Sermon

As we continue our series, CONVERSIONS IN ACTS, we now follow the Apostle Paul as he and his fellow missionaries head to Philippi of Macedonia where LYDIA AND PHILIPPIAN JAILER along with their families are brought to Christ.

Paul received a vision of a man from Macedonia begging for help, and so he and his mission team head to Philippi where the first Christian church was established in Europe. However, the conversions of Lydia and the Jailer were under vastly different circumstances.

 Lydia and her family, although Gentiles, were “worshippers of God”, and Paul found them at a place of prayer by a river outside of the city of Philippi.  After sharing with them the gospel of Jesus, Paul baptized them into Christ for the remission of their sins and the Philippian church was established.

Although Paul went looking for someone to teach at the river where he found Lydia and her household, the initial meeting with the jailer wasn’t nearly as cordial.   In fact, on the orders of the city magistrates, the jailer threw Paul and Silas into a dungeon and placed their feet in stocks.  They were beaten and imprisoned because Paul cast a demon out of slave girl who was being used by her owners to make money, and this caused an uproar in the city.  Yet, God used this difficult situation to share the gospel with the jailer, which resulted with him and his family being baptized into Christ for the remissions of their sins.

Come join us Sunday as we delve into these two unique conversions and establishment of the Philippian church that Paul deeply loved.