Good morning, Watermark family. How are we doing? Amazing. My name is Jermaine Harrison, and I'm the Students director here at Watermark. I'm so excited for us to continue our journey going through the book of Acts. I want to invite you to grab your Bible and turn to Acts, chapter 16, with me. If you've been on the Journey with us and have fallen off for whatever reason, it's time to jump back in, because the story only gets better. We'll be in Acts, chapter 16, focusing on verses 16-40 this morning.
Before we spend time in God's Word, let's do what we do every single week, which is to invite the God of the universe to speak to us. Let's still our hearts for just a moment. I want to invite you to pray for yourself that God would make himself known to you in a fresh and enjoyable way today. Then, I'd love to invite you to pray for those around you that the Holy Spirit would reveal himself to them at their greatest point of need. Then, would you pray for me that I would be yielded to the Spirit and faithful to the text and helpful to you.
Lord, we love you, and we thank you for the opportunity to gather, to worship you, to learn more about you, to enjoy you, to seek you, and to follow you. May you meet us here today. In Jesus' name, amen.
All right. I'd love to start out by showing you a photo of my family. We took this in our front yard just the other day. There's my wife Hannah in the back with our daughter Florence, who's about to turn 1 on Tuesday. Then down front is my son Winslow. He's 5, and my daughter Darcy is 3. I show you that picture so you can get to know me, but also because I wanted to share something about our family.
We enjoy going to this place in town called JuiceLand. How many JuiceLand fans do we have out there? Yep. If you've never heard of it, maybe I'm putting you on to it. You can get acai bowls. You can get all sorts of different smoothies or protein shakes. It is a staple in the Harrison family, so much so that back in February, there was a new location opening in the Dallas area, and of course, we were like, "We've got to go."
So, we went to this grand opening on Saturday morning, and we were enjoying our meal. My son was playing the arcade games over in the corner. It just so happened that the owner of JuiceLand was there for this grand opening. So, he came over and started talking with us for just a few moments, and at the end of our time, he reached into his back pocket and pulled this out.
Now, you might be wondering what this is. This is a JuiceLand key chain, and this key chain is very valuable, because anytime you go to JuiceLand for all of 2026… You can go every single day if you want to. Anytime I go, I can get half off a bowl or half off a protein smoothie or shake…every single time. When he gave this to us, I was like, "This is amazing." Now I can go to JuiceLand not once but twice in a week, because it's the same as going once since it's now half off. I shared the story with my team here, and they were like, "You should leave it in the office so we can all share it." I was like, "No. I'm not doing that."
The following Monday, I was getting ready for work. I was putting the key chain onto my keys, excited to enjoy and experience JuiceLand, and my wife looks at me and goes, "You know we're sharing that, right? You know we have to figure out who's going to take it on what day." I was like, "Yeah, sure, sure. I was definitely thinking about how I could share this with you and put your interests above mine, my wonderful wife. Of course I was."
I share that silly illustration to make a point that we all know and have experienced to be true. It's that looking out for me is natural. Looking out for me is so easy, but looking out for others, paying attention to their needs, is possible through the Holy Spirit. Looking out for me is natural, but looking out for the needs of others takes a work of the Spirit. You see, many times throughout our days, we're faced with a decision: "Am I going to only care about my needs or will I allow the Spirit to lead me to be attentive to the needs of those around me?"
An example could be "Will I check out mentally when I get home from work because I'm so tired or will I engage with my family? Will I let the dishes pile up because my roommates have been so lazy and it's their turn to clean up? Will I take the work project that will make me look good or will I take the role that will benefit the team and will offer me no recognition?" You see, all throughout our day, we are faced with this decision. "Will I only care about my own needs or will I also consider the needs of others?"
In our text today, we're going to look at that idea that a Spirit-led attentiveness to the needs of others is what we are invited to and called to by the God of the universe. So, we're going to look at a Spirit-led attentiveness to the needs of others. In Acts, chapter 16, we'll focus on verses 16-34 in our time. As we move through the text, we're going to see three examples of Spirit-led attentiveness to the needs of others, and we'll come to this conclusion that I'll tell you up front: the gospel advances when the Spirit leads us to be attentive to the needs of others.
By way of giving you a quick context, remember Paul is in the middle of the second of his three missionary journeys in the book of Acts. They've just entered Philippi, which is modern-day northern Greece. We're told and it's believed that this is the first instance of the gospel making its way into continental Europe.
So, they're in the city of Philippi. As we heard last week, the first person who came to an understanding of who Jesus was in Philippi was this upper-class businesswoman named Lydia. She trusts Christ, and then what we're going to read is a continuation of the growth of this young Philippian church. We're going to see along the way the three examples of Spirit-led attentiveness to the needs of others. So, let's look at verses 16-18 to take note of the first instance.
"As we were going to the place of prayer, we were met by a slave girl who had a spirit of divination and brought her owners much gain by fortune-telling. She followed Paul and us, crying out, 'These men are servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to you the way of salvation.' And this she kept doing for many days. Paul, having become greatly annoyed, turned and said to the spirit, 'I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.' And it came out that very hour."
The first instance of a Spirit-led attentiveness to the needs of others is the needs of the slave girl in verses 16-18. This slave girl could have come from anywhere. She could have been a prisoner. She could have been kidnapped. She could have had a significantly difficult prior life. We find out some more things about her, that she's possessed by this demonic influence that's allowing her to tell the future and that these owners of hers are exploiting her disadvantage to their advantage. They're making a ton of money because this girl, who is at the lowest class in society, is being influenced by the Enemy, and they're taking advantage of the situation.
Not only that. We see that she comes to Paul and Silas and the other missionaries, and she's proclaiming what seems to be a message that makes sense, that these are servants of the Most High God. On the surface, it sounds like she's giving a good message, but when you look a little bit deeper and understand the messenger, the influence within her, you understand that this message is at least confusing and definitely distracting.
In the city of Philippi, where there were so many gods, the "Most High God" could refer to Zeus, it could refer to the God of Israel, or it could refer to any number of the hundreds of gods they believed in. So really, her proclamation may not have been as clear as we once thought. In any case, it was probably really distracting. Imagine you're trying to preach the gospel and invite people to come to a saving faith in Jesus and there's someone yelling incessantly off to the side.
So, that's the scenario in which we find ourselves. This disadvantaged, demon-possessed young girl is at least presenting a confusing or distracting message while the gospel is seeking to advance. Before we even get to her needs being met, I want to share with you the perspective I had as I reflected on those men who owned her, the owners. They were so focused on their own needs, so focused on their own gain, they had lost sight of the pain in this young girl's life.
I just wrote this down because I thought it was helpful for me, and hopefully it's helpful to you. Here it is: evaluate if you are too focused on your own gain to see the pain of others. Very regularly and consistently, we should evaluate, "Am I too focused on my own gain?" whether that be in your career or in your family or socially or with comfort or financially.
"Am I so focused on my own gain that I am failing to see the pain others might be experiencing?" Are you just as focused on the unreached people all across the globe as you are your own gain? Are you just as focused on the pain of your neighbors, your coworkers, and your family members as you are with your own gain in life?
Thankfully, after a few days, Paul casts the demon out of this young slave girl and frees her from this bondage she had been experiencing. I just love how matter-of-fact it is. Like, he got so annoyed, and he was like, "All right. In the name of Jesus, come out of her." And in that very hour, the demon left her. That's crazy. It's such a clear picture of the battle between good and evil that it's not that much of a battle. Right? He just says it in the name of Jesus, and it happens.
You see, it's not like England playing Argentina in the semifinals and we're like, "Oh man. Who's going to win? Maybe it's going to be Argentina. Maybe it's going to be England." No. The battle between good and evil is much more like the battle between Belgium and the USA. I say that illustration with much sorrow in my heart.
It's commonly believed that this young girl ended up joining the Philippian church. Isn't that amazing to think about? The two people we meet initially who begin this young church, the first instance of the gospel heading to the continent of Europe, is an upper-class businesswoman and a slave girl from the lowest of the low. What a reminder it is that the gospel is for anyone, anywhere, and at all times. So, we see Paul and Silas meet the needs of the slave girl because they're attentive to her needs. Let's keep going in this story. Verses 19-25:
"But when her owners saw that their hope of gain was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace before the rulers. And when they had brought them to the magistrates, they said, 'These men are Jews, and they are disturbing our city. They advocate customs that are not lawful for us as Romans to accept or practice.'
The crowd joined in attacking them, and the magistrates tore the garments off them and gave orders to beat them with rods. And when they had inflicted many blows upon them, they threw them into prison, ordering the jailer to keep them safely. Having received this order, he put them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks." Notice verse 25. "About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them…"
We see the second instance of Spirit-led attentiveness to the needs of others with these two brothers looking out for the needs of a fellow sufferer. So, come with me in your mind. A riot had happened, and they were captured, beaten, and thrown into prison. They were put into the innermost prison. It's dark, it's midnight, and it's a horrible circumstance.
Paul and Silas have every reason to be discouraged. They have every reason to be frustrated. "God, we are on mission for you. We're literally preaching the gospel, and as a result of that, we're here in prison?" So, you would have understood if they were complaining. You'd have understood if they were discouraged. You'd have understood if they were frustrated, but we find them singing and praying.
Can you imagine that? Like, come with me in your mind. It's midnight. It's dark. You can't see. They're in so much pain from the beating they had just experienced. Maybe at midnight Silas goes, "Paul, are you awake?" He's like, "Yeah."
"Do you want to sing?"
He's like, "Sure. What should we sing?"
"Let's sing 'Oceans.'"
"Nah, we sing that one too much."
They start singing songs of praise to God in a circumstance where they should not be singing. They start singing, and they start praying. Why could Paul and Silas sing and pray at a time like this? It's because they knew their identity was in Christ, that they're in Christ, Christ is in them, and they are hidden in Christ in God. That is the truest thing about them. So, any experience they had in life, no matter good or bad, was under the sovereign control of the God of the universe. They could sing and pray because their identity was secure and they knew who was actually in charge.
Can you imagine how their praying and singing encouraged the other person? In the darkest of moments, listening to someone else pray to God, listening to someone else sing out the things that are true about our God. Imagine how that encouraged the other person's heart. As I was reflecting on this, I thought of a time in my own life.
Back in 2018, I'd just gotten engaged earlier in the summer. This was September of 2018, and there was so much uncertainty I was experiencing. I didn't know whether I'd be able to stay in the country or if I would need to leave for a certain amount of time. I didn't know if that would mess up our wedding plans. I didn't know what would happen next. There was so much that was unknown and uncertain.
I found myself at our high school retreat, standing at the back of the room because I was about to go speak. Hundreds of teenagers were singing a song that was popular at the time called "Yes, I Will." "Yes, I will lift you higher in the lowest valley. Yes, I will bless your name." I remember feeling so encouraged and strengthened listening to teenagers sing truth about God.
Do you know that that is the exact same opportunity you have every single Sunday when we sing? Yes, we are singing to God. We are worshiping God, but in those very moments, the Spirit is using your singing to encourage and strengthen the people around you. In fact, I was reading an article this week, and the article was titled Someone Is Listening to Your Suffering. It made me ask the question for myself, "What song do people hear when you suffer?"
You see, every single one of us suffers. None of us is immune from the painful hand of suffering, and every one of us sings a song with how we respond in the middle of our pain. The question is…What song do people hear when you suffer? That's not pretending everything is awesome and acting like it's not painful. No. There is a deep-rooted conviction in your identity in Christ, if you're a follower of Jesus, and an unwavering trust in his sovereign plan at work in the midst of your pain. What song do people hear when you suffer?
I love this quote from Tyler Staton in The Familiar Stranger talking about suffering. He says, "This side of the resurrection, suffering is a part of our inheritance as Spirit-filled people. The Holy Spirit empowers us not to escape suffering but to endure it—and even to repurpose it into a key ingredient in the recipe of redemption. The Spirit of the living God within you and me makes suffering sufferable." So, what song do people hear when you suffer?
I also love that Paul and Silas weren't just encouraging to each other. If you read verse 25 again, it says the other prisoners were listening to them. This wasn't just a circumstantial happenstance, like, "Oh, they overheard them." When you read the Greek, the Greek actually says they were bending their ear. They wanted to hear.
"Who are these people who sing and pray in the darkest of moments?" It's people whose identity is secure and whose trust is unwaveringly in the God of the universe. Those are the kinds of people who sing and pray in the middle of suffering. So, we see them meet the needs of each other, of fellow sufferers in this darkest of times.
Let's look, finally, at the last example of Spirit-led attentiveness in verse 26. Remember, it's midnight. They're praying. They're singing. The prisoners are listening. Verse 26: "…and 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 bonds were unfastened." So, they're all free.
"When the jailer woke and saw that the prison doors were open, he drew his sword…" We'll jump over a few of those words. "…supposing that the prisoners had escaped. But Paul cried with a loud voice, 'Do not harm yourself, for we are all here.' And the jailer called for lights and rushed in, and trembling with fear he fell down before Paul and Silas. Then he brought them out and said, 'Sirs, what must I do to be saved?'
And 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 and to all who were in his house. And he took them the same hour of the night and washed their wounds; and he was baptized at once, he and all his family. Then he brought them up into his house and set food before them. And he rejoiced along with his entire household that he had believed in God."
Guys, there's so much going on here, and we don't have time to go into all of the details, but it is so powerful for us to pay attention to what's happening. So, the jailer knows this earthquake has happened and everyone is free, and the jailer knows if these guys leave, he is in serious trouble. But something strange happens. In a moment where they had every opportunity to run… They were now free. Paul and Silas could escape, and they could go on and continue to preach the gospel, to do what they had come to do, but instead they stay.
The question for us to consider is…Are you trying to escape your suffering or endure it? For me, it's so easy for me to pray, "God, can you fix this? Can you resolve this painful circumstance or season?" Don't get me wrong. It's okay to pray for relief in the midst of suffering. We are promised that in God's future kingdom there will be no more suffering, so we should pray for relief. But how often do we pray, "God, will you give me the strength to endure it? God, maybe you're using this suffering or this moment to bring someone to a greater and clearer understanding of who you are." Are you seeking to escape your suffering or endure it?
So they stayed. They decided to stay. The jailer runs up to them, falls down, and says, "What must I do to be saved?" Now, why would he ask that question? Because he had seen enough. He had seen that these were the men who were praying and praising in the middle of their pain. He had seen that these were the men who had the opportunity to escape, to run, to be free, but still they stayed. They remained.
There was something different about these guys, and he knew he wanted what they had. So, he runs up to them and says, "What must I do to be saved?" Maybe you're in this room, and you're in the middle of some difficult circumstances. You may even describe it as an earthquake moment. Maybe God is using that very moment to bring you to your knees and for you to ask the question, "What must I do to be saved?"
If that's you, what you must do to be saved is what the apostle Paul and Silas respond, which is to believe in the name of the Son of God, to trust that the God of the universe loved you so much he sent his Son to become one of us, to live perfectly, to die sacrificially, to raise victoriously, and then to ascend to heaven, sending his Spirit and providing a way for you and me to be reconciled with God. Friends, the way to be saved is to believe in the name and the work and the resurrection of the Son of God.
I love in the story, in verse 33, after the jailer becomes a Christian, he takes these guys to his house. It says, "…and he was baptized at once, he and all his family." So, his family also hears the gospel and responds to the gospel. In the middle of the night… I mean, it's probably 2:00 or 3:00 a.m., and they're getting baptized.
I want to stop here to make this point. Baptism is a special occasion for us to publicly identify with Christ, being buried with him and risen with him to walk in newness of life, and it is also normal. It is a normal part of the Christian experience. It is a normal step that every follower of Jesus should take.
So, if you're a Christian in the room and you've never been baptized, I want to encourage you that you don't need to reach some level of spiritual maturity that you envision to be able to be baptized. In fact, right after this service, there are a few people who are going to publicly declare their devotion to Jesus through baptism. Let's celebrate these people!
Maybe one of these days we have so many people after one of these services that they're like, "Guys, we've got to go way quicker than we usually do because we've got dozens of people to get baptized." I hope that happens, because it's a normal part of the Christian experience. So, you can go to watermark.org/baptism if that is a step you're ready to take.
So, the entire family trusts Christ, and they all get baptized. Then it's so cool to see what happens next. It's the middle of the night. They get baptized at 3:00 a.m. Then look at verse 34. "Then he brought them up into his house and set food before them. And he rejoiced along with his entire household that he had believed in God."
Guys, it's 3:00 a.m., and a lot of stuff has happened. At the end of all of it, they're like, "You know what? Let's cook some food." They share a meal together, and they celebrate God's goodness and grace. It's interesting to notice that after the jailer's conversion, one of the clearest evidences of his newfound life in Christ is that he begins to take an interest in the needs of others. He bandages up their wounds, and he provides a meal for them in the middle of the night.
So, what's the application for you and me? A clear way to be a witness for Christ this week…in your home, with your kids, with your spouse, with your coworkers, with your roommates, with your neighbors, with the person at the grocery store… Wherever you find yourself this week, a clear way to be a witness for Christ is by being attentive to the needs of others, because the gospel advances when the Spirit leads us to be attentive to the needs of others.
I'm going to close by reading Philippians 2:3-8. I love this passage, because you can't read it without imagining that Paul is writing to this church in Philippi that started with an upper-class businesswoman, a lower-class slave girl, and a jailer who became a Christian in the most miraculous of moments. You can imagine with me. Years later, Paul is writing these words to them and by extension to us.
"Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross."
Guys, the only way you and I can have and experience a Spirit-led attentiveness to the needs of others is because of the God of the universe doing that very thing. He became one of us. He humbled himself. He condescended to us. Paul says to have the same mind in you that Christ Jesus had.
So, to be able to meet the needs of others, to be able to encourage each other and sing "Yes, I Will" in the midst of suffering, or to be able to look at your suffering and use it as an opportunity to share the reason for the hope you have in Jesus, it requires looking to Jesus and following his example and asking the Spirit to lead you. I pray that this church would be marked by an unmistakable Spirit-led attentiveness to the needs of others. Let me pray that you would.
God, we love you. We're so grateful for your Word and the reminders from it. Thank you for your Son Jesus and how he demonstrated his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Thank you for his humility, his service, and his attentiveness to our needs. God, may we, empowered by your Spirit, live that way every single day. We worship you now. In Jesus' name, amen.
