What Must I Do to be Saved?

What Must I Do To Be Saved?

Text: Acts 16: 25-36
Introduction
Our Theme/Outline
   I. The Circumstances That Led to His Question
   II. The Question Itself
   III. The Apostle's Answer to the Question
Conclusion

Text: Acts 16: 25-36

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. Then he called for a light, and sprang in, and came trembling, and fell down before Paul and Silas, And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? And they said, believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house. And they spake unto him the word of the Lord, and to all that were in his house. And he took them the same hour of the night, and washed their stripes; and was baptized, he and all his, straightway. And when he had brought them into his house, he set meat before them, and rejoiced, believing in God with all his house. And when it was day, the magistrates sent the serjeants, saying, Let those men go. And the keeper of the prison told this saying to Paul, The magistrates have sent to let you go: now therefore depart, and go in peace.

Introduction

In this particular story in Acts chapter sixteen, we see that the Apostle Paul and Silas are in prison. This chapter begins the account of Paul�s second missionary journey. The beginning of this journey began when Paul is persuaded by a miraculous intervention by the Lord in a vision to come over to help the man of Macedonia. This is where the beginning of the church in Europe began. Paul came to Philippi, a Roman colony and first went to a synagogue and shared the gospel there. There, Paul meets a gentile woman whose family apparently were proselytes to Judaism, and they receive the gospel of Christ. Because of ongoing persecution Paul and Silas are thrown in prison. In prison Paul and his companion are given great grace, and they sing and worship the Lord in these awful circumstances. At midnight Paul was delivered by a supernatural act of God. The pagan jailor who witnessed both Paul�s faith, worship, and trust in the Lord, as well as the intervention from Heaven, is persuaded by the Holy Spirit to believe in Christ.

This is the context of our present chapter and the text that we are considering this evening. I want us to consider this thrilling story of the conversion of this Philippian Jailor.

Our Theme/Outline

Our Theme: Our Outline:	The Question of the Phillipian Jailor I. The Circumstances That Led to His Question II. The Question Itself III. The Apostle's Answer to His Question

I. The Circumstances That Led To His Question

A. It was a time of prayer and fasting by the church, vs.40.

1. Lydia and others were no doubt praying and seeking God�s face for

the release of Paul and Silas.

2. The Lord delights to move when His people are so unified and

occupied with prayer, fasting, and seeking His face.

3. The church at this time was under great persecution, and believers

were struggling to keep their faith in a hostile world.

B. It was a time of darkness.

1. The text tells us that it was at midnight when the Lord open the

prison doors, and the Philppian jailor came running in and fell down and asked what he must to be saved.

2. Midnight is a time of darkness.

3. There is a kind of spiritual midnight in our souls, when we see our

need, our helplessness, and the approach of the judgment of God.

C. It was a time of an unusual presence of God.

1. There was a great earthquake that shook the prison walls and the

doors were opened.

2. This symbolizes the presence of the Lord when He comes in our

midst, He shakes the soul, He causes our hearts to tremble at His word, and He sets the prisoner free.

D. It was a time of desperation.

1. This jailor saw all he needed to see, and knew all he needed to

know about the reality of Paul�s faith.

2. The jailor knew that Paul�s God was the living and true God. He

would have witnesses the faith and joy of the apostle while there in prison. He would have heard also of the miracles that were reported about the city that Paul had performed. And perhaps he was moved by the tremendous earth quake and the presence of God with Paul and Silas. This is how we can explain how a man who would not normally be prone to fear, agitation, and anxiety came to be so full of panic and fear. The mighty hand of God came upon him.

3. The jailor also knew that he was in trouble for the escape of the

apostle. See vs. 27.

4. Paul�s reassuring words helped take away his fear, but his fear of

the living and true God was still present, and this led to his desperate cry, �Sirs, what must I do to be saved?� vs.30

II. The Question Itself

A. Specifically, he asked, �Sirs, what must I do to be saved?�

B. Was the jailor under the impression that he could contribute

something to his salvation?

C. Can any of these things help us in our approach to the living God?

1. Works

2. Personal reformation

3. Faith, worship, and religious duties

4. Promises of future obedience?

5. Sorrow, repentance, and regrets over our past

D. These verses seem to be very clear that there is nothing that we can

do to earn, contribute, or add to the salvation that is provided for us by Christ.

1. Eph. 2:8-9, �For by grace are ye saved through faith, and that not

of yourselves. It is the gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast.�

2. Titus 3:5, �Not by works of righteousness which we have done,

but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost.�

3. Mathew 7:22-23, �Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord,

have we not prophesied in thy name? And in thy name have cast out devils? And in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.�

4. Romans 3:20, �Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no

flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.�

5. Galatians 2:16, �Knowing that a man is not justified by the works

of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.�

E. What is this question, �What must I do to be saved?� saying to us?

And what did the jailor mean by this?

1. I don�t think he meant that he hoped to do something to earn salvation.

2. I believe it was an admission that he could do nothing! Read it

this way, �Paul, what can I do to be saved? I have no power and ability to save myself. I am helpless and unable to contribute anything. Woe is me, what must I do to be saved?�

3. The very fact that this jailor even asked such a question shows us

that the mighty hand of God was working in his life. This man was from a pagan background, and it would not have been a natural thing for him to even be concerned about his relationship with a new and strange God that Paul was proclaiming in his city.

4. It would take a special and supernatural work from God to save

this man. In verse fourteen we have seen already how the Lord opened up the heart of Lydia to His word. �Whose heart the Lord opened.�

II. The Apostle's Answer to His Question

A. Paul responded and said, �Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and

thou shalt be saved.�

1. He did not say that all religions are the same and that it really

does not matter what faith you hold to as long as you believe something.

2. Paul knew that Jesus gave us the mandate for a narrow and

biblical guideline for faith in John 14:6. Jesus said, �I am the way, the truth, and the life, no man cometh unto the Father but by me.�

B. This verse is not meant to be thorough exposition of the doctrine of salvation.

1. This was written before there was a Baptist church, or a Catholic

church, or Lutheran, Presbyterian, Methodist, or any other such Christian group.

2. Although Paul�s answer is helpful, when dealing with the

doctrine of salvation, we must consider all of the other passages that the Bible shares with us on this subject.

3. Let us not forget that Paul urged this man the jailor to put faith

in Christ. And yet we know also that Paul taught us that faith is a gift from God.

a. Faith is a gift, see, Eph. 2:8-9, Phil. 1:29.

b. Faith comes to us through the means of grace, Rom. 10:17,

�So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing, by the word of God.�

C. The evidence of true saving faith. If you have saving faith this is

the evidence of it. Acts 2:41-47 Acts 16:34 Those who are saved will do the following things:

1. Baptized
2. Gladly received the word
3. Continued in the Apostle�s doctrine
4. Fellowship
5. Communion
6. Prayer
5. Praising God
6. In our text we see that the jailor was filled with faith and a spirit

of joy in his new found faith.

7. I would add to all of this that where true faith exists people make much of Christ.

D. The meaning of faith. Faith in Christ means to:

1. Receive Christ
2. Trust Christ
3. Rest in Christ
4. Rely on Christ
5. Look to Christ
6. Come to Christ

Conclusion

Conclusion:

This is one of the greatest questions ever asked. And the Apostle�s answer was very straightforward. Paul came right to the heart of the issue. He said that this man needed to put his faith in Christ. Paul tells the people at Rome the same thing in Romans chapter 10: 9-17.

This brings me to ask each of you if you understand what it means to be saved? Salvation means that all of the following things are true of us. This list is not exhaustive but it does give us a pretty good idea of where we stand with the Lord. If we have been saved we are:

1. Delivered from the wrath of God.
2. Removed from the curse of God�s law.
3. Forgiven of all of our sins, past, present, and future.
4. Covered by the righteousness of Christ.
5. On our way to Heaven.
6. In a state of peace with God.

Now I ask all of you, is there anything more important than these things? What else could even begin to be put on the same level as these things? So why is it that so many people never give much contemplation to the state and condition of their souls? Yes, this is a profound and important question for all people to ask and answer before they leave this world. Why do some people ignore this great question? Here are some possible answers.

1. They are ignorant of their need of salvation.
2. They have been convinced that their works will be sufficient to get them to heaven.
3. They have embraced a religion or world view that is false and
giving them false assurance that they are ready for death.
4. They may be filled with apathy and indifference.