Chardon church of Christ

Wisdom That Controls

James 3

We are continuing our sermon series through the Book of James and we have come to one of the most fundamental warnings for anyone who wants to preach or teach the word of God. But before we get into our text today let me share with you a story I heard about a little boy who told a preacher, 'When I grow up, I'm going to give you some money.' 'Well, thank you,' the preacher replied, 'but why?' 'Because my daddy says you're one of the poorest preachers we've ever had.'

Now I’m sure we’ve all heard some pretty poor preaching over the years and maybe some of you even put some of my sermons on that list. A sermon needs to be clear; it needs to have an explanation of the Bible text, it needs to have an application. As someone once said, ‘a sermon which no-one can understand and without application is about as much use as a deep well without the rope and bucket to draw the water out’.
Paul teaches us in Romans 12:4-8 “We have many parts in the one body, and all these parts have different functions. In the same way, though we are many, we are one body in union with Christ, and we are all joined to each other as different parts of one body. So we are to use our different gifts in accordance with the grace that God has given us. If our gift is to speak God's message, we should do it according to the faith that we have; if it is to serve, we should serve; if it is to teach, we should teach; if it is to encourage others, we should do so. Whoever shares with others should do it generously; whoever has authority should work hard; whoever shows kindness to others should do it cheerfully.”

All preachers and teachers can lead people to truth or they can lead them to error. And we know from Hebrews 13:17 that church leaders are going to be held accountable to God, so too are all those who teach if they mislead others.

Now James says not only are teachers going to be judged with greater strictness than others but he also says that all of us often make mistakes. I don’t care who you are or how long you’ve been a Christian; everyone in this room has faults. But there is one major fault which most people have which James has in mind here and that’s the fault of using our tongue for the wrong reasons.

James says it takes spiritual maturity not to stumble with our words. That’s what he means when he says in James 3:2, “But if a person never makes a mistake in what he says, he is perfect and is also able to control his whole being.” Are you a Christian who is able to control your tongue? If so, then according to James, that’s great news, that’s a sign that you are a mature Christian. But his point is this, if you believe that preaching and teaching is your gift from God, then go for it, but go for it using humility and cautiousness.

Now it’s quite clear that James is referring to using our tongue in this verse and that’s the theme for the rest of our sermon today. Because how we use our tongue doesn’t just apply to preachers and teachers, it applies to every single Christian in the Lord’s church. And so to help us understand the dangers of our tongues he uses illustrations and the first two illustrations he uses is that of a horse and a ship.

James 3:3&4 “We put a bit into the mouth of a horse to make it obey us, and we are able to make it go where we want. Or think of a ship: big as it is and driven by such strong winds, it can be steered by a very small rudder, and it goes wherever the pilot wants it to go”.
Now I know that anyone who has ridden a horse will know exactly what James is talking about here. James says the bit controls a horse and the rudder controls the ship. Now a bit is a piece of metal that is placed in the mouth of a horse that allows a rider to control the animal.
It rests on the bars of the mouth in an area where there are no teeth. It is held on a horse's head by means of a bridle and has reins attached for use by a rider. It’s a very small piece of the riding equipment but you can never ride and control the horse without it.

Now a rudder is another device used to steer a ship, and when you look at the size of a ship, it’s actually very small in comparison and without the rudder it’s impossible to steer and guide the ship. In other words just like the bit for a horse and just like the rudder of a ship; it is the tongue which controls the entire body.
And James goes on and shares another illustration for us, this time he uses the illustration of a little fire. James 3:5&6 “So it is with the tongue: small as it is, it can boast about great things. Just think how large a forest can be set on fire by a tiny flame! And the tongue is like a fire. It is a world of wrong, occupying its place in our bodies and spreading evil through our whole being. It sets on fire the entire course of our existence with the fire that comes to it from hell itself.”

I don’t know if you are aware of this, but scientists discovered that poison from the skin of a tiny South American tree frog is far more toxic than any other known venom. Rain forest Indians use the venom from the skin of the kokoi frog to poison their blowgun arrows. It is said that Very small quantities of its poison can be fatal if they enter the bloodstream. A single frog may contain enough poison to kill more than 20,000 mice, or more than 10 people. Toxin equivalent to two grains of salt is enough to kill one person. But did you know that there is a poison even more deadly? It is the poison which comes from an evil tongue.

On the night of September 2, 1666, a small fire broke out in the premises of a baker's shop in Pudding Lane, London, perhaps started by the carelessness of a maid. If it was carelessness, it was carelessness that had enormous and disastrous consequences, for the fire spread and soon the whole building was alight.  In the close-packed streets of London, where buildings crowded each other for space, the blaze soon became an inferno. Fanned by an east wind, the fire spread with terrifying speed, feeding on the tar and pitch commonly used to seal houses. That event in history has come now to be known as the Great Fire of London.

I am sure that we all can relate to some experience of how quick and devastating a single flame can be. I can relate to a time when I was planning on burning a large number of sticks in my back yard using a burn barrel that my next-door neighbor had designed. He created a small door at the bottom of the barrel to create a more efficient way of lighting and burning. While my wife started out on a walk around the neighborhood with my 4 year old twin grandsons ... I completely loaded the barrel with sticks and then added a small dose of gas as I usually did before lighting. Without thinking about how this NEW DESIGN might impact my USUAL way of burning sticks I bent over and placed a lit match in the door at the bottom of the barrel. KABOOM!!!!!
Lighting the sticks from the BOTTOM of the barrel INSTEAD of the TOP created a cannon like affect. Flaming sticks went flying high into the air. The grandkids were still a distance from the house but looked at my wife and proclaimed, “PAPA!”

You see loved ones, some people with their tongues have used them for deceit, and their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness. In other words their tongues are like a small fire, and they can easily cause great destruction. How many congregations have split because of someone causing a small flame with their words? How many relationships have been broken because of words which should have never came from our lips?
You see a loose tongue can ruin someone’s reputation; it can destroy churches, families and friendships. We also need help from God. And James is going to explain that to us in more detail in James 3:7&8 “We humans are able to tame and have tamed all other creatures---wild animals and birds, reptiles and fish. But no one has ever been able to tame the tongue. It is evil and uncontrollable, full of deadly poison.”
James says that despite being able to tame wild animals, man is unable to tame the tongue. He describes the tongue as an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. Now it is true that we by ourselves can’t tame the tongue, but with God's help we can tame it.

Psalm 141:3 “Lord, place a guard at my mouth, a sentry at the door of my lips”. Not only can we tame the tongue with God’s help according to Paul... we must tame it.
Paul commands us in Ephesians 4:29 “Do not use harmful words, but only helpful words, the kind that build up and provide what is needed, so that what you say will do good to those who hear you.”
He more or less commands the same thing over in Colossians 4:6 “Your speech should always be pleasant and interesting, and you should know how to give the right answer to everyone.” So as Christians we must tame our tongues but we know that’s not always easy.

And so to further illustrate just how difficult it can be to tame out tongues, he uses a very common problem even for Christians today. James 3:9&10 “We use it to give thanks to our Lord and Father and also to curse other people, who are created in the likeness of God. Words of thanksgiving and cursing pour out from the same mouth. My friends, this should not happen!”

James says we use our tongues to give thanks to God and at the same time to curse other people. Now we do this most days of the week but this is something which I have heard Christians do especially on Sundays. We all come together for worship and just thank God for everything He has done for us but then we jump in our cars and start cursing anyone who pulls out in front of us. James says Christian’s shouldn’t be doing that.
And then to further get the point across, he goes on and uses the illustrations of a fig spring, a fig tree and grapevine. James 3:11&12 “No spring of water pours out sweet water and bitter water from the same opening. A fig tree, my friends, cannot bear olives; a grapevine cannot bear figs, nor can a salty spring produce sweet water”. You see loved ones, James knew exactly what he was writing about here, he knew that what comes out of our mouths is a real reflection of what is in the inside of our hearts.

In fact Jesus Himself said in Mark 7:20-23 "It is what comes out of you that makes you unclean. For from the inside, from your heart, come the evil ideas which lead you to do immoral things, to rob, kill, commit adultery, be greedy, and do all sorts of evil things; deceit, indecency, jealousy, slander, pride, and folly--- all these evil things come from inside you and make you unclean."

It’s what comes out of their mouth that counts. No wonder David prayed in Psalms 19:14 “Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my strength, and my redeemer.”
You see loved ones these are wise words from a wise man, and you know they are wise words because they make sense. And if we want to help each other grow up spiritually together then we continually need to seek wisdom from the right place. In the next few verse James is going to inform us that there are two types of wisdom that we need to be aware of.

In James 3:13-18, he going to inform us there is heavenly wisdom and worldly wisdom. And so to help us understand the two types of wisdom he is going to make several contrasts between the two. First of all he says they are different because of their origins.
James 3:15 “Such wisdom does not come down from heaven; it belongs to the world, it is un-spiritual and demonic”. He says that earthly wisdom doesn’t come from heaven, it’s worldly. In other words, this wisdom works according to the standard of the world.
Now although it may seem like the world has got a lot of wisdom to offer we need to remember the words of Paul in  1 Corinthians 1:20. “So then, where does that leave the wise? Or the scholars? Or the skillful debaters of this world? God has shown that this world's wisdom is foolishness!” Paul says the world’s wisdom is foolish but why is it foolish?

Well James says in James 3:15, it’s foolish because “it is un-spiritual and demonic”. In other words, worldly wisdom appeals to our senses, to our emotions and our passions. Its wisdom according to what feels right and we need to remember that because something feels right doesn’t necessarily mean that it is right.
Now look what James says about heavenly wisdom. James 3:17 “But the wisdom from above is pure first of all; it is also peaceful, gentle, and friendly; it is full of compassion and produces a harvest of good deeds; it is free from prejudice and hypocrisy.”

James says that heavenly wisdom is from above, in other words it comes from God. And if you remember when we looked at James 1:5-8 we saw very clearly that heavenly wisdom comes through prayer.
Now let’s look at the contrast in their nature. James 3:14-16 “But if in your heart you are jealous, bitter, and selfish, don't sin against the truth by boasting of your wisdom. Such wisdom does not come down from heaven; it belongs to the world, it is unspiritual and demonic. Where there is jealousy and selfishness, there is also disorder and every kind of evil”.

James says earthly wisdom has some characteristics about it. He says earthly wisdom is full of bitter, envy, and self-seeking in the heart. And he says that, that kind of wisdom promotes power, position, privilege, prestige. We need to remember that it was this kind of wisdom that prompted the devil to rebel against God in the first place. It was this kind of wisdom that prompted the disciples to argue over who would be the greatest in the kingdom.
Now let’s contrast that with heavenly wisdom. James 3:17 “But the wisdom from above is pure first of all; it is also peaceful, gentle, and friendly; it is full of compassion and produces a harvest of good deeds; it is free from prejudice and hypocrisy.” James says heavenly wisdom is pure, it’s above all else, it is true to God's Will.
Heavenly wisdom is displayed in people lives and actions. Heavenly wisdom treats everyone fairly and on the same basis. So not only is it pure, peaceful, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy, produces good fruits and without partiality it’s also without hypocrisy.

Now why would James say that heavenly wisdom is without hypocrisy? Because, heavenly wisdom is not an act, it’s not a show. It comes from a heart desiring to please God, not man.
So, the question is... what kind of wisdom do we desire?

If you seek heavenly wisdom you won’t boast about it, according to James 3:13, you will show it in your life with humility. I pray you desire the only wisdom that makes sense, the wisdom which comes from God above. And for those of us who preach and teach, I pray we preach and teach wisely using cautiousness and humility.

Blinded By The Light

Acts 21:37 – Acts 22:21

INTRO: Today we will go back to our look at the book of Acts, and we will be examining Acts 21:37 thru 22:21.

Last time we left the apostle Paul in a situation where everyone around him wanted to kill him because a small group of Jews that had come from Asia and accused him of four things.

They accused him of (1)teaching against the Jews; (2)teaching against the law; (3)teaching against the temple; and (4)bringing Greeks into the temple, thereby defiling it.

The chief captain of the Roman garrison who was guarding Jerusalem rushed in with several hundred men to rescue Paul from the mob.

We catch up with Luke’s report of Paul’s actions in Acts 21:37-40 – “37. And as Paul was about to be led into the barracks, he said to the commander, "May I speak to you?'' He replied, "Can you speak Greek? 38. "Are you not the Egyptian who some time ago raised an insurrection and led the four thousand assassins out into the wilderness?'' 39. But Paul said, "I am a Jew from Tarsus, in Cilicia (si•li•shuh), a citizen of no mean city; and I implore you, permit me to speak to the people.'' 40. So when he had given him permission, Paul stood on the stairs and motioned with his hand to the people. And when there was a great silence, he spoke to them in the Hebrew language...”[NKJV]

There is an old story of a man who had a reputation for being wise and for giving sound advice.
A young person went to him one day and asked, "Uncle Jimmy, how come you have such good judgment?"
"Well, I have good judgment because I have had a lot of experience," he replied.
The boy said, "Yes, but how did you get all that experience?"
"Well," the man laughed, "I got it by making a lot of bad judgments."

I. You would think that Paul asking the commander, if he could speak would be a bad judgment by Paul. Especially after having his life threatened by the very people he is going to speak to. I’m pretty sure if that was me, I would be longing just to get out of there and away from the mob.

A. Paul doesn’t turn away. He asks to speak to them and when the commander heard Paul speak to him fluently in Greek, he was surprised. The reason he was surprised seemed to be because he had assumed that Paul was a criminal. From the text we see that the commander apparently thought that Paul was an Egyptian who had led a band of some 4,000 men in a rebellion.

1. Paul explained to the captain that he was a Jew from Tarsus. Some time ago there were many coins excavated from Tarsus which had the following inscription engraved on them, 'Metropolis Autonomous.'
2. The reason I shared that information with you is because this tells us that Tarsus at some point in time, must have been granted a degree of autonomy by the Romans. The excavations also tell us that Tarsus was an important metropolis noted for its educational facilities, as well as for trade, shipbuilding, and commerce.
3. Paul asked the commander for permission to speak to the very multitude that only moments before had sought to kill him. When permission was granted, Paul gestured with his hand to gain the attention of the audience and a hush fell over the crowd.

B. Paul then began to speak to them in their language.

II. Paul begins his defense, and he says in Acts 22:1-5 – “1. "Men, brethren, and fathers, hear my defense before you now.'' 2. And when they heard that he spoke to them in the Hebrew language, they kept all the more silent. Then he said: 3. "I am indeed a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia (si•li•shuh), but brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, taught according to the strictness of our fathers' law, and was zealous toward God as you all are today. 4. "I persecuted this Way to the death, binding and delivering into prisons both men and women, 5. "as also the high priest bears me witness, and all the council of the elders, from whom I also received letters to the brethren, and went to Damascus to bring in chains even those who were there to Jerusalem to be punished.”

A. We note that most of Paul’s audience was primarily Jewish which is why he addresses them as "Brethren and fathers."

1. We also need to recall what we said at the beginning of this lesson, according to Acts 21:28, Paul's accusers had said he taught against the Jews, the Law of Moses, the temple and brought Greeks into the temple, defiling the holy place.
2. Paul’s response to their first accusation was that Paul himself was a Jew. He was born in Tarsus, but he was reared in the city of Jerusalem as a pupil of the highly respected Jewish teacher, Gamaliel. He had been taught the law, which was handed down from the Jewish fathers, in a most precise way. In fact, he had become a zealot for God, just as had his accusers.
3. His zeal had reached the point where he persecuted those following Christ's way by binding, imprisoning and ultimately assisting in their deaths. What Paul does next is what any good lawyer would do in a courtroom situation and that is call in the witnesses.
4. As witnesses to his zeal, Paul mentioned the high priest and council of the elders. He tells the angry mob that he had personally received letters from the high priest and elders to give him authority to go to Damascus to bring Christians from that city in chains to Jerusalem to be punished.

B. It’s much easier to talk to people when you have been in their shoes so to speak. We can sympathize with people about things they have gone through or are going through, but we do not always fully understand what they are going through unless we have been there.

1. Please don’t take this the wrong way, but unless you’ve been addicted to alcohol you cannot fully understand an alcoholic. Unless you’ve been addicted to drugs you cannot fully understand what a drug addict is going through.
2. Unless your husband or wife has walked out on you, you cannot fully understand the situation of the person who is left, or what their children are going through.
3. Unless you have fallen away from the Lord you cannot fully understand just how difficult it is to come back.
4. Unless you have lost someone close to you in death, you can’t fully understand what it’s like to lose someone that way.
5. Paul understood these people because he was just as zealous about their beliefs as they were. He had walked in their shoes and fully understood where they were coming from.

C. Many times when we meet people and they share their problems with us, if we can relate to them, this will help us to share with them how we understand what they are going through. More importantly it will open a door for us to share with them how we got help with our problems.
D. We may think that Paul didn’t have any problems with sin. Paul had the same serious problem with sin that that everyone suffers from.

1. The story is told that a newspaper wrote to the famous writer, philosopher and theologian G. K. Chesterton, who by the way was the creator of the priest-detective Father Brown, and asked him the question, "What's wrong with the world?" G. K. Chesterton wrote back and said, "I am." What Chesterton was saying is that each one of us is in part responsible for what is wrong with the world.
2. People will never become Christians until they see themselves as sinners. As Paul reminds us in Romans 3:23 – “... all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”
3. Paul saw himself as a sinner in need of salvation, and he could relate to his Jewish audience because he’s been where they are.
4. Paul goes on to share his testimony about his encounter with the risen Lord Jesus.

E. I will not go into great detail on the next few verses because we already dealt with most of this in Acts 9.

III. Paul goes on and says to them in Acts 22:6-11 – “6. And it came to pass, that, as I made my journey, and was come nigh unto Damascus about noon, suddenly there shone from heaven a great light round about me. 7. And I fell unto the ground, and heard a voice saying unto me, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? 8. And I answered, Who art thou, Lord? And he said unto me, I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom thou persecutest. 9. And they that were with me saw indeed the light, and were afraid; but they heard not the voice of him that spake to me. 10. And I said, What shall I do, Lord? And the Lord said unto me, Arise, and go into Damascus; and there it shall be told thee of all things which are appointed for thee to do. 11. And when I could not see for the glory of that light, being led by the hand of them that were with me, I came into Damascus.”[KJV]

A. Paul shares with them the unique conversation he had on the Damascus Road with the voice from heaven. Remember that Luke had already reported this to Theophilus in Acts 9, but here Paul adds the fact that the bright light was seen at noon, when it outshone the sun.

1. Paul fell to the ground, and the voice asked why he was persecuting Him. To accurately answer the question, Saul, as he was known at that time, had to know who was speaking.
2. Jesus then clearly identified Himself to Saul. The only sense in which Saul, or Paul, persecuted Jesus was in that he persecuted the church, or Jesus' body.

B. Paul continues and tells them that his travelling companions were afraid, and did not hear the voice of our Lord. Or as the American Standard translates, it they did not hear in the sense that they did not understand it. Saul fully understood and asked what the Lord would have him to do. Jesus tells him to go into the city to be told what was planned for him, both in reference to his own salvation and that of many others.

IV. Off they went, with Paul's companions leading him to Damascus because he was blind. When he arrives at Damascus Paul tells them in Acts 22:12-21 – “12. And one Ananias, a devout man according to the law, having a good report of all the Jews which dwelt there, 13. Came unto me, and stood, and said unto me, Brother Saul, receive thy sight. And the same hour I looked up upon him. 14. And he said, The God of our fathers hath chosen thee, that thou shouldest know his will, and see that Just One, and shouldest hear the voice of his mouth. 15. For thou shalt be his witness unto all men of what thou hast seen and heard. 16. And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord. 17. And it came to pass, that, when I was come again to Jerusalem, even while I prayed in the temple, I was in a trance; 18. And saw him saying unto me, Make haste, and get thee quickly out of Jerusalem: for they will not receive thy testimony concerning me. 19. And I said, Lord, they know that I imprisoned and beat in every synagogue them that believed on thee: 20. And when the blood of thy martyr Stephen was shed, I also was standing by, and consenting unto his death, and kept the raiment of them that slew him. 21. And he said unto me, Depart: for I will send thee far hence unto the Gentiles.”[KJV]

A. In Damascus, a devout, God-fearing man named Ananias came to Paul. Paul’s sight was restored and Ananias told him that God had appointed him to know His will, see the Righteous One, and hear His voice. Ananias further said that God planned for him to be a witness to all men and told Paul to be baptized to have his sins washed away.
B. Paul then told the multitude that he returned to Jerusalem and was praying when the Lord told him to leave quickly because they would not receive his testimony. Paul argued with the Lord telling Him the Jews knew of his zeal. The Lord however, told Paul to depart and He would send him to the Gentiles. As I said we have already looked at the conversion of the apostle Paul in Acts 9.

V. I thought though, that it would be useful for us to spend just a few moments looking back at all the conversions recorded in this beautiful book.

A. We’re not going to read all the scripture references but what we are going to do is quickly highlight some important truths that you will discover if you take the time to read through them yourself.

1. If you take a moment when you get home to read Acts 2:38-41 you will find reference to the fact that on the Day of Pentecost, the people, heard the word of God, repented of their sins, and were baptized.
2. In Acts 8:5-13, where we find Philip in Samaria, you will read reference to the fact that the people heard the word of God, believed it, and were baptized.
3. In Acts 8:26-40 where we find the account of Philip and the Eunuch, if you take a moment to read through it you will find references to the fact that the Eunuch, heard the word of God, believed it, confessed Jesus as Lord, and was baptized.
4. It is in Acts 9:18 where we find the account of Saul’s conversion that you will find reference to Saul, hearing the word of God and being baptized.
5. In Acts 10:47-48 we find the first Gentile converts to Christianity. In reading through that account you will find reference to them, hearing the word of God and being baptized.
6. In Acts 16:15, where we find the first European Christians, we find Lydia and her household, heard the word of God, and were baptized.
7. In the next few verses Acts 16:16-33, we find the account of the Philippian jailor. We find reference to him and his household, hearing the word of God, believing it and being baptized.
8. In Acts 18:8 we find the account of Crispus and others in his home, hearing the word of God, believing it and being baptized.
9. In Acts 19:3-5 we find reference to other people, hearing the word of God, believing it and being baptized.
10. Finally, here in Acts 22:16 where we find Paul’s story again, we find him, hearing the word of God, believing it and being baptized.

B. There are a couple points to note here and the first one is this; you cannot become a Christian unless you first hear from the Bible how to do so.

1. Paul says in Romans 10:14-15 – “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? And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: "How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, who bring glad tidings of good things!''”[NKJV]
2. Paul is saying no one can conclude that Jesus is Lord and wants to save people from their sins if they have never been told. Every single person in our conversion list heard the good news concerning Jesus before they became a Christian. Notice their responses, every single person was baptized into Christ for the forgiveness of their sins.
3. This simple look tells us that if a person wants to become a Christian they need to be told how to, because a person cannot die to self if they haven’t died to Christ first. Salvation doesn’t come before baptism, it comes during.

C. Now, let’s look at John 3:3-5 where we find Jesus speaking to Nicodemus and Jesus says to him; “... "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.'' Nicodemus said to Him, "How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born?'' Jesus answered, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.”

1. In Romans 6:3-6 Paul tells us; “... do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection, knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin.”
2. Peter tells us in 1 Peter 3:21 that; “There is also an antitype which now saves us, namely baptism (not the removal of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God), through the resurrection of Jesus Christ,”
3. I know that I’m preaching mostly to the converted here, but there are a whole host of people out there who believe that they are right with God, yet they have never been immersed into Christ for the forgiveness of their sins. Because according to Acts 2:36-41 your sins are forgiven and the gift of the Holy Spirit is given only at your baptism.
4. I do notice that in the Book of Acts we don’t find one single person saying, “Do I have to be baptized? Must I be baptized?”

D. Jesus said in Mark 16:16 – “"He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.” Every single conversion we read about in the Bible has people submitting to Christ in humble obedience in the waters of baptism.

1. There are those that argue, “Jesus doesn’t say if you are not baptized you will be condemned, He says, ‘if you do not believe you will be condemned’.” He does not say; “He that believeth NOT and is NOT baptized shall be condemned.” True enough, but that is exactly what it means. The quibble raised by such a question is unworthy of intelligence and faith alike, it being implicit in the nature of baptism that, unless one believed, they COULD NOT be baptized.
2. If we were to think about that question logically, we could also say that Jesus didn’t mention repentance either. Are we going to teach that a person may be saved without sorrow for sin and a corresponding improvement of life? Surely not. When Jesus affirmed that one who disbelieves will be condemned, it was entirely unnecessary to add further acts of rebellion to make the case. The unbeliever is condemned at that point so it wasn’t necessary for Jesus to add more acts of disobedience to a list.
3. Suppose we were to say, “He who eats and digests his food shall live, but he who eats not shall die.” Would it be sensible to say, “He who eats and digests his food shall live, but he who eats not, and does not digest, shall die”? Can a person digest something he hasn’t eaten? In other words, is it even necessary to discuss baptism with a person who is in a state of disbelief? Of course not, logic and common sense tells us that Jesus didn’t need to mention baptism the second time because anyone who doesn’t believe, won’t be baptized as a action of faith and obedience.

E. People need to know that salvation does not occur until the believer has been baptized. That’s an important point for us to remember, because when God opens a door for us to share our testimonies with unbelievers, we need to make it clear to them that at our baptism was the point where we received not only the forgiveness of our sins, not only the gift of the Holy Spirit, but also our baptism was the point in which we received our salvation.

CONCLUSION:
Not only was Paul blinded by the light, but we have also been blinded by that same light. We are able to talk about our road to Damascus to unbelievers because we’ve been there. We were merrily walking along life’s road when suddenly, we heard someone speak about God. Then we were blinded by the bold truth that we are sinners and in need of rescuing from our sins.
We were blinded by the truth that we can’t make it to heaven on our own, we need Jesus to help us. Blinded by the truth that our lives were in a mess, and no one could help except God Himself. Blinded by the bold truth that no one could forgive us for the sins we had done except God.

We are reminded of the words John Newton wrote to that famous hymn, Amazing Grace.
“Amazing grace! How sweet the sound, that sav’d a wretch like me! I once was lost, but now am found, was blind, but now I see.”

Let me ask you before we finish, how is your eyesight this morning?
Can you still see God clearly?
Can you still see God’s purpose for your life clearly?

Is living in this sin filled world beginning to make your eyesight a little hazy? Maybe there is some sin or problem in your life which is beginning to cloud your vision.
We need to stop looking at the faults in our brother’s or sister’s eyes and remove the plank from our own.

Luke 6:41-42 – “41. "And why do you look at the speck in your brother's eye, but do not perceive the plank in your own eye? 42. "Or how can you say to your brother, 'Brother, let me remove the speck that is in your eye,' when you yourself do not see the plank that is in your own eye? Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck that is in your brother's eye.”

Whatever the problem or the sin is, God can heal it.
God helped us see that light clearly before, and He can do the same again.
Just like our physical bodies may sometimes need a doctor, our eyes may need some care and attention from the optometrist to maintain good eyesight.
God is always on hand as the great physician, our spiritual optometrist, to help restore our spiritual eyesight back to its full glory. So that we can clearly see the hope that lies ahead of us, the purpose for our lives, and glory of heaven which waits for every one of us.
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We learn from the New Testament how to be saved. We need to hear the word; believe in Jesus; repent of our sins; we must confess our belief that Jesus is the Son of God; and be baptized for the remission of our sins... If we follow these steps, the Lord adds us to His church.

Perhaps there is someone in the assembly today with the need to be buried with Christ in baptism. If you have never done these things, we urge you to do so today. If anyone has this need or desires the prayers of faithful Christians on their behalf, we encourage them to come forward while we stand and sing.

# 624—Why Keep Jesus Waiting?
Taken from sermon by Mike Glover

What Did You Do With Jesus?

Philippians 1:21-26

INTRO:
Good Morning. This week I’m going to take a break from our look at the book of Acts.

I was asked recently to speak at a memorial for the passing of a relative and in the process I contemplated again the fragility of our life here on earth. I’m going to begin this morning with a question that I hope you will forgive me for. It is something many will consider a depressing question, but it is one we need to think about. What would your thoughts be if you knew that you were about to die? What philosophy of living and dying, does each of us have that we would pass on to our loved ones if we had only a little time and just a few words to say?

Please turn your bibles to the Book of Philippians.

We find that the apostle Paul is in that same situation. Remember that Paul is in a Roman prison. He doesn't know whether he will live or die. He faces the possibility of immanent death. In Philippians 1:21 Paul sums up everything we need to know about living and dying using these few words. Paul says, "To live is Christ and to die is gain."

Nowhere in this letter, will you find Paul expressing self pity. As far as Paul is concerned he is in a no lose situation. If he lives, he lives for Christ. If he dies, he is with Christ, which is gain. Paul is saying, "It doesn't matter what happens, I’m going to be OK". As we saw in our study of Acts, Paul is focused on Christ. He knows it doesn't matter what happens to him because he can't lose. To Paul Christ is a matter of life and death.

So then the question, What about us? Do we summarize life and death in terms of Christ? Most people do not. I mean, most people focus on what is to be done in this life as they see it. Most people live by a different philosophy of life and death.

I. Some of them might say; "To live is me and to die is tragic”... The “me” is really a very small reason for living, and it leads to a very empty kind of living. Perhaps this helps explain the despair, depression and fear in the world today. The more I see the more I think most people have 2 great fears. 1. They are afraid they might die tonight. 2. They are afraid they might live tomorrow.

A. You see, dying frightens many people and living has no passion for them. Then there are people like Paul, who have a passion for living, and they have a passion for dying. If you were to ask those people which they would choose, they couldn't answer because they have a passion for both.
B. Listen a Paul continues in Philippians 1:21-26 – “For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain. But if I live on in the flesh, this will mean fruit from my labor; yet what I shall choose I cannot tell. For I am hard pressed between the two, having a desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better. Nevertheless to remain in the flesh is more needful for you. And being confident of this, I know that I shall remain and continue with you all for your progress and joy of faith, that your rejoicing for me may be more abundant in Jesus Christ by my coming to you again.”.
C. Paul tells us that if he is to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for him, but to chose one over the other—he cannot. Paul has the desire to depart and be with Christ, but he knows it is important he remain to teach. Since he is convinced this is important he will remain as long as he can. He will continue with them for their progress and joy in the faith, so that through him their joy in Christ will overflow.
D. Paul has summed up the philosophy of living and dying that will change our life—litterly change our life. Let's look at living first of all.

II. Living. Paul says that, "Christ provides the purpose for joy in living". There are people who don't have a reason for living and certainly do not see the joy in it. We can work hard to get a new car. We can work hard to buy a new house. We can work hard to build a business. Yet, people are not satisfied for long when they reach these goals. You might hear people say, “I don’t have enough to live on.” Perhaps the real problem is that they don’t have enough to live for. That can be a very real problem.

A. What about Paul? He had a passion for living. Paul says, "He's not afraid to live" because if he lives, it's going to matter. If he lives he knows, it's going to make a difference. He says, to the Philippians, "I’m going to continue with all of you for your progress and joy in the faith."
B. Paul loved living, because that meant that he could bring the joy of Jesus to other people. Perhaps there is so much depression today because there is so much pre-occupation with self. Why did God leave me on this earth? Why do I have one more day to live?
C. The old devil, Satan tries to sell us a lie here. He's says, "The reason you are still alive is because you are not saved yet”. He's says, "You better work hard to try and earn that salvation before you die”. Isn't that a miserable way to live your life? When Jesus died on the cross, He said, "It is finished."
D. We are united with Jesus Christ, as Paul tells us in Romans 8:1- “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.” . Everything for our salvation has already been done. Our salvation is a settled issue as long as we are in Christ and walk in His ways.
E. Then why are we still here? Not to finish our salvation. We’re still here because God knows that somebody else needs us. That's why we're here. If we follow Christ and love God, we know what we are here to do. God isn’t letting us live another day for ourselves, but for someone else. It may be for people we already know and love, or it may be for those we have not met yet.
F. This life in these bodies will never be joyful as long as we look for our own interests and not for the interests of others. Paul is saying that, "As long as God has got something for him to do, he will stay". Although Paul desires to die and go home to Jesus, he recognizes the reason he is staying.

1. The quality of our lives really does depend on the quality of our investments. Just not the investments the world thinks about. One day we are all going to stand in front of the Lord and give an account of everyday that was a gift from Him. We have to do that.
2. What are we going to report to Him? Will we say, "Well, in my life time, I built a house"? Will we say, "Well, in my lifetime, I had a good job". Or "I had a nice retirement, enjoyed travel and cruses". Do we realize that all that stuff is going to be incinerated when Jesus comes back? It’s going to be burned up. Have faith. It would be better for us to invest our life in something eternal. Every day we live, is a gift of grace from God to be used to invest in people.

G. Let me mention something Steve Jobs said in a speech he gave in 2005. He was describing how he approached each day. Since the age of 17 until the day of the speech when he was 50, without missing a single day, he looked in the mirror in the morning and asked himself: “If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?”

1. Whenever the answer had been “No” for too many days in a row, he knew he needed to change something.
2. Why did he keep reminding himself everyday for 33 years, “each day could be the last day of his life?” This was his answer: “Remembering that I’ll be dead soon is the most important tool I’ve ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life. Because almost everything—all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure—these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important.”
3. Putting it simply he says, “Live like you're dying so you can live doing what matters most to you.”

H. Yet even with this wisdom, discipline and sucess, Steve Jobs acknowledged his fear of death. He said “No one wants to die. Even people who want to go to heaven don’t want to die to get there.” Though it sounds as if he praised death as “ Life’s change agent which he said clears out the old to make way for the new.“ You could hear in his speech the thoughts “I want to live. I don’t want to die.”
I. Unfortunately, he didn’t and couldn’t talk about hope of what would last even after death. He could only talk about how best one may live in this life as he knew in the worldly sense.
J. Steve Jobs died in 2011 at age 56, 6 years after the speech. By human standards, no doubt he would be one of the best examples of success—he was true to himself and his own vision.

III. Dying. Since I’ve already led us into a lesson that can seem dark to some, let me make it a little worse.

A. I first want to quote something Mark Twain wrote, "A myriad of men are born; they labor and sweat and struggle;...they squabble and scold and fight; they scramble for little mean advantages over each other; age creeps upon them; infirmities follow; ...those they love are taken from them, and the joy of life is turned to aching grief. It (the release) comes at last—the only unpoisoned gift earth ever had for them—and they vanish from a world where they were of no consequence,...a world which will lament them for a day and forget them forever."
B. Rough sentiment to hear. Let me ask you this question.

1. Who's going to cry at your funeral? Who's going to cry because a major source of joy in their lives is gone? That's what Paul said, "It is necessary for me to continue living, so that you can have joy on account of me." Paul is still teaching, he is still encouraging, he is still edifying... he is still loving those who need love.
2. Who are we a joy to? That's why we are here. We are still living because the use of our lives is something that will last forever. Only Christ can give that much living.

IV. When people become Christians and think back over their previous life some of them wonder. Why did I drink? Why did I take drugs? Why did I do things that were bad for me, ungodly things and things hurtful to those around me and those I love? The answer is “I was trying to put meaning into an otherwise meaningless life.”

A. That's just half the story. Not only does Christ give us a meaning for living, Paul says that, "Christ gives us the hope and courage for dying."
B. What do we say when someone is dying? What are some of the things we hear said around the time of death? When someone is dying, we might say, "It doesn't look like they have got long to live."

1. Let me share something with you. Nobody in this room has got long to live. Everyone here is terminal.
2. Do you know what I am? I am a dying man, talking to a room full of dying people, about the only person I know that can give us life. None of us have long to live.

C. What about this phrase, "Well, they will probably be better off”?
D. "PROBABLY!!!" “REALLY?” Why do we think it is a shame when a Christian dies? Paul says, "Not probably, they are far better off." Paul says, "I desire to depart and be with Christ which is better by far."

V. Sometimes when we talk to insurance sales people, perhaps updating our auto insurance, or it may be in a cold call from a sales person who might ask if we have life insurance. Know what I would answer? “I’ve got something better—soul assurance.” That is something they do not have to sell us.

A. When I was younger we would take vacations to other places in the US, national and state parks mostly. To stretch out our funds we often slept in a tent. You know what a tent is don’t you?
B. The tent was not our home. A tent was a place we slept in because we're going somewhere else. Then we would fold up that tent, and we would pack it up, so that we could go on to where we were going next.
C. That's is what Paul says. He said, "This isn't my home; this isn't where I belong, because I'm ready to go my home,". You see, life isn't about carnal things or success. It's about eternity rather than time. Our bodies are getting older and they’re breaking down. They are not meant to last forever. Our bodies are not meant to be permanent.

VI. Paul says in 2 Corinthians 5:1-2 – “For we know that if our earthly house, this tent, is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed with our habitation which is from heaven,”.

A. Why did Paul want to die and go to Jesus? If I think about our lives, I can see that a person might get tired of the struggle here. Perhaps we tire of the burden of teaching and encouraging people, or maybe we tire of seeing people make the same mistakes others have made, and then helping them by teaching over again what had been taught. That is what I imagine.
B. The main reason Paul wanted to go was simple. Paul wanted the company of Christ. Paul says, "When he goes, he's going to have Christ like he's never had him before." He's going to have union with Christ.
C. Let us consider it this way. Have we ever been homesick for heaven? Do we ever just hurt inside to get to heaven? If we don’t—why not? Perhaps we need to improve our personal relationship with Jesus. We need to get to the point where we are so obsessed with Christ, so focused on Christ and so in love with Christ that the thought of being with Christ just makes our heart ache. That’s what we should desire.

VII. People all over the world today are still deciding that Jesus is a matter of life and death. That's how we should feel about Jesus. Let me share with you 3 things that we need to take out of our heads and into our hearts.

A. First we need to internalize the certainty of salvation. Ask ourselves, do we know where we are going when we die? Paul knew exactly what would happen when he died. He knew where he was going.
B. When we go on vacation as a family, I usually go over the preparation and packing many times... because I usually forget something. The first thing when you go on any journey is you need to at least know where you are going. Then you need to make sure you are going to be able to get there before you start. Perhaps we need to consider the condition of the vehicle we will use. Condition of the tires. Is an oil change needed? How are the fluid levels? Are all the lights working?
C. Paul knew that someday Christians would weep and put that old tent of his in the ground. They would say, "Goodbye" to it. Even as they did, on the other side. Jesus was going to say, "Hello" to the new one.
D. Second we also need to internalize the necessity of service. Life is not measured by duration, life is measured by use. James tells us in James 4:13-14 - “Come now, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit''; whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away.”
E. You may have heard this. Someone has calculated how a typical lifespan of 70 years is spent. Here is the estimate: We sleep for 23 years of our lives. We work for 16 years of our lives. We watch TV for 8 years of our lives. We spend 6 years of our lives eating. We travel 6 years of our lives. We have 4.5 years of leisure time. We suffer from illness 4 years of our lives. We spend 2 years of our lives dressing, and sadly, we only spend 0.5 years of our lives devoted to religion.
F. That’s just an average number of years for an everyday person. I’m sure if we had calculated these things for Christians the numbers would be different. The point is this; we really need to make our short lives matter. We really need to use the gift of life, - to give the gift of Jesus to someone else. We really need to be a joy to them.
G. Finally, we need to internalize the security of sacrifice. Paul says, "I'm willing to give up everything I have for Jesus." Are we willing to do that? For those who are not yet Christians, are you willing to repent and turn to God? Are you willing to confess Jesus as Lord of your life? Are you willing to be baptized into Christ for the forgiveness of your sins? Are you willing... to give up everything... so that you can gain even more?
H. You see, folks, we all need to say—and believe, that we are going to love Him with all our mind, heart, soul and strength, and when we die,... it will be a gain. The only way something can be a gain is if the reward you get is bigger than the investment you put in.

CONCLUSION:
Man will pursue joy and happiness in every way imaginable. In the end of what does he have? Let me give you some words about where joy can not be found.
Not in Unbelief -- Voltaire was an infidel of the most pronounced type. He wrote: "I wish I had never been born."
Not in Pleasure -- Lord Byron lived a life of pleasure if anyone did. He wrote: "The worm, the canker, and grief are mine alone."
Not in Money -- Jay Gould, an American millionaire, had plenty of that. When dying, he said: "I suppose I am the most miserable man on earth."
Not in Position and Fame -- Lord Beaconsfield enjoyed more than his share of both. He wrote: "Youth is a mistake; manhood a struggle; old age a regret."
Not in Military Glory -- Alexander the Great conquered the known world in his day. Having done so, he wept in his tent, before he said, "There are no more worlds to conquer."

We may say, “for to me - to live is my husband or wife, son or daughter, grandson or granddaughter, family, or business, reputation, even being true yourself, your own inner truths”. (like Steve Jobs)
No matter how noble the persons or things we mentioned are that we may live for, apart from Christ, we can’t say “to die is gain.”
The only way we can do that is if we can say “for me to live is Christ”. Without that we can’t say “to die is gain.”
To say it another way, - if we say for me to live is something or someone other than Christ, no matter how good it is or he is or she is, we are heading to a hopeless end.

Jesus said, “I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish” (John 10:28).
God so loved the world He gave His only begotten Son. Jesus Christ is the greatest gift God could give and He gave Him to save us. This being true, God’s greatest concern for you and me is “What did you do with my son, Jesus Christ, that I gave you?” “What did you do with my Son who died for you?” Did you receive Him as your Savior or reject Him?" What did you do with Jesus?

What Paul tells us is, "There's nothing you can give to Jesus that's not going to be a gain." There's no safer investment you can make with your life, than to spend it on Jesus Christ. Paul says, "To live is Christ and to die is gain." In Romans 8:18 Paul says, "I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us."
We really need to pray that we can be obsessed with, that we can be focused on Christ, because it really is a matter of life and death.

Think about this life and ask; “If today were the last day of my life, would I be ready for my final departure? I hope and pray that our final destination, is a day of endless hope rather than a hopeless end.

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We learn from the New Testament how to be saved. We need to hear the word; believe in Jesus; repent of our sins; we must confess our belief that Jesus is the Son of God; and be baptized for the remission of our sins... If we follow these steps, the Lord adds us to His church.

Perhaps there is someone in the assembly today with the need to be buried with Christ in baptism. If you have never done these things, we urge you to do so today. If anyone has this need or desires the prayers of faithful Christians on their behalf, we encourage them to come forward while we stand and sing.

# 647—Almost Persuaded
Taken from sermon by Mike Glover

Thank God For Our Freedom

Acts 21:1-36

INTRO: We continue our study today in Acts chapter 21 and we will be examining verses 1-36.

Last week we left the apostle Paul with tears in his eyes warning the elders from Ephesus to be on their guard against false teachers in Acts 20. We saw very powerfully that Paul knew that his time on earth was ending soon. He knew what was about to happen to him as he departed from their company in Miletus.

We catch up with Paul’s journey now in Acts 21:1-4 – “1. Now it came to pass, that when we had departed from them and set sail, running a straight course we came to Cos, the following day to Rhodes, and from there to Patara. 2. And finding a ship sailing over to Phoenicia, we went aboard and set sail. 3. When we had sighted Cyprus, we passed it on the left, sailed to Syria, and landed at Tyre; for there the ship was to unload her cargo. 4. And finding disciples, we stayed there seven days. They told Paul through the Spirit not to go up to Jerusalem.” [NKJV]

Luke tells us that they went from Cos, to Rhodes, to Patara. Then, they boarded a ship sailing to Phoenicia and they passed Cyprus and sailed to Syria, where they stopped at Tyre for the ship to unload its cargo.

It’s here in Tyre that Paul and his companions sought out the Lord's followers in that city and stayed seven days with them. Since the Spirit played a key role in the start of this journey toward Jerusalem, it seems likely the disciples, having further revelations from the Spirit concerning Paul's coming imprisonment, begged him not to go.

I. Luke continues in Acts 21:5-9 – “5. When we had come to the end of those days, we departed and went on our way; and they all accompanied us, with wives and children, till we were out of the city. And we knelt down on the shore and prayed. 6. When we had taken our leave of one another, we boarded the ship, and they returned home. 7. And when we had finished our voyage from Tyre, we came to Ptolemais, greeted the brethren, and stayed with them one day. 8. On the next day we who were Paul's companions departed and came to Caesarea, and entered the house of Philip the evangelist, who was one of the seven, and stayed with him. 9. Now this man had four virgin daughters who prophesied.”

A. Luke says that at the end of their weeklong visit, Paul's company walked toward the ship with an escort composed of the many Christian men in the city of Tyre, along with their wives and children.

1. Look what they did before boarding the ship. They all stopped for a prayer.
2. Do we ever do that? We are not told exactly what it was they were praying for but the fact that they begged Paul not to go makes me suspect that they may have been asking God to be with Paul because of what was going to happen to him.

B. Before we embark on any journey, do we pray for a safe trip and ask God to be with us?

1. I know I have, and I know others have as well. Sometimes though we seem to have the mindset that we only need to pray for a safe journey if we plan to fly or go on a ship. For some reason we consider these journeys more dangerous.
2. What about all the small journeys? Do we pray then? Or do we take those journeys for granted? Do we think that we don’t need God for those small journeys as well?
3. When the Israelites under the leadership of Joshua finally took the Promised Land, Joshua reminds the people in Joshua 24:17-18 – “for the Lord our God is He who brought us and our fathers up out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage, who did those great signs in our sight, and preserved us in all the way that we went and among all the people through whom we passed. And the Lord drove out from before us all the people, even the Amorites who dwelt in the land. We also will serve the Lord, for He is our God.”
4. We find in Ezra chapter 8 the account of the Israelites returned from captivity to Jerusalem. Ezra 8:21-23 – “21. Then I proclaimed a fast there at the river of Ahava, that we might humble ourselves before our God, to seek from Him the right way for us and our little ones and all our possessions. 22. For I was ashamed to request of the king an escort of soldiers and horsemen to help us against the enemy on the road, because we had spoken to the king, saying, "The hand of our God is upon all those for good who seek Him, but His power and His wrath are against all those who forsake Him.'' 23. So we fasted and entreated our God for this, and He answered our prayer.”
5. As Christians we should always pray for safe journeys no matter how long or short the journey is. We need to remind ourselves that we are never alone. We need to remember to take God with us whether the journey is great or small.

C. After their prayer on the beach, Paul and those with him boarded the ship and the others returned home. The ship went on from Tyre to Ptolemais, where they were again greeted by the brethren.

1. After one day's stay, they went on to Caesarea, where they spent some time in the house of Philip the proclaimer of good news.
2. Who was this Philip? Scholars believe it was the same Philip who is mentioned in Acts 6 and Acts 8 who was chosen for the ministration to the widows and the one who taught the Ethiopian.
3. According to what we have just read Philip had four virgin daughters who prophesied.

II. It’s during Paul’s time at Philip’s house that we're re-introduced to a man who we have already met. Acts 21:10-14 – “10. And as we tarried there many days, there came down from Judaea a certain prophet, named Agabus. 11. And when he was come unto us, he took Paul's girdle, and bound his own hands and feet, and said, Thus saith the Holy Ghost, So shall the Jews at Jerusalem bind the man that owneth this girdle, and shall deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles. 12. And when we heard these things, both we, and they of that place, besought him not to go up to Jerusalem. 13. Then Paul answered, What mean ye to weep and to break mine heart? for I am ready not to be bound only, but also to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus. 14. And when he would not be persuaded, we ceased, saying, The will of the Lord be done.” [KJV]

A. Luke tells us that Agabus came to Philip's house at the same time as Paul's company. This is the same man we met back in Acts 11:27-28. He was one of the prophets who went to Antioch from Jerusalem. He was the one who predicted a sever famine was going to spread throughout the Roman Empire. This time though he’s not prophesying a famine, he’s predicting Paul’s future.

1. Luke tells us that Agabus took Paul's belt, or girdle, and bound his own hands and feet. He then explained that the Holy Spirit was foretelling Paul's being taken prisoner by the Jews and turned over to the Gentiles.
2. Understandably all those who heard the prophecy, including Luke, begged Paul not to go to Jerusalem.

B. Here again, we see Paul demonstrating in his life who carries the most influence. Not pain or suffering, or even the fear of death was going to stop him from doing God’s will. Paul explained that his trip to Jerusalem was one he was making in the effort to fulfill his commission to preach the gospel.

1. Paul was practicing what Jesus preached in Matthew 10:28-29 – “28. And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. 29. Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father.” [KJV]
2. Paul also wrote in Romans 14:8 – “For whether we live, we live unto the Lord; and whether we die, we die unto the Lord: whether we live therefore, or die, we are the Lord's.” [KJV]
Someone once said, “The clock of life is wound but once, and no man has the power to tell just when the hands will stop at late or early hour.
To lose one's wealth is sad indeed. To lose one's health is more. To lose one's soul is such a loss that no man can restore.
Thirty-nine people died while I read these words.
Every hour 5,417 go to meet their Maker.
You could have been among them.
Sooner or later, you will be.
Are you ready?”

C. There’s no use spending a lot of time worrying about dying because all of us will have to go some time. We all need to spend a lot of our time preparing to meet our Maker. Everyone on the earth past, present and future will all have to meet the Lord.

1. Remember Hebrews 9:27 – “And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:” [KJV]
2. I know that brings fear into the hearts of those who don’t know Christ and it should, but for Christians that’s one of the highlights of our future.

D. If we stay in Hebrews and read on, the writer says, Hebrews 9:28 – “...so Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation.” [NKJV] Just as people are destined to die once, and after that face judgment, so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.
E. Are we waiting for Him? Don’t you long for Jesus’ return? I know I do, because when that day comes, we will no longer hurt Him by our disobedience. While we are here we must strive to be more like Christ until we leave this earthly realm.

1. Yes, I understand I have work to do for Him before I go.
2. Yes, I understand I will leave loved ones behind when I go.
3. At least our families, God willing, will find some peace in the fact that “We have fought the good fight, and kept the faith,” and know that they will see us again.
4. They will, like those listening to Paul, realize the strength of our convictions, and they will yield, and express the desire that the Lord's will be accomplished.

III. Luke carries on with his report to Theophilus of Paul’s journey in Acts 21:15-20 – “15. And after those days we packed and went up to Jerusalem. 16. Also some of the disciples from Caesarea went with us and brought with them one, Mnason of Cyprus, an early disciple, with whom we were to lodge. 17. And when we had come to Jerusalem, the brethren received us gladly. 18. On the following day Paul went in with us to James, and all the elders were present. 19. When he had greeted them, he told in detail those things which God had done among the Gentiles through his ministry. 20. And when they heard it, they glorified the Lord. And they said to him, "You see, brother, how many myriads of Jews there are who have believed, and they are all zealous for the law;” [NKJV]

A. Luke tells us that the group travelled on to Jerusalem where they planned to lodge with one of the early disciples named Mnason who was from Cyprus. They were joyfully greeted by the brethren in Jerusalem which Paul may well have viewed as an answer to the prayers he had been asking others to pray for him.

1. Romans 15:30-31 – “Now I beg you, brethren, through the Lord Jesus Christ, and through the love of the Spirit, that you strive together with me in your prayers to God for me, that I may be delivered from those in Judea who do not believe, and that my service for Jerusalem may be acceptable to the saints,” [NKJV]
2. Whether this was an answered prayer or not, at least another prayer was answered. Those in Jerusalem received the gift of money which Paul brought to help the needy saints.
3. Luke tells us that the next day, Paul delivered a report to James and all the elders concerning the things God had accomplished among the Gentiles through Paul. No wonder the group glorified God for the good which had been done.

B. Luke continues in Acts 21:20-21 – “... And they said to him, "You see, brother, how many myriads of Jews there are who have believed, and they are all zealous for the law; "but they have been informed about you that you teach all the Jews who are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses, saying that they ought not to circumcise their children nor to walk according to the customs.”[NKJV]

1. The assembled group explained to Paul that thousands of Jews had obeyed the gospel of Christ in Jerusalem, but they also still tried to adhere strictly to the Law of Moses.
2. As always when people do great things for the Lord there are those in the background trying to discredit what they have accomplished. Someone, or some group, had spread the rumor that Paul taught Jews who lived among the Gentiles that they should forsake Moses' law, especially by refusing to circumcise their children.

C. We know that this was a false accusation because if you remember correctly, Paul had circumcised Timothy with his own hand. Acts 16:3 – “Paul wanted to have him go on with him. And he took him and circumcised him because of the Jews who were in that region, for they all knew that his father was Greek.”[NKJV]
D. What we also need to remember is that a full understanding of the effect of the cross on the ordinances of the Law of Moses would ultimately result in the end of circumcision as a religious act.

IV. What happens next raises a few questions which need to be looked at carefully. Acts 21:22-25 – “22. "What then? The assembly must certainly meet, for they will hear that you have come. 23. "Therefore do what we tell you: We have four men who have taken a vow. 24. "Take them and be purified with them, and pay their expenses so that they may shave their heads, and that all may know that those things of which they were informed concerning you are nothing, but that you yourself also walk orderly and keep the law. 25. "But concerning the Gentiles who believe, we have written and decided that they should observe no such thing, except that they should keep themselves from things offered to idols, from blood, from things strangled, and from sexual immorality.''”[NKJV]

A. Naturally, the church would hear of Paul's arrival in Jerusalem and would assemble. James and the others proposed that Paul purify himself along with four men who had taken a vow. Paul was also urged to pay the expenses involved in their vows.

1. Why would Paul do that?
2. If the Law of Moses and their customs were abolished at the cross of Christ, why would Paul do this? Because by doing this Paul would silence those who were falsely charging him.

B. We need to ask ourselves, did Paul compromise his teachings about the law being a schoolmaster to lead men to Christ... by purifying himself and paying for a vow under Moses' law?

1. Or did he recognize that these things did not have anything to do with salvation, so he could do them to further reach out to the Jews?
2. This is one of those questions for which we have no certain answer. I will point out this much about Paul’s actions because some people seem to suggest that Paul sinned by doing what the officials asked.

C. Let’s try to understand what ‘ceremonial purification’ involved. It did not necessarily involve atonement for personal sin.

1. As an example, a Jewish woman had to be “purified” following the birth of a child. Leviticus 12:1-7 – “1. Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 2. "Speak to the children of Israel, saying: 'If a woman has conceived, and borne a male child, then she shall be unclean seven days; as in the days of her customary impurity she shall be unclean. 3. 'And on the eighth day the flesh of his foreskin shall be circumcised. 4. 'She shall then continue in the blood of her purification thirty-three days. She shall not touch any hallowed thing, nor come into the sanctuary until the days of her purification are fulfilled. 5. 'But if she bears a female child, then she shall be unclean two weeks, as in her customary impurity, and she shall continue in the blood of her purification sixty-six days. 6. 'When the days of her purification are fulfilled, whether for a son or a daughter, she shall bring to the priest a lamb of the first year as a burnt offering, and a young pigeon or a turtledove as a sin offering, to the door of the tabernacle of meeting. 7. 'Then he shall offer it before the Lord, and make atonement for her. And she shall be clean from the flow of her blood. This is the law for her who has borne a male or a female.”
2. We see Mary after giving birth to Jesus, obeying this purification law in Luke 2:22. Remember this law was to be obeyed even though the act of bearing a child is not sinful.
3. The point I’m trying to make is that Paul’s act of “purification,” doesn’t mean that he was seeking personal forgiveness by means of an animal sacrifice.

D. We’re not sure why Paul agreed to do this, but I believe that Paul’s actions were for keeping the peace and so he could reach even more Jews with the good news. If there is anything we can get from this text it’s this, at least James and the elders were consistent in not requiring the Gentiles to follow the Law of Moses.

V. Luke tells us in Acts 21:26-30 – “26. Then Paul took the men, and the next day, having been purified with them, entered the temple to announce the expiration of the days of purification, at which time an offering should be made for each one of them. 27. And when the seven days were almost ended, the Jews from Asia, seeing him in the temple, stirred up the whole crowd and laid hands on him, 28. crying out, "Men of Israel, help! This is the man who teaches all men everywhere against the people, the law, and this place; and furthermore he also brought Greeks into the temple and has defiled this holy place.'' 29. (For they had previously seen Trophimus the Ephesian with him in the city, whom they supposed that Paul had brought into the temple.) 30. And all the city was disturbed; and the people ran together, seized Paul, and dragged him out of the temple; and immediately the doors were shut.”

A. Luke tells us that Paul yielded to the proposal set forth by James and the others and began to be purified and entered the temple. Near the end of the seven days of purification, some Jews from Asia found Paul in the temple area and called for others to help them.

1. These people accuse Paul of four things:

a. Teaching against the Jews;
b. Teaching against the law;
c. Teaching against the temple;
d. Bringing Greeks into the temple, thereby defiling it.

2. As to the last charge, Luke reported that they had seen Paul in the city with Trophimus the Ephesian and believed he had brought him into the temple.

B. With all those accusations flying around the angry mob seized Paul and dragged him into the court of the Gentiles. They then closed the doors to the temple's inner court so that no blood would defile it. This would have been a terrifying ordeal for anyone to go through. As Luke tells us next however, we can see quite clearly that it wasn’t God’s will for Paul to be killed at this point in his life.
C. Acts 21:31-36 – “31. Now as they were seeking to kill him, news came to the commander of the garrison that all Jerusalem was in an uproar. 32. He immediately took soldiers and centurions, and ran down to them. And when they saw the commander and the soldiers, they stopped beating Paul. 33. Then the commander came near and took him, and commanded him to be bound with two chains; and he asked who he was and what he had done. 34. And some among the multitude cried one thing and some another. And when he could not ascertain the truth because of the tumult, he commanded him to be taken into the barracks. 35. And when he reached the stairs, he had to be carried by the soldiers because of the violence of the mob. 36. For the multitude of the people followed after, crying out, "Away with him!''”
D. Luke tells us that word reached the commander of the Roman garrison guarding Jerusalem. He rushed in with perhaps 300 men into the midst of the mob violence. As they rushed in, the mob stopped beating Paul.

1. Agabus’ predictions came true, the commander ordered Paul to be bound with two chains and asked of his crime.
2. The mob gave all sorts of answers to the crime which Paul supposedly committed.
3. The commander ordered Paul taken to the barracks, but even this was no easy task because the soldiers literally had to carry Paul as a large part of the crowd followed, shouting, "Away with him."

E. It’s very difficult to appreciate just what these early Christians went through, sometimes daily, to remain true to God and I pray we may never have to experience it in our lifetimes.

CONCLUSION:
These accounts of Paul’s struggles should give us so much encouragement to keep going. I know that sometimes people read these accounts as though they were fictional figures in fictional places.

But we know that the apostle Paul was a real person, travelling through real cities, going through real trials. If we were to sit down with Paul today and compare our trials, pains and sufferings with his, I believe we would come away very humbled.

We would be humbled because we complain to God about so many things that in the big picture would seem to be very trivial.
We complain to God about the weather.
We complain to God when someone says something bad about us.
We complain to God when we let each other down.
We complain to God when we get colds and flues.
We complain to God when someone breaks a promise.
We complain to God when something bad happens to our loved ones.
The list could go on and on.

Notice that most of our complaints are not because we are being persecuted for being Christians, but because of things which happen to everyone in this world, whether they are Christians or not. We need to get real, stop complaining, and be praising and thanking God for allowing us to live in a country where we are free to worship Him in peace.
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We learn from the New Testament how to be saved. We need to hear the word; believe in Jesus; repent of our sins; we must confess our belief that Jesus is the Son of God; and be baptized for the remission of our sins... If we follow these steps, the Lord adds us to His church.

Perhaps there is someone in the assembly today with the need to be buried with Christ in baptism. If you have never done these things, we urge you to do so today. If anyone has this need or desires the prayers of faithful Christians on their behalf, we encourage them to come forward while we stand and sing.

# 366—Is It For Me
Taken from sermon by Mike Glover

Genuine Faith

Acts 20:17-38

INTRO: This morning we will continue our look at the book of Acts in chapter 20, and the portion we will look at is in verses 17-38. I find sermons like this, Bible study sermons if you will, very interesting. Because unlike topic sermons which can go into detail on a topic, these study sermons often touch on several topics and will often bring up things we desire to look at in more depth within the rest of the scriptures.

After the miraculous event in Troas, the raising of Eutychus from the dead, we left the apostle Paul in Miletus. [my-lee-tus] You may recall that Paul intended to sail by Ephesus in the hope of reaching Jerusalem before Pentecost. While he was in Miletus, he called for the elders of the church at Ephesus to meet him there.

We catch up with him in Acts 20:17-21 – “17. And from Miletus he sent to Ephesus, and called the elders of the church. 18. And when they were come to him, he said unto them, Ye know, from the first day that I came into Asia, after what manner I have been with you at all seasons, 19. Serving the Lord with all humility of mind, and with many tears, and temptations, which befell me by the lying in wait of the Jews: 20. And how I kept back nothing that was profitable unto you, but have shewed you, and have taught you publickly, and from house to house, 21. Testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.”[KJV]

When Luke tells us that the elders from Ephesus arrived to meet Paul, he reminded them of the struggles he faced while in he was in Asia. Paul had served the Lord with a humble attitude, even to the point of being moved to tears at times and surviving more than one Jewish plot against his life.

Despite all the heartaches and tears he continued faithfully to declare the truth to them, both publicly in the synagogue and in the school of Tyrannus, and teaching in the houses. We saw also that his preaching had extended to the Jews as well as the Greeks.

I. Like we have seen before, his preaching included the need for repentance and faith in Jesus Christ. Let me ask you, what is faith? I have heard it said there is faith and there is faith. I believe the best way to answer the question about genuine faith is to go to the Bible.

A. In Hebrews 11, which is commonly called the “Hall of Faith” we find the writer explaining just exactly what genuine faith is.
B. First is your faith logical? In Hebrews 11:3 the writer says, “Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.” Or to paraphrase in part; “By faith we understand... that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.” Genuine faith “understands” that the universe is not self-existent; rather, it was designed by the Creator and so what we see is that logic and faith are companions.
C. Second, is your faith dependent upon revelation? In Hebrews 11:4-6 the writer says, “By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it he being dead yet speaketh. By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God. But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.”

1. It was by faith, illustrated in obedience, that Abel offered God a better sacrifice than Cain did.
2. By faith he was commended as a righteous man when God spoke well of his offerings. By faith he still speaks, even though he is dead.
3. By faith Enoch was taken from this life, so that he did not experience death. God took him away. And before he was taken he was commended as one who pleased God. Without faith it is impossible to please God.
4. In the scriptures, the writers tells us that God has, “witnessed,” “testified,” “warned” or “commended.” Why did He do that? Because mankind, left to his own devising, does not know how to serve God.
5. The blood of Abel says that faith is the key to true and acceptable worship. In other words, genuine faith sees faith like the writer says in Hebrews 11:1 – “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” [KJV] Genuine faith understands that God has revealed His will for mankind within the Holy Scriptures.

D. Third, does your faith involve trusting our Maker? The writer says in Hebrews 11:7-8 – “By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith. By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went.”

1. When Noah was warned by God, though he had never seen a flood, he by faith prepared the ark.
2. Abraham by faith left Chaldea even though he didn’t know where he was going. In other words... genuine faith clearly trusts the unseen God.

E. Fourth, does your faith have actions with your words? So many people in the religious world today seem to entertain the notion that faith is merely a mental conviction. Hebrews 11 tells us quite clearly that genuine faith must act with actions.

1. Hebrews 11:4 tells us that by faith Abel “offered” a sacrifice.
2. Hebrews 11:7 tells us that by faith Noah “prepared” an ark.
3. Hebrews 11:8 tells us that Abraham “obeyed” the Lord.
4. You see folks, faith without any actions attached is not a genuine faith. As James tells us in James 2:26 – “For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.”

F. Finally, does your faith discriminate? Hebrews 11:26 – “Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompense of the reward.” Moses, (being a type of Christ) considered the rebuke he would suffer for his faithful obedience to God to be greater wealth than all the treasures of Egypt, because he was looking ahead to his reward.

1. The writer tells us that Moses valued righteousness greater then the treasures of this world.
2. Why? Because Moses understood that genuine faith chooses the spiritual over the material, genuine faith chooses the eternal over the temporal.
3. Folks, I hope and pray that when you examine your faith, you find it is a genuine faith because there really is a difference between faith and genuine faith.
4. We all know the truth of the matter is that this is a personal examination, and only you can answer that question for yourself.

II. Luke carries on telling of Paul’s discussion with the Ephesians elders in Acts 20:22-27 - “22. "And see, now I go bound in the spirit to Jerusalem, not knowing the things that will happen to me there, 23. "except that the Holy Spirit testifies in every city, saying that chains and tribulations await me. 24. "But none of these things move me; nor do I count my life dear to myself, so that I may finish my race with joy, and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God. 25. "And indeed, now I know that you all, among whom I have gone preaching the kingdom of God, will see my face no more. 26. "Therefore I testify to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all men. 27. "For I have not shunned to declare to you the whole counsel of God.”[NKJV]

A. Paul after reminding them of his time working among them, goes on tells the elders that he was compelled to go to Jerusalem, despite the knowledge of what awaited him there.

1. It is one thing not knowing what lies ahead of us, but it’s another knowing exactly what lies ahead.
2. You’re at the doctors awaiting some results from a blood test to find out if you have serious kidney problems.
3. You have family members in the armed forces, you know there’s been a bombing in the area where they are assigned, and you’re waiting to hear if you’re loved ones are all right.
4. You’re heading towards the hospital in an ambulance, and you don’t know whether you’re going to survive to see your family again.

B. It is during those difficult times of uncertainty about what lies ahead, that things like worry and anxiety creep into our lives. It’s usually not until after the event, or until after you have been diagnosed with an illness, that you start to deal with it.

1. Folks, that’s when genuine faith in God helps us get through. Luke tells us that the Holy Spirit had testified to Paul, through the voices of prophets and other inspired men, concerning his impending arrest and the other trials he would confront in Jerusalem.
2. In other words, Paul knew what was going to happen in his life, he knew what lay around the corner.

C. Most of us want to run away from difficult times and we try to avoid those times at any cost.

1. The reason we do that is because we are concerned with ourselves.
2. We’re afraid that we might get hurt.
3. We’re afraid that we might be slandered.
4. We’re afraid that if we go there, people might think we have an alternative motive.
5. There are many things that can make us afraid. Instead of embracing those times when they come, and seeing them as an opportunity to grow in our faith, we try very hard to avoid them.

D. James says in James 1:2-4 – “My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.”[NKJV]

1. Paul’s greatest concern was not for his own personal safety. Paul’s greatest concern was with completing the special ministry Jesus had given him, the preaching of the kingdom.
2. Scripture is clear, and there is no mistake about it, Paul knew what lay ahead of him. He did not expect to ever see the faces of those elders again. That’s why he called upon them to faithfully witness the content of his preaching among those at Ephesus.
3. He knew within himself, that because he had preached the whole truth, he was free from any responsibility for those who might have remained in their sin. In other words, his job was finished in Ephesus. Like we looked at a few weeks ago, he was not responsible for those who didn’t respond to the good news.

E. Someone once said, “Christians don’t have problems, Christians have challenges.” A commentator, talking about the soul that is mature in their understanding, said that;

1. The mature soul prays, "Lord, make me as big as my problem." While the immature soul prays, "Lord, let me off easy."
2. The mature soul asks, "Lord, give me strength sufficient for a hard day." While the immature begs, "Lord, let me have a lighter load."
3. The mature soul prays, "Lord, stand with me until I finish my task." While the immature soul says, "I am tired, and I want to quit."

F. Paul didn’t see his mission with Christ as a problem, he saw it as a challenge. Yes, there were times when he was beaten and flogged. Yes, there were times when he was tired, thirsty, and hungry. His real challenge was to simply trust His God with that genuine faith we looked at earlier.

III. Before Paul leaves the Ephesian elders, he warns them by saying the following in Acts 20:28-31 – “28. Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood. 29. For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. 30. Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them. 31. Therefore watch, and remember, that by the space of three years I ceased not to warn every one, night and day with tears.”

A. Paul, because he did not anticipate seeing them again, charged those elders, who had been selected based on the qualifications listed by the Holy Spirit, to watch out for their own spiritual well being. And he also reminds them that they were commanded to watch out for every sheep in God’s flock at Ephesus. Why? Because they had been given the oversight, they were elders over the flock which was purchased with Jesus’ blood.
B. Make no mistake about it folks, being watchful was, and still is, necessary today because false teachers, even from within the eldership, would draw away disciples. Paul urged the elders to remember his own watchful service of three years as he had been warning them day and night, even with tears in his eyes.
C. We have said before false teachers are still a real problem in the world today, and I believe it’s necessary for all of us to be able to identify them.

1. A young preacher of a little church complained to Charles H. Spurgeon, about the smallness of his church and its few members. Spurgeon asked him, "How many members do you have?" "Fifty," replied the preacher. "Ah," exclaimed Spurgeon, "that is more than you will want to account for on the Day of Judgment."
2. You see, preaching or teaching is one of those God given positions within the Lord’s church which needs to be prayed about carefully before taking on the responsibility. It’s also the responsibility of every member of the Lord’s church to be on their guard against false teachers.

D. The power of the public speaker is enormous. So today is the power of those who speak in other kinds of public forums.

1. There are many historic examples of this, some for good and some for evil. One comes to mind: On June 14th, 1940, when the British were in the dark days of WWII, Churchill said, “We shall go on to the end, we shall fight in France, we shall fight on the seas and oceans, we shall fight with growing confidence and growing strength in the air, we shall defend our Island, whatever the cost may be, we shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender.”
2. Public speakers have a lot of influence and those who have been called to be preachers or teachers within the Lord’s church need to be aware of that. James warns us in James 3:1 – “My brethren, let not many of you become teachers, knowing that we shall receive a stricter judgment.”[NKJV]
3. It is also why Paul cautioned young Timothy in 2 Timothy 4:2-4 – “2. Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. 3. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; 4. And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.”
4. John warns us in 1 John 4:1 – “Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.”[KJV]
5. Teaching is a very responsible job at any time. Just as teachers in schools and universities will shape young minds, teaching within the Lord’s church will shape the maturing souls and we know that there are false teachers out there.

E. How do we know the difference between a teacher and false teacher? Again, if we allow the Bible to tell us we will find the answer.

1. John tells us there are at least two tests you can do and the first one is this: If they deny any gospel accounts or anything revealed within the gospel accounts concerning Jesus Christ, they are false teachers.

a. 1 John 4:2-3 – “2. By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, 3. and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world.”[NKJV]
b. Any spirit (or person) who denies the facts revealed in the New Testament regarding the life of Christ is under satanic influence and is antichrist.
c. This would include those who deny the details of His birth to the virgin Mary; His miraculous ministry; His innocence; His death, burial, and bodily resurrection, and ascension to the right hand of God.

2. The second test is this, is what they are teaching Bible based? 1 John 4:6 – and I paraphrase, “We are from God, and whoever knows God listens to us; but whoever is not from God does not listen to us. This is how we recognize the Spirit of truth and the spirit of falsehood.”[para]

a. Remember that John was dealing with a particular problem that was developing.
b. As already indicated, there were those who denied that Jesus came in the flesh, but the Holy Spirit, being omniscient, looked across the centuries and saw the damage of false and novel doctrines that would develop from the wicked hearts of men.
c. Here John says that “we.” Who are the “we”? He’s referring to the inspired men who recorded the very message of the Holy Spirit and he says that those inspired men are of God.
d. The second test is simple, those who “know God” are those who demonstrate through their words and deeds that they are receiving their information from the only source of divine truth, and for us that is the Bible.
e. Those who “don’t know” God are those who don’t listen to Christ’s apostles and inspired teachers. These are the teachers who modify the scripture.

3. That’s one good reason why we need to get back to what people used to know us by, “the people of the Book.”

F. All of us need to be like the Bereans about whom Luke says in Acts 17:11 – “These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.”[KJV] They examined the Scriptures every day to see if the message was true or false.

IV. Paul has warned the Ephesian elders to watch out for false teachers, but he wasn’t finished with them just yet. Paul goes on and tells them in Acts 20:32-38 – “32. And now, brethren, I commend you to God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified. 33. I have coveted no man's silver, or gold, or apparel. 34. Yea, ye yourselves know, that these hands have ministered unto my necessities, and to them that were with me. 35. I have shewed you all things, how that so labouring ye ought to support the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, It is more blessed to give than to receive. 36. And when he had thus spoken, he kneeled down, and prayed with them all. 37. And they all wept sore, and fell on Paul's neck, and kissed him, 38. Sorrowing most of all for the words which he spake, that they should see his face no more. And they accompanied him unto the ship.”

A. After kneeling with them in prayer, Paul with more tears in his eyes left their company.
B. Before he left, Paul recommended that the shepherds trust God and His word, which would help them grow stronger and inherit eternal life.
C. He reminded them how he worked with his own hands to support himself and did not covet anyone’s money.
D. He urged them to also labor to support themselves and help the weak, while reminding them that Jesus said, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.”

CONCLUSION:
As I read those familiar words something struck me. Let me ask you, do you believe that? Do you believe that it is more blessed to give than to receive? How opposite are these words to the thoughts of people today where the purpose of living is in the “getting”.

There’s a story from many years ago that a benevolent doctor heard of a preacher who was sick, poor, and had a large family. That evening he gave a friend a sum of money, requesting him to deliver it in the most delicate manner, and as from an unknown person.
The friend said, "I will go see him early in the morning." The doctor then said, "Would you please do so today instead? Think of what importance a good night's rest may be to that poor man."

I was reading a poem the other day which I would like to share with you just before we finish. It’s called, ‘Let Me Give’.

I do not know how long I'll live
But while I live, Lord, let me give
Some comfort to someone in need
By smile or nod, kind word or deed.
And let me do what ever I can
To ease things for my fellow man.
I want naught but to do my part
To "lift" a tired or weary heart.
To change folks' frowns to smiles again.
Then I will not have lived in vain
And I'll not care how long I'll live
If I can give ... and give ... and give.

When we think of giving, we often only think of giving money. But giving money isn’t going help the man who has just lost his wife in an accident. Giving him of your time and a shoulder to cry on will. Giving money isn’t going to help the women whose husband has just walked out on her for someone else. Giving your time and understanding will. Giving money isn’t going help the child who’s just failed one of their exams at school but giving them encouragement to keep going will.

We all feel blessed when we receive encouraging messages but not nearly as blessed as we feel when we send one and receive a reply back saying ‘God bless you and thank you for thinking about me’.

It’s more blessed to give than to receive because genuine faith has learned to trust that God will meet all our needs.
It’s more blessed to give than to receive because genuine faith has learned to put other people first.
It’s more blessed to give than to receive because genuine faith has learned that giving really does bring happiness into someone else’s life.
It’s more blessed to give than to receive because genuine faith has learned that when you give, you’re giving on behalf of God.

Proverbs 21:25-26 – “The desire of the slothful kills him, for his hands refuse to labor. He covets greedily all day long, but the righteous gives and does not spare.” Paul gave everything he had to bless others, and we should be encouraged to think about what we can give to someone this week. Whether it is time,
money, food, or a shoulder to cry on. The greatest gift that we can give is sharing the gospel. We do not want to hear someone say on that day, you never mentioned Him to me.
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We learn from the New Testament how to be saved. We need to hear the word; believe in Jesus; repent of our sins; we must confess our belief that Jesus is the Son of God; and be baptized for the remission of our sins... If we follow these steps, the Lord adds us to His church.

Perhaps there is someone in the assembly today with the need to be buried with Christ in baptism. If you have never done these things, we urge you to do so today. If anyone has this need or desires the prayers of faithful Christians on their behalf, we encourage them to come forward while we stand and sing.

# 644
Taken from sermon by Mike Glover

We Are Alive!

Acts 20:2-16

INTRO: We are now at chapter 20 in our look at the book of acts. In the past few weeks, we have seen the power of Jesus name. We also saw the power of the gospel to dispel the myths and ignorance about God. Sadly, we also saw how people can go around all excited and yelling even though they do not know what they are excited about, and we were reminded that we have the freedom of choice but there are consequences to those choices.

Today we catch up with Paul’s journey starting in Acts 20:2-6 Luke tells us: “Now when he had gone over that region and encouraged them with many words, he came to Greece and stayed three months. And when the Jews plotted against him as he was about to sail to Syria, he decided to return through Macedonia. And Sopater of Berea accompanied him to Asia also Aristarchus and Secundus of the Thessalonians, and Gaius of Derbe, and Timothy, and Tychicus and Trophimus of Asia. These men, going ahead, waited for us at Troas. But we sailed away from Philippi after the Days of Unleavened Bread, and in five days joined them at Troas, where we stayed seven days.”[NKJV]

Luke tells us that after encouraging the brethren in Ephesus, Paul went to Macedonia. Paul sailed to Macedonia and built up the churches there before he went on to Greece, the district containing Athens and Corinth, where he stayed for some three months. Then, he planned to sail to Syria, but the Jews plotted to kill him as he was about to depart.

Paul was warned of the plot, and when he found out, he went north to Macedonia. Paul was carrying a large contribution to give to the needy saints in Jerusalem. We recall one mention of this in Romans 15:26 – “For it hath pleased them of Macedonia and Achaia to make a certain contribution for the poor saints which are at Jerusalem.” It looks like, from what Luke tells us that, he took along several men with him. The reason for this was probably to see to the proper handling and use of the money.

Folks, when it comes to giving, we should note that the early church gave for a purpose. They didn’t just give for the sake of giving. They gave to further the cause of Christ and they gave to bring glory to God through their giving. Giving was part of their worship.

I. We, all of us, have a calling from God in this life. Our efforts and our giving should be to produce glory for God while we are still alive. In Hebrews 13:16 we read; “But do not forget to do good and to share, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.”[NKJV] Paul also reminds us in 2 Corinthians 9:6-7 –“But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully. Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.”[KJV] As we said before, we have free will, we can make a choice. James tells us in James 4:17 – “Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin.”

A. In Luke’s record is a whole list of names traveling with Paul. I thought that was interesting, so I did a little research and found that someone once said, “You need to observe that the Macedonian congregations were represented by Sopater, Aristarchus, and Secundus. The Galatian congregations were represented by Gaius of Derbe and Timothy of Lystra. Then we see the ones located in Asia were represented by Tychicus and Trophimus. According to 2 Corinthians 8:6 and following the Corinthian’s contribution was entrusted to Titus and two other brethren who were sent by Paul to Corinth to receive it.”
B. So what’s important about that? Well, if it’s not important it’s certainly interesting, because if it tells us anything, it tells us that they went around collecting the funds. They were going to meet at a predetermined location, which in this case was Troas. They didn’t have banks like we have today where they could just wire or transfer money in accounts.
C. They had to go from congregation to congregation to collect those funds. They collected funds on behalf of others. The people gave and the funds were collected for a reason. These funds were for the saints who were in massive need in Jerusalem.
D. Isn’t this an amazing way to encourage each other? The fact that these men who were sent on behalf of their home assemblies, would have seen the gratitude in the eyes of those at Jerusalem as they gave on behalf of their congregation. The home congregations were involved.
E. The encouragement doesn’t stop there; can you imagine when they return to their home congregations? I would imagine that they would give a full report about how everyone in Jerusalem was doing and how their offerings had blessed so many other people. Folks, if we could see the offering that we give each and every week through eyes like those, we would truly see just how much more of a blessing it is to give.

II. In fact, that’s exactly how Paul saw giving. He said to the Ephesians elders a few verses later in Acts 20:35 – “I have shown you in every way, by laboring like this, that you must support the weak. And remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He said, 'It is more blessed to give than to receive.'”

A. There’s something else interesting in our text passage. Luke uses the word ‘we’ a couple of times in verse six. Acts 20:6 - “... we sailed away from Philippi after the Days of Unleavened Bread, and in five days joined them at Troas, where we stayed seven days.” The reason he does this is simply to remind Theophilus (remember Theophilus is the person Luke is writing to, Acts 1:1) that Luke himself was present and rejoined Paul at Philippi. That’s why he uses the word “we”. They both stayed there and sailed for Troas after the Passover. Luke is a witness to the event that happens next.
B. Listen carefully to Luke’s report about what happened starting in the very next verse. In Acts 20:7-12 – “Now on the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul, ready to depart the next day, spoke to them and continued his message until midnight. There were many lamps in the upper room where they were gathered together. And in a window sat a certain young man named Eutychus, who was sinking into a deep sleep. He was overcome by sleep; and as Paul continued speaking, he fell down from the third story and was taken up dead. But Paul went down, fell on him, and embracing him said, "Do not trouble yourselves, for his life is in him.'' The NIV says “Don’t be alarmed, He’s alive! Now when he had come up, had broken bread and eaten, and talked a long while, even till daybreak, he departed. And they brought the young man in alive, and they were not a little comforted.” What an amazing scripture that is when you read the whole thing in its context.

1. When Luke tells us that Paul and his company stayed seven days in Troas, this helps us in understanding the custom of worship in New Testament times. That little phrase helps us a lot. Luke tells us that, “They came together on the first day of the week.” [para]
2. I know there are religious groups who come together on Saturdays for worship. The reason some of them do that is basically because they don’t believe that Jesus was the messiah. That’s why they get together on Saturdays for worship. Ask yourself a question, if Paul and his companions were there in Troas on every other day of the week why did they partake of the Lord’s Supper on the Lord’s Day? Why did they do that?
3. This is a big lesson for the church right here and for every one of us. Even though they were busy doing other things for the Lord each and every day of the week, these men knew that everything else takes a back seat in their lives when they came together on the Lord’s Day to remember His death. That’s important to this passage.

III. Let’s think about it. Think about the first day of the week. Jesus Christ was raised from the dead on a Sunday according to Mark 16:9. Jesus’ disciples assembled after His death on the first day of the week according to John 20:19ff. The church was established on what day? Sunday, according to Acts 2:1. The church, the congregation in Troas, which we are now looking at, met on the first day of the week according Acts 20:7. There were regular contributions taken into the church treasury. When? “Every first day of the week” according to 1 Corinthians 16:2.

A. For the first several centuries of the church’s existence, the written testimony is uniform that Christians met for worship on Sunday. One commentator suggests, “All Christians were unanimous in setting apart the first day of the week, on which the triumphant Savior arose from the dead, for the solemn celebration of public worship.”
B. You see, folks, although Sunday might have been a workday in the ancient world, the disciples set it apart as a day of worship and it became known as “the Lord’s day,” according to Revelation 1:10 as John tells us.
C. Way, way back in the Book of Leviticus Moses records in Leviticus 23:15-16 – “And you shall count for yourselves from the day after the Sabbath, from the day that you brought the sheaf of the wave offering: seven Sabbaths shall be completed. 'Count fifty days to the day after the seventh Sabbath; then you shall offer a new grain offering to the Lord.”
D. Ok, why am I telling you this? What relevance is this? God says, “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy” according to Exodus 20:8. My point is this: the Jews understood that He meant every single Sabbath. Not just every now and then, but every single Sabbath. They were to keep that Holy. Go over to the New Testament where we’ll look at Paul’s account to the Corinthian church in 1 Corinthians 11:18-26 – “For first of all, when you come together as a church, I hear that there are divisions among you, and in part I believe it. For there must also be factions among you, that those who are approved may be recognized among you. Now listen Therefore when you come together in one place, it is not to eat the Lord's Supper. For in eating, each one takes his own supper ahead of others; and one is hungry and another is drunk. What! Do you not have houses to eat and drink in? Or do you despise the church of God and shame those who have nothing? What shall I say to you? Shall I praise you in this? I do not praise you. For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you: that the Lord Jesus on the same night in which He was betrayed took bread; and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, "Take, eat; this is My body which is broken for you; do this in remembrance of Me.'' In the same manner He also took the cup after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in My blood. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.'' For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death till He comes.”
E. To put this another way... If a school teacher becomes frustrated with disruptive students and says to them while they are at school, “You did not come here to learn.” That very statement tells you that they were there to learn, doesn’t it? That’s what Paul is saying here. You didn’t come here to observe the Lord’s Supper because you don’t act like it.
F. The reason these early Christians assembled, was to partake of the Lord’s Supper. We know they assembled every first day of the week, and Paul tells us they got together on the first day of the week to give as well. 1 Corinthians 16:2 – “On the first day of the week let each one of you lay something aside, storing up as he may prosper...”

IV. I recall hearing about a congregation that loved good fellowship and they always served coffee after the sermon. The preacher asked a little boy one time, if he knew why they served the coffee. The little boy thought and said, "I think, it is to get the people wide awake before they drive home." Apart from Bible study when I teach, the longest sermon I have ever preached here was 37 minutes. Thankfully, as far as I could see from up front, everyone managed to stay awake. I think we are safe not serving coffee after service.

A. Certainly, it is possible some people may think that I preach for a long time. Notice though, going back to our text in Acts 20 and in verse 7, Luke tells us that when the church assembled in that third story room, Paul’s lesson continued until midnight. It was there we find a young man who needed more than a cup of coffee to stay awake.
B. Scripture tells us there were many lamps where the people were gathered. Quite warm I imagine. A young man, Eutychus, was sitting on a window ledge listening to Paul. He fell into a deep sleep and fell out of the window and died.
C. Look what happened next. Did Paul say, “Wait until I finish my sermon then we will deal with this? Did Paul say, “I’m getting to a really important point in my sermon, can you hold on and then we will go down and deal with this? No, he didn’t. They went down straight away and that tells us something. There are some priorities more important than preaching and teaching. They went down straight away to see to the young man. After he was pronounced dead, Paul took him up in his arms, then announced that his life was in him. The Power of God was being used through the apostle Paul to bring him back to life.

V. To me this text is almost unbelievable. I’m not talking about the miracle. I’m talking about what they did next. Luke says that after the miraculous restoration of this young man’s life, the Christians again assembled in that upper room to eat a meal together. Hard for us to understand, isn’t it? Right after this miracle they returned to what they were doing. They got on with life.

A. We are told the talking lasted until daybreak, which tells us just how highly the brethren thought of the apostle Paul, and how interested they were in what the apostle was saying.
B. Let me ask you this question. How can we be sure that Eutychus was dead in the first place? There are a lot of people who don’t believe he was you know. What we need to remember is that if anyone can tell whether a person is alive or dead, it’s a doctor. Surely, a doctor knows if someone is dead or if they’re alive. Luke, the writer of Acts, present with Paul at this moment, is a doctor according to Colossians 4:14.
C. It’s Luke who tells us that Eutychus was “dead” here in verse 9. When Paul addressed the situation, he did not say, “His life is still in him,” or “His life is yet in him” as some translations have it. He simply said, “his life is in him.” Luke later comments that Eutychus was brought “in alive” at verse 12

1. If the young man had merely been injured, why would Luke stress the point that he was “brought in alive”? To merely mention that he was brought in would have been entirely sufficient.
2. After all, weren’t they all alive who returned to the upper room? What was so special about this young man? Very simple, the fact that he had been dead! He was dead and now he’s alive! No wonder Luke says the saints in Troas were comforted.

VI. I would suggest the resurrection of Eutychus brought “comfort” to the saints in Troas, as Luke tells us, for two reasons. First, it let them know that their religion was genuine. They understood that only God can affect a resurrection.

A. Remember when Jesus raised Lazarus back to life, Jesus said in John 11:40-42 – “..., "Did I not say to you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?'' Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead man was lying. And Jesus lifted up His eyes and said, "Father, I thank You that You have heard Me. "And I know that You always hear Me, but because of the people who are standing by I said this, that they may believe that You sent Me.''”
B. Jesus is saying the miracle of raising Lazarus from the grave was performed so that the people around would believe that Jesus was the Christ. When the people believed that fact, they would trust that the message which Jesus delivered was true and genuinely from God Himself.

1. In a small country town, the local doctor went to the home of a terminally ill man to check on him. The man said to his doctor, who was about to leave after the visit: "Doctor, I am afraid to die. Tell me what lies on the other side." Very quietly the doctor turned and said, "I don't know." "You don't know the man said? You, a Christian man, do not know what is on the other side?" The doctor was holding the knob of the door to the man’s house and from the other side came sounds of whining, and as he opened the door a dog sprang into the room and leaped on the doctor with an eager show of gladness.
2. Turning to the patient, the doctor said, "Have you seen this dog before? The man said, “no”. The doctor said, “my dog has never been in your house before. Never. He did not know what was inside this room. He knew nothing except that his master was here, and when the door opened, he sprang in without fear. I know little of what is on the other side of death, but I do know one thing: I know my Master is there, and that is enough. When the door opens, I shall pass through with no fear, but with gladness."

C. That’s the second reason why the resurrection of Eutychus brought “comfort” to the saints in Troas... and to us. It brought to them comfort because it showed them that the grave is not the end of human existence. The Creator of life can bring life out of death. In other words, death is not the end. It’s just the beginning in many, many ways. We can understand why those saints were comforted.

VII. Let’s bring this a little closer to home. Don’t we feel comforted in the fact that the religion we place our whole faith in, is genuine? Doesn’t that bring comfort? Have we ever questioned the Lord’s church? Have we ever questioned the church’s beliefs and its practices?

A. I know we have at times. I am glad we question things about what we teach and preach and practice as a community of believers. Let me tell you why it brings me comfort. It brings me comfort because it forces me to study the Bible more often. It brings me comfort because it forces me to look at other religious group’s doctrines. It brings me comfort when I see that what we teach, preach and practice is according to God’s word, the Bible.
B. I come to the same conclusion as a very wise man who once said; ‘if there were another religious group that taught and practiced closer to the truth than the Lord’s church that is where I would be.’ Wise words from a wise man. It brings me comfort, to know that the Bible brings me everything I need to know about God and what God wants from me.
C. Peter says in 2 Peter 1:3 – “His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue” Do the words ‘all things’ leave anything out? No, all things mean everything.
D. Most importantly, it brings me comfort because if I knew I were going to die today, I would be filled with gladness, just like the doctor’s dog, as I run towards my master for eternal salvation. Loved ones, I hope and pray that each and every one of us are feeling the same way.

VIII. A friend of mine asked one time if I had ever read The Rime of the Ancient Mariner. I said no but asked him what it was all about. He said to me, ‘if you read it, you’ll discover one of the strangest imaginations ever put together, especially the part where the old mariner represents the corpses of all the dead men rising up to man the ship, dead men pulling the rope, dead men steering, dead men spreading sails.’ He went on and said to me that when he had finished reading it, he thought to himself, ‘what a strange idea that was’ for a book.

A. Do you know what, folks? I agree with him it is a very strange idea. Yet, I wonder if perhaps that idea describes what we find today in some congregations. I have personally gone into congregations, and I have seen a dead man in the pulpit, dead men as a deacons or elders. I’ve been to places where the men handling the Lord’s Table are dead and dead men were sitting to listen.
B. Well folks, we were all just as dead in our sins spiritually as Eutychus was dead physically. Just like Paul brought Eutychus back to life physically, Jesus Christ has brought us back to life spiritually. In Ephesians 2:1-5 – “And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others. Listen to the next part But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved),”. It’s an amazing passage, isn’t it? Thinking about dead people for a moment.

1. You know when we visit a cemetery; we expect to be among the remains of dead people and it’s just not the liveliest of places to visit. We know that dead people belong in the cemetery, because their spirit has left their bodies and is awaiting judgment, but their earthly remains belong in the cemetery.
2. Jesus Christ has proclaimed to the world that anyone who has died into Christ in the waters of baptism is very much alive in Christ Jesus today. That’s what people should see. Not only in our daily lives but in our worship services too. People should see that our worship to God is joyous, and spirit filled because God’s people are very much alive in Christ Jesus.

CONCLUSION:
Let us look at the remaining part of our text. Luke carries on with his letter to Theophilus in Acts 20:13-16 and tells him, “Then we went ahead to the ship and sailed to Assos, there intending to take Paul on board; for so he had given orders, intending himself to go on foot. And when he met us at Assos, we took him on board and came to Mitylene.  We sailed from there, and the next day came opposite Chios; the following day we arrived at Samos and stayed at Trogyllium; the next day we came to Miletus.  For Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus, so that he would not have to spend time in Asia; for he was hurrying to be at Jerusalem, if possible, on the Day of Pentecost.”

Folks, Eutychus is alive, and the apostles are alive in Christ Jesus. The gospel is moving forward. I pray that each of us will continue to do the same. We too, should never forget that we are alive in Christ. It’s my prayer that we will continue to find comfort from God through His word and His people. Yet, we must never get too comfortable staying in one place so that we fall asleep spiritually.

We also should never get to the stage where we are totally relying on people just walking into our assemblies. Each of us, as individual Christians, needs to watch for every opportunity to take the good news about Jesus to others.

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We learn from the New Testament how to be saved. We need to hear the word; believe in Jesus; repent of our sins; we must confess our belief that Jesus is the Son of God; and be baptized for the remission of our sins... If we follow these steps, the Lord adds us to His church.

Perhaps there is someone in the assembly today with the need to be buried with Christ in baptism. If you have never done these things, we urge you to do so today. If anyone has this need or desires the prayers of faithful Christians on their behalf, we encourage them to come forward while we stand and sing.

# 644
Taken from sermon by Mike Glover

Why Are You Here Today?

Acts 19:17-41

INTRO: Good morning. Today we continue in our look at the book of Acts. Last week we saw that Paul found some disciples who had been baptized with the baptism of repentance, which looked forward to the coming of Christ. Paul explained to them that the baptism for salvation was baptism into Christ. We suggested that we each need to ask the question; “Who am I?” “Was I baptized for the right reasons?” “Who’s will am I doing?” And most importantly, “Does Jesus know my name?”

I heard a story about a big, mean lion who met a monkey in the jungle.
The lion pounced on the poor monkey and said, "Who is king of the jungle?"
The frightened monkey replied, "You are, O mighty lion."
The lion let him go.
The next animal the lion met was a zebra.
He pounced on it and roared, "Who is king of the jungle?"
"You are, O mighty lion."
The lion let him go.
The lion next met an elephant and asked the same question.
The elephant grabbed the lion, twirled him around, and then threw him 50 feet.
The lion picked himself up and huffed, "Just because you don't know the answer is no reason to get so rough."

We know that there is really only One king, and His Name is Jesus. He’s the one who is ruler overall. He’s the one who possesses authority overall.

The last time we were together we saw very powerfully that the Name of Jesus is the Name all should fear. Even the evil spirit in Acts 19 knew this and only feared the Name of Jesus. After asking ‘Who are you’? The evil spirit beat up the Jewish men who were trying miss-use the power of Christ.

I. We catch up with Luke’s report to Theophilus in Acts 19:17-22 – “17. And this was known to all the Jews and Greeks also dwelling at Ephesus; and fear fell on them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was magnified. 18. And many that believed came, and confessed, and shewed their deeds. 19. Many of them also which used curious arts brought their books together, and burned them before all men: and they counted the price of them, and found it fifty thousand pieces of silver. 20. So mightily grew the word of God and prevailed. 21. After these things were ended, Paul purposed in the spirit, when he had passed through Macedonia and Achaia, to go to Jerusalem, saying, After I have been there, I must also see Rome. 22. So he sent into Macedonia two of them that ministered unto him, Timotheus and Erastus; but he himself stayed in Asia for a season.”

A. Luke tells us that since an irreverent use of the name of Jesus brought on this attack by the evil spirit, both Jews and Greeks dwelling in Ephesus were moved to reverent awe, for the authority of Jesus. Folks, we know when we see Jesus in His proper light, we can’t help but be in awe of His holiness and righteousness.
B. When a person sees Jesus like that, they are going to bow down and recognize His authority.

1. We should take notice what they did when they submitted to Christ... they repented.
2. Their repentance was very visible and many of those who were now believers came, confessing and divulging their practices.
3. Their repentance was further illustrated when a number who had practiced sorcery brought their scrolls or books together and burned them publicly. When they calculated the value of the books that were destroyed, the total came to some 50,000 pieces of silver. From that point forward, the gospel grew in a great way and conquered the hearts of many in the region.

C. At the end of these verses Luke tells us that Paul mapped out plans to go through Macedonia and Achaia on the way to Jerusalem. Paul eventually wants to go to Rome and so he sent Timothy and Erastus on to Macedonia while he personally stayed in Asia.

II. When we use our car these days the computer checks for any errors, and it can warn us of problems with the check engine light, the tire inflation light, and other indicators. We would be wise to have checkups ourselves to see if there are conditions, medical, dental, or optical which can be corrected before a serious problem develops.

A. We also need to have a spiritual checkup and ask ourselves; “is there a sin in my life which needs to be confessed to God?” Is there a sin in my life which needs to be burned in a fire?

1. Maybe it’s the sin of gossip, maybe it’s the sin of lying, maybe it’s the sin of sexual immorality, or maybe it’s the sin of worry. Do we have a sin that weighs heavy on our heart?
2. That question reminds me of something that happened when an open-air preacher was telling the old, old story, and a thoughtless man yelled out, "You tell us about the burden of sin. I feel none." Then he flippantly added, "How much does sin weigh? Eighty pounds? Ten pounds?"
3. The preacher answered, "Tell me sir, if I put a 400-pound weight on the chest of a dead man, would he feel it?"
4. "No, because he is dead," answered the heckler. The preacher responded, "And the man who feels no load of sin is dead spiritually." The man's remarks had only proved what he was, dead.

B. The Scriptures call it "Dead in trespasses and sins" in Ephesians 2:1.

1. Does anyone hearing this feel the burden of their sins? Is it time to rid yourself of the sin in your life?
2. Thinking of Ephesians 4:31 – “Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice:” We need to get rid of all forms of malice.
3. Let me ask this, is there something in your life that you need God to help you with? Colossians 3:7-8 – “ In the which ye also walked some time, when ye lived in them. But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth.” We used to walk in those ways, in the life we once lived. But now we must rid ourselves of all these.
4. Does anyone have an area of your life from before you became a Christian that you still struggle with today? 1 Peter 2:1 – “Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings,”

C. I’d like us to notice that Luke tells us in verses 18 and 19 about the believers’ repentance and then in verse 20 how the “word of God grew and prevailed”. Not before or during but after. That very same principle applies to the church today. If we want to grow as a congregation, we first need to repent of the sins which dominate our lives.

III. Luke continues his report to Theophilus, and he tells us that while the believers were repenting and while the church is growing, a riot took place in the city of Ephesus. Acts 19:23-28 – “23. And the same time there arose no small stir about that way. 24. For a certain man named Demetrius, a silversmith, which made silver shrines for Diana, brought no small gain unto the craftsmen; 25. Whom he called together with the workmen of like occupation, and said, Sirs, ye know that by this craft we have our wealth. 26. Moreover ye see and hear, that not alone at Ephesus, but almost throughout all Asia, this Paul hath persuaded and turned away much people, saying that they be no gods, which are made with hands: 27. So that not only this our craft is in danger to be set at nought; but also that the temple of the great goddess Diana should be despised, and her magnificence should be destroyed, whom all Asia and the world worshippeth. 28. And when they heard these sayings, they were full of wrath, and cried out, saying, Great is Diana of the Ephesians.” [KJV]

A. Luke tells us that while Timothy and Erastus were away, a man named Demetrius, a silversmith who made shrines of Diana, or Artemis as some translations have it, began to stir people up against Christianity. He called together the other members of his craft, reminding them that their wealth came from making silver idols. He truthfully reported that Paul’s preaching had impacted people in Ephesus and throughout Asia. He said that Paul had declared idols made with hands were not gods, to the point of destroying their business and causing Diana to fall into disrepute.
B. As Paul Rogers puts it; “Demetrius solemnly spoke of “our trade” and the “great goddess Diana.” Patriotism and piety oozed from every pore of his body, yet the overriding issue was that of personal profit.... Many a modern man poses yet as a pure patriot, consumed with public progress and righteousness, while having his own private enrichment as the chief goal.”

1. His words enraged his listeners, and they began to shout, “Great is Diana of the Ephesians!” We can understand why these people were upset. Imagine if you had a successful business and someone came along and put your business at risk? We also note that his business was more precious than truth to him, and his business was more precious than his soul. Don’t we see things like that today?
2. Jesus told a parable that I’m sure you all recall in Matthew 19:16-24 – “16. Now behold, one came and said to Him, "Good Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life?'' 17. So He said to him, "Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God. But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments.'' 18. He said to Him, "Which ones?'' Jesus said, " 'You shall not murder,' 'You shall not commit adultery,' 'You shall not steal,' 'You shall not bear false witness,' 19. 'Honor your father and your mother,' and, 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' '' 20. The young man said to Him, "All these things I have kept from my youth. What do I still lack?'' 21. Jesus said to him, "If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.'' 22. But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions. 23. Then Jesus said to His disciples, "Assuredly, I say to you that it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. 24. "And again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.''” [NKJV]
3. When push comes to shove its only when you seriously search your heart, that will you find out what is most important in your life. People search and try to find riches in all the wrong places. That home we own can be lost. That car we drive can be damaged beyond repair. Our husband or wife or children can be lost in a moment because of their or someone else’s recklessness. Everything and everyone we see around us today is temporary... except for the souls who belong to Christ.

C. These craftsmen were more concerned about their temporary riches than they were about the true eternal riches which can only be found in Christ Jesus. Paul said to the church in Philippi in Philippians 1:21 – “For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” These idol makers would have said, “For us to live is making money, and to die is tragic.” All these people are upset with this apostle named Paul whom they thought was trying to ruin their business. But in all reality, he was trying to save their souls.

IV. They were so offended by such a message that apparently these craftsmen spread this around and Luke goes on and tells us in Acts 19:29-34 – “29. So the whole city was filled with confusion, and rushed into the theater with one accord, having seized Gaius and Aristarchus, Macedonians, Paul's travel companions. 30. And when Paul wanted to go in to the people, the disciples would not allow him. 31. Then some of the officials of Asia, who were his friends, sent to him pleading that he would not venture into the theater. 32. Some therefore cried one thing and some another, for the assembly was confused, and most of them did not know why they had come together. 33. And they drew Alexander out of the multitude, the Jews putting him forward. And Alexander motioned with his hand, and wanted to make his defense to the people. 34. But when they found out that he was a Jew, all with one voice cried out for about two hours, "Great is Diana of the Ephesians!''”[NKJV]

A. So, the gathering now becomes a mob. Luke says the whole city came together to see what was happening. Along the way, they seized two Macedonian travel companions of Paul, Gaius and Aristarchus. Paul wanted to go to the people, but the brethren wouldn’t allow it. Even some of the Asian officials who were his friends pleaded with him not to enter the theatre.
B. It’s interesting that Luke says, “that many in the crowd didn’t even know why they were there.” It’s also interesting when you speak to some who profess to be Christians about why they attend a certain ‘church’. Some say that they like the preacher, some say they have always gone to that ‘church’. Some say they enjoy listening to the music and that helps them in their worship.
C. We need to ask ourselves; “Why am I here today?” Worship that is accepted by God is a privilege unique to the Christian. 1 Peter 2:4-5 – “Coming to Him as to a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God and precious, you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.” [NKJV]

1. Peter says Christ is the living stone, so also are the Christians. Why "living"? Because the Lord is the living One, and the life-giving One, the same yesterday, today, and forever. As members of Christ's spiritual body, Christians partake of the same nature as their Lord, and they too are "living stones," endowed with a measure of the Spirit which shall raise them up at the last day. Christians are permitted to offer acceptable worship only by the grace of God. Without this grace there is no right to worship God. It is disheartening when children of God deliberately reject this privilege and stay away from the public assembly which God has ordained for His glory and our good.
2. I recall the words of Charles Spurgeon: “Some Go To Church To Take A Walk; Some Go There To Laugh And Talk. Some Go There To Meet A Friend; Some Go There Their Time To Spend. Some Go There To Meet A Lover; Some Go There A Fault To Cover. Some Go There For Speculation; Some Go There For Observation. Some Go There To Doze And Nod; The Wise Go There To Worship God.”

D. Have you ever thought about the significance of worship? Let me share with you just a few thoughts on this.

1. Worship is obedience to a divine command.
2. It is also a means of nourishing the spirit.
3. Worship assists in achieving spiritual growth and it encourages others in their spiritual development.
4. Worship shows the world where our priorities are, and it is one means of expressing our love for God.
5. It is an avenue that God has provided by which we can praise His name and offer spiritual sacrifices.
6. It is a way of showing our thanksgiving to God for all He has done for us.
7. Worship is a time of communion with God with the world shut out entirely.
8. Finally, worship is an experience that should make the heart of every Christian glad.

V. Folks, as Christians we should know why we are here today and why it is important to be here every Lord’s Day. I note in the scripture that some people in Ephesus didn’t even know why they were in that theatre. Yet now Ephesus is in an uproar and when some Jews singled out Alexander to make a defense and the people found out he was a Jew. The crowd shouted, “Great is Diana of the Ephesians!”

A. After a period of two hours of shouting Luke tells in Acts 19:35-41 – “35. And when the city clerk had quieted the crowd, he said: "Men of Ephesus, what man is there who does not know that the city of the Ephesians is temple guardian of the great goddess Diana, and of the image which fell down from Zeus? 36. "Therefore, since these things cannot be denied, you ought to be quiet and do nothing rashly. 37. "For you have brought these men here who are neither robbers of temples nor blasphemers of your goddess. 38. "Therefore, if Demetrius and his fellow craftsmen have a case against anyone, the courts are open and there are proconsuls. Let them bring charges against one another. 39. "But if you have any other inquiry to make, it shall be determined in the lawful assembly. 40. "For we are in danger of being called in question for today's uproar, there being no reason which we may give to account for this disorderly gathering.'' 41. And when he had said these things, he dismissed the assembly.”[NKJV]

1. Luke says that the city clerk got the crowd to quiet down and appealed for reason and a lawful approach to the matter. Here was a man who knew how to reason even with a mob. He said, no one could deny Ephesus worshiped Diana. He proposed that Demetrius and his colleagues make their case before the authorities. That is if they had a case in the first place.
2. He recognized that the disciples didn’t steal from the temples, and they didn’t blaspheme the goddess. He realized they had done nothing wrong, and he warned the mob that such an assembly might be questioned by the Roman government and had no choice but to quietly dismiss the crowd.
3. It’s amazing just how quickly a chaotic situation can be made calm when people are willing to reason together. So many congregation fights and splits and personal agendas would be laid to rest if people would only reason together.

B. In Isaiah 1:11 God is telling the people through Isaiah that they have made meaningless the observance of forms and sacrifices because they lost the heartfelt devotion and faithful obedience to all of God's commandments which were supposed to accompany these external observances. He goes on and tells the people; “16. Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes; cease to do evil; 17. Learn to do well; seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow. 18. Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool. 19. If ye be willing and obedient...”]KJV] God says in Isaiah 1:18, "Come now, let us reason together."

1. Have you ever tried to discuss something with someone that you both knew was a reasonable discussion? Yet they could only see one side of the discussion and their reasoning was always right no matter what you said. People who act this way are lacking the ability to reason and to listen to reason. Reasoning together involves more than one person. Reasoning together, means just that, we reason together.
2. In other words, we respectfully listen to what each other is saying, think about what we are both saying and weigh it with what the scriptures teach. That’s reasoning together. When we do that, the result will always be the same. We can part company quietly and without any further fuss.

CONCLUSION:

In the film Gladiator, Russell Crow plays the part of a Roman General named Maximus Decimus Meridius and at the very start of the film when he is getting his army ready to fight against the Germanic tribes, he says to his men, “What we do in life echoes in eternity.”

I think that is so true. Whatever decision we make in life is going to be echoed in eternity. That’s why it’s important for us to share the good news about Jesus with as many people as we can. If people choose to live for Christ, that will be echoed in eternity, by living with Christ for eternity. If people refuse to live for Christ, then that too will be echoed in eternity by living without Christ, but with the devil and his angels in hell.

We need to know why we are here. Remember, your destiny is your choice.
I pray you choose wisely.
May God bless us in our efforts to reason with other people.
May God bless us in our efforts to repent of our sins and live a life which is pleasing to Him.
May God bless our efforts in trying to persuade the world that everything they see and posses today and tomorrow is just temporary.

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We learn from the New Testament how to be saved. We need to hear the word; believe in Jesus; repent of our sins; we must confess our belief that Jesus is the Son of God; and be baptized for the remission of our sins... If we follow these steps, the Lord adds us to His church.

Perhaps there is someone in the assembly today with the need to be buried with Christ in baptism. If you have never done these things, we urge you to do so today. If anyone has this need or desires the prayers of faithful Christians on their behalf, we encourage them to come forward while we stand and sing.
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Reference Sermon: Mike Glover

Who Are You?

Acts 19:1-16

INTRO: Good morning. Our text for today will be in Acts 19:1-16. I'm going to start with a story. A number of years ago a man was sitting on a park bench when a little boy of about five sat down near him and started looking at what appeared to be a most prized possession, a watch. The man said to the boy, "My, what a good looking watch," "Does it tell you the time?" "No sir," replied the boy; "you’ve got to look at it." I suppose this story looses it’s effect a little today where there are watches that indeed do speak the time.

My point with this story is that God's truth is everywhere, but you must look for it and at it, to see it. When it comes to the Holy Spirit and identifying if a person possesses Him or not, apart from the Fruit of the Spirit, there is no physical way of knowing.

Last time we ended with a quick look at what Luke records in Acts 19, and we saw Paul addressing that very question, do you posses the Holy Spirit? Acts 19:1-2 - “... while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul having passed through the upper coasts came to Ephesus: and finding certain disciples, He said unto them, Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed? And they said unto him, We have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost."

Luke tells us that from Corinth, Paul went on to Ephesus where he met a group of disciples and asked them if they had received the Holy Spirit. If you recall from last week we saw that Apollos knew a lot about the Scriptures, and he taught about Jesus accurately, but he hadn’t been taught about baptism for the forgiveness of sins. When Priscilla and Aquila met Apollos they took him aside and taught him the way of the Lord more clearly. We found that described in Acts 18:24-26.

I. Now in Ephesus Paul finds some people who may have been taught by Apollos prior to the time he learned of the baptism commemorating the death, burial and resurrection of the Lord. Luke calls them Disciples.

A. Paul asks them if they have received the Holy Spirit and they answer by saying they did not even know there was a Holy Spirit. Then Paul asks another question in Acts 19:3-4 - “Then what baptism did you receive?" "John's baptism," they reply. Paul said, "John verily baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying unto the people, that they should believe on him which should come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus."
B. The failure to know about any gift of the Holy Spirit pointed out that something was missing in the instructions they had received, so Paul asked, “Into what then were you baptized?”
C. John told people to repent, be baptized, and believe on the Christ who would follow him. Then Jesus came, He died, was buried, and resurrected. But before He ascended back to heaven He clearly commanded everyone in Mark 16:15-16 -, “... Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.”
D. In Acts 2 we see people being obedient to those commands. Acts 2:38 - “Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.”
E. Those that heard Peter’s sermon had heard the gospel and believed, asking what they should do? In other words, for those who would be Christians, belief in Jesus should come before they have repented and been baptized under the authority of His name for the remission of sins. It’s amazing when you speak to some people today about baptism. They will gladly tell you that they were baptized or Christened as a child and think that that baptism is their ticket into heaven.

II. I should mention that there are some religious groups who only baptize in Jesus Name and not in “the Name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit”. But remember what Jesus commanded in Matthew 28:19 – “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:” People need to remember that there are not many baptisms that a person is to receive to be saved, the Bible tells of only one. Paul reminds us of this fact in Ephesians 4:4-6 - “There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; One Lord, one faith, one baptism, One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.”

A. When a person studies the scriptures one of the questions they need to ask themselves is; “Was my baptism, the one baptism which Paul speaks of here?” Because if it was not, that person needs to do what the disciples at Ephesus did in Acts 19:5-7 - “When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came on them; and they spake with tongues, and prophesied. And all the men were about twelve.”
B. Luke tells us these disciples were re-baptized under the authority of Christ. Paul then laid his hands on them and they received miraculous gifts of the Holy Spirit which enabled them to speak in languages they had never studied and they proclaimed God’s will.
C. This brings the question to mind; “Are there any today whose baptism was so defective or inadequate that they should be baptized again "into the Lord Jesus"?” The answer without any doubt whatsoever, is yes.
D. We should understand that not all baptisms are scriptural. The Christenings or baptizing of a child is very popular in today’s society. But the problem with that is that a child doesn’t have personal faith. Jesus says in Mark 16:16 “Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.”
E. If someone was baptized as a child, they didn’t have much say in the matter even though their parents may have been sincere in their thinking. When the child is grown up, able to have personal faith, and is able to decide for themselves, then they need to submit to Christ and be baptized according to scripture.
F. Millions today have never in any sense obeyed the apostolic injunction of Acts 2:38 to “Repent, and be baptized”. That passage makes it absolutely clear that the convert must consciously, and of their own will, submit to Christian baptism. If infant baptism were adequate, then baptism without faith, confession, or repentance would be valid also.

III. True baptism reflects a person’s understanding that this ordinance pictures the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ. As we are told in; Romans 6:3-4 - “Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.”

A. Then over in Colossians 2:12 – we read; Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead. In other words the sinner is buried in and raised from water, just as the Lord was buried and then raised from the dead.
B. There are also some people who are baptized without repentance. If a person was baptized without genuine repentance, then such a baptism is useless and one would have to question the motive behind the person’s actions.
C. You also can’t have a baptism without faith. If a person is baptized without a sound faith basis, baptism becomes only a useless ritual.
D. Some religious groups believe that Jesus was a good man but they deny that Christ is God in the flesh and yet, for various other reasons, they desire baptism. Folks, no baptism grounded upon such a counterfeit faith can be considered a genuine baptism.
E. Then there are those who are baptized without any purpose. If a person has submitted to baptism for some purpose other than that which is supplied in the Bible then in reality they have not obeyed the Lord. This would include those whose baptism was an action initiated by others, not themselves, or whose baptism was, in their hearts, undertaken for any unscriptural purpose, such as

1. Merely going along with the group,
2. Primarily to please parents, husband, wife, or other persons, or
3. Any purpose other than that of surrendering the soul to the Lord as commanded in the gospel and for the purpose of coming "into Christ," receiving the forgiveness of sins and the promise of the Holy Spirit.

F. Baptism is never defined in the Bible as “an outward sign of an inward grace” as some like to say.
G. Finally there are those that are baptized not for the remission of sin but to become members of a denomination. That is not what we are told in Acts 2:38.

IV. Baptism is not a mere representation of redemption for those already saved. We’ve already seen the purpose for baptism in Acts 2:38, for the forgiveness of sins. Or as Luke tells us in Acts 22:16, to have sins washed away. Baptism according to Romans 6:3-4 and Galatians 3:26-27, places a person “into Christ” or into his “body” according to 1 Corinthians 12:13.

A. It is at this point that a person is saved according to Mark 16:16 and 1 Peter 3:21. When you think about it, a person’s soul is too valuable, the plan is too simple, and the remedy too easy to access, for a person to “gamble,” hoping that a former “baptism” will be alright.
B. I would think that if there is any question in a person’s mind regarding a previous “baptism,” they should be safe and do it right. Now I know I’m preaching mostly to the converted, but folks, there are a whole lot of people out there who think they are right with God yet have had a baptism which wasn’t Biblical. Why are people so skittish about something so simple?
C. I earnestly pray that all who hear or read this will ask themselves in all humility, "Was I Scripturally baptized?" If the answer is negative, the re-baptism of these twelve disciples at Ephesus, long ago, provides an inspiring example of what should be done. There was nothing wrong with their baptism, except that it had been for the wrong purpose; but that was enough to invalidate it. 169 times, in the writings of Paul alone, the New Testament uses the expression "in Christ," "in Him," or its equivalent. That says as loudly as it possibly could that this purpose of Christian baptism is absolutely vital and should be honored.

V. After baptizing anew the twelve men, and passing on the miraculous gifts of the Spirit, Paul leaves them and goes into synagogue. Acts 19:8-10 - “And he went into the synagogue, and spake boldly for the space of three months, disputing and persuading the things concerning the kingdom of God. But when divers were hardened, and believed not, but spake evil of that way before the multitude, he departed from them, and separated the disciples, disputing daily in the school of one Tyrannus. And this continued by the space of two years; so that all they which dwelt in Asia heard the word of the Lord Jesus, both Jews and Greeks.” [KJV]

A. Luke tells us that Paul entered into the synagogue to boldly teach the Jews about the gospel. If you recall back in Acts 18:19-21 Paul had already taught in the synagogue in Ephesus and had been urged to teach further. But he had left for the feast in Jerusalem and he promised to return and teach some more if it was God’s will.
B. We see here that it was God’s will for him to return and teach more. On this occasion, he reasoned with them for three months and persuaded them about matters concerning the kingdom of God. As usual we have those who will listen and those who won’t. Folks, it’s all about free will. God is not going to make a person believe.
C. I’m reminded of William Holman Hunt's famous allegorical painting "Christ the Light of the World". Hunt represents the figure of Jesus preparing to knock on an overgrown and long-unopened door, illustrating Revelation 3:20 - “Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.” According to Hunt: "I painted the picture with what I thought, unworthy though I was, to be a divine command, and not simply a good subject." “The door in the painting has no handle, and can therefore be opened only from the inside, representing "the obstinately shut mind". [William Holman Hunt Artworks – The Art Story].
D. We should realize that our Lord never destroys the will, but provides to us, though the gospel, the knowledge we need to make us willing. It is always "Whosoever will". In Revelation 22:17 - we read; “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.” [KJV]
E. It is our decision that secures – or - loses our salvation. We know that there are people who do refuse to accept. Look at; John 5:40 - “... ye will not come to me, that ye might have life.” [KJV] When Jesus was heading towards Jerusalem He looks on and says in Matthew 23:37- , “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!” [KJV]
F. God is willing, it’s people that are not willing. These Jews, who Paul was preaching to, are the very same way. Some of them became hardhearted and chose against the way of salvation and so Paul withdrew with the disciples to continue teaching in the school of Tyrannus. That is where he continued to instruct anyone who would listen over the space of some two years.

VI. The effects of Paul’s teaching radiated out to all of Asia. Paul had previously been forbidden to preach in Asia according to Acts16:6. Now much fruit was born for God in that region. In fact, many scholars believe his teaching helped to establish the seven churches to whom Christ wrote in the Book of Revelation chapters 2&3. We should note though, that even though Paul was a great preacher of the word, he always remembered whose Name holds the power. The Name of Jesus.

A. What Luke records next is a powerful lesson which we must never forget. Acts 19:11-16 - “... God wrought special miracles by the hands of Paul: So that from his body were brought unto the sick handkerchiefs or aprons, and the diseases departed from them, and the evil spirits went out of them. Then certain of the vagabond Jews, exorcists, took upon them to call over them which had evil spirits the name of the Lord Jesus, saying, We adjure you by Jesus whom Paul preacheth. And there were seven sons of one Sceva, a Jew, and chief of the priests, which did so. And the evil spirit answered and said, Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are ye? And the man in whom the evil spirit was leaped on them, and overcame them, and prevailed against them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded.”
B. Luke says that God caused great miracles to be worked through Paul. Even to the point where pieces of cloth, like a handkerchief or apron, which had touched his body could be placed on the body of the sick, and diseases or evil spirits went out.

1. Then Luke tells us that there were some wandering Jewish exorcists that tried to capitalize on the power of God that they had seen at work through Paul.
2. Particularly, the seven sons of Sceva who attempted to cast out an evil spirit by calling on the name of Jesus’ whom Paul preached. The spirit recognized both Jesus and Paul and asked, ‘who are you?’ Then the spirit caused the possessed man to leap on, overpower and strip them, so that they ran away wounded and naked.

C. There’s a powerful lesson to be learned here. Our name cannot save anyone. Our name doesn’t frighten people or demons. Nor does the name of any preacher or church leader. But make no mistake about it folks, all hell is afraid at Jesus’ Name. That’s because our name hasn’t been exalted, Jesus’ Name has. Our name isn’t above all other names, Jesus’ Name is. People are not going to bow down when they see us, but they will bow down to Jesus. People are not going to confess our name before the Father, but they will confess Jesus’ Name before Him.
D. Philippians 2:9-11 - “Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
E. The lesson is clear, no man has a right merely to appropriate the name of Jesus’. I do not doubt that many today are guilty of doing that same thing. There are those who say, "I am a Christian," yet really have no right to such a claim. How does one become a rightful and lawful wearer of the name of Jesus? In this very chapter it is declared that men were "baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus" (Acts 19:5); and the Scriptures reveal no honorable alternative to that means of being entitled to His Holy Name.

VII. There is another important point we need to understand here. The use of Jesus Name in our prayers and in our words is not some magic formula which God acts upon. It’s not the ‘name’ of Jesus that works in a mechanical way over the powers. The name is not a ‘key’ of some sort. If we are channels of His power, it is not because we know of His Name but because we know Him and more importantly we are known by Him.

A. Regretfully there are religious people who claim they drive out demons and heal in Jesus Name but there is a problem with that. If you ever see one of these, note that most of them need a big audience and you will see that what or who is really being glorified, is everything except God.
B. Jesus says in John 10:27 -, “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.” The problem that many people have is that they only know the Name of Jesus; but they don’t know Jesus. All they are interested in is the power and not the relationship.
C. Jesus tells us in; Matthew 7:22-23 - “Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.”
D. What does scripture say? It says many will do things in Jesus name, but Jesus does not know them for they are not His. Then I have a question. Why does Jesus not know them? Look with me at Matthew 7:21 – “Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.” He that does the will of my Father, the will of God. Ok, then, how does one know what is the will of God?

1. A young man went into a church and started praying. He was so anxious to find God's will for his life that he took a piece of paper and wrote down all the things that he was going to do for God. Then he started to pray that God might reveal to him whether these promises were acceptable to Him.
2. That is not the way God wants us to find His will. All He wants of us is to obey the gospel and our name will be added to the Lamb’s Book of life. Then, if we live faithfully studying God’s word and letting His word work in our life, God will fill in what His will is for us. The evil spirit knew Jesus and knew about Paul who was following the example of Jesus in doing the will of the Father in heaven. We must never forget that we are in a world of two forces, good and evil.
VIII. Someone once said to me that the reason that churches are not full of people is because people don’t believe in heaven. Well, the truth of the matter is the churches are not full of people because they don’t believe in the hell. The world has created its own gospel of love, peace, joy, and prosperity but left out things like hell and damnation and the consequences of a sin filled life.

CONCLUSION:
Let me finish by suggesting that each one of us here today, needs to ask the question, who am I? Am I a person who needs to be baptized for the right reasons? Am I a person who knows Jesus’ Name but doesn’t really know Jesus and doesn’t really know what His voice sounds like? Whose will am I really doing? My own, the will of a preacher, some leader or the will of our Father in heaven? What is your heart telling you today?

Let me encourage you to seriously think about these questions, because I don’t want you to go through your religious life thinking that God is going save you from the fires of Hell where the demons don’t even know your name. But more importantly where Jesus doesn’t know you at all.

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We learn from the New Testament how to be saved. We need to hear the word; believe in Jesus; repent of our sins; we must confess our belief that Jesus is the Son of God; and be baptized for the remission of our sins... If we follow these steps, the Lord adds us to His church.

Perhaps there is someone in the assembly today with the need to be buried with Christ in baptism. If you have never done these things, we urge you to do so today. If anyone has this need or desires the prayers of faithful Christians on their behalf, we encourage them to come forward while we stand and sing.
# 647 – Almost Persuaded

Reference Sermon: Mike Glover

Seeking The Truth

Acts 18:12-28

Intro:
Good morning. Today we are in Acts 18:12-28. In the last few lessons we saw Paul’s teaching ignored, questioned or rejected in Thessalonica, Athens and Corinth. Though there was success, there was a lot of discouragement as well.

If there was ever was an apostle who could have felt discouraged it was Paul. You probably recall some of the trials Paul went through. Paul recaps some of this in 2 Corinthians 11: 24-27 – “Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one. Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep; In journeyings often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by mine own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; In weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness.” [KJV] With that in mind what Luke tells us next in Acts 18, should not come as a surprise to us.

Acts 18:12-18 - “Now when Gallio was proconsul of Achaia [uh - K AY – uh], the Jews with one accord rose up against Paul and brought him to the judgment seat, saying, "This fellow persuades men to worship God contrary to the law.'' And when Paul was about to open his mouth, Gallio said to the Jews, "If it were a matter of wrongdoing or wicked crimes, O Jews, there would be reason why I should bear with you. "But if it is a question of words and names and your own law, look to it yourselves; for I do not want to be a judge of such matters.'' And he drove them from the judgment seat. Then they took Sosthenes [sauce-then-nees], the ruler of the synagogue, and beat him before the judgment seat. But Gallio took no notice of these things. So Paul still remained a good while. Then he took leave of the brethren and sailed for Syria, and Priscilla and Aquila were with him. He had his hair cut off at Cenchrea, [Sen’KRE-uh] for he had taken a vow.” [NKJV]

Luke tells us that the Jews brought Paul to the judgment seat before Gallio when he was proconsul of Achaia. There they accused Paul of preaching contrary to Moses' law, but Gallio drove them out without hearing the case because it did not have anything to do with Roman law. Then some seized Sosthenes, the ruler of the synagogue, and beat him before Gallio's judgment seat without the proconsul taking any notice. Despite all the difficult times Paul had, he continued to work in Corinth for some time before leaving the brethren and sailing for Syria with Priscilla and Aquila.

I. Fear. Luke also tells us that he had taken a vow in Cenchreae [Sen’KRE-uh] and had his hair cut off. Why I wonder? Perhaps it might relate to a form of a vow as we find described in Numbers 6:1-21.

A. This vow was practiced among the early Christians and we will read about a vow again in Acts 21. The vow was often offered in gratefulness for deliverance from danger. One explanation might be found in what we read in Acts 18:9-10. Paul had been upset with the opposition of the Jews at Corinth and he had been afraid. Luke tells us that: “The Lord spoke to Paul in a vision telling Paul not to be afraid; to keep on speaking, and not to be silent.”
B. Last time we had a lesson on fear as you may recall. Fear can do things to a person, because fear is a very real thing. It can leave you powerless and silent - but if you trust God, that fear will be driven from your mind because you know that you can ask Him to help you.
C. In verse 11 we are told Paul, trusting God, continued to speak. Then we read what happened in verses 12-18 and saw how Paul was delivered from the Jews. Paul trusted God to be with him and when God delivered him from all the events of Corinth, Paul was grateful. Some scholars suggest that Paul may have expressed that gratefulness to God by making a vow which consisted of shaving off his hair. The question has been asked should we be practicing a vow like this? I think we need to understand that Paul’s expression of gratitude to God was done in a way in which was culturally acceptable for him. From the perspective of Orthodox Judaism the Nazarite vow is not a historical curiosity but can be practiced even today. However, since there is no temple in Jerusalem to complete the vow, and that means any vow would be permanent. Modern rabbinical authorities strongly discourage the practice to the point where it is almost unheard of these days.
D. In that sense we shouldn’t practice this expression of gratefulness, but we should be a thankful people and express our thankfulness to God. I’m not saying that we should go out and shave our heads, but what we should be doing is being continually grateful to the Father, not only when He delivers us from danger, but for all the blessings we receive daily.

II. Remembrance. I don’t know about you, but I like to keep little reminders of places I have been to. I like to take photos of people I have met and events in which Nina or I have taken part. Many of you have been to our house on July 4th and seen our “refrigerator magnets”. Currently I’m starting to go through old photos and remembering the good times. But let me ask you, do you keep things which remind you of bad times?

A. Maybe you had someone leave you deliberately or perhaps they were taken from you and you just can’t bear to look at the old photos because it brings back so much pain. Maybe a person doesn’t like the police because they or a family member has been falsely accused of something and every time they see the police it brings back memories of false accusations. Or perhaps someone doesn’t like the military because a loved one served and perished.
B. Nobody likes to remember the bad things that have happened in their lives because it can bring back pain and anxiety. When God delivered His people out of the hands of the Egyptians that is exactly what He wanted them to remember, the pain and anxiety.
C. You will recall that the Passover was first introduced during the Israelites slavery in Egypt. It was the tenth plague which involved the death of the first-born Egyptians both men and cattle, which also included Pharaoh’s very own son. Look in; Exodus 12: 5-8 - “Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year: ye shall take it out from the sheep, or from the goats: And ye shall keep it up until the fourteenth day of the same month: and the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it in the evening. And they shall take of the blood, and strike it on the two side posts and on the upper door post of the houses, wherein they shall eat it. And they shall eat the flesh in that night, roast with fire, and unleavened bread; and with bitter herbs they shall eat it.” According to Exodus 12, a year-old male lamb or goat, without blemish was to be slain on the 14th day of the first month of the Hebrew religious year, “in the evening” according to Exodus 12:6.
D. According to Josephus in the first century the lamb was killed between 3 and 5 p.m. Exodus 12:46 tells us that none of its bones were to be broken. The blood was to be smeared on the doorposts and lintel of every Israelite home, and the Lord promised in Exodus 12:13, “When I see the blood, I will pass over you.” That is where we get the word Passover.
E. God never wanted His people to forget those days when they were slaves in Egypt and His delivery of them from that bondage. God says to His people in Exodus 12:24-27 - " And you shall observe this thing as an ordinance for you and your sons forever. "It will come to pass when you come to the land which the Lord will give you, just as He promised, that you shall keep this service. "And it shall be, when your children say to you, 'What do you mean by this service?' "that you shall say, 'It is the Passover sacrifice of the Lord, who passed over the houses of the children of Israel in Egypt when He struck the Egyptians and delivered our households.' '' So the people bowed their heads and worshiped.”[NKJV] They were told to obey these instructions as a lasting ordinance for them and their descendants.
F. The Passover was to remind them of their deliverance from Egypt, but it was also a reminder of a painful memory which most of them would gladly forget. God delivered them and every time they partook of the Passover celebrations they expressed their gratitude for that deliverance.
G. When we turn our attention to the New Testament, we begin to understand that the Passover lamb was a prophetic picture of the Lord Jesus and his atoning death. The Savior was introduced by John the Baptizer as what? As “the lamb of God” in John 1:29. Paul stated that “our Passover” is Jesus Christ in 1 Corinthians 5:7. We know from 1 Peter 1:19 and 1 Peter 2:22 that Jesus was “without blemish”, in other words without sin.
H. John tells us in John 19:31-33 that during the crucifixion not one of Jesus’ bones was broken. According to Matthew 27:46 Jesus died at 3 o’clock in the afternoon. His blood became an offering for sin according to Romans 3:25. His blood wasn’t just shed for the chosen few. It was shed for everyone who accepts it by obedience to His will, according to Hebrews 5:9. It is that very same blood which cleanses us according to Hebrews 9:14. However, that only happens when we receive the good news and submit to Him in the waters of baptism according to Ephesians 5:26.

III. Thanksgiving. What does that tell us? It tells us that God sometimes wants us to remember bad times. He wants us to remember what Christ went through on Calvary for us. He wants us to open up the Bible and be reminded of why He had to die for us in the first place. He wants us to remember that it is because of our sin He went to the cross. That’s why we celebrate the Lord’s Supper every week; He wants us never to forget the pain and agony and the suffering He went through... for us.

A. Just like Paul might have been doing when he took that vow and expressed his gratitude to God for delivering him from murderous hands in Corinth. We too should be partaking of the Lord’s Supper every week as a way of showing our gratitude to God for delivering us from our sin. Paul knew what he was taking about when he wrote in Colossians 1:13-14 - “For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.” [para]
B. The King James Version says it this way; “Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son.” We’ve all been delivered, we’ve all been rescued. Paul, after showing his gratitude to God, then goes to Ephesus.

IV. God is in charge. Let’s read on. Acts 18:19-23 – “And he came to Ephesus, and left them there: but he himself entered into the synagogue, and reasoned with the Jews. When they desired him to tarry a longer time with them, he consented not; But bade them farewell, saying, I must by all means keep this feast that cometh in Jerusalem: but I will return again unto you, (note what he says here) if God will. And he sailed from Ephesus. And when he had landed at Caesarea, and gone up, and saluted the church, he went down to Antioch. And after he had spent some time there, he departed, and went over all the country of Galatia and Phrygia in order, strengthening all the disciples.” “

A. From our text we see that Paul spent a short time preaching in the synagogue in Ephesus. He promised to return if it was God's will and then left Priscilla and Aquila and sailed on to Caesarea. He made a quick trip to Jerusalem and then went to Antioch and after some time, he went on to strengthen the churches in Galatia and Phrygia.
B. Let me say a bit about Paul’s choice of words here. - A man named Walter Knight told of an old Scottish woman who went from house to house across the countryside selling thread, buttons, and shoelaces. When she came to an unmarked crossroad, she would toss a stick into the air and go in the direction the stick pointed when it landed. One day, however, she was seen tossing the stick up several times. "Why do you toss the stick more than once?" a passerby asked. "Because," replied the woman, "it keeps pointing to the left, and I want to take the road on the right." She then dutifully kept throwing the stick into the air until it pointed the way she wanted to go!
C. When Paul said to the Ephesians, “If it is God’s will I will return”; he understood exactly who was directing His life. I wonder how often we hear Christians making directions for themselves in life because that is the way they are determined to go. Even Christians may make plans without considering if that is God’s will for them or not.
D. Jesus tells a parable about that attitude in Luke 12:16-21 - where He says, “... The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully: And he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits? And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods. And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry. But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided? So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.
E. Yes, in this parable Jesus is teaching about the importance of being rich towards God. But He is also teaching about the dangers of making plans without God. James tells us basically the same thing over in James 4:13-15 - where he says, “Come now, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit''; whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away. Instead you ought to say, "If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that.''”[NKJV] James reminds us about our life. “You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes”... Then he reminds us how we ought to think.
F. All the future plans we have as a congregation. All the personal future plans we may have for our own life. Every decision, big or small we make, needs to be made with the question, ‘Is this God’s will?’ Like Paul we need to remind ourselves of exactly who it is, that is directing our lives.
G. Are we going to throw sticks in the air until we get the answer we want? Or are we prayerfully going to allow God to guide us and just accept the fact that God may not want us to go in that direction. Everything we do as Christians should be directed by the will of God.

V. Sincerity. Paul is offering encouragement to the churches elsewhere and now Luke introduces us to a man named Apollos. Acts 18:24-28 – “Now a certain Jew named Apollos, born at Alexandria, an eloquent man and mighty in the Scriptures, came to Ephesus. This man had been instructed in the way of the Lord; and being fervent in spirit, he spoke and taught accurately the things of the Lord, though he knew only the baptism of John. So he began to speak boldly in the synagogue. When Aquila and Priscilla heard him, they took him aside and explained to him the way of God more accurately. And when he desired to cross to Achaia, the brethren wrote, exhorting the disciples to receive him; and when he arrived, he greatly helped those who had believed through grace; for he vigorously refuted the Jews publicly, showing from the Scriptures that Jesus is the Christ.” We are told Apollos was a Jew, a native of Alexandria. He was a learned man, with a thorough knowledge of the Scriptures. He had been instructed in the way of the Lord, and he spoke with great fervor and taught about Jesus diligently, though he knew only the baptism of John. He began to speak boldly in the synagogue.

A. Luke tells us, and this is important, that Apollos only knew about John's baptism. Apollos began to boldly preach in the synagogue. Priscilla and Aquila were evidently paying attention. They heard him speak and recognized his inadequate understanding of baptism, so they took him aside privately to more fully instruct him in the ways of the Lord. Later Apollos decided to go into Achaia and the brethren wrote him a letter of recommendation.
B. It was in Achaia, that he was able to give great assistance to the brethren using powerful arguments from God's word to show Jesus is the Christ. Remember Achaia was where Paul all but gave up on convincing the Jews about Christ.
C. Apollos serves as a good example of a preacher and teacher of the Word of God who means well and is very sincere, but he was wrong. In Acts 18: 25 - Luke says that, “He had been instructed in the way of the Lord, and he spoke with great fervor and taught about Jesus accurately (as some translations have it), though he knew only the baptism of John.”
D. But when Apollos travelled to Ephesus, and began speaking “boldly in the synagogue,” Aquila and Priscilla heard him and realized that he still was advocating the baptism of John the Baptist as it looked forward to the coming of Christ.
E. Obviously Aquila and Priscilla knew that John’s baptism was no longer valid because it has been supplanted by the baptism commemorating Christ’s death, burial and resurrection. Yes, Apollos was sincere, but he was sincerely wrong on that one point. That’s why Aquila and Priscilla “took him aside and explained to him the way of God more adequately.”
F. We need to take a moment and think about what this man did. When his error was pointed out, did he go off in a tantrum and resist what he was being told? Did he say “who are you to tell me what to believe?” No he didn’t. He corrected it and subsequently continued with his preaching and teaching about Christ, apparently with much success.
G. Folks. Apollos was a good teacher but nevertheless, for a time he taught error. BUT when he was shown his mistake he possessed an attitude of humility, and a love for the Truth that caused him to make the necessary correction. That’s a wonderful example for all who would be teachers of God’s Word. Because many of us who teach have found ourselves in a similar situation to that of Apollos.
H. In our sincere attempt to spread the Gospel or defend the faith, we may unintentionally make a mistake, and teach error. When our mistake is made known to us, we correct it, we learn from it, and we are determine not to repeat it.

VI. False teaching. Let me ask you this, and we have talked about it before. Does the fact that we taught an error necessarily make us a false teacher? No, I don’t believe it does. As one writer says, “a person receives a label when a certain behavior becomes characteristic of him. A preacher, for example, is one who preaches; a teacher is one who teaches; a criminal is one who commits crime. Not everyone who has ever delivered a sermon deserves to be called a preacher; not everyone who has ever violated a traffic law deserves to be called a criminal. Regardless of its content, a label should be reserved for those distinguished by the corresponding behavior.

A. Apollos wasn’t a false teacher. Why? Because when he learned of his mistake he changed his teaching accordingly. Did Apollos also put what he learned into action? The text doesn’t tell us about his baptism into Christ, however I strongly suspect it must have happened because Luke tells us about another group of people in Ephesus who had only received John’s baptism in the very next chapter.
B. We move on to Acts 19 and Luke tells us in Acts 19:1-5 – “And it happened, while Apollos was at Corinth, that Paul, having passed through the upper regions, came to Ephesus. And finding some disciples he said to them, "Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?'' And they said to him, "We have not so much as heard whether there is a Holy Spirit.'' And he said to them, "Into what then were you baptized?'' So they said, "Into John's baptism.'' Then Paul said, "John indeed baptized with a baptism of repentance, saying to the people that they should believe on Him who would come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus.'' When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.” “Paul went to Ephesus where he found some disciples and asked them, "Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” They said no, they had not heard of the Holy Spirit. Paul asks about their baptism and found they had received John's baptism. Paul then explained to them about baptism and on hearing this, they were baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus.”
C. I’m not going to say too much about this text because we will deal with it another time. But just before we finish I want to ask you, if you came to the realization that you believed the wrong thing for many years, what would you do? What do you think you should do? It takes courage to do what Apollos did, and it could be the most courageous decision you’re ever made in your life.
D. I don’t want to frighten people, but souls are going to be lost forever because they were sincere in their beliefs - but sincerely wrong. When the apostle Paul was still known as Saul he sincerely believed that killing Christians was God’s will, but he was sincerely wrong.
E. Many of the people we know sincerely believe they are right, and doing Gods will, yet they are sincerely wrong.
F. When I was younger I sincerely believed that God would accept everyone into heaven as long as they were good, I was sincerely wrong. There are some who sincerely teach once saved always saved, and they are sincerely wrong. Some teach that just faith in God is all you need to please God - but again, they are sincerely wrong.

CONCLUSION:
Folks, there is no excuse today for not knowing what God’s will is for people. Peter tells us in 2 Peter 3:9, “The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.”

God wants everyone to be saved, that’s His will for all of mankind. But we need to be doubly sure of what we believe about God and His will for our lives by reading His word for ourselves. There are many people that are sincere yet they are not right with God. Don’t let discouragement keep us from encouraging people to check the scriptures, because it’s one thing being sincere but another to be sincerely wrong.
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We learn from the New Testament how to be saved. We need to hear the word; believe in Jesus; repent of our sins; we must confess our belief that Jesus is the Son of God; and be baptized for the remission of our sins... If we follow these steps, the Lord adds us to His church.

Perhaps there is someone in the assembly today with the need to be buried with Christ in baptism. If you have never done these things, we urge you to do so today. If anyone has this need or desires the prayers of faithful Christians on their behalf, we encourage them to come forward while we stand and sing.
# 644—Trust and Obey

Reference Sermon: Mike Glover

Stop Being Afraid

Acts 18:1-11

INTRO: Good morning. Last time our text was in Acts 17 and we left the apostle Paul boldly preaching in Christ’s Name to the so-called wise men of Athens. Today we will look at the first verses of Acts 18.

In chapter 17 as usual, we found there were those who were convinced and believed that God was the creator of all things and we found those who weren’t convinced and didn’t believe. No organized opposition to Paul's preaching developed in Athens, but he did not remain there very long. I suspect it was probably because of the arrogant snobbery of the intellectuals who dominated Athenian society at that time.

Luke tells us in Acts 18:1 that “After these things Paul departed from Athens and went to Corinth.” Luke didn’t explain why Paul left Athens or how he journeyed on to Corinth. The journey of some forty miles could have been made in two days on foot or one day if one sailed, but which ever route he took, the final destination was Corinth.

I heard about a man who hadn't attended church in years, then suddenly began attending faithfully on Sunday mornings instead of going fishing as was his normal habit.
The preacher was highly gratified and at the end of service one morning told him, "How glad I am to see you at service with your good wife!"
"Well, Preacher," said the fisherman, "Quite honestly, it's a matter of choice. I'd much rather hear your sermon than hers."

I. When we think of the city of Corinth, honesty is not the word which most people back then would have used to describe it. Let me share with you some background information about Corinth. Corinth was the capital and chief city of Achaia [uh - K AY – uh] which is in the area we call Greece.

A. Corinth became an important city because of its location just one and a half miles south of the Isthmus of Corinth. It was able to control that four-mile-wide neck of land. The city also commanded the eastern port of that peninsula, Cenchreae, [Sen’KRE-uh] which is mentioned in Acts 18:18.

1. To save time and avoid the one hundred and fifty miles of dangerous waters around the tip of Greece, ships would unload their goods on one side of the peninsula and have them carried to the other side. Some smaller ships were even pulled across and placed in the water on the other side. In that way Corinth was a trading center by land and sea.
2. It was also strategic militarily speaking. Although the Romans were a minority in the population, there was a strong force stationed there as this was one of the colonies established by Julius Caesar. This was a port city with all the positive and negative aspects you would expect to find there. The commercial prospects of the city attracted a lot of people. It was mostly settled by Jews and Greeks, both of which were significant in the city. Many other nationalities mixed with those major groups.

B. If Corinth was well known for anything, it was well known for its corruption. Charles Pfeiffer, in Baker's Bible Atlas, writes, "Greeks, Romans, Jews and adventurers from the entire Mediterranean world came to Corinth for trade and vice in all its forms. ’To live like a Corinthian,' became synonymous with a life of luxury and licentiousness."

1. As could be expected, the city's morals were the scandal of ancient times. The Greek language "made a verb out of the city's name, 'Corinthianize' (kəˈrɪnθɪəˌnaɪz) was an intransitive verb meaning “to live a promiscuous life”. The low point for the reputation of the city was prior to the Roman period, but it was still as bad as most major trade cities of the time when Paul was there.
2. I bring this up because while the reputation of Corinth was much spoken of, in reality many cities of this time were scary and getting more so for Jews and Christians.

II. Next Luke tells us in Acts 18:2-3 that Paul - “... found a certain Jew named Aquila, born in Pontus, who had recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla (because Claudius had commanded all the Jews to depart from Rome); and he came to them. So, because he was of the same trade, he stayed with them and worked; for by occupation they were tentmakers. ”[NKJV]

A. In Corinth, Paul found two Jews, Aquila, who was from Pontus which was a province between Bithynia [bih-THIHN-ih-uh] and Armenia [aar•mee•nee•uh], and his wife Priscilla, who was also known as Prisca according to 2 Timothy 4:19. Luke reports they, and all other Jews, were expelled from Rome by the Emperor Claudius. This may have been sometime between AD 49 to 52 and was likely because of the continuous disturbances within the city which were attributed to the Jews. I can imagine this had to be frightening being placed under edict to leave the city.

1. All Jews, even the wealthy and learned, were taught a trade. Alexander Campbell wrote; "The Jewish law, after their exile, held that a father who taught not his son a trade, taught him to be a thief." Paul arrives in Corinth and like all good Jews, Paul had a trade, that of tent maker. He immediately found two Jews who had the same occupation with whom he could live and work. We might say Paul was a leather worker because tent making included any type of leather work in Paul's day.
2. Paul's later writings do make it clear that these two became special friends and allies of the apostle as he preached the gospel of peace. Romans 16:3 - “Greet Priscilla and Aquila, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus.”

III. Paul had some success in Athens but a lot of rejection too. I certainly would have been discouraged with the reactions of those philosophers in the Areopagus.

A. Now God has set the stage for the next part of Paul’s journey, and the preaching in Corinth. Acts 18:4-8 – “And he reasoned in the synagogue every Sabbath, and persuaded both Jews and Greeks. When Silas and Timothy had come from Macedonia, Paul was constrained by the Spirit, and testified to the Jews that Jesus is the Christ. But when they opposed him and blasphemed, he shook his garments and said to them, "Your blood be upon your own heads; I am clean. From now on I will go to the Gentiles.'' And he departed from there and entered the house of a certain man named Justus, one who worshiped God, whose house was next door to the synagogue. Then Crispus, the ruler of the synagogue, believed on the Lord with all his household. And many of the Corinthians, hearing, believed and were baptized.”[NKJV]

1. As we have seen many times, Paul first preached in the synagogue when he got to a city. It was during this time that Silas and Timothy once again joined his company. It seems possible from 1 Thessalonians 3:1-2 that Silas may have come from Berea, while Timothy more than likely arrived from Thessalonica. Luke tells us that it was around the time of their arrival when “Paul was constrained by the Spirit, and testified to the Jews that Jesus is the Christ. ” meaning that he became fully occupied in telling the Jews about Jesus being the Messiah.
2. When the Jews rejected the truth and spoke against the Lord, Paul shook out his garments and began to preach to the Gentiles. Off he went to the house of Justus, which was next door to the synagogue. Next Luke tells us that Crispus, the ruler of the synagogue, believed and was baptized by the apostle's own hands according to 1 Corinthians 1:14 where he writes – “I thank God that I baptized none of you except Crispus and Gaius,”[NKJV].

B. I note that it wasn’t only Crispus who believed and was baptized. Those in Crispus' family and many other Corinthians also believed and were baptized. You know, I for one can’t figure out how anyone can study the Book of Acts and not understand the importance of baptism. It’s all over the book.

1. I think the only way a person can miss it is that they don’t want to understand the importance of it. I don’t want to go into the importance of baptism again because we have covered it in other chapters.
2. I do want to point out something else we see here and other places when studying the Book of Acts and that is this. Not everyone wanted to know or be convinced that Jesus was the Messiah.
3. The same is true today when you share the good news with people, and find they are just not interested, don’t put yourself down and feel like you’re a failure. You’ve done exactly what God wants you to do.

C. I have heard it put this way; every single human being on this planet deserves the opportunity to reject the gospel at least once.

1. Every time you share the gospel with someone, that’s what we call faith and obedience. It’s faith in God because you trusted Him to help you through that fear of sharing.
2. It’s obedience because He commanded us to share that message in Matthew 28:19-20.

IV. You’re not responsible for people’s responses to the gospel. However, it can be very discouraging and it can bring about a very real fear.

A. Let me ask you; is there a place to which you won’t go because of fear?

1. Maybe it’s your best friend who isn’t a Christian yet, and you’re afraid that if you share the gospel with them, you will lose them as a friend.
2. Maybe it’s your family members and you’re afraid to tell them the good news about the Christ because they might reject you.
3. Maybe you’re afraid to fully commit to God because you believe people will think you take your faith too seriously.
4. Maybe God has blessed you with the gift of teaching or preaching but you’re afraid to step out in faith and trust God to help develop that gift. None of us does an exemplary job the first time we attempt a task. It takes time to develop and just a craftsperson must be an apprentice first, someone who teaches must put in the time to learn themselves and then practice.

B. I do not doubt but many of us have experienced this sort of fear. I suspect that fear even lingers when we are in the process of teaching or preaching. We experience fear not only about failure, and rejection, but we experience fear of saying the wrong thing that might turn someone off and they end up missing the gospel message.

1. Psalm 56:4 says; “In God I will praise His word, in God I have put my trust; I will not fear what flesh can do unto me.”[KJV]
2. Whatever God asks us to do, wherever God asks us to go, we need to have the same mindset as Paul when he looked at Corinth and thought to himself, I am afraid but I will go and trust God. After all what can mortal man do to me?

V. I imagine you are wondering; How do we know that Paul experienced fear in Corinth? Read with me now Acts 18:9-10 – “Now the Lord spoke to Paul in the night by a vision, "Do not be afraid, but speak, and do not keep silent; "for I am with you, and no one will attack you to hurt you; for I have many people in this city.''”

A. Does that surprise you? It did me. The great apostle who suffered so much rejection and bad treatment. Like I said earlier fear is a very real feeling, but God does understand. He understands when we are frightened and He certainly understood when the apostle Paul was afraid in Corinth. In fact God was so aware of Paul’s fear that He spoke to Paul in a vision encouraging him and telling Paul to continue preaching and teaching. This promise of the Lord did not mean that men would not assault Paul, but that they would be unsuccessful in their efforts to thwart his preaching.
B. God tells Paul “I have many people in this city.” There were many people in that city who were not yet saved, and there would be many who would accept the gospel when they heard it. This was a promise from God to Paul. Luke continues in Acts 18:11 – “And he continued there a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them.”
C. Folks, one of the most serious problems with fear is that it paralyses. It paralyses our will and our ability to act. It sucks the determination from our heart, and mocks our every effort to step out in faithful obedience to our Lord.

1. The Bible is filled with the tears of men and women who give in to our enemy named “Fear.” There are people who betrayed both themselves and their God while held prisoner in fear’s grasp.
2. It was fear which cast its shadow over Aaron so that he yielded to the Israelites’ demand for an idol.
3. It was fear that froze the hearts of the ten spies so that they told the people of Israel the giants in the land of promise could not be overcome.
4. It was fear which entered the tents of Saul’s warriors and released its venom into the bloodstream of Israel’s army so that God’s people trembled before an uncircumcised Philistine, named Goliath.
5. It was fear that caused Peter to weep alone in the darkness after his denial of Jesus.
6. It was fear that gripped Elijah when he said in 1 Kings 19:4 – “"It is enough! Now, Lord, take my life, for I am no better than my fathers!''” and then in verse 14 “... I alone am left... ”

D. You and I know that feeling all too well, don’t we? We long to take our God at His word and we long to make His precious promises ours, but so very often fear sows the seeds of doubt in our minds. When fear begins, our best intentions dissolve in a sea of indecision.

1. Paul says, in Philippians 4:19 – “... my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” Fear whispers in our ear, “What if?” and our peace of mind disappears like smoke in the wind.
2. Intellectually we can we grasp the meaning of our Lord’s words in Matthew 11:28 – “"Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” But fear is like a lead weight that threatens to drown us in a bottomless sea of anxiety and worry.
3. The Bible tells us in 2 Timothy 1:7 – “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.” Still fear invades our soul by a dozen different doors. Instead of boldly preaching the word of God to others, we almost whisper the good news, in the hope that someone, anyone will hear our whispers. You see, folks, we’re all suffering from fear. Fear of failure, fear of ridicule, fear of rejection, fear of change, fear of darkness, fear of crowds, fear of financial loss, the list is endless.

E. As that fear squeezes the joy from our lives, it is joined by guilt because we know in our heart of hearts that our lives without joy have no power to attract an unbelieving world.

1. That is bad news because when fear is around, guilt and despair are not far behind.
2. There is good news however, and that is fear can be conquered, and it can be conquered by using our number one weapon. Its name is Faith, and its source is the Word of the Holy Spirit. Its fruit is optimism, hope, and courage.
3. The Bible tells us that faith banishes fear in Psalm 27:1 – “The Lord is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; Of whom shall I be afraid?”

CONCLUSION:
I am convinced the way to conquer fear is by filling our minds with the promises we read about in the word of God. When we fill our minds with God’s promises then and only then, will the ridicule of unbelievers and the rejection by people be powerless to harm us.

Faith is also the answer for despondency. The Bible says in Psalm 33:20-21 – “Our soul waits for the Lord; He is our help and our shield. For our heart shall rejoice in Him, Because we have trusted in His holy name.” When we trust God and His promises, joy will begin to follow, because trust and joy are inseparable.

There are no doubt times when we all worry about the future. In these days concern for what the future will bring, can paralyze people just as certainly as other fears. Are you worried about the future? Listen to what Isaiah says in Isaiah 57:13 – “When you cry out, let your collection of idols deliver you. But the wind will carry them all away, a breath will take them. But he who puts his trust in Me shall possess the land, and shall inherit My holy mountain.” People today look to many things to help them in an uncertain future. Truly those things are as idols and have no real power to save.

Is the prospect of death a shadow upon your happiness? Listen to what Paul said to his young friend Timothy in 2 Timothy 1:12 – “For this reason I also suffer these things; nevertheless I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep what I have committed to Him until that Day.”

You probably have talked to people who believe that the world is getting out of control and is becoming more and more unsafe to live in. Does the world appear to be out of control to you? Listen to what Isaiah says in Isaiah 14:27 – “For the Lord of hosts has purposed, and who will annul it? His hand is stretched out, and who will turn it back?''” The point of all this folks is, faith banishes fear!

It is time for us to stop being afraid. Although God asks us to go to frightful places or asks us to share His word with someone and we’re afraid to, we need to remember the promise of Hebrews 13:5, where God says, “I will never leave you nor forsake you”.

One night the house caught fire and a young boy was forced to flee out his bedroom window to the roof.
The father stood on the ground below with outstretched arms, calling to his son, "Jump! I'll catch you."
He knew the boy had to jump to save his life.
All the boy could see, was flame, smoke, and blackness and he was afraid to leave the roof.
His father kept yelling: "Jump! I will catch you."
But the boy cried, "Daddy, I can't see you."
The father replied, "But I can see you and that's all that matters."

We need to remember that although we can’t see God, if we would just have faith in Him and know that He sees us, then that’s all that really matters. Paul realized that and trusted God to help him overcome his fear in Corinth.

We need to do the same, we need to trust that God will give us the strength and courage to overcome any fear we may have in our lives.

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We learn from the New Testament how to be saved. We need to hear the word; believe in Jesus; repent of our sins; we must confess our belief that Jesus is the Son of God; and be baptized for the remission of our sins... If we follow these steps, the Lord adds us to His church.

Perhaps there is someone in the assembly today with the need to be buried with Christ in baptism. If you have never done these things, we urge you to do so today. If anyone has this need or desires the prayers of faithful Christians on their behalf, we encourage them to come forward while we stand and sing.
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Reference Sermon: Mike Glover