So we’re wrapping up this 5 week series today, pretty large series, on the journeys of Peter & Paul – obviously there’s a lot left uncovered… You’d probably need a year or so to actually get through everything these guys did and were part of! But we have covered some important things in the past 5 weeks:
- Paul going from persecutor of Christians to one of the most famous and influential Christians to ever live, Peter going from Jesus deny-er to the rock on which Jesus’ built his church
- Peter raising Tabitha back to life & preaching about how far the gospel reaches
- Paul meeting Lydia, who’s heart was opened to respond to the gospel message
So we’ve covered all that > who was behind all this, who was the enactor of these things, whose word had the power to achieve all this and more?? Of course God is the one behind all this, the one who encounters Peter and Paul, and who others are encountered by through their ministry and ongoing influence today.
For our last stop on this journey today we go as far as Paul goes, what could seem like the end of the road: jail, prison! That’s where he ends up today, not the only time he was in jail either.
So we can get straight into talking about jail and the physical experience Paul has, literally being locked up in a cell > but I’ve just spent 4 days up in Cairns, which looks a lot more like a holiday escape than a prison cell, so you can see that’s where my mind’s at!
It wasn’t a holiday escape for me this time > there was work to be done being part of the pastors conference up there, they’re still up there today finishing up synod as we speak. It was a great setting during the week, we were hosted by Peace Lutheran College and we crammed a lot of good stuff into the 2 days of conference. You can bet there will plenty of things stemming from that filtering through into what we do over coming weeks and months, professional learnings and opportunities and all of that – stay tuned!
So being up in Cairns, for me there was a feeling of freedom, of being free, not only for myself as a first-time visitor checking the place out, but for the many tourists there enjoying themselves > couples with caravans, families doing all the cool experiences, and plenty of young backpackers and international people working there or passing through on their travels. This is the sort of place you come to be free, to break free from everyday life, everyday routines, warm weather, amazing scenery, once-in-a-lifetime experiences, all that sort of stuff.
So I feel fortunate to be able to go on trips like that, connect with and learn from people doing ministry in a really beautiful setting!
Paul also got to do a bit of travelling, he travelled around and connected with people doing ministry, he brought the good news to many people in many places, including us we could say! We read and we hear the words he wrote, inspired by his and our God, reaching and us working in us through the Holy Spirit.
But we hear today that he ends up in prison, that’s where his travels take him, and we might expect that to be the case when Christians were being persecuted at this time in history > but two things happen after this, two amazing things that we DO NOT expect, I don’t think Paul or his mate Silas would’ve expected these things either!
What are those two things? There is a jailbreak, and there is a conversion.
The book of Acts continues to serve up incredible moments in the lives of believers, in the life and times of the early church. A jailbreak and a conversion. This is serious stuff! And there’s a lot to take out of the way Paul handles all this.
First, the jailbreak >
What happens there? No it’s not Paul and Silas trying to get out. They’re not trying to break free, what are they doing? It was ‘about midnight,’ but they weren’t sleeping – they were ‘praying and singing songs to God!’ Praying and singing in the middle of the night, in a prison cell. That’s an interesting note to begin with.
Then this violent earthquake hits, so violent that the chains come loose and the doors swing open! The jailbreak happens, through no efforts of the prisoners but in this ‘act of God’ event we could say.
And then the conversion >
Then the jailer, the one responsible for making sure everyone stays in jail, is in absolute dismay after waking up (sleeping on the job!) to find the chains loose and the doors open. But what does Paul do? Thinking back to last week, Paul operated with an open heart. His heart is open to this jailer > instead of getting himself out of jail and sneaking off into the night, what does Paul do? He talks to this man about Jesus! This man himself asks how we can be saved, how he can survive this terrible situation, and Paul tells him ‘believe in the Lord Jesus,’ and not only you but also your whole household will be saved.
And that’s not the end of this amazing story yet > the jailer and his household are baptized, and they all go and have a meal at his house! This is not what you would expect, this is unexpected, unlikely, this is a miracle going on here.
So that’s what happens, a story of a jailbreak and a conversion all in the same night > there are three key points we can take out of this, three things Paul can teach us here:
Calling out to God in times of need
This is what Paul and Silas are doing, in jail, in the middle of the night. Calling out to God, they are in a time of need – being in prison – and they call out to their good and faithful God. Faith is in action here isn’t it, they could be giving up on God because they are in jail, for telling people about the very same God! There must’ve been the temptation – surely many times for Paul – to give up on this God stuff. People are not hearing it, this isn’t making a difference, this is costing me too much, I can’t keep doing this! Surely – as a man with an open heart – surely he felt this a few times along the journey.
I wonder if you’ve had that experience too – maybe not in a jail cell, but the experience of life getting to a very difficult place, to the point where you just want to give up on all this God stuff. The experience of a metaphorical jail cell, being stuck and unable to move – this happens is more ways than one – can be physical, can be emotional, psychological, spiritual…
In my role I can tell you there are times when the challenge feels great, like this a very hard thing to do. We’re taught in our training about ‘spiritual warfare,’ this battle that goes on that you can’t see. We might tend to think being in ministry means you’re protected from spiritual attack, like you’ve got the tools and shields to stay insulated, but I can tell you being in ministry is actually like being on the front lines of spiritual warfare at times > that’s where the attacks of the devil and his ways can be most deeply felt. I don’t know if you’ve had any experience of this, I’d love to chat with you if you have or you want to know more about this stuff, very important to be aware of the unseen battle that goes on in our spiritual lives, and to get support and support each other in community. I need your help to do that, we need each other’s help!
This is where we call out to God, we sing, we pray, we call out to our heavenly Father. Paul does this, he puts his faith, hope and trust in his God in times of need, and if you remember Paul’s own conversion story we can see where this might be coming from: God tells Paul – back when he was Saul – that he is going to be God’s chosen instrument, but what else does he say? Not only the chosen instrument part, but also that Paul is going to suffer.
The suffering is happening! But so is the chosen instrument bit > clearly God has more work for Paul to do here, he’s not going to leave him in that jail cell. Paul knows about the suffering, but he also knows God’s promise to use him for his good purposes. God’s going to make a way for the jailer of all people to join the cause, more than that to be baptised into God’s family!That’s the work God does here! Incredible, not only for Paul but for the unsuspecting jailer and his own family too!
Opening our hearts to those around us
God opens Paul’s heart to this jailer, and the jailer’s heart is also opened to receive Jesus into his life. Amazing.
And for Paul to reach out to this man, rather than get away from him as quick as possible, that is a sign of faith in God’s word. Paul sees this man in deep distress, and he reaches out to help him. He’s not worrying about himself or his own safety, he wants to help this guy. And we’re called to operate with this same heart for each other, for people in need, for people we might not even know – but who God does know. Our God is open-hearted to us, he loves us, and he calls us to do the same for others, as Paul shows us here.
Doing life together in community
And this is what happens in community, open-hearted living out of God’s love for us.
The last twist in the tale here > not only does the jailer become a Christian, but he invites Paul and Silas round to share a meal at his place, with his own family! Incredible, not what you would expect, but it IS EXACTLY what happens in community. We wouldn’t expect a jailer to invite his own prisoners to his house for a meal, but we would expect Christians to share a meal together.
Just in that we can see how God works. He brings people together, and it’s often the most unlikely of people. We see that in our own community, all sorts of people from all sorts of places! We have an open door, which means we have open hearts to receive and to care for people in this place, in the same way God has welcomed us in and cared for us, whether we’ve been here for many years or only a few.
God makes a way for jailers and prisoners – polar opposites – to become fellow believers together. That’s amazing in itself, God makes stuff like that happen.
I can tell you I saw this up in Cairns through the week > all these guys from different parts of the country and the world, coming together as fellow believers, serving together in the big and beautiful state we find ourselves in. We don’t celebrate that enough I don’t think > even that simple gathering together, even that we’re all there, is a miracle of God’s grace. Just like this gathering today, gatherings across our community, the fact we are even here. Signs of God’s grace at work among us.
So in doing life together in community, in having our hearts opened to our God and his work in our lives, and as we call out to God in times of need – like when Queensland loses the first Origin game and spirits are a bit low – God is working among us, he’s doing miracles among us, and it’s going to keep happening! We can expect it to keep happening – maybe not in Origin – but in life, in our biggest needs and toughest challenges, in the moments of beauty and wonder we get to witness in life, big ones like taking in the beautiful Cairns scenery, and small ones like sharing a meal together.
So as we close out this series now let’s pray for God’s help to be community together in all its various forms, to open our hearts and love others as God has loved us, and to call out to God in times of need, the one who hears us and is with us – as he was there for Peter and Paul he is there for you and me.
Lord we thank you for what you give us, for the ways you reach us, the ways we can reach others. Help us in the mission of being your church, help us when we’re stuck and we need help, help us to call out to you – our faithful God who hears us and stays with us. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.
Tom Kitson 