Great Escapes of Paul the Apostle

1. Read: Acts 9:4-6

2. About the Text:

1) Saul of Tarsus hated the church, and he persecuted it.

2) But he didn’t know what he was really doing.

3) Jesus confronted him and revealed Himself to him as the Lord.

4) Paul’s first escape was from his own self-righteousness (Philippians 3:8-9).

5) After this, he would need escape many more times.

6) Let’s look at a few.

3. Ref. to S, T, P, O, and A.

1. Paul and Barnabas were in Lystra.

1) They healed a paralyzed man.

2) The multitudes thought they were gods.

3) They said they were merely men and then preached the gospel.

4) Jews from neighboring towns turned the crowds against them.

5) They took Paul outside of the city and stoned him, leaving him for dead.

6) As the disciples stood around him, he rose up.

7) They went back into the city and continued preaching, making many disciples.

2. Paul and Barnabas did what God called them to do – preach the gospel.

1) “And he charged us to preach unto the people, and to testify that this is he who is ordained of God to be the Judge of the living and the dead” (Acts 10:42).

2) “But arise, and stand upon thy feet: for to this end have I appeared unto thee, to appoint thee a minister and a witness both of the things wherein thou hast seen me, and of the things wherein I will appear unto thee” (Acts 26:16).

3. What about us?

1) “And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to the whole creation. 16 He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that disbelieveth shall be condemned.” (Mark 16:15-16).

2) “I planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase. So then neither is he that planteth anything, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase. Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one: but each shall receive his own reward according to his own labor. For we are God’s fellow-workers: ye are God’s husbandry, God’s building” (1 Corinthians 3:6-9).

4. God will deliver us too!

1) “But seek ye first his kingdom, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you” (Matthew 6:33).

2) “Wherefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labor is not vain in the Lord” (1 Corinthians 15:58).

1. Paul and Silas are in Philippi.

1) They met Lydia and taught her the gospel.

2) They cast out a demon from a young woman.

3) Her masters were upset because they couldn’t make money any more from her.

4) They had Paul and Silas put into prison.

5) God sent an earthquake that loosed them from their bonds.

6) The jailer was about to kill himself, but Paul told him not to do it.

7) He obeyed the gospel.

8) They were released the next day.

2. The gospel conflicts with man’s passions.

1) “But they that are minded to be rich fall into a temptation and a snare and many foolish and hurtful lusts, such as drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil: which some reaching after have been led astray from the faith, and have pierced themselves through with many sorrows” (1 Timothy 6:9-10).

2) “Charge them that are rich in this present world, that they be not highminded, nor have their hope set on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy; that they do good, that they be rich in good works, that they be ready to distribute, willing to communicate” (1 Timothy 6:17-18).

3) “For the time past may suffice to have wrought the desire of the Gentiles, and to have walked in lasciviousness, lusts, winebibbings, revellings, carousings, and abominable idolatries: wherein they think it strange that ye run not with them into the same excess of riot, speaking evil of you” (1 Peter 4:3-4).

3. Salvation works through the faithful.

1) “But whether we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation; or whether we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which worketh in the patient enduring of the same sufferings which we also suffer” (2 Corinthians 1:6).

2) “Fear not the things which thou art about to suffer: behold, the devil is about to cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days. Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee the crown of life” (Revelation 2:10).

1. Paul sails to Italy from Cesearea.

1) The voyage began well, but after stopping in Crete, they ran into bad weather.

2) Paul warned the captain that the voyage would incur loss if they continued.

3) A strong storm came from the east and carried them out to sea.

4) They sustained the loss of much of their cargo.

5) An angel informed Paul that the crew would not be lost and he would go to Rome.

6) Some of the soldiers wanted to leave the ship, but Paul said, “Except these abide in the ship, ye cannot be saved.”

7) They remained, and the ship finally ran aground on the coast of the island of Melita.

8) All of the 276 people on the ship got safely to shore.

2. God knows the outcomes of things we don’t.

1) Do we trust in Him? – “Then she called the name of the Lord who spoke to her, You-Are-the-God-Who-Sees; for she said, ‘Have I also here seen Him who sees me?’” (Genesis 16:13).

2) “Trust in Jehovah with all thy heart, And lean not upon thine own understanding: In all thy ways acknowledge him, And he will direct thy paths” (Proverbs 3:5-6).

3. Our obedience will bring us to salvation.

1) “though he was a Son, yet learned obedience by the things which he suffered; and having been made perfect, he became unto all them that obey him the author of eternal salvation” (Hebrews 5:8-9).

2) “Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 7:21).

1. God delivered Paul

1) from stoning.

2) from prison.

3) from shipwreck.

2. God will deliver us also.

3. Invitation