Paul goes to jail--part 4

PAUL GOES TO JAIL—PART 4

 

 

 

     I enjoy the hymns and I also enjoy the modern worship songs. But my favorite is Christian rock music. There is one band called Day of Fire that I would regularly blast through my truck stereo in high school. They have one song that I relate to called “Strange.” It is not a loud song, and it is only a minute long. Here are the lyrics:

 

Rather be strange, rather be ugly

Rather be not quite right then part of the lovely

Rather be plain, pushed aside and lonely

Than to be carried by all the fakes and phonies

 

‘Cause Hollywood is burning down

Hollywood is burning down like Babylon

Like Babylon, rather be strange

 

     The reason I share these lyrics is because I believe Paul and Silas embody them in Acts 16. Not only in the sections we have already studied but also in our passage today.

 

     Acts 16:35-40(CSB)

 

When daylight came, the chief magistrates sent the police to say, “Release those men.”

 

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.”

 

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 they are going to send us away secretly? Certainly not! On the contrary, let them come themselves and escort us out.”

 

The police reported these words to the magistrates. They were afraid when they heard that Paul and Silas were Roman citizens. So they came to appease them, and escorting them from prison, they urged them to leave town. After leaving jail, they came to Lydia’s house, where they saw and encouraged the brothers and sisters, and departed.

 

 

This is the Word of God.

For the people of God.

Thanks be to God.

 

     Paul had cast a demon out of a slave girl, only that made her less valuable to her owners. She could tell fortunes courtesy of the demon. Once the demon was gone, so was the ability. After a circus that counted as a court hearing, Paul and Silas were beaten and thrown into jail.

 

     The morning after an earthquake and the miracle of the jailer finding Jesus, the magistrates have a change of heart. Verse 35 records that the magistrates sent the place with the orders, “Release those men.” Was it because of the earthquake? Did the magistrates make a divine connection between it and the apostles? Possibly, but I think the phrase “those men” gives us a clue. The magistrates, Romans in general, thought the Jews were dogs. There could be an element of contempt in the statement from the magistrates. They know Paul and Silas had received an unjust trial, and perhaps they wanted to make it right without looking at the men they had wronged.

 

     Paul was Jewish, a former Pharisee, but he was also a Roman citizen. So was Silas for that matter. The apostle knew his rights as a Roman citizen, rights which had been overlooked or unheard by the magistrates. Roman law prohibited Roman citizens from being bound or beaten with rods. And Paul knew he had a right to a trial. When the magistrates attempt to send the apostles away, Paul responds in verse 37 by saying, “Certainly not! On the contrary, let them come themselves and escort us out.”

 

     Verse 38 says that the magistrates were afraid when they learned that Paul and Silas were Roman citizens. They had good reason to be afraid. First, the emperor would not be pleased to learn they ignored the process of law. This was considered an insult to every Roman citizen. Second, if Rome learned of the magistrates' inability to maintain the “Pax Romana,” they would be removed from power. In verse 39, Luke records, “They came to appease them, and escorting them from prison, they urged them to leave town.”

 

     What do the apostles do? They show mercy and submit to the request. Of course, Paul and Silas recognize that this is the best way forward for the Kingdom. If the apostles stayed and caused more riots, it would hinder the work of the young church at Philippi. The only way the work would continue was if Paul and Silas left.

 

     Before Paul and Silas leave, they spend time encouraging the believers. No doubt, they told them to stay firm in their faith and continue sharing the message of Jesus. They would station Luke with them, perhaps to help the church organize and stay true to the apostles’ teachings. Luke would be there to disciple the slave girl, the jailer with his household, and Lydia with her household.

 

     In Galatians 5:22-23, Paul is writing to another church, imploring them to live out the fruit of the Spirit. If these believers were filled with the Holy Spirit, it would be evidenced by the attitude of the Holy Spirit. They would express this attitude through their love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. But notice Paul is not asking them to do something he would not live out himself.

 

     We see Paul and Silas living out the fruit of the Spirit all through Acts 16. And it is especially evident in our passage today. The apostles held the magistrates accountable, but they chose to express the Holy Spirit in them toward the judges. They offered kindness, leaving the area. And they demonstrated the Holy Spirit in them by encouraging the Philippian church and empowering them to carry on the work. Jesus had built his church through the faith of the apostles, and the apostles trusted Jesus to carry it to completion without them.

 

     You and I can be filled with this same Holy Spirit. When we are filled with the Holy Spirit, He will give expression to His presence in us through His fruit. His expression through us will give testimony to our citizenship in the Kingdom of Heaven. And the kingdoms of this world are powerless before the Kingdom of the Almighty.

 

     Our lives will scare those who live according to the ways of sin because it gives expression to the Higher One, whose ways are good. They may hold all the power around and over us, but they have no power in us. And that terrifies them. But instead of using that fear to preach fire, hell, and damnation to them, we offer them love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, and gentleness while demonstrating self-control. And we can testify to when God offered us that fruit of life through Jesus.

 

     When we live in expression of the fruit of the Holy Spirit, rendering the world powerless in us, this encourages the body of believers. They might be struggling or fearful, but then they see us burning from the Holy Spirit within, and a spark jumps from us to them. And their dry bones become engulfed in the flames of revival.

 

     Jesus saved you and me from our sins. He has given us His Holy Spirit to live free from sin and the patterns of this world. We are to use our freedom in the Holy Spirit to express the life-breathing fruit of the Holy Spirit to those around us.

 

     And the truth is, living this way will make us weird. Weird to those who are conformed to the patterns of this world, and even those in the church who refuse to live in this freedom given to them by Jesus.

 

     Will you be weird? Will you allow the Holy Spirit to fill your heart? And will you let your life be an expression of His life-giving fruit?

Need prayer? Have a question? Contact The Dirt Path Pastor

Sermon preview for August 27, 2023

 

After a failure in the process and adherence to man's law, Paul and Silas challenge the magistrates of Philippi. Their boldness would generate fear from the world, but an encouragement to the Church. Pastor Jason wraps up a series in Acts 16 titled "Paul goes to jail." #ravnaz #sermonpreview #thedirtpathpastor #thedirtpathsermonpodcast

Watch the whole service

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Sunday at 10:45 AM ET

Paul goes to jail--part 3

 

PAUL GOES TO JAIL--PART 3

     Now, I do not know how true this is, but I saw an interesting fact about the outlaw Jesse James on social media. Jesse James and crew robbed over twenty banks and trains in their two-decade-long crime spree. But there was one town in Texas that James would not rob. This town served amazing chili, and James knew that robbing that town would be the end of him getting to enjoy this chili.

 

     With Paul and Silas in his jail, the jailer in Acts 16 would have a similar life-changing experience. But his story would involve something far greater than chili.

 

     Acts 16:25-34(CSB)

 

About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them. Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the jail were shaken, and immediately all the doors were opened, and everyone’s chains came loose. When the jailer woke up and saw the doors of the prison standing wide open, he drew his sword and was going to kill himself, since he thought the prisoners had escaped.

 

But Paul called out in a loud voice, ‘Don’t harm yourself, because we’re all here!”

 

The jailer called for lights, and rushed in, and fell down trembling before Paul and Silas. He escorted them out and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”

 

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 along with everyone in his house. He took them the same hour of the night and washed their wounds. Right away he and all his family were baptized. He brought them into his house, set a meal before them, and rejoiced because he had come to believe in God with his entire household.

 

 

This is the Word of God.

For the people of God.

Thanks be to God.

 

 

 

     Paul and Silas are in jail. They are in jail for freeing a slave girl from being trafficked. And before being tossed into jail and placed in stocks, they were beaten with rods. A normal reaction to one of these events, let alone all of them, would be grumbling and complaining. Most of us would be angry at the slave owners, the mob, the magistrates, the jailer, and maybe even God. But Paul and Silas do not go that route. They pray and sing hymns to God.

 

     In fairness, Paul and Silas were in pain and uncomfortable. Between the stocks and the wounds on their backs, sleep would have been impossible. Though they were in outward chains, their hearts were free because of God’s grace. And they worshipped amid the jail cell for all the prison to hear.

 

     As they were singing, there was an earthquake. This was not because their singing was that bad, it was a geographical event. It was strong enough to break the jail, opening doors and shaking the chains loose on all the prisoners. Not one of the prisoners escape. The text does not explain why, but it is very possible that they knew somehow it was connected to Paul and Silas along with God.

 

     Verse 27 says, “The jailer woke up and saw the prison doors open, he drew his sword and was going to kill himself.” Remember, this is the jailer who locked the apostles in jail with no regard for their wounds. But now this jailer was powerless. The jailer recognized he was in a hopeless position. According to Roman law, he would be subject to the same punishment as those incarcerated under his watch. Rather than face disgrace and humiliation, the jailer was ready to commit suicide.

 

     “Don’t harm yourself!” Paul shouted. The jailer approached, now viewing Paul and Silas as the ones with the power. He asked the apostles, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” Notice how the jailer addressed them, “Sirs.” A term of respect. Now, the jailer asking this question was not in the terms you and I would understand. This jailer was asking Paul and Silas, “Is your God willing to spare me?”

     Here are Paul and Silas, beaten and broken. Their adversary is at their feet. They could have sought revenge, but Paul and Silas offer the jailer something better than chili. Paul and Silas demonstrate the inward work of God in their lives by offering a hand-up to the jailer. And what happens? The jailer is transformed by grace, demonstrated first by his treating the apostles’ wounds, then by being baptized, and lastly by giving the apostles a meal. A miracle took place with a brutal jailer becoming a caretaker.

 

     The truth in our text is illuminated through the reaction of the jailer. When he saw those prison doors open, panic set in. Fear took hold of him, and the only way the jailer saw through it was suicide. This is the power of fear, one that leads to destruction.

 

     Looking at this entire section, fear has been a major contributor to Paul going to jail. The angry mob was afraid the “Pax Romana,” peace of Rome, was threatened, so the magistrates out of fear threw the apostles in jail with no investigation. It was fear of losing their profits that led the slave owners to bring Paul and Silas to the magistrates.

 

     Fear destroys. It casts a shadow so dark, that it seems to hide any shimmer of hope. If an organization or a person is trying to make progress, fear of change can bring everything to a halt. And there is no faster way to danger a relationship than when fear takes over.

 

     Notice who was not ruled by fear in this story. Paul and Silas. I am sure they were afraid, but they leaned into their faith. And when the earthquake created an opportunity for them to flee, faith kept them in place for this divine moment. When they had an opening to malign or weaponize the jailer’s fear, the faith of Paul and Silas kept them from speaking in that manner. Instead, Paul and Silas reached out to offer the jailer a hand-up from the pit of darkness in the light of Jesus Christ.

 

     The light shines in the darkness. It is brighter than the shadows fear has cast over our lives. It is brighter than the fears we have of our neighbors. It is brighter than the change we fear. It is brighter than the hopelessness we feel.

 

     When we feel fear, it is because an area of who we are is exposed leaving us vulnerable. And when the light shines into our darkness, it can be just as jarring. Now we can see our weaknesses, and maybe so can others. However, the Light is Jesus. He is not there to condemn you or me, Jesus is there in the love of God to help us take a step forward.

 

     So that leaves you and me with a decision. Will we stand in the love of Jesus? No promise that Jesus will make all your problems go away. But Jesus will lead you on a path to healing.

Need prayer? Have a question? Contact The Dirt Path Pastor

Sermon Preview for August 20, 2023

 

Paul and Silas are sitting in jail when there is an earthquake. A miracle would follow, but not in the way anyone would expect. Pastor Jason continues with part 3 in a series from Acts 16. #ravnaz #sermonpreview #thedirtpathpastor #thedirtpathsermonpodcast

Watch the whole service

at Ravenna Church of the Nazarene

Sunday at 10:45 AM ET

Paul goes to jail--part 2

 

PAUL GOES TO JAIL—PART 2

  

     A girl was possessed by a demon, and Jesus set her free through the Apostle Paul. An amazing and wonderful reason to follow Jesus. Anytime anyone is set from the hold of darkness, the Church celebrates with “Amen” and “Glory be to God.”

 

     But not everyone who witnessed this miracle celebrated it or even appreciated it. Paul is going to be arrested for doing the right thing. Only, this right thing disrupted the peace of those who had become comfortable in their chains of darkness because of the rewards they seemed to bring.

 

     Acts 16:19-24(CSB)

 

When the slave girl’s owners realized that their hope of profit was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace to the authorities. Bringing them before the chief magistrates, they said, “These men are seriously disturbing our city. They are Jews and are promoting customs that are not legal for us as Romans to adopt or practice.” The crowd joined in the attack against them, and the chief magistrates stripped off their clothes and ordered them to be beaten with rods. After they had severely flogged them, they threw them in jail, ordering the jailor to guard them carefully. Receiving such an order, he put them into the inner prison and secured their feet in stocks.

 

 

This is the Word of God.

For the people of God.

Thanks be to God.

 

 

 

     This is a story to us, words on a page. For Paul and Silas, this was a real-life event. One that would leave an imprint on Paul’s mind. In his letter to the Corinthian church, Paul wrote: “I was beaten three times.” (2 Corinthians 11:25) When writing 2 Thessalonians, Paul recounts, “After we had previously suffered and were treated outrageously in Philippi, you know we were emboldened by our God to speak the gospel.” (2 Thessalonians 2:2) So even though this event left physical marks on Paul, he never forgot what God did for the slave girl and the works to follow.

 

     “Why is all the money gone?” That is the attitude of the slave girl’s owners in verse 19. Instead of being blessed by the freedom found in Jesus, these men were outraged. Freedom for the slave girl cost the owners more than they were willing to spend.

 

     Now, notice these men do not shout, “These men robbed us” or “These men freed our slave.” They wanted the public to think Paul and Silas were evil, not themselves. To build their case, the men appeal to three things.

 

     First, they appealed to Roman patriotism. “Pax Romana,” peace, was the national motto and hope. Roman authorities would squash anything or anyone that threatened peace to the Empire. Disturbing the peace was a crime that was not tolerated.

 

     Second, the Romans despised the Jews. Paul and Silas were Roman citizens, but they were both Jewish. They sounded Jewish, looked Jewish, and talked like a Jewish person. Luke and Timothy, who were traveling with Pual and Silas, were both Gentiles. Probably, they did not look or sound Jewish. Thus, Paul and Silas were arrested, and they were not. On a side note, racism is the way of the world and has no place in the family of God.

 

     Lastly, the owners knew Roman law. They did not care about it, but for the sake of money, they would use it. Roman law forbids any new religions without government approval. Judaism had been approved, but Christianity had not been accepted. At first, Christianity was viewed as a sect of Judaism, but as the followers of Jesus grew that changed.

 

     The magistrates did not get a chance to do an investigation, an essential process in practicing justice, because the crowd had already reached their verdict. An angry mob was more dangerous to the magistrates than Paul and Silas. But because the mob was loud, angry, and many in number, the magistrates traded justice for pacification.

 

     Paul and Silas receive severe treatment. Their clothes are removed, and they are beaten with rods. And then these two preachers are placed not only in jail but in the maximum-security block. Not only that but their legs are also placed in stocks. Stocks were not like our leg shackles today; they were heavy wooden beams with leg holes. The leg holes were made in a way that spread the feet apart, making them cramped and in pain. This is the cost Pual and Silas paid for the slave girl to be free.

 

     Humanity’s love of darkness and championing of evil is on full display in this text. The slave girl’s owners cared nothing about her as a person, her well-being for them was only tied to the money she brought in for them. Her freedom would cost her owners their wealth, a price they were unwilling to pay. When she was freed, Paul and Silas had to bear that cost.

 

     There is the great paradox of freedom. For someone to be free, someone else must give up their freedom. For us to be freed from the curse of sin, Jesus had to be arrested and crucified. Jesus was not crazy about the cross, but He was crazy about you and me. Our basic American freedoms, they are not free. Free lunch is only free for those eating it! Someone else had to pay for it.

 

     Paul chose to trust Jesus and free the slave girl. He did not know the cost that followed, but Paul looks back to this moment as one that emboldened him in the cause of Christ. This was a cost Paul was willing to endure because Jesus was willing to endure it for his freedom. Considering this, Paul thought his freedom was worth surrendering for the slave girl to meet Jesus.

 

     That leaves you and me with a tough question. How deeply are we committed to others finding salvation in Jesus? Our desire for Jesus to free others needs to be greater than our need to express our freedom. Are we willing to give up our right to free speech and choose silence so Jesus can be heard? Can we give up our right to be offended so the cause of the Kingdom can be advanced? If we never sing another song from the hymn book again, and all the worship leader did was spit rhymes for Jesus because that allowed the world to hear Christ more clearly, would be willing?

 

     Only the love of God can carry this out. It is a tall order and tough action to swallow our pride, hopes, words, and freedoms. But it is one our Lord did for us.

 

     The good news of the gospel is this: we do not attempt this on our own or through our strength. Jesus gives us the Holy Spirit, who does more than just break the chains of sin and darkness in our lives. The Holy Spirit can fill our hearts and minds with the love of God. That is ultimately what it means to be entirely sanctified. When our hearts are surrendered, they are transformed by the love of God as our minds are renewing to fully love God and love others. This is evidenced by our living in obedience to God and how we treat our neighbors.

                                                 

     If you and I want to see lives rescued by Jesus (revival), we need to be entirely sanctified.

Need prayer? Have a question? Contact The Dirt Path Pastor

Sermon Preview for August 13, 2023

 

Through the power of Jesus, Paul set the slave girl free from the chains of darkness. Unfortunately, the chains of her owners would teach Paul about the great paradox of freedom. Pastor Jason continues in part 2 of this 4-part series in Acts 16, titled "Paul goes to jail." #ravnaz #sermonpreview #thedirtpathpastor #thedirtpathsermonpodcast

Watch the whole service

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Sunday at 10:45 AM ET

Paul goes to jail--part 1

 

PAUL GOES TO JAIL—PART 1

  

     You can be right and do what is right and still end up in a mess of a situation. It could be because you have missed time or misjudged a moment. Or sometimes the situation is so broken that setting things straight makes things so foreign to everyone else, disturbing their peace.

 

     Disturbing the peace is a criminal offense in our society. And turns out, disturbing the peace was a crime in the Roman Empire. A crime that the Apostle Paul would commit. Before we can get to that, we first must look at the events leading to his arrest.

 

     Acts 16:16-18(CSB)

 

Once as we were on our way to prayer, a slave girl met us who had a spirit by which she predicted the future. She made a large profit for her owners by fortune-telling. As she followed Paul and us she cried out, “These men, who are proclaiming to you the way of salvation, are the servants of the Most High God.” She did this for many days.

 

Paul was greatly annoyed. Turning to the spirit, he said, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her!” And it came out right away.

 

 

This is the Word of God.

For the people of God.

Thanks be to God.

 

 

 

     The beginning of verse 16 says that Luke (the author of Acts) was traveling with Paul, Silas, and Timothy to a prayer meeting. To fully comprehend where they were headed, we must look back to the previous section in verses 11 through 15. This shares that the missionary team had sailed from Troas to Philippi.

 

     On the Sabbath, they decided to go down by the river to pray. Upon arriving, they found a group of women, so they shared the message of Jesus with them. A businesswoman named Lydia was among the ladies, she placed her faith in Jesus, which led to her whole family being baptized.

 

     It was most likely on the team’s way back to this spot, or at least that crew when they encountered the slave girl in our text for today. This slave girl was a fortune-teller. If the authorities were seeking the identity of thieves from a big heist, if someone had lost their keys at the park, had relationship concerns, or were debating between the black sheep or the red sheep, they would come to this slave girl.

 

     To her community, this slave girl’s voice was that of a god, Apollo. The word for “divination” or “fortune-telling” literally means “python.” According to pagan mythology, Apollo killed a mythical python or dragon, so those with the ability to practice fortune-telling were thought to be inspired by Apollo. Of course, in the Jewish tradition, fortune-telling was thought to be a practice of evil, outlawed by God. And the idea of a serpent related to Satan.

 

     Nevertheless, this slave girl was very successful. Verse 16 says, “She made a large profit for her owners.” Her success only led to outward captivity as well as inward. She was held prisoner and her ability was trafficked for the benefit of her human captors.

 

     As Paul, Silas, Luke, and Timothy went about the Kingdom work, this slave girl began to follow them. The Greek word implies that the slave girl went everywhere the team went, like a lost sheep. While she followed, the slave girl cried, “These men, who are proclaiming to you the way of salvation, are servants of the Most High God.”

 

     At first glance, it would seem the girl’s cry was a good thing, a proclamation of truth. Why not let her keep shouting? Her shouting could potentially draw others to the missionaries, so it would seem counterproductive to silence her voice. While it was true, the enemy was attempting to have the truth washed over in a sea of confusion. The pagans believed in salvation, but the term came attached to all these other pagan beliefs and rituals, potentially reducing the Way to a way of many ways. You will remember that Jesus encounters demons who recognize Him and proclaim Him as “the holy one of God” and “God’s Son.” (Mark 1:24; Luke 4:41) Jesus does not allow these demons to testify about Him, so Jesus silences them before casting them out of people.

 

     Continuing into verse 18, it says after many days, “Paul was greatly annoyed.” The phrase “greatly annoyed” means Paul was deeply offended at the evil spirit’s testimony and gravely pained for the slave girl trapped in its talons. Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, was reacting like Jesus, and he was ready to act.

 

     This challenge went beyond Paul, Silas, Timothy, and Luke. These servants were willing followers of Christ facing an enemy of darkness. A cosmic battle was taking place with an evil spirit challenging the authority of the Holy Spirit. Paul was filled with the Holy Spirit, but the authority in question was not that of Paul, it was evil calling out the Alpha and the Omega.

 

     “Paul turned to the spirit.” He was not attacking the slave girl but the darkness who had no right to her. The Apostle said, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.” These words were not a magical chant, nor was there any laying on of hands, nor the use of any luck charms. Paul confessed the name of Jesus Christ appealing to He who was able to break loose the chains of darkness holding this slave girl. Immediately, the demon had to flee.

 

     Now, here is the question I have after reading these verses: Why was the girl following them? Why was she shouting, “These men are the servants of the Most High God”? I already mentioned why the evil spirit was compelling the slave girl to speak, but this case is different from the ones in the Gospels. The evil spirit made no visibly recorded attempt to keep the slave girl from following the missionaries, none of the demons in the Gospels were following Jesus. Jesus met them along the way, was led to them, or someone brought the person possessed to Him.

 

     Perhaps the following and the shouting, not the words but the act itself, were of the slave girl. Something inside this girl was desperate to find salvation through Jesus, and she knew these servants of God could help her. Like an island castaway, she was rowing against the tide for all she was worth, trying to get to the land of the living. The evil spirit acted as the waves, trying to push her back to the deserted island, hijacking her voice in a drastic attempt to keep the girl in chains. And because Paul was filled with the Holy Spirit, he noticed her! The power of Jesus reached through Paul to set this girl free from evil.

 

     Do you know what this means? The power of Jesus has not diminished. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. And just like the name of Jesus had the power to set this slave girl free, it has the power to break every chain of darkness that shackles us in our lives!

 

     Sin may have chains on you, but Jesus can break those chains! Death may have you crippled in fear, but Jesus can remove death’s sting! Addiction might be destroying you, your family, and your life, but Jesus can put a stop to that today! Poverty might have you stuck in a generational curse of victimhood and believing all things are hopeless. (Being poor or a victim is not a sin, but can suck you into a vacuum of darkness) Jesus can pull you from that pit of despair to higher ground! The enemy can have you entangled in webs of confusion, hatred, bigotry, and any other form of darkness, but they are no match for Jesus! At the sound of His name, the darkness must flee from you. Inside and outside.

 

     The real question then is, “Are you desperate like the slave girl?” Do you recognize the impossibility of escaping the deserted island, but are you willing to take that chance of getting in the boat anyway? Willing to row out against the tide and its crashing waves to get to Jesus? What is amazing is that it does not even take that kind of effort! We do not have to lift an oar or get in the boat! All it takes is us taking a breath of faith toward Jesus and He will come to you!

 

     Will you find freedom in the name of Jesus today?

Need prayer? Have a question? Contact The Dirt Path Pastor

Sermon Preview for August 6, 2023

 

Paul, Silas, Luke, and Timothy are on their way to a prayer meeting when they pick up an obnoxious follower. After several days of her shouting, Paul sets her free. Pastor Jason starts a new 4-part series titled "Paul goes to jail."

Watch the whole service

at Ravenna Church of the Nazarene

Sunday at 10:45 AM ET