1. The Saved (verse 25)
2. The Seeking (verses 26-34)
3. The Self-Preserving (verses 35-40)

This next upcoming weekend, March 17-20, 2022 (Thursday evening through Sunday afternoon), there will be yet another Spiritual Impact Weekend in the Winnebago County Jail. Gary (who’s planning to go), told me that 15 men from the community will go into the jail to minister to the inmates, 32 of whom are signed up to participate. The aim is to make a lasting spiritual impact upon those in the jail.

By God’s grace, there have been a handful of these weekends over the past few years. They have made a great impact upon those in jail. Here is a story that the chaplain related to Gary:

A former county jail graduate named Alfred gave his heart to Christ through the witness of another inmate in Rockford. He went through all of the discipleship classes pre-covid. He also attended the Spiritual Impact Weekend [SIW] retreat several times. He had been a leader in a local gang and had a lifelong history of crime. I met him back then and had wonderful fellowship as we talked about the Lord.

Afterwards he was transferred to Stateville Prison in Joliet to complete his sentence. The State of Illinois records department made a mistake and did not give him the credit for some of his time in county jail to be applied to his total sentence. So he was stuck there longer than he should have been.

He wrote back to the chaplain asking for prayer and encouragement to get released. Meantime he sat in his cell and prayed and song worship songs that he learned at the Winnebago County Jail. Other inmates heard him singing and came by his cell to yell at him and mock God through the locked door.

Some inmates went so far as to urinate at the base of his cell door which flowed into the cell. Others smeared feces on the door!

Alfred responded by continuing to worship and reading God's word. About two weeks later, the state finally corrected their error and he was released. He could only have overcome that kind of pressure and abuse by the grace of God.

Much of our teaching and discipleship is focused on spiritual preparation for trusting God for power to love their enemies and be faithful during persecution and loneliness in state and federal prisons.

Jails and prisons can be strategic places for the gospel. when people are broken, and thinking about the direction of their lives. So, we need to pray for next weekend, that the weekend, might indeed, make a "Spiritual Impact" upon the lives of those in jail.
__________

Well, as we come to our text this morning, we are going to a jail, a jail in Philippi, where ministry is taking place. not over a weekend, but over a single night. God does a work that we have recorded for us in the Scriptures. It’s in Acts, chapter 16, where we will be looking at one of the most famous stories contained in the book of Acts: The story of the conversion of the Philippian jailer. Consider the story:

Acts 16:25-40
About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them, and suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken. And immediately all the doors were opened, and everyone's bonds were unfastened. When the jailer woke and saw that the prison doors were open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, supposing that the prisoners had escaped. But Paul cried with a loud voice, “Do not harm yourself, for we are all here.” And the jailer called for lights and rushed in, and trembling with fear he fell down before Paul and Silas. Then he brought them out and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” And they said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.” And they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house. And he took them the same hour of the night and washed their wounds; and he was baptized at once, he and all his family. Then he brought them up into his house and set food before them. And he rejoiced along with his entire household that he had believed in God.

But when it was day, the magistrates sent the police, saying, “Let those men go.” And the jailer reported these words to Paul, saying, “The magistrates have sent to let you go. Therefore come out now and go in peace.” But Paul said to them, “They have beaten us publicly, uncondemned, men who are Roman citizens, and have thrown us into prison; and do they now throw us out secretly? No! Let them come themselves and take us out.” The police reported these words to the magistrates, and they were afraid when they heard that they were Roman citizens. So they came and apologized to them. And they took them out and asked them to leave the city. So they went out of the prison and visited Lydia. And when they had seen the brothers, they encouraged them and departed.

These things, of course, happened in Philippi, where we have been the last few weeks in our study of the book of Acts. If you remember from previous weeks, Paul and Silas were sent out from Antioch, on Paul’s second missionary journey, to “visit the brothers” in southern Galatia, to see how they were doing (Acts 15:36). Along the way, they picked up Timothy and Luke, who joined them on their way. They made their way west to Troas, crossed the Aegean Sea, and made their way to Philippi in Macedonia.

While they were in Philippi, Luke (the author of Acts) tells us of three people in Philippi that encountered this missionary team. First off was Lydia. they met her at the place of prayer down by the rivers. She was a respected seller of purple fabrics. And Lord opened her heart to believe the gospel (Acts 16:14).

Second, the missionary team encountered a demon-possessed slave girl. Through the power of Jesus Christ, Paul commanded the demon to come out of her. We can only assume, then, that she followed after the Lord. This angered her owners when they saw that “their hope of gain was gone” (Acts 16:19). So, the seized Paul and Silas, “dragged them into the marketplace before the rulers” (Acts 16:19). Rather than being just, these rulers “gave orders to beat them with rods” (Acts 16:22). After “many blows upon them, they threw them into prison, ordering the jailer to keep them safely” (Acts 16:23). This jailer “put them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks” (Acts 16:24).

This Philippian jailer is the third encounter Luke focuses upon during Paul’s time in Philippi. This man was different, yet again from Lydia and the slave girl. First of all, he was a man. He was probably an older man. Further, he was probably a retired Roman soldier, who was certainly hardened from all that he saw in his time as a soldier. Yet, his life was utterly changed when asked that simple question (recorded for us in verse 30): Acts 16:30 “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” And the answer comes back, “Believe in the Lord Jesus” (Acts 16:31).

This is the gospel: “What must I do to be saved?” “Believe in the Lord Jesus.”

It is as simple as that. You are not saved by good works. You are not saved by ceremonies. You are not saved because you go to church, have Christian parents, or have a grandpa who was a pastor. No, you are saved by believing in the Lord Jesus. That's it. You are saved by believing in the Lord Jesus, that is, trusting in him. You are saved by trusting that Jesus died for your sins, trusting that Jesus rose from the dead, and trusting that Jesus in Lord, the ruler of the universe. It’s really that simple. Do you believe in the Lord Jesus? Are you trusting in him? Are you saved?

This is the title of my message this morning: “Are you saved?” Do you believe in the Lord Jesus?

As I said, it’s that simple. But it gets even more simple. Not only are you saved by believing in the Lord Jesus. But this is the only way to be saved. Acts 4:12 And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.

There are times in life when too many choices can bring someone to a standstill. Like the little girl in the ice cream shop, with dozens of choices of ice cream. she just can’t choose. Like the mom at home, with four kids all begging for her attention, with a dinner than needs to be made, with a house that needs to be vacuumed. It can all be overwhelming.

That’s one reason why I like traveling. It’s a joyful feeling for me to know that I exist this day to get up in the morning and drive all day. because, we need to get to our destination by evening. As long as you get there, you have had a good day.

When it comes to salvation, there is only one way to be saved. by believing in the Lord Jesus.

It’s not that there are many religions from which you may choose. As if you need to search for the right religion for you. “Let me try to be a good Muslim, and see if it works for me.” “Let me try Zen Buddhism. Maybe that’s what I need.” “I’m going to try following the stars.” You don’t need to go down any of these paths. They are all dead ends. They end when you are dead. There is only one way to be saved and live eternally. “Believe in the Lord Jesus.”

Are you saved? Do you believe in the Lord Jesus?

I had conversation with man this week, who grew up in church. He grew up in a good church. But today he is far from God. I asked him a bit about church. Where once he used to go to church, almost every Sunday. But now, he doesn’t go. I said, “Why don’t you go to church.” He said, “Well, a couple of reasons. I used to go to church with all of my friends, but moving away from home has distanced me a bit from my friends. Also, my job takes me away often. it’s hard to be consistent. And then, with COVID and all. Finally, I guess, um, well.” Then (thinking about this passage of Scripture), I said, “You mean unbelief. You don’t believe.” He said, “Yeah. Exactly.” I chose not to press him too hard, because I think I’ll have more opportunities in the future to talk with him. His is the reality of many people.

Those who don’t believe in Jesus have no reason to come to church. But just because you are here this morning doesn’t mean that you are saved from your sins. Believe in Jesus and you will be saved! As Paul said, "Let it be known to you that through [Jesus] forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you (Acts 13:38). Do you want to be saved from your sin? Believe in the Lord Jesus. and experience his forgiveness.

Are you saved? There are only three answers to that question: (1) Yes! I am saved; (2) No. But I’m seeking salvation; (3) No. I’m not saved and don’t really care.

In our text this morning, we see each of these types of people. We will see those who are saved demonstrating their salvation by their actions. We will see those who aren’t saved, but who are seeking salvation. Finally, we will see those who aren’t saved, who want nothing to do with Jesus and the salvation that he offers. instead, they want to keep life at it is. they want to keep the status quo.

The application of our text, then this morning is for you to identify what sort of person you are. and what sort of people your friends are, what sort of people your neighbors are. so that you can witness to them accordingly. So, let’s look at my first point this morning.

1. The Saved (verse 25)

Verse 25 describes to us what Paul and Silas were doing in jail. As they did this, it demonstrates how they were saved people. believers in the Lord Jesus.

Acts 16:25
About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them,

This is amazing, if you know where they have just been. They had just been milling around Philippi, preaching the gospel. Their favorite place was down by the river, where there was a place of prayer. Through their preaching Lydia was converted. the respectable seller of purple fabrics. Through their preaching an abused slave girl was set free from her masters. But this is the very thing that got them in trouble. Not only had they been in trouble, but they were beaten badly. So, they came into prison with wounds on their backs. Their feet were placed in the stocks. And yet, they were “praying and singing hymns to God.” They weren’t complaining. They weren’t crying out at the injustice done to them. They weren’t stewing because of their circumstances.

How could they do sing? They understood that this is what they were called to. When Paul would later write to the Philippians, he would say this: "For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake" (Philippians 1:29). This is what God has given to us. He has given faith to us. He has given suffering to us. Without doubt, Paul and Silas were suffering. They were “suffering for his sake.” It was because of the gospel that they were in jail. They freed a girl from her demon through the name of the Lord Jesus and the power of the gospel. Yet, they found themselves in prison!

Paul and Silas knew that they had been called to suffer. Before leaving the infant churches in Derbe, Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch, they were encouraging them “to continue in the faith, and [were] saying that through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God” (Acts 14:22). What they faced in Philippi was merely some of those tribulations that they were expecting. Too often people are sold a bill of good when they hear the gospel. They are told that all will go well with them if they believe. But such is not the case. The path to the kingdom of God goes through the forest of “many tribulations.” So, Paul and Silas weren’t caught off guard. That’s how they could sing.

Perhaps they had heard the story of Peter and John when they were in Jerusalem and had been beaten for preaching Jesus. Their testimony is that "They left the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the name [of Jesus]" (Acts 5:41). Perhaps this story was in their minds, as they “sang hymns to God.” Like the apostles in Jerusalem, they were joyful to be counted worthy to suffer for his sake.

And what do you suppose they were singing? Probably the Psalms, the inspired hymnbook of the Jews. What’s amazing here is that we may well know the words of some of the songs they were singing. Oh, not the tune, but the words. They may have been singing the songs of deliverance.

Psalm 118:5-6
Out of my distress I called on the LORD;
    the LORD answered me and set me free.
The LORD is on my side; I will not fear.
  What can man do to me?

Maybe they sang a simple chorus of hope.

Psalm 27:1
The LORD is my light and my salvation;
  whom shall I fear?
The LORD is the stronghold of my life;
  of whom shall I be afraid?

Maybe they included a chorus of praise.

Psalm 103:1
Bless the LORD, O my soul,
  and all that is within me,
  bless his holy name!

Psalm 34:1-4
I will bless the Lord at all times;
  his praise shall continually be in my mouth.
My soul makes its boast in the LORD;
  let the humble hear and be glad.
Oh, magnify the Lord with me,
  and let us exalt his name together!
I sought the Lord, and he answered me
  and delivered me from all my fears.

Whatever they may have been singing, their example gave credence to Paul’s later admonition to those in Philippi, "Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say rejoice" (Philippians 4:4), even when suffering unjustly in jail.

Such peculiar actions will make an impact. Did you notice the subtle words in verse 25, “and the prisoners were listening to them.” They were listening to them, not complain or express their grievances at the injustice done to them. They were listening to them seeking the Lord. Paul would later write to those in Philippi, "Do all things without grumbling or disputing, that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world" (Philippians 2:14-15).

And in that dark jail cell, they were the light, shining in the darkness.

Acts 16:25
and the prisoners were listening to them.

That is, the other prisoners were taking notice of how they were suffering. Because it is unusual to have joy in your suffering. And when you have joy in your suffering, people take notice, especially unbelievers. See, it’s one thing for you to give praise to God when things are well. But when things are bad, and you still praise God, others will notice. That’s the power of the end of Habakkuk: "Though the fig tree should not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines, the produce of the olive fail and the fields yield no food, the flock be cut off from the fold and there be no herd in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord; I will take joy in the God of my salvation" (Habakkuk 3:17-18).

It’s one thing for a professional athlete, who just won the championship game, to be interviewed by the reporter, “What are your thoughts right now? You are world champs! And the athlete says, “First off, I want to thank my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.” Then goes on to answer the question. I’m thankful for such a testimony. I do believe that it gives glory to God. But how much do you think people pay attention to that. “Of course this guy is thankful! He just won the championship! If I won the championship, I would give praise to Jesus as well!”

But it’s another thing altogether, when you lose your job, and you turn to your wife and your children, and quote from Philippians 4:19, “My God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.” It’s another thing, when your child dies in a car crash, and you can say with Job, “The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.” (Job 1:21). It’s another thing when you have been diagnosed with cancer, that may well take your life, and you stand and sing, “Whate'er my God ordains is right: he never will deceive me; he leads me by the proper path; I know he will not leave me. I take, content, what he hath sent; his hand can turn my griefs away, and patiently I wait his day.”

That gets the attention of people. And that got the attention of the prisoners, who were listening to Paul and Silas pray. And, I believe, it got the attention of the jailer, along with the help of God. With the jailer, we see the second type of person in our text. We saw (in Paul and Silas), "The Saved." (verse 25), that is, those who were believing in Jesus, and trusting the Lord through whatever comes their way.

In verses 26-34 come another type of person.

2. The Seeking (verses 26-34)

This is the jailer. He was seeking, he may not have been seeking for long. But he got to the point to ask Paul and Silas, “What must I do to be saved?” Let’s pick up his story in verse 26,

Acts 16:26
and suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken. And immediately all the doors were opened, and everyone's bonds were unfastened.

Here in the Midwest, we are unfamiliar with earthquakes. They don’t happen very often. They happen most often in California, where I lived for a few years. where Yvonne grew up. While in California, I experienced a few earthquakes, one of which was on our wedding night, but that’s another story for another time. But I have never experienced an earthquake this severe. Where all of the locked doors swung open.

I know that in severe earthquakes, cabinet doors will often fly open, and the dishes will fall out and crash on the counters below. The frequency is so much that some people will put small latches on their cabinet doors so that the dishes won’t fall out during an earthquake. That’s the point of this earthquake. Little latches will stop doors from being opened. This must have been quite an earthquake if the large locked doors keeping the inmates in jail were opened. In reality, it was a sovereign earthquake, that shook in special ways so as to unlock the doors and the bonds that held the prisoners in.

Now, this was bad news for the jailer. Because, his life was at stake. Do you remember, back in Acts, chapter 12, when the angel came into the prison cell, and woke Peter up, and let him out to the street? (Acts 12:7-11). Do you remember what happened to the sentries who were in charge with guarding the prisoners? They were put to death (Acts 12:19). This same fate would come to this jailer if these prisoners escaped. That’s why we read in verse 27, ...

Acts 16:27
When the jailer woke and saw that the prison doors were open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, supposing that the prisoners had escaped.

The jailer figured that it was better to die on his terms than on the terms of others. But Paul stopped him.

Acts 16:28
But Paul cried with a loud voice, “Do not harm yourself, for we are all here.”

It was probably the case that Paul and the prisoners were in the dark, and could see the jailer in the light. But the jailer in the light, couldn’t see into the darkness. This was another miracle. That all of the prisoners were free to leave, but they stayed!

I can understand Paul and Silas staying, they knew that they were in the right. they had nothing to hide. But others in the jail, not so. some may have stolen property, others may have committed murder. They had every reason to leave. But they didn’t. Again, this is a clear sign of the sovereignty of God, compelling these prisoners to remain in the jail.

We read the jailer’s reaction in verse 29.

Acts 16:29
And the jailer called for lights and rushed in, and trembling with fear he fell down before Paul and Silas.

He was shocked that the prisoners were still in the jail. I don’t think it was lost on him, how they all remained put, how the prisoners didn’t flee. But the shock turned to fear. He knew that he needed help, he knew that he needed saving. So, he took Paul and Silas out of the jail, and into his house, where he lived, on the grounds of the jail. Then, he asked the central question of our text:

Acts 16:30
Then he brought them out and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”

It may have been that this jailer was asking an earthly question. In other words, “What must I do to be delivered from this mess I’m in.” An earthquake has threatened my life. I don’t know what to do. These prisoners could pick up and leave right now! Can you help me? What must I do to save my life?” The answer came back.

Acts 16:31
And they said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.”

After this, some conversation followed.

Acts 16:32
And they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house.

At this point, a fuller explanation of the gospel surely took place. When Paul said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus,” I don’t think that this man had much context. He wasn’t Jewish. He was certainly Roman. He was certainly secular.

If, indeed, it is true that there was no synagogue in Philippi, his exposure to the Hebrew Scriptures was minimal, if any at all. Yet, he knew that there was something special about Paul, that he could cast the demon out of this slave girl. He knew of the charge that was brought against Paul and Silas, that they were “disturbing the city” with their message. So, he knew something to seek salvation. But not much.

So, surely in that conversation, Paul and Silas would have given some context, of Jesus of Nazareth, who fulfilled Scripture, who was the Jewish Messiah, who died on the cross for our sins. If we believe in him, we will know forgiveness of sins, and be made right with God. Paul and Silas surely would have shared words similar to this.

The conversation didn’t last long. In fact, we know that it lasted less than an hour.

Acts 16:33
And he took them the same hour of the night and washed their wounds; and he was baptized at once, he and all his family.

But that hour of conversation was enough to see this man converted to Christ. What a great picture this is. Paul and Silas had wounds that needed care. Open bleeding on their backs! So, the jailer washed their wounds. The jailer had sins that needed care. So, Paul (and Silas) baptized the jailer and his family, those who had believed in Jesus. It's not that the baptism washed away their sins. But the baptism was symbolic of this sins being washed away.

Again, we see the importance of baptism. It is an act of faith, a declaration of allegiance to Jesus, a symbolic cleansing of sin. The baptism was followed up with some fellowship.

Acts 16:34
Then he brought them up into his house and set food before them. And he rejoiced along with his entire household that he had believed in God.

This is similar to Lydia's response to Paul. When she was saved, she asked Paul and his friend to come to her house and stay with her. Likewise, the jailer was indebted to these men. So, he gave them a dinner. and celebrated with them, even halfway through the night. (At least it was after midnight according to verse 25). The reality was probably that Paul and Silas hadn’t had anything to eat since the day before, as they were dragged into the courts, beaten, and thrown in jail. The jails back then didn’t care much for their prisoners. This jailer sought to meet the needs of his new friends.

So, stepping back, we see the one seeking salvation, finding God, and experiencing forgiveness. He wasn’t seeking long! Perhaps that night was the first stirring of his heart. Yet, he found salvation in Jesus.

So, what about you this morning? Are you seeking? Are you seeking salvation? You will only find your rest in God. So “Believe in the Lord Jesus.”

Let’s quickly finish up our text: We have seen, (1) The Saved (verse 25) and (2) The Seeking (verses 26-34). Now, let's look at my third point:

3. The Self-Preserving (verses 35-40)

This is what I’m calling the officials. They knew they were in trouble But they didn’t seek the Lord like the jailer. Instead, they sought for their own good. These men are like most people today. who aren’t interested in spiritual things. Rather, they are only interested in preserving their lives and their livelihood.

Acts 16:35-36
But when it was day, the magistrates sent the police, saying, “Let those men go.” And the jailer reported these words to Paul, saying, “The magistrates have sent to let you go. Therefore come out now and go in peace.”

This was good news! Paul and Silas were now free to leave as if nothing happened. But something did happened. And Paul knew it.

Acts 16:37
But Paul said to them, “They have beaten us publicly, uncondemned, men who are Roman citizens, and have thrown us into prison; and do they now throw us out secretly? No! Let them come themselves and take us out.”

Paul knew that he and Silas had been wronged. and that things needed to be made right. He wanted the city officials to know that they need to treat Christians with respect. Paul’s actions here would have helped future believers in Philippi to be accepted by the Romans. We see the resolution in verses 38-39.

Acts 16:38-39
The police reported these words to the magistrates, and they were afraid when they heard that they were Roman citizens. So they came and apologized to them. And they took them out and asked them to leave the city.

They were afraid because their jobs were in jeopardy. They had failed to administer the law correctly. "Roman ... law protected Roman citizens from public beatings, imprisonment, and death without trial.”^[1]

If news of what they had done reached their superiors. They may have been thrown in prison. So, they were willing to satisfy Paul’s conditions. So they brought Paul and Silas out of the prison, with apology. And asked them to leave the city, politely, I’m sure.

I trust that you see how “self-preserving” these officials were. They weren’t interested in spiritual things. They only wanted to keep their jobs. So, Paul didn’t spend much time with them talking about spiritual things. He left town.

Before he left, he wanted to spend time with disciples.

Acts 16:40
So they went out of the prison and visited Lydia. And when they had seen the brothers, they encouraged them and departed.

What a precious time that must have been with Lydia and her household, perhaps the slave girl, perhaps some others. They could have told the story of God’s faithfulness, "The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?" (Psalm 27:1).

After some time, they departed to Thessalonica, which we will look at next week.

This sermon was delivered to Rock Valley Bible Church on February 13, 2022 by Steve Brandon.
For more information see www.rockvalleybiblechurch.org.

[1] Simon J. Kistemaker, New Testament Commentary: Exposition of the Acts of the Apostles (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1990), 604.