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Paul’s unwavering resolve in the face of suffering offers lessons that challenge our faith and courage. Despite forewarnings from the Holy Spirit about the tribulations awaiting him in Jerusalem, Paul embarks on his mission with unshakeable faith. This episode reveals how his journey, even when imprisoned, serves as a profound illustration of finding purpose amidst adversity and continuing God’s work, regardless of personal cost. Join us as we examine Paul’s mindset in Acts 20:17-24, where he prioritizes his mission over his life, underlining the essence of complete surrender to God’s will.
We’ll contrast this with societal views on issues like abortion, urging listeners to focus on eternal kingdom work rather than earthly desires. Through Paul’s example, we underscore the importance of adhering to the Holy Spirit’s guidance, even when it leads to personal hardship, and the necessity of courage and steadfastness in one’s divine mission.
Additionally, we recount dramatic events from Acts 27 and 28, where Paul’s faith in the face of a life-threatening shipwreck and a viper bite inspires resilience. We’ll explore miraculous prison escapes of Peter and Paul in Acts 12 and Acts 16, demonstrating how prayer, worship, and unwavering faith can lead to freedom and transformation. This episode serves as a powerful reminder that no matter the nature of our personal prisons, steadfast faith and reliance on God can bring about remarkable liberation.
Where to dive in:
(0:00:04) – Overcoming Challenges
Paul’s journey to Jerusalem teaches us to persevere through suffering and rely on the Holy Spirit to fulfill our divine purpose.
(0:13:59) – Living Through Prison With Spiritual Eyes
Paul’s unwavering commitment to ministry, valuing mission over life, contrast with abortion, and prioritizing eternal work over earthly desires.
(0:26:53) – Following the Leading of the Spirit
Following the Holy Spirit’s guidance and adhering to God’s instructions, prioritizing His word over human advice and societal pressures.
(0:39:24) – Surviving Chaos
Paul’s faith and resilience in the face of chaos and adversity, symbolized by a shipwreck and a viper bite on Malta.
(0:54:31) – Finding Freedom in Imprisonment
Peter and Paul’s faith and worship in prison led to miraculous deliverance and salvation, showing the power of prayer and faith.
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Full Transcript
This transcript is auto-generated and not perfect. We hope it blesses you.
0:00:04 – Jaime Luce
Hello and welcome. This is the Jamie Luce Podcast and I’m so happy that you decided to join me today If you have been tracking with me. For the last few weeks, we’ve been in the book of Acts and we’ve been talking about the work of the Holy Spirit in one way or the other other. But today I wanted to talk about something that, to be quite honest, every time I would read this, this would frustrate me because I would think and this is going to seem very controversial, so let me get this out and then I will go back and correct what seems controversial. But it always seemed to me that, since the Holy Spirit was constantly telling Paul that if he goes to Jerusalem he’s going to be arrested and these horrible things are going to happen to him, I had to think the question okay, if the Holy Spirit’s telling him this, then maybe he’s telling him not to go. Why is he going if the Holy Spirit keeps saying these terrible things are going to happen? And that was until I read one particular scripture and it was then very clear to me that Paul knew that, yes, this was what was ahead and those who loved Paul, who were in tune in the Spirit, living and operating in the Holy Spirit. They also knew what was coming. But it was to Paul that the Holy Spirit had spoke something very specific and was telling him to go, regardless of what he was going to face. In fact, when Paul was called to the ministry, when Jesus spoke to Paul and called him into ministry, it was said the scripture says that Jesus was telling him what things he would have to suffer. So the suffering was part of the call. That in itself can be a controversial thing. Not everybody’s called to just live suffering, so I don’t want to give that impression, but what I am.
I’ve kind of given today a title, and I’ve talked about this before, but in a very different way, and I want to give you a ton of backup scripture on this coming from this very particular set of events in Paul’s life. And we’re going to spend some time this morning or this afternoon evening, whenever you’re listening to this in the book of Acts, and I’m going to give you a couple of references that are not, but the main portion is on the book of Acts and I’m calling today do the hard thing, do the hard thing. And before I get started, what we’re going to be talking about is how Paul was able to, even while imprisoned, to, even while imprisoned, even sometimes in chains, even when it seemed impossible, that he was in confinement, that he was not free to do what God had called him to do. It seemed that way, but even in the midst of prison, even in the midst of being chained, paul was able to still do what God had called him to do. He was still flourishing as far as the kingdom of God was concerned, while he was in prison.
And today, I want this to be an encouragement to you, because I don’t know what you’re facing, I don’t know what you feel chained to and I don’t know what you feel confines you or restricts you, or if you really feel like you’re in a prison. I mean, you could literally be in a prison. But for the majority of us, I would say that we may go through some things, that we feel imprisoned by those things. What if there’s something that you’re battling as far as a mindset and you feel like you’re living in a prison in your mind with memories or fears? You could be in a prison of fear. You could be in a prison of regret. You could be in a prison of fear. You could be in a prison of regret. You could be in a prison of sorrow. You, you could be in a.
There are so many things that we could feel confined to and bound to, and I want to encourage you don’t let your prison sentence whatever that prison sentence is for you don’t let that prison sentence confine you to the point that you think you are unable to be successful, to make a difference, to do what God’s called you to do. I do believe that you’re going to get out of that prison. I don’t believe that you’re going to remain in that prison. But how do we respond in the prison? How do we respond and what do we do while we’re in it? And that’s why I’ve called this do the hard thing, because we can tend to in our natural feelings, emotions, we can be self-defeating and we can just want to indulge our flesh.
And believe me, I know I’m speaking about something that is very difficult to do, I myself included. When we are under something that weighs so much, we, we don’t think we have the strength, we don’t think that we have the ability to push past it. But I want to show you that is why the Holy Spirit is so necessary and so powerful, because, by the power of the Holy Spirit, we can do what seems impossible. We do not have to be dead in this mess or dead in this prison. We don’t have to die here. We don’t have to lay down our dreams here. We don’t have to stop and be hindered from doing what God’s called us to do just because we’re in the middle of something that is really hard to deal with.
Are you hearing me today? I know it can be difficult to muster strength and, to you know, pull ourselves up by our bootstraps and you could think, yeah, easy for you to say. Trust me, I know it’s not and it’s not easy to say, because I know it’s not easy to do. But, folks, it is not impossible. Not by might and not by power, and not by power but by my spirit, says the Lord. If you will rely on the Holy Spirit, what seems impossible can still be possible. It is by the grace of God that we are able to do anything that we do. He said that without me you can do nothing. But, folks, with him all things are possible.
And before I dive into any text today, I wanted to give you some really wonderful examples of what I’m going to be showing you in scripture. So these are not scripture, but I’m going to be showing you through scripture what these things are. To back all of this up, the first one I came across is a name that most people are familiar with. You know, generations continue to come and go and pretty soon this name will not be as known to these younger generations, especially if we aren’t actually teaching them anything in schools and college. But hey, that’s another message for another day. But my generation knows this name and in the I’m going to read what I printed off here. But it says in the winter of 1964, nelson Mandela arrived on Robben Island where he would spend 18 of his 27 prison years confined to a small cell.
The floor was his bed, a bucket was his toilet and he was forced to do hard labor in a quarry. He was allowed one visitor a year for 30 minutes. He could write and receive only one letter every six months. But Robben Island became the crucible which transformed him. Through his intelligence, charm and dignified defiance, mandela eventually bent even the most brutal prison officials to his will, assumed leadership over his jailed comrades and became the master of his own prison. He emerged from it the mature leader who would fight and win the great political battles that would create a new, democratic South Africa.
That’s a pretty, pretty difficult prison time, and to become what he became, even while in that prison and under those circumstances, shows us that we cannot blame our circumstances on our non productivity and our not being successful at becoming. You know, we had an episode not too long ago about what it was for us to become. Jesus said he would make them into fishers of men, to become those who would do the things that he did. And our becoming is a process and that can happen. Whether we’re in a prison or not, whether we’re in difficult circumstances or not, that can still be our becoming For the Christian world. A very notable. If you’re familiar, I’ve read this book. I know many have read this book, the book Pilgrim’s Progress. But that is the man John Bunyan, and let me read what I got here for him.
Bunyan came from the village of Elstow near Bedford. He had some schooling and at the age of 16, he joined the Parliamentary Army at Newport Pagnol during the first stage of the English Civil War. After three years in the army he returned to Elstall and took up the trade of tinker, which he had learned from his father. He became interested in religion after his marriage, attending first the parish church and then joining the Bedford meeting, a non-conformist group in St John’s Church, bedford, and later became a preacher. After the restoration of the monarchy, when the freedom of nonconformist was curtailed, bunyan was arrested and spent the next 12 years in prison because he refused to give up preaching. During this time he wrote the spiritual autobiography Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners and he began his work on his most famous book, the Pilgrim’s Progress. John Bunyan was a Puritan, a very famous Puritan, and what’s amazing is his most notable work, like Paul, all the letters written, those things were done or began the process while he was in prison.
Some of you may be familiar I mentioned him recently of Christian minister Chuck Colson who started the prison fellowship ministry and he’s very much known for that. But he was a part of the whole Watergate scandal and went to prison and it says that in his best-selling memoir Born Again. Chuck wrote this and I wanted you to hear this. I found myself increasingly drawn to the idea that God had put me in prison for a purpose and that I should do something for those I had left behind. That thought was what ignited in him starting the prison ministry that he did form and it continues today.
I’ve also mentioned to you before Corrie ten Boom, and I have a little thing on her. Ten Boom and I have a little thing on her. She is a Dutch watchmaker and later a Christian writer and public speaker, who had worked with her father, caspar ten Boom, and her sister Betsy ten Boom, and their other family members to help Jewish people escape from the Nazis during the Holocaust in World War II by hiding them in her home. They were caught and she was arrested and sent to the Ravensbrück concentration camp. Her most famous book is the Hiding Place, and it is a biography that recounts the story of her family’s efforts and how she found and shared hope in God while she was imprisoned at the concentration camp. These people, whether you know them or not, have made a huge impact on the world, on the church, on society, and those things were done from prison cells.
And so let us go to the book of Acts, and I want to start in chapter 20, and I’m not going to read the whole portions of this, but I’m going to give you pieces of it where he goes from, where Paul goes from one place to another and what’s taking place during that time, and I want you to see his ability to take the circumstance that he was in and still do what he needed to do. But at the same time, let’s unfold a little bit the picture of living through this prison experience and learning how to spiritually see it with eyes of faith. Because, like I said at the beginning, paul had to hear constantly what others were warning him about and yet Paul embraced what they wanted him to run from. So let’s look at that. Acts, chapter 20. I’m going to start in verse 17 and we’re going to read through verse 24.
It says now, from Miletus, he sent to Ephesus and called the elders of the church to come to him. And when they came to him he said to them you yourselves know how I lived among you the whole time, from the first day that I set foot in Asia, serving the Lord with all humility and with tears and with trials that happened to me through the plots of the Jews, how I did not shrink from declaring to you anything that was profitable and teaching you in public and from house to house, and teaching you in public and from house to house, testifying both to the Jews and to the Greeks of repentance toward God and of faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. And now, behold, I am going to Jerusalem constrained by the Spirit, not knowing what will happen to me there, except that the Holy Spirit testifies to me in every city, that imprisonment and afflictions await me. But I do not account my life of any value, nor as precious to myself. If only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus. So here we can see, right off the bat he’s saying I’m not even fully sure of all the things I’m going to have to deal with, not even fully sure of all the things I’m going to have to deal with, but I know that in every city that I go to, the Holy Spirit is testifying to me through all these people, that great trials await me there.
Folks, I often have thought, you know, we want the Lord to show us what’s coming and we wish that he would tell us more information about what’s to come. And with Paul he did. And what’s amazing to me is, I often think, you know, if we knew, we probably wouldn’t go. I mean, we’re going to read all these accounts, but they didn’t want him to go. They tried to get him not to go. But they didn’t want him to go. They tried to get him not to go and I think that’s why the Lord doesn’t tell us many times, because he knows he’s going to take us through.
But Paul had a particular mindset about suffering. He had a mindset that said I am here for a purpose, what I want, what I like, my life I don’t count that to mean anything. I want to simply make sure that I fulfill the ministry that Jesus gave me, that is, a completely surrendered life. That is, someone who has died daily, who says it doesn’t matter, my life isn’t even precious to me. I do what the father wants me to do and my hope is that I simply finish. That’s my goal, that I do everything he’s called me to do, and it’s it’s a. It’s something we have to wrestle with because we, by nature, our sin. Nature wants to care for itself.
You know I hope I can remember this correctly, but I watched a video either it was either yesterday or at some point this morning about a man who was explaining that abortion, in its very nature, goes against the very nature of what Jesus did. Jesus came to give his life, he gave up his body. He said this is my body which is broken for you. This is my body was what Jesus said, and he gives it up for us so that we can have life. Abortion is the very opposite of that, opposite of that. Abortion we use the exact same words as a society to say the complete opposite of what Jesus said, which lets us know that its father and author is Satan. Because what do women say when they want to have an abortion or keep it legal or fight for it? They say it’s my body. Well, jesus said this is my body. Do you see the complete polar opposites happening here? That Satan wants to kill that baby in order to, because he can’t kill Jesus. Now Jesus has resurrected. Satan can’t take Jesus out, so all he can do is try to fight against the very thing that that life of what Jesus did represents. And he says the slogan is it’s my body.
And in complete contrast and in complete flippancy to the cost of Jesus saying this is my body, there is something we have to understand about Paul’s mentality and understanding of the gospel, about Paul’s mentality and understanding of the gospel. Paul is saying I don’t count my body to be the thing that I care about. That’s what the sin nature cares about, about self-preservation. Let me get mine first. Let me have this first. What’s so famous for young people, especially teenagers saying, if you believe Jesus is coming back and you don’t want to, you don’t want him to come back until you’ve, you know, got a driver’s license and until you can get married and have kids, and and you think all these thoughts, I want to do this first, don’t come back until I get this done. Well, that’s a, that’s a not a mature in Christ mentality, because what it’s saying is I care about this earthly life, I care about what’s important here on earth.
And we forget many times that everything that is done on this earth, except for the kingdom work, which is eternal, is all going to burn up and it’s actually worth nothing. It’s worthless in eternity’s eyes. It’s worthless. But what we do for the kingdom, for saving souls and lives and changing those lives and turning those lives around, that’s eternal and that’s worth giving ourselves for. We give ourselves. For that we don’t take, we give. In fact, the only thing that we get to take is the free gift of Jesus Christ. That’s the only thing that we get to take, but our lives in exchange. Paul, the one who goes through all this is the one who instructs us in his word that we are the temple of the Holy Spirit and that it is our reasonable service to give ourselves. That’s our reasonable service.
So I want you to think about it. I know this is challenging. Please hear me. I know you could be suffering today and I’m not trying to put heavier weights on you, but I can tell you this is a truth that if you can change your mindset to understand why you’re living or why you are living through a prison experience, that there is purpose in that experience and that you can still be completely successful in doing for the kingdom of God while you’re in that place of suffering or restraint, that if you can change your mindset to understand why you live and take yourself out of a pit of self-pity, then you’ll realize strength will come, strength will come, the ability will come. You’ll see that the Holy Spirit will all of a sudden be giving you ideas of what to do and how to do it while you’re in that circumstance. If you will turn that over to him, if you will say Lord, I give this experience to you. What do you want me to do with it? Use me for your glory in it. I give you the opportunity. I give this to you. Have your way in this, in me. Have your way in me, use me for your glory. I guarantee you you will see a difference in your heart, in your emotions, in your mindset. It will change everything and you will see that God can use it for his glory.
If we even think about a couple other stories before we, well, I’ll save them, I’ll save them, we’ll get to them. Let’s go to this next scripture. This is Acts 21. And this is um. This next scripture. This is Acts 21. And this is. We’re going to read verse four through 14, four through 14. And this is um, partly. This is partly one of the scriptures that the Lord I’ll get to it, but one of the scriptures that helped me in understanding that this was the will of God for Paul. He wasn’t just doing it because he didn’t care about his life, he knew what he was called to and he wasn’t going to shy away from what he was called to. But let’s read, starting in verse four and having sought out his disciples, he stayed there for seven days and, through the spirit, they were telling Paul not to go on to Jerusalem. Okay, sounds confusing.
Right when our days there were ended, we departed and went on our journey, and they all with wives and children accompanying us until we were outside the city and kneeling down on the beach, we prayed and said farewell to one another. Then we went on board the ship and they returned home when we had finished the voyage from Tyre and arrived at I’m not sure how to say this Plotolmeus, and we greeted the brothers. We stayed with them for one day. On the next day, we departed and came to Caesarea and we entered the house of Philip the Evangelist, who was one of the seven, and stayed with him. He had four unmarried daughters who prophesied.
While we were staying for many days, a prophet named Agabus came down from Judea and, coming to us, he took Paul’s belt and bound his own feet and hands and said Thus says the Holy Spirit, this is how the Jews at Jerusalem will bind the man who owns this belt and deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles. When we heard this, we and the people there urged him not to go up to Jerusalem. This, we and the people there urged him not to go up to Jerusalem. Again, this whole portion, and you may be feeling this. Like Lord, I’m trying to be wise in what I hear of whatever it is that you’re saying to me, and we do need to be wise and we need to know if God’s calling us to something or warning us about something. There is a difference, and I’m not telling us to run into the battle every time. God may not be telling you just to run up every time. That’s another message for another day.
In fact, I’ve taught on that with using King David as an example. There were times when he would say, do I go up? And the Holy Spirit would show him. Yes, the Lord would show him, go up. But other times he said no, wait or go, but you’re going to wait and do it at a particular time and in a very particular way. Same with Joshua going into battle to take Jericho they had to do it a very particular way.
So this always, scripture always shows us that we need to follow the leading of the Holy Spirit when we are about to go and do anything for him. But we do need to know what he has spoken to us. And if the Lord is showing you things that you need to know, he may be showing you on one hand because he’s warning you, doesn’t want you to go. He may be showing you because he wants you to be prepared, so you know how to deal with those things, so that they don’t have a negative effect. Or, number three he may simply be saying this is what’s ahead, but I’m with you and I have purpose in it and there will be something for you to do in it. Okay, but this had always been so confusing to me, because it just seemed like if the Holy Spirit keeps telling you about this and everyone’s interpretation is don’t go up, don’t go up, what did Paul know? Why did he go up? And and we have to understand that this is this is so important.
I didn’t look this up for you today, but there’s an Old Testament story. It’s probably in 1 and 2 Samuel or 1 and 2 Kings, somewhere in there. I’d have to look it up. But a prophet was told by God to go and deliver a message and don’t stop, don’t eat, don’t drink, don’t do anything. When you’re done, you go straight back home.
And another prophet, while he’s on his way home, hears from his sons what has just happened, and the word of the Lord came to pass about what this prophet had said. And now he’s on his way home and the older prophet tells his sons go get him and bring him to me. And when they do, they ask him are you the man? And ask if this is what happened. And they said well, please come in and eat with us and stay to rest till tomorrow and you can go home. And he explained to the man no, the word of the Lord came to me. I am to go directly home. I’m not to eat, I’m not to drink, I’m not to stay, I’ve got to go home. And this prophet said I’m a prophet too, and the Lord has told me to tell you it’s okay, you can stay and you can eat. And the man listened to what that other man said and he stayed and he ate and drank. And the word of the Lord came to him, to the older prophet, and prophesied to this man you’re basically going to die because you disobeyed the word that I told you.
And that always was troubling to me, you know, because you’re thinking well, it’s another prophet and why wouldn’t he believe what this man said? But the highest authority that we should ever have is scripture and what God has spoken to us. Okay, not what somebody else, not even another Christian, not even another prophet, says to you what does God say? And we can’t be swayed by men and we can’t be swayed by good arguments and we can’t be swayed by the culture that we’re living in and we can’t be swayed by the laws that they’re passing. I read you these people who went to prison for preaching, for saving lives, doing what’s right, and yet they went to prison. Paul’s in prison for preaching the gospel and he’s going to be attacked because he’s going to continue to do what God’s called him to do. And we have to listen to what God says. And that younger prophet, on his way home the very next day, was attacked by a lion and killed in the middle of the street. And it was so troublesome to the older prophet that he made sure that his sons went and got the body and buried him and took care of him.
And folks, it’s so important to understand what is God saying to you, what is the word he’s bringing to you. My encouragement at the beginning of this was do the hard thing. The hard thing is do what God’s called you to do and be diligent in it, no matter what chains constrain you, no matter what other words and people and governments and situations are trying to say to you or to keep you from doing what God’s called you to do, even if there’s threat. You know we’ve come through the whole COVID thing and they’ll try it again with some other disease X, whatever that will be.
But we had pastors who refused to listen to the edict to close your church down and not allow people to come, and they wouldn’t let you sing and they wouldn’t let you preach and they wouldn’t. And there were pastors who went to jail who said no, you’re not, you don’t get to tell us. God tells us, he’s the highest authority. He, peter, when confronted, said we have to listen to God rather than men. There are times when it will look as if you’re breaking laws, but those laws are not righteous laws. They stand against God’s law.
And I know this seems a little. I hope you’re tracking with me. I know this is just a little bit bouncing back and forth, but there are several things that work here, several ideas to understand the work of the Holy Spirit in leading us and understanding that that does not negate it. Just because it’s tough and just because it’s hard it doesn’t mean we quit, it doesn’t mean we give up and we don’t do what God’s called us to do. We do the hard thing and we do it even when everybody around us doesn’t understand and they’re telling us don’t go, don’t do it, you’re going to get hurt in this.
And I’m not telling you. Please don’t hear what I’m not saying. Like I said, I’m not. I’m not telling you to run into something without getting direction from the Lord. He’s your source, he’s the one. Don’t even listen to my mouth. You have to do what God says. I’m not the authority in your life. The word is the authority. Your pastor is your authority over your you know, give it helping, give you direction and and you have God’s word. I’m not your authority. I’m just simply showing you in scripture this wrestling that goes on in us and and somehow we think we can’t do what we’re called to do. Look at Joseph, my goodness. Well, again, I don’t want to get ahead of myself because I’ll go there in a minute, so let’s finish reading this. Let’s read verse 14. I’m sorry, verse 13. Well, we’ll start at 12. Read through 14.
When we heard this, we and the people there urged him not to go up to Jerusalem. Then Paul answered what are you doing? Weeping and breaking my heart, for I am ready not only to be imprisoned but even to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus. And since he would not be persuaded, we ceased and said and this is a key phrase let the will of the Lord be done. So how did they finish this conversation? By saying we think we’re right. Paul says he’s right, but we know God’s right, let the will of the Lord be done, which is also. They’re also kind of conceding that they feel that this is the will of God, but they don’t want him to suffer. So they’re telling him not to go and he’s saying no, I will follow what the Lord has for me. I will follow the leading of the Holy Spirit.
Okay, now let’s look at Acts 23. And we’re going to read verses 10 and 11. So this is Paul going before a council. He’s been arrested again. And says in verse 10 and when the dissension became violent, the tribune tribune afraid that Paul would be torn to pieces by them, commanded the soldiers to go down and take him away from among them by force and bring him into the barracks the following night. Now, here was the scripture. When I read this, this confirmed to me and helped me understand that Paul was right. And all of those who loved him didn’t want him to go through this as much as they loved him. They were wrong. And here’s verse 11.
The following night, the Lord stood by him and said take courage, for as you have testified to the facts about me in Jerusalem, have testified to the facts about me in Jerusalem, so you must testify also in Rome. This is a really important scripture because not only is it says the Lord stood by him, so Jesus is saying to him Paul, you did right and you went to Jerusalem and you told him the truth and you gave him the facts and you had to testify for my name in Jerusalem and be arrested for it. And now I’m letting you know, I want you to take courage. Why would he tell him to take courage? Because he knows I’m telling you what’s coming next and you’re going to need courage. But it also lets him know you’re doing my will, you’re doing what I’ve asked you to do. That should encourage you.
What is courage? What is to encourage, to put courage in? He’s encouraging him. So if we know we are doing what God has called us to do, even in the most difficult time, we can be encouraged and know that God is with us and if he’s with us and he’s for us, who can be against us? That the work that we’re doing, that’s eternal, it never burns up, it will accomplish what it needs to accomplish. God’s will will be made manifest and God gets the final say when God’s the one ordaining the way. Ooh, that rhymed, god that’s. I won’t even try to do it again. You’ll have to rewind because that was good, that was God, that was the Holy Spirit, not me.
Okay, let’s now go to because. Okay, here’s another reason why this scripture is important, because he’s saying you have to do this in Rome. Here’s another reason why this scripture is important, because he’s saying you have to do this in Rome. He’s getting this direction from the Lord before he’s shipwrecked, before he goes through almost death, before he’s bitten on the, you know, with a, on a, by a serpent on the Isle of Malta. We’ll read that, but I just wanted to give you that heads up that this encouragement that’s coming from the Lord is to say you did what was right there, and I know this has been difficult, but we’ve got to do it again in Rome. But be encouraged, be encouraged, okay. So let’s go to Acts 27.
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The soldiers’ plan was to kill the prisoners. Okay, so the ship this is shipwrecked. They’ve been shipwrecked and they’re going to their boat’s getting ready to be run up on the ground and destroyed, and they’ve already dumped all the cargo. They’ve already gone through all this mess trying to lighten the load and trying to get to this place. But it says the soldier’s plan was to kill the prisoners lest any should swim away and escape. I guess I should read to you real quick. Paul had encouraged them in the same chapter, chapter 27, verse let’s start with 9. No-transcript to spend the winter Okay. So Paul had warned them that they’re going to die, that they could die. They’re going to lose ship, they’re going to lose cargo if they go on. Then it says in verse 21,.
Since they had been without food for a long time, paul stood up among them and said men, you should have listened to me and not have set sail for Crete and cured this injury and loss. Yet now I urge you to take heart, for there will be no loss of life among you, but only of the ship. For this very night there stood before me an angel of the God of whom I belong and whom I worship, and he said do not be afraid, paul, you must stand before Caesar. So this angel has come to reiterate to Paul what he had already just told them, that I read you in the previous chapters. You have to go to Rome and you have to be able to testify. So the angel’s saying don’t be afraid for your life, you still need to make it to Rome. So he says so take heart, men, for I have faith in God that it will be exactly as I have been told. But we must run aground on some island. So he’s saying our lives will be spared, but we’re going to lose everything. Okay, so then of course we go back to what I just said to you, verses 42 to 44.
And it says the soldier’s plan was to kill the prisoners lest any swim and escape.
But the centurion, wishing to save Paul, kept them from carrying out their plan. He ordered those who could swim to jump overboard and first make for the land and the rest on planks or on pieces of the ship. And so it was that all were brought safely to land. I love that particular scripture because the picture is in the midst of complete shipwreck, in the midst of complete chaos. The instruction goes out If you can swim, swim, get safe. If you can Get to land, if you can. But there were many on board who could not swim and wouldn’t have been able to survive. But they survived, hanging onto a piece of wood, a plank of wood that they could hold on. If anybody has seen the cinema classic of the Titanic, and you have your two main characters basically sitting on what looks like a door that had been on the ship and they’re hanging on and floating on this in order to not get in the water and drown and um it. That’s the idea that they were able to make it even though everything had been destroyed. They, their lives, were saved and they made it to safety, just hanging on to a piece of wood, just a little plank here or a piece of ship there, which I love. That just because you’ll make it.
If right now, you feel like you’re barely surviving, you feel like the waves of whatever circumstance you’re dealing with are just pouncing you. They’re just overwhelming you, wave after wave. Folks, if the word is all you’ve got, hang on to that word and that word will take you to safety. Hang on to the word of God. You’ll get to dry land. You will make it. If you belong to Christ. The word of the Lord to you is you’re not going to lose your life. It’s okay. Let’s be encouraged. You’re going to make it. You’re going to make it. Okay, and not only are you going to make it, let’s go to the next set of verses, so Acts 28,. This is Paul now, and all of these people on the Isle of Malta, and I’m going to read to you verses 1 to 10. Now, we’re almost finished, but I want to give this to you.
After we were brought safely through, we then learned that the island was called Malta. The native people showed us unusual kindness, for they kindled a fire and welcomed us all because it had begun to rain and was cold. When Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks and put them on the fire, a viper came out because of the heat and fastened on his hand. When the native people saw the creature hanging from his hand, they said to one another no doubt this man is a murderer. Though he has escaped from the sea, justice has now allowed him to live.
Okay, I’m going to start there, just stop for just a minute right there. But this is amazing to me too, because look at what’s happening. You think you make it to safety and then something else happens, right, and Paul’s just trying to warm himself here. They’ve been shown a kindness, and these men are trying to welcome them and help them. And he’s building a fire trying to get warm, and he gets bit by a snake. Each one of us needs to have this same attitude.
This is the part where I want you to get the scripture, where the Lord speaks to him and says be encouraged. I’m saying this to you today be encouraged. Okay, if you’ve just been bit, you just had another thing come hit you. You’re just, you’re trying to survive, and here comes another thing. You’re just trying to get warm, you’re just trying to, you’re just trying to make it, and here comes another thing to bite you, to come at you. Let’s read Verse five.
He Paul, however, shook off the creature into the fire and suffered no harm. In fact, why don’t you just do that? Just shake it off. Just shake it off, just shake it off. I want you to shake it off in your heart, shake it off in your emotions, shake it off, just shake it off, just shake it off. I want you to shake it off in your heart, shake it off in your emotions, shake it off and say you know, sometimes you don’t have somebody.
You know, in the movies, when someone’s freaking out, they’ll always have the person who’s with them, kind of slap them and somehow, after it’s all done, they they’ll say thank you, cause they realized they were just going off the edge. They were just going crazy and they needed somebody to snap them back into reality and to calm them down. And that’s really kind of what. We don’t have, that always we don’t have somebody to be the voice of reason. That, and somehow hearing them soothes us, and me saying this to you could be like that, doesn’t soothe me at all, jamie, that doesn’t help me at all. Sometimes, folks, you need to shake yourself. Maybe somebody else can’t, but you you have, by the power of the Holy Spirit, self-control and we can shake ourselves and we can say that’s enough, that’s enough, and not be somebody who you know, who’s constantly dealing with that.
In fact, my daughter this morning, um, sent me a little funny video meme and one the Jungle Boy, I think, anyway, and it’s the scene where a snake is coming down out of the tree and he wants to hypnotize the tiger by looking at him. And in this the person used this as a simple funny meme for the head of the serpent’s head and he says I don’t have time for this today. Basically, I don’t have any time for this. And it says and that’s as simple as that, that’s what we’re supposed to do Sometimes. That’s the process of shaking ourselves and saying no to the serpent. No, I’m not doing this, I’m not letting you do this to me today. I’m not accepting that. How many times have we heard the? Not today, satan? We have to do that to ourselves, folks. We have to say whether I’m in prison, whether there are shackles on my feet, I can still praise the Lord, we’ll get there. We’ll get there. Let me finish reading this little portion and we’ll turn right there.
So it says in verse six they were waiting for him to swell up or suddenly fall down dead, but when they had waited a long time and saw no misfortune come to him, they changed their minds and said that he was a God. This is why we don’t trust ourself into what people say and how they, what they think about us and what they’re saying about us. In our situation, you might have people who are condemning you and saying that it’s your fault you’re going through these trials and tribulations and it’s your fault that all of this has happened to you, and that is not always the case. Now, granted, there are things that we can get ourselves into and we are suffering the consequences of our decisions. Yes, that can be a true thing, but you can know without a shadow of a doubt. Many times we end up in situations that we did not do anything to cause that to be, and we just have to understand that people will change their minds back and forth. These people said he’s a murderer and he’s getting justice and that’s why he’s going through all this trauma. But then, when he shakes off the snake and nothing happens, they turn around and say he’s a God. I mean, talk about polar opposites. He’s a God. Okay.
So we have to understand. We don’t allow the opinions of others to either make us feel like we’re righteous in what we’re doing, or that we’re’re righteous in what we’re doing, or that we’re not righteous in what we’re doing. I’ve heard it said you don’t accept all the praise of men and you don’t accept all the curses of the witches either. We have to understand that we walk this life answering to one. You will answer to Jesus Christ, and Jesus Christ alone, for what we do, for the deeds we do, for the obedience that he’s called us to Folks. It’s only Jesus that matters. It’s only what he is expecting of us and calling us to that truly matters. Now, how we do it, calling us to that truly matters. Now, how we do it, that’s important. That’s also a work of the Holy Spirit to show us how and when and what. But what we’re doing, what we’re living our lives for, what we’re giving our energy to, what we give our emotions, to those things, even if you’re in a difficult circumstance, even if you’re in a prison, you can know that I’m doing this and I can be encouraged because I’m doing this for the Lord and he gets the glory and he will work this out. Work this together for my good.
Paul during this prison time, he spent two years in this prison in Rome. When he finally gets past this and goes to the prison and waits for his trial for Caesar in front of Caesar, he spends two years in prison. During those two years, paul accomplished four of the epistles that we now have in Scripture. He wrote Ephesians, philippians, colossians and Philemon while he was in this prison time. That is no small task. Not only did he have to remain encouraged, but Paul’s letters that he wrote were for the benefit and the continual growth and maturation of the people that he had ministered to and taught about Jesus Christ.
In prison he was still giving himself. He was still making sure that what his life and the time he had, the resources he had. You can even read that when Paul was there, he had to pay his own expenses. It’s not like when they’re in prison. Now, if you’re in the United States in prison, they pay for your meals and you’re housed and you’re cared for. You could have a gym to go into and you can have a basketball court to play on. Now I know it’s not the Taj Mahal, but you’re cared for and those things are provided for you. Paul had to take care of his own expenses and if he needed parchment, papers and and things to write with you, those things were very expensive and he needed to have help and he had to be have people that he ministered to who would come and bring him those things as well.
So and God made a way Let me say it this way While he was in prison, god had made sure for Paul’s sake that he had favor with his jailers. He had favor on the boat that shipwrecked. He had favor when he was imprisoned that they would allow him freedom to have people come minister to his needs. He was given privileges that he would not normally have, and that’s what God can do for us in our situation. No matter how difficult it is, no matter what prison we think we’re in, no matter what chains we think are shackling us, god can still make a way and bring favor on your life to do what he’s called you to do until such a time that you are released from that. And so I want us to drop down, because I wanted to give these to you in closing, because I want you to answer this question. We can see what Paul did while he was imprisoned, that he understood why he was imprisoned and he was okay with that, and that he was able to accomplish and do what God called him to do. So I want you to think about this what letters, what prison letters, can you write while you’re in your prison? What can you say and do that is for the glory of God while you are still in that circumstance?
If we look at Acts 12, I’m going to turn there just to read this to you real quickly, acts 12, and I’ll start in verse 3. This is Peter in prison, and Peter had so understood that when Jesus was still here, walking on the earth with him. He explained to Peter what kind of death he was going to die. He knew eventually a time would come when he would suffer for the name of Jesus Christ. And Peter had already made up his mind, just like Paul, that whatever that costs me, I’m willing to go to my death for this. So prison wasn’t a bother to him. It didn’t derail his mindset, it didn’t derail his emotions. He had already resigned himself that I’m giving my life for Christ. He gave his life for me and it is my reasonable service to give my life for him. So let’s read this Chapter 12, start in verse 3.
And when he saw this is Herod the king. When he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded to arrest Peter also, this was during the days of unleavened bread. And when he had seized him, he put him in prison, delivering him over to four squads of soldiers to guard him, intending after the Passover, to bring him out to the people. So Peter was kept in prison, but earnest prayer for him was made to God by the church. This is what we talked about this in a recent episode. And you can see what he’s in prison.
And then let’s jump down to verse seven and behold an angel of the Lord stood next to him and a light shone in the cell and he struck Peter on the side and woke him, saying get up quickly. And the chains fell off his hands and the angel said to him dress yourself and put on your sandals. And he did so. And he said to him wrap your cloak around you and follow me. And he went out and followed him. Now you can go on and read the rest.
But he was delivered completely out of that prison, completely out of that prison, completely out of that prison. But he was so at peace with the fact that he had given himself to God that he was sound asleep in amongst all this mess, and it took an angel slapping him and shaking him and waking him up. He had to get him to understand okay, it’s time to come out of this prison and you might be there today. Maybe this is a wake-up call to some of you that you have allowed this prison or whatever your circumstance or whatever old memory or old regrets have hung on to you like chains, and maybe today it’s time to shake those things off and get about doing what God’s called you to do, to leave it behind and say I give myself for Christ. This doesn’t matter, and let the angel of the Lord lead you out and lead you into victory, and lead you into freedom to do what God’s called you to do. We may all go through these prison times, but it doesn’t mean we all have to stay there forever. We don’t all have to die in our prisons. If God hasn’t called you to that, then you’re not called to stay there. And goodness, so many times we’ve been set free and we’re still there because we’ve chosen not to get up and follow God. Our pity has caused us to say it’s more comfortable for me to stay here, because this is familiar, instead of getting up and actually doing something.
Again, I ask you what letters could it be written from your prison time? Let’s look at the very last one. We close with this one Acts 16. This is Paul and Silas. And let’s go to verse 16. And let’s go to verse 16. As we were going to the place of prayer, we were met by a slave girl who had a spirit of divination. You know what? I don’t want to read you the entire thing. Let’s they go to jail because they cast a demon out of her and the men who were making money off of her were mad. So he was arrested. Let’s go to verse 25. This is the famous. Well, no, let’s read 24.
Having received this order from the jailer, he put them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks. At midnight, paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God and the prisoners were listening to them, and suddenly there was a great earthquake so that the foundations of the prison were shaken and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone’s bonds were unfastened. When the jailer woke and saw that the prison doors were open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, supposing that the prisoners had escaped. But Paul cried out with a loud voice do not harm yourself, for we are all here. And the jailer called for lights and rushed in and, trembling with fear, he fell down before Paul and Silas. Then he brought them out and said sirs, what must I do to be saved? And they said believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved, you and your household. And they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house. And he took them the same hour of the night and washed their wounds and he was baptized at once, he and all his family. I love this, and I wanted to end with that because I wanted you to see that not only did Paul continue to minister while he was in prison, but in his prison he was able to pray and sing, worship, so much so that it sends a great earthquake and causes the chains to fall off.
Let me give you this last word of encouragement today. If you are sitting in some kind of prison, whatever that cell may be a prison cell of your own, making a prison cell of regret, a prison cell of bad decisions, a prison cell of regret, a prison cell of bad decisions, a prison cell of torment, a prison cell of addiction, a prison cell of sadness or fear. Wherever you are in, whatever prison cell you find yourself in, wherever you find yourself chained, I encourage you today to begin praying and singing to the Lord. Allow yourself to realize that God can use you, even in this mess, and by the power of the Holy Spirit and the power that we possess to surrender our lives to Jesus Christ, that we possess to surrender our lives to Jesus Christ In our praise and in our worship, we can become free. We can become free.
Paul understood this in every prison that he went to, he was still a free man, ministering the gospel. And, folks, we can too, just like Joseph in a prison, not because he deserved to be there, not because he did anything wrong, but because God was getting ready to use him for his glory to save so many others, like the example I gave you of Chuck Colson. From his prison, god then ministered and used him to bring salvation to those. After the fact, after he got out and that’s what Joseph did he became second in command, provided not only for his family, but for nations to feed them during famine, to care for them. Folks, we don’t have to allow, whatever the chains are or whatever the circumstance is, to say that we are no longer useful, that we are no longer able to do what God’s called us to do, and that we are stuck here with no purpose and live in torment. We can be free. We can be free. We can still be God’s hands and feet. We can still write letters from our prison.
Let me pray for you today, father. I thank you for each one today who is listening to this. Father. I ask that, no matter what they’re dealing with today, that they would know your presence, as Paul did that, they could say that Jesus stood by my side and spoke to me and encouraged me. Father, I know that many need direction and I’m asking that you would give them direction. Do I go? Do I not go? Do I do this? Do I do that? How do I do it?
Today, lord, I’m asking that you would reveal your answers with confirmation, to those who need answers, and for those who will muster up their courage and who are willing to pray and surrender and sing worship to you in the midst of their circumstance, I am praying and asking for their quick release. Let the chains fall off today, and may freedom be theirs. Chains fall off today and may freedom be theirs. Use us, god, for your glory, for the kingdom of God. Make us your servants, lord, and cause whatever we have been through and are going through to be turned and used for your glory. And it is in Jesus’ name we pray Amen. And it is in Jesus’ name we pray Amen.
Thank you so much for joining me today. I want you to be encouraged and you can encourage me. You can hit that like button and you can share this broadcast so that others can be encouraged as well. Thank you again for taking this time. I do hope that it has been encouragement to you. If you want to get in touch with me, you can do that by email at jamielucecom. That’s my website. There’s contact information there. You could also just send an email mail at jamielucecom. You can get a hold of old episodes. Anything that’s coming out will be there. All the blogs are there, but I’d love to hear from you If you have any testimonies, prayer requests. I do read them and I do respond. Thank you so much for taking the time today and we’ll see you next time. Bye-bye.
