Bro Gary Wednesday Night 10/12/11

Bro Gary Wednesday Night 10/12/11

Eph 5:17  Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is.

Eph 5:18  And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit;

Eph 5:19  Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord;

Eph 5:20  Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ;

Emphasis verse 19: Speaking to yourselves.

10 or 11 years before this Paul had an experience of what singing hymns and praises to God had done for him. 

Clear back in the days of Moses, when the children of Israel were in Egyptian bondage, it was tough.  Your burden is real, but remember that there have been good people of God that have been in straights before you.

When God gives you a song and you are singing it, whether it be a psalm, a song in the hymnal or one you make up impromptu, you are singing to yourself, but others are listening.

Act 16:25  And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them.

Act 16:13  And on the sabbath we went out of the city by a river side, where prayer was wont to be made; and we sat down, and spake unto the women which resorted thither.

Act 16:14  And a certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira, which worshipped God, heard us: whose heart the Lord opened, that she attended unto the things which were spoken of Paul.

Act 16:15  And when she was baptized, and her household, she besought us, saying, If ye have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come into my house, and abide there. And she constrained us.

Paul and Silas had gone out by the river and were singing and praying and a woman named Lydia heard the message and believed and was baptized.  She wanted them to come to her house; there was a certain company that was headed to Lydia’s house.

Act 16:16  And it came to pass, as we went to prayer, a certain damsel possessed with a spirit of divination met us, which brought her masters much gain by soothsaying:

Act 16:17  The same followed Paul and us, and cried, saying, These men are the servants of the most high God, which shew unto us the way of salvation.

Act 16:18  And this did she many days. But Paul, being grieved, turned and said to the spirit, I command thee in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her. And he came out the same hour.

This poor damsel was possessed of a spirit and though what she said was true, she did not have the right spirit.

Act 16:19  And when her masters saw that the hope of their gains was gone, they caught Paul and Silas, and drew them into the marketplace unto the rulers,

Act 16:20  And brought them to the magistrates, saying, These men, being Jews, do exceedingly trouble our city,

Act 16:21  And teach customs, which are not lawful for us to receive, neither to observe, being Romans.

Act 16:22  And the multitude rose up together against them: and the magistrates rent off their clothes, and commanded to beat them.

Paul and Silas were just doing what God wanted them to do in this city of Thyatira.  This damsel that was used by bad spirits and evil men and when she was delivered her masters took them to the magistrates.  They beat them and laid many stripes upon them. 

Act 16:23  And when they had laid many stripes upon them, they cast them into prison, charging the jailor to keep them safely:

Act 16:24  Who, having received such a charge, thrust them into the inner prison, and made their feet fast in the stocks.

Paul and Silas had been beaten, I’m sure that there was blood drawn and they were in pain. 

Stocks put you in an uncomfortable position.  Sitting on a hard floor probably in the dark, it was a miserable place for Paul and Silas.  10 years later he is the one that was exhorting us to sing praises. 

At midnight Paul and Silas prayed, worshipped and supplicated to God.  After that they began to sing hymns and the prisoners heard them.  Suddenly there was a great earthquake.  God knows why you and I are where we are. 

You may meet me at the door and tell me that you are in a very difficult position, so difficult that you cannot even tell me about it and you need prayer.  We didn’t enter this walk with God with the promise that it would be easy.  Life without God is not easy either, not easy at all.

Act 16:25  And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them.

Act 16:26  And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened, and every one's bands were loosed.

They were deep in the prison and then an earthquake came.  Imagine being deep in the prison in an earthquake.

Act 16:27  And the keeper of the prison awaking out of his sleep, and seeing the prison doors open, he drew out his sword, and would have killed himself, supposing that the prisoners had been fled.

Act 16:28  But Paul cried with a loud voice, saying, Do thyself no harm: for we are all here.

Act 16:29  Then he called for a light, and sprang in, and came trembling, and fell down before Paul and Silas,

The jailer had been sleeping on the job and God moved on the jailer. 

Act 16:30  And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved?

It is amazing what the jailer knew, he knew he was lost because he said, “What must I do to be saved.”

Act 16:31  And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.

Act 16:32  And they spake unto him the word of the Lord, and to all that were in his house.

Act 16:33  And he took them the same hour of the night, and washed their stripes; and was baptized, he and all his, straightway.

Act 16:34  And when he had brought them into his house, he set meat before them, and rejoiced, believing in God with all his house.

He wanted to get everything taken care of: he was baptized and got all his house under the gospel and then made a banquet for Paul and Silas.

Act 16:35  And when it was day, the magistrates sent the serjeants, saying, Let those men go.

Act 16:36  And the keeper of the prison told this saying to Paul, The magistrates have sent to let you go: now therefore depart, and go in peace.

Act 16:37  But Paul said unto them, They have beaten us openly uncondemned, being Romans, and have cast us into prison; and now do they thrust us out privily? nay verily; but let them come themselves and fetch us out.

Act 16:38  And the serjeants told these words unto the magistrates: and they feared, when they heard that they were Romans.

Act 16:39  And they came and besought them, and brought them out, and desired them to depart out of the city.

Act 16:40  And they went out of the prison, and entered into the house of Lydia: and when they had seen the brethren, they comforted them, and departed.

You can trust Jesus dear church.  If you find yourself in a situation where it doesn’t seem like you can move, Paul prayed and he and his companion began to sing.  The jailer slept through the singing but the other prisoners heard the singing.  God wasn’t happy with the jailer sleeping and sent an earthquake. 

You may be praying for someone that doesn’t seem to be hearing, God knows how to wake them up.