Believe in the Lord Jesus

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Believe in the Lord Jesus

Acts 16:16–18 ESV
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. 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.
There are moments when we read the Bible and everything seems really normal and there is beauty and its all good. And then there are moments where we read story like this one and we are like… wow… ok… what just happened???
Hollywood loves to make graphic pictures of exorcisms in horror movies to make a quick buck but the truth is that scripture often recount them much different than how we might have seen them portrayed in movies.
What we have before us is the grace of God and the power of God being demonstrated publicly in front of a people who are used to seeing spiritual things distract them from the true God.
If you were not here last week, there is some historical things we need to catch you up on in order to get you into the context of this story.
Paul and Silas are on a missionary journey, and the Holy Spirit show them that they are not to go where they wanted to go but instead show them they need to go to a place called Macedonia. Now this is a Roman province in what would be consider modern day northern Greece.
This is as far out as they have gone, and it is completely Roman controlled territory. The important thing to know is that Rome has made a decree a year earlier that all Jews cannot worship their God within any Roman city.
So we saw last week, that Paul, Silas, and company came to Philippi and went outside the city gates to the riverside to find the Jews worshipping in order to preach the gospel to them. There, they converted a woman named Lydia, a wealthy woman who sold purple goods. Now let’s read this part...
Acts 16:16 ESV
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.
So the place of prayer is outside the city gates, but they are staying in the city heading out and being stopped by this girl.
She has an evil spirit, called a spirit of divination, or fortune telling. She is a slave and she is used by her owners to make them money. She would’ve been someone the people in this city would’ve known.
Can you imagine if you lived in this city and you didn’t know anything about the true God of the universe, but you had paid this girl to tell you your fortune and she was right? She would’ve been someone you would’ve listened to and thought much of, maybe even feared?
Acts 16:17 ESV
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.”
2 things to notice here...
She is following them on their way out of the city out to the place of prayer and she is crying out… but what is she saying???
Notice the language she is using...
These men are servants of the Most High God, who proclaim the way of salvation...
Is this true? YES! In fact the language is exactly what we see used in the OT for how God is referred to… the Most High God. and the the gospel message is the way of salvation.
This should be super encouraging to them, right? I mean even an unbeliever can tell people that they are sent from God to tell people about the way of salvation.
Acts 16:18 ESV
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.
Why does Paul do this?
It is most likely that he feels it is of no help to his ministry to have the local physic be his validation for real gospel ministry. So he is ‘greatly annoyed’ that she is the one trying to give him “street cred” if you will.
Paul’s credibility comes directly from Jesus Christ, the head of the church, he doesn’t need this demon possessed girl giving him credit.
But notice he isn’t attacking her. Luke is very careful to to say that Paul speaks to the spirit. Because unlike Hollywood the Bible is alway pointing out the power of God and not making much of the person performing the exorcism. The power did not reside in Paul notice, it came from the name of Jesus Christ alone!
So Paul didn’t struggle with the girl, he didn’t speak to her, he commanded the spirit in her in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.
He is doing this publicly now, for everyone to see the girl they know as being able to have spiritual power, who has told the crowds they are here to proclaim the way of salvation for the Most high God, to be overruled by the power of Jesus Christ.
This is the best validation to their message. And now this girl will no longer have a demon residing in her. And now things get crazy… Good news for this girl was not good news for her owners.
Acts 16:19–21 ESV
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. 21 They advocate customs that are not lawful for us as Romans to accept or practice.”
This was financial disaster for the owners of this girl. They didn’t care about her, or about what Paul and Silas were preaching. Make no mistake about it, they did not care that Paul spoke in the name of Jesus Christ, or that they were proclaiming the way of salvation for the Most High God. All these people saw was a lose of profit, and it was for some religious reason.
And while Paul and Silas are not Jews, these men did not care to make the distinction because they didn’t know of the distinction. All they knew is that they didn’t have a source of income and it was for some religious reason and that was strictly forbidden.
So they drag them into the market place, which is where the leadership of the city was located to settle any disputes. They seize them and charge them with disturbing the city, because this girl is known throughout the city, and then bring them up on a charge that will surely get them dealt with swiftly… Practicing unlawful things for Romans to accept. This will get ugly fast.
Acts 16:22–24 ESV
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.
So, just to be clear, this turns into a mob scene, and the magistrates, or the leaders of the city are so outraged that they tear their garments, meaning they are so distressed. It escalates so fast they are beating them and throwing them into jail before they are even finding out what really happened.

Christianity was perceived as a subversion of Roman culture.

This was offensive to them to have any religious activity happening in their culture, especially if it threatened their economy or way of life.
This is totally common for how they would’ve dealt with outsider who come into their cities and stir up trouble like this, but there was one small problem… Paul and Silas are not just Jews, but Roman Citizens. This is completely illegal and a violation of their rights. Yet we see no signs of Paul asserting his rights here. That is really important information we need to remember.
Now we see that they are locked up and not just thrown in Jail, but placed in the inner prison, meaning this was a cell that had no windows and was surrounded by all the other cells. there is no escape from this cell, and their feet are in shackles so they are not moving around and going anywhere.
I wonder how any of us would deal with this kind of treatment? I remember when we had to be searched and go into scanners after 9/11, my nephews father used to keep a copy of the bill of rights in his pocket so that when they patted him down and asked what was in his pocket he could take it out and read it to them and how they were violating his rights...
Look at all we have been through recently as a society and how quick we assert our rights. Paul had every reason to assert his rights here and didn’t. Not that he never did, but it wasn’t yet. I wonder how they would handle their persecution?
Acts 16:25 ESV
25 About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them,
This has to be one of my favorite verses in the book of Acts. It reminds me that they were there under God’s sovereign direction. They wanted to go to Mysia and Bithynia but the Holy Spirit did not allow them to, rather he gave them a vision of a Macedonian man.
What does a Macedonian man look like? Most likely a Roman solider or a prison guard. Now I know that isn’t in the scripture here, but I cannot help but think that these guys were sent there and they have now seen Lydia and her family come to the Lord, now this slave girl is set free and they are thrown in jail, and these guys are not asserting their right as Roman citizens, but instead are being beaten and thrown in jail… Could it be because they finally saw someone that in some way resembled that man that Paul saw in a vision and asked for help?
Here they are at midnight… Beaten up, chained together, their rights violated, no hope of escape… And they are singing and praying so loud that all the other prisoner are hearing them. And of course they are hearing them because they are in the inner cell.
This is the chance to preach the gospel that they were sent for. And it doesn’t look anything like what they would’ve wanted it to. But let’s read it without me interrupting the text...
Acts 16:25–28 ESV
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. 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.”
This is clearly a supernatural event. This is no normal earthquake. In the event of an earthquake, under this circumstance, all of these prisoners would’ve ran out of the prison. We have no indication that there is significant damage to the building but we do know that everyones bonds were unfastened and doors were opened???
We know it is dark and we know that the jailer is assuming that the prisoners are escaping and that he is going to be killed for it, so he is willing to take his own life.
We know that Paul is right there, at that exact moment when this man is ready to end it all, because he cannot fathom what he is seeing and figure out how he is going to explain it, that he tells him, “don’t do it! we are all here”…
Now the jailer was sleeping and was woken up by this, but remember that Paul and Silas were praying and singing, and this jailer knows why they are in there, they were doing something religious inside the city that was not permitted. Now they are telling him not to take his and assure him that everyone is still there. Look how the jailer reacts to them now…
Acts 16:29 ESV
29 And the jailer called for lights and rushed in, and trembling with fear he fell down before Paul and Silas.
He has just attempted to take his life and upon bringing in the lights he finds everything just as they said it was. Who are these guys? What in the world is happening? Is it any wonder he is trembling with fear?
It is at this moment that he asks the most important question anyone can ever ask…
Acts 16:30 ESV
30 Then he brought them out and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”
Remember these guys are in jail because of a riot that was happening with people who are upset over the girl who was yelling that these guys are, Servants of the Most High God who proclaim the way of salvation. The jailer must have heard about who these men were that he was to put in the inner jail.
He has heard them praying and singing all night after that were beaten, they are to say the least, unlike the other prisoners. Now there is a miraculous earthquake that shakes the prison and opens the doors and unloosens the bands of the every prisoner but no one escapes???
What other thought could this man have other than divine intervention. Perhaps he was listening to Paul and Silas before he fell asleep, but whatever it was, he is compelled to ask the most important question he will ever ask anyone… What must I do to be saved.
These beaten and mistreated servants of the Lord were the only ones who could’ve answered that question for him and the only ones he asked that question too.
How would they answer? How would you answer?
Acts 16:31 ESV
31 And they said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.”
Notice he doesn’t say hear the gospel...
He doesn’t say, think right thoughts about Jesus, or know a lot about Jesus’ life, he says BELIEVE in the Lord Jesus!!!
Al Mohler put it this way - “The type of belief Paul has in mind requires an element of active trust which relies on Christ’s accomplished work. For Paul, this type of belief is intellectual in nature. A person cannot rely on Christ and turn from sin without a minimum of intellectual understanding of the truth about the gospel and the nature of Jesus. Intellectual assent, however, will not produce salvation. Saving faith also involves the will. A person’s will must be engaged and respond to the gospel, in faith, for that person to be saved.”
So hearing the gospel and thinking abut that gospel and engaging your will to respond to that message is needed in order for you to be saved. that is what is meant by believe. And yet we would be quick to point out that this requires faith that God gives you or not. But if he does your will does in fact respond.
And once it does respond, there is no question about your salvation… Paul says it as clear as anyone can say it… You will be saved! He doesn’t leave it to be question as if once you believe you might be saved, for there is nothing else to be done, it is finished work that requires nothing more of you but to believe it . That is good news!

What is the good news about Jesus that must be believed in order to be saved?

Jesus is God. He came in the flesh, and lived a perfect life never sinning even once. he was willing to die in the place of sinners like you and me, in order to take the wrath of God the Father that is coming on this earth for sinful people. He took our penalty of sin and gave us his righteous reward. He died on the cross in an act of final judgement of sin and was buried, but three days later he was raised from the dead and like him we who believe will all be raised from the dead as well. Jesus is now alive and in heaven awaiting till the appointed time when he will return to judge the living and the dead and consumate his eternal kingdom.
But if you hear nothing else, it is this… Jesus is God and is perfect and died for your sins so you could be forgiven by God the Father, repent from your sins and trust him as your savior and Lord.
If you believe this YOU WILL BE SAVED!
Back to the story Paul is talking to the Philippian jailer and he tells him that is he believes in the Lord Jesus, that he and his whole household will be saved.
Now that raises something that must be addressed. Again I think Al Mohler does a good job addressing this.
“In the book of Acts, when someone comes into the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ and faith in him, their family will often follow, ( for example Cornelius’ family Acts 10). The faith of one family member, however, never saves another individual from their sins. Their testimony and life, however, provide a glorious opportunity for the gospel in a household. As fathers and mothers love their children through the teaching of the gospel and display the sublime virtues of Christian living, children may, by God’s grace, come to saving faith - and God is often pleased to work this way.”
The next verse sheds some light on this… let’s look at it...
Acts 16:32 ESV
32 And they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house.
It appears that the jailer took these brothers into his house where Paul and Silas spoke the word to all who were in the house. So this household comes to saving faith by hearing the gospel preached and believing it.
And as was the practice, once the gospel is believed, what would happen next?
Acts 16:33 ESV
33 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.
The jailer washes their wounds from the beatings they recieved, how gracious of him to care for them. Paul and Silas in return baptized them all as new believers. But are we sure they are all believers?
Acts 16:34 ESV
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.
The jailer and his household demonstrate their changed lives by further evidence of Christian hospitality.
They invite them into their home and rejoice with them that he had believed. This family is obviously excited about their new faith in Christ, not to mention, can you imagine how they must’ve felt when they heard about how their dad was about to fall on his sword and take his life, but then Paul cried out for him not to do it!
What a time they must have had that night. Late into that night. It was a night to remember. A night that family would never forget.
back to the story...
Acts 16:35 ESV
35 But when it was day, the magistrates sent the police, saying, “Let those men go.”
Whatever, has happened overnight, these guys are now back in jail in the morning, and the police have come from the magistrates office where it has been decided that they are just going to release these guys.
It would be easier after everything that happen to get these guys out of their city anyhow, right.
Acts 16:36 ESV
36 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.”
Ok, so here is the scene… The jailer who is forever indebted to these men and now a fellow brother in Christ gets to look these guys in the eyes and say, they are letting you go, you are free… This is the end of the story.
God Let all this happen and you can go on your way now brothers… What a sweet moment that must’ve been. I wonder how that jailer must have felt being able to tell these sweet brothers that they were now free.
But remember I said there was some important information about Paul and Silas’ citizenship? Watch this.
Acts 16:37 ESV
37 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.”
So now… Not when he could have asserted his rights, but now, Paul informs them that they are Roman citizens, and their rights have been violated.
Can you imagine the looks on their faces at this point? Not only that… Think again of this Jailer. I am suer it didn’t dawn on him un til some time later, but if Paul and Silas had made this appeal when they were first dragged in front of the magistrates they would never have ended up in prison, and he and his whole family would never have been saved.
It was all for them… Paul counted his life and value as less than others for the sake of the gospel reaching anyone whom the Lord would direct them to. How loved do you think that made him feel? Loved by God and loved by God’s people?
And now, here he is watching Paul tell the Police, no way, go back and tell them to come out here and publicly bring us themselves...
Acts 16:38–39 ESV
38 The police reported these words to the magistrates, and they were afraid when they heard that they were Roman citizens. 39 So they came and apologized to them. And they took them out and asked them to leave the city.
Now if Paul and Silas had, in the heat of the moment tried to assert their rights and argued with the magistrates, who knows what would’ve been the outcome. But this… this is far better. Look at these magistrates now. They are afraid, embarrassed, and apologizing to them. You better believe the next time they have to deal with these Christians in their city they are gonna ask if they have Roman citizenship first.
None the less, Paul leveraged his status as a Roman citizen in order to further the mission of preaching the gospel. Let us see Paul’s example as a call to all Christians to steward our privileges towards the glory of God.
This chapter ends with Paul visiting their sister on their way out...
Acts 16:40 ESV
40 So they went out of the prison and visited Lydia. And when they had seen the brothers, they encouraged them and departed.
Lydia, and the brothers? seems they are talking about more than just Lydia and her family here.
They are leaving an unlikely bunch of new believers who are now united in the faith. We are not sure how many believer are in this new church in Philippi, but we can sure say that it is comprised of a wealthy business woman and her family, a slave girl, a jailer and his family. What a church to start in one of the farthest parts of the earth at this point to be reached with the gospel.
These very different people are all united by the blood of Jesus Christ, their Lord and Savior, in whom they believe and are saved.
If you also believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, you are also saved and united to them as well.
The same God that allowed them to god blindly into a region where they were captured and beaten and thrown into prison and mistreated, is the same God that is still in control of everything in the global pandemic and national turmoil that threatens to persecute our faith to this day. It didn’t stop it then and it wont stop the gospel from being proclaimed now.
We can trust our God, even if he has to send an earth quake to save a family and start a church, and even if we have let go of our rights and give way to the preeminence of Christ and serving him in all things in order that some may be saved in the process.
And if we find ourselves in what feels like a dark hopeless midnight hour… Pray and sing praises so that others can hear and so glorify God with a good attitude, because even in this our God shall be praised. Amen!
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