Hey Advent Family,
There he goes again. We were at a nice restaurant and had just received our meal. I could tell the waiter was trying to get everything just right. My father-in-law holds to a strict ritual that we do not eat until we have prayed. This time we were going to hold hands and typically his prayers can last a few minutes. I could tell our waiter was confused why heads were bowed, eyes closed, and we were holding hands. The problem was the waiter was not having any of it and kept bringing us items. So there I was trying to handle those items while my family was praying. Do you know who I was more annoyed with that evening? It was my father-in-law for interrupting someone who was just trying to make a living.
Today in our lengthy passage I am convicted of my embarrassment of the gospel and the inconvenience that it placed on someone’s life. Friend, as we read through this passage I want to ask you, are you apologizing for being a Christian to your coworkers and to your friends or family? Are you feeling like you are an inconvenience to them and so you are backing down from living out your faith? As we read this today, please notice how Paul destroys two people’s livelihoods through living out his faith in the public arena of life.
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. 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.
19 But when her owners saw that their hope of gain was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace before the rulers. 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. 24 Having received this order, he put them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks.
25 About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them, 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. 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. 28 But Paul cried with a loud voice, “Do not harm yourself, for we are all here.” 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?” 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. 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. (Acts 16:16–34, ESV)
Paul drove out a spirit from a slave girl who made her masters rich through fortune telling. Due to ruining the livelihoods of those in power by freeing this slave girl, Paul and Silas were beat and thrown into prison. Yet, that did not slow them down. Now they are singing and praising God in the prison. An earthquake takes place and their guard is ready to kill himself thinking all the prisoners were released. Yet Paul stops the guard. That day the guard and his entire family was saved.
If Paul had decided to be a polite guest in the city, he would have not freed a girl from slavery and he would have kept things quiet and peaceable in prison. Instead he causes a riot in a city and then destroys a prison with holy praises that causes the prison gates to all come undone. Never does Paul apologize for all of these inconveniences to people’s lives. Instead he keeps the pressure on by challenging them with his faith in Christ.
Friend, are you living your faith in secret today or are you living in a way that causes people to take notice of your faith? Your faith might just lead someone out of the slavery of addition or lead someone to know the blessing of salvation. May you not apologize for your faith and your convictions.
Pastor Aaron