Follow The Instructions
I remember getting my first model for Christmas when I was 8 or 9 yrs old. On t/outside, top & all 4 sides, picture this beautiful car. Was 1967 Corvette (new at t/time). Inside box, set of instructions. #1, identify all parts - who needs to do that? I’m putting wrong pieces in the wrong places. #2, break off pieces as you use them - why wait, break em all off. Now I’ve lost 3 pieces. #3, put together with a small amount of glue - OOPS - pieces smeared with glue, my fingers are stuck to t/engine, pieces glued to the floor. #4, carefully paint the assembled car - you have seen my writing!
When I finished, my car bore no resemblance at all to t/car on the box.
WHY? Didn’t follow the instructions.
High School - 1968 Chevy Impala - losing pressure in t/cylinders, valves & valve seats needed to be ground so they there would not be a gap. Dad & I tore engine apart, took t/heads to a machine shop, had t/work done, brought home to put back together. Bought a torch wrench, so we could tighten to the specifications. Didn’t read about t/order the bolts should be tightened. Tighten them up left to right, but when started, bluish white smoke pored from the tail pipe. Radiator fluid getting in ylinders, gap between heads & block. We did not tighten bolts properly. Did all over!!!
Again, had problems because we didn’t following the instructions.
I’ve gotten better at putting things together, bikes, toys, even a home made Doll House for Mandy several years ago.
Once in awhile, I find myself trying to do something my way instead of following the instructions & it always turns out wrong.
1.000’s of High School Seniors are currently making plans to attend college. It’s hard to believe but the process probably began 2-3 years before. Which classes to take, SAT or ACT tests, campus visitation, application & enrollment deadlines, processing scholar-ships, etc. etc. ad nausea!
If you forget or do not complete one of the steps, you won’t be accepted.
WHY? Not follow the guidelines for admission.
Let me make a spiritual application:
If you want to follow God and be His disciple then the same principle applies: You must follow His instructions.
You can choose to go about it your own way, but if you do, then the promises stated are not guaranteed.
Let me mention one more thought as a prelude, there are passages in the Bible, our spiritual instruction manual which are like your VCR programming manual, they are difficult to understand.
But the passages that tells us how to become a Christian ARE NOT!
There is no difficulty or ambiguity. It is clear.
1. Hear
I’m curious: by a show of hands, how many of you who are Christians were told or heard from family (grew up)?
Person outside?
Goes without saying, yet the scriptures remind us as Christians that no one will come to know Christ, unless someone tells them.
Romans 10:14, “How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? How can they believe in t/one of whom they have not heard? & how can they hear w/out someone preaching to them?
Paul reminds us that God’s instructions are to given by those who have already read, understood & followed. They pass it on.
If we don’t tell others, no one will.
While we were in Illinois, I took Dad to get a prescription. I drove a road I have driven 100’s of times, yet they put a stop sign where there had not been one. In talking with Dad, I didn’t see it and ran it. Now if a policeman had pulled me over, I could’ve truthfully pleaded ignorance. It might have worked.
But, if I lived in Belleville & knowingly ran the stop sign, I would have receive no grace from t/officer, cause I was knowingly disobedient
Our duty as Christians is to tell others the spiritual stop signs.
That completes of our responsibility.
Now, the ball is in their court.
They must decide if they will respond or continue in disobedience.
I have listed four passages from the book of Acts. These are about individuals & groups of people who were presented with the information about Jesus; They heard the message of Jesus.
These passages also tell us about their reaction; what they did.
1st - Jesus had gone back to heaven, sent the Holy Spirit to empower the Apostles. No longer were they scared & timid. Peter stood before 1000s of Jews & told them about Jesus. He concluded
Acts 2:36-39, “Therefore let all Israel be assured of this God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord & Christ. When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other Apostles, "Brothers, what shall we do?" Peter replied, Repent & be baptized every one of you, in t/name of Jesus Christ for t/forgiveness of your sins. and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off--for all whom the Lord our God will call.”
Philip, one of Jesus’ Apostles was miraculously told of a eunuch, the treasurer of Candace, queen of Ethiopia who was reading t/Bible & needed someone to explain a scripture about Jesus. He went,
Acts 8:30-38, “Then Philip ran up to t/chariot & heard t/man reading Isaiah t/prophet. Do you understand what you are reading? Philip asked. How can I, he said, unless someone explains it to me? So he invited Philip to come up sit with him. T/eunuch was reading this passage of Scripture: He was led like a sheep to the slaughter, & as a lamb before the sheerer is silent so he did not open his mouth. In his humiliation he was deprived of justice. Who can speak of his descendants? For his life was taken from t/earth. T/eunuch asked Philip, Tell me please who is t/prophet talking about, himself or someone else? Then Philip began with that very passage of Scripture & told him t/good news about Jesus. As they traveled along t/road, they came to some water & t/eunuch said, Look, here is water. Why shouldn’t I be baptized? He gave orders to stop t/ chariot. Then both Philip & eunuch went down into water Philip baptized him.”
Paul & Silas healed a demon-possessed slave girl, but t/men who owned her now lost their income, since the demon would tell the future. They were beaten and thrown into prison.
Acts 16:25-33, “About midnight Paul & Silas were praying & singing hymns to God & t/other prisoners were listening to them. Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that t/foundations of t/prison were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open, &everybody’s chains came loose. T/jailer woke up & when he saw the prison doors open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself because he thought t/prisoners had escaped. But Paul shouted, Don’t harm yourself! We are all here! The jailer called for lights, rushed in & fell trembling before Paul and Silas. He then brought them out & asked sirs, what must I do to be saved? They replied, Believe in t/Lord Jesus, & you will be saved, you and your household. Then they spoke t/word of t/Lord to him and to all the others in his house. At that hour of the night the jailer took them and washed their wounds; then immediately he and all his family were baptized.”
Lastly, Paul tells of his own conversion and concludes here;
Acts 22:14-16, “Then he said: `The God of our fathers has chosen you to know his will & to see the righteous one & to hear words from his mouth. You will be his witness to all men of what you have seen & heard. And now what are you waiting for? Get up, be baptized & wash your sins away, calling on His name.”
Looking at these scriptures, we find 3 clear steps toward salvation:
2. Belief - “to be persuaded”, trust / faith are used as synonyms
A 22 yr American man visiting Switzerland died while bungee jumping. He was persuaded that the operators would keep him safe, but they used a cord that was set aside for higher jumps. Without even slowing a bit, he crashed into the ground and died instantly.
Belief in stupidity, is still stupidity. On the other hand; The people in these passages from Acts, were presented with t/gospel facts. Their belief or persuasion was not based upon t/unknown, untrue or unreliable. It was based upon a sure foundation.
In Acts 2:37, the people’s belief is stated, “cut to the heart”.
Like a spear, the message penetrated their hard, callous hearts.
They felt the weight of a deadly blow, they were utterly crushed.
Denial on their part was impossible, when they asked “what shall we do”, it was a full admission of belief mixed with intense guilt.
Peter’s preaching had been effective, not only convincing his hearer’s minds but convicting their consciences. If Jesus was indeed the appointed Messiah, then no guilt could be greater than of treating Him as they had treated Him. Their belief was evident.
Acts 8 doesn’t explicitly state the Eunuch’s belief, yet his questions & desire to know t/truth imply belief. It also seems obvious when after being taught, his reaction is here’s water, let’s get baptized.
Acts 16:31 clearly states belief is necessary “believe in JC, you’ll saved.
Paul & Silas had to begin at ground level with this Roman guard who made have heard things about Jesus, but certainly didn’t know who He was. Vs 27 - jailer woke, didn’t hear Paul & S singing
So what they did next was absolutely necessary, they taught him.
This man really hadn’t even passed the first step, which is to hear.
Again t/man’s belief is seen by his reaction of caring for these prisoners, & not only getting baptized, but ensuring his entire household did.
Acts 22:10 Paul asked Jesus what he should do, Paul did those things, which implies belief. What demonstrates Paul’s belief even more clearly is his life. Suffering in many ways because of his faith.
Hebrews 11:6, “And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him.”
Belief is t/first step. If anyone continues t/process without genuine belief, he or she is merely going through t/motions. Gotta be real.
As I move to t/next point, I want to clearly state that a public confession of belief is not found in any of the conversion accounts in Acts.
Therefore, it is not a part of t/biblical process to become a Christian.
Some later manuscripts of t/book of Acts contain a verse that follows the eunuch’s question, “why shouldn’t I be baptized”.
Acts 8:37, “Philip said, If you believe with all your heart, you may. T/eunuch answered, I believe that Jesus Christ is t/Son of God.”
Scholars believe was added later by a well-intentioned scribe. Why add?
While not part of Bible, seems to be practice of 1st century Christians. So t/scribe added what was common to him & his fellow Christians.
Confession is to openly admit to something; - to declare freely
Even though we don’t find confession of Jesus in t/conversion accounts, we do find it in other scripture references. Jesus asked, who am I?
Matthew 16:15-16, “But what about you? he asked. Who do you say I am? Simon Peter answered, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
Romans 10:9-10, “That if you confess with your mouth Jesus is Lord, & believe in your heart that God raised him from t/dead you will be saved. For it’s with your heart that you believe & are justified and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.”
At Cornerstone Christian Church, when someone decides to accept Jesus, we have them publicly announce that belief.
It is good to verbalize that which you inward believe.
There are 2 benefits that this produces; it encourages other Christians when someone else accepts Christ.
Secondly & more importantly it makes t/new Christian accountable. When you make a public promise, you are more likely to keep it.
When people hear about Jesus, why do some chose NOT to believe:
Intellectual Pride - people who consider themselves smarter than the average bear or person. To accept Jesus on faith, places them on the same level as shallow Christians who’ve accepted Jesus on blind faith, without thinking things through.
Belief doesn’t require intellectual suicide, but it does require the crucifixion of intellectual pride.
That’s difficult for many.
The more likely excuse though is:
Moral Rebellion - to believe in Christ would necessitate repentance and a change in lifestyle. It’s much easier to refuse to belief and repent, than belief and change.
Psalm 10:4, “In his pride the wicked does not seek him; in all his thoughts there is no room for God.”
Men don’t want to believe, because they don’t want to change.
John 3:19, This is t/verdict: light has come into t/world, but men loved darkness instead of light cause their deeds were evil”
The next necessary step is:
3. Repentance change of mind or purpose; regret; to turn from sin.
A genuine change of mind must be followed by a change of action.
Bumper sticker, If UR headed in t/wrong direction, God allows U-turns
U-turn is a good description of repentance. It means that you not only regret your sins, but that from now on, you won’t do those things.
You purpose in your heart & mind to do God’s will instead of your own.
We sang this song earlier:
Acts 3:19, “Repent, then and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from t/Lord.”
Passage in Acts 2, directly states repentance, vs 37 -“repent & be baptized”. The people were ready to repent and they did.
When sharing the gospel with people, I have often said that I believe the crowd was so convicted that when they asked, “what shall we do?” that if Peter said, each of you cut off your ear, that they would’ve done it - so great was their guilt & desire for repentance.
Acts - 8 Account of Philip & t/eunuch doesn’t refer to repentance at all
Acts 16 - implies t/jailers repentance, with trembling he asked what he must do. After sharing Jesus with him, he responds by taking care of Paul & Silas, washing their wounds & was baptized.
Paul was willing to open the door of salvation to t/man who had shut the door of t/prison on him. He preached to t/man who fastened him in stocks. He seized every opportunity to share Jesus with anyone.
Acts 22 - again Paul’s repentance is not stated, but implied. He was obedient to Jesus, he did what He asked him to.
This salvation process is based upon good old common sense.
If someone changes their mind, deciding to belief in Jesus, t/only proper response is also a change of heart & will, where t/actions change.
If you are standing in t/path of a run-away car & I shout to move quickly & while you believe me, you don’t move, your gonna get hurt, because you didn’t do anything with your belief.
4. Baptism immersion, submersion & emergence
(“going into, going under and come up out of”? To dip, plunge.
Romans signifies baptism as death burial & resurrection
Romans 6:4, “We were therefore buried with him thru baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life”
Acts 2 - Peter says we must be baptized in t/name of Jesus (which is another reference to confession.)
He then states 2 fold promise of forgiveness of sins & gift of Holy Spirit.
Again, the process is clear & accurate. Baptism is only genuine when it is accompanied by inner repentance. W/out it, you just got wet.
Acts 8 - says Philip went into t/water with t/eunuch & baptized him.
Acts 16 - after t/jailer heard t/gospel, he & his household were baptized
One commentator said, He washed & was washed. While he washed Paul & Silas’s wounds, he in turn had his sins washed away.
Acts 22 - after Ananias came & healed Paul of blindness, he immediately was baptized.
Belief, repentance & baptism are t/scriptural command to accept Jesus.
T/passages are quite clear. The eunuch didn’t understand what he read, but he was reading only from t/Old Testament, prophecies about the coming Messiah. We have the completed word which is clear.
Now, Of these 3, why is it that baptism is singled out?
You don’t hear people say that belief or repentance aren’t necessary. So why don’t or won’t they realize that baptism is the culmination of every conversion account in Acts.
Belief is implied, not always stated. Repentance is implied, not stated.
Yet baptism is ALWAYS stated. But there is another error:
That’s when we place t/total emphasis on baptism rushing people in to t/baptistery, w/out knowing & seeing t/persons belief & repentance
Either extreme is dangerous & anti-biblical.
If you desire to be a Christian, you must believe that Jesus is God’s Son. Your belief will cause you to look inside, realizing that you have sinned against God. That realization will cause you sorrow, which will lead to a change of behavior. Finally, you complete t/process by receiving forgiveness of sins & God’s Spirit in baptism. As you die to your sins and are raising out of t/waters, pure & holy!
I mentioned college students going thru t/process to gain admission to a college. When they do all this stuff, they have just started college.
They’re now considered a student at FSU or UF or FCC.
Now they begin their college studies.
In the same way, belief, repentance & baptism are t/process to gain admission to God’s family. We are now Christians.
What now?
5. Faithfulness
Paul Harvey has rightly said, “If you don’t live it, you don’t believe it.”
Luke 9:62, “Jesus replied, "No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back, is fit for service in the kingdom of God.”
If a 20 yr old wants to continue to be a student at the college he attends, he must study, get the grades, fulfill what is required of him.
T/same is true of a Christian. If we complete the process, yet fail to live a faithful life, we will receive a rude awakening on judgment day.
My paraphrase of Matthew 7, “Many will say on that day, Lord, don’t you remember when I was 10 & believed in You. Don’t you recall how sorry I was for t/bad things I did. Hey, I even got baptized, doesn’t that count for something?
And He will say, did you continue to do my Father’s will? Were you faithful in keeping His commands? Was your Christian faith evident to others around you? Did you walk the walk?
Yes, at one point you loved me, yet you lost your first love, I’m sorry.
It’s Decision Time:
God’s Word is true and it gives instruction on many things, the most important being how to be saved from God’s judgment.
You may choose to reject aspects or parts of God’s plan, but when you do that, you jeopardize the promises. We as followers must examine the truth and follow it completely.
I will not stand before you & condemn to hell those who don’t follow God’s instruction for salvation, WHY, cause that is not my place.
Do I worry about their salvation, YES - WHY, because they have not followed God’s clearly stated plan.
But, I thank Him that God is the righteous judge & I am not.
I will let God do His job, I will do mine, which is to preach the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth, so help me God.
Instructing people, as I am able, to follow God’s Word - PERIOD.
Do you want to be a friend of God? If so,
John 15:14, “You are my friends if you do what I command.”
The Bible is clear on what you must do to make Jesus your Lord & Savior. If you need to respond to God’s truth this morning.
