I Always Feel Like Somebody's Watching Me!

Acts 16:25
About Midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them.

There’s a crazy little commercial out now from Geico where a stack of money with two eyes is staring at different people. Their friends ask them, “what is that?” They respond by saying, “Oh that’s just the money I would have saved if I would have used Geico,” while the old song by Berry Gordy’s son Rockwell plays in the background…”I always feel like somebody’s watching me…”

That song whose chorus is sung by Michael Jackson is an ode to those who are paranoid that someone is always watching them. To a degree we all have a tinge of paranoia that somebody could be watching us, hence the shades on the windows pulled at home or the shades over our eyes on cloudy days. Oftentimes, if we would look in the spirit we would see a stack of people staring at us. You might ask, “Who are they?” Your spirit would reply, “Oh those are the lost souls I could have saved if I would have served Jesus.” I always feel like somebody’s watching me!

People are watching us particularly when we call ourselves Christian. They want to know how we are going to handle ourselves at night. Night represents the time when we are going through our most tempting circumstances. Night represents the time when life is at its toughest. Night is the time when the only hope people have is the hope that lies in your faith because they have none. I always feel like somebody’s watching me.

Paul and Silas had just been stripped naked and beaten with bamboo rods, thrown in jail for nothing else than casting out a tormenting spirit out of an exploited girl. They exorcised a demon out of a girl who was a fortune teller and was making a fortune for her owners. When the men saw they had lost their chance of further exploitation they brought trumped up charges against Paul and Silas. When you come in and mess with the money of those who’ve been exploiting the community of the oppressed all eyes will be on you.

After they were beaten and jailed, it was midnight. Now if you were beaten and bloody in jail at midnight what would you be doing? Crying? Trying to call your lawyer? Sleeping with your back against the wall with one eye open?

Paul and Silas started praying and singing hymns and the bible says that the prisoners were listening. If it wasn’t so dark they would have been watching so instead they were listening. In your most trying hour people are watching and listening to see how you are going to handle yourself. In the midnight hour Paul & Silas had people watching them and this is what they saw:

1. They were praying. V. 25 who are you calling on when you are going through? Call on Jesus before you call anybody else.

2. They were singing. Eph 5:19 Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord.

3. Prisoners were listening. V. 25. There are other people locked up around you who are looking for a reason not to give up. You may help them to get free by what you do.

4. God worked a miracle. V.26. God sent an earthquake and broke the chains on everybody and set them physically free.

5. People got saved. V. 30-34. The jailer almost killed himself but instead accepted Jesus and brought Paul and Silas to his house where his whole house was baptized.

6. Justice got served. V. 35 Paul reminded them that they had dealt with them unjustly and made them bring them out in full view.

7. The disciples grew after this victory. V. 40. They rejoiced over the miracle and they encouraged the other believers.

Dear God, help me to be strong in my hour of testing so that the people watching can see you through me. I always feel like somebody's watching me so let me have integrity, boldness, and be righteous in the way I carry myself.

In Jesus Name,
Amen