MELVIN M. NEWLAND, MINISTER
RIDGE CHAPEL, KANSAS, OK
(REVISED: 2016)
(Powerpoint slides are available at no charge. Just e-mail me at mnewland@sstelco.com with your request - #221.)
TEXT: Acts 8:34-39; Matthew 10:32
ILL. Last week I began Part 1 of this 3-part sermon series by telling about a young lady I had never met before who asked if she could talk with me about a problem concerning her upcoming wedding.
She & her fiancé had different church backgrounds & they had asked each of their preachers to participate in a joint wedding ceremony. His preacher said “Yes,” but her preacher said “No.” Well, she was hurt by that because she had gone to that church all her life.
But a few days later he told her that he had changed his mind & would take part in the wedding after all because she was not a Christian. And that is when she called me.
Here she was, a young lady in her mid-20’s, who had always attended church regularly, even while away at college, & she isn’t a Christian. Her mother is a very devout member of their church, & all the children attend regularly.
But this young lady had never become a Christian. As we talked, I asked her why she had never become a Christian.
She told me, “Well, nobody ever asked me. I guess I was an unruly girl or something, so maybe they didn’t want me. I attended a church college, too. But nobody ever said a word to me about becoming a Christian & being baptized. So I never did.
"In my whole life, nobody has ever suggested that I become a Christian.”
Folks, if she was correct - & I have no right to doubt what she said – think of it! Surrounded by Christians all her life - & yet no one had ever urged or even suggested that she accept Christ as her Savior & Lord!
A. Last week, after telling you about her, I asked: Is it possible that there are others like her? Is it even possible that there is someone here this morning who feels the same way she did?
Oh, I hope not! But if there is, please let me apologize to you, & then let’s correct it. We don’t want anyone ever to think that we’re not concerned about you & your relationship with God.
The Bible tells us that “The Lord is... not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” (2 Peter 3:9)
And Jesus Himself said, “Go into all the world & preach the good news to all creation. Whoever believes & is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.” (Mark 16:15-16)
Do you believe in Jesus, & do you want to go to heaven? I do, & I'm convinced that heaven will be even more wonderful than we can imagine.
In fact, the apostle Paul quoted the prophet Isaiah in 1 Corinthians 2:9 as saying, “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love Him.”
B. "But how do we get to Heaven?" That is a question we asked last Sunday. And as we considered it, we discovered that believing in Jesus & accepting Him as our Savior is the first step.
We must believe that Jesus is the Son of God, that He died on the cross for our sins, that He arose from the dead & is alive forevermore, & is coming again. He is the Christ, the Son of the Living God.
C. Now faith is such an important part of the way to heaven that some people say, "That's it! Just believe in Jesus." But the Bible doesn't give us that kind of an answer, & we need to realize that.
In James 2:19 are these words, “You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that & shudder." But they're not saved they're lost! The demons won't be in heaven, even though they believe, & even though they tremble before God.
So it is obvious that there is more to getting into heaven than just believing in Jesus. If you went out & started asking people, "Do you believe in God? Do you believe in Jesus?" pollsters say that around 80% would answer, "Yes, I believe."
The problem is, the belief that many people say they have hasn't affected their lives, the way they live & what they do.
ILL. One day little 3-year-old Beverly was playing with her toys. Her mother, who was folding laundry, noticed Beverly’s blouse was dirty & needed to be changed. So she told Beverly to take it off & bring it to her so she could wash it.
After telling her twice with no response, her mother gave her the full 3-name call: “Beverly Elizabeth Provost, did you hear me?” Beverly answered, “Yes, Mama. My ears did, but my legs didn’t.” [Marguerite Provost, GA. Today’s Christian Woman]
You see, If we truly believe in Jesus & desire to make Him our Lord, then God expects to see some changes happening in us, changes in our attitudes & the way we behave. The Bible calls that "repentance."
I. REPENTANCE
The Apostle Paul says in Acts 17:30 that God “...commands all people every-where to repent."
Jesus Himself said in Luke 13:3, “But unless you repent, you too will all perish."
So what is repentance? Basically, it means to turn our lives around, to follow God's direction rather than our own desires, & it consists of at least 3 things.
A. First of all, repentance includes recognizing that we are sinners – that we have sinned against God & each other. The Bible says in Romans 3:23, “All have sinned & fall short of the glory of God."
And John 16:8 tells us that one task of the Holy Spirit is to convict us of our sin. Jesus said, “When He comes (that's the Holy Spirit) He will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin & righteousness & judgment."
But most of us try to avoid a sense of guilt, usually by comparing ourselves to others. "We're not so bad, because after all we're a lot better than they are."
However, the Bible teaches that we’re not to compare ourselves to each other, but rather to compare ourselves to Jesus. And when we do, we realize just how sinful we really are.
B. Now when that happens – when we truly realize that we’re sinners – then we become sorry for our sins. The Bible calls that having "a broken & contrite heart.”
Read the 51st Psalm. King David has committed adultery, & he follows that up with murder. But then he is confronted with his sins, & in despair he cries out, “Have mercy on me, O God,… blot out my transgressions. Wash away all my iniquity & cleanse me from my sin." (Psalm 51:1-2)
We need to come to the point where our heart breaks because of what we have done to our Lord. It was our sins that fashioned the crown of thorns & pressed it on His brow.
It was our sins that laid that cross upon His shoulders - our sins that drove those spikes, & broke His heart. Oh, how we ought to love Him, & to bow down before Him!
But sorrow can be tricky because there are several kinds of sorrow. In fact, the Bible talks about two kinds of sorrow: godly sorrow & worldly sorrow.
Listen to 2 Corinthians 7:10, “Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation & leaves no regret. But worldly sorrow brings death."
Now, what's the difference? The difference is that worldly sorrow is being sorry because you were caught. You have been discovered in your sin, & you're sorry, not because you broke the heart of God, but because people found out.
Paul says that worldly sorrow leads to death. But godly sorrow, sorrow that causes your heart to break because you have broken the heart of God, leads to repentance where there is no regret.
C. But godly sorrow is not all there is to repentance. Remember, repentance means to turn around, to change the direction we’re going & the way we’re living. If so, then what should happen in our life when we repent?
ILL. Chuck Swindoll tells about a couple who went into a fried chicken franchise & ordered a picnic box to go. In the rush of business a clerk accidentally handed them the picnic box in which the manager, fearful of being robbed, had hidden the deposit he was about to take to the bank.
The man paid his bill, took the picnic box, & they drove away. But when they got to the park & opened it, they discovered it was full of money. Now for many people that would be a great temptation. But this couple got back in the car, returned to the restaurant, & gave the money back.
Well, you can imagine how happy the manager was to see them! In fact, he was so grateful that he told the man, “Stick around, I want to call the newspaper & have them take your picture. You’re the most honest couple in town.”
Oh no, don’t do that!” he said. “Why not?” asked the manager. “Well,” he said, “you see, I’m married, & the woman with me right now is not my wife.”
When we repent, everything that is not consistent with our walk with God must change! And it will only happen as we realize the awfulness of our sin, & begin turning our lives over to the leading of God’s Holy Spirit.
II. CONFESSION
A. When we’re ready to turn our life over to God, then the next step comes naturally. Romans 10:9 says, “... if you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,' & believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.”
After faith & repentance comes confession. Now I'm not talking about con-fessing our sins to one another, although the Bible teaches us to do that as we seek to help each other, & to bear one another's burdens.
But that's not what Paul is talking about here. He's talking about confessing our faith in Jesus, of publicly taking our stand, pledging our allegiance to Him.
He is talking about making that Good Confession that Peter first made when Jesus asked His apostles, “Who do you say that I am?" Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." (Matthew 16:16)
Do you remember? The 8th chapter of Acts tells of the conversion of the Ethiopian eunuch. God has sent Philip down to meet the Ethiopian & tell him about Jesus. Listen now to the rest of that story in vs’s 34-39:
“The eunuch asked Philip, ‘Tell me, please, who is the prophet talking about, himself or someone else?’ Then Philip began with that very passage of Scripture & told him the good news about Jesus.
“As they traveled along the road, they came to some water & the eunuch said, ‘Look, here is water. Why shouldn’t I be baptized?’ Philip said, ‘If you believe with all your heart, you may.’
"The eunuch answered, ‘I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.’ And he gave orders to stop the chariot. Then both Philip & the eunuch went down into the water & Philip baptized him.
"When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord suddenly took Philip away, & the eunuch did not see him again, but went on his way rejoicing.”
B. Confession was a part of the Ethiopian eunuch’s conversion, but why is it important? Let me give you a couple of reasons.
1. First of all, I think it is important to strengthen our own personal decision.
ILL. People who struggle with alcohol addiction know they need help in order to overcome their addiction. So they become a part of AA or some other support organization.
And what is the first thing they must do? They stand up before the whole group & say, "My name is so & so & I'm an alcoholic."
What does that do? That immediately creates a bond, a support group of people who have been through the same thing, & they encourage & help each other to gain the victory over that addiction.
It's the same way in church. When I publicly state my faith in Jesus, you witness my confession. So when I begin to drift or waver, you can say, "Look, I was there. I heard what you said." And you can help me & hold me accountable for the confession I made.
2. I think a public confession is important also because Jesus said in Matthew 10:32, “Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father who is in heaven."
That's one of the most wonderful promises in the Bible. Think about it. One day when we're all before the throne of God, your name will be called. One day Jesus will speak your name as He confesses you before the Father in heaven.
ILL. John Todd lived back in the late 1800's. When he was 6 years old, both of his parents died. So a kind hearted aunt raised him until he left home to study for the ministry.
Years later, this aunt became seriously ill, & even though she was a Christian, she wrote him a letter expressing her fear of death. Here, condensed from his autobiography, is the letter he sent her in reply:
"Dear Auntie, it is now 35 years since I, as a boy of 6, was left quite alone in the world. You sent me word you would give me a home & be a kind mother to me. I have never forgotten the day I made the long journey to your house.
"I can still recall my concern when, instead of coming for me yourself, you sent your hired man, Caesar, to fetch me.
"I remember my tears & anxiety as, perched high on the back of the horse & clinging tight to Caesar, I rode off to my new home. Night fell before we finished the journey, & I became lonely & afraid. ‘Do you think she'll go to bed before we get there?' I asked Caesar.
'Oh no!' he said reassuringly, ‘She'll stay up for you. When we get out of these woods, you'll see her light shinin' in the window.'
"Presently we did ride out into the clearing, & there, sure enough, was your light. I remember you were waiting at the door, that you put your arms close about me a tired & bewildered little boy.
"You had a fire burning on the hearth, a hot supper waiting on the stove. And after supper you took me to my new room, heard me say my prayers, & then sat beside me till I fell asleep.
"Auntie, some day soon God will send for you, to take you to a new home. Don't fear the summons, the journey, or the messenger. God can be trusted to do as much for you as you were kind enough to do for me so many years ago.
"At the end of your road you will find love & a welcome awaiting, & you will be safe forever in God's care."
INVITATION: I’m convinced of that, & I’m ready for that. Now, I’m not eager to go right now, but I am ready. How about you? Is Jesus your Savior & your Lord?
If I were to ask you, “If you died today, where would you spend eternity?” How would you answer that question? Jesus Christ holds the answer. He loved us. He gave Himself for us. And He invites us. Do you believe that?
Then have you made up your mind? “God, let me turn to you & go your direction rather than my own; help me turn my life over into your hands, & not just blindly stumble along whatever way I want to go.”
Will you let God have your life? Are you willing publicly to confess your faith, to pledge your allegiance to Him? And as the Ethiopian eunuch asked, “Here’s water. What’s to keep me from being baptized?” Are you willing to obey His example & command? It’s His invitation.
And it is good news – if you’ll accept it. It’s a gift – if you’ll accept it. If Jesus is not yet your Savior – if you have not yet given Him your life, will you answer His invitation? We invite you as we stand & as we sing.
