The Big One—Jailhouse Revival (Acts 16:16-40)

Discipleship for the Darkest Times

Last Week: We saw how Paul and Barnabas separated, each to do the work God had called them to do. As a result, the Gospel message was first preached in Europe. In the Greek town of Philippi, a woman named Lydia believed and was baptized with all her family. A wealthy woman with wealthy customers as a dealer in purple.

Today is the day that we celebrate the honor, grace, and beauty of mothers and their tireless care for their children. While there are some mothers who are not good examples, there are many more whose selfless investments in our lives have given us ample grounds for gratitude.

In fact, St. Paul used the gentleness of a nursing mother as a metaphor to describe the apostle’s ministry to the Thessalonians (1 Thess. 2:6-8)

Nor did we seek glory from people, whether from you or from others, though we could have made demands as apostles of Christ. But we were gentle among you, like a nursing mother taking care of her own children. So, being affectionately desirous of you, we were ready to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own selves, because you had become very dear to us.

Some things that make a godly Mom happy:

• That her children believe in Jesus and doing the right thing (3 John 1:4; Prov. 1:8-9; 6:20)
• Being remembered by her children (Rom. 16:12-13)

Things that make a Mom sad:

• Children doing the wrong thing (Prov. 10:1; 19:26; 28:24)
• Seeing their children suffer (2 Kings 4; Luke 2:34-35)

Things a Mom often can’t see:

• How things will turn out.
• How God often takes even the worst things and turns them into blessings.

I think of that one woman in Philippi, Lydia, whose heart God opened to hear the gospel and respond. That moment changed her, and it changed her family. 

In 1950, a 13-year-old girl was invited by one of her friends to attend the Billy Graham crusade in Portland Oregon. Her mother gave her permission to attend on the condition that whatever she did, she was not to “do anything” she was not to even think about going down front to get saved. However, as she listened to the good news about how Jesus had died for her sins and rose again on the third day, as she saw the love of Christ in Rev. Graham’s face, she was convicted of her need for Jesus and immediately went forward to pray to receive Christ.

A couple of decades later, after attending a conference on the Holy Spirit at Melodyland Conference Center in Anaheim, she was prompted to ask her 3rd-grade son if he had ever received Jesus. He hadn’t but wanted to and prayed with her to ask Jesus to forgive his sin and come into his heart as his Savior!

Friday night as I walked in procession down the aisle to receive my doctorate this 80-year-old woman, my mother, was sitting on the center aisle and gave me a low five and a “whoop and a holler” as I marched in the processional. I’m not sure I have ever seen her so happy and proud of her son.

So, mothers, your response to the gospel—living it out and sharing it with your children—is more important than you know.

Today’s extended text from Acts 16, contains the narrative of Paul and Silas being arrested, stripped, badly beaten, thrown in the dungeon, and looked in stocks was a very bad day. I’m sure that this was not the career path their mothers would have hoped for, nor did it turn out how they would have expected. Sometimes the things our children face are not what we might have planned, but as we commit it to the Lord we too might be surprised at how he works it all out!

In recognition of my earning my D.Min degree this week, I have summarized Acts 16:16-40 using 30 “D” words. You might want to read the passage for yourself and see how well I did...

• The apostles were distracted on their way to prayer by a demonized girl and she displeased them for many days thereafter. [Even the Greek word for “displeased” starts with a “D” diaponeomai]
• The slave girl was delivered from the spirit of divination (v. 18)
• Paul & Silas were detained, dragged, and disgraced then thrown into the dungeon (v.19-24)
• They were not discouraged by their discomfort but declared the praises of God. (v.25)
• The inner prison (esoteros) was destroyed in an earthquake and its spiritual aftershocks, and though disentangled, the prisoners were disinclined to escape (v.26)
• The distraught Jailor was determined to end his own life but Paul dissuaded him and told him how he could be saved. (v. 27-31)
• After disinfecting their wounds the jailor declared his allegiance to Jesus in baptism (v. 33)
• Then the jailor and his family were delighted that he had believed in God (v.34)
• When it was day, the Magistrates dropped/dismissed the charges (v.35-36)
• Paul made a demand, not for his own rights but for the benefit of the new disciples in Philippi. (v.37)
• Dread fell upon the Magistrates and they came and apologized. (v.38)
• Paul and Silas finally departed… but only after visiting and encouraging the developing church. (v.40)

The major lesson that I would draw from this passage is how God worked through Paul and Silas—even in the diseased darkness of the dungeon. The work of God is not chained, but whether we will remain effective in a crisis—when the big one hits (whatever that may be)—depends on our having trained our hearts to fully trust in the love of God. We will continue considering this concept in the next post.

Some Other Lessons Drawn from This Incident:

While not the main point, I think there are several other lessons we should consider and then prayerfully apply to our lives.

• They were met with “opposition” on the way to the place of prayer (v. 16). Is it possible that we will face opposition, distraction, and irritation on our way to prayer and worship? Would not the devil want to “spoil the mood” or dampen the desire in us? Perhaps we should more readily recognize the spiritual opposition we face.
• Some people only care about, “what’s in it for me?” They have no stomach for true deliverance if it costs them economically (v. 20). What do we value more highly, money, success, recognition, or people being set free from their “demons”?
• How we spend our darkest hours will be noticed by others (v. 25). People are not as impressed with our prosperity as they are with our joyful perspective amid the earthquakes of life. Are we known more for our complaining or for our gratitude?
• Deliverance may come out of disaster (v. 26). The saying, “God works in mysterious ways” falls short of accurately describing how faithful God is to turn the destroyer’s work into a life-giving weapon of love! Just as mothers can’t always see how things will turn out for their children, so we often struggle to see God’s hand at work in the midst of our trial…but he is working nonetheless!
• Things are not as bad as they seem (v. 27). We are neither worthless nor forgotten in God’s sight. He will bring us through both the fire and the water! He too knows the darkness of betrayal, pain, and utter aloneness, and promises to never abandon us there. (Psalm 23:4)
• The delivered extend their grace to the oppressors (v. 28). This is the opposite of “those who have been forgiven little, love little” (Luke 7:47).
• “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” Be ready with the gospel answer (v. 30). If the heart of God is manifested in our lives then people will ask us why. Are we praying for the Lord to send people to us who are interested in having their souls set free by the love and forgiveness of Jesus? If we pray, then he will send them people. And if they ask us we need to be able to articulate the gospel message.
• Forgiveness opens the door for evangelism (v. 32). Bitterness blocks us from showing the prodigal love of the Father to those who have wronged us or others. However, if we stop minimizing our own guilt and remember how much we have been forgiven, then we will be quick to forgive others (Matt. 6:12; 18:21-35). No matter how terribly we have been wronged, Jesus experienced worse and then went to the cross to make forgiveness possible for his oppressors—all of us! When we forgive and begin to pray God’s best for the oppressors, jailors, and magistrates in our lives, then we should not be surprised to see the door of evangelism open wide!

Check-in later for the second part of this message...