Persecuted - one more time

Fulfilling Jesus words

Jesus did not candy coat things, or mince words. Being a disciple was not going to be easy. It came with rewards but also came with tribulations and Paul was a great example of that.

Persecuted for righteousness sake (Mt5:10-12)

Matthew 5:10 NASB95

10 “Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Well there you have it, but to keep in context must continue on:

Matthew 5:11–12 NASB95

11 “Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. 12 “Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Paul’s alluded such (1Cor4:9-13)

1 Corinthians 4:9–10 NASB95

9 For, I think, God has exhibited us apostles last of all, as men condemned to death; because we have become a spectacle to the world, both to angels and to men. 10 We are fools for Christ’s sake, but you are prudent in Christ; we are weak, but you are strong; you are distinguished, but we are without honor.

1 Corinthians 4:11–12 NASB95

11 To this present hour we are both hungry and thirsty, and are poorly clothed, and are roughly treated, and are homeless; 12 and we toil, working with our own hands; when we are reviled, we bless; when we are persecuted, we endure;

Life of an apostle was not easy, and life as a disciple today has it’s challenges, they may not be the exact same, but still challenges. Let me give you one more proof of persecution for righteousness sake.

Paul records such (2Cor11:24-25)

2 Corinthians 11:24–25 NASB95

24 Five times I received from the Jews thirty-nine lashes. 25 Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, a night and a day I have spent in the deep.

These persecutions and ones tody are a result of trying to live a godly, righteous life (consider 2Tim3:12; not on your outline, it’s a freebie)

2 Timothy 3:12 NASB95

12 Indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.

So, tonight we are looking at “persecuted one more time, for righteousness sake.”

Reason for the persecution (1Cor16:16-18)

Persecution enacted (1Cor16:19-24)

Make the best out of persecution today (drawing a conclusion)

Reason for persecution

If anyone tells you that living a godly life is easy, let them lead by example. Hence why Jesus told the apostles there would be persecution. Our passage tonight looks at “one more time” and pay attention to the reason as we look at it.

Acts 16:16–17 NASB95

16 It happened that as we were going to the place of prayer, a slave-girl having a spirit of divination met us, who was bringing her masters much profit by fortune-telling. 17 Following after Paul and us, she kept crying out, saying, “These men are bond-servants of the Most High God, who are proclaiming to you the way of salvation.”

Acts 16:18 NASB95

18 She continued doing this for many days. But Paul was greatly annoyed, and turned and said to the spirit, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her!” And it came out at that very moment.

What do you see, what do you notice, what sticks out to you?

Gleaning from the scripture, engage your mind as you engage your heart too.

Question: Where were Paul and Silas going (v.16)?

the place of prayer

Paul was accustomed to go where the religious people met, synagogues, beach where people gathered for prayer so this is not out of the ordinary

Question: what possessed the slave girl (v.16)?

Spirit of divination

this was known as a python spirit; one who represented ability to predict future events, in other words fortune telling as the scripture says.

Question: What more do we learn about this slave girl in (vv.16-18)?

She brought her masters much profit

She followed after Paul and the mission team; she was proclaiming the way of salvation.

Question: What did Paul do, and when did the results show themselves (v.18)?

commanded spirit to come out, and came out at once (immediately)

(Transition) - now we have pulled directly from the scripture now lets pull some more information out.

Paul was greatly annoyed (v.18) by this slave girl proclaiming a godly truth (v.17). (Other scriptures referenced Lk4:34, 41; 1Tim4:1-2)

Why do you think Paul was greatly annoyed, wasn’t she proclaiming biblical truth?

While something can be true it can be taken wrong, it can bring misunderstanding.

For example did you know that the term “most high god” while we know that is reserved for Jehovah God, to the Greeks they commonly applied that to “Zeus”

So by doing that, then the way of salvation could be construed that it could be through Zeus

(Transition) This is not the only time we see in scripture about a persistent spirit

Luke 4:34 NASB95

34 “Let us alone! What business do we have with each other, Jesus of Nazareth? Have You come to destroy us? I know who You are—the Holy One of God!”

While the spirit was proclaiming a truth, Jesus commanded the spirit to come out; another example:

Luke 4:41 NASB95

41 Demons also were coming out of many, shouting, “You are the Son of God!” But rebuking them, He would not allow them to speak, because they knew Him to be the Christ.

So, if there is truth, why call them out, why silence them? Let me offer you a few points, some of which I gleaned from Mark Copeland and Polhill from his commentary.

Had to stop so there could be no alliance with the spirits and Jesus; or spirit and Paul and the mission team.

Had to stop because any alliance would shine a light on the demons along with Christ and His Apostles and any evil that the demons did would be equated to Jesus and the Apostles too.

If not stopped, if not silenced it would give credence to the demons who could mix truth and lie and could deceive the believers or seekers. (consider 1Tim4:1-2)

1 Timothy 4:1–2 NASB95

1 But the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons, 2 by means of the hypocrisy of liars seared in their own conscience as with a branding iron,

J.W. Garvey in his commentary said this:

“To guard against this result, it was necessary to exorcise all demons who ventured to speak in favor of the truth.”

So you see in (v.18) Paul commanded the spirit obeyed, just as the spirits did with Jesus (well no surprise is that he is operating under Jesus authority and the power of the Spirit of God)

(Transition) Paul while setting the slave girl free was going to leave to persecuted “one more time” due to an act of righteousness in setting her free

Persecution enacted

Being godly, doing godly things, acts of righteousness has negative consequences in the world, in the culture then, and even today, so let’s look at then, persecution “one more time.”

Acts 16:19–20 NASB95

19 But when her masters saw that their hope of profit was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the market place before the authorities, 20 and when they had brought them to the chief magistrates, they said, “These men are throwing our city into confusion, being Jews,

Acts 16:21–22 NASB95

21 and are proclaiming customs which it is not lawful for us to accept or to observe, being Romans.” 22 The crowd rose up together against them, and the chief magistrates tore their robes off them and proceeded to order them to be beaten with rods.

Acts 16:23–24 NASB95

23 When they had struck them with many blows, they threw them into prison, commanding the jailer to guard them securely; 24 and he, having received such a command, threw them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks.

What do you see, what do you notice, what sticks out to you?

Gleaning from the scripture:

Question: What did the masters see (v.19)?

Hope of their profit was gone.

Question: So what did the masters do when they lost hope (v.19-20)?

They seized them dragged them, brought them before the authorities, the magistrates.

In (vv.20-21) they were accused of trowing city into confusion, they were proclaiming customs that were illegal.

(Transition) now expanding some

The masters were motivated by money, or in this case at the loss of income (profit) (vv.19-21)

so they were seized and where were they taken (v.19)? - public square, they wanted to make a public spectacle or example of them. The public square or the gates to the city would be where the officials would be, in this case magistrates (typical 2 per colony)

In the public eye the accusation was made (vv.20-21). See they were Roman citizens, in a roman colony where Caesar worship was the norm or the Greek God’s not the God of Israel or some so called Messiah.

As the crowd in the square raised up against them, the magistrates acted out, what did they do to Paul and Silas (v.22)? - tore their clothes and commanded them to be beaten with rods.

Now this could be one of the times that Paul mentions in 2Cor11:25.

(insert locked in stocks in inner prison picture)

Persecution took them to prison (vv.23-24)

They were put in the inner prison and feet locked in stocks

The command to the jailer was to keep them securely and if he did not it could cost him his life, here is taste of that for next week.

Acts 16:27 NASB95

27 When the jailer awoke and saw the prison doors opened, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, supposing that the prisoners had escaped.

(Transition) - - - so can’t leave on a down note and we have ore time so let me press on a little more:

Thus far we have:

Situation leading to the persecution

The persecution established

The persecution enacted on

What we have not seen is the results of it really, beyond as it ended our mission partners were inner part of jail securely fasted in stocks by their feet.

Results of beating (set up)

Acts us full of examples, some are results of persecutions. May we be reminded of some and look at part of the result of this one.

Peter and John imprisoned and resulted in the number of believers to grow to 5000 (Act4:4-22)

that one also resulted in the gospel being preached

It caused a great boldness of faith that proclaimed!

Back to prison, beaten, Jesus proclaimed and any believed (Act5:12-42)

People started bringing sick people and they were being healed and they arrested, beat them, wanting to stone them

Peter said better to obey God than man and they counted themselves worthy of suffering for Jesus.

Persecution by Saul, lead to scattered church preaching the word (Act8:1-8)

Paul brought about a great time of persecution after consenting to Stephen’s death

The church scattered and proclaimed and the multitude heeded the gospel.

Attempting to kill Paul resulted to things being spoken of boldly in Jesus name, and they were multiplied (Act9:23-31)

Herod brings violence against the church that resulted in the word of God crew and multiplied (Act12:1-24)

(transition) - so that is some, now back to Act16 and the result of this persecution.

Results from the persecuted

Despite the pain of be stripped naked, beaten with rods, thrown in prison, put in stocks, it results (at least at this time) in praying, singing and praising!

Acts 16:25 NASB95

25 But about midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns of praise to God, and the prisoners were listening to them;

Could it be praying with thanksgiving (Php4:6-7)

Philippians 4:6–7 NASB95

6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Could it be singing hymns like (Eph5:19)

Ephesians 5:19 NASB95

19 speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord;

Jesus said this was going to happen, and it did. Jesus instructed what to do when this happens (Mt5:11-12; Lk6:22-23)

Let’s look at the Lord’s instructions

Matthew 5:11–12 NASB95

11 “Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. 12 “Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

and then look at Luke

Luke 6:22–23 NASB95

22 “Blessed are you when men hate you, and ostracize you, and insult you, and scorn your name as evil, for the sake of the Son of Man. 23 “Be glad in that day and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is great in heaven. For in the same way their fathers used to treat the prophets.

Application

If persecuted for righteous sake “Rejoice” (Mt5:12)

Be glad, leap for joy (Lk6:23)

Consider words of Peter (1Pt4:12-16)

1 Peter 4:12–13 NASB95

12 Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you, which comes upon you for your testing, as though some strange thing were happening to you; 13 but to the degree that you share the sufferings of Christ, keep on rejoicing, so that also at the revelation of His glory you may rejoice with exultation.

1 Peter 4:14–15 NASB95

14 If you are reviled for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you. 15 Make sure that none of you suffers as a murderer, or thief, or evildoer, or a troublesome meddler;

1 Peter 4:16 NASB95

16 but if anyone suffers as a Christian, he is not to be ashamed, but is to glorify God in this name.

Rejoice with exultation (1Pt4:13)

Glorify God in this name, name of Christian (1Pt4:16)

so pray, sing, rejoice, glorify God! (expand time permitting)

(Pray) (exit)