The Voice In A Close Call
Acts 16:10-34
We were entering the highway at an entrance notorious as a black spot for fatal accidents. The speeding traffic was bumper to bumper. There was no opening for merger or entry. Although we stopped well back, a car entering an adjacent exit too early, missed us by a mere whisker. I thought, “My that was close call.! As I sat for a second all trembling and shaken, I breathed a sigh of relief and said a little prayer of thankfulness. I later read that another man in the same spot and situation was not so fortunate. He was hit and then, as he sat immobilized, his car exploded in flame and he was incinerated. Praise the Lord, we survived this close call.
God has spoken to man in many ways. He spoke from a burning bush. He once used a donkey for a mouth piece. He spoke from a mountain top in thunderings and lightnings. He spoke in a whirlwind. He still speaks today when the earth and the heavens declare His handiwork and His glory. His still small voice still speaks to the hearts of men. But I believe He still He speaks in a special and personal way in close calls today. Life is filled with close calls and narrow escapes. It sometimes seems we are surrounded by disaster. I am sure God was speaking to many millions through the events of the twin towers , on September 11, 2001. In the months and years that have followed, we have read personal accounts of dozens of people who testify they missed death by a whisker on that fateful day. Some have said they recognized the voice of God in it all.
I read that on the plane that crashed in Pennsylvania, those who were preparing to attack the terrorists joined their hands and repeated the Lord’s prayer together just before they acted. Evidently, they recognized God’s voice in the situation. In fact, as I recall, we had a number of people attend our service the week after the tragedy as an obvious result of what might be termed a wake up call. But it seems that for most the voice of God soon faded into the background noise of the terrible world into which we live. In Australia, the whole scenario was repeated in the Bali bombing. But again, the wake up call seemed to be short lived.
But the voice of the close call does not always come from such dramatic events. It may be a narrow escape or a serious illness. A time when the wings of death obviously brush us by or the breath of the grim reaper seems to be breathing down our neck. Whether we step on board a plane bound for Sydney, London or Los Angeles or go for a drive down the coast for a few days holiday, we must remember that but for His love, mercy and providence, we may never return to our loved ones on earth. Besides that, most fatal traffic accidents and close calls, as in the case of the Philippian jailer, occur much closer to home.
Let us look at this story for a moment. Paul and Silas had answered the Macedonian call to go to the great country of Macedonia to win souls, baptize and disciple them and plant a New Testament Church in the strategic city of Phillippi. God had immediately gave souls for their labour and other great spiritual blessings. But, as is so often the case in the Lord’s work, such blessings obviously angered the wicked one. He began to raise up serious opposition. You see, Satan is not concerned with a church that is dead spiritually or a preacher who is not preaching the gospel truth and winning souls. He focuses his attack upon those who dare to be Daniels.
In this case, God’s men are beaten and end up in jail praying, preaching, and praising God at midnight. Since greater is He that is in us than he that is in the world, God intervened on the behalf of His faithful servants. I believe God honoured their faith and faithfulness in extreme adversity. I am sure that they were the only ones in this entire episode who were not surprised or astonished when God so powerfully engineered their jail break. Can you imagine the effect all this had upon the jailer, his family and ultimately all those around him? Life was going on as usual. Little did the jailer know that God was about to upset the apple cart of his day to day existence. I am sure he did not suspect that the great God of the universe was about to speak to him in such a peculiar and powerful way. Then it happened. In a flash, the jailer’s little world is brought crashing down around him. If the prisoners escaped, not only would he and his family be disgraced and suffer the loss of his coveted powerful position and possessions, but Roman law demanded that he pay for the loss of the prisoners with his own life. To say the least, the voice of God speaking in a close call got his immediate attention.
GOD CAN SPEAK TO US IN A CLOSE CALL TO RESCUE AND REDEEM US. In the jailer’s case, it is easy to see that God’s voice was shouting to him loud and clear about his and his household’s need for eternal salvation. How gracious was the voice of God in this case! But let us remember, if it had not been for the faithfulness of two men of God in testifying of God’s blessings of eternal salvation in prayer and praise, even in the most difficult circumstance, the voice in this close call may have been muted and ineffective. Remember as well, the jailer was sensitive and responsive to the voice of God. I am sure he ultimately sensed God’s purpose in it all. That God had graciously spared him that he might be saved and serve Him. Let us think for a moment about the tragic future awaiting the jailer and his household if God had allowed them to go on and on and had not shaken their world to its foundations.
But what about the events that led to our conviction and ultimate conversion? We need to praise God daily and even momentarily for awakening us to our sinful condition and eternal wages of our sin. We need to fall on our face and thank Him for showing us our desperate need for a personal Saviour and eternal salvation! God may be speaking clearly to someone here today of their need for rescue from sin and eternal redemption. You may have heard His voice in a close call or repeatedly through His Word or the witness and testimony of someone who loves you and cares for your soul. David once cried out in despair, “No man cares for my soul...” We are blessed to have those who really do care for our soul; especially our great God and His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ. It is tragic that some continue to ignore the voice of God calling them to rescue and redemption.
I read a number of years ago about a tragic event happening in the Niagra River above the famous great Niagra Falls. I happy family had gone out on the river in a motor boat for a family picnic. As they anchored in the river they were unaware the strong current was drawing them ever so slowly toward the falls. As their boat eased toward a point known as the point of no return, people along the shore began to call out to them of the danger they faced. But the thunderous sound of the falls and their preoccupation with their picnic prevented them from hearing and heeding the calls of the crowd. When they finally sensed their danger and cranked the outboard motor, they found it did not have sufficient power to resist the current and they were swept over the falls to a tragic death. The parallel is obvious.
THE VOICE IN A CLOSE CALL S0ME TIMES SPEAKS TO REPROVE AND REBUKE US.. The story of the prodigal son is a classic example of one who would not listen to good advice. I am sure his father would have tried to prevail upon him to be sensible and not rush off seeking the materialistic and sensuous thrills of the world. It seems likely his older brother would have also done so. But he didn’t have time for the square or straight way of life. He just couldn’t wait to get out of there and do his own thing. He wanted his independence and personal freedom. He had to seek he place he thought it was really happening. So he went on his selfish way and greedily drained his cup of life. In the bottom, he only found sorrow and the bitter dregs of emptiness and loneliness. His fair weather friends didn’t hang around long once the money was gone and the bright lights of the city were dimmed and the sound of the partying was quieted. It was when he had slipped to the very end of his rope and was hanging on by his fingertips for life itself, that he heard the voice of reproof and rebuke calling him home to the loving arms of his Father.
It is still true in our world today. I believe the prodigal primarily represents the wayward and backslidden child of God. For whom the Lord loves He still chastens. Sometimes, as a last resort, God must deal with His own through tough love. Sometimes He may reprove and rebuke through financial difficulties or an employment problem. At other times it may be through an accident or illness. His call can sometimes be clearly heard in midst of a personal relationship crisis. But in any case, isn’t it wonderful that a loving and merciful father cares enough to call us back to Him even with the voice of reproof and rebuke?
THE VOICE IN A CLOSE CALL CAN SPEAK TO REMIND AND REVIVE US. The story of Jonah in the Old Testament is a tragic tale that ends in triumph for the glory of God and His will in the life of one of His reluctant servants. We have the stories of Moses and Isaiah informing us that both these great men, evidently because of the enormity of the challenge and calling, were initially hesitant to step out for the Lord. But they both were easily persuaded by a vision of God and His glory. Isaiah cried out, “Here am I send me..”The same was true of Paul as well when He met Jesus face to face on the road he cried out, “Lord, what will you have me to do...?”
Not so with Jonah. He was called to go and preach repentance to the great city of Ninevah. Instead of heeding God’s call, he went to the seaport town of Joppa and took a ship going in Tarshish, which was in the opposite direction. Most of us know the rest of the story. After three days and nights in the belly of a whale, Jonah cries out for rescue and redemption and the great fish, which God has prepared for this particular close call, spits him out upon the sand of the shore and he hits the ground running and shouting, “Salvation is of the Lord..!” He then travels across the great city of Ninevah for three days and nights calling the people to repentance. God blesses, and the king and all the people repent in sack cloth and ashes and the city i saved and spared God’s judgment.
How often do we know God has spoken in His Word to us urging us to move forward and witness and work for Him?. Either as individual Christians or as a Church of the Lord Jesus Christ. And yet it seems we are moving in the opposite direction. In the words of one observer of a battle, we sometimes seem to be advancing to the rear. Let us pray that a great whale (disaster) will not swallow us up. Let us be as the great prophet Samuel and say, “Speak, thy servant heareth..” But God will often speak even if his servant is not listening. He will get our attention even if it must be in the darkness and despair of the belly of a whale. I trust there is no one here today who may be figuratively on the way to Tarshish. One who has been called to serve Him, but has sailed on their way to Tarshish. One who may already feel the breath of a great storm rising in your life. It is so much better to repent and turn around and allow the call of God to remind and revive us of His calling to give our lives in service to Him. (Ro. 12:1-2, Phil. 1:21, Gal. 2:20)
THE VOICE IN A CLOSE CALL MAY SPEAK TO REFORM AND REFINE US. We can look to the story of Joseph in the last fourteen chapters of the Book of Genesis as an example. Joseph was the proud and pampered son of a very rich and Godly man. Joseph seemed to like to strut his stuff in his beautiful coat. He obviously became accustomed to looking down on others, especially his brothers. God allowed him to be cast into a pit and sold into slavery. It seems he then found it much easier to look up to God. His struggle with adversity continued and he received a really tough education in God’s school of hard knocks, college of crisis and university of adversity. Only then do we see him struggling, begging, praying and seeking God’s help and guidance. In the pit and later in prison he became keenly aware of the seriousness of a life of service. Through a serious look at himself and a series of very close calls Joseph was refined and reformed and made into a tremendous vessel; ready to be filled in God’s service. After he heeded God’s voice, what a vessel he became! What a blessings God gave to him and to others through him; especially to his father, Jacob (Israel) and all those he loved. (Gen. 50:20)
How might this speak to us today? We are attired in the most beautiful and brilliant cloak of His eternal righteousness. We have the richest Father of all. We are children of the King. Joint-heirs with the eternal Prince of this universe. But do we tend to sometimes look down our long religious noses at those who have not yet experienced the saving grace of God? It is His amazing grace that has rescued and redeemed us, is it not? Let us allow God speak to our proud hearts and refine and reform us and make us humble vessels fit for the Master’s use!
THE VOICE IN A CLOSE CALL MAY SPEAK TO RESTRICT AND RESTRAIN US. There can be a down side to a close call. The story of the great prophet Elijah can be a lesson of caution here. Even though God gave him a great and wonderful victory over Jezebeel and her prophets of Baal, we later find him fleeing for his life and frightfully hiding underneath a Juniper, tree having a personal pity party; evidently because of his close brush with death and disaster. His future was certainly restricted and restrained until he was ultimately liberated by a gracious God.
A CLOSE CALL CAN RELEASE US TO RESPOND HIS WAY. We only have to look to the Book of Acts and the lives of the apostles and the early members of those New Testament Churches. Those who turned their cruel Roman world upside down. If we read what Paul tells us in II Corinthians Chapter Eleven we can see that close calls were the norm for the people of God in this era. But it is also clear that God used these to release them to respond to Him and serve Him, His way! This is really the primary lesson we who are God’s people can learn from this incident in Philippi! In our day our gracious God may be using all the terrible events of our fledgling 21st century to call us to heed His command to work and witness because the night is coming when now man can work. His voice may also be calling someone to recommittal and re-dedication. His voice could be calling someone to full time ministry of the Word. We can be sure His voice is calling those who are lost to cry out, “What must I do to be saved!, and then respond by repenting and believing on the Lord Jesus Christ and being saved.
A Voice In A Close Call.pdf
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