Dear Christian friends:

The Gospel of Jesus Christ is the one power that can change an enemy of God into a friend of God. We Christians know that and accept it. That's why we are preparing our evangelism mission this month, so we will have an opportunity to preach the Gospel to many more deaf.

But sometimes we forget that the Gospel is necessary to keep men turned from enemy to friendship with God. Our text shows that:


Our text tells about Lydia, a rich lady. Paul's Gospel preaching turned her from faith in idols to faith in Jesus Christ, the true God. We read that Lydia with other women gather by the riverside for prayer. It does not explain which idol of the Romans she worshiped. Or she may even been a Jew and prayed to the God of the Jews. No matter what, she did not truly know Him, because in verse fourteen we read that the Lord opened her heart and that she attended to Paul's Gospel preaching. Then she and her whole family and servants were taught and baptized.

Lydia's prayer and worship at the Riverside was probably only a one-day religion. Going out to the river on the Sabbath day to pray made her conscience stop troubling her, for a short time, but it did not give her real joy and peace like the Gospel of Paul. It did not change her into a new person that honestly loved God daily and not just once a week.

So people today use prayer and religion like Lydia. They pray and go to church only when in trouble. When the trouble is past they stop praying. They go to church because they think God will bless their home and job more. They give because they think God will give it all back to them and much more. Their prayer is a greedy, selfish prayer that seeks only their own blessing and profit.

As Paul's Gospel preaching changed Lydia from false, greedy prayer to true God-honoring prayer, so the Gospel preaching today does the same for many, proud and greedy prayers. It teaches them that they are not worthy to pray or receive His blessing. It shows to them His blessing. It shows to them the great love of God for His enemies that He gave His only Son for them; that He has forgiven their pride, greed and ignorance and wants them to know it and be friendly.

Truly that is wonderful power and this great power we use on men's hearts when we speak to them of Jesus Christ. That is exactly what we plan to do during our Mission. Let's be glad we can do it!

The Gospel turned Lydia from false prayer and here in the lesson we see how it turned a man from despair to faith and hope, the jail-keeper. He was a good soldier and knew how to fight and kill and defend himself. He was strong and tough and knew he could take care of himself. He never worried about God because he trusted in his own strength and in his sword. But by the earthquake God put him in a corner and he found his strength and sword helpless. He was ready to kill himself.

So men today trust in youth, body strength, money, parents, brothers or friends. Then, God lets troubles happen. The man who trusted in money loses his money and he is sad and ready to quit or kill himself. The mother who loved her only son as she ought to have loved God loses her son in an auto accident and she despairs wishing herself dead. But then the Gospel of Christ has a chance to rescue, if those who know it are ready to speak it as Paul and Silas.

Even before God prepared the prison keeper they were witnessing by their calm prayer and songs! Then when the earthquake happened and God broke the keeper's heart, Paul and Silas were ready with the good news: "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved." (Acts 16:31)

So God expects you to show by your daily life that you are a Christian. That will make an impression on the unbelievers around you. Then when God scares them and breaks their proud self-faith, they will remember you and hurry to you for help. You will be able to rescue them from despair and eternal death, just as Paul and Silas rescued the jailer.

So be ready always. You don't know when God will shake someone and prepare him for your preaching. It would be a terrible shame if we find a man afraid and asking and we know not what to tell him.

Now as the Gospel turns people from sin to God, so it is needed to continually turn, turn, turn people to God. After a man begins to believe he still needs that Gospel preaching to keep him turned and believing. Lydia felt that need and invited Paul to her home. (verse 15) And after he was released from prison he went directly to Lydia's home to comfort the believers who gathered in her house. Possibly the jailer and his household also gathered there! (verse 40)

So Christians who have begun to believe still need God's help to keep changed and believing. We have many enemies. Our heart becomes discouraged when life is hard. Sometimes we forget and begin to love the world again. We also have to be patient with weak and stubborn fellow Christians. We get tired with those that should help us but only work against us.

So we need the Gospel to keep us hoping and cheerful and eager, no matter how many hindrances or temptations. If we keep hearing that God loves us and understands and will keep us and support us and forgive us, then we can keep on believing and helping one another.

As God forgives us, so we will forgive our brother. As God is so patient with us, so we will be patient with our brother. As God seeks the lost, the weak and the erring, so we will seek them and help them.

That's the one thing we can do. If we despair, we condemn ourselves and lead others to despair with us. So be patient and wait for the Lord. Attend to His Gospel for yourself and let it continually change you. Share that Gospel with other worthless sinners and watch it change them and change them and change them.

The Gospel of the crucified Son of God is the only thing that can change you and your friend, so use it! Support the evangelism mission! Support all Christian preaching and teaching.

Amen.