Conviction, confinement, conversion, and community
Walking through the Book of Acts • Sermon • Submitted
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Conviction, confinement, conversion, and community
Conviction, confinement, conversion, and community
Conviction, Confinement, Conversion, and Community
“About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them, 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. 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. But Paul cried with a loud voice, “Do not harm yourself, for we are all here.” And the jailer called for lights and rushed in, and trembling with fear he fell down before Paul and Silas. Then he brought them out and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” And they said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.” And they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house. 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. 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.”
What does the Bible say about injustice?
The Bible has a lot to say on the subject of injustice. We know that God is in favor of justice; we know that He is against injustice, even in the most basic terms. The writer of Proverbs mentions this: “The LORD detests differing weights, and dishonest scales do not please him” (). Justice is foundational to God’s throne it tells us in , and God does not approve of partiality, whether we are talking about a weighted scale or an unjust legal system (). There are many other verses, in both Old and New Testaments, that give us an idea of God’s distaste for injustice , [7] “Now then, let the fear of the LORD be upon you. Be careful what you do, for there is no injustice with the LORD our God, or partiality or taking bribes.” , [14], If iniquity is in your hand, put it far away, and let not injustice dwell in your tents.
The prophet Isaiah lived in a time when Judah was struggling under the weight of injustice: “Justice is driven back, and righteousness stands at a distance; truth has stumbled in the streets, honesty cannot enter. Truth is nowhere to be found, and whoever shuns evil becomes a prey. The LORD looked and was displeased that there was no justice” ().
God’s message for them was simple: “Learn to do right; seek justice. Defend the oppressed. Take up the cause of the fatherless; plead the case of the widow” (). Later on, God tells them to “loose the chains of injustice,” indicating that injustice is a form of bondage and oppression. In the book of James, we see more deeply into the heart of God regarding injustice. God is not petty or obsessive. He does not value justice simply for the sake of having order. There are deeper issues at stake. In , we see a discussion about partiality. James speaks to a group of believers who have been judging the people in their gathering according to their social status. In the human heart, injustice is a sign of partiality, judgmentalism, and a lack of love.
When we strive to be righteous by our own human measurements, we invariably forget God’s measurement: perfection. Anything less than perfection is to God, a scale out of balance.
Every human is, because of the fall, unjust. We do a lot of incongruent things. We make mistakes, we blow hot and cold, we do and say things that are totally contradictory.
As James says, “We all stumble in many ways” (). As a matter of fact injustice permeates our lives, as we judge unfairly and we constantly hold others to a different standard than we are willing to abide by ourselves.
The only way to truly escape injustice is to first accept that God is perfectly just and humans are inherently unjust, i.e., less than perfect, and then to accept God’s righteousness. Only when we are no longer concerned with making ourselves righteous can we trust the One who justifies the ungodly. Then, as God’s children, we can see clearly to combat the injustice around us with a merciful attitude. Jesus is totally just; there is no injustice in Him at all. Because of His perfection, Jesus can provide true justice. In fact, the Bible teaches us “the Father judges no one, but has entrusted all judgment to the Son” (). We look forward to the time when righteousness and justice will be the order of the day and injustice will be banished forever: “Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the LORD Almighty will accomplish this” ().
When left Paul and Silas last week the two were being dragged off to prison. Caught up in the mob’s anti-Semitic frenzy, the chief magistrates failed miserably to uphold the highly prized standards of Roman justice instead they meander down the path of injustice. They did not bother to investigate the charges brought against Paul and Silas; they did not conduct a through hearing. They did not ask and or allow Paul and Silas to defend themselves; which would have revealed that they were Roman citizens. So what did that do right pastor? Absolutely nothing! Instead, these authorities tore the robes off of them, order them to be beaten with rods and dragged into prison and placed in the inner prison which was the most secure. They even took additional precautions by placing their feet into stocks. But all their efforts proved to be futile, they had to learn the hard way that no prison can hold those whom God wants released.
This morning the scripture leads us to a story of conviction, confinement, conversion, and community. It is a story of God’s remarkable intervention in the lives for those who serve Him with all their heart in their most desperate times. It is a story of how the miracles of God lead people to conform to His will and conclude that above all things that God can be trusted. It is a story of finding a new and larger family in the body of Christ, a family of warmth, a family with the willingness to believe in God and a family who longs to worship Him.
Let us pray…
As in and 12, imprisonment is an attempt by the authorities to control the proclamation of the gospel to bind it if your were in chains, but as Paul says in
“Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, the offspring of David, as preached in my gospel, for which I am suffering even to the point of being chained like a criminal. But God’s word is not chained.
Look can lock up the missionaries but you cannot lock up the mission of God’s Word.
, [10] “For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return there but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, [11] so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.”
In our text today, God sends an earthquake instead of an angel to transform the situation. Compared to the apostles’ rather passive role in their other prison breaks, particularly exemplified in Peter’s slumber until awakened by the angel (12:6–7).
After being stripped naked, beaten with rods, and dragged into prison Paul and Silas respond as true Christians would by organizing a worship service. This is the normal response to being stripped naked, beaten with rods and dragged into prison, isn’t it? They are busy praying and singing to God at the midnight hour (16:25).’ Then suddenly there is an earthquake! After the earthquake instead of escaping, they remain to rescue the jailer from killing himself and to share the gospel with him (16:26–31). Whatever the jailer meant by his question about being saved, Paul took the opportunity to point him to the Lord Jesus. The prisoners then instructed the jailer and his family, while their wounds were washed and they received his hospitality. Once again, Luke records the baptism of the chief character and his household (16:32–34; cf. v. 15), and portrays the emergence of Christian community as the gospel is proclaimed and received (cf. 2:40–47). ‘These events vividly illustrate Paul’s own claim in his Philippian letter that imprisonment, far from being an obstacle to his mission, poses a unique opportunity to spread the gospel boldly to Roman guards and others who come his way.
(1) Conviction and confinement
Because of the fact that God had heal the woman with an unclean spirit through Paul and caused the owners to lose their income. These owners then lied on Paul and Silas and took them before the authorities and rulers and then the magistrates, saying that they were stirring up trouble and unrest in Rome.
Though Paul and Silas never faced trial and were never convicted of any wrongdoing, they still received confinement in prison. You see my brothers and sisters it was Paul convictions to do God’s will which brought on his confinement in this Philippian prison. These actions here are not unlike the choice given to Peter and John after the healing in , “This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone. And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated, common men, they were astonished. And they recognized that they had been with Jesus. But seeing the man who was healed standing beside them, they had nothing to say in opposition. But when they had commanded them to leave the council, they conferred with one another, saying, “What shall we do with these men? For that a notable sign has been performed through them is evident to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and we cannot deny it. But in order that it may spread no further among the people, let us warn them to speak no more to anyone in this name.” So they called them and charged them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John answered them, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God, you must judge, for we cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard.” And when they had further threatened them, they let them go, finding no way to punish them, because of the people, for all were praising God for what had happened. For the man on whom this sign of healing was performed was more than forty years old.” You see even when your Godly convictions threaten you with confinement, you must rejoice always, as Paul said, rejoice in the Lord always, I say rejoice!
, About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them.
Paul and Barnabas were understandably alert and unable to sleep due to the beating they had endured and being dragged into prison. Now they are faced with more appalling circumstances finding themselves in a filthy prison that is cold and dank. Also they are place in the most uncomfortable position possible. Having their feet fasten in stocks designed to induce painful cramping by spreading their legs as wide as possible. In spite of all this suffering they were led not to wine but to worship.
, Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let his sing praise.” Their praying may have included a cry for justice, release from prison, and the freedom to continue their ministry in an unhindered way. At the same time, singing hymns to God, they acknowledged their trust in God’s character and expressed their trust in him as their deliverer. They could have been using any one of a number of the Psalms, which combine such prayer and praise (e.g., ). This is ‘a concrete depiction of the Christian ideal of “joy amid suffering”
Christians rejoice in the glorious truth that the sovereign God controls every circumstance of their lives.
, So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. [17] For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, [18] as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal. The key to having joy in every circumstances of life is be filled with God’s Spirit. Joy is a part of the fruit of the Spirit and yields to His control produces songs of joy.
, “And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart.
As they engaged with God in this fashion, the other prisoners were listening to them, implying that their prayers and praises were having an impact on everyone around them. Here, and in , Paul in captivity takes the opportunity to testify to the character of God in the presence of unbelievers and to demonstrate before them his own confidence in the God he proclaimed. Paul and Silas did not base their trust in God on their current circumstances but instead on the compelling consistence character of God and what they knew to be true about Him. They look back at what God had done which ensured them on what He would do! Their worship expressed their confidence in not what the future held for them but in whom they knew to hold the future.
Paul and Silas were doubtless conscious of the evangelistic potential of their difficult circumstances, because unbelievers will read you and how you handed difficulty before they will ever read a Bible. [12], I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel, [13] so that it has become known throughout the whole imperial guard and to all the rest that my imprisonment is for Christ. [14] And most of the brothers, having become confident in the Lord by my imprisonment, are much more bold to speak the word without fear.”
And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundation of the prison were shaken. And immediately all the doors were opened and everyone’s bonds were unfastened.” As we see in and 12:6–11, divine deliverance from prison came in answer to their prayers, though in this case, instead of an angel, God sent an earthquake.
We must always remember that our sovereign God controls all supernatural agents and well as all natural agents of this world. The prison was not destroyed, but the earthquake brought potential release to all the prisoners. This earthquake was specific to the very foundations of the prison in the dungeon where they were held. There are no other reports around the city of any earthquake activity, and the text verifies that this is not a normal earthquakes with it says the prison was not destroyed. It the foundations were shaken the walls and the roof should have come down also. Earthquakes were not uncommon in Greece and Macedonia and were often seen as the work of a god. Apparently the earthquake also rocked the jailer’s house, which was probably located next to the prison.
I’m particularly interested in that fact that this was a highly usually jailbreak. All the other jailbreaks recorded in Acts only rescued the specific servant who was in jail because of the service to God. But here the text clearly says that everyone’s prison doors were opened and everyone’s bonds were unfastened. This jailbreak seems to have a favor of an evangelistic event, especially in light of the fact that it tells us that the other prisoners were listening to their prayers and singing in their worship service. But just like our service here this morning all of you have heard the prayers, all of you have joined into the singing, and all you are hearing this sermon, but not all of your will surrendered to God’s call this morning as the Philippian jailer and his family did, only those who have ears to hear the gospel, respond to the gospel.
[22] At that time the Feast of Dedication took place at Jerusalem. It was winter, [23] and Jesus was walking in the temple, in the colonnade of Solomon. [24] So the Jews gathered around him and said to him, “How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly.” [25] Jesus answered them, “I told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in my Father's name bear witness about me, [26] but you do not believe because you are not among my sheep. [27] My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. [28] I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. [29] My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand. [30] I and the Father are one.”
Having be his sword and was about to kill himself because he thought the prisoners had escaped ().
He knew all to well that a Roman soldier who allowed a prisoners to escape, no matter what the cause, paid with his own life. Rather than anticipate facing the humiliating and pain execution that would surely follow, the jailer chose to kill himself immediately. Paul and Silas may also have anticipated the opportunity they would have for further ministry in the situation if they remained and encouraged the others to remain as well. Paul certainly seems to have taken charge of events, seeking to prevent the jailer from committing suicide. Before the jailer could do it, a voice what heard out of the darkness, from inside the prison shouting, ‘Do not harm yourself! For we are all here!’ () Indeed, he stays to save the jailer’s life in more than one sense.
Not only Paul and Silas, but all the rest of the prisoners also had remained, they were probably in the same area of the dungeon. Why did the others remained and not try to escape? The text does not tell us, it only tells us that they listened to Paul and Silas as they prayer, sang songs of praise and worshipped their God.
I believe that the power of what the God had done through the earthquake even restrain the unbelievers for a moment.
‘Paul’s attention to the welfare of another in the midst of his own suffering—somewhat like Jesus’ concern for the criminal crucified beside him—brings to the jailer a share in the salvation that God offers through Jesus.’
Conversion
Astonished at this unbelievable turn of events, the text tells us, , “And the jailer called for the lights and rushed in, and trembling with fear he fell down before Paul and Silas.”
Now the tables were turned, and the jailer fell to his knees before his prisoners. What does Scripture says, as it promised to Jesus, “… I will make your enemies your foot stool.”
He was no doubt aware of the message Paul and Silas had preached, and he regarded the earthquake, as supernatural confirmation of all that they had said was true.
That supernatural confirmation of their message led the jailer to view the divine truth and to seek the salvation, which it offered. Just like Paul when God knock him off his high horse on the Damascus road, this jailer had been knocked to his knees and his heart was now opened to respond to the preaching of the gospel.
This idea bring forth the question this morning, what is it going to take to bring you to your knees that you might hear and respond to the gospel of Jesus Christ?
What trial, what tribulation, what tragedy, what betrayal, what bewilderment, what bereavement, what disappointment, what despair, or what disdain will it take to get your attention?
Well the text here shows us clearly that it took for this jailer’s attention. He was clearly disturbed by the events that had taken place and connected them with the men who had been praying to their God for deliverance. Perhaps also he was grateful to Paul and Silas for saving his life ‘by not escaping themselves and restraining the other prisoners from escaping’. When he brought them out of the inner cell, his one concern was to find deliverance for himself, and so he asked, ‘Sirs, what must I do to be saved?’ As in 27:20, 31, the verb ‘to save’ (sōzein) could have been simply used with reference to rescue him from physical danger. Some have interpreted his question in terms of being saved from punishment, but that cannot be the case. Paul ended that fear when he stated that we are all still here! And even if that were true why would he asked to prisoners who had noting to do with his expected punishment, what might he do to be saved? Yet, it is more likely that the jailer was specifically looking for deliverance from the God whom Paul and Silas proclaimed, wishing to know more of the teaching for which they had been imprisoned. This jailer question expressed the deep longing of his heart to become right with God. Having undoubtedly heard the testimony of the demon- possessed girl, which Paul delivered. This was a cry for conversion.
What does it mean to be converted?
To convert is to change from one character, type, or purpose to another. Our bodies convert food into energy. We can convert inches to centimeters, pounds to kilograms, and dollars to euros. Our hearts can undergo similar conversions. We can change direction morally, psychologically, emotionally, and spiritually. In the Old Testament, the Hebrew word translated “converted” means “to turn back or return.” It is also translated "restore," as in , "He restores my soul He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake." The picture the Bible paints of the word “convert” is to return to what we were initially created to be.
Since the fall of mankind, every human has been born with a sin nature. Our natural tendency is to please ourselves rather than God. Our human attempts to be good fall far short of the perfection of God. We cannot please God through our own efforts and are destined for eternal separation from Him, we have all sinned and fall short of the glory of God; we cannot convert ourselves.
That's why Jesus came to earth, died in our place, and rose again to conquer death and sin. He took the punishment our sin deserves. He offers to trade His perfection for our imperfection so that we can be seen as righteous before God, He who knew no sin became sin for us, so that we might become the righteousness of God ().
In conversion we admit our helplessness apart from Christ, we are ready to embrace Him as Savior and Lord. Conversion happens when we trade our old sin nature for the new nature Christ provides. When we come to Him humbly, confess our sin, turn away from it, and seek His ways, when this happens our entire perspective changes. The Holy Spirit moves into our spirits and transforms our entire way of life.
[19] ,Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, [20] for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body. We are converted—restored to the relationship God intended us to have with Him.
says, "If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new."
This is more than a human attempt to "clean up your act." It is a wholesale change of direction. You were going east; now you are going west. Conversion changes the human heart from sinful to righteous, from hell-bound to heaven-bound.
The Bible has many examples of people who were converted by the grace of God. The Christian-hating Saul became Paul, who devoted the rest of his life to serving the church he once tried to destroy. The impetuous and condemning John was transformed into the “apostle of love” (see ). The demon Legion, after meeting Jesus, was “dressed and in his right mind” and begging to follow Jesus (). The Holy Spirit has not lost any of His power. This is all accomplished through faith. Faith is placing your whole life into the hands of someone your spirit recognizes but your physical senses cannot confirm. says that "without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him." We are saved from our old sin nature and the penalty of that sin through faith in Jesus Christ. But even that faith is a gift from God. God gives us the faith to believe in Him, but we must receive it and act on it. Exercising that gift of faith results in conversion. Conversion begins in the heart and radiates outward to affect everything we think, say, or do. Merely stating that conversion has occurred does not make it so. Real conversion is obvious as a person switches direction, changes allegiance and moves from self-worship to God-worship. As the heart is transformed, the actions follow until the entire life has been converted from sin-filled to God-honoring.
Paul and Silas gave the jailer a simple answer to a complicated question. , ‘Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household.’ Eternal salvation is offered in the simplest possible way to those who believe in the Lord Jesus. Such belief involves confession or acknowledgement of Jesus as the exalted Lord—trust and committal, not merely intellectual assent. As with Peter’s preaching to Jews in 2:39, the offer of salvation to Gentile is for families as well as for the individuals addressed (you and your household). God blesses family units under the New Covenant, just as he did in Israel, when the heads of houses (Lydia in v. 15 and the jailer in v. 34; cf. 18:8) turn to Christ and acknowledge him as Lord.
Community
[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.”
Such a brief answer to the jailer’s question clearly needed filling out with more information and teaching, and so Paul and Silas spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all the others in his house. When the gospel is preached to prepared hearts by God results will always follow; the jailer and his whole household were saved. They took the Paul and Silas in and washed and dressed their wounds. Why pastor? Because , “By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” The second act of love is that they immediately baptized, him and his household bring them into the community of Christ. And as part of the Christian community they provided for their basic needs, they set food before and showed loving hospitality. Salvation came to this house because of the conversion of the head. The conversion of the jailer is not just one more in a sequence of similar stories, but ‘the conversion of a member of the oppressive system that is punishing Paul and Silas’. His care for the prisoners, his willingness for his household to be instructed about the way of salvation, and his desire to be baptized immediately show a profound change in this man’s values and beliefs. 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. Strictly speaking, the expression and his household. This gives the sense that ‘he rejoiced along with his entire household that he had believed in God.” Belief in the Lord Jesus Christ (v. 31) is equated with belief in the one true God (v. 34). Although it is quite clear from v. 32 that his entire household was instructed before being baptized, the stress in v. 34 is on the fact that the head of the house had been brought to faith and that salvation had come to the house by that means. Such a joyful meal together with the missionaries was a celebration of salvation.
“What does the Bible say about hospitality?"
Hospitality can be defined as “the quality or disposition of receiving and treating guests and strangers in a warm, friendly, generous way.” In the New Testament, the Greek word translated “hospitality” literally means “love of strangers.” Hospitality is a virtue that is both commanded and commended throughout Scripture. In the Old Testament, God specifically commanded it: “When an alien lives with you in your land, do not mistreat him. The alien living with you must be treated as one of your native-born. Love him as yourself, for you were aliens in Egypt”, “When a stranger sojourns with you in your land, you shall not do him wrong. [34] You shall treat the stranger who sojourns with you as the native among you, and you shall love him as yourself, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the LORD your God.”
During His public ministry, Jesus and His disciples depended entirely on the hospitality of others as they ministered from town to town (). Likewise, the early Christians also depended on and received hospitality from others (; ). In fact, travelers in ancient times depended heavily on the hospitality of strangers as traveling could be dangerous and there were very few inns, and poor Christians could not afford to stay at them, anyway. This generous provision to strangers also included opening one’s home for church services. Hospitality was indeed a highly regarded virtue in ancient times, especially for Christian leaders (; ).
The writer of Hebrews reminds us not to forget to “entertain strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it” (). Indeed, in the book of Genesis we read of Abraham’s humble and generous display of hospitality to three strangers. Wealthy and aged, Abraham could have called on one of his many servants to tend to the three unannounced visitors. Yet the hospitable and righteous Abraham generously gave them the best he had. And, as it turned out, he had entertained the Lord and two angels.
These four steps, conviction, confinement, conversion, and community in the story of Paul and Silas are also the four steps in our process of coming to Christ. First there is conviction, the conviction of our hearts, which convinces us of our sinful nature and our desperate need for a Savior. Then comes confinement and parameters concerning our behavior and the structure of the new life we have been chosen to lead. Then there is our conversion, our surrender to Christ and our giving Him the fully authority over our lives. And lastly there is the granting of a place in the community of believers, our true family of others believers in whom we share the same father.