We would like to start this fifth chapter with asking you to turn to Acts chapter 3 and verse 19.
This is a verse that – because it’s so early in the Book of Acts – many people have heard of it, but we don’t know if people have truly understood it. Or have been impressed with it.
It says, reading the first part – “Repent therefore and be converted, …”
This sounds kind of church-like doesn’t it? You know, “religious stuff.” But, when you stop to understand – repentance means you come to a point in your mind where you’re wanting to change. That is what the word conversion means. You’re wanting to change.
And we’re just asking all of you to please consider some of the concepts that we are wanting to talk to you about. So that your mind begins to change – the way you think begins to change.
Now a little earlier in the Book of Acts – Acts 2 and verse 38, this powerful piece of the sermon the Apostle Peter was giving on that day –
“ … ‘Repent, and let every one of you be baptized …’”
Repent – be ready to change, be willing to change, and be wanting to change.
You know the Apostle Paul said, “When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things.” So, there is in any life – you begin life as a baby, and you know nothing but wanting food and your diaper changed. But as you go through your childhood, you learn more, and you ought to be able to do more. Do you remember when you were fifteen years old and you wished that you could drive a car!? Or, all the different things we looked forward to. Do you remember being a student in your school, and you looked forward to going to your senior prom!? Or, whatever it was. For young girls at school to become cheerleaders. For young boys to grow up and become football stars. We always had that dream of doing something greater. There was a time when you thought – well what would I do for my career!? How will I occupy my time, and how will I provide for myself financially? Some of you thought – I would like to have a family someday. And you dreamed about that day. And many of you – there was a day when you did hold that precious newborn gift of life in your arms. And you realized – Oh no, I’m not a child anymore! I’m responsible for this child. So, as you go through life you change in the way you think. Now, there comes a point when you realize – and this is a shocking point – that there are fewer days in front of you than days in which you’ve already lived. And you start to see a life-long hourglass where the grains of sand drop one by one – and you notice that there is more sand at the bottom than the top. As the daytime drama Days of Our Lives opening sequence states – “like sands through the hourglass, so are the days of our lives.” It was kind of corny and overly dramatic – but dead on. So, as you go through this life process, there comes a time when you realize you’re probably not going to live to be two-hundred years old. Now, you talk to a 10-year-old – they’re never gonna grow old! But, those grains of sand in the hourglass are dropping day by day. And our life changes.
But, we’re not wanting to speak about the physical at this moment, we’re wanting to speak about the spiritual.
TO JESUS BE THE GLORY.
Have you changed spiritually?
Did you think – for those of you who have gone through an initial process of conversion – that when you got baptized and came out of the water, and the minister laid his hands on you and said a prayer and asked the LORD God to grant you the glorious Spirit. Did you think that was the end of it!? Saying to yourself – “I’ve done it all! I’ve been baptized, my name is in the Book of Life – I’ve solved everything! I’ve made it!” No. You are but a small spiritual baby – like a small spiritual embryo. There is all of this growth that you must go through. Certainly, you have heard it said before – when you stop growing, you die. Mentally, physically, and spiritually. We must always keep pursuing a higher level of existence.
Now, eventually, shall we say, the physical body gets difficult – moments of difficulty. But in your mind and in your spirit you never stop growing. And, what is your goal!? Our Lord Jesus Christ said it – “’ But seek FIRST the kingdom of God and His righteousness, …’” Now, you talk about a goal! To change some organism that at one time didn’t even exist – that only exists because it has consumed potatoes and carrots, roast beef, hot dogs, or anything else you can think of. I guess for some people it’s potato chips, ice cream, and beer! But, the only reason your heart is beating is because you have eaten these things that have literally come from the earth. DIRT. We have often said – we are living dirt. And yet, these things of which we are, someday ─ and this is so difficult for many of us to comprehend; and I don’t know if we think about it enough. It ought to be what we think about every morning when we wake up, throughout the day, and the last thing we think about before we go to sleep ─ there is a plan in God’s living word devised by these two great beings where They want to expand Their family. They want future eternal sons and daughters – members of the family of God. We – you and I – were once just a dividing mass of cells called a blastocyst, the size of a poppy seed. Then after about five weeks, we’re the size of a sesame seed. But, we are destined to become eternal spirit beings – living on the same plane as God the Father and Jesus Christ! Talk about change! Change is everything. Without change you’re stagnant. Without change, you die.
Religious Racism
Many people will say, “I don’t want to know anything more than I knew in 1972!” Decades before! But, for us, we want to learn more every day, every year. We want to do what the Apostle Peter says, “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.”
Now here’s a thought – we hear in the news all the time, systemic racism. But, there is such a thing as religious racism. And, religious racism carries with it even more hatred, distrust, and antipathy than even “DNA racism.” What a shame! Now, we don’t care what faith you are – Catholic, Protestant, or some of the church groups we know – the end result within every group has as its desire to someday be with God for all eternity. How they get there, and what it’s going to be like, and where they will be, that changes from group to group. But the goal is basically the same. Isn’t it!? Eternal life with God Almighty and Jesus Christ – somewhere. This means – every person you meet when you go out into this world; and actively think about this – is destined, sooner or later, to be given from God Almighty an invitation to become a member of the family of God. Which means we are all destined to be eternal brothers and sisters in Christ. Eternally forever.
Question – if you cannot look at fellow human beings with that degree of optimism and hope and truly good tidings. Do you even deserve to be in that group!? We dare say – if you do not hold these feelings, there’s a good chance you might be disqualified from being a part of this eternal family. You certainly need to think about this. But, for a church group to think – we can’t stop and talk to them there a this! And we’re not a this, we’re a that! We see it all the time, we hear about it all the time. And it is WRONG! It is EVIL!
But, this desire to change. And, for us, a fire hydrant of biblical knowledge has opened up! We’re like Ethel Merman – the famous actress and singer – who had a distinctive and powerful voice – we just have to sing, “You'll be swell, you'll be great. Gonna have the whole world on a plate! Starting here, starting now. Honey, everything's coming up roses!”
Turning to the Book of Luke chapter 13 –
There’s this event that our Lord Jesus was talking about – verse 1 – “There were present at that season some who told Him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices.”
So, some religious people got on the nerves of the Roman authorities, and they were massacred. And our Lord Jesus hearing this story thought – Alright, I’ve got a chance to make a point here.
Verse 2 – “And Jesus answered and said to them, ‘Do you suppose [do you believe] that these Galileans were worse sinners than all other Galileans, because they suffered such things?’”
And there were people – talking about this religious racism. There are people who if they hear something bad happen about another person they take glee in it. They’re happy about it! And, just a few moments ago we heard that a couple that we know have come down with COVID. And, COVID is not anything to mess around with, is it, friends. It can kill you. And, according to the Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins University as of August 7th, 2021, the total number of COVID-19 cases in the US, allegedly, crossed the 35.73 million mark, with the death toll reaching 616,712. 1 Now, again, have they played with the numbers!? Probably. But, I know people who have died because of COVID. It’s real. Some people don’t even know they have it, it’s so light. Some people end up in the hospital with a breathing tube down their throat, and finally, they just lose the ability to breathe, and they die. Horrible. Horrible death. In which you literally can’t breathe. Certainly, all of us fear not being able to get our next breath. All of us fear drowning, don’t we!? We fear drowning – Oh if I have to go, I don’t want to go that way! Well, that’s in effect, what those COVID patients are going through. They just can’t get any oxygen in them anymore because their lungs are shot. Filled with fluid, not functioning. Well, there are people who take glee in the demise of others. We would strongly suggest that you do not do that! Because we have a feeling sooner or later you might be in the same situation.
Remember, we’re all supposed to be, and we’re all destined – except for a very small percentage; yes, there are a few people who will NEVER EVER understand the living Word of God, the Truth of God, and the Plan of God. Even when they are brought back to life and taught by the members of the family of God, they will still rebel against the LORD God! And, those people will finally be disposed of and turned into dust and ashes. But, for the majority of all humanity – everyone you know is destined to be your eternal brother or sister. So, why would you wish anything bad on your brother or your sister!?
Well, the family might not be very close now, but someday it will be together.
It’s just, will you be there, or will you have eliminated yourself from the possibility!?
But, our Lord Jesus Christ says in verse 3 – “’ I tell you, no; …’”
No, they weren’t worse than anybody else. They were just at the wrong place at the wrong time. That’s what happened to them. It’s just like a family traveling down the road in their automobile, and a semi-truck crosses the yellow line, and the entire family dies. Were they more evil than the other people traveling down the highway!? No. They were just at the wrong place at the wrong time – and this horrible tragedy occurred.
And then He says, “ … ‘but unless you repent you will all likewise perish.’”
Unless you change, you’re going to end up dead too. These are the words spoken by Jesus.
Verse 4 – “’ Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them, …’”
It was some kind of tragic construction accident. The ruins which have been excavated, are likely the ruins belonging to a second tower that was rebuilt after the first tower collapsed. The ruins are a circular foundation nearly 20 feet across. 2 But, the construction workers didn’t design it well, or they used shoddy material, or whatever. This massive tower came crashing down killing eighteen people “’ do you think they were worse sinners than all other men who dwelt in Jerusalem?’”
No. Do you think the people who died on September 11th, 2001, were worse sinners than all the other people in New York City, New York? Do you think the people – somewhere in the region of 599 to 690 people who were trapped on floors 77 to 110 of the South Tower – who in order to free themselves from intense pain, and inevitable death, they jump out a window to their death! The South Tower stood over a quarter-mile tall at 1,362 feet. Were they the most rotten sinners to walk the earth!? No. They literally were in the wrong place at the wrong time. And something horrible happened.
You know, you hear stories – we just had the 20th anniversary – that there were people who didn’t make it to work that day because they were a little late getting to the subway, or their automobile wouldn’t start – and they never got to work that day. And, they would have been among those people. Can you imagine how odd those people must think? And, you hear that some people have what is called survivor’s guilt. They think – Well, that should’ve been me, why was I spared and they perished? They were in the wrong place at the wrong time. And you weren’t. That’s the only way you can explain it.
Verse 5 – “’ I tell you, no; but unless you repent …’”
Again, that sounds religious, doesn’t it!? Repent, repentance, conversion. All it means is a willingness, and an aptitude, and a desire, to change. To change the way you think, and to change the person you are.
Let Us Grow In Grace
So, if you would – I made an allusion to this – go back to 2 Peter chapter 3 –
Verse 18 – one of the more profound verses in God’s living word. And it’s a verse that most people we don’t think consider too often. One of the last things the Apostle Peter wrote. And, you talk about New Testament heavyweights. You obviously have to talk about our Lord Jesus Christ, and you obviously have to talk about the Apostle Paul. But, you also have to include the apostles Peter and John. They were absolute giants in their field. Their field of being disciples of Jesus Christ. And, one of the last things he ever wrote – “but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and forever. Amen.”
TO JESUS BE THE GLORY.
And with that concept – we know of people who are ashamed of the name Jesus Christ and they’re embarrassed to talk about the concept of grace.
Yesterday, Guy was telling me a story – that he was giving a sermon one time down in Alabama, and a particular hard head was in the room. And Guy had mentioned the concept of grace. And this man had looked up rather confused and said, “We don’t talk about grace!” Well, friend, the only thing that is going to save you from eternal death is grace. It’s true – the only thing we have is grace! The only commodity we have is the LORD God’s love and grace. And, the sacrifice that Jesus Christ went through just for you! “grow in grace.” And, a part of growing in grace is a sense of thanksgiving. Colossians 3:15 – “and be thankful.” And that is what has come across to us. How thankful we are that we have a great High Priest and a loving Elder Brother who cares enough about us that He will heal us of our physical trials.
I know that I’ll never stop saying THANK YOU to our LORD God because of Their healing hands. In
chapter two of this series, I covered with you the tragic situation at my home, where my right big toe got into an argument with a concrete block. Well, my toe lost the argument! But our great High Priest cared enough about me, that He saved my toe. He healed it. Several doctors announced to me that it must’ve been a miracle! Human beings didn’t do a thing! All they were saying was – ‘Well, looks pretty bad! Better chop it off!’ The first specialist I saw, I think he carries a scalpel in his pocket! Like the old American Western series ─ Have Scalpel – Will Amputate! And when I went, “Whoa, settle down!” He became indignant as if I was questioning his professional judgment. He goes, “Well, it’s only a toe!” “Yes,” I said, “but it’s
mine!” I came into this world with that toe, and I plan on leaving this world with that toe still attached to me. But, as we’ve said, our Lord Jesus Christ who is in charge of the universe. Every distant tiny blip of light that is itself a massive galaxy of possibly hundreds of thousands of suns and planets. And, of all the things He has on His table – His managerial schedule – He took time out to save my toe! But, in doing that, He gave me so much more to think about! And as I’ve said in previous sermons and articles, it has changed me. My spiritual DNA has been changed. It’s been greatly improved. And, I will never be the same. On a regular basis, I ask Jesus in prayer – don’t ever let me forget. Don’t ever let me fail to remember. And, I now, when I wake up in the morning, I look down at my right big toe, just to remind myself – and I say once again, “Thank You, Thank You, Thank You, Thank You, Thank You!” And, one of the last things I do at night, is I look at my right big toe. It’s still there! Perfectly healthy! “Thank You, Thank You!” I’ll never stop thanking our LORD God! Like Ethel Merman had to sing – I’ve got to tell this story. I’ve got to tell this story so that you might have a larger view. Cameras have an aperture in the lens that controls how much light passes through to the camera sensor – so what I am trying to do is get the spiritual lens of your spiritual eye to take in more Light. To have a larger picture. Don’t live with a tiny f-stop. Don’t be like those who say, “I don’t want to know anything more than I knew in 1972!” Because if you are, then excuse me, you are spiritually dead.
Our Lord Jesus Christ talks about church groups back in the Book of Revelation. He says, “’ I know your works, that you have a name that you are alive, but you are dead.’” They’ve stopped growing! They’ve stopped believing. They’ve stopped acknowledging the greatness of Jesus.
At the end of chapter four, we were in the Book of Hebrews. And, we made it to verse 7. Now, there are some people who say that I’m long-winded. Shrug. This story won’t be complete today. Because
we have a lot to say. I hope that we can in some manner relay all this to you. And it won’t be in one hour or two hours. And it won’t be in thirty minutes. There are some pastors who insist on having their sermons at a maximum of thirty minutes. Then, they don’t have much to say, do they!? They must not know much – I mean if what you have to say is only thirty minutes long, you don’t really have a whole lot to say! What you have to say, if it’s based upon the
living word of God, should be forever. There’s an old song that the Protestants love to sing – and we love to sing it too –
I Love To Tell The Story. Yes, we do! We love to tell the story of Jesus and His love! It’s the only story we really want to tell anymore.
Hebrews chapter two – the Apostle Paul. And let us remember the first three words before verse 1. Now, the Apostle Paul did not write chapter and verse. He wrote one complete scroll. He had just said, “will inherit salvation.” Speaking of people like you and me. Heirs of salvation. Heirs of eternal life. Then the next thought out of his mind, “Therefore we must give the more earnest heed to the things we have heard, lest we drift away.”
Before we began today, a group of people was being discussed – and it was brought up that all this group is, is a social get-together. Our Lord Jesus says multiple times, and let’s go there quickly. The Book of Revelation chapter 2. The revealing, the apocalypse. The word apocalypse is derived from the Greek word apokálypsis, which translates most literally to “an uncovering.” Where our Lord Jesus inspired the Apostle John to have a much better understanding of what was going to happen throughout history, and in particular, near the end time. But, here this famous statement said by our Lord Jesus – Verse 29 – “’ He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit [the mind of the LORD God] says to the churches.’” There are church groups in the world that have turned off their spiritual hearing aid. They have taken wax and stuck it inside their ears. They can’t hear a thing. They aren’t willing to change. They aren’t even wanting to change. And they are maybe, possibly, spiritually dead. You either grow, or you die. Notice chapter 3 –
Verse 21 – it is so beautiful – “’ To him who overcomes …’”
Overcomes. Overcomes what!? Lack of knowledge. To him who overcomes the ways of Satan the devil. The ways of this world. “’ To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me …” – this is Jesus Christ talking! “’ … to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.’”
Friends, as I’ve mentioned in the previous chapters, something that happened to me, with my right big toe. On the day – again, all these specialists lining up wanting to amputate my toe – with some powerful prayers. Some of them were mine, and some of them came from our brethren around the world. And again, thank you! When I showed up at the fourth specialist, a nurse took off my shoe and my sock, along with the little blue “turban” bandage covering my right big toe, and I looked down at my toe – now the day before the ankle was twice as large; like a giant sausage with little toes sticking out. And my right big toe was swollen and red. Then twenty-four hours later – and as I said, “Dear Brother, dear Jesus, I need you like John Wayne! You’ve got to show up; You’ve got to ride in here and save me! Or, my toe is going to be gone!” And He did! He saved my toe – I’ll never forget it! So, one day later, I’m looking down at my right foot – it looked perfectly normal. The specialist comes into the room, looks at it, and goes, “Mike, I gotta tell ya, as I look down upon your foot, I see no evidence that anything is wrong with your foot or your toe.” At that point, I knew that the prayers which had been offered up to God Almighty and Jesus Christ had indeed been heard!
Remember one time our Lord Jesus, a certain commander of a century in the Roman army came to Him, pleading with Him to come to his servant who was lying at home paralyzed. And Jesus told him, “’ Go your way; and as you have believed, so let it be done for you.’” And, that very hour his servant was healed! Jesus had already said, ‘It’s fine! Your toe is gonna be fine!’
Well, these people that ever-so-often we run into they don’t have ears to hear, they don’t have eyes to see.
Now, I’ve told this story several years ago – my right middle finger was in a state similar to my right big toe. The specialists were threatening to cut it off! And, at the very last moment, before I went to see the last specialist, I had gone to bed, went to sleep, and upon waking – it was healed! Now, I had decided that I wasn’t going to tell that story. But, when I did one Sabbath, I had heard later that there were some people in the congregation saying, “I don’t believe him! He’s lying.” Friends, I have to say, I might make some mistakes because I am human. But one thing I will never do is knowingly lie about the living word of God, or lie about something concerning Almighty God and Jesus Christ. To me, it would be the worst thing one could do!
Verse 22 – “’ He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit [the mind of the LORD God] says to the churches.’”
And we hope that your minds are hearing us right now! We hope that this vital information is seeping into your minds! And, we hope that it’s beginning to change you. We wish that we could dispense some spiritual drain cleaner – to remove the wax, to remove the callousness – God’s living word often talks about the callousness of the human heart. Some of the prophets refer to the human heart as the hardest stone ever created – harder than diamonds. And for some people it is.
Now, chapter 2 of the Book of Revelation – the first part – is talking about a church that was in Ephesus, which we would call Turkey. At that time it was called Asia Minor. And, our Lord Jesus complimented the church on a few things early on, but then He says in verse 4 – “’ Nevertheless I have this against you, …’” Something they are doing troubles Him! “ … ‘that you have left your first love.’” That word love here in Greek is agape. Which means godly love. A lot of so-called Christians have lost their first love. They developed wax in their ears, and callouses on their heart, cataracts on their eyes. They don’t hear or see a whole lot, and their heart – symbolic of their emotions and intensity – is calloused over. Their spiritual drainpipes are all clogged up. Like a toilet that gets stopped up – it becomes a real mess.
Well, the Apostle Paul says in the Book of Hebrews chapter 2 –
Verse 1 – “Therefore we must give the more earnest heed to the things we have heard [and the things we are hearing], lest we drift away.”
WHERE DID THE LOVE GO, Mr. and Mrs. Jones, as you sit there reading!?
Verse 2 – “For if the word spoken through angels proved steadfast, …” meaning, you can absolutely depend upon it. “ … and every transgression and disobedience received a [proper] reward.” – which, for most of us we don’t really want that to happen, to really want to be rewarded in a negative way for everything we have thought, said or done. Which we actually deserve. And, that’s where grace comes in.
Verse 3 – “how shall we escape …” How shall we go on “ … if we neglect so great a [Plan of] salvation, …”
We’re going to put it a different way – how ignorant can a person be to let eternal life slip through their fingers because they're bored!? Because the Bible doesn’t mean anything to them. Because the promise of eternal life doesn’t mean anything to them. Because of the future of someday sitting on a throne with Jesus! That’s what we just read back in the Book of Revelation.
Recall the great image I spoke of in chapter two!? In this image in my mind's eye, I received this beautiful hug from our Lord Jesus Christ. And as my head was on His left shoulder near His ear, I kept saying, “Thank You, thank You, thank You, thank You!” I began naming all of the things I could think of to give Him thanks, honor, and glory. It was a wonderful moment that happened in my mind's eye.
A Key To Eternal Life
What is one of the keys to eternal life? And, let us also ask, what is one of the worst things you can get yourself into? – in a mindset. The Book of Hebrews talks about it. And, this is one thing you NEVER want to happen to you. It’s in chapter 12. Beginning in verse 14 – “Pursue peace with ALL people, …”
Remember we spoke earlier about those church groups!? They are sort of like incestuous. They’ll talk to one another, but everybody else they are religiously racist. They are prejudiced against. The LORD God says, “Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord.”
And then verse 15, the Apostle Paul wrote, “looking carefully. …” In other words, examine yourself. Paul says in another place, “Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith.” Look into a spiritual mirror. We’ve often referred to that great man of philosophy, that great man of education and wisdom – Michael Jackson. He sang a song entitled “Man in the Mirror” with the lyrics, “I'm gonna make a change For once in my life. It's gonna feel real good, Gonna make a difference, Gonna make it right.”
Well friends, every one of us – stop worrying about the person across the room, LOOK IN THE MIRROR! Look into your spiritual mirror. And try to ask the question, if you can – When God the Father and Jesus look upon me, what do They see!? Are They pleased? Are They thinking, Well done My faithful son, daughter, brother, sister!?
Notice what he says, “looking carefully lest anyone fall short [fail, faulter] of the GRACE OF GOD; …”
Here’s that word again – grace. There are people who hate that word! I one time led a song – and I think it’s one of the most beautiful songs ever written. And when you understand the background of the song, it becomes even more powerful. “Amazing Grace”. Now, the congregation loved it, because they hadn’t been allowed to hear or sing that song. Because the leaders of that group didn’t like the word grace. And, at the end of services, I was going to sing it again, but the main speaker got up behind the lectern and began mocking the words of the song. “Amazing grace, how sweet the sound. That saved a wretch like me.” So, Mr. James Lamb was sitting to my left, and I whispered to him – I was going to sing that song again. And he whispered back – I don’t think you should. And I was truly disappointed in that main speaker, because in all honesty – I had admired and respected him. But on this issue, he was dead wrong!
Continuing here in verse 15 – “ … lest anyone fall short of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble, …” And, even infect you. “ … and by this many become defiled.”
Bitterness. One of the worst spiritual diseases you could ever get. And, if bitterness is bad, what is the antidote? Well, we referred to it a few moments ago, it’s in Colossians chapter 3.
Verse 14 – “But above all these things put on love, …” Godly love which is the bond that keeps everything together. Of perfection, righteousness, and hope.
Verse 15 – “And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, …”
Peacefulness is sort of like the opposite of bitterness. And, anger and resentment.
“ … to which also you were called in one body; …” the Body of Christ.
“ … and be thankful.”
There’s a lot of discussion concerning COVID vaccines. Some people get the vaccine, some people don’t. It’s all the news appears to talk about anymore!
But, one vaccination you want to prevent you from becoming bitter, stale, hard of hearing, and dull of eyes, is THANKFULNESS.
“and be thankful.” Every day, every moment. □
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