Acts 16
16 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. 17 As she followed Paul and us she cried out, “These men, who are proclaiming to you a way of salvation, are the servants of the Most High God.” 18 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.
19 When her owners realized that their hope of profit was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace to the authorities. 20 Bringing them before the chief magistrates, they said, “These men are seriously disturbing our city. They are Jews 21 and are promoting customs that are not legal for us as Romans to adopt or practice.”
22 The crowd joined in the attack against them, and the chief magistrates stripped off their clothes and ordered them to be beaten with rods. 23 After they had severely flogged them, they threw them in jail, ordering the jailer to guard them carefully. 24 Receiving such an order, he put them into the inner prison and secured their feet in the stocks.
25 About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them. 26 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. 27 When the jailer woke up and saw the doors of the prison standing open, he drew his sword and was going to kill himself, since he thought the prisoners had escaped.
28 But Paul called out in a loud voice, “Don’t harm yourself, because we’re all here!”
29 The jailer called for lights, rushed in, and fell down trembling before Paul and Silas. 30 He escorted them out and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”
31 They said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household.” 32 And they spoke the word of the Lord to him along with everyone in his house. 33 He took them the same hour of the night and washed their wounds. Right away he and all his family were baptized. 34 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.
Oppressed: Burdened by abuse of power or authority
3 Different People
Slave Girl = Spiritually Oppressed
- Possessed by Demonic power
- Wicked Owners
The Greek speaks literally of a “python spirit.”
- The python was the symbol that represented the god Apollo
- Believed to render predictions of future events
This girl was a Gold mine for her owners
Spirit in the girl recognizes Paul & Silas
- “These men, who are proclaiming to you a way of salvation, are the servants of the Most High God.”
- Demon preaching the Gospel
Paul casts the demon out of her
- Owners are furious
- Incited the crowd
- City leaders join in
- Paul and Silas were unfairly beaten
Things we need to know about Spiritual Oppression:
1: There is a difference between POSSESSION vs OPPRESSION
DEMONIC POSSESSION: Under the control of demonic authority
- A lost person can be possessed
DEMONIC OPPRESSION: Tormented by constant demonic influences
- A Christian can be OPPRESSED
What CHRISTIAN OPPRESSION looks like:
Opposite of the Fruit of the Spirit
- Extreme bitterness
- harshness & hardness
- Constant mistreatment of others
- Constant mental anguish
- Constant Fear/dread
2: Demonic Power is real and should be taken seriously
Paul didn’t say, “You are faking it!”
- “In the Name of Jesus!”
Armor of God
Things we don’t mess with:
- The Occult
- Ouija boards
- Talking to the dead
- “Spirituality” other than Jesus
- Pornography
- Demonic media content
- New Age
- Crystals
- Horoscope
3: Jesus has broken all curses over the life of the Christian Believer
1 Peter 1
18 For you know that you were redeemed from your empty way of life inherited from your ancestors, not with perishable things like silver or gold, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of an unblemished and spotless lamb.
Generational Curses
- What Jesus has rescued you from, don’t return to
Don’t dabble in darkness, and it will have no authority over you
Jailer = Culturally Oppressed:
Probably a retired soldier
- Not one for kindness
- Had seen many hard things
He took his charge and increased it
- Put in them “INNER PRISON”
- Dungeon
- Put them in stocks
- Very Painful
Did not clean their wounds
- Still bleeding
- open wounds
Cultural Oppression:
Constantly having to meet the flawed standards of your culture
<EXAMPLES>
Toxic Work Culture
- Take advantage of others
- Be a “Work-a-Holic”
- Sacrifice family time
- Dishonesty and aggression
Toxic Family Culture
- Living in constant fear of making a mistake
- Lack of trust
- Culture of Shame
- Constant blaming, shaming, and gaslighting
Toxic Christian/Church Culture
- Cannot ask a healthy question
- Impossible standards
- Religious spirit
- “Ok for me but not for thee”
Cultural Oppression does not give us life, it BREAK US
How do we know this jailer was “OPPRESSED?
- He seemed to be doing the oppressing
Acts 16:27
When the jailer woke up and saw the doors of the prison standing open, he drew his sword and was going to kill himself, since he thought the prisoners had escaped.
Oppressed by a culture of violence and “might makes right”
I’m a failure
- Maybe they will leave my family alone
- A quick death is better than torture
Any form of oppression compounds, arising from many broken individuals and systems.
Then we have…
Paul & Silas
- Falsely Accused
- Stripped
- Beaten
- Jailed in stocks
- No care for their wounds
But instead of wailing…
THEY WERE SINGING
They were not OPPRESSED – THEY WERE FREE
Had this in mind…
Matthew 10:27-29
27 What I tell you in the dark, speak in the light. What you hear in a whisper, proclaim on the housetops. 28 Don’t fear those who kill the body but are not able to kill the soul; rather, fear him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. 29 Aren’t two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them falls to the ground without your Father’s consent.
If the most important things in your life can be taken away, you are the MOST OPPRESSED
You don’t have to be oppressed by these things
Matthew 11:29-30
29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, because I am lowly and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
If Jesus is the MAIN THING, then you are FREE
Luke 23:33-35
33 When they arrived at the place called The Skull, they crucified him there, along with the criminals, one on the right and one on the left. 34 Then Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, because they do not know what they are doing.” And they divided his clothes and cast lots.