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Sunday, May 20, 2007
Scripture: Acts 16: 16-34
Title: “Chains were unfastened ”

We pick up this story from where we left off last week. As you remember Paul receives a vision to travel to Macedonia and to bring the Gospel message to a new location. They meet Lydia and begin a new church in Philippi.

And now we learned from reading our Scripture today, that they thought, Well it ain’t broke, so why rock the boat. Being good fishers of men and women, Paul and Silas go back to this place of prayer that they met Lydia and some other women. They go back for several days and each day, Paul and Silas would pass a young slave girl who is possessed by a divining spirit. And each day, she would call out to passersby that Paul and Silas were “slaves of the God most High who could bring you salvation.”

I am sure on the first day, Paul and Silas hear her and walk by, waving to people, pretending that nothing is happening. And then the next days, Paul and Silas walk a little faster by this young slave girl, maybe keeping their heads down, pretending that they don’t know what is going on or who this young girl is predicting these things about. “Just walk a little quicker, Silas. Just keep walking.”

And then one day, Paul has had enough. He and Silas walk through the marketplace to go to the place of prayer, in hopes of finding more people to hear the Good News of Jesus Christ and they pass by this young slave girl who is said to have the same spirit that guarded the Oracle of Delphi. And Paul has had enough!

I imagine that Paul and Silas walk by and the young girl starts calling out again, “These men are slaves of the Most High God, who proclaim to you a way of salvation.” Paul and Silas walk on a little farther and then Paul says, That’s it! I have had enough! And he turns around to walk by to the young girl, leaving Silas, begging Paul to just forget about. “Paul, let’s not forget why we are here. Paul, just ignore her. Sure what she says is true, but Paul, let it go. Let’s just make it back to the place of prayer and do what we came to do. Paul, Paul come back here Paul…”

Paul strides over to the young slave girl, his arms swinging, frustration is written all over his face and then he stops in front of the young girl and says, “I order you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.”

And then the market gets really quiet. People begin to look at each. They start to whisper behind their hands. And Silas is a few feet away, head down, shaking his head, wishing there was a hole for him to climb into, knowing that there is trouble ahead for both he and Paul.

And the owners of this young slave girl see that they will no longer be making any money off this young girl. And the owners see that Paul has just stop the economic flow of profit for them. And the owners see that this young girl is no longer any use to them and then must have no value anymore for anyone.

The owners seize Paul and Silas and have them arrested on trumped up charges that would never really stick in a true court of law.

Chains are unfastened. Chains are fastened. But who is really free?

Silas and Paul spend the night in jail, after being beaten and stripped of anything that reminds that they are human. They are locked into the most secure, most inner part of the prison, with chains fastened to their body and their feet are locked into the stocks.

And they begin to pray and to sing!

And an earthquake happens. It rocks the prison from its foundations. Chains are thrown off. Cell doors thrown open wide. There is freedom.

And the jailer realizes what is happening and tries to take his own life, which is the only honorable thing he can do with the assumption that he has failed in his job and the prisoners have escaped.

Paul cries out! “Don’t! We are all here!”
And then the jailer asks, “What must I do to be saved?

And Paul says “Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved.

Chains are unfastened. Chains are fastened. But who is really free?
Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved!

At the heart of this story are moments of conversion. I am not talking about empty conversions that are promised by TV evangelists in exchange for money. I am not talking about empty conversions that are given in situations as an escape from punishment or with the promise of blessing.

The moments of conversion that I am talking about are when the chains are thrown off and one becomes free in the Lord. The moments of conversion that I am talking about are when healing happens and we let go off what controls our lives, when we let go of what enslaves us or chains us and we let God take control in the powerful name of Jesus Christ.

When we were baptized, we asked the question, “What must I do to be saved?” And we were told, “Throw off those chains!” Throw off the chains that separate you from your God. Throw off those chains that bind you and prevent you from fully living in relationship with your God. Throw off those chains that prevent your brothers and sisters from being free in the name of the Lord.
Throw off those chains and truly experience the freedom that comes from being a believer in Jesus Christ.

Now I am not suggesting that we go to the federal prison on Leestown Road and open the doors and throw off the chains.

What I am suggesting is that when we experienced our conversion through our baptism, through our experience with the Risen Christ, we were invited to give our whole heart, our whole soul, our whole being to God. We were invited to live our lives as God calls us.

And that is to live out our faith which involves a vision of reality in which God is real and present in our lives. To live out our faith that has awaken us to a deeper experience of the events of our lives. To live out our faith that reminds us that we are not alone but in the company and companionship with a loving God from whom nothing can separate us.

That is true freedom. That is when the chains become unfastened and we are truly free. That is when we experience true conversion. When we let go of the things that bind, that separate, that hold us back, and we experience the life-giving love of God.

God saves the lost. God saves the enslaved. God saves the ones who think that they are free but have never experienced the freeing grace of God.

There is freedom and then there is freedom.

Our world is chained down. Our brothers and sisters in faith are chained down. We are chained down and cannot find a way to break free. We are chained by life’s control issues. We are chained by society’s expectations. Our world is chained down by prejudice. Our world is chained down by wealth. Our world is chained down by unfair laws. Our world is chained down by profits and hold people hostage from living a clean healthy life. Our world is chained down.

Believe in your God and you will be saved!

Throw off the chains of prejudice. Throw off the chains of profits. Throw off the chains of unfair laws.
Create a conversion experience by feeding the hungry. Create a conversion experience by being responsible buyers of goods. Create a conversion experience by inviting all to come to the table and experience the freeing love and grace of God who is the salvation of all.

There is freedom and then there is freedom. But who is really free?

In our story, the chains of keeping public order and the chains of influential business interests were placed on Paul and Silas. But they were not held prisoners. In our story, the chains of exploitation and demonic possession were placed on a young slave girl. But she was not held prisoner. In our story, the chains of authority and torture were placed on the jailer. But he was not held prisoner.

Because each and every one of these people knew that God was a God that saves! Because each and every one of these people knew that God was a God that sets people free. Because each and every one of these people knew that God was a God of life-giving grace and peace.

There is freedom and then there is freedom. Who is really free?

Believe in God and your chains will be unfastened!

“In the height of apartheid,[there was an] increasing impact of African churches in the struggle for freedom, their pastors were often as risk from vigilantes and government agents. An experience was shared by a pastor who experienced first hand the power of conversion and freedom in the name of Jesus Christ. As he was attending an African church one Sunday, he was amazed to see the parishioners walking to the pastor’s home and then escorting him and his family to church. While they walked, they sang over and over, “We are walking in the light of God, we are walking in the light of God.”

The pastor began to realize that this community was so rooted in God, that they knew that they were ultimately safe and that the cause of justice would triumph. That the cause of justice would roll down like a river and wash the world clean. That the cause of justice would throw off the chains of oppression, of exploitation, of profit, of human degradation. And freedom would ring throughout the world.

Believe in your God and your chains will be unfastened!

May we all experience the conversion of life-freeing grace of God and may all our chains be unfastened. Amen.

Rev. Heather McColl
Midway Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)

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