Jail House Revival
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Paul and Silas in Prison....
Paul and Silas in Prison....
Think of this for a minute, What is the worse thing you could imagine happening in your life or to your life?
Now as you consider that event, that problem or circumstances, here is a great question for you.... You ready?
Is God with you both in the valley and on the mountain top?
Well of course He is, even when we feel so alone, my friends He is there.
There is joy in the promise of the Lord that I will never leave you or forsake you.
So this evening lets look at the Book of Acts this evening and we will focus on Acts chapter 16.
This story is one we will know but it is good to go back and be reminded of God’s faithfulness toward his people, but even more to see His work in saving the lost.
So I want to invite you to turn with me to Acts 16, verses 16-24
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.
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.
So we know that God has been at work with Paul and Silas, they have come across Lydia, the dealer of purple goods… and she is now a believer. Paul and Silas is now in the area of Macedonia.
And as these two are going to find a place to pray. Paul and Silas are meet by a very unique person.
1. A Spirit of Divination....
When we use that term divination, we are saying that are able to trying give an account of a person’s future. This work, it is not the work of God. it is the work of the devil.
And it is unique my friends, when God shows up it usually brings out the evil ones and they are compelled if you will to present themselves and kneel at His feet.
Think about the demon possessed man in the land of Gadara.... When Jesus stepped out onto the land this man who had lived among the tombs, breaking on the bonds they placed upon Him, naked, cutting himself in such torment… comes to Jesus instantly
Listen to Luke 8, ...
28 When he saw Jesus, he cried out and fell down before him and said with a loud voice, “What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg you, do not torment me.”
And here with Paul and Silas they come across this young slave who is possessed by this unclean Spirit.
And she is being to generate money for those who owned her. You see people have always been interested about their future… How do I know this?
* Well look, people go today and they read the horoscopes in the paper.
* They go to those who deal tarot cards hoping to gain an edge by know the future and other answers to life’s questions.
* What about like this girl, people look to fortune tellers.
These my friends are but a few of the ways that people seek to find the state of their future..
And when this young lady came across Paul the unclean spirit in her just couldnt stay quiet...
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.”
Now Paul was trying not to draw a lot of attention to him and Silas so they could carry out their ministry without a lot of interference form the outside world. But this young girl, that unclean spirit made confession after confession about Paul and Silas everything they ran into each other in the city.
This Spirit of Divination was all around and honestly is was really bothering Paul.
Listen my friends, when you consider what was happening in our world today, we can no longer be silent, the things of the world, the things of the devil, what he uses to hurt and destroy homes, families and people.
We cannot be quite, we must be vocal and we must stand up against evil no matter the cost.
2. Rebuke and a Accusation...
Now this unclean spirit was a money maker for the people who owned this slave girl, since the demon could predict the future, tell fortunes if you will… they used her to satisfies people hunger to plan their won destiny, to know what tomorrow holds for them..
That is always been a desire of people.
Adolf Hitler often meet with astrologers in the hopes of knowing what to do and when to do in the future.
And honestly the owners of the girl cared nothing for her, but only what she could do to generate them wealth
And so each day they had her in the markets hoping to profit form her.
As Paul and Silas go about their days, they are being bothered by this unclean Spirit, in fact the Scripture says Paul was greatly annoyed.
You see listen to what she said about Paul and Silas
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.
Paul was teaching, the geeks, others desired truth, Paul taught in a way to reveal the truth of Jesus, teaching and very quietly bringing Jesus into the conversation..
But the girl tells the real reason for Paul’s preaching and teaching, that others.
might be saved and know the blessing of walking with Jesus.
This happens for several days, and when Paul had enough of this He turns and rebukes this unclean spirit and commands that it leave this young ladies body.
And I love what is said, the demon left this woman that very hour… wow
And here comes the problem… People don’t like it when you mess with their sin.
And when the owners of the girl saw that their profit had gone out the door, well they didn’t like that`
Lets look at verses 19-21
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.”
Those men that owned her laid their hands on Paul and Silas and dragged them to the magistrates office and charged them with disturbing the peace.
They are Jews, they teach and promotes customs we don’t approve off and they are disturbing our city.
As you walk on down through verse 24.... the crowd joined in, the magistrates tore their clothes off and they beat them…
And after beating them, they through them into the inner part of the jail and placed their feet in stocks...
You would have thought they had All Capone in there, they didn’t just put them in jail, but in the inner jail under guard and placed them in foot stocks. Honestly, they made their jail experience the worst.
Listen no one wants to be in jail, especially not in Macedonia.
Listen my friends, do not expect the world to treat God’s people with fairness and honesty.. Just not gonna happen especially when you share the teach the truth of God’s word with them
Do not expect it…
Now just one last thought for this evening....
3. God always Shows in Up Great Ways....
Listen the Bible tell us that Paul and Silas are in jail, but they are not having a pity party...
No they are having a praise party
25 About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them,
You heard that right, they were praying and singing Hymns to God and everyone was listening..
Could you imagaine a couple cells away.. Fred you hear that, they sound happy. what they got to be happy about
They are in the same prison as us and they are in solitary and they are doing all that.... Did some one hot them in the head to hard?
Nope.
They are giving God thanks in all things… remember what Paul says later in I Thess 5 verse 18
18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
But here is where it gets good, Revival breaks out they pray and pray, sing and sing and about midnight the Scriptures tell us this..
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.
Man, things are so Good, so good that God sent a earthquake and the prison is shaken, the doors …all the doors are opened and everyone’s bonds are loosed...
The ole Preacher says that was the first Jail House Rock…sorry I couldnt resist.
Now as this happens the one in charge of the jail, that’s right the jailer is scared. He is afraid the most wanted of the prisoners are gone seeing the doors are opened.
That’s right the two preachers are the top of the Most wanted…
Let me take you back to the text
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.”
You see he was gonna kill himself because loosing those prisoners meant that he would forfeit his life, so he thought he would save them the trouble of roman Justice.
But listen, God had already told Paul, stop him, he will try to kill himself, So Paul cried out.. We are here.
He grabbed his light and ran in, he could not believe what he saw.... These men who had been treated so harshly, so terribly stayed and besides that knew some how I was going to harm myself and they called out to me to save me from death.
So this Jailer, brought them out, so astonished by their faith, by their honestly, by their care that he simple said what must I do to be save....
How wonderful. God showed up in that Jail and them showed off saving the jailer...
Look with me one last time to verses 30-34
30 Then he brought them out and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” 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. 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.
He got a dose the ole preacher just to say…
He was saved, he took his new brothers in Christ home and fed them, cleaned their wounds and treated them well...
The jailer and his whle house rejoiced at this man’s salvation and the family members as well.
I guess one of the best thoughts to be reminded of is simple, God never leaves us for forsakes us and God goes with us from the church house to the jail house and will deliver us.
But not only from a bad situation, friends he will delvier you form this life until His kingdom
Do you trust him with your life like Paul and Silas did.?
Now you may never be in the jail house, but he will go with you and deliver you no matter where you do go until you see him.
God is good my friends, and when you seek him, You will find him.