| “You Never Know When”
Sunday, May 16, 2010
Series Title: A.T.S.M. (As the Spirit Moves)
Main Text: Acts 16:16-34
Theme: Preaching Salvation in unusual circumstances.
Brief explanation of Scripture Passage:
Paul goes to prison because he cast out the demon of divination from a slave girl who was making money for her owner using that strange skill. He goes to prison after being accused, along with Silas, severely beaten and stripped, and they have their feet put in stocks. Yet the two did not lose faith, did not get discouraged, and kept praising God (perhaps even thanking God for the privilege of being beaten for Christ!) In the midst of their worship, a miracle happened and they walked out free! This highly unusual, uncomfortable situation leads to the salvation of the jailer and his entire family. God allowed their discomfort so that through it, in the midst of it, and even because of it, others were saved that night.
Summary of Message:
When we are open to the movement of the Holy Spirit of God, we are not discouraged by threatening circumstances or people; we are encouraged to praise God all the more. When we are praising God instead of whining, then we are in a place where God can use us to spread the gospel of salvation through Jesus Christ.
“What difference does it make?” the man asked the boy, while they walked along the shoreline. “You can never possibly save them all; there are too many of them!” The tide had carried thousands of starfish ashore, and left them there to die unless they could find their way back to the waters. And time was of the essence. Have you ever seen a starfish move? No one has; that is how slow they are. Continuing to work, throwing one starfish into the surf at a time, the boy responded with an urgency in his voice: “It makes a difference” he said, as he picked up another starfish and heaved it out to sea, “to that one.”
The business of being used by God to save souls through the gospel of Jesus Christ is like that. We can easily get discouraged trying to impact the whole world; we must focus on making an impact in the life of one person at a
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