Okay, today we're going to take
a look at a very marvelous, marvelous conversion story of this wretched
jailer, guilty, vile, and wretched, yet God saved him by the grace
of God. His sin and his guilt was no
obstacle to God's saving mercy. I'm taking the title for the
message from verse 31. The jailer responded to Paul,
sirs, what must I do to be saved? And the apostle Paul, along with
Silas, they said, believe, believe. on the Lord Jesus Christ. Now there's a whole lot right
there. And thou shalt be saved and your house as well if they're
given faith to believe the Lord Jesus Christ. What does it mean
to be saved in Christ? It means to be justified freely
by his grace. It means to be freed from all
sin and guilt. It means to have salvation in
Christ. Hold your place there and turn
back to this scripture in Acts 13. You remember back over here
in Acts 13, Paul has not changed his message. Acts 13 verse 38,
be it known unto you therefore men and brethren that through
this man is preached to you the forgiveness of sins and by him
all that believe are justified from all things which you could
not be justified by the law of Moses. Paul does not change his
message nor his manner. HE FAITHFULLY PREACHED THE GOSPEL
OF THE LORD JESUS CHRIST. WE READ IN ROMANS 5, BEING JUSTIFIED
BY FAITH, WE HAVE PEACE WITH GOD THROUGH OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST. I WANT YOU TO NOTICE HERE IN
VERSE 31, PAUL SAYS HERE, BELIEVE ON THE LORD JESUS CHRIST. NOW,
WE HAVE A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO SAY, BELIEVE ON JESUS. A LOT OF PREACHERS
SAY, WELL, JUST BELIEVE ON JESUS. THEY DIDN'T SAY THAT. They said,
believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. That is, to rely upon him, trust
him, look to him alone for all salvation by the grace of God. Our Lord said, he that believeth,
John 6, 47, he that believeth in me hath everlasting life. He said, I'm the bread of life.
He that cometh to me, he that believeth on me shall never hunger,
shall never thirst. Now, as I was putting this message
together, I've given you this before, but 70 years ago, 70
years ago in 1950, that's two years before I was even born,
in 1950, April of 1950, there was a preacher that was called
to preach a gospel meeting in Ashland, Kentucky. His name was
Rob Barnard. Ralph Garner, you know his story.
And when he came to that church there in Ashland to preach a
series of messages, a lot of the people were singing about
Jesus this and saying Jesus that. And the old preacher got up and
he said this, Jesus can't save a flea. You reckon that got somebody's
attention? And he followed up by saying
this, it's the Lord Jesus Christ that's the savior of sinners. It's the Lord Jesus Christ alone
that has all power to say, and then he would say, and that's
just so. And that's just so. Our pastor Henry Mahan has repeated
that story many, many times. Our Lord prayed in John 17, all
power is given unto me in heaven and earth that I should give
eternal life to as many as the Father hath given to me. It's
not of him that willeth, not of him that runneth, but of God
that showeth mercy. Now last week we saw a revival
on the riverbank with Lydia and her house. Now we see revival
in the jailhouse. This is a jailhouse revival. We see Paul and Silas along with
Timothy and Luke in Philippi preaching and teaching the word
of the Lord. The Lord called out and saved
Lydia and her house. Now the Lord is planning to call
out and save this jailer and his house. The Lord today is
yet still calling sinners to the Lord Jesus Christ in saving
faith by the grace of God. The Lord did work all things
to bring the gospel to this jailer, a most unusual way. God'll put
the gospel before his elect somehow, someway, just like Philip traveled
all the way to that desert country to preach to one man, the eunuch
from Ethiopia. The Lord works all things in
all cases to bring the gospel to his people. And I marvel,
don't you? And I rejoice in the sovereign
providence of God that's arranging all things to bring us to hear
the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. THINK OF MY OWN LIFE
MY OWN CASE WHERE I GREW UP MANY MANY 2,000 MILES AWAY FROM HERE
AND THE LORD BROUGHT ME BY HIS SOVEREIGN PROVIDENCE TO ASHLAND
KENTUCKY IN 1975 WHERE I HEARD THE GOSPEL OF THE GRACE OF GOD
AND THE LORD TAUGHT ME THAT SALVATION IS OF THE LORD NOT BY WORKS BUT
IN CHRIST ALONE VERSE 16 AND IT CAME TO PASS THAT It came
to pass, not by luck, chance, or fate. It came to pass on purpose. came to pass on purpose. We went
to prayer. As we went to prayer, a certain
woman, a young woman, damsel, possessed with a spirit, demon
spirit, a divination, met us, which brought her masters much
gain. The same followed Paul and us,
and cried, saying, these men are servants of the Most High
God, which show us the way of salvation. Paul and his friends
were headed back to the river. It says there and when it came
it came to pass as we went to prayer They were headed right
back down to the riverbank where the women met before and were
praying and as they went to preach and pray and worship again They
were met with this woman Wicked woman who was demon-possessed
and her word that she speaks are remarkable she said Out loud
crying and saying and me she must have done this several days
following them Crying out and saying these men are servants
of the Most High God You see even the demon spirits know that
God is the Most High God These men are servants of the Most
High God which show us that salvation is of the Lord Now her words
are remarkable. Don't you think I? What she speaks
by this demon spirit was absolutely true. Absolutely true. These men were the servants of
the Most High God. Paul identified himself many
times that way. Paul, a servant of God, separated
unto the gospel of God concerning the Lord Jesus Christ. And I
love this statement here, which show or declare us the way of
salvation. Now, what is the way of salvation? The Lord said, I am the way,
the truth, and the life. We studied from Psalm 96 on Wednesday
evening, last Wednesday, singing to the Lord, bless his name,
show forth his salvation from day to day. That's what Paul
and Silas and Timothy were doing every day. You see, and what's
amazing about this, even the demon spirits know that salvation's
of the Lord. they know what ignorant sinners
don't know the demon spirits know the devil believes in trembles
they know that salvations of the lord remember our lord said
on another occasion when those demon spirits said our lord spoke
about it he said They said, let us alone. These are the demon
spirits speaking to the Lord Jesus Christ. What have we to
do with thee, thou Jesus of Nazareth? Art thou come to torment us or
destroy us? I know thee who thou art. You're
the Holy One of God. You see, even the demon spirits
know that God is God. The devil belongs to the authority
and way of God's dominion and absolute sovereign power. They
show us the way of salvation. Well, what is the way of salvation? What is the way of salvation?
We know it's not of works, but it's all of grace. Not by the
law of circumcision or any other law, but by the pure and free
grace of God alone. You remember one page back, what
Peter preached in Acts 15 verse 11? we believe verse 11 acts 15 we
believe through the grace of the lord jesus christ we shall
be saved we believe that salvation is all of grace not of work lest
any man should boast neither is there salvation in any other
for there's no other name under heaven given among men whereby
we must be saved." They show us the way of salvation in the
Lord Jesus Christ. That's what Paul and Titus preached. Look at verse 18. She did this
many days, and Paul, being grieved, turned and said to the spirit,
this wicked demon spirit, I command thee, IN THE NAME OF THE LORD
JESUS CHRIST TO COME OUT OF HERE, OUT OF HER, AND HE CAME OUT THAT
SAME HOUR. YOU SEE, WHEN GOD SPEAKS, HE
SPEAKS BY COMMAND, AND WHEN HE SPEAKS, IT'S DONE. WHEN HE COMMANDS,
IT STANDS FINE. THIS DEMON-POSSESSED WOMAN MUST
HAVE FOLLOWED HIM EVERY DAY, AND THE APOSTLE PAUL, BY THE
POWER OF GOD, COMMANDED THAT DEMON SPIRIT to come out of her,
and he did. He did. Verse 19, when her master
saw that their scam was up, that they no longer could scam people
out of their money, their hope of their gains. Remember it says
in verse 16, this woman by her bewitching brought much gain
to these men. And when they saw that their
Their victim couldn't be used to scam people out of their money
anymore. They caught Paul and Silas and
drew them into the marketplace and brought them to the magistrate,
saying, these men, being Jews, do exceedingly trouble. They
trouble, trouble our city. These wicked men realized their
scam was ruined. The future hope of making money
at her expense was destroyed. They turned on Paul and falsely
accused him of being a troublemaker. They trouble our city. For they
teach customs, verse 21, which are not lawful for us to receive,
neither to observe, being Romans. Now, were they telling the truth?
No. They lied. They lied on Paul. They teach customs which are
not lawful for Romans. Now, Paul and Silas didn't teach
any Jewish tradition or custom, did they? But rather, they preached
the word of the Lord being fulfilled by the Lord Jesus Christ. You remember this scripture?
Turn back to Acts 13. I'll give you just an example
of it, how that the Lord Jesus Christ fulfilled all that was
written of him in Acts 13. Verse 26, Acts 13, 26. Man and brethren, children of
the stock of Abraham, and whosoever among you that fears God, to
you is the word of this salvation sent. For they that dwell at
Jerusalem and their rulers, because they knew him not, nor yet the
voices of the prophets, which are read every Sabbath day, have
fulfilled them in condemning him. And though they found no
cause of death in him, yet desired they Pilate that he should be
slain, whom when they had fulfilled all that was written of him,
they took him down from a tree and laid him in a sepulcher."
Now, this is not Jewish custom. This is gospel. But God raised
him from the dead. And he was seen many days, verse
31, of them which came up from Galilee to Jerusalem. We're witnesses
of We are with his witnesses under the people and we declare
unto you glad tidings How that the promise which is made to
the father's god have fulfilled? The same to us their children
in that he raised him from the dead according to the psalm I
believe that psalm 16 is it not thou art my son this day have
I begotten me now we know for sure that Paul and Silas didn't
point sinners back to the Jewish law or Jewish custom or Jewish
tradition. He said the word of God has been
fulfilled by the Lord Jesus Christ. He honored all of scripture for
us and has satisfied the law of God for us. Well, what's going
to happen? You know what's going to happen.
The multitude rose up against them, verse 22, and the magistrates
ran off their clothes. They stripped them down to the
waist. They tied them up and commanded to whip them. And when
they laid many stripes upon them, they cast them into prison, charging
the jailer to keep them safely, who having received such a charge,
thrust them into the inner prison and made their feet fast in stocks. They were jailed up and chained
up. There's no way these men are
going to escape. Houdini couldn't get out of this
one. They could not escape, but God. God delivered them, just
like we've seen on two other occasions. When Peter was jailed
twice, he was broke out of jail by the power, by the power of
almighty God. They were beaten shamefully and
treated, and the Lord I don't understand the working of the
Lord, but whatever it takes to get Paul and Silas in jail to
preach to that jailer, that's what happened. The Lord brought
all this to pass to preach the gospel to this wicked, lost jailer
who needed to hear the gospel. Why did he need to hear the gospel?
Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of the Lord. The
Lord will use whatever means he determines TO CALL OUT HIS
PEOPLE. IT PLEASED GOD BY THE FOOLISHNESS
OF PREACHING TO SAVE THEM THAT BELIEVED. NOW, VERSE 25, DOWN
THROUGH VERSE 34, HERE WE SEE THE CONVERSION STORY
OF THIS JAILER. AND I COULD JUST READ IT AND
READ IT AND READ IT AND READ IT AND MARVEL AT IT AND MARVEL
AT IT. THIS IS A VERY WELL KNOWN STORY
OF WHAT I CALL A JAILHOUSE REVIVAL. Brought about by the will and
power of God, this was the true jailhouse rock. The Lord sent
an earthquake. This is the true jailhouse rock. Paul and Silas, now notice this,
at midnight, at midnight, they were so beaten and wounded and
hurting and aching, at midnight they could not sleep, but God
gave them a spirit of prayer. prayer, and they sang praises
unto God. And the prisoners heard them,
but more importantly, as I pointed out, God heard them. That's the
main thing. When you pray, we don't pray
to be heard of men or to be seen of men, but as David says many
times in this book of Psalms, Lord, hear my prayer. Be attentive
for the words of my heart. Paul and Silas prayed and sang
praises to God. Why shouldn't they? Believing
God they were full of joy. You remember Paul writes to the
Thessalonians, he says, pray without ceasing and in everything
give thanks. This is the will of God in the
Lord Jesus Christ concerning you. I thought about this, what
would they be praying for or about and singing praises unto
God? I thought about this, I thought
about the prayer of Elijah. on Mount Carmel. You remember
what Elijah prayed when he was up against those 800 or 750 false
prophets? He prayed, let it be known this
day that thou art God, that I am thy servant, that I've done all
things at thy word, 1 Kings 18.36. Hear me, O God, hear me, that
this prayer, that this people may know that thou art the Lord
God. You remember what happened? Fire
fell. What happened when Paul and Silas
prayed? God sent an earthquake and shook
the jail. Isn't that amazing? PRAYING AND
REJOICING IN THE LORD. THE BELIEVER'S JOY IS THE JOY
OF FAITH IN THE LORD JESUS CHRIST, NOT IN THE JOY OF CIRCUMSTANCES. THEIR CIRCUMSTANCES WERE BAD,
BUT WE CAN ALWAYS, AS BELIEVERS, EVEN THOUGH THE CIRCUMSTANCES
MAY BE DIRE, MAY BE BAD, WE MAY BE IN PERIL. but we can always
rejoice in the Lord. And again, I say, rejoice. We
joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ. When Paul is in jail
in Rome, and he writes back to the Philippians over and over
and over again, he says in that epistle, he says, rejoice in
the Lord. And again, I say, PAUL, DON'T
YOU KNOW YOU'RE IN PRISON? DON'T YOU KNOW YOU'RE ON DEATH
ROAD? YOUR HEAD'S ABOUT TO BE REMOVED FROM YOUR BODY, AND YOU'RE
TELLING US TO REJOICE IN THE LORD? YOU SEE, HE DIDN'T REJOICE
IN HIS CIRCUMSTANCES. HIS JOY WAS IN THE LORD JESUS
CHRIST. THAT'S A GOOD, GOOD LESSON FOR
US THAT WE NEED TO LEARN. AND THE PRISONERS HEARD THEM.
WHAT DO YOU RECKON THE PRISONERS SAID? Hey, shut up in there. I'm trying to get some sleep
over here. Shut up over there. And they just kept on singing,
singing rather, and praying unto the Lord. The jailer, he was
sound asleep, didn't care. He knew he had them locked up,
chained up, and he wasn't a bit concerned. He went home, probably
his home was above the jail. He went home and went to sleep.
And something happened. And suddenly, verse 26, there
was a great earthquake. Now, what does it take to shake
this earth? I've been in a few earthquakes,
and it's quite terrifying. One, when I didn't know the Lord,
when I was very young, I used to live on what's called the
Wasatch Fault. And oftentimes, the earth would
shift, and it would shake the house. Who can bring that to
pass? Who can do that? No man can do
that. Only the almighty God. He shook the ground and the jail
came apart. The sovereign Lord sent the earthquake
that set Paul and Silas free, and it convicted the jailer over
his sinfulness and guilt before God. This is a great mercy of
God to reveal unto us THAT WE ARE SINNERS. AND THAT'S WHAT
HAPPENS WHEN GOD SENDS A REVIVAL IN OUR HEART. HE SENDS AN EARTHQUAKE. HE SENDS A CONVICTION OF SIN.
HE SHOWS US THAT WE'RE GUILTY BEFORE GOD. HE SHOWS US THAT
WE DESERVE NOT HIS MERCY, BUT WE DESERVE THE WAGES OF SIN,
WHICH IS DEATH. GOD SENDS AN EARTHQUAKE TO WAKE
US UP. THAT'S WHAT HAPPENED TO THIS
JAILER. HE WAS SLEEPING. WE WERE SLEEPING. NOT CARING
ONE THING ABOUT ANYTHING BUT OUR OWN WILL, OUR OWN SELF. GOD
SENT AN EARTHQUAKE IN THE GOSPEL MESSAGE AND WOKE US UP. THAT'S THE GREAT MERCY OF GOD.
HE'S HID THESE THINGS FROM THE WISE AND PRUDENT AND REVEALED
THEM UNTO BABES. THIS IS A FAITHFUL SAYING WORTHY
OF ALL ACCEPTATION. THE LORD JESUS CHRIST CAME TO
SAVE SINNERS AS WE READ A MOMENT AGO IN ROMANS CHAPTER 5 WHEN
WE WERE YET WITHOUT STRENGTH. The Lord Jesus Christ died for
the ungodly. He came to seek and to save this
jailer. He's gonna have him because he
chose him in that covenant of grace and the Lord Jesus Christ
died to put his sin away and God's on the trail of his sheep
and he's gonna call him out with the gospel. The great shepherd
will send the gospel message and save and call out his people.
Notice verse 27. The prison doors were open, everyone's
chains fell off, and the keeper of the prison, waking out of
sleep seeing the doors open, drew out his sword and would
have taken his own life, supposing that the prisoners had fled.
And Paul says this, cried out with a loud voice, saying, don't
harm yourself. We're all here. You see something
of compassion of the Apostle Paul? Why did he stop this man
from taking his own life? Because he cared for his soul.
Don't hurt yourself. We're all here. We see the love
and compassion of Paul and the concern that he had for this
poor sinner. I wish God worked that in my
heart more than what he has. To have a concern for those who
do not Do not believe the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. This
man, verse 29, was so troubled by what he saw and heard and
experienced, he called for a light and sprang in and came trembling
and fell down before Paul and Silas. Humbled, humbled. Now, I believe God is more, is
working more in him THE WAY OF CONVICTING HIM OF HIS SIN AND
GUILT AND WHAT HE HAD DONE TO THESE MEN. NO DOUBT HE PROBABLY
PARTICIPATED IN WHIPPING THESE MEN, AND NOW HE'S BOWING TO THEM. ISN'T THAT AMAZING? HE FELL DOWN
BEFORE PAUL AND SILAS. A WHILE AGO HE WAS WHIPPING THEM.
VERSE 13, BROUGHT THEM OUT AND SAID, What must I do to be saved? I'm
a guilty, vile sinner. What must I do to be saved? And
Paul corrected him. He said, you don't need to do
anything. Salvation's done. Believe on
the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved. What must I do
to be saved? Like all men that are seized
upon by the power and wrath of God and the fear of death, the
guilt of sin, think there's something they must do TO OBTAIN GOD'S
FAVOR OR AT LEAST REMOVE HIS JUDGMENT FROM THEM. SALVATION
WE KNOW IS NOT SOMETHING WE DO. IT'S DONE. IT'S DONE. SALVATION WE KNOW IS DONE. IT'S
FINISHED. IT'S PERFORMED AND ACCOMPLISHED
BY THE LORD JESUS CHRIST, IS IT NOT? IT'S DONE. HE SAID AT CALVARY STREET, IT
IS FINISHED. HE HAS PERFORMED ALL THINGS FOR
US. He accomplished salvation by
his obedience unto death, by fulfilling the law of God for
us, bringing in everlasting righteousness, putting away our sin by the sacrifice
of himself. What part did we have in that?
None. He said, I didn't come to destroy
the law. I came to honor the law. He redeemed his elect. from the curse of the law being
made a curse for them. You see, salvation is not something
we do. It's what Christ has done already
for us. As one old preacher used to say,
Brother Richardson, lay your deadly doing down. Lay it down. Quit. Quit. Look. Our Lord said, look unto
me, be saved. All the ends of the earth. Believe
on the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. Believe on the Lord Jesus
Christ and thou shalt be saved. Believe on him. Trust him. You
see, salvation is not what you must do. Salvation is what the
Lord Jesus Christ had done. When he by himself purged our
sin, he sat down on the right hand of the throne of God. Don't do anything, jailer. Believe. Believe on the Lord. Jesus Christ. Now that includes
everything about his person, about his work, and about his
office, doesn't it? Believe on him. Our Lord said
this in John 5 24, and believeth on him that sent
me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation,
but is passed from death unto life." Remember, John said this,
whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ, he's born of God. Do you believe that Jesus is
the Christ? Amen, I believe by the grace
of God. You see, salvation is received
by believing, not doing. Not doing. Faith doesn't accomplish
salvation. Faith, it's the faith of God's
elect, receives the Lord Jesus Christ who accomplished salvation
for us. That's what faith looks to Him.
Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith. The
faith of God's elect is given by the sovereign will of God,
but faith does not accomplish salvation. It receives the Lord
Jesus Christ. who accomplished all salvation
for us. Remember in our study in the
book of Hebrews, Hebrews 7, verse 25, wherefore he is able to save
them to the uttermost that come to God by him, seeing he ever
lived to make intercession for us. able to save. My pastor Henry Mahan said this,
able to save means something more than just delivering men
from hell. Able to save is the whole of the work of salvation
from first conviction of sin to complete glorification in
the Lord Jesus Christ. The Lord Jesus Christ is not
only able to make men REPENT, HE'S ABLE TO GIVE THEM REPENTANCE
UNTO LIFE. HE'S NOT ONLY ABLE TO MAKE MEN
BELIEVE, HE GIVES THEM THE FAITH SO THAT THEY CAN BELIEVE IN THE
LORD JESUS CHRIST. CHRIST IS NOT ONLY ABLE TO SAVE
THOSE WHO CONTINUE IN FAITH, BUT HE'S ABLE TO KEEP US FROM
FALLING AND TO GIVE US A HOLY DESIRE TO BE LIKE HIM, KEPT BY
THE POWER OF GOD THROUGH FAITH IN THE LORD JESUS CHRIST. Acts 16, 32, and they spake unto him the word
of the Lord, and to all that were in his house. Now, don't
you think when Paul says to this man, believe on the Lord Jesus
Christ, don't you know that this man had to say, Paul, who is
he? THAT I MIGHT BELIEVE ON HIM.
AND YOU KNOW THE APOSTLE PAUL TOLD HIM EVERYTHING ABOUT HIS
LORDSHIP. HE'S LORD OF HEAVEN AND EARTH.
AND THEN ABOUT HIS OFFICE. HE IS THE SAVIOR OF SINNERS.
AND THEN HE IS THE CHRIST OF GOD, WHO HE IS, WHAT HE DID,
WHY, AND WHERE HE IS NOW. AND KNOWING THAT IN ALL OF HIS
OFFICE IS PROPHET, PRIEST, AND KING, ALL OF SALVATION IS IN
HIM. PAUL PREACHED TO HIM THE WORD
OF THE LORD. Faith comes by hearing and hearing
by the word of the Lord. God gave this man and his house
faith in the Lord Jesus Christ because it pleased God to do
so. Now, what's gonna happen? What's the rest of the story?
Verse 33, and he took him the same hour of the night WASHED
THEIR STRIPES. ONCE HE PARTICIPATED IN WOUNDING
THEM, NOW HE DESIRES THE BEST FOR THEM. HE TRIES TO HEAL THEM
UP, WASHED THEIR STRIPES, AND NO DOUBT TOOK CARE OF THEIR PHYSICAL
NEED. AND THEN IT SAYS HERE, AND WAS
BAPTIZED, HE AND ALL HIS HOUSE. WHY WAS HE BAPTIZED? because
he believed the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ according to
the command of God. It says in the next verse, and
when he had brought them into his house, he set meat before
them, rejoiced, believing in God. WHO SHOULD BE BAPTIZED? THOSE WHO BELIEVED IN GOD. THOSE WHO BELIEVED THE LORD JESUS
CHRIST, BELIEVING IN GOD WITH ALL HIS HOUSE. ABRAHAM BELIEVED
GOD AND IT WAS COUNTED TO HIM FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS. THE JAILER
NOW MINISTERS TO THEM, WAS BAPTIZED, CONFESSING THE LORD JESUS CHRIST
AS ALL OF SALVATION. THEY WENT BACK TO THE RIVERBANK
WHERE LYDIA AND HER HOUSE WERE BAPTIZED. That's the mercy and
grace of God, is it not? No doubt Lydia found out about
this, and they had a revival again down on the riverbank.
And the jailer was baptized, and his house was baptized, and
like Lydia, he took them home and fed them in his house, rejoiced. I love that statement, verse
34, rejoiced, believing in God. That's what faith comes to. rejoicing
in the Lord Jesus Christ. We are the true Israel, which
worship God in the spirit, that rejoice in the Lord Jesus Christ,
and have no confidence in the flesh. We rest in him. May God
give us grace to do just that. Believe the gospel of the Lord
Jesus Christ, rest in him, and rejoice. Rejoice in the Lord,
always. True faith always find great
joy in Christ, in the Lord Jesus Christ. May the Lord bless his
word and give us faith and cause us to grow in grace and in the
knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ.