Sermon Tone Analysis

Intro

Paul is headed to the city of Philippi and he immediately encounters a woman named Lydia.

A woman of wealth, a woman of authority, and a woman who would one day house a blossoming young church.

But right now she was down by the river.

She is there with other women and Paul begins to talk with her, and the scriptures say “The Lord opened her heart to pay attention to what was said by Paul.”

Look who God chooses and look who God uses.

Lydia - a woman who probably had three kids because a woman couldn’t hold down a job in that culture unless she had a glaring need to.

A Slave girl - Who is possessed by a demon and annoying.

A young woman who is enslaved and being trafficked.

A Jailor - A corrections officer who’s job it was to make people’s lives miserable and at the end of the story he is going to try and commit suicide because he runs out of hope.

This is what God builds his church upon.

He doesn’t use the politically astute.

He doesn’t use the people who society lifts up and says, “success”

God uses the fringe of society and the people who have ran out of hope.

Read 6:19-24

The Slave Girl

The Enslaved Soul

She had an owner.

She was possessed with the “python spirit”

She would speak prophesy and have estatic experiences.

People would pay bookoo bucks to see this and have words given to them.

She made her owners a lot of money.

The Holy Spirit, through Paul sets her free.

This slave girl goes from slavery to freedom.

The liberation that comes to this girl is what put Paul in bondage.

the owners get furious and take Paul to the officials who beat him and throw him in prison.

IN THIS MOMENT EXPERIENCE WAS NOT WHAT DROVE PAUL

Power to Worship

Worship is not based on an experience it is based on an object.

Paul in Prison

They were beaten publicly.

The Enslaved Soul

These guys were placed in maximum security.

She had an owner.

They had their beating which would’ve been the 39 lashings with a firm rod over the back.

She was possessed with the “python spirit”

She would speak prophesy and have estatic experiences.

People would pay bookoo bucks to see this and have words given to them.

She made her owners a lot of money.

The Holy Spirit, through Paul sets her free.

This slave girl goes from slavery to freedom.

They were put into stocks which were used to keep people prisoner but also used to create discomfort.

They had just liberated a young girl and now they are enslaved.

They could’ve said, “This is unfair”.

But instead they sit in their cell and they worship.

Paul and Silas could’ve sang the blues.

They could’ve sang Ray Charles, Hard Times, “there will be no more sorrow, when I pass away.”

The liberation that comes to this girl is what put Paul in bondage.

They could’ve sang Ray Charles, Hard Times, “there will be no more sorrow, when I pass away.”

They begin praying to God and singing hymns in the midst of their captivity.

the owners get furious and take Paul to the officials who beat him and throw him in prison.

In the midst of Paul’s captivity, Paul is able to endure because his trust and hope was in Christ.

IN THIS MOMENT EXPERIENCE WAS NOT WHAT DROVE PAUL.

As worship goes up, prison walls come down

His “Freedom” wasn’t his ultimate.

So in the midst of his suffering and injustice he could raise his voice to God.

His ultimate was God, therefore his experience were filtered through Christ.

So even in a jail cell, he was more free than the people who placed him in captivity.

His ultimate was Christ, therefore he knew that God was in control.

As worship goes up, prison walls come down

They were beaten publicly.

These guys were placed in maximum security.

They had their beating which would’ve been the 39 lashings with a firm rod over the back.

They were put into stocks which were used to keep people prisoner but also used to create discomfort.

They had just liberated a young girl and now they are enslaved.

They could’ve said, “This is unfair”.

But instead they sit in their cell and they worship.

Paul and Silas could’ve sang the blues.

They could’ve sang Ray Charles, Hard Times, “there will be no more sorrow, when I pass away.”

They begin praying to God and singing hymns in the midst of their captivity.

There are people downtown who God wants to build his church with.

They were beaten publicly.

These guys were placed in maximum security.

They had their beating which would’ve been the 39 lashings with a firm rod over the back.

They were put into stocks which were used to keep people prisoner but also used to create discomfort.

They had just liberated a young girl and now they are enslaved.

They could’ve said, “This is unfair”.

But instead they sit in their cell and they worship.

Paul and Silas could’ve sang the blues.

They could’ve sang Ray Charles, Hard Times, “there will be no more sorrow, when I pass away.”

They begin praying to God and singing hymns in the midst of their captivity.

Singing shows surrender

Paul and Silas lacked control, yet they knew God was in control.

They weren’t sitting there planning their escape.

They weren’t plotting on how to get the jailer distracted to take him out.

They trusted God and knew he was in control.

God had a plan that was much bigger than anything Paul could’ve imagined.

Paul knew God wouldn’t hang him out high and dry but even if God would’ve Paul would’ve been ok with it, PAUL TRUSTED GOD

Because Paul trusted he was able to sing in the midst of this storm of Life.

Worship gives power to prevail

SPIRITUAL

Frederick Douglass, a prominent escaped slave, wrote of his captivity: "We were at times remarkably buoyant, singing hymns and making joyous exclamations, almost as triumphant in their tone as if we had already reached a land of freedom and safety."

As we worship others listen

Jailer getting saved.

Hope is tied to Worship

When they lost hope they freaked out.

Acts 16:

The mens hope of gain was gone, they freaked out on Paul and Silas.

The jailor was about to kill himself.

He had failed, his reputation was dead, his job was dead, all his ultimates in that moment had failed so what is the point of living and he hears a voice in the background.