Sermon for Sunday August 1st, 2004

Some Good Things About Midnight by McClinton Hall

Acts 16:23-16:23

Some Good Things About Midnight

And when they had laid many stripes upon them; they cast them into prison, charging the jailer to keep them safely: Who, having received such a charge, thrust them into the inner prison, and made their feet fast in the stocks. And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them. And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened, and every one’s bands were loosed. Acts 16.23

Rev. McClinton Hall

Jesus in the Book of Acts is gone. He has ascended back to heaven and now sits on the right hand of God, the Father. I’m glad that Jesus set up His program for the church so that His work wouldn’t end just because He’s gone. For the Bible said He made choice of twelve men. Some He called to put down their doctor’s bag. Some He called to lay down their nets. Some He called from the tax collectors office. He told them to come on and follow me. He trained those twelve men. He guided and taught them and when Jesus left, He left the church in their hands. He told them to preach the Gospel. Even though the Book of Acts talks about Jesus, it also talks about the life of those twelve men that He left here after He had gone back to heaven. That’s why it’s called the Book of Acts, because it talks about how the Apostle acted when Jesus had left them. The Book of Acts talked about how they walked. How they lived and the lives that they lived. It is also commonly referred to as the Acts of the Apostles. It is in this book that we find records of persecution that children of God had to endure all because of Jesus Christ.
And let me say this, this morning, you haven’t done much in the church unless you have been persecuted. For I’m a witness that when you really try to give God your all, somebody is going to persecute you. Somebody is going to try to bring you down. There are some folk who don’t want to see you grow spiritually. They will do all they can to try hinder God’s program. These things must come. Can I get a witness? Our text this morning is centered around the word midnight. Midnight is not one word, but it is the combination of two words, mid and night. If we analyze each piece of this word midnight, we will find that the first part of the word midnight is mid. The word mid is a short way of saying middle. According to the dictionary, it is that which lies in the center of things. Not too far to the left and not too far to the right, but somewhere in the center. Well, the dictionary defines the word night as a period of darkness. A period when darkness covers the land. A time when it is hard for us to see things that are around us. Can I get a witness?
Now if you put mid and night together with mid meaning the middle and night meaning a period of darkness, it means in the center of darkness. Midnight is a peculiar time. Mothers began to worry about where their children are when they have messed up and stayed out past midnight. A lot of pacing the floor and a lot of restless hours come when they stay out pass midnight. Not only that, but husbands and wives have a whole lot of explaining to do when they go out and mess up and stay pass midnight. Midnight is a peculiar time. I wish I had some help. Midnight is the point where PM ends and AM begins. Midnight is the dividing wall between PM and AM. There use to be a time in my boyhood when it was a disgrace for a respectable person to be caught out pass midnight. Can I get a witness? Well time has brought about a change. Where we have some who are struggling trying to make in before midnight, there are some folk who are just getting ready to leave out at midnight. Midnight is an awesome time. Well, just like there are midnights in worldly living. Just as there are midnights in time., the life of a Christian has its midnights. The darkest hours in the life of a child of God is their midnights.
My brothers and sisters life has a way of making us acquainted with many forms of midnights. Midnight is simply trouble in the life of someone. Midnights can come in many shapes, forms and fashions. Well, Reverend, what are some of the types of midnights? I’m glad Loving Peace that you asked. Well, one example of a midnight is when you walk out of the doctor’s office and you hear him tell you, I’ve done all that I can and you have a sickness where there is no cure and it’s just a matter of time before you leave here. And it goes through your mind and you’re wondering, why me? That’s a midnight. Can I get a witness? When you stand by the graveside of a loved one and watch the dearest person to you be lower down in a grave. That’s a midnight. Not only that, but when you have done your best in the service of the Lord. When you have given you best on the Lord’s program. When you sacrificed and went when you didn’t feel like going and folk laughed and made fun of you and say that you’ve done nothing at all. That’s a midnight. Somebody know what I’m talking about.
You go home and you’re so hurt, you say you’re not gong back no more. You’re so hurt, you’re hungry, but you can’t eat. You’re thirsty, but you don’t want anything to drink. You’re so weak that you want to lay down, but you can’t lay down. You don’t feel like standing up and you don’t know what to do. That’s a midnight. Everybody sooner of later will experience a midnight. There may be somebody here this morning who will say, I’ve never experienced a midnight. I’ve never had any trouble. I don’t what it means to have to suffer.” If you who are under the sound of my voice, all I have to say to you is, just stay here a while. Keep on living and before it’s all over, life will make you get acquainted with old man midnight. Midnights are terrible things. But you know one thing I’ve learned, I’ve learned that midnights are not all bad. There are some good things about midnights. There are some good things about having and experiencing midnights. My brothers and sisters, midnights can make us better. You see one thing about midnight, if you never prayed before, midnights will bring you to your knees. Can I get a witness?
And you see when a child of God is on their knees, they are at their best. I heard a songwriter say, “It’s hard to stumble when you are on your knees.” Oh, Loving Peace midnights will make you realize how little you really are and how big God is. You know a whole lot of folk think they’re everything. They feel they have all of the sense and all of the no how. But when you find yourself in a situation where good sense can’t get you out of, when you find yourself in a situation where money can’t buy your way out of, when you find yourself in a situation where all of the lawyers and politicians can’t get you out of, you’ll end up having to go down on your knees and asking God to help you. Midnights make us pray more. Midnights make us know that we still need God. But you know something else I’ve learned. That midnights sometimes help us and make us understand that these material things are not permanent. Can I get a witness? That house that some folk get so wrapped up in. You know what I’m talking about. It’s too precious for anybody to walk in on with their shoes.
Now if you put mid and night together with mid meaning the middle and night meaning a period of darkness, it means in the center of darkness. Midnight is a peculiar time. Mothers began to worry about where their children are when they have messed up and stayed out past midnight. A lot of pacing the floor and a lot of restless hours come when they stay out pass midnight. Not only that, but husbands and wives have a whole lot of explaining to do when they go out and mess up and stay pass midnight. Midnight is a peculiar time. I wish I had some help. Midnight is the point where PM ends and AM begins. Midnight is the dividing wall between PM and AM. There use to be a time in my boyhood when it was a disgrace for a respectable person to be caught out pass midnight. Can I get a witness? Well time has brought about a change. Where we have some who are struggling trying to make in before midnight, there are some folk who are just getting ready to leave out at midnight. Midnight is an awesome time. Well, just like there are midnights in worldly living. Just as there are midnights in time., the life of a Christian has its midnights. The darkest hours in the life of a child of God is their midnights.
My brothers and sisters life has a way of making us acquainted with many forms of midnights. Midnight is simply trouble in the life of someone. Midnights can come in many shapes, forms and fashions. Well, Reverend, what are some of the types of midnights? I’m glad Loving Peace that you asked. Well, one example of a midnight is when you walk out of the doctor’s office and you hear him tell you, I’ve done all that I can and you have a sickness where there is no cure and it’s just a matter of time before you leave here. And it goes through your mind and you’re wondering, why me? That’s a midnight. Can I get a witness? When you stand by the graveside of a loved one and watch the dearest person to you be lower down in a grave. That’s a midnight. Not only that, but when you have done your best in the service of the Lord. When you have given you best on the Lord’s program. When you sacrificed and went when you didn’t feel like going and folk laughed and made fun of you and say that you’ve done nothing at all. That’s a midnight. Somebody know what I’m talking about.
They had just left Macedonia and they were led by the Spirit of God to go to Philippi to preach God’s word. It had gotten dark and Paul and Silas made their way to the temple. When they got there, they bowed down and thanked the Lord for helping them to make the journey. Let me tell you thing, when you start out from one place to another. When you get to your destination, it’s a good thing to bow down and tell God, “Lord I thank you for helping me to make my journey.” Well, it just good to let God know that you appreciate what He has done for . The scripture tells us that when they had finished praying they left from out of the temple and early the next morning, they went into the streets and corners and they preached Christ and Him crucified. They told the people that the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life. The Bible said a large crowd had gathered now to hear the what Paul and Silas had to say. But everybody Loving Peace in large crowds are not always there for the right reasons. Some folk come just to look and find fault in others. Come on somebody. Some folk come to criticize.
And it’s a shame because there are some folk who come just to worship and praise God and lift up the name of Jesus. There are some folk who can’t praise God worrying about why you’re praising Him. I don’t about nobody else, but I’ve got a reason for praising Him. Look at me, I hadn’t always been like this. I have a reason to praise Him. Somebody know what I’m talking about. Well, there were some in the group who resented the fact that Paul and Silas was preaching. You know who I’m talking about. The Pharisees showed up and they came to plot and scheme against Paul and Silas. And if y’all don’t mind I want to use my spiritual imagination while I talk to you. I’m going to hoop in a minute, but right now I got to tell the story. No doubt they told Paul and Silas, “We don’t mean you no harm, but we were at the meeting and heard those sermons that you preached. We don’t mean no harm, but you got to get out of town. What you’re saying is pulling the cover off our wrong doing. You’re showing us up before the folk and making us look bad.”
Paul and Silas listened to what they had to say. Loving Peace isn’t it ashamed that when the preacher is preaching and he step on some toes, instead of them saying ouch, they want to criticize the preacher. You know what I’m talking about. Folk will say, “He’s picking on me.” But I got news for you. The preacher don’t know what you be doing when you leave here. He’s just preaching the Gospel. Can I get witness? Paul and Silas told them in so many words, yes we love our lives as much as any other man, but we have learned that we must tell the story. It’s something burning on the inside and we can’t hold our peace. We got to tell it everywhere we go. They told Paul and Silas that that if they didn’t leave town, they would have them thrown in prison. Well, Paul and Silas went on down the same street corner and told the same story about the same Man. Something on the inside of you will make you do that. Anybody on my street? But somebody went back and told the Pharisees that they were still preaching. The record is, those Pharisees, those heathen folk, went down and bound Paul and Silas in chain and put them in prison. I can see Silas and I can see Paul in my mind as they made their way to the Philippian jail. And I can imagine that time had bent Paul over. Time had put a rock in his walk. He didn’t walked like he used to walk.

Conclusion:
* As I hurry on to a close, can’t you see them walking on to the jail house down in Philippi. Oh, I wish I could have been there to have taken that stroll with Paul and Silas. I would have told them, I know you’re worried about your condition. I know you’re worried about what’s going to happen to you. I would have told them, be not dismayed whatever betides you, God will take care of you. When you’ve been made of love divine, God will take care of you. Ain’t God alright? Well, they put Paul and Silas in the inner most part of the prison. When they locked the doors, they put a guard by the doors and the guard was told to guard them with his life. Every now and then the guard would go over to the cell and see if Paul and Silas was still in jail.
The record is, those boys were in jail all morning long. Twelve o’clock came, high noon and the boys were still in jail. The record is, and I wasn’t there, but I heard that they were still in jail all evening long. I can imagine that 5:00 PM came, 5:00 news time and the news report was that Paul and Silas was still in jail. Ain’t God alright? The sun started going down, 6:00 came and they were still in jail. 7:00 PM came an they were still in jail. I can see them in my mind as supper time rolled around and they boys were still in jail. It’s dark now and at 8:00 PM, they were still in jail. 9:00 PM came and they were still in jail. Oh, I can imagine at 10:00 and they were still in jail. At 10:30 and they were still in jail. Can you see them. Everybody in jail was sleep, but Paul and Silas was wide awake. Ain’t God alright? Well, you know Loving Peace, I know how Paul and Silas felt, because there’s been times in my life when I was so burdened, so heavy laden that I couldn’t sleep at night. Everybody in house was sleep, but I was the only one that still lying awake. There are some things that will cause you lie awake all night. There are some things that will cause to walk the floor all night long.
But I heard a song writer say, “Trouble gets in my way, I have to cry sometimes, I lay awake at night, but that’s alright, all because I know that Jesus will fix it, after while.” Paul and Silas were wide awake. Well, the clock on the wall kept on ticking. 11:30 came and they were still in jail. 11:45 came and they were still in jail. 11:50 came and they were still in jail. 11:55 came and they were still in jail. 11:59 came and they were still in jail. But wait a minute. Don’t breathe too loud. The Bible said at midnight, Paul and Silas decided that they were going to sing a song and pray a prayer. Some folk said that Silas did the singing and Paul did the praying, but the Bible didn’t say which one sang and which one prayed. But the Bible said they sang and they prayed. I’m going home when I tell you. It’s a mighty find thing that when midnight come in your life, you ought to go down on your knees. I wasn’t there to know what song they sang. But Lord have mercy, if I had been there, I believe I would have sang, “Father I stretch my hands to thee, no other help I know.
If thou withdraw thyself from me, Tell me, oh, tell me, where shall I go.” I don’t know, but if I had been there, I might’ve gotten happy and I might have sang that old song, “I know the Lord will, I know the Lord will make a way somehow.” Yes He will. Well_____ you know there’s something about prayer. Want it change things? If you’re in trouble and can’t find your way, prayer change things. If you don’t have a plan and don’t know how you’re going to make it, prayer change things. They sang and prayed until their prayer reached heaven. They telephone heaven and God picked up the phone. He heard their prayer coming through. And that’s all you got to do Loving Peace, call Him up and tell Him what you want. The Lord heard their prayer and no sooner than they got through praying, power fell from heaven. Power fell from heaven. Power came down and walked in the jail. Power kicked the jail house door open. Power ripped the hinges from the door. Power took off the shackles of Paul and Silas. And Paul and Silas walked out of that jail. Ain’t God alright? Well, is there anybody here who ever had some midnights? Is there anybody here that know for yourself, the Lord will, the Lord will make a way somehow. The Lord will carry you through your midnights? Is there anybody here ever tried Him. If you tried Him, you ought to stand on your feet. Look at your neighbor and tell them, “I know the Lord will make a way somehow.” Want he make a way? Want He make a way? Want the Lord make a way? Ain’t the Lord alright? I got one more thing I need to tell you. If you are a child of God, you ought to make it up in your mind that you’re going all the way with the Lord. I don’t know about you, but I’ve come too far to turn around. Ain’t the Lord alright.? Say yeah. Say yeah. Oh_______ yeah. If you got some midnights, don’t worry. Just pray on. Pray on and hold on. Hold on. Hold on to God’s unchanging hand. Hold on choir members. Hold on ushers. Hold on missionary. Hold on deacon board. Members hold. Hold on. Hold on. Hold on. After while. After while. After while, by and by, it will all be over down here. I don’t know how you feel about it, but I’m going home. I’m going home. I’m going over there where the wicked will cease from troubling and the weary will be at rest. Hold on. Hold on. And one of these days everything will be alright.