Walking Through Acts

Last week, we left off with Paul and his missionary team in the city of Philippi. A

prominent city in Macedonia what we would refer to as Greece. The evangelistic

efforts of Paul and his crew faced very little resistance up to this point in his

journey, but as I mentioned at the end of my sermon last week, that was going to

be short lived. The very reason for this, as we are about to see, is the very same

reason a lot of people have an issue with biblical Christianity today. Christianity

over the course of history has and always will be a voice against anything opposed

to God and the gospel. Let’s take a look at our first verse for today and see how all

this plays out.

Acts 16:16

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.

So we’ve got Paul, Silas, Timothy, Luke and possibly others making their way to the

riverside where they had been teaching. And on their way, they meet a girl. And

this is not just some ordinary girl. Yes, she was a slave, but not a slave that was

merely given menial tasks to do. This girl had a spirit of divination within her. She

was demon possessed. There are two ways in which modern people think about

demons. That is, we think they are merely a fiction, drawn up in the minds of

those who seek to manipulate and scare people into obedience. In other words,

they’re not real. There are others who think far too much about them which leads

to an unhealthy obsession over them and neglect to fill their minds with the

things of God. C.S. Lewis puts it this way.

C.S. Lewis, from The Screwtape Letters p.3

“There are two equal and opposite errors into which our race can fall about the

devils. One is to disbelieve in their existence. The other is to believe, and to feel an

excessive and unhealthy interest in them.”What I am going to attempt to do here in this portion of our text is to strike that

healthy balance between the two extremes of apathy or willful ignorance and that

of an obsession about demons. The first thing we must understand is that demons

are very much real and they can have an influence in our physical world. I’m not

trying to scare anyone, but if you’re standing in the middle of a road with a semi

barreling toward you without you knowing, I’m going to let you know of its

existence so that you can get to safety. I remember at my childhood church, we

had a group return from a mission trip to Haiti. Voodoo is the popular religion

down there and they witnessed this demon worship, but from a distance. They

were with a guide who brought them within earshot of a voodoo ritual. There

were chants going on and a bunch of noise coming from where this ritual was

being held. The moment they started moving closer, something very eerie

happened. Once they crossed a certain threshold, all of the noise ceased.

Everything went silent. Why? It’s because the forces of evil and darkness fear the

Lord of Lords and Prince of Peace which resides in us wherever we go and they

detest the fact that they have no real power over the one who has conquered

death and the grave.

When I first started into vocational ministry, I experienced something that would

forever change me. I had just started my job at Valley Mills Christian Church in

Indianapolis and it was early in the morning in our little apartment. JJ had already

gone to work I remember waking up and I couldn’t move. This was the first time I

had ever experienced this, no doubt it had to do with my obedience to God’s

calling on my life to serve Him. I couldn’t move. I remember staring straight up at

the ceiling trying to figure out what was going on and panic starts to set in. I could

feel my heart rate starting to increase and I wanted to yell but I couldn’t. Then I

heard a noise in my right ear. It was a deep menacing sound that I can only

describe it as a deep growling. Was I scared at this point? Yes I was. I determined

to use all the strength in my body to turn to my right side to see what was there.

What was my plan once I came face to face with whatever it was? I don’t know. I

just know I would rather know what I’m up against than not know. With every bit

of strength that I could muster, I start turning over slowly inch by inch and the

more I exerted myself, the louder the growling became until it turned into barking

that still sends chills down my spine to this day. It was at this point that I

remember the power that is in Jesus’ name. At this point, I still couldn’t see what

was tormenting me but I knew it was evil. And so with the strength I had left, Icould barely get out the words, it was pitiful. I said, “In the name of Jesus Christ,

leave me.” What happened next was the most terrifying thing of all. As soon as I

said those words, no sooner and no later, I saw a bright flash of light that was

accompanied by the sound of a thousand canons. For a split moment, I had gone

deaf and blind and I was terrified. Next thing I knew, I was sitting up in my bed

drenched in sweat and exhausted. And it was at that time that I first understood

the might and power of God in a deeper way than I ever had before. I know knew

with even more clarity what it meant to fear the Lord. There was no doubt that

God had delivered me from a spiritual attack. I had determined that day that all of

my time going to Sunday school as a kid and goofing around and enduring boring

sermons and leading worship songs when I got older was all just me going through

the motions. I was just playing house at that point in my faith journey. But that

day, it became real. Not that my faith was fake, but my eyes had been opened to

the reality of a spiritual war that rages in the unseen realm that I had not

experienced up to that point.

I’ve learned from my study and life experience that when the gospel is being

mobilized, that’s when the devil starts to pay attention and says, “I don’t like that.”

And so begins his attempts to undermine the work of ministry.

The same antagonist in our story is the same one we find in the pages of our

Bibles. He’s been at it for centuries and will continue until his day comes when He

is thrown into the lake of fire.

And so what we have here in our text is a girl who is possessed by a demon given

the ability to tell the future. She literally has superpowers, but they are from the

realm of darkness. And there were those who sought to cash in on this

opportunity. So, she is a slave who is made to use this curse of divination to make

money. That’s pretty low if you ask me. Taking advantage of someone who is

possessed by a demon to fill their pockets.

The next verse had perplexed me for the longest time. Luke writes,

Acts 16:17

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.”The question in my mind for the longest time was, what’s the problem with this?

The demon is speaking truth through this girl. Why? I do not know. Scripture tells

us that a house cannot be divided against itself cannot stand, it will fall (Scripture

says “it will be laid to waste”). So, what is happening here?

Reece,

“In the Greek, it reads ‘A way of salvation,’ and this is the way it must be

translated if the verse is to make any real sense. One of the doctrines of the occult

is that Christianity is just one of many ways of salvation. It is ‘a way’ of salvation,

no better or no worse than others, like Buddhism, Islam, or Zoroastrianism.”

So the next verse makes way more sense now.

Acts 16:18a

18 And this she kept doing for many days. Paul, having become greatly annoyed,

What we then see happen next is Paul uttering the very words that the Holy Spirit

reminded me of in my time of torment.

Acts 16:18b

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.

And I would like to imagine that there were those who were present at this event

saw the power and might of God and chose to live more fervently for Him.

Unfortunately, there are those who would simply go on about their lives

unaffected. In the case of the slave girl’s owners they became even more opposed

to the gospel than they had been before. Last week, I referenced the saying,

“Don’t step on my toes and I won’t step on yours” as a popular sentiment among

those who are spiritually apathetic. But at this time of the girl’s deliverance from

this demon, she lost her power to tell the future. And so, the owners lost their

livelihood. They weren’t happy.Acts 16:19-21

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.”

This says something about Christianity. That it was recognized as something new.

According to Roman law, people were free to worship whatever deity they chose

as long as it wasn’t something new or strange. Christianity fell into this category of

new and strange and this was the charge brought against Paul and Silas.

Acts 16:22

22 The crowd joined in attacking them, and the magistrates tore the garments off

them and gave orders to beat them with rods.

In a Roman court, the criminal was usually stripped entirely naked. The goal was

to humiliate. Paul reflects on this experience later in 1 Thessalonians 2:2.

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.

And these rods that were used to beat Paul and Silas were like that of a broom

stick or a shovel handle. The Jews put a limit on the number of blows one was

allowed to inflict. The Romans had no such limitation.

Acts 16:23-24

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.

Let me ask you something. Many of us in here may not have been physically

beaten and thrown into prison. At least not like Paul and Silas. But I’m sure many

of us in here have felt like we have whether it be emotionally, verbally, orspiritually, we have been beat down and worn out and wondering what the

purpose of it all is. What’s your response in these types of moments? What do

you do? Let me point you to the example we see of Paul and Silas.

Acts 16:25

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

prisoners were listening to them,

In the deepest recesses of this prison, we find Paul and Silas chained up with

stocks about their ankles. I can imagine them exhausted from the day’s events,

bruised and bloodied, humiliated, hungry, thirsty, wondering about God’s purpose

in all of this. And it is in this dark night that they lift up prayers and praise. Amidst

circumstances that would cause many to fall into despair, the sound of worship

echoed through the halls of the prison and every ear that it fell upon was

attentive. Many of the prisoners would be used to the agonizing cries and bellows

of unfortunate souls that found themselves in the inner prison for it was common

for executions to take place right there in the cell. Instead of the sound of

desperate pleas for mercy before the deafening sound of silence, they heard a

much different sound. It was a sound of hope like streams of water flowing

through a parched land.

There’s a song that I like to reference when talking about particularly difficult

times that we go through in life. The bridge goes like this.

“When the enemy says I'm done, I lift my praises

When my world comes crashing down, I lift my praises high

Till the darkness turns to dawn, I lift my praises

I choose to worship, I choose You now”

So, dear Christian, if you find yourself in the midst of a storm, or you’re

experiencing loss like you’ve never felt before or the sleepless nights that you are

having to endure, I want you to know that the devil cannot stand when he thinks

he has won the day, but in reality it is we who stand triumphant in the strength of

Christ when our own strength has all but dwindled. And that, is true freedom.

When we understand that our circumstances do not determine our responses, weare liberated from that which would keep us in bondage and slaves to our own

misery.

Acts 16:26

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.

This is very similar to what we saw happen with Peter on two different occasions

where God freed Peter and John from jail in Chapter five and freed Peter from

prison in chapter twelve.

Acts 16:27-29

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.

As we’ve learned earlier through our study of the book of Acts, it was a custom

that a guard should take his own life if his prisoners escaped under his watch. You

can imagine the fear he felt for his own life. But after witnessing the act of God

that loosened shackles and shook the earth, his fear turned from a temporal fear

to one that was spiritual.

Acts 16:30

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

We do not suppose that he is merely speaking about his physical condition or life

here on earth, for Paul and Silas did not interpret his question that way. The jailer

was not primarily interested in his life in his earthly body but concerned about his

soul and where it would end up for eternity. Maybe some of you in here today are

wondering the very same thing. If this is you, pay very close attention to the

response to this man’s question…”what must I do to be saved?”Acts 16:31

31 And they said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your

household.”

Now in the past, I have dealt with similar verses that seem to, on the surface,

indicate that belief or faith alone is the biblically prescribed way by which one is

saved. In harmony with other passages in Scripture we understand that faith is

much more than intellectual belief, but must be accompanied by obedience. In

Acts 2:38, we find apostolic instruction on how one gets saved.

38 Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus

Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy

Spirit.

McGarvey,

“Those who catch at these words of Paul to the jailer and draw the conclusion

that salvation is by faith alone, leave the jail too soon. The should remain till they

hear all – till they hear Paul tell the man to repent and be baptized, till the design

of baptism is explained to him, till he is baptized, till he is found rejoicing greatly

immediately after his baptism.”

Acts 16:32-34

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.

As we see time and time again, we see one coming to faith, baptism follows

without delay and much rejoicing ensues out of a gratitude for what God has done

for them.

Acts 16:35-3635 But when it was day, the magistrates sent the police, saying, “Let those men

go.” 36 And the jailer reported these words to Paul, saying, “The magistrates have

sent to let you go. Therefore come out now and go in peace.”

Can you imagine how you would feel if this happened to you? You’re arrested,

beaten to a pulp, publicly humiliated and thrown into prison, and the next day,

you are told you’re free to go, just go quietly. I would imagine this would be

infuriating. You’re telling me we went through all that and you have nothing

against us? Paul responds accordingly.

Acts 16:37

37 But Paul said to them, “They have beaten us publicly, uncondemned, men who

are Roman citizens, and have thrown us into prison; and do they now throw us

out secretly? No! Let them come themselves and take us out.”

According to Roman law, it was unlawful for Roman citizens to be beaten or suffer

the same consequences as non-Roman citizens e.g. Roman citizens were exempt

from crucifixion. On some occasions the penalty would be death for those who

failed to uphold this law.

Piano to play here.

Acts 16:38-40

38 The police reported these words to the magistrates, and they were afraid when

they heard that they were Roman citizens. 39 So they came and apologized to

them. And they took them out and asked them to leave the city. 40 So they went

out of the prison and visited Lydia. And when they had seen the brothers, they

encouraged them and departed.

And so closes the recorded account of Paul and Silas’ time in the city of Philippi.

One marked with suffering and affliction for the cause of Christ, but it is not one

that leaves us in the damp, dark walls of a jail cell hopeless and afraid. We find

ourselves rejoicing with Paul and Silas and with the jailer and his household as

they came to faith. And returning to Lydia’s house, they report their experienceand what they had to endure for the sake of Christ as they prepare for the next

stage of their missionary journey