2. Acts 16:16
16 Once when we were going to the place of prayer, we were met by a
female slave who had a spirit by which she predicted the future. She
earned a great deal of money for her owners by fortune-telling. 17 She
followed Paul and the rest of us, shouting, ―These men are servants of
the Most High God, who are telling you the way to be saved.‖ 18 She
kept this up for many days. Finally Paul became so annoyed that he
turned around and said to the spirit, ―In the name of Jesus Christ I
command you to come out of her!‖ At that moment the spirit left her.
19 When her owners realized that their hope of making money was
gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the
marketplace to face the authorities. 20 They brought them before the
magistrates and said, ―These men are Jews, and are throwing our city
into an uproar 21 by advocating customs unlawful for us Romans to
accept or practice.‖
3. Acts 16
22 The crowd joined in the attack against Paul and Silas, and
the magistrates ordered them to be stripped and beaten with
rods. 23 After they had been severely flogged, they were thrown
into prison, and the jailer was commanded to guard them
carefully. 24 When he received these orders, he put them in the
inner cell and fastened their feet in the stocks.
25 About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing
hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them. 26
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. 27 The
jailer woke up, and when he saw the prison doors open, he drew
his sword and was about to kill himself because he thought the
prisoners had escaped. 28 But Paul shouted, ―Don’t harm
yourself! We are all here!‖
4. Acts 16
29 The jailer called for lights, rushed in and fell trembling
before Paul and Silas. 30 He then 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—you and your household.‖ 32 Then they
spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all the others in
his house. 33 At that hour of the night the jailer took
them and washed their wounds; then immediately he and
all his household were baptized. 34 The jailer brought
them into his house and set a meal before them; he was
filled with joy because he had come to believe in God—
he and his whole household.
5. Acts 16
35 When it was daylight, the magistrates sent
their officers to the jailer with the order:
―Release those men.‖ 36 The jailer told Paul,
―The magistrates have ordered that you and
Silas be released. Now you can leave. Go in
peace.‖
37 But Paul said to the officers: ―They beat us
publicly without a trial, even though we are
Roman citizens, and threw us into prison. And
now do they want to get rid of us quietly? No!
Let them come themselves and escort us out.‖
6. Acts 16
38 The officers reported this to the
magistrates, and when they heard that Paul
and Silas were Roman citizens, they were
alarmed. 39 They came to appease them
and escorted them from the prison,
requesting them to leave the city. 40 After
Paul and Silas came out of the prison, they
went to Lydia’s house, where they met with
the brothers and sisters and encouraged
them. Then they left.
7. Key Observations
• God’s university of learning who God is and
who we are in Christ. This is a life long
university and each year and each challenge
is to progress us in our understanding of God
and deepens our relationship with him.
• There are times in our life that even when we
are doing what God wants, we still face
persecution, and its how we face, react and
respond from God’s perspective that matters
8. Key Observations
• God’s provision and grace is sufficient for you as
you move through the challenges and storms you
face. God always has a solution…
• Paul and Silas consistent trust and faith in God
even after being beaten and thrown into the
depths of prison
• Its easy to sing praise and thanksgiving when
everything is going well, what about when its
not..do we have a stinking attitude or do we press
in and praise His name no matter what happens
9. Key Observations
• When God provides breakthroughs he does it
for you and also those connected to you.
Paul and Silas shekels and prison doors
open but so was others around them
• The jailer taught he blew his job and was
ready to take his own life and Paul stopped
him, as the jailer thought that everyone had
escaped from prison and he had failed and
lost everything….all hope was gone
10. Key Observations
• Paul restored the hope of the jailer and he
responded by asking the question ―what must
I do to be saved‖
• God provided the opportunity for Paul and
Silas to share the good news and that
salvation is for the jailer and his household,
because Paul saved him from taking his own
life
• Meet the needs of people opens up
opportunities for God moments to happen
11. Key Observations
• The jailer and his whole household was
saved and baptised immediately
• God’s transformation from hopeless to joy
and celebration for the jailer and his
household
• Paul and Silas knew that the magistrates
had done wrong as they were punished as
Jews but the were Romans.
12. Key Observations
• Even when they were granted freedom they
insisted on justice….magistrates had to
escort them out of the prison
• Credibility and Integrity was restored and
witnessed by getting the magistrates to
escort them from prison
• Paul and Silas before they left gathered
together with other believers and encouraged
them before they left…how do we leave
people after….encouraged?
13. Consider – When we Understand
• God has given us citizenship of His Kingdom
– (1 Peter 2: 9-10)
– 9 But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s
special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called
you out of darkness into his wonderful light. 10 Once you were not a
people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received
mercy, but now you have received mercy.
• God has given us authority to reign in this earth
– Matthew 28 :18
– 18 Then Jesus came to them and said, ―All authority in heaven and on
earth has been given to me.
– Luke 9:1
– When Jesus had called the Twelve together, he gave them power and
authority to drive out all demons and to cure diseases,
– Luke 10:19
– 19 I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to
overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you.
14. Consider – When we understand
• God always provides a solution for us (The
crossing of the Red Sea, Mosses held up his staff
and parted the Red Sea)
• God has given us the Holy Spirit to be our guide
• God promises that His grace is sufficient for me
– (2 Corinthians 12:9)
– But he said to me, ―My grace is sufficient for you, for
my power is made perfect in weakness.‖ Therefore I
will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses,
so that Christ’s power may rest on me.
15. Perspective
• How do we view our challenges (career, finance,
relationships, children, ministry, business,
recreation, health, education)?
• Obedience to God or its all about Me?
• Is God our solution or problem?
• Should I praise Him in my suffering?
• Should I care for others as I am drowning in mine?
• Should I trust God or my own instincts?
• Can I have dreams and goals and expect God to
provide the way forward and solutions?
16. Perspective
• Should I spend time with God when I have so
much to do?
• Should I withhold from God when He has
given everything?
• Should I serve or be served, should I be a
master or a servant?
• Can I a leader be a servant at the same
time?
• Is God interested in me and my life and
problems?
• Can I be all that God wants me to be?
17. Summary
• When we understand our position, we can
reign on this earth
• When we get a new perspective of God,
we can overcome and rule
• We are children and servants of the Most
High God with the privilege and
responsibility
• We can trust him with our life and rely on
His grace which he promised is sufficient
for us
18. Summary
• We are of His world to impact this world
• When we care for others, opportunities for
sharing Jesus will increase
• We can encourage and build one another to
understand and recognise the presence and
power of God that the world needs
• We should stir the gifts within us to serve Him
and others
• We should be bold and courageous in the
Lord because of our relationship and
citizenship in Christ
19. The challenge
• Wake up and become wise in the things of
God
• View the situations you are facing in God’s
perspective
• Be strong in the Word and prayer
• Seek for opportunities to help others and in
sharing Jesus
• Increase the Kingdom of God as he uses you
to pray, heal, deliver, share, impart, build His
house here on earth
20. Ministry
• Non Believers – Accept Jesus today
• Believers that have stray away from God
• Believers that has not been baptised
• Believers needing strength and courage to
face the world
• Believers needing healing and restoration
• Believers wanting a new start in their
relationship with God
