Right there Paul baptized the whole household, and quickly afterward
the jailer straightened up the tumbled down kitchen stove and Mrs.
Jailer cooked something good and savoury for the men of God to eat.
Fellows, it ends like a fairy tale, which says "they lived happy ever
after," for the record says the jailer "rejoiced, believing in God,
with all his house." And in this one word, "Rejoiced," I would like to
hand you the strangely wonderful and fine thing in to-day's lesson.
Rejoicing puts the climax of satisfaction of joy into any experience.
Let it stand the test proof of rejoicing and you've got the true
value. If believing in and serving Jesus Christ could bring rejoicing
to a jailer and his household under such circumstances, surely then we
can better understand the force of Paul's word to Timothy when he
speaks of "the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy."
Here is a jailer. A jailer's office at best would not be much of a
rejoice shop. This jailer's life is in jeopardy when his prisoners
escape. His jail is cracked open, the doors are down and he cannot
shut them. The prisoners are walking about. At daylight he must reckon
with the authorities. Yet he is rejoicing. And the secret of his
rejoicing is in his believing--believing God.
Fellows, it means everything to believe--to believe like the
Philippian jailer did.
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