NPPBC's Media Ministry

NPPBC's Media Ministry


One Must Be Lost Before One Can Be Found

May 12, 2021

In this lesson we see Paul and Silas doing something good and doing with God. These men stood for God and yet they were beaten and thrown into jail. So as a reminder, just because you do something good and for God doesn’t mean you’re going to receive a pat on the back. Now when you are in the will of God, He will use it for His glory.
 
Matthew 5:10-11
 
There was a jailer that was charged to take care of Paul and Silas. We see that the reason that Paul and Silas were beaten, jailed, and shackled all for the salvation of this jailer. God is always in charge regardless of the circumstances. Now the jailer was doing his job as best as he could. The Apostle Paul shortly before this was in a place just as this jailer. He understood what position this jailer was in. 
 
Once it became midnight Paul and Silas began to pray and sing praises to God. They could have been complaining and moaning about what type of shape God had put them in. These things didn’t phase them at all while they called out and praised God out loud. Paul and Silas had no idea why they were in jail other than doing something for God. God is never out of control in your life. The timeframe is very important because God made it dark. They couldn’t see each other, they could only hear each other.
 
An earthquake was sent thru by God. The very foundation of the prison began to shake and then the doors flew open and the prisoner's shackles broke loose. This racket woke to the jailer and assumed the prisoners were leaving but it was dark and he couldn’t see anything. He thought that he surely was going to be put to death because this was his job to make sure the prisoners stayed jailed. He assumed the worse and was about to do the worst. This jailer was the only one with some type of light which allowed Paul to see that the jailer was about to take his own life. Paul yelled out to him and told him to stop because no one had left. This was one of the best things that this jailer had heard.
 
God loved this jailer and gave him the perfect opportunity to know Him. The jailer then ran to Paul and Silas and fell at their feet. Paul was then allowed to love an enemy, the jailer. The jailer then asked them how he could be saved. How would he have known that he needed to ask them? It was probably because he had heard them praying and praising earlier on. The other question, how did he know he needed to be saved? God convicted his heart and showed him that he was lost. You will never ask for the doctor until you see that you need one. Why did none of the other prisoners get saved? Why did the other prisoners not run away? It was because God had them under control and the conviction was only for the jailer.
 
You can only be saved when God invites you, convicts your heart. Just because you repeat a prayer, speak a prayer, ask God for Him to save you does not mean you’re saved. God must first invite you before you can then accept Him.