Singing At Midnight
Acts 16:25-40
Early on in my ministry when I was serving as a youth pastor, from time to time parents would set up appointments to come talk to me about their teenager. They would tell me of the difficulties and struggles they were experiencing. As I would sit and listen and take it all in, I would communicate to them how I felt I could come alongside them in their child's life to speak truth, to encourage or to support. But also in the course of the conversation I would try to give them the best biblical counsel I could; counsel on how they might approach the situation. I would suggest certain strategies. I would try to communicate biblical principles and ideas that I thought would apply to their situation. But before I doled out that advice I would always preface my counsel by saying this - "Now for me this is still theory. My children aren't teenagers yet; I haven't walked where you're walking. But I do trust in the Bible, and I trust in the God of the Bible."
Of course as time went on, I would have many opportunities to put those theories into practice. With five kids I have 2 former teenagers, 2 current teenagers, and one teenager on the way. PAUSE Amy - what were we thinking! JK - children are a gift from the Lord. Sometimes I have to keep telling myself that. "Children are a gift from the Lord, blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them." I believe, Lord help thou my unbelief! My point is - as a young youth pastor, my teenage parenting techniques were just theory - theory based on biblical truth, but theory nonetheless. I'd never had the opportunity to personally put those theories to the test. There came a point when theory met reality.
Your theology comes out at midnight. What I mean by midnight is at the darkest moment of your soul; when things seem hopeless, when the pressure mounts, when the pain intensifies. That's when your theology comes out; when what you really believe about God is revealed. Until then, it's theory. When midnight comes you discover the difference between theory and reality.
That's why James says in James 1:3, "You know that the testing of your faith produces endurance." In God's sovereignty, for his good purposes, he allows us to experience the tests, the hardships and struggles. He allows us to go through midnight. And it's at midnight when your theology comes out; it's at midnight theory meets reality.
As we continue in our ongoing series through the book of Acts, we find ourselves in Acts 16. Preaching a message entitled: Singing at Midnight.
Let me remind you of what's going on in this ongoing saga. The missionary quartet of Paul, Silas, Timothy and Luke have made their way to a leading Roman city, a Roman colony known as Philippi. Last week we saw the powerful liberation of two women in Philippi. Two women on opposite ends of the spectrum - they were on opposite ends of the age spectrum, the social spectrum, the financial spectrum and the moral spectrum. But we discovered that there's no one so good they don't need salvation, and no one so bad they can't receive salvation.
One of those liberated women was actually a young slave girl; a girl who was possessed by an evil spirit - a python spirit - a spirit of divination. Her owners exploited that possession to make money. This demon inside her became attached to the missionary team and the girl began following them around, barking out, "These men are servants of the most high God who proclaim to you the way of salvation.” Now that might sound like she’s on their team, after all what she’s saying is accurate, true. But I assure you, the demon was not seeking to enhance or commend their ministry.
After this goes on, not for minutes or hours – but for DAYS – Luke, who wrote the book of Acts and was there when it happened, tells us in the text that Paul became “Greatly annoyed.” Paul turns and says to the evil spirit inside this girl, “I command you to come out.” And the demon came out at once. Now when he cast out the demon, there went the source of Paul’s frustration and annoyance, but along with it went the source of her masters’ financial profit.
So what do they do? They seized Paul and Silas and dragged them before the authorities; they drum up false accusations against them, turn them over to the police who then strip their clothes off and beat them with rods. They then throw them into prison like common criminals.
That’s where we concluded last week – Paul and Silas in prison. Kind of a cliff-hanger, what’s going to happen next? Well let’s read what happens next as we pick up in verse 25. We’ll start there and read the whole account to the end of the chapter: 25About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them, 26and 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 bonds were unfastened. 27When the jailer woke and saw that the prison doors were open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, supposing that the prisoners had escaped. 28But Paul cried with a loud voice, “Do not harm yourself, for we are all here.” 29And the jailer called for lights and rushed in, and trembling with fear he fell down before Paul and Silas. 30Then he brought them out and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”
31And they said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.” 32And they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house. 33And he took them the same hour of the night and washed their wounds; and he was baptized at once, he and all his family. 34Then he brought them up into his house and set food before them. And he rejoiced along with his entire household that he had believed in God. 35But when it was day, the magistrates sent the police, saying, “Let those men go.” 36And the jailer reported these words to Paul, saying, “The magistrates have sent to let you go. Therefore come out now and go in peace.” 37But Paul said to them, “They have beaten us publicly, uncondemned, men who are Roman citizens, and have thrown us into prison; and do they now throw us out secretly? No! Let them come themselves and take us out.” 38The police reported these words to the magistrates, and they were afraid when they heard that they were Roman citizens. 39So they came and apologized to them. And they took them out and asked them to leave the city. 40So they went out of the prison and visited Lydia. And when they had seen the brothers, they encouraged them and departed.
As you read this account and read and meditate on verse 25, you begin to realize it is a remarkable, even miraculous verse. I’m convinced that if a screenwriter were writing this today as a movie, he wouldn’t include verse 25. Our modern cynicism can’t conceive of the notion that two people who are so wrongly mistreated and so unfairly imprisoned; that they would respond by singing hymns of praise. We are a cynical people. Nobody sings and prays after being mistreated; nobody responds like that to being beaten and having their rights trampled on. If a screenwriter was writing this for a major motion picture, there would be written in a period of doubt and confusion; a period of introspection and disillusionment.
Not that it’s wrong to struggle or question or doubt in times of difficulty – just read the psalms and you’ll see that all over. But that’s not what happened here. It wouldn’t have been wrong if they felt discouraged for a moment. Neither is it wrong if they are singing and praying. Don’t be the cynical person that can’t believe people might be remarkably holy.
Joyful in the midst of suffering. Why is verse 25 so remarkable? Look again at the previous verses so we can be reminded of the context: 22The crowd joined in attacking them, and the magistrates tore the garments off them and gave orders to beat them with rods. 23And when they had inflicted many blows upon them, they threw them into prison, ordering the jailer to keep them safely. 24Having received this order, he put them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks. Acts 16:22-24
They were put in the inner prison. This is maximum security. This is not the outer prison where there are windows so friends and family members can bring you food and other necessities. Being in a Roman prison didn’t mean three squares a day – you were dependent upon the good will of others to assist you. They were put in the inner prison.
Badly beaten, backs bloodied and bruised, their feet in the stocks – a form of torture. They’re in the inner prison; it’s pitch black. That’s why later when the jailer is panicking he calls for lights. There they are sitting in the cold, damp utter darkness, open wounds, dried blood, immense pain; perhaps confusion. And then all of a sudden they start to sing…
Amazing Grace. I love you lord. Lord you are more precious...
The early church father, Tertullian had this to say about their response: “The legs feeling nothing in the stocks when the heart is in heaven.”
It’s absolutely remarkable in the inner prison, Paul and Silas – singing and praying. We read what happened next. There is a great earthquake – not uncommon for that part of the world. But no doubt this earthquake had divine purpose behind it. We know that’s the case because the earthquake caused the doors of the jail to be flung open, and the shackles and stocks holding the prisoners became unfastened.
The jailer, awakened by the commotion, comes to check on his prisoners. More than likely the jailer was a retired Roman Centurion. And any Roman soldier knew the consequence of losing a prisoner. It would be seen as a dereliction of duty and the soldier would lose his life. Here was a jailer who hadn’t lost a single prisoner, but potentially a jail-full of prisoners. The only honorable option he had was to take out his dagger and slit his own throat or thrust it into his chest. And this was his intention.
Paul and Silas experienced their midnight when they were beaten and imprisoned. They responded to their midnight by singing praise to God. The jailer experienced his midnight when he supposed all the prisoners under his charge had escaped. He responded by seeking to commit suicide. Your theology comes out at midnight.
And I can just imagine as Paul sees the silhouette of this man in the doorway of the jail, preparing to kill himself – he cries out with a loud voice, “We’re all here, we’re all here! Don’t harm yourself, put the sword away!” The jailer calls for lights and goes in to find everyone of the prisoners still in prison. That leads to the other remarkable, perhaps even miraculous verse in this account. The verse is verse 30.
Verse 25 is remarkable because after being stripped, beaten and falsely imprisoned, Paul and Silas sing hymns of praise to God at midnight. But verse 30 is also remarkable. In fact, I find it even more remarkable. Why? Because of the question the jailer asks: “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” I mean there are all kinds of questions he could have asked:
“How could you sing and pray after being beaten?”
“Why are you so different than any prisoner I've ever had?”
“Why didn’t you escape when you had the chance?”
“How did you talk the other prisoners into staying?”
“Why were you so concerned about my life, stopping me from suicide; a man who tortured you by putting you in the stocks?”
There are all kinds of questions he could have asked. But none of those questions holds a thimble-full of importance and value compared to the question he did ask: “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”
Now we will get to the answer of the question; we will land there by the end of the message. But I find the fact that he asked THAT question at THAT moment absolutely remarkable. What was it that prompted the jailer to ask the question? It’s hard, I dare say impossible to become a Christian if you never ask this question – “what must I do to be saved?” Many people never ask this question.
And this is the great challenge in our day as people on mission. We can be as I often say a gospel centered, gospel preaching church. And in so doing we are committed to proclaiming the answer to the question. But telling people the answer to the question is not very effective if no one is asking the question. Telling people HOW to be saved is not all that useful if people are not wondering why they should to be saved; if people don’t realize they NEED to be saved.
Most people today believe in the idea of God. And if there’s a God, he sees that I’m doing my best, I’m trying my hardest and attempting to make the most with what I’ve been given. I know I’m not the best person in the world, but I’m certainly not the worst person in the world. I look around and the people I associate with are not really any better than me. Therefore, I’m not worried about being saved. I don’t understand the need to be saved
This is a legitimate hurdle when it comes to evangelism. So as I’m looking at verse 30 I’m thinking, “Why did he ask the question? How do we get people to ask the question?” As I studied the text this week I sought to discover reasons why the jailer was compelled at that moment to ask that question. What I discovered was three factors that contribute to him asking the question. I’m not saying this is a secret formula, or an iron-clad recipe, you do these three things and people will start asking the question, "What must I do to be saved?"
But it is instructive to us. It helps us to think about the situation and conditions that led the jailer to ask the question. The first one is this. The jailer was...
I. Exposed To Basic Christian CONCEPTS
He didn’t know much, but he must have known something about these men over whom he was standing guard. If you look up at verse 17, we know this slave girl was crying out for days and days, “Servants of the most high God who proclaim to you the way of salvation.” Surely he knew that these men were in prison because they were proclaiming a way of salvation that was apparently at odds with the Roman way. He had some familiarity.
We see in verse 20 the accusation against them is that: “These men are Jews advocating customs that are not lawful for us as Romans to practice.” It’s safe to assume the jailer knew they were ordered to prison because of the customs they were advocating; because of the message they were proclaiming. They were talking about a salvation that is not right for us as Romans. They were preaching a message that was not culturally acceptable to the Romans. But Paul and Silas kept preaching it even though it wasn’t culturally acceptable. The jailer was exposed to some of the basic concepts of the Christian faith.
In verse 25 it says the prisoners heard them praying and singing. If the prisoners heard them singing it stands to reason that the jailers heard them too. They were singing about this amazing grace, singing about Jesus, singing about this great salvation. Somewhere in these last few hours, the jailer knew something about why they were in prison; he knew something about salvation. He was introduced to some of those concepts.
The point is this: don’t underestimate the significance of introducing people to some basic Christian concepts. Now for a long time in our country we have had the benefit that when we talked about God, there was a general knowledge that you’re talking about the God of the Bible. People had that category in their mind – that category where they had a general understanding of the Christian God. But that is increasingly changing.
So don’t underestimate what you can do with just a word, or a comment, or a post or a tweet or a card. With just a word you can begin to introduce someone to the basic contours of Christianity; some of the fundamental concepts of the faith. Perhaps it’s inviting them to a church service, a men’s breakfast, a ladies tea, a small group in your home, a fall festival – just beginning to introduce them to the concepts.
Perhaps they hear something about Jesus. The jailer had been introduced to some basic concepts of the faith. This is one of the things that prompted him to ask the question, “What must I do to be saved.” He was EXPOSED to Basic Christian Concepts
Here’s the second thing I see that led to the question: He…
II. Encountered Christians Who Are CREDIBLE (believable, authentic)
These are likely the only Christians he’d ever met. And what did he find in them? He found in them Christians he could respect; he found in them Christians whose walk matched their talk; he found in them a life that was authentic, that was credible.
The Apostle Paul wrote to Titus, and in that letter he gave some instructions to bondservants. These were essentially slaves, indentured servants who had masters - but had become converted to Christ. Notice the instruction Paul gives to these human slaves as to how they are to relate to their masters: 9Bondservants are to be submissive to their own masters in everything; they are to be well-pleasing, not argumentative, 10not pilfering, but showing all good faith, so that in everything they may adorn the doctrine of God our Savior. Titus 2:9-10
He's saying the way in which you obey those in authority over you, the way you seek to be well-pleasing; the way you carry yourself in a non-argumentative way; - those things ADORN the doctrine of God. What does that mean? When I think of adornment I think of jewelry. My wife is beautiful without jewelry. But when she wears jewelry, her natural beauty is augmented and highlighted and made clearer. What a knockout!
You can't add anything to the beauty of the gospel. But when we live lives that are in step with that gospel, the beauty of the gospel is augmented, it is highlighted, it's adorned and made clearer to see. I would point to three particular characteristics the jailer saw in Paul and Silas that adorned the gospel, that made their testimony credible. These same three things help make our testimony credible as well. First of all...
A. SINCERITY
He found them to be sincere men. So sincere that they were willing to suffer for what they believed. So sincere that when the persecution started they didn’t cave under pressure. These may have been the only Christians he had ever known, and he found their faith in Jesus to be sincere - they sincerely believed in what they were proclaiming. Not only sincerity, but:
B. HUMILITY
Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God
After being publicly mocked and slandered, after being stripped and beaten, after being thrown into prison and bound in the stocks, did they cry out for their rights? No. Now make no mistake, when the legal process was enacted the next day, they wanted to have their innocence and their wrongful imprisonment recognized; they utilized the process in place. But at the moment, you don't see them complaining, or belly-aching, or decrying the process, or whining about how unfairly they had been treated.
So that begs the question - how do you respond when you're unfairly treated? How do you respond when your rights are trampled? How do you respond when you're falsely accused. Because it happens to all of us at some time or another. Do you bristle up, dig your heels in and demand your rights? Or do you humbly trust that there may be a process where you'll have the opportunity to clear your name? Paul and Silas didn't know if they'd ever get that chance. When they did, they took the opportunity. But at the moment, in the stocks, they showed incredible humility. Instead of complaining, they prayed, sang hymns to God. Don't underestimate how showing humility, even when you're unfairly treated, adorns the gospel.
C. INTEGRITY
“Do not harm yourself, for we are all here.”
He found them to be honest men. So honest that they didn’t even flee when all the bars fell off the jail. Paul told bondservants in Titus 2 we read a moment ago that they adorn the gospel with integrity by not pilfering from their masters. What is pilfering? Pilfering is skimming off the top; pilfering is stealing in such a way that it goes unnoticed. You adorn the gospel by the way your coworkers, your clients, your employees or your employer see you work with integrity. By putting in an honest days work for a day's pay, that adorns the gospel. By not cutting ethical corners to make an extra buck - that adorns the gospel. By not trying to get by, doing as little as possible, the minimum expected - but rather doing your best with excellence, going above and beyond - that adorns the gospel. This jailer saw in them integrity. They were credible witnesses.
What would your family, your friends, your co-workers – what would they think about Christianity if you were the only Christian they ever met? What would they conclude about the gospel? Well Paul and Silas gave quite a good impression. Here they are enduring suffering – and not just enduring, but praying and singing through it.
They don’t even leave the jail when they could have made a break for it. Such strong sincere faith willing to suffer greatly for what they believe.
Notice what Peter would say: Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation. 1 Peter 2:12
There's a general stereotype that the world has of evangelical Christians. It's partly brought on by the TV preachers that look more like game show hosts than ministers of the gospel; it's partly brought on by a caricature of who we are and what we believe. And so Peter says lost people can actually speak of Christians as "evildoers." So how are evangelical Christians labeled as evildoers today? Bigoted. Unloving. Judgmental. Hateful. Hypocrites. They're lame, unintelligent, unenlightened, simple-minded.
What Peter's saying is this - when the culture casts those labels upon you, and then when you adorn the gospel with your good deeds - there's a disconnect they feel there. Now they never may express that to you – but there will be a profound disconnect between all that the world says about Christians, and what they see in you as a Christian. And when someone learns you're a Christian, the really wounded may even express to you their disdain for Christians. But you don’t know what kind of disconnect is going on in their hearts because they’ve heard these things about Christians, they've heard how they're supposed to feel about Christians, but they’re seeing something different in you.
Your sincerity, your humility, your integrity. The way you speak to your spouse, or perhaps more importantly the way you speak about your spouse. The way you treat your kids, the way you handle obstacles. And these things create in their mind a disconnect between what the world tells them they’re supposed to think about Christians and then what they see in you.
That’s what the jailer saw in Paul and Silas. So in the middle of the night says to them, “Sirs” – a sign of some respect – he recognized there was something in them that he did not have. “Sirs, what must I do to be saved.”
You never know what people are seeing in you when at that moment they have a question that can’t be answered by Dr. Phil, that can’t be answered by a government program, or a supreme court ruling – they say, “I hate to do this, but I’ve seen this Christian live out an authentic life before me, I’m going to ask him or her what they think. I’m gonna talk to the Christian, because I do respect them. Because they're credible."
And that leads to the third and final thing I think led to the jailer asking the question. The Jailer...
III. Experienced A Moment Of CRISIS
The jailer had been exposed to some of the basic concepts of the Christian faith; and then he encounters Christians who are credible, who are authentic, whom he can respect. And then, he has the moment of crisis.
27When the jailer woke and saw that the prison doors were open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, supposing that the prisoners had escaped.
This earthquake happens, the jail doors are wide open and the prisoners could have escaped – in fact that’s what he has assumed would happen. I mean if a prisoner has the opportunity to go free, surely he's going to take it. He’d seen Shawshank Redemption replayed on cable a dozen times; he knows how the story ends. The warden commits suicide. This jailer is ready to kill himself on his sword because of the shame, because of the terror; because he figures he’s as good as dead already.
And it's at this moment of crisis the jailer realizes he has to come to terms with the God Paul and Silas are singing about and praying to. That’s why he comes and falls on his face before them, trembling with fear. Is he afraid of the earthquake? I don't think so. I think he’s afraid of the God of Paul and Silas, and what kind of state his soul is in. My life could be over and am I ready to meet my maker.
You never know when someone will come to that point of crisis. It could be through an illness, it could be through the diagnosis of cancer in themselves or in someone they love; it could be through a natural disaster like an earthquake or tornado; or through an act of terror like 911, or through a loss of a marriage or the loss of a child or the loss of a job.
At the moment of crisis, at their midnight hour when theory meets reality and they realize what they’ve built their life upon is sinking sand; maybe just maybe they’ll ask you, “What do I do? How can I make sense of this? How can I move forward from here? What must I do to be saved!”
And maybe you’re here today and you’re at that moment. And it’s your pride that has kept you from asking the question. You’ve come to an end of yourself to realize, “I can’t do this; I can’t save myself; I’m not going to just ride into the sunset and live out the American dream. What must I do to be saved?" It doesn’t take an earthquake or a crisis, but God can use these things to draw us to himself.
Paul gives the answer to the question in verse 31: 31And they said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.” 32And they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house. Acts 16:31-32
Now when they say to him, “Believe” – this is not mere intellectual assent to facts about Jesus, this is not just a cultural, “Uh huh, sure, I like Jesus. Jesus is just alright with me. Ok, I believe in him.” We know this is not the case because they say, “Believe in the LORD Jesus.” Believe in the KURIOS, the master, the ruler, the Boss, the LORD Jesus. This is a profession that actually means something; this is a profession that actually makes a difference in the man.
The text details the profound change that resulted in his life. One minute guarding them, the next minute despairing of life, and now, “Come to my house.” He brings them into his home. Prison wardens aren’t known for bringing prisoners home for dinner. But not only does he bring them home for dinner, he cleans their wounds, he attends to their injuries. And he follows his profession by being baptized.
The question he asked, “What must I do to be saved?” is a profound question. The question alone admits that he knows not all is well with his soul. This is why faith alone means everything. To really have this faith that embraces, trusts upon and delights in the Lord Jesus Christ, you must recognize your own lostness, your own brokenness, your spiritual deadness.
And you come to recognize the beauty of the gospel. The beauty of the good news about God, who loved you so much that he sent his one and only son Jesus into the world... gospel
Your theology comes out at midnight. That's when theory meets reality.
When you become a Christian you are not automatically wrapped up in spiritual bubble wrap where God prevents any bumps or blows or bruises associated with living in this fallen world. And those closest to you are watching how you respond. When they see you singing at midnight, with confident trust in Christ, it adorns the beauty of the gospel we proclaim; it commends the gospel to them.
Last Thought: When you experience PEACE at midnight, God will use you to DELIVER that same peace to someone else.
