Sermon Tone Analysis

Acts 16:19-40

From Tough to Triumph

*Secular*:

* Movies with Good endings…

* Even though they often don’t start well…

* We like the classic Disney endings…

* The Soft-spoken… ruggedly handsome… “all-around” nice guy gets the girl….

* Tom Hanks and crew actually “Save Private Ryan”

* Books that end well…

* Read all the way through… and then find out 300 pages in it is not working out how you’d hoped…

Biblical:

NAU Acts 16:19 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 lawful for us to accept or to observe, being Romans."

22 The crowd rose up together against them, and the chief magistrates tore their robes off them and proceeded to order /them /to be beaten with rods.

23 When they had struck them with many blows, they threw them into prison, commanding the jailer to guard them securely; 24 and he, having received such a command, threw them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks.

25 But about midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns of praise to God, and the prisoners were listening to them; 26 and 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.

27 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.

28 But Paul cried out with a loud voice, saying, "Do not harm yourself, for we are all here!"

29 And he called for lights and rushed in, and trembling with fear he fell down before Paul and Silas, 30 and after he brought them out, he said, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?"

31 They said, "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household."

32 And they spoke the word of the Lord to him together with all who were in his house.

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.

35 Now when day came, the chief magistrates sent their policemen, saying, "Release those men."

36 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."

37 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."

38 The policemen reported these words to the chief magistrates.

They were afraid when they heard that they were Romans, 39 and they came and appealed to them, and when they had brought them out, they kept begging them to leave the city.

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

Personal:

* I hate horror movies…

*  Especially cheap ones… you know the kind with no star…

* Nobody makes it out unscathed

* It is like those old Star Trek episodes…

*  The would be picking a landing party…

* Captain Kirk

* Spock

* McCoy  and Ensign Smith

* Do go man… you are never coming back

*  How could you live a life of no hope?

*  How could you live life as the expendable crew member?

Bridge:

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Body:

*Persecution:*

NAU Acts 16:19 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 lawful for us to accept or to observe, being Romans."

22 The crowd rose up together against them, and the chief magistrates tore their robes off them and proceeded to order /them /to be beaten with rods.

23 When they had struck them with many blows, they threw them into prison, commanding the jailer to guard them securely; 24 and he, having received such a command, threw them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks.

* Phillipi… two Roman magistrates

* Rarely enforced law… not to allow unapproved religions

* Charges were legitimate

* They faced a horrible penalty…

* … administered immediately!

* Didn’t stop them…

* Paul was a learned fellow…

* He knew the rules

* But… Right is right… * Wrong is not… (obey God or obey man)

* Render to Caesar…

* What men intended for evil….

* Joseph - NAU Genesis 50:20 "As for you, you meant evil against me, /but /God meant it for good in order to bring about this present result, to preserve many people alive.

* /Peter preaching /Jesus - NAU Acts 2:22 "Men of Israel, listen to these words: Jesus the Nazarene, a man attested to you by God with miracles and wonders and signs which God performed through Him in your midst, just as you yourselves know-- 23 this /Man/, delivered over by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God, you nailed to a cross by the hands of godless men and put /Him /to death.

24 "But God raised Him up again, putting an end to the agony of death, since it was impossible for Him to be held in its power.

* Acts 4, 6, 7, 8, 12 – Big persecution

* Effective… not a love-in….

but a lot to do with Love

 

* NAU Acts 11:19 So then those who were scattered because of the persecution that occurred in connection with Stephen made their way to Phoenicia and Cyprus and Antioch, speaking the word to no one except to Jews alone.

20 But there were some of them, men of Cyprus and Cyrene, who came to Antioch and /began /speaking to the Greeks also, preaching the Lord Jesus.

21 And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a large number who believed turned to the Lord.

*Pre -**Acts 16:19*

* /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.

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.19

But when her masters saw that their hope of profit was gone/* *

* Girl prophesying

* Cool… demo of power

* Following Paul and Silas

* Let’s get it straight….

*  Persecution happens when truth meets sin…

* love of money

* love of other gods

* love of self

* Gospel… do not love money… do not worship other gods… deny yourself… Follow Jesus

* Persecution… is the evil that men intend

 

*Praise*

25 But about midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns of praise to God, and the prisoners were listening to them; 26 and 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.

27 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.

28 But Paul cried out with a loud voice, saying, "Do not harm yourself, for we are all here!"

29 And he called for lights and rushed in, and trembling with fear he fell down before Paul and Silas,

 

* Driven into the arms of their Saviour!!

* That’s where to turn!!

* Not a fair weather relationship

* NAU Philippians 4:4 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice!

* James 1:2 Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials…

*  Listen to this perspective:

*  NAU 1 Peter 5:10 After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen /and /establish you.

* PRAISE GOD!!

* Paul: NAU 2 Corinthians 4:16 Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day.