Acts 16:22-30

22 “A mob quickly formed against Paul and Silas, and the city officials ordered them stripped and beaten with wooden rods. 23 They were severely beaten, and then they were thrown into prison. The jailer was ordered to make sure they didn’t escape. 24 So the jailer put them into the inner dungeon and clamped their feet in the stocks. 25 Around midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening. 26 Suddenly, there was a massive earthquake, and the prison was shaken to its foundations. All the doors immediately flew open, and the chains of every prisoner fell off! 27 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?”

In the midst of persecution we see two men praising God because they were prepared and now we get to see the results of their praise:

• Power

Paul didn’t stop proclaiming Jesus just because he was arrested; his sermon was the song that he sang. I have heard a lot of good preachers but the best preaching is praise in the midst of the pain. When our circumstances turn from good to bad, and the flow of God’s blessings appear to dry up how we respond is critical. What we tend to forget is that in these moments the world will surely be watching our lives. The truth is that suffering probably provides us with the greatest opportunity to demonstrate the validity of Christianity. Pain, probably more than any other medium gives us a platform to proclaim God’s plan of peace to the people around us. It’s easy to praise when things are perfect, but when the world sees us praising in the midst of the pain it causes them to stop and pay attention. Notice that the other prisoners were listening. Now let’s take this passage and get practical, when was the last time that you actually suffered for your faith? When have you been persecuted for proclaiming God’s plan? If there is one thing that we should be challenged by in this story it is that we should put away our pettiness, quit playing church and get our eyes on the goal. What if we were to stop focusing on the misery and start focusing on the mission? If we’re grateful and joyful, only when things are going good then how are we any different from the world? Anyone can whine when things go bad but to worship in the midst of suffering is supernatural. 1 Peter 2:12 says, “12 Be careful to live properly among your unbelieving neighbors. Then even if they accuse you of doing wrong, they will see your honorable behavior, and they will give honor to God when he judges the world” Matthew 5:14 reminds us, “You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. 15Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.” If we want to reach the world with the word of God and see people come to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ then we must praise even in the pain. Are you going to focus on your suffering or on those who need salvation? It’s easy to get sidetracked in the suffering, but persecution didn’t derail or redirect Paul, he stayed true to the mission to share the power of His Savior. From a worldly point of view Paul and Silas as the prisoners should have been the ones in despair but instead it was the jailer who was beyond despair. He was ready to take his life but what saved him was the attitude of Peter and Silas during their difficult imprisonment. They sang and praised God even though they were in chains, and because of their joy the jailer and his entire household were saved. Our song in the suffering can open the door to salvation. It was the jailer who needed to be set free, he was the real prisoner not Paul and Silas. Prayerful praise doesn’t just break our chains, it changes our perspective and provides a platform to proclaim God’s plan of peace. Not only does it shake free our shackles but if frees those stuck in sin. When you are going through trials you may not feel particularly grateful, but we can thank God for His abundant promises and unfailing goodness. Henry Frost served for many years as a missionary to China. In his journal he wrote of a very difficult time in his life. He says, “I had received sad news from home, and deep shadows had covered my soul. I prayed BUT the darkness did not vanish. I summoned myself to endure, BUT the darkness only deepened. Then I went to an inland station and saw on the wall of the mission home these words: ’TRY THANKSGIVING.’ I did, and in a moment every shadow was gone, not to return.” Maybe right now you too feel like a shadow has covered your soul, maybe you’re struggling with burdens that seem unbearable. Maybe you also have prayed but there is still no relief to the problems, or you have told yourself to keep on going hoping that it would disappear only it’s gotten deeper. What if you like Frost were to engage in the purest form of prayer, praise. What if instead of telling God about our problems we like Paul told the world about His power? We have a God who turns tragedy into triumph, verse 33 says, “Even at that hour of the night, the jailer cared for them and washed their wounds. Then he and everyone in his household were immediately baptized.” Look at the incredible change in this man’s life; the one responsible for chaining them is now washing their wounds. Verse 34 goes on to say that, “He brought them into his house and set a meal before them, and he and his entire household rejoiced because they all believed in God.” When God opened up his heart he opened up his home, he went from a hard heart to one of hospitality. Real conversion results in compassion, salvation should show. Praise may have started with Paul and Silas but it quickly spread to the jailer and his family. Both praise and protesting are contagious, one effects the other infects, one ruins the other is the remedy. What about you are you effecting or infecting others, are you inviting people to join in on a pity party or a party of praise? So let me ask you, was the pain and suffering that Paul and Silas went through worth it? Satan schemes were thwarted, God was glorified and a sinner was saved, now that is winning the war. That’s what I want; I want my life to be a contagious chorus of praise regardless of the pain and problems.  What about you are you going to live a life that proclaims your pain or God’s power?

Acts 16:22-30

22 “A mob quickly formed against Paul and Silas, and the city officials ordered them stripped and beaten with wooden rods. 23 They were severely beaten, and then they were thrown into prison. The jailer was ordered to make sure they didn’t escape. 24 So the jailer put them into the inner dungeon and clamped their feet in the stocks. 25 Around midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening. 26 Suddenly, there was a massive earthquake, and the prison was shaken to its foundations. All the doors immediately flew open, and the chains of every prisoner fell off! 27 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?”

Here on Paul’s second missionary journey we see the gospel of God’s grace being brought into modern day Europe, but it isn’t long before we also see:

• Persecution

How many of us believed that when we got saved that life would be easier? If you did it probably didn’t take long for you to realize that in many ways things actually get harder. In John 16:33 Jesus said, “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” Look Jesus didn’t come to remove our troubles but to redeem and refine us. When we are saved there are some problems that come to an end while others are only just beginning. 2 Timothy 3:12 says “Yes, and everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution” Here in Acts 16 Paul and Silas are in trouble, not because they’re out of God’s will, but because they are in God’s will! They are experiencing problems not because they are doing the wrong thing but because they are doing the right thing. But it’s in the midst of the persecution that we see the:

• Praise

Here in Acts 16 we see prayer and praise in the mist of problems and prison. So powerful was this praise that every door was opened and all the chains were loosed. I wonder today if we really understand just how powerful these spiritual weapons of prayer and praise are. Prayerful praise doesn’t just shake things up it opens doors. Paul and Silas had been falsely accused, stripped, severely beaten with wooden rods, and thrown into prison. Now here they are, sitting not just in jail but in the inner dungeon, with no idea of whether the next day would bring release or retribution. So what was their response to the persecution, what do we find them doing? Are they complaining about the unfair treatment? Are they demanding to know how God let this happen to them? Are they bitter, angry, or resentful? Are they discouraged or depressed? Are they shouting insults against the jailer and the authorities? No, they are rejoicing, giving thanks as they sing hymns of praise to God. Their response to the persecution is praise. Satan the enemy had tried to derail and destroy their ministry. He tried to cause them to become weary and worried, to become bitter and give in to a bad attitude, so that they would question their calling and quit. As I’ve said many times, the source of most of our pain is Satan and sin but we have a God that can turn tragedy into triumph. What Satan intended for harm God uses to arm. Satan wanted to plant seeds of doubt and despair but instead there was a harvest of praise. Paul and Silas not only knew what to do but who to look to. Instead of focusing on their chains they focused on Christ, choosing to cry out in praise instead of pain.  Prison can chain the hand but it doesn’t have to chain the heart. Are you letting your problems dictate your praise or are you praising into your problems? So many of us let the pains of this life put our praise into prison.  Don’t let the hurts hold back your heart, don’t let it cause you to hang your head, look up and let out your cry of praise even in the deepest prisons. They chose to offer a sacrifice of praise instead of protest. They chose praise instead of pity. How about you, how will you respond to the pain, will you retaliate or rejoice? They praised in the midst of the persecution because they were:

• Prepared

Scripture says that “at midnight” Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God. What will you do at midnight? Psalms 119:62 says, “At midnight I will rise to give you thanks for your righteous laws” In many ways midnight is a milestone, the night is half over and with each minute we get closer to the dawn. The question we face is whether we will make it until day break. I think the answer depends on what we chose to do in the dark and difficult times and how we prepared while it was still day. How we come out of a trial often depends on how we went into it. Paul as he mentored young Timothy told him to be a good soldier. Soldiers prepare and practice for battle in time of peace; they don’t wait until war breaks out to work out.  When the enemy is closing in, you don’t have time to figure out how to work your weapon. It’s time for the church to face the truth, we are in a battle, Christians are not pacifist they are proclaimers of truth. If you are a believer then it’s time to join the battle. 2 Corinthians 10:4 says, “We use God’s mighty weapons, not worldly weapons, to knock down the strongholds of human reasoning and to destroy false arguments.” Ephesians 6:11 says, “Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.” When Paul and Silas began to praise God in song they were using spiritual weapons, what about you when things go wrong are you going to pray and praise?  When things go wrong are you in the habit of praying or are you in the habit of cursing. In the midst of the problems will you proclaim His name or complain? What will you do at midnight, will you turn to God or will you turn on God? The 25th chapter of Matthew tells us about the ten virgins that took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom, five were wise and five foolish. The foolish ones didn’t take enough olive oil for their lamps, where the five wise ones took extra oil along. At midnight when the cry rung out that the bridegroom was coming the foolish found their lamps going out. They also found that they could not make it in on the other five’s oil. They had to go to buy oil and while they were going the bridegroom came. The five that were ready went in with Him and the door was shut. If we don’t stay filled up on the things of God then in the midst of our trial at, midnight, we may find our lamps going out. How prepared for persecution are you?  When the “prisons” come will you have a song for the night? Will you be singing in the suffering?