February 21, 2024 • 54 mins
Imagine being bound in chains, confined to a dank, dark cell with no hope of escape. Now picture yourself singing praises to God in that same hopeless situation. That's exactly what Paul and Silas did, and we had a riveting discussion with Chance Hollern about this powerful scripture from Acts chapter 16. Chance shares his own spiritual odyssey, from Spring Hill, Kansas to his impactful ministry at Baker University. Our conversation spans from the spiritual fortitude of these Biblical heroes to the modern-day implications of living out a faith that transcends the walls of a prison or the boundaries of adversity.
Our guest Chance Hollern, alongside Kyle Morris, Dakota Smith, and David Glavin, remind us of the extraordinary resilience and joy that can be found in the most unexpected places. Through the lens of Paul and Silas's story, we uncover the profound impact of worship during trials and how their experiences echo the transformative power of faith in our lives today. As we dissect the seismic events that shook the foundations of the prison — and the jailer's heart — we're left pondering the divine authority that not only freed these apostles but also left an indelible mark on the early church and its future.
Wrapping up this spiritually enriching dialogue, we delve into the beautiful interplay of evangelism, baptism, and the birth of the church in Philippi. Paul's dedication to justice and fair treatment sets the stage for the nurturing of the fledgling church, a sentiment as vital today as it was then. Through Chance's narrative and our collective exploration, this episode is a testament to the power of faith to guide, protect, and inspire — a truly inspiring journey through scripture that resonates with every step we take in our own walks of faith. Join us in this discussion that promises to enrich your spiritual understanding and encourage your heart.
#gospel #jesus #discipleship #christianpodcast #christianpodcaster #bible #acts #biblechurch #expositorypreaching #bibleinterpretation #howtoreadthebible #evangelism #apostlepaul #god #holyspirit #faith #faithingod #faithinhardtimes #truth #apologetics #bookofacts #biblepodcaster #biblia #sonofgod
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:10):
Welcome to the Be Disciples podcast with heroes
Kamors, dakota Smith and DavidGlavin, and we also have Chance
with us today on the podcast,which is awesome.
We've never recorded fourpeople on the podcast.
Speaker 2 (00:24):
Yeah, this is our first, and Chance Hallearn, this
is the second time that you'vedone anything that's media
related.
You were with me on the radiostation a couple weeks back and
you do college ministry over inBaldwin, right, and also we're
hoping to get you more involvedhere in Ottawa.
So we brought Chance onto theshow just because it adds
(00:47):
another communicative element aswe work through the scripture.
So we're excited for today'sepisode.
Speaker 1 (00:54):
Yeah.
So, chance, can you give us alittle background what brought
you to Ottawa and then whatyou're doing now for ministry?
Speaker 3 (01:02):
So a little background on me.
I grew up in Spring Hill,kansas, which is up the road
from Ottawa, went to K-State fora sort period of time to become
a teacher and then met my wifethere.
We moved to Texas and I taughtshe worked for the railroad down
there and then we really feltthe Lord calling us back home
and so in that whole processcollege I became a believer and
(01:25):
then really grew in my faith alot in those four or five years
through a guy that discipled meone-on-one in Manhattan, kansas,
and so then went to Texas, feltlike Lord was calling us back
home.
We moved back to this area andwe're looking to maybe start a
church, do something like that,with a couple buddies around
here and we all kind of got tothe point of you know what?
I think we were spread out andlet's just get plugged into the
(01:47):
bodies that we see God's workingin.
So that's what led us to Ottawa,ottawa Bible, getting plugged
in there, and then threw acouple cool phone calls and
answers the prayer.
The Lord opened a bunch ofdoors for us to do ministry at
Baker and so that's kind ofwhere we are started.
And then when we got plugged inhere at Ottawa Bible started
seeing the need of.
Hey, we live in Ottawa andthere's a college campus here
(02:09):
and I have a heart to reachstudents, just as I was reached
at Manhattan, and so that'swhere kind of our call and
ministry and the prayer startedto work and the Lord started
opening doors.
And here we are wanting to findkids and disciple them and just
share the gospel.
Amen.
Speaker 2 (02:24):
We can tell that you have a love for Jesus Christ and
you guys are new at OttawaBible.
You've been here what like sixmonths now, I believe.
So yeah, but whenever your namecomes up already people can
tell, yeah, he loves the Lordand he's pursuing him, so we're
grateful to have you on today.
Yeah, we continue in Acts,chapter 16.
(02:45):
We last found ourselves wherePaul and Silas were imprisoned.
Imagine that your firstmissionary trip to Europe, in
the very first city that youencounter, and you're met with
imprisonment.
Yeah, success, success.
Speaker 1 (03:00):
I'm sure that's what Paul was thinking.
This is success, yeah, but youknow, I think we look at it
sometimes as a as an old man.
They got stopped sharing thegospel, and but if we look at
the pattern of Acts, that's notwhat happens when something bad
happens.
Yeah, we actually see thespread of the gospel, and so
it's a bit exciting that they'rein prison because of what it
(03:21):
means for the word to go out.
Speaker 2 (03:24):
Yeah, and I think this last Sunday, even from the
pulpit, one of the mainprinciples that I was teaching
on from Matthew, chapter 14, wasJesus is actively trying to
train his disciples and tocultivate their faith through
difficulty, to show them theiractual need for him, because he
(03:44):
knows what they're going to facelater on.
And while Paul may not havebeen one of those original 12
well, technically he was one ofthe original 12, but the first
12 with Jesus Paul recognizeshis inadequacy and his need for
Jesus Christ.
So why don't we dive intoprayer before we dive into the
(04:05):
text?
Speaker 1 (04:05):
Let's make.
Speaker 2 (04:06):
David, do it David.
Speaker 1 (04:09):
Lead us into our brother.
Make you like you don't want to.
He wants to.
Speaker 4 (04:13):
Let's bow our heads and focus boys.
Lord.
God, we do give you thanks forfor who you are, your God, our
creator, redeemer.
You sustain us, lord, and thepower of your spirit.
We thank you for this time,this opportunity, the resources
(04:34):
that we have to, the time to todiscuss and fellowship together
to to study your word asbrothers in Christ, for the
resources to broadcast it, tothat others can be with us and a
part of this.
Lord, as we look into your word, we just pray the movement of
your spirit in the word that youwould guide us in conversation,
(04:57):
that we might glean wisdom andunderstanding and that, for
those that are, that arelistening and watching along,
lord, that that you would justdo a movement in our hearts and
in our minds, that we would growin our relationship with you.
(05:17):
We thank you for this ministryand all the various ministries
that you have allowed us to be apart of.
We just pray your will and yourway In Jesus' name, amen, amen.
Speaker 1 (05:29):
Well, before we get started, before we read, I just
want to remind our audienceplease share the podcast.
We're both now doing a videopodcast, so if you're listening,
watching on YouTube, that'swhat you're seeing now.
If you're audio only, likewe've been for the last few
years, then make sure you sharethat as well.
Social media platforms, textsomebody, I don't really care.
(05:50):
We just want people to dig intothe word together, as we're
doing today, as a group offriends studying God's words, so
that we're encouraged and builtup and we can continue to be
equipped for God's work.
And so please follow us atautoabiochurchcom Don't hit the
microphone at autoabiochurch onYouTube and check us out at
(06:12):
autoabiochurchcom as well.
Alright, dakota.
Speaker 2 (06:15):
Okay.
So we last found ourselvesagain, paul and Silas, there in
prison.
So we start in verse 22.
It says the crowd rose uptogether against them and the
chief magistrates tore theirrobes off them and proceeded to
order them to be beaten withrods.
When they had struck them withmany blows, they threw them into
prison, commanding the jailerto guard them securely, and he,
(06:38):
having received such a command,threw them into the inner prison
and fasten their feet in thestocks.
But about midnight Paul andSilas were praying and singing
hymns of praise to God, and theprisoners were listening to them
, and suddenly there came agreat earthquake so that the
foundations of the prison housewere shaken and immediately all
(06:58):
the doors were opened andeveryone's chains were
unfastened.
When the jailer awoke and sawthe prison doors opened, he drew
his sword and was about to killhimself, supposing that the
prisoners had escaped.
But Paul cried out with a loudvoice saying Do not harm
yourself, for we are all here.
And he called for lights andrushed in and, trembling with
(07:20):
fear, he fell down before Pauland Silas and after he brought
them out he said Sirs, what mustI do to be saved?
And so, guys, I think verses 22to 30 is maybe a good portion,
a good bite-sized chunk to workwith this morning.
What would be some of yourfirst initial observations in
the passage?
(07:40):
What's unique to you?
What stands out to you withinthe text?
How do we start off?
Speaker 1 (07:47):
Well, it's always good to start off reminding
ourselves where we're at.
Speaker 2 (07:51):
Yeah, the C of the Koma method.
Speaker 1 (07:53):
Yeah.
So we're gonna look at context,we're gonna look at setting.
What did we read last week?
So we know that we are inPhilippi.
We know who our coupleindividuals are.
We have Paul and Silas.
We also know that Timothy isaround because he was with them.
He's just not mentioned beingin prison with them and so
possibly Timothy's on theoutside, and we also know that
(08:18):
Luke's around.
He's also not at least writinghimself in the prison here.
So we know some other peopleare around, but Paul and Silas
seem to be the ones who getimprisoned here, and so that's
where we're at.
We're in a prison, we're inPhilippi.
Paul and Silas are there.
They get dragged into thisprison and really their response
(08:40):
is singing hymns, yeah, andthat's kind of the first thing
that I notice is it's areflection of their attitude
towards God and their situation,their circumstance.
So that tells us a little bitabout Paul and Silas.
Where they're at emotionally,spiritually, they're giving
praises to God for theircircumstances, and what an
(09:00):
amazing thing to see in a place.
That would be of much despairfor many of us if we ended up in
prison.
And so, yeah, I just see theirattitude here first.
That jumps off the page.
Speaker 2 (09:13):
Yeah, the reason why Timothy and Luke were likely not
imprisoned is because they wereseen by those in Philippi as
Greeks anyways.
And then Paul and Silasthemselves were seen as Jews,
although they didn't realizethat Paul had Roman citizenship.
So there's one other placewhere, you know, paul appeals to
his Roman citizenship and, bythe way, you're going to see
(09:35):
that later on in the passage butin both cases you know he's in
prison because somebody's profit, somebody's financial gain, is
taking a hit because of Paul'sministry in the gospel.
So, more than likely though,ethnically speaking, that's why
they're the ones in the prison.
And then you know, we don'tknow where Timothy and Luke are
at, but they're hanging outsomewhere.
So let's continue to, you know,open up the conversation.
(09:57):
What else do y'all see withinthe passage 22 to 30?
Anything that just stands outto you?
Initial observations thatyou're making chance, or David,
what do y'all think?
Speaker 3 (10:06):
Yeah, I initially see that again, the singing praises
and hymns and it instantlyreminds me of James 1, like the
whole aspect of considering ajoy in the trials, like we see
that happening right here fromthese men that know the Lord,
are fearing the Lord, are doinghis will and knowing that even
in this trial, even in the midstof what I'm going through, in
(10:27):
this persecution, I'm going tonot let the enemy take my joy
and I'm going to consider joy inthat trial and doing that, just
as they are in prison, beingchained up, not knowing if
they're going to get out, notknowing that, you know, what we
see is we get to read it and see, hey, there's an earthquake
coming, like it's kind of likethey're going to be set free,
but they don't know that yet.
But still having the faith,still having the joy, still
(10:48):
considering that to be this iswhat God's calling me to do.
Then let me be here and let medo it, and do it to its fullest
effect, glorifying the Lord.
Speaker 2 (10:58):
Yeah, the theme of joy is found all throughout the
book of Acts.
You know, we've seen plenty oftimes where the apostles find
themselves being beaten, beingthrown into prison, and then
they leave rejoicing because,like they recount, it is worthy
to suffer for the Lord.
So, and I think, by the way,their joy, their singing, their
(11:19):
praises to God will have aneffect on the jailer's
conversion later on here in thechapter.
So God is utilizing thesepraises, I think one just to
glorify himself.
But also this seems to be thecatalyst to some degree for the
earthquake.
You know, you call on God andyou start giving praise to him,
(11:40):
and then the Lord starts movingon your behalf for his glory.
So some of those dynamics arecoming into play.
Speaker 4 (11:47):
I think it's kind of leveled up version of like all
publicity is good publicity aswell, yeah sounds like Jerry
Jones.
They get arrested and they getbrought, but it draws attention
and I think it's also anauthority.
It divides authority too,whereas they're brought before
an earthly authority and thenothers are also watching this
(12:08):
and seeing this, hearing theirmessage, but then it allows them
to judge for themselves who'sat work here, if this is God
working and speaking throughthese men, and then that's why
people people knew the authoritywas corrupt then, and so
they're able to see this andpeople.
So there's a dividing linethere and people come to see
that God is at work here,despite the fact that the
(12:31):
authority is getting up in arms.
Speaker 2 (12:33):
This will work a little bit more with verse 23,.
When they had struck them withmany blows so this was no small
beating, I mean, this was like aruthless beating.
So they'd been struck manytimes they threw them into the
prison, commanding the jailer toguard them securely.
Which means, hey, these guyshave the potential to stir up
(12:54):
more trouble than just yourtypical inmate.
And so look what it says inverse 24, having received such a
command, they threw them intothe inner prison.
The jailer likely decided youknow, the inner prison is most
secure than any other place andthey're chained with stocks, you
know, to their feet, which isvery painful, I mean, this would
(13:15):
cause sores and bruising.
The prisoners couldn't get up,they couldn't walk around and it
was likely cold, dark, wet.
This is no, no pleasant area.
Notice, later on they have toturn lights on as the jailer
rushes back in.
So this was a very secludedplace.
I can only imagine being in theinner, the inner, you know,
(13:38):
area of this jail.
All the other prisoners werelikely above them, you know,
strategically speaking, so whenthey're singing the echoes of
this worship is protruding intothe other jail cells to where,
you know, it doesn't matter ifyou're the jailer or not, like
you, are now subject to thepraises of Paul and Silas.
I think that's pretty cool.
If you just study the innercells of you know Rome and what
(14:02):
it was like back in this day.
It's almost like theconfiguration of the jail itself
was perfect for a worshipfulsetting.
Speaker 1 (14:11):
Well, I think at least the question that comes to
my mind is why are they sodangerous?
Paul and Silas didn't killanybody, didn't steal anything
necessary, like it's their wordsthat got them in trouble, right
, it's their words, what theysaid about Jesus and what they
and what the outcome of theirwords when it came to people
(14:34):
making money or whatever thatmay be.
So it's so interesting thatthey would put two men who
didn't show any violence towardsanybody in the innermost, and
it was their words that they sawas more violent than their
physical actions.
And so I find that interestingthat they would see them as that
big of a threat to put them inthe worst part of the prison.
(14:56):
So that kind of stands out tome, as they believe that
whatever the gospel was wasdangerous, at least the people
who put them in prison and beatthem.
Speaker 2 (15:06):
Well, let's just take that and run with it for a bit.
You know, Chance.
What do you think, David?
What do you think?
Why is the gospel message todayeven most divisive for earthly
governments and rulerships?
Like, how come, even to thisday, worldly powers all have a
negative view of the gospel, Atleast it seems to now be that
(15:28):
way in America, based on ourcurrent leadership.
I'm going to hold nothing backhere.
Our current leadership doesn'tlove Jesus, and that's evident
by the things that they advocatefor and they say.
So why is that?
Why is the gospel such a threatfor authoritarian power?
Speaker 4 (15:45):
Me first.
Speaker 2 (15:46):
All right, then Get yourself in trouble, david, go
for it, we're all listening.
Speaker 4 (15:55):
Well, I think that earthly power, government, local
, however big or small it is Ithink that power there's a greed
aspect, there's this growthwithin the human condition that
when you have power, you wantmore power.
When you have authority, youwant more authority, and outside
(16:18):
of God's direction anddiscipline, that becomes an
egocentric sort of movementwhere it's self-serving and it's
not serving the Lord, and sopower wants to keep power and so
it's going to fight againstanything that wants to direct
(16:40):
that.
I mean in the United States wehave the voice of the people,
sort of.
We have representatives ingovernment, which is part of the
struggle from the beginningthat the people want to
represent representation.
But it's well, for as large asour country is, I don't think
(17:02):
we're truly represented ingovernment, nor is the Lord
represented, and I do think thatI will use this opportunity to
share that.
I do think personally, asChristians also, we're silent,
we feel like we have no controland we have no voice, so we
don't use the voice and thecontrol that we have.
But the Bible says the faith ofthe mustard seed can move the
(17:25):
mountain, and I believe that asChristians and this has actually
been strengthened in me in thelast three years, that every
vote, that I have every voice,every opportunity to voice my
conviction and my faith in theLord, is an opportunity for me
to to exercise the Lord's will.
(17:45):
And when we don't vote, whenwe're not, you know, as
Christians today, when we're notstudying and trying to
understand laws that are beingpassed locally, nationally,
whatever it may be, I think thatwe're not using what the Lord
has given us.
And I think so that's somethingI've been convicted on even
(18:08):
more recently that one Christianinaction, the inaction of
Christians not standing up forour convictions and beliefs and
letting it be heard, because,even though we know that many
Christians would probably agreewith us on many subjects, it's
not voted that way.
I'll stop.
Speaker 2 (18:29):
No, that's great stuff.
Yeah, yeah, chance.
Speaker 3 (18:32):
Yeah, I think one of the kind of power struggles per
se that we see is the idea ofpower in itself.
And why would Christianity andfaith in one God and the Lord be
so detrimental to that powerstruggle?
Is that when you want power,you want control.
And the reality of a believeris when you're set free in
Christ, like you're free,there's nothing that has control
(18:53):
over you, and like you have oneLord that you obey.
And so for a government or foran authority of any aspect to be
able to think man, I don't havefull control over this person,
like they're not going to dowhat I want them to do.
And we look at like communismand dictators, like that whole,
like those governments andschemes and the things that we
see in that is, people that wantpower, want control and they
(19:15):
have that.
And it's like how there's nofreedom in that right, there's
no freedom of religion, there'sno freedom of conversation to
say what we want, like no freespeech at all.
And so that's where, as I seethe threat of Christianity and
the threat of believing in Jesusas Lord being a detriment to
the power.
And I think, looking back atActs 4 with Peter and John,
(19:38):
where they're like, hey, whetherit's right, like you guys can
make that up yourselves, but, asfor us, we're not going to stop
talking about what we've seenand heard.
And I think, like David, youhit on that perfectly.
Where, as believers, are westopping and not talking about
what we have seen and heard andwhat Christ has done in our
lives and as we see the wordwritten?
Are we making that the plumbline of our lives and speaking
(19:59):
on that, or are we gettingcaught up in the crowds, just as
we see here, where they are,there, the crowd is joining in
and the attack on these men andthe crowd is getting swept away
with the crowd which I know formy life is something that I've
gotten caught in before of manthe crowd's doing this.
I want to do that because, inthe moment, there's a lot of
voices, but, as I've grown andmatured, there's an aspect of
(20:21):
okay, but what does the word say?
And am I going to let God bethe one that guides me in that,
or am I just going to go withwhatever authority has more
power?
And so that's where, as me, asa believer, seeing that God is
my authority, that God is mypower, I'm going to rest in that
.
And even if the governmentcomes against me, even if
someone in the world like of theflesh comes against me, where
(20:41):
am I going to stand?
Am I going to stand with theLord or am I going to get pushed
over?
Speaker 1 (20:44):
Yeah, and I want to bring it back to something that
you guys are all hitting on.
You guys are all hitting onthere's going to be persecution.
As a Christian, we know thatbecause Jesus said it right in
the Beatitudes the result offollowing Him truly following
Him is being persecuted in Hisname.
So this is what's going tohappen to us as Christians.
(21:06):
One our names are going to beslandered, we're going to be
drugged in the mud, we are goingto be put in prison.
We're going to be beaten, justas we're seeing Paul and Silas.
We're going to be put to death.
But the reason Jesus is such athreat to power in this world is
because Jesus was resurrected.
Right, paul and Silas arepreaching the resurrected God,
(21:29):
who the most any power can do tous is kill us.
But they did that to Jesus andhe was risen from the grave.
So that power is so threateningbecause nobody else can do that
.
And so when you walk aroundwith the freedom in Christ, with
the resurrection as your hopeand what you've put your faith
(21:50):
in, there is no power that isover anything of this world
except Jesus.
And so that's why they're inprison and that's why they're
singing hymns, because they'relike this is as much as you can
do to us.
You could kill us, but my God'sbigger than death.
What an amazing thing.
And so when we look at ourcountry and we look at the world
(22:10):
, we can stand confident thateven if we get put to death in
Christ, we get to spend eternitywith Him because he is the
risen God.
He rose from the grave andthat's what their faith is in
and that's why they're confident.
That's where they're singingpraises and I find that like I
get goosebumps and chills,because that's why we're living
is because of the resurrectionof Christ.
So it's amazing.
Speaker 2 (22:32):
Well, paul and Silas are great examples for us of two
individuals who know chance, asyou stated that they are free,
although they don't appear to befree.
They don't appear to be free,maybe, like at an earthly level,
but from a heavenly perspectivethey're most definitely free
and they're acting like it.
I do think that there's a lotthat we can derive from their
(22:55):
attitude and their example here,because in our modern day
lifestyle, here within America,2024, to David's point, we do
seem to be way too quiet, waytoo inactive.
We don't see the freedoms thatGod has given us as a
responsibility to engage with.
Rather, we see them as justlike an add-on or a cherry on
(23:17):
top, like I can choose to engageor I can choose to not engage.
But let me be frank with you ifyou don't start using your
freedoms and and being morevocal about your faith, then we
will face more imprisonments andthings like that will
eventually come, and whether wedo or not, we should still be
individuals who live as if wewere free.
(23:38):
So I think, continuing therefrom the text, you see in verse
26, suddenly there came a greatearthquake so that the
foundations of the prison housewere shaken and immediately all
the doors were opened andeveryone's chains were
unfashioned.
We've already seen this withPeter in Acts, chapter 5, we've
seen this with Peter in Acts,chapter 12, and here we are now
(23:58):
with Paul and Silas in Acts,chapter 16.
This is like the third occasionin Acts where a prison cell has
been broken open supernaturally, either by like an angel from
the Lord or just the Lordhimself, and it's also not the
first time in the Bible we'veseen earthquakes appear as some
form of a supernatural movementof God.
(24:19):
We saw that there was anearthquake after Jesus's
crucifixion, so these remindersare here for us to say God can
like, bring about whatever hewants to get you out of whatever
predicament that you're in.
Speaker 1 (24:33):
Yeah, especially when your faith is in Christ.
In that predicament theirvoices are singing out to God
praises, so that everybody wouldhear why they're in prison.
We're in prison for the onetrue God.
I mean, they're totally puttingall of their faith in Christ
and I find that to be theencouraging part.
Then, you know, there's thisearthquake.
(24:56):
It's shaken, the doors wereopen, everyone's bonds were
unfastened, so not just Paul andSilas, right, everybody's.
So now there's a situationwhere not just in these other
circumstances, we saw theapostles get out of prison,
right, but this one, all thedoors are open, all the shackles
(25:16):
have been set free, and so thenwe're going to see the response
of Paul and Silas here, and Ithink that is a huge detail that
we can't miss, that this isn'tjust Paul and Silas's door and
shackles, it's everybody's.
And how is that going to play asignificant role in the rest of
the narrative here?
Speaker 2 (25:36):
Well, verses 27 and 28 continue and it just shows us
that you know the jailer takingpersonal responsibility,
assuming everybody ran out, youknow.
Now he attempts to commitsuicide Because either way
they're gonna kill you.
Either you commit suicidebecause you failed in your duty.
More than likely, a lot ofhistorical evidences show us
that this was a former Romansoldier who now, in his retired
(25:59):
state, is watching over a jailcell, and he knows how you know
the Roman Empire works If youfail.
This is also one of thearguments regarding the empty
tomb of Jesus.
Like these guys would haveguarded that tomb with their
entire life.
They would not have just fallenasleep on the floor right as,
like some critical scholars mayshow us.
But this guy understood.
(26:21):
No, either I kill myself orthey're gonna kill me.
Paul and Silas then cry out donot harm yourself, for we are
all here.
What character, what nobilityfor Paul to say you know what?
Like I could choose myselfright now.
I could just get out of dodgeand then say thank you, lord.
(26:43):
But it's like Paul had aconcern for the jailer himself.
His eyes were not on himself.
And then you think of Jesus onthe cross, like he's praying for
his enemies.
Father, forgive them.
They don't know what they do.
He had other people in mind,even in the midst of his
persecution.
Speaker 4 (27:00):
Compassion.
Speaker 2 (27:01):
Yeah, he had compassion for them.
Speaker 4 (27:03):
I think it speaks to us.
I think there's application forus today when we have a sense.
We can have a sense of tunnelvision when it comes to the
enemies of God or those who werefighting or arguing against
where they are the enemy.
But really I mean Paul'sexemplifying that we should have
compassion for our enemies, andChrist calls us to love our
(27:23):
enemies and this is a greatexample of it.
We're fighting against notflesh and bone, but angels and
principalities and somethingthat exists beyond what we can
see, and I think that shouldShould shape the way we interact
with people when we're fightingagainst issues for the Lord.
But I think that's a greatexample Paul's compassion for
(27:49):
yeah to that.
Speaker 2 (27:50):
To that note, spiritual warfare is always over
ideas.
Spiritual warfare is alwaysover what's true and what's not
true.
And so, in the midst of thispredicament, paul cares for the
person.
Speaker 4 (28:03):
I think it's interesting that the jailer
didn't check to see if theprisoners were there before he's
like, oh, he just assumesthey're gone, yeah they all ran.
Speaker 1 (28:10):
It's a prison, you know, but we do see it is.
We should stop.
Definitely, as you're talkingabout Paul here.
Sometimes we see Paul assomewhat harsh depending on the
circumstance, especially whenpeople aren't taking the gospel
seriously, but this is not thatcase.
Paul sees a man who is indistress and he cares about this
(28:33):
individual, he cares about hissalvation, he cares about all
people to hear the gospel, andso that comes out here in Paul.
So, yes, he does have a softheart and God made Paul's heart
soft and he stays and he hasconcern, and I think that is
that helps us understand Paulmore as he goes and helps us as
(28:56):
we walk about in our lives.
There are other things thatwe're gonna be Super adamant on
and we may come off as a littleassertive or something like that
, but not when it comes to aperson's soul and in their life,
the lost.
That should, that should drawout Compassion that comes from
the Lord, and so that helps us.
Speaker 3 (29:15):
Yes, there's times to be serious, there's times to
make hard decisions, but thiswas a moment of compassion, that
that Paul said I'm gonna, I'mgonna stay here and I'm gonna
share the gospel with thisindividual and he needs to know
Jesus and and more so, and Bigpicture of Paul's life, knowing
that Paul, being a persecutor ofbelievers, knows what that's
like, knows like, hey, I'vewatched the families go through
(29:37):
that loss, I've watched peopledie at the hands of what I've
agreed on.
And so then, for him to seethis and know that this man is
about to one disregard his lifefor the sake of the fact that
Paul is gonna be set free orrunning free.
And then for Paul again goingback to man, here's where I'm at
.
My freedom is in Christ.
I am found in the Lord, andknowing that God just broke
(29:59):
these jail cells open, like thejailer doesn't know that, right,
he's still at that point of,okay, let me think of something
crazy just happened.
But Paul to sit there and say,hey, if God can do that, then
maybe let's look at this bigpicture of why am I here?
And if this guy doesn't knowthe Lord, then before I just run
out and get my physical freedom, let's see where this guy's at,
knowing the angst that's beenbuilt up of man.
(30:20):
Every prisoner is gone and,like you said, not just their
change was set free, everyone'swere.
And so that's a lot of yeah, alot of angst for that jailer to
be facing in that moment andPaul, just like that compassion,
saying yep, nope, I'm gonnapraise in the moment.
Here I am and let's see what wedo before.
We just Like search forourselves.
And what do I want in themoment?
Speaker 2 (30:41):
Amen.
Well, and it's interestingbecause look at how the Jailer
responds in verse 30, sirs.
He's speaking to both of themspecifically, who are singing.
What must I do to be saved?
You know, jesus said you knowto be the salt in the light of
(31:01):
the world.
Why?
So that unbelievers would oneday Glorify your father who is
in heaven.
To me, it appears that Paul andSilas have been enough salt and
light to this individual.
You've got the singing, you'vegot the earthquake.
No doubt the jailer understandswhy they're in prison, because
they were preaching the gospeland he probably inquired about
(31:23):
what like why are these guys inprison?
I mean, he probably has hadthree different layers of gospel
, introductions to his life andthe praises all throughout the
night, and the supernaturalbreaking of the jail cell
Brought him to the conclusion.
Well, and the fact that Pauland Silas didn't run has now
(31:43):
Accumulatively been a testimonyto him.
To ask the question serves whatmust I do to be saved?
And as we enter into verse 31, Ithink, while this might be just
a simple response, while itmight be Maybe on the surface
here within the overallmetanarrative of acts, while it
may not seem like a big deal,verse 31 is one of the most
(32:07):
important verses in the entireBible.
This is how they respond.
He says what must I do to besaved?
They say believe in the LordJesus and you will be saved, you
and your household, guys.
Why is verse 31 so incrediblycritical, if not most critical,
to our faith?
I mean, it's simple, yes, butwhat's critical about it?
(32:32):
Like We've got to, everyChristian must grasp this kind
of thing.
Speaker 1 (32:37):
Well, first, the jailer asks the question that we
all have to ask what?
What must we do to be saved?
Well, he uses this word do Likewhat's this process?
Or or what do I have toaccomplish?
Yeah, you know, kind of like awork, what must I do to be saved
?
But their response isn'tnecessarily anything to do as a
(33:01):
work or any of that nature.
It just says believe in theLord Jesus.
That's the message of thegospel.
The gospel is yes, jesus cameand lived a perfect life, born
of a virgin, died on the crossfor our sins as the perfect
sacrifice that has risen fromthe grave.
Jesus did all the work.
(33:23):
All you need to do is believeIn what he has done and put your
faith in him.
It's the simple message of thegospel.
It is a simple line, it's onesingle verse.
But what it took to get to thisone verse?
What we see in Jesus's life, wesee in the apostles.
This is the message, this isthe question and the answer.
(33:43):
What must I do to be saved?
Believe in the Lord JesusChrist.
This is the, this is thefoundation of our, of everything
that we believe Is this verse,is this sentence.
So, yeah, this is bigger thanjust let's just, oh yeah,
believe in Jesus, keep moving on.
No, this is the message Paul hasbrought to the Philippians.
Yeah, this is why he's inprison Believe in the Lord Jesus
(34:07):
Christ and you'll be saved, youand your household.
There's an influence then thatcomes through.
This jailer of your faith willextend beyond, to your house.
Your family can be saved, thepeople that you know can be
saved if they believe in theLord Jesus Christ.
So, man, it's, it's a it's apowerful verse because it
literally wraps up the gospels,what they've been doing in acts
(34:28):
and what they'll continue to dothroughout the rest of the bible
, in one single sentence.
And if you wanted to wrap a bowand you wanted to take somebody
right away, just a place where,hey, I want people to know what
they need to do to be saved,verse 31.
Speaker 2 (34:42):
Yeah, believe well, and it's interesting to look at
what Paul says more specificallybelieve in the Lord Jesus.
Why is that significant?
We call him the Lord Jesus allthe time, but in a Roman world
where Caesar was seen as Lordoverall, paul is saying well in
the same breath if you want tobe saved, you've got to transfer
your dedication and devotionand trust to From an emperor to
(35:07):
the one who's really Lord, andso maybe we kind of Breeze past
the word Lord, but Paul reallymeans it like you've got to see
him as Lord now, and when you dothat, you'll be saved, you and
your household.
Speaker 3 (35:19):
Yeah, and just the very aspect of, hey, look at
straightforward question,straightforward answer, that's
like what do I gotta do?
Paul's like this.
Is it like they were ready inthat moment of, if you're asking
, here's a truth of it, versussometimes we might want to
sugarcoat it and like, well,it's kind of like it's not as
bad as it seems, you know, liketrying to sell Christianity or
sell, just try it.
You know, just just give it atry, see if you like it and if
(35:40):
you don't, hey, to each theirown.
We're as believers.
If he's Lord in our lives andwe should be For trying that to
others as no, he should be Lordof your life too.
Speaker 2 (35:49):
Yeah he's Lord over everyone's life.
It's just a matter of wherethey agree.
Speaker 1 (35:54):
And I, and we can't leave out verse 32, because
verse 32 is going to show us howthey did it, and let's read it.
And they spoke the word of theLord to him and to all who are
in his house.
What did they speak?
Paul's word, silas's word?
No, they spoke the word of theLord, scripture.
(36:14):
He opened scripture and saidthis is what God has said.
So that gives us a continuedblueprint, a continued pattern
of Paul using scripture to showpeople who Jesus is Since the
beginning, before the beginningof time.
And so Paul uses God's word.
(36:34):
That's what we're doing today.
We're using God's word, we'rereading it word for word.
We want to share it in this way, because that's what we see it
happening in scripture.
So, again, just a pattern ofsharing God's word, not our own
word.
Yes, they presented the gospel,but then they backed it up with
what the bible says.
That's what we need to do openyour bibles when you're
evangelizing, when you'rediscipling.
(36:55):
This is what God's word is.
Use it.
Speaker 4 (36:58):
There's also a practical element of I don't
know I'm thinking of.
They're in prison and it saysall of his household were
baptized.
So they had to.
Because then later, as we readon and I think this has to be
said for me to make my point,I'm going ahead but, um, they
came to the prison and said you,you're released.
So he didn't take them out ofthe prison.
(37:20):
So the man must have broughthis whole household into the
prison To be baptized and tohave them share the Lord.
Is that the context we'relooking at?
Speaker 2 (37:29):
yeah, and when I read 33, and he took them that very
hour of the night and washedtheir wounds when it says he
took him, I'm thinking that heactually took them out of the
inner cell to wash them, broughtinto the light, have
conversations, likely to his ownhome, like in the secret of the
night, and Then he was baptized, he and all of his household.
(37:53):
But then, if you continue toread on, it would almost assume
that the jailer brought themback, hmm, probably by Paul and
Silas, his own request.
You know, hey, we don't wantyou to get into trouble, we're
just gonna trust God.
Bring us back to the prison.
Let's just keep reading Verse34.
And he brought them into thehouse, right, or, excuse me, and
(38:15):
he brought them into his house.
So that's how we know.
They left and set food beforethem and rejoice greatly, having
believed in God, with his wholehousehold.
So he bound up their wounds, hewas baptized, brought them to
his home, set food before him,rejoice with them verse 35.
Now, when day came, the chiefmagistrates sent their policemen
(38:35):
saying release those men, right, and the jailer reported these
words to Paul, saying the chiefmagistrates have sent to release
you.
Therefore, come now and go inpeace.
I'm just assuming then they'vegone from the jailer's house
back to the prison, because themagistrates that you know the
(38:57):
the political rulers of that,that precinct or that area.
We're basically saying you know, we know they're there, so go
back and get them Kind of aloofto what happened in the middle
of the night.
Speaker 4 (39:08):
That's a big change and a big out of the way sort of
gesture that the the jailer ismaking.
I mean that.
So this is a big change in hisheart from going from fearing
the authority of the Romangovernment, which he's been
working for, to to now fearingthe Lord and I think also the
the influence of the man overtheir household.
(39:29):
That Salvation came to him andhe took action, knowing that his
household will benefit fromthis.
And I think that's a challengeto men also, that as the Lord is
changing and working in us,that we bring that to our homes
and that is how people are saved.
I mean you could misread thatand say, because you believe
your household will, believe,will be saved, like it's not
(39:51):
that the salvation to the fatherautomatically everyone's saved,
but because you are saved, theLord will work through you to
the salvation of your family.
Yeah, and I think it's achallenge to us today too.
Speaker 3 (40:02):
And it's not just that the Lord is after just a
single person's heart, like he'safter the family, he's after
all of us and that and hedeserves that glory.
So for them to see this, thisevangelistic opportunity of not
just say hey, like believe inthe Lord and you'll be saved,
but saying hey, like your family, like this isn't just for you,
it's not like you're in thismoment and because of your
experience here, it's justsomething that you get to hold
(40:23):
on to and cherish.
Like he's not, like he said,he's not just the Lord over us,
like he's the Lord over everyone, whether you believe it or not,
like Jesus is Lord.
And so Just that of taking thatopportunity and then going and
saying it's not just for you, itis for your family as well,
Well, and in Philippi would havebeen a small enough community
to where it's likely that thisman's household Understood who
(40:44):
he was guarding.
Speaker 2 (40:46):
Maybe there would have been a conversation there
or something.
But no doubt when they camehome in the middle of the night,
I imagine the jailers wifewaking up or something and
saying what are you doing herewith these prisoners?
And then he's saying honey,listen, that earthquake that
just woke everybody up.
Yeah, these guys didn't evenrun, and so they prayed for me
and they they've talked to meabout Jesus.
(41:06):
We need to believe becauseJesus just saved my life tonight
.
So I imagine, with time andconversation, you know, this
would have been a bigger dealthan we realized at first.
I Do think that these verses areoften used by those who hold to
a form of covenantal theologyTo prove their position on why
(41:27):
we should believe in paid orbaptism or infant baptism.
The covenantal position wouldsay that Baptism in the New
Testament is the sign, just ascircumcision was in the old, and
so therefore you know, just asyou are part of Israel by
circumcision, now you know asinfants you should be baptized.
The problem With referring tothis text is it doesn't say
(41:49):
anything about infants orchildren Young enough to where
they they can't even believe yet.
The idea is that they receivethe word of the Lord.
They were baptized, theyrejoiced.
Plus, this jail jailer was ofretirement age.
I'm doubting that he's gotlittle infants at home.
So those are just the proofsI'd use is like a side argument
(42:10):
to say I don't think this textis affirming you know, paid or
baptism plus, the pattern we'veseen in acts is that of baptism
follows faith.
Speaker 1 (42:20):
Put your faith in cry .
That's the pattern that we'veseen, and so we see it here
believe, and then there'sbaptism.
Right, not baptism, hopefullyyou believe someday, right, and
then get baptized again.
Well, I don't, you know that'swe just see the pattern here the
way it's, the way it's written,the way Paul says believe and
the Lord Jesus Christ.
He does not say hey, getbaptized in believe.
(42:41):
That's not what the message isright.
The message is belief.
And so yeah, say the.
He believed in that moment asthey were walking out of the
jail.
He gets caught at night and thejailer dies.
Yeah, well, guess what hebelieved.
Speaker 2 (42:53):
He's going to heaven.
Speaker 1 (42:53):
He's going to heaven didn't need the baptism, and so
we, that's just the pattern.
We see an axe and we can't getout of that pattern, even though
, yeah, we can cherry pickverses or cherry pick narrative
stories to try to fit a theology.
But let's just take the text.
What does it say, what do wesee?
And go from there.
Speaker 2 (43:11):
So verse 35.
We last saw that the chiefmagistrates, the leaders of this
community, sent their policemensaying release those men.
Verse 36 I'm just going to readfrom 36 to 40 and I think we
can maybe start to close up thisepisode.
But it says and the jailerreported these words to Paul,
saying the chief magistrates hassent to release you.
Therefore, come out now and goin peace.
(43:33):
But Paul said to them they havebeaten us in public, without
trial, men who are Romans andhave thrown us into prison.
And now are they sending usaway secretly?
No, indeed, but let them comethemselves and bring us out.
The policemen reported thesewords to the chief magistrates.
They were afraid when theyheard that they were Romans.
(43:55):
Like, oh shoot, they deserved afair trial.
Oh, shoot, like no Romancitizen should be beaten with
rods verse 39.
And they came and appealed tothem and when they had brought
them out, they kept begging themto leave the city.
They went out of the prison andentered the house of Lydia and
when they saw the brethren, theyencouraged them and departed.
(44:16):
Okay, so there's a little bitof a Gutsiness.
And Paul, yeah, make thosecowards come here.
Yeah, they need to apologize.
Speaker 1 (44:25):
I didn't know what they were doing in the first
place.
They just assumed, because weare a Of Jewish background, that
were not Roman citizens.
Yeah, and we know that Paul is,and so, and I'm guessing Silas,
he says citizens.
Yes and so they're both Romancitizens and hey, you did this
(44:46):
wrong.
So he kind of uses their ownlaw against them.
And it's kind of interesting.
Why does Paul even?
Why does Paul even do this?
Like you, you're getting out ofprison, like just go get out of
here, like go to the next city,just move on.
But Paul's like no, that's nothow this is gonna be done.
He has a different mindset.
(45:08):
Like you, the people need toknow that this isn't right.
I'm not.
I'm gonna use my voice again,like he did before.
Like we've been talking aboutOne, I'm gonna use my voice to
tell the truth and two, I'mgonna use my voice in the system
of government that exists hereto ensure that I'm being treated
fairly and that people continueto be treated fairly.
So he's using his freedomwithin his governmental system
(45:31):
to call out corruption.
So we actually see an exampleof Paul doing this in his own
culture, in his own society, inwhich we, as Christians, need to
make sure we're doing the samething.
Speaker 2 (45:43):
Well, let me just ask you this question how do you
think you know we could maybetake Paul here as being somewhat
vindictive?
I don't think he's beingvindictive, but how could the
newly established church inPhilippi Benefit from Paul
telling the magistrates no, youcome here and you make this
right, Like maybe he did thisfor the benefit of the church
(46:04):
precedent?
He sets a precedent.
That's right.
Speaker 4 (46:06):
Why and let's keep rolling with that for those who
Want to speak of the Lord in thefuture, that he's setting a
precedent of fair treatment ofthose who are, who want to come
and present the gospel and arespeaking openly about the word.
Speaker 2 (46:20):
That this won't happen again this way, because
Now what we see at the end ofthis, this chapter, is that a
new church has been establishedby the work of the Holy Spirit,
even though it includedimprisonment.
You know who's a part of thechurch now.
You've got Lydia and her wholehousehold.
You've likely got the slavegirl who is set free from
demonic possession, she knows.
Then you've got the Holy Spiritdemonic possession, she knows.
(46:44):
Then you've got the jailer andhis entire household, and and
then, by the way, it's likelythat Luke is going to stay
behind with them, so that you'vegot a pastor.
So, dare I say, you know, it'sconceivable to think there's
somewhere between 15 and 25individuals in this newly
established church, seeminglyjust overnight, and so the Lord
(47:06):
has done enough great things.
I think Paul recognizes this.
If I can set a precedent, theyare already Roman citizens.
They can go about freely intheir worship.
Speaker 3 (47:18):
And I look at how, making the example to the people
as they are seen like theydon't want the authorities that
put them in prison, that beatthem, to just not watch them
walk out, because think about,as they went into prison,
they're probably beaten, bruised, bloodied, and now they've been
cleaned up in the middle of thenight that maybe these guys
don't even know about.
And so for them to come walkingout of prison then to look
completely different after this,like miracles happened, to set
(47:41):
an even higher precedent forthem of this is the God that we
serve, this is the power that hehas, and so I want you guys to
come down and see this versus Iheard about it, you know like no
, come see what the Lord hasdone and, with their own eyes,
be able to attest to what hashappened to them in prison.
Speaker 2 (47:57):
Well, imagine just Philippi as a town or a city
itself.
Not only do you have a church,but now you have an entire
community that's likely ready tobe evangelized, Because this
would have made you know, insmall little Philippi, this
would have made headliner news.
Speaker 1 (48:12):
Yeah, and I love the uniqueness of the different
people God brings up in thepassage in chapter 16.
We get Lydia, who's with agroup of women where there's not
enough men to start a synagogue, who are faithful to prayer,
who go down to the river.
They get evangelized by Pauland Silas, and so this, these
(48:35):
believers, the whole household,they go there and and they
continue to teach the word tothem, equip them.
And Lydia is a person we knowof, of fine linens, of business.
We don't know if she has ahusband, we don't know those
details.
We just know that she issuccessful in a way and she's
leading people in prayer.
Then we have a jailer, or mostlikely like a retired Roman
(48:59):
guard now working in Philippi.
Who unlikely character again.
This guy who just sits at ajail cell all day and makes sure
the door doesn't open, like hegets saved.
So we have this.
There isn't really like a classof people or a certain group
that the Lord is moving to reach.
He like uses the unlikely allthe time, a woman, to start the
(49:22):
church.
He uses Paul to do that throughher.
But whose house are they at?
Lydia's To start this.
They go back there, theyencourage the saints before they
depart.
And what a what a cool thing tosee.
We've talked about that Jesuswants to reach all people and he
shows us that in the Bible,that there is no like
(49:42):
disqualifying where you're from,what language you speak, any of
those things.
He calls you.
He calls you and he wants youto turn to him and do what
Believe and call him the LordJesus.
What a cool thing to see.
I love seeing all the differentpeople.
Plus, paul was persecutingChristians and now he's starting
churches.
So we just see God using theunlikely, the people where we
(50:06):
would be like that person's notqualified to spread the gospel
of Jesus Christ.
Well, yeah, they are, becauseJesus qualified them through
faith in them and then builtthem up, encouraged them,
strengthened them to go.
So that's what we're doing hereat Ottawa Bible we want to
equip, to send.
You.
May think I'm unlikely, I don'tthink I can do that.
Well, through Christ you can,because Christ can build you up
(50:29):
and strengthen you and call youand send you out.
And so we see that and we seethat in Philip.
We're going to see thatthroughout the book of Acts,
with Paul as he continues totravel and plant churches.
What an amazing testimony ofall these people, because we can
use all of them.
We can connect to them in allsorts of ways.
Speaker 2 (50:45):
Well, paul, you know I kind of wanted to close the
episode with this, but if wewere to just pick up Philippians
, chapter one, and read, likethe introduction, the first 11
verses, listen to Paul's tenderheart for his, his first
European church that he planted,says Paul and Timothy bond
servants of Christ Jesus to allthe saints in Christ Jesus who
(51:07):
are in Philippi, including theoverseers and deacons.
That implies that now you know,some leaders have been trained
in order to to lead this church.
Verse to grace to you, in peacefrom God, our Father and the
Lord Jesus Christ.
I thank my God and all myremembrance of you.
No doubt some of those memorieswould have come from Acts 16,
(51:30):
always offering prayer with joyin my every prayer for you all,
in view of your participation inthe gospel from the first day
until now.
I envision the church inPhilippi is on fire for the Lord
, because Paul hardly rebukesanything in this entire letter,
but also when he's talking abouttheir participation from the
first day until now.
That goes to show that evenwhen they left Philippi, you
(51:54):
know, and Lydia was there, thejailer was there, the slave girl
was there, man, they keptparticipating in the gospel from
then on forward.
Verse six I'm confident of thisvery thing in you, that he who
began a good work in you willperfect it until the day of
Christ Jesus.
For it's only right for me tofeel this way about you all,
because I have you in my heart,since both in my imprisonment
(52:14):
and then the defense and theconfirmation of the gospel, you
all are partakers of grace withme, hey guys.
By the way, I'm imprisonedagain, just like I was with you
and you saw what me beingreleased did for the movement of
the gospel.
Thanks for continuing tosupport me.
So verse eight, for God is mywitness how I long for you all.
(52:34):
With the affection of ChristJesus, I can't wait to go back
to Philippi.
In this, I pray that your lovemay abound still more and more
in real knowledge and alldiscernment, so that you may
approve the things that areexcellent in order to be sincere
and blameless into the day ofChrist, having been filled with
the fruit of righteousness whichcomes through Jesus Christ, to
(52:56):
the glory and praise of God.
He's writing to Lydia.
He's writing to the jailer.
He's writing to the, thosefirst households who got saved.
This is a beloved church to theapostle Paul.
Speaker 1 (53:08):
What an amazing connection.
This is where we start in Acts.
We get to start reading thingsin his letters to see what Paul
was praying about, what he wasteaching where he was.
So it starts to get moreexciting as we go through Acts
because we get more detailsbecause of what Paul's written.
So thank you so much forlistening to the Be Disciples
podcast.
Please continue to follow us onInstagram, whether that's our
(53:31):
church at Ottawa Bible Church orthe Be Disciples podcast.
So Instagram, facebook, youtube, check them all out.
Thank you for listening.
If you're listening to theaudio version and you want to
check us out on YouTube, pleasedo so.
Have a blessed week and we'llsee you next week.
Welcome to the Be Disciples podcast with heroes
Kamors, dakota Smith and DavidGlavin, and we also have Chance
with us today on the podcast,which is awesome.
We've never recorded fourpeople on the podcast.
Speaker 2 (00:24):
Yeah, this is our first, and Chance Hallearn, this
is the second time that you'vedone anything that's media
related.
You were with me on the radiostation a couple weeks back and
you do college ministry over inBaldwin, right, and also we're
hoping to get you more involvedhere in Ottawa.
So we brought Chance onto theshow just because it adds
(00:47):
another communicative element aswe work through the scripture.
So we're excited for today'sepisode.
Speaker 1 (00:54):
Yeah.
So, chance, can you give us alittle background what brought
you to Ottawa and then whatyou're doing now for ministry?
Speaker 3 (01:02):
So a little background on me.
I grew up in Spring Hill,kansas, which is up the road
from Ottawa, went to K-State fora sort period of time to become
a teacher and then met my wifethere.
We moved to Texas and I taughtshe worked for the railroad down
there and then we really feltthe Lord calling us back home
and so in that whole processcollege I became a believer and
(01:25):
then really grew in my faith alot in those four or five years
through a guy that discipled meone-on-one in Manhattan, kansas,
and so then went to Texas, feltlike Lord was calling us back
home.
We moved back to this area andwe're looking to maybe start a
church, do something like that,with a couple buddies around
here and we all kind of got tothe point of you know what?
I think we were spread out andlet's just get plugged into the
(01:47):
bodies that we see God's workingin.
So that's what led us to Ottawa,ottawa Bible, getting plugged
in there, and then threw acouple cool phone calls and
answers the prayer.
The Lord opened a bunch ofdoors for us to do ministry at
Baker and so that's kind ofwhere we are started.
And then when we got plugged inhere at Ottawa Bible started
seeing the need of.
Hey, we live in Ottawa andthere's a college campus here
(02:09):
and I have a heart to reachstudents, just as I was reached
at Manhattan, and so that'swhere kind of our call and
ministry and the prayer startedto work and the Lord started
opening doors.
And here we are wanting to findkids and disciple them and just
share the gospel.
Amen.
Speaker 2 (02:24):
We can tell that you have a love for Jesus Christ and
you guys are new at OttawaBible.
You've been here what like sixmonths now, I believe.
So yeah, but whenever your namecomes up already people can
tell, yeah, he loves the Lordand he's pursuing him, so we're
grateful to have you on today.
Yeah, we continue in Acts,chapter 16.
(02:45):
We last found ourselves wherePaul and Silas were imprisoned.
Imagine that your firstmissionary trip to Europe, in
the very first city that youencounter, and you're met with
imprisonment.
Yeah, success, success.
Speaker 1 (03:00):
I'm sure that's what Paul was thinking.
This is success, yeah, but youknow, I think we look at it
sometimes as a as an old man.
They got stopped sharing thegospel, and but if we look at
the pattern of Acts, that's notwhat happens when something bad
happens.
Yeah, we actually see thespread of the gospel, and so
it's a bit exciting that they'rein prison because of what it
(03:21):
means for the word to go out.
Speaker 2 (03:24):
Yeah, and I think this last Sunday, even from the
pulpit, one of the mainprinciples that I was teaching
on from Matthew, chapter 14, wasJesus is actively trying to
train his disciples and tocultivate their faith through
difficulty, to show them theiractual need for him, because he
(03:44):
knows what they're going to facelater on.
And while Paul may not havebeen one of those original 12
well, technically he was one ofthe original 12, but the first
12 with Jesus Paul recognizeshis inadequacy and his need for
Jesus Christ.
So why don't we dive intoprayer before we dive into the
(04:05):
text?
Speaker 1 (04:05):
Let's make.
Speaker 2 (04:06):
David, do it David.
Speaker 1 (04:09):
Lead us into our brother.
Make you like you don't want to.
He wants to.
Speaker 4 (04:13):
Let's bow our heads and focus boys.
Lord.
God, we do give you thanks forfor who you are, your God, our
creator, redeemer.
You sustain us, lord, and thepower of your spirit.
We thank you for this time,this opportunity, the resources
(04:34):
that we have to, the time to todiscuss and fellowship together
to to study your word asbrothers in Christ, for the
resources to broadcast it, tothat others can be with us and a
part of this.
Lord, as we look into your word, we just pray the movement of
your spirit in the word that youwould guide us in conversation,
(04:57):
that we might glean wisdom andunderstanding and that, for
those that are, that arelistening and watching along,
lord, that that you would justdo a movement in our hearts and
in our minds, that we would growin our relationship with you.
(05:17):
We thank you for this ministryand all the various ministries
that you have allowed us to be apart of.
We just pray your will and yourway In Jesus' name, amen, amen.
Speaker 1 (05:29):
Well, before we get started, before we read, I just
want to remind our audienceplease share the podcast.
We're both now doing a videopodcast, so if you're listening,
watching on YouTube, that'swhat you're seeing now.
If you're audio only, likewe've been for the last few
years, then make sure you sharethat as well.
Social media platforms, textsomebody, I don't really care.
(05:50):
We just want people to dig intothe word together, as we're
doing today, as a group offriends studying God's words, so
that we're encouraged and builtup and we can continue to be
equipped for God's work.
And so please follow us atautoabiochurchcom Don't hit the
microphone at autoabiochurch onYouTube and check us out at
(06:12):
autoabiochurchcom as well.
Alright, dakota.
Speaker 2 (06:15):
Okay.
So we last found ourselvesagain, paul and Silas, there in
prison.
So we start in verse 22.
It says the crowd rose uptogether against them and the
chief magistrates tore theirrobes off them and proceeded to
order them to be beaten withrods.
When they had struck them withmany blows, they threw them into
prison, commanding the jailerto guard them securely, and he,
(06:38):
having received such a command,threw them into the inner prison
and fasten their feet in thestocks.
But about midnight Paul andSilas were praying and singing
hymns of praise to God, and theprisoners were listening to them
, and suddenly there came agreat earthquake so that the
foundations of the prison housewere shaken and immediately all
(06:58):
the doors were opened andeveryone's chains were
unfastened.
When the jailer awoke and sawthe prison doors opened, he drew
his sword and was about to killhimself, supposing that the
prisoners had escaped.
But Paul cried out with a loudvoice saying Do not harm
yourself, for we are all here.
And he called for lights andrushed in and, trembling with
(07:20):
fear, he fell down before Pauland Silas and after he brought
them out he said Sirs, what mustI do to be saved?
And so, guys, I think verses 22to 30 is maybe a good portion,
a good bite-sized chunk to workwith this morning.
What would be some of yourfirst initial observations in
the passage?
(07:40):
What's unique to you?
What stands out to you withinthe text?
How do we start off?
Speaker 1 (07:47):
Well, it's always good to start off reminding
ourselves where we're at.
Speaker 2 (07:51):
Yeah, the C of the Koma method.
Speaker 1 (07:53):
Yeah.
So we're gonna look at context,we're gonna look at setting.
What did we read last week?
So we know that we are inPhilippi.
We know who our coupleindividuals are.
We have Paul and Silas.
We also know that Timothy isaround because he was with them.
He's just not mentioned beingin prison with them and so
possibly Timothy's on theoutside, and we also know that
(08:18):
Luke's around.
He's also not at least writinghimself in the prison here.
So we know some other peopleare around, but Paul and Silas
seem to be the ones who getimprisoned here, and so that's
where we're at.
We're in a prison, we're inPhilippi.
Paul and Silas are there.
They get dragged into thisprison and really their response
(08:40):
is singing hymns, yeah, andthat's kind of the first thing
that I notice is it's areflection of their attitude
towards God and their situation,their circumstance.
So that tells us a little bitabout Paul and Silas.
Where they're at emotionally,spiritually, they're giving
praises to God for theircircumstances, and what an
(09:00):
amazing thing to see in a place.
That would be of much despairfor many of us if we ended up in
prison.
And so, yeah, I just see theirattitude here first.
That jumps off the page.
Speaker 2 (09:13):
Yeah, the reason why Timothy and Luke were likely not
imprisoned is because they wereseen by those in Philippi as
Greeks anyways.
And then Paul and Silasthemselves were seen as Jews,
although they didn't realizethat Paul had Roman citizenship.
So there's one other placewhere, you know, paul appeals to
his Roman citizenship and, bythe way, you're going to see
(09:35):
that later on in the passage butin both cases you know he's in
prison because somebody's profit, somebody's financial gain, is
taking a hit because of Paul'sministry in the gospel.
So, more than likely though,ethnically speaking, that's why
they're the ones in the prison.
And then you know, we don'tknow where Timothy and Luke are
at, but they're hanging outsomewhere.
So let's continue to, you know,open up the conversation.
(09:57):
What else do y'all see withinthe passage 22 to 30?
Anything that just stands outto you?
Initial observations thatyou're making chance, or David,
what do y'all think?
Speaker 3 (10:06):
Yeah, I initially see that again, the singing praises
and hymns and it instantlyreminds me of James 1, like the
whole aspect of considering ajoy in the trials, like we see
that happening right here fromthese men that know the Lord,
are fearing the Lord, are doinghis will and knowing that even
in this trial, even in the midstof what I'm going through, in
(10:27):
this persecution, I'm going tonot let the enemy take my joy
and I'm going to consider joy inthat trial and doing that, just
as they are in prison, beingchained up, not knowing if
they're going to get out, notknowing that, you know, what we
see is we get to read it and see, hey, there's an earthquake
coming, like it's kind of likethey're going to be set free,
but they don't know that yet.
But still having the faith,still having the joy, still
(10:48):
considering that to be this iswhat God's calling me to do.
Then let me be here and let medo it, and do it to its fullest
effect, glorifying the Lord.
Speaker 2 (10:58):
Yeah, the theme of joy is found all throughout the
book of Acts.
You know, we've seen plenty oftimes where the apostles find
themselves being beaten, beingthrown into prison, and then
they leave rejoicing because,like they recount, it is worthy
to suffer for the Lord.
So, and I think, by the way,their joy, their singing, their
(11:19):
praises to God will have aneffect on the jailer's
conversion later on here in thechapter.
So God is utilizing thesepraises, I think one just to
glorify himself.
But also this seems to be thecatalyst to some degree for the
earthquake.
You know, you call on God andyou start giving praise to him,
(11:40):
and then the Lord starts movingon your behalf for his glory.
So some of those dynamics arecoming into play.
Speaker 4 (11:47):
I think it's kind of leveled up version of like all
publicity is good publicity aswell, yeah sounds like Jerry
Jones.
They get arrested and they getbrought, but it draws attention
and I think it's also anauthority.
It divides authority too,whereas they're brought before
an earthly authority and thenothers are also watching this
(12:08):
and seeing this, hearing theirmessage, but then it allows them
to judge for themselves who'sat work here, if this is God
working and speaking throughthese men, and then that's why
people people knew the authoritywas corrupt then, and so
they're able to see this andpeople.
So there's a dividing linethere and people come to see
that God is at work here,despite the fact that the
(12:31):
authority is getting up in arms.
Speaker 2 (12:33):
This will work a little bit more with verse 23,.
When they had struck them withmany blows so this was no small
beating, I mean, this was like aruthless beating.
So they'd been struck manytimes they threw them into the
prison, commanding the jailer toguard them securely.
Which means, hey, these guyshave the potential to stir up
(12:54):
more trouble than just yourtypical inmate.
And so look what it says inverse 24, having received such a
command, they threw them intothe inner prison.
The jailer likely decided youknow, the inner prison is most
secure than any other place andthey're chained with stocks, you
know, to their feet, which isvery painful, I mean, this would
(13:15):
cause sores and bruising.
The prisoners couldn't get up,they couldn't walk around and it
was likely cold, dark, wet.
This is no, no pleasant area.
Notice, later on they have toturn lights on as the jailer
rushes back in.
So this was a very secludedplace.
I can only imagine being in theinner, the inner, you know,
(13:38):
area of this jail.
All the other prisoners werelikely above them, you know,
strategically speaking, so whenthey're singing the echoes of
this worship is protruding intothe other jail cells to where,
you know, it doesn't matter ifyou're the jailer or not, like
you, are now subject to thepraises of Paul and Silas.
I think that's pretty cool.
If you just study the innercells of you know Rome and what
(14:02):
it was like back in this day.
It's almost like theconfiguration of the jail itself
was perfect for a worshipfulsetting.
Speaker 1 (14:11):
Well, I think at least the question that comes to
my mind is why are they sodangerous?
Paul and Silas didn't killanybody, didn't steal anything
necessary, like it's their wordsthat got them in trouble, right
, it's their words, what theysaid about Jesus and what they
and what the outcome of theirwords when it came to people
(14:34):
making money or whatever thatmay be.
So it's so interesting thatthey would put two men who
didn't show any violence towardsanybody in the innermost, and
it was their words that they sawas more violent than their
physical actions.
And so I find that interestingthat they would see them as that
big of a threat to put them inthe worst part of the prison.
(14:56):
So that kind of stands out tome, as they believe that
whatever the gospel was wasdangerous, at least the people
who put them in prison and beatthem.
Speaker 2 (15:06):
Well, let's just take that and run with it for a bit.
You know, Chance.
What do you think, David?
What do you think?
Why is the gospel message todayeven most divisive for earthly
governments and rulerships?
Like, how come, even to thisday, worldly powers all have a
negative view of the gospel, Atleast it seems to now be that
(15:28):
way in America, based on ourcurrent leadership.
I'm going to hold nothing backhere.
Our current leadership doesn'tlove Jesus, and that's evident
by the things that they advocatefor and they say.
So why is that?
Why is the gospel such a threatfor authoritarian power?
Speaker 4 (15:45):
Me first.
Speaker 2 (15:46):
All right, then Get yourself in trouble, david, go
for it, we're all listening.
Speaker 4 (15:55):
Well, I think that earthly power, government, local
, however big or small it is Ithink that power there's a greed
aspect, there's this growthwithin the human condition that
when you have power, you wantmore power.
When you have authority, youwant more authority, and outside
(16:18):
of God's direction anddiscipline, that becomes an
egocentric sort of movementwhere it's self-serving and it's
not serving the Lord, and sopower wants to keep power and so
it's going to fight againstanything that wants to direct
(16:40):
that.
I mean in the United States wehave the voice of the people,
sort of.
We have representatives ingovernment, which is part of the
struggle from the beginningthat the people want to
represent representation.
But it's well, for as large asour country is, I don't think
(17:02):
we're truly represented ingovernment, nor is the Lord
represented, and I do think thatI will use this opportunity to
share that.
I do think personally, asChristians also, we're silent,
we feel like we have no controland we have no voice, so we
don't use the voice and thecontrol that we have.
But the Bible says the faith ofthe mustard seed can move the
(17:25):
mountain, and I believe that asChristians and this has actually
been strengthened in me in thelast three years, that every
vote, that I have every voice,every opportunity to voice my
conviction and my faith in theLord, is an opportunity for me
to to exercise the Lord's will.
(17:45):
And when we don't vote, whenwe're not, you know, as
Christians today, when we're notstudying and trying to
understand laws that are beingpassed locally, nationally,
whatever it may be, I think thatwe're not using what the Lord
has given us.
And I think so that's somethingI've been convicted on even
(18:08):
more recently that one Christianinaction, the inaction of
Christians not standing up forour convictions and beliefs and
letting it be heard, because,even though we know that many
Christians would probably agreewith us on many subjects, it's
not voted that way.
I'll stop.
Speaker 2 (18:29):
No, that's great stuff.
Yeah, yeah, chance.
Speaker 3 (18:32):
Yeah, I think one of the kind of power struggles per
se that we see is the idea ofpower in itself.
And why would Christianity andfaith in one God and the Lord be
so detrimental to that powerstruggle?
Is that when you want power,you want control.
And the reality of a believeris when you're set free in
Christ, like you're free,there's nothing that has control
(18:53):
over you, and like you have oneLord that you obey.
And so for a government or foran authority of any aspect to be
able to think man, I don't havefull control over this person,
like they're not going to dowhat I want them to do.
And we look at like communismand dictators, like that whole,
like those governments andschemes and the things that we
see in that is, people that wantpower, want control and they
(19:15):
have that.
And it's like how there's nofreedom in that right, there's
no freedom of religion, there'sno freedom of conversation to
say what we want, like no freespeech at all.
And so that's where, as I seethe threat of Christianity and
the threat of believing in Jesusas Lord being a detriment to
the power.
And I think, looking back atActs 4 with Peter and John,
(19:38):
where they're like, hey, whetherit's right, like you guys can
make that up yourselves, but, asfor us, we're not going to stop
talking about what we've seenand heard.
And I think, like David, youhit on that perfectly.
Where, as believers, are westopping and not talking about
what we have seen and heard andwhat Christ has done in our
lives and as we see the wordwritten?
Are we making that the plumbline of our lives and speaking
(19:59):
on that, or are we gettingcaught up in the crowds, just as
we see here, where they are,there, the crowd is joining in
and the attack on these men andthe crowd is getting swept away
with the crowd which I know formy life is something that I've
gotten caught in before of manthe crowd's doing this.
I want to do that because, inthe moment, there's a lot of
voices, but, as I've grown andmatured, there's an aspect of
(20:21):
okay, but what does the word say?
And am I going to let God bethe one that guides me in that,
or am I just going to go withwhatever authority has more
power?
And so that's where, as me, asa believer, seeing that God is
my authority, that God is mypower, I'm going to rest in that
.
And even if the governmentcomes against me, even if
someone in the world like of theflesh comes against me, where
(20:41):
am I going to stand?
Am I going to stand with theLord or am I going to get pushed
over?
Speaker 1 (20:44):
Yeah, and I want to bring it back to something that
you guys are all hitting on.
You guys are all hitting onthere's going to be persecution.
As a Christian, we know thatbecause Jesus said it right in
the Beatitudes the result offollowing Him truly following
Him is being persecuted in Hisname.
So this is what's going tohappen to us as Christians.
(21:06):
One our names are going to beslandered, we're going to be
drugged in the mud, we are goingto be put in prison.
We're going to be beaten, justas we're seeing Paul and Silas.
We're going to be put to death.
But the reason Jesus is such athreat to power in this world is
because Jesus was resurrected.
Right, paul and Silas arepreaching the resurrected God,
(21:29):
who the most any power can do tous is kill us.
But they did that to Jesus andhe was risen from the grave.
So that power is so threateningbecause nobody else can do that
.
And so when you walk aroundwith the freedom in Christ, with
the resurrection as your hopeand what you've put your faith
(21:50):
in, there is no power that isover anything of this world
except Jesus.
And so that's why they're inprison and that's why they're
singing hymns, because they'relike this is as much as you can
do to us.
You could kill us, but my God'sbigger than death.
What an amazing thing.
And so when we look at ourcountry and we look at the world
(22:10):
, we can stand confident thateven if we get put to death in
Christ, we get to spend eternitywith Him because he is the
risen God.
He rose from the grave andthat's what their faith is in
and that's why they're confident.
That's where they're singingpraises and I find that like I
get goosebumps and chills,because that's why we're living
is because of the resurrectionof Christ.
So it's amazing.
Speaker 2 (22:32):
Well, paul and Silas are great examples for us of two
individuals who know chance, asyou stated that they are free,
although they don't appear to befree.
They don't appear to be free,maybe, like at an earthly level,
but from a heavenly perspectivethey're most definitely free
and they're acting like it.
I do think that there's a lotthat we can derive from their
(22:55):
attitude and their example here,because in our modern day
lifestyle, here within America,2024, to David's point, we do
seem to be way too quiet, waytoo inactive.
We don't see the freedoms thatGod has given us as a
responsibility to engage with.
Rather, we see them as justlike an add-on or a cherry on
(23:17):
top, like I can choose to engageor I can choose to not engage.
But let me be frank with you ifyou don't start using your
freedoms and and being morevocal about your faith, then we
will face more imprisonments andthings like that will
eventually come, and whether wedo or not, we should still be
individuals who live as if wewere free.
(23:38):
So I think, continuing therefrom the text, you see in verse
26, suddenly there came a greatearthquake so that the
foundations of the prison housewere shaken and immediately all
the doors were opened andeveryone's chains were
unfashioned.
We've already seen this withPeter in Acts, chapter 5, we've
seen this with Peter in Acts,chapter 12, and here we are now
(23:58):
with Paul and Silas in Acts,chapter 16.
This is like the third occasionin Acts where a prison cell has
been broken open supernaturally, either by like an angel from
the Lord or just the Lordhimself, and it's also not the
first time in the Bible we'veseen earthquakes appear as some
form of a supernatural movementof God.
(24:19):
We saw that there was anearthquake after Jesus's
crucifixion, so these remindersare here for us to say God can
like, bring about whatever hewants to get you out of whatever
predicament that you're in.
Speaker 1 (24:33):
Yeah, especially when your faith is in Christ.
In that predicament theirvoices are singing out to God
praises, so that everybody wouldhear why they're in prison.
We're in prison for the onetrue God.
I mean, they're totally puttingall of their faith in Christ
and I find that to be theencouraging part.
Then, you know, there's thisearthquake.
(24:56):
It's shaken, the doors wereopen, everyone's bonds were
unfastened, so not just Paul andSilas, right, everybody's.
So now there's a situationwhere not just in these other
circumstances, we saw theapostles get out of prison,
right, but this one, all thedoors are open, all the shackles
(25:16):
have been set free, and so thenwe're going to see the response
of Paul and Silas here, and Ithink that is a huge detail that
we can't miss, that this isn'tjust Paul and Silas's door and
shackles, it's everybody's.
And how is that going to play asignificant role in the rest of
the narrative here?
Speaker 2 (25:36):
Well, verses 27 and 28 continue and it just shows us
that you know the jailer takingpersonal responsibility,
assuming everybody ran out, youknow.
Now he attempts to commitsuicide Because either way
they're gonna kill you.
Either you commit suicidebecause you failed in your duty.
More than likely, a lot ofhistorical evidences show us
that this was a former Romansoldier who now, in his retired
(25:59):
state, is watching over a jailcell, and he knows how you know
the Roman Empire works If youfail.
This is also one of thearguments regarding the empty
tomb of Jesus.
Like these guys would haveguarded that tomb with their
entire life.
They would not have just fallenasleep on the floor right as,
like some critical scholars mayshow us.
But this guy understood.
(26:21):
No, either I kill myself orthey're gonna kill me.
Paul and Silas then cry out donot harm yourself, for we are
all here.
What character, what nobilityfor Paul to say you know what?
Like I could choose myselfright now.
I could just get out of dodgeand then say thank you, lord.
(26:43):
But it's like Paul had aconcern for the jailer himself.
His eyes were not on himself.
And then you think of Jesus onthe cross, like he's praying for
his enemies.
Father, forgive them.
They don't know what they do.
He had other people in mind,even in the midst of his
persecution.
Speaker 4 (27:00):
Compassion.
Speaker 2 (27:01):
Yeah, he had compassion for them.
Speaker 4 (27:03):
I think it speaks to us.
I think there's application forus today when we have a sense.
We can have a sense of tunnelvision when it comes to the
enemies of God or those who werefighting or arguing against
where they are the enemy.
But really I mean Paul'sexemplifying that we should have
compassion for our enemies, andChrist calls us to love our
(27:23):
enemies and this is a greatexample of it.
We're fighting against notflesh and bone, but angels and
principalities and somethingthat exists beyond what we can
see, and I think that shouldShould shape the way we interact
with people when we're fightingagainst issues for the Lord.
But I think that's a greatexample Paul's compassion for
(27:49):
yeah to that.
Speaker 2 (27:50):
To that note, spiritual warfare is always over
ideas.
Spiritual warfare is alwaysover what's true and what's not
true.
And so, in the midst of thispredicament, paul cares for the
person.
Speaker 4 (28:03):
I think it's interesting that the jailer
didn't check to see if theprisoners were there before he's
like, oh, he just assumesthey're gone, yeah they all ran.
Speaker 1 (28:10):
It's a prison, you know, but we do see it is.
We should stop.
Definitely, as you're talkingabout Paul here.
Sometimes we see Paul assomewhat harsh depending on the
circumstance, especially whenpeople aren't taking the gospel
seriously, but this is not thatcase.
Paul sees a man who is indistress and he cares about this
(28:33):
individual, he cares about hissalvation, he cares about all
people to hear the gospel, andso that comes out here in Paul.
So, yes, he does have a softheart and God made Paul's heart
soft and he stays and he hasconcern, and I think that is
that helps us understand Paulmore as he goes and helps us as
(28:56):
we walk about in our lives.
There are other things thatwe're gonna be Super adamant on
and we may come off as a littleassertive or something like that
, but not when it comes to aperson's soul and in their life,
the lost.
That should, that should drawout Compassion that comes from
the Lord, and so that helps us.
Speaker 3 (29:15):
Yes, there's times to be serious, there's times to
make hard decisions, but thiswas a moment of compassion, that
that Paul said I'm gonna, I'mgonna stay here and I'm gonna
share the gospel with thisindividual and he needs to know
Jesus and and more so, and Bigpicture of Paul's life, knowing
that Paul, being a persecutor ofbelievers, knows what that's
like, knows like, hey, I'vewatched the families go through
(29:37):
that loss, I've watched peopledie at the hands of what I've
agreed on.
And so then, for him to seethis and know that this man is
about to one disregard his lifefor the sake of the fact that
Paul is gonna be set free orrunning free.
And then for Paul again goingback to man, here's where I'm at
.
My freedom is in Christ.
I am found in the Lord, andknowing that God just broke
(29:59):
these jail cells open, like thejailer doesn't know that, right,
he's still at that point of,okay, let me think of something
crazy just happened.
But Paul to sit there and say,hey, if God can do that, then
maybe let's look at this bigpicture of why am I here?
And if this guy doesn't knowthe Lord, then before I just run
out and get my physical freedom, let's see where this guy's at,
knowing the angst that's beenbuilt up of man.
(30:20):
Every prisoner is gone and,like you said, not just their
change was set free, everyone'swere.
And so that's a lot of yeah, alot of angst for that jailer to
be facing in that moment andPaul, just like that compassion,
saying yep, nope, I'm gonnapraise in the moment.
Here I am and let's see what wedo before.
We just Like search forourselves.
And what do I want in themoment?
Speaker 2 (30:41):
Amen.
Well, and it's interestingbecause look at how the Jailer
responds in verse 30, sirs.
He's speaking to both of themspecifically, who are singing.
What must I do to be saved?
You know, jesus said you knowto be the salt in the light of
(31:01):
the world.
Why?
So that unbelievers would oneday Glorify your father who is
in heaven.
To me, it appears that Paul andSilas have been enough salt and
light to this individual.
You've got the singing, you'vegot the earthquake.
No doubt the jailer understandswhy they're in prison, because
they were preaching the gospeland he probably inquired about
(31:23):
what like why are these guys inprison?
I mean, he probably has hadthree different layers of gospel
, introductions to his life andthe praises all throughout the
night, and the supernaturalbreaking of the jail cell
Brought him to the conclusion.
Well, and the fact that Pauland Silas didn't run has now
(31:43):
Accumulatively been a testimonyto him.
To ask the question serves whatmust I do to be saved?
And as we enter into verse 31, Ithink, while this might be just
a simple response, while itmight be Maybe on the surface
here within the overallmetanarrative of acts, while it
may not seem like a big deal,verse 31 is one of the most
(32:07):
important verses in the entireBible.
This is how they respond.
He says what must I do to besaved?
They say believe in the LordJesus and you will be saved, you
and your household, guys.
Why is verse 31 so incrediblycritical, if not most critical,
to our faith?
I mean, it's simple, yes, butwhat's critical about it?
(32:32):
Like We've got to, everyChristian must grasp this kind
of thing.
Speaker 1 (32:37):
Well, first, the jailer asks the question that we
all have to ask what?
What must we do to be saved?
Well, he uses this word do Likewhat's this process?
Or or what do I have toaccomplish?
Yeah, you know, kind of like awork, what must I do to be saved
?
But their response isn'tnecessarily anything to do as a
(33:01):
work or any of that nature.
It just says believe in theLord Jesus.
That's the message of thegospel.
The gospel is yes, jesus cameand lived a perfect life, born
of a virgin, died on the crossfor our sins as the perfect
sacrifice that has risen fromthe grave.
Jesus did all the work.
(33:23):
All you need to do is believeIn what he has done and put your
faith in him.
It's the simple message of thegospel.
It is a simple line, it's onesingle verse.
But what it took to get to thisone verse?
What we see in Jesus's life, wesee in the apostles.
This is the message, this isthe question and the answer.
(33:43):
What must I do to be saved?
Believe in the Lord JesusChrist.
This is the, this is thefoundation of our, of everything
that we believe Is this verse,is this sentence.
So, yeah, this is bigger thanjust let's just, oh yeah,
believe in Jesus, keep moving on.
No, this is the message Paul hasbrought to the Philippians.
Yeah, this is why he's inprison Believe in the Lord Jesus
(34:07):
Christ and you'll be saved, youand your household.
There's an influence then thatcomes through.
This jailer of your faith willextend beyond, to your house.
Your family can be saved, thepeople that you know can be
saved if they believe in theLord Jesus Christ.
So, man, it's, it's a it's apowerful verse because it
literally wraps up the gospels,what they've been doing in acts
(34:28):
and what they'll continue to dothroughout the rest of the bible
, in one single sentence.
And if you wanted to wrap a bowand you wanted to take somebody
right away, just a place where,hey, I want people to know what
they need to do to be saved,verse 31.
Speaker 2 (34:42):
Yeah, believe well, and it's interesting to look at
what Paul says more specificallybelieve in the Lord Jesus.
Why is that significant?
We call him the Lord Jesus allthe time, but in a Roman world
where Caesar was seen as Lordoverall, paul is saying well in
the same breath if you want tobe saved, you've got to transfer
your dedication and devotionand trust to From an emperor to
(35:07):
the one who's really Lord, andso maybe we kind of Breeze past
the word Lord, but Paul reallymeans it like you've got to see
him as Lord now, and when you dothat, you'll be saved, you and
your household.
Speaker 3 (35:19):
Yeah, and just the very aspect of, hey, look at
straightforward question,straightforward answer, that's
like what do I gotta do?
Paul's like this.
Is it like they were ready inthat moment of, if you're asking
, here's a truth of it, versussometimes we might want to
sugarcoat it and like, well,it's kind of like it's not as
bad as it seems, you know, liketrying to sell Christianity or
sell, just try it.
You know, just just give it atry, see if you like it and if
(35:40):
you don't, hey, to each theirown.
We're as believers.
If he's Lord in our lives andwe should be For trying that to
others as no, he should be Lordof your life too.
Speaker 2 (35:49):
Yeah he's Lord over everyone's life.
It's just a matter of wherethey agree.
Speaker 1 (35:54):
And I, and we can't leave out verse 32, because
verse 32 is going to show us howthey did it, and let's read it.
And they spoke the word of theLord to him and to all who are
in his house.
What did they speak?
Paul's word, silas's word?
No, they spoke the word of theLord, scripture.
(36:14):
He opened scripture and saidthis is what God has said.
So that gives us a continuedblueprint, a continued pattern
of Paul using scripture to showpeople who Jesus is Since the
beginning, before the beginningof time.
And so Paul uses God's word.
(36:34):
That's what we're doing today.
We're using God's word, we'rereading it word for word.
We want to share it in this way, because that's what we see it
happening in scripture.
So, again, just a pattern ofsharing God's word, not our own
word.
Yes, they presented the gospel,but then they backed it up with
what the bible says.
That's what we need to do openyour bibles when you're
evangelizing, when you'rediscipling.
(36:55):
This is what God's word is.
Use it.
Speaker 4 (36:58):
There's also a practical element of I don't
know I'm thinking of.
They're in prison and it saysall of his household were
baptized.
So they had to.
Because then later, as we readon and I think this has to be
said for me to make my point,I'm going ahead but, um, they
came to the prison and said you,you're released.
So he didn't take them out ofthe prison.
(37:20):
So the man must have broughthis whole household into the
prison To be baptized and tohave them share the Lord.
Is that the context we'relooking at?
Speaker 2 (37:29):
yeah, and when I read 33, and he took them that very
hour of the night and washedtheir wounds when it says he
took him, I'm thinking that heactually took them out of the
inner cell to wash them, broughtinto the light, have
conversations, likely to his ownhome, like in the secret of the
night, and Then he was baptized, he and all of his household.
(37:53):
But then, if you continue toread on, it would almost assume
that the jailer brought themback, hmm, probably by Paul and
Silas, his own request.
You know, hey, we don't wantyou to get into trouble, we're
just gonna trust God.
Bring us back to the prison.
Let's just keep reading Verse34.
And he brought them into thehouse, right, or, excuse me, and
(38:15):
he brought them into his house.
So that's how we know.
They left and set food beforethem and rejoice greatly, having
believed in God, with his wholehousehold.
So he bound up their wounds, hewas baptized, brought them to
his home, set food before him,rejoice with them verse 35.
Now, when day came, the chiefmagistrates sent their policemen
(38:35):
saying release those men, right, and the jailer reported these
words to Paul, saying the chiefmagistrates have sent to release
you.
Therefore, come now and go inpeace.
I'm just assuming then they'vegone from the jailer's house
back to the prison, because themagistrates that you know the
(38:57):
the political rulers of that,that precinct or that area.
We're basically saying you know, we know they're there, so go
back and get them Kind of aloofto what happened in the middle
of the night.
Speaker 4 (39:08):
That's a big change and a big out of the way sort of
gesture that the the jailer ismaking.
I mean that.
So this is a big change in hisheart from going from fearing
the authority of the Romangovernment, which he's been
working for, to to now fearingthe Lord and I think also the
the influence of the man overtheir household.
(39:29):
That Salvation came to him andhe took action, knowing that his
household will benefit fromthis.
And I think that's a challengeto men also, that as the Lord is
changing and working in us,that we bring that to our homes
and that is how people are saved.
I mean you could misread thatand say, because you believe
your household will, believe,will be saved, like it's not
(39:51):
that the salvation to the fatherautomatically everyone's saved,
but because you are saved, theLord will work through you to
the salvation of your family.
Yeah, and I think it's achallenge to us today too.
Speaker 3 (40:02):
And it's not just that the Lord is after just a
single person's heart, like he'safter the family, he's after
all of us and that and hedeserves that glory.
So for them to see this, thisevangelistic opportunity of not
just say hey, like believe inthe Lord and you'll be saved,
but saying hey, like your family, like this isn't just for you,
it's not like you're in thismoment and because of your
experience here, it's justsomething that you get to hold
(40:23):
on to and cherish.
Like he's not, like he said,he's not just the Lord over us,
like he's the Lord over everyone, whether you believe it or not,
like Jesus is Lord.
And so Just that of taking thatopportunity and then going and
saying it's not just for you, itis for your family as well,
Well, and in Philippi would havebeen a small enough community
to where it's likely that thisman's household Understood who
(40:44):
he was guarding.
Speaker 2 (40:46):
Maybe there would have been a conversation there
or something.
But no doubt when they camehome in the middle of the night,
I imagine the jailers wifewaking up or something and
saying what are you doing herewith these prisoners?
And then he's saying honey,listen, that earthquake that
just woke everybody up.
Yeah, these guys didn't evenrun, and so they prayed for me
and they they've talked to meabout Jesus.
(41:06):
We need to believe becauseJesus just saved my life tonight
.
So I imagine, with time andconversation, you know, this
would have been a bigger dealthan we realized at first.
I Do think that these verses areoften used by those who hold to
a form of covenantal theologyTo prove their position on why
(41:27):
we should believe in paid orbaptism or infant baptism.
The covenantal position wouldsay that Baptism in the New
Testament is the sign, just ascircumcision was in the old, and
so therefore you know, just asyou are part of Israel by
circumcision, now you know asinfants you should be baptized.
The problem With referring tothis text is it doesn't say
(41:49):
anything about infants orchildren Young enough to where
they they can't even believe yet.
The idea is that they receivethe word of the Lord.
They were baptized, theyrejoiced.
Plus, this jail jailer was ofretirement age.
I'm doubting that he's gotlittle infants at home.
So those are just the proofsI'd use is like a side argument
(42:10):
to say I don't think this textis affirming you know, paid or
baptism plus, the pattern we'veseen in acts is that of baptism
follows faith.
Speaker 1 (42:20):
Put your faith in cry .
That's the pattern that we'veseen, and so we see it here
believe, and then there'sbaptism.
Right, not baptism, hopefullyyou believe someday, right, and
then get baptized again.
Well, I don't, you know that'swe just see the pattern here the
way it's, the way it's written,the way Paul says believe and
the Lord Jesus Christ.
He does not say hey, getbaptized in believe.
(42:41):
That's not what the message isright.
The message is belief.
And so yeah, say the.
He believed in that moment asthey were walking out of the
jail.
He gets caught at night and thejailer dies.
Yeah, well, guess what hebelieved.
Speaker 2 (42:53):
He's going to heaven.
Speaker 1 (42:53):
He's going to heaven didn't need the baptism, and so
we, that's just the pattern.
We see an axe and we can't getout of that pattern, even though
, yeah, we can cherry pickverses or cherry pick narrative
stories to try to fit a theology.
But let's just take the text.
What does it say, what do wesee?
And go from there.
Speaker 2 (43:11):
So verse 35.
We last saw that the chiefmagistrates, the leaders of this
community, sent their policemensaying release those men.
Verse 36 I'm just going to readfrom 36 to 40 and I think we
can maybe start to close up thisepisode.
But it says and the jailerreported these words to Paul,
saying the chief magistrates hassent to release you.
Therefore, come out now and goin peace.
(43:33):
But Paul said to them they havebeaten us in public, without
trial, men who are Romans andhave thrown us into prison.
And now are they sending usaway secretly?
No, indeed, but let them comethemselves and bring us out.
The policemen reported thesewords to the chief magistrates.
They were afraid when theyheard that they were Romans.
(43:55):
Like, oh shoot, they deserved afair trial.
Oh, shoot, like no Romancitizen should be beaten with
rods verse 39.
And they came and appealed tothem and when they had brought
them out, they kept begging themto leave the city.
They went out of the prison andentered the house of Lydia and
when they saw the brethren, theyencouraged them and departed.
(44:16):
Okay, so there's a little bitof a Gutsiness.
And Paul, yeah, make thosecowards come here.
Yeah, they need to apologize.
Speaker 1 (44:25):
I didn't know what they were doing in the first
place.
They just assumed, because weare a Of Jewish background, that
were not Roman citizens.
Yeah, and we know that Paul is,and so, and I'm guessing Silas,
he says citizens.
Yes and so they're both Romancitizens and hey, you did this
(44:46):
wrong.
So he kind of uses their ownlaw against them.
And it's kind of interesting.
Why does Paul even?
Why does Paul even do this?
Like you, you're getting out ofprison, like just go get out of
here, like go to the next city,just move on.
But Paul's like no, that's nothow this is gonna be done.
He has a different mindset.
(45:08):
Like you, the people need toknow that this isn't right.
I'm not.
I'm gonna use my voice again,like he did before.
Like we've been talking aboutOne, I'm gonna use my voice to
tell the truth and two, I'mgonna use my voice in the system
of government that exists hereto ensure that I'm being treated
fairly and that people continueto be treated fairly.
So he's using his freedomwithin his governmental system
(45:31):
to call out corruption.
So we actually see an exampleof Paul doing this in his own
culture, in his own society, inwhich we, as Christians, need to
make sure we're doing the samething.
Speaker 2 (45:43):
Well, let me just ask you this question how do you
think you know we could maybetake Paul here as being somewhat
vindictive?
I don't think he's beingvindictive, but how could the
newly established church inPhilippi Benefit from Paul
telling the magistrates no, youcome here and you make this
right, Like maybe he did thisfor the benefit of the church
(46:04):
precedent?
He sets a precedent.
That's right.
Speaker 4 (46:06):
Why and let's keep rolling with that for those who
Want to speak of the Lord in thefuture, that he's setting a
precedent of fair treatment ofthose who are, who want to come
and present the gospel and arespeaking openly about the word.
Speaker 2 (46:20):
That this won't happen again this way, because
Now what we see at the end ofthis, this chapter, is that a
new church has been establishedby the work of the Holy Spirit,
even though it includedimprisonment.
You know who's a part of thechurch now.
You've got Lydia and her wholehousehold.
You've likely got the slavegirl who is set free from
demonic possession, she knows.
Then you've got the Holy Spiritdemonic possession, she knows.
(46:44):
Then you've got the jailer andhis entire household, and and
then, by the way, it's likelythat Luke is going to stay
behind with them, so that you'vegot a pastor.
So, dare I say, you know, it'sconceivable to think there's
somewhere between 15 and 25individuals in this newly
established church, seeminglyjust overnight, and so the Lord
(47:06):
has done enough great things.
I think Paul recognizes this.
If I can set a precedent, theyare already Roman citizens.
They can go about freely intheir worship.
Speaker 3 (47:18):
And I look at how, making the example to the people
as they are seen like theydon't want the authorities that
put them in prison, that beatthem, to just not watch them
walk out, because think about,as they went into prison,
they're probably beaten, bruised, bloodied, and now they've been
cleaned up in the middle of thenight that maybe these guys
don't even know about.
And so for them to come walkingout of prison then to look
completely different after this,like miracles happened, to set
(47:41):
an even higher precedent forthem of this is the God that we
serve, this is the power that hehas, and so I want you guys to
come down and see this versus Iheard about it, you know like no
, come see what the Lord hasdone and, with their own eyes,
be able to attest to what hashappened to them in prison.
Speaker 2 (47:57):
Well, imagine just Philippi as a town or a city
itself.
Not only do you have a church,but now you have an entire
community that's likely ready tobe evangelized, Because this
would have made you know, insmall little Philippi, this
would have made headliner news.
Speaker 1 (48:12):
Yeah, and I love the uniqueness of the different
people God brings up in thepassage in chapter 16.
We get Lydia, who's with agroup of women where there's not
enough men to start a synagogue, who are faithful to prayer,
who go down to the river.
They get evangelized by Pauland Silas, and so this, these
(48:35):
believers, the whole household,they go there and and they
continue to teach the word tothem, equip them.
And Lydia is a person we knowof, of fine linens, of business.
We don't know if she has ahusband, we don't know those
details.
We just know that she issuccessful in a way and she's
leading people in prayer.
Then we have a jailer, or mostlikely like a retired Roman
(48:59):
guard now working in Philippi.
Who unlikely character again.
This guy who just sits at ajail cell all day and makes sure
the door doesn't open, like hegets saved.
So we have this.
There isn't really like a classof people or a certain group
that the Lord is moving to reach.
He like uses the unlikely allthe time, a woman, to start the
(49:22):
church.
He uses Paul to do that throughher.
But whose house are they at?
Lydia's To start this.
They go back there, theyencourage the saints before they
depart.
And what a what a cool thing tosee.
We've talked about that Jesuswants to reach all people and he
shows us that in the Bible,that there is no like
(49:42):
disqualifying where you're from,what language you speak, any of
those things.
He calls you.
He calls you and he wants youto turn to him and do what
Believe and call him the LordJesus.
What a cool thing to see.
I love seeing all the differentpeople.
Plus, paul was persecutingChristians and now he's starting
churches.
So we just see God using theunlikely, the people where we
(50:06):
would be like that person's notqualified to spread the gospel
of Jesus Christ.
Well, yeah, they are, becauseJesus qualified them through
faith in them and then builtthem up, encouraged them,
strengthened them to go.
So that's what we're doing hereat Ottawa Bible we want to
equip, to send.
You.
May think I'm unlikely, I don'tthink I can do that.
Well, through Christ you can,because Christ can build you up
(50:29):
and strengthen you and call youand send you out.
And so we see that and we seethat in Philip.
We're going to see thatthroughout the book of Acts,
with Paul as he continues totravel and plant churches.
What an amazing testimony ofall these people, because we can
use all of them.
We can connect to them in allsorts of ways.
Speaker 2 (50:45):
Well, paul, you know I kind of wanted to close the
episode with this, but if wewere to just pick up Philippians
, chapter one, and read, likethe introduction, the first 11
verses, listen to Paul's tenderheart for his, his first
European church that he planted,says Paul and Timothy bond
servants of Christ Jesus to allthe saints in Christ Jesus who
(51:07):
are in Philippi, including theoverseers and deacons.
That implies that now you know,some leaders have been trained
in order to to lead this church.
Verse to grace to you, in peacefrom God, our Father and the
Lord Jesus Christ.
I thank my God and all myremembrance of you.
No doubt some of those memorieswould have come from Acts 16,
(51:30):
always offering prayer with joyin my every prayer for you all,
in view of your participation inthe gospel from the first day
until now.
I envision the church inPhilippi is on fire for the Lord
, because Paul hardly rebukesanything in this entire letter,
but also when he's talking abouttheir participation from the
first day until now.
That goes to show that evenwhen they left Philippi, you
(51:54):
know, and Lydia was there, thejailer was there, the slave girl
was there, man, they keptparticipating in the gospel from
then on forward.
Verse six I'm confident of thisvery thing in you, that he who
began a good work in you willperfect it until the day of
Christ Jesus.
For it's only right for me tofeel this way about you all,
because I have you in my heart,since both in my imprisonment
(52:14):
and then the defense and theconfirmation of the gospel, you
all are partakers of grace withme, hey guys.
By the way, I'm imprisonedagain, just like I was with you
and you saw what me beingreleased did for the movement of
the gospel.
Thanks for continuing tosupport me.
So verse eight, for God is mywitness how I long for you all.
(52:34):
With the affection of ChristJesus, I can't wait to go back
to Philippi.
In this, I pray that your lovemay abound still more and more
in real knowledge and alldiscernment, so that you may
approve the things that areexcellent in order to be sincere
and blameless into the day ofChrist, having been filled with
the fruit of righteousness whichcomes through Jesus Christ, to
(52:56):
the glory and praise of God.
He's writing to Lydia.
He's writing to the jailer.
He's writing to the, thosefirst households who got saved.
This is a beloved church to theapostle Paul.
Speaker 1 (53:08):
What an amazing connection.
This is where we start in Acts.
We get to start reading thingsin his letters to see what Paul
was praying about, what he wasteaching where he was.
So it starts to get moreexciting as we go through Acts
because we get more detailsbecause of what Paul's written.
So thank you so much forlistening to the Be Disciples
podcast.
Please continue to follow us onInstagram, whether that's our
(53:31):
church at Ottawa Bible Church orthe Be Disciples podcast.
So Instagram, facebook, youtube, check them all out.
Thank you for listening.
If you're listening to theaudio version and you want to
check us out on YouTube, pleasedo so.
Have a blessed week and we'llsee you next week.
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If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.