The Break Out

John Gray @ Lakewood Church

• Sometimes you are in prison and then it gets worse because then it gets dark.
• IF I have to knock then its not my door
• God IS opening my doors and IM about to walk right through
• My blessing is going to be freedom for those around me.

• BACKGROUND
• Acts 16:16-21 KJV
  And it came to pass, as we went to prayer, a certain damsel possessed with a spirit of divination met us, which brought her masters much gain by soothsaying: The same followed Paul and us, and cried, saying, These men are the servants of the most high God, which shew unto us the way of salvation. And this did she many days. But Paul, being grieved, turned and said to the spirit, I command thee in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her. And he came out the same hour. And when her masters saw that the hope of their gains was gone, they caught Paul and Silas, and drew them into the marketplace unto the rulers, And brought them to the magistrates, saying, These men, being Jews, do exceedingly trouble our city, And teach customs, which are not lawful for us to receive, neither to observe, being Romans.
• The "demon-possessed woman" is the last person Paul wanted agreeing with him!
• The woman was how her "pimps" made their money so when the spirit came out of her they were upset so they lied and said the men were "troubling" their city
• Draw your own conclusions!

• The Break Out
• Acts 16:25-28 KJV
  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. And the keeper of the prison awaking out of his sleep, and seeing the prison doors open, he drew out his sword, and would have killed himself, supposing that the prisoners had been fled. But Paul cried with a loud voice, saying, Do thyself no harm: for we are all here.

• At midnight, when things could not get worse they sang praise and prayed.
• Praise can shift the ground under me
• All I need is one person to get in agreement with me and that person can be me! l can encourage my self
• 1 Samuel 30:6-8 6 And David was greatly distressed; for the people spake of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and for his daughters: but David encouraged himself in the LORD his God.
• When I don't know whether or not my praise is getting through l can rest assure that God inhabits the praises of His people
• Psalms 22:3 But thou art holy, O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel
• At midnight my eyes see darkness but my faith sees morning.
• You cant be a prison keeper without beIng in The prison yourself

Victoria Osteen

• Be a Thermostat
• Set the tone
• I am not to read the temperature then adjust
• I am supposed to set the temperature and change the atmosphere
• A parable is told of a farmer who owned an old mule.
• The mule fell into the farmer's well. The farmer heard the mule 'braying'--or whatever mules do when they fall into wells.After carefully assessing the situation, the farmer sympathized with the mule, but decided that neither the mule nor the well was worth the trouble of saving. Instead, he called his neighbors together and told them what had happened...and enlisted them to help haul dirt to bury the old mule in the well and put him out of his misery.Initially, the old mule was hysterical! But as the farmer and his neighbors continued shoveling and the dirt hit his
  back...a thought struck him.It suddenly dawned on him that every time a shovel load of dirt landed on his back...HE SHOULD SHAKE IT OFF AND STEP UP! This he did, blow after blow."Shake it off and step up...shake it off and step up...shake it off and step up!" he repeated to encourage himself.No matter how painful the blows, or distressing the situation seemed the old mule fought "panic" and just kept right on SHAKING IT OFF AND STEPPING UP! You're right! It wasn't long before the old mule, battered and exhausted, STEPPED TRIUMPHANTLY OVER THE WALL OF THAT WELL!What seemed like would bury him, actually blessed him...all because of the manner in which he handled his adversity.
• THAT'S LIFE!

• If we face our problems and respond to them positively, and refuse to give in to panic, bitterness, or self-pity...THE ADVERSITIES THAT COME ALONG TO BURY US USUALLY HAVE WITHIN THEM THE POTENTIAL TO BENEFIT AND BLESS US!
• IF I feel like I AM In a pit
• Shake off deception and step up to a new level.