One thing pastors (and missionaries) learn fairly quickly is that ministry is not a nine-to-five job. That’s because the Gospel of Jesus Christ works twenty-four hours a day. Life happens twenty-four hours a day and people are touched and converted in very unusual circumstances. Sometimes we might avoid speaking about Christ because we just don’t think the circumstances suggest a favorable outcome. And we just might be making the wrong choice when we think that way.
Consider one such set of unfavorable circumstances: The time isn’t right. It’s midnight. The place isn’t right. The believers are in a dungeon-like prison, they’re physically wounded, and restrained in stocks. And the potential convert is a heartless, heathen jailer. (Sunday School recollection should be kicking in here…) The believers are of course Paul and his co-worker Silas. It’s Paul’s Second Missionary Journey and he had traveled to the city of Philippi in Macedonia to preach. Interestingly, this is the very first time that the Gospel of Christ is being proclaimed on the European mainland.
In Acts 16:14-15 we meet the first convert – a business woman named Lydia. She and all of her family believed and were baptized. Paul and Silas continued on preaching, and a servant girl who was controlled by an evil spirit began to follow them. Everywhere they preached, this girl would yell and cry out. She was shouting out truth, but it was so disruptive. See Paul was a very well-thought-out speaker. He was reasoned and logical. He really wanted people to understand and think about what he was saying. That was hard with all the disruptive yelling. So the evil was cast out of this girl. And everyone was happy. Well almost everyone…
“But when her masters saw that the hope of their gains was gone, they caught Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace before the authorities.” (Acts 16:19) The girl had been used by her masters to “tell fortunes” and so forth. People figured she had a “gift” and paid money for it. Paul and Silas were accused of throwing the community into confusion and they were severely beaten and thrown into prison.
In prison…in stocks…bruised and bleeding…and surrounded by criminals. What does one do? Pray and sing hymns, of course! Well, that’s not the usual thing to do, but these are not your usual prisoners. We all know what happened next….Sunday School recall! Earthquake…jailer wants to kill himself…and in the end the jailer washes the wounds of Paul and Silas and he and all his family believed and were baptized. (Read Acts 16:30-31)
Imagine the impact of the things said in prayer and hymns on the jailer and the other prisoners. It was a far cry from the threats and curses usually heard in such places. The message had its effect on the listeners. It always does. The gospel has the power to save souls, and we have the responsibility to teach it. The Gospel can work effectively in all kinds of circumstances. What are you doing with the Gospel?
- Pastor Mark
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