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Can you imagine being jailed for the cause of
Christ? What would you be thinking as you sat there? What would be your
attitude?
We don’t have to wonder how it was for Paul.
For the majority of the rest of the book of Acts he was a prisoner, and
during this time he wrote several books of the Bible, by inspiration of the
Holy Spirit of God. We call them the ‘prison epistles’ because of this.
Let me show you some of the statements he
made from jail.
Ephes. 4:1
I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord…
That’s how he viewed himself. Not a prisoner
of the state. He considered himself a prisoner for the cause of Christ, and
counted it a privilege!
Ephes. 6:20
For which I am an ambassador in bonds:
that therein I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.
An ambassador is a representative from a
foreign land, and Paul considered himself a missionary to the other
prisoners during this time, as well as those he could write letters to.
Could he have possibly known as he wrote those letters that they would be
read by so many, inc. us? What a jail ministry was conducted by a man IN
jail!
Philip. 1:12-13
But I would ye should understand,
brethren, that the things which happened unto me have fallen out rather unto
the furtherance of the gospel; [13] So that my bonds in Christ are manifest
in all the palace, and in all other places;
Paul was guarded by the infamous Praetorian
Guard, the special forces, the elite soldiers who guarded Caesar himself.
The average Christian could never have gotten close enough to witness to
these, so God did what He had to in order to get His voice heard there.
God gives each of us “in roads” to share the
gospel, if we’ll recognize them.
Did it work for Paul?
Philip. 4:22
All the saints salute you, chiefly they
that are of Caesar's household.
Well, next time you are placed in
circumstances that weren’t your first choice…look for a door of opportunity
to be opened by God…He has a reason for everything, even your dr’s appt.
running an hour late, your plane being delayed, your septic tank needing
pumped, or the teachers going on strike!
2 Tim. 2:9
Wherein I suffer trouble, as an evil
doer, even unto bonds; but the word of God is not bound.
Paul knew that tho’ they could ‘bind the man’
they could not bind ‘the message!’
In our text, it’s his first night in
jail…this is before he wrote all these other verses we’ve just looked at.
What’s he thinking? How did he get a good perspective early on?
Paul was a great man, but he was still just a
man. He had real feelings, and needed God to be with him and be real to
him. He needed to know he wasn’t all alone. Then God showed up in his
cell…just when he needed Him the most.
3 things that happened
in the jail cell that night:
[let’s dissect v. 11]
1. The Lord
stood by Paul
What a beautiful phrase! We are big on
commitment around here, and making commitments and keeping them…but let’s
not forget that when we make a commitment to Jesus, He makes a commitment to
us!
Hebrews 13:5-6
[5] … he hath said, I will never leave
thee, nor forsake thee. [6] So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my
helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.
Ill.—a woman said to D. L. Moody: “I have
found a great promise to help me when I am afraid…Psalm 56:3—‘What time I am
afraid, I will trust in thee.’”
Moody replied, “I have a better promise than
that: Isaiah 12:2 ‘Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be
afraid:’”
Both when we’re afraid and even when we’re
not…both promises are true!
a.
As the sympathizing Christ
Just a few years earlier Jesus was in the
same city, before the same council, also being tried for things which are no
crime, but for doing good. Jesus had “been there and done that”. Both were
called blasphemer, heretic, and troublemaker.
And we
have a Savior who knows and understands what we are going thru,
because He has beenthere,
and He’s right here with us today!
The Lord stood by Paul as the sympathizing
Christ…
b.
As the sustaining Christ
We need others to hold us up sometimes. Some
tragedies and trials are so great, we cannot even attempt to make it on our
own…either somebody swoops in to help sustain us, or we go down!
How wonderful to know that
when we can’t stand it, Jesus stands
by us!
2 Cor. 12:9
And he said unto me, My grace is
sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most
gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of
Christ may rest upon me.
Ill.—Steven Covey tells of a NYC subway train
ride. A man got on with several rowdy children with him. He just sat there
w/ eyes closed and arms folded while those children absolutely went nuts.
Rambunctious, annoying, obnoxious, and very loud. They were bothering
everybody. He approached the man and said, “sir, could you do something with
these rowdy children?” He said, “Oh, I’m so sorry, I didn’t even notice.
We just left the hospital where their mother died an hour ago.”
Compassion begins
when we start to think and
understand what others are going thru.
And we have a Savior who doesn’t just know what we’re going thru because
He’s omniscient, but because He’s gone thru it too. And He’s got sustaining
grace to help us thru!
Then Paul wrote: Philip. 4:19
But my God shall supply all your need
according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.
Ill.--Suppose you go to the dentist w/ a
tooth decay problem. First, he drills out all of that decay, then he makes
an inlay that fits perfectly the contour of your tooth, and then he fills
it. That inlay is perfectly designed for YOUR cavity. It won’t fit any
other tooth in the world.
Well, God understands your problems,
and they are as unique and special, and as painful as that tooth. Thank God
He has an endless supply to take and fill every need in the most perfect way
possible.
The Lord stood by Paul, sympathizing, and
sustaining him…
2. The Lord
spoke to Paul
v. 11 “and said”
What a blessing to have a God Who
speaks to us. Throughout history the Lord has spoken to His people.
Whether audibly thru a bush, or on a wall, or across the sky, or by means of
ink on paper or the Holy Spirit in the heart…He speaks, and often!
Hebrews 1:1-2
God, who at sundry times and in divers
manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, [2] Hath in
these last days spoken unto us by his Son…
a.
A message of cheer
“be of good cheer” = “take courage” Jesus
said it many times during his earthly ministry: to the man sick w/ the
palsy, the woman w/ the blood disease, during the storm to the disciples,
etc.
And He does the same in our hearts,
or thru preaching, or an encourager in the church, or in our private
devotions as just the right message leaps off the page!
Sometimes I preach hard messages, and worry
about how some of the facts might be received [or not received!] I try to
be encouraging, but sometimes what God tells me to say doesn’t seem too
encouraging. And one time, recently, as I myself felt discouraged,
wondering how a message was received, I got an encouraging card from one of
you, telling me how much you appreciate the plain truth spoken w/out apology
and sugar coating. That was a huge blessing to me…and I, who always want to
be encouraging, ended up the one encouraged!
How many of you know of someone right now
that could use a card like that this week? Raise your hand. Take time to
do it!
People love encouraging, uplifting, positive
people. And sometimes they dread seeing a negative person even enter the
room. A pat on the back is as
valuable as a kick in the pants!
Ill.—a boxing coach tried to believe in all
his students, but had one student who got his bell rang all the time, he
always thought the round was over because of the bells he heard! He got
knocked around in every way imaginable. One round he came to his corner and
the coach said, great job, “he never even laid a glove on you! Now get back
out there and finish him off!” “OK, coach,” said the big dumb boxer. Next
round ended, same result. Next round, almost knocked out, was saved by the
bell. Back in his corner, the coach was the same kind of encourager.
“Coach,” the boxer said, “I’ll go back out there, but would you keep an eye
on the referee…’cuz somebody’s beatin’ the tar out of me!”
Encouragement can make us do a lot more, and
keep on going! And it’s at it’s very best, just when we need it the most!
A message of cheer…
b.
A message of commendation
Congratulations, that is!
“as thou hast testified of me in Jerusalem”.
We don’t know of anyone who got saved because of Paul’s ministry this time
in Jerusalem. It looks like he failed, from a human perspective…yet, the
Lord says, good job witnessing.
This tells us 2 things about our
witnessing:
·When we
witness, God notices, and
appreciates it. And someday, standing before God, He will personally thank
us and reward us!
·When we witness,
God doesn’t require us to be successful,
only to be faithful!
I used to think if I witnessed to somebody
and they didn’t get saved, that I had failed, but now I realize that I
didn’t fail…they did! And one plants, and one waters, and I should make
sure I don’t burn the bridge, but set them up for the next witness that
comes along.
We have to leave the results in God’s
hands…He’s the One Who gives the increase! In the invitation, I have to
remember I don’t have to “produce fruit” every single time. God considers
faithfulness as fruit, and also promises that if I consistently give the
message faithfully, I will “doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing my
sheaves with me.”
Ill.—D. L. Moody was approached by a drunk
who introduced himself, saying “I’m one of your converts.” “Well, you must
be one of my converts, because you’re certainly not one of the Lord’s!”
The Lord spoke to him a message of cheer,
of commendation…
c. A
message of confidence
v. 11 “at Rome” Wow! That’s what he’s
wanted all along, and was starting to wonder if he’d ever get that
privilege…but now all doubts are erased, because God has said it, and that
settles the matter.
If you’re not sure about something, do
this: get a promise from God, and hold on tight!
Just when he needed it the most, the Lord
stood by Paul, and spoke to Paul…
3. The Lord
secured Paul
v. 12-14 These 40 men enter into a
death pact together against Paul. The Lord had said “you’re going to Rome”,
but these 40 say, “nah, you’re not going anywhere”. I wonder who’s gonna
win?! J
It’s amazing how God works. You know,
there’s not one more mention of God in this passage, and yet you can see His
hand at work on Paul throughout all the rest of this chapter. And God
worked in a way Paul never imagined.
Did God smite them w/ leprosy or blindness,
or swallow them up in a fiery hole in the earth? No, nothing that
dramatic…in this case, God used a little boy…
v. 16 The 40 men are huddled
together conspiring, and they wouldn’t worry about this little boy who
overheard them, but Paul’s nephew gets the word to the right people!
v. 23-24 A 470 member posse was put
together, and all because of 1 little boy eavesdropping!
You may be going thru
circumstances in which you don’t see if God is anywhere around…but don’t
doubt for 1 second that He’s there… “standing somewhere in the shadows”!
Ill.—just after WWII, American soldiers found
a little cellar where Jews had hid out. Written on the wall one had
written, “I believe in the sun, even when it does not shine. I believe in
love, even when it is not shown. And I believe in God even when I cannot
see Him work.”
Trust this: God is present and at work thru
all your circumstances. Just when you need Him the most!
