Sermon Tone Analysis

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

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, ...

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...

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

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

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

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

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..

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

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

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.