1. Doors are opened and lives are changed
Acts 16:25 -17:15
Doors are opened and lives are changed

2. Romans 5:3-5
“And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance;
and perseverance, character; and character, hope. Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit
who was given to us.”

3. “Around midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God,
Acts 16:25-39
“Around midnight Paul and Silas were praying and
singing hymns to God,
and the other prisoners
were listening.
Suddenly, there was a massive earthquake, and the prison was shaken to its foundations.

4. “For even when they lay bound with fetters, Luke saith that in prayer they lauded God, whereby it appears that neither the reproach which they suffered, nor the stripes which made their flesh smart, nor the stink of the deep dungeon, nor the danger of death, which was hard at hand,
Next Slide

5. could hinder them from giving thanks to the Lord joyfully and
with glad hearts.
We must note this general rule,
that we cannot pray as we ought,
but we must also praise God.
For though the desire to pray arise from the feeling of our want and miseries, and therefore it is,
for the most part,
Next Slide

6. by reason of the present necessity which does keep us down, and
joined with sorrow and carefulness; yet the faithful must so bridle their affections, that they murmur not against God;
so that the right form of prayer does join two affections together, carefulness and sorrow,
by reason of the present necessity which does keep us down, and
Next Slide

7. joyfulness, by reason of
the obedience whereby we submit ourselves to God, and by reason of
the hope which, showing us the haven close at hand, does refresh us even in the midst of shipwreck.
Such a form does Paul prescribe to us. Let your prayers (saith he) be made known to God with thanksgiving, (Phil. 4:6.)”
John Calvin
Comments in NOTES

8. The jailer woke up to see the prison doors wide open.
Acts 16:26-27
“All the doors immediately flew open, and the chains of every prisoner fell off!
The jailer woke up to see the prison doors wide open.
He assumed the prisoners had escaped, so he drew
his sword to kill himself.  
Comments in NOTES

9. “Stop! Don’t kill yourself! We are all here!”
But Paul shouted to him,
“Stop! Don’t kill yourself!
We are all here!”
The jailer called for lights and ran to the dungeon and fell down trembling before Paul and Silas. Then he brought them out and asked,
“Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”
Next Slide

10. ‘Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved,
“They replied,
‘Believe in the Lord Jesus 
and you will be saved,
along with everyone in your household.’
And they shared the word of the Lord with him and with all who lived in his household.”  
Comments in NOTES

11. “Even at that hour of the night,
Acts 16:33
“Even at that hour of the night,
the jailer cared for them and washed their wounds. 
Then he and everyone in his household were 
immediately baptized.”
Comments in NOTES

12. “He brought them into his house and set a meal before them,
Acts 16:34
“He brought them into his house and set a meal before them, 
and he and his entire household rejoiced because 
they all believed in God.”
Next Slide

13. Acts 16:35-40
“The next morning the city officials sent the police to tell the jailer, ‘Let those men go!’
So the jailer told Paul, 
‘The city officials have said you and Silas are free to leave. Go in peace.’
Next Slide

14. ‘They have publicly beaten us without a trial and put us in prison—
But Paul replied,
‘They have publicly beaten us without a trial and
put us in prison—
and we are
Roman citizens. 
So now they want us to leave secretly?
Certainly not!’ 
Comments in NOTES

15. ‘Let them come themselves to release us!’
When the police reported this, the city officials were alarmed to learn that Paul and Silas were Roman citizens. So they came to the jail and apologized to them. Then they brought them out and begged them to leave the city.” 
Comments in NOTES

16. “When Paul and Silas left the prison, they returned to the home of Lydia. There they met with the believers and encouraged them once more.
Then they left town.”
Comments in NOTES

17. he went to the synagogue service,
Acts 17:1-9
“Paul and Silas then traveled through the towns of Amphipolis and Apollonia and came to Thessalonica, where there was a Jewish synagogue.
As was Paul’s custom,
he went to the synagogue service,
Next Slide

18. and for three Sabbaths in a row
he used the Scriptures to reason with the people.
He explained the prophecies and proved that the Messiah must suffer and rise from the dead.
He said,
‘This Jesus I’m telling you about
is the Messiah.’
Comments in NOTES

19. His life, death and resurrection.
“The Old Testament, written hundreds of years before Jesus’ birth,
contains over 300 prophecies
that Jesus fulfilled through
His life, death and resurrection.
Mathematically speaking, the odds of anyone fulfilling this amount of prophecy are staggering.”
Next Slide

20. Mathematicians put it this way:
1 person fulfilling 8 prophecies:
1 in 100,000,000,000,000,000,
1017 (Texas illustration)
1 person fulfilling 48 prophecies:
1 chance in 10 to the 157th power
10157
Next Slide

21. 1 person fulfilling 300+ prophecies:
Only Jesus!
Comments in NOTES
christinprophecy.org

22. “Messiah must suffer and rise from the dead. He said,
‘This Jesus I’m telling you about is The Messiah.’”
Comments in NOTES

23. why have You forsaken Me? Why are You so far from helping Me,
Messiah must suffer
Psalm 22
“My God, My God,
why have You forsaken Me?
Why are You so far from helping Me,
And from the words of
My groaning?”
Next Slide

24. prison and from judgment, And who will declare His generation?
Messiah must die
Isaiah 53:8
“He was taken from
prison and from judgment,
And who will declare
His generation?
For He was cut off from
the land of the living;
For the transgressions of
My people He was stricken.”
Next Slide

25. But must rise from the dead.
Psalm 49:15
“But God will redeem My soul from the power of the grave,
For He shall receive Me…”
Comments in NOTES

26. God-fearing Greek men and quite a few prominent women.
“Some of the Jews who listened were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, along with many
God-fearing Greek men and
quite a few prominent women.
But some of the Jews were jealous, so they gathered some troublemakers from the marketplace to form a mob and start a riot.
Next Slide

27. they dragged out Jason and some of the other believers instead and
“ They attacked the home of Jason, searching for Paul and Silas so they could drag them out to the crowd. Not finding them there,
they dragged out Jason and some of the other believers instead and
took them before the city council.
‘Paul and Silas have caused trouble all over the world,’ they shouted,

28. disturbing our city, too. And Jason has welcomed them into his home.
‘and now they are here
disturbing our city, too.
And Jason has welcomed them
into his home.
They are all guilty of treason against Caesar,
for they profess allegiance to another king, named Jesus.’”
Comments in NOTES

29. as well as the city council, were thrown into turmoil
“The people of the city,
as well as the city council,
were thrown into turmoil
by these reports.
So the officials forced
Jason and the other believers
to post bond,
and then they released them.”
Comments in NOTES

30. “Therefore we wanted to come to you--even I, Paul,
1Thessalonians 2:18
“Therefore we wanted to come to you--even I, Paul,
time and again—
but Satan hindered us.”
Next Slide