 With that said I'm going to begin reading at verses 11 and 12 here in chapter 16 and I'll give you a little bit of a background again a reminder and Then we'll move into our study what we're looking at is the foundation or the birth of the church of Philippi and We're going to be seeing an event that takes place here first with a woman named Lydia and then an event that takes Place right after that and so beginning at verse 11 reading to verse 12 and introducing our study therefore sailing from Torus we ran a straight course to Samathrace and The next day came to Neapolis and from there to Philippi Which is a foremost city of that part of Macedonia a colony and we were staying in that city for Some days and so as we've already seen the Apostle Paul and A man that he loved very much a man by the name of Barnabas have had a falling out They had the falling out over Barnabas's cousin a young man by the name of John Mark Now Paul had been in the city of Antioch in the country of Syria and he'd been there for around a year It was time for him to leave it was time for him to go and to Ministering the churches where he had that he had planted to see how the people in those churches were doing He knew that it would take careful nurturing and careful time in the word for these young Disciples to grow to mature and the fact is that that churches that are neglected easily will fall apart if they're not cared for So Paul was ready to go but but Barnabas his dear friend wanted to take with him his cousin Mark and As we saw Paul disagreed with this and so they divided over that and they developed actually two different ministry teams Barnabas took John Mark and he sailed to the island of Cyprus, which is to the the Southwest Or so of of Turkey of the the nation of Turkey But Paul took a man by the name of Silas and he went through Syria and Solicia in other words he went to the southeast now they came to a city in modern Turkey Called Missia From there they went to Troas and Troas was a port on the northwest border of Turkey So while in Troas Paul had received a vision This is a vision the scripture says of a man of Macedonia notice verse 9 It says a vision appeared to Paul in the night a man of Macedonia stood and pleaded with him saying come over to Macedonia and help us and so He knew that God had called them to go preach to these Greeks these Macedonians So Paul Silas and Timothy are now joined by Luke and as a unified ministry team They're boarding a ship and they went together to the work and that's where we left off last time we were together So he says in verse 11 sailing from Troas. We ran a straight course of Samoth rays and the next day came to Neapolis and So they're embarking on a short ministry journey and if you were looking at a map You'd be looking at the Mediterranean Mediterranean would be to the west of of the nation of Turkey Turkey would be north of the nation of Israel if you will and to the north and the northwest and So they're going across the Mediterranean and they're on their way now to an area called Macedonia So they first stop in a place called Samoth rays. It's an island probably spent the night there in a port They came to a place called Neapolis, which is on the Greek coast in Macedonia and then they move on to a city called Philippi That was about 10 or 12 miles inland. It was northwest of Neapolis So what we have here is the gospel entering for the first time into Europe It's interesting that it was a man of Macedonia who had said come and help us But when Paul arrives he actually is ministering to a woman a woman by the name of Lydia and So it says they were staying in that city for a while on the Sabbath day verse 13. We went out Of the city to the Riverside so they went to Greg Laurie's church and where prayer was customarily made and We sat down and spoke to the women who met there and So I'll develop this a little bit with you Normally as we've been seeing this and even Paul Paul even writes this to the Jew first and then to the Gentile The practice of Paul in his ministry was to go first to the Jewish population So the gospel was for the whole world But Paul because he had a heart for his Jewish brethren according to the flesh He would go to a synagogue and as he would go to the synagogue He'd first go and minister to them But again, he was open to ministering to whoever who would listen to the gospel And so normally he would first go to a synagogue to share with this fellow Jews But the absence of a synagogue pointing out here that they were at a Riverside tells us there's no synagogue and it tells us There were very few Jewish people there in that area and how we know this is very simple It took 10 Jewish men to form a synagogue So instead of meeting in a synagogue they're meeting at a Riverside and they're praying there That would be considered an unofficial meeting place So it's a prayer meeting. It's made up of Jews as well as what you would call God fear is there were Gentiles And in this prayer meeting, there's a Gentile woman a woman that we're introduced to here by the name of Lydia It says in verse 14 a certain woman named Lydia heard us And she was a seller of purple from the city of Thyatira who worshiped God By the way, it says but who worshiped God that tells us two things one is she's from Thyatira, which is a It's a Gentile city. It's on the coast there in Turkey And that she worships God tells us that she wasn't Jewish, but that she was a God fairer God fairers were those who we like the moral teachings of the Jewish Rabbis and all but were not fully converted. They were not Jewish. They didn't convert to Judaism They basically were Gentiles who embraced the the moral moral teachings of the Jews and so that's who she is and it tells us that she's a seller of purple and It says something I want to develop here Notice in verse 14 it says a certain woman named Lydia heard us that when you read your Bible the word heard It doesn't mean much to you and it probably wouldn't why because the way we use the word here in the United States The way we use the word heard isn't something that's going to give us much information But you need to remember that in the New Testament it was written with a language called Greek coin a Greek common Greek and It actually has a deeper meaning than just listening It says that she heard us and she was listening very Intently she was hearing the message that Paul was sharing. She was listening and and was understanding the heart of the message She was listening with great Observation she was thirsting it's telling us she was longing for truth and it's a truth that would set her free so this is a person who's Listening who's hearing with intensity not just kind of like sometimes people are in church where they're just there You know, it's the time we go to church, but I've got other things I've got a roast in the oven or I got to go wash my car with a lot She wasn't doing that She was a Gentile she was a woman who went to prayer because she had a desire to know God She didn't embrace fully the God of Israel. She didn't convert fully. She was a God fairer But she was intensely listening to the things that the Apostle Paul was saying she was not indifferent She wanted to know what he was saying. She was understanding the heart of the message. She was thirsting She's longing for truth. She wants the truth That is going to set her free So she's not indifferent She's a worshiper of God. She's a God fairer now It says that she was originally from Thyatira When you read your Bible in book of Revelation it speaks of the seven churches and seven churches one of the seven churches is Thyatira it was on it was on the Turkish site was in Turkey and it was one of the seven churches that later on were spoken to She's from that city. It's on the Western coast there in Turkey. Now. She's living in Philippi and Philippi was again there on in in Macedonia and she's a notice a seller of purple now purple is an expensive die It's very valuable. And so that tells us something else and I'm trying to build something with you here She was a Gentile God fairer who is wealthy Because she sold purple and purple was a very expensive die but her wealth Did not satisfy her The money she had Did not satisfy the longing of her heart It didn't meet the thing that meant most or I didn't reach the deepest part of her You know, sometimes when we're younger perhaps we think well I'll get a job not based on whether it's something I enjoy doing or want to do or would like to make a career of because It's really what I feel I'm called to do but I'm gonna look for a job that'll produce the most income that I can have Why well because we think that if we have money we're gonna also have happiness and You know, it doesn't buy the things that matter There were for profits that have said this they said money can't buy me love. They were the Beatles John Paul George and Ringo the four Apostles I'm sorry But anyway She knew That there was something more than what she has She knew that money might buy you things and of course it does and grateful to God for it But it doesn't meet your deepest longing We're going through the book of Ecclesiastes and I'd invite you to be part of that on Wednesdays Ecclesiastes chapter 6 verse 7 says it like this all the labor of man is for his mouth Yet the soul is not satisfied It's something that you eat it's something that satisfies you in that way your physical appetites are met But your spiritual hungers are not So what you put on? What you drink what you eat are all necessities of course But they aren't the most important thing the most important thing is the Lord Satisfying your spiritual need Lydia was wealthy, but she was longing for something else This is a spiritually hungry gentile woman Who is open to the things of God and she knew that? Everything she ever gained would one day be simply left behind you don't take it with you Ecclesiastes 221 says there is a man whose labor is with wisdom knowledge and skill yet He must leave his heritage to a man who is not labored for it This also is vanity and a great evil you work all your life you get up early you work late You gain all this finance you get all this influence you gain this affluence But in the back of your mind is you're growing older You know you're gonna leave your business behind to someone who didn't work one day to develop it Friend of mine was talking about that. I share this on Wednesday night a couple weeks ago friend of mine was saying you know when the day comes for me to to move out of ministry full-time and to hand my Fellowship that that God gave me to develop. I'm gonna hand my fellowship over to somebody who didn't do a thing To develop this ministry didn't cry one time for this church, and that's a fact You leave it behind to somebody else Everything you do is left behind and she knows that all the money that she has all The things she has and you'll see she's a wealthy woman. We'll see that in a moment If there's even a more obvious thing we'll see in a minute, but she knew her wealth wouldn't satisfy She was there listening she would go to the prayer meeting and she'd hear and make her prayers made to God and all And hear the other prayers and and and here comes the Apostle Paul and he's sharing a message and she's hearing him She's listening intently According to John chapter 6 verse 27 Jesus said do not work for food that spoils But for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of man will give you for on him God the Father's place is seal of approval food that spoils We had our family over for Christmas dinner a horde Greedy little things and they came over and it's like locusts descended on my house But there's food left over and At the end where does that food go it goes into the trash right it goes into the trash That's where it goes. That's what Jesus is saying don't labor for the food that spoils You have an abundance of it. Thank God you do But you don't eat all of it don't labor for that kind of food He said labor for the food that endures to eternal life You get that from me He's saying which the Son of man will give you for on him God the Father place the seal of approval and so the Lord Jesus made that very clear in John 6 35 Jesus said I'm the bread of life whoever comes to me will never go hungry whoever believes in me will never be thirsty You're not gonna hunger for spiritual truth. They're thirst for spiritual truth because Jesus satisfied those things He satisfies those things that you have in your in your heart when I got saved I didn't go and see what Muhammad had to say when I got saved. I didn't go and try and hear what Buddha had to say I didn't need to hear that are already was satisfied. I didn't want anything else. I was satisfied and that's what Jesus is saying Whoever comes to me will never be hungry. Why because I'm the bread of life I will meet I will satisfy your inner longings the hungers of your heart. So Paul came to a prayer meeting and While he's there. He's sharing about Jesus and he's preaching the gospel and and Lydia is there and she's listening intently And something inside of her begins to respond Something inside. It's like deep calling unto deep something. He's saying something within is beginning to Respond to it's drawing her It's like Paul is speaking just to her It's like she's the only person in That room even though she's with few other ladies and all It's like she's the only one there at the Riverside I've had people approach me after a Bible study and they've said, you know, I know there were other people around me But I also know that God was speaking straight to me today his word spoke to my heart That's what Lydia was doing She was seeking God she was at a prayer meeting It may be that even in her prayer. She was saying God. I want to know you Jesus in Matthew 7 verse 7 said it like this. He said ask it will be given to you Seek you will find knock and The door will be open to you And so Paul is speaking and he's sharing that God sent his son He's speaking at the right moment in the right period of time God sent his son He's spoken he's speaking about how how Jesus was born of a virgin and that he dwelt in Israel and and That he grew to be a man and he did miracles and he was speaking of his teachings and and how they took him and they put him on a cross and They put him to death and yet he was buried in the third day He he was raised from that a sharing the gospel and as she's listening to this God begins to work on her God is moving on her heart notice verse 14 The Lord opened her heart to heed the things spoken by Paul The spirit of God Convicted her he opened her heart convicted her within the core of her being Lydia was in the right place to receive what Paul was sharing and as she's listening she knows that what he's saying is true Like the two disciples who were on the road to Emmaus her her heart began to burn with within her and as she she heard She believed and God opened her heart to heed what Paul said and that that word heed in verse 14 The Lord opened her heart to heed the word heed means to respond it Means to act upon It's not just listening. You see a lot of people hear Bible studies, but they're really not heeding. They're not acting upon it They hear it with their ear, but they don't receive it within they oh, yeah, that's a good idea or that's neat Sometimes when they're convicted they'll go. Oh, yeah, that's his opinion. I Remember two young ladies who came to a Bible study on a Wednesday night and it just so happened I was in a passion passage that was speaking concerning Homosexuality and I just you know you teach the word as it is and so She contacted me and She said to me Pastor David. I want you to know something. She said my My girlfriend and I came she was lesbian that girlfriend and I came to to the Wednesday night She said we don't go to your church. We were invited to come to the fellowship and so we came and you were teaching about the sin that is my sin and she goes I went home and I spoke to my partner and I said what we're doing is wrong. The Bible teaches. It's wrong My partner said and I remember this conversation very well. She said my partner said oh, that's just his opinion Because that's what a lot of people do they they listen if they don't agree with that well That's his opinion even if it's very black and white. Well, that's his opinion or that's an old book. It doesn't matter That's you know today's different. We have all of these arguments But she said I knew that it was true and I told her Know what he said he didn't make that up. I read it myself today She said that and she broke up with this partner of hers. She got married. She has children She she was set free why because God opened her heart to hear what the Spirit has to say Because the truth will set you free and Lydia is there And she's listening and God is opening Her heart and she responds. She heeds. She applies herself to this And God graciously grants to her the free gift of salvation. You see by the Holy Spirit God opened her her eyes of understanding to believe in Jesus Christ In John 644 and 45 no one can come to me unless the father who sent me draws him I will raise him up at the last day. It's written in the prophets They will all be taught by God Everyone who listens to the father and learns from him Comes to me and that's what's taking place She's listening And God is opening her heart listen. It's it's not as if He's forcing her heart open She went with an attitude to receive she went because I want to know she's listening to this man who's speaking to these women at a prayer meeting And as she's listening The conviction of the Holy Spirit comes upon her And she knows that what he's saying Is true She's listening Well as she's listening verse 15 when she and her household were baptized She begged us saying If you've judged me to be faithful to the lord come to my house and stay She persuaded us So she heard Was being what was being taught There's no doubt that in the conversation in the sharing in the teaching preaching of the apostle paul That he mentioned that jesus has said uh go out to all the nations And baptized them in the name of the father the son and the holy spirit and teach them observe all things that i've commanded you Lord i'm with you always even into the end of the age There's no doubt that he spoke of baptism because she is saying i want to be baptized I and because the scripture says that she she and her household were baptized So her desire to follow christ is revealed by an open demonstration of faith There are there are no real secret christians really here in the united states shouldn't be By being baptized she openly declared that she's a follower of christ It's revealing to us that she is she's knowing that she had been dead to sin But now is alive because of the work of the spirit within her. She's actually evidencing genuine salvation And and she's desiring more of god notice verse 15 how it says that She says if you've judged me to be faithful to the lord come to my house and stay she persuaded us She's so overjoyed to have heard the gospel she wants to know more She's actually begging saying if you've judged me to be faithful to lord her hunger Is for more teaching again That is an evidence of a real salvation When you're really saved you want to know more about god That's basic isn't it When you really save for me it was not a once in a while thing When I first got saved it was I need to know more I I want to have more The way it was prior to getting saved and again. I was only 20 years old at that time But my lifestyle was when I'm partying. I loved to party and obviously a lot of people did and many still do But for me it was like where's the next party? You know you could party every day. I discovered that and I tried to do that I enjoyed partying go to somebody's house and do what you do But when I got saved It changed now is where's the next bible study? Where's the next place we can go for fellowship and and we had a day by day every day kind of thing Where we were together where the church was together that was by the way part of the What people today look at and call the jesus revolution. We call it the jesus movement It was that he made up everything for us. We wanted to know him so we gathered together and that's what she's saying She's saying I want you to come to my house. She's persuading them Listen, if you if you trust that I really have been saved then please come to my house and and stay I want more teaching. I want to know more and and and it would be great to have you stay with us That way I have access to you. I can ask my questions and and you can disciple me and and my household I want more of you when I got saved it would have been nice I've had pastor chuck smith living in my house so I could say well chuck What about this and how about that and that's kind of what she was doing on a greater degree? It was with the apostle paul. I want to know you. I want to know more about god and and and the eagerness is is there On christmas morning, we came for our christmas morning service and and my wife and I marina we're talking And she said something that stuck with me. She said to me. I said well, it's great to go to church on christmas day, isn't it? She said What could be better Think going to church And I was blessed to hear my wife say that because she has to come and hear me But the question is real, isn't it? What could be better? There are a whole lot of people who will say there's a lot of things that are better Well, I'd better do this. I'd rather go to the game. I'd rather do this. I'd rather do that and rather go to the beach I'd rather there's a lot of people that would say there's a lot of things that are better And that kind of reveals our hearts for god it reveals our depth of relationship with him very clearly If I can find alternatives, you know make excuses to not be there tells me where my heart really is for her She wanted to be there. She wants to know god So she invites paul luke sylas and timothy to stay She wants to have them with her that they might teach her They more than likely at this time we're staying in a rented place But she wants to she wants to free them from having to pay any kind of rent And in doing so she's revealing something about herself. She's revealing that she's a wealthy woman She has a large enough home to lodge them And so it's demonstrating her generosity And so she asked him could you stay with me in my place and And here's something that I also love about this something else about lydia as a woman She has the privilege to be paul's first convert in europe the very first convert in europe and This is also the planting of the very first church in europe You see after she was saved her home became a place for believers to gather and ultimately It became the way the church in the city of philipi Was established And we may not know the word philipi that well, but we know the book of philippians And that book would have been written concerning a church that we saw birthed here and it was birthed in a house Many churches begin in homes by the way this church began in a home this church began in a home as a bible study In in pomona and then ultimately began sunday services in a home in ontario A lot of churches were were built or originated In a home and this church the church of the philippians did too And so that's the first part Here's your second message beginning at verse 16 it happened As we went to prayer that a certain slave girl possessed with the spirit of divination Met us who brought her master's much profit by fortune telling This girl followed paul and us and cried out saying These men are the servants of the most high god who proclaimed to us the way of salvation and this she did for many days But paul greatly annoyed turned and said to the spirit I commend you in the name of jesus christ to come out of her And he came out that very hour Now what we're seeing here is a spiritual battle And you see where it actually begins it begins as they went to prayer And that's where many spiritual battles take place You see god answers faith-filled prayers And because he does The enemy is in constant opposition. I want you to see this Notice how it says on their way to prayer. They encountered a slave girl the slave girl was following them And crying out we were in jerusalem several years ago now mike mackintosh Holland davis and i and our wives. We were in the city of jerusalem And we were walking And our wives were up ahead Scouting out places to buy stuff They were walking ahead of us And as they were walking ahead mike and holland and i were talking And directly behind us maybe 30 feet or less was a woman Who was following behind us at first you didn't notice her But she got close enough to us for us to hear her voice and she was muttering and speaking And speaking out loud And she was saying i don't know I still remember someone what she was saying when i finally Could hear her words. I don't know Some say that he is the son of god Some say he is god And we our ears picked up on what she was doing And we slowed down And then mike looks at holland And he says holland go with the women So he screws off with the ladies And mike turns to me and he says she's demon possessed I said i better go with holland Make sure he gets there safely So he turns and he says she's demon possessed And i said yeah And then mike says this is mike he says you want to go cast the demon out. That's mike I was getting a hamburger, but So i said okay, i said of course So we stop And the woman stops She's doing something very similar to You know sometimes people read the bible and say oh that happened 2000 years ago We're in jerusalem. There's a woman behind us. She's muttering about christ. She's speaking perfect english And we turn and look at her And mike says in the name of jesus to her And she stops Freezes and i'm not it was very dramatic. I'm not making it dramatic. It was she stops and kind of freezes in her steps and looks at us And then turns and scurries away So we start following her Going after mike's the step ahead of me, but we're going And she keeps rushing away from us These kinds of things still happen These kinds of things are real. This is not a story book This isn't fiction. This isn't a myth. It's not a fable. This is not a scary story This is real paul is walking This woman with the spirited divination. We'll look at that in a moment. I'll explain to you a little bit about that Begins to say things these men are the servants of the most high god who proclaimed to us the way of salvation And she's following them several days doing this She is notice possessed with the spirit of divination in other words Her body has been taken over by an outside intelligence a demon And this is the spirit of divination I'll explain that to you a little bit in a moment, but it's a demon that pretends to be able to predict future events We need to remember That there are satanic forces satan left heaven His tail drew a third of the stars of heaven a third of the angelic hosts followed him He now has a oversight if you will commands legions Spiritual entities that are explained to us in Ephesians chapter 6 When it talks about the various world rulers and all And so he is what jesus called the ruler of this this age the prince of this world He has demonic authority It's all subject to christ, but he has minions demons who basically follow after his lead He has him His tail took a third of the angels as I mentioned And so on planet earth In the new testament especially You see several mentions of demons and demonic activity The things that demons will do you you'll see instances where someone was demonized and they were blind or They had a demon that had made them mute or They have a physical illness of some sort or the appearance of insanity Or they have an impurity These are many times not just simply carnal things that that they're dealing with flesh things, but the scripture will say they had the demon of Or they cast the demon out who had made the the person mute And so you have it in the new testament and jesus went about delivering people Well, there are demons that pretend to be able to predict the future And they're referred to as a spirit of divination now the word divination speaks of Communicating with the demon for the purpose of obtaining the demon's knowledge In order to make a decision or foresee the future Divination Is an occult practice And it was and continues to this day to be strictly forbidden And the old testament book of deuteronomy chapter 18 verses 9 through 11 god was giving Marching orders to the children of israel And he was speaking about how he was giving them the land And when you enter the land the lord your god is giving you do not learn to imitate the detestable ways of the nations there Let no one be found among you who sacrifices their son or daughter in the fire Who practices divination or sorcery? Interprets omens engages in witchcraft or cast spells Or who is a medium or spiritist or one who consults the dead Those were the practices of the heathens and israel is not to practice those sins Well, this young woman had a spirit of divination Now it's forbidden To seek them out because it is god who reveals what he desires us to know We're not to go through other sources or seek other sources Oh, you know as you know, I look at my horoscope once in a while. It's kind of fun. We're not to do that We're not to go to the palm reader. We're not to go to the person there, you know Madam lulu who can tell you the future or whatever We don't do that deuteronomy 29 29 the secret things belong to the lord our god But the things revealed belong to us and to our children forever That we may follow all the words of this law You see when god desires us to know God in the old testament would use prophets his true prophets Amos 3 verse 7 surely the lord god does nothing unless he reveals his secret to his servants the prophets In our day, he normally and most often reveals his will through scripture So demons cannot foretell the future why they are not all knowing They're not omniscient In fact, when you read the book of isiah god challenges demonic in spite demonically empowered idols to predict the future isiah 41 22 through 24 Tell us you idols. What is going to happen? Tell us what the former things were so that we may consider them and know their final outcome Or declare to us the things to come Tell us what the future holds So we may know that you are gods do something whether good or bad So that we will be dismayed filled with fear But you are less than nothing your works are utterly worthless and whoever chooses you Is detestable This woman had the spirit of divination She was a fortune teller The word divination speaks of the spirit of python It was a spirit worshiped as a symbol of wisdom Someone writing concerning this said Often the priestesses of this demon Became agitated and gave answers apparently from their bellies when their mouths remain closed. They were ventriloquists is what they were and The people believed her notice verse 16 It says as we went to prayer a certain slave girl possessed with the spirit of divination met us who brought her masters Much profit by fortune telling She brought her masters much gain the word fortune telling is literally truth Saying in other words the superstitious people believed what she had to say They thought that these diviners spoke by the inspiration of their god and that means whatever they were saying must be true So as this is taking place verse 17 She's following paul and us crying out Saying these men are the servants of the most high god who proclaimed to us a way of salvation She followed that word followed is in a greek tense. It means she continued She kept following When it says she followed she kept following paul and us and cried out the word cried out isn't like i'm doing I'm speaking with a louder volume. She was shrieking She's screaming. It's it's not just a loud voice. It's a shrieking voice It's that screaming You know with You know a loudness that you can you can tell it's not just raising your voice. It's it's screaming out And so as she's doing this it's it's it's And it's interrupting everything that paul is trying to do and the notice she's saying in verse 17 These men are the servants of the most high god are claiming proclaiming to us a way of salvation Now One thing about it. I want you to notice that i'm going to develop it a little further in a different direction But one of the things about this She kept on following us one of my commentators that i use when i'm doing my study said The fact that she kept on following them there may have been something within her that was drawn to them hoping that somehow That she would be set free. She was in in bondage. She may have hope that they would help her She was in bondage notice that speaks concerning her masters The word master speaks of those who were controlling her And so it's possible she she kept following them Maybe within herself a hope to be set free But she's saying these men are servants of the most high god And the revealing salvation something she needed but verse 18 says she did it for many days But paul greatly annoyed turned and said to the spirit i commend you in the name of jesus christ to come out of her And he came out that very hour. He came out immediately Now i want to develop this Notice how it says in verse 18. She was continually doing this for many days But paul was greatly annoyed that word annoyed speaks of being exasperated. He was troubled. He was fed up She keeps following him and she keeps shrieking and every word she's saying may be true But paul is greatly annoyed of it now why because It's interrupting his ministry, but somebody says but but her witness is true We need to remember that satan sometimes will speak truth But he always adds a twist for his own benefit understand that He sometimes will speak truth. He's speaking to the lord jesus christ. He says if you cast yourself down from the pinnacle of this temple Isn't it written that the angels Have been given charge concerning you And that he will lift you up lest you dash your foot against the stone Remember in those temptations that jesus went through the three temptations one was cast yourself from the pinnacle of this temple And the angels will hold you up and that'll demonstrate to everybody Where else would it be a where would be a better place for this to happen than outside the temple where people come to worship But the problem when he said that yes, the scripture says he shall give his angels charge concerning the end Yes, the scripture said That they will hold you up lest you should dash your foot against the stone Yes, but you forgot the whole scripture said To keep thee in all thy ways And so we don't tempt the lord god see So the devil can quote scripture The devil can proclaim jesus as the way of salvation But he always adds a twist and that's why When someone knocks on your door and the representing jahovah's witnesses or mortems for that matter or you hear something from a christian scientist Or sometimes you may hear a muslim say well jesus was a prophet or you might hear a buddhist monk who would say well He was a great teacher They will say things about him But they're not completely true This woman is speaking the truth But in doing so Is going to cause real problem now. Why is that? Because the fact that the demon is bearing testimony of their ministry undermines it. Wow Well, the jews would be led to believe that the apostles are in agreement with demons And that means they'll harden their hearts against the preaching of the gospel But the gentiles finding that their own demon was bearing testimony to the apostles Would think that it's one system Which would mean they have nothing to learn and nothing to correct Which again would make the preaching of the apostles useless Her constant shrieking is interrupting paul's efforts to minister She's shrieking as he stops to speak So somebody can't approach him and say to him. I was wondering He can't minister to somebody because she's there screaming in his ear So where he and his team are going everywhere they're going this woman is following behind And so paul is grieved. He's finally upset But who is he grieved by it isn't that he's grieved with the woman. He's going to set her free He's grieved at the spirit notice verse 18 paul Greatly annoyed turned and said to the spirit. I command you in the name of jesus christ to come out of her And he came out that very hour He's grieved by the woman not by the woman by by the spirit by the demon He's annoyed that the enemy is interrupting the preaching and the teaching people are being distracted. They're being confused The woman is saying these men are true ministers, but the teaching of what that means is being interrupted It went on for several days And finally he simply cast out the demon in the name and the power Of jesus and that's something jesus said that his followers would do in mark 16 17 He said in my name. They shall cast out demons And it reveals that it's jesus who sets captives free The demon came out of this woman this girl immediately It had no power To resist the mighty name of christ now Sometimes and we'll roll to a conclusion sometimes people may think that these incidents are simply growing up scary stories Kind of you know the kukui stories those kinds of things You know These are true stories There are demonic powers a couple of things I told the a true incident to the First service i'll i'll repeat it to you. It's a true incident sometimes Sometimes people think that pastors just make up stories and some do This isn't made up When and i'm going to develop this with you when the holy spirit began to move when we were saved in in genuine revivals God begins to move in powerful ways and i'll share something about that in a moment And there are people who are actually actually held captive That are set free I got saved in december 27th two days after christmas And my dad as a joke bought me a weegee board Yeah, a weegee board. He thought it was funny. I wasn't saved yet. It was december 25th I got saved two days later So dad thought this is kind of a funny gift. I'll buy my son a weegee board Now people don't know what a weegee board is some don't most of you would i'd say 99.9 percent But it's called weegee. You know why it's called a weegee board because it's a compilation of two different words we and ja We in french ja in german. It's the yes. Yes board And it's used as a parlor game. I'm not going to tell you how it's used some of you already know And i'm not going to teach you how to use it. I will say this that it has Letters of the alphabet and different different different things on the board and some kind of little Little cursor of some sort So I come walking into the house now. I'm now saved. I haven't been saved a week And I come walking in the house My mom and my sister madeline Madeline had come to faith in christ, but she's brand new christian and so my mom and and madeline Had the weegee board out And I walk up and they're sitting there and my sister madeline a very innocent sweet woman Young woman. She says look david It works We're asking it questions and it's answering us And I said to her and I wish I could remember the exact wording, but I said that's garbage You shouldn't be messing with that now. I'm a whole week old in god telling you what to do But you shouldn't do that that's demonic Oh, no, it's just a game. I said you shouldn't be using that That's demonic because I was taught read your bible. I was reading I'm seeing demons already I started with Matthew and I'm going through the gospels And I'm seeing demons all over the place and naturally I see the weegee board and I said And I said, oh, it's just a game watch And I'm standing there true story. I'm standing there And she says weegee board She says you have to ask you questions weegee board Do you like david She puts her hand on that thing my mom No It spells that no and I'm just looking at it. I don't like you either. It says no And she says why and their hands are moving on board No respect And I look at it It's weird. I'm a brand new christian, but I had I just talked to carry a bible in your pocket I dropped it on the board And it writes Now see I didn't tell this story because people think I'm making it up. I'm not It writes their hands on it take It off It burns And I said you're gonna burn and I'm talking to the board You're gonna burn in hell For denying jesus christ. I'm a brand new christian. I took the board took it to the fireplace and burned it That's what I did with it, right now There were things happening When I first got saved and I want to share with this as a conclusion in matthew 12 43 through 45 listen to this When an unclean spirit goes out of a man he goes through dry places seeking rest and finds none Then he says I will return to my house from which I came And when he comes he finds it empty swept and put in order Then he goes and takes with him seven other spirits more wicked than himself And they enter and dwell there And the last state of that man is worse than the first And so shall it also be with this wicked generation When the lord jesus christ began to do works first we need to remember that the foundation and I'll just take a moment the foundation of this nation. It was built on christian principles The laws and everything else were built on christian principles, believe it or not or like it or not it was And at first there was this desire you see it that there in monuments in out in uh washington dc scriptures everywhere Sermons everywhere. It was very very scriptural everything And then people would walk away and then It would get evil and then There'd be a revival A great awakening they call it. There were a couple of them And then things would change and once again the nation would return to its moorings In the jesus movement God was moving in a powerful way. I believe it was a genuine revival. There's no doubt We saw many supernatural things that we thought were ordinary normal I was at a revival Some guy fell fell down outside They carried him in Put him on the platform in front of me. I was at a what they call the kneeling bench I was praying that god would just fill me with the spirit and And they placed this guy in front of me And i'm a brand new christian. I'm no more than three weeks old in christ And this guy's laying there. They actually dragged him in place him in front of me. I'm kneeling looking at this guy He's right. He's two feet or three feet away at the most And he's just laying there. He had moved from him then just laid And i'm praying for the guy. I don't know him lord. He fell down. I hope he's okay And his hand and you're not gonna believe us, but i'll tell you his hand began to move on its own Went to his chest And like crawled up his grabbed himself by the throat true story I'm going whoa His face turned bright red He was choking himself And I had been reading my bible and it said in the name of christ in faith in him You can set the captive free. So I said in jesus name release him And I took my hand i'm 20 years old And it was like I was just turning the page of my bible. It was that like His grip was strong enough to make his face turn red and he was choking himself And I took his hand and I moved it Like it was there was no power in it. So at the very beginning When I got saved There were things we were seeing That people would scratch their head and say how can that be it was we saw it why because we knew that god could do Anything according to as well. We knew that we knew that we were taught that So we expected him to This nation Was cleansed There was a powerful moment Where god moved and some of the most beautiful churches that were That are to this day were birthed from this movement called the jesus movement Calvary chapel, west covena golden springs Calvary chapel, san diego that became horizon Harvest which was calvary chapel riverside God was moving in powerful ways But many people walked away When the demon leaves He comes back And he brings with him seven spirits And that generation is worse than it was prior to having him kicked out Who here would believe that we would be living in the ways that we're living now Who would believe that that you would have men calling themselves women winning women's titles and having judges say that it's okay Who would believe that that a man could call himself a woman and undermine all of title nine and all of the different Things that women Deservedly should have but now men are once again doing that and nobody's standing up saying it's wrong Or who would say that a school can tell a little kid Well, if you feel like you're a girl and yet you're a boy, then we won't tell your parents We'll we'll help you to discover who you really are We'll have women we'll have men dressed like women come in here for the story hour When you're three years old and four years old and to teach you that it's okay to have drag queens in libraries When did we believe that would happen? We didn't it is seven times worse now Then it was when I got saved why because we rejected jesus christ as a nation We have to come back to the lord jesus christ We have what you're dealing with is a spiritual war You're dealing with a spiritual war And the church is asleep at the wheel Oh, you shouldn't judge pastor david You shouldn't these people are who's saying they're not sweet people But they're also lost They need jesus christ Because the enemy is attacking from genesis Where god established marriage marriages are being destroyed Children are being destroyed Government is being destroyed And the church is being undermined He's going all the way back to genesis right now And undermining the first three institutions you find in the book of genesis up to chapter nine marriage Government in the church That's what's happening So we as believers as old fashioned And ignorant as people think we are It's time to suit up It's time to suit up. We're in a war We're in a war. I had somebody approach me the other day and I'll close with this It was a sweet thing for him to say he said, you know what I've come to realize pastor david And I said what is that? He said pastors are warriors He said you've been in battle for many years And I said that's exactly right. We're warriors and we stand against the enemy But we don't stand alone. We stand with jesus and we have people who follow christ Who go with us as we win the world for jesus christ. That's how it's supposed to work So I invite you to be part of the battle To be part of the battle Weapons of our warfare are not carnal. They're mighty in god to the pulling down of strongholds casting down imaginations Every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of god and bringing into subjection every thought into the captivity of christ We have the word and we have the power We have the weapons and we have the victory and we need to open our mouths and speak it And live it That's what god has called us to do So this wasn't just a story This is what the enemy does And this is how he works