January 28, 2024
As Christians, we believe God loves the whole world! God loves every single person on this planet. And we believe God always seeks to bring people closer to him.
We’re starting a sermon series called Witness! We could probably all use some help with sharing our faith. We need motivation and courage. So next week we’ll talk about the story of the prodigal son and God’s love for everyone who is far from him. In two weeks, we’ll hear about when Jesus spoke with the woman at the well and how she was changed and passed the good news on to others. Today we are talking about Paul and Silas, and how even in their worst moments, they were a witness to God’s love and got involved with people who didn’t know Christ.
When Jesus was resurrected, right before he went back up to heaven, he said, “Go forth and make disciples of all nations.” He gave us a mission! We are to go and tell. But it’s scary. What should I say? What if they say no? Or maybe you feel like an opportunity to share your faith never comes. Or you’re just not interested in sharing your faith.
So today, I’m going to give you a pep talk. We’ll hear the inspirational story of how Paul and Silas saved a stranger in every way.
We’re in Acts 16, this is Acts of the Apostles. Jesus has gone to heaven, and the disciples are following in Jesus’ footsteps: healing and starting the Christian church. Paul and Silas are missionaries, in what is now Greece, in the city of Philippi. A slave girl is following Paul and Silas around. She is a fortune teller, and she has an annoying spirit in her, that makes her shout about Paul and Silas all the time. In Acts 16:17 she says, “These men are servants of the Most High God, who are telling you the way to be saved.” After many days of this Paul got tired of it, turned to her and said to the spirit: “In the name of Jesus Christ I command you to come out of her!” And the spirit left her.
You would think that was a good thing, that she was no longer possessed by this spirit. But the owners of the slave girl thought, now, without this spirit, she won’t be able to tell fortunes. Now they won’t have that source of income from her. So, her owners were angry and brought Paul and Silas to the magistrates saying, “These men are Jews, and are throwing our city into an uproar by advocating customs unlawful for us Romans to accept or practice.” As a result, Paul and Silas were stripped and beaten and thrown in prison! The jailer was told to guard them carefully, so he put their feet in stocks so they couldn’t get away.
How would you feel about now if you were Paul and Silas? Like crying, or yelling? Or like quitting missionary work? They helped this slave girl, and their reward is to get beat up and thrown in prison! If it were me, I’d be thinking I need an extended vacation! But they did something very different. They prayed to God and sang hymns! They couldn’t move, they couldn’t go home, they couldn’t ask a friend to come clean their wounds. But they could sing and pray to God, and that’s what they did! The other prisoners were listening to them.
Right there, Paul and Silas were being witnesses. To witness is to take what God has done in your life and share with someone else so they can experience him too. Jesus had changed their life, so they could thank and praise God, even on one of their worst days! They shared their faith in God by praying and singing to Him. They didn’t keep their love of God secret. They were witnesses.
Suddenly, at midnight, a violent earthquake shook the foundation of the prison. All the prison doors flew open, and everybody’s chains came loose! The jailer woke up and was afraid that all the prisoners had escaped, and because of that, his boss would kill him! So, the jailer took his sword and was about to kill himself! But Paul shouted, “Don’t harm yourself! We are all here!” Paul invited the jailer to come and see. Come and see that they, the prisoners, cared about the jailer. They were still here.
The jailer comes in and he sees: he falls down before Paul and Silas and asks, “What must I do to be saved?” Maybe the jailer had heard them singing and praying and he thought that God sent the earthquake that opened the prison doors! Maybe he was amazed that the prisoners care about him and don’t want him to kill himself!
And Paul replied, “I don’t want to get involved. This is out of my comfort zone.” Just kidding! Paul said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household.” Then they told the jailer and his family about God. The jailer washed their wounds. And then Paul and Silas baptized the jailer and all his family. He and his family were filled with joy!
We often forget the reward of telling someone about our faith! There was a huge reward for Paul and Silas to see this jailer, alive, believing in God and deciding to follow Jesus. He was filled with joy! And the ripple effect was that his entire family became believers, filled with joy as well! When we’re not sure we want to get involved in sharing our faith, we can think of this jailer and his family. Because when you care enough to get involved, you can help someone find joy in Christ!
During this sermon series, I want to encourage you to take some actions to help other people find the joy you have in God. I want you to see if you can think of three people you could potentially share your faith with, three people who aren’t close to God. What if you can’t think of three people? This is your chance to have some fun! Ok, spend some time in a community watering hole. In two weeks, we’ll see Jesus strike up a conversation with a woman at a well. The well is a place where people would come to get water, so it’s literally a community watering hole! Where do people gather? Go there! Go outside. Talk to your neighbors. Walk your dog. Get a dog. Get acquainted with some people.
People are most open to God and church when they’re going through a major change: a divorce, death of a loved one, a displacement: like moving to a new town or a new job or a new school, a disaster, or the development of some issue. Reach out to someone who you know is going through a difficult time. Get involved, like Paul and Silas did. Be there for someone when they need you.
Then, once you have three names of people you can share your faith with, build a relationship with them. Care about them, before you share your faith. Paul and Silas started with, “Don’t harm yourself! We are here!” They didn’t run away, just escape and take care of themselves. They took care of the jailer first! They took care of him. Then they told him about God.
So that’s your homework: write down the names of three people you could share your faith with and who you could invite to church. If you can’t think of three people, then go to a watering hole or go outside and meet people. Care about them first. Next pray for them. Then invite them to church.
Life is better with God! Jesus’ last words before he went up to heaven were to send us on a mission: “Go forth and make disciples of all nations!” It’s an exciting mission. It can be intimidating. But Jesus added these words, “Behold, I am with you always.” When you care enough to get involved, you can help someone find joy in Christ. Start the adventure, be a witness, and remember, Jesus is with you always. Amen.
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