Acts 16:27-31 “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!” 29 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.”

Today our society craves comfort, convenience and happiness above everything so when circumstance become difficult we view them as a problem that must be changed. When they can’t be the world says, “what cannot be cured can only be endured.” Christianity gives us a different lens to look through because sometimes these things must be endured because they are part of the cure. As we continue to look at our worship warrior in prison we see that worship that wins involves:

•             Wonder

There is power in praise and in singing and praying they saw God’s power. Paul and his companions chose to focus on praise instead of persecution, because they were living to serve the Savior instead of self. Today our Worship wars are waged over our preferences instead of His praise. We have reduced worship to that which moves our hearts instead of the hand of God.  We have made it about do I like hymns, or the Gaithers, or contemporary praise songs and what moves me, yet praise isn’t about the people. Today our praise is blocked by preference, we worship together and say “I really enjoyed the worship today, it was good”. Yet can I be so bold as to say who cares if we liked the worship because it’s not about us, it’s time for us to reverse the question and ask ourselves “did God like it?” When we get out of the way we worship, but instead we have substituted His power for our preference. The power of praise can shake the foundations of our prisons, we could walk away free, yet instead many choose the preference of praise, trading freedom for a feel good. Today the church has become content and contained in their cell.  Instead of a chorus of celebration there is just the clanging of chains. We choose comfort over care and convenience over conviction. Yet for Paul his circumstances were more than just an inconvenience, beaten and bound, far from comfortable he chose to praise. Because no matter how cruel our circumstances they are never Christ-less, nothing can put us someplace where God is not. Today are you in the deepest pit of despair? Praise God, He is there with you. Are you in chains of habit that are holding you fast? Praise God, He is there with you. Are you a prisoner of Christ? Because you serve Him and declare Him to others, are you rejected by family or friends? Praise God, He is there with you. Why settle for preference when you can have His power?

Paul saw God’s power and more, they experienced His provision and more, because in the power and provision they glimpsed His purpose. What was God’s purpose? God wasn’t just providing freedom for Paul and his friends but also for those around them including the jailer. You see the one who was supposed to be guarding the prisoners and who seemed to be the freest was the one who was really locked up because he was lost. What if our praise brought power that wasn’t just for our provision? Would I be willing praise while I paid with my physical freedom so others could experience spiritual freedom? Would the words of verse 30 “And after he brought them out, he said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” be music to my ears. When those around us hear our praises and see His power and provision the result will often be that they will want what we have. People are drawn to those who praise in the pain because they see a peace that passes all understanding. We know that God has a good plan for our lives, yet so often faced with a difficult circumstance we choose not to praise but to doubt and worry and complain, and when we do we forfeit the power of praise. Yet praising in the pain is a choice built on the conviction that Christ has already conquered my circumstance. Verse 28 records Paul’s words as he cried out in a loud voice, “Do yourself no harm, for we are all here” Paul did not need to leave or run away God had him right where he needed to be and as a result people were saved from death. So often we want God’s power to free us from our circumstances and our praise becomes about our chains instead of those that need changed.

Worship warriors teach us that those who sing while they suffer are those who have learned that suffering is how joy is perfected. What if my pain isn’t really a problem but a perfecting? Worship warriors remind us that those who sing in prison are those who cannot be imprisoned. Today there are many who are trapped by their troubles and imprisoned in their problems yet if we look to our Father we are forever free.  Worship warriors also teach us that those who praise at midnight are those who know the light. So today will you choose to live in the wonder of worship or the why and the whine?

Acts 16:25-26 But at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them. Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open, and everyone’s chains came loose.

The year was approximately A.D. 52, Paul was on his second missionary journey and the Holy Spirit had called him and those traveling with him to Macedonea. Their travels took them to Philippi, a Roman colony and on the Sabbath we find Paul, Luke who wrote the book of Acts, and Silas walking by the river outside of the city gates, seeking a peaceful place for prayer. A slave who was possessed and being used by her masters to make money, was following the group and yelling, “These men are bond-servants of the Most High God, who are proclaiming to you the way of salvation.” While her words were true, God does not need Satan to speak for Him, and a true servant of God does not revel in the flattery of attention. So Paul turned and cast out the evil spirit but her master got mad because Paul’s ministry cost him money. The Holy Spirit directed Paul to Macedonea, so he changes his travel plans and goes there in obedience to God. They come to Philippi and receive no great welcome, they are apparently ignored except by a small group of women who meet down by the river to pray. They are hounded by a demon possessed slave-girl until, led of the Holy Spirit, Paul delivers her from bondage, and for that they are stripped, beaten “with many blows”, and chained up like dangerous criminals. So how do they respond to prison and pain? Prayer and Praise! Persecution produced Praise in their life. It was Paul who wrote to the Ephesians, “…be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord; always giving thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, to God, even the Father;” For Paul these were not just principles but practices. How about you how do you respond to being wronged, do you Worship or whine? Today we get bummed out over a bad hair day because for many of us our worship is held hostage by happiness. Yet for Paul he not only made a decision to praise but he also directed his praise, the bigger the problem the bolder the praise. Worship that wins involves:

• Witness

Those that worship witness, Paul’s work was to preach the Word, to be a witness. Prison didn’t stop the preaching, Paul pushed through with the vehicle of worship. Often we let our circumstances govern our celebration yet we will never find hope looking at our circumstances but in looking to the One who is in charge of our circumstances. If we were put in prison would we pursue praise? So often we focus on where we are instead of whose we are, we lose perspective on what really matters. We can also be limited in our view of the purpose to praise. It goes way beyond just our provision, it’s farther-reaching than just giving us comfort and encouragement in trouble. We’re told in verse 25 that “the prisoners were listening to them”. Praise doesn’t just comfort it also confronts and convicts those who hear it. Today through technology our audience isn’t just our little group, it is global.  Anything from a President’s speech to a jeans commercial can be broadcast to places we don’t even think about by a simple entry on the internet. Today the world is constantly broadcasting their problems because that’s all they have, history has shown us that they have no solutions, but are we broadcasting our praise? Praise is the antidote to the problems, will you broadcast with boldness what you believe? What will the world hear from you, worship or whining? Paul’s praise echoes through eternity not just globally but generationally. Paul’s suffering was a result of serving, today we want serving to result in a pat on the back not persecution. Often our motivation to serve is rooted in the selfish desire to be seen and to succeed.  But the success for Paul was not in the results but the relationship. An Earthquake resulted but we don’t always experience the power of praise. We miss the whole thing if we think that when we are in prison an earthquake will always come. A few years later Paul was in a prison again, this time in Rome, and while he was in prison he wrote to the church where we find him still singing. He sang not because the earth was going to be moved because Christ was bigger than his circumstances. In 2 Timothy 4:5-8 he said “you should keep a clear mind in every situation. Don’t be afraid of suffering for the Lord. Work at telling others the Good News, and fully carry out the ministry God has given you. 6 As for me, my life has already been poured out as an offering to God. The time of my death is near. 7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, and I have remained faithful. 8 And now the prize awaits me—the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give me on the day of his return. And the prize is not just for me but for all who eagerly look forward to his appearing.”

Paul’s worship was not based on the wonder or the wow factor but on the One he worshipped and witnessed about. What about you, are you going to focus on the problems or the praise, what will others witness, worship or whining?