Sharing Heaven’s Good News
Acts 16:12-40
Intro: In Luke 2:10-11, God sent angels to give a message to some Jewish shepherds. The message went like this: “I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.” Why was that good news to these blue collar, hardworking men who were taking care of livestock? Well, this was something that all Jews had been waiting hundreds of years for. They were hoping that God’s Messiah would one day come & save them. God was finally sending them a savior, a deliverer, a preserver, who would restore them to God’s favor.
-Now, 20 some years later in the book of Acts, the followers of Jesus are seriously engaged in sharing this same good news with everyone they can. They are telling both Jews and Gentiles that God has sent His Messiah to this earth, and that everyone who puts their trust in Him can be forgiven of sin, and delivered from the power of the devil. The good news they shared was that God loves people and wants to help them.
-That same good news is the message we believe today! We all need a Savior, who can remove the load of sin we carry around and give us true freedom. That leads us to the main point of today’s message:
Prop: All who receive God’s message of forgiveness should help share it with others.
Interrogative: Why and how should we go about doing that?
TS: Let’s look at 4 effects of sharing the good news that I hope will help us share it more frequently and more effectively.
I. Sharing the Good News Results in Changed Lives (Acts 16:12-15)
12 From there we traveled to Philippi, a Roman colony and the leading city of that district of Macedonia. And we stayed there several days. 13 On the Sabbath we went outside the city gate to the river, where we expected to find a place of prayer. We sat down and began to speak to the women who had gathered there. 14 One of those listening was a woman named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth from the city of Thyatira, who was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to respond to Paul’s message. 15 When she and the members of her household were baptized, she invited us to her home. "If you consider me a believer in the Lord," she said, "come and stay at my house." And she persuaded us.
-We don’t find anything negative about this woman Lydia that would require a major life-change. We don’t read about her being involved in evil or immorality or dishonest behavior of any kind. In fact, v. 14 says she was a worshiper of God. In other words, she had apparently adopted the Jewish God as the One true God whom she worshiped and aligned her life with. However, Paul’s message gave her the rest of the story – the promised Messiah had come and provided everything that was needed for people to know God and be in good favor with Him.
-It was not enough for her just to believe in God! She needed to believe in Jesus, the Son of God, who had taken her sins in His own body on the cross, when He died on her behalf.
-It was not enough for her to be a good person who followed good moral guidelines from the Bible. She was still lost without Jesus!
-So, after Lydia heard the good news about Jesus, v.14 says the Lord opened her heart to respond to Paul’s message. This is an awesome thing that happens when God opens people’s hearts. It is something I prayed for before this message, that every person here would have their heart opened and respond to the good news about Jesus. I sure can’t make it happen. It has to be God, stirring something up within that shows how much we need Him! I am nothing, but I sure hope that you will hear this word and ask the Lord to open your heart to it.
-Lydia listened to the Lord and received Jesus as her forgiver and leader. She became a changed person after that. How do I know that?
-2 Corinthians 5:17 says, “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” I know she became a new person after believing on Jesus because it also happened to me, when I believed on Jesus. I prayed to God when I was 7 or 8 years old, and I asked Him to forgive all the bad things I’d done and take me to heaven with Him when the time came. And I’d like to tell you that I became the perfect child after that, but I’d be lying. However, God put something inside of me that began to change me. I didn’t always cooperate with what He was trying to do in my life. In fact there were times that I completely ignored Him and tried to do what I wanted to do. I don’t recommend it!
-I was very blessed to have hundreds if not thousands of reminders and opportunities to make things right with God and to keep growing stronger in Him. I was in Christ, and Christ was in me, changing me on the inside. As I look back, I can see the truth of what Paul later wrote to Lydia & the church at Philippi: Philippians 1:6 “I am quite confident that the One who began a good work in you will go on completing it until the Day of Jesus Christ comes.” My life is continually being changed for the better, and yours can be too!
-TS: Now, I’m not trying to convince you that life will become easier or that all of your problems will go away when you receive the good news about Jesus. In fact, in some cases, people who follow Jesus face more problems than they did before. But, the good news is that they no longer have to face those problems alone. Jesus is with them, and those who follow Jesus are close behind Him. Let’s talk about some of these problems.
II. Sharing the Good News Can Bring Trouble (Acts 16:16-24)
16 Once when we were going to the place of prayer, we were met by a slave girl who had a spirit by which she predicted the future. She earned a great deal of money for her owners by fortune-telling. 17 This girl followed Paul and the rest of us, shouting, "These men are servants of the Most High God, who are telling you the way to be saved." 18 She kept this up for many days. Finally Paul became so troubled that he turned around and said to the spirit, "In the name of Jesus Christ I command you to come out of her!" At that moment the spirit left her. 19 When the owners of the slave girl 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. 23 After they had been severely flogged, they were thrown into prison, and the jailer was commanded to guard them carefully. 24 Upon receiving such orders, he put them in the inner cell and fastened their feet in the stocks.
-Have you ever wondered why this demon-possessed woman bothered Paul so much? It sounded like she was helping them spread the gospel. However, some Bible scholars point out that her message may not have been exactly what we think it was. See, when she said, "These men are servants of the Most High God, who are telling you the way to be saved," there is a small problem with the phrase “the way.” In the Greek, the definite article, “the” is not there. Normally, when there is no definite article in front of a noun, translators use an indefinite article, “a.” This is one of those grammar rules that can go either way, depending on the context, but many scholars believe this woman was saying, "These men are servants of the Most High God, who are telling you [a] way to be saved." No wonder Paul grew tired of the lady. In essence, the demon inside of her was introducing Paul to the people of Philippi. Who needs a demonic introduction? On top of that the message of Jesus was being announced as only one of many ways to be saved. Paul turned around and cast this demon out of her, not simply out of annoyance, but likely to prevent the demonic association and deception that was warping the truth of the gospel.
-Well, Paul and Silas paid dearly for standing up for the gospel. They were falsely accused, severely beaten/flogged, and thrown into prison, with their feet fastened in stocks. Maybe you’ve never been in a situation like this, but you’ve probably had your share of problems. Even as a Christ follower, you may have had people turn on you and hurt you and betray you. Or maybe one bad thing after another has happened to you. You might face family problems, money problems, health problems, or many other problems. Maybe you can relate with some of these people. [V] Did you ever think that one reason for some of the problems in your life might come because the enemy knows what a threat you will be to him if you stay focused on Jesus and sharing the good news with others?
-Well, if there was ever a time for a pity party, it was now for Paul & Silas. “God, you led us to preach the gospel here in this miserable city. Now look what has happened! Don’t you care about us? What did we do to deserve this painful beating, having to sit in this cold, dark prison? Lord, why me?” However, we don’t find this attitude in Paul and Silas.
-What were they doing inside that prison? They were singing songs to God! They were telling Him how thankful they were for His grace and for the chance to share the good news with others. Somehow, they kept their focus on the Lord during their crisis. I wonder what the other prisoners were thinking. We know they heard them, because v.25 says the other prisoners were listening to them.
-TS: Let’s take a look at how God can turn our problems around and use them for good.
III. Sharing the Good News Results in Freedom (Acts 16:25-34)
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 everybody’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 night the jailer took them and washed their wounds; then immediately he and all his family 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 family.
-Regardless of the opposition that comes when we share the good news, it is always worth it! Why is sharing the good news about Jesus worth all the opposition that comes with it? Because it brings freedom! It brings freedom to those who hear it, and to those who share it. It is not called the good news of convenience, or the good news of leisure. It is called the good news about Jesus- One who suffered, was humiliated, abused, and killed, so that we could come close to God, and find freedom in Him! It is good news, but it is not easy news. -The good news is somewhat of a paradox. It is both binding and liberating. It is both simple and profound. It brings great joy, but may also bring deep sorrow. It is a source of great comfort and great suffering. It is the most powerful message in the entire world, but is proclaimed in weakness and humility.
-So, what do we mean when we say that the good news about Jesus brings freedom? Well, our text tells us that the chains of Paul and the prisoners came loose. They were no longer bound. However, that is not the freedom that I’m talking about. Paul’s chains had come loose long before this. Paul’s chains of pride, selfishness, anger, and hatred had fallen off years earlier when he was stopped by Jesus on the road to Damascus. Both Paul and Silas had believed the good news about Jesus and had put their trust in Him. That is why they were free to sing songs and worship God after being beaten and put in jail.
-The freedom that was given on this night was given to the Philippian jailer and his household. He was about to take his own life because he thought the prisoners had escaped. But, Paul stopped him with some good news: “Hey! We’re all here! You don’t have to kill yourself!” According to Roman law, he would have been put to death if the prisoners had escaped.
-So, the jailer was given his life back, and then he asked about the good news: “What do I need to do to be saved?” Luke sums up the answer in one short sentence: Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ….” Then Paul and Silas shared the good news with him and with everyone else who lived in his house. V.34 shows us the effect of the good news, when it is received: “He was filled with joy because he had come to believe in God-- he and his whole family.”
-Could you use a little help in your life? Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ!
-Could you use a little joy in your life? Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ!
-Do you need peace in your life? Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ!
-When we share the good news about Jesus with others, they can find the freedom that they need so much – freedom from sin, freedom from hate, freedom from addictions, freedom to be who God created them to be. They can find true peace and joy because they have entered into an eternal relationship with their Creator.
-TS: Well, if Paul and Silas were singing before, they must have been dancing and shouting by now! But before we bring this to a close, we need to take another look at how they got to this point. It appears that they could have avoided the beating and the jail time altogether, if they would have just used their heads! Well, God had other plans, so it was a good thing they were trusting His heart more than their own minds.
IV. Sharing the Good News Requires Personal Sacrifice (Acts 16:35-40)
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 encouraged them. Then they left.
-John the Baptist said of Jesus, “He must increase, but I must decrease.”
-The good news about Jesus requires our investment, our priority, our energy, resources, and all that we have to offer. There may be times when our personal safety may be jeopardized in order for the good news to be shared with the right people. God knew the heart of this jailer and his family. He had been preparing him for this moment. Now, because Paul and Silas were willing to lay aside their self-concern and suffer without appealing to their Roman citizenship before their beating and imprisonment, the jailer and his house were saved.
-What if Paul had decided to claim his rights as a Roman citizen before they were beaten and imprisoned? No doubt they could have avoided suffering, because it was against Roman law to flog a Roman citizen, even if he was a criminal. However, because Paul was sensitive to the leading of the Holy Spirit, he and Silas were able to lead the Philippian Jailer and his family to the Lord. They had to suffer in order to do it, but God knew what needed to happen in order to reach this man and his family.
-It may cost you something to be able to share the gospel effectively with others. Are you willing to follow the leading of the HS and trust God in the midst of dangerous or difficult situations?
-It is possible in some situations to miss God’s will and plan because we refuse to give up our own rights and demand to have our own way. Someone may have an opportunity to hear the gospel as a result of our suffering. Can we trust God even in a painful, humiliating situation? I believe we can, if we commit ourselves to listening to the Holy Spirit and purpose to follow His lead.
-In 1 Corinthians 9:22-23, Paul writes, “To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some. 23 I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings.” I do all this for the sake of the gospel…. The Greek word for “Gospel” (euaggelion) means good news. When used in the Bible, it refers specifically of the good news about Jesus. Jesus was willing to sacrifice His life for us so that we could know God. Paul was willing to sacrifice anything for the sake of the good news about Jesus, so that others might know God.
Conclusion: God is calling us to a place of commitment today. He wants us to become willing to do whatever it takes to share the good news about Jesus with others. We may suffer along the way. We may face opposition and get discouraged at times. However, if we commit ourselves to Him, there will be times when we can join heaven in a celebration because one more person has believed on the Lord Jesus Christ and has been forgiven and saved. This is what it’s all about! This is what makes it worth it. And one of these days, we will stand before Jesus and He will say, “Hey, you really did a good job getting my good news out to others. You really nailed it! Way to go! Now, I’ve prepared something special for you. Come on in with Me. You will never know another day of pain, suffering, rejection, or despair – only joy! You did it! I was with you every step of the way, and you made it! Enter into My joy!”
-Maybe you needed to hear some good news today. You may have heard it before, but you really needed to hear it again. Perhaps you’ve struggled with it – you know… the way you struggle with a used car salesman. It just seemed too good to be true or seemed like some kind of lame sales pitch. Let me tell you something. Whatever barriers you need to climb over to get here, Jesus is the answer you are looking for. He is the good news you’ve been waiting to hear. I hope that you will let the Lord open your heart so that you will be able to respond to the good news, like Lydia did that day. [We all need to share it.]
