Check Your Manhood At The Jail

CHECK YOUR MANHOOD AT THE JAIL

ACTS 16: 16-34

INTRO-

THIS MORNING WE ARE GOING TO LOOK AT THE SCRIPTURE WHERE PAUL AND SILAS ARE PUT IN JAIL. DURING THIS STAY THERE WAS A EARTHQUAKE AND THE JOKE IS THIS IS THE FIRST “JAILHOUSE ROCK”

IT IS THE MAN’S MAN KIND OF SERMON- THERE IS ACTION, THERE IS DRAMA, GOOD GUYS, BAD GUYS... AND FOR KICKS AND GIGGLES, THERE IS A HAPPY ENDING.

LET’S SET THIS UP-

APOSTLE PAUL, AND SILAS WERE HEADING TO A PLACE OF WORSHIP. THEY ARE MET BY A SLAVE GIRL WHO HAD A SPIRIT THAT PREDICTED THE FUTURE. SHE EARNED A LOT OF MONEY FOR HER MASTER BY TELLING PEOPLE’S FUTURE.

THIS SLAVE GIRL FOLLOWED PAUL AND SILAS AROUND- MANY DAYS THE BIBLE TELLS US. “THOSE MEN ARE SERVANT’S OF THE MOST HIGH GOD” WHO ARE TELLING YOU A WAY TO BE SAVED.

FINALLY THE BIBLE SAYS- PAUL HAD HAD ENOUGH OF IT- TROUBLED THAT THIS GIRL WOULDN’T STOP HE TURNED AROUND AND SAYS TO THE GIRL AND THE SPIRIT “IN THE NAME OF JESUS CHRIST- I COMMAND YOU TO COME OUT OF HER”

FITS LAST MESSAGE I GAVE DON’T IT- THERE IS POWER IN THE NAME OF JESUS.

HE USES THE AUTHORITY THAT IS IN THE NAME OF JESUS AND THIS GIRL IS DELIVERED FROM THE SPIRIT.

SHE IS NO LONGER ABLE TO PROPHECY OVER THEM AND ANNOY THEM ANY LONGER.

***GOOD FOR PAUL AND SILAS- BAD FOR THE OWNERS THAT WERE MAKING MONEY FROM HER.

THEY SEIZED PAUL AND SILAS FOR PREACHING AND DOING THINGS THAT WERE NOT EXCEPTED AND THEY WERE BROUGHT TO THE MAGISTRATE.

THE CROWD GOT INVOLVED IN WATCHING MEN BEING PUNISHED (SOMETHING MEN ENJOY)

THE MAGISTRATE GAVE PAUL AND SILAS A GOOD BEATING AND PUT THEM INTO JAIL. NOT JUST ANY JAIL BUT WERE PUT IN THE INNER COURT, WHICH HAD A TRAINED JAILER WHO BOUND THEM IN CHAINS AND WAS RESPONSIBLE BY HIS LIFE TO KEEP GUARD OF THEM.

THE STORY SHIFTS ITS CHARACTERS- PAUL AND SILAS ARE FAITHFUL FOLLOWERS OF JESUS- THEY ARE NOT CRYING OVER THE BEATING THEY TOOK. THE BIBLE SAYS IT WAS MIDNIGHT AND THEY WERE SINGING AND HAVING CHURCH, AND THE PRISONERS WERE LISTENING.

GOD SUDDENLY BEGAN TO MOVE -

PRAISE AND WORSHIP MOVES THE HAND OF GOD

THE PLACE BEGINS TO SHAKE.

GOD’S GREATEST HOUR IS OUR MIDNIGHT HOUR.

V26- THE FOUNDATION WAS SHAKEN, THE PRISON DOORS FLEW OPEN, AND THE CHAINS CAME LOOSE. THAT IS SPIRIT OF GOD AT WORK.

THE STORY IS NOW ABOUT THE JAILER-

THE JAILER HAS A FAMILY,

THE JAILER HAS A JOB HE GOES TO EVERYDAY.

HE HAS KIDS THAT HE IS TRYING TO RAISE.

HE HAS A ROUGH AND HARD JOB.

A JOB THAT IF HE MESSES UP COULD COST HIM HIS LIFE.

THE JAILER IS AWAKEN BY AN EARTHQUAKE, PRISON DOORS FALLING OFF THEIR HINGES, PRISONERS THAT COULD OF GOT AWAY- HE IS READY TO TAKE HIS LIFE, BEFORE A PRISONER KILLS HIM, BEFORE THE MAGISTRATE CALLS FOR THE PRISONERS HE COULD NOT ACCOUNT FOR AND WOULD BE KILLED

PAUL SAYS- DO NOT HARM YOURSELF, WE ARE STILL HERE ALL THE PRISONERS STAYED.

MOST PEOPLE WANT TO SAY THE MIRACLE IS THE WAY THAT THE LORD SET PAUL AND SILAS FREE. BUT THE LORD DOES MUCH MORE THAN THAT.

HE TOOK THE JAILER WHO HAD HEARD THE MESSAGE OF THE LORD

LISTEN TO PRAISE AND WORSHIP, WATCH THE LORD DESTROY THE JAIL

HE SAW MEN WHO COULD OF BEEN FREE STAY WITH THE JAILER.

THE JAILER IS THE ONE WHO HAD AN ENCOUNTER WITH GOD.

HE BELIEVED AND HE WAS SAVED

JAILER WENT ON THE COMPASSIONATE MISSION AND WASHED THEIR WOUNDS, INVITED THEM TO HIS HOUSE TO MEET HIS FAMILY,

TELL THE GOSPEL MESSAGE... AND THE WHOLE FAMILY GET’S SAVED,

WHOLE FAMILY IS IMMEDIATELY BAPTIZED

LISTEN TO ME

MEN ARE THE HARDEST GROUP TO REACH FOR THE KINGDOM OF GOD. BUT WHEN THEY GET SAVED, AND WHEN THEY BELIEVE WHAT IS BEING SAID- THEY ARE THE ONES WHO BEGIN TO TURN THIS WORLD UPSIDE DOWN.

HOWARD HENDRICKS SAID:

THERE ARE TWO KINDS OF PEOPLE IN THE CHURCH:

PILLARS- UPHOLD CHURCH WITH PRAYERS, WORRKS, MONEY.

CATERPILLARS- CRAWL IN ON SUNDAY, SING SONG, CRAWL OUT TILL NEXT WEEK.

IF THE MEN ARE DEAD, THE CHURCH IS DEAD.

****THE CHURCH AS A WHOLE HAS GIVEN THE IMPRESSION THAT MEN ARE TO CHECK THEIR MANHOOD AT THE DOOR AND TAKE UP BEING FAMINE

MEN LIKE RISK AND REWARD

WHEN IT IS DANGEROUS TO BE A CHRISTIAN HERE IN THE U.S.A. WE WILL SEE MEN MORE RESPONSIVE.

****THIS JAILER SAW AND EXPERIENCED FIRST HAND WHAT GOD WANTS TO DO IN EVERY MAN ‘S LIFE, AND HE TOOK IT TO HIS FAMILY.

61% OF BORN AGAIN WOMEN COME TO CHURCH WITH OUT THEIR HUSBANDS