The Mission: Obey God No Matter the Cost (Acts 16:16-40)

We are so blessed to have God’s Word and the riches contained in it. We are so blessed to have in that Word, examples of Spirit-led people who haven proven over and over again that obeying God IS worth the cost!

Recently, one man in Olean made a series of choices where he obeyed God no matter the cost. Earlier this week, the Olean Herald ran a story entitled, “Olean Principal Resigns Following Several Weeks on Leave.” Joel Whitcher, co-principal at Olean Intermediate Middle School, was placed on leave by the Olean school board near the end of September because he preached as pastor at the Fresh Fire Worship Center standing firmly on God’s truth. During those messages, he preached against sin which is opposed to God’s government. All sin is opposed top God’s government and he named several of those sins. Students and parents were hardened against Biblical truth, voiced their opinion. He resigned, forced or voluntary I do not know, and the school board accepted his resignation.

A message posted on the district website declared the Olean school district’s commitment to fostering “a respectful, safe and welcoming environment; embracing diversity; and honesty, integrity, responsibility, and accountability.” The message said these guiding principles will remain at the forefront as officials move forward to address this matter. Christians in that school district will need to make a series of choices to stand firm outside of school even though it may cost them their jobs, retirement, health care and other such things.

We are entering crunch time. You will have many opportunities even this week to choose to obey God or man every choice is significant.

Acts is completely relevant to life right now. We must always obey God, no matter the cost: Christ demands it, and our mission requires it.

Last week, I preached about three actions God’s people need take when life doesn’t make sense. I need to highlight those three actions briefly because Paul and Silas continued doing those three things in this morning’s text and throughout the rest of Acts. When things didn’t make sense, they were committed to doing good, they were committed to being together, and they reveled in God’s glory.

(SLIDE: Macedonia Map)

I prepared a map to help us better envision where Paul and Silas had been since departing Antioch in Acts 15:40. Antioch is in the lower right of the map. From there, they had traveled northward to Lystra and Iconium. It was there Timothy joined the team. They then traveled westward to Troas where Paul had the vision of the Greek man, calling, “Come over and help us!” Luke joined the team and they set sail for Greece to the West. Once they arrived in Philippi, God established what was probably the first the first church in Europe through Lydia and her household.

As we will see this morning, obeying God is worth whatever physical price we must pay in the process. In Philippi, Paul and Silas paid a very costly physical price. Let’s read about the situation in Acts 16:16-18 which led up to their intense suffering.

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.

The situation. (16:16-18)

They continued ministering in Philippi and had been staying in Lydia’s house. Again, Paul and Silas started by going to the place of prayer and here they met a possessed slave girl and I love what she had been crying out in verse 17 “These men are servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to you the way of salvation.”

She had not been saying anything wrong, in fact, the spirit in her was proclaiming truth! There was no doubt who Paul and Silas worshipped and no doubt where people could hear the message of eternal life! This girl cried out the same message over and over and for many days. I love two things about this situation:

First, I worked for Treasure Hunter’s Roadshow for a time. Every time we entered a new community we took out advertising to promote our business to the community. At the end of the week, I was paid bonuses. The less advertising we needed to pay for, the bigger my bonus was.

Paul and company didn’t have to take out advertising in Philippi, an evil spirit did the work for them! Luke did not specifically call it an evil Spirit, but it must have been, or Paul would not have done what he did next. An evil spirit promoted their mission work! That is exciting!

The second reason I love this situation is that we get another glimpse of Paul’s humanity! That girl greatly tested Paul’s patience! I have to give Paul a lot of credit.... he had far more patience with her than what I may have had. I don’t know if I could have gone for more than an hour listening to her repeated message.

But, the girl didn’t seem to have troubled Silas, or Timothy or even Luke. We only find that Paul was greatly annoyed. This great, spirit-filled person was human! Verse 18 says he “became greatly annoyed.” Paul couldn’t stand the situation any longer. His patience had limits,so he took action and commanded the spirit to come out. Had she been possessed by the Holy Spirit, Paul would not had cast it out for, “A house divided against itself cannot stand” so the evil spirit came out of her that very moment.

Even though Paul was annoyed, what he did was in the girl’s best interest. She was held captive by that evil spirit and had no hope of salvation unless it came out of her. It was this decision that caused Paul and Silas to pay a cost. We find quite a sharp contrast between our missionaries’ view of earthly comfort and the girl’s view of earthly comfort. One Commentator described that contrast with these words...

Acts (Conversions and Imprisonments (16:11–40))

the exorcism… clearly demonstrates the lack of concern on Paul’s part for the monetary value of the slave girl’s divining power. This lack of interest stands in sharp contrast to the “real” motives of the slave owners, “their hope of making money was gone.” It also stands in contrast to “one of the most widespread stereotypes of new religious movements in the ancient world: their desire for money”. The exploitation of the rich by new religious movements has been widely reported and parodied. Thus the slave owners’ desire for financial gain indirectly declares Paul and Silas free of a love for money.

Paul and company showed no interest in using their faith for financial gain and indirectly condemned all who seek to use religion for financial gain.

The parody is that the cost paid by Paul and Silas was not a financial cost. Their contempt for selfish gain created trouble.

The trouble. (16:19-25)

Let’s continue reading in verse 19...

Acts 16:19–25 (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.” 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. 25 About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them,

Meanwhile, Timothy and Luke do not appear in this text. Perhaps they were in another area of town ministering, or maybe the crowd just attacked the two most outspoken missionaries.

Hadn’t God called the missionary team to Macedonia? What happened? The text doesn’t record any conversions since Lydia and her household were saved. If you and I were in that situation, maybe we would have questioned that call to ministry or maybe we would have questioned that vision. Had it really come from God? Maybe mind had just been playing tricks on me. Paul and Silas set a great example for us. They continued doing good, fully determined to please God in a heated social situation.

It was here, in Philippi where Paul and Silas paid one of the most brutal consequences of their missionary journeys. A great miracle had taken place but the owners completely missed God’s power. The girl’s owners valued the wrong thing. They would have preferred the girl be condemned to hell so they could turn a comfortable profit off her and their love of money also cost them eternal life. In a vindictive rage, they dragged the godly duo into the marketplace before the rulers.

Many Greek cities had been allowed, by Rome, to continue governing themselves so long as they continued to bow to Rome. Philippi was a key city, and probably would have had a large Roman garrison and the city magistrates would have been retired Roman soldiers and Greeks who were favorable toward Roman rule.

Note the owners’ accusations in verses 20-21. They didn’t tell the truth! Paul and Silas were not lawless men. They certainly were not advocating political rebellion and they were not only Jews. It was at this point when the crowd, driven by rage and fear violently joined in.

The magistrates were also in agreement with the crowd: they stripped Paul and Silas and violently and illegally beat peaceful, law abiding citizens with rods. What irony, what injustice! Yet our heroes remembered Christ’s example in a similar situation.

Isaiah 53:4,7 (ESV)

4 Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. 7 He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth.

There was no law, there was no justice yet, our heroes wholeheartedly believed God would somehow redeem that impossible situation, as He had always done.

Paul and Silas were thrown into a filthy prison cell, but they were together! They were in stocks, but God was still good. They were bloody, bruised and sore, but they reveled in God’s glory. The cost paid for doing God’s good was worth it. They were right where they needed to be to experience God’s blessings. What were these blessings?

The blessings (16:25-40)

They experienced the Spirit’s joy (v25)

This was the right place and the right time! They didn’t know how God was going to redeem this situation, but while they waited they obeyed Ps 98:4...

Psalm 98:4 (ESV)

4 Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth; break forth into joyous song and sing praises!

and Col 3:16

Colossians 3:16 (ESV)

16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.

If Paul and Silas valued wealth and physical comforts, prison would have been a deeply miserable place! While they were still bleeding from unjust wounds, bound in stocks, and locked in a damp, dark, smelly prison cell, they rejoiced because they had tremendous spiritual wealth!

I love verse 25… “Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them.”

What if Paul had been in prison with John Mark at this time? Would John Mark have praised God as Silas did? Paul had picked the right companion, one who encouraged him in hard times, one who loudly sang praises, and one who ministered to other prisoners with him. Silas presence was a blessing and the Spirit’s joy overflowing through them was a blessing!

The experienced other blessings....

They witnessed God’s protection (16:26-28)

God protected them. They still had their lives. God also protected the jailer. Let’s read verses 26-28...

Acts 16:26–28 ESV

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.”

Can you think of a better place to meet a jailer than to be in jail under his supervision? Can you think of a better place to be to prevent a suicide? Paul and Silas were exactly where they needed to be: God used them to protect the jailer from himself.

Paul’s first thought after that quake was not for his own life, but for the jailer’s life! Paul feared for the jailer’s eternal state, so he cried out in the dark, “Do not harm yourself, for we are all here!” Had Paul been concerned with physical comfort, he would have taken the opportunity to run and save himself.

Physical protection is not really the point here. The point is eternal protection, eternal security as God’s children who would rule and reign in the house of the Lord forever....

Another household became believers! (16:28-34)

Consider the jailer’s response in verses 29 and 30.

The jailer rushed in with a light. Not a single person had attempted to escape, they were all there. God miraculously spared the jailer’s life, but verse 30 is quite interesting. The jailer knew, through the slave girl and through their singing that Paul and Silas knew the secret of eternal life. The jailer fell trembling before them. His trembling had nothing to do with his account before the magistrates because all prisoners were accounted for. He did his job. Why was he trembling? Someone wrote this:

Only one explanation of (his trembling) can be given—that he had become all at once alarmed about his spiritual state, and that, a moment before, he was ready to plunge into eternity with the guilt of self-murder on his head... his unfitness to appear before God, and his need of salvation, now flashed full upon his soul and drew from the depths of his spirit the cry here recorded...

(With emphasis!!!) (“Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”)

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (Chapter 16)

31 And they said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, (and the same goes for the rest of your household.).” Acts 16:31 (ESV)

The jailer’s family would have lived above the prison. They would have had servants and a garrison of soldiers may also have quartered there. Let’s continue reading in verse 32...

Acts 16:32–34 ESV

32 And they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house. 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. 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.

Troubles caused a second Philippian household to be converted! God continued to pour out blessing after blessing. They witnessed yet another blessing here:

They witnessed God’s provision (16:31-40)

Their physical needs were cared for. (vv31-34)

God changes people. Self-preserving people are miraculously transformed into people who put other’s needs before their own. In verses v33-34 the jailer did something he should have done much earlier. The jailer didn’t care for the missionaries’ physical needs until after his conversion. It was only then when he cleaned Paul and Silas’ bloody wounds from the beating they endured hours earlier. It was only after his conversion when he fed them! God changes self-centered people into people who care for other’s needs. That is power! That is the Holy Spirit!

They witnessed another aspect of God’s provision...

Their accusers acknowledged their mistake. (vv35-39)

During that marketplace fiasco, the magistrates were so wrapped up in the emotions of the moment that they neglected their duty to uncover all the facts.

Proverbs 18:13 ESV

13 If one gives an answer before he hears, it is his folly and shame.

Paul and Silas were not just Jews, as the crowd supposed. They were also Roman citizens. By law Romans could not be jailed without a trial. God used worldly Roman laws to protect Paul and Silas. Let’s continue reading from verse 35...

Acts 16:35–39 ESV

35 But when it was day, the magistrates sent the police, saying, “Let those men go.” 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.” 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.” 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.

The Magistrates tried to hide their sin by commanding the missionaries leave secretly, but again Paul and Silas did not do what they had been told. They held the magistrates accountable to Roman law! God redeemed another impossible situation.

God allowed one last blessing prior to the missionaries’ departure and we find this in verse 40...

Acts 16:40 (ESV) “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 Christians in her household were encouraged (v40)

Lydia’s household needed to know, first, that God is the God of impossible situations. Second, Lydia’s household needed to know that obeying God is worth whatever physical cost may come their way. They had never witnessed God-fearing people enduring great trials before. This was the first time they had seen and heard of this. Now they knew what they must do. Now they knew how they must do it.

The missionaries moved on, but not before Paul and Silas encouraged the believers. They needed to live in Philippi next to their angry, greedy, money grubbing neighbors. They needed to live next to neighbors who were fearful of whatever might jeopardize their otherwise peaceful lives.

Obeying God, no matter the cost in my “Philippi”

Following a narrative makes it challenging to intermix application, so hopefully, as we have been working through Scripture this morning, God’s Spirit has been working in you. We can learn so much from these verses, and I would love to know what you are learning.

I came to the conclusion in my studies this week that we are living in Philippi right now, then I came across that article in the Olean Herald, which further convinced me of this.

What did the Philippians value? Think about it. They valued monetary gain and physical comfort. Do we have neighbors whose sole concern is monetary gain and financial security? Of course we do. That probably describes the majority of our neighbors. Do we have neighbors who are afraid of how the Gospel might upend life as they know it? We do. Do we have neighbors who neglect the law when it is convenient for them to do so? Of course we do. Do our neighbors have a completely different mission in life than us?

Acts 16 should gives us a great conviction that obeying God no matter the cost is entirely worthwhile. God protected and provided for Paul and Silas every single step of the way. I don’t want trivialize the troubles they faced. Their troubles were no walk in the park, in fact, the sting of this injustice stuck with Paul and he wrote about it in 1 Thes 2. Please locate 1 Thes 2 in your copy of the Scriptures. Paul wrote...

1 Thessalonians 2:1–4 (ESV)

“For you yourselves know, brothers, that our coming to you was not in vain. 2 But though we had already suffered and been shamefully treated at Philippi, as you know, we had boldness in our God to declare to you the gospel of God in the midst of much conflict. 3 For our appeal does not spring from error or impurity or any attempt to deceive, 4 but just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we speak, not to please man, but to please God who tests our hearts.

They suffered, they were shamefully treated, they endured much conflict. In modern English, we would say they endured much trauma in Philippi. They faced significantly harder challenges in that Philippi than you and I face in this Philippi, but they succeeded with flying colors.

What I am trying to communicate is that living passionately for God is not easy but if we are not bold, the Gospel in us will be worthless. Without boldness, we will be like the steward who fearfully hid the money in the ground. You and I have been chosen and approved by God to invest His precious truth in the banks of our neighbors hearts. This is why Paul wrote 1 Thes 2:1-4. Please listen to those verses one more time...

1 Thessalonians 2:1–4 (ESV)

“For you yourselves know, brothers, that our coming to you was not in vain. 2 But though we had already suffered and been shamefully treated at Philippi, as you know, we had boldness in our God to declare to you the gospel of God in the midst of much conflict. 3 For our appeal does not spring from error or impurity or any attempt to deceive, 4 but just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we speak, not to please man, but to please God who tests our hearts.

There is so much application in this chapter. I hope you are greatly encouraged by this Scripture, as I have been.

I hope you have been emboldened this morning to endure whatever God has chosen for you. I am convicted that boldness is the only response that pleases our God who tests our hearts, and boldness is the only response that accurately represents God to our broken and mis-guided Philippi.

Prayer Ideas:

boldness

life without fear

complete trust

engage in warfare now