Take a Stand for the Cause of Christ!
The Book of Acts - Part 56
Acts 16:35-17:9
Sermon by Rick Crandall
Grayson Baptist Church - August 31, 2014
"Stand up, stand up for Jesus, ye soldiers of the cross;
Lift high His royal banner, it must not suffer loss.
From victory unto victory His army shall He lead,
Till every foe is vanquished, and Christ is Lord indeed."
*We've sung that great hymn many times. The words were inspired by the life and death of a young a preacher who stood up for the Lord with all his heart. His name was Dudley Tyng.
*Dudley preached boldly at his church and at the YMCA. On March 30, 1858, over 5,000 came out to a meeting. There, Dudley preached on these words from Exodus 10:11: "Ye that are men, go and serve the Lord!" Over 1,000 men were saved that day.
*A couple of weeks later, on April 13, 1858, Dudley was maimed when his sleeve got caught in the cogs of a corn thrasher. Four days later, his arm had to be amputated. The shock of it all was so great that Dudley passed away two days later. In his final minutes, Dudley took his father's hand and said, "Stand up for Jesus, Father, stand up for Jesus, and tell my brethren wherever you meet them, to stand up for Jesus." Those were his final words.
*The next Sunday morning, Dudley’s friend, Rev. George Duffield preached from Ephesians 6:14, "Stand, therefore, having your loins girt about with truth." In closing, he read the poem he had written in honor of Dudley’s life.
*That's where we got the words "Stand up, stand up for Jesus, ye soldiers of the cross; Lift high His royal banner, it must not suffer loss. (1)
*"Stand up, stand up for Jesus!" That call to action has never been more needed than now. We must take a stand while we can. And tonight's Scripture shows us some of the most important ways we can stand up for Jesus.
1. First: We must defend each other.
*As Christians, we must defend each other. That's what Paul was trying to do in vs. 35-39. Remember that Paul and Silas had been severely beaten. Verse 23 tells us that the officers had "laid many stripes on them."
*But now in vs. 35, morning has come:
35. 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.
*More than once, Paul stood on his legal ground as a Roman citizen, and we might wonder why. Being a citizen of Rome carried great privilege in that day. Was Paul just trying to throw his weight around?
*William Barclay gave helpful insight when he said that: "Paul could stand on his status as a Roman citizen. At times he claimed his rights, and to scourge a Roman citizen was a crime punishable by death. But Paul was not standing on his status for his own sake. He was standing up for the sake of the Christians he was leaving behind in Philippi. Paul wanted it to be seen that they were not without influential friends." (2)
*Paul was doing whatever he could do to defend the believers he was leaving behind. That included the new Christians at the jailer's house and the new believers at Lydia's house in vs. 40. Be sure that God wants us to defend each other. It's one of the most important things we can do to stand up for Jesus.
*Also know for sure that our enemy is on the attack. He is certainly attacking our families. And every day, he is attacking the cause of Christ in the public square. It's gotten so bad that the American Family Association puts out a newsletter on the Anti-Christian bigotry stories of the week.
*Just yesterday, I read a story about how California is trying to force Catholic universities to provide abortion as part of their health insurance plans. Thankfully, there are godly lawyers fighting against travesties like that. "One News Now" reported that Dana Cody of the Life Legal Defense Foundation and the Alliance Defending Freedom group wrote a joint letter to state officials on this issue.
*That letter mentioned a federal law that prohibits the state from discriminating against these colleges when it comes to abortion. As Dana Cody said, "The colleges don't have to provide abortion, and by forcing them to, the state is violating what's referred to as the Weldon Amendment." (3)
*Thank God for people like Dana Cody who are taking a stand for the cause of Christ! We must do all we can to defend each other.
2. How can we stand up for Jesus? Defend each other. And develop each other.
*This is what Paul and Silas were doing in vs. 40: "They went out of the prison and entered the house of Lydia; and when they had seen the brethren, they encouraged them . . ." The KJV says they "comforted" them. It's the same basic word that Jesus used in John 14, when He called the Holy Spirit "The Comforter." God wants us to work together with His Holy Spirit to give encouragement comfort and strength to each other.
*But Pastor Aaron Brown pointed out that this is not going to happen if we don't give our time. Aaron said, "The first sacrifice we can make is the sacrifice of our time. For many people, time has replaced money as their most valuable asset. Work weeks are longer, leisure breaks are shorter, the pace of life is faster.
*Some years ago, an article in USA Today poked fun at the craziness of our schedules. The author calculated that if we did all 'experts' say we're supposed to do to live a balanced, well-rounded life, it would take 42 hours a day to get it done." Aaron said, "With lives like that, you make a huge statement to others when you joyfully offer them the gift of your time."
*Aaron also added this insight: "Early in my ministry I would get so frustrated when I would be trying to do something, or go somewhere, or prepare for a meeting, or sermon or class, and I would get interrupted by someone with a need or a question.
*But I've discovered over the years that what I once called interruptions are the times of God-given ministry! It finally made sense to me when somebody said, 'Aaron, I just want to thank you for giving me the gift of time, because it made all the difference in my life, in the life of my family, and in my future with God.'" (4)
3. How can we stand up for Jesus? We should do everything we can to develop each other, but sometimes we also have to depart for the Lord.
*There is a time to get up and go someplace new for the Lord. Paul and Silas remind us of this truth in Acts 16:40 and 17:1.
Acts 16:40. 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.
Acts 17:1. Now when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a synagogue of the Jews.
*There is a time to get up and go. Mark 1:21-38 tells us about the beginning of Jesus' ministry in Capernaum:
21. Then they went into Capernaum, and immediately on the Sabbath He entered the synagogue and taught.
22. And they were astonished at His teaching, for He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.
23. Now there was a man in their synagogue with an unclean spirit. And he cried out,
24. saying, "Let us alone! What have we to do with You, Jesus of Nazareth? Did You come to destroy us? I know who You are the Holy One of God!''
25. But Jesus rebuked him, saying, "Be quiet, and come out of him!''
26. And when the unclean spirit had convulsed him and cried out with a loud voice, he came out of him.
27. Then they were all amazed, so that they questioned among themselves, saying, "What is this? What new doctrine is this? For with authority He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey Him.''
28. And immediately His fame spread throughout all the region around Galilee.
29. Now as soon as they had come out of the synagogue, they entered the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John.
30. But Simon's wife's mother lay sick with a fever, and they told Him about her at once.
31. So He came and took her by the hand and lifted her up, and immediately the fever left her. And she served them.
32. Now at evening, when the sun had set, they brought to Him all who were sick and those who were demon-possessed.
33. And the whole city was gathered together at the door.
34. Then He healed many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons; and He did not allow the demons to speak, because they knew Him.
35. Now in the morning, having risen a long while before daylight, He went out and departed to a solitary place; and there He prayed.
36. And Simon and those who were with Him searched for Him.
37. When they found Him, they said to Him, "Everyone is looking for You.''
38. But He said to them, "Let us go into the next towns, that I may preach there also, because for this purpose I have come forth.''
*Great things were happening in Capernaum, but it was time for the Lord and His disciples to go someplace new.
*Of course, not everyone goes to the same place at the same time. A. T. Robertson pointed out something in tonight's Scripture that I had never noticed before. In vs. 40, Luke wrote, "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."
*In that verse, Luke wrote "THEY departed," not "WE departed." And that matters, because by this time Luke was part of the mission team. That's why Acts 16:17 says, "This girl followed Paul and US, and cried out, saying, 'These men are the servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to us the way of salvation.''' Now at the end of the chapter, Paul and Silas departed, but Luke and Timothy apparently stayed for a while. (5)
*That's a small reminder that God has a specific place of service for us all. I'm hoping that doesn't mean you are leaving Grayson, but someday it might. It also might mean leaving a class you enjoy, to serve somewhere else. It may mean leaving a pew to serve in the Nursery or the Choir or Children's Church or Orange. God has a job for every single one of us in His Kingdom. We just have to find out which job description fits us best.
*Pastor Gaither Bailey said: "I once asked an adult Sunday school class to write a job description for Noah. This is what they wrote: 'Wanted: Person to build, maintain, and sail a large ship. Must be a civil engineer, with experience as a zoologist. Must have experience in public relations, navigation, and carpentry. Benefits: free 370-day world cruise, and free shovels. Must be able to stand noise and foul odors. Above all, must have patience.'" (6)
*That's not our job description, but God certainly has a job description for each of us. He might have two or three job descriptions for us, so we have to get moving and get doing what He wants us to do.
4. How can we stand up the Jesus? Depart to serve the Lord. And deliver the Good News.
*This is what Paul and Silas kept doing in vs. 1-9. And when it comes to delivering the Good News about Jesus Christ, here are some very important things to notice:
[1] First: We should make it a habit.
*We ought to have a lifestyle of talking to people about Jesus. Verse 2 reminds us, because it says, "Then Paul, AS HIS CUSTOM WAS, went in to them, and for three Sabbaths reasoned with them from the Scriptures."
[2] Another thing to remember is that people need to know.
*We may think they already know. We may think they understand. But just like Paul in vs. 3, we need to be "explaining and demonstrating that the Christ had to suffer and rise again from the dead, and saying, 'This Jesus whom I preach to you is the Christ.'"
[3] Also notice that we can expect a harvest!
*In vs. 4: "Some of them were persuaded; and a great multitude of the devout Greeks, and not a few of the leading women, joined Paul and Silas."
*God has promised that there will always be a harvest from His Word. In Isaiah 55:10-11:
10. "For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven, and do not return there, but water the earth, and make it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower and bread to the eater,
11. So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; it shall not return to Me void, but it shall accomplish what I please, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it."
[4] Expect a harvest, but also expect a protest.
*That's what we see in vs. 5-9:
5. But the Jews who were not persuaded, becoming envious, took some of the evil men from the marketplace, and gathering a mob, set all the city in an uproar and attacked the house of Jason, and sought to bring them out to the people.
6. But when they did not find them, they dragged Jason and some brethren to the rulers of the city, crying out, "These who have turned the world upside down have come here too.
7. Jason has harbored them, and these are all acting contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying there is another king, Jesus.''
8. And they troubled the crowd and the rulers of the city when they heard these things.
9. So when they had taken security from Jason and the rest, they let them go.
*The rioting unbelievers in vs. 6 yelled out, "These who have turned the world upside down have come here too." But those lost and blind people just didn't know the truth. Their sin-sick world was already upside down. Paul and his mission team were helping Jesus turn the world right-side up.
*And that's what God wants us to do today. But there will be a protest.
*Yesterday, I saw a little protest at Office Depot. It was actually on a free-standing display of felt-tip markers. That display had an area where you could try them out, and in big, bold letters some had written: "God is dead." Some Christian had changed it to "God is NOT dead." But someone else then blacked out the word "not".
*We can expect a protest, but we must keep delivering the Good News about Jesus! Keep delivering the Good News, because people desperately need to know, because there will be a harvest, and because of what Jesus did for us on the cross. He died for us. He gave His life so that we could live forever.
*In the summer of 1997, Gareth Griffith went on vacation in Florida. While he was there, Gareth decided to try sky diving. He was jumping together with, an experienced instructor named Michael Costello. Something went wrong. The main chute failed to open. No big deal, they had a backup chute, but then the backup failed too.
*The two men went into a violent spin as they plunged to the earth. Michael, the instructor, corrected the spin and regained control of the fall. Gareth was on bottom and the instructor was on top. But as they neared the ground, the instructor, folded his arms and legs, causing them to reverse places.
*Michael intentionally put his student Gareth on top, so that the instructor would hit the ground first, and cushion his student's blow. Gareth survived, because his instructor was willing to give his life for his student. (7)
*It has now been 17 years, but probably not a day goes by without Gareth remembering what Michael did for him. And we must remember what Jesus did for us, because that will help us stand up for Him!
*Many lost people will think we are turning the world upside down for Jesus! But really, we will be helping turn the world right side up for the Lord. So, take a stand for Jesus Christ any way you can, every way you can, as long as you possibly can. Stand up, stand up for Jesus Christ!
*Would you please bow for prayer.
(1) "Stand Up for Jesus" - words by George Duffield, Jr. - Music: Webb, George J. Webb, 1830 - Resources:
http://www.hymntime.com/tch/htm/s/t/a/n/standufj.htm
http://bereanbibleheritage.org/hymns/stand_up_for.php
http://bereanbibleheritage.org/extraordinary/tyng_dudley.php
http://www.conservapedia.com/Dudley_Tyng
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stand_Up,_Stand_Up_for_Jesus
(2) Adapted from Barclay's Daily Bible Study Series (NT) by William Barclay, Revised Edition - Copyright 1975 William Barclay. The Westminster Press, Philadelphia, PA - The Philippian Jailor - Acts16:25-40
(3) "California warned not to impose abortion on Catholic institutions" by Charlie Butts - OneNewsNow.com - Friday, August 29, 2014
(4) Adapted from "Becoming a Contagious Christian - Sacrifice." Rev. Aaron Brown, www.saintpauls-umc.com/sermons/2003/sacrifice.htm
(5) WORD PICTURES IN THE NEW TESTAMENT by Archibald Thomas Robertson - Acts 16:40
(6) SermonCentral illustration contributed by Gaither Bailey
(7) HE GAVE HIS LIFE FOR STUDENT - Reuters News Service, 06-24-1997 - Source: http://www.churchchrist.net/Sermons/Jesus.htm
