Turning Obstacles Into Opportunities
Introduction
Newsweek carried the fascinating story of Karen Hartley. During a skiing trip she was stranded and alone due to an avalanche. As the darkness and cold of night descended, she wondered, “What am I to do?” What came to her was this: she was to dance to the music that kept coming into her head.
She could have curled up into a fetal position and allowed the darkness and cold to end her life. Instead, she chose to dance all night, and in the coming day she was saved.
In Acts 16, Paul and Silas find themselves surrounded by obstacles that would have made the best of us turn to despair. Yet, these men saw things from a different perspective. As they focused on God’s glory and greatness, their obstacles became an opportunity for God to show His mighty power.
What do you see as the greatest obstacle in your life or family today? This morning let’s see that obstacle as an opportunity to experience the presence of God in a fresh way.
I. Obstacle And Opportunity # 1
A. Obstacle - Prison
Acts 16:22-24, “The crowd joined in the attack against Paul and Silas, and the magistrates ordered them to be stripped and beaten. After they had been severely flogged, they were thrown into prison, and the jailer was commanded to guard them carefully. Upon receiving such orders, he put them in the inner cell and fastened their feet in the stocks.”
Paul and Silas were thrown into prison evidently because Paul had ruined a massive money making business! A young slave girl, making a great deal for her owners through fortune telling, followed Paul and his companions around for days declaring, “These are the servants of the Most High God, who are telling you the way to be saved,” (Acts 16:17).
As this continued on for days, Paul finally had enough! Through the power of the Name of Jesus, he cast that spirit out of her and it left her. This action infuriated the slave girl owners because they had lost their top financial investment! As a result, Paul and Silas were then brought before the local government officials and thrown into prison.
B. Opportunity - Praise
“About midnight, Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God…” Acts 16:25
That’s what it means to turn your obstacles to opportunities! Isn’t it amazing that these men of God were surrounded by darkness, devils, and depressing circumstances, yet nothing could stop them from praising the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ?
Beth Moore relates the following story of a friend who lost her fifteen year old son in a car accident, “I will never forget accompanying our friend to the funeral home and helping her choose a casket. All four of us walked to the car and drove away without saying a word. Within a couple of blocks, one of us began to cry, and then the rest of us joined her without saying a word. After several minutes of silence, another began to sing with broken notes, “I love you, Lord…and I lift my voice…to worship You…O, my soul rejoice.” I could hardly believe the nerve of my fellow member to sing at a time like that. Before I could look at her with proper horror, the mother’s best friend joined in, “Take joy, my King, in what you hear…may it be a sweet, sweet sound in Your ear.” The words fell from their lips a second time and to my shock, the brokenhearted mother began to sing. If she could sing, I knew I could not remain silent. We sang the rest of the way home that day…I knew that day what God meant when He told us to lift up the sacrifice of praise. When praise is the last thing that comes naturally to us and we choose to worship Him anyway, we’ve had the privilege of offering a genuine sacrifice.” (Beth Moore, To Live is Christ, pgs. 115-16)
II. Obstacle And Opportunity # 2
A. Obstacle - Darkness
Did your parents ever tell you growing up, “Son, Daughter, nothing good happens after midnight!” That may sound right, but it’s not always biblical! Acts 16 gives evidence that God is still at work late into the night!
The truth of the matter is, we all go through seasons of darkness in our lives. Some of those dark seasons may come as a result of:
- Death of a loved one
- Sickness that will not go away
- Personal sin in our lives
- Loss of a job or friendship
Disappointment with others our even with ourselves
Dark seasons are a part of everyone’s life, Christian or non-Christian. The good news is, good will triumph over evil. Light will eventually defeat the darkness.
B. Opportunity - Deliverance
“Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open, and everybody’s chains came loose.” Acts 16:26
Isn’t it true that out of some our darkest times, comes our greatest testimonies? Testimonies that are not about us, but about what God has done in us, through us, and for us!
Our personal testimonies of God’s deliverance(s) in our lives may not be as big and fancy as others, but if the Spirit of Jesus Christ has taken up residence in your life through believing in the Lord Jesus Christ, that is powerful!
If you are follower of Christ, the same God who rescued Paul and Silas from prison and darkness has also delivered you! Colossians 1:13-14, “For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.”
As the old hymns says, “Jesus paid it all, all to Him I owe, sin had left a crimson stain, He washed it white as snow!” What a testimony!
III. Obstacle And Opportunity # 3
A. Hopelessness
Acts 16:27, “The jailer woke up, and when he saw the prison doors open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself because he thought the prisoners had escaped.”
Do you sense the hopelessness in the jailer’s heart? He had one main reason for living, which was to be the best Roman jailer he can possibly be. He’s failed in his life’s main purpose. Now that his reason for living is gone, why should he continue to stay around.
Some of you may feel just like this. You have lost something of special value to you, a relationship, a job, a person, and now you wonder, “Why should I even continue on in life?”
There is more to life than your job, family, possessions, etc. If you are living for the things of this world alone, you are going to be miserable in this life and in the life to come.
Jesus said, “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and the gospel will save it. What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul?” Mark 8:34- 46
What makes a person hopeless? There are people all around you who are hopeless right now even though:
- They have a large bank account
- They have high morals
- They attend church with regularity
- Their family is well thought of/respected
What makes a person hopeless is that they have yet to find that personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. Every person you and I meet without Jesus Christ as personal Lord and Savior is:
Spiritually Empty – “God Shaped Vacuum” in every soul that God and God alone can fill.
Alienated from God – In America, there is enough entertainment and attraction that should quench all sense of loneliness in our lives. Yet people today feel more alone than ever, because we were not created for people and parties alone, but to know and enjoy fellowship with the Lord.
In Desperate Need of Forgiveness - (Romans 3:23, 6:23, 5:8)
On The Road to Eternity – Everyone of us has to deal with the reality of death (Hebrews 9:27). During the summer months, people sometimes prepare for years in advance to go on their vacations, yet give little to any thought about their true final destination. The only way to be properly prepared for eternity is to know the Lord Jesus Christ personally and living for Him day in and day out!
B. Opportunity - Helpfulness
You don’t have to remain hopeless, you can become helpful and happy. The most helpful and happy people I know are those who have completely given their lives to the Lord Jesus Christ and are actively seeking to make a difference in the lives of others.
How did the jailer go from hopelessness to helpfulness/happiness in an instant?
First, he realized he helpless condition! “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” Some of us have to hit rock bottom before we get serious with God!
Second, he accepted Jesus Christ into his life! “Believe (trust, rely) on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved – you and your household.”
When the jailer received Christ as His Lord and Savior, there was a joy in his life that had never been there before. He found out that Christian joy does not depend on outer circumstances, rather the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit. Misery comes from relying on self…joy comes when we rely on the presence and power of the Holy Spirit. On our own strength, joy is unattainable, yet through faith in Christ there is “joy unspeakable and full of glory!” (1 Peter 1:8)
Jesus told his disciples nothing in the world could take their joy away from them because the Holy Spirit would be their Source! Jesus reminded them, “I tell you the truth, you will weep and mourn while the world rejoices. You will grieve, but your grief will turn to joy. A woman giving birth to a child has pain because her time has come; but when her baby is born she forgets the anguish because of her joy that a child is born into the world. So with you” Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again, and no one will take away your joy.” John 16:20-22
How deep is your Christian joy? Do you depend on things and people to bring you joy more than you do your relationship with God?
That joy could return soon if you would get your eyes off your Obstacles and start asking the Lord to let every person you see become on Opportunity to share the good news of the Lord Jesus Christ!
Vance Havner in his sermon, “Like Him In This World,” says that when one becomes a Christian, Christ becomes that persons life. That means:
- His joys become our joys
- His sorrows become our sorrows
- His friends become our friends
- His enemies become our enemies
- His cross becomes our cross
- His future becomes our future
Don’t lose sight of why you are here as a Christian. You have the same power Paul and Silas had and the same purpose they had, to let their light shine for Christ in a world that desperately needs it!
What identifies this follower of the Lord Jesus Christ?
1. Concern
Paul and Silas were concerned not only the jailer, but they wanted his whole family to know the Lord, too! Acts 16:31-32,“Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved – you and your household.” Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all the others in his house.”
(Note in The Discovery Study Bible, “In the first century, a man’s household included family members, slaves, freed slaves and others who were obligated to him in some way. It was expected that members of the household would follow the religion of the pater familia. Paul’s statement to the Philippian jailer was simply that any member of his household who chose to believe would be saved by faith, just as the jailer would be.”)
2. Compassion
“At that hour of the night the jailer took them and washed their wounds.” Acts 16:33
It’s evident the change in this man’s life. He’s no longer living for himself, but for the Lord Jesus Christ and others.
3. Care
“The jailer brought them into his house and set a meal before them.” Acts 16:34
4. Commitment
“…he and all his family were baptized.” Acts 16:33
Conclusion
Families and individuals are up against so much today. So many are defined by their prisons, darkness, and helplessness. Many families, individuals and even churches choose to focus on obstacles rather than opportunities. When Paul and Silas praised and honored God, He turned their prisons to praise, darkness to deliverance, and hopelessness in helpfulness/happiness. What will you choose this morning?