Paul and Silas in Prison

HOOK

DO NOT FORGET TO UNMUTE

It’s the 10th day of December— Thursday!

Yesterday right here at “The Message” we saw the conversion of Lydia, a gentile businesswoman trading purple cloth [expensive kind of cloth] in Philippi in the province of Macedonia— from this instance we learned:

I SHARE THE MESSAGE, THE LORD OPENS THE HEART

WATER BAPTISM IS NOT A REQUIREMENT, BUT A CONSEQUENCE OF SALVATION

Let’s see what happened thereafter— open your Bible to ACTS 16:16-40

Let’s continue with chapter 16 and see what happened to Paul and his companions when they got to the province of Macedonia— open your Bible to ACTS 16:11-15

When studying the Bible, look for words that defines the CHARACTER of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit— keep an eye on COMMANDS to obey— good EXAMPLES to follow, and bad examples to avoid— PROMISES that you could claim— sins to CONFESS— CHALLENGES you encountered— and ENCOURAGEMENT to keep you going

READ ACTS 16:16-40

BOOK

Acts 16:16–40 NIV

16 Once when we were going to the place of prayer, we were met by a female slave who had a spirit by which she predicted the future. She earned a great deal of money for her owners by fortune-telling. 17 She followed Paul and the rest of us, shouting, “These men are servants of the Most High God, who are telling you the way to be saved.” 18 She kept this up for many days. Finally Paul became so annoyed that he turned around and said to the spirit, “In the name of Jesus Christ I command you to come out of her!” At that moment the spirit left her. 19 When her owners realized that their hope of making money was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace to face the authorities. 20 They brought them before the magistrates and said, “These men are Jews, and are throwing our city into an uproar 21 by advocating customs unlawful for us Romans to accept or practice.” 22 The crowd joined in the attack against Paul and Silas, and the magistrates ordered them to be stripped and beaten with rods. 23 After they had been severely flogged, they were thrown into prison, and the jailer was commanded to guard them carefully. 24 When he received these orders, he put them in the inner cell and fastened their feet in the stocks. 25 About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them. 26 Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open, and everyone’s chains came loose. 27 The jailer woke up, and when he saw the prison doors open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself because he thought the prisoners had escaped. 28 But Paul shouted, “Don’t harm yourself! We are all here!” 29 The jailer called for lights, rushed in and fell trembling before Paul and Silas. 30 He then brought them out and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” 31 They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household.” 32 Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all the others in his house. 33 At that hour of the night the jailer took them and washed their wounds; then immediately he and all his household were baptized. 34 The jailer brought them into his house and set a meal before them; he was filled with joy because he had come to believe in God—he and his whole household. 35 When it was daylight, the magistrates sent their officers to the jailer with the order: “Release those men.” 36 The jailer told Paul, “The magistrates have ordered that you and Silas be released. Now you can leave. Go in peace.” 37 But Paul said to the officers: “They beat us publicly without a trial, even though we are Roman citizens, and threw us into prison. And now do they want to get rid of us quietly? No! Let them come themselves and escort us out.” 38 The officers reported this to the magistrates, and when they heard that Paul and Silas were Roman citizens, they were alarmed. 39 They came to appease them and escorted them from the prison, requesting them to leave the city. 40 After Paul and Silas came out of the prison, they went to Lydia’s house, where they met with the brothers and sisters and encouraged them. Then they left.

WHAT: Paul and Silas was imprisoned in Philippi for the first time in their journey

WHERE: Philippi

WHEN: At the time of the early church— during Paul’s second missionary journey [SHOW MAP]

WHO: Paul, Silas, Female Fortune Teller, Jailer & his household, Lydia and the new church in Philippi

WHY: They were false accused the by owner of the female fortune teller— Paul and Silas used this moment as an opportunity to strengthen the new Philippian church

LOOK

THEY WERE THROWN INTO PRISON

After wrongly accused— the magistrates ordered to put Paul and Silas behind bars— this is the first time they were imprisoned during their journey— the jailer put them in the most secure spot inside the prison— as an added security so that they may not escape, their feet were chained

ABOUT MIDNIGHT PAUL AND SILAS WERE PRAYING AND SINGING HYMNS TO GOD

As they sing, the other prisoners were listening to them— then suddenly a violent earthquake took place— shook the foundation of the prison— the prison doors flew open and everyone’s chains came loose

The jailer woke up up— when he saw what happened— he tried to kill himself thinking that the prisoners escaped— but Paul shouted— “don’t harm yourself! we are all here!”— the jailer called for lights and rushed in and fell trembling before Paul and Silas, and asked...

SIRS, WHAT MUST I DO TO BE SAVED?

There several human perspective about salvation:

GOD WILL SAVE ME AFTER ALL I AM NOT SO BAD

But the Paul said no one is righteous— ROMANS 3:10-12— James [brother of Jesus] said, you break one law and you’re guilty of breaking all of it— JAMES 2:10— Paul further said that it is by faith the we are saved— GALATIANS 2:15-16

GOD WILL SAVE ME IF I DO ENOUGH GOOD WORKS

Paul clarified that we are saved by grace and not by the things that we do— EPHESIANS 2:8-10— and he also said that the wages of sin is eternals separation from God— ROMANS 6:23

GOD COULD NEVER SAVE ME BECAUSE I AM TOO BAD TO BE SAVED

Remember the criminal crucified next to our Lord Jesus? He was a very bad person but the Lord was able to save him— LUKE 23:-39-43

SO WHAT’S THE FORMULA FOR OUR SALVATION?

Faith in Jesus + Good Works? | Faith in Jesus + Ten Commandments? | Faith in Jesus + Nothing?

The answer is faith in Jesus— good works are fruits of salvation— Jesus Christ said— JOHN 14:6— that’s why Paul answered the jailer saying...

BELIEVE IN THE LORD JESUS, AND YOU WILL BE SAVED—YOU AND YOUR HOUSEHOLD

Immediately the jailer and his family were baptized— and they were filled with joy because they had come to believe in God— after all these, Paul and Silas went to the house of Lydia— encouraged them, and then they left

From our short devotional study from today, we are reminded and for some they are clarified on how a personal shall be saved— let me put that in two easily remembered sentences for us to live by...

TOOK

I WILL BE SAVED IF I BELIEVE IN THE LORD JESUS— ME AND MY FAMILY

TRUE JOY COMES AFTER SALVATION

SING

Jada