Paul and the Bad Day (Barrett Coffman) 10-22-23

Acts 16:25-34

25 About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening. 26 Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open, and everybody's chains came loose. 27 The jailer woke up, and when he saw the prison doors open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself because he thought the prisoners had escaped. 28 But Paul shouted, "Don't harm yourself! We are all here!" 29 The jailer called for lights, rushed in and fell trembling before Paul and Silas. 30 He then brought them out and asked, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?" 31 They replied, "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved - you and your household." 32 Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all the others in his house. 33 At that hour of the night the jailer took them and washed their wounds; then immediately he and all his family were baptized. 34 The jailer brought them into his house and set a meal before them; he was filled with joy because he had come to believe in God - he and his whole family. (NIV 84)

FROM THE LESSON

In verse 26, the Greek words translated as "violent earthquake" are seismos megas. You don't have to be a Greek scholar to understand these words. It was a seismic occurrence of mega proportions. 

In 2 Corinthians 11:25-28, Paul gave the details of his sufferings, he wrote, "I have been in prison more frequently, been flogged more severely, and been exposed to death again and again. Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea, I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger of bandits, in danger from my own countrymen, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea, and in danger from false brothers. I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked. Besides everything else, I face daily the pressures of my concern for all the churches."

In verses 33-34, all of the acts the jailer performed for Paul and Silas following his conversion - washing their wounds, being baptized, removing the prisoners from the jail and bringing them into his house for a meal - were all acts punishable by death according to Roman law.

WHAT IS BELIEF IN THE LORD JESUS?

• It is not about assurance. Belief does not exempt us from having bad days. 
• It is not about an amount. Belief is not subjective, it is objective. It's what you believe, not how much you believe. 
• It is all about allegiance. Belief is best described as allegiance to Jesus as King. 

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

1. What do you think about or how does it make you feel when you read in verse 25 that Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God while suffering in prison? 
2. Belief in the Lord Jesus does not assure you good health and lots of wealth. It's important to understand that belief is not about assurance. Have you ever struggled with this understanding of belief?
3. Belief in the Lord Jesus has nothing to do with an amount. It's important to understand that it's what you believe about Jesus, not how much you believe in Him. Have you ever struggled with this understanding of belief?
4. Belief in the Lord Jesus is about allegiance to Jesus as the King. It's important to understand that Jesus reigns from the right hand of the Father and is the Sovereign Lord of the Universe. How does this understanding of belief help us to make it through the difficulties of this life?