The 1st Day of the Rest of your life

Intro

Question: Do you remember your conversion? Do you remember the time when you became a Christian. Some, remember a moment? Some do not but proclaim Jesus as Lord? Which is it?

Illus:

Lord Kenneth Clark, internationally know for his television series Civilization, lived and died without faith in Jesus Christ. He admitted in his autobiography that while visiting a beautiful church he had what he believed to be an overwhelming religious experience. "My whole being," Clark wrote, "was irradiated by a kind of heavenly joy far more intense than anything I had known before." But the "gloom of grace," as he described it, created a problem. If he allowed himself to be influenced by it, he knew he would have to change, his family might think he had lost his mind, and maybe that intense joy would prove to be an illusion. So he concluded, "I was too deeply embedded in the world to change course."

Our Daily Bread, February 15, 1994.

People have religious experiences all of the time without truly experiencing salvation. To have salvation you must experience conversion. Something must change within. You can only be a Christian if God has “opened your heart” and you have received Christ through faith. Then and only then will you change from what you dead to alive.

Drama

Verses (11-12)

Location - Paul, Silas, Timothy and Luke have left the mainland and set sail for Macedonia. Northern part of Aegean Sea. Neapolis over to Philipi and down toward Thessalonica and on to Athens.

“us” - Luke is with them. This is important for biblical witness and for Apostolic witness.

Sabbath comes and they seek to find worshippers. Because Christianity was seen as contrary to the Roman and Greek agenda it had to meet in some secrecy. No Jewish religious presence. No Synagogue to enter.

Lydia was with a group of women praying at the riverside. A seller of purple goods at a sea port shows she was on a visit. She was faithfully seeking to worship.

Doctrine

Conversion: the work of God in the life of man through the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Preparation for the gospel: God sets the stage for conversion (11-13)

He uses secondary causes of men

Praying people

Conversation

Placement of the gospel: God is the author of conversion (14)

God opened her heart

διανοίγω - dienoigow - open, explain, interpret

Could be a given understanding to a different language

But, context shows us that the result was more than an assent, but a true conversion of the heart

God used the gospel spoken by Paul to convert

Purpose of the gospel: God reconciles us through conversion (15)

God produces faith and repentance

Ordo Salutis - Conversion - Faith and Repentance

In the Reformed camp, the ordo salutis is 1) election/predestination (in Christ), 2) Atonement 3) gospel call 4) inward call 5) regeneration, 6) conversion (faith & repentance), 7) justification, 8) sanctification, and 9) glorification. ().

Faith is important (Sola Fide)

Not our faith/work that brings salvation

16th Century - Faith that Saves - knowledge of, ascent to and trust in his atonement (Luther calls this confidence).

the instrument to reach out and grasps the saving benefits of Christ

What justifies us is Christ’s Work. We believe, but it is given by God and we are justified by God.

This is important because a true understanding of faith and repentance, then we can truly understand conversion and God’s grace

Illus: Conversion happens in many ways. There may be a time one remembers or not. I remember sitting on the bed at an early age asking Jesus to be my Lord. Now, I look back and see the fruit of that conversion.

Doxology

God’s grace. Conversion only happens because God makes it happen. This is grace.

Illus:

God shows us his grace for mankind in conversion.

During the Spanish-American War, Clara Barton was overseeing the work of the Red Cross in Cuba. One day Colonel Theodore Roosevelt came to her, wanted to buy food for his sick and wounded Rough Riders. But she refused to sell him any. Roosevelt was perplexed. His men needed the help and he was prepared to pay out of his own funds. When he asked someone why he could not buy the supplies, he was told, "Colonel, just ask for it!" A smile broke over Roosevelt's face. Now he understood--the provisions were not for sale. All he had to do was simply ask and they would be given freely.

App:

Our Daily Bread, October 11, 1992.

App:

Lydia’s conversion is a story about how God converts sinners into children of God. It is the membership into the church. You cannot be a church member without it.

A Church is a group of believers (converted) and unbelievers (unconverted) who come together to worship God and practices the means of grace as disciples.

This grace can start a church

Lydia is the first convert of a new church. Conversion is an individual event that has communal impact.

This grace can grow a church

People are converted then disciples who now have been converted unto faith in Christ become a part of the community

This grace can sustain a church

A community of converted Christians coming together to serve Jesus

They all have the same starting point - neither Jew nor Greek, make nor female, etc . . .

And, they all have a knowledge, ascent of Christ and place their trust completely in him for salvation

They walk and practice grace

App: If you are walking and you have not experienced this grace (you stand like Lord Clark) and only have areligious experience, then I plead that you fall on your knees and repent and reach out to Christ in true Faith. Pray for God’s grace to be extended to you that you may believe.

For the Christian, who has been converted, let us seek to walk in God’s grace and extend that Grace to others that the church may be a healthy place of grace.

ARP Moderator’s theme: Growing healthy churches; birthing healthy Christians

healthy - converted sinners standing in God’s grace

In order for Churches to be healthy there must be conversion. You can’t live as your old self and have a healthy fellowship in Christ with others.

Have you experienced conversion? Xianity is not following a set of rules and regulations. It is not being a good person. It is a response to the gospel that is seen in Lydia and is called conversion. It is repentance and faith.

In order for churches to grow there must be a passion for conversion. We should have ministries in place that focus on conversion. Ministries that only promote moralism are not healthy ministries. Healthy ministries have at the heart the conversion of sinners. They seek to express and provide a way for God’s grace through conversion.

In order for churches to sustain to the end there must be an understanding of conversion and practice of grace. 1) we see ourselves and others as sinners saved by God’s grace. 2) And, we extend that grace we have received to all men, no matter our feelings or attitudes toward them.

Will we be a heathy church? Will we emphasize conversion of the lost and will we practice living in God’s grace?