The Question That Demanded An Answer
Acts 16: 20-34
Have you ever been asked a question that demanded no answer? A question that requires no answer does so because the answer is self-evident.
The question of the Philippian jailor demanded and answer. It was a crucial question and demanded a conclusive answer.
The conversion of the Philippian jailor is the fifth conversion, detailed for us in the book of Acts. First, we have the conversion of the Ethiopian eunuch-a black man; then of Saul of Tarsus-the Jew; next of Cornelius-the Gentile; in the beginning of this chapter Lydia, whose heart the Lord opened is converted; and now we come to this rough prison warden, suddenly changed from a heartless, cruel man into a humble follower of the lowly Jesus.
The circumstances with his salvation are precious and full of pertinent instruction.
I. The PEOPLE TO WHOM HE WAS ABLE TO TURN
The servants of God-Paul and Silas-were unceremoniously arrested, cruelly beaten, and then thrust into an underground dungeon. After putting many stripes upon them, the magistrates charged the jailor to keep the prisoners secure, apparently with the intention of treating them even more severely later on.
This jailor shows his character by not just putting them into the inner prison, but thrusting them there. The inner prison was a dark, damp, windowless, underground hole. In this prison they were put into the stocks
A. Note who they were said to be (20,21)
Paul and Silas were falsely charged.
1. There was the RACIST CHARGE
They were Jews; as Jews they did not worship the gods. Jews were not like other people.
They were guilty of turning people from the gods of Rome.
2. There was the RIOT CHARGE.
These two Jews were accused of making trouble in the city. They are accused of instigating a riot. They were accused of disturbing the peace. They were accused of sowing discord.
3. There was the RELIGIOUS CHARGE.
Their teaching was unlawful. It interfered with the states public worship. It incensed the people against the apostles that they taught a religion destructive of polytheism and idolatry, and preached to them to turn from those vanities.
These charges were pure hypocrisy; for they would have let the missionaries preach whatever they pleased if they had not dried up the source of their gains (19). So they concealed the real cause of their rage under color of a zeal for religion, and law, and good order.
B. Note what they were said to know
The jailer was not ignorant of the nature of the charges on which these men had been imprisoned, seeing they had been publicly whipped by order of the magistrates. No doubt that the whole town was filled with the facts of the case, including that strange cry of the demoniac that day "These men are the servants of the most high God, which show unto us the way of salvation." These words proclaimed not only the divine commission of the preachers, but the news of salvation they were sent to tell. He had heard something about the mission and the mssage of thse men around town.
All this, indeed, would go for nothing with such a man, until roused by the mighty earthquake which made the building to rock; then despair gripped him at the sight of the open doors.
The sword of self-destruction was suddenly arrested by words from one of those prisoners such as he would never imagine could be spoken in their circumstances--words evidencing something different about them.
Then flashed across his mind the words, “These men are the servants of the most high God, which show unto us the way of salvation!” This he now must know, and from them, as divinely sent to him, must he learn the way of salvation!
What is your testimony, especially in face of difficultly? He appealed to those who, by their confidence and peace, showed that they had a better hope.
II. The PROBLEM ABOUT WHICH HE WAS ANXIOUS AND TROUBLED
He asked, "What must I do to be saved?" He knows that he needs to be saved, he wants to be saved, and seeks to find out what he must do to be saved.
This question speaks of a deep longing of his heart to be right with God.
A. The words with which he came
The Philippian jailer did not ask, "What must I do to join the Church?" He did not ask, "What must I do to be a good person?" He did not ask, "What must I do to be religious?" He asked what he must do to be saved! He came to the understanding that HE needed to be saved.
“Sirs, What must I do to be saved?” There was a new respect and awe in his voice for these two men.
B. The way in which he came
Acts 16:29 “Then he called for a light, and sprang in, and came trembling, and fell down before Paul and Silas.”
He came trembling. He called for a light. When a soul is aroused from the sleep of death, the first thing they want is light.
All the jailor knew was that his narrow escape from death, in some way, was related to these men. He feet at their feet overcome by awe and gratitude.
A greater miracle that the shaking of the prison had taken place, he was shaken himself and ready to be saved.
Saved from suicide, no danger of death because the prisoners are there, awed by the wonderful events, aware that these men preached a new religion and salvation, he asks the question, “What must I do to be saved?”
III. The PERSON IN WHOM HE WAS ASKED TO TRUST
“What must I do to be saved?” DO? Why all the doing has been done. It has all been DONE by Jesus in his immacualte life and atoning death.
The mans is not told to go and do something in order to be saved, but to look to Him that has done it all.
Acts 16:31 “And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved.”
A. There is simplicity here
Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. This was a simple, a plain, and an effectual direction. The brevity, simplicity, and directness of this reply are uniquely beautiful. The answer was quickly given, and in a few words.
This simple answer stands apart from all of the religions in the world. They all offer complex plans of how a person can work his way into heaven.
Believing is not a matter of human effort, but rather of ceasing from our efforts and relying on God alone.
1. Believe denies salvation by works
2. Believe discredits salvation by character
3. Believer declares salvation by trust
Now, I am sure that all the emphasis should be placed on the words, “the Lord Jesus Christ.”
Believe not in a creed, but in Christ. Believe not in baptism, not in good works, not in rite nor ritual, but in the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation. It is as simple you believing on Him. Nothing more and nothing less.
Believe in a Master - “Lord”
Believe in a Man - “Jesus”
Believe in a Messiah - “Christ”
B. There is surety here
“Shalt be saved”
No doubt about it.
God is promising everyone and anyone that if they will be believe on Christ for salvation they will be saved. It is not maybe or a possibility, but a guarantee.
The promise is that if today, you will believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, God will save you and deliver you from spending an eternity in hell.
It doesn’t matter who you are or what you have done, God will save you. That is His promise.
Conclusion
The jailer showed the reality of his salvation by the instant change in his conduct. He brought Paul and Silas out of the dungeon, washed their wounds, brought them to his house, and made them a feast - all sure proofs that something had happened to him.
2 Corinthians 5:17
If a person claims to believe in Christ as Savior, but his life is no different, his claim is suspect.
"There is no sin that shall damn the man who believes in Jesus Christ, and nothing can save the man who will not believe in Jesus Christ.” C. H. Spurgeon
There’s a story about a father who had just settled into his recliner on Sunday afternoon, looking forward to wading through his six-inch thick newspaper, when his five-year-old son Bobby came scampering into the room. "Daddy! Daddy!" said the boy, "Can you play with me?"
The father tried to be gentle in his response when he told his son, "Bobby, Daddy wants to read his paper for a little while. But if you come back in twenty minutes, we can play together." Though mildly annoyed at being put off, Bobby rumbled out of the room, leaving his father alone to read his paper.
But five-year-olds have a poor sense of time, so it was only a few short minutes when Bobby was back. "Daddy, can we play now?"
"Not now, Bobby," said the father. "Don’t bother me until I’m finished with my paper."
Bobby stomped his way out of the room to wait, but before his father could even get to the sports pages, Bobby returned. He shoved his head up under the paper and said, "Please Daddy, can we play now?"
The father, now convinced that he would never get a moment’s peace without giving in, looked on the floor and noticed that there was a full-page map of the world included in his newspaper. He reached for his wife’s sewing scissors and proceeded to cut the map into about twenty pieces. Leading his son to the kitchen table, he told Bobby to put together this puzzle of the world as the first of their afternoon games. "When you finish the puzzle, then I’ll play with you," the father promised. He knew it would take his son a long time to put the puzzle together, and that would give him plenty of time to read his paper.
Not five minutes had passed when Bobby burst back into the room. "Daddy, I’m through with the puzzle! What can we play next?"
"What? You finished already?" asked the father. He got up from his chair and went into the kitchen to look. Sure enough, the puzzle was complete, with every piece in its proper place. "Bobby, how did you ever do this so fast? Where did you learn how to do this?" asked the father in amazement.
"It was easy, Daddy." said Bobby. "See, on the back of the map of the world was a picture of a person. I decided to put the person together first. When I did that, the whole world seemed to fit right into place."
To his amazement she had the puzzle together in almost nothing flat. "How did you do it?" he asked.
"Oh it was simple," she answered. "On the back side of the mixed up world was the face of Jesus. I put his face together and the world came out right."
That is what will happen to your life when you believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. Your life, for the first time, will start coming out right. Do it now!
