RESCUED AT THE LAST MINUTE
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Acts 16:26-31 |
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Suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened. The keeper of the prison, seeing the prison doors open drew a sword and would have killed himself supposing that the prisoners had fled. But Paul shouted with a loud voice saying, “Do thyself no harm: for we are all here.” The jailor fell down before Paul and Silas and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” And they said, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved.” KJV |
Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open, and everyone’s chains came loose. The jailer woke up, and when he saw the prison doors open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself because he thought the prisoners had escaped. But Paul shouted, “Don’t harm yourself! We are all here!” The jailer called for lights, rushed in and fell trembling before Paul and Silas. He then brought them out and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved – you and your household.” NIV |
This portion of Scripture always reminds me of the story of John Harper, a very popular Baptist Pastor who, in 1911/1912 was preaching and teaching at the Moody Church in Chicago and returned to his native Scotland. He had only been at home a short while when he received an urgent appeal to return to Chicago and resume preaching because his ministry was in such demand. God had blessed his work with many people coming to a saving knowledge of Christ, that they wanted him back. So, John booked three tickets onboard the Lusitania to sail back to America. One ticket was for himself, the other two were for his six-year-old daughter and his sister. Inexplicably John Harper changed all three tickets for berths on a new ship which was about to make its maiden voyage from Southampton, England to the United States. The ship was called Titanic!
We all know what happened during that voyage. The ship hit an iceberg and sank. But what not many people know is that Pastor John Harper preached the Gospel even whilst the ship was sinking. After making sure that his daughter was safely onboard one of the lifeboats he ran up and down asking everyone he passed if they knew Jesus.
- Are you saved? he would shout.
- Do you know Jesus? he would ask.
- Is your soul saved?
- Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved!
Some who survived said they recalled John kneeling on the deck with his arms raised toward Heaven praying for everyone and even after having to jump into the freezing waters John swam around shouting to anyone he saw, asking: Is your soul saved? Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved!
Eventually John sank under the waters and entered eternity. Four years later in a church in Hamilton Ontario, a man named Aguilla Webb stood up and said that he was a survivor of the Titanic disaster and he remembered being asked by a man swimming around the icy water if he knew Jesus and if his soul was saved. He recalls John Harper’s last words: Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved!
Mr Webb told the congregation that he surrendered his life to Jesus Christ that very night, all alone, clinging for all he was worth to a piece of wood in the freezing waters and he declared, with tears in his eyes, that he was probably John Harper’s last convert!
Apart from the thief who was on a Cross next to Jesus, I have not heard of anyone who entered eternity to be with Christ by such a close call: By the skin of their teeth! as some would say. Sadly though, there are many who say they will wait until the eleventh hour and who die at 10:30.
What is worthy of note is that John Harper knew that he was going to die, and he knew with certainty where he would spend eternity. The same cannot be said for those who have never trusted in Christ, and yet he used what little time remained and strength he had left to tell others that they too could be sure of where they would spend eternity. This love and concern for the salvation of others, even under extreme duress, comes from knowing Jesus Christ as Saviour and from no other source.
You have a choice: You can Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ now, and you will be saved, or you can wait until the last minute and hope to be rescued, or you can ignore the message altogether. Which will it be?