WHAT MUST I DO?


Text: Acts 16:30 And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved?


Lesson: Acts 16:25 And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them.
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 every one's bands were loosed.
27 And the keeper of the prison awaking out of his sleep, and seeing the prison doors open, he drew out his sword, and would have killed himself, supposing that the prisoners had been fled.
28 But Paul cried with a loud voice, saying, Do thyself no harm: for we are all here.
29 Then he called for a light, and sprang in, and came trembling, and fell down before Paul and Silas,
30 And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved?
31 And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.
32 And they spake unto him the word of the Lord, and to all that were in his house.
33 And he took them the same hour of the night, and washed their stripes; and was baptized, he and all his, straightway.
34 And when he had brought them into his house, he set meat before them, and rejoiced, believing in God with all his house.


Intro: Along with a great earthquake, God used the prayers and praises of Paul and Silas to bring conviction upon this man. His question is both age-old and, from the human perspective, a logical one; “What must I DO?”


I. It shows a knowledge of sin.
A. Rom 5:8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.


Rom 5:17 For if by one man's offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.)


Rom 5:21 That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.


B. The very existence of any religion shows that man knows he comes short of perfection.
C. Because man is prone to sin, we have moral, civil and criminal law.
D. The knowledge of sin which will lead man to salvation MUST come by the Word and the Holy Spirit.
Jno 16:8 And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:
9 Of sin, because they believe not on me;
10 Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more;
11 Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged.


Rom 10:14 How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?


II The question shows a common mistake made by many; “What must I DO?”
A. Men have always desired to offer sacrifice, do penance or make an outward show in order to earn salvation.
In salvation, all these elements are present, but are known only to God.
Psa 51:17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.


III WHAT MUST I do?
A. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ- - - -
1. This is a prostrating of the will not just a bending of the knee.


B. The simplicity of the Gospel.
Jno 3:16 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.


Jno 3:36 He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.


Jno. 6:47 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life.


C. We have no complicated system of venal and mortal sins, no purgatory nor indulgences.
Nothing is required but a simple faith and upon repentance, God will provide that!


Luke 7:48 And he said unto her, Thy sins are forgiven.
49 And they that sat at meat with him began to say within themselves, Who is this that forgiveth sins also?
50 And he said to the woman, Thy faith hath saved thee; go in peace.


Eph 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:


D. This makes salvation entirely by the grace of God.
1. Man sinned of his own free will.
2. He continues in sin of his own free will.
3. He must turn from sin and to God of his own free will.
Rev 22:17 And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.


IV. There is a penalty for refusing.


A. A life of deep discontent and anxiety
Acts 9:5 And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.

B. A death in terror of the unknown.


IF A BECKONING LIGHT
Perhaps, to seek to never know a pain,
To live in light of dimly burning lamp;
And a world of troubles, never to regain;
Is better than a tomb of dark and damp.
If one has not a beckoning of light
Beyond the grave, the darkness to dispel
And drive away the unknown fear called, ‘night’
Perhaps in ‘limbo’ it is better then, to dwell.
But, when by faith, we’ve once dispersed the dark,
And joy of living, like a day in June,
Makes even death an entrance to a park;
Then, even when life’s sun is set, it’s noon.
And before us, all eternity is spread,
No fear then, should we cut the slender thread.


C. An eternity of torment in hell.
And all for turning down such a simple proposition; “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved.”