The Evidence Of Being Born Again Series

THE EVIDENCE OF BEING BORN AGAIN

Acts 4:13-22

We are living in a world that is very deceptive. In other words there are people that will want you to believe that they are something that they are not. We live in a world of false pretenses, and in the church false there is false worship and praise. I tell you we are a society of false pretenses. We have false eyelashes, and we can buy contact lenses that will change the color of our eyes, we have dyes to change the natural color of our hair, and extensions to change the length. Some have false finger nails and although these things make us look good, the real intent is to make us look younger. I tell you that we are in a world that is set out to deceive. I’m reminded as a teenager we used to go on excursions with the Recreation Department at the end of the summer work program. And on this trip we went to Coney Island in New York. Many of my friends were there because we worked for the same program just at different locations in the neighborhood. But also on this trip were some girls, and you do know that when you get teenage boys together, and there are teenage girls present, some showing off will occur. And this trip was not any different. Now to those of you that never heard of Coney Island it was an amusement park with plenty rides, and the feature ride in Coney Island was a roller coaster by the name of The Cyclone, then, it was the roller coaster of roller coasters. It was huge, with deep, long dips, it’s curves could send you flying if you were not strapped in, and it was wooden and ran on rails. I tell you the sight and sound of it would frighten you. So a bunch of us were together, both boys and girls and the day was going great until someone suggested to go on The Cyclone. Now I was not afraid of the bumper cars, or the Whip, but the Cyclone called for a different kind of courage. You see I was afraid of roller coasters, and the sound of them would terrify me. But being a teenage boy with a bunch of teenage boys and girl gave me some foolish courage. It was pier pressure at it finest. And before I knew it, I found myself on this thing, strapped in a ready to go. And when I came to myself, said within, What are you doing? Are you crazy? And away that roller coaster went with me and a girl I liked sitting beside me. Now I couldn’t let her know that I was scared. But I was so terrified that I probably left my hand print on the safety bar and I closed my eyes as if it was going to make the ride better, so when we got off, someone suggested to do it again, and I was afraid that someone would second that motion, so I just walked away beckoning them to come with me. That was a classic example of your pastor trying to be someone that he is not.

Last week we learned about The Power in His Name. The priest and scribes had apprehended Peter and John for questioning. They asked them in verse 7 “By what power, or by what name, have ye done this?” And Peter in verse 10 said “Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the Name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth,” and he reminded them that Jesus was the stone in which the builder cast aside, but now He has become the head of the corner. Then he let them know that there is no salvation in any other, because there is no other name under the heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.

This week we will look at The Evidence of Being Born Again. The Sanhedrin after hearing Peter and John speaking with boldness knew that they had been with Jesus. They perceived or felt that they were unschooled men, but they knew that they had been with Jesus. This reminds me of a modern day man of God that many of us like to listen to. Pastor John Jenkins is a noted man of God. God’s Spirit is evident in his life and preaching. Now Pastor Jenkins would also tell you that he did not graduate from any seminary, or college and would not qualify on paper for any church including his own if he had to apply for it under today’s standards. Now although Pastor Jenkins does not have a seminary degree it is evident that he had been with the Lord.