So then, we find out that this Roman centurion, knowing that he would answer with his own life for these, he pulled out his sword as soon as he found they were gone, and started to kill himself, taking his own life, instead of have to go through punishment. Some of those… Maybe set in them same kind of stocks and so forth until he died, so, he thought he would just end it all up, and jerk out his sword, and kill hisself.
But quickly, Paul screamed out when he saw it, and said, “Do yourself no harm, for we’re all here.” See? And the man realized then that there must’ve been something taking place before that, that made this man to know that they were Christian men or holy man. Because quickly he fell down at their feet.
I’d imagine he heard them singing songs. He heard them testifying; he heard their conversation. Now, let’s just think a minute, folks. If that Roman centurion was convinced and convicted because that he heard them two men, beaten prisoners…
Now, we’re still free, and we’re not beat or prisoners. But hearing their testimony had such an influence, till it caused him to say, “What must I do to be saved?” Then what ought we to do with our influence? See?
We should be testifying. You young people, whatever it is, you may not preach. Maybe God never called you to preach, but you… If you’re a housewife or whatever you are, a teen-ager, let–let’s do something, you know, that… And–and live a life that makes the people say, “Well, that–that’s a Christian going there. That–that’s a Christian.”
And so, we find that this fellow must’ve been impressed some way, by them songs or whatever they were doing in there, to realize they were Christians. So, he got a light, and when he come in and seen that there stood Paul and even the prisoners back in there, none of them was trying to get away. Everybody was there. So, he–he put up his sword, and fell down by the feet of Paul and Silas, and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”
Now, did you notice, you and I today, and most all ministers or so forth, we’re always trying to tell a fellow what not to do. We’d say now, “Quit your smoking. Quit your lying. Quit your stealing. Quit your this or that.” Now, that–that wasn’t what the man asked. He–he didn’t say, “What do I have to quit doing to be saved?” He said, “What must I do to be saved?”
See, we try to tell them what they must stop doing. See? And say, “Well, I must do this, that, or the other.” No. See? That isn’t the question. “What must I do?” not “What must I stop doing?” But you just do what you’re supposed to do, and all the rest of it will take care of itself. Your lying and stealing, or–or drinking, gambling, and doing the things that’s evil. It’ll stop when you do what Paul answered his question. “What must I do to be saved?”
He said, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thy and thy house shall be saved.”
Thy House
Tifton, GA
61-0808