Blessings of Obedience
Text: Acts 16:9-40
Intro: Paul, Silas, Timothy, and probably Luke worked as a team to share the good news about Jesus in several different cities. God gave purpose and direction to this missionary team; they obeyed God and traveled to Philippi where God had prepared the way for several people to be saved.
-Most of the time we don’t know what God is up to when He asks us to do something. It requires a high level of trust for us to act when we do not understand. And yet, without that kind of faith it is impossible to please God. Sometimes coaches make calls we don’t agree as parents, players, or spectators don’t agree with. But a wise coach knows the big picture and has reasons for what he asks of his players. And for a team to accomplish its goals, they need to learn to listen to their coach and do what he or she asks. Same with kids and parents. Kids may disagree with their parents on various things, but if we can teach them to trust us and obey, we are helping them set a pattern to listen and respond to the heavenly Father.
Prop: The main thought I’d like to present today is this: Our complete obedience to the Lord allows Him to accomplish His purposes in and through us.
Interrogative Sentence: Now, what is involved in total obedience to what God wants?
T.S.: As we follow this narrative of Acts 16, we can see at least 5 relevant keys to obedience that are applicable to our lives.
1. Obeying God Requires Action (Acts 16: 9-12)
9”During the night Paul had a vision of a man of Macedonia standing and begging him, "Come over to Macedonia and help us." 10 After Paul had seen the vision, we got ready at once to leave for Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.
11 From Troas we put out to sea and sailed straight for Samothrace, and the next day on to Neapolis. 12 From there we traveled to Philippi, a Roman colony and the leading city of that district of Macedonia. And we stayed there several days.”
-God uses various means to speak to His people. He may use dreams, visions, and on rare occasions, angels. He may use His word (the Bible), or the still small voice of the HS. God may use other people to confirm his message to us. Whatever He chooses to use, it is our responsibility to take action and obey what He has revealed to us.
-Notice that God’s direction does not always come in the form of a command. After Paul saw the vision, Luke says they concluded that God had called them to go to Macedonia, esp. to Philippi and preach the gospel to the people there. Sometimes God shows us a need, and expects us to take action on it. The key is staying in touch and in tune with Him so we know what He really wants from us. However, it is essential that we act on God’s word to us, and not simply hear it and sit on it.
T.S.: When we are willing to be doers and not only hearers of what God is saying to us, we can see what happens in the next point.
2. Obeying God Produces Results (Acts 16:13-15)
13”On the Sabbath we went outside the city gate to the river, where we expected to find a place of prayer. We sat down and began to speak to the women who had gathered there. 14 One of those listening was a woman named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth from the city of Thyatira, who was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to respond to Paul's message. 15 When she and the members of her household were baptized, she invited us to her home. "If you consider me a believer in the Lord," she said, "come and stay at my house." And she persuaded us.”
-Now, because Paul and his companions were willing to travel to Philippi to share the gospel, we see that someone is saved as a result of it.
-Paul’s normal approach to sharing the gospel in a city was to go to the synagogue(s) and discuss the OT message with the people there first. He would show them from Scripture that Jesus Christ was the fulfillment of the OT prophecies of the coming Messiah. Then he would go to other key places in the city, such as the market place or wherever he could find people.
-Philippi was primarily a Gentile-populated city, but there were a number of Jews and God fearing people there. Scholars differ on whether this place of prayer they expected to find down by the riverside was an outside place to sit and pray or talk, or if it was actually a synagogue. Some believe it was a synagogue, because with all of the Jewish customs of ritual washings and baptisms, the riverside would be a convenient location for a synagogue, which was also a place of prayer. Regardless, they did find some women who had gathered there at the place of prayer, and they shared Christ w/ them.
-We see that Lydia became their first convert in Philippi. She is described as a worshiper of God, who dealt in purple cloth. She was likely a very wealthy woman, but she had a genuine hunger to know the one true God. This is why she was at this place of prayer – possibly a Jewish synagogue.
She had received Jesus as the promised Messiah and as her Savior, and was baptized, along with all of her household. So, was it worth it for Paul to change his plans and go to the trouble of traveling to Philippi? For Lydia it certainly was worth it!
-Also notice that one of the first things she does is show gracious hospitality to Paul and his friends by inviting them to stay at her house. It is quite likely that her house became the first of several house churches that were started in Philippi, as a result of Paul’s ministry there.
-God is into results! When we obey, God will make things happen, and bring about His will and purposes. However, sometimes obedience places us in unpleasant situations that may result in pain, suffering, and opposition.
3. Obeying God May Bring Opposition (Acts 16:16-24)
16”Once when we were going to the place of prayer, we were met by a slave girl who had a spirit by which she predicted the future. She earned a great deal of money for her owners by fortune-telling. 17 This girl followed Paul and the rest of us, shouting, "These men are servants of the Most High God, who are telling you the [or a] way to be saved." 18 She kept this up for many days. Finally Paul became so troubled 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 the owners of the slave girl 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." 22 The crowd joined in the attack against Paul and Silas, and the magistrates ordered them to be stripped and beaten. 23 After they had been severely flogged, they were thrown into prison, and the jailer was commanded to guard them carefully. 24 Upon receiving such orders, he put them in the inner cell and fastened their feet in the stocks.”
-Have you ever wondered why this demon-possessed woman bothered Paul so much? It sounded like she was helping them spread the gospel. However, several Bible scholars point out that her message may not have been exactly what we think it was. See, when she said, "These men are servants of the Most High God, who are telling you the way to be saved," there is a small problem with the phrase “the way.” In the Greek, the definite article, “the” is not there. Normally, when there is no definite article in front of a noun, translators use an indefinite article, “a.” This is one of those grammar rules that can go either way, depending on the context, but a number of scholars believe this woman was saying, "These men are servants of the Most High God, who are telling you [a] way to be saved." No wonder Paul grew tired of the lady. In essence, the demon inside of her was introducing Paul to the people of Philippi. Who needs a demonic introduction? On top of that she the message of Jesus was being announced as only one of many ways to be saved. Paul turned around and cast this demon out of her, not simply out of annoyance, but likely to shut up the false demonic message that was warping the truth of the gospel.
-Well, Paul and Silas paid dearly for standing up for the gospel. They were falsely accused, severely beaten/flogged, and thrown into prison, with their feet fastened in stocks. [On a side note, remember that Luke and Timothy were probably along with Paul & Silas in the middle of all of this. It is possible that Paul instructed Luke to take care of Timothy and to keep him out of harm’s way, which could be why we do not read about them being thrown in prison. It is also possible that Paul and Silas were the most visible of the 4, and that could be why Luke and Timothy were left alone.]
-Regardless, if there was ever a time for a pity party, it was now. “God, you led us to preach the gospel here in this miserable city. Now look what has happened! Don’t you care about us? What did we do to deserve this painful beating, having to sit in this cold, dark prison? Lord, why me?” However, we don’t find this attitude in Paul and Silas.
T.S.: That leads us to the next point. When we are obeying God, yet find ourselves in a painful, miserable situation, what should our response be?
4. Obeying God Enables Us to Turn Our Sorrow into Singing (Acts 16:25-34)
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 everybody'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!" 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 family 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 family.”
-Paul and Silas found a song in their hearts that resulted in deliverance for them and for the jailer and his family. They were able to turn their pain into praise.
NIV Psalm 32:7 “You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance. 32:10-11 10 Many are the woes of the wicked, but the LORD's unfailing love surrounds the man who trusts in him. 11 Rejoice in the LORD and be glad, you righteous; sing, all you who are upright in heart!”
-It is not out of the question that Paul and Silas could have quoted or sung this very Psalm. They rejoiced in the Lord, because they knew He could be trusted with their lives. They found freedom and deliverance and an opportunity to lead another entire household to the Lord. We can also find and give deliverance– if we will keep our perspective and learn to rejoice in times of trouble. It is a matter of trust. Do we trust God to help us survive the storms of life, or the suffering we will face, or the difficult times we are going through? If we are living in obedience to Him, we know that all things will work together for the ultimate good. We can trust Him!
T.S.: One final area of obedience has to do with our personal rights.
5. Obeying God Requires Us to Yield Our Rights Him (Acts 16:35-40)
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." 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 encouraged them. Then they left.”
-What if Paul had decided to claim his rights as a Roman citizen before they were beaten and imprisoned? No doubt they could have avoided suffering, because it was against Roman law to flog a Roman citizen, even if he was a criminal. However, because Paul was sensitive to the leading of the Holy Spirit, he and Silas were able to lead the Philippian Jailer and his family to the Lord. They had to suffer in order to do it, but God knew what needed to happen in order to reach this man and his family.
-It may cost you something to be able to share the gospel effectively with others. Are you willing to follow the leading of the HS and trust God in the midst of dangerous or difficult situations?
-It is possible in some situations to miss God’s will and plan because we refuse to give up our own rights and demand to have our own way. Someone may have an opportunity to hear the gospel as a result of our suffering. Can we trust God even in a painful, humiliating situation? I believe we can, if we commit ourselves to doing so.
-When we commit ourselves entirely to God’s care, we are essentially yielding our personal rights to the Lordship of Jesus Christ. There may be a time to stand up for our rights as citizens or simply as human beings. However, if giving up our rights helps the gospel, or results in the salvation of another person, then we must be willing to do whatever it takes. I know this does not sound very American, but it is very Christian.
-Hebrews 12:2-3 The writer of Hebrews tells us that in the midst of suffering, 2”Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.”
Conclusion: In closing, we have covered a long passage of Scripture today, but I hope that these truths will stay with you.
1. Obeying God Requires Action.
2. Obeying God Produces Results.
3. Obeying God May Bring Opposition.
4. Obeying God Enables Us to Turn Our Sorrow into Singing.
5. Obeying God Requires Us to Yield Our Rights Him.
Really, this all boils down to the words of an old hymn: “Trust and obey, for there’s no other way to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.” We all need to be reminded that obedience requires action. We need to be willing to step out and do what God seems to be leading us to do. We will see good results as we do so. We may encounter problems along the way, but God will help us turn our pain into praise and our sorrow into song. All of this requires totally yielding ourselves to Him and His plan for our lives. We have no earthly rights, only the promises of our God and king, which are great and precious promises that we can look forward to. Let’s commit to instant obedience to Christ!
