Title: Our Testimony
Theme: Showing the importance of our testimony.
Text: Acts 16:35-40
Acts 16:35-40 And when it was day, the magistrates sent the officers, saying, "Let those men go." (36) So the keeper of the prison reported these words to Paul, saying, "The magistrates have sent to let you go. Now therefore depart, and go in peace." (37) But Paul said to them, "They have beaten us openly, uncondemned Romans, and have thrown us into prison. And now do they put us out secretly? No indeed! Let them come themselves and get us out." (38) And the officers told these words to the magistrates, and they were afraid when they heard that they were Romans. (39) Then they came and pleaded with them and brought them out, and asked them to depart from the city. (40) So they went out of the prison and entered the house of Lydia; and when they had seen the brethren, they encouraged them and departed.
Revelation 12:10-12 Then I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, "Now salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and night, has been cast down. (11) And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death. (12) Therefore rejoice, O heavens, and you who dwell in them! Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and the sea! For the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, because he knows that he has a short time."
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.
Today I want to remind you that its not enough to pull through and to make it but every trial should become our testimony. 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.
Too many times we want to hide our trials afraid of what people will think. It is like trying to apologize but we are afraid because people may think we are weak. Yet we are not weak but strong.
Davis said in Psalms 34:3 Oh, magnify the Lord with me, And let us exalt His name together.
Psalms 34:1-3 A Psalm of David when he pretended madness before Abimelech, who drove him away, and he departed. I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth. (2) My soul shall make its boast in the Lord; The humble shall hear of it and be glad.
Paul said in Philippians 4:4 Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!
This sounds great and inspiring. Do you realize that he wrote this from a Roman prison waiting on a trial? On the outside some were doing everything they can to tear down the church.
Paul and David had learned the art of turning their "test" into a testimony.
So did Job: Job 13:15 Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him.
Why could he say this? Job 19: 25 For I know that my Redeemer lives, And He shall stand at last on the earth;
Romans 8:38-39 For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, (39) nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Sometimes we just have to make a statement of faith.
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 highest 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
It is time we put our foot down and draw a line in the sand and say 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 over. Things were just getting heated up. Paul and Silas got on the wrong side of 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 can 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. Oh this was not your ordinary three hymns and a sermon but God showed up and a special service they began to worship God.
I was reminded again what Jesus said in Matthew 18:18-20 Assuredly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. (19) Again I say to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven. (20) For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them."
This is what it was like here.
With all their strength they began to praise the Lord. In all their pain they began to worship.
If we could only learn the simple principle of worship. Worship is not about how we feel. It is not about when God delivers worship is about God. It is not about where we are at. 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.
You know the story the jails began to open
Review
Acts 16:25-28 But at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them. (26) 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 chains were loosed. (27) And the keeper of the prison, awaking from sleep and seeing the prison doors open, supposing the prisoners had fled, drew his sword and was about to kill himself. (28) But Paul called with a loud voice, saying, "Do yourself no harm, for we are all here."
Two things about this passage I want us to notice:
1) When Paul and Silas praised the Lord it the chains of the other prisoners were loosed and the jail doors were open
2) They never left the prison, Why? I believe that the impact
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.
Revelation_5:9 And they sang a new song, saying: "You are worthy to take the scroll, And to open its seals; For You were slain, And have redeemed us to God by Your blood Out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation,
Conclusion
Revelation 12:11 And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death.
2 Timothy 4:2 Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching.
1 Peter 3:14 But even if you should suffer for righteousness' sake, you are blessed. "And do not be afraid of their threats, nor be troubled." 15 But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear; 16 having a good conscience, that when they defame you as evildoers, those who revile your good conduct in Christ may be ashamed.
NLT 15 Instead, you must worship Christ as Lord of your life. And if you are asked about your Christian hope, always be ready to explain it.
MSG 1 Peter 3:14-17 Even if you suffer for it, you're still better off. Don't give the opposition a second thought. (15) Through thick and thin, keep your hearts at attention, in adoration before Christ, your Master. Be ready to speak up and tell anyone who asks why you're living the way you are, and always with the utmost courtesy. (16) Keep a clear conscience before God so that when people throw mud at you, none of it will stick. They'll end up realizing that they're the ones who need a bath. (17) It's better to suffer for doing good, if that's what God wants, than to be punished for doing bad.
Speaking Over Circumstances
I believe it is time that you overcame your circumstances by what you share in your testimony. It is time that you spoke a word of faith and trust in the Lord over your circumstances.
2Co 4:13 It is written: "I believed; therefore I have spoken." With that same spirit of faith we also believe and therefore speak,
MSG 13 We're not keeping this quiet, not on your life. Just like the psalmist who wrote, "I believed it, so I said it," we say what we believe.
Result of Testimony
Acts 16:29-33 Then he called for a light, ran in, and fell down trembling before Paul and Silas. (30) And he brought them out and said, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?" (31) So they said, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household." (32) Then 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 stripes. And immediately he and all his family were baptized.
