Lord, what must I do to be saved.
Sunday, February 5, 2023
“Lord, what must I do to be saved.”
Acts 16:25-31
Who can tell me how many official missionary journeys Paul sent upon? (3)
As we begin chapter 16, Paul, Silas, and Luke were in the beginning stages of the 2nd.
As part of this 2nd journey, it was Paul’s intent to revisit the churches he had birthed by the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
They first visited Debre and Lystra in the Province of Galatia.
While in Lystra they added Timothy.
Their plan was to go to the region of Bithynia, but God intervened while the group was in Troas through a vision of a man motioning for them to come to Macedonia instead.
So, being obedient Paul and the others set sail for Macedonia and they eventually arrived in Neoplis and Philippi.
Philippi was a Roman Colony, with many of its citizens being and consisting of honorably discharged and retired members of the Roman Army.
At the time of Paul’s visit, the population was about 10,000. It was a free city of Rome. The citizens enjoyed Roman citizenship and a specific legal status Called “Ivs Italicen in Latin which permitted them to enjoy a limited form of self-government and tax-exempt status for its citizenry outlying as it was, it actually laid on the ground of modern-day Europe.
This is where the 1st Christian Convert in Europe was saved. Her name was Lydia, and she was a businesswoman who dealt in garments in dusty, particularly in fine purple or scarlet hues.
She hailed from Thyatira.
She became both rich in business and rich in spirit. Saved and baptized.
The second day something happened and continued till Paull stopped it. Paul, Silas, Luke, and Timothy.
A young girl began to follow them who was possessed by a demon divination, in other words, she was a fortune teller and made a lot of money for her masters.
In an effort to discredit the men, she would say “These are servants of the most high God which show us the most High God, which shows us the way of Salvation.”
She certainly spoke the truth, but it was an evil intention.
If the people of Philippi began to associate Paul and the others with the girl, who was a well-known Diviner, then they might believe that all were in league with one another and the men wouldn’t be believed as agents of God.
After many days Paul had enough, he turned around and spoke at the girl but directly to the demon.
“I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.”
He fought against this and Paul due to it not relating the term “immediately” but in the same hour.
Whatever the case the key was the name of Jesus Christ.
Paul’s action brought an immediate reaction from the girl's masters. They had lost their income, and somebody was physically going to pay.
Enter a mob with their sights set squarely on Paul & Silas particularly.
Well, a lot of things occurred and those two were put in the city prison.
They were put in the center of the cells, inky darkness, stench I’m sure beyond belief.
Those two men had barely escaped with their lives, they were beaten to a pulp.
Yet, you can’t keep a good man down.
Even in their physical state, they were praying to God, by singing.
Psalms or hymns of Moses and the Israelites.
At about midnight, they began, and the other prisoners heard them, probably waking them.
As they are praising God, out of nowhere an earthquake happened. I don’t know what it would have been on the Richter scale, but it was strong enough to shake the foundation of the prison which in turn affected the prison doors, levelness, thus causing the hocks to pop open and the shackles cemented into the walls to snap.
The warden was shaken awake he ran into the cell area saw the doors the darkness opened, drew his sword, and was going to kill himself.
His job was to guarantee the prisoners were bound, he assumed they had all escaped.
That would bring him public execution. He decided to die by his own choice.
Paul shouted, “don't!! We Are all here.”
The warden called for a light and showed it about and realized they were all there.
He fell to his knees before these two great ambassadors of God and said words we should all Desire to be asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?"
“Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved in your house too if they believe also.”
They explained the gospel, and He and his family and household came to salvation that night.
John -3 vs 1,
Nicodemus was of the cast of the Pharisees. He was also a member of the ruling religious body called Sanhedrin.
Why he came to Jesus by night is really anyone’s guess, maybe it was due to his position.
Jesus was representing a new way, to heaven to gain eternity with God. It was contrary to Judaism and the great law of Moses. Fraternizing with Jesus would have been frowned upon and likely highly suspicious to Nicodemus’s peers.
It was obvious he had witnessed Christ's miracles, healing capabilities, and powers, and he maybe was curious and wanted to know more.
He complimented Jesus first by calling him Rabbi and the teacher came from God.
He acknowledged the power of Jesus possessed could only come from God.
Jesus said, “Except a man be born again, he cannot see the Kingdom of heaven.”
This was totally foreign to this Pharisee.
What do you mean? A man already born cannot be born again, can he be placed in his mother's womb and be born once more?”
Jesus explained that it was not of the physical realm of rebirth, but spiritual.
Nicodemus responded, “How can these things be possible?”
And as that the storyline continues to unfold. The great and simple promise of salvation and eternal life was given to Nicodemus. John 3: 15-17
We don't have evidence that Nicodemus was scared that night, but I have No doubt.
It is proven by his actions at the Crucifixion and posts he and Joseph of Armagh request the body of the Lord. In both storylines today, the Philippians. Jailer and Nicodemus were drawn to eternal life with God. Because they both or. Witness. To the words and actions of Christ and Paul.
Christ and Paul didn't balk. They didn't fail, they did. They readily knew the answers and laid out the plan of redemption and salvation without hesitancy.
Someone came to you today and said.” What must I do to be saved?”
What if someone comes to you tomorrow and said, “What does it mean to be born again?”
Could you answer? Could you explain? Could you do it?
Listen, being a soul winner isn't just my responsibility, it's all of ours.
It was the last commandment, the Lord made to all his disciples.
“Go ye into all the world, and spread my gospel to every kindred, tongue, and nation.”
So how can you, as a Christian, do this?
Get into the word. Learn what God's word is. It's him speaking to us. Right?
Before we can reach The lost, let God reach us first by broadening our knowledge and wisdom on the differing aspects of his great book.
From creation to the law, to how to treat others, how to love, how to forgive, and how to live a Christian life, to name a few.
Then we can with greater confidence, answer the questions: What must I do to be saved?"
Because trust me, that will not be the only question that a lost person might ask of you.
The one. Go to when sharing the plans of the redemption is the tool called the Romans Rd.