Gtcotr/030616
A
brief account of Acts 16 and the situation leading up to:
Acts 16:30 And he brought
them out and said, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?"
The
answer to this question is the quest of a lifetime.
Acts 16:31 So they said,
"Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your
household."
There
is no way this jailer could fully comprehend what he was about to receive.
Neither did he have the time or opportunity to sit in Church, hear a sermon or attend
Bible School to learn New Testament theology. The jailer was simply challenged
to believe the words these two prisoners told him.
Acts 16:32 Then they spoke
the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house.
Paul
and Silas were given one small and perhaps inconvenient opportunity to tell the
jailer what they believed. They took this opportunity to make a clear
presentation of the Gospel. They weren’t trying to simply make a sad man feel
better or a bad man be better, they were trying to make a dead man come alive
and save lost souls … only the Gospel can do that!
Inviting
the power of the Gospel into our lives is different than simply resolving to do
better.
According
to Dr David Shibley, Founder of Global Advance and a true ambassador of Christ
in this generation, “If we are not telling the story of
Jesus we are either ignorant of the Gospel or ashamed of it.” That could
sound critical and judgmental to some. Nonetheless it does bear truth.
How
could a person believe the Gospel and not share the truth with others? What,
might one asked, is the Gospel?
This is the Gospel:
·
God loves you so much
·
Even though you did not know Him, were lost and destined to die
·
He willingly gave His only Son to die in your place
·
Through the blood of Jesus, God appropriated eternal life for you
·
If you will believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, you will be saved … If
not, you will be lost in death without remedy forever
·
Believe means to be “All In”
·
This is the Gospel
If
we believe the Bible, then we must of pure conscious tell the story. The Gospel
will do its work as only it can. Again, how can a person believe the Gospel and
not tell others? Perhaps Dr Shibley’s statement bears truth that should lead us
to consider within ourselves:
·
Have
we been ignorant of the Gospel?
·
Have
we been embarrassed about the Gospel?
·
Do
we care enough to share the love of God with dying men?
Romans 1:16 For I am not
ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for
everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek.
The
jailer we met in Acts 16 had the same question that resounds in the hearts of
men and women today: “What must I do to be saved?” The answer is still the
same: “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ …”
Don’t
let the devil scare you, intimidate you or tell you that your words won’t make
a difference. Our part is to share the Gospel … God’s part is to deal with the
heart of those who hear. (The rest of the story …)
Acts 16:34 Now when he had
brought them into his house, he set food before them; and he rejoiced, having
believed in God with all his household.
·
Romans
10:14 How shall they know unless someone tells them …
·
1
Peter 3:15 Always be ready to give an account of Gospel …
·
1
Corinthians 1:17 Proclaim the Gospel not the wisdom of words …
·
Romans
1:16 The Gospel is the power of God to save … “All In”.
