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[ Music ] [MUSIC - "TELL ME THY SECRET"] ♪ And help me bear the strain of toil ♪ ♪ The threat of care ♪

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♪ Help me, the soul of God, to do ♪ ♪ I some herewith give word of love ♪ ♪ Teach me the way, the things to say ♪ ♪ And guide me in the homeward way ♪

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♪ Teach me thy patience still with me ♪ ♪ In closer year, the calmer year ♪ [MUSIC] ♪ Let Zion's golden home ♪

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♪ In hope that since the shining day ♪ ♪ Our love of you shall glory bring ♪ ♪ In peace that only love can steer ♪ ♪ May thee, O Master, let me be ♪

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- Hear this word recorded in Acts chapter 16, Chapter 16 verses 16 through 18. As we were going to the place of prayer, we were met by a slave girl who had a spirit of divination

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and brought her owners much gain by soothsaying. She followed Paul and us crying, "These men are servants of the most high God, who proclaim to you the way of salvation."

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And this she did for many days. But Paul was annoyed and turned and said to the spirit, I charge you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.

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And it came out that very hour. A funny thing happened on the way to church. Strange things happen along life's way. We have a tendency to refer to our most memorable experiences,

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the most unforgettable occasion. We remember that which is exciting, that which has a profound impact on our lives. And here we are concerned with a funny thing which happens on the way to church.

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It was many years ago, in a city called Philippi, prominent city in Macedonia, a Roman colony. A group of missionaries have recently arrived there. They have followed the leadership of the Holy Spirit.

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It is interesting for us to read how the Holy Spirit is working in the lives of the servants of God, particularly as we observe the account given in the 16th chapter of the book of Acts. We noticed particularly in the sixth and seventh verses of that chapter that the account is given that it was a desire on the part of Paul and his company to go into Asia, but

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they were prevented. And then in the seventh verse it is said that they wish to engage in further work and that the Spirit hindered them. And as we follow this chapter, we notice that the Holy Spirit prevents, the Holy Spirit

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hinders, and the Holy Spirit guides. does all of these things in the lives of the servants of God. There are things that we'd like to do that the Holy Spirit keeps us from doing.

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And it's good that the Spirit does that. Then again, there are things that we seek to do, and we are not able to do them with the rapidity that we'd like to do them.

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And in some ways, we find that the Holy Spirit hinders us from doing things when and the way we would like to do them. But we can give thanks to God in all of these ways that the Spirit works with us in preventing, in hindering,

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as well as in guiding. Because the life of the church, the life of the people of God depends upon the Spirit of God. For the Spirit drives us, the Spirit enlightens,

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the Spirit comforts, the Spirit strengthens. So guided by the Holy Spirit, these missionaries are on their way to church. They're strangers.

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They've newly arrived there. Here they are on their way to church. A funny thing happens. Many times strange things happen to us

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when we are in the course of our journey. I was always upset when I was a boy because of the saying that was rather prevalent in the community where I grew up,

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that if a black cat crossed your trail, that that was bad luck. So I would be on the way somewhere and if a black cat would cross the trail, I'd turn around.

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Some strange things happen and we wonder why they happen. And this particular event is sort of a continuation of what was described in our message earlier today as Paul and his company arrive in Philippi.

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First of all, we considered an experience which was shared with Lydia, a very good woman, a very honorable woman. And following that experience

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is another experience with a woman who is not considered honorable. In fact, she's looked upon as a bad woman in the city of Philippi.

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And Paul and his company have experiences with both of them. This funny thing that happens to these missionaries as they are on their way to church is that they are met by a slave girl

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who has a spirit of divination. She's a slave to evil. She's controlled by the demonic. She is controlled by forces that seek to prevent her

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from being the kind of woman that she was divinely designed to be. A slave, if you please, of superstition. She is a victim of forces that she finds herself unable to control.

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It seems that her destiny is predetermined. She's a slave to evil forces. In fact, she is under the tyranny of the stars. Many people are like that today.

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There are people who just can't get started until they read their horoscope, see what it says I'm supposed to do today. And they somewhat feel that they are under the spell

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of those stars, where you see my horoscope says that this is what's gonna happen to me today, and so there's nothing I can do about it. under the tyranny of the stars, slave to signs.

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And here is the kind of existence where one finds himself or herself dependent on other forces to determine your fate. People say, "Well, I want someone to take the cards

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"and look at them and tell me what's in the cards for me." Another said, "Well, look, read my palm "and tell me what's there." And here is a tendency to become a slave

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to demonic forces. This woman is a slave. She's under the control of the demonic. And it is said here that she brought her owners much gain.

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One of the problems of our time is that so many people are slaves to demonic forces. Sometimes that demonic force is alcohol, it may be drugs, it may be evil thoughts,

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it may be evil influences, but being a slave to demonic forces, a funny thing happens. this slave girl follows Paul and his company

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as they are on their way to church. Well, this is rather strange. It would seem that here this group on their way to church, getting ready to go and to participate in the prayer services

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and to have a sermon delivered. But here is the slave girl who comes behind them. She sort of pursues them. And as they walk down the street, she's yelling,

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these men proclaim the way of salvation. And she's just walking behind them yelling, these men proclaim the way of salvation. She's pursuing them.

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This woman who is under the control of evil forces is pursuing them. Well, just because one decides to do good doesn't mean that you're not going to be pursued by evil forces.

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There are always the evil forces. And notice this woman is telling the truth. While she is a captive of evil forces, she is telling the truth. And someone said, I think it's Dietrich Bonhoeffer who puts it this way, that it's always a dangerous

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for truth to be in the hands of evil forces. He puts it one way by saying, it is better to have truth or a lie in the mouth of truth than to have truth in the mouth of a liar. Think about that.

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It is better to have a lie in the mouth of truth than to have truth in the mouth of a liar. God is concerned about how his message is carried and he's concerned about the relationship that those who carry it have with him. Here she is as she follows them going as

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they are to church. God will have no testimony of truth which is not spoken by those who are true. If we would bear witness for the truth we must somehow be true to the witness that we bear. And so these missionaries are in town to change the town and the first approach by evil is in the form of an alliance. That first

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invitation is that there would be an alliance formed with these who come to represent truth. They're on their way to church and the first temptation they have is to form an alliance with evil and that's the first temptation that we always face when we decide that we are going to be courageous witnesses in the

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family and in the church and in the world. And they listen to this. They listen but they reject the opportunity presented, the invitation that's presented to form an alliance, an alliance of truth with falsehood, of goodness with evil, an alliance. And then after many days it is said that Paul

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turned and charged that spirit to come out of her and she was liberated. In the name of Jesus Christ come out of her and the evil spirit came out of her and she was free to be herself. Oh what a wonderful change has occurred in the life of this woman. Her burden is lifted, her life is changed, she is set free now to be

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herself. She is a new creature in Jesus Christ. A wonderful change has occurred in their presence. Something has happened to this woman. She is not the woman that they knew. She has had a radical change, a radical change. She's a new woman, a new woman. We have a great deal to say about women today and you notice that this

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particular woman was taking care of the men. She was bringing them a great deal of profit. We find today a great deal of discussion theologically about the place of women in the church and the difference in the sexes and a great deal of talk about sexism, but here is a message that somehow is an expression of Christianity

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even at this early period that in Christ there is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither male nor female, there is a certain equality for the ground is level at the foot of the cross. And so this woman is changed and her owners become unhappy because of this change that has occurred in her life and subsequently not only do they

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bring charges against these missionaries but they end up being put in jail because of the change that has happened. A funny thing happens on the way to church. Funny thing happens on the way to church. A woman is converted and a radical change occurs not only in her life but it changes the community and

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even though there is quite an uproar as a result of that, there is a movement that is begun in Philippi that somehow writes a new chapter in Christian history. And so that has a message for us today. It has a message for us women of Ebenezer, women of the world today, that there is a

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wonderful change that occurs when Christ comes into our life. It's a wonderful change, a wonderful change, a wonderful change. It was a man who invited a friend to eat of his fruit in his orchard. He was growing apples in his orchard and he invited him to eat some of his apples.

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And so the man seemed never to take him up on that invitation. He said, "I don't think that you want to eat any of my apples." He said, "Really, I don't." He said, "Because I was passing by and one of your apples dropped over the fence and

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I ate it and it was sour. So I don't want any of your apples. They're very sour." He said, "Well, I would understand that."

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He said, "Because I took a great deal of pains "to find the sourest apples that I could find "to put around the edge of my arch." So that the boys would not be bothering the apples

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because with all of the sour ones around the edge that they would stay out of my arching. And so that's what you've been getting. He said, "But come on inside.

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"Come on inside because on the inside I have the best apples and they are as sweet as honey. Just come on inside my orchard and get the best apples. Well, sometimes people look at the church

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and they take the worst examples. And they point to them and they say, well, I don't wanna have anything to do with the church because I know so and so.

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Well, the answer is come on inside Because inside there are the best quality of living that can ever happen in our world. It takes place on the inside.

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It's where Christ comes in, where we are in Christ and he is in us. This is what makes that wonderful change that happened. It's a strange thing.

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A funny thing happens on the way to church. And something strange, something wonderful has happened to every one of us somewhere in our lives. Something wonderful has happened because we met the Lord.

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And he spoke peace to our souls and that has made all of the difference. Satan is vanquished and there is victory over evil and there is joy. a wonderful change in my life has been wrought since Jesus came into my heart. I have joy in my soul which long I had sought since Jesus came into my heart

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because he lifts the burden, he sets us free, he enables us to be new creatures in him. And as we come now to the hymn of invitation, we extend the privilege of the church to accept Jesus Christ as Lord of your life as we sing together "Pass Me Not, O Gentle Savior."

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The door of the church is open. The invitation is extended. We invite you to come. [MUSIC] ♪ Oh, gentle Savior ♪

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♪ Hear my humble cry ♪ ♪ While on others Thou art calling ♪ ♪ Do not pass me by ♪ ♪ Savior, Savior ♪

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♪ Here's my humble cry ♪ ♪ While on others thou art calling ♪ ♪ Do not pass me by ♪ ♪ Let me at the throne of mercy ♪

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♪ Find the sweet relief ♪ ♪ Feeling there indeed the tension ♪ ♪ Felt my arm needly ♪ ♪ Savior, Savior ♪

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♪ Hear my humble cry ♪ ♪ While on others Thou art calling ♪ ♪ Do not pass me by ♪ ♪ Savior, Savior ♪

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♪ Hear my humble cry ♪ ♪ All on others now I'm calling ♪ ♪ Do not pass me by ♪ We bow our heads.

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Oh gracious God, our Father, we thank you that you are always doing wonderful things in the lives of your people. We thank you that in the mystery of our history,

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in the wonderful working of your spirit, We thank you for the women of Ebenezer and for all of the women of this earth. And we pray that you will help us as we seek to be led by your spirit, to be the kind of people that you would have us be, working in our homes, in our communities, and in your

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world. The Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord cause his face to shine upon you and be gracious unto you. The Lord lift up the light of his countenance upon you and give you peace now and forevermore.

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Amen. Amen. Amen, Amen, Amen. [BLANK_AUDIO]