The Most Important Question Ever Asked
Notes
Transcript
The Most Important Question Ever Asked
“What must I do to be saved?”—Acts 16:30
We focus our spotlight of examination on verse 30, The question, What must I do
What is a question?
As a noun - it is a sentence worded or expressed so as to elicit information: What’s for dinner? Why is there a permanent press setting on the iron? Why do we drive on the parkway? Why do we park in the driveway? What’s a hen weigh? About 3 pounds.
A question can also raise doubt about the truth or validity of something: t
Question may raise objection to something:
As a verb [with object] - ask questions of (someone), especially in an official context: four men were being questioned about the killings.
A QUESTION does not always raise a doubt. A child wants to know answer, and so the child asks questions about everything. The child asks questions because it believes that it is possible to know the truth to know the answer.
So we can ask great questions of Scripture. Important question about the heart of God, about the condition of mankind, and he we might conduct ourselves. We should ask questions, not because we doubt, but because we desire to know; because we believe God has given a revelation to us, in that revelation He has answered every reasonable question of the human soul.
Not every idle and curious question, Can God Do all things? Yes! Can He make a boulder too big for Him to lift?” God isn’t into stupidity? And will never do anything contrary to His will. That would be sin. And if God were to sin, he would cease to be God. So in your question you are asking is it possible for God to sin? The answer is no.
Ask every question that touches the real things in our destiny. Like questions that the jailer asked at midnight in the Philippian jail.
Acts 16:30
30 He then brought them out and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”
“What must I do to be saved?”—
Many people suppose that there was an antecedent question: “Do I need to be saved?” Perhaps there man have been. But we know what’s actually recorded in Acts 16. Therefore, it is not necessary to presupposed any antecedent questions.
I am convinced and deeply persuaded that there comes a time, in everyone’s life where they know they are inadequate to save themselves, and others cannot save them, and they need to be saved. I believe that. We know that in ourselves and apart from God, we are unfit for a holy heaven.
First of all, we have all done, in thought, word, and deed, what a holy God can not approve. We know we did, and there is no denying it.
And secondly, we all have an internal sensation, a knowing of; and responsibility for, the commission of evil beyond anything we have ever done in our lives. Therefore there is something in us that needs to be saved. And we know it.
The one whom I call Lord, Jesus Christ, during his Earthly ministry told of a young man whom we now call the prodigal. You know the story, young man, feeling himself, divests his portion of the family business, goes to a far away land, and spends all his inheritance on riotous living. Got down on his luck, was broke, jobless, and hungry. Once he lived the life of a millionaire. Spending his money, honey, he didn’t care. Took his friends out for a mighty good time, brought top shelf gin, champagne and wine. But as soon as his money got low. Couldn’t find his friends and he had no place to go. You know the story.
But that son, in the parable When he came to himself, when he came to his senses, when he realized what he had done. He said,
“I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee,”
—Luke 15:18
18 I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you.
This is the first evidence that a sinner has come to himself. Even in the midst of the far away land, even while in he was knee deep in pig sloop and pig excrement, he thought of how he betrayed his father, and but did not think it apropos to assume , “I will arise and go to my father and say….
‘Father, I am merely a product of my own environment; I got mixed up with wrong crowd. This would have worked but they left me. Father I was weak and they led me astray; Father the sin looked very beautiful and attractive, I couldn’t resist. Father it’s your fault, you never told me much about this and that, and so nowI am in this plight! ” Nope! these excuses are only evidence against the sinner, he has not come to himself.
When a sinner comes to himself, even when ankle deep, knee deep, waist deep, neck deep in pig filth, the sinner says, “Father, I have sinned.” Never mind the influences, never mind the environment—“I have sinned.” Therefore, the question of salvation specific and personal, rather than general and abstract.
What Must I Do? What must IIIIIIII Do?
On of the big problems we face on the subject is that too many well-meaning theological philosophers will busy themselves on the idealistic abstract questions that have to do with human responsibility. What Must I do to be saved? is not an abstract question. It is not what other people, across the road, around the way, must do to be saved, but what must I do to be saved.
The question is specific:
“What must I do to be saved?”—Acts 16:30
30 He then brought them out and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”
If there is something; (the questioner seems to ask;) that I must do, oh, tell me, plan and simple, in no mistakable words what that something is.
Be ambiguous, about anything else, but not about this, for there is too much at stake. Don’t darken your counsel with empty, ,meaningless words; don’t fill the air with controversy, just tell me, What is it I must do?
Depending on who you talk to, where you get your advice, who has entrance to your ear-gate, eye-gate and your heart-gate, you will undoubtedly find a plethora of philosophies which suggest various ways you might be saved.
But I believe the Bible. Therefore, I look to the Bible for the answer. I find it precepts to be true, flawless and without error. So let’s look intently into the Bible for the answer to the question, What Must I Do?
This began jailer was just doing his job. Perhaps a bit excessively exuberant. Job was to secure in prison, 2 wrongfully accused, and severely beaten prisoners and their party. Apostle Paul and Silas. To ensure they were secure, he put them in the inner prison. The jail inside the jail. The hole. And he doubled down on the crimeless- criminals. He put their feet and hands and possibly their heads into stocks. But inspire of all of that, these men didn’t curse and lash out ate their captors or at God. But they were passing and worshiping God. They turn their prison into a Shut-In Service. Glory to God! And then it was about Midnight. They were singing Hymns to the Lord. When Suddenly! There was a mighty earthquake. So fierce that the chains fell off, the stocks were loosed, and the prison doors swung open. The jailer could see that he was in the presence of a God who could shake the earth and fling wide prison doors, and he came to himself, that’s right, this sinner came to himself, and fell down at the feet of Paul and Silas, in all his sins and carnal blindness and ignorance, and said,
“Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”—Acts 16:30
30 He then brought them out and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”
And from these men, who were slandered, beaten, and shackled, and thrown into a dungeon, came the answer which I give to you today:
“Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved.”—Acts 16:31
31 They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household.”
It’s in the Bible.
There are many philosophies, but there is only one answer. And none other. That same Bible tells us.
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”—John 3:16
16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
“Whosoever”—no matter how small, or how great, or many your sins. Whosoever is SPECIFIC to you, and to me.
“Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ.”—Acts 16:31
31 They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household.”
That begs another question. What is it to believe?
be·lieve |1 accept (something) as true; feel sure of the truth of: accept the statement of (someone) as true: (believe something of someone) have faith, especially religious faith:
That word faith is to believe something to the point where you take action on what you believe. You believe the flood is coming, you move to higher ground. I am amazed at the person who says, “I’m just gonna sit it out.” Then when the flood comes scores of people are risking their lives, trying to save this stubborn person.
The same is true in the Jn 3.16 passage we read.
16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
God risked it all, to the whosoever, that they not parish in the flood, the deluge, but have life. But the stubborn, knowing the flood is coming says, “I’m gonna sit this one out.” Or I move to higher ground tomorrow, next week, next month, next year.” Or how bout this, “I know that I’m a sinner. But God understands my heart.” Yes! you are correct. God does understand your heart. He has noted, Your heart is deceptive, evil and desperately wicked, even to the point you don’t know your own heart.
God doesn’t wink at sin. He has no tolerance for sin. He doesn’t understand sin. He hates sin.. But He loves you. He loves you so much that he gave-up His Son, to take you sin upon himself, and bare the full brunt of the punishment for your sin, to the point of death. The wages of sin is death. God gave Him up, that whosoever, you, me, the jailer in Phillipi, would believe on Him should have eternal life.
Up until now, some of you hearing this word has yet to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. That is to trust in Him. That is to put your fate in His hands. That is to be reconciled to God the Father. That is to be a friend of God. That is to be at peace with God. That is to no longer be His enemy.
But you say, “I’m gonna sit this one out.” “I’m gonna weigh my options.” “I’ll move to safety in a week, month, year.” Tomorrow ain’t promised to no-one .
I had vision, this morning. It was the saddest thing I ever saw. It’s the souls drowning in flood of brimstone and fire, suffering in a hell that wasn’t even made for them, crying out toward heaven, with excuses of why they rejected Jesus. And begging for some Saint to dip their finger in some cool spiritual water to place on their suffering tongues.
I pray that you Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and Be saved, before it’s too late for you. Put your trust in Him.
“In whom we trust that he will yet deliver us;”
—2 Corinthians 1:10
10 He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us again. On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us,
“For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ.”—2 Corinthians 1:5
5 For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so also our comfort abounds through Christ.
There are also those of you who have come to yourself, you are asking the specific and personal question, “WHAT MUST I DO TO BE SAVED?”
The answer is the same as it was some 2000 years ago, Acts 16:31
31 They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household.”
Which begs the final question. How do I believe on the Lord Jesus.
That’s a good question. And for the answer, we return to the Bible.
Romans 10:9.
declare with your mouth “Jesus is Lord” and believe in your heart “God raised Him from the dead”, you will be saved.
Romans 10:10
Here’s why it is with the mouth…. with the heart
Romans 10:11
The Bible says
Romans 10:12
The sam Lord is Lord of whosoever
Romans 10:13
Whosoever calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.
If you are ready Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ right now say this simple prayer with me.
Heavenly Father, I come to You admitting that I am a sinner. Right now, I choose to turn away from sin, and I ask You to cleanse me of all unrighteousness. I believe that Your Son, Jesus, died on the cross to take away my sins. I also believe that You Father, rose Jesus, again from the dead so that I might be forgiven of my sins and made righteous through faith in Him. I call upon, confess, declare that Jesus Christ is Savior and Lord of my life. Jesus, I choose to follow You and ask that You fill me with the power of the Holy Spirit. I declare that right now I am a child of God. I am free from sin and full of the righteousness of God. I am saved in Jesus’ name. Amen.
I want to thank all of you for joining with us today. We will see you again next week, on A WORD TO THE WISE
Walk with the Victor, Walk in Victory! God Bless you!
Scofield, C. I. (1922). In Many Pulpits with Dr. C. I. Scofield (pp. 41–48). New York; London; Toronto; Melbourne; Bombay: Oxford University Press.