God Wants Us to See
Acts 16:16-34
The Book of Acts - Part 54
Sermon by Rick Crandall
Grayson Baptist Church - August 24, 2014
BACKGROUND:
*In Acts 16, Paul and his mission team were trying to find out where the Lord wanted them to go next. Then in vs. 9-10:
9. A vision appeared to Paul in the night. A man of Macedonia stood and pleaded with him, saying, "Come over to Macedonia and help us.''
10. Now after he had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go to Macedonia, concluding that the Lord had called us to preach the gospel to them.
*So, they went to Philippi, and began to share the gospel, and the people were responding to the good news about Jesus Christ. But starting in vs. 16, they ran into serious opposition: "Now it happened, as we went to prayer, that a certain slave girl possessed with a spirit of divination met us, who brought her masters much profit by fortune-telling."
*This woman was a fortune-teller by trade, and she was very persuasive, because she was possessed by an evil spirit. Verse 17 tells us that as she followed Paul’s team, she cried out: "These men are the servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to us the way of salvation.''
*Of course, that statement was true, but the Lord doesn't need any help from the devil! And partnership with evil is the last thing God wants for His church, because it makes evil seem good. Partnership with evil disguises it and makes it seem innocent, much like a wolf in sheep's clothing. Jesus warned us about that in Matthew 7:15. Partnership with evil also puts a stain on the cause of Christ. That’s why in vs. 18, Paul cast out that evil spirit.
*With this background in mind, let’s read vs. 19-34, thinking about some of the things God wants us to see.
INTRODUCTION:
*Many people don’t have to start wearing glasses until they are about 40. One time my eye doctor said, "If people’s arms were long enough, it would put me out of business."
*On the other hand, I was born with bad eyes. But I didn’t know it until the first grade. I remember riding home with my dad just after I got my first pair of glasses. I was astounded. I had no idea what I had been missing. I could read the signs! I could see the leaves on the trees. I could see!
*It’s a wonderful thing to see, but it is infinitely more important to have spiritual vision, to be able to see with the eyes of faith. And in this story, in spite of the abuse and pain, Paul and Silas saw some things that we need to see. They saw some crucial things that God wants us to see.
1. First: God wants us to see that suffering is part of our salvation.
*There are some warped people in this world who enjoy suffering. But any normal person would say: "I don't like to suffer." And that includes me.
*Nobody in their right mind likes to suffer. But some things are worth the suffering. The athlete getting ready for the game is willing to go through struggle and pain. The soldier fighting for his brothers-in-arms, his cause and his country is willing to suffer. I also think of parents who suffer sleepless nights for a sick or wayward child.
*There are many other examples, but none rises above the gospel of Jesus Christ! Many of the greatest heroes of our faith have suffered incredible hardship for the good news about Jesus. And we see a good example starting in vs. 19:
19. But when her masters saw that their hope of profit was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace to the authorities.
20. And they brought them to the magistrates, and said, "These men, being Jews, exceedingly trouble our city;
21. and they teach customs which are not lawful for us, being Romans, to receive or observe.''
22. Then the multitude rose up together against them; and the magistrates tore off their clothes and commanded them to be beaten with rods.
23. And when they had laid many stripes on them, they threw them into prison, commanding the jailer to keep them securely.
24. Having received such a charge, he put them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks.
*Many of God’s best have suffered the worst for the gospel of Jesus Christ. And if we are truly part of the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ, if we are part of the Body of Christ, somehow, somewhere along the way, we are going to suffer for Jesus.
*Suffering for Jesus really is part of our salvation. God's Word makes this truth clear in many places. In Luke 9:22-24, Jesus spoke to His disciples and said:
22. . . "The Son of Man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day.''
23. Then He said to them all, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.
24. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it."
*In Philippians 1:27-29, Paul said this to the Christians at Philippi:
27. Only let your conduct be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of your affairs, that you stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel,
28. and not in any way terrified by your adversaries, which is to them a proof of perdition, but to you of salvation, and that from God.
29. For to you it has been granted on behalf of Christ, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake.
*Then in 2 Timothy 3:12, Paul said: "Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution." If we believe in Christ, if we belong to Christ, somehow, some way we are going to suffer for Christ.
*But we will never suffer alone! Verse 25 tells us that "at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them." God was there with them to put a song in their hearts, and He will put a song in our hearts too.
2. But the Lord wants us to see that suffering is part of our salvation. -- He also wants us to see that lost people are headed to hell.
*Paul and Silas saw this truth, and we can see it starting in vs. 26:
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.
*When Paul saw that, in vs. 28, he cried out with a loud voice, saying: "Do yourself no harm, for we are all here.'' The jailer was about to do the worst thing he could do for his family. But Paul wanted to tell him about the best thing he could do for his family. So, when the jailer asked, "What must I do to be saved?", in vs. 31, Paul and Silas replied: "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household.''
*Paul and Silas could see that these people were lost. They were headed to hell. But what about us? How well can we see? One of the biggest obstacles that keeps us from reaching our world is the false assumption that most or all of the people we know are saved.
*Notice that Paul and Silas did not tell the jailer: "If you are a good dad or husband or boss, if you are a nice guy, if you are honest and friendly, you will be saved." No, they didn’t say anything like that, because no one is good enough to earn their way into Heaven.
*There is only one way: "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ!" Put your trust in Him. Receive Jesus Christ as the Lord and Savior of your life. But sometimes we assume someone is saved, just because they are nice or friendly or active in church.
*One of my friends told me about a lady who played the organ where he went to church. She had been in church for many years, and that lady could really play the organ. She also had a beautiful voice. She could sing like a pro.
*The organist was very faithful to her church, and she was a sweet lady. She and her husband were pillars in the community. But in spite of all that, the organist was not saved, and she knew it.
*One night during a revival service, she was playing the organ during the invitation. That’s when the Lord asked her two very blunt questions: "Are you going to ride this organ bench into hell?" And "Do you think that will get you into Heaven?"
*The organist mentally asked the Lord, "Who will play?" And He replied, "I don’t need anybody playing." So, she got up off of the bench, went over to the preacher, and received Jesus as her Lord and Savior. That’s why she is in heaven today.
*But we need to understand that there are people in our workplace, our club, our neighborhood, our family, and our church who are not saved.
3. God wants us to see that lost people are headed to hell. -- He also wants us to see that families need fathers who care.
*In vs. 31, Paul and Silas said: "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household.'' Somehow Paul and Silas knew that this was a man who cared about his household. Maybe the Holy Spirit revealed it to them directly, but the jailer lived right next to the prison.
*He was close enough to see that the doors were open, after the earthquake jarred him awake. So, in the middle of being beaten and chained, Paul and Silas noticed that the jailer had a family. And maybe they saw this jailer show kindness and concern to his wife or one of his children. They may have even seen the jailer show kindness to someone who worked for him. In any event, Paul and Silas could see that this man cared for the people around him. And it mattered.
*"Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household.'' It would have been a thousand times harder for the jailer's family to be saved if he didn’t care for them.
*Paul and Silas saw that the jailer cared for his family, and Dads: People should see the same thing in us. We ought to love our families. Think about all the rioting and looting that has gone on in Ferguson, Missouri over the last two weeks. How much of that could have been avoided, if those rioters had a dad who cared? -- Most of it.
*But of course, we're not just talking about dads. All of us should care about the people who are close to us. Husbands ought to love their wives. Wives ought to love their husbands. Parents ought to love their children. And children ought to love their parents.
*One of my biggest regrets is the way I treated my parents when I was a foolish teenager and young adult. If I could turn the clock back, I would certainly treat my parents better.
*I remember talking to a grandfather in the hospital years ago, when his granddaughter was having surgery. He was 88 years old, and as we talked about his family, he told me that his mom had died of cancer when he was only 14. They called the children home from school to say goodbye to their mom. And when that old man thought back to the scene around her bed, tears welled-up in his eyes and he got choked-up, even though 74 years had gone by.
*Why did he do that? -- Because of love. And we all ought to love our families. That almost seems too obvious to mention. Unfortunately, it's not in 2014.
4. God wants us to see that families need fathers who care. -- He also wants us to see that real life comes from the Lord.
[1] Notice the great transformation in vs. 31-34:
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.
34. Now when he had brought them into his house, he set food before them; and he rejoiced, having believed in God with all his household.
*There is power in the gospel of Jesus Christ! Paul knew that. That’s why in Romans 1:16, he said: "I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek.
*The Gospel is the power of God for salvation, because God Himself became a man to die on the cross for us. That's how much He loves us! Then Jesus rose again from the dead. Now He has the power to save us from death, everlasting death. And Jesus will save everyone who receives Him as Lord and Savior.
*Life comes from the Lord! Eternal, abundant life comes from the Lord. And we can see this new life in the jailer. When the jailer got saved, he went:
-From darkness to light.
-From death to real life!
-From beating men’s backs to binding their wounds.
-From having a home in hell to having a home in Heaven.
-From total despair to total delight.
-From no hope to full hope for his future and for his family.
[2] What a transformation! -- But we also see God's multiplication here.
*Salvation started here with Paul and Silas. Then it went to the jailer. Then it spread to his family. And only heaven knows how far it went from there.
*This Christianity thing is contagious! There was multiplication going on in these verses. And that’s what the Lord wants to do through us.
CONCLUSION:
*We never know what's going to happen when we see like the Lord wants us to see. One night over 200 years ago, preacher John Wesley was going home from a church service. And on the way home, Wesley was robbed.
*All he had was a little money and some Christian literature. But as the bandit was leaving, Wesley called out, "Stop! I have something more to give you." The surprised robber turned back, and Wesley said, "My friend, you may live to regret this sort of life. If you ever do, here's something to remember: The blood of Jesus Christ cleanses us from all sin!"
*The thief hurried away, and Wesley prayed that his words might bear fruit. Years later, Wesley was greeting people after a Sunday service when he was approached by a stranger. It was the thief, or rather, the former thief. What a surprise to learn that this visitor who was now a believer in Christ and a successful businessman was the same man who had robbed him years before!
*"I owe it all to you," said the transformed man. "Oh no, my friend!" Wesley exclaimed. "Not to me, but to the precious blood of Christ that cleanses us from all sin!" (1)
*We never know what's going to happen when we see like the Lord wants us to see. And tonight, the Word of God shows us some of the most important things God wants us to see:
-That suffering is part of salvation.
-That lost people are headed to hell.
-That families need fathers who care.
-And that real life comes from the Lord.
*As we go to God in prayer, let's ask Him to help us see.
(1) "Our Daily Bread" - October 1, 1994 - Source: sermonillustrations.com - Blood of Christ - 08/19/2001
