A Despairing Jailer in Prison
Acts 16:16-34 (ESV)
October 30, 2022
Pastor Josh Beakley

We’re going to finish up our series on conversion from Acts chapter 16. We’re dropping right into the middle of the story of the early church as Paul and his team move their way across the world sharing the good news about Jesus. It’s a message that has continued to transform lives throughout the ages until today and it continues to do so even in our own midst, we pray, this morning. So this is Paul continuing his mission as they go into this place called Philippi.

16 As we were going to the place of prayer, we were met by a slave girl who had a spirit of divination and brought her owners much gain by fortune-telling. 17 She followed Paul and us, crying out, “These men are servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to you the way of salvation.” 18 And this she kept doing for many days. Paul, having become greatly annoyed, turned and said to the spirit, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.” And it came out that very hour.

19 But when her owners saw that their hope of gain was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace before the rulers. 20 And when they had brought them to the magistrates, they said, “These men are Jews, and they are disturbing our city. 21 They advocate customs that are not lawful for us as Romans to accept or practice.” 22 The crowd joined in attacking them, and the magistrates tore the garments off them and gave orders to beat them with rods. 23 And when they had inflicted many blows upon them, they threw them into prison, ordering the jailer to keep them safely. 24 Having received this order, he put them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks.

25 About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them, 26 and 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. 27 When 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. 28 But Paul cried with a loud voice, “Do not harm yourself, for we are all here.” 29 And the jailer called for lights and rushed in, and trembling with fear he fell down before Paul and Silas. 30 Then he brought them out and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” 31 And they said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.” 32 And they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house. 33 And he took them the same hour of the night and washed their wounds; and he was baptized at once, he and all his family. 34 Then 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.

Sometimes it’s hard to remember how things were before they changed. It might be a house before it was renovated or a child before they grew up. It may be a young man before he got married. It may be a person transformed by the power of the Gospel before they had been changed. Even harder is imagining and appreciating such a drastic change when you have no memory to recall about how things were before the change occurred.

There was a pastor and songwriter named John Newton who is famous around the world for the lyrics of Amazing Grace. But to those who knew him, this change was so radical that it defied any earthly explanation. There was a profound transformation that he attempted to describe in a message he prepared before his death that is now engraved on his tombstone in England. “John Newton, clerk, once an infidel and libertine, a servant of slaves in Africa, was by the rich mercy of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, preserved, restored, pardoned, and appointed to preach the faith he had long labored to destroy.”

The contrast between his pre-converted and then believing self is so stark that it’s actually hard for many to imagine that such a conversion from darkness was actually required. Was he truly such a person? Clearly one who never forgot the contrast and the miracle was John himself. Through his last words there upon the grave he made a serious effort to make sure no one else forgot, either. It was the kind of change that is so radical that it is just utterly unexplainable in any normal, earthly sense.

In fact, that’s what the church should be full of. It should be full of people transformed by the power of God because that’s what He does. God changes lives for His glory in ways that defy what typically would be an explanation. It’s the work He is doing in the world. His handiwork is in transforming people in ways that don’t make sense and that defy any normal explanation. It’s what His Word is full of. A case in point is the man we read about last week; Paul.

Paul was a violent aggressor zealously persecuting followers of Jesus. He was hating and opposing anyone who followed Him. But then he became an ardent ambassador on behalf of the very same message he tried to destroy. From the point of his conversion and through the rest of the book of Acts, it follows Paul on that journey to bring that message far and wide to transform the world by the same power that has rocked his. It’s actually Part 2 really of a report compiled by this doctor named Luke.

Luke was a gentile follower of Jesus and a companion of Paul who ended up compiling this account of both the life of Jesus and this Gospel. Then here, he writes a continuation of that Gospel story after Jesus’ resurrection by recounting the ministry by the Holy Spirit through the apostles and the early church. It’s a ministry of which he had direct knowledge and even here in particular, because Luke has finally entered the story. If you look back in Acts 16:10, Luke identifies himself as a part and he uses the word “we.” This is where he is a part of this ministry with Paul. He was part of Paul and company that had wanted to go to Asia, but then had sensed through a dream that they needed to go to Macedonia. Luke provides a firsthand witness account.

They had sailed across the Mediterranean to an island, to a port city, and then they went ten miles inland to this city called Philippi. It was named after Phillip II of Macedon who is the father of Alexander the Great. This eastern city was near the end of the Roman highway. It was a Roman colony, sort of a Rome away from Rome. The emperor had designated that retired military people or others would go and live there away from original Rome. But they would enjoy certain benefits, often an exemption from taxes. They would try to enforce that this was a Roman colony. Because of that, there didn’t appear to be a synagogue like some of the cities Paul had gone to. So he began his ministry by going to a local religious gathering spot near the river.

He meets a woman named Lydia and she responds to the gospel message. She says, “I believe in this Jesus. I love what you guys are doing. In fact, why don’t you come stay with me?” The missionary team then joins in her house and this infant church of young believers is born in this small town of Philippi. As we read just a little bit ago, the rapid progress of God immediately draws demonic attention and attack. Luke’s account continues to reveal the unstoppable power of the message of Jesus and the clear intent of God to save whoever He wants, whenever He wants, wherever He wants.

From person to person, Luke proves to this gentile reader Theophilus, and those like us who follow, that the power of God’s Spirit to transform a life is not limited by anyone, anywhere, anytime, male or female, rich or poor, entrepreneur or slave, devout or degenerate, at a public river in the middle of the day or the inner cell of a prison in the dead of night. Luke gives us a variety of encounters that all dramatically differ in these ways and yet are common in one. Each person is transformed so radically and inexplicably that such a change defies any earthly standard. What is it that causes that? What brings about such a change? These are changes so radical that they make no earthly sense. The answer God gives us here through this message of Luke is the Gospel.

The Gospel is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes. It changes people in ways that defy explanation. It’s what God does through this message. The Gospel means good news. It’s the message we proclaim that God has accomplished through Jesus Christ. The only explanation for testimonies of change like this and hopefully testimonies of change like what is going on here, is the finger of God. It’s the finger of God through His Spirit at work through this message about Jesus Christ’s death in our place for our sins and His resurrection to life. So he makes the case again and again that believing the Gospel changes us in ways that make no earthly sense.

This morning, we return again to this idea of how different these changes are in detail and yet how similar they are in signature. We each have our own testimony and story. Each life is transformed in this beautiful display of its own artistic masterpiece, yet each bears the handiwork that leaves the ultimate designer undeniable. It’s the handiwork of God. So what is it that stands out about the way God works? What marks a life transformed by God? How do you see what He is doing even in ways that don’t make earthly sense? What is it about it that makes it so special? You could answer from a number of angles.

This morning, we’re going to look at it from the perspective of how God transforms us within, amidst the challenges from without. We’re going to look at how the Gospel changes our internal responses to the challenges of the external world. It’s how God empowers us to face the difficulties of this world with these sort of unnatural reflexes that don’t make any earthly sense. It’s one of the most compelling proofs of change that is brought through conversion. We have different reflexes to life’s difficulties. We’re going to touch on four reflexes that come from the Gospel and that don’t make any sense typically.

#1 Courage in the Face of Evil: The Fierce Opposition the Gospel Empowers You to Brave (16:16-24)

We can have courage in the face of that kind of evil. This is courage that is generated by the Gospel. It’s this ability to do something that frightens us. It’s not the absence of fear. It’s the willingness to face it head on. We see courage modeled here in the face of evil. Paul and his companions are doing ministry despite serious demonic opposition.

I don’t know if you’ve read some of those missionary stories. I remember some when I was younger. But they call to mind the bravery and courage of men and women that is unbelievable. It defies earthly explanation. One of those stories I remember is of John and Betty Stam, back in the early 1900’s. This young missionary couple went to China to share the message of Jesus. They are captured and taken captive and brutally murdered by a mob, leaving a three month old baby. It doesn’t make sense here on earth. They had courage to enter into that.

What causes somebody to have that kind of courage? Stories abound. It doesn’t make earthly sense to have courage in the face of such evil. This is the kind of courage that actually marks people who are transformed by the Gospel. You see it on display here with Paul and Silas and their faithfulness in ministry. They are willing to face evil in a world that actually would oppose this kind of message.

This evil takes two different forms of attack that we’ll look at here. These two forms still assault the church. You can expect these forms of attack. The first comes from within and the second comes from without. When it comes from within, it’s what we’ll call an infiltration. When it comes from without, it’s persecution. You can expect to face the same kind of evils if you’re going to follow Jesus. The Gospel gives you the kind of courage you need to face that kind of evil.

First, look at the infiltration that they face. It’s a deceptive sort of infiltration. It’s a disruptive infiltration. Infiltration just means that one would enter or gain access somewhere without being noticed, especially to do damage. They are sneaking in. That’s what it seems like is going on in verses 16-18. There is an extreme sort of infiltration that is demonic, but it shouldn’t surprise us. Look at the kind of infiltration that Luke is even showing us here that we shouldn’t be surprised by. We should expect first that it would occur totally unprompted. Look at what is going on here.

16 As we were going to the place of prayer,

They were totally minding their own business. They were going to a prayer meeting. It’s not like they were inviting attack. They weren’t dabbling in some sort of sin. No, they were just going to pray. In fact, that’s what incited this disruption. It was unprompted. They’re not trying to do something intentional to draw the attention of the enemy, but because they’re doing the will of God, they do. They show up on the radar. So this provokes attack even when they’re minding their own business. They’re just trying to do a prayer meeting and here it comes. It’s unprompted.

Not only is it unprompted, but it’s extremely twisted. This evil is twisted. Look at how deeply twisted it is. It’s a pretty complex ministry situation for anyone to face, but especially for a newly planted church. This twisted evil comes in with a number of complexities. First is in the social realm. It’s twisted socially because they’re on the way to this prayer meeting and

we were met by a slave girl who had a spirit of divination and brought her owners much gain by fortune-telling.

So here is this girl. She was owned as a slave and she told fortunes in such a way that it brought a profit to her masters. This is a twisted social situation that they didn’t ask for, but it’s now thrust upon them. This young girl is now jumping into their midst. This is an exploitation where her owners are profiting off of her despite the harm that it’s bringing to her own wellbeing. She would tell fortunes, which wasn’t uncommon at the time and often quite profitable because there would be sailors or superstitious rich people or military who would need to get some kind of favorable fortune. So they would pay quite a bit for it. This is a twisted social situation that all of a sudden is entering their midst.

But it’s not just social. This is spiritual. This is twisted spiritually because this girl had a spirit of divination. Now, this slavery wasn’t a part of God’s design, but it wasn’t uncommon at the time. But this isn’t just sort of a young girl that is a scam artist. No, this is a girl who is oppressed both in the system of slavery, but also with the spirit of a demon. Luke identifies that this was actually spiritually twisting. This demon somehow is able to possess and then speak through her. Dark spiritual influence is at work here. It’s not to say that demons know the future, per se, but they have been around and they do have resources and powers and a network we can’t fully understand. Whatever it was, everyone understood clearly that she was controlled by something supernatural. This is a twisted social and spiritual situation and it becomes even more twisted because of what happens practically. This is what she does.

17 She followed Paul and us, crying out, “These men are servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to you the way of salvation.”

She comes in as if she is assuming the role of a sort of herald/prophetess. She joins the group, gaining an attention and publicity of her own. She starts creating a disruption. They’re trying to have a prayer meeting and she’s coming in and advocating and heralding. It shouldn’t surprise us because Satan does disguise himself as an angel of light. He will say things that are true in order to gain credibility to make way for his lies. So it’s not unexpected, but it is unprompted and it’s very twisted socially, spiritually, practically, and it is relentlessly persistent.
18 And this she kept doing for many days.

It’s persistent. It just keeps happening. It’s not just a one time occurrence and it wasn’t resolving. Clearly this demon perceived it was gaining some kind of influence or confusion in the ministry from the inside. So it continues this deceptive infiltration day after day. It was persistent. We can expect this kind of attack to even come from within. They saw it then and we should expect to see it now. But we can also expect that such infiltration attempts will ultimately be defeated. The end may come at different pacing or in different ways. Here, it happens through the expression of Paul’s apostolic authority.

Paul, having become greatly annoyed, turned and said to the spirit, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.” And it came out that very hour.

That just means it came out immediately. Paul was on a mission for the Gospel. He wasn’t primarily on this mission to abolish slavery in a social sense. He was trying to abolish slavery to sin, which is something far more terrible. He wasn’t aiming to dismantle the pagan and oppressive Roman system. He was doing Gospel ministry and he perceived these demonic forces were seeking to confuse the movement of Christ from within. He responded as an apostle. He ordered the demon to leave her. Under this authority granted by Christ as an apostle, the demon responded.

Luke, as an author, as a physician, as a writer to Theophilus, and as a follower of Jesus and a lover of the Holy Spirit, he is particularly drawn to stories like this. He is drawn to stories of the oppressed, to stories of those overlooked, of the disenfranchised. He loves to show God’s special heart to set them free through the Gospel. Examples abound in his writing and it’s no exception, here.

We see in this moment another woman alongside Lydia. Lydia was rich and this one is poor. Philippi is liberated not through a social agenda, not through a political agenda, but through the Gospel. Nothing sets a person freer than the Gospel. Paul has focused his energy and attention where it matters most and the Gospel is at work here despite the evil of this deceptive attempt of infiltration. It’s unprompted. It’s twisted. It’s persistent, but we would expect that it will be defeated. So we can face it with courage. We know God is at work and we expect that kind of evil.

We’re going to face it on the inside, but we also should expect evil coming from the outside. We should expect attack from without. This is the persecution that comes. There is deceptive infiltration and now aggressive persecution. Satan shifts strategies. If it’s not going to work from the inside, he’s going to come from the outside. Here’s the persecution that arises through a perversion of both the private agenda of the men and then the injustice that is going to happen through the government. These are perversions that we can expect Satan to use as an attack against the church. The first is the perversion of the slave owner’s agenda. Look at what is going on inside them. There is this motivation that is unspoken, but it’s one of utter selfishness.

19 But when her owners saw that their hope of gain was gone,
Their slave had been liberated from demonic possession. In true form, their first thought is not joy at her release, but self-pity and fury at their loss of income. You see the world’s system is being disrupted by the Gospel that sets people free. While Christian ministry is not first and foremost an agenda at some kind of social liberation or causing disruption, you can better believe that it will certainly set people free from all sorts of vices which evil people and spirits will profit from. So the wonder of freedom here is not shared by those who enjoy the benefits of exploitation.

We’re reminded here of the danger of the love of money. Paul would say in 1 Timothy 6 that it can blind you with indifference to the suffering of others. They have an agenda for personal gain and of greed. It’s not one that they share. They have other talking points for explaining why they’re against the church and the Gospel. But the perverse motivation that so often goes unspoken is just plain old selfish greed. You can prepare for and expect this world to oppose Gospel ministry for unspoken reasons of selfishness.

It may not be shown, but there are people who are intentionally profiting off of the misery of others. They’re profiting off of the addictions, whether it’s to alcohol or substances or gambling. There are people profiting off the exploitation of women and children through the industry of pornography and even mainstream entertainment. There are people profiting off of so-called medical care that murders and destroys lives. Most often, they’re profiting off of those who have no way to defend themselves. Paul’s mission, as is ours, is not first and foremost some kind of political agenda. We pray for the leaders that God ordains. Ours is a ministry of the Gospel.

But to be sure, the Gospel sets people free in a way that will disrupt the evil of this world and there will be people who do not like it. It’s not good news to Satan and to those who profit off of the harm of others. It’s not good news to those in Mark 5 when the demonic is released or the Ephesian townspeople in Acts 19 when the gospel is preached. There will always be people unhappy with the freedom and blessing that God brings through the hope of Jesus. You can expect the kind of perversion through motivations of selfishness that often go unspoken, but are there. You can expect that the perversion will also take the form of injustice that goes unchecked. You see the expressions of injustice that they endured. There were unjust arrests.

they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace before the rulers.

There was an unjust arrest and an unjust hearing.

20 And when they had brought them to the magistrates,

They make this issue a legal matter, though not in a legal way. Then there were some unjust accusations. They were falsely charging Paul and Silas. They’re misrepresenting what had happened. They’re misrepresenting their identity, in a way.

they said, “These men are Jews,

This is true, but it covers up the reality that Paul is a Roman citizen. Maybe it’s a fact they don’t know or maybe it’s one they just don’t care about because they’re about to use the facts to twist them into a cultural battle to misrepresent what is going on, to suit their own purpose. Misrepresenting their identity and misrepresenting their actions, the people said

and they are disturbing our city.

It’s a common accusation we find in persecution, which is so strange. The act of bringing peace to a woman’s soul is called disturbing the city. But it’s actually because it interrupted their income stream. There was a misrepresentation of the actions and of their teaching.

21 They advocate customs that are not lawful for us as Romans to accept or practice.”

In one sense, this is true. Proselytizing in a certain form was outlawed, though often not enforced. But that doesn’t really seem to be what they’re after, here. They’re attacking Paul and Silas and trying to put a contrast between being Jews and being Romans. It’s sort of a patriotic prejudice that they’re trying to cause to foment so that they can get what they want, which is their income, or at least vengeance for the loss of it. So they push for an unjust treatment. There is a harsh public shaming.

22 The crowd joined in attacking them, and the magistrates tore the garments off them and gave orders to beat them with rods.

In this mob justice, the leaders don’t investigate the way that they should and they will later discover that this was false. They will find this out to their own shame and embarrassment. But there is a harsh shaming and harsh physical beating.

23 And when they had inflicted many blows upon them,

A bundle of rods was used to beat them again and again. It’s not the only time Paul would endure this. Then there was a harsh penal confinement.

they threw them into prison, ordering the jailer to keep them safely.

Jailers are often retired veterans from the military who could follow orders and then use their skills as required.

24 Having received this order, he put them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks.

They were locked up securely as the worst kind of criminal so they can’t escape. They were locked in the farthest cell of the prison and in fact, locked in the stocks. It was often some kind of wooden craft that would have holes that you could put your legs through and it would be extended out to make it extremely uncomfortable and induce cramping. So here they are. This is harsh treatment.

The kind of evils through the perversion of selfish agendas and then gross injustice is the persecution. There is infiltration from within and persecution from without. These are the kinds of attacks that would cause an ordinary person to shrink back in fear away from. But here we see believing the Gospel empowers you with a courage that makes no earthly sense. It is courage in the face of fear. This kind of courage is what we always see in the people of God. You see that whether it’s the story of Joseph or of David or the story of Daniel or Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. Or you see someone captured like Peter standing up or Stephen. These are moments of courage where people in the face of evil were able to speak the truth. It is modeled by Paul here. He says later in

1 Thessalonians 2:2 But though we had already suffered and been shamefully treated at Philippi, as you know, we had boldness in our God to declare to you the gospel of God in the midst of much conflict.

In the midst of conflict, sometimes we’re waiting for the right time to do ministry or to share the Gospel. We’re waiting for a right moment. But Paul says he had boldness in the midst of much conflict to tell the message of Jesus. He had courage enough that actually saw him through to see things come to a good end. Paul continued down that road and he ended up in prison again. He would write to the Philippians with the same kind of heart. He was wrongfully imprisoned, but he was able to say

Philippians 1:12 I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel,

This courage comes because even attacks from within and without can’t stop the Gospel. God is actually at work. “Even if it means that I’m having to be poured out like a sacrifice for your faith, I actually can rejoice.” At the very end, he says almost as a footnote,

Philippians 4:22 All the saints greet you, especially those of Caesar’s household.

Maybe those of Caesar’s household, because of Paul’s imprisonment there, had even heard the stories of what had happened in Philippi. They said, “We’re like that guy. Tell them that.” This is the preciousness of what courage actually brings about when you go against evil. This is the model that we have ultimately in Christ. He faced demonic opposition over and over and then human opposition. He ultimately was beaten and unjustly crucified. He was the most righteous man ever. He never had sinned, yet He endured the wrath of God in our place. He accomplished in that act what Satan hated. He defeated death. He conquered it by rising from the grave. Jesus now calls His people and says this is going to be a difficult path. You’re going to have to face evil. But He said

John 16:33 I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.
This is the kind of courage that doesn’t make sense. It is courage in the face of evil. There are examples all over the place. I remember one conversation with one of our members who had a particular job and took attacks from students and people around their university and even from the administration. They didn’t need to, but they spoke the truth. It was courage in the face of evil.

Our war is not against flesh and blood. We will often be seeming to mind our own business, but Satan will attempt to intimidate, to discourage, to attack from within and without. We need to be wise as serpents and innocent as doves, but as bold as lions. We need to remember to pray for those who are persecuted, to pray for those suffering injustice, to pray for our government to work as God would intend. But also we need an understanding that on an individual level, we need to pray for us to not be overcome by evil, but to overcome evil with good. We need to pray for the Gospel to be unleashed in a way that sets people free for real against the evils of this world and not be afraid.

Whether it’s us or maybe our spouse or a friend, or we’re on a career path thinking, “If I’m bold, what will that cost me? What will my coworkers think? What will my family say? What will my boss think? What will HR think? Whether it’s in the shop or in the classroom, what will my students say? What will my professor say?” We need courage that doesn’t make sense in this world. We need courage in the face of evil and it’s what the Gospel brings. This is the kind of power that comes from the work of God in a life. There is a change where there is courage in the face of fear. It’s a courage that comes because serving a God even in the midst of suffering actually can remind us of joy.

#2 Joy in the Midst of Suffering: The Bright Optimism the Gospel Empowers You to Have (16:25)

25 About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them,

There is joy in a place where you’d never expect to find it. There are some places where you don’t expect to find a lot of joy. I think about even on a human level, where there is unhappiness; working in the office. Sometimes there is not a lot of joy in the office. You clock in. You’re sitting there and you’re typing. You can go for hours and nobody cracks a smile. But then sometimes people bring in a puppy or a baby. Then somebody you’ve never seen smile is making crazy voices and noises and faces. This external force that is coming in is sort of untouched by whatever the suffering or the misery of the moment is. They’re in another realm.

Think about places where you don’t expect to find joy. Sometimes maybe you consider a hospital room. Or maybe you consider a prison cell, maybe in the inmost prison cell of maximum confinement here with a wrongful conviction after a beating. That’s where you expect to hear moaning and groaning and grumbling. You expect to hear a little bit of self-pity and maybe some cries for justice. But we see joy here in the midst of suffering. We’re reminded that we need to fight for joy at all times. The Gospel helps us to do that even in the midnight hour in verse 25.
Why was it so late? It’s probably because there wasn’t much sleep to be had. After being beat, then you’re there in the prison and your legs are cramping. There was a lot to think about. They probably weren’t able to sleep. But even at that time, they’re able to fight for joy. The way to do so is fighting for joy by using the gifts that God gives. They used the simple gifts that they have. Three gifts stand out.

One is easy to overlook, but it’s Paul and Silas together. At least they’re together. There is a way in which they draw near in fellowship. They don’t just sort of commiserate on their own. They decide that they’re in this together and they draw near in fellowship. What do they do in their fellowship? First they cry out in prayer. They’re praying to God. Not only do they talk to God in prayer, but perhaps most shockingly, they sing out in song. Is there ever a time where you think, I don’t really feel like singing? When you don’t feel like singing, it is very hard to sing. It’s one of those things that is just really hard to fake. But here, they fight for joy and they sing out in song. They’re singing hymns to God and maybe they’re recalling the teaching of Jesus in Matthew 5.

Matthew 5:10-12 “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when others revile and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven,

Perhaps that was what was encouraging them in the moment as they sing. It’s that kind of thought I think that captured Paul’s heart when he wrote to the Philippians. He is speaking with baggage, with history, with background. He says

Philippians 4:4 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice.

He reminds them that the Lord is at hand. In fact he says as you make your prayers and requests known to God with thanksgiving,

Philippians 4:7 And the peace of God which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Here is the true one on guard. They recognize what is going on. They recognize the power of worship, the power of song. They’re fighting for joy at all times with what God gives and there is a sense in which there is a benefit. There is a good impact upon others. Their fellow prisoners were listening. They probably were used to people coming into the prison. They were probably used to new people with new wounds and expected a long night of moaning and groaning. But no, this was a night of some singing. Probably, song been absent for quite a while. Here the prisoners are. They’re listening and they’re interested. There is something compelling about what’s going on.

Here we’re just reminded that as we try to fight for joy in a way that doesn’t make earthly sense, as Christians, there are lots of ways that we’re going to suffer around this world. Maybe an encouragement for those who are leading, especially in a spiritual capacity, whether you’re an elder or whether you’re a community group leader or whether you’re an ABC leader or deacon or deaconess or you’re just leading your home. There are times when people are going to be suffering and we need to show great empathy and compassion. There are times where they will share prayer requests. One of the ways that we can help lead people spiritually is to remind them of the opportunity for impact. As we express empathy, we don’t just pray immediately for deliverance out of the suffering without giving regard for the good that can come when others see you have joy in the midst of it. Even as people pray for healing and pray to be delivered out of the hospital, pray for impact while you’re there.

Encourage one another and model that even as you ask for prayer from others. Pray that we would have an impact for others and fight for joy for the way that God can use us in this world as we suffer. Praying and singing is such a precious gift not only in the good times, but also in the hard times. When you come, it’s a great gift to your church family as you go through suffering and they hear you sing. Sometimes you come and you’ve lost your voice and you have enough strength just to make it here. Remember that! For others, as you look around, some people just made it here and they’re hoping that you can pray for and sing for them on their behalf. Remind them of the goodness of God. Fight for joy.

Ultimately, Paul gives the example in Christ. Christ had a view of the joy that was ahead, beyond the suffering of the cross. We see in Hebrews 12 this sort of hope that is not just the cross or the end of suffering in death. What lies beyond it is the hope of resurrection. Our joy comes not just because it will all be over one day, but because there is something beyond it. There is a hope of a day when every tear will be wiped away and when our joy will be experienced in full. It’s the kind of joy that Paul talks about 2 Corinthians 4.

2 Corinthians 4:16-17 So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison,

That’s what we sing about. That’s the joy we fight for. Praise God that there are people in our midst who are suffering in such a way and they have a song. Don’t miss the opportunity to see God at work. Pray for God to sustain them and help them to have an impact even in the midst of their suffering. Pray that they would lean into fellowship and not isolation. Pray that they would pray and sing and invest in one another so that we can learn to sing these songs. There is going to be a time when we need them desperately. So we labor even as we come every Sunday, to encourage each other in this kind of worship. We can fight for joy.

Sometimes it’s very tempting to commiserate in the midst of our suffering. In fact, the very people that need to see our impact and God at work the most, are the people we’re tempted to commiserate with, whether it’s a neighbor or a coworker or a fellow student. We’re most tempted to grumble with them and hide our joy in the midst of suffering when God would have us have an impact. Pray for courage and readiness to share joy in the midst of that suffering.

#3 Hope in Times of Desperation: The True Hope the Gospel Empowers You to Give (16:26-32)

This is something that doesn’t make any sense. This is how the Gospel changes a life in a way that doesn’t make sense. Hope is the confident trust in God that something good is going to happen. Here we see the hope that is available in this moment of desperation. It’s a powerful moment of desperation where the Gospel really shines against this dark backdrop. We’re reminded and encouraged that if we want to see Gospel hope in the midst of desperate moments, first we have to look beyond the obvious.

It’s obvious what is going on. They’re here in prison. The jailer had certain expectations. But there is a hope. In the background of Peter being rescued from prison, I find it hard to believe that someone wouldn’t have been praying for something amazing to happen, something beyond the obvious, a way maybe where God would act. I think there is an encouragement for us to look for God to act. We don’t know exactly how He will, but we know that He hears His people pray. In the past, He sent an angel. He can send an earthquake or He can send supernatural power. But here it’s an earthquake.

26 and 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.

That’s a clear act of God beyond the obvious. In this desperate moment of their need, as they’re just singing and praying, God acts in a powerful way. But there is also a bit of surprise in the responses to that event. Now, what’s not surprising is the response of the jailer.

27 When the jailer woke and saw that the prison doors were open,

His first response is this alarming realization that the doors are opened. That’s your worst nightmare. It’s the nightmare that the jailer wakes up to. His house is probably next to the prison. Then he makes a reasonable assumption. If the doors are open, they’re gone. That’s a natural assumption. He supposes they escaped. For a jailer, the typical punishment was whatever punishment for the crime of the prisoners who had been lost. So it could have been a humiliating and likely an excruciating execution. So he just resigns himself.

he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, supposing that the prisoners had escaped.

This is a desperate moment. It’s not so surprising, but what is surprising is the response of the captives. It’s shocking! Paul has a concern and it’s selfless. After being wrongly imprisoned he doesn’t just run out. He doesn’t just let this man take his own life. No, you see he is concerned about the wellbeing of his captor.

28 But Paul cried with a loud voice, “Do not harm yourself, for we are all here.”
“You don’t have to worry about that punishment. We are all here.” He is concerned about the wellbeing of his captor. Why did they not just run out? I think he is concerned about the credibility of his Savior. There is a credibility of the message. They have been wrongly imprisoned. You wouldn’t want to just run out under this cloud of suspicion. God has opened this up and He is going to see things through. He wants to see the issue resolved and their names cleared. He also is concerned about the individuals in front of him.

So even though he is praying, and you might pray for an open door, not every open door that God provides is one that you have to immediately walk through. Here, Paul cries out in concern for this man. The Gospel hope empowers both of them to look beyond the obvious for God to act and for the people to impact. Paul sees how God has acted and the person in front of him that he needs to impact. So he takes advantage of this desperate moment. An encouragement for us as we look at this jailer is to let desperate moments drive us to the right place. God has designed these desperate moments for your good. So we let them move us at the right time. When the desperate moment comes, that is the right time to move.

29 And the jailer called for lights and rushed in,

This is a desperate moment. He sees what is going on and in that desperation, he is moved to the right people. He is captured by fear.

and trembling with fear he fell down before Paul and Silas.

Now, when all the prisoners are there it could have calmed his fears. But in fact, that’s what arouses them. He recognizes something greater than what is going on at a human level is going on here. His fears have risen above his circumstances to a fear of God. He is driven to the right people, the right place and asking the right question.

30 Then he brought them out and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”

“I need to be rescued.” He recognizes at that moment, he was about to take his own life and enter a Christless eternity. He was about to enter the judgment of God. He had just contemplated death and he realizes “This is nothing compared to what I face before God. I need to be rescued. How do I get saved?” It’s ironic that he asks the same question the demon had been declaring. It’s as if God is initiating the very thing that Satan was taunting with. Here he asks how do I be saved? The miracle here is not so much that God opens the doors of the cell, but He opens the heart of the jailer. So the desperate moment is faced here by reciting God’s message. How do you be saved? It’s so simple. Here is the person you believe in.

31 And they said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus,

Believe in who He claimed to be. He is the Son of God, the chosen one. Believe in what He came to accomplish. He died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, was buried and raised. Believe in the person of Jesus. Here is the promise you can take comfort in.

and you will be saved,

That’s a promise you can take comfort in and this is a hope that you can share.

you and your household.”

It’s not that the household would be saved through him, but that through the same message, anyone from his household could also come and enjoy that same salvation.

32 And they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house.

It seems that they proclaimed that very same word and then the household responds and celebrates in verse 34. These are individuals who respond to the Gospel call. There are windows of opportunity, desperate moments in front of us. There might be some even this week and we need to be ready to take people to the right message. There is hope in the midst of desperation found in the Gospel.

#4 Love Across Deep-Seated Divides: The Warm Empathy the Gospel Empowers You to Feel (16:33-34)

Jesus said they’ll know you are my disciples, by your love for one another. We see this divide that would have never been reconciled between the captor and those wrongfully imprisoned. Here we see love instantly enjoyed and celebrated.

33 And he took them the same hour of the night and washed their wounds; and he was baptized at once, he and all his family.

I have two quick thoughts on this love. When you feel warm by the Gospel to express love, show it quickly and show it tangibly. Here in the same hour, he is ready to respond and he does so in very tangible ways. He has compassion for Christ’s body through care for them. There is obedience to Christ’s commands in the act of baptism. Then there is fellowship and celebration with Christ’s people.

34 Then 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.

Show and respond to the love prompted by the Gospel. Show it quickly and tangibly. Be careful if your response to God is always delayed and intangible. The work of God’s Spirit happens in a moment and it happens in tangible ways. This is the kind of love that we see at work. We see courage, joy, hope, love. These are all powerful and unexplainable things by the work of God. The plan of Satan backfires and the ministry of the Gospel advances in ways that you could never explain in an earthly way.
Praise God for people like Paul, like the jailer, like John Newton, people like you, people like me who come bringing nothing, but have been converted and transformed by the power of God simply through believing. The things that we had done for evil, the things that we even intended for evil, ultimately and eventually, God can use for good. How He does that in the midst of a broken and fallen world is actually the theme we’re going to explore over the next couple of weeks as we enter into a series through the end of Genesis through the life of Joseph. So you can start to prepare for that series and consider how God can work in a world like this because of the miraculous power of the Gospel.