Acts 16 describes the conversions of Lydia and an unnamed Philippian Jailer. Some commentators also believe that the girl with the spirit of divination whom Paul exercised was converted. That may be possible, but we have no information to confirm or deny it. What the Holy Spirit did inspire to be recorded for us shows the hand of God involved in each of the conversions and even the conflicts the missionaries endured. God works through conversions and conflicts.
I have selected the text of Acts 16:6-40 for our lesson. This text divides into six sections. Last week some of you young ladies and young men did a great job of drawing the lesson for me. I’ve put those up on my office door. This week there are several things I’d like for those of you who are budding young artists to draw for me. I want you to listen to the lesson as we go though so you can know what to draw as we get to that section. Give them to me after service if you will, I’d like to see them. I’ll give them back if you want them.
First, the mission team gets the call to Macedonia… 6-10
Second, Lydia is converted at the ladies prayer group by the river… 11-15
Third, Paul casts out the spirit from the slave girl/fortune teller… 16-18
Fourth, Paul and Silas are beaten and thrown in jail…19-24
Fifth, at midnight God interrupts a song and prayer service in the jailhouse with an earthquake, the jailer and his family hear the gospel and are baptized…25-34
Sixth, Paul makes those that beat and imprisoned them scared because he and Silas are Roman citizens…35-40
OK, kids, draw this: Paul has a vision of a man pleading for help.
As we enter our study, Paul and Silas have a new team member, Timothy. They are now trying to figure out where God wants them to go. Not Asia, not Bithynia, so they go west toward Troas where they meet up with another traveling companion named Luke. How do I know this? Because of verse 10, where the pronouns change from third to first person plural. We enter the first “we” section of Acts, where Luke travels with them. Read Verses 6-10
This section shows us that God was directing their mission trip. Just look at it. They want to go East to Asia, God’s Spirit says no. They want to go North to Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus would not allow them. Notice that we have no details at all as to how the Spirit prevented them from going. Just that he did. We do know how God called them to Macedonia. It was a dream that Paul had or more specifically, a vision in the night. What was in the vision? There was a man of Macedonia standing there urging Paul, “Come over to Macedonia and help us!”
I find it interesting that this is how they received direction for their mission. It was not extremely clear and certain, because they had to conclude that this is where God was calling them to go. Did you get that?
How do you know God’s will for your life today? Do you pray about what he wants for you? Do you search the scriptures for guidance? Do you discuss things with others who are mature Christians who will pray with you and for you and give you their best counsel? Are there any other indicators that God uses for directing your life?
What we see in this text is God’s hand at every turn. Not so obvious that everyone sees it, but obvious enough for the praying, scripture searching, counsel seeking follower to see. Notice that the scripture in verse 10 says “We concluded that God had called us to preach the gospel [in Macedonia.]” This tells us that after prayer and searching for God’s will, and even after Paul’s vision, they discussed it together. The group came to a consensus about it together. God’s word teaches us to seek counsel before making decisions. His blessings are for those that want to do his will and listen to wise counsel that is in agreement with his word.
God was in the direction of this mission.
The next section shows how God was involved in the preaching of the word and opening of the hearts of those who heard it. Look at verses 11-15. Kids, draw the baptism of Lydia.
The mission team has arrived at Philippi and there is no synagogue there. This indicates that the number of Jews in this area were few. So where does one begin preaching? When Jews had no synagogue they often met by a river side for prayer. Paul and the mission team head for the prayer meeting and find a ladies group there. Paul preaches and look carefully at verse 14. Lydia welcomed the word! It says God opened her heart. By the way, this was her inclination. She, like all others who become faithful Christians, was seeking God. She was not turned off by God’s word, but drawn to it. Remember, what we learned in Acts 10? God prepares both the speaker and the seeker of his Word. It happens every time. God’s hand was present in both the preaching and the pursuing of the gospel. Lydia and her household were all baptized! And Lydia was a woman of hospitality! She prevailed upon this mission team to come stay in her house. Isn’t that great? She receives the gospel and obeys it, and then she receives the missionaries and houses them while they continue the mission in Philippi. It looks like down in verse 40 that the church is meeting at her house! And by the way, when the mission team leaves Philippi, guess who stays behind? Luke! How do I know? Notice the pronoun shift from “we” to “they” when the mission team leaves.
What is God doing in this section? He is working through Paul’s preaching and opening the hearts of listeners who are inclined toward him. Lydia’s presence at this prayer meeting, obedience to the gospel, and hospitality toward the mission team are all evidences of God’s work within her life!
How is God working in your life today? Ephesians 2: 10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.
Look at Phil. 1: 6 For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus. 2: 12 So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling;
13 for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.
Do you see God working in your life? As a Christian, we can count on it! Look for God’s hand in your life today. Jesus promised never to leave us or forsake us. He’s here.
Next kids draw Paul casting out a spirit from a fortune telling slave girl. And next to that draw Paul and Silas being beaten or in jail.
Verses 16-24
Imagine going on a mission trip and having some stranger follow us around shouting, “These people are servants of the Most High God telling you the way of salvation!”
Sometimes the source of advertising can have a negative effect. This poor slave girl had a “spirit of divination.” She was able to tell fortunes. This was a real thing. We think about fortunetellers of today with their crystal ball and hocus-pocus or seances, but this was for real. She had some sort of spirit that recognized this mission team’s work. She was persistent too. She kept following them around shouting this for days! Can you imagine? Paul’s personality comes out again. Just like back in chapter 13 with Elamus on Cyprus, Paul has had enough! Notice, Barnabas in chapter 13 and Silas here in chapter 16 are not the ones that take this action. Perhaps, since they were not apostles, they did not have the same authority as Paul. But Paul gets annoyed and squares off with this spirit. He commands the spirit to leave her, and it does! Something happens to her so that she’s not able to work as a fortuneteller any more. Her owners are mad! It sounds like they are not the only ones upset by what this mission team is doing in Philippi. When they drag Paul and Silas before the rulers to accuse them, the crowds join in! They rip off their robes and beat them with rods! Luke says there were many blows on their backs! This was an act of aggression! There is not much of a trial, just a mob action with the cooperation of the authorities. Then, to make matters worse, they throw them in jail! Worse still, the jailer fastens them in stocks to make them about as uncomfortable as possible.
What would you be thinking if you were Paul and Silas or some of the new Christians in Philippi? This is terrible! If they do this to the church leaders, who will be next?
Where is God now? Has he abandoned them to this?
You know, from the eyes of the flesh, we might see this as a terrible misfortune. But, because there is no such thing as fortune and because God’s hand is always involved in the work of his people, things take a very interesting turn. Instead of moaning and groaning away the hours, Paul and Silas sing and pray. The rest of the prisoners listen.
What a strange coincidence that there will be an earthquake tonight. It will open the prison and shake up the world of the jailer and open his heart to hear the gospel and be baptized before daybreak! Coincidence? Hardly. If you don’t see God working in this, you need some spiritual glasses.
Kids draw Paul and Silas in jail singing as an earthquake shakes open their prison doors and the jailer comes running in to learn about Jesus.
Verses 25-34
This next section is just great! Let me read it and we’ll note a few things.
25 But about midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns of praise to God, and the prisoners were listening to them;
26 and suddenly there came a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison house were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened, and everyone’s chains were unfastened.
27 And when the jailer had been roused out of sleep and had seen the prison doors opened, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, supposing that the prisoners had escaped.
28 But Paul cried out with a loud voice, saying, "Do yourself no harm, for we are all here!"
29 And he called for lights and rushed in and, trembling with fear, he fell down before Paul and Silas,
30 and after he brought them out, he said, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?"
Where did he learn that these men had something to say about how to be saved? Do you remember verse 17? What has this slave girl been advertising for days? Following after Paul and us, she kept crying out, saying, "These men are bond-servants of the Most High God, who are proclaiming to you the way of salvation."
31 And they said, "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you shall be saved, you and your household."
32 And they spoke the word of the Lord to him together with all who were in his house.
33 And he took them that very hour of the night and washed their wounds, and immediately he was baptized, he and all his household.
34 And he brought them into his house and set food before them, and rejoiced greatly, having believed in God with his whole household.
Let’s notice a few things by way of questions:
If you were a prisoner hearing the prayers and songs of a couple of guys who were said to have cast out a spirit and suddenly an earthquake came and loosed everyone’s chains and opened the prison doors, what would you think? It looks like none of them ran away that night. Perhaps some of them became Christians later too.
What did God do to open the heart of the jailer?
We can know from the text that he knew that they were preaching about how to be saved.
Before this jailer went to bed that night, he knew this. God was preparing him. When the earthquake hit, his mind is on his responsibility as a jailer to keep the prisoners, and he’s ready to kill himself. He is ready to give up his life at this point, though for wrong reasons. When Paul calls out for him not to harm himself and assures him that they are all there, the jailer looks to them for guidance and his heart is open to hear and obey the gospel of Jesus Christ. The jailer does give up his life. He gives it to the Lord Jesus Christ, he and his whole household.
Notice, too, that like Lydia, after his baptism he also shows hospitality to Paul and Silas.
Finally, kids, draw a picture of the Philippian rulers groveling and apologizing to Paul and Silas for beating them without a trial.
Verses 35-40
This terrible treatment Paul and Silas had to endure actually served to protect the church. These Philippian rulers will think twice about striking out at anyone else in this church. God has worked to put the advantage in the churches court. It hurt, but it served to strengthen the church rather than destroy it. God also used it as an opportunity to win this jailer and his family to Christ.
Paul wrote the Ephesians in 3: 13 Therefore I ask you not to lose heart at my tribulations on your behalf, for they are your glory.
Paul learned that sufferings endured with faith in Christ actually served for good. God’s hand is in all things in our Christian life. We do well to believe this and look for the Lord’s hand in everything we experience. Sure, there’s a devil that’s working in this world, but our eyes are not on him. Our eyes are on Jesus.
