Jul 11
15
The Miracle Grace Performs
Acts 16: 25: And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them. 26: And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened, and every one’s bands were loosed.
We get our title from this great miracle that occurred as Paul and Silas prayed and sang praises unto God. Several places in scripture we find the Lord shaking the earth whenever the Spirit of grace works triumphantly in the midst of sinners. (Acts 4:31: Mt 28:2; Rev 11: 13.)In our text, as we find the Lord shaking the earth, it again marks a time when the Spirit of God triumphed in the hearts of redeemed sinners (Ps 146: 7; Is 42: 6-8.)
Proposition: In this passage, we see the miracle of God’s grace through the gospel of Christ working irresistibly in the jailor and those in his household at Philippi.
Divisions: I. The Effects the Grace of God Has Upon A Sinner; II. The Good News of the Gospel; III. The Obedience of Faith
I. The Effects the Grace of God Has Upon A Sinner (v27-28.)
A. Grace quickens the dead sinner (Eph 2: 1)
B. Grace removes all hope of gain before God by our own doing (v23, 24; Jn 5: 44.)
C. Grace makes a sinner call upon God (Jn 3: 20, 21; Is 49: 8-11; Ps 110:3; Pro 9: 10, 11; Lk 11:9.)
II. The Good News of the Gospel (v30-32.)
A. Believing is the opposite of works. (Jn 6: 29; 8: 24; I Jn 5: 11.)
B. Believe on the Lord…Jesus…Christ! Do you know WHOM you have believed? (2 Tim 1: 12; Pro 16:33; Ro 8: 3, 4; Mt 1: 21; Lk 4: 18.)
C. And thou shalt be saved. Do you need to be saved? From what do you need to be saved?
D. The first evidence where God begins to work in the heart is that a sinner desires to know and believes what the Lord says about the sinner and about himself in his word (v32; Ro 10: 14, 15; Jn 9: 36; 2 Cor 10: 4.)
III. The Obedience of Faith (v33, 34)
A. The Believer Falls in Love With Christ Jesus the Lord (Mt 25:40.)
B. The Believer Submits to Christ
C. The Believer Falls in Love With Christ’s Brethren (Is 11:6; 1 Jn 5:1.)
D. The Believer rejoices and continues believing God (Ro 5:2, 11.)
Application: May Paul’s prayer for the Romans be our prayer for all those in our house and with whom we are able to minister the word of the Lord: Romans 15:13: Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost. Clay Curtis