What Must I Do to be Saved?

Philippi

Introduction

Paul and Silas were in Philippi the leading city of Macedonia. They were now in Greece. They went because of a dream Paul had of a man in Macedonia. They were following God’s plan and some pretty cool things were about to happen. God went to extraordinary links to save some people.

Lydia

Acts 16:13–15 NIV

On the Sabbath we went outside the city gate to the river, where we expected to find a place of prayer. We sat down and began to speak to the women who had gathered there. One of those listening was a woman from the city of Thyatira named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth. She was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to respond to Paul’s message. When she and the members of her household were baptized, she invited us to her home. “If you consider me a believer in the Lord,” she said, “come and stay at my house.” And she persuaded us.

A dealer in purple who was not a Jew, but a God fearer. She was with the women gathered for prayer by the river. Philippi most likely did not have a synagogue, so the Jewish believers and God-fearers most likely gathered at river. Paul does his normal thing of going to the Jews first just this time it was to the Prayer Gathering rather than the synagogue.

Interesting that Paul and Silas’s first Greek service was primarily to women and the first convert listed was a woman. In fact, no other men were listed as receiving the gospel until the Jailer much later. We know some did, but none are listed. I think it is important to note how open the women were to the message of Christ. What a powerful statement it must have been when Paul said things like Galatians 3:28 “In Christ Jesus, there is neither male of female.”

But Lydia was clearly a woman of means and power. She seems to be the head of her household. We know she was wealthy because her job was very lucrative. She continued as one of the leaders of the church at Philippi and the church met at her home for a while.

Perhaps Luke was trying to emphasize Jesus truly died for all in this brief story as God just saved a non Jewish, business woman from Macedonia all of which had traditionally been taboo, but God loves everyone. Her whole family comes to faith and is baptized. And Lydia’s home become the base of operations for Paul and Silas in Philippi.

Spirit possessed slave girl

Paul and Silas continue to go out to the place of prayer and proclaim the good news of Jesus. And a young woman, possessed with a spirit, who who made her owners a lot of money by telling the future won’t quit following them around shouting,” These men are servants of the Most High God, who are telling you the way to be saved.” Fortune telling was a very profitable business in those days. Greeks and Romans would not do much at all without consulting an oracle or a fortune teller.

Anyway Paul gets so tired of her yelling that and following them that he commanded the spirit to get out of her and it did.

The slave owners did not like that. They might lose some of their profits. As we continue through Acts you will notice greed is the driving force behind many of the groups that oppose Paul and the gospel. Ephesus, Philippi and some other stories. So they responded.

Acts 16:19–24 NIV

When her owners realized that their hope of making money was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace to face the authorities. They brought them before the magistrates and said, “These men are Jews, and are throwing our city into an uproar by advocating customs unlawful for us Romans to accept or practice.” The crowd joined in the attack against Paul and Silas, and the magistrates ordered them to be stripped and beaten with rods. After they had been severely flogged, they were thrown into prison, and the jailer was commanded to guard them carefully. When he received these orders, he put them in the inner cell and fastened their feet in the stocks.

They were thrown in front of the leaders of the town, told they were causing problems and disturbing the peace. Flogged which was literally being beaten by rods. Thrown in prison. Put in shackles in the most secure part of the prison all for casting a spirit out of a slave girl.

Are you kidding me, all these things for casting a spirit out of a slave girl! Seems a little over the top doesn’t it? But keeping the peace was the main job of the magistrates. In fact, stopping unrest was really the only thing Rome cared about. If the magistrates could not keep the peace, then they would be replaced. So these magistrates took it seriously when the crowd turned on Paul and Silas.

So they are in the deepest, darkest part of the prison, and instead of being down they did something crazy. They worshipped God.

Acts 16:25 NIV

About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them.

Isn’t that awesome? I hope I would do the same, but that would take some serious work by the Holy Spirit because I like to complain. I wish I didn’t, but I do. But Paul and Silas, filled with the Spirit, prayed and praised, and God did something amazing.

Acts 16:26–29 NIV

Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open, and everyone’s chains came loose. The jailer woke up, and when he saw the prison doors open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself because he thought the prisoners had escaped. But Paul shouted, “Don’t harm yourself! We are all here!” The jailer called for lights, rushed in and fell trembling before Paul and Silas.

What were Paul and Silas thinking, God just opened the doors to the prison and set them free, but they did not run. That has always been crazy to me. How did they know to stay? My initial thoughts would be God just saved us let’s hit the road. GO GOD! YEAH JESUS! I guess Paul was listening to the Holy Spirit and stayed. Which was important because God did not do all this to rescue Paul, but rather to Save the Jailer and his household.

Let me say that again. God did not allow Paul and Silas to be flogged, imprisoned, cause the earthquake, and tear down the doors of the prison for Paul and Silas he did it to save the jailer and his family.

Acts 16:30–33 NIV

He then brought them out and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household.” Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all the others in his house. At that hour of the night the jailer took them and washed their wounds; then immediately he and all his household were baptized.

WOW! The jailer who as far as we know had no idea who God or Jesus was. Who was ready to give up and even kill himself because he was afraid of what would happen to him moments earlier now asks the question we must all ask,

WHAT MUST I DO TO BE SAVED?

That had to have so much power behind it. God had just caused an earthquake, knocked down walls, broke loose shackles all to save him. Now he is ready to be saved not from the prison he worked in but from the prison of his sin and shame.

Paul and Silas lay it out simply...

BELIEVE IN THE LORD JESUS AND YOU WILL BE SAVED

Paul and Silas’s actions backed their words, but were powered by God’s work. This Jailer and his whole household heard and saw the work of God. They experienced his power. They experienced his grace. So, they believed in were baptized.

ALL OF THEM. WOW!

God truly will go to whatever means necessary to save his people. Can you imagine how many people God used that jailer and his story to lead to Christ. Talk about a powerful testimony.

Paul and Silas were obedient and God used them. We are called to obedience, and when we obey God uses us. Uses us so others can have the question answered. What must I do to be saved? Believe in the Lord Jesus.

Go be obedient. You will never know where you might end up.