Return To Lowell F. Johnson Master Menu Return To Lowell F. Johnson Great Questions From The Bible What Must I Do To Be Saved? Acts 16: Before

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1 Return To Lowell F. Johnson Master Menu Return To Lowell F. Johnson Great Questions From The Bible What Must I Do To Be Saved? Acts 16: Before Reading the Passage When you read Acts 16 you will discover that Paul and Silas are in Philippi and they are in the midst of revival. There are three conversion experiences recorded in Acts 16 and all three are very different. Lydia was the first to be saved - 16: She was an educated business lady and her conversion was a quiet one. A young girl possessed with a python spirit, who was a medium in contact with demons who could supposedly predict the future. She was owned by her "masters" who made much money from her fortune-telling. She began to follow Paul and Silas around, crying out, "These men are the servants of the Most High God." Paul wanted no association with such a person and he turned and commanded the evil spirit to come out of her. When the spirit came out of her, her masters realized they had no more hope of profits so they had Paul and Silas arrested, beaten and thrown into the inner prison. The revival didn't stop in Philippi; it just changed locations. The third conversion experience recorded was that of the Philippi an jailer. Read the Passage Talk about a dynamic salvation experience - this Philippian jailer had one! What led him to be saved? Three things I want to share with you: I. The Events Leading To Salvation 16:25-28 The magistrates tore the clothes off of Paul and Silas and beat them with rods. You have heard offolks being "caned." That's what happened here. Bloody and bruised, Paul and Silas' feet were put in stocks. Wooden stocks were designed to produce painful cramping as the prisoner's legs were spread as far apart as possible. How would these men react? Unlawfully and cruelly arrested, subjected to a mock trial where the truth was ignored and false charges were honored, and brutally beaten, which left them a bloody mess and in great pain. And, remember, they were in the will of God! We don't know how long they had been there, but at midnight, they began to pray aloud and sing praises unto God. It was midnight not only in regards to the clock, but also in regards to their circumstances.

2 s9 It was indeed dark, but the Bible says that God gives His people songs in the night. The Psalmist says that God gives songs in the night, but do you know the first person to proclaim that truth - Job! If anyone knew about dark times and the help God brings in dark times, it was Job! (Job 35:10) The Book of Acts says that Paul and Silas prayed and sang praises! What a God-honoring, victorious attitude Paul and Silas exhibited in prison. One of the best tests as to how close you are to God is revealed by the way you react in time of trouble. Have you ever visited a jail, especially at night? You may hear cursing or pleas from the drug addict, or sobs of remorse from a first-time detainee. Paul and Silas prayed and sang songs. A. They Prayed! The word for "prayer" that is used here speaks of earnestly praying. We might say that these boys got down to business. 16:25 Notice that they prayed aloud, for the other prisoners heard them. Their prayers brought a God-consciousness into that prison. Their hearts grew warm and their minds were moved toward God. We are not told what they prayed, but I don't think they were asking God to get them out of jail. I think they were praying what Jesus told them to pray - for those who were their enemies and those who had abused them - that included the jailer. I think they were praying for their fellow prisoners. Prayer is a mighty weapon to help in the time of trial. Take away prayer and we really limit our ability to deal victoriously with our trials. B. Prayer gave way to Praise 16:25 Singing is not what people usually do in trials. When times get rough, men often curse and blame God, which is the quickest way to make things worse. Even Job's wife said to Job in his midnight hour to "curse God and die" (Job 2:9). Had Job done that it would not have solved his problems and it would have greatly dishonored God - and dishonoring God would not help his situation. Instead of pouting they were praising! I wonder what they were singing. Ps. 23:4; 34:1; 37:1a, 3a, 4a, 5a, 7a; 40:2-3; 46:1 Whatever they sang, it was great singing. Gloomy cells rang with joy. There is power in music. Every Christian ought to be a singing Christian!

3 The second verse of "We're Marching to Zion" says: "Let those refuse to sing who never knew our God; but children of the heavenly King, but children of the heavenly King, may speak their joys abroad, may speak their joys abroad." I think Paul and Silas sang for their own comfort, hope and encouragement, but as they sang, the other prisoners heard them, and they remembered those days of innocence before they sinned greatly and their hard hearts were softened and tears began to flow. When they finished singing, I wonder if the prisoners requested, "Sing them over again to me, wonderful words oflife." I said that the other prisoners heard them praying and praising - But God heard them, too! The events leading up to the jailer's salvation was Paul's praying and praising - And now the Power of God through the earthquake. C. The Power of God - Earthquake 16:26-27 God was displaying His great power on behalf of His faithful servants. What a great miracle! God opened the prison doors and loosed every one's bonds. The jailer awoke - lit., was knocked out of his sleep, saw the doors were open and the bonds were loosed. He drew his sword and would have killed himself, but Paul said, "Do yourself no harm. We are all here." Notice how differently the jailer reacted to his midnight trouble than Paul and Silas reacted. They were praying and praising and he was about to kill himself The jailer looked on the dark side of the circumstances. He didn't even examine the prison to see if any of the prisoners were present, but "supposing" the prisoners had fled, grabbed his sword to commit suicide. In those days if a jailer lost any of his prisoners, he must suffer whatever doom awaited those whom he had in custody. Rather than face the disgrace oflosing prisoners, the jailer chose suicide. D. The Promise of Paul 16:28 (When Peter was delivered by an angel from jail, Herod commanded all the keepers be put to death.) II. The Explanation of Salvation 16:29-31 Here were the prisoners actually helping the jailer. The Lord prepared the jailer for salvation by getting his attention through an earthquake. Sometimes the Lord will send the earthquake ofa loss of job or a prolonged illness or a serious accident or the death of a friend to get our attention. Paul invites him to see for himself that all the prisoners are still there, and all were there.

4 In fear, he trembled and fell at Paul's feet and asked the greatest question he would ask, "What must I do to be saved?" Saved from what? Not the earthquake, for it was over. Not judgment from Rome, all the prisoners were there. But his soul and its relationship with God. Where did he hear about being saved? From Paul and Silas. The question, What must I do to be saved, implies several things: (1) There is an absolute difference between being saved and lost. There are only two classes of people on this earth - Those who have life in Christ and those who do not. "He that hath the Son, has life and he who does not have the Son of God has not life." I know that it's not politically correct to be so narrow and dogmatic, but those are God's words. (2) The question implies a consciousness of being lost. We talk about being sure we are saved and that's good, but before you can be saved, you must be sure that you are lost. This jailer didn't try to dodge the issue or shut his eyes to his lostness or deny it. He was scarred and stained by sin and he was guilty - and so are you without Christ. (3) The question implies the possibility of being saved. It's not enough to know you're lost, you must believe Jesus can save you and desire for Him to do so. (4) It involves a willingness to be saved. (5) He believed he had to do something to be saved. I'm not talking about working for salvation, but there is a divine side and a human side to salvation. You don't stumble into salvation by accident. Paul didn't say, "Oh, you don't have to do anything." He said, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved." (6) God's conditions of salvation are not optional. It is not up to you or me to decide what we lllilsl do to be saved. You can Accept or Reject the condition; you can Refuse or Surrender. But one thing you can't do... You can't decide the terms of salvation - God has already done that. (7) Salvation is individual and personal - What must Ldo... The word "saved" means to be delivered, rescued, made whole, made safe; to be delivered

5 from the penalty of sin and God's wrath to come upon sin and sinners. III. The Evidence of Salvation 16:32-34 Someone said that salvation is like the measles. If you have it, it will pop out all over you. This man's salvation was evident. Salvation changes the heart of man and how he looks at things. Notice: He, who had delivered the stripes, washes their stripes... He is baptized... He rejoices (v.34) or "jumps for joy"... He feeds and fellowships with Paul and Silas... He wants his household to be saved and to experience what he has experienced. I once read about a poor illiterate couple that was saved through the ministry of the Salvation Army. They were both so happy, especially the husband. He attended services every night of the week and would always come home with a big smile on his face. One night he came home and appeared to be a little sad. His wife asked what was wrong and he said, "All the people down at the church have nice coats with writing on them. I wish I could afford a coat like theirs with writing on it." His wife told him that she would make him a coat with writing on it. Like her husband, she couldn't read or write but she took one of his old coats and came up with some writing to go on it. The next night he returned smiling from ear to ear. His wife asked, "How did they like your coat with writing on it?" He replied, "They all said it was the best they had ever seen." What the wife had done was copy the letters from a sign that she saw in the store window across the street. The letters she sewed on the coat read, "Under New Management." Glory to God, salvation brings us under new management. It is a life-changing experience. In closing, I want to ask each of you if you have ever asked the great question, "What must I do to be saved?" Return To Lowell F. Johnson Master Menu Return To Great Questions From The Bible