What must I do to be saved?

Sermon notes from Sunday 17 March 2019 pm

Acts 16 verses 19 - 34

This is I suppose is a very familiar portion of scripture.  We see the apostle Paul and Silas setting sail to Philippi.  At the riverside they preached and God opened Lydia`s heart and saved her.  Then on the streets they met a girl with a spirit of divination.  Men were trying to make money out of her.  Paul delivers her from that spirit and the men realised they are not getting any value from her.  Now Paul and Silas have been arrested and cast into prison as a result.  We see the Philippian jailer given custody of them to keep them safely.  He casts them into the innermost cell and puts them in stocks.  At midnight the jail begins to crumble around them.  The doors are flung open.  The jailer thinks all the prisoners would escape so is going to take his own life as a result.  Paul tells him "do thyself no harm for we are all here."  One of the greatest questions that ever came from a man or woman.  This man comes to the apostle Paul, comes with an urgency "what must I do to be saved."  He asks the greatest question but there is also the greatest answer "believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved and thy house."  This jailer heard much around Philippi - he heard about Lydia and the little girl.  It is possible you have come into this meeting and you are not saved.  You have heard things this past week that have been of God`s transforming grace, perhaps you have read something that pointed out your need of salvation.  Maybe God is challenging you to ask this same question.  The man wanted to be so sure.  Let`s examine the answer.

Paul is pointing out that he must believe on a person.  We live in an age of easy believism.  People want to be happy, believe that what they have they have got by their own methods.  When the apostle Paul was speaking he didn`t believe that.  What responsibility is on Paul on that day - to direct this hungry soul in the way of God`s salvation.  His soul was in the very balance.  The apostle Paul had to set everything aside.  He had been beaten, interrogated, put in stocks but he had to forget that now.  He had a great responsibility.  It is not something you can take for granted.  Paul is giving the greatest answer he could give - "for there is no other name under heaven whereby we must be saved."  We will never be saved unless we come to the cross of Christ.  This Philippian jailer was brought to this realisation.  It was not the praise that Paul and Silas gave nor their prayers, it was the work of the Holy Spirit that convicted him.  He was not looking into himself but outwardly.  Paul is pointing to the person of Christ.  Paul said "believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved."  Paul is using the word "Lord" - that shows he is to exalt him over all.  He is using the word "Jesus" who is the Saviour of the world, dying on the cross, buried in that tomb, risen again and seated at the Father`s right hand.  He is using the word "Christ" as the Messiah, anointed one.  Remember the woman at the well who spoke to Christ.  She was convinced of who he was.  She went into the city and told everyone "come see a man who told me all things that ever I did, is not this the Christ?"  John at the river Jordan baptised Jesus when the heavens opened and the Spirit descended on him like a dove and a voice came from heaven saying "this is my beloved son."  It is good to believe in who he is.  The person.  The Roman Centurion at the cross said "surely this is the Son of God."  Believe on the person of Christ.

The purpose of Christ.  He came into the world to seek and to save that which was lost.  The very purpose he came into the world was to secure your salvation and mine.  He did not come to be a great teacher or a philosopher.  He came to die on a cross for your sin.  This jailer realised he was in danger on this particular night.  Here was a man whose soul was lying in the balance.  His soul was in danger of being lost.  You need to hear the truth and be sure of the truth.  This jailer realised he needed to get right.  A serious question with dire consequences.  Paul said "believe in his person, the sinless lamb of God but you have to also believe in his purpose - to die."  Remember how Jesus met Zacchaeus sitting in a tree.  Jesus stopped with him and said "Zacchaeus come down."  He knew his very name, where he was and what he needed.  He spoke to him in his own home that day.  He spoke to Nicodemus, a religious man, well to do.  John 3 verse 17 "for God sent not his son into the world to condemn the world but that the world through him might be saved."  His purpose was to die.  Billy Sunday said "if our greatest need was information God would have given us a teacher.  If our greatest need was technology God would have given us a scientist.  If our greatest need was money God would have given us a economist.  If our greatest need was pleasure God would have given us a entertainer but our greatest need is salvation and God has given us a Saviour."  He didn`t come to point the way of salvation he was the way.  "I am the way, the truth and the life, no man cometh to the father but by me."  "This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners of whom I am the chief."  He didn`t point us to a door but is the door.

Paul was pointing to the provision of Jesus.  What was provided for you and I on the cross of Calvary?  My justification and my reconciliation.  Paul said in Romans 8 verse 7 "the carnal mind is at enmity against God for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can it be."  Romans 5 verse 1 "therefore being justified by faith we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ."  He provided a peace that the world can never give.  Is that what you have?  Christ was dying the just for the unjust.  We can provide nothing but empty vessels for Christ to fill.  Are you saved?  That is the most important question that any preacher can ever ask.

Paul was pointing to the promise of Christ.  In John 4 we meet an adulterous woman.  She had had 5 husbands and the one she was living with at present was not her real husband.  She came out to draw water.  The Lord told her he could give her water that would mean she would never thirst again.  She asked to be given this water.  You have to come in your sin, that sin that will bar you from heaven.  Now we have come face to face with the one who will save you from your sin.  This Philippian jailer knew his soul was in danger.  Do you realise that?  "Him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out."  What a promise.  He will totally change your life, give you eternal life.  What he will not do is push his way in, he will not hijack you nor kidnap you.  He stands at your hearts door, he knows and waits for you to open the door to allow him in.  Will you trust him?  Are you saved tonight?