Prison Break Round 2

Read: Acts 16:6-17:15

What if there are times God wants us to remain “in prison”? Our ultimate end is no doubt freedom… it is what we have in Christ… it is what Christ came to do: “ I have come to set the captives free”. (cf. Is. 61:1, Luke 4:18) And yet, Paul and Silas along with all the other prisoners who were there remained in prison even though the Lord had sent an earthquake which opened the doors and took off their shackles. (v.16:28) Imagine how that must have felt… for the other prisoners as well as for Paul and Silas. What compelled them all to stay put? Why didn’t they all run?

One of the first things that stands out is that Paul and Silas were “praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them” when the Lord miraculously opens the doors. (v.25-26) This sounds a lot like worship to me. Some how Paul and Silas were able to worship while in prison. Somehow they found joy in the midst of their “freedom” being taken from them. This “joy” seem to be rooted in Christ - after all they were praying and singing songs of worship. The joy of God’s people cannot be robbed by mere circumstance. Even in the midst of the “loss of freedom” we can rejoice that the one true King - Jesus - will always prevail and that freedom and life are in store for his children. This (having access to true joy) makes the prospect of staying in “prison” for a little longer less scary. Paul and Silas knew they would get out… that this season would not last forever.

I am sure this was odd for the other prisoners. It says “they listened” to them pray and sing. (v.25) I wonder what was going through their heads? I bet thy thought Paul and Silas had gone koo-koo. It was the middle of the night (“about midnight”) and they were awake praying and singing. These other prisoners were awake as well. I wonder if they were ticked because Paul and Silas were making noise and they couldn’t sleep? Nevertheless, they were “listening”. The message and work of Christ is AMPLIFIED when it is carried out by his people at the expense of their freedom. The message of Christ is AUTHENTICATED when it is delivered with joy in the midst of a situation that would normally bring bitterness and sorrow. The message of Christ is delivered with POWER when these are the circumstances surrounding those who deliver it. how powerful? Well, ALL THE PRISONERS sty despite the open doors and loss of shackles. No one left. They followed the lead of Paul and Silas. The testimony of Paul and Silas’ lives impacted them in such a way that they would forgot this win-fall of potential escape to spare the life of the very jailer that kept them there!

Not every “open door” is right to all through at every moment. Even doors that God has opened for you… we need to ask WHEN it is right to walk through them! Paul and Silas remained inside prison because they knew it would cost the jailer his life. They are messenger of Christ… they bring a message of LIFE, not a reason for death. Our freedom in Christ came with a price - the death of Christ. This death was enough! Our freedom must not come through the death or enslavement of others, it was already purchased through the death of Christ! Paul and Silas were willing to forego their freedom to preserve the life of the jailer and deliver the authentic gospel message of Christ with amplified power!

“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. But Paul cried with a loud voice, “Do not harm yourself, for we are all here.” (v.27-28) Sometimes our “staying in prison” saves someone else’s life. Sometimes our abstaining from what we could freely do preserves the life of someone else. When we realize we can still have joy in the midst of this temporary loss of freedom and that it could save the life of someone else, we are more willing to stay in the cell so to speak! The jailer was gobsmacked by this. He did not know how to respond other than to come to Paul and Silas and ask: “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” It is nothing short of a supernatural work for one to be willing to forgo freedom for the sake of another. The jailer knew this. He saw it immediately. The answer he received was simple: “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.”(v.16:30)

Is God asking you to forgo a certain freedom for the sake of someone else? Have you received joy in the midst of sorrow and difficulty? Would you be willing to pray and worship when you feel more like complaining and crying out about what has been done to you? Are you afraid that your “imprisonment” will last forever? Paul and Silas went to the jailer’s house. Their wounds were washed. They ate food and rejoiced after having baptized the jailer and his household. (v.33-34) There is healing, relationship, ministry, and rejoicing to be found in a willingness to “stay in your cell” for the sake of someone else! Love you guys! - JDP