God of the Interruptions

Introduction - Welcome, bible and page number

Hey church, my name is Carl and it’s a priviledge to gather with you around God’s word. We’re going to be in Acts 16 today so why don’t you open up your bibles to Acts 16, which is on page 925 of my bible… which doesn’t help you out too much but why dont you try turning to page 925 and see if you land on Acts 16. If you do, send me a message to let me know that you and I both have the coolest bibles in the world.

Let me pray and then ask the Lord to bless our time to gether.

Pray

Kid wanting his toy but constantly getting interrupted

When I was a young kid, Saturday morning in our house was the time when mum cleaned the house. I loved mum’s cleaning time. All week I would look forward to it as my absolute highlight. Sometimes the night before mum’s Saturday morning cleaning time I would be so excited I couldn’t sleep! Why was this time so exciting for me? Well, because mum wanted us kids out of the way when she cleaned so what she would do was take us to buy toys every Saturday morning so we would be entertained and out of the way for 2 hours so she could make our house sparkle!

We wouldn’t get big presents, maybe a $5 toy from the local shops. But what we would do often as a family we would walk down to the local shops together to get this present. The problem was that mum would know everyone, and every time she saw someone she would have a conversation that I felt like I was eating into my toy time.

I don’t if thats what it was like for you? You’d go shopping and your mum and dad would meet someone that they’d know and you’d just be stuck there waiting patiently or maybe impatiently for this interruption to what you were really trying to do to be over.

Did she not know how much I had planned out my Saturday morning?

Wake - CoCo Pops - Toy Store - then play.

Everything else outside of that was an interruption - an attack on my plan!

That was our Saturday mornings as a little kid. It felt like interruption after interruption after interruption after interruption until we could finally get to the incredible moment we’d all been waiting for.

How do you cope with life’s interruptions to God’s incredible mission for your life?

I want to ask you this morning how you deal with life’s interruptions, particularly in light of our bible reading this morning.

English Standard Version Chapter 3

20 Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us,

When God called you into the His family, He didn’t just call you into an incredible family, He also gave you an incredible mission - to go into all the world proclaiming the good news of the gospel, and he gave you His Holy Spirit empowering.

Jesus said it is better that I go so that the Helper, the Holy Spirit may come to be with you. Jesus believed your life of mission as going to better with the Holy Spirit inside you than Jesus besides you.

Go into all the world and preach the good news of Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord, empowered by the Holy Spirit who is promised to do far more abundantly than we could ask or imagine.

But, I wonder if you’ve ever felt like life just gets in the way of what you believe God has called you to do?

For you, it’s not a life of “far more abundantly that we could ask or imagine”, it’s actually “life interrupted”.

So… why do we feel like this mission is constantly interrupted?

You’re called to a life of mission but your kids have your ankles in a headlock

You’re called to a life of mission but you’re in the midst of uni exams

You’re called to a life of mission but Covid hits, you’ve lost your job and you’re not allowed within a metre and a half of anyone.

Is it really possible that God is going to do immeasurably more through me or is life just a relentless bombardment of interruptions?

Acts 16’s Context - You’ve been touched by Paul’s Second Missionary Journey

Well, I believe our text is going to help us today. I hope you have your bible’s open to Acts 16, and we’re going to be paying close attention to verses 16 and onwards.

What’s the context of Acts 16:16? Well, we know it’s a part of Paul’s secondary missionary journey:

It is a season of incredible gospel ministry and this ministry sees thousands of people saved, and truth be told, if you’ve done any kind of study of the bible, you’ve likely been personally blessed by this ministry. How?

Well, in this trip, Paul plants churches at Philippi, Thessalonica, Corinth. These are the churches where we get the letters to the Philippians, 1st and 2nd Thessalonians and 1st and 2nd Corinthians.

Paul’s Missionary Journey is about to be interrupted by a demon possessed girl

It is a life changing season where God truly does more than he could ever imagine, but it doesn’t always seem to be going this way. Look down in verse 16.

English Standard Version Chapter 16

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.

The scene is Paul has just been on this incredible missionary journey, many Jews and Gentiles saved. It was not an entirely pleasant experience. Many Jews reject the Gospel, Paul is threatened, Paul is stoned. He returns to Jerusalem and then heads off again. You might be coming to this part of the bible for the first time and you think well, perhaps this time this trip will be free of these kind of interruptions. Then what happens? Paul and Silas are hounded by a girl possessed by a demon possessed girl. Can you believe it? Not just any kind of interruption but a demon possessed interruption.

A spirit of divination in the greek is literally rendered a python spirit, she worshipped as a part of a Greek cult, and it appears that what was happening was a demonic spirit would lure gullible customers in and make predictions about the future, much like fortune tellers today.

She’s a slave and her whole job is to make money for her masters, waiting on the side of the road, probably dressed in elaborate clothing, maybe with bells on her clothes to attract customers in. She stands in the street desperate for customers to fulfill the requirements of her master.

Gulible customers worship her, clever Israelites avoid her.

So what happens when Paul and Silas walk by?

Verse 17.

English Standard Version Chapter 16

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.

This woman is a hassle - she doesn’t know the Lord and she means to interrupt

Let’s make two things clear. Firstly, this woman does not know the Lord.

How do we know that? We know that because the text tells us that she is possessed by a demon and Paul is annoyed at her. Why would Paul be annoyed at someone proclaiming what appears to be true?

They are servants of the Most High God

They do believe that their God is the Most High God

and they do believe that they’re proclaiming ‘the’ way of salvation.

So, why is Paul annoyed?

One of my good friends talks about the difference between a dynamic faith and a demonic faith. What does that mean?

Well, a dynamic faith is a faith that actually means a difference in your life. You see, the gospel is that youve been saved from judgement, Jesus taking the place of punishment for sin that we all deserve. We’re saved from judgement into a new family. We’ve been given a new identity, and that changes everything about who we are.

It changes what you believe about yourself

It changes what you believe about the world you

It changes what you believe about the meaning of life

It changes you. That’s a dynamic faith.

What’s a demonic faith? I wonder if you remember James 2:19

English Standard Version Chapter 2

19 You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder!

A demonic faith is a belief in God that is entirely a head knowledge but you actually have no living relationship with the Lord, all you know are some facts. You might actually know some people who live their lives like this. Maybe a family member. They’ve heard you talk about Jesus, they’ve maybe even visited a church once. They can say true things about God, but they have no living relationship with him.

So, this woman does not know the Lord.

Spiritual Warfare is real, and you’re not crazy for feeling the weight of it

What do we know about the mission of Christians? We know that Ephesians 6:12 tells us that we’re fighting a battle not against flesh and blood but against spiritual powers. And like with any war, the opposition is trying to take out the othe rteams army. Being a Christian means being involved in spiritual warfare.

I don’t know if you’ve ever felt the weight of that before. Maybe you’ve been on a Christian camp or you’ve just come back from church or are a bible study and you’re on the spiritual high and then life just turns on it’s head and you feel like in 60 seconds you’ve gone from the mountaintop to the valley.

Friends, let me encourage you, spiritual warfare is real and you’re not crazy for at time feeling the weight of it.

This woman is intending to interrupt Paul and Silas

This woman does not know the Lord. We know this. We also know that she is not there to profit Paul and Silas, she’s there to interrupt them.

In short, this girl was a massive hassle an intended interruption.

How do we know this? We know this because of verse 18. Look down in your bibles.

English Standard Version Chapter 16

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.

Paul is annoyed at this woman. Why? Well it’s not because she’s proclaiming the Gospel. Since Paul’s conversion he doesn’t have much of a track record of becoming annoyed at people proclaiming the Gospel.

Is he annoyed at her because her mere presence is discrediting their ministry?

OR

Is he annoyed at her because she doesn’t understand the power of the words that she’s saying?

We don’t know. It could be both! But what we do know is that Paul has had enough and puts an end to this woman’s demonic possession. Good… done!

Interruption over? No not at all. There are more interruptions on the way!

Bek receiving multiple interruptions while at home with kids

Who knows that when it rains it pours? And sometimes as soon as one interruption is over, another one is on its heels. Anyone who is working from home during this Covid crisis knows what I’m talking about.

I’m thinking of my wife who spends all day wrestling with my kids, finally gets them to nap at 2 in the afternoon and our neighbour decides he wants to play with his new angle grinder in his backyard all afternoon. What a legend right?

I also think of my gym owners who purchased the gym 2 weeks before Covid hit.

Interruption after interruption. So, what happens next to our friends Paul and Silas?

Paul and Silas arrested - One interruption replaced with another

Look down at verse 19.

English Standard Version Chapter 16

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.

Paul maybe thought his interruptions were over but the removal of one interruption has led him into what appears like an even bigger interruption. They’re brought before the magistrates.

Modern Day Comparison - Social media blasting

Can you imagine? You’re the one who’s been bothered for days by someone who is likely been bothering the city for years.

Now, I couldn’t really think of a clear parallel to Paul and Silas’ situation in our time. The closest I could think of is perhaps someone on social media blasting your page with some kind of wonder drug and then you get so sick of it that you post an article discrediting that drug and then you’re the one who is pulled into court.

Now it’s not a perfect illustration because of the demonic nature of it all, but I hope you can see the unjust nature of it all.

Unjust accusations are suprisingly held up by the court

So, what are the details of Paul and Silas’ charge? Look at verse 21.

English Standard Version Chapter 16

21 They advocate customs that are not lawful for us as Romans to accept or practice.”

What’s interesting here is the complete absence of the exorcism or the loss of business.

Why? Well an educated guess would be because losing the income from a fortune telling business would be thrown out of court then just as quickly as it would’ve been thrown out of court today.

So instead, the slave owners charges them with being a Jew, which by this time was outlawed. And what we don’t see is any response from Paul and Silas. Why? Well, we can only guess, but it’s likely because they were judged guilty before they even entered the courtroom.

They were thought to be Jews (though that’s not the complete story)

They were thought to be poor (which was very true)

They were thought to be outsiders (which was completely wrong because Paul was a well-known Roman!)

Perhaps if you’re new to this story you might think that taking the matter to court would be simple. A judge would see reason and they’d be on their way.

Unfortunately, that’s not what happens, on the apparent interruptions continue:

The trial gets so out of control that, verse 22 tells us,

English Standard Version Chapter 16

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

Summary of where we’re up to

What an interruption. Do you remember how verse 16 started? ‘As we were going to the place of prayer...’ Since then, they’ve had a demon possessed woman following them around screaming at them for days, they’ve been abducted by slave traders, dragged into court, given no opportunity to defend themselves, beaten with rods and thrown into prison.

How do you cope with interruptions?

Let me ask you, how do you cope with interruptions?

2020 Life’s Interruptions

Just like I’m sure for most of you, 2020 interrupted my plans. Yes, it’s true that the details our plans of planting a church became incredibly muddied after Covid hit, but I’ve actually had peace that the Lord is going to build His church and the church will be better off for it.

What I have had anxiety over is my family. The bible says that I’ll be called to give an account before the Lord for how I’ve lived my life and that includes how I had led, loved and looked out for my family. I saw pasta shelves empty, toiletries shelves empty, Covid cases growing, shops shutting down, Centrelink lines growing, and cars going off the road. Can you take your mind back to where we were just 10 weeks ago.

This is where we were: Life interrupted.

Maybe that’s still where you are now. You believe God gave you a plan for 2020, you’d been walking by faith, trusting him, and you feel like it’s just ‘life interrupted’ for you. Maybe this theme carries on longer for you than just the last few months. You don’t even own a calendar anymore it’s just a waste of your time. You thought God was leading you somewhere and you’re just not there yet. If that’s how you feel then let me say with confidence, you are not alone.

Paul and Silas’ respond to apparant interruptions through worship

So, let’s see how Paul and Silas responded to their interruptions.

English Standard Version Chapter 16

25 About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God,

Locked in prison. Theologian David Peterson wrote...

The Pillar New Testament Commentary: The Acts of the Apostles 3. A Jailer and His Household (16:25–34)

Their praying may have included a cry for justice, release from prison, and the freedom to continue their ministry in an unhindered way. At the same time, singing hymns to God, they acknowledged God’s character and expressed their trust in him as their deliverer. They could have been using any one of a number of the Psalms

While I think it’s true that all of these thoughts do fit what we know about Paul, we’re just simply guessing. All we can know for sure is this: When Paul and Silas were in prison their worship did not stop.

Their conviction about God, their theology of God, their worship of God was not restricted to their prosperity, it wasn’t restricted to the plans they had already made, it wasn’t restricted to smooth waters.

If Jesus leads you into rough seas, that’s moment is not wasted

When I felt the call to plant a church, a pastor pulled me aside and took me to Mark 6 where Jesus walks on water. You probably remember the story.

The disciples are out on the boat while Jesus goes up a mountain to pray. The disciples head out and hit choppy water, so much so that the text says that they were ‘making headway painfully.’ Then Jesus heads out on the water and stands with them reminding them not to be afraid. That’s the guts of the story. But here’s the start:

Mark 6:45 ESV

Immediately he made his disciples get into the boat and go before him to the other side, to Bethsaida, while he dismissed the crowd.

It was Jesus who sent them out into the storm. It wasn’t a mistake. It wasn’t an accident. It was Jesus’ plan and he used to remind the disciples of who they can trust when trouble strikes. The truth is, if Jesus leads you into rough seas, that moment is not wasted.

Paul and Silas would’ve known that story, and they would’ve known that God doesn’t not abandon his people when they follow His leading. So, they pray and worship! Let’s look at verse 25:

God interrupt’s the plans of man

English Standard Version Chapter 16

25 About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them, 26 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.

It was the plan of the people to lock up Paul and Silas but God brings an interruption of his own. Verse 27...

English Standard Version Chapter 16

27 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. 28 But Paul cried with a loud voice, “Do not harm yourself, for we are all here.” 29 And the jailer called for lights and rushed in, and trembling with fear he fell down before Paul and Silas. 30 Then he brought them out and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”

I very much doubt that when Paul departed on this missionary journey that this is where he thought he’d end up. I don’t think he thought he’d have a demon possessed girl following him around or her masters throwing him in prison or a crowd beating him with rods. There’s no way he could’ve known that. But what happens here is exactly what he’s given his life for - to see the Gospel spread into unlikely places and to see the lost saved for the glory of God.

Verse 33, they preach the gospel:

English Standard Version Chapter 16

31 And they said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.” 32 And they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house.

Verse 34 tells us there is a party for the household because they’d had come to saving faith.

English Standard Version Chapter 16

34 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.

So, that’s our text this morning. That’s the way the story is rolled out before us. So, what can we learn from the text this morning. Well, I think there’s at least 3 principles that come into view from this text:

Principle #1 - God’s Mission Cannot Be Interrupted

What might feel like an interruption to you is no interruption to God

If you’re a Christian then I want to remind you that we worship the God of interruptions. What do I mean by that? I mean that what you might perceive as an interruption to you is no interruption to the plans of God.

I mean that the testimony of scripture is that God is using every situation to bring himself glory, no moment is a surprise to him, and he is actually orchestrating moment of your life and every season of your life so that his mission marches on. And every moment includes what we see as every interruption.

Ephesians 1 tells us that God set a plan in place before the foundations of the earth to unite all things unto himself and every moment of life has been perfectly orchestrated to fulfill that mission - the mission that you’re now included in of spreading the good news of the gospel through the church.

What that meant for Paul and Silas and what that means for you...

What that meant for Paul and Silas was that the demon possessed girl was no interruption, their unjust torture was no interruption, their imprisonment was no interruption. And we see through the salvation of the jailer and his family that God actually used all of these events to glorify himself in such a beautiful way - the unlikely sinner is saved.

This is what C.S. Lewis says:

“The great thing, if one can, is to stop regarding all the unpleasant things as interruptions of one's 'own,' or 'real' life. The truth is of course that what one calls the interruptions are precisely one's real life -- the life God is sending one day by day.” - CS Lewis.

What this means is that we need to be careful to not miss diagnose what is happening in front of our very eyes! To you it might be a mistake but to God it could be the start of the “immeasurably more” that he’s seeking to do through you!

You might not have expected 2020 but God did...

I don’t know what you’re going through right now: I know that all of us thought that 2020 was going to be really different than it is. Maybe you had career plans you’ve had to put on hold or maybe you’ve got study plans you’ve had to put on hold or maybe you just felt like 2020 would see a big step forward for you in some area and now it feels like a big step back. Well, the word of the Lord to you today is that God has not hit pause on his mission, which means that he has not his pause on using you every day to glorify him. You didn’t know that 2020 was going to be like this, but He did, and the truth of the scripture and the truth of Ephesians 1 and Romans 8:28 is that God is working all things together for the good of those who love him!

His mission marches on and you’re included in that mission. That’s principle #1 - God’s mission cannot be interrupted. Here’s principle #2 -

Principle #2 - Never underestimate the significance of faithful obedience

Don’t miss out on the blessing that comes from faithful obedience

What we know is that God is looking for faithful men and women to live out his purposes in this world. God is looking to do immeasuably more than we could think or hope for through faithful men and women in this world. The sad reality is that many people miss out on being used by God, not because God isn’t faithful, it’s because we choose to distance ourselves from his faithfulness.

Each of the scenarios that Paul and Silas faced were a fork in the road. One road led them back into comfort the other led them forward in mission. They had to choose whether they stepped forward into God’s mission, relying on the faithfulness of God to guide them, comfort them, and make their suffering worth it. Or they could’ve turned around and missed out on God’s guidance, his comfort, and ultimately the miracle of being used by God to see someone saved.

God doesn’t ask anything more than us than our faithfulness.

I think there’s time in our lives when we step away from God’s mission because we think it requires something too extraordinary from us. We don’t feel up to the task. Well, the truth is, in God’s mission and in God’s world, He’s told us who the extraodinary one will be, and friends it’s not us, it’s him. What God requires of us is simply and profoundly, faithful obedience.

In my early days of being a Christian there was this passage of scripture that haunted me - the parable of the talents. You maybe familiar with it. In Matthew 25, Jesus tells the story of a master who is going on a journey and gives three of his servants a portion of his wealth to manage while he’s gone. Two of the servants put that money to work, while the other buries it in the ground. Two of the servants are rewarded, and the other is judged wicked and lazy.

What did that mean for me? Well, it frightened me. Every time I would do ministry and I didn’t get the desired outcome I would panic. I remember being on a Christian camp as a youth leader crying my eyes out because of the weight of responsibility of leading young people. I didn’t want my inadequate leadership to be the reason these kids didn’t come to know Jesus. This passage haunted me… until years later when I read it rightly.

Watch this, it’s very important: When the servants are rewarded for their work, can you remember what they’re rewarded for? It wasn’t actually the result of their work. Listen to the words of the master in Matthew 25:33 again.

English Standard Version Chapter 25

23 His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’

It was their faithfulness that was rewarded.

All God needs is your faithfulness

Friends, God doesn’t need you to orchestrate an extraodinary life, that’s his business should he choose to lead you down that road. All he asks if you to take care of your faithfulness, as you lean on His Spirit.

Right now you might be the only person in your family who knows Jesus? Do you know what God needs from you? It’s your faithfulness.

Right now you might be in a hostile work or school or university enivornment. Do you know what God needs from you? It’s your faithfulness.

All of your plans for 2020 might be up in smoke. All God needs from you is your faithfulness, and his promise to you is that He will use you everyday for his glory. Sometimes it’s going to be through suffering, sometimes it’s going to come through sharing the gospel, sometimes it’s going to come through walking in purity. But that faithfulness is not wasted, and your actions are part of God’s perfect plan!

Principle #1 - God’s mission cannot be interrupted

Principle #2 - Never underestimate the significance of faithful obedience.

Principle #3 - Learn to Cling to the Hope of the Gospel

Principle #3 - Learn to Cling to the Hope of the Gospel

Paul wasn’t always freed from prison’s through a miracle

Paul and Silas sit in prison praising God and an earthquake comes and they’re free. The truth is, as remarkable as this story is, God didn’t always rescue Paul from prison. He wrote most of his letters from Prison. Historians tell us the Paul likely died in prison. Yes, God did miracle in saving Paul, but we know that Paul’s hope was not in this world:

In Philippians 1:21-24 he writes

English Standard Version Chapter 1

21 For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. 22 If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. Yet which I shall choose I cannot tell. 23 I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better. 24 But to remain in the flesh is more necessary on your account.

More than anything Paul’s life was built on a desire to be with Jesus

More than anything Paul just wanted to be in the presence of Jesus, but he knew there was work to be done here on earth so he was determined to go about it.

But, what fuelled this work? It was how dearly and sincerely he wanted to be in the presence of Jesus.

The good news of the gospel is that we have a Saviour, not by our works but by His grace, and he has saved you not just from judgement not just from hell but he’s saved you from something terrible into something beautiful - a relationship with him.

God is committed to using you

Do you know what’s going to fuel you for a life of what seems like endless interruptions, suffering, pain and all the rest? It’s going to be the joy of knowing your Saviour and that he hasn’t given up on you, and in fact, his profoundly committed to loving you and using every moment of your life for his glory.

How’s your joy this morning? Draw near to God

So let me close by asking you this question: How’s your joy in the Lord this morning? Are like a cup under a tap that’s been set to full and someone’s walked away. You get that image? You’re just overflowing? Or maybe are you running on the fumes of seasons gone by.

Like sometimes you can pick up a cup and you can smell what use to be there. Someone’s just finished a coffee or someone’s just had a tea and all the coffees and tea is gone but you can tell something used to be there. Is that you? Or maybe you’re just somewhere in between.

Here’s a promise from the word of the Lord to you today:

James 4:8

English Standard Version Chapter 4

8 Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.

Some of you today need to fall on your knees wherever you are. You might be in a discpleship group watching this together. You might be home alone. I wanna encourage that this is a sacred moment. God promises to draw near to you as you draw near to him. What does that mean? It means that as you come to him in repentance and worship and adoration and humility, His Spirit will be the great Comforter he’s promised to be for you and he will not abandon you in your time of need.

So whatever you need to do right now, do it. On your knees, on your feet, just where you are, cry out to the Lord to help you draw near to him again.