From
Acts to Revelation
Part
44 – In the Midst of Battle
Pastor Bruce A. Shields
House
of Faith Church | www.PS127.org
| www.TruthDigest.org
INTRODUCTION
Remember last week, Paul and Silas had cast
a demon out of a slave-fortuneteller that had following them around the city and
mocking them.
Paul finally had enough, and speaking to
the demon, not the woman, he cast it out.
Once her masters saw she no longer had any
powers, and they couldn't make any more money, they were angry.
In today's scripture, we will see that,
although things may be going bad around us, in the midst of the storm, God is
still there, and completed in control. And just because you do not understand
what is happening around you, does not mean God is not working.
SCRIPTURE REFERENCE
Acts 16:19-40
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 nightthe 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.
I.
BEATEN AND JAILED
a.
After Paul and Silas cast the demon out of
the Slave-fortuneteller, she no longer had power to earn her masters money.
b.
When he master's found this out, they
grabbed Paul and Silas, and took them to the magistrate.
c.
Here, they lie, emphasizing the fact that
they are Jews, and saying that the reason they turned them in was because they
were inciting, and teaching against Roman customs.
d.
These Magistrate's, without investigation,
without trial, simply commanded the guards beat Paul and Silas with a rod.
i.
A rod was a club approximately three feet
long, with a knob on one end. It was used to beat wolves away from the herd. It
symbolizes authority in scripture, but here is meant literally.
e.
After they were beaten, they were
imprisoned in the inner cell, and shackled.
II.
IN THE MIDST OF THE STORM
a.
Paul
and Silas, in the midst of their storm, were praying, and singing hymns to God.
i.
The guards were listening.
ii.
You never know who is watching or listening
to you while you are going through tough times in life.
iii. Are you
showing God to others during these times?
b.
Just
then, the building shook, and rumbled, the doors opened, and shackles fell off,
and Paul and Silas were free.
i.
But they did not leave.
c.
Waking,
and fearing the men gone, the jailer drew his sword to kill himself.
d.
But Paul
yelled, “Stop!”
i.
God showed His power and might
ii.
God was in control
iii. They
could be free, if God wanted them to be
iv.
But He had another plan...the soldiers
salvation.
e.
The
jailer, recognized God's power, fell to his knees and asked the most important
question anyone can ask, “What must I do
to be saved?”
III. TO BE
SAVED
a.
This
man was a Gentile, Roman, with no experience, or education of God.
b.
Paul
did not answer,
i.
First you have to do this, then this, then
that...
c.
Paul
simply replied, “Believe in the Lord
Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.”
d.
The
jailer then took Paul and Silas to his house.
i.
He cleaned their wounds
ii.
He and his house were baptized
iii. He then
fed them a meal
e.
The
jailer was full of joy because he came to believe in God
IV.
WHEN IT WAS DAYLIGHT
a.
There
was a slight problem though, if daylight came and Paul and Silas were gone, the
jailer and all his men would be killed for letting the prisoners escape.
b.
So,
Paul and Silas returned to the Jail.
c.
The
next morning, they were released by the magistrate.
i.
However Paul had something to say about the
ordeal.
ii.
“They beat us publicly without trial
iii. Though
we are Roman citizens
iv.
and threw us into prison
v.
and now, want us to go quietly
vi.
Let them come and escort us out.
d.
When
the Magistrate heard they were Roman Citizens, they were alarmed.
i.
Remember, the liars who turned them in for
inciting and teaching against Roman customs, never mentioned they were
citizens, but simply called them Jews.
ii.
The Magistrate was also at fault, because
they did not investigate, nor have a trial.
So they escorted Paul and Silas, and requested they leave the
city. But the first went to Lydia's, encouraged their brothers and sisters,
then left.
CONCLUSION
Things may be going bad around
us. But, in the midst of the storm, God is still there, and completed in
control. And just because you do not understand what is happening around you,
does not mean God is not working.
God used the storm that Paul
and Silas was in, being thrown in prison, and through that situation, and Paul
and Silas' continued faith and trust in God during this time, and worked out of
it, GOOD.
Bringing the jailers to
salvation. This being God's number one priority over all else in this
world!!!!!
Want to learn
more about Salvation and Getting Saved?
CLICK
HERE!
