Missions Paul

Nothing can stop the gospel

Acts 16:30 He then brought them out and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”

THE LIGHT SHINES IN THE DARKNESS AND THE DARKNESS HAS NOT OVERCOME IT. This is the heart of the gospel.

This Easter Sunday I pray for the Elim churches reaching the Fulani people. It is very difficult to spread the gospel amongst these people, the people walk in darkness, but the gospel is spread! One of our church planters will baptise 4 Fulanis today and the prayer of the church will be the same: that they be a good witness of Christ, that the gospel will spread even more. Last night one church planter texted me this: “Our nearest Fulani neighbours asked about our celebration but they aren’t believers. The wives are interested but one was beaten after they came to our Christmas celebration. She told me again yesterday that she wants to hear the sweet news, but I have to be cautious with their family. I had a small opportunity yesterday to share about Christ’s death and resurrection. Pray for more opportunities.”

Nothing can stop the gospel shining through.

Put the gospel on a cross and let thick darkness come all around and it will shine through!

Put the gospel in the darkness of a tomb and roll a huge boulder over its entrance and it will shine through!

Put the gospel in the darkness of an inner cell in a secure jail and it will sing hymns at midnight and shine its message of light to the prisoners already there.

And presumably, put the gospel under a life-or-death outcome of the jailer himself and it will continue to do its powerful work.

You see the prison doors did not fly open that night to get Paul and Silas out. They flung open so that all those who were in, including the jailer, would have an opportunity for salvation.

The stone didn’t roll away so that Jesus could be free. The stone rolled away so that mankind could realise that the gospel is not encased in a tomb of decaying bones.

The aim of the gospel is to get every human being to the point of asking a simple question: what must I do?

Whether the jailer of a bust jail or standing in an empty tomb or a Muslim witnessing the love of Christ, what must I do?

An expert of the Jewish law asked Jesus that question which led to the parable of the Good Samaritan.

The rich man asked Jesus that question and ended up very sad as he faced the task of selling all he had to give to the poor.

The early church grew at a fast rate because the crowd asked that question after Peter’s Pentecost sermon.

May today herald a global move of people asking that one question, ‘what must I do to be saved?’ May it happen in the church service you attend!

For nothing can stop the gospel.

How to see more trembling.

Acts 16: 29 “The jailer called for lights, rushed in and fell trembling before Paul and Silas”.

Darkness is now going as lights are coming. As in the physical prison so it was in the jailers heart. An earthquake had taken place in his life. He had come so close to ending his life because of waking to the prison doors flung open and to find that none of the prisoners had escaped was beyond him. Why? How? What does he do now? Actually though you may think securing the doors would have been the first thing, it wasn’t. The jailer was beyond common sense. He was in the response state towards a God he didn’t know, worship or believe in. He was being shaken to the core and he threw himself down at the feet of the Church, of Paul and Silas.

The death and the resurrection of Jesus caused our very earth to tremble. There was an earthquake at the cross and also at the resurrection.

It also caused people to be equally terrified and to shake with fear. In fact the centurion and the guards who exclaimed “Surely he was the Son of God!” did so as they were terrified.

The two Mary’s, Salome and the other women fled from the tomb trembling as they had encountered the unexplained resurrection.

When God moves there is a shaking: “The Lord reigns, let the nations tremble; he sits enthroned between the cherubim, let the earth shake.” Psalm 99.

May people tremble again at the feet of the Church, at the unexplained, the impossible workings of God that occur through the body of Christ.

Just before you groan because you think what we need is more power for that to happen. Let me remind you that the jailer didn’t tremble because of the prison doors flying open miraculously but because the Church had managed to convince all the prisoners to remain in situation. The point being is we cannot miraculously open prison doors but we can be a people of huge influence! Now that, the Church can do. If we did, then maybe we would see people trembling on the floor and about to ask a really important question!

The big important shout!

Acts 16: 29 “But Paul shouted, “Don’t harm yourself! We are all here!”

Matthew and Mark say that about the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice and quoted Psalm 22.

Matthew and Mark then also say Jesus cried out again in a loud voice then gave up his spirit.

Luke says that when the curtain of the temple had been torn in two, Jesus called out with a loud voice and quoted Psalm 31.

The picture I see on the cross is that of our Saviour shouting to the world, “It’s okay, it is in the Scripture!”. The Word of God shouting the Word of God!

As we wake to this Good Friday I don’t see a defeated man on a cross, a failure, dying in a defeated whimper. No! I see a victorious Son of Man who takes his last breath to shout as loud as he could Gods eternal truth!

Perhaps you can still hear that shout today?

Maybe it was like the shout of Paul to the jailer ….

“Don’t do it! We are all here! Don’t condemn yourself and no one can condemn you! God has found a way. It is not over for you! There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus!”

That shout of Paul saved the jailer his life.

In the same way the shout of Jesus saved you your life!

 

 

 

Wait, it may not be over!

Acts 16:27

“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.”

 

It’s an incredible thing but some people will wake today and never be the same again.

The jailer woke and his world had collapsed. How could he have not heard any commotion? How could the prison doors be open and he sleep through the whole debacle?

He was ready to fall on his sword. The jailer knew he was in trouble. He was afraid and ashamed. He knew with the prisoners having escaped under his watch that he would be probably killed. Do I be killed or do I kill myself? Do I come under judgment or do I pass judgment on myself?

And we are left hanging in this moment of decision. “He was about to…” What will he do?

We all know what it is like to be at the edge of giving up.

The reason Jesus died on the cross was to make another way for us.

The jailer only thought there was 2 ways but there was another way he had not thought of. We will see that tomorrow!

The next time you are about to finish everything just pause and wait. There may be a way you haven’t seen if you just wait a moment in time. The Jailer ‘thought’ with the evidence before him. He thought wrong. God’s best work can leave you thinking the wrong thought.

During Jesus’ holy week his disciples’ thinking was often confused and wrong.

At the washing of their feet: “You do not realise now what I am doing, but later you will.”

At the betrayal when Jesus told Judas to go and act quickly: “but no one at the meal understood … some thought Jesus was telling him to buy food for the Feast or to give money to the poor.”

Thomas said: “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?”

The disciples were saying together continually, “What does he mean ‘by a little while’? We don’t understand”

Today you may have many thoughts, just wait, be open to the fact that you may be confused and wrong even though evidence is before you. Just wait, it may not be over.

God specialises in …

Acts 16:26 “Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open, and everyone’s chains came loose.”

• We are people of the suddenly.

Matthew 28:9 Suddenly Jesus met them. “Greetings,” he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshiped him.

Today everything may look like there will be no change. There is nothing you can do but worship. But you know God specialises in the suddenly moment. He has plans!

• We are people who believe in the violent earthquake.

There is only one other place where a violent earthquake is mentioned. Clearly Luke wants us to focus on that. Matthew 28:2 “There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it.”

Today everything may look finished and over. Huge hindrances may be preventing you moving forward or people coming to you, impossibilities the size of huge boulders may have sealed your fate. But you know God specialises in violent earthquakes of circumstances!

• We are people who believe in the shaking that only God can bring.

At the cross as Jesus breathed his last, “At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook, the rocks split” Matthew 27:51

Today everything may be painful, your heart may be broken and you may feel you are a solitary figure on your journey. But God specialises in shaking even nature itself to break in two with you, to demonstrate you are not alone.

• We are people who believe in prison doors flying open.

At the trial of Jesus, “Now it was the governor’s custom at the festival to release a prisoner chosen by the crowd.” Matthew 27:15

Today everything may be dark and you may be hurting because it is your own fault. But God specialises in releasing those who should not be released, He came to earth to do that for you.

• We are people who believe in chains breaking.

One of the hymns sung at the Passion was that of Psalm 116, “Truly I am your servant, Lord; I serve you just as my mother did; you have freed me from my chains.”

Today everything may be tangled, your circumstance intense and you cannot move from it. But God specialises in freeing those chains so that you can walk again.

This Holy Week thank God for His specialities! Some days that is all we have left and that is all that we need!

What will you do at midnight?

Acts 16:25 “About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them.”

Paul and Silas have been severely beaten and thrown into prison because of the gospel.

It is now the end of the day and God has not rescued them out of their darkness. Some people say God always steps in, even if it is the last minute of the 11^th hour. Friends, sometimes God does not. Just ask John the Baptist and James.  But it is what you do if He doesn’t help you that becomes of great importance. Perhaps it hurts Him to wait but He does because of the “other prisoners” who are also in their dark and confused circumstance and who need the light of the gospel.

What will you do in your contained circumstance that will help someone else in theirs?

It is about midnight. The day is over. God has not changed anything. They are still there. It is pitch-dark and they are bleeding and bruised. What are they doing?

The fact that they pray and praise would indicate that their focus is not on themselves but on the worship and adoration of God in one act towards heaven. Your circumstance may lock you to the now and you may not be able to move from the stocks that have chained you to this earth. However, your heart for God is free and can choose where to go. Your spirit can rise when your body cannot move.

Jesus said “It is when a person walks at night that they stumble, for they have no light.” (John 11:10) and John wrote of the betrayal, “As soon as Judas had taken the bread, he went out. And it was night.” (John 13:30)

What will you do at the midnight of your circumstance?

Paul and Silas sang hymns and this most probably involved the Psalms. In fact the word ‘hymn’ is the same as what Jesus and his disciples sang after the Last Supper (Matthew 26:30). There they used the six Psalms of Psalm 113-118 which are hugely inspirational for us as we walk through our holy week. Please read one each day, start today. As you do you will realise that “He giveth songs in the night” (Job 35:10).

The inner cell of darkness

Acts 16:24 “When he received these orders, he put them in the inner cell and fastened their feet in the stocks.”

Paul and Silas were thrown not just in prison but because the jailer was commanded to guard them he then put them in the inner cell and had their feet fastened in the stocks.

The inner cell is a place of total darkness.

The inner cell is a place of heat.

The inner cell is even more difficult to escape from because of its many doors that block the way in and out.

The enemy of your life will do his best to get you into the inner cell.

As we walk through this holy week of Jesus we know where we are going. We are heading for the darkness of the cross. The sky will become black and the heavens will be silent, there will be no grand demonstrations in the sky as there were at his birth, no signs and wonders that we hold as important, Jesus went into the inner cell of darkness and intensity of pain with no exit route. And God is silent. He is silent because He teaches us that there are times in our lives, in the inner cell of darkness, when the most important voice is not His, but ours. The last words of Jesus at the darkest moment was ‘Father into your hands I commit my spirit.’ Then he gave his last breath. The only voice was that of Jesus. He quotes Psalm 31:5. But He is actually quoting not one verse but following the Jewish way of quotation actually pointing out the whole not just one small part. His hearers would know by rote the whole of that Psalm and so did Jesus. So at the end of this 3 hour darkness Jesus voice is speaking not only the despondency of that Psalm but importantly this also:

Into your hands I commit my spirit; deliver me, Lord, my faithful God.

I trust in the Lord…. You have not given me into the hands of the enemy but have set my feet in a spacious place… I trust in you, Lord; I say, “You are my God.” My times are in your hands …Let your face shine on your servant … How abundant are the good things that you have stored up for those who fear you …

 

The most important voice is not His, but ours: and He is waiting and He is listening. Will our voice contain His words or our complaint? Jesus taught us to speak the living word of God and by doing so knowing that here in this inner cell of darkness, God is still in control.

 

Back to Paul and Silas and their voice? That is for tomorrow …

Sometimes there is no one around to wash away your wounds.

Acts 16:23

“After they had been severely flogged, they were thrown into prison, and the jailer was commanded to guard them carefully.”

 

Sometimes there is no one around to wash away your wounds.

When the Jews flogged they would whip the person 39 times, never 40. But when the Romans flogged there was never any maximum limit in fact they were heading for the death of the prisoner and on occasions there are records of soldiers losing their own life if by the 40^th stripe the prisoner was not dead. So you can imagine the brute force the soldiers would give into a flogging.

How many times Paul and Silas was flogged we do not know, but it was severe. The wounds were severe. But no one was there to bathe, bandage and soothe them. Wounded they were thrown into prison and they were guarded. It wouldn’t be until the jailer was saved would he offer to bathe their wounds.

There are many who are watched by the enemy of their soul, trapped and broken. We need leaders who wash wounds today. The broken-hearted are in our churches. Life has dealt a mistreatment to their life. They need Pastors who care enough.

The triumphal entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday heralded the Holy week of Jesus. During that week we see Jesus on his knees washing the feet of even his enemies.

If you are reading this today and you still carry the wounds of life then it could be you are also imprisoned. You may never get justice. But you can ask Jesus to wash the dirt of life, the pain and the wounds from you.

 

 

Stripped and beaten

Acts 16:22  “The crowd joined in the attack against Paul and Silas, and the magistrates ordered them to be stripped and beaten.”

There’s always a group of people who can be fuelled for the wrong reason.
There are always people who want to pull down and not build up.
They are found in all cultures and churches!
Perhaps the magistrates looked and listened to the noise of the crowd and passed their sentence.
Paul and Silas were stripped of their clothes and became hugely vulnerable and then they were painfully beaten.
Friends, if you don’t want to be vulnerable, if you don’t want to experience pain then don’t serve God. That’s the life. That’s what you sign up for.
I’m thankful for what the mission of God has done for me.
I’m thankful for being stripped of all my security and ability. I’m thankful of becoming vulnerable.
I’m thankful of being beaten, of having any ego left within me taken from me.
I’m thankful for the pain that I carry in my body and soul.
Mission changes you because the enemy of your soul attacks you.
But we are a better person being stripped and beaten.
Sunday Christians gather fully clothed with their pomp and flair. They are not beaten in fact they may beat.
You see, friends, those who are stripped and who are beaten know the flow of the anointing of God. Oil from olives and grapes come from being beaten. There’s no other way.
Yes I am thankful this morning.

Grievances and accusations

Acts 16:21
The accusation was that Paul’s team were throwing the city into uproar “by advocating customs unlawful for us Romans to accept or practise.”

So the truth was they were annoyed they had lost their income because their slave girl was now free and no longer fortune telling.
However, the truth was hidden.  Instead they brought the accusation that the missions team had broken the Roman law of no one being permitted to hold to a foreign cult or have a personal God to worship.
Again, that wasn’t their grievance. But it was their accusation.
Their duplicity of grievance and accusation is revealing.
Grievance is personal but accusation often is brought regarding a bigger picture.
Grievance is personal but accusation often is about breaking established norms.
Grievance is personal but accusation often makes it about others.
When people accuse you they will sometimes draw on these three things and leave out their personal grievance. They can hide their true feelings and their hurts. They will highlight the injustice and the breaking of ‘laws’ and make a whole new scenario. Their goal is to get justice for their grievance and not their accusation. One question is never asked: “why are you really angry, what is truthfully behind this accusation?”
Have you ever wondered why the accusations are simply over the top? It’s because the grievance is underneath simmering away. Often the grievance is more important.
Grievance doesn’t have to lead to accusation. But in some people no matter what you do they will accuse you anyway because the grievance has built inside them.

This is life. This is what Jesus faced. This is what will happen. As you walk with God and do His will you will grieve people and they will accuse you. Be careful on wasting time on your defence. Be gracious. But move on. Do His will.