“A Fresh Start”
Acts 16:25-31
JOKE: “New Years Resolutions” A couple sat facing their marriage counselor who asked, “Why are you here to see me?” The wife answered, “Well it all started when we thought it might be cute to choose each other’s New Year’s resolutions”
INTRODUCTION: New Years Eve is the one night of the year that we all have an excuse to stay up after our bed time.
Many people are considering their resolutions, their special change for the new year… how their going to ‘turn over a new leaf’
QUOTE: The trouble with ‘turning over a new leaf’ is that once you’ve done it twice, you’re right back where you started
No… we don’t need resolutions – and we certainly don’t need to go turning over any leaves…
What we need is a ‘fresh start’ – Which brings me to tonight’s lesson
Let me set the scene for you: Paul and Silas have been whipped and jailed for casting a demon out of a woman who was being used by some men to tell fortunes. The men had Paul and Silas arrested and put into stocks
About midnight they began singing and praying to God. All of the other prisoners were listening in – the actual translation means “listening with pleasure”.
Of course I could talk about how Paul and Silas rejoiced even in bad circumstances – or how God can save us even out of impossible situations
But tonight I am going to discuss the jailer outside the door – I want to focus on the attitude of this jailer
You see 2004 has been quite a year for our small church. We saw many ups and downs, trials and high running emotions – and I believe that a lot of our issues in this past year have been a result of our attitude
I want to bring out in this sermon how quickly the attitude of the jailer changed and why it did
I. At first the jailer was complacent (v. 27a)
a. This was just like any other day for him
i. He probably kissed his wife goodbye on his way to the evening shift at the jail just like he had done countless times before (he maybe even read the morning paper)
ii. He was comfortable in his routine - his life routine – and he fell asleep at his post
b. What surprises me most is that he fell asleep during the singing
i. Paul and Silas were praising and blessing God – and he was ‘sawing logs’
ii. But you know what? His type of complacency is not uncommon in the church today
c. Many of us have, during this past year and even before, fallen asleep in our Christian walk
i. There are those around us who are praising God, doing his work and even sweating blood for His name – and there are others, just seats away, who are asleep at the post!
ii. Sadly they couldn’t care less about what is going on around them in God’s house
Transitional Statement:
“Now notice a drastic change in the attitude of the jailer when a problem arises for him”
II. He went from totally complacent to suicidal (v. 27b)
a. He woke up after the earthquake, saw the doors wide open and immediately decided to kill himself
i. The reason? The Romans were strict, and if a guard let a person go free or escape, his life was taken
ii. The guard saw nothing to live for, so he decided to take his own life rather than be tortured and killed by his commanders
iii. In his mind, his life was over when (he thought) the prisoners escaped
b. This same thing happens when complacent Christians awaken to a problem in the church
i. They get shaken awake with a problem – and they can’t handle it and give up on the church
ii. I hear so much, “Well we can’t shake up sister ‘so and so’ because she will leave, or don’t tell brother ‘such and such’, he won’t come back
iii. Let me be frank – I don’t want anyone to leave – I pray for a healthy growing church family
iv. But we need to be awake, and not sleeping through our problems – so we can see them and then rise and help when we are needed
c. Something else to ponder: The guard made the decision for suicide before checking out the open jail cells
i. He automatically assumed the problem was irreparable
ii. Many of us are like that – we don’t look into an issue, we just bail at the first sign of trouble
iii. We say, “I can’t stay asleep because the church shook a little – I’d better move somewhere I don’t feel the quakes anymore
1. This is why I believe that mega-churches are thriving
2. While I am sure they share similar problems with small churches, in a crowd of thousands it is easy to be asleep at the post and never be awakened
Transitional Statement:
Here we have a suicidal Roman guard about to impale himself with his
own sword – totally in despair – and he hears…
“DON’T GIVE UP!!! WE’RE STILL HERE!!!”
III. In an instant his despair turned to joy
a. He went from suicidal to hopeful with the simple sound of a voice
i. His fear and disappointment and self pity all disappeared when he heard Paul’s voice
ii. Oh, how sweet the sound must have been
b. Can I say to you that tonight God is saying the same thing to us?
i. “Don’t Give Up!!! I’m Still Here!!!”
ii. Just wake up and recognize who I am!
c. Do you think the jailer recognized that Paul was a man of God?
i. You better believe it
ii. He ran straight to Paul and fell at his feet and said, “What do I do to be saved?”
iii. Paul said, “Believe on the Lord Jesus and you will be saved”
iv. And at that moment the jailer was given his fresh start
CONCLUSION: I truly believe God is telling our church that right now – If we believe in Him
- Not in me, not in Darrell, not in our Elders, not in our programs; but in Him – we will not only be saved, but we will affect others for Him
- (v. 31b) “… you and your household”
You see, if we would just awaken from our complacency and not be frightened by bad things that happen but believe in God for the well being of our church we will reach our community for Christ
We just need a fresh start!
Illustration: “Cleansing our palate” In fancy restaurants you are given sorbet between your salad and your entrée. They say it is to allow you to totally experience the main course without any aftertaste from the prior courses.
We need that in this church – we need to spiritually and emotionally cleanse our palate
We need to get rid of any of the bad aftertaste of anything negative from last year and begin a fresh new year with a new hope and trust in God
Hebrews 13:5 confirms with us that God will never leave us nor forsake us…
So when we get shaken up a bit, let us close our eyes and imagine God saying, “DON”T GIVE UP, I’M STILL HERE”
(Let us pray)
