Sermon Manuscript

It’s great to be here with you guys this morning! There’s so much going on within our church this week that I think we need to celebrate. Our Peru Missions Team just got back from their trip and I know Isaiah did an excellent job leading them. Currently Josh and one other person are in Austria, and in just a few weeks we’ll be sending a team to Alaska.

With all of the mission trips going on, I can’t help but be reminded of one of my favorite biblical heroes; the Apostle Paul. I love the way Paul lived his life. He was unapologetically on fire for Jesus and there wasn’t a single thing that would prevent him from sharing the Gospel. He spoke truth, called out injustice, but he also remained silent when necessary.

The story takes place in Acts 16:25-40, you can go ahead and turn there now, but there we see Paul and Silas in jail and interacting with a Philippian jailer. The reason they have found themselves in this situation is because Paul got sick and tired of a demon possessed slave-girl who, for multiple days, wouldn’t stop mocking God so he cast the demon out of her. But it turns out that demon was helping the slave-owners become quite wealthy by telling fortunes so they weren’t thrilled when their source of income was taken from them. They, with the help of city officials, then have Paul and Silas (who was traveling with Paul) beaten and thrown into jail.

And that is where our story begins. Paul and Silas are in chains for the gospel. Beaten because they cast a demon out of a girl. This incredible miracle has occurred and their reward is prison. I wonder, what would be our response to this? Doing something undeniably miraculous through Jesus but then being severely punished. I know how I’d feel. I’d be angry. I wouldn’t understand why this thing had happened to me. I’d be upset that after all this my reward is prison. It’s unjust and it’s unfair, which is what makes Paul’s discernment so impressive to me. The story takes a drastic turn in the middle of the night. Let’s pray as we study God’s Word together.

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.

In the lowest, quietist time; while faced with torture and imprisonment because of their faith, Paul and Silas worship. They don’t shake their fists at God and blame Him for their situation. They don’t even show regret for their actions. They show praise and admiration for God. And the prisoners were listening to them.

How do you respond when faced with the difficulties of life? When things are unfair, unjust, depressing, never-ending, or just flat out crippling what do you do? Paul and Silas could have easily renounced God to protect themselves, yet they don’t seem to be very concerned about self-preservation. They continue to do the very thing that landed them in prison, glorifying God.

And the prisoners were listening. They saw their reaction. They heard their cries of praise. They heard the goodness of God being proclaimed in the worst of situations. And then a miracle occurs. The doors are opened.

The doors may have been opened, but Luke, the author of Acts, has only begun to build the tension with Paul and Silas. Reminding us that while there may be an open door, that doesn’t mean the answer is easy. After being beaten and unjustly imprisoned, most people would seize the opportunity to escape. To bolt through that open door and run as fast, and as far, as they could. Not stopping for a moment to look behind them. Clearly God has given the go-ahead to escape from this prison, why else would He open the door?

Yet that’s not what happens. They stay. They remain in their cells. Why would they stay? Luke doesn’t really tell us, but the story has only just begun,

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.”

Now Luke shifts our attention from the earthquake to the jailer. Naturally he assumes they’d all escaped, but miraculously they’re all still there! And let’s be honest that truly is the second miracle in this story because the fact all of these prisoners stayed has saved the jailer’s life. Roman Law stated that if any prisoner escaped within a guard’s care then that guard would serve the sentence that was given to the prisoner. We can only assume some of these prisoners were going to receive capital punishment given the solider’s response.

But then Paul stops him. Freedom is right there. The doors are open. But Paul doesn’t move. Neither do the others. Because in this moment, faithfulness isn’t just about enduring what hasn’t changed. It’s discerning what to do when everything suddenly has. Sometimes the most God-honoring decision isn’t sprinting through that open door, but remaining still while God works within and around you.

Sometimes obedience doesn’t look like pushing forward into every open opportunity. Sometimes it looks like staying put long enough to see what God is actually doing in the moment you’re in. Not every open door is an immediate command to move. Sometimes faithfulness is measured not by how quickly we escape discomfort, but by whether we recognize what God might be doing in it.

Paul’s response here has nothing to do with self-preservation, but it has everything to do with discerning obedience. He was more concerned with people than he was his own freedom. And the prisoners witnessed the entire thing. The obedience of Paul and Silas said more than anything they could have taught. Our faithfulness is most visible when circumstances don’t justify it which is why how we respond to suffering matters so much.

And what happens next is a moment no one could have ever expected,

29 And the jailer called for lights and rushed in, and trembling with fear he fell down before Paul and Silas. 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.

The jailer is trembling. Just moments ago this guy was totally in control. Every person in those cells had to listen to him without question. He held total authority. He carried the keys, and it was him who determined who stayed in that prison and who left. Now he is completely at the mercy of thieves, murderers…and Paul and Silas. The roles have completely reversed.

He’s been up all night listening to these two men pray and worship. Watching how the prisoners respond to them, hearing of God’s goodness while these men are imprisoned because of this God of theirs, and then in the midst of their praise an earthquake releases everyone. But now these same two men he watched praise God are not only still in the prison, the prisoners are listening to them. The authority has totally shifted, and the jailer knows it. He knows something powerful is happening which is why he finally asks what this is all pointing towards, “What must I do to be saved?”

Remember he’s trembling. He’s terrified of what this means for him. It’s a jailbreak on an unprecedented level. And if we were to stop right here this question isn’t anything more than “how can I be saved from punishment?” It would simply be a man trying to avoid being beaten by the very people he imprisoned. But that’s not what is happening here. This man has witnessed something powerful, an act that has undeniably come from God, and he sees these men have something he does not; salvation. This isn’t a question about his physical safety, he wants to be saved spiritually. He wants to know this God he’s heard so much about.

“Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.” Paul doesn’t tell the man to complete a step by step process. He doesn’t tell him that he needs to pick himself up by his bootstraps. He doesn’t need to know every single thing in the Bible. We don’t see anything like that, but what we do see is a man needing to be pointed to Jesus so the Holy Spirit can begin His process of sanctification.

Then Paul and Silas get the opportunity to share the Gospel with the entirety of the jailer’s house. This isn’t just his children and wife, but his servants, any freedmen attached to his family, any one dependent upon this man for survival is now hearing the Gospel from Paul and Silas. Luke doesn’t give us the details of the conversation, but what he does give us is evidence. Evidence of victory. This simple detail finally answers the question, “Why did they stay?” They stayed for the jailer’s house. So that the Gospel could be proclaimed and so that these people could receive the salvation that only comes from Jesus Christ.

The jailer cleans the wounds of Paul and Silas, and while that may seem trivial Luke is actually beginning to detail a heart change. The man is no longer who he was. It’s further evidenced by the response of the man and his family through baptism. Solidifying and signifying who they are; followers of Jesus. Celebration follows as they share a meal together and rejoice in what God has done within their lives. Luke is drawing our attention to continued evidence of their transformation.

The jailer who once kept Paul and Silas imprisoned has now welcomed them into his home, washed their wounds (wounds he may have inflicted himself), and is sharing a meal with them. Luke needs us to pay attention to this moment. It’s not just an epilogue, it’s evidence of the transformative work of Jesus Christ. Enemies are now brothers and sisters in Christ. This story that begin at midnight in a prison now ends in a home filled with the joy of the Holy Spirit.

A situation that seemed dire and detrimental has now become an opportunity for the Gospel to be spread. How are you using your situation to spread the gospel? Are you taking advantage of the opportunities around you? Parents, your kids are home all summer. How are you using this extra time? Retired folk, are you using your time to disciple those within the church? Imparting lifelong wisdom in those who aspire to love Jesus as much as you. Are you seizing opportunities to partake in the transformative work of Jesus?

Because that’s all Paul and Silas are doing here. They are seizing opportunities for Jesus. They know God is moving in every situation so wherever they find themselves they look for Jesus. They look to see how He’s moving within the prison walls, in the house of the jailer, in the streets of Philippi. God was already moving, they just stepped into it. They didn’t bolt through the first open door, but slowed themselves to discern what God was doing next.

At this point the story feels like it should be over. The jailer has believed, the household is rejoicing, the prisoners are being cared for. It’s a great conclusion, but Luke isn’t finished because there is still one group that must be confronted. The authorities who put Paul and Silas there in the first place,

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. 40 So they went out of the prison and visited Lydia. And when they had seen the brothers, they encouraged them and departed.

Finally, Paul and Silas are being granted freedom from the magistrates, the city officials, but Paul tells them no! Paul could have accepted this offer, left, and been totally fine but Paul isn’t concerned with himself. He’s concerned with the reputation of Jesus. If Paul leaves now, in secret without public vindication, then Christianity is seen as a criminal religion. Something worthy of jailing followers of Jesus for, but Luke needs the readers of Acts to understand Christianity is not a criminal religion. The revelation of Jesus Christ as the Messiah is the greatest truth there ever was and will be. We should not be ashamed of Him and keep His truth silent, we should boldly proclaim Him!

Luke wrote his Gospel and the book of Acts to a Roman Centurion named Theophilus, so he needs him and any other read of Acts to understand the opposition to Christianity comes from unbelief and not wrongdoing. Paul’s goal is to protect the church in Philippi, future believers, and the reputation of the Gospel. If he leaves now, the Gospel suffers.

What incredible faith Paul has. His ability to discern when to endure quietly and when to speak up for what is right is what makes him one of my heroes. He refuses to act impulsively. He remains put until God instructs him to move. And His willingness to suffer just a little longer allows for the big reveal; his Roman citizenship.

The magistrates wrongly imprisoned a Roman citizen without due process. Paul capitalized on this because it meant he deserved to be publicly vindicated, which also meant Christianity itself would be publicly vindicated by the very officials that imprisoned him for it. Paul’s discernment of whether his silence would obscure or advance the Gospel resulted in the salvation of a family and the vindication of the Gospel in Philippi. He seized an opportunity for Jesus and, through the Holy Spirit, his wise response helped strengthen the church in Philippi.

Paul and Silas receive their apology, visit an incredible woman of faith named Lydia, and continue on their way. Luke really just includes the details that are important here. Paul and Silas met with brothers and sisters in the faith encouraging them, and surely retelling their story, so that their confidence in Christ would increase.

Like Paul and Silas, we have been given opportunities by God to advance the Gospel. You may not recognize it in the moment, and they may not be as flashy as an earthquake while you’re in jail, but they are real and they are there. Paul and Silas were incredible men, but all they did was step into what God was already doing. They relied upon Him to discern when to speak, when not to speak, when to move, or when to stay put. He was the director of their paths.

The men and women serving in Peru, Austria, and Alaska are doing the same thing Paul and Silas did in Philippi. They are stepping into places where God is already at work. The question for us is whether we will do the same. Will we discern where God is moving in our homes, our workplaces, our neighborhoods, and our church? And when we see Him moving, will we step into what He is already doing?

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