July 21, 2025 • 31 mins
"What must I do to be saved?" It's not a theological debate question but a soul-level, eternity-shaping cry that demands an answer. In this powerful teaching from Acts 16, we witness a midnight jailhouse encounter that perfectly captures the essence of salvation.
The scene unfolds dramatically—Paul and Silas, beaten and imprisoned for preaching the gospel, sing praises at midnight instead of complaining. When an earthquake shakes the prison's foundations and a desperate jailer faces what he believes is certain execution for losing his prisoners, Paul reassures him everyone remains. The jailer's response? He falls trembling before them with the most urgent question any human can ask: "What must I do to be saved?"
Their answer cuts through centuries of religious confusion with stunning clarity: "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved." No rituals. No prerequisites. No moral checklist. Just genuine faith in the person and work of Jesus. This biblical faith transcends intellectual agreement—it's about trust, dependence, and submission to Christ as Lord.
The message reveals profound truths about salvation: it begins with God's initiative rather than our seeking; it requires our response while flowing from divine grace; its power stems from Christ's sufficiency rather than our strength. Most beautifully, we see how salvation extends beyond the individual to transform entire households and communities.
Whether you're exploring faith for the first time, have recently begun following Jesus, or have walked with Him for decades, this teaching takes you to the heart of the gospel. Salvation isn't for the worthy but for the unworthy; not for the righteous but for the repentant. If a hardened Roman jailer could be saved through simple faith, the same grace remains available to you. What story might God write through your response to this timeless question?
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Welcome to Foundations of Truth with Pastor
Timothy Mann from ProvidenceChurch in Ormond Beach, Florida.
Join us now as we let God'sWord illuminate our lives and
guide us into His truth today.
And here's Pastor Timothy Mann.
Speaker 2 (00:13):
Saved, understanding God's work in us.
Saved, understanding God's workin us.
There's no more important topicor truth than we can address
than this reality.
We were talking about how Godsaves sinners and today we're in
Acts 16.
So if you have a copy of God'sWord, the book of Acts is right
after the Gospel of John.
(00:34):
It's the fifth book in the NewTestament, acts, chapter 16.
Also find Romans, chapter 10,which is the next book over.
But we're going to be reading apassage out of Acts 16, romans
10, and then we'll go back toActs 2.
What's happening here?
This is a historical account ofhow the apostle Paul and Silas
(00:54):
had been preaching the gospel inthe city of Philippi.
They were arrested and theywere arrested and they were
beaten and whipped, and they'reactually thrown in prison, in
jail and in verse 23,.
And when they had laid manystripes on them so were beaten
quite a bit, they threw theminto prison, commanding the
jailer to keep them securely.
(01:15):
Having received such a charge,he put them into the inner
prison and fastened their feetin the stocks.
Now we'll pick up our mainpassage.
But at midnight Paul and Silaswere praying and singing praises
to God and the prisoners werelistening to them.
And suddenly there was a greatearthquake so that the
foundations of the prison wereshaken and immediately all the
(01:37):
doors were opened and everyone'schains were loosed, and the
keeper of the prison, awakingfrom sleep and seeing the prison
doors open, supposing theprisoners had fled, drew his
sword and was about to killhimself.
Paul called with a loud voice,saying do yourself no harm, for
we are all here.
And then he called for a light,ran in and fell down trembling
(02:00):
before Paul and Silas, and hebrought them out and said sirs,
what must I do to be saved?
So they said believe on theLord, jesus Christ, and you will
be saved, you and yourhousehold.
And then they spoke the word ofthe Lord to him and to all who
were in his house, and he tookthem the same hour of the night
(02:23):
and washed their stripes, andimmediately he and all his
family were baptized.
And when he had brought theminto his house, he set food
before them and rejoiced, havingbelieved in God, with all his
household.
Now let's go to Romans 10.
Romans 10, verse 9 throughverse 13.
(02:43):
Romans, chapter 10, verse 9through verse 13.
Romans, chapter 10, verse 9through 13.
The Bible says that if youconfess with your mouth the Lord
Jesus and believe in your heartthat God has raised him from
the dead, you will be saved.
For with the heart one believesunto righteousness, and with
the mouth confession is madeunto salvation.
(03:06):
For the scripture says whoeverbelieves on him will not be put
to shame, for there is nodistinction between jew and
greek, for the same lord overall is rich to all who call upon
him, for whoever calls on thename of the Lord shall be saved.
(03:27):
Now let's go back to the book ofActs, acts, chapter 2, near the
front of the book of Acts, Acts, chapter 2.
The context here is the apostlePeter is preaching to a large
crowd outside of the TempleMount area in the city of
Jerusalem.
He has preached the Word of God, the Gospel, to this large
(03:47):
crowd.
Verse 37, acts, chapter 2,verse 37 says Now, when they
heard this, they were cut to theheart and said to Peter and the
rest of the apostles, men andbrethren, what shall we do?
And then Peter said to themrepent, and let every one of you
(04:09):
be baptized in the name of theof jesus christ, for the
remission of sins, and you shallreceive the gift of the holy
spirit, for the promise is toyou and to your children and to
all who are afar off, as many asthe Lord, our God will call and
we'll stop here.
And this is God's Word thatwe've read.
(04:31):
You know, some questions mattermore than others.
That's just true.
Some questions matter more thanothers.
You can get a lot of thingswrong in life your career choice
, your financial plan, even yourfavorite sports team, right,
pastor Danny, those dolphins,brother.
You can get a lot of thingswrong and still get by.
(04:55):
But there is one question youabsolutely must get right what
must I do to be saved?
What must I do to be saved?
And listen, for those of you inthe room who are big thinkers,
that's not a theological debatequestion.
It's not.
What must I do to be saved?
It's not a theological debatequestion.
(05:17):
It's a soul level, eternityshaping cry.
And it's exactly the question adesperate man asked in act 16
again, kind of kind of picture.
The scene with me paul and silashave been arrested, beaten,
thrown into a philippian jailfor preaching the gospel, for
the very thing I'm doing rightnow.
(05:38):
Their feet is fastened,fastened in, and yet at midnight
they weren't complaining.
Would you have been complainingAt midnight?
They weren't complaining.
Instead, they were singing andworshiping and praying out loud.
And then suddenly God sent anearthquake that shook the prison
(06:02):
to its foundations.
It opened the doors and brokethe chains, and the jailer
thinking the prisoners hadescaped, he's about to commit
suicide, he's about to take hisown life.
But Paul said hey, don't hurtyourself, nobody's left, we're
all here.
And in that moment, thePhilippian jailer, this jailer,
asked the most importantquestion a person can ever ask
(06:27):
Sirs, what must I do to be saved?
Maybe you've asked thatquestion.
Maybe, if you're honest withyourself, maybe you've avoided
it.
Maybe this morning you're stillavoiding.
But there's no more importantquestion you can answer in this
life, and our culture gives ahundred different answers,
(06:54):
thinking they're on the righttrack be a good person, go to
church or whatever religion.
You want to Try harder, besincere, oh, and of course
there's do more good than bad.
But what does God say?
(07:16):
What does the Bible say?
What is the true answer?
Well, this morning, for the nextfew moments, we're going to
look at how Paul and Silasanswered the jailer and what
Scripture teaches about howanyone, anyone, can be saved,
(07:37):
not by works, not by religion,not by effort, but by grace,
through faith in Jesus Christ.
So here's the big idea of themessage this morning.
Here's the big idea from allthose passages.
If you, if, for some reason,you check out and you need your
nap and need to get caught up onyour sleep, the rest of the
message listen to this right now.
(07:59):
Then, rick, later you can nap.
Okay, pay attention.
Here's the big idea Salvation.
Salvation is received throughrepentance and faith, turning
from sin and trusting in JesusChrist alone.
Let me say it one more timeSalvation is received through
(08:22):
repentance and faith, turningfrom sin and turning to Christ
and trusting in Jesus Christalone.
And so this morning, whetheryou are new to the faith maybe
you've become a believerrecently and you're beginning to
follow Jesus whether you're newto the faith, or whether you're
(08:43):
still exploring even what itmeans to be a Christian, or you
have, like many of us in thisroom, you have followed Jesus
for years.
This message takes us to theheart of the gospel.
Here's what we're going to dowe're going to deal with the
question, we're going to dealwith the answer and we're also
(09:04):
going to deal with the response.
The question, the answer, theresponse.
Fair enough.
You ready Well before we canappreciate the answer the
Apostle Paul gives.
We really need to understandthe weight of the question.
The weight of the questionWe've already set the scene in
Acts 16.
(09:24):
We know what's happening here.
Paul and Silas are praying andsinging hymns to God.
They're praising God atmidnight.
The prisoners are listening tothem, and then this earthquake
takes place and the prison isshaken, doors are opened and
everybody's chains are loosed.
And this keeper of the prison,this jailer, he wakes up.
He sees the prison doors openand he's assuming that the
(09:45):
prisoners have fled, and so hedraws his sword.
It's probably not a long sword,it's probably the short sword.
And he's about to kill himself,he's about to take his own life
.
And then the apostle Paul saysstop, stop, don't hurt yourself,
we're all still here.
And then he calls for a light.
The jailer calls for a light.
(10:06):
The jailer calls for a light.
He runs in and the Bible sayshe fell down trembling before
Paul and Silas and he, thejailer, brought them out of the
cell and said sirs, what must Ido to be saved?
Now?
This is one of the most dramaticand revealing moments in the
book of Acts.
There's a lot of dramatic andrevealing moments.
This is one of them in the bookof Acts, and in just a few
(10:26):
verses it takes us deep into thehuman soul that's longing for
salvation.
This crisis that he has, it'sboth physical and spiritual.
Now, historically, the jailerwas likely a retired roman
soldier.
Tough, hardened, he wasaccustomed to violence, he was
(10:56):
in charge of keeping order inthe prison and under roman law
he would be held personallyresponsible if anyone escaped.
So when the earthquake hit andthe doors flew open, he assumed
the worst and he moved quicklyto end his own life.
But the Apostle Paul intervenes.
We're all here, and in thatmoment everything changed,
(11:20):
because the jailer's physicalcrisis became a spiritual
awakening.
Verse 29 says he fell downtrembling.
Now, the fear that gripped himwasn't just over losing
prisoners.
I believe it was probably overfacing something, at this point,
(11:41):
far greater the living God.
And he has this question, andit's a question that's urgent,
it's a question that's honestSirs, what must I do to be saved
?
That's not a casual inquiry,that's not some philosophical
(12:01):
musing.
It's a desperate cry of a manwho's suddenly aware of his
guilt, his need and the eternaldanger of his soul.
Now, the word saved here theGreek language.
It carries the idea of beingrescued, Saved.
(12:25):
It implies you're in danger.
It carries the idea of beingrescued, being rescued from
death, being rescued fromjudgment, from wrath.
This wasn't about religion,this wasn't about superstition.
It was about salvation, eternalsalvation.
It is rescue from danger.
(12:48):
And notice.
He didn't ask how can I feelbetter about myself?
What's the religious thing todo?
No, he asked the right questionwhat must I do to be saved?
And that's the question thatevery human heart must
(13:13):
eventually ask, because at somepoint, if it's not been the case
in your life already, at somepoint it will be.
At some point we all come faceto face with our mortality, our
sin and our need for salvation.
Oh, maybe your crisis won'tcome in a prison.
At least I hope it won't foryour sake.
(13:34):
Maybe your crisis won't come ina prison, but it might come
through a broken relationship.
Maybe that's already happenedin your life.
It might come through a brokenrelationship.
Maybe that's already happenedin your life.
It might come through a veryserious health scare, a complete
(13:57):
loss of control in your life,or maybe simply the quiet
conviction of the Holy Spirit asyour eyes are opened to your
spiritual condition.
But sooner or later, sooner orlater, we all must look into the
mirror of God's truth and askwhen do I stand with God and do
(14:22):
I care?
What must I do to be saved?
Now I want you to know.
We need to remember who'sasking the question.
This man wasn't a Jew, he wasn'treligious, he hadn't studied
the Scriptures, he was likely apagan steeped in Roman beliefs,
(14:44):
and yet, when conviction came,god didn't turn him away.
That's the beauty of grace.
It's the beauty of graceBecause you need to be reminded
this morning salvation is notfor the worthy, it's for the
unworthy.
Salvation is not for therighteous, it's for the
repentant.
And because of that, hey,there's no background, there's
(15:07):
no upbringing, there's no pasttoo dark for the gospel and the
grace of god to overcome.
I mean, if this hardened romansoldier can be saved, anyone can
, even me, even you.
And then this jailer'sdesperation really reflects
something that's going on.
(15:27):
Because Even me, even you.
And then this jailer'sdesperation really reflects
something that's going on,because where did this awareness
come from?
Why would a man like this, aretired Roman soldier, a jailer,
tough guy, used to keepingorder in the prison, which
usually meant he didn't mind torough somebody up, used to
keeping order in the prison,which usually meant he didn't
mind to rough somebody up.
(15:49):
Where did this awareness comefrom?
Why would a man like thissuddenly tremble before two
prisoners?
I mean, why didn't he just goahead and take that sword that
he was about to take care ofhimself with and kill them?
Instead, the Bible says he felldown in front of them Trembling
.
What causes that?
(16:12):
It's because God was working.
God was working.
The praying and the singing ofPaul and Silas was not.
It was far more than noise.
It was a powerful witness usedby God.
Now I know the text says atmidnight they were praying and
(16:34):
singing, but I don't thinkthat's when they started.
I suspect.
I suspect that they had alreadybeen praying and singing from
the time the jailer put theirfeet in stocks.
Also, we don't know what theyhad already said to the jailer,
but I do know from the record ofScripture the Apostle Paul was
(16:55):
never shy or reluctant aboutwitnessing to his persecutors.
He was always open about thegospel.
And I know the jailer wasasleep at midnight when the
earthquake happened, but I wouldalso bet he actually fell
asleep to paul and silas,praying out loud to almighty god
and singing his praises, and Iwould think that it was on his
(17:16):
mind and his heart when sleeptook over.
And then the earthquakehappened.
And you need to know that theearthquake was more than a
natural event.
It was providential from God,and the fear and the conviction
that gripped this jailer's heartwas not man-made.
It was the work of the HolySpirit, and so this reminds us
(17:41):
this morning that salvation issupernatural.
Salvation is of God.
It begins with God, opening oureyes to our true condition.
He shakes our world so he canremake our lives.
(18:01):
He wounds so he can heal.
He brings us low so he can liftus up.
Maybe that's you today In thisroom.
(18:23):
Maybe God's been shaking thingsup in your life, not to destroy
you but to save you.
To save you, to strip awayevery false hope and bring you
to Jesus.
I don't know what's going on inyour life.
I know in some of your lives,but is that what's happening?
(18:47):
It's important to understandthis.
Salvation begins with God.
The jailer wasn't seeking Godwhen he threw Paul and Silas in
prison.
There's no indication he wasseeking after God, none
whatsoever.
But God was seeking him.
And so the earthquake, theprayers and the songs in the
(19:08):
jailhouse, even the verypresence of Paul and Silas none
of it was accidental.
None of it was accidental.
And look, even though God wasclearly working now, the jailer
still had to ask the question.
He still had to respond.
And, honestly, this is one ofthe great tensions in Scripture.
God is sovereign in salvation,but he calls us to respond in
(19:35):
repentance and faith.
It's like trying to put twomagnets together.
You know what happens.
You can only get so close.
There's some resistance there.
This is one of the greattensions in Scripture.
God is sovereign in salvation,but he calls us to respond in
repentance and faith.
Jesus Himself said that wedon't come to Him unless the
(19:58):
Father draws us.
John 6, 44.
But we're still responsible tocome.
John 6 44.
But we're still responsible tocome.
No, we don't choose to come tohim until he first brings
conviction and illumination toour hearts and minds.
But we must still choose tocome, and the bible holds these
(20:18):
two, both these truths, together.
God saves, but we must respond.
And all these realities apply toall of us in this room, every
single one of us.
I mean maybe you're a long timebeliever in this room, long
(20:42):
time you've been saved, a longtime you've been believing in
jesus, a long time.
I say to you.
Don't forget how desperatelyyou needed salvation.
Don't forget that, and thaturgency really should stir your
heart to pray for others and toshare the gospel with compassion
.
Maybe you're a new believer, atleast relatively.
(21:06):
So Remember that your storybegan with a question like this
and God answered it in grace.
So let your testimony, let thetestimony of your life,
encourage others who are stillsearching.
And if this morning, if you'rein this room and you are not
saved and you are still anunbeliever, have you asked this
(21:31):
question?
Have you wrestled with yourneed for salvation?
Let me just ask it as plainlyas I can what are you trusting
in to make you right with God?
There's only one way, and theanswer is coming.
(21:56):
Here's the answer.
We've seen the jailer'squestion.
Now let's look at the apostle'sanswer.
It's simple, it's powerful andit's still true today, after the
, the jailer's very desperatecry what must I do to be saved?
Notice what did not happen,paul and silas.
They didn't give a list ofrituals.
They didn't.
They didn't give a religiousto-do list.
They don't say, uh, go to thetemple.
(22:16):
They don't say clean up yourlife first.
Instead, they give him a clear,direct and sufficient answer.
The bible says in verse 31.
So they said believe on thelord jesus christ and you will
saved, you and your household.
This is the heart of the gospel.
It's one sentence that containsthe essence of salvation
(22:39):
Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ.
Now let's unpack what thatmeans Believe Not just with the
head, but with the heart.
The word believe in the Bible ismore than intellectual
(22:59):
agreement.
It's not just saying, yeah, Ithink Jesus existed, or yeah, I
believe in a higher power.
No, it means trust, it meansdependence, it means submission,
and so to believe on the LordJesus Christ is to stake your
(23:24):
whole life, now and forever, onHim.
It's to trust that His life andhis death and his resurrection
are necessary, but not onlynecessary, that it's sufficient
to save you from your sin andreconcile you to god.
Romans, chapter 10, verse 9through 10, says it this way
(23:46):
that if you confess with yourmouth the lord jesus and believe
in your heart that god hasraised him from the dead, you
will be saved.
For with the heart one believesunto righteousness, and with
the mouth confession is madeunto salvation.
Salvation is not about headknowledge alone.
It starts there, but it's aboutheart faith and open confession
(24:09):
.
Faith and open confession.
Listen, jesus is not justsomeone we believe in quietly.
He's someone we proclaimpublicly as Lord and Savior.
But the object of faith matters.
(24:31):
Believe on the Lord JesusChrist.
See the power of faith.
Pay attention.
Are you paying attention?
The power of faith doesn't comefrom the strength of our belief.
It comes from the object of ourfaith, what you believe on,
(24:53):
what you believe in.
Look, you can believe sincerelyin a broken ladder.
But if you start to climb thatbroken ladder, what's going to
happen?
You're going to fall, it'sgoing to fail you.
But even weak faith from ourperspective, even weak faith in
a strong savior, will hold.
(25:13):
That's why.
That's why paul and silasdidn't say believe in yourself,
follow your heart.
No, they say believe on the lordjesus christ.
He is the object of savingfaith.
Believe on what?
(25:34):
Believe on Jesus.
Jesus, that's His name, the onewho is fully God and fully man,
the only sinless Savior.
You believe on Jesus Christ.
You do know Christ is not Hislast name, it's a title the
Messiah Jesus, the Messiah Jesus, the Christ.
(25:56):
You believe on Christ.
He's the, the promised Messiah.
There is none other.
He is the anointed one of Godwho came to redeem sinners.
You believe on the Lord JesusChrist.
Lord, not just a teacher, notjust a prophet, but the
sovereign king who rules andreigns.
(26:19):
So to believe on the Lord JesusChrist is to completely and
wholly trust that his death onthe cross paid the judgment for
your sin, that his resurrectionsecured your eternal life and
that his lordship, the cross,paid the judgment for your sin,
that his resurrection securedyour eternal life and that his
lordship directs your path.
Jesus's life, his, his death,his blood was the sacrifice for
(26:44):
our sins against god, to secureforgiveness and to put us in
right standing with the creator.
And his resurrection from thedead is the source of our
spiritual life and our eternallife with God.
But you must trust Jesus andHis salvation work.
You must depend solely on Himand what he has done.
(27:07):
And listen this isn't mereadmiration.
This isn't mere admiration,it's submission.
It's not just a decision, it'sa declaration Jesus is Lord of
(27:28):
my life.
And what does it say?
It says you will be saved.
The promise is sure.
This, the promise of, ofbelieving paul doesn't hesitate
you will be saved.
Not, you might be not.
Well, let's see how you do not.
If you keep it up, rob, no, youwill be saved.
(27:53):
That's the assurance of thegospel.
When you believe I'm talkinggenuinely and personally you are
saved, forgiven of all sin,adopted as sons and daughters
and dwelt by the holy spirit ofgod and given eternal life.
This is not a vague hope, it'sa divine guarantee.
And Romans, chapter 10, verse13, echoes the same promise, for
(28:16):
whoever calls on the name ofthe Lord shall be saved.
Well, what else does Acts 16.31say?
Let's look at it 16.31.
The Apostle Paul adds abeautiful line.
The apostle paul adds abeautiful line you and your
(28:38):
household.
Now, he's not saying, lest youget confused he's not saying
that the jailer's family will besaved automatically because of
his faith.
Every person must believe forthemselves.
But what he is saying is thisthat the offer of salvation is
wide enough for everyone in yourhouse, everyone in your home.
That same night, the bible saysthat paul and silas shared the
(29:03):
word of the lord with the jailerand with all who were in his
house, and, by the grace of god,they believed too.
And act 1634 says the jailerrejoiced.
They believed too.
And Acts 16.34 says the jailerrejoiced, having believed in God
, with all his household.
So the gospel didn't just savehim, it transformed his home.
So this reminds us that thegospel isn't just personal, it's
(29:28):
powerful.
It can impact your family, yourrelationships, in fact, your
whole sphere of influence.
So I just want to encourage youthis morning Don't stop praying
for those you love.
Don't stop praying for thoseyou love.
If God can save a Philippianjailer, he can save anyone, even
(29:51):
me, even those you're prayingfor.
So let's make this personal.
Listen, mature believer, you'vebeen saved a long time.
Never move on from this.
Never move on from this.
You are not saved becauseyou're strong, but because
(30:13):
Christ is.
You're not saved because you'restrong, but because Christ is.
You're not saved because you'reenough.
Boy, I hate that saying todayYou're enough, you know you're
enough.
No, you're not.
Jesus is, though.
He's enough.
He's enough and he's strong andhe's sufficient.
So keep clinging to Him, keepproclaiming him.
(30:34):
The answer to every soul's needis still the same Believe on
the Lord Jesus Christ.
Speaker 1 (30:39):
The grass withers and the flower fades, but the word
of God stands forever.
That's Isaiah 48.
Thanks for tuning into theFoundations of Truth podcast
with Pastor Timothy Mann fromProvidence Church in Ormond
Beach, Florida.
Join us next time and untilthen, keep building your life on
God's eternal truth, the Bible.
Welcome to Foundations of Truth with Pastor
Timothy Mann from ProvidenceChurch in Ormond Beach, Florida.
Join us now as we let God'sWord illuminate our lives and
guide us into His truth today.
And here's Pastor Timothy Mann.
Speaker 2 (00:13):
Saved, understanding God's work in us.
Saved, understanding God's workin us.
There's no more important topicor truth than we can address
than this reality.
We were talking about how Godsaves sinners and today we're in
Acts 16.
So if you have a copy of God'sWord, the book of Acts is right
after the Gospel of John.
(00:34):
It's the fifth book in the NewTestament, acts, chapter 16.
Also find Romans, chapter 10,which is the next book over.
But we're going to be reading apassage out of Acts 16, romans
10, and then we'll go back toActs 2.
What's happening here?
This is a historical account ofhow the apostle Paul and Silas
(00:54):
had been preaching the gospel inthe city of Philippi.
They were arrested and theywere arrested and they were
beaten and whipped, and they'reactually thrown in prison, in
jail and in verse 23,.
And when they had laid manystripes on them so were beaten
quite a bit, they threw theminto prison, commanding the
jailer to keep them securely.
(01:15):
Having received such a charge,he put them into the inner
prison and fastened their feetin the stocks.
Now we'll pick up our mainpassage.
But at midnight Paul and Silaswere praying and singing praises
to God and the prisoners werelistening to them.
And suddenly there was a greatearthquake so that the
foundations of the prison wereshaken and immediately all the
(01:37):
doors were opened and everyone'schains were loosed, and the
keeper of the prison, awakingfrom sleep and seeing the prison
doors open, supposing theprisoners had fled, drew his
sword and was about to killhimself.
Paul called with a loud voice,saying do yourself no harm, for
we are all here.
And then he called for a light,ran in and fell down trembling
(02:00):
before Paul and Silas, and hebrought them out and said sirs,
what must I do to be saved?
So they said believe on theLord, jesus Christ, and you will
be saved, you and yourhousehold.
And then they spoke the word ofthe Lord to him and to all who
were in his house, and he tookthem the same hour of the night
(02:23):
and washed their stripes, andimmediately he and all his
family were baptized.
And when he had brought theminto his house, he set food
before them and rejoiced, havingbelieved in God, with all his
household.
Now let's go to Romans 10.
Romans 10, verse 9 throughverse 13.
(02:43):
Romans, chapter 10, verse 9through verse 13.
Romans, chapter 10, verse 9through 13.
The Bible says that if youconfess with your mouth the Lord
Jesus and believe in your heartthat God has raised him from
the dead, you will be saved.
For with the heart one believesunto righteousness, and with
the mouth confession is madeunto salvation.
(03:06):
For the scripture says whoeverbelieves on him will not be put
to shame, for there is nodistinction between jew and
greek, for the same lord overall is rich to all who call upon
him, for whoever calls on thename of the Lord shall be saved.
(03:27):
Now let's go back to the book ofActs, acts, chapter 2, near the
front of the book of Acts, Acts, chapter 2.
The context here is the apostlePeter is preaching to a large
crowd outside of the TempleMount area in the city of
Jerusalem.
He has preached the Word of God, the Gospel, to this large
(03:47):
crowd.
Verse 37, acts, chapter 2,verse 37 says Now, when they
heard this, they were cut to theheart and said to Peter and the
rest of the apostles, men andbrethren, what shall we do?
And then Peter said to themrepent, and let every one of you
(04:09):
be baptized in the name of theof jesus christ, for the
remission of sins, and you shallreceive the gift of the holy
spirit, for the promise is toyou and to your children and to
all who are afar off, as many asthe Lord, our God will call and
we'll stop here.
And this is God's Word thatwe've read.
(04:31):
You know, some questions mattermore than others.
That's just true.
Some questions matter more thanothers.
You can get a lot of thingswrong in life your career choice
, your financial plan, even yourfavorite sports team, right,
pastor Danny, those dolphins,brother.
You can get a lot of thingswrong and still get by.
(04:55):
But there is one question youabsolutely must get right what
must I do to be saved?
What must I do to be saved?
And listen, for those of you inthe room who are big thinkers,
that's not a theological debatequestion.
It's not.
What must I do to be saved?
It's not a theological debatequestion.
(05:17):
It's a soul level, eternityshaping cry.
And it's exactly the question adesperate man asked in act 16
again, kind of kind of picture.
The scene with me paul and silashave been arrested, beaten,
thrown into a philippian jailfor preaching the gospel, for
the very thing I'm doing rightnow.
(05:38):
Their feet is fastened,fastened in, and yet at midnight
they weren't complaining.
Would you have been complainingAt midnight?
They weren't complaining.
Instead, they were singing andworshiping and praying out loud.
And then suddenly God sent anearthquake that shook the prison
(06:02):
to its foundations.
It opened the doors and brokethe chains, and the jailer
thinking the prisoners hadescaped, he's about to commit
suicide, he's about to take hisown life.
But Paul said hey, don't hurtyourself, nobody's left, we're
all here.
And in that moment, thePhilippian jailer, this jailer,
asked the most importantquestion a person can ever ask
(06:27):
Sirs, what must I do to be saved?
Maybe you've asked thatquestion.
Maybe, if you're honest withyourself, maybe you've avoided
it.
Maybe this morning you're stillavoiding.
But there's no more importantquestion you can answer in this
life, and our culture gives ahundred different answers,
(06:54):
thinking they're on the righttrack be a good person, go to
church or whatever religion.
You want to Try harder, besincere, oh, and of course
there's do more good than bad.
But what does God say?
(07:16):
What does the Bible say?
What is the true answer?
Well, this morning, for the nextfew moments, we're going to
look at how Paul and Silasanswered the jailer and what
Scripture teaches about howanyone, anyone, can be saved,
(07:37):
not by works, not by religion,not by effort, but by grace,
through faith in Jesus Christ.
So here's the big idea of themessage this morning.
Here's the big idea from allthose passages.
If you, if, for some reason,you check out and you need your
nap and need to get caught up onyour sleep, the rest of the
message listen to this right now.
(07:59):
Then, rick, later you can nap.
Okay, pay attention.
Here's the big idea Salvation.
Salvation is received throughrepentance and faith, turning
from sin and trusting in JesusChrist alone.
Let me say it one more timeSalvation is received through
(08:22):
repentance and faith, turningfrom sin and turning to Christ
and trusting in Jesus Christalone.
And so this morning, whetheryou are new to the faith maybe
you've become a believerrecently and you're beginning to
follow Jesus whether you're newto the faith, or whether you're
(08:43):
still exploring even what itmeans to be a Christian, or you
have, like many of us in thisroom, you have followed Jesus
for years.
This message takes us to theheart of the gospel.
Here's what we're going to dowe're going to deal with the
question, we're going to dealwith the answer and we're also
(09:04):
going to deal with the response.
The question, the answer, theresponse.
Fair enough.
You ready Well before we canappreciate the answer the
Apostle Paul gives.
We really need to understandthe weight of the question.
The weight of the questionWe've already set the scene in
Acts 16.
(09:24):
We know what's happening here.
Paul and Silas are praying andsinging hymns to God.
They're praising God atmidnight.
The prisoners are listening tothem, and then this earthquake
takes place and the prison isshaken, doors are opened and
everybody's chains are loosed.
And this keeper of the prison,this jailer, he wakes up.
He sees the prison doors openand he's assuming that the
(09:45):
prisoners have fled, and so hedraws his sword.
It's probably not a long sword,it's probably the short sword.
And he's about to kill himself,he's about to take his own life
.
And then the apostle Paul saysstop, stop, don't hurt yourself,
we're all still here.
And then he calls for a light.
The jailer calls for a light.
(10:06):
The jailer calls for a light.
He runs in and the Bible sayshe fell down trembling before
Paul and Silas and he, thejailer, brought them out of the
cell and said sirs, what must Ido to be saved?
Now?
This is one of the most dramaticand revealing moments in the
book of Acts.
There's a lot of dramatic andrevealing moments.
This is one of them in the bookof Acts, and in just a few
(10:26):
verses it takes us deep into thehuman soul that's longing for
salvation.
This crisis that he has, it'sboth physical and spiritual.
Now, historically, the jailerwas likely a retired roman
soldier.
Tough, hardened, he wasaccustomed to violence, he was
(10:56):
in charge of keeping order inthe prison and under roman law
he would be held personallyresponsible if anyone escaped.
So when the earthquake hit andthe doors flew open, he assumed
the worst and he moved quicklyto end his own life.
But the Apostle Paul intervenes.
We're all here, and in thatmoment everything changed,
(11:20):
because the jailer's physicalcrisis became a spiritual
awakening.
Verse 29 says he fell downtrembling.
Now, the fear that gripped himwasn't just over losing
prisoners.
I believe it was probably overfacing something, at this point,
(11:41):
far greater the living God.
And he has this question, andit's a question that's urgent,
it's a question that's honestSirs, what must I do to be saved
?
That's not a casual inquiry,that's not some philosophical
(12:01):
musing.
It's a desperate cry of a manwho's suddenly aware of his
guilt, his need and the eternaldanger of his soul.
Now, the word saved here theGreek language.
It carries the idea of beingrescued, Saved.
(12:25):
It implies you're in danger.
It carries the idea of beingrescued, being rescued from
death, being rescued fromjudgment, from wrath.
This wasn't about religion,this wasn't about superstition.
It was about salvation, eternalsalvation.
It is rescue from danger.
(12:48):
And notice.
He didn't ask how can I feelbetter about myself?
What's the religious thing todo?
No, he asked the right questionwhat must I do to be saved?
And that's the question thatevery human heart must
(13:13):
eventually ask, because at somepoint, if it's not been the case
in your life already, at somepoint it will be.
At some point we all come faceto face with our mortality, our
sin and our need for salvation.
Oh, maybe your crisis won'tcome in a prison.
At least I hope it won't foryour sake.
(13:34):
Maybe your crisis won't come ina prison, but it might come
through a broken relationship.
Maybe that's already happenedin your life.
It might come through a brokenrelationship.
Maybe that's already happenedin your life.
It might come through a veryserious health scare, a complete
(13:57):
loss of control in your life,or maybe simply the quiet
conviction of the Holy Spirit asyour eyes are opened to your
spiritual condition.
But sooner or later, sooner orlater, we all must look into the
mirror of God's truth and askwhen do I stand with God and do
(14:22):
I care?
What must I do to be saved?
Now I want you to know.
We need to remember who'sasking the question.
This man wasn't a Jew, he wasn'treligious, he hadn't studied
the Scriptures, he was likely apagan steeped in Roman beliefs,
(14:44):
and yet, when conviction came,god didn't turn him away.
That's the beauty of grace.
It's the beauty of graceBecause you need to be reminded
this morning salvation is notfor the worthy, it's for the
unworthy.
Salvation is not for therighteous, it's for the
repentant.
And because of that, hey,there's no background, there's
(15:07):
no upbringing, there's no pasttoo dark for the gospel and the
grace of god to overcome.
I mean, if this hardened romansoldier can be saved, anyone can
, even me, even you.
And then this jailer'sdesperation really reflects
something that's going on.
(15:27):
Because Even me, even you.
And then this jailer'sdesperation really reflects
something that's going on,because where did this awareness
come from?
Why would a man like this, aretired Roman soldier, a jailer,
tough guy, used to keepingorder in the prison, which
usually meant he didn't mind torough somebody up, used to
keeping order in the prison,which usually meant he didn't
mind to rough somebody up.
(15:49):
Where did this awareness comefrom?
Why would a man like thissuddenly tremble before two
prisoners?
I mean, why didn't he just goahead and take that sword that
he was about to take care ofhimself with and kill them?
Instead, the Bible says he felldown in front of them Trembling
.
What causes that?
(16:12):
It's because God was working.
God was working.
The praying and the singing ofPaul and Silas was not.
It was far more than noise.
It was a powerful witness usedby God.
Now I know the text says atmidnight they were praying and
(16:34):
singing, but I don't thinkthat's when they started.
I suspect.
I suspect that they had alreadybeen praying and singing from
the time the jailer put theirfeet in stocks.
Also, we don't know what theyhad already said to the jailer,
but I do know from the record ofScripture the Apostle Paul was
(16:55):
never shy or reluctant aboutwitnessing to his persecutors.
He was always open about thegospel.
And I know the jailer wasasleep at midnight when the
earthquake happened, but I wouldalso bet he actually fell
asleep to paul and silas,praying out loud to almighty god
and singing his praises, and Iwould think that it was on his
(17:16):
mind and his heart when sleeptook over.
And then the earthquakehappened.
And you need to know that theearthquake was more than a
natural event.
It was providential from God,and the fear and the conviction
that gripped this jailer's heartwas not man-made.
It was the work of the HolySpirit, and so this reminds us
(17:41):
this morning that salvation issupernatural.
Salvation is of God.
It begins with God, opening oureyes to our true condition.
He shakes our world so he canremake our lives.
(18:01):
He wounds so he can heal.
He brings us low so he can liftus up.
Maybe that's you today In thisroom.
(18:23):
Maybe God's been shaking thingsup in your life, not to destroy
you but to save you.
To save you, to strip awayevery false hope and bring you
to Jesus.
I don't know what's going on inyour life.
I know in some of your lives,but is that what's happening?
(18:47):
It's important to understandthis.
Salvation begins with God.
The jailer wasn't seeking Godwhen he threw Paul and Silas in
prison.
There's no indication he wasseeking after God, none
whatsoever.
But God was seeking him.
And so the earthquake, theprayers and the songs in the
(19:08):
jailhouse, even the verypresence of Paul and Silas none
of it was accidental.
None of it was accidental.
And look, even though God wasclearly working now, the jailer
still had to ask the question.
He still had to respond.
And, honestly, this is one ofthe great tensions in Scripture.
God is sovereign in salvation,but he calls us to respond in
(19:35):
repentance and faith.
It's like trying to put twomagnets together.
You know what happens.
You can only get so close.
There's some resistance there.
This is one of the greattensions in Scripture.
God is sovereign in salvation,but he calls us to respond in
repentance and faith.
Jesus Himself said that wedon't come to Him unless the
(19:58):
Father draws us.
John 6, 44.
But we're still responsible tocome.
John 6 44.
But we're still responsible tocome.
No, we don't choose to come tohim until he first brings
conviction and illumination toour hearts and minds.
But we must still choose tocome, and the bible holds these
(20:18):
two, both these truths, together.
God saves, but we must respond.
And all these realities apply toall of us in this room, every
single one of us.
I mean maybe you're a long timebeliever in this room, long
(20:42):
time you've been saved, a longtime you've been believing in
jesus, a long time.
I say to you.
Don't forget how desperatelyyou needed salvation.
Don't forget that, and thaturgency really should stir your
heart to pray for others and toshare the gospel with compassion
.
Maybe you're a new believer, atleast relatively.
(21:06):
So Remember that your storybegan with a question like this
and God answered it in grace.
So let your testimony, let thetestimony of your life,
encourage others who are stillsearching.
And if this morning, if you'rein this room and you are not
saved and you are still anunbeliever, have you asked this
(21:31):
question?
Have you wrestled with yourneed for salvation?
Let me just ask it as plainlyas I can what are you trusting
in to make you right with God?
There's only one way, and theanswer is coming.
(21:56):
Here's the answer.
We've seen the jailer'squestion.
Now let's look at the apostle'sanswer.
It's simple, it's powerful andit's still true today, after the
, the jailer's very desperatecry what must I do to be saved?
Notice what did not happen,paul and silas.
They didn't give a list ofrituals.
They didn't.
They didn't give a religiousto-do list.
They don't say, uh, go to thetemple.
(22:16):
They don't say clean up yourlife first.
Instead, they give him a clear,direct and sufficient answer.
The bible says in verse 31.
So they said believe on thelord jesus christ and you will
saved, you and your household.
This is the heart of the gospel.
It's one sentence that containsthe essence of salvation
(22:39):
Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ.
Now let's unpack what thatmeans Believe Not just with the
head, but with the heart.
The word believe in the Bible ismore than intellectual
(22:59):
agreement.
It's not just saying, yeah, Ithink Jesus existed, or yeah, I
believe in a higher power.
No, it means trust, it meansdependence, it means submission,
and so to believe on the LordJesus Christ is to stake your
(23:24):
whole life, now and forever, onHim.
It's to trust that His life andhis death and his resurrection
are necessary, but not onlynecessary, that it's sufficient
to save you from your sin andreconcile you to god.
Romans, chapter 10, verse 9through 10, says it this way
(23:46):
that if you confess with yourmouth the lord jesus and believe
in your heart that god hasraised him from the dead, you
will be saved.
For with the heart one believesunto righteousness, and with
the mouth confession is madeunto salvation.
Salvation is not about headknowledge alone.
It starts there, but it's aboutheart faith and open confession
(24:09):
.
Faith and open confession.
Listen, jesus is not justsomeone we believe in quietly.
He's someone we proclaimpublicly as Lord and Savior.
But the object of faith matters.
(24:31):
Believe on the Lord JesusChrist.
See the power of faith.
Pay attention.
Are you paying attention?
The power of faith doesn't comefrom the strength of our belief.
It comes from the object of ourfaith, what you believe on,
(24:53):
what you believe in.
Look, you can believe sincerelyin a broken ladder.
But if you start to climb thatbroken ladder, what's going to
happen?
You're going to fall, it'sgoing to fail you.
But even weak faith from ourperspective, even weak faith in
a strong savior, will hold.
(25:13):
That's why.
That's why paul and silasdidn't say believe in yourself,
follow your heart.
No, they say believe on the lordjesus christ.
He is the object of savingfaith.
Believe on what?
(25:34):
Believe on Jesus.
Jesus, that's His name, the onewho is fully God and fully man,
the only sinless Savior.
You believe on Jesus Christ.
You do know Christ is not Hislast name, it's a title the
Messiah Jesus, the Messiah Jesus, the Christ.
(25:56):
You believe on Christ.
He's the, the promised Messiah.
There is none other.
He is the anointed one of Godwho came to redeem sinners.
You believe on the Lord JesusChrist.
Lord, not just a teacher, notjust a prophet, but the
sovereign king who rules andreigns.
(26:19):
So to believe on the Lord JesusChrist is to completely and
wholly trust that his death onthe cross paid the judgment for
your sin, that his resurrectionsecured your eternal life and
that his lordship, the cross,paid the judgment for your sin,
that his resurrection securedyour eternal life and that his
lordship directs your path.
Jesus's life, his, his death,his blood was the sacrifice for
(26:44):
our sins against god, to secureforgiveness and to put us in
right standing with the creator.
And his resurrection from thedead is the source of our
spiritual life and our eternallife with God.
But you must trust Jesus andHis salvation work.
You must depend solely on Himand what he has done.
(27:07):
And listen this isn't mereadmiration.
This isn't mere admiration,it's submission.
It's not just a decision, it'sa declaration Jesus is Lord of
(27:28):
my life.
And what does it say?
It says you will be saved.
The promise is sure.
This, the promise of, ofbelieving paul doesn't hesitate
you will be saved.
Not, you might be not.
Well, let's see how you do not.
If you keep it up, rob, no, youwill be saved.
(27:53):
That's the assurance of thegospel.
When you believe I'm talkinggenuinely and personally you are
saved, forgiven of all sin,adopted as sons and daughters
and dwelt by the holy spirit ofgod and given eternal life.
This is not a vague hope, it'sa divine guarantee.
And Romans, chapter 10, verse13, echoes the same promise, for
(28:16):
whoever calls on the name ofthe Lord shall be saved.
Well, what else does Acts 16.31say?
Let's look at it 16.31.
The Apostle Paul adds abeautiful line.
The apostle paul adds abeautiful line you and your
(28:38):
household.
Now, he's not saying, lest youget confused he's not saying
that the jailer's family will besaved automatically because of
his faith.
Every person must believe forthemselves.
But what he is saying is thisthat the offer of salvation is
wide enough for everyone in yourhouse, everyone in your home.
That same night, the bible saysthat paul and silas shared the
(29:03):
word of the lord with the jailerand with all who were in his
house, and, by the grace of god,they believed too.
And act 1634 says the jailerrejoiced.
They believed too.
And Acts 16.34 says the jailerrejoiced, having believed in God
, with all his household.
So the gospel didn't just savehim, it transformed his home.
So this reminds us that thegospel isn't just personal, it's
(29:28):
powerful.
It can impact your family, yourrelationships, in fact, your
whole sphere of influence.
So I just want to encourage youthis morning Don't stop praying
for those you love.
Don't stop praying for thoseyou love.
If God can save a Philippianjailer, he can save anyone, even
(29:51):
me, even those you're prayingfor.
So let's make this personal.
Listen, mature believer, you'vebeen saved a long time.
Never move on from this.
Never move on from this.
You are not saved becauseyou're strong, but because
(30:13):
Christ is.
You're not saved because you'restrong, but because Christ is.
You're not saved because you'reenough.
Boy, I hate that saying todayYou're enough, you know you're
enough.
No, you're not.
Jesus is, though.
He's enough.
He's enough and he's strong andhe's sufficient.
So keep clinging to Him, keepproclaiming him.
(30:34):
The answer to every soul's needis still the same Believe on
the Lord Jesus Christ.
Speaker 1 (30:39):
The grass withers and the flower fades, but the word
of God stands forever.
That's Isaiah 48.
Thanks for tuning into theFoundations of Truth podcast
with Pastor Timothy Mann fromProvidence Church in Ormond
Beach, Florida.
Join us next time and untilthen, keep building your life on
God's eternal truth, the Bible.
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