:18:55.32\00:18:57.13
because they were happy.
00:18:57.17\00:18:59.19
You see happy comes from
the English word hap which
00:18:59.22\00:19:02.86
means chance, and sometimes
we by chance are happy is
00:19:02.90\00:19:06.50
when our circumstances are good.
00:19:06.54\00:19:08.41
And sometimes by chance
sad, because our circumstances
00:19:08.45\00:19:12.49
are bad, but Bible
doesn't use the word happy.
00:19:12.53\00:19:15.95
It says that they
were filled with joy.
00:19:15.99\00:19:19.41
You see joy is not dependent
upon circumstances, it is
00:19:19.44\00:19:23.60
a fruit of the presence of
the Holy Spirit in your life.
00:19:23.64\00:19:28.18
Paul and Silas could rejoice
even though their rights as
00:19:28.21\00:19:32.72
Roman citizens
had been violated.
00:19:32.76\00:19:35.05
Things that happen so quickly
that Paul and Silas had not
00:19:43.43\00:19:45.72
been able to state that
they were Roman citizens.
00:19:45.75\00:19:48.77
Their rights have been violated.
00:19:48.80\00:19:50.39
There may be times in
your life when you too
00:19:50.42\00:19:54.37
will be wrongfully accused.
00:19:54.40\00:19:56.80
There may be times when
people spread false rumors
00:19:56.83\00:19:59.42
about you, and there is
no way you can clear up your
00:19:59.45\00:20:02.73
reputation, Paul writes
to you in circumstances like
00:20:02.77\00:20:06.01
that and says,
rejoice in the Lord always
00:20:06.04\00:20:09.32
and again I say rejoice.
00:20:09.36\00:20:11.82
Let's read on in the Bible.
00:20:11.85\00:20:14.28
Paul and Silas were singing
at midnight, and the Bible
00:20:42.69\00:20:45.93
says at midnight a great
earthquake shook this town.
00:20:45.97\00:20:49.07
It shook this city, and it
shook so hard that the very
00:20:49.11\00:20:53.61
bar holding the two doors
of the inner prison jolted out.
00:20:53.64\00:20:57.52
The door swung open and the
very rocks that were holding
00:20:57.56\00:21:01.53
the stocks together,
those very rocks came apart and
00:21:01.57\00:21:05.51
the prisoners were freed.
00:21:05.55\00:21:07.59
Paul and Silas however did
not leave, they did not want
00:21:07.63\00:21:12.20
the good name of
Christianity to be tarnished.
00:21:12.24\00:21:15.15
They knew they were Roman
citizens and had done nothing
00:21:15.19\00:21:17.22
illegal and so they
refused to leave at that time.
00:21:17.25\00:21:21.16
They did not run away.
00:21:21.20\00:21:22.74
The jailer was awakened by
the earthquake and he came in
00:21:22.78\00:21:26.63
and recognized that
his life was at risk.
00:21:26.67\00:21:30.06
The prisoners had
escaped and he came in and drew
00:21:30.09\00:21:33.23
his sword to fall on
it and commit suicide in
00:21:33.26\00:21:36.33
the great Roman tradition
to protect his family honor.
00:21:36.36\00:21:39.80
But Paul called out
and said, man don't do it,
00:21:39.83\00:21:43.29
don't do it, were
all alive, we're here.
00:21:43.32\00:21:45.08
Don't kill yourself.
00:21:45.11\00:21:47.34
The jailer could not
believe it and ordered lights,
00:21:47.38\00:21:49.78
torches to be brought and
they looked in and saw all
00:21:49.82\00:21:52.18
the prisoners accounted for.
00:21:52.22\00:21:53.63
The man asked the most
important question of his life.
00:21:53.66\00:21:56.31
He said, sirs what
must I do to be saved?
00:21:56.35\00:22:00.84
What must I do to be saved?
00:22:00.87\00:22:02.47
How would you answer that?
00:22:02.50\00:22:04.03
Listen how Paul answered
it, he said, believe in the
00:22:04.07\00:22:06.50
Lord Jesus Christ
and you will be saved.
00:22:06.53\00:22:08.84
You and your household, believe
in the Lord Jesus Christ.
00:22:08.87\00:22:12.48
What tremendous words,
that means a little more however
00:22:12.51\00:22:15.82
than just mental assent,
it's like saying hey I believe
00:22:15.86\00:22:18.90
that George Washington
was the first president of the
00:22:18.94\00:22:22.40
United States, to believe
in the Lord means to yield
00:22:22.43\00:22:26.80
yourself, to surrender
yourself, to commit yourself
00:22:26.83\00:22:31.35
to the Lord Jesus as
your Christ, as your Messiah.
00:22:31.39\00:22:35.94
Notice how the Amplified
Bible translates the passage.
00:22:35.97\00:22:40.48
To believe in the Lord
Jesus means to yield your will
00:22:53.21\00:22:57.10
to Him, to believe in the
Lord means to surrender your
00:22:57.13\00:23:00.98
heart, your mind,
your soul, your life,
00:23:01.02\00:23:04.82
your entire being to Him.
00:23:04.85\00:23:06.90
The Bible goes on to say.
00:23:06.93\00:23:08.95
After the jailer accepted
these words he took them to
00:23:25.04\00:23:28.76
a cistern and bathe
their wounds in the water.
00:23:28.79\00:23:31.70
He washed their wounds,
bathing them in the water.
00:23:31.74\00:23:35.36
Then Paul and Silas returned
the favor by bathing the
00:23:35.40\00:23:39.18
Roman jailer and his
family in the waters of baptism.
00:23:39.22\00:23:43.70
After he was baptized, he
practice Christian hospitality
00:23:43.74\00:23:48.19
by taking them in and
sitting them to eat at his
00:23:48.23\00:23:51.47
table they shared a
sweet meal of communion.
00:23:51.51\00:23:54.68
Think about that, this
jailer, this man was now filled
00:23:54.72\00:23:59.13
with joy the Bible says,
filled with joy because he had
00:23:59.17\00:24:03.55
met Jesus
Christ, filled with joy.
00:24:03.58\00:24:05.65
What a swing of emotions,
a few hours earlier he was
00:24:05.69\00:24:08.07
ready to fall on a
sword and take his own life.
00:24:08.11\00:24:10.31
But now the prisoners
have not escaped, he met Jesus
00:24:10.35\00:24:14.80
and he was filled with joy.
00:24:14.84\00:24:17.53
He had peace in his
heart, peace in his mind.
00:24:17.57\00:24:21.64
What a thrilling story,
what a tremendous story.
00:24:21.68\00:24:25.72
The text goes on to say.
00:24:25.75\00:24:27.71
While the Bible says
that the magistrates were now
00:24:42.37\00:24:46.01
terrified because
of what had happened.
00:24:46.04\00:24:48.93
Some Bibles actually say,
because of the earthquake the
00:24:48.97\00:24:52.57
magistrates called for
Paul and Silas to be brought
00:24:52.61\00:24:56.00
before them, you see
Romans believed that earthquakes
00:24:56.03\00:24:59.39
were a way that the
gods would speak to them.
00:24:59.42\00:25:01.48
They believe they had a
judgment that fell on this city
00:25:01.52\00:25:04.50
because of a misdeed
they had done towards
00:25:04.54\00:25:07.16
these two innocent men.
00:25:07.20\00:25:08.89
Paul and Silas however,
exercised their rights as Roman
00:25:08.92\00:25:13.25
citizens now and the Bible says.
00:25:13.29\00:25:15.82
Paul and Silas did not
come out, they said no we have
00:25:51.05\00:25:54.40
been wronged as Roman
citizens, our rights have been
00:25:54.43\00:25:57.74
abused and Cicero wrote.
00:25:57.78\00:26:00.18
So Paul and Silas
refused to come out.
00:26:06.93\00:26:08.95
They said no let those men,
come and let them take us out.
00:26:08.99\00:26:12.65
In other words, our good name,
the good name of Christianity
00:26:12.68\00:26:16.31
has been wronged,
therefore, let them come
00:26:16.35\00:26:19.13
and publicly apologize
to clear up the good name.
00:26:19.17\00:26:22.42
The magistrates were
terrified, they could lose their
00:26:22.46\00:26:25.67
positions, their
possessions, even their life.
00:26:25.71\00:26:29.11
What would the men do?
00:26:29.15\00:26:31.89
Well Paul and Silas did
not want revenge, they only
00:26:31.93\00:26:35.88
wanted the name of Christianity
cleared up and so they
00:26:35.92\00:26:39.84
went to the house of
Lydia where they had sweet
00:26:39.87\00:26:42.90
fellowship with a
slave girl, the Roman jailer,
00:26:42.93\00:26:45.74
the family of Lydia
and the jailer's family.
00:26:45.78\00:26:48.51
Sweet fellowship, how long
they stayed we do not know.
00:26:48.55\00:26:51.12
But soon they were off
and would again take the
00:26:51.16\00:26:55.38
Via Egnatia and go south
through Amphipolis and Apollonia
00:26:55.42\00:27:01.29
on their way to the
great port city of Thessalonica
00:27:01.32\00:27:04.95
there on the Thermaic
Bay and that is where we will
00:27:04.99\00:27:08.59
be going our next video.
00:27:08.62\00:27:10.15
Don't miss the exciting
story as we go to Thessalonica
00:27:10.19\00:27:13.98
and share the story of
Paul taking the good news,
00:27:14.01\00:27:18.16
the blessed hope to the
church he found in that city.
00:27:18.20\00:27:22.68
For now from here in
Philippi, let's pray together.
00:27:22.71\00:27:27.13
Father in heaven we thank
You for the tremendous story
00:27:27.17\00:27:31.55
of how the gospel
penetrated a Roman colony
00:27:31.59\00:27:34.21
right here in Philippi.
00:27:34.25\00:27:35.96
How You touched the
mind of a merchant princess,
00:27:35.99\00:27:39.21
the seller of
purple, Lydia from Thyatira.
00:27:39.25\00:27:42.28
How You changed her
heart and we thank You, how You
00:27:42.31\00:27:44.86
reached down and touched
a girl possessed by an evil
00:27:44.90\00:27:47.41
spirit and delivered
her in the name of Jesus.
00:27:47.45\00:27:49.49
We thank You Lord for
bringing hope to a despairing
00:27:49.52\00:27:52.52
man who is ready to take
his own life and fall upon his
00:27:52.55\00:27:55.51
sword, and we praise
You for that Lord Jesus.
00:27:55.55\00:27:58.05
And we know that You are
alive and well today and that
00:27:58.08\00:28:00.52
You can touch our lives
just like You did Lydia.
00:28:00.56\00:28:02.52
That You can change our
lives just like that slave girl.
00:28:02.55\00:28:05.70
That You can bring hope
for lives just like that Roman
00:28:05.74\00:28:09.31
jailer, and so in the name
of Jesus we too want to yield
00:28:09.35\00:28:13.17
our lives to You, we too
want to surrender are all to
00:28:13.20\00:28:16.49
You, that we might like
Paul and Silas have peace, joy
00:28:16.52\00:28:19.78
no matter what the
circumstances around us.
00:28:19.81\00:28:23.45
We pray in Jesus name Amen!
00:28:23.48\00:28:26.62
Again don't miss our next
video as we follow Via Egnatia
00:28:26.65\00:28:31.12
as to go south down through
Amphipolis, Apollonia, and
00:28:31.15\00:28:35.32
all the way down to the
Thermaic gulf and Thessalonica.
00:28:35.35\00:28:39.49
We will see you then.
00:28:39.52\00:28:41.23