1. God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us… II Corinthians 5:21

3. He Sets the Prisoners Free Acts 16:16-28

4. Up close in Acts… Vivid character sketches: The blind man at the Gate Beautiful Acts 3-4 Stephen's martyrdom Acts 7 Simon the Sorcerer Acts 8 Ethiopian Eunuch Acts 8 Paul's conversion Acts 9 Cornelius' conversion Acts 10 Peter's escape from prison Acts 12 Elymas the Sorcerer Acts 13 Lydia's opened heart Acts 16

5. Up close in Acts… Vivid character sketches Power of the Holy Spirit to change lives

6. He Sets the Prisoners Free Acts 16:16-28

7. First prisoner… Poor slave girl “spirit of Python” (from Roman mythology)

8. Luke 8:28 "What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God?...." For Jesus had commanded the evil spirit to come out of the man.

9. Demons today? Two mistakes: We can believe there are no such things. We can see a demon behind every bush.

10. Luke 8:33 When the demons came out of the man, they went into the pigs, and the herd rushed down the steep bank in to the lake and was drowned.

11. Ephesians 6:12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.

12. Spirit house in Thailand

13. Jude 6 And the angels who did not keep their positions of authority but abandoned their own home - these He has kept in darkness, bound with everlasting chains for judgment on the great Day.

14. In summary… There is a demonic world that we can be influenced by. We shouldn’t look for demons behind every bush.

15. Back to the story… vs. 18-21 (when) the spirit left her... the hope of making money left her owners.

16. Back to the story… vs. 18-21 (when) the spirit left her... the hope of making money left her owners. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. I Timothy 6:20

17. Second prisoners… vs. 22-28 Paul and Silas…imprisoned in a Roman jail. What about Luke and Timothy? Paul and Silas were both the leaders as well as the speakers. Paul and Silas looked more Jewish (Luke was a Gentile; Timothy a half Gentile). Timothy looked too young to be a threat. Luke may have been a Philippian resident.

18. Treatment given to Paul and Silas: Beaten by rods of iron …three times I was beaten with rods… II Corinthians 11:25 Inner cell: Dark, stuffy Stocks: Five holes, legs spread

19. Treatment given to Paul and Silas: Beaten by rods of iron Inner cell: Dark, stuffy Stocks: Five holes, legs spread "The legs feel nothing in the stocks when the heart is in heaven." Tertullian ca. 200 A.D.

21. He Sets the Prisoners Free! A slave girl set free from a demon. Set free from circumstances dictating how they would live their lives before God.

22. How can Christ set us free today? By setting us free from the power of evil

23. How can Christ set us free today? By setting us free from the power of evil Ways we can be entangled: Clairvoyance Mental telepathy Magic 8 balls Reading palms Crystal balls Hypnotism Ouija boards Horoscopes Mind-altering drugs Mind-altering music Speaking to the dead (necromancy)

24. How can Christ set us free today? By setting us free from circumstances dictating how we live our lives before God

25. How can Christ set us free today? By setting us free from circumstances dictating how we live our lives before God Realize whose you are. You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body. I Corinthians 6:19-20

26. How can Christ set us free today? By setting us free from circumstances dictating how we live our lives before God Realize whose you are. Realize where your true home is. For our citizenship is in Heaven, and we eagerly await a Savior from there.... Philippians 3:20

27. How can Christ set us free today? By setting us free from circumstances dictating how we live our lives before God Realize whose you are. Realize where your true home is. Realize the grip of God’s love.

28. Romans 8:38-39 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, no anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. …the grip of God’s love.

30. God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us… II Corinthians 5:21