Title: Impact!
Scripture: Acts 16:16-40
We’ve all got stories to tell. Some stories are better than others. Each one of those stories we keep inside of us and treasure, adding to the collection of our testimony of God’s IMPACT! in our lives. This is what God uses in winning people to the Him. These stories that impact our lives are what make an impact on others coming to know the Lord.
Today’s scripture passage is a reflection on the travels of Paul, Luke, Silas, and Timothy. This story, probably one of many, has all the ingredients necessary to make a great story. Today’s story sounds like a expression of the everyday, or weekly, persecution of Paul and his brothers. Today’s story, this story, has been the result of millions of people saved and has many points that will make an impact on our lives, and help us to make an impact on others’ lives.
Today’s Scriptural Points are:
I. The Wrong Master. (vv. 16-19)
II. The Wrong Reasons (vv. 20-24)
III. The Right Attitude (vv. 25)
IV. The Right God (vv. 26-28)
V. The Right Choice (vv. 29-34)
VI. The Perfect Time (vv. 35-40)
><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><
I. The Wrong Master. (vv. 16-19)
16 Once when we were going to the place of prayer, we were met by a slave girl who had a spirit by which she predicted the future. She earned a great deal of money for her owners by fortune-telling. 17 This girl followed Paul and the rest of us, shouting, "These men are servants of the Most High God, who are telling you the way to be saved." 18 She kept this up for many days. Finally Paul became so troubled that he turned around and said to the spirit, "In the name of Jesus Christ I command you to come out of her!" At that moment the spirit left her. 19 When the owners of the slave girl realized that their hope of making money was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace to face the authorities.
Having and relying on something or someone else other than the Living God doesn’t just happen overnight. It takes time and work to worship the wrong master. Verses 16 through 19 illuminate the elements that are always present when people are following the wrong master. That first element is the wrong spirit.
-The Wrong Spirit leads to the wrong master
Verse 16 says, “…we were met by a slave girl who had a spirit…” This slave girl had made herself available to the leading of a spirit other than the Holy Spirit of God. How she made herself available is not mentioned. It could have started with her following after the wrong spirit. Or, it could have been her parents, her grandparents, aunts or uncles, or maybe five or ten generations of worshipping the wrong spirit. Somehow she was led astray. Somehow, someone convinced her that life would be better for her, or her parents, or her children, if she allowed this evil spirit to lead her life. But, it didn’t stop there, she was convinced to follow that same spirit in the area of fortune-telling.
But, it wasn’t for her benefit. Notice what it says, “she earned a great deal of money for her owners by fortune telling.” Following the wrong spirit is never for the edification of the one that is doing the following, nor is it for anyone else. Instead, it is for the selfish and prideful lust of the spirit that is imposing its will or spirit on the person. Further, the weak are prompted sometimes by family members or relations to follow that spirit, because they are afraid that they, themselves, will be harmed. All of this, of course, telling us that they have become servants to the wrong master.
The wrong spirit always leads to the wrong master…and the wrong motives lead to the wrong master.
-The Wrong Motives lead to the wrong master
The owners of this girl made lots of money because of the spirit that used this poor girl. Which, in turn, put them in bondage to that same spirit. Having the wrong motives, like these men, which was their own lustful gratification, will lead to the wrong master.
-The Wrong Choices lead to the wrong master.
Paul, in the name of Christ, commanded this spirit to come out of this girl. But, the owners of the girl, because they, too, were given over to the wrong spirit, made the wrong choices at this point.
They should have realized that the name of Jesus was more powerful than the actual presence of the spirit that controlled the girl. They should have realized that the name of Jesus was able to drive out this spirit without a fight. Yet, they made the wrong choice, which, in turn, led them to the wrong master.
We, too, need to understand that it’s the Spirit of the Lord that not only leads us to the living God, but it keeps us and protects us.
II. The Wrong Reasons (vv. 20-24)
20 They brought them before the magistrates and said, "These men are Jews, and are throwing our city into an uproar 21 by advocating customs unlawful for us Romans to accept or practice." 22 The crowd joined in the attack against Paul and Silas, and the magistrates ordered them to be stripped and beaten. 23 After they had been severely flogged, they were thrown into prison, and the jailer was commanded to guard them carefully. 24 Upon receiving such orders, he put them in the inner cell and fastened their feet in the stocks.
The viewpoint of a friend or adversary is interesting to note, as many times they are in direct opposition to our own viewpoints. This verse ends with “…throwing our city into an uproar…”, when, in fact, these missionaries were trying to right the wrong beliefs there.
People will go to any length to ensure that there own beliefs remain safe, however wrong or misguided they be. People will go to great lengths to ensure that not only do their own beliefs remain safe, but that those infringing on them, or stepping on them, are persecuted beyond necessary measure. And, by necessary measure I mean that Christians are only supposed to tell people of other religions that Jesus is the way, the life, the truth. Christians are not supposed to be a militant for Jesus, that is, going out and forcing people to become Christians.
So, you see, Paul and Silas were not thrown into jail for advocating customs unlawful to the Roman, but, were actually thrown into jail because the owners of the slave girl could not make any more money! You see how the wrong spirit can lead other people to rise up more than they really need to in the persecution of Christians. People are not just happy with saying, “Christianity is not for me,” but they have to say, “Christianity is not for me and everyone else, too, and I’ll see that you don’t spread it at all!” And, they’ll find the wrong reasons to incite the crowd against you. The quicker we understand this as Christians, the quicker we’ll be able to get on in our Christian walk.
And, what does that take? What does it take to get on in Christian life? It takes the right attitude.
III. The Right Attitude (vv. 25)
25 About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them.
In order to get on in life, you’ve got to have a right attitude. One that embraces hardship and knows that God works all things together for good, and for His glory.
Paul and Silas were locked in stocks. They couldn’t move. They couldn’t adjust their bodies more than a couple of centimeters. And, what did they do?
Did they complain about the maker of the stocks? Did they brag about the conditions.
“Well, this wood is not the best. I mean I’ve been locked up in a lot worse conditions.”
“The light in here is not that good.”
“The smell is terrible.”
“The humidity is bad in here.”
“There are rats in here.”
“The food is terrible.
They didn’t complain because in order to make an IMPACT for God, you’ve got to have the right attitude. Paul and Silas were making the best of the situation and were singing hymns!
They could’ve complained, and the non-Christian prisoners would have heard them. Instead what they heard was two men praising the living God through song.
People are always watching, always judging. What would you do in that situation? Would you have complained or sang?
IV. The Right God
26 Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open, and everybody’s chains came loose. 27 The jailer woke up, and when he saw the prison doors open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself because he thought the prisoners had escaped. 28 But Paul shouted, "Don’t harm yourself! We are all here!"
Any other prisoner would have waited until the jailer had killed himself, then he would have rushed out of the jail to freedom. But, Paul was not an ordinary prisoner. He served the most High God and used this opportunity to bring the jailer into the kingdom of God.
What do we do in those situations of opportunity where God shakes the jail and loosens the chains. Do we use that as an opportunity to say “don’t harm yourself,” or do we wait for the chance to run?
We must yield to the most High God of Abraham, Isaac, and Paul. We must yield to the moving of His Spirit upon our lives, so that when the jail is shaken and the chains come off, we will be in a position to win people to Jesus Christ, rather than running in the opposite direction. Because, when we yield to God and His guidance, He’ll lead us and choices will be made for Him. The Right Choices that is.
V. The Right Choice (vv. 29-34)
29 The jailer called for lights, rushed in and fell trembling before Paul and Silas. 30 He then 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--you and your household." 32 Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all the others in his house. 33 At that hour of the night the jailer took them and washed their wounds; then immediately he and all his family were baptized. 34 The jailer brought them into his house and set a meal before them; he was filled with joy because he had come to believe in God--he and his whole family.
Yielding to the leadership of the Spirit in your life will give you the opportunity to make the right choices. And, it will give those around you the opportunity to make the right choices as well.
The heart of the jailer was tender and ready to accept God. How did he get to this point? How did this happen? Here’s a man that comes running up to Paul and Silas and tells them to lead him into the kingdom of God. There wasn’t any Roman’s Road, or tracting that had to be done.
I believe the heart of the jailer had been softened by the soft praises of Paul and Silas and their Spirit-led conversation. You see in verse 25 it tells us that the other prisoners were listening to them as Paul and Silas lifted their voices to the Lord. And, no doubt their voices echoed through the hallways and jail cells, allowing the jailor himself to hear those hymns.
Right choices are a result of communicating with God. Paul and Silas were in communication with God, and a right choice was made.
VI. The Perfect Time (vv. 35-40)
35 When it was daylight, the magistrates sent their officers to the jailer with the order: "Release those men." 36 The jailer told Paul, "The magistrates have ordered that you and Silas be released. Now you can leave. Go in peace." 37 But Paul said to the officers: "They beat us publicly without a trial, even though we are Roman citizens, and threw us into prison. And now do they want to get rid of us quietly? No! Let them come themselves and escort us out." 38 The officers reported this to the magistrates, and when they heard that Paul and Silas were Roman citizens, they were alarmed. 39 They came to appease them and escorted them from the prison, requesting them to leave the city. 40 After Paul and Silas came out of the prison, they went to Lydia’s house, where they met with the brothers and encouraged them. Then they left.
Why didn’t Paul tell them he was a Roman citizen before they beat him? Why did he wait? I believe by waiting he emphasized the meaning of the beating. Remember why he was beaten and put on trial, because he was preaching Jesus Christ! And, to try and get out of the beating by claiming he was a Roman citizen it would not have emphasized the importance of his message.
Now, by taking the beating, he could claim that being a Roman citizen was secondary to being a citizen of the Kingdom of Heaven.
He realized the perfect time in order to win more people to God, and, for those that didn’t become Christians, they now had good reason to wonder whether or not the story of Christianity was true.
We, too, need to wait on God’s perfect timing. His timing for evangelism. His timing for His will for our lives will ensure that more people are won to His kingdom.
Conclusion:
Following the wrong roads and making the wrong choices in life can be very easy, if you have not put your faith in Jesus Christ.
By having a life full of the Spirit of God, these wrong choices and wrong roads become much easier to discern. It is much easier to make the right choices, to have the perfect timing, and to have the ideal attitude. All of this coming from the Right God, the living God, the Father in Heaven.
Our points again are:
I. The Wrong Master. (vv. 16-19)
II. The Wrong Reasons (vv. 20-24)
III. The Right Attitude (vv. 25)
IV. The Right God (vv. 26-28)
V. The Right Choice (vv. 29-34)
VI. The Perfect Time (vv. 35-40)
