Change the title/Acts 16:19-34
It tells the story of what happened because Paul and Silas healed the demon-possessed maidservant.
These aspects speak well of what we are faced with in our lives today.
1. What was the environment of Paul and Silas? (19-24)
Verse 19 - Captured and taken away
Verse 23 - Beaten many times and thrown into a deep prison.
Verse 24 - Feet are solid-filled
In a word, suffering, suffering. It doesn't work, and it gets stuck.
How frustrating and how difficult must it have been to be in this situation?
There is no choice but to be discouraged, and despair is bound to arise.
That is, these aspects are the same in the lives of our believers.
We too have our own difficulties.
They face material difficulties, family difficulties, health, and various difficulties and difficulties at work.
Families are in trouble, and churches are in trouble.
Some say so.
No, people who believe in Jesus, people who pray, people who have faith, ask why do they have difficulties, why things don't work, and why do they fall into that situation.
If you believe in Jesus, shouldn't you be different from those who do not believe?
Even so, we believe in the living God, and when we ask why God doesn't help us, we have nothing to say, and even if we think about it ourselves, it seems that way.
David had fallen into such troubles.
(Psalm 73:12) Behold, these are the wicked;
(Psalm 73:13) Truly in vain I have made my heart pure, and washed my hands, saying innocence.
(Psalm 73:14) I have been plagued with calamity all day long, and rebuked every morning.
But what do we need to remember here?
It is not that people who believe do not face difficulties, but that believers also face difficulties.
No, in a way, it's bound to get worse.
In today's text, Paul and Silas face difficulties.
This is because the opposing crowd can only survive when they are faced with hardship.
In particular, what makes us who believe today face many difficulties?
It is to prevent us from living a life of faith.
This is to cause difficulties in prayer, evangelism, church revival, and family discord.
When you read the book of Job, why do you make Job suffer?
It was Satan's scheme to overthrow Job.
Satan is trying to make us fall no matter what.
prevent it, make it impossible, make it impossible. So in the end I have to follow him.
2. What should believers do in this environment?(25)
Depending on how you do it, it becomes a life in heaven or a life in hell.
How do I do this?
① There are people who fall into the environment.
Even more so if you are doing the same thing as Paul and Silas.
Why were Paul and Silas captured?
As in verses 16-18, he healed the demon-possessed maidservant. In other words, it is a case of doing a good deed, but rather suffering because of it.
In terms of us, we live by faith in our own way, but it refers to the hardships we experience while working hard to live according to the Lord's will.
What will appear in this case?
You will be discouraged and disappointed.
It becomes passive and negative.
You will complain and complain.
You keep falling into the depths of the abyss.
When we are faced with things that we do our own way, we may feel discouraged, frustrated, passive, negative, resentful, and complain for a while, but we need to get out of this quickly.
Otherwise, if you are stuck there, or thinking about it, you will fall into a deeper pit.
Rather, the more you do it, the faster you can win by doing it in reverse.
② An active attitude against the environment is required.
Paul and Silas in the text are like that.
It was clear that if they stayed, they would eventually fall into a deeper pit.
Then they speak and act against the circumstances that overwhelm them.
“Paul and Silas prayed and praised God.”
If they thought of the environment and their plight, they would have been more desperate and more discouraged.
However, with their words and actions governing the environment, they did not get caught up in the environment, did not fall into it, and did not suffer from being caught in the environment.
Everyone!
When you are in a situation that is not working, thinking only of what is not possible will drive people crazy.
From my thoughts, and from my words, I have to go against it.
I don't think I can't, but I have to have faith that God will make it happen.
And do it from the beginning. 'God makes it clear. do.'
People are greatly influenced by people.
In Numbers 13, the 10 spies report negatively about Canaan.
We can't go in, it's over.
Then, what kind of phenomena appear, and in 14:1-3, we see images of discouragement and despair.
Everyone!
If you think and say things that are not good and difficult in your family as things that are not good or difficult, the influence works in people's minds.
The same goes for our church.
There are hard parts. There is a difficult part. But if we keep thinking like that and saying things like that, our people will inevitably become so passive.
so
The more difficult, the more difficult, let's speak of faith. Let's talk active.
In the church, when negative words, words of complaint, words of resentment, and words of envy come out, the devil does the work.
In fact, the current environment is a hell environment.
It is a difficult environment.
However, depending on how we think and speak, the environment becomes heaven or hell.
So for us,
What our church desperately needs is 'change'.
Change your thoughts - You have to change your thoughts that are not working, thoughts that are not working, thoughts that are working, thoughts that are.
We need to change our language - let's change the negative words, the words of resentment and complaining.
When you see such things, like Paul and Silas, pray before God that God will change you.
What happens when that happens?
3. History that happened after change (26-34)
① Changes that have occurred in themselves (26)
Things that were closed before them were opened.
The things that held them back came loose.
They got out of that hellish environment.
② Changes that have occurred to others (27-34)
The history of salvation has taken place.
I saved a family.
One family made the history of new life.
I am not the only one living. Things happen that save others.
Why is it that the people of the world say, 'It was no use even if we believed in us when we believed in Jesus'?
Believers and non-believers have the same concerns, follow the world in the same way, and live the same life.
Everyone!
Let's change the atmosphere of our church even from us.
When you say positive words, positive words, compliments, words of grace, and you move, God will change you.