WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:00.959 Hello everyone, I'm Dr. 00:00:01.040 --> 00:00:01.679 Steve Holt. 00:00:01.840 --> 00:00:04.799 I want to welcome you to the Road Church Podcast. 00:00:05.040 --> 00:00:07.280 Each week we go into God's Word. 00:00:07.360 --> 00:00:10.240 We teach chapter by chapter, verse by verse. 00:00:10.480 --> 00:00:15.599 We are here to build the Kingdom of God revolution through empowering people to change the world. 00:00:15.759 --> 00:00:21.280 So we pray this will minister to you at your heart level and change your life. 00:00:21.519 --> 00:00:24.960 Today, be encouraged by our guest speaker. 00:00:28.160 --> 00:00:29.440 Welcome to the road. 00:00:29.600 --> 00:00:35.200 Thanks for being here on a frigid uh November morning, almost December. 00:00:35.359 --> 00:00:37.679 You're the tough, brave ones. 00:00:37.840 --> 00:00:39.840 So uh it's great to be with you all this morning. 00:00:39.920 --> 00:00:40.960 My name is Joey Fallett. 00:00:41.119 --> 00:00:42.320 I'm the youth pastor here. 00:00:42.479 --> 00:00:45.520 Um I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving with your family. 00:00:45.600 --> 00:00:48.159 I hope it was full of family, friends, food. 00:00:48.320 --> 00:00:51.759 As we get started this morning, would you pray with me? 00:00:53.039 --> 00:00:55.039 God, thank you for this morning. 00:00:55.200 --> 00:00:56.320 Thank you for this building. 00:00:56.479 --> 00:00:57.759 Thank you for heat. 00:00:58.000 --> 00:01:00.000 Thank you for friends and fellowship. 00:01:00.079 --> 00:01:04.959 Lord, would you be so present with us this morning as we open and read your word? 00:01:05.439 --> 00:01:06.640 Would you speak to us? 00:01:06.799 --> 00:01:08.319 Would you lead us and guide us? 00:01:08.480 --> 00:01:10.560 Would you bless us this morning? 00:01:10.640 --> 00:01:13.200 And would you be glorified in Jesus' name? 00:01:13.519 --> 00:01:14.079 Amen. 00:01:14.879 --> 00:01:15.439 Amen. 00:01:15.599 --> 00:01:22.879 Well, uh, before I became a youth pastor, I was an eighth-grade American history teacher, and I did that for a number of years. 00:01:23.040 --> 00:01:32.959 So because this is the Sunday on the heels of Thanksgiving, I'd be remiss if I didn't open with a few thoughts on the history of Thanksgiving. 00:01:33.040 --> 00:01:41.439 And I promise that this will both apply to today's message and set up today's message, and I promise that it'll be brief. 00:01:41.599 --> 00:01:41.920 Okay? 00:01:42.400 --> 00:01:54.959 So about 405 years ago, uh 102 English men and women uh set sail across the Atlantic Ocean in a ship called the Mayflower, very good, towards modern day uh New England. 00:01:55.120 --> 00:01:57.439 About half of them were what we call separatists. 00:01:57.599 --> 00:02:01.359 They were men and women separating from the Church of England. 00:02:01.599 --> 00:02:08.479 And uh about half of them were of the 102, and the conditions on that ship were terrible, um, as you could imagine. 00:02:08.560 --> 00:02:09.759 It's the 1600s. 00:02:09.919 --> 00:02:10.879 It was very hot. 00:02:11.039 --> 00:02:25.120 Uh they ran out of food or the food went bad, they got sick, and just the thought uh, for my wife Allie at least, just the thought of being on a ship in the middle of an ocean without seeing land for two months is also a terrifying thought, uh, is it not? 00:02:25.280 --> 00:02:26.800 So that alone would be rough. 00:02:26.879 --> 00:02:33.919 But they left in September of 1620, and they arrived in what is today Massachusetts in November of 1620. 00:02:34.080 --> 00:02:42.800 And because they landed right at the beginning of winter, they didn't have time to build adequate shelter for the winter. 00:02:42.960 --> 00:02:47.360 So they actually spent that first winter on the Mayflower for most of it. 00:02:47.439 --> 00:02:49.199 And it was terrible. 00:02:49.360 --> 00:02:53.840 About half of them died and did not survive that first winter. 00:02:53.919 --> 00:02:58.240 And of the surviving half, only five of them were women. 00:02:58.400 --> 00:03:05.360 And the cause of death was you know varied from sickness to the cold to uh lack of food. 00:03:05.599 --> 00:03:07.439 For whatever reason, it was terrible. 00:03:07.599 --> 00:03:08.479 But they survived. 00:03:08.560 --> 00:03:10.479 Well, not all of them, but uh some of them survived. 00:03:10.560 --> 00:03:17.840 And then in April, the Mayflower left and went back to England, and the pilgrims were forced to actually settle inland. 00:03:18.000 --> 00:03:31.120 And thanks to the help from a local tribe called the Wampanoag and specific English-speaking natives like Samoset and Squanto, the pilgrims learned how to hunt, they learned how to fish, and they learned how to farm. 00:03:31.360 --> 00:03:38.719 So then that resulted in a successful harvest in the fall of 1621, sometime in between September and November. 00:03:38.879 --> 00:03:41.840 It might have been the fourth Thursday of November. 00:03:42.080 --> 00:03:46.319 It was probably sooner, because harvest usually happens a little sooner for most vegetables. 00:03:46.400 --> 00:03:56.240 Uh, but in that time of 1621, they celebrated their first successful harvest, and the pilgrims and the natives together enjoyed a three-day Thanksgiving celebration. 00:03:56.400 --> 00:03:59.919 Now, they didn't call it Thanksgiving yet, it was named that later. 00:04:00.080 --> 00:04:01.759 And the food was probably a little bit different. 00:04:01.840 --> 00:04:05.919 They didn't eat turkey, uh, but they did eat different types of wild bird. 00:04:06.000 --> 00:04:09.599 Uh and seafood as well, being it was, you know, is New England. 00:04:09.680 --> 00:04:14.879 They probably ate lobster and eel and different things that they could find uh where they were where they were staying. 00:04:14.960 --> 00:04:28.800 And today, though, as we as we talk about the the pilgrims and the first Thanksgiving and as we tell the story to our kids, I think we we often skip over just how bad and terrible it was at the beginning. 00:04:28.959 --> 00:04:33.439 And I think we kind of glance over that and skip over it and we don't think about it very much. 00:04:33.600 --> 00:04:47.759 And so I want you to imagine with me for a minute what it would have been like to have been a pilgrim in the New England area in the winter of 1621, harsh winter, little food, loved ones are sick and dying. 00:04:47.920 --> 00:04:54.879 It would have been pretty scary in a land that you're unfamiliar with, the people there don't speak the same language as you. 00:04:55.120 --> 00:04:57.759 All would have been very unfamiliar and scary. 00:04:57.839 --> 00:05:05.600 And on the surface, you know, as we talk about, and I have young kids, we talk about the first Thanksgiving, we read books, and you talk about how it was three days long. 00:05:05.759 --> 00:05:08.480 And to a kid, that probably sounds excessive. 00:05:08.560 --> 00:05:13.279 You know, especially you know, three days we spend a whole day, and my mom makes me say what I'm thankful for. 00:05:13.360 --> 00:05:15.439 And imagine doing that for three days, right? 00:05:15.519 --> 00:05:16.399 It sounds excessive. 00:05:16.480 --> 00:05:27.519 But when you pair that with just how terrible of a beginning it was and how hard it was, and it and it's not to say it was easy after they celebrated Thanksgiving, there were plenty of challenges after as well. 00:05:27.600 --> 00:05:31.360 Uh struggles with the with the natives, more hardship, famine, all sorts of stuff. 00:05:31.439 --> 00:05:32.959 So the the struggles came and go. 00:05:33.120 --> 00:05:39.120 But if you think about what they overcame that first year, maybe three days wasn't even long enough, right? 00:05:39.279 --> 00:05:41.519 Maybe they should have celebrated even longer. 00:05:41.759 --> 00:05:48.399 And even through the struggles, what I love about the pilgrims, through the struggles, they did not lose their faith. 00:05:48.639 --> 00:05:49.920 They did not lose their faith. 00:05:50.079 --> 00:05:56.319 And they remembered to give thanks to God when the good came after that first year. 00:05:56.560 --> 00:05:58.240 Through the struggles, they did not lose faith. 00:05:58.319 --> 00:06:11.279 And I wondered as I was I was thinking about the pilgrims and reflecting on this this past week, I wonder in the midst of their suffering that first year, did they ever question why they were where they were, why they were in the situation they were in? 00:06:11.360 --> 00:06:17.120 Did they regret leaving their homeland of England, where it was all they ever knew, where all their their family and friends were? 00:06:17.439 --> 00:06:21.600 Did they ever regret or question that decision? 00:06:21.839 --> 00:06:24.560 Did they ever ask themselves why? 00:06:25.199 --> 00:06:26.560 Did they ask themselves why? 00:06:26.720 --> 00:06:29.040 And what was their why? 00:06:29.680 --> 00:06:30.639 What was their why? 00:06:30.800 --> 00:06:36.399 Because their why was their desire for freedom to worship how they pleased and how they felt led. 00:06:36.639 --> 00:06:39.600 Religious freedom was their why. 00:06:39.759 --> 00:06:42.000 Something they didn't have in England. 00:06:42.160 --> 00:06:55.600 The Church of England controlled religion in the whole in the whole uh country, and the pilgrims felt that they had the Church of England had kind of rejected the Bible and and veered away from the teachings of the Bible, the truth of the Bible, and had become corrupt politically. 00:06:55.680 --> 00:07:00.959 And separating, though, if you tried to separate from the Church of England while you were in England, that was illegal. 00:07:01.040 --> 00:07:06.879 Uh so they left first, went to Amsterdam, they didn't like that, and then ended up here in America. 00:07:07.519 --> 00:07:09.279 They had a powerful why. 00:07:09.360 --> 00:07:22.000 And religious freedom is something that we may take for granted today, but it was something these men and women were willing to risk their lives for, and many of them did lose their lives in the pursuit of religious freedom. 00:07:22.160 --> 00:07:25.680 Recognizing your why is very, very important. 00:07:25.920 --> 00:07:31.839 It's motivating, and in the midst of a struggle and a trial, you'll ask yourself, why? 00:07:32.160 --> 00:07:33.279 Why am I here? 00:07:33.439 --> 00:07:34.399 Why am I keeping going? 00:07:34.879 --> 00:07:35.839 What is motivating me? 00:07:36.000 --> 00:07:40.800 So knowing your why is important, and the pilgrims had a powerful why. 00:07:40.959 --> 00:07:42.560 So this morning we're gonna continue. 00:07:42.639 --> 00:07:44.959 The last couple weeks, we've been talking about worship. 00:07:45.120 --> 00:07:48.079 We're gonna continue to talk about worship this morning. 00:07:48.160 --> 00:07:57.199 We're also gonna talk about gratitude and thanksgiving and the powerful connection between the two, the power of praise and thanksgiving. 00:07:57.680 --> 00:08:05.519 And to do that, we're gonna look at one of uh my favorite historical figures, favorite biblical uh historical figures, and that's the Apostle Paul. 00:08:05.759 --> 00:08:08.959 Definitely a top three historical figure for me. 00:08:09.040 --> 00:08:17.600 And you didn't ask what my top three is, but in case you were wondering, I would rank it this way Jesus, the Apostle Paul, George Washington. 00:08:17.759 --> 00:08:23.120 So if you have your Bibles, would you turn with me to Acts chapter 16? 00:08:23.439 --> 00:08:27.279 Is the primary passage we're gonna be in this morning. 00:08:27.519 --> 00:08:29.519 Acts chapter 16. 00:08:30.319 --> 00:08:37.519 And Paul, what I love about the Apostle Paul is he seemed to understand the power of praise and gratitude. 00:08:37.679 --> 00:08:38.960 The power of praise and gratitude. 00:08:39.039 --> 00:08:43.360 And he often wrote, often wrote, about praise and gratitude. 00:08:43.519 --> 00:08:53.120 Almost all of the letters that he wrote, and he Paul is responsible for writing about half of the New Testament, and all of those are letters that he wrote to various churches during his ministry. 00:08:53.200 --> 00:08:58.320 And almost every single one of Paul's letters opens with uh prayer and thanksgiving. 00:08:58.399 --> 00:08:59.519 And if you don't believe me, check this out. 00:08:59.679 --> 00:09:02.559 1 Corinthians 1, he said, I give thanks to my God always. 00:09:02.720 --> 00:09:04.960 Ephesians 1, I do not cease to give thanks. 00:09:05.120 --> 00:09:06.799 Philippians 1, I thank my God. 00:09:07.039 --> 00:09:09.200 Colossians 1, we always thank God. 00:09:09.519 --> 00:09:12.720 2 Thessalonians 1, we ought always to give thanks to God. 00:09:12.879 --> 00:09:16.080 In Philemon, I thank my God always. 00:09:16.399 --> 00:09:23.759 So in most of these examples, Paul's giving thanks to God for the people he's writing to and for what the Lord is doing in his life and their lives. 00:09:24.000 --> 00:09:30.320 Paul seemed to have a heart posture of gratitude and praise. 00:09:30.879 --> 00:09:39.679 And we also know that Paul spent time in worship, sometimes in unusual places, which is where we are in Acts 16. 00:09:39.759 --> 00:09:42.960 So we're gonna pick up the story in verse 19 in just a minute. 00:09:43.039 --> 00:09:44.639 So if you want to put a finger on 19. 00:09:44.799 --> 00:09:48.399 But what we see earlier in the chapter is Paul and Silas were led by the Lord. 00:09:48.720 --> 00:09:56.000 They were doing ministry all over the place, and the Lord led them to Macedonia, and they were doing amazing things with the power of the Holy Spirit. 00:09:56.080 --> 00:10:11.360 They were really seeing the Lord move in a lot of really cool ways, and they're they're newly to this Macedonian area, they're walking around, and this slave girl who is possessed by a demon starts following Paul and Silas, and she's making a lot of noise. 00:10:11.519 --> 00:10:15.759 She's yelling, um, and a lot of the stuff she's saying wasn't like false. 00:10:15.919 --> 00:10:18.559 She was saying, you know, Paul's here on a on mission from God. 00:10:18.639 --> 00:10:26.960 And but Paul, for whatever reason, decided he didn't need free advertising from a demon, and was getting, and the scripture says he got annoyed. 00:10:27.039 --> 00:10:33.279 So he got annoyed, he turned around and he cast the demon out in the name of Jesus, and immediately the demon left. 00:10:33.440 --> 00:10:37.039 So that's what we're gonna pick up in Acts 16, verse 19. 00:10:37.279 --> 00:10:38.480 Would you follow along with me? 00:10:38.559 --> 00:10:39.120 He says this. 00:10:39.279 --> 00:10:57.039 But when her masters saw that their hope of profit was gone, they seized Paul and Silas, dragged them into the marketplace to the authorities, and they brought them to the magistrates and said, These men, being Jews, exceedingly trouble our city, and they teach customs which are not lawful for us, being Romans, to receive or observe. 00:10:57.200 --> 00:11:03.919 Then the multitude rose up together against them, and the magistrates tore off their clothes and commanded them to be beaten with rods. 00:11:04.240 --> 00:11:09.279 And when they had laid many stripes on them, they threw them into prison, commanding the jailer to keep them securely. 00:11:09.440 --> 00:11:16.159 Having received such a charge, he put them in the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stalks. 00:11:16.639 --> 00:11:21.440 The owners of the girl had been profiting off of the demon possessing her. 00:11:21.600 --> 00:11:26.879 They were taking advantage of her, making money off her, with little care that this poor girl was possessed by a demon. 00:11:26.960 --> 00:11:28.799 They didn't care, they were making money. 00:11:28.960 --> 00:11:38.399 And so naturally, since they're bad people, when that hope of money went away, because Paul, through the power of Jesus, cast the demon out of her, they became angry. 00:11:38.559 --> 00:11:44.399 And they got the crowd stirred up, and there was already a lot of anti-Jewish sentiment in this area of Macedonia. 00:11:44.480 --> 00:11:51.440 So it wouldn't have been hard to get everyone riled up and angry at a couple of Jews who weren't from there. 00:11:51.600 --> 00:12:11.759 So that's what they did, and and eventually it led to Paul and Silas being captured, stripped, beaten, and put not just in prison, but the innermost part of the prison, and their feet are fastened into stalks, which would have been incredibly uncomfortable and painful, and they already would have been in a lot of pain because they just got severely beaten. 00:12:11.840 --> 00:12:17.279 The Romans were very good at this, very good at torture and imprisonment. 00:12:17.519 --> 00:12:21.600 So not a comfortable situation for Paul and Silas. 00:12:21.759 --> 00:12:24.879 They had been beaten, they're sitting in harsh conditions in a Roman prison. 00:12:24.960 --> 00:12:27.519 So how are they going to react? 00:12:27.759 --> 00:12:29.200 Let's look at verse 25. 00:12:29.679 --> 00:12:36.480 But at midnight, Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them. 00:12:36.799 --> 00:12:41.679 So Paul and Silas responded with praise and thanksgiving. 00:12:42.639 --> 00:12:44.799 Responded with praise and thanksgiving. 00:12:44.960 --> 00:12:51.120 While in pain, while in a dark situation, they responded with prayer and worship. 00:12:51.440 --> 00:12:55.679 And not only was this response ministering to themselves, right? 00:12:55.840 --> 00:13:02.799 They were ministering themselves to each other, it also ministered to the rest of the of the prisoners, right? 00:13:02.879 --> 00:13:05.039 It says that everyone else was listening. 00:13:05.120 --> 00:13:09.360 And could you imagine what was going through the minds of these other prisoners in that moment? 00:13:09.519 --> 00:13:12.480 They're probably thinking, who are these guys and what are they doing? 00:13:12.559 --> 00:13:15.360 I'm trying to sleep, if sleep is possible in a Roman prison. 00:13:15.440 --> 00:13:15.679 I don't know. 00:13:15.759 --> 00:13:24.879 But they're they're probably very confused and and uh at midnight, you know, I'm sure those are not the normal sounds you would hear inside of a Roman prison. 00:13:25.039 --> 00:13:26.879 It would have been rather strange. 00:13:27.120 --> 00:13:34.799 And how we respond, what Paul and Silas understood is how we respond to situations, to circumstances is powerful. 00:13:35.120 --> 00:13:37.279 How we respond is powerful. 00:13:37.440 --> 00:13:44.799 When things get difficult like they did for Paul and Silas, are we choosing to respond with praise and worship? 00:13:45.200 --> 00:13:48.720 Are we choosing to respond with thanksgiving and gratitude? 00:13:49.200 --> 00:13:51.919 Because things happen when we do. 00:13:52.399 --> 00:13:55.519 Things happen when we respond that way. 00:13:55.679 --> 00:14:00.879 There is power in responding to our circumstances with praise and thanksgiving. 00:14:01.120 --> 00:14:05.120 So I have three things that happen for you, uh that happened uh for you this morning. 00:14:05.279 --> 00:14:09.759 Three things that happen when we respond to situations with praise and thanksgiving. 00:14:09.919 --> 00:14:14.159 And the first is this strongholds shake and chains loosen. 00:14:14.399 --> 00:14:16.159 Strongholds shake and chains loosen. 00:14:16.320 --> 00:14:18.720 So let's read our next verse, 26 said this. 00:14:18.879 --> 00:14:31.919 So after they they were singing hymns to God, the prisoners were listening to them, 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 chains were loosened. 00:14:32.080 --> 00:14:36.159 There is no doubt that this earthquake was supernatural. 00:14:36.320 --> 00:14:39.519 There's no doubt that this earthquake was from the Lord. 00:14:39.679 --> 00:14:45.759 Not only do the geography of the situation, the timing point to that, but the results do as well, right? 00:14:45.840 --> 00:14:52.639 That says the foundations of the prison shook, and everyone's chains were loosened and doors swung open. 00:14:52.879 --> 00:14:55.519 This was a supernatural event from God. 00:14:56.000 --> 00:14:59.759 A natural earthquake would not have had this effect. 00:15:00.159 --> 00:15:02.159 A natural earthquake would not have had this effect, right? 00:15:02.240 --> 00:15:04.720 To have the chains just loosen, pop off. 00:15:04.879 --> 00:15:08.480 You know, the the Lord was releasing Paul and Silas. 00:15:08.960 --> 00:15:17.360 When you choose to worship, when you choose to praise, when you respond that way, things shake. 00:15:18.240 --> 00:15:21.039 Things break and chains loosen. 00:15:21.200 --> 00:15:21.440 Why? 00:15:21.679 --> 00:15:23.360 Because God moves. 00:15:24.080 --> 00:15:24.639 God moves. 00:15:24.799 --> 00:15:26.960 And you might not see it right away. 00:15:27.200 --> 00:15:28.799 For Paul and Silas, they did. 00:15:28.960 --> 00:15:30.559 They got to see it immediately, right? 00:15:30.639 --> 00:15:32.480 They're spending time in prayer and worship. 00:15:32.639 --> 00:15:35.440 Boom, God moves, shakes, and they're and they're released. 00:15:35.600 --> 00:15:38.879 We don't always get to see it in real time, but things are happening. 00:15:39.039 --> 00:15:46.639 When you have a posture of praise and great and gratitude and thanksgiving and worship, and you respond to circumstances, that way God will move. 00:15:46.879 --> 00:15:51.679 You want to see results in your life, you want to see God move, do what Paul and Silas did. 00:15:51.840 --> 00:15:55.360 Hit your knees, pray, and worship. 00:15:55.600 --> 00:15:56.559 So that's number one. 00:15:56.639 --> 00:16:02.480 When we respond with praise and thanksgiving, strongholds shake and chains loosen. 00:16:02.720 --> 00:16:05.440 Number two is this doors open. 00:16:05.679 --> 00:16:06.320 Doors open. 00:16:06.480 --> 00:16:10.320 Verse 26 said the doors of the prison were opened. 00:16:10.559 --> 00:16:16.159 The praise and prayer and time that Paul and Silas spent set the stage for what was about to happen. 00:16:16.320 --> 00:16:23.120 They they spent time in prayer and worship first, and then God moved, freed them, and opened the doors. 00:16:23.200 --> 00:16:26.159 And yes, the physical doors of the prison were open. 00:16:26.399 --> 00:16:30.000 But I'm not just talking about the physical doors. 00:16:30.320 --> 00:16:36.799 See what's so cool about this passage is God also opened up doors for ministry for Paul and Silas. 00:16:36.879 --> 00:16:39.039 It wasn't just the physical doors. 00:16:39.120 --> 00:16:42.399 He opened an open door for salvation, and Paul and Silas jumped on it. 00:16:42.480 --> 00:16:49.440 The normal reaction in this moment, the normal reaction probably could have and should have been to book it out of there. 00:16:49.759 --> 00:16:50.240 Right? 00:16:50.480 --> 00:16:52.000 They should have booked it out of there. 00:16:52.159 --> 00:16:52.559 Of course. 00:16:52.720 --> 00:16:54.480 Like God freed us, let's go. 00:16:54.559 --> 00:16:55.360 But they didn't. 00:16:55.519 --> 00:16:57.519 They stayed where they were. 00:16:57.679 --> 00:16:59.279 They stayed for a moment. 00:16:59.519 --> 00:17:02.799 They stayed right there, and God provided an opportunity. 00:17:03.120 --> 00:17:05.519 So let's keep reading and see what happened. 00:17:05.680 --> 00:17:06.160 Twenty-seven. 00:17:06.240 --> 00:17:14.319 And the keeper of the prison, awakening from his sleep, and seeing the prison doors open, supposing the prisoners had fled, drew his sword and was about to kill himself. 00:17:14.480 --> 00:17:19.279 But Paul called out with a loud voice, said, Do yourself no harm, for we are all here. 00:17:19.920 --> 00:17:27.920 Then he called for a light, ran in, fell down trembling before Paul and Silas, and he brought them out, and he said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? 00:17:28.319 --> 00:17:32.799 So they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household. 00:17:32.960 --> 00:17:41.279 Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and all who were in his house, and he took them the same hour of the night, washed their stripes, and immediately he and all of his family were baptized. 00:17:41.519 --> 00:17:47.680 Now when they had brought them into his house, he set food before them, and he rejoiced, having believed in God with all his household. 00:17:47.839 --> 00:17:52.720 And when it was day, the magistrate sent the officers, saying, Let those men go. 00:17:53.440 --> 00:17:56.960 Paul and Silas saved the keeper of the prison's life. 00:17:57.119 --> 00:18:03.839 He was about to kill himself because he knew if if the prisoners left on his watch, then he would be imprisoned or potentially killed. 00:18:03.920 --> 00:18:05.519 And that's what he thought was happening. 00:18:05.599 --> 00:18:07.279 But Paul and Silas didn't run. 00:18:07.359 --> 00:18:11.519 They stayed put, and it saved this man's life. 00:18:11.759 --> 00:18:13.599 How did they know to stay? 00:18:13.839 --> 00:18:14.960 How did they know to stay? 00:18:15.039 --> 00:18:17.839 They were in tune with the Holy Spirit. 00:18:18.000 --> 00:18:19.839 And how do we get in tune with the Holy Spirit? 00:18:20.000 --> 00:18:21.599 You spend time with him, right? 00:18:21.680 --> 00:18:25.519 You spend time in prayer and worship, and that's exactly what Paul and Silas were doing. 00:18:25.680 --> 00:18:29.680 They had just spent time in prison, just spent time in prayer and worship. 00:18:29.759 --> 00:18:34.559 They were involved with the Holy Spirit, they were listening to the Holy Spirit, and that's how they knew in that moment, wait, don't run. 00:18:34.720 --> 00:18:35.920 There's an opportunity. 00:18:36.079 --> 00:18:36.799 And they stayed. 00:18:36.880 --> 00:18:40.799 And I don't know exactly what Paul and Silas were praying for when they were in prison. 00:18:40.960 --> 00:18:42.319 It just said they were in prayer. 00:18:42.480 --> 00:18:45.759 If I were in that situation, I would have been praying for a way out. 00:18:45.920 --> 00:18:49.759 So maybe they were, maybe they were praying for a way out, maybe they weren't. 00:18:50.000 --> 00:18:59.200 But regardless, they got whatever they thought the answer was and they didn't move, they stayed put, and it led to the salvation of an entire family. 00:18:59.359 --> 00:19:02.400 And maybe that is what they were praying for. 00:19:02.720 --> 00:19:07.920 Maybe they were praying for more opportunities for ministry, even in prison. 00:19:08.160 --> 00:19:11.519 You see, Paul and Silas weren't interested in personal gain. 00:19:11.839 --> 00:19:14.960 They were interested in the gain of the kingdom. 00:19:15.359 --> 00:19:19.279 They weren't interested in making themselves famous or what was comfortable for them. 00:19:19.440 --> 00:19:21.839 They were interested in making him famous. 00:19:22.000 --> 00:19:31.599 And when that's our goal, when the goal shifts from it's not about me and what I'm doing and what I'm accomplishing, it's about what's being accomplished for God and his kingdom and making him famous, not me. 00:19:31.759 --> 00:19:39.519 When that's our goal, powerful things happen and opportunities are just gonna present themselves over and over and over. 00:19:39.920 --> 00:19:41.839 And that was their focus. 00:19:42.079 --> 00:19:47.119 So my question for us this morning is are we praying for open doors for ministry? 00:19:47.519 --> 00:19:49.519 Are we praying for open doors for ministry? 00:19:49.680 --> 00:19:56.880 And when they come, are we grateful for them or do we grumble about another thing we have to do? 00:19:57.359 --> 00:20:09.279 And last week I remember I was in the situation where my to-do list was piling up and I was feeling stressed and anxious about things that I had to do, and so I was spending time in worship and prayer and submitting those things to the Lord. 00:20:09.359 --> 00:20:16.559 And in that moment I felt God just change the anxiety I had about my to-do list, he changed it into gratitude. 00:20:16.799 --> 00:20:24.240 And suddenly I found myself thanking God for the opportunities that I had instead of stressing about them. 00:20:24.480 --> 00:20:32.480 And then my prayer time turned into, well, Lord, help me be intentional with the time that I have and make sure that I can do all these things well and for your kingdom. 00:20:32.559 --> 00:20:36.880 And he turned my have to into a get to. 00:20:37.440 --> 00:20:38.799 And I was grateful. 00:20:39.119 --> 00:20:40.799 He turned the anxiety into grateful. 00:20:40.960 --> 00:20:50.640 And I can't stress enough how how crazy it is what Paul and Silas did, because instead of running out of the prison, they stayed to hang out with the guy who could keep them there. 00:20:50.880 --> 00:20:51.119 Right? 00:20:51.279 --> 00:20:55.680 The only guy who had the power to keep them in prison is who they ran to. 00:20:55.839 --> 00:21:00.319 Instead of running towards freedom, they ran to the guy who could keep them there. 00:21:00.640 --> 00:21:06.319 Do we worry about what is comfortable or uncomfortable when it comes to ministry opportunities? 00:21:07.680 --> 00:21:13.599 Paul and Silas trusted in the Holy Spirit and how he was letting leading them, and it led to something powerful. 00:21:13.759 --> 00:21:18.559 So that's number two is when we respond with praise and thanksgiving, doors open. 00:21:19.119 --> 00:21:19.680 Doors open. 00:21:19.759 --> 00:21:23.119 And number three is the Lord provides peace. 00:21:23.279 --> 00:21:28.400 When we respond with praise and thanksgiving to our circumstances, the Lord provides peace. 00:21:28.559 --> 00:21:32.480 So would you turn with me to Philippians chapter four? 00:21:33.119 --> 00:21:35.039 Philippians chapter four. 00:21:35.920 --> 00:21:43.440 So something happens when we choose praise and thanksgiving, when we choose gratitude, something chemical actually happens inside of your brain. 00:21:43.599 --> 00:21:49.519 And I, like I said, I was a history teacher, not a scientist, but I can tell you this much your brain has two halves. 00:21:49.759 --> 00:21:50.160 You know that? 00:21:50.240 --> 00:21:52.000 You have a right side of your brain, a left side of your brain. 00:21:52.160 --> 00:22:04.079 And when you're practicing gratitude, when you're praising God in the middle of your situation and circumstances, when that is your heart posture, when you're thanking God for what you Have appreciating what he's done, something happens in your brain. 00:22:04.319 --> 00:22:07.599 The joy part, there's a joy part in the right side of your brain. 00:22:07.759 --> 00:22:13.519 It expands, and serotonin and dopamine are released, and cortisol levels are reduced. 00:22:13.839 --> 00:22:23.200 And this can actually lead to short-term and long-term positive effects on your mental health, and it actually changes your brain chemistry. 00:22:23.519 --> 00:22:25.279 That's all I got scientifically. 00:22:25.440 --> 00:22:27.440 But there's like studies and stuff that back us up. 00:22:27.519 --> 00:22:28.400 It's super, super cool. 00:22:28.559 --> 00:22:34.880 So it's good for your mental health, it's good for you to be thankful, to be grateful, and to praise God. 00:22:35.039 --> 00:22:40.559 And another cool fact is that gratitude and anxiety can't coexist in your brain at the same time. 00:22:40.720 --> 00:22:45.039 Like it's not possible to be truly grateful and to also be struggling with anxiety. 00:22:45.119 --> 00:22:45.920 They can't coexist. 00:22:46.079 --> 00:22:49.680 And the cool part about all of this is that scripture supports it. 00:22:49.839 --> 00:22:50.960 Like scripture supports it. 00:22:51.039 --> 00:22:54.640 So, Philippians 4, written by Paul, also from prison. 00:22:54.799 --> 00:22:55.839 He was in prison a lot. 00:22:56.160 --> 00:22:57.680 He wrote this passage from prison. 00:22:57.759 --> 00:23:01.440 And I want to read four, uh chapter 4, 4 through 9. 00:23:01.680 --> 00:23:07.359 And notice kind of there's some challenging things that Paul is asking his readers to do. 00:23:07.519 --> 00:23:08.240 Some challenging things. 00:23:08.319 --> 00:23:09.440 So we'll talk about them in a minute. 00:23:09.519 --> 00:23:10.960 We're going to start in verse 4. 00:23:11.119 --> 00:23:13.839 Paul writes this Rejoice in the Lord always. 00:23:14.000 --> 00:23:15.279 Again, I will say, rejoice. 00:23:15.359 --> 00:23:17.599 Let your gentleness be known to all men. 00:23:17.839 --> 00:23:19.039 The Lord is at hand. 00:23:19.200 --> 00:23:31.519 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything, by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your request be known to God, and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds through Christ Jesus. 00:23:31.680 --> 00:23:45.839 Finally, brothers, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue, if there is anything praiseworthy, meditate on these things. 00:23:45.920 --> 00:23:52.000 The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you. 00:23:52.160 --> 00:23:54.960 So Paul starts by asking people to do some difficult things. 00:23:55.039 --> 00:23:58.799 Like I said, the first thing he says is, Rejoice in the Lord always. 00:23:59.039 --> 00:24:00.240 Rejoice in the Lord always. 00:24:00.319 --> 00:24:03.119 And again, he has credibility because he's writing this from prison. 00:24:03.200 --> 00:24:03.440 Okay? 00:24:03.519 --> 00:24:07.920 So if he can say, Rejoice always from prison, then he can say it, right? 00:24:08.079 --> 00:24:09.200 Rejoice in the Lord always. 00:24:09.279 --> 00:24:11.359 There are times when I don't feel like worshiping. 00:24:11.440 --> 00:24:13.599 There's times when I don't feel like giving praise. 00:24:13.680 --> 00:24:15.680 There's times when I don't feel like being thankful. 00:24:15.839 --> 00:24:17.920 Paul says, Rejoice in the Lord always. 00:24:18.000 --> 00:24:18.240 Why? 00:24:18.319 --> 00:24:21.440 Because God is worthy of our praise always. 00:24:22.240 --> 00:24:23.839 God is worthy of our praise always. 00:24:23.920 --> 00:24:28.880 And we can choose to praise, we can choose to be grateful because of who he is. 00:24:29.200 --> 00:24:39.279 Not because of us or our circumstance or our situation or where we find ourselves, but we can praise him because of who he is, because he is good and because he is with us. 00:24:39.599 --> 00:24:41.119 Rejoice in the Lord always. 00:24:41.279 --> 00:24:43.759 Then he says, Let your gentleness be known to all men. 00:24:43.920 --> 00:24:49.359 Well, there's days I don't feel like being gentle, or my initial response isn't gentleness. 00:24:49.839 --> 00:24:52.720 But he says, Let your gentleness be known to all men. 00:24:52.799 --> 00:24:53.839 And then here's the kicker. 00:24:53.920 --> 00:24:56.160 He says, be anxious for nothing. 00:24:57.119 --> 00:25:00.799 Other translations say, don't be anxious about anything. 00:25:01.599 --> 00:25:02.480 Yeah, right, Paul. 00:25:02.559 --> 00:25:03.519 How are we supposed to do that? 00:25:03.599 --> 00:25:07.759 There's things daily that cause us anxiety, that cause us to worry, that cause us to stress. 00:25:07.920 --> 00:25:09.680 He says, be anxious for nothing. 00:25:09.839 --> 00:25:14.640 And again, Paul was encouraging us to do these things from prison. 00:25:15.599 --> 00:25:16.160 From prison. 00:25:16.400 --> 00:25:24.319 I don't know about you, I've never been in prison, but if I was in prison, I think it would be hard to be joyful, I think it'd be hard to be gentle, and I think I would be pretty anxious. 00:25:24.720 --> 00:25:24.960 Right? 00:25:25.200 --> 00:25:29.839 And those are the three things Paul is saying be joyful, don't be anxious, and be gentle. 00:25:29.920 --> 00:25:33.920 And he didn't just say that, he gave us instructions on how to do that. 00:25:34.240 --> 00:25:34.880 How to do that. 00:25:34.960 --> 00:25:36.480 So the solution comes in verse 6. 00:25:36.559 --> 00:25:40.640 He says, Bring everything in prayer and supplication. 00:25:41.200 --> 00:25:43.839 Bring everything in prayer and supplication. 00:25:44.000 --> 00:25:46.960 Pray about what makes you anxious. 00:25:47.839 --> 00:25:50.720 And we saw Paul and Silas do this from prison. 00:25:50.880 --> 00:25:54.720 They're in prison, again, probably a situation where they would be anxious. 00:25:54.799 --> 00:25:55.759 And what do they do? 00:25:55.920 --> 00:26:02.240 They prayed about their situation and they praised the Lord and they spent time in worship. 00:26:02.559 --> 00:26:08.240 And when I practice this, I often have to work myself through these steps in Philippians chapter 4. 00:26:08.319 --> 00:26:21.359 And when I do it, I often picture like I'm pushing a burden of anxiety and stress up to the throne room of God, the things that I'm worried about, and asking for his peace, which we'll talk about as peace in a minute, to replace that spot where I was carrying those things, right? 00:26:21.519 --> 00:26:26.640 So I'm pushing that burden up and I'm asking, and I do this out loud, I'll pray these things out loud, and I feel it. 00:26:26.799 --> 00:26:29.039 I feel that exchange happen. 00:26:29.279 --> 00:26:30.960 Taking every thought captive. 00:26:31.039 --> 00:26:40.400 And also I'll in those moments I'll journal because sometimes when you're anxious, you have all these like things that you can't even sort out in your brain, like what is actually causing me like anxiety and worry right now. 00:26:40.559 --> 00:26:41.200 You're not even sure. 00:26:41.359 --> 00:26:44.240 So I write them down and I give each one to the Lord. 00:26:44.319 --> 00:26:47.119 And that's, I think your scripture talks about taking every thought captive. 00:26:47.279 --> 00:26:49.039 I think that's at least for me how we do it. 00:26:49.119 --> 00:26:49.759 We write it down. 00:26:49.920 --> 00:26:52.720 Take that thought captive and release it, give it to the Lord. 00:26:52.799 --> 00:26:55.119 Lord, I trust you with this situation. 00:26:55.200 --> 00:26:59.599 I trust you with this circumstance, because you're a lot better at figuring it out than me. 00:26:59.680 --> 00:27:02.720 So please help me and give me your peace. 00:27:03.200 --> 00:27:05.440 So bring everything to him in prayer and supplication. 00:27:05.519 --> 00:27:08.880 And then Paul says, with thanksgiving, be thankful. 00:27:09.039 --> 00:27:14.960 From prison, Paul is encouraging fellow believers to practice gratitude, to be thankful. 00:27:15.279 --> 00:27:19.680 He knew that gratitude and praise was the solution, the remedy. 00:27:20.000 --> 00:27:23.759 And he isn't telling anyone to do anything he wasn't willing to do himself. 00:27:24.000 --> 00:27:36.720 Paul knew the way to combat anxiety and combat this situation was in the proper way to respond to his circumstances was with praise and thanksgiving, because he'd seen it be fruitful in his own life. 00:27:37.599 --> 00:27:41.440 And he knew that the result in practicing these things is peace. 00:27:41.599 --> 00:27:43.440 And we see that in verse 7. 00:27:43.680 --> 00:27:45.200 Verse 7 is the promise. 00:27:45.359 --> 00:27:50.960 The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds through Christ Jesus. 00:27:51.200 --> 00:27:53.279 Supernatural peace. 00:27:53.599 --> 00:27:57.599 Peace that doesn't make sense, peace that guards us and guides us. 00:27:57.839 --> 00:28:00.240 Peace that comes in a situation when you shouldn't have peace. 00:28:00.720 --> 00:28:03.599 Paul should not have peace sitting in a prison cell. 00:28:03.839 --> 00:28:05.839 That's not a peaceful situation. 00:28:06.480 --> 00:28:08.079 It's an anxiety-filled situation. 00:28:08.240 --> 00:28:12.960 He was in physical pain, emotional pain, all sorts of things, and he had peace. 00:28:13.119 --> 00:28:15.119 That's supernatural peace. 00:28:15.359 --> 00:28:20.319 The Lord can give you peace in a situation when you shouldn't have it. 00:28:20.880 --> 00:28:22.400 Because of how Paul responded. 00:28:22.720 --> 00:28:28.880 Because he responded with praise and thanksgiving, because he brought everything to the Lord in prayer, he received supernatural peace from the Lord. 00:28:28.960 --> 00:28:32.240 And the same is available for us this morning. 00:28:32.559 --> 00:28:36.160 Whatever your circumstances are, peace is available. 00:28:36.480 --> 00:28:40.720 Then Paul encourages us to focus our minds on a certain list of things, right? 00:28:40.799 --> 00:28:45.519 He says, focus on what's true, noble, just pure, lovely, good, virtuous, worthy of praise. 00:28:45.599 --> 00:28:46.319 I love that first one. 00:28:46.480 --> 00:28:48.079 Focus on what is true. 00:28:48.400 --> 00:28:51.119