Acts 16:16-40 (2)

Intor

No matter how dark the night feels, there is a real freedom in Christ that leads to praise—not because doors open, but because Jesus is already ours

Good morning rivertree! It is a Joy to be with you! If you have your bibles go ahead and open up to Acts 16 and in a moment we are going to start in verse 16. If you are new here welcome we are so glad you are here. Our lead pastor Ross will be back form sabbitcail next week but it’s been a real priveldge to get to preach some while he has been away.

we’ve been working through the book of acts since last year and in case you missed last week we talk about closed doors and unmet expectations. We saw how Paul had doors closed in his life but instead of allowing those closed doors to lead to despair it was an oppurtunity to grow in his dedencey on the Charcter of God

this morning as we look at Acts 16 and continue the story we are going to look at the freedom that Christ brings. Espcially the freedom christ brings when life is really dark.

let’s read

Acts 16:16–40 ESV

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. She followed Paul and us, crying out, “These men are servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to you the way of salvation.” 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. 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. And when they had brought them to the magistrates, they said, “These men are Jews, and they are disturbing our city. They advocate customs that are not lawful for us as Romans to accept or practice.” The crowd joined in attacking them, and the magistrates tore the garments off them and gave orders to beat them with rods. And when they had inflicted many blows upon them, they threw them into prison, ordering the jailer to keep them safely. Having received this order, he put them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks. About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them, and suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken. And immediately all the doors were opened, and everyone’s bonds were unfastened. When the jailer woke and saw that the prison doors were open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, supposing that the prisoners had escaped. But Paul cried with a loud voice, “Do not harm yourself, for we are all here.” And the jailer called for lights and rushed in, and trembling with fear he fell down before Paul and Silas. Then he brought them out and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” And they said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.” And they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house. And he took them the same hour of the night and washed their wounds; and he was baptized at once, he and all his family. Then he brought them up into his house and set food before them. And he rejoiced along with his entire household that he had believed in God. But when it was day, the magistrates sent the police, saying, “Let those men go.” And the jailer reported these words to Paul, saying, “The magistrates have sent to let you go. Therefore come out now and go in peace.” But Paul said to them, “They have beaten us publicly, uncondemned, men who are Roman citizens, and have thrown us into prison; and do they now throw us out secretly? No! Let them come themselves and take us out.” The police reported these words to the magistrates, and they were afraid when they heard that they were Roman citizens. So they came and apologized to them. And they took them out and asked them to leave the city. So they went out of the prison and visited Lydia. And when they had seen the brothers, they encouraged them and departed.

I. THE SETTING: REAL SUFFERING, REAL DARKNESS (Acts 16:16–24)

A. The cost of gospel faithfulness- Last week Paul and Silas had just lead leading to Christ. they go back to the place of prayer to see who elses hearts God might be opening. and they are meet with oppostion. There is a slave girl who has a spirit of divination. and becasue apparently she can perdict the future she made her owners a lot of money. It is a reminder ever time the gospel takes ground in the book of Acts it is always meet with oppostion. And here is another instance of that

at some point this girl follows them around. Speaks truth about God and Paul becomes annoyed. and cast the deomn out

As soon as he does this we are told the ownders are angry. They have lost thier income. They aren’t angry becasue of any spirtual reasons they are just made baecause they can no longer exploit this girl.

so they dragg them into the marktplace and put them on trail. and then the crowd attacks them. and beat them with rods. They were flogged

This is brutle. Here they are trying to proclaim the good news of Jesus and the are beaten within an inch of their lives. and just before the crowd killed them they throw them into prison. asking the jailer to keep them safe

Bloody, broken, unnecessary cruelty

Echoes of Jesus being flogged

Thrown into:

Prison- word dugeon. It’s most likely the most inner part of the prison. It’s darkest part of the prision and the most ilosaltion

we are told they were put in Stocks this was to add to thier torture, restraint, humiliation)

C. And we are introducled to a Jailer.

He’s most likely an Ex-military Roman civil servant

Blue-collar, disciplined, hardened. What he has seen in life has been really tough.

Brutal efficiency, not compassion. He Does not wash wounds. He doesn’t really care for them at all.

what they were expierence was really dark and this Darkness is physical, emotional, spiritual.

Here are men who have left everything for the sake of the gospel of Jesus Christ. They have obeyed him completly and all of a sudden they find themselves in a very difficult and dark situation. one they did not think they would be in. I wonder what this would have been like

Just week early Paul had longed to go somewhere else. but God gave him a vision and vision to come to macedionan so he obeys.

and he sees some great fruit. Lydia gets saved. and then he does something increadible he helps a slave girl become free. Free spirtually and probably free from her howners.

and he is thrown in jail for this. He is beaten within an inch of his life.

and maybe we have this is common with Paul and Silas. Maybe there are times we come out of seasons of obiednece and trust in the Lord. We see success

but then everything falls apart. Maybe life becomes really dark. Maybe it’s so dark and difficlut that we don’t even know where God is. We wonder how did this happen. and what’s next

maybe we haven’t literally been beaten wiathin an inch of our lives but what you are walking through feels like that

and life feels really dark. what do you do?

and I think there reasponse is really helpful

II. THE RESPONSE: PRAISE IN THE NIGHT (Acts 16:25)

A. What Paul and Silas are doing Praying Singing hymns

At midnight

In pain

While chained

B. What they are not doing

Not bargaining- there not saying God if you let us out of here, this is how we will live.

Not demanding freedom

Not asking “How do we get out?”

Not trying to manipulate God

no they are prasing God. And I love this becasue I think if we arean’t carefujl we could read this and think ok. They are in trouble so they begin to pray, they begin to praise and it’s those things which they are doing which leads to their freedom. One takeaway from this passage could be when we pray and praise God we can have a breakthrough. Chains break and we can bee free

but I think it’s better then that. They don’t know what’s going to happen but what would be safe to say on one of thier most difficult and dark days they choose to pray and praise God not to get freedom but becasue they were already free

This praise came from a declatraion of what they already possed. They aren’t trying to get free, they already are

I want to suggest ot you this morning that they were the most free people in the entire prison that nigth.

When they prayed they weren’t trying to give God new information. They weren’t trying to get something God lacked

know they prayed becasue prayer helps us expierence the nearness of God and they praised because they knew they were free

this gospel they were declaring that Jesus lived a perfect sinless life, that he died on a cross for thier sins, that he rose again declaring both victory over death and sin meant THEY WERE FREE.

they were already forgiven

they were more loved then they could ever imagine

and they were secure.

there really was nothing man could do to them. In some ways they seem untoucable.

a passage Paul would later write gives us insight to what he knows about the Lord

2 Corinthians 6:1–10 ESV

Working together with him, then, we appeal to you not to receive the grace of God in vain. For he says, “In a favorable time I listened to you, and in a day of salvation I have helped you.” Behold, now is the favorable time; behold, now is the day of salvation. We put no obstacle in anyone’s way, so that no fault may be found with our ministry, but as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: by great endurance, in afflictions, hardships, calamities, beatings, imprisonments, riots, labors, sleepless nights, hunger; by purity, knowledge, patience, kindness, the Holy Spirit, genuine love; by truthful speech, and the power of God; with the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and for the left; through honor and dishonor, through slander and praise. We are treated as impostors, and yet are true; as unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and behold, we live; as punished, and yet not killed; as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, yet possessing everything.

and in Jesus they possed everything and look at the results

III. The SONGS PREACH LOUDER THAN OPEN DOORS (Acts 16:25)

A. The other prisoners

They are listening= they have no real context for this. They are leaning in.

In Thier culture that openly wails and curses anytime anything goes wrong

Singing in pain is shocking

B. Cs Lewis has this great qoute that helps me understand what’s happening here.

“We can ignore even pleasure. But pain insists upon being attended to. God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pains: it is His megaphone to rouse a deaf world....No doubt pain as God's megaphone is a terrible instrument; it may lead to final and unrepented rebellion. But it gives the only opportunity the bad man can have for amendment. it removes the veil; it plants the flag of truth within the fortress of the rebel soul.”

― C.S. Lewis, The Problem of Pain

in other words.

Pain amplifies authenticity

Song in the night speaks louder than comfort

Praise in darkness carries credibility

C. Missional shift

Freedom in Christ is not for comfort

Freedom in Christ is for mission

Question is not:

“How do I get out?” which would be natural.

But:

“How do I respond when the door closes?” or when I don’t get out.

I like this a lot. I think the next time we face darkness what happens in this jail cell might help us. Instead of asking How do I get out of this suffering, How do I get out of darkness ask God how do you want me to respond when the door closes or I don’t get out

I think Paul and silas know what Shadrich meshech and abedgo know in the book of daniel. They are about to be thrown into the fire for standing for God and when question what happens if God doesn’t rescure they say it doesn’t matter he’s still God

and that’s what allows Paul and silas to praise

“How can God use me right where my fear is?”

IV. THE EARTHQUAKE: FREEDOM REVEALED, NOT ESCAPED (Acts 16:26–28)

A. What happens is remarkable

Earthquake

Doors open

Chains fall off

B. What doesn’t happen

Paul and Silas do not leave- which is wild. I know if it’s me I want out. but Paul and Silas tell everyone to wait.

They keep the other prisoners from escaping

C. The jailer’s crisis

He comes from a shame and honor culture. and he draws his sword to kill himself because he knows if he loses his prisoners it would be better to take his life then allow rome to get a hold of him.

D. Don’t miss the irony here

Paul and silas are physically chained but truly free. So when the chains come off nothing really changes for them

Jailer is physically free but deeply enslaved by sin.

Paul has peace

Jailer has fear

V. THE TURNING POINT: KINDNESS IN THE FACE OF CRUELTY (Acts 16:28–30)

A. Radical restraint

Paul calls out: “Do not harm yourself”

Opportunity for revenge rejected. He has just been treated really badly by this guy and so many others. but instead of revenge he takes Jesus commands serious.y

later in Romans pauls would write Romans 12:21

Romans 12:21 ESV

Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

and that’s exactly what Paul is doing.

BThis matters

Jailer knows:

He was cruel

They owed him nothing

They could have escaped

Yet they stayed

C. think about what the jailer is seeing and expierecing

Peace in suffering- only what Jesus can do

Joy under pressure- only what Jesus can do

Kindness instead of vengeance- only what Jesus can do

Forgiveness instead of retaliation- only what Jesus can do

Here the gospel is shown and not just explained so the question the jailer asked next is awesome!

VI. THE QUESTION: “WHAT MUST I DO TO BE SAVED?” (Acts 16:30–31)

A. A man of action asks a performance question

“What must I do?”

Expects a list. All his life he has had a list. He has had set of ways to live his life. and he’s ready. He thinks ok whatever these men have done I am willing to do so I can know freedom like they know it. Like Lydia God is opening his heart for salvation and look at the answer

B. The gospel answer

Believe in what Jesus has done- Oh man how awesome is that. That’s how anone get’s saved.

Paul is teaching Salvation is received, not achieved. and as they spoke the word to him and his house he is saved and baptized and here is the evidence

VII. THE EVIDENCE: A LIFE ACTUALLY CHANGED (Acts 16:32–34)

A. Compassion- THERE IS A DIFFERENCE 

He washes their wounds- I cannot get over this picture. it is a beatiful picture of the gospel

First act after conversion

The gospel softens the hardest heart- and I hope that’s encouraging to you. that if there is someone in your life that’s hurt you, someone in your life you think is to hard, or to tought or to far gone frineds I’ve got good news if the gospel can take a man who had caused peoples wounds to carrying for them and washing them it can change the hardest heart of the perosn you know

and right away we see this community being involed

B. Community

Household involved

Baptism

Faith is personal, not private- we are saved by faith alone but are faith is never alone

C. Joy and this joy is shown through a shared meal.

Rejoicing replaces fear- no longer is this jailer afraid. No longer does he want to take his life. instead he wants to share a meal.

Table fellowship replaces fear. There meal does something really special it shows the implications of the gospel. It’s what feasting does.

there is a little prayer my family prayers with friends from time to time to remind us of how even the gospel is shown when we share a meal

To gather joyfully is indeed a serious affair,for feasting and all enjoyments gratefully taken are, at their heart, acts of war.

People: In celebrating this feast we declare that evil and death, suffering and loss, sorrow and tears, will not have the final word.

But the joy of fellowship, and the welcome and comfort of friends new and old,and the celebration of these blessings of food and drink and conversation and laughterare the true evidences of things eternal,and are the first fruits of that great glad joy that is to come and that will be unending.

So let our feast this day be joined to those sure victories secured by Christ.Let it be to us now a delight, and a glad foretaste of his eternal kingdom.Bless us, O Lord, in this feast.

Bless us, O Lord, as we linger over our cups,And over tables laden with good things,as we relish the delights of varied texture and flavor,Of aromas and savory spices,Of dishes prepared as acts of love and blessing,Of sweet delights made sweeter by the communion of saints.

May this shared meal, and our pleasure in it, bear witness against the artifice and deceptions of the prince of the darkness that would blind this world to hope.May it strike at the root of the lie that would drain life of meaning, and the world of joy, and suffering of redemption.May this our feast fall like a great hammer blow against that brittle night,Shattering the gloom, reawakening our hearts,stirring our imaginations, focusing our visionOn the kingdom of heaven that is to comeOn the kingdom that is promisedOn the kingdom that is already, indeed, among us,For the resurrection of all good things has already joyfully begun.

May this feast be an echo of that great supper of the Lamb,and a foreshadowing of the great celebration that awaits the children of God.

Where two or more of us are gathered, O Lord, there you have promised to beAnd here we areAnd so, here are you.Take joy, O King, in this our feast.Take joy, O King!

Leader: All will be well!Participants then take up the cry: All will be well!

Nothing good and right and true will be lost forever. All good things will be restored.Feast and be reminded!Take joy, little flock. Take joy!Let battle be joined!Let battle be joined!

Now you who are loved by the Father, prepare your hearts and give yourselves wholly to this celebration of joy, to the glad company of saints, to the comforting fellowship of the Spirit, and to the abiding presence of Christ who is seated among us both as our host and as our honored guest, and still yet as our conquering king.Amen.

In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, take seat, take feast, take delight!

so good and I think that’s what they are doing. They are declainring togterh as a new family of blievers

this is an awesome picture and what the gospel does it has us sitting around the table with people we never thought we were

think about it

VIII. THE BIGGER PICTURE: THE GOSPEL CHANGES EVERY KIND OF LIFE (Acts 16 as a whole)

A. Three conversions

Lydia: wealthy, religious, open

Slave girl: exploited, tormented, powerless

Jailer: brutal, indifferent, hardened

B. Gospel implications

Gospel is for everyone

Pedigree means nothing

Grace levels all ground

C. A new family

Brothers and sisters

Woman, slave, Gentile worship together. This is the church at philipi. It is probably what Paul had in mind when he wrote

Philippians 1:6 ESV

And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.

The most unifying power on earth

IX. TRUE FREEDOM: SINGING EVEN WHEN CHAINS REMAIN

I’ll end with this idea

If your greatest love is:

Career

Status

Relationships

Health→ suffering can destroy you but

If your greatest love is God:

Suffering cannot take what matters most

B. Final irony

Paul stayed in prison for the jailer

The Timothy Keller Sermon Archive, 2012–2013 How the Gospel Changes Lives—Part 2

Because Paul lost his freedom, the jailer found his freedom. In that sense Paul was walking in the footsteps of his own Savior, who was confined so we could be liberated, who wasn’t just put in prison but was executed so we could be free.

Jesus went to the cross for us

The confined one frees the captive

so as we end this mroning I’ll want to end where I started