Illustration
Have you ever heard the phrase, “Out of the mouth of babes?” Certainly you have. It comes from the simple truth that sometimes it takes a child to reveal lasting wisdom. It seems foolish but it isn’t! For example: • Patrick, age 10, said, “Never trust a dog to watch your food.” • Michael, 14, said, “When your dad is mad and asks you, "Do I look stupid?" don’t answer him.” • Michael, wise man that he was also said, “Never tell your mom her diet’s not working.” • Randy, 9 years of age said, “Stay away from prunes.” One wonders how he discovered that bit of wisdom. • Kyoyo, age 9, said, “Never hold a dust buster and a cat at the same time.” • Naomi, 15 said, “If you want a kitten, start out by asking for a horse.” • Lauren, age 9 said, “Felt tip markers are not good to use as lipstick.” • Joel, 10 years old, said, “Don’t pick on your sister when she’s holding a baseball bat.” and • Eileen, age 8 said, “Never try to baptize a cat.”
Sometimes wisdom seems humorous or foolish. But when we hear the truth we know it and when we receive the truth, accept it and respond to it what a difference it makes in our lives.
In this text there are 13 men who have an encounter and every one of them is different at the end than they were at the beginning. Today we will all encounter Christ at some level. My prayer is that we would all leave this place a little different than when we entered.
CONTEXT
Our text today takes place approximately 20 years after the crucifixion, death, burial and resurrection of Christ. In chapter 18 Paul meets Aquila and Priscilla in Corinth. Later, they follow Paul to Ephesus and establish a church in their home there. Apollos was an educated Jewish man from Alexandria and he came to Ephesus while Paul was on a missionary journey. Chapter 18 says, “being fervent in spirit, he spoke and taught accurately the things concerning Jesus, though he knew only the baptism of John. 26 He began to speak boldly in the synagogue, but when Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him and explained to him the way of God more accurately.”
Apollos then leaves Ephesus and goes to Corinth where he preaches that Jesus is the Christ.
The Apostle Paul travels to Ephesus which was the largest and most populous city in the Roman province of Asia which was the most populated and prosperous province of the Roman empire and is now western Turkey.
Paul meets with "some disciples" whom Paul asked about receiving the Holy Spirit. These men had not even heard of the Holy Spirit. As Paul probed further, he discovered that they knew only of John’s ministry announcing the Messiah was at hand. It was "John’s baptism" (as a sign of repentance) rather than Christian baptism (as a sign of faith in and union with Christ) that they had received. Paul shared the Gospel message, and the men immediately responded. The Holy Spirit "came on them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied."
Share Testimony
I remember as a young child I believed that there was a God. I believed he existed. I didn’t grow up in a Christian home and only went to church a few times as a child. I was always fascinated by the Bible and I remember asking my Dad when I was 6yrs old to bring home a Bible for me. He was a 1SG and I would ask him over and over every day when he came home from work if he remembered the Bible. One day he brought home a Guideon’s New Testament and that Bible was my treasure. I believed that God existed like I believed that George Washington existed but I wasn’t trusting Him to do anything for me. As I grew up I was searching for something that was missing in my life. I didn’t know what it was but I knew I wasn’t happy and so I tried to find whatever it was that was missing. I looked for it in relationships, in alcohol, in careers, in job title, in money in different locations of the world. Every time I achieved that new position or job opportunity that I thought would be it I realized that something was still missing.
One day when I was 34 I decided to get up and go to church. I went to a large church where nobody knew me and I didn’t know them. The worship center seated approximately 1000 people and I sat down in the very last pew on the very edge closest to the door so I could leave quickly at any moment. During that sermon I felt like the preacher was talking directly to me and I knew what I needed that day. But I left the church that day emptier than when I went in because I knew what I needed but I was too afraid of what other people would think. You see, in order to get what I needed I had to walk this long aisle up to the front to the Pastor. I was too proud to let these people that I didn’t know and that didn’t know me see that I needed help and that I could not live my life in peace without help.
Praise God that one day some people from the church visited me in my home and they had a conversation with me similar to the conversation Paul had with those disciples.
Share Gospel
They started off by asking me the two most important questions of my life. As I tell you the questions they asked me I would like for you to answer these questions for yourself.
1. Do you know for certain that if you were to die tonight that you would go to heaven?
2. Let’s assume the worst, let’s assume that you do die tonight and imagine that you are standing in front of Jesus and imagine if He were to ask you, “Why should I let you into my heaven?” what would you say? What do you believe are the entrance requirements to get into heaven.
A. Grace - Heaven is a free gift
Rom 6:23b - The gift of God is eternal life.
It is not earned or deserved
Eph 2:8-9 - For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith; and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God; not by works, so that no one can boast.
Friends gift
Transition: This can be seen more clearly when we understand what the Bible says about man.
B. Man –
Man (part 1)
Man is a sinner
Rom 3:23 - For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
Sin defined – When we think of sin we usually think of the big three; robbery, murder and adultery but the Bible tells us that sin is anything that doesn’t please God or is a transgression of His law. Anything we do that we shouldn’t do, like losing our temper, lying, taking the Lord’s name in vain, etc. are sins of commission. Anything we should do but don’t do such as failing to read the Bible, pray, love our neighbor as ourselves, etc. are sins of omission. These are all sins of action but there are also sins in word and thought such as lying, cursing, lust, pride and hatred. The Bible says that these are all sins.
Three sins a day
Man (part 2)
Cannot save himself
Matt 5:48 - Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
Omelet with bad egg
Do you see why it is impossible for anyone to get into heaven by their good works?
Transition: This comes into sharper focus when we look at what the Bible says about God.
C. God - God is merciful
therefore does not want to punish us.
1 John 4:8b - God is love.
God is just
therefore must punish sin.
Ex 34:7b - The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, [and] abounding in love and faithfulness ... Yet He does not leave the guilty unpunished.
Transition: God solved this problem in the Person of Jesus Christ.
D. Christ - Who He is - The infinite God-Man
John 1:1,14 - In the beginning was the Word (Jesus), and the Word (Jesus) was with God, and the Word (Jesus) was God. The Word (Jesus) became flesh and made his dwelling among us.
What He did: He died on the cross and rose from the dead to pay the penalty for our sins and to purchase a place in heaven for us.
Record book of Sin
To solve this problem, He sent His beloved Son into the world. The Bible says:
Isaiah 53:6 - We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.
All of my sin which God hates has been placed on His beloved Son.
Jesus Christ bore our sin in His body on the cross. Finally, when the last sin had been paid for, Jesus said, “It is finished!” The Aramaic word is “Tetelestai” and is an accounting term that means “the debt is paid in full”.
When Jesus died He was buried 3 days, but He rose from the dead and ascended into heaven where he purchased a place for us and now He offers that place in heaven to us as a free gift.
Transition: This gift is received by faith.
E. Faith - Key to Heaven
What it is not:
Mere head knowledge
James 2:19 - You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that--and shudder.
Mere Temporal faith
What it is:
Trusting in Jesus alone for eternal life
Acts 16:31 - Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved.
The text says the disciples immediately believed in Jesus and were baptized. I did not receive Christ immediately that day. The following Sunday evening was a special worship service for singles who were going on a singles retreat with the church. I decided to go which was out of character for me. Then I found out that anyone going had to be in the choir that night which is again very out of character. I sit in the “joyful noise” section for a reason. So here I am in the front of the church now instead of being in the very back. The guy sitting next to me who is going to be my roommate on the retreat gets up and gives his testimony. He was telling his story but it could have been mine. I was starting to crumble at that time. Then finally that was done and I made it through. Then we were all moved from the choir loft to the front the pews of the church. I was stuck sitting in the second row in the middle of the pew. I felt trapped and couldn’t get out. The gospel was shared and this time I knew what I needed and I didn’t care who saw me. I pushed 4 people out of my way in order to get to the pastor and tell him I wanted to receive Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior. I was baptized the following week.
After receiving Christ there was an immediate difference in the behavior of the disciples. The Holy Spirit blessed them by giving them the spiritual gift of speaking in tongues. They used their gifts and the prompting of the Holy Spirit to glorify God. It wasn’t quite as dramatic for me. The Lord prompted me to quit drinking and to tithe. I went on the Singles Retreat in Clear Lake Texas and met Margaret. She stalked until I finally gave in and married her. He has blessed us with two incredible children and a ministry that never has a dull moment.
CONCLUSION
It is important to note that God’s pattern for today is given in Acts 10:43-48: sinners hear the Word, they believe on Jesus Christ, they immediately receive the Spirit, and then they are baptized. The Gentiles in Acts 10 did not receive the Spirit by means of water baptism or by the laying on of the Apostles’ hands (Acts 8:14-17).
Baptism in its simplest form is a step of obedience where we give testimony that we are associated with Christ in his death, burial and resurrection because we have received Jesus Christ as our personal Lord and Savior and have received by faith forgiveness of sin which Jesus Christ paid for and offered to us as a free gift. What God chooses to do with baptism is up to God. He may give you the gift of speaking in tongues or not. He may call you to vocational ministry, to be a missionary or to minister right where you are. But one thing is for sure, whatever he does is for his glory not ours. It is to draw people to him not us. Our responsibility is to make ourselves available to him by being obedient and leave the rest up to him.
If God has spoken to your heart today you need to respond to Him.
The Bible tells us that “one day every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.” That means that everyone upon their death will stand before Jesus Christ and give an account. Christian, Jew, Muslim, Budhist, Atheist, everyone will stand before Jesus and Scripture says that at that point all will realize that Jesus Christ is Lord and proclaim it. Jesus says that not everyone who cries out “Lord, Lord” will enter the kingdom of heaven. He says he will respond, “I never knew you.” You see at that point it is not what we know that matters but who we knew and who we are known by.
I would like for everyone to bow your head and close you eyes…
Ask about receiving Christ…
Ask about responding to baptism…
Ask about those who need prayer….
After the Benediction will be your time to come forward and speak with myself or another chaplain and we will help you with your need.
