Acts
16:16-34 All Age Talk
Introduction
We are
going back in time this morning to the year 51AD. Our friend Dr Luke is
investigating some strange things which have been happening in the Roman town
of Philippi.
Andrew: What’s the story so far, Dr Luke?
Dr Luke: Its all very confusing and I’m still trying to piece
together what happened. All I know so far is that two of my friends, Paul and
Silas, were arrested, beaten up and thrown in jail the other day, even though
they had done nothing wrong. Then there was an earthquake which caused a lot of
damage to the jail and now lots of new people are queuing up to join the new church
here.
Andrew: How are your friends? Were they injured in the
earthquake?
Dr Luke: No, I don’t think there were any injuries and now my
friends have just marched out of the jail in a procession behind the judges.
I’ve never seen anything like it!
Andrew: What are you going to do now?
Dr Luke: I’m going to try and interview the people involved and
see what I can find out.
Andrew: While Dr Luke carries out his interviews, I’m going to
ask the children to act out the story.
(Jacob stands in pulpit to be interviewed. Meanwhile the children are
‘chained up’ with newspaper handcuffs and put in jail.)
Dr Luke: What’s your name and what can you tell me?
Jacob: I’m Jacob, a prisoner in the Philippi jail. Us
Jews are always getting locked up for something – they don’t like us around
here.
Dr Luke: So what happened in there? You must have been scared!
Jacob: You’re not kidding! It was about midnight, these
new guys had been brought in – we heard them being flogged and then chained up.
Next thing we knew they were singing to their God … our God too, I guess, but
they had a new name for him. A name I hadn’t heard before …
(Paul and Silas
start singing ‘Jesus put this song into our hearts’, then the other prisoners
and eventually the whole congregation join in. The song ends with a long drum
roll followed by a cymbal crash and everyone’s chains are torn open! They all
jump up and shout “Alleluia!” Then they sit down again, looking happy)
Dr Luke: So let me get this straight – they sang to God and
then the earthquake came as if it was God answering them – but that must have
put you in more danger, right?
Jacob: We were afraid that we’d be buried alive – but not
a single person was harmed, then all our chains fell off and the doors swung
open!
Dr Luke: So you were free to escape …
Jacob: But that’s the strange thing –nobody moved.
Normally the one thing you want when you’re in jail is to get out, but suddenly
everyone could have escaped – and we didn’t.
Dr Luke: Why on earth not?
Jacob: I don’t really know. We all just knew at the same
time that the right thing was to stay put. I was watching those two guys, the
singers, to see what they’d say or do next; and they weren’t going anywhere.
Dr Luke: What happened next?
Jacob: Just then, through the dust, we saw that big fool
of a Roman jailer standing in the open
doorway of the jail. He had his sword in his hand and looked like he was about
to kill himself; he must have thought he’d lost all his prisoners. But one of
the singers, Paul, that’s his name - shouted “Don’t harm yourself! We are all here!”
Dr Luke: So the jailer didn’t kill himself?
Jacob: No! He ran back inside and fell on his knees in
front of those guys, asking them what he had to do to be saved – he even
cleaned up their wounds from the beating they’d had earlier. We all felt the
same way. Whatever those two guys had – we all needed it. They had torn up the
rule book and shown us a better way to live. We all wanted to be like them. It
just seemed right.
Dr Luke: Thanks Jacob, I hope you find the new life you are
looking for. And I think I know who I need to speak to next – the jailer.
(Clement the jailer takes Jacob’s place in
the pulpit)
Why
are you so happy, sir?
Clement: I’m alive in a completely new way. Its like I’ve been
born again.
Dr Luke: How can this be? Can a man go back inside his mother’s
womb and be born again?
Clement: Actually that’s the wrong Bible passage J
… So let me put it another way. I’m an experienced soldier, not easily
frightened or impressed. But in all my years and battles I have never seen such
strength and courage … and peace as I saw in these men. I couldn’t believe they were still in their cells
after the earthquake. I called out for light and when I saw what they had done
for me, it was like the brightest light I’d ever seen.
Dr Luke: So you were able to see things differently, more
clearly?
Clement: Yes, that’s exactly right! I always thought the gods
sent earthquakes to kill or punish people they were angry with - but their God sent this earthquake to save my life – and all my household.
I thought I was an expert at keeping people
locked up, but I realised someone more powerful than me is in the business of
setting people free, all people, everybody.
And I want to be part of what that God is
doing, for the rest of my life.
Dr Luke: Wow Clement, that’s a great testimony. You should
write a book about it.
Clement: No, I think you should write the book, Dr Luke.
Dr Luke: Perhaps I will.
Andrew: As the children hand out some cards to help us remember
this great story, let’s bow our heads in prayer and ask God to help us apply
what he is teaching us today:
Dear Lord,
Thank you for the freedom you have given us,
through the liberating work of your beloved
Son.
Thank you that we are truly free; not
just to escape
but often to stay and be a light in the
darkness and a fountain of grace.
Help us to trust you completely, even in the
darkest and most frightening situations.
Help us to experience the power of your Holy
Spirit and to grow
in patience, courage, vision which sees
beyond the obvious
and true, unselfish love for all our
neighbours,
including those who hate us.
We ask this in the name of our Lord and
Saviour, Jesus Christ.
Amen.
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