Victory of Praise
Text: Acts 16:25-34
Introduction
1. “Praise is prophetic power...to change your circumstances and to lift your burdens. Worship is like a victory cry before the victory.” -Gerald Mullins
2. We often talk about the power of prayer, but we seldom talk about the power of prayer and praise together.
3. St. Augustine said, “He who sings prays twice.”
4. We can praise God amid our hardships, despair, misery, and doubt. It releases the power of God in our lives.
5. Read Acts 16:25-34
Transition: First, it is important that we understand that there is…
I. Power in Prayer and Praise (25-28).
A. Praying and Singing Hymns
1. Let me set the stage for you. Paul and Silas had cast a demon out of a young slave girl, and for their efforts they were without trial publicly stripped, beaten with rods, and then thrown in jail.
2. Now, look at how they responded. In v. 25 it says, “Around midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening.”
a. Now, if we put ourselves in their shoes, we would probably complain, whine, cry, scream, or throw a temper tantrum.
b. Is that what Paul and Silas did? No, they worshipped and prayed…at midnight!
c. Let’s get serious, at midnight, I’m sawing logs, not singing praises. But Paul and Silas understood the power of prayer and praise.
d. “Yet you are holy, enthroned on the praises of Israel.” (Ps. 22:3).
e. And “Even though the fig trees have no blossoms, and there are no grapes on the vines; even though the olive crop fails, and the fields lie empty and barren; even though the flocks die in the fields, and the cattle barns are empty,18 yet I will rejoice in the LORD! I will be joyful in the God of my salvation! 19 The Sovereign LORD is my strength! He makes me as surefooted as a deer, able to tread upon the heights.” (Hab. 3:17-19).
f. So, they knew that we are in the presence of God in a powerful way when we pray to and praise our God!
g. As they were praying and singing praises to God, notice they had an audience.
h. Luke tells us that the other prisoners were listening. That word listening in the Greek is a powerful word that means “to listen intently.”
i. They definitely had their attention.
3. Then, God got their attention. In v. 26 it says, “Suddenly, there was a massive earthquake, and the prison was shaken to its foundations. All the doors immediately flew open, and the chains of every prisoner fell off!”
a. As they were praying and praising, suddenly a massive earthquake happened.
b. While it is true that earthquakes were common in this area, this one was different. Not only did the earthquake rock the area, but it opened the doors to the jail and caused the chains to fall off all the prisoners.
c. Earthquakes can do a lot of damage and cause unusual things to happen, but I’d venture to say that it can’t cause chains to fall of people’s wrists and feet.
d. And it wasn’t just Paul and Silas that they fell off, but every prisoner’s chains fell off.
e. Prayer and praise still have that effect today. It may not cause earthquakes, but it can cause spiritual chains to fall off people.
f. It can cause addictions to be broken, lives to be transformed, and relationships restored!
g. It may not cause a physical earthquake, but it can cause a spiritual earthquake that can turn around a community.
h. It can bring joy, faith, and victory!
4. However, there was another person that this earthquake would change. In vv. 27-28 it says, “The jailer woke up to see the prison doors wide open. He assumed the prisoners had escaped, so he drew his sword to kill himself. 28 But Paul shouted to him, “Stop! Don’t kill yourself! We are all here!”
a. The jailer didn’t immediately see this series of events as good news.
b. You see, he was responsible for all these prisoners, and if they escaped, he would be severely punished. He would either have to serve the sentence of the prisoners, or he could be executed.
c. So, when he saw the prison doors opened, he naturally assumed that all of the prisoners had escaped. As a result, he grabbed a sword and was ready to take his own life.
d. But the amazing thing was that none of the prisoners had tried to escape. The doors were all open and the chains had fallen off, but they were all still there.
e. Now, the text doesn’t specifically say, but I think it’s safe to assume they were still there because God had something extraordinary, he wanted to do in this jailer’s life.
f. So, Paul, seeing what the jailer was planning to do to himself, yells out, “don’t hurt yourself, we’re all still here.”
g. The Holy Spirit was already at work. You see, prayer and praise not only changes circumstances, but it also changes people!
B. Victory of Praise
1. We can get victory over hardships by singing praise to the Lord. "My mouth is filled with Your praise...all day long." Ps. 71:8 NAS
2. Roger Bennett, pianist and songwriter died in 2007. Prior to his death he wrote on his website: Our enemy stalks us exactly the way the Bible describes, as a roaring lion. He hides in the bushes waiting for any sign of weakness. Then he strikes. He didn't strike me physically. He struck a more critical part -- my joy...confidence...and hope. Every thought turned towards heaven bounced back like it was made of brass. Every time I tried to look on the bright side, I ended up imagining a dark future. Then he threw his most effective dart -- doubt. "You call yourself a Christian. What a hypocrite! You're more afraid than ever...more filled with despair. So much for your faith, Mr. Gospel Singer!" I believed everything he said. I tried everything I knew to pull out of it...I thought if I dozed off it would pass...but the clock seemed to move in slow motion. Sleep was nowhere near. I tried to lose myself in the Bible, but the words blurred, and I couldn't make sense of them." Then Bennett had an epiphany, as he thought about Paul and Silas in prison. "They didn't despair," he wrote: "They sang praises and that became their weapon. One after another...old songs came to me, and I sang them to my empty room. It wasn't a great performance, but it may be the most powerful blessing I've received." The Palmist wrote, "My mouth is filled with Your praise...all day long.
3. Praise can bring us calm amid our storms, and joy amid our sorrows.
a. “Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again—rejoice! 5 Let everyone see that you are considerate in all you do. Remember, the Lord is coming soon. 6 Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. 7 Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.” (Phil. 4:4-7).
b. Let me be clear, I’m not talking about singing, because there is a vast difference between singing and worshipping.
c. We can go to the Georgia Mountain Music and sing a bunch of honkey Tonks, but that is not worship.
d. Singing comes from our minds, but worship comes from our hearts.
e. “But the time is coming—indeed it’s here now—when true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth. The Father is looking for those who will worship him that way. 24 For God is Spirit, so those who worship him must worship in spirit and in truth.” (Jn. 4:23-34).
f. When we worship in the Spirit, the power of God is released into our lives.
g. It releases a power that can overcome all the powers of the Universe.
h. It can overcome sadness, difficulties, doubt, sadness, despair, and anything else the enemy wants to throw at us.
i. It lifts us up out of our problems and sets our feet on the solid rock, Jesus Christ!
j. Above all, it has the power to break chains, spiritual chains, that keep us down and defeated.
k. Praise Jesus, because he is our chain breaker!
Transition: Not only do we see the power of praise, but we also see the…
II. Power of Transformation (29-34).
A. Believe in the Lord Jesus
1. After hearing Paul’s encouraging words, he decided it was time for him to act. But his actions were not to chain all the prisoners up again, but to lose his own chains. In vv. 29-31 it says, “The jailer called for lights and ran to the dungeon and fell down trembling before Paul and Silas. 30 Then he brought them out and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” 31 They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved, along with everyone in your household.”
a. Keep in mind this is the ancient world, it was the middle of the night, and it was dark. He couldn’t just flip a switch and turn on the lights. So, he called for torches to light the jail.
b. Notice that he didn’t just nonchalantly meander his way to Paul. No, he ran to Paul and feel down at his feet.
c. It’s kind of like if you’ve seen a Billy Graham Crusade on TV, and when he gives the altar call for people to get saved, you see people running to the altar.
d. There was a sense of earnestness and immediacy. He knew that Paul had what he needed. So, he fell at their feet, and notice what he says to them, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”
e. Remember what the demon possessed slave girl kept saying about a Paul and Silas? She said, “These men are servants of the Most High God, and they have come to tell you how to be saved.”
f. This jailer, like most people in town, must have heard what she said, so he knew they would tell him what he needed to do to be saved.
g. Isn’t it amazing how God uses for good what the devil tries to use for evil!
h. Paul gets right to the point, “Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved, along with everyone in your household.”
i. The Gospel is so simple, just believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved. Believe that he is who he said he was, the Son of God, the Messiah, the Savior. Believe in him and ask him to be the Lord of your life. He’s already done everything else.
2. The next thing that Luke tells us is “And they shared the word of the Lord with him and with all who lived in his household. 33 Even at that hour of the night, the jailer cared for them and washed their wounds. Then he and everyone in his household were immediately baptized.”
a. Paul had told him what he had to do to be saved, but now he explains more fully who Jesus was, what he did, and why he came.
b. No, question, Paul told him about the cross and how Jesus willingly went to the cross to die for our sins.
c. I’m also sure that Paul told him how Jesus was raised from the dead and how he had appeared to over 500 people after his resurrection.
d. I’m also convinced that Paul told him and his family how Jesus had sent the Holy Spirit to fill and empower us to do his work.
e. Now, it wasn’t just the jailer Paul preached to, but his entire family. Imagine his wife and kids being drug out of bed in the middle of the night. “Come on, get up, you’ve got to hear this guy!”
f. And not only did they listen to Paul’s preaching, but they were also all immediately baptized.
g. So, this jailer went from the mean guy in the jail, to getting ready to kill himself, to being saved, baptized, and transformed in Jesus’ name!
h. All of this happened because instead of feeling sorry for themselves, Paul and Silas chose to worship Jesus!
3. Now I want you to notice what the jailer and his family did. In v. 34 it says, “He brought them into his house and set a meal before them, and he and his entire household rejoiced because they all believed in God.”
a. This jailer and his family showed the transformation in their lives because they began serving.
b. This is one of the key aspects of the Christian life. Jesus said, “For the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve.”
c. If we are going to be like Jesus, then we need to serve.
d. Like any good church, they had a fellowship dinner with Paul and Silas.
e. I can imagine they had smoked pork butt, macaroni and cheese, fried okra, and peanut butter pie. I mean doesn’t everybody eat like that.
f. The point is these people gave their lives to Jesus and their actions afterwards showed it was genuine.
B. New Person
1. “The spiritual journey is one of constant transformation. In order to grow, you must give up the struggle to remain the same and learn to embrace change at all times.” — Michael A. Singer
2. In order to be transformed, we have to constantly allow God to change our minds, actions, and desires.
a. “Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.” (Rom. 12:2).
b. The jailer had a choice, he could take matters into his own hands, or he could put himself in God’s hands.
c. Jesus didn’t die on the cross for us so that we could stay the same, but rather he died on the cross for us to change us into new people.
d. We need to allow him to change the way we think.
e. The world wants to mold us into its image, but Jesus wants to mold us into his image.
f. He wants us to see things the way that he sees them.
g. He wants us to surrender our desires and dreams to him so that he can give us new desires and dreams, dreams that have an eternal reality.
h. He doesn’t want to make our old self better; he wants to make all things in us new.
Conclusion
1. God wants us to take a hold of the…
a. Power of Praise
b. Power of Transformation
2. What’s the point preacher? When we take a hold of the power of praise, God unleashes the power of change that makes us new people.
