Title: I am not going out like this
Theme: To encourage those who have been tempted to give up or give in.
Text: Acts 16:35-40
Introduction
I have read this passage over and over again trying to find meaning to what Paul is doing. What difference does it make if Paul goes out the front door or the back door? What difference does it make if he goes out privately or publicly? I mean is Paul trying to make something out of nothing.
But then it hit me. Isn’t that just like the devil? He would love to keep us quiet. He would love to keep others from hearing our testimony of overcoming.
This week you have heard the messages of God’s overcoming power. Bro. Carnes told us that we live in tough times but our God is faithful. Bro. Brooks reminded us that there will be times that we go through the waters and the fire but most importantly we must remember the promises of God “I will be with thee”
Tonight I want to remind you that its not enough to pull through and to make it but every trial should become our testimony.
James 1:2-4 My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, (3) knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. (4) But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.
God didn’t put us through the fire for no reason but that we would become as pure as gold and as fine as brass so that God can receive the glory.
This is what Paul was saying. “I may have been beaten, I may have been bound but I am not going out like this. You may be able to see the trials and persecution on my face but I am not going out silent and I am not going out like this. He said no matter what I face. I count it an honor to suffer for my king.
The Jewish leaders tried their best to stop the church. But they could not. Every time they beat them they would leave “rejoicing because they were found worthy to suffer shame for the name of Christ”. When they would stone them God would steal one of their own and raise him up to preach the gospel. This movement was different.
I am not ashamed of the Gospel
Paul said, “I am not going to cower away and hide for “I am not ashamed of the gospel for it is the power of God unto salvation”. This crowd needs to see me beating and hurt but most importantly they need to see me lift my hands to the Lord and give him praise and honor. Oh we are going to face the trials but oh think about the testimony.
Paul recognized the work of the devil
You see Paul recognized the work of the devil. From the time that he entered Philippi he knew that the devil was on his case. God was doing a great work there. Some prominent people in the town had gotten saved. God was blessing. Oh and when God is blessing the devil likes to stick his ugly head right in the middle of it.
The Bible says in verse 16 that as Paul and Silas went to pray that they picked up a tag along. Here this young lady began to proclaim “These men are servants of the most high God which show us the way of salvation”. Isn’t just like the devil to mess up prayer. You want to get the devil on your case just start to pray. When you pray you have all kinds of thoughts come to your mind. When you pray you remember things you haven’t remembered in weeks. The devil knows that there is power in prayer and he will do what ever it takes to interrupt it.
So he sent his demon after Paul and Silas to discredit their ministry. Now what this girl said was true but it was coming from the wrong source. Paul let it go on and on until finally he looked strait at her and said, “devil get out”.
We can talk to the devil
Oh as Bro. Brooks said you can talk to the devil. Some times I think we don’t talk to him enough. It is time we put our foot down and drew and line in the sand and said devil I will not listen to you. You can’t have my home, you can’t have my family, and devil you can’t have this church. It may be your intention of closing this church but by the grace of God and the power of the Holy Ghost we will fight you tooth and nail.
I ain’t going out like this. I ain’t going out without a fight.
Well as you know it wasn’t done. Things were just getting heated up. Paul and Silas got on the wrong side of those with the business men. They didn’t like it that their profit girl had gotten all cleaned up. So Paul and Silas were bound and thrown in prison. Not only were they bound and imprisoned but they were beaten. We can hardly imagine the pain they were in as they sat deep in the prison.
We could hardly imagine the despair that the devil tried to put in their mind. You know what I mean when you are beat up by this world, torn down and bound. You feel like you are in a prison. Then you hear that voice of old sleuth foot “God has left you”.
There is no doubt when we are facing a trial and terrible times in our life that devil will tell us all kinds of stuff. “God has left you. You are own you own”
Paul and Silas would not let the devil to deter them
But praise God Paul and Silas would not let that deter them. I believe that Paul looked at Silas and said, “You know Silas my back is sore, Silas these chains hurt. But you know ‘I am not going out like this’”. Lets have church.
The Bible says at the midnight hour they began to have church. This was not your ordinary three hymns and a sermon but God showed up and a special service they began to worship God. With all their strength they began to praise the Lord. In all their pain they began to worship.
If we could learn the simple principle of worship. Worship is not about how we feel. It is not about when God delivers worship, it is about God. It is about Jesus who died for us. It is about the Holy Spirit who came to be our comforter. Worship is about getting our mind on God.
They put their mind on God and began to worship
That is what happened. In all their pain they put their focus on the goodness of God. It wasn’t about getting out of prison. It wasn’t about loosing the bonds. It wasn’t about taking away the pain it was about Christ and him crucified.
Talking about having church. I pray for the results that they had. The walls shook and the prison doors were open. That is just a touch of the power of God. When we worship it opens our prisons and loosens the bonds. True worship brings freedom.
Acts 4:31-33 And when they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness. (32) Now the multitude of those who believed were of one heart and one soul; neither did anyone say that any of the things he possessed was his own, but they had all things in common. (33) And with great power the apostles gave witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And great grace was upon them all.
You know the story the jails began to open and the jailer was about to kill him self. Yet by the grace of God and the testimony of Paul and Silas “Don’t worry everything’s alright” This man and his house hold got saved.
Now we have come full circle. The next day for some miraculous reason they were released. Yet they were not going through the back door. They went out to the public.
God wants you to know today. You don’t have to go out or give up. He doesn’t’ care who you are or what you have done he can still use you. The devil is telling you that you are no God. He is telling you “God can’t use you”. But God says he redeemed you. He bought you with a price. A high price.
Conclusion
