Welcome to the Kerwin Baptist Church broadcast today. Our desire is for the Word of God to be spread throughout the world so that all may know Christ. Join us now for a portion of one of our services here at Kerwin Baptist Church, located in Kernersville, North Carolina. Wonderful music. Let's pray and ask God to open our hearts to His Word.
And we're going to begin in chapter 16 of Acts. I'll do a quick review and then we'll begin in verse 26. But thank you for being in your place today. Let me just say this: what I'm getting ready to share today was really the reason for the whole series dealing out of Acts chapter 16.
So, very important, very crucial. It's as if through these verses God said the most to me. that I needed to hear through these verses, it just might be. That way for you, let's pray. God bless Miss Carolyn and the family, and thank you for.
Miss Pearson, thank you for the years you gave her. And Lord, the way she served you. all those years. Thank you for How they raised their daughter, and how Miss Carolyn's been such a blessing to all of us. for so many years.
Bless them right now. Bless family as they'll be coming in. as they make arrangements and different things. Pray that you give them grace. Lord, we love you.
You're good when things are good and you're good when things aren't so good. You're always good. You're always right. You do all things well. I pray that you bless the Pipkin family and this tragic loss.
I'm sure left with a lot of questions. And God, I pray that You will Settle their hearts and minds with a peace that passes the answers to questions. It's a peace that passes understanding. I pray that you'd bless your word today as we dig into it. In Jesus' name we pray.
Amen. Acts chapter 16, Paul and Silas Um Obviously, we have this miraculous conversion of Lydia. Right after that, they go to a prayer meeting and a demon-possessed woman shows up. And then obviously, we see her conversion, and then before long, they're sitting. in the innermost part.
of the jail. You know, I believe God brought them there for Lydia, but God kept them there for this jailer. We have talked about the fact that first, the kind of Christians that create change. are many times persecuted Christians. You know what this jailer had learned about Jesus.
And all he knew about Jesus, he had only learned from persecuted Christians. He had only learned from watching. We also learned secondly that The kind of Christians that create change were, in this instance, prisoner Christians. It's amazing where you end up when you serve God. You and I better be ready to face whatever when we serve God.
when you find out whether you're really committed or not. Third, we find that The kind of Christians that create change are praying Christians. As they ended up in the innermost part of that jail, Paul and Silas. Prayed and they made that jail their prayer meeting. And you and I ought to make whatever comes our way into a prayer meeting.
You can make prison into a prayer meeting. You can make that doctor's visit into a prayer meeting. You can make losing that job into a prayer meeting. You can make whatever comes. And whatever happens as God's children, it ought to all become a prayer meeting.
Not a complaining Conference, but a prayer meeting. I noticed fourthly that The kind of Christians that create change were here praising Christians. They prayed and sang praises. I don't know about you, but nothing could speak louder of our God than when you and I choose to praise. in the midst of our prison.
And then we talked about the fact that They were proclaiming Christians, the prisoners. heard them. They heard them what? Praise. They didn't hear him preach.
They heard them praise. You know, there might be a lot of the world that might not come into this building, but they're around you at work. And they're going to see how you act, and they're going to watch how you respond. As we come to verse 26, I want you to notice. This morning That this jailer was changed by perceptive Christians.
Now, this is very important because we really start the instruction here. Look at verse 26. And suddenly, as they prayed and praised and proclaimed, there was a great earthquake so that the foundations. Of the prison were shaken, and immediately all the doors were opened, and everyone's bands were loosed. And the keeper of the prison awaking out of his sleep.
Excuse me, and seeing the prison doors open. He drew out his sword and would have killed himself. Supposing that the prisoners had been fled. Look at verse 28. But Paul cried with a loud voice, saying, Do thyself no harm.
Let me give you first a good Preacher outline here. Paul saw his despair. Paul sensed his danger and Paul spoke his deliverance. But let me get a little bit more application if I can. This was a matter of timing.
Let me explain. Do you understand what's going on now was the combination of everything that God was putting Paul and Silas through. This was the culmination of the beating. Of the scourging. This was the culmination of being thrown into jail and not just thrown into jail so that you are restricted physically, but thrown into the inner part of the jail, which was to hurt you emotionally and defeat you mentally.
And here is Paul and Silas in the middle of this. Everything that God had put them through, the chains on their hands and on their feet, and here they were praying and praising and proclaiming everything that happened happened for this moment. It was a matter of timing. Everything that God was doing in their life, and at the same time, little did He know it, God was doing something in this jailer's life, and the two were about to meet. It means this: that God sets up circumstances and God gives us opportunities and God brings people our way.
And sometimes you and I go through things not because God's mad at us, but because God is trying to reach somebody. And if you and I are not perceptive enough. We're going to miss these moments.
Now listen to me. This was never about their freedom. This was about God's purpose. I want you to notice first Paul was sensitive to the man. He said, Do thyself no harm.
This is noticing people. Secondly, I want you to see that Paul was sensitive to the moment. I mean, the prison bars are open. If you think about this, all the prisoners, they take off. Guess what?
I mean, the powers that be aren't going to blame the storm or the earthquake or anything else. They're going to kill that jailer because all these prisoners are set free and they all got out somehow. And so this jailer knew this is why he's getting ready to literally kill himself because he'd rather die this way than to be abused and to be scourged and to be beaten and to go through all the torture before he's killed. He'd rather just get it done himself.
So Paul isn't just sensitive to the man. He's sensitive to the moment, to the circumstance. This is noticing people and this is noticing circumstances. But notice thirdly, Paul was sensitive to the ministry. This is noticing his purpose.
This is the man. This is the circumstance. And this is God's purpose. And Paul saw it all unfold. Everything that happened, by the way, listen to me.
Everything that happened. Happened ultimately, it would have had no impact on this jailer if Paul had not been perceptive. Everything that God had set up, if Paul hadn't noticed the moment. This jailer would have died. and gone to hell.
and his family. And anyone else that this jailer's influence would eventually reach down the road, which we have no idea about. You say, Preacher, listen to me. If Paul had not sensed and been ready for that moment, and listen to me, if you and I are not careful, we will be so busy doing ministry that we don't notice a moment.
Now listen to me. To all you who work in ministries here. All of our Sunday school teachers, assistant teachers. All of our sound men, our video crew, Orchestra, choir. Leaders, ushers, everything that goes on.
Listen to me, please get me this morning. Ultimately, our job is not just to make ministry happen on Sunday mornings. It's for us as individuals. to notice these moments. If all we do is so obsessed with doing ministry, we're going to look right over the moment.
And we're not going to notice the people. You say, Preacher, where are you going with this?
Well, you know, the Bible says a word fitly spoken. is like apples of gold and pitchers of silver. You know, every day you and I ought to walk out the door with the intention that we're going to notice the moments that God has set up. There ought to be enough faith in God to believe every day God's going to create them. God's going to orchestrate them, God's going to prepare them, and God's going to offer them right to you.
And he puts people by our path every day, and we walk right by them. Because we're too obsessed. with our disappointment in our prison. We're so obsessed with us. We're so obsessed with what we're going through.
That we don't even notice the people that God has brought our way. Listen to me. Paul could have been busy thinking how he could get out of these chains because of this. Are you here this morning? Say amen.
Now I know we're in an Easter slump, it's always the Sunday after Easter, but enough's enough.
Now, you listen to me this morning. Paul could have seen this earthquake as an opportunity for me to get out. He could have said, Well, God must have done this so I can get out of my chains. After all, I didn't deserve this. I was just preaching God's word.
I'm just serving God faithfully. And this is very unfair. I got beaten. I got thrown in jail. This is very unfair that this happened.
And Paul could have seen this moment as a way to help him. But he sat right there and saw the person. that God wanted to reach. Listen, Paul and Silas could have made this whole earthquake thing about them. But it wasn't about them.
It was about this jailer. It wasn't about them getting freedom. It was about this jailer and his family getting saving faith.
Now listen to me. They contently stayed in their jail cell. And they saw this as an opportunity. to exercise their faith. Let me tell you how spiritual I am.
I would have thought God did this so I could get out. And I can't tell you how many times in my life. Yeah, I have made things about me. Don't look at me with that judgmental attitude. Come on, can we be honest this morning?
How many times we're so obsessed with our problems and what's going on in our life and how we've been treated unfairly and how this person said this and this person did this to me and here I am working hard and all this happens and nobody thanks me and nobody whatever and we're so obsessed with us and our little jail cell and our chains and everything that happens in our life. We see this. Is this a way that I'm going to get out of this? Is this the way that I'm finally going to get delivered? And so many times we don't even see the moment that God has presented us.
We don't notice the people, we don't notice the person, we don't notice the circumstance, we don't notice the whole purpose in everything because we're so obsessed. With us. Paul is at a spiritual level that I am not. He didn't see this as an opportunity. for him to get out.
He saw this as an opportunity for the jailer to get in. Perceptive Christians. May I say this: if you and I aren't perceptive to people and perceptive to the moments and perceptive to circumstances, and perceptive, listen, if we're not perceptive, we're not going to create any change. We're so worried about our change. That we're not going to create change.
Are you with me this morning? Say amen.
We got to accept the truth. It might be convicting, but we've got to accept it. The Bible is absolutely right. And this is in here for a reason. And it means this: that Paul and Silas could have felt so sorry for themselves that all they would have seen in this is them and their suffering and their trials.
But all they saw in this was everyone else. I want you to notice number seven. He was changed by patient. Christians. Not only did Paul and Silas notice the moment.
They saw what was happening and they're concerned. Listen, they could have thought: hey, that guy just beat me. That guy just threw me in here. Who cares if he wants to kill himself? Good riddance.
After what he did to God's man. Boy, we're so full of ourselves, aren't we? What did they say? Hey, do thyself no harm. The very guy that had harmed them.
Do thyself no harm, but notice this, look at verse 28. Paul cried with a loud voice, saying, Do thyself no harm. Notice what he says here. For we are all Here. Say, preacher, where are you going with this one?
Well. It's pretty obvious. Do you know sometimes God delays your deliverance so that someone else can find theirs? Listen, Jimmy. I think sometimes you and I try to get out of trials too fast.
I think sometimes you and I try to get out of storms too quickly.
Sometimes I think you and I try to figure a way for us to get out of discomfort. too quickly. You know what's interesting? Paul and Silas weren't looking for a way to be comfortable, they were looking for an opportunity for God to use them. They wanted to create change.
You know what I find here that so many times in my life, I guess it's a natural reaction, and sometimes the Holy Spirit is going to have to give us a supernatural reaction instead of what our flesh wants. But Paul wasn't in a hurry, he was content to stay there right there in that jail. And that boggles my mind because none of us would want to be where they were, and none of us would want to go through what they went through. But he was as content in that jail as he would have been out of it. His contentment was not in a place, his contentment was in a person.
And maybe today you and I should quit getting so frustrated and so anxious for God to finally fix something in our life. Have you ever thought that maybe we ought to pray, God? I'm not asking you to fix it. I'm not asking you to take it away. I'm not asking you to remove this.
I'm asking you, God, somehow use this for your glory. Oh, by the way, this very guy. Oh, we had, and we don't know exactly what it is for sure, but we think it was. An eye condition.
Some believe it was chronic ophthalmolia, which means that Paul's eyes would have been extremely painful. And if you'd have seen him, it would have looked like his eyes were almost bugging out of his head, and he went through great pain. And Paul even said, you know. Three times I've gone to God and said, God, would you remove this? God, would you get this out of my life?
But Paul finally said, you know, but I've realized. That it's in my weakness. that God's strength is made perfect. And Paul said, I'm no longer asking God to take it away. I'm just asking that somehow, through this, God's power would stay on my life.
Maybe you and I should stop trying. To figure out how we can get out of a situation, how we can fix a problem, how we can get out of a burden. Maybe we should instead see how maybe God could use this in my life to help others, to reach others, to encourage others, to be an example to others. I don't know about you, but you and I sometimes are too quick to get up and get out of our jail. Just because we can.
And just maybe God is doing something for someone else. You said, Preacher, are you saying we're selfish? Yes, I'm saying we're selfish people. It's not like Paul and Silas were out partying and drinking. They were preaching and serving God.
But if they had allowed themselves to become even a fraction of selfish, God's purpose would have never been done. But the moment they could have gotten out of there and ran out of there and gotten freedom, and they could have gone to the next church and said, Listen, what God did: God brought an earthquake, got me out of that jail, and everybody would have woohoo! hooped and hollered. Because that's a human perspective. But the whole time God's purpose would have never been accomplished.
But because Paul and Silas We're not just perceptive. But they were patient. Do thyself no harm. We're all here. Can I put it in North Carolina vernacular?
We're not going anywhere. We're right here. I want you to notice next he was changed by prepared Christians. In verse 29, it says, Then he called for a light. And sprang in.
I mean, this guy could not get to them. quick enough. and came trembling. And fell down. Before Paul and Silas.
Hey, if they had gotten up and left, they wouldn't have even been there. If they'd have been anxious to get out of their problem, They wouldn't have even been there. There'd have been nobody to come to. This guy could have wanted what they had, but they'd have been gone. May I say today that I know you don't realize this.
but it does break a pastor's heart. when you do hear about sickness. when you do hear that one of your people have been diagnosed with something. When you do hear that one of your people have a medical condition and going into surgery and all these different things. You might not realize it because there's just a whole lot to keep track of and different things, but.
It really does hurt me. And you'd have to probably talk to my family at times. I'll be sitting there with my family, and I hate it because I don't know how to be a pastor to people, and just to be with my family at times, too, and I'm hurting for my people, and I'm hurting for my family. And times I'm sure they could see it just, you know, dad's here, but maybe his mind's not totally here because they don't know some of the things that you're going through, but I do know some of the things that you're going through. And can I tell you, it hurts me, and it grieves me, and I want it out of your life, and I want it gone, and I want God to get the glory to heal you.
But may I say something that just might be this morning? That you need to stop asking God. to take it away. Maybe today you need to just say God. I'm going to stop asking that.
I know you're able. You know I know you're able. You know that's my desire. But, God, what I want to start asking you to do is, could you use this? to help someone else.
Somehow, God, could you help me to accomplish? A greater purpose. Than me. And a greater purpose even than others. Can I accomplish a purpose for you?
What's interesting is this man springs into this jail cell and he falls down at their feet. Verse 30 says, and he brought them out and said, sirs, wait a minute, what? I mean, this guy just beat them, spit on them, everything else.
Now he's calling them sirs. What must I do? to be saved. What a great question. Yeah.
In verse 31. And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. And thou shalt be saved.
Now, and thy house doesn't mean you get saved, your whole house is automatically saved. That's not what it means. It means that they believe they can be saved too. They were prepared. They were ready with an answer.
Not only do we need to be perceptive to an opportunity, we need to be prepared for it when it comes. You say, How would I do that?
Well, I want you to notice first they were prepared theologically. Mm. They knew the message. Notice secondly, they were prepared practically. They gave it simply.
You know, some of you sometimes don't really, you're not real public with your faith or even talk to others because you're so afraid you don't know all the answers and you don't know all the words, and they're going to ask questions that you don't know. And may I say something? That's just old Satan discouraging you. All you need to know is believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved. You can simply say, you know what, I don't know all the answers and I don't know everything about the Bible, but I do know the part I need to know about how you could be saved.
And make Jesus your Savior. They were prepared theologically. They were prepared practically. Notice third, they were prepared biblically. It says that in verse 32, and they spoke unto him the word of the Lord.
Stick to your Bible. Anywhere. You know, I saw a quote the other day that Nobody becomes a Calvinist by reading the Bible. They become a Calvinist by reading some book about the Bible. And may I say something?
Just stick to your Bible. Don't get so caught up in what everybody else has to say about it. Just see what it says. But I noticed, fourthly, they were prepared evangelistically. Notice what the verse says.
I love this. Sirs, what must I do to be saved? And they said, believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved and thy house. And they spake unto him the word of the Lord and to all that were in the house. That man never said, Hey, tell my family about this.
It just doesn't say he said that. It doesn't say he said, hey, would you, whatever. I think Paul and Silas, they made the most of an opportunity. The moment this guy said, what do I need to do to be saved? And they said, hey, this is how you're saved, and this is how your family can be saved.
And they preached unto him the word of God. And then they shared it with the family. He didn't even have to ask. They were ready. They wanted to reach out.
This whole thing. They were more excited about them getting saved than they would have been about getting out of jail. Do you know you and I get more excited sometimes when God pays a bill than when somebody gets saved at this church? How dare us? Is life all about us?
We're more excited when we get something than when someone gets Christ. Kerwin, are you here today? We've got issues, don't we? Nothing ought to excite you more than when somebody else gives their heart to Jesus Christ. That ought to be the epitome of what excites you.
as a believer and excites me. He was changed by prepared Christians, and I want you to notice last. But don't get too excited. He was changed by persevering Christians.
Now this was beautiful to me. They came, they preached, they prayed, they praised, they were put in prison, they were beaten, and they just persevered. Chains fell off, they stayed right there. Prison doors opened up, they stayed right there. And what I love about, look at verse 33.
And he took them the same hour of the night. and washed their stripes And he was baptized, he and all his straightway. And when he had brought them into his house, he set meat before them and rejoiced, believing in God with all his house. Listen to me. They didn't stay just long enough to deliver him, they stayed long enough to disciple him.
They didn't just say pray or prayer and they're gone. When I find in this passage their wounds were washed, Their work was witnessed. and their worship was widened. But let's dig in a little closer. Because this blessed me and will be done today.
I want you to notice first the jailer's compassion.
Now, what is this whole? What is our whole series, Christians That Create Change? I want you to see the change that God just accomplished. in this jailer's life. He watched him persecuted.
And even though they were persecuted, he watched them imprisoned. And then he watched them pray, he watched them praise, he watched them proclaim, he watched the fact that they were perceptive, that they were patient. All these, he just watched all of this. Look at the change God made in him. Look at this.
Notice verse 33. The jailer's compassion. And he took them the same hour of the night and washed. their stripes. This is where we see that his heart was changed.
Now this is beautifully ironic to me. Why is that? Just hours earlier, this man is the one that locked them. In stocks. and put them in the inner part of the prison without any mercy.
Now he is washing their wounds with tenderness. The very guy that put on the stripes. is now washing their stripes. You tell me God can't change a heart? Oh, I'm not done.
This man who once chained them now cared for them. This man who once locked them now loved them. This man who beat them now bathes them. The same hands that once hurt them. is now helping them.
You say, Preacher, what a picture of God's grace. Yeah, but you don't have any idea how ironic this is. Notice what a picture of God's grace this actually is. Look at me, Kerwin. Thank you for listening today.
We hope you received a blessing from our broadcast. The Kerwin Baptist Church is located at 4520 Old Hollow Road in Kernersville, North Carolina. You may also contact us by phone at 336-993-5192 or via the web. at Kerwin Baptist Church.com. Enjoy our services live and all our media on our website and church app.
Thank you for listening to the Kerwin Broadcast today. God bless you.
