One Big Party: I Believe that We Will Win | Greg Ford
MESSAGE NOTES
Life is not a zero sum game…Life is not a game
This is fundamental as we learn to overcome feelings of failure & manually override our feelings to redefine what it means to win
Paul’s 2nd missionary journey
[Acts 16:6-7]
Next Paul and Silas traveled through the area of Phrygia and Galatia, because the Holy Spirit had prevented them from preaching the word in the province of Asia at that time. 7 Then coming to the borders of Mysia, they headed north for the province of Bithynia, but again the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them to go there.
[Acts 16:13]
On the Sabbath we went a little way outside the city to a riverbank, where we thought people would be meeting for prayer
The fact that the Jews of Philippi had no synagogue and met by the river means that there were not many Jewish men in Philippi. Had there been ten Jewish men, they would have sufficed to constitute a synagogue.
Slave Girl…Human Trafficked
[Acts 16:19-21]
Her masters’ hopes of wealth were now shattered, so they grabbed Paul and Silas and dragged them before the authorities at the marketplace. 20 “The whole city is in an uproar because of these Jews!” they shouted to the city officials. 21 “They are teaching customs that are illegal for us Romans to practice.”
[Acts 16:22-25]
A mob quickly formed against Paul and Silas, and the city officials ordered them stripped and beaten with wooden rods. 23 They were severely beaten, and then they were thrown into prison. The jailer was ordered to make sure they didn’t escape. 24 So the jailer put them into the inner dungeon and clamped their feet in the stocks. 25 Around midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening.
The jailor decided to put them in maximum security
The jailor put their feet in stocks
The jailor made his decisions, but then Paul and Silas made theirs
They’ve made their decision but now you make yours
Nobody has the power to choose your attitude but you
Nobody has the power to pick your mood
Nobody gets to pick your playlist
Nobody gets to pick your outlook
Nobody gets to set your timeline as to when you decide to lift up a praise or when and where you choose to get a party started
The party doesn’t start when the band starts playing. The party starts when you start praising. You’re in charge of the schedule.
In a dark place…inner dungeon at midnight You can either curse men or bless the Lord
James Hicks who is part of our online campus. and his family found themselves on the wrong end of the scoreboard with a cancer diagnosis, but I want you to see what happened when they turned a dark prison into an opportunity to praise God.
[Acts 16:25]
Around midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening.
People inside the prison vs outside the prison
Some are listening…you don’t know what’s going on in the heart of a person. Somebody who is just looking on, and may not appear engaged may actually be listening. You are worshipping God with your life, you aren’t worshipping for them, but God is using it in their life more than you know.
[Acts 16:26-28]
Suddenly, there was a massive earthquake, and the prison was shaken to its foundations. All the doors immediately flew open, and the chains of every prisoner fell off! 27 The jailer woke up to see the prison doors wide open. He assumed the prisoners had escaped, so he drew his sword to kill himself. 28 But Paul shouted to him, “Stop! Don’t kill yourself! We are all here!”
James is now cancer free praise the Lord. Is it a bigger miracle that He’s cancer free or that the presence of God showed up and brought joy & peace in the hospital bed.
We think the miracle is the prison door flinging open, but the greatest miracle is the ability turn one big prison into one big party!
Have thought about how your attitude in the darkness affects the people around? Others are living in darkness as well. Your willingness to praise God in your midnight, in the inner dungeon, feet in stocks…I’m talking about praising God when its MOST DIFFICULT! It might actually trigger the sequence of events that transforms the life of another person. Anybody can shout in peace time, but can you shout when you’re in pain? Can you worship God down 9-0? Doesn’t mean the 9 points don’t exist…it means that God can do a work that transcends the scoreboard.
12 Years later…back prison
[Philippians 4:8-9]
Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5 Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near.
[Philippians 4:8-9]
…whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. 9 Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
-What was your biggest takeaway from this weekend’s message?
-Where have you found yourself in a “dark place” in your life, and how do we turn what feels like a prison cell into a sanctuary?
-As you think about action steps, how can we practically apply this message content in our lives this week?