Sermon Tone Analysis

Scripture Reading

Introduction

This evening we will be rejoicing in three individual testimonies of God’s saving grace.

These three people will be going through the water of Baptism as a public declaration before the gathered church of God’s profound saving grace towards them.

As they do this, we are able to rejoice in the Gospel that brings salvation.

Our God is a saving, redeeming God, and He has purposed to bring sinful, rebellious people, into joyful relationship with Him.

The separation brought about as a consequence of the fall in the Garden of Eden has been remedied through the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ.

As such, what we will witness this evening, although symbolic, points to the most glorious truths that could be imagined.

As we consider what Suzanne, Janine and David will be testifying this evening as they go through the waters of baptism, I’d like to consider Gospel message and its impact upon the Philippian jailer and his family.

I will do this by considering 3 points relating to saving faith.

The means of saving faith

The Sign of Saving Faith

The Appropriate Response to Saving Faith

1.

The Means of Saving Faith (vv.31-32)

Ultimately, the means that God uses to save people is through the proclamation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Just consider this account of the Philippian jailer.

He is tasked with guarding the prisoners.

If he fails in his task… he faces severe consequences, probably death.

He’s sleeping, while the Apostles are singing hymns.

The text tells us that a massive earthquake suddenly hit, causing not only the doors to all fly open, but the chains of every prisoner to fall off.

This would have been a frightening event… probably for all of the prisoners.

But not nearly as frightening as for the jailer.

The prisoners would have been overjoyed… the doors were open… their chains were off… They were free!!

But the Jailer was petrified...

Note v.27-29

Dear friends, this provided the context for the transformation in the life of the jailer.

In a sense, these were the conditions that God used to prepare the soil of the heart of the jailer to receive the Word.

Let me apply this… Each one of those who will come to be baptised this evening have had the soil of their hearts prepared by various circumstances that led to their conversion and profession of faith in Christ.

They are so vastly different from each other, but as you hear their testimonies, listen to how different the buildup was to their profession of faith.

In each case, rejoice that God has so worked in each of them based on their circumstances and lives to bring them to that point where they were prepared and ready to receive the Gospel.

But that leads us to really consider the means of saving faith.

Because, following on from these events, and the jailers fears, he seeks to know how it is that he may be saved.

Verse 30 reads...

His heart was prepared, and so Paul and Barnabas, teachers of the truth of the Gospel, began to teach him…

In verse 31 we read...

The simple Gospel message is mentioned in verse 31, but the further teaching of Scripture is touched on in verse 32: “They spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all the others in his house.”

Friends, it is this Gospel proclaimed to a heart that is ready to receive the truth that brings about repentance and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Here is the process of Gospel proclamation.

And it is absolutely critical to the conversion of lost souls.

People are saved through the transformative power of the Gospel.

Dear friends, what we will hear this evening is the manner in which the Gospel has worked in the hearts and lives of these being baptised.

And it is only because of this Gospel message proclaimed that they are saved.

Now friends, we need to appreciate the simplicity of the means of salvation, and the profundity of the means of salvation.

In one sense, so simple.

It is a message stating that a Saviour, the perfect Son of God, was crucified on behalf of sinners, that He took upon himself the wrath of God that ought to have come upon us, and that died at the hands of soldiers, was buried in the ground, but rose again to life on the third day.

That’s the simplicity of it.

And if anyone repents of sin and believes in Him, they will be saved.

But this is also a profound message.

And it’s profound because it’s simply not how man would have done things.

And it runs so contrary to the natural inclinations of the human heart.

And God knows this.

The human heart cannot believe such messages…

This simple message was proclaimed to the Philippian jailer.

This simple message was proclaimed to those who will be baptised this evening, and by the grace of God, they have accepted the word as faithful and true.

This leads us to consider, secondly...

2. The Sign of Saving Faith (v.33)

We read in verse 33...

We must not underestimate the importance of this step in the life of the Philippian jailer, his family (or in the lives of believers).

This step of baptism was always required by those expressing faith in Christ.

We must understand that Baptism here was a profound declaration on the part of the one being baptised.

In other words, here was the visible declaration, the public declaration of their allegiance to Christ.

It is through the waters of baptism that those who have come to know Christ demonstrate that they have indeed submitted themselves to the Lordship of Christ.

They identify themselves with Him through baptism… Notice two Scripture passages in this regard…

Emphasize identification with Christ…

And Romans...

Friends, those who will go through the waters of baptism are declaring to all that they are united with Christ in his death and resurrection.

The implication for the believer is that they have died to a former manner of life.

This is a public declaration that they are no longer living their lives for themselves, but instead are living to the glory of God, for the honour of Christ, for the purpose of proclaiming Him through all of their life.

I would like to encourage and challenge us on this point.

If we have been baptised, then this has been our public declaration of union with Christ.

Because our hearts have been circumcised by the powerful grace of God, and we have declared our unity with Christ.

There are implications to that…

As those professing faith, there are great implications.

We are demonstrating a commitment to a life of service under the Lordship of Jesus Christ.

This is a powerful and profound declaration.

It is one that can only be lived by the grace of God, but it is nonetheless one that is to be actively pursued by those who profess this saving faith in Christ.

This leads us finally to consider...

3. The Response of Saving Faith (vv.33-34)

We see a wonderful response from the Philippian jailer here....

Two things are noted.

3.1.

A Life of Service (v.33-34)

This Jailor, following his conversion, didn’t wait in terms of finding opportunities to serve.

In verse 33 we read...

Acts 16:33 (NASB95)

33 And he took them that very hour of the night and washed their wounds...

Keep in mind, Paul and Barnabas had been severely beaten.

They were probably full of blood and open wounds.

The jailor was immediately moved to help them and to tend to their needs.

Further to that, note what else he did… In verse 34 we read,

Acts 16:34 (NASB95)

34 And he brought them into his house and set food before them...

Not only was this man prepared to care for the physical wounds on the bodies of Paul and Barnabas, but he was moved to set a meal before them.

He showed them hospitality.

This is all taking place in the middle of the night!!

Here was a fitting response from a heart transformed by the Gospel.

The truth of the Gospel must lead those who understand and perceive its implications to a life of service.

I would suggest to you that it is impossible to claim a Gospel transformation of the heart without being moved to service of others, at least not as a normative pattern of life.

To submit to Christ, and to publicly profess that submission to christ and identification with Him, must move a person to a life of service.

To those being baptised this evening, one of those marks of your profession of faith that you would seek to look out for, and that you would seek to grow in as you live a life of submission under Christ, is that you are living a life of service to others.

The second response of saving faith…