Annoyed Worker of God

A. Rapport for the time

B. Reading of the text

Acts 16:16–24 ESV

16 As we were going to the place of prayer, we were met by a slave girl who had a spirit of divination and brought her owners much gain by fortune-telling. 17 She followed Paul and us, crying out, “These men are servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to you the way of salvation.” 18 And this she kept doing for many days. Paul, having become greatly annoyed, turned and said to the spirit, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.” And it came out that very hour. 19 But when her owners saw that their hope of gain was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace before the rulers. 20 And when they had brought them to the magistrates, they said, “These men are Jews, and they are disturbing our city. 21 They advocate customs that are not lawful for us as Romans to accept or practice.” 22 The crowd joined in attacking them, and the magistrates tore the garments off them and gave orders to beat them with rods. 23 And when they had inflicted many blows upon them, they threw them into prison, ordering the jailer to keep them safely. 24 Having received this order, he put them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks.

C. Review of the text

D. Relevance of the text

I. Desperate Need

Acts 16:16–17 ESV

16 As we were going to the place of prayer, we were met by a slave girl who had a spirit of divination and brought her owners much gain by fortune-telling. 17 She followed Paul and us, crying out, “These men are servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to you the way of salvation.”

Spirit of divination—now this is not something that is known to you and we need to look into it. In the Greek this is literally a Python spirit.

Hughes— “according to Myth, Python was a snake that guarded the temple of Apollo and was eventually killed by Apollo. Later the word Python came to mean a demon-possessed person through whom Python Spoke.

She is enslaved to:

1. The demon that possesses her at this moment makes her entrapped to something she cannot control at this point. She is entangled this Spirit and has zero way of delivering herself. Interesting how the Lord put these three together in Philippi—Lydia-seeking God, Demon possessed Girl, and the Prison guard…all in different stages of their understanding of how desperate they are for something more.

2. She is also currently enslaved to her masters. More than one person profits off of this woman and the demon that possess her.

Pagan society---NAC---Greeks and Romans put great stock on divination. No commander would set out on a major military campaign nor would an emperor make an important decree without first consulting an oracle to see how things might turn out. A slave girl with a clairvoyant gift was thus a veritable gold mine for her owners.

Application: Grasp for a moment just how desperate people are in their sins. The society as we live in it today still has

Acts 16:17 ESV

17 She followed Paul and us, crying out, “These men are servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to you the way of salvation.”

God Most High is an OT term..that comes up in NT in

Hebrews 7:1 ESV

1 For this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the Most High God, met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him,

The way of salvation—amazing testimony of a demon possessed girl don’t you think.

Luke 4:33–35 ESV

33 And in the synagogue there was a man who had the spirit of an unclean demon, and he cried out with a loud voice, 34 “Ha! What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God.” 35 But Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be silent and come out of him!” And when the demon had thrown him down in their midst, he came out of him, having done him no harm.

Jesus Nor Paul and these disciples need to hear testimony from one that is not of God. Although what the demon girl is saying is actually true the kingdom of God doesn’t desire to have Satan or his world listened to in any way.

Application:

2 Kings 6:15–17 ESV

15 When the servant of the man of God rose early in the morning and went out, behold, an army with horses and chariots was all around the city. And the servant said, “Alas, my master! What shall we do?” 16 He said, “Do not be afraid, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” 17 Then Elisha prayed and said, “O Lord, please open his eyes that he may see.” So the Lord opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw, and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.

Ephesians 6:11–12 ESV

11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.

How little we often realize about the power of God and the work that he is doing in our life without us knowing. How grateful that we can trust the Lord to care for us and to look after us in this life. But understand you are not able to go into a battle you can’t even see without him…nor should you.

T.S.

II. Deliverance Provided

Acts 16:18 ESV

18 And this she kept doing for many days. Paul, having become greatly annoyed, turned and said to the spirit, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.” And it came out that very hour.

Having become greatly annoyed—Can you see Paul going out day after day to the place of prayer and running into this slave girl day after day. You know exactly what I’m talking about. You even get to the point in which you want to avoid this person altogether.

Greek---To be strongly irked or provoked at something or someone. Other translations—became so troubled, was greatly aggravated.

This is awesome!! Look what God can use in our life to deliver someone from the chains of sin and bondage. He can use even us being annoyed by something for his Kingdom. Often we focus on how we feel more than how God may be trying to tell us something. God is allowing Paul to become annoyed day after day and he is going to use it for his name as soon as Paul opens his mouth and says to the Spirit

“I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her!!”

Paul in his apostolic authority given to him by Jesus Christ commands the spirit to come out of her and the spirit has to listen. This reminds us that the devil does not have the power of God. They are not equals. The sovereign hand of God does as he wills.

Acts: New Testament, Volume 6 16:16–24 Paul and Silas Thrown in Prison

the fact that Satan is cast out from this girl in the name of Christ confirms the power of the gospel of Jesus Christ with its message about the remission of sins through him. It possesses such great vitality that whoever believes in it is justified before God and obtains eternal salvation, and it allows us to see that Christ is far more powerful than Satan regardless of how much evil he contrives

Do we understand how much her life was changed? She would never be the same because Paul & Silas saw fit to obey the Lord and go to Macedonia. The church at Philippi would never be the same.

Who is it that God uses?

What kind of people does God save?

What part of our ordinary lives could God use for His Kingdom?

T.S.

III. Determined to Oppose the Truth

Acts 16:19 ESV

19 But when her owners saw that their hope of gain was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace before the rulers.

The slave girl gets her freedom and Paul and Silas get beaten and thrown in jail. Weighing the cost to follow the Lord. There is no doubt that Christianity is not a favorable message to a lost world. This world will oppose the truth of Scripture because of their desire to avoid looking at who we really are. For the owners on this day their income was hurt by the freedom of this slave girl. Their economic interest in what she could do, even if it hurt her, was more important to them than the person she is!

Acts 16:20–24 ESV

20 And when they had brought them to the magistrates, they said, “These men are Jews, and they are disturbing our city. 21 They advocate customs that are not lawful for us as Romans to accept or practice.” 22 The crowd joined in attacking them, and the magistrates tore the garments off them and gave orders to beat them with rods. 23 And when they had inflicted many blows upon them, they threw them into prison, ordering the jailer to keep them safely. 24 Having received this order, he put them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks.

To set the picture in our minds—

Every Roman colony had two magistrates who served as judges. The judging happened in the public square before everyone. The charges against Paul and Silas:

Advocated customs that are not lawful for us a Romans to accept or practice.

The magistrates never allow Paul or Silas to speak on their own behalf to defend themselves.

They are beaten for allowing God to use them to set this girl free.

vs. 24—they are placed in the inner prison.

The most secure part of the prison. The Jailer took further precautions by putting their feet “in the stocks.” This particular security measure was designed to produce painful cramping so the prisoner’s legs were spread as far apart as possible.

Their punishment for the message of salvation

Setting the scene for the rest of the chapter to let you know they are not helpless on their own account to do anything to get themselves free

From slave to free—Girl

From free to in prison—Paul