But If Not

-Paul and Silas decided that there were some things they were going to have to worship through:

• The pain from their beaten backs.

• Their position in a dark jail.

• Their hands and feet being bound in iron.

• Their reputations torn in shreds by uncaring tongues.

-If you are waiting to get a perfect set of circumstances to worship, it will never take place.

-I am going to hit it again. . . One of the biggest mistakes the devil made was when he put Paul and Silas in the same cell and allowed them to get together!

-Jesus had already said when two or three agree together. . .

You better look out, Satan, look out!

You better look out, Satan, look out!

For I come to you in Name of the Lord,

So look out, Satan, look out!

-If they would have put Paul in the same cell with Herkledorf. . . You know, that Herkledorf who wants to criticize and find fault with everything.

• Finds fault with the church.

• Finds fault with the preacher.

• Finds fault with the youth group.

• Finds fault with the peanut brittle crew.

• Finds fault with the singing, the carpet. . . the way the grass is cut!

-If hell had put Paul in with Herkledorf it would have been a disaster. . . but he got lockstep with Silas and they had a “but if not” attitude about them!

-There are some here who yearn to be set free. . .

• You have longed to break out of that rut of mediocrity.

• You have said it was your personality.

• You have said, “I’m just not that way!”

• You have felt out of place during the worship.

-Come on church. . . You can’t bow down now!

• Worship again. . .

• Worship again mother. . .

• Worship again father. . .

• Worship again young person. . .

• Praise Him!

-Worship is a mindset that you have to determine to stay in no matter what your circumstances are.

III. HOW TO LIVE WITH A “BUT IF NOT” ATTITUDE

-There are some questions to consider in all of this matter:

• What in the world do you do when you see people you know falling down to worship an idol?

• What do you do when you see people who once held strong begin to bow down?

• What do you do when you see people who were once faithful to give in to the enemy?

• What do you do when there is fear in your heart and you are alone with your convictions?

-I have a feeling that fear gripped these young men to their core!

-There are four points that we find in this story that can help us to have a “but if not” attitude in our dealings with the world, the flesh, and the devil.

A. Faith Your Fear

-First you have to “faith” your fear. You cannot face your fear, you have to faith your fears to death. There has to be an element of faith that can literally choke the life out of your fear.

-They were in a high-pressure atmosphere and people were bowing down all around them, but they let their faith prevail. When fear starts talking to you, faith must talk back. Fear can never have the last word in our life.