How to Look Up When Things Look Down | From Resistance to Redemption

You're listening to A New Beginning with Greg Laurie, a podcast made possible by Harvest Partners, helping people everywhere know God.

Visit our website and learn more about Harvest Partners at harvest.org. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved. Why do we complicate this message? It's so simple. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved.

That's it. That's our message. Some people come to Christ instantly as soon as they hear the Gospel. It's the miracle of a moment. Others resist that decision for decades until one day they realize their need for Christ. Sometimes it's a crisis or tragedy that brings them to that point.

Other times it's as though their eyes suddenly open. Today on A New Beginning, Pastor Greg Laurie shows us the miraculous conversion of a certain Philippian jailer, a conversion that would sweep through his entire family. Grab your Bibles and turn to Acts chapter 16 and the title of my message is How to Look Up When Things Look Down. Now what we're reading about here in the book of Acts is the second missionary journey of the Apostle Paul. And Paul now has a new wingman and his name is Silas.

So now they're headed to a place called Philippi. So he arrives with Silas and there's this lady there and her name is Lydia. Lydia was a very affluent woman. It says that she sold purple garments.

So back in this day treating expensive cloth with expensive purple dye would be what we would call a designer gown, a designer shirt. So this is a woman who was very affluent, very well off, and this is the first convert of this second missionary journey. So here's the devil now with his counter attack. Acts 16 verse 16. As we went to prayer a certain slave girl possessed with the spirit of divination who brought her masters much profit started following us. So this demon possessed woman now starts following the apostles. She was shouting these men are servants of the Most High and have come to tell you how to be saved. Actually this word she said could be translated.

She shrieked. So here's Paul and Silas walking along through Philippi. She's behind them screaming out, they're servants of the Most High God.

This woman's really getting to my nerves. And it's interesting because in the original language it says she had the spirit of Python. And what that means is there was a myth that the Python snake guarded the temple of Apollo. And so there was this weird demonic thing. And so Paul cast the demon out. Well now the people who were controlling this woman, effectively trafficking her, pimping her out if you will, and making a lot of money off of her were outraged. Because this witchy woman was their source of income.

So when they exorcise the demon they also exorcise the income for her master. So now they're angry. Acts 16 verse 20 though they go and try to whip up the people and the whole city is in an uproar because of these Jews they shouted. They're teaching the people to do things against Roman customs. A mob quickly formed against Paul and Silas and the city officials ordered them stripped and beat them with wooden rods.

So we pick up in Acts 16 verse 23 what happened after that. They were severely beaten. Then they were thrown into prison and the jailer was ordered to make sure they didn't escape. So he took no chances and put them into the inner dungeon and clapped their feet in the stocks.

Around midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God. And the other prisoners were listening. Verse 26 suddenly there was a great earthquake and the prison was shaken at its foundations and the doors flew open and the chains of every prisoner fell off. The jailer woke up to see the prison doors open. He assumed the prisoners had escaped and he drew a sword to kill himself. Paul shouted to him don't do it.

We're all here. Trembling with fear the jailer called for lights and ran to the dungeon and fell down before Paul and Silas and he brought them out and asked sirs what must I do to be saved. They replied believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved along with your entire household. Then they shared the word of the Lord with him and all who lived in his household. The same hour the jailer washed their wounds he and everyone in his household were immediately baptized and he brought them into his house and set a meal before them. He and his entire household rejoiced because they all believed in God.

Wow. Isn't that one of the greatest stories in the Bible. So Paul and Silas are flogged. Verse 24 says he clamped their feet in stocks. They were thrown into a dark filthy underground hole.

A vermin filled dungeon. Their shredded backs were laid open from the whipping. They were put on hard ground. They were in these stocks that were spread causing excruciating pain and they didn't know what their future was. They didn't know they were going to be delivered. Paul and Silas had not read act 16 yet.

They were living it in real time as I've often said jokingly. Job never read the book of Job. He didn't know how the story ended. They might be free because God delivered Peter but they might die because God allowed James excuse me Stephen to be martyred.

Well James as well actually. So he didn't know how this story would end but that's what makes us all the more remarkable when it says in verse 25 around midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God and the other prisoners were listening. You ever wake up in the middle of the night and you're troubled by something? Yes something's bothering you. Some worries.

Some anxiety. That's a good time to pray. I don't know if you should sing.

You might wake up your spouse if you're married but you could. But remind yourself of scripture. Correct your thinking with what the word of God says and that's a good thing to do. In fact the the psalmist writes in Psalm 42 verse 8 through each day the Lord pours us and through each day the Lord pours us and feeling love upon me and through each night I sing his songs praying to God who gives me life. They're singing praises to God and the other prisoners were listening.

By the way this word for listening means to listen very carefully or literally to listen with pleasure. I don't think anyone had ever heard anyone sing in this dungeon before. Now were Paul and Silas doing a two-part harmony? You know Lena McCartney, Everly Brothers, something like that?

I don't think so. But the fact that they were giving glory to God in such adverse circumstances really caused others to pay attention. Listening with pleasure. Have you ever been maybe driving along and you have the radio on and you're listening to music and a song you like comes on so you turn it up? I want to hear this. I love this song. Then you sing along with it. Then someone turns the volume off and you're singing all by yourself and you don't sound nearly as good as you thought you did.

Well they're singing praises to God. Everyone's listening because this is such an unexpected thing and it reminds us there that there's a lost world out there and they're watching you and I as a Christian and they're watching what we do when things go the wrong way. How do we handle it when a child goes prodigal? How do we handle it when we're laid off at work? How do we handle it when we get sick?

How do we handle it when hardship comes into our life? And when we can still give glory to God that is a powerful testimony that will open their heart as it did in the life of the jailer. He had never seen anything like this before. He was moved very deeply. Now an earthquake comes and it's a supernatural earthquake because no earthquake would break chains off of your hands necessarily.

All the doors fling open. This guy's ready to kill himself. Why? Because if you're a Roman jailer given this responsibility and your prisoners escape you will be put to death. So he thought I'm just going to do it myself and Paul stops him.

Don't hurt yourself. We're all here still. And this man falls down before them and I love the verbiage and I use King James here instead of new living. Sirs what must I do to be saved? A term of respect.

Sirs, gentlemen, whatever you have I want it. What must I do to be saved? So Paul gives him the truth of the gospel. You see Paul probably could relate to this guy. He thought oh yeah I know this guy.

I used to be this guy except maybe I was a little worse. The fact that this man could whip them and treat them so horribly. Well Paul used to hunt down Christians. Send them to prison. Even kill them. So he thought I used to be that way.

I want to help this guy out. What must I do to be saved? Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved. And immediately the jailer believes and he washes their wounds. Verse 33 says and everyone in his household was immediately baptized.

Now I love how his whole home was impacted. A lot of times the way that Jesus comes into a family is through one person. One person believes. They become a Christian and now this kind of upsets the family.

Jesus said do you think that I have come to bring peace to the earth? No I tell you division. A mother will be divided against her daughter. A father against his son.

Your enemies will be those of your own household. We read that and say what? I thought Jesus came to bring peace.

He did and he does. But sometimes before that peace there's a division. Let me illustrate it because many of you have lived this. So you become a Christian and at Thanksgiving maybe there was a lot of drinking and a lot of partying and a lot of whatever.

That was my life before. But now you're a Christian and you say you know I'd like to pray when the it's time to eat. Say grace. You've never said grace in your family before.

And okay whatever. Let's pray. And you pray your prayer and a lot of people don't like it one bit. But then one other family member comes to Christ. Then another one comes to Christ. So there's division at first.

Resentment. But now they're coming to Jesus one by one. And before you know it, it's a Christian family.

I've seen it happen so many times. Passed on from generation to generation. Pastor Greg Laurie will have the second half of his message in just a moment. We appreciate hearing from listeners whose lives have been impacted by Pastor Greg studies.

Even through difficult times. Pastor Greg I'm so thankful for you. I'm so thankful for you. I'm so thankful for your ministry. God has used you mightily in my life since the home going of my husband. About a week after he passed I was so distraught.

I searched you on YouTube. What is my loved one doing in heaven? Your message about your own son who died and what God showed you in his word gave me peace. Thank you.

We are touched by these comments. If you've been impacted by something Pastor Greg has said, would you contact us and let us know? Just call 1-866-871-1144.

That's 866-871-1144. Well, we're in Acts 16 today as Pastor Greg presents his message, How to Look Up When Things Look Down. So look at all of the people that Paul and Silas reach in this chapter. The up and the outer. A lady named Lydia.

The down and the outer. The demon possessed woman. The soldier somewhere in the middle. So Lydia the designer. The former snake girl and a jailer.

Python girl. All these people come to faith. The rich and the poor. The slave and the free. The man and the woman. All one in Christ and ready to rock their world. And they became the nucleus of the church of Philippi that Paul wrote an epistle to known as Philippians.

Right? Now let me come back and consider the question of the jailer. What must I do to be saved? What must I do to be saved?

He asks. And Paul says believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved. Why do we complicate this message? This is the Apostle Paul.

A very credible source that we can look to on how to share the gospel. As I said earlier people can get so tied up into a theological pretzel as they are trying to articulate the gospel. No one can understand it. I don't even think the person describing it understands it. It is so simple.

Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved. That is it. That is our message. But we have to define it. What does it mean to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ? Is it mere intellectual assent to the fact that a man named Jesus came to this world, died on a cross, and even rose from the dead?

It includes that but there is much more. Because the Bible says the demons believe in tremble. Going back to Python girl. What was she saying?

These men are servants of the most high God. Was that technically true? Actually it was. It is just the way she said it. And that she was possessed by a demon. Even the demons believe in tremble.

You see. So some people say I believe in Jesus therefore I am saved. Well do you believe in the way the Bible tells you to believe?

Jesus said for God so loved the world He gave His only begotten Son and whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. By implication believing means to take hold of one thing and let go of another. Or to put it another way it is to believe in and repent of. See you have to repent of your sins. On the day of Pentecost Peter said, they said what shall we do?

They wanted to believe. He says repent and be converted. In times of refreshment will come from the presence of the Lord. To repent means to turn from known sin. Now honestly you may not know all the stuff you are doing to sin yet so you repent of what you know to repent of. And as you get to know the Lord better you repent of poor things. Because you realize there are a lot of things that aren't right.

But the point is believing means to trust in, to cling to, and rely on. It is to put your full weight on something. I am putting my full weight of 160 pounds.

What are you laughing? That is my left leg. I am putting my full weight on this platform.

I am expecting it to hold me. And you put your full weight in Christ as I pointed out earlier. It is not Christ plus good works. Christ plus baptism. Christ plus X, Y, or Z. It is Jesus and Jesus alone.

I believe in Him. That is what it means. You say well saved. That is kind of a weird word.

I don't think it is weird at all. Isn't it the perfect word? I mean if someone was in a burning building and a courageous firefighter rushed in and brought them out. If you read about it later it would probably say a person was saved. If someone was drowning out in the ocean caught in a riptide and a lifeguard swam out to save them.

That is the word we use. They saved them. And this is what God does. He saves us. You see He saves us from what? He saves us for starters from future judgment. Romans 5 says, since we have been made right in God's sight by the blood of Christ He will save us from God's judgment. How will I be saved? The Bible says whoever will call upon the name of the Lord will be saved. And that is what we need to do.

We call on His name. You know sometimes you hear people say well I tried Christianity. I tried Jesus Christ.

It didn't work for me. Well I immediately dismiss your statement because I know you didn't try Jesus. First of all He is not a product. What is a return policy on this? I will be honest with you.

I like to play around with gadgets. So I will order something online. The first thing I do is return policy. Can I return this?

Is there a risk talking fee? Ok good. Because I want to see this in real life and I want to see if I like it. Look at it. I don't like it. Or hey I do like it. Whatever.

So people come to Jesus. Alright what is a return policy? It is not working. I tried it for a whole week. Jesus Christ is not a product. If it didn't work it is because you failed. Not because He failed. Because He is not an it. He is a yin.

And He will change you. I would be like a person saying yeah I tried the whole medicine thing. It didn't work for me. I am still sick.

Wait what happened? Well you went down to the doctor. He did a diagnosis of your problem. Said you need to take this medication twice a day until the bottle is done.

And I think you will be better. So you go down. You get your prescription filled.

And you never open it. Never do anything the doctor said. You get sicker. Yeah I tried medicine. It didn't work for me. No you didn't follow the doctor's directions. Or I tried the whole health club thing. I did the whole gym membership. You joined a gym. Yes I did. Did you ever go to the gym?

Oh yeah. What did you do? Stood around and talked.

Then went for donuts afterwards. Ok that is you. That is on you.

Don't say you tried the gym and it didn't work. You didn't do what you were supposed to do. So if you really believe in Jesus and you start following Jesus and you repent of your sins and you start reading the Bible and you get involved in the church and you develop a prayer life your life is going to change. I am just telling you right now. That is guaranteed. Don't worry about the return policy.

You won't want to return anything. Yeah so believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and you'll be saved. So let me close with that. Maybe there's somebody here and there aren't people here.

It's just weird things preachers say. Maybe there's somebody here. Well aren't you talking to people?

Yes but I say this. Somebody here. There probably is someone here who says I'm here at church.

I like it here. I don't fully understand all of this. I do want to change but I don't know that I'm saved. I mean I don't have the guaranteed assurance that I'm going to go to heaven.

Well let's clear that up. Because I'm telling you can walk out of here today knowing beyond the shadow of a doubt your sin is forgiven and you're going to heaven one day. What does Jesus say? He says for God so loved the world he gave his only begotten son. Whosoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life. Believe in him.

How do you do that? What did the jailer do? He just believed right there. I believe and all right let's go for it. Let's baptize you guys.

This is amazing. How long did that take him to do? It doesn't say in a month past.

No it was a median. That's how quickly God will save you and forgive you of your sin. Let me give you an opportunity in closing to get right with God and be saved and know that you'll go to heaven one day and be ready for the Lord's return. Let's make sure you're right with God. Let's pray. Father I pray for any person here now if they don't know you I pray at this very moment your Holy Spirit will work in their hearts and bring those that are not saved to you to be saved to be forgiven to be made right with God. In Jesus name I pray.

Amen. Pastor Greg Laurie with an important closing prayer and if you'd like to make a change in your relationship with the Lord Pastor Greg will help you do that in just a moment before today's edition of A New Beginning concludes. You know Pastor Greg a while back you brought us a message called What I Would Tell My Younger Self. It was a great study I really enjoyed it full of practical life insights.

Yeah. So if you went back and talked to your younger self a teenage Greg who was all about drawing cartoons back then which do you think young Greg would find hardest to believe that he was going to grow up and become a pastor and an author or that while he's a pastor and an author he'd still be drawing cartoons. Yeah I think it would be hard for young Greg to believe that he'd be a pastor and an author and here's why he was such a poor student. He didn't like to read. He liked to watch television specifically watch cartoons.

He liked to goof off and joke in class in fact disrupt the class and be sent to the principal's office repeatedly. So he would not believe that he would end up being a teacher of sorts but I am a Bible teacher and I've learned to love study and preparation but I really thought as a kid I will be a cartoonist one day. I was certain that this would happen and then when I began my ministry I realized well that's not going to happen. I'm not going to be a cartoonist so we'll just move on from that dream of my childhood and just do what God's called me to do and then not too long ago I was talking with someone who was involved with an animation studio and I was very interested in that.

We began to chat about it and then I said boy I've always wanted to animate my cartoon characters and she said well we should do that and we began to explore it and next thing you knew we were engaged in creating these animated adventures. You know the Bible says in Psalm 37 for to light yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart. Sometimes you have a dream, sometimes you have a vision of your future that happens very early in life that is not realized until much later.

Think of young Joseph he had his amazing dream of how God was going to elevate him and use him and and it seemed like the most unlikely thing when he was sitting in a prison cell after being falsely accused by the wife of Potiphar but God was in control and ultimately that dream that God had placed in Joseph's heart was fully realized and maybe you have a dream like that and maybe the Lord will open that door for you later. He certainly did for me. So the adventures of Ben Born Again and Yellow Dog are now in development. We have multiple episodes and we're working on new ones.

In fact Dave we're even working on a Christmas special and I've really had fun doing that one in particular. So this is something that we're doing to reach the younger generation, to reach your kids, to reach your grandkids. You know you might say hey kids let's sit down and watch a sermon.

I don't know how interested they'll be in that but if you say hey kids let's watch a cartoon I think you might find they're interested. It's a great way to build a bridge and if this is something you think is worth doing if this is something you'd like to be a part of then you can support us financially and as my way of saying thanks I want to send you a a brand new booklet that we've just done. It's called the Ben Born Again New Believers Growth Book. Now we've had a version of this in the past that has literally reached thousands and thousands of people but we decided to rebuild it from scratch.

New artwork, more content added to it. I think it's fantastic and I think you're going to love it and it'll be something your kids will love and your grandkids will love too. So please be generous and support us as we seek to reach this next generation and as our way of thanking you we'll send you the Ben Born Again New Believers Growth Book. So thank you.

Yeah why not get in touch today. It's a valuable resource. It's a great tool to help a young person learn the basics of the Christian faith.

It's fun, it's understandable, and entertaining. Get in touch with your investment and be sure to ask for the Ben Born Again New Believers Growth Book. You can call us at 1-800-821-3300.

That's a 24-7 phone number. Again 1-800-821-3300. Or write A New Beginning, Box 4000, Riverside, California, 92514.

Or go online to harvest.org. And then Pastor Greg, just before we go, would you mind praying with the person listening who wants to make a change today in their relationship with the Lord? I'd be happy to Dave. You know as you've been listening to this today maybe you've heard another voice. By that I mean yeah you heard me say a few things but you heard God's voice speak to you. Deep in the recesses of your heart and it suddenly dawned on you this is what I need. Or to state it more accurately this is who I need. I need Jesus and I want Jesus.

But maybe you don't know how to make that connection. Let me help you. Pray this after me right now if you want Jesus Christ to come into your life. Lord Jesus I know I am a sinner and I am sorry for my sin and I need your forgiveness right now. Would you come into my heart my life as Savior, as God, as friend.

I choose to follow you from this moment forward. Thank you for calling me and accepting me and forgiving me. In Jesus name I pray.

Amen. I know that was a relatively short prayer. Maybe you felt something as you prayed it.

Maybe you felt nothing. That doesn't really matter because God's Word says these things we write to you that believe on the name of the Son of God that you may know that you have eternal life. It doesn't say so you may think you have it or you may hope you have it if God's in a good mood.

No that you can know it and I want you to know if you pray that prayer in a minute Jesus Christ the Son of God has come into your life. So congratulations you're now a Christian. Now continue to follow the Lord. Yeah and to help you as you follow the Lord we'd like to send you one of the most valuable resources in the world that you could have as someone just beginning to walk with the Lord. It's Pastor Greg's New Believers Bible.

There are scores of study helps that will answer many of the questions you might have and get you started in your new relationship with the Lord. So get in touch and ask for it. We'll send it free of charge. Just call us at 1-800-821-3300.

That's our 24-hour phone number 1-800-821-3300. Or write A New Beginning, Box 4000, Riverside, California 92514. Or go online to harvest.org and click Know God. Well next time Pastor Greg brings us great encouragement on the challenge of reaching out with the gospel to a culture that's lost its way. Join us here on A New Beginning with pastor and Bible teacher Greg Lord. Go to harvest.org