This week I was blessed to do the invocation and the benediction at the investiture of one of our Polk County judges. What that means is that I did the opening prayer and ending prayer for an event where they honored a judge in a new position.
There were about twenty judges in the room and about twenty deputies, along with prosecutors, public defenders, and all other kinds of legal folks.
This was the fourth investiture in which I had the honor to participate. I joked with folks that I like to get on the good side of as many judges and law officials as I possibly can.
You see, generally speaking, it’s good for followers of Jesus to do all they can to be a good relationship with those in positions of legal authority.
In fact, the Bible teaches us to honor those in authority.
Indeed, the Apostle Paul said in Romans 13:1, “Let everyone submit to the governing authorities, since there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are instituted by God.”
Paul also said in Romans 12:18, “If possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.”
So, generally speaking, we want to be people who honor authority and seek to be at peace.
There are exceptions, once in a while, when what the law of man comes into conflict with the law of God. However, we pray that those times are rare.
In today’s passage, we get to see how Paul honored the law and those in authority, and how he used his knowledge of the law to actually help carry on their missionary work.
Today’s sermon is entitled “Law and Order in Philippi.”
Let’s look at today’s passage. Look at Acts 16:35-40:
35 When daylight came, the chief magistrates sent the police to say, “Release those men.”
36 The jailer reported these words to Paul: “The magistrates have sent orders for you to be released. So come out now and go in peace.”
37 But Paul said to them, “They beat us in public without a trial, although we are Roman citizens, and threw us in jail. And now are they going to send us away secretly? Certainly not! On the contrary, let them come themselves and escort us out.”
38 The police reported these words to the magistrates. They were afraid when they heard that Paul and Silas were Roman citizens. 39 So they came to appease them, and escorting them from prison, they urged them to leave town. 40 After leaving the jail, they came to Lydia’s house, where they saw and encouraged the brothers and sisters, and departed.
Ok. Before we go any further, let’s go to the Lord in prayer and ask for His divine intervention into our hearts and minds.
(prayer)
Ok, this is a short and somewhat odd passage about Paul and Silas being released from prison. However, there’s something for us to learn here in God’s Word.
So, let us discover from this passage three behaviors that Christians need to display.
First, . . .
I. Christians need to be lawful.
Of note in all of the Book of Acts is that there is no single place where followers of Jesus seek to cause trouble with those who are in positions of authority. Nowhere in the Bible do Christians seek to break the law for the sake of rebellion against authority.
In fact, we see here a very polite and peaceful display by Paul and Silas, even when they were mistreated by those in authority.
Here’s something that’s tremendously noteworthy: In last week’s passage, we learned that Paul and Silas were set free from the prison by a miraculous earthquake and then went to eat at the house of the prison guard who became a follower of Jesus. However, where are they now? They are back in jail!
Apparently, Paul and Silas were so committed to the laws of the land that after they were miraculously released and even shared a meal at someone’s house, they went back to prison willingly. That’s amazing!
What about you? What respect do you have for the rule of law and order?
Do you respect those in authority?
Do you honor the laws of the land?
How do you speak about our governing authorities?
You can look far and wide in the New Testament, and you won’t see any of the followers of Jesus speaking disrespectfully about the governing officials. In fact, it’s quite the opposite.
Now, to be clear, sometimes people like Paul are firm in their responses to officials, but they do so respectfully.
Church, followers of Jesus should be known as the kindest, most caring, most loving, and most respectful when it comes to those in authority, even with those with whom we don’t always agree.
We are to be people who recognize that God generally puts governments and laws in place for the flourishing of His creation. Even when we disagree with laws or officials, we should do so with love and respect.
Christians need to be lawful.
Second, we learn that . . .
II. Christians need to be wise.
There’s a reason that Paul is doing what he’s doing in this passage.
Think for a second: Paul and Silas are set free to go peacefully, but Paul chooses not to go quietly.
Rather, Paul wants the officials to come and escort them out.
Why would Paul want to do that?
Remember, Christianity is new to the region where they are and new to the city they are in: Philippi.
The most famous Christians in Philippi are Paul and Silas.
Think about the potential harm that could come to their missionary cause if people thought that Paul and Silas were criminals.
Christianity is supposed to be a religion of peace, and light, and love; not crime.
So, Paul is not only thinking through his situation; he’s thinking about the entire future of the spread of the gospel.
Paul is being wise to let it be known that he and Silas are not criminals, rather they have been treated unjustly without any evidence against them, yet they have remained peaceful and law-abiding citizens.
That’s wisdom, isn’t it?
Listen to what Paul says elsewhere in Ephesians 5:15–16 as he encourages other Christians to be wise. He says, “Pay careful attention, then, to how you walk—not as unwise people but as wise—making the most of the time, because the days are evil.”
There’s a lot of evil out there. We can’t control all that goes on around us, but we can control how we live and how we react in certain situations.
Of course, the wisdom of Paul caused panic among the officials in Philippi.
Look again at verses 38 and 39:
38 The police reported these words to the magistrates. They were afraid when they heard that Paul and Silas were Roman citizens. 39 So they came to appease them, and escorting them from prison, they urged them to leave town.
The Philippian magistrates were afraid because it was illegal to beat Roman citizens without a trial.
The irony is that Paul and Silas hadn’t broken any laws, and now the magistrates realized that they had broken the law.
However, Paul and Silas didn’t want to cause any trouble. They simply wanted the Philippian people to know that they had not committed any crimes. They were there to spread hope and love, not crime.
Brothers and sisters in Christ, we need to be wise in the way that we live. We must carefully think through our actions and our interactions with the outside world.
Christians need to be loving, kind, and compassionate. Also, we need to be wise.
Finally, . . .
III. Christians need to be united.
Look at verse 40 again:
40 After leaving the jail, they came to Lydia’s house, where they saw and encouraged the brothers and sisters, and departed.
Philippi was a city where Christianity was new. Yet, they had already learned how important it was for Christians to be united together.
Notice a few things here in verse 40:
First, notice that verse 40 speaks of brothers and sisters. The Greek term here would translate as brothers or as we may say in the old timey sense, brethren. This a generic way of referring to all of the brothers and sisters. In other words, they were a family; they were united.
Second, notice that they went back to Lydia’s house. Remember that Lydia’s house became the place where the missionaries stayed in Philippi. This happened as a result of Lydia following Jesus and having a changed life. They were united together so much so that Lydia allowed them to stay at her house.
Finally, notice what they did in verse 40: They encouraged each other. Christians ought to be about the business of encouraging one another. We ought to be united through encouragement.
Church, we are a family. We ought to have a tighter bond with our brothers and sisters in Jesus than we do with anyone else in the world.
Not only that, we ought to actively seek to unite our church family. We ought to avoid division, heal hurt and conflict, and work to encourage one another.
Christians need to be united.
Never forget the words of Jesus in John 13:35: “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”
Let us love one another, and let us encourage one another. Let us be united.
Let this bottom line summarize what we are learning today:
Bottom Line: We must make the most of the opportunities given to us.
Notice that Paul and Silas made the most of this opportunity when they were in jail, and as they were released from jail.
They sought to honor the laws of the land, they sought to be wise in how they interacted with those around them, and they sought to encourage their Christian family.
What about you? Are you intentional in the way that you live your life? Are you purposefully living a changed life for the glory of God? Are you making the most of the opportunities given to you?
Remember what we read earlier from Ephesians 5:15–16: “Pay careful attention, then, to how you walk—not as unwise people but as wise—making the most of the time, because the days are evil.”
We must make the most of the opportunities given to us.
Challenge yourself this week in this one way:
Weekly Challenge #1 – Pray for wisdom.
James 1:5 says, “Now if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God—who gives to all generously and ungrudgingly—and it will be given to him.”
What if our entire church body asked for wisdom this week and beyond?
Will you do that this week? Will you seek the wisdom of God in your life?
(Gospel presentation)
(closing prayer)
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