Sermon Idea: God’s power to save is superior to powers and authorities in heaven and on earth.
Introduction: Charles Wesley, the great Methodist hymn writer, penned these beautiful words shortly after his own conversion.
Long my imprisoned spirit lay
Fast bound in sin and nature’s night
Thine eye diffused a quickening ray—
I woke, the dungeon flamed with light;
My chains fell off, my heart was free,
I rose, went forth, and followed thee
This is the testimony of God’s powerful deliverance from the bondage of sin. The gospel comes to us as a quickening ray, so that we behold the glory of God in Jesus Christ, the chains of sin fall off, and our hearts become free to follow Jesus.
In our text this morning, there are spiritually free men bound in chains and a spiritually bound man who is free and working as a jailer. There is also a young woman, in bondage to a demonic spirit, who is being used for the financial gain of wicked men.
The overarching theme of this passage, which connects all these people, is God’s power. God’s power to save is superior to powers and authorities in heaven and on earth.
Acts 16 is yet another reminder of the reign and rule of the ascended Lord Jesus Christ. He may be in heaven, but his rule knows no jurisdiction and his power has no rival.
God’s power and the Lordship of Jesus Christ, as displayed in Acts 16, should be such an encouragement to us as we seek to share the gospel and make disciples of Jesus Christ. Our God is mighty to save, and the gospel is the power of God unto salvation.
God’s power and the Lordship of Jesus Christ should also be an encouragement to you in your Christian life. The challenges that we face, the hardship we endure, the temptations that entice us, and the struggles that beset us are ultimately no match for God’s powerful working in us.
This morning, I want to stir your heart to awe at God’s power to save. I want you to adore the risen Lord Jesus who lives, acts, and ministers in the life of the church today.
As we do so, I hope that we’ll persevere in praying for the lost and the struggling, believing that God’s power to save is superior to every power in heaven and on earth.
I am going to unapologetically spend the vast majority of my time on the conversion of the Philippian jailer, but we are going to see three truths as we do so: God’s power over demonic spirits, God’s power over earthly rulers, and God’s power over sin and spiritual bondage.
I.) God’s power over demonic spirits (Acts 16:16-24)
What lands Paul and Silas in prison is an exorcism of a slave girl who was being used by her owners for their own financial gain. She was oppressed by a spirit of divination that produced pagan prophecy.
16 As we were going to the place of prayer, we were met by a slave girl who had a spirit of divination and brought her owners much gain by fortune-telling. (Ac 16:16)
It is worth noting that the word for divination is πύθωνα, or Python, a term for the serpent associated with the Greek god Apollo. She has a serpent-spirit who speaks lies. The Spirit of Jesus who indwells the Apostle Paul will come to face the serpent-spirit oppressing this girl.
17 She followed Paul and us, crying out, “These men are servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to you the way of salvation.” 18 And this she kept doing for many days. Paul, having become greatly annoyed, turned and said to the spirit, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.” And it came out that very hour. (Ac 16:17–18)
At first reading, we may be puzzled as to why Paul is annoyed. She most certainly is saying more truth than she realizes, that every Christian reader can see. It will help us see that the term “most high god” was common even in pagan religions that worshipped many false gods. Zeus, for example, was called “most high god.”
Paul is not annoyed, only because her message is general enough to lead to misunderstanding. As Paul preached Jesus, the pagans listening to him may just assume Jesus fits in with the many other “most high gods” they already worshipped.
Jesus, who is the truth, cannot allow the serpent, who is a liar, to speak for him or his messengers.
What I want you to see here is the power of God to deliver this girl in the name of Jesus. The power displayed here is the same power that will free Paul and Silas from prison and save the Philippian jailer.
Paul…said to the spirit, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.” And it came out that very hour. (Acts 16:18)
There is no doubt about who will prevail when the Spirit of Jesus faces the spirit of the serpent. This has greater application for our Christian life than you may realize.
The Bible tells us that the battles we fight in our Christian lives are not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. (Eph 6:12)
We are not living our Christian life in a land of neutrality, but in the territory once ruled by the devil and not conquered by Jesus Christ. When you face the fear of spiritual darkness, the temptation to sin, or anxiety about the reality of spiritual forces, remember this—the power of Christ knows no rival, and the enemy that stands against us is a defeated enemy. He has been detrhoned by the work of Jesus on the cross.
Paul tells us that on the cross, Jesus disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him. (Col 2:14–15)
Be aware of the spiritual enemies we still face, but do not fear them. There is no darkness that the light of Christ cannot pierce. Every power in heaven and on earth will bow to the name of Jesus Christ.
One of my favorite verses in any hymn comes from Martin Luther’s A Mighty Fortress is Our God.
The Prince of Darkness grim,
We tremble not for him;
His rage we can endure,
For lo! His doom is sure.
One little word shall fell him
I love this verse, becasue we sing of how Satan’s demise is certain. Our enemy is defeated, so that he falls at just one word. The power of God in Jesus Christ knows no rival friend, and that should be a great encouragement to you as you endure your own spiritual battles.
It is this act that leads to Paul and Silas’ imprisonment. These pagan slave owners retaliate against Paul because this girl’s salvation hurts their pockets. They stir up the crowd, attack Paul and Silas, and then imprison them. Look with me, beginning in verse 20. For our purposes, I want you to focus on 23.
20 And when they had brought them to the magistrates, they said, “These men are Jews, and they are disturbing our city. 21 They advocate customs that are not lawful for us as Romans to accept or practice.” 22 The crowd joined in attacking them, and the magistrates tore the garments off them and gave orders to beat them with rods. 23 And when they had inflicted many blows upon them, they threw them into prison, ordering the jailer to keep them safely. (Ac 16:20–23)
Pay special note to the instructions they give to the jailer, “…ordering the jailer to keep them safely.”
The power of God was superior to the demonic spirit oppressing a young slave girl; next, the power of God will prove superior to the earthly authority of Rome. Look with me at starting in verse 25.
II.) God’s power over earthly rulers (Acts 16:25-28)
The power of God is superior to the earthly powers of Rome, even before anything miraculous happens in the jail. Paul and Silas’ reaction to suffering and difficult circumstances could not be more different from that of the pagan Romans who imprisoned them.
25 About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them, (Ac 16:25)
I absolutely love this account because it exemplifies the type of Christian spirituality that anchors our souls and perseverance in the faith. In the midst of unjust treatment, Paul and Silas don’t cuss, yell, or complain, but they pray and sing hymns to God.
Christians who suffer well are a powerful witness to a lost and dying world. As they prayed and sang, the prisoners listened. Isn’t that such an interesting detail to include? Of course, if the other prisoners could hear, the jailer could too.
Charles Spurgeon said, “The jailer at Philippi had never held the likes of these before, and the jailer could not make them out. He went to bed that night with many thoughts of a new character. Who were these men? Who was this Jesus of whom they spoke?”
Paul and Silas have put no hindrance before the Jailer’s feet. If he stumbles, it will only be over the cross. The way we respond to the difficult and frustrating circumstances in our lives can either help or hurt gospel opportunities.
For the Christian, frustrating circumstances are opportunities to display faith in Christ.
For the Christian, chaos is an opportunity to display contentment in Christ.
For the Christian, pain is an opportunity to display the satisfying pleasure of knowing Christ.
Then, as we live this way, others around us may ask, “Who are these people? Who is this Jesus of whom they speak?
It is in the middle of their praying and singing that God displays his superior power over the earthly authorities of Rome.
26 and suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken. And immediately all the doors were opened, and everyone’s bonds were unfastened (Ac 16:26)
This earthquake was not a natural event, but as is often the case in Scripture, it is a sign of God’s presence and power.
The earthquake wakes up the jailer, who had been asleep, and what we read in verse 27 is jarring.
27 When the jailer woke and saw that the prison doors were open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, supposing that the prisoners had escaped. (Ac 16:27)
Remember that earlier in the verse, the jailer was tasked with keeping the prisoners safe. Failure to do this would have resulted in execution. When he wakes, he assumes that he has lost the prisoners. So, in an attempt to avoid the shame of being executed, he draws his sword to kill himself.
I want to pause for a moment. We don’t live in a society in which the consequence for a shameful failure is execution. We do still live in a society with laws, justice, and consequences. Some consequences are grave, and others are minor.
Even so, it is not only possible but sadly well documented that sinners and sufferers in this life can find their circumstances or consequences so overwhelming that they come to believe that taking their life is preferable.
I want you to hear me. You may make mistakes, perhaps many of them. But you are not a mistake. You will fail and perhaps frequently, but you are not a failure.
Your life will never be the sum of your worst sins. You are not the sum of your worst moments.
There is no consequence you could face: loss of family, job, ministry, or even freedom that would make the ending of your life a good or preferable option. Christ and his cross can bear the most grievous of sins. He can meet you in your consequences. Life may be different, but it’ll be life and abundant life in Him.
Don’t miss the kindness of God in bringing Paul and Silas close to this hurting man. Rather than fleeing and saving themselves, they call out to a broken and hurting sinner, “Don’t harm yourself.”
There will be people who don’t see themselves or the circumstances rightly. In those moments, we will need to draw near and speak up, so that perhaps, we might help desperate people live to see another day.
God’s power is superior to powers in heaven and on earth. Now we’ll see that this power is superior to sin and spiritual bondage. Look with me at verse 29.
III.) God’s power over sin and spiritual bondage (Acts 16:29-34)
When the jailer hears their voices, he grabs a light and runs into the cell. He is rightly visibly shaken as he falls to his knees and asks them the most important question of his life.
29 And the jailer called for lights and rushed in, and trembling with fear he fell down before Paul and Silas. 30 Then he brought them out and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” (Ac 16:29–30)
That is one question all of us should be able to answer. What would you say if someone asked you what they must do to be saved?
Paul and Silas answer confidenelty and clearly, 31 And they said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.” 32 And they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house.”
Notice two things about this. First, Jesus is at the center of their answer, and for good reason. Jesus is the only name under heaven through which anyone can be saved. Jesus is the only answer! Second, though, notice that the text says they “spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house.”
They elaborated on the gospel and sought to be clear about who Jesus is, what he had done, and what the proper response should be.
As we share the gospel, we want to offer much more than vague generalities. We want to be very clear as to who Jesus is, why he died on the cross, that he rose from the dead, ascended into heaven, and that all who hear this message should repent and believe. We should be clear that it is urgent, a matter of eternal consequence, of life and of death.
The power of God is seen through the power of the gospel. This desperate man in spiritual bondage is freed through faith in Jesus.
What does the jailer do in response to his new faith? It is threefold: Christian baptism, Christian service, and Christian joy.
33 And he took them the same hour of the night and washed their wounds; and he was baptized at once, he and all his family. 34 Then he brought them up into his house and set food before them. And he rejoiced along with his entire household that he had believed in God (Ac 16:32–34)
Like all the conversion stories in Acts, baptism follows faith in Christ. Baptism is the public profession of faith in Jesus, representing one’s union with Jesus and incorporation into the body of Christ, the church. It is symbolic of the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus.
Salvation has transformed the anxious jailer into someone who exudes joy because of his new faith. Being right with God leads ton rejoicing in God.
God’s power in salvation has turned enemies into friends and brothers. The jailer professes faith in Christ through baptism and provides Paul and Silas with shelter, food, and care for their wounds.
God’s power to save is superior to powers and authorities in heaven and on earth.
Conclude with a brief note on verses 35-40, emphasizing God’s kindness and provision: Roman citizenship, Silas, and Lydia.
Nathaniel R. Martin 