Sermon Tone Analysis

God Wants Us to See

Acts 16:16-34

The Book of Acts - Part 54

Sermon by Rick Crandall

Grayson Baptist Church - August 24, 2014

BACKGROUND:

*In Acts 16, Paul and his mission team were trying to find out where the Lord wanted them to go next.

Then in vs. 9-10:

9.

A vision appeared to Paul in the night.

A man of Macedonia stood and pleaded with him, saying, "Come over to Macedonia and help us.''

10.

Now after he had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go to Macedonia, concluding that the Lord had called us to preach the gospel to them.

*So, they went to Philippi, and began to share the gospel, and the people were responding to the good news about Jesus Christ.

But starting in vs. 16, they ran into serious opposition: "Now it happened, as we went to prayer, that a certain slave girl possessed with a spirit of divination met us, who brought her masters much profit by fortune-telling."

*This woman was a fortune-teller by trade, and she was very persuasive, because she was possessed by an evil spirit.

Verse 17 tells us that as she followed Paul’s team, she cried out: "These men are the servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to us the way of salvation.''

*Of course, that statement was true, but the Lord doesn't need any help from the devil!

And partnership with evil is the last thing God wants for His church, because it makes evil seem good.

Partnership with evil disguises it and makes it seem innocent, much like a wolf in sheep's clothing.

Jesus warned us about that in Matthew 7:15.

Partnership with evil also puts a stain on the cause of Christ.

That’s why in vs. 18, Paul cast out that evil spirit.

*With this background in mind, let’s read vs. 19-34, thinking about some of the things God wants us to see.

INTRODUCTION:

*Many people don’t have to start wearing glasses until they are about 40.

One time my eye doctor said, "If people’s arms were long enough, it would put me out of business."

*On the other hand, I was born with bad eyes.

But I didn’t know it until the first grade.

I remember riding home with my dad just after I got my first pair of glasses.

I was astounded.

I had no idea what I had been missing.

I could read the signs!

I could see the leaves on the trees.

I could see!

*It’s a wonderful thing to see, but it is infinitely more important to have spiritual vision, to be able to see with the eyes of faith.

And in this story, in spite of the abuse and pain, Paul and Silas saw some things that we need to see.

They saw some crucial things that God wants us to see.

1. First: God wants us to see that suffering is part of our salvation.

*There are some warped people in this world who enjoy suffering.

But any normal person would say: "I don't like to suffer."

And that includes me.

*Nobody in their right mind likes to suffer.

But some things are worth the suffering.

The athlete getting ready for the game is willing to go through struggle and pain.

The soldier fighting for his brothers-in-arms, his cause and his country is willing to suffer.

I also think of parents who suffer sleepless nights for a sick or wayward child.

*There are many other examples, but none rises above the gospel of Jesus Christ!

Many of the greatest heroes of our faith have suffered incredible hardship for the good news about Jesus.

And we see a good example starting in vs. 19:

19.

But when her masters saw that their hope of profit was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace to the authorities.

20.

And they brought them to the magistrates, and said, "These men, being Jews, exceedingly trouble our city;

21. and they teach customs which are not lawful for us, being Romans, to receive or observe.''

22. Then the multitude rose up together against them; and the magistrates tore off their clothes and commanded them to be beaten with rods.

23.

And when they had laid many stripes on them, they threw them into prison, commanding the jailer to keep them securely.

24.

Having received such a charge, he put them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks.

*Many of God’s best have suffered the worst for the gospel of Jesus Christ.

And if we are truly part of the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ, if we are part of the Body of Christ, somehow, somewhere along the way, we are going to suffer for Jesus.

*Suffering for Jesus really is part of our salvation.

God's Word makes this truth clear in many places.

In Luke 9:22-24, Jesus spoke to His disciples and said:

22. . .

"The Son of Man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day.''

23.

Then He said to them all, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.

24.

For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it."

*In Philippians 1:27-29, Paul said this to the Christians at Philippi:

27.

Only let your conduct be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of your affairs, that you stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel,

28. and not in any way terrified by your adversaries, which is to them a proof of perdition, but to you of salvation, and that from God.

29.

For to you it has been granted on behalf of Christ, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake.

*Then in 2 Timothy 3:12, Paul said: "Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution."

If we believe in Christ, if we belong to Christ, somehow, some way we are going to suffer for Christ.

*But we will never suffer alone!

Verse 25 tells us that "at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them."

God was there with them to put a song in their hearts, and He will put a song in our hearts too.

2. But the Lord wants us to see that suffering is part of our salvation.

-- He also wants us to see that lost people are headed to hell.

*Paul and Silas saw this truth, and we can see it starting in vs. 26:

26.

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 chains were loosed.

27.

And the keeper of the prison, awaking from sleep and seeing the prison doors open, supposing the prisoners had fled, drew his sword and was about to kill himself.

*When Paul saw that, in vs. 28, he cried out with a loud voice, saying: "Do yourself no harm, for we are all here.''

The jailer was about to do the worst thing he could do for his family.

But Paul wanted to tell him about the best thing he could do for his family.

So, when the jailer asked, "What must I do to be saved?", in vs. 31, Paul and Silas replied: "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household.''

*Paul and Silas could see that these people were lost.

They were headed to hell.

But what about us?

How well can we see?

One of the biggest obstacles that keeps us from reaching our world is the false assumption that most or all of the people we know are saved.

*Notice that Paul and Silas did not tell the jailer: "If you are a good dad or husband or boss, if you are a nice guy, if you are honest and friendly, you will be saved."

No, they didn’t say anything like that, because no one is good enough to earn their way into Heaven.

*There is only one way: "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ!"

Put your trust in Him.

Receive Jesus Christ as the Lord and Savior of your life.

But sometimes we assume someone is saved, just because they are nice or friendly or active in church.

*One of my friends told me about a lady who played the organ where he went to church.

She had been in church for many years, and that lady could really play the organ.

She also had a beautiful voice.

She could sing like a pro.

*The organist was very faithful to her church, and she was a sweet lady.

She and her husband were pillars in the community.

But in spite of all that, the organist was not saved, and she knew it.

*One night during a revival service, she was playing the organ during the invitation.

That’s when the Lord asked her two very blunt questions: "Are you going to ride this organ bench into hell?"