Acts 16:13-30. When is it time to give thanks?

1. Rocking
the
Jailhouse
Acts 16:13–40

2. Key Concept
…speak 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…
Ephesians 5:19–20a
2

3. Rocking
the
Jailhouse
Acts 16:13–40

4. The Macedonian Call
A vision appeared to Paul in the
night: a man of Macedonia was
standing and appealing to him,
and saying, “Come over to
Macedonia and help us.”
Acts 16:94

5. Ministry in Philippi
And on the Sabbath day we went
outside the gate to a riverside, where
we were supposing that there would
be a place of prayer; and we sat down
and began speaking to the women
who had assembled.
Acts 16:135

6. Establishing Context
 Needed ten Jewish men for a
synagogue
 Riverside worship common
 No men mentioned
 Essentially a women’s prayer
meeting 6

7. A good service
14 A woman named Lydia, from the
city of Thyatira, a seller of purple
fabrics, a worshiper of God, was
listening; and the Lord opened her
heart to respond to the things
spoken by Paul.
7

8. A good service
15 And when she and her household
had been baptized, she urged us,
saying, “If you have judged me to be
faithful to the Lord, come into my
house and stay.” And she prevailed
upon us.
8

9. First European Convert
 Lidia a businesswoman from Thyatira
 Knew of God
 The Lord opened her heart
9

10. Follow Through
 Declared her house Christian
 Baptized
 Supported the ministry effort
10

11. Something
to give
thanks?
Successful Ministry

12. Pitfalls in ministry
16 It happened that as we were going to the place
of prayer, a slave-girl having a spirit of divination
met us, who was bringing her masters much
profit by fortune-telling. 17 Following after Paul
and us, she kept crying out, saying, “These men
are bond-servants of the Most High God, who are
proclaiming to you the way of salvation.” 18 She
continued doing this for many days.
12

13. The slave girl
Spirit-Demonic
Divination-Puthon “pythons”
Fortune telling-one who raves
13

14. A bad message?
14

15. Jesus didn’t allow it
Most High God-
YHWH to the Jews,
Zeus here
Associate the
gospel with the
demonic
Way of salvation 15

16. 2 John 10–11 (The Message)
If anyone shows up who
doesn’t hold to this teaching,
don’t invite him in and give him
the run of the place. That
would just give him a platform
to perpetuate his evil ways,
making you his partner.

17. Dealing with a nuisance
But Paul was greatly annoyed, and
turned and said to the spirit, “I
command you in the name of Jesus
Christ to come out of her!” And it
came out at that very moment.
17

18. Power encounter
Acting out of irritation not love
Completely worn out
Spoke to demon not the girl
Power in Jesus’ name
18

19. One person’s gain is another one’s loss
19 But when her masters saw that their hope of
profit was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and
dragged them into the market place before the
authorities, 20 and when they had brought them
to the chief magistrates, they said, “These men
are throwing our city into confusion, being Jews,
21 and are proclaiming customs which it is not
19

20. One person’s gain is another one’s loss
lawful for us to accept or to observe, being
Romans.” 22 The crowd rose up together against
them,
20

21. Not at all happy
Loss of money
Started a (un)civil suite
Engaged the magistrate

22. Not about the deliverance
These men are throwing our city
into confusion, being Jews, and
are proclaiming customs which it
is not lawful for us to accept or
to observe, being Romans.
22

23. The charges
 Confusion-start a riot
 Unlawful customs-illegal
religion
 Prejudice-being Jews,
being Romans
23

24. Punishment
and the chief magistrates tore their robes off
them and proceeded to order them to be beaten
with rods. When they had struck them with many
blows, they threw them into prison, commanding
the jailer to guard them securely; and he, having
received such a command, threw them into the
inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks.
24

25. Something
to give
thanks?
Arrested, tried, beaten
and imprisoned

26. Why yes, it is!
But about midnight Paul
and Silas were praying and
singing hymns of praise to
God, and the prisoners
were listening to them;
26

27. Remember Our Key Concept
…speak 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…
Ephesians 5:19–20a
27

28. Prayers & Songs
Captive Audience
Testimony
Witness
Evangelism
28

29. Supernatural and Seismic
suddenly there came a great
earthquake, so that the foundations
of the prison house were shaken;
and immediately all the doors were
opened and everyone’s chains were
unfastened.
29

30. Lost my job!
When the jailer awoke and saw the prison
doors opened, he drew his sword and was
about to kill himself, supposing that the
prisoners had escaped.
30

31. Minor miracle in itself
But Paul cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Do
not harm yourself, for we are all here!”
Open cells
Open shackles
31

32. He was listening
And he called for lights and
rushed in, and trembling with
fear he fell down before Paul and
Silas, and after he brought them
out, he said, “Sirs, what must I
do to be saved?”
32

33. Another open door
“Believe in the Lord
Jesus, and you will be
saved, you and your
household.” And they
spoke the word of the
Lord to him together with
all who were in his house.

34. Contrition, salvation, restitution
33 And he took them that very hour of the night
and washed their wounds, and immediately he
was baptized, he and all his household. 34 And he
brought them into his house and set food before
them, and rejoiced greatly, having believed in God
with his whole household.
34

35. Come to Jesus moment
Paul and Silas
 Fearless sharing
 Consistency under
trials
 Seizing the moment
Jailer
 Listening
 Yielding
 Bought the Gospel to
his family
35

36. Cooling off period
Now when day came, the chief
magistrates sent their policemen, saying,
“Release those men.” And the jailer
reported these words to Paul, saying,
“The chief magistrates have sent to
release you. Therefore come out now and
go in peace.” 36

37. Know your rights
But Paul said to them, “They have beaten
us in public without trial, men who are
Romans, and have thrown us into prison;
and now are they sending us away
secretly? No indeed! But let them come
themselves and bring us out.”
37

38. Different tone
The policemen reported these words to
the chief magistrates. They were afraid
when they heard that they were Romans,
and they came and appealed to them,
and when they had brought them out,
they kept begging them to leave the city.
38

39. Finished business
40 They went out of the prison and entered the
house of Lydia, and when they saw the brethren,
they encouraged them and departed.
39

40. Something
to give
thanks?
Released

41. Our take-away
In everything give thanks
Speak boldly
Live Consistently
All action have consequences
Act wisely
41