Pentecost: The Holy Spirit, Today!

Sunday, May 31, 2020 was the day of Pentecost.  This week, I want to post on the day of Pentecost and the Holy Spirit.  I know some people reading this don’t have a Pentecostal background, but I have spent the last twenty years as pastor of two Pentecostal churches.  So today, I want to post on the Baptism of the Holy Spirit.

Acts 2:1-4 (NKJV)
^2:1 When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. ² And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. ³ Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. ⁴ And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.

Laying a Foundation

I want to begin by laying a foundation on the significance of the day of Pentecost.  What does it all mean?  Our text takes place on the day that the Holy Spirit fell on the people of God.  He didn’t just fall on the apostles, but on all 120 people who were gathered together in that room on that day.  There are some churches that will teach that this was only for the apostles, that after the apostles died that all of the evidence of the Spirit passed away, but on this day, according to our text, it fell on all of them that had gathered. 

Let’s examine the teaching that this has passed away as the apostles died.  First, let’s look at what Peter said in his first Holy Spirit filled sermon:

Acts 2:17-18 (NKJV)
^2:17 'And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God, That I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh; Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, Your young men shall see visions, Your old men shall dream dreams. ¹⁸ And on My menservants and on My maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days; And they shall prophesy.

Peter is quoting a prophecy from Joel 2:28 – 32.  Peter says “in the last days,”  Joel says “afterward”.

“And it shall come to pass afterward that I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh;” 

 The context of this is that God is speaking through Joel, and He’s saying:

Joel 2:27a (NKJV)
^2:27 Then you shall know that I am in the midst of Israel: I am the Lord your God And there is no other…

Remember, one of the names of Jesus is Emmanuel – That’s translated as God with us!  It shall come to pass afterward that I will pour out My Spirit!  The question is – did it pass away with the disciples, or is it available today?

Joel 2:31b (NKJV)
^2:31 …Before the coming of the great and awesome day of the Lord.

The great and awesome Day of the Lord refers to the day of judgment – The resurrection and judgment of mankind!

Let’s look back at Peter – Peter says “in the last days” – The “last days” refers to that time between Jesus’ resurrection and His return to judge mankind.  Another way to say this is “from now on.”  Look at what Peter says in verse 39:

Acts 2:39 (NKJV)
^2:39 For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call."

Let’s break that down:

For the promise is to you – Those that were there that day.

And to your children – the next generation.

And to all who are afar off – He’s speaking of generations – people that will come in later generations.  

As many as the Lord will Call – Are you called?  We are all called!

John 15:16 (NKJV)
^15:16 You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you.

We are appointed, that means called, to bear fruit.  Fruit in this sense refers to reaching others with the Gospel.  He had called us to that!  This Took Place on Pentecost

Acts 2:1 (NKJV)
^2:1 When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.

All of this took place on the day of Pentecost.  Let’s look at what Pentecost is:

Pentecost was a day of prayer and celebration.  People had the day off work; they met to pray and thank God.  Acts 2:1 tells us that they were all together in one accord.  They were there to pray and celebrate this feast.  Remember, they continued to be involved in the temple.

The day of Pentecost was a feast day that celebrated the beginning of the harvest season.  Pentecost is the Greek name for a feast called by Jews the Festival of Weeks.  It was a celebration and day of thanksgiving for the harvest, which was about to begin. The feast of First Fruits was the beginning of the barley harvest.  The Festival of Weeks was the beginning of the Wheat harvest.  It takes place seven weeks after the feast of First Fruits. (For background see Pentecost, The Beginning of the Harvest May 16, 2016)

What happened on the day of Pentecost in our text?

Acts 2:41 (NKJV)
^2:41 Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them.

So, from a historical perspective, Pentecost was the beginning of the harvest in the early church.  Lets break this down and digest it.

-          Jesus called us to go and bear fruit – This is before He died! (John 15:16)

-          He told the disciples to stay in Jerusalem and wait for the Spirit

Acts 1:4-5 (NKJV)
^1:4 And being assembled together with them, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, "which," He said, "you have heard from Me; ⁵ for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now."

-          On the day that signified to the Jews that the wheat harvest was about to begin, the Holy Spirit fell on those in the upper room, and the harvest of the early church began.

While they’re in the upper room, they hear a sound like a mighty rushing wind.  In Hebrew the word for spirit is the same word that’s used for wind.  In the book of Genesis, God created Adam.  Look at what happens:

Genesis 2:7 (NKJV)
^2:7 And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being.

From H5395; a puff, that is, wind, angry or vital breath, divine inspiration, intellect or (concretely) an animal: - blast, (that) breath (-eth), inspiration, soul, spirit. 

Strong’s Lexicon of Greek and Hebrew 

So God put His breath, or Spirit, into Adam.  This is why we say that man has a soul.  So, this sound like a “mighty rushing wind” signifies the Spirit.  The Holy Spirit enters into the place where they are and fills the house.  

 - The fire appears and sits on each of them.  In the temple there was a fire that was always burning.       That fire signified the presence of God.

Leviticus 6:13 (NKJV)
^6:13 A fire shall always be burning on the altar; it shall never go out.

On this day the fire – The presence of God – sat on each one of them.  It symbolized that they each now contained the presence of God, in other words God dwelt in them.  The fire in the temple signified that God dwelt there.

So, look at this:  The Holy Spirit came upon them and God dwelt in them.  They were immersed (baptized) in the Spirit of God and became a temple of the Holy Spirit.  When you are baptized in the Holy Spirit, God dwells in you – in the form of the Holy spirit – and His power is there for you to use.

Think about Peter for a moment – When Jesus was crucified, he was broken.  He was going fishing; going back to the life he led before Jesus.  After the Holy spirit falls – he’s energized. he’s empowered, he’s equipped.  Immediately, he’s able to embark on God’s calling.  He was equipped for his calling through the Holy Spirit.  For Peter it happened on Pentecost – But it didn’t end there.  

This was just the beginning, because the same thing happened to Paul.  He encounters Jesus on the Damascus road in Acts 9:3-6; he’s led to Damascus where Ananias is led by the Holy Spirit to speak to him.  Look at what happened:

Acts 9:17-20 (NKJV)
^9:17 And Ananias went his way and entered the house; and laying his hands on him he said, "Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you came, has sent me that you may receive your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit." ¹⁸ Immediately there fell from his eyes something like scales, and he received his sight at once; and he arose and was baptized. ¹⁹ So when he had received food, he was strengthened. Then Saul spent some days with the disciples at Damascus. ²⁰ Immediately he preached the Christ in the synagogues, that He is the Son of God.

Immediately, he preached Christ in the synagogues – From the greatest persecutor of Christians in that time, to a preacher of Christ in the synagogues!

What Does That Mean for Us?

So, the purpose of the baptism of the Holy Spirit is to equip us and prepare us for the harvest.   It’s a special tool that’s given to us so, “that we may go and bear fruit…that will remain,” in other words to build the church of Jesus Christ!  That’s the purpose in our text.

So, how do we know we’re filled with the Holy Spirit?

First, Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit stood up and preached.  He never did that before.  In John 20, they were in the upper room with the doors locked for fear of the Jews.  There’s a new boldness in Peter’s life!

Second, the people began to speak in other tongues.  This is the evidence of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.  This happened in every other instance where this is mentioned.

Acts 10:44-46 (NKJV)
^10:44 While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who heard the word. ⁴⁵ And those of the circumcision who believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles also. ⁴⁶ For they heard them speak with tongues and magnify God...

Acts 19:6 (NKJV)
^19:6 And when Paul had laid hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they spoke with tongues and prophesied.

Third, there is power!  Look back at what Jesus said to the disciples:

John 14:12 (NKJV)
^14:12 "Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father.

What does He say will happen when He goes to His Father?

John 16:7 (NKJV)
^16:7 Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you.

The “Helper” is the Holy Spirit!  Think of this:  When He goes to His Father, He will send the Holy Spirit – AND we will do greater works than these!  The apostles did many great works!

Acts 3:  Peter and John brought healing to a man lame from birth!  Look at what happened:

Acts 3:11 (NKJV)
^3:11 Now as the lame man who was healed held on to Peter and John, all the people ran together to them in the porch which is called Solomon's, greatly amazed.

Acts 5:  Peter’s Shadow!

Acts 5:12-16 (NKJV)
^5:12 And through the hands of the apostles many signs and wonders were done among the people. And they were all with one accord in Solomon's Porch. ¹³ Yet none of the rest dared join them, but the people esteemed them highly. ¹⁴ And believers were increasingly added to the Lord, multitudes of both men and women, ¹⁵ so that they brought the sick out into the streets and laid them on beds and couches, that at least the shadow of Peter passing by might fall on some of them. ¹⁶ Also a multitude gathered from the surrounding cities to Jerusalem, bringing sick people and those who were tormented by unclean spirits, and they were all healed.

It wasn’t just the apostles, though!  When a dispute arose between the Greek believers and the Jews, in Acts 6, the appointed seven men “full of the Holy Spirit,” to resolve it!  One of those men was Stephen:

Acts 6:8 (NKJV)
^6:8 And Stephen, full of faith and power, did great wonders and signs among the people.

There was Philip in Acts 8:

Acts 8:5-8 (NKJV)
^8:5 Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria and preached Christ to them. ⁶ And the multitudes with one accord heeded the things spoken by Philip, hearing and seeing the miracles which he did. ⁷ For unclean spirits, crying with a loud voice, came out of many who were possessed; and many who were paralyzed and lame were healed. ⁸ And there was great joy in that city.

We CAN receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.  We are that generation that is afar off.  It’s a promise – It’s given to equip us for God’s calling!  We need that!  We need signs and wonders!  We need to call on Holy Spirit power!  We need the boldness to stand and preach the Gospel; to witness to friends, family, coworkers, and classmates!  We need this to build the church of Jesus Christ!

Gileadites

Is it only me, or does it seem like living for Jesus is like fighting a battle?  We’re constantly waging a war with Satan, in order to find our destiny in Jesus Christ.  Each of us has a destiny that’s worth fighting for.  It’s sad to see people start out and then quit when things get difficult.  As the fight continues some people lose their resolve to continue on. 

Today I want to look at people who quit just before they entered the Promised Land:   People who were content to receive as their inheritance, that portion of land that was just short of the promise that was meant for them.  They stepped out of the will of God because they didn’t see all that God had for them.  We need to be careful to press in, and not give up, so that we can enjoy all of the promise of God.  Today, I want to post a message on quitting too soon.

Numbers 32:1-8 (NKJV)
^32:1 Now the children of Reuben and the children of Gad had a very great multitude of livestock; and when they saw the land of Jazer and the land of Gilead, that indeed the region was a place for livestock, ² the children of Gad and the children of Reuben came and spoke to Moses, to Eleazar the priest, and to the leaders of the congregation, saying, ³ "Ataroth, Dibon, Jazer, Nimrah, Heshbon, Elealeh, Shebam, Nebo, and Beon, ⁴ the country which the Lord defeated before the congregation of Israel, is a land for livestock, and your servants have livestock." ⁵ Therefore they said, "If we have found favor in your sight, let this land be given to your servants as a possession. Do not take us over the Jordan." ⁶ And Moses said to the children of Gad and to the children of Reuben: "Shall your brethren go to war while you sit here? ⁷ Now why will you discourage the heart of the children of Israel from going over into the land which the Lord has given them? ⁸ Thus your fathers did when I sent them away from Kadesh Barnea to see the land.

Unwilling to Continue

Here we see the days just before the Israelites crossed over the Jordan and into the Promised Land.  They are poised on the very edge of the promise of God.  They’re set up to step inside their inheritance.  This is the land that God promised to Abraham so many years before. 

This is the land of Destiny for Israel.  This is what God had in mind for them when He delivered them from the bondage of Egypt.  This is the place He planned for them.  They had spent forty years wandering in the desert to finally enter into this land – The Land Flowing with Milk and Honey.

Moses had sent spies into the Promised Land and they came back with a report that was filled with unbelief, saying there are giants in the land and we are like grasshoppers in their sight and in our own.  The people cried all night, forgetting that God had promised it.  So God refused to allow them to enter in until that entire generation had passed away.

These in our text are not the generation who believed the bad report.  They weren’t the ones who had no faith, but there was something in their makeup that said to them, “This is good enough.”  They settled for the land that they were sitting on not even knowing whether or not there was better land in the land of promise.  They settled, they weren’t willing to fight for all that God had for them.  There was some flaw in their character that kept them from pressing in to see all of it.

Look at the life of Elijah for a moment.  Look at who he is:

1 Kings 17:1 (NKJV)
^17:1 And Elijah the Tishbite, of the inhabitants of Gilead, said to Ahab, "As the Lord God of Israel lives, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, except at my word."

So Elijah is a descendant of the men of Gilead.  He grew up in the customs and society of that people.  His ancestors were the ones who said, “We will settle for this land.” 

Look at one moment in Elijah’s life.  He’s defeated the prophets of Baal.  He’s turned the people to God once more.  He’s just prayed and God brought rain after three and a half years of drought, and Jezebel, King Ahab’s wife has threatened to kill him.  Look at his reaction:

1 Kings 19:1-4 (NKJV)
^19:1 And Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, also how he had executed all the prophets with the sword. ² Then Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, "So let the gods do to me, and more also, if I do not make your life as the life of one of them by tomorrow about this time." ³ And when he saw that, he arose and ran for his life, and went to Beersheba, which belongs to Judah, and left his servant there. ⁴ But he himself went a day's journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a broom tree. And he prayed that he might die, and said, "It is enough! Now, Lord, take my life, for I am no better than my fathers!"

He’s just won a great victory for God but one threat from Jezebel and he wants to die, saying, “I’m no better than my fathers.”  He gave up…just like those who stopped at the Jordan River.  He wasn’t willing to fight any longer.  He wanted to die saying that he’s no better than his fathers.  He’s saying, “I will be like them.”  They wanted to quit rather than continue the struggle.    They fell short of the Promised Land, being unwilling to fight the battle that would give them the inheritance God had planned for them. 

We are also in danger of quitting too soon.  Life can be a real struggle for us, too, because there’s a real devil who opposes what God wants to do in us.  He wants to keep us from the victory of our inheritance and he will bring the battle to us.

Standing Strong in the Battle

There will be a battle for the promise of God to come to fruition in your life.  Look at Paul’s testimony for a moment:

2 Corinthians 12:7-10 (NKJV)
^12:7 And lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the revelations, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure. ⁸ Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me. ⁹ And He said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness." Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. ¹⁰ Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ's sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

Paul is talking about revelation that comes from God.  God is revealing things to Paul that have, up until then, been kept secret.  They’ve never been revealed before, and what does he face?  A messenger from Satan.  Some commentators believe that this is the stress of the opposition that he faced in Corinth.  Satan had brought the battle to him and he cried out for deliverance three times.  God spoke to him and said, “My grace is sufficient for you.”

So, Paul sees victory in his suffering and struggle.  Jesus will be in him when he suffers.  That’s why he says, “When I’m weak then I’m strong.”  When he’s at his place of greatest weakness then the power of Jesus is strongest in him.  It’s not in his own power that he fights the battle; it’s in the power that Jesus gives him.  He can find victory in Jesus.

How can we continue on when Satan attacks us with persecution and distress?  Not in our own power but in Jesus’ power.  That word that’s translated as buffet means to rap with the fist.  This is a special attack that is set aside just for you.  It’s a personal attack from Satan.

What’s interesting is that Paul doesn’t quit because of these attacks, even when he’s an old man in prison.  He endured to the end.  He fought the good fight.  He has the victory and if we persevere we will also have the victory.  I want you to think about this, though.  Every victory must have a battle associated with it.  There can be no victory if there’s no adversary.  There’s no victory if there’s no struggle.  We have victory when we overcome!

The Gileadites didn’t have victory.  They didn’t have what Paul had; they didn’t see the full promise of God for their lives, because they quit too soon.  They settled for too little.  I’ve known so many people who wanted to see God’s promise.  They came, they believed God…but then the battle begins – You know if you’re just coming to church once in a while, if you’re not involved in what God’s doing in the church’s activities, or you’re not giving and supporting the church – If you’re not trusting God for His help – If you’re not doing those things, there’s no battle with the devil, because you’re no threat to him.  As far a he’s concerned your life has no power.  In that case, you’re a Gileadite, because you’re settling for what you already have rather than fighting for everything that God wants for you.

People like this look at others in the church and see them with the victory, in spite of the battles that they go through, and you think to yourself I wish I had that in my life.  Well, they’ve fought for that victory.  They’ve contended for what God wants to do in their lives.  They grabbed hold of the promise of God, like the Israelites who crossed over the Jordan.  The Gileadites settled, “This land is good enough, why press on.  If you settle you’ll never know the victory that comes fro a hard fought battle.  If you’re not willing to contend for the destiny that He has for you, you’ll never set foot in that land of Promise.  You’ll always be on the outside and wondering, “Why don’t I fit in?”  People settle for what’s easy to achieve and never know what God can do with their lives, because they never give him the opportunity.  They quit too soon.

Finding Destiny

The Gileadites finally agreed to join in the battle for the Promised Land. 

Numbers 32:20-22 (NKJV)
^32:20 Then Moses said to them: "If you do this thing, if you arm yourselves before the Lord for the war, ²¹ and all your armed men cross over the Jordan before the Lord until He has driven out His enemies from before Him, ²² and the land is subdued before the Lord, then afterward you may return and be blameless before the Lord and before Israel; and this land shall be your possession before the Lord.

So, the men of Gilead went to war alongside the Israelites and the land that they had chosen was given to them.  When Moses died God took him up on the mountain to show him the Promised Land.

Deuteronomy 34:1 (NKJV)
^34:1 Then Moses went up from the plains of Moab to Mount Nebo, to the top of Pisgah, which is across from Jericho. And the Lord showed him all the land of Gilead as far as Dan,

Because they stepped into the battle God gave them their inheritance, and Gilead is named as a part of the Promised Land.  The ended up with their destiny, and if you will rise up and fight the battle then you will also know your destiny.

Are You Converted?

All of us have come from one thing or another.  As a child I was raised as a Catholic.  I went to a Catholic school.  I attended the Catholic Church.  I was taught Catholic values. 

Maybe you were a Buddhist or a Taoist; maybe you practiced Yi Guang Dao, or maybe you were a Muslim, or even an Atheist.  You didn’t believe in God at all, but now you do:  You’ve become a Christian.  You’re no longer involved in what you were doing before.  We would say you were converted, but I have to tell you that just changing religions is not conversion.  For a conversion to take place your life must be transformed.  You don’t think the way you did before.  You don’t speak the way you did before.  You don’t act the way you did before.  That’s conversion.

Acts 9:1-7 (NKJV)
^9:1 Then Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest ² and asked letters from him to the synagogues of Damascus, so that if he found any who were of the Way, whether men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. ³ As he journeyed he came near Damascus, and suddenly a light shone around him from heaven. ⁴ Then he fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to him, "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?" ⁵ And he said, "Who are You, Lord?" Then the Lord said, "I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. It is hard for you to kick against the goads." ⁶ So he, trembling and astonished, said, "Lord, what do You want me to do?" Then the Lord said to him, "Arise and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do." ⁷ And the men who journeyed with him stood speechless, hearing a voice but seeing no one.

Saul Was Who He Was

So, here we have Saul; he’s a persecutor of the church.  Remember, in Acts chapter 8 he stood by while Stephen was stoned.  He held the coats of those who stoned Stephen.  He was a Pharisee of the Pharisees; a teacher of teachers and led a great persecution against the early church.  His attacks caused Christians to leave Jerusalem and scatter throughout the world, but he wasn’t satisfied with just that.  He asked the High Priest to give him authority to travel to Damascus to persecute them there. 

He was breathing threats and murder against the disciples.  Can you picture this?  He had a great hatred toward them.  He was consumed with zeal to destroy Christianity itself…But along the road to Damascus, Jesus confronts Saul and asks him, “Why are you persecuting me?” 

There is a struggle that’s taking place within Saul.  It’s like he’s fighting within himself about things.  When Jesus confronts him He tells Saul, “It’s not easy to kick against the goads.”  This is a word picture – A goad is something that is used to move an animal.  It urges or stimulates and action.  Saul is urged into what he’s doing by a force that’s inside him.  He’s driven to persecute, but Jesus seems to be saying that Saul has been struggling against it…kicking against the goads.

I believe that when we’re sinners, there’s turmoil in all of us.  We’re all seeking God, but since we continue in sin, we feel bad, so rather than change we attack those who’ve already changed.  We’re driven by our sinful nature. 

Suddenly, Saul finds himself face-to-face with the risen Jesus.  This isn’t a vision but a face-to-face encounter.  Look how Saul describes it later:

1 Corinthians 9:1 (NKJV)
^9:1 Am I not an apostle? Am I not free? Have I not seen Jesus Christ our Lord? Are you not my work in the Lord?

“Have I not seen Jesus Christ our Lord?”  Jesus met him there at the Damascus road and changed him forever.  Saul the persecutor became Paul the Apostle.  He no longer zealously persecuted Christians.  Now, he zealously preached the Gospel.  There was a remarkable change in him, as a result of his meeting Jesus – This is conversion.

Conversion comes from an encounter with Jesus.  There are people who come to church, but they continue to live the same way that they lived as sinners.  They continue in sin, there’s no change.  There’s no evidence that they’ve been saved.  That word “convert” means to change form; to go from one thing to another.  If there’s no change there’s no conversion.  There must be a change in thought AND action.  Saul’s name change to Paul symbolizes that change.

Paul Had a Testimony

Paul was completely changed in his meeting with Jesus.  He was one way before he met Jesus but was a completely different person afterward.  You can see that this moment of conversion takes place while he is still in Jesus’ presence.  He calls Him Lord, “Who are you Lord?”  The he acknowledges Jesus as Lord over his life, “Lord, what do you want me to do?”  What are you calling me to?  What is the need you have for me? 

Jesus told him to go into the city and he would be told what to do.  He obeyed and went into Damascus and was filled with the Holy Spirit and the Bible says he began immediately to preach in the synagogues.

Acts 9:20-22 (NKJV)
^9:20 Immediately he preached the Christ in the synagogues, that He is the Son of God. ²¹ Then all who heard were amazed, and said, "Is this not he who destroyed those who called on this name in Jerusalem, and has come here for that purpose, so that he might bring them bound to the chief priests?" ²² But Saul increased all the more in strength, and confounded the Jews who dwelt in Damascus, proving that this Jesus is the Christ.

This is the testimony – He was a persecutor and insolent man.  He had gone to Damascus to bring them bound to Jerusalem, but now he’s preaching Jesus; even proving that Jesus is the Christ.

What happened to you when you became a Christian?  Did your thinking change?  Do you think about sin differently?  Have you laid aside your sin?  Do you continue in it?  Is there evidence in your life that you’ve been converted?  The sad thing is that there are people in churches all over the world that have never experienced a conversion.  They remain stuck in their sin.  They continue in bondage.  There’s no evidence that they’ve really met Jesus.  They have no testimony of God’s grace on their lives.  It’s God’s grace that changes us.  Look at this:

1 Corinthians 15:8-10 (NKJV)
^15:8 Then last of all He was seen by me also, as by one born out of due time. ⁹ For I am the least of the apostles, who am not worthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. ¹⁰ But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all, yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.

This is Paul writing to the Corinthians.  He’s commenting about his testimony.  He’s writing about the power of the Gospel. 

What we do after we’ve been converted is the result of God’s grace working in our lives.  What Paul is saying here is:  I’ve stopped sinning because of God’s grace giving me the strength to make a decision to live for Him.  I preach the Gospel because of God’s grace, having caused a change in my life; I can’t help but declare the mercy that was extended to me.

As we’re converted and God’s grace works in us it’s natural for us to want to share it.  I want to see God work in other people’s lives like He worked in mine.  I want to share the power of God to change circumstances and lives like he’s done for me.

1 Timothy 1:12-14 (NKJV)
^1:12 And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord who has enabled me, because He counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry, ¹³ although I was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, and an insolent man; but I obtained mercy because I did it ignorantly in unbelief. ¹⁴ And the grace of our Lord was exceedingly abundant, with faith and love which are in Christ Jesus.

Paul immediately preached Jesus.  He didn’t wait until he understood everything about Jesus.  He declared what God did in him through grace.  There are people who’ve prayed the Sinner’s Prayer, but they’ve never been fully converted.  They’re still bound by the sin they were bound with and I really can’t understand it.  Getting saved is being BORN AGAIN:  It’s a new life; a second chance.  Why would you want to bring the old life into the new one?

Maybe it’s because I was so desperate for a change that I couldn’t remain the same way I was.  I’m so thankful for what Jesus has done in me!  That’s how grace works in you.  Paul changed because of the miracle that God did in him.  He couldn’t remain silent.  I can’t remain silent, either, and that’s also evidence of my conversion.

Paul Began to Live Out the Calling on his Life

In the middle of his conversion Paul asked Jesus, “What do you want me to do, Lord?”  He’s looking for God’s calling on his life.  He’s ready to die to his own will and take up Jesus’ will for his life.  That is absolute evidence of his conversion.  Look at what Jesus says:

Matthew 16:24-25 (NKJV)
^16:24 Then Jesus said to His disciples, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. ²⁵ For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.

This is the mark of a converted Christian.  That word Christian means “Follower of Christ.”  We have no problem following Jesus when He’s going to the place WE want to go, a truly converted Christian, is one who’s willingly following Jesus to a place where he DOESN’T want to go.

Take a look at your own life.  Think about your Christian walk.  Are you calling Jesus Lord?  Have you acknowledged Jesus as authority over your life? 

Do you have a testimony?  Is there a change that has taken place in you as a result of God’s grace?

Are you preaching Jesus?  Do you tell others about what Jesus did in you and can do in them?

Are you denying your will?  Are you following Jesus to the place He wants you to go?

If you can’t answer yes to those questions, then you’ve never really met Jesus, but don’t despair.  He’s waiting for you on your own Damascus road.  You can meet him today and be converted in a moment of time.  Paul’s conversion only took a few moments.  Some people think they have to watch Him for years, follow some ritual, or change before they meet Him.  All it really takes is an openness to His calling on your life – And He is calling.  If you haven’t done so already, then answer the call, today and let His grace work in you.

Shipwreck

On November 29, 1981, the St. Patrick, a one fifty-eight foot fishing vessel and its crew of twelve pulled out of its slip in Kodiak, Alaska, in search of King Crab in the Bering Straight.  On the first night of their journey a storm began building.  Winds were whipped up to one hundred miles per hour, waves began crashing over the handrail and smashing onto the deck:  The sailors began to put on their Arctic survival suits. 

The temperature of the water in the Bering Straight is about thirty-nine degrees Fahrenheit.  A Human body thrown into water of that temperature will become hypothermic and die in about 20 minutes. 

The storm continued to build, waves were rising up to twenty-five feet above the deck, and slamming into the bulkheads of the ship.  The galley was destroyed. Men were thrown completely out of their bunks where they had huddled to ride out the storm by the force of the storm.

The captain turned the bow of the ship into the wind, so that the waves would strike the ship’s bow first, to keep the ship from capsizing.  That’s when all hell broke loose.

A rogue wave is usually a wave traveling across the pattern of the waves; this wave is not caused by the storm.  Because the ship was turned into the storm the storm proof glass of the wheelhouse was unable to protect the wheelhouse from this wave.  The wave crashed into the wheelhouse and destroyed the navigation equipment.  The water then rushed down a gangway though an open hatch and poured into the engine room.  The ship lost all power, was not able to move forward, so all steering was lost.  It foundered and began to list to fifteen degrees starboard. 

The situation looked hopeless and the order was given to abandon ship.  The lifeboat had been lost, washed overboard, so the crew lashed themselves together and jumped into the icy sea.  They had jumped into the midst of the storm; into the darkness of the night.  Only the lights of the ship could be seen until all was dark.

One by one they died, through out the night for the next thirty-six hours.  Only two of them survived.  What happened to the St. Patrick?  Look at this conversation between the two survivors, from “Working on the Edge”, by Spike Walker:

The next day, Thomas learned that one other crewmate had survived the ordeal.  As he lay recovering in a Kodiak hospital bed, nurses wheeled in Bob Kidd for a visit.

 “I can’t believe it,” Thomas confided to his good friend.  “I would never have believed that a ship built like the St. Patrick could have gone down as quickly as she did.

Bob sat upright and turned and looked at Wally Thomas in astonishment.

“Wally,” said Kidd, It didn’t go down.  It didn’t sink.  They found the St. Patrick floating the day after we abandoned ship.  They’re towing it in right now!”

They had jumped too soon.  All they had to do was ride it out.  The ship was found twenty-four hours after they had abandoned ship; twelve hours before the last person died.

I want to post a message that I have entitled, “Shipwreck.”

Acts 27:7-11 (NKJV)
^27:7 When we had sailed slowly many days, and arrived with difficulty off Cnidus, the wind not permitting us to proceed, we sailed under the shelter of Crete off Salmone. ⁸ Passing it with difficulty, we came to a place called Fair Havens, near the city of Lasea. ⁹ Now when much time had been spent, and sailing was now dangerous because the Fast was already over, Paul advised them, ¹⁰ saying, "Men, I perceive that this voyage will end with disaster and much loss, not only of the cargo and ship, but also our lives." ¹¹ Nevertheless the centurion was more persuaded by the helmsman and the owner of the ship than by the things spoken by Paul.

Acts 27:18-25 (NKJV)
^27:18 And because we were exceedingly tempest-tossed, the next day they lightened the ship. ¹⁹ On the third day we threw the ship's tackle overboard with our own hands. ²⁰ Now when neither sun nor stars appeared for many days, and no small tempest beat on us, all hope that we would be saved was finally given up. ²¹ But after long abstinence from food, then Paul stood in the midst of them and said, "Men, you should have listened to me, and not have sailed from Crete and incurred this disaster and loss. ²² And now I urge you to take heart, for there will be no loss of life among you, but only of the ship. ²³ For there stood by me this night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve, ²⁴ saying, 'Do not be afraid, Paul; you must be brought before Caesar; and indeed God has granted you all those who sail with you.' ²⁵ Therefore take heart, men, for I believe God that it will be just as it was told me.

Acts 27:40-44 (NKJV)
^27:40 And they let go the anchors and left them in the sea, meanwhile loosing the rudder ropes; and they hoisted the mainsail to the wind and made for shore. ⁴¹ But striking a place where two seas met, they ran the ship aground; and the prow stuck fast and remained immovable, but the stern was being broken up by the violence of the waves. ⁴² And the soldiers' plan was to kill the prisoners, lest any of them should swim away and escape. ⁴³ But the centurion, wanting to save Paul, kept them from their purpose, and commanded that those who could swim should jump overboard first and get to land, ⁴⁴ and the rest, some on boards and some on parts of the ship. And so it was that they all escaped safely to land.

Decisions can Lead to Shipwreck

Every day we make decisions, every day we can make decisions that cause shipwreck.  Each and every day we look at some aspect or another of our lives and make a decision.  Most of those are simple decisions.  Will I get up and go to work?  What will I have for breakfast?  Some are more difficult.  Should I accept this job offer or wait for another?  Our entire life is made up of decisions.

Every thing we do stems from a decision we have made, and sometimes we can make a decision that causes problems in our lives.  We can make a decision that can haunt us for their rest of our lives.

I was listening to a radio psychology show, not long ago, and a young woman that called into the show was in the midst of wrestling through a decision she needed to make.  Her father and mother were divorced.  Her father had remarried and this young woman was very angry at the new wife and didn't like her.  So, she was wrestling with the decision to tell her father that she didn't want his wife in her life. 

The radio host put this decision into perspective by telling her that the real decision she was struggling with was whether or not she wanted her father in her life, because the father wouldn't leave his wife and destroy the relationship.  The girl was deciding if her father was worth putting up with the wife.  Her decision came down to this:  A relative of this woman had molested her and her father had ignored the signs of abuse.  He feigned ignorance, rationalizing that it didn't really happen.  So now this young woman was making a decision that would affect her family for generations, all because of a decision that her father made to make life simpler for him and not confront that issue with his wife and protect the child at the same time – SHIPWRECK!

Do you know what’s really sad?  We make decisions that deep and far-ranging, so cavalierly, so quickly.

A friend of mine made a decision that way.  He had been a Christian for a number of years and made a decision to walk into a strip club.  He rationalized it in his mind.  He said he needed to see what it was that had such a pull on the lives of other men.  This is one of the things from which he himself had been delivered and he walked in there making a decision to compromise his testimony and place his entire destiny at risk – SHIPWRECK!

There are people who have left their churches; walked out angry and bitter slamming you and the fellowship and your pastor, because they had made a decision that they weren’t willing to deal with some issue in their own life.  Sometimes, it’s easier to get mad at the pastor than face the painful truth that you aren’t living right.  How many times have you seen someone flushing their lives and relationships over some issue of pride in their life? It’s like abandoning ship in the midst of a storm – SHIPWRECK!

A decision you make today can destroy your life and your destiny.  The captain of the St. Patrick decided they had to abandon ship.  He should have tried to ride it out.  He made the wrong decision.  So did the centurion in our text, he decided that even though it was late in the year, even though he had been warned, even though they had already encountered difficulty that they would attempt to sail on.  It was a decison that led directly to the loss of the vessel off the shore of Malta.  His decision led directly to shipwreck.  We need to be careful because our decisions can lead to same fate for us.

Storms in the Middle of God’s Will

Even when you’re in the middle of God’s will for your life, storms can blow up.  Those storms can cause shipwreck in your life, as well.  In our text Paul is in the middle of God’s will for his life.  He’s doing exactly what God called him to do.  He’s been preaching the Gospel.  He’s been laboring for souls.  He’s been faithful to God’s call on his life and yet he finds himself in the midst of the storm and the shipwreck.  We see in the text that Paul is in God’s will at the very moment of the shipwreck:

Acts 27:21-25 (NKJV)
^27:21 But after long abstinence from food, then Paul stood in the midst of them and said, "Men, you should have listened to me, and not have sailed from Crete and incurred this disaster and loss. ²² And now I urge you to take heart, for there will be no loss of life among you, but only of the ship. ²³ For there stood by me this night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve, ²⁴ saying, 'Do not be afraid, Paul; you must be brought before Caesar; and indeed God has granted you all those who sail with you.' ²⁵ Therefore take heart, men, for I believe God that it will be just as it was told me.

We can see it as he speaks to the Angel of God in verse 24, who is speaking of the destiny that Paul must live out, “You must be brought before Caesar.”  God had a plan for Paul that included being brought before Caesar.  Paul was right in the middle of that plan, en route to being seen by Caesar and yet look at the storm that he encountered as the devil tried to short-circuit what God had planned.  Believe me I know what’s happening here.  I've encountered this in my own life. 

A number of years ago I was outreaching for an event that we had planned.  I was walking across a parking lot, because there were some young men that I had seen before and I wanted an opportunity to witness to them, and invite them to this event.  I looked both ways, I’m disabled and very careful about crossing the street, because I can’t move quickly to get out of the way.  A pickup truck came from around a corner, knocked me down and literally ran over me.  The truck went on leaving me lying bleeding in the gutter. 

Approximately two weeks later, in the paychecks of the people I worked with, as a dispatcher, was a questionnaire asking which dispatcher the men preferred, me or the other man.   It asked pointed questions, “Is dispatch helpful?” “Has your equipment ever been late?” “Who is the better dispatcher?’  They wanted the dirt, they were actually asking who should we fire? You decide.

Five days later at 3:45 am I woke up with severe pains in my chest, like a cramp that spread to my shoulders and jaw. I wound up in the hospital for three days with a week off work after that.  On the very day I returned to work I was fired from my job.

I was in the middle of God’s will for my life.  I was preaching the Gospel.  I was outreaching and following up on new believers.  I was in the midst of doing what I was called to do, and I still found myself in the midst of a storm as I was pummeled by wave after wave.  I called it “Hell Month.”

Matthew 5:45 (NKJV)
^5:45 that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.

Being in God’s will doesn't always save us from going through things.  It doesn't mean that some rogue wave isn't going to bust through and stop us in our tracks.  We have to be prepared for what comes at us.  On the St. Patrick there was a hatch left open and water poured through it into the engine room and destroyed the engines.  That stopped all forward momentum and that took away the ability to steer the ship.  In our lives faith and prayer are the hatchways that protect the engines and keeps us moving forward in His will.

In our text it was Paul’s faith that encouraged them and kept them moving forward.  God has a plan for your life as well.

Surviving Shipwreck

Shipwrecks can be survived.  You don’t have to go down with all hands.  The key is what you decide to do. 

One thing that happens is that as we testify, many times we paint a picture of a changed life. That’s absolutely genuine; my life has never been the same.  I am a completely different person.  I think, though, that we sometimes leave the impression that bad things will never happen again… but they do.  Life does not become whipped cream and cherries.  We all have to go through things.  We all have struggles we have to deal with.  Life can still be difficult, and we need to be prepared to deal with that.

People get saved and they think, “All my troubles are behind me.  I have no more worries.”  If we’re not prepared we can be overwhelmed and decide that we made a mistake in salvation and begin to look outside for comfort.  We can think, “I never went through all of this before I got saved.”  At that point we think life was better before we got saved.  That happened to Israel in the desert. 

God manifested Himself in power and delivered them from Egypt.  We haven’t seen God move with that kind of power since:  The plagues:  The miracles:  The Red Sea parted:  The Egyptian army destroyed…powerful stuff. Yet, just a few weeks later the Israelites were whining about Leeks.  Look at this:

Numbers 11:5-6 (NKJV)
^11:5 We remember the fish which we ate freely in Egypt, the cucumbers, the melons, the leeks, the onions, and the garlic; ⁶ but now our whole being is dried up; there is nothing at all except this manna before our eyes!"

Leeks are giant onions.  That’s how warped we can get.  Here, God is providing all for them.  He delivered them.  He manifested His power, destroyed the Egyptians and now is raining food down on them from Heaven, and they don’t like what He’s giving them.  It sounds like my kids at dinner, “I don’t like Manna!”  "Really?  What did you do to deserve a vote?”  The Israelites were ready to jump ship.  They were going to give up.  Sometimes, we think the answer is to quit, to abandon ship, to go somewhere else and start over.  Do you know that when you leave you take you with you? 

In the 1970s there was a revolutionary group called the Symbionese Liberation Army, the SLA.  They kidnapped Patty Hearst. Robbed a bank and most of them died in a shootout with the cops at a house in Compton, CA.  One woman, Kathleen Soliah, went underground, moved to a different state, and became someone else.  She abandoned ship.  Twenty-five years later whe was arrested and charged with attempted murder on a police officer and murder for her role in a bank robbery and was sentenced to twenty-five years to life.  She couldn’t hide from herself.  How many of us have tried that? 

Things get too hard, we’re confronted by our own sin and we think we can just go somewhere else.  We try to abandon ship, but we can't do that, because we still have that sin in our lives.  The best thing to do is to ride it out.  Huddle together, to keep away spiritual hypothermia.  Your brothers and sisters want to help you, not see you drown.  Your pastor wants to help you, not see your destiny destroyed.  Batten down the hatches.  Don’t let your forward momentum be destroyed, so that you can continue to steer through the storms.  Finally, don’t abandon ship.  The biggest mistake of this illustration was that they left the ship when it wasn’t sinking. 

We’ve seen people leave the church, and in leaving they have begun to drown.  All because they made a decision that it was safer to leave the ship and battle the waves on their own.  Ride it out.  The key to survival is in the decisions that you make.

Our Lord and Rescuer: The Straight Skinny

I listen to a lot of preaching and I read a lot of sermons and books, and I find it surprising how much of it is on the deeper things of God:  Deep heavy theological thoughts, on obscure passages and ideas.  For the place where I’m ministering these things are too deep and complicated to get across with all the cultural and language barriers.  It’s not because people couldn't grasp it, but because I have a difficult time communicating it to them within their cultural context.  The problem is mine, not theirs.

But in reading these things I realize that the gospel was meant to be simple. It’s meant to be understood in all cultures and by all people.  The Gospel works everywhere it’s tried, but a failure to reach people is usually the fault of the communicator.  So in thinking about this today, I want to approach the Gospel with some simplicity.  The Gospel is intended to be straightforward; it’s good news. 

In the US we have a term for that, it’s called the “Straight Skinny.”  That term merely means the unembellished truth.  I’m going to tell a story that I think will illustrate the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  So here it is, the straight skinny…

In 1991 something took place that rarely happens.  Three storm fronts collided to create a situation that meteorologists referred to as the “The Perfect Storm.”  During this storm in 1991, a warm front, a cold front and a hurricane combined to create 100-foot waves, high winds and torrential rains. 

If you know anything about sailing this is a very bad time to be at sea.  However, in this storm a thirty-two foot sailing vessel, the Sartori by name, found itself in high seas.  The crew consisted of a very experienced captain and two somewhat inexperienced women.  The women became frightened as the vessel slammed its sail against the sea and then righted itself, and called the US Coast Guard, who came out in a helicopter to rescue the crew of the Sartori.

What makes this a powerful story isn't that the people needed rescue, but it was the action of the Coast Guard that’s important.  The Coast Guard dispatched a helicopter into the high winds of the hurricane.  They flew out to the Sartori, and then a lone man, called a rescue swimmer, jumped into the high winds and huge waves to evacuate the crew: A lone man swimming against the power of a hurricane and 100-foot seas. 

This man put his life at risk in order to rescue these people.  He was jumping into an extremely dangerous situation; not for himself; not for the glory or recognition, but selflessly for other people.  He was fully prepared to give his life to rescue them; he was the first into the water and the last one out.

John 15:13 (NKJV)
^15:13 Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one's life for his friends.
 

We have a friend that was willing to do exactly that:  To give His life for us.  That’s what I want to declare to you today our Lord and Rescuer.

1 Timothy 1:12-15 (NKJV)
^1:12 And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord who has enabled me, because He counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry, ¹³ although I was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, and an insolent man; but I obtained mercy because I did it ignorantly in unbelief. ¹⁴ And the grace of our Lord was exceedingly abundant, with faith and love which are in Christ Jesus. ¹⁵ This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief.

God Can Use Us, Even Though

In verse 12 of our text, Paul is speaking of the trust that God has placed in him.  I am often amazed by the grace of God.  God’s gracious, Paul is a blasphemer and a persecutor, and yet God is using him.  I want you to take a moment and think about this, because we are in the same boat as Paul.  We love Jesus and we’re trying to live out his will…now.  But it wasn't always that way, was it?  At one point we were as bad as Paul.  Look at this scripture.

1 Corinthians 6:9-11 (NKJV)
^6:9 Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, ¹⁰ nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God. ¹¹ And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God.

That pretty much sums most of us up.  We all are at least one, if not all, of those things.  We were opposed to the will of God.  We were at enmity with God.  We were opposed to living the will of God; in fact, we were opposed to anything other than what made us feel good.  Am I right or am I wrong?

Even though we were all that, now God has entrusted us with His purpose and will on earth.  We are God’s plan for salvation for the world.  It’s up to us to draw others.  It’s up to us to lead others to Jesus.   It’s a sacred trust between God and Christians.   Maybe you’re reading this and you’re not a Christian.  Maybe you’re just here, on this website, exploring what this is all about.  Maybe you've been attending church, but you still don’t see the value in Christianity.  The value in it is right here in what Paul is saying.  Even though we have been a rebel and a sinner, God has had mercy and given us a way out of the punishment of our sin.  The sin and the filthiness are all taken away.  It’s not just that we are forgiven; the Bible tells us that the sin is removed; washed away.  We’re cleansed, we’re sanctified, (holy; literally made as saints), and we’re justified; made innocent.  God did that for us, even though.  Even though we were rebels and enemies of God, because we did those things in ignorance.  We didn't know what we were doing. 

Isn't that what Jesus said, as he looked at those who brutalized and crucified Him.  In the midst of all that he looked down from the cross at the people who were murdering Him and called out, “Father forgive them, they don’t know what they’re doing.”  Look at His words:

Luke 23:33-34a (NKJV)
^23:33 And when they had come to the place called Calvary, there they crucified Him, and the criminals, one on the right hand and the other on the left. ³⁴ Then Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do."…

He said, “They don’t know what they’re doing.”  They didn't know what they were doing.  Do you think if they knew they were crucifying God that they would have done it?  That’s just like us; we don’t see our sin from God’s perspective before we have Jesus in our life.  We don’t know we’re offending God.  It just doesn't occur to us.  If we knew God was real and that we were offending the Creator of the Universe, we wouldn't do it, would we?  Some of us maybe, but most of us wouldn't want to offend the creator.  After all, we’re ignorant; we’re not crazy. 

God used Jesus in the same way the US Coast Guard uses rescue swimmers.  Think about this, rescue swimmers jump out of the relative safety of a helicopter, into the storms and troubles that others are facing, risking death, in an attempt to rescue them.  That’s what Jesus did.  He became man:  He took on the troubles and storms of life that we are facing to rescue us.  We face certain death…the Bible says we are dead in our sin.  He jumped into the world from the safety of Heaven to rescue us from certain death.

In this same storm, another man, another rescue swimmer, in the midst of another rescue died.  He disappeared into the storm and was lost at sea.  The people were rescued but the rescue swimmer died.  He gave his life for those people.  This is exactly what Jesus did.  His death rescued us:  His spilled blood was the payment for our sin, our wrong behavior.  Because of his death we are rescued; saved and then we are entrusted to be a part of the rescue of other people.  “The grace of our Lord is exceedingly abundant.

God’s Mercy is Abundant

That’s what mercy is all about.  The whole thing is amazing to me.  In the beginning of time, Adam and Eve rebelled from God.  They did the one thing He told them not to do and because of that they lost the Garden.  They lost the place that God gave them that met every one of their needs, because they chose themselves over God’s will.  That’s basically what happened.  They chose to be like God rather than to obey God.  That’s the choice that they made and it cost them the Garden.  They were kicked out.  God separated Himself from them.

The tree of life was now off limits for them.  The thing that gave eternal life was now out of reach.  We can’t have eternal life and sin at the same time.  It’s one or the other.  So they were separated from God and they were to remain separated for centuries. 

So about now you might be thinking, where’s this mercy, you've been hearing about; this exceedingly abundant mercy.  The mercy is found in the beginning, immediately after they sinned.  This is an interesting moment:

God is laying curses on them.  Eve would have pain in childbirth.  She was crested to be the mother of all, that’s what Eve means, mother of all.  But now that blessing would be the curse.  God had given Adam food, shelter, and everything he needed.  He even gave Eve to him.  Now Adam is going to have to work for it.  What was freely given before would require sweat and struggle.  There will be thorns and thistles, pain and setbacks. 

He said these things after he had cursed Satan.  What He told Satan was that an offspring of Eve would come and destroy his power.  His power was the power to lead us into hell; to keep us in the bondage of rebellion:  A slave to sin.  That’s what we all are:

John 8:34 (NKJV)
^8:34 Jesus answered them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin.

We all do things that we know are wrong; even though we know we shouldn't do them we do them anyway.  We’re slaves to it.  It’s sin and we’re slaves to it.  This is what God’s mercy is all about; we didn't deserve what God did for us.  What would we do if someone did something wrong that hurt us?  We would want to get revenge.  That’s what we do when we’re angry…”It would serve them right if ______________ (fill in the blank with something horrible.)

Look at what God did.  He said, they did wrong and they hurt Me, so I will send someone to make it right.  Someone who will pay the price for what they have done. Someone to take their punishment for them, even though they hurt Me.  Someone who will go to His death so they won’t have to, just the same way that the rescue swimmer who died to rescue other people did.

In the storm, the people who were out in the in Sartori shouldn't have been there.  They’d heard about the storms converging.  They knew what was coming.  They were ignorant.  They ignored the warning, that’s ignorance.  Even though they knew all that, a rescue swimmer was sent to go in after them.  A man was sent to rescue them…even though.

That’s mercy, they didn't deserve it but a rescuer was sent for them anyway.  That’s mercy.  That’s also what God did for us.  We didn't deserve it but it was done for us, anyway…that’s God’s mercy.  What makes it exceedingly abundant mercy is the price that God paid to rescue us. 

Think about the family of the rescue swimmer who died trying to rescue those people who were out where they shouldn't have been.  Do you wonder how they felt?  “ We've lost a heroic, selfless man, because he wanted to rescue some idiots who had no business being out there in the first place.  Look what we traded for them.”  That’s what they were thinking, probably.  That’s what I would have been thinking.  Look at the price we paid for them.

Look at the price God paid for us.  Some of us though, we make that sacrifice of little value because we continue in sin. We remain ignorant of the price that was paid for us, or we neglect to help others to understand the price that was paid for them.

I was reading something on the Internet the other day that made me want to throw my computer on the floor:  Made me want to just toss it out the 10^th floor window.  Some guy, some pastor said he hates when we say things to people about their sin and the ultimate result of sin…hell.  He said we shouldn't do that.  He said we should let people just find his or her own way to God.

That goes against everything I believe as a Christian.  There was a price that was paid for that sin; a heavy price.  As a Christian I shouldn't let that price be wasted by not bringing it to people’s attention.  Otherwise, how will people know they’re doing it? 

Jesus confronted the woman at the well.  She’d been married five times and now she was shacking up with another man.  Jesus said, “Bring your husband to me.”    She’s telling him how religious she is and he says, “Bring your husband to me.”  That’s confrontation.  Jesus didn't hold back and neither should we.  They don’t know what they’re doing.  They don’t realize that it’s sin and that they will have to pay a heavy price for it.  Somebody needs to tell them, so they can escape the price.  When we continue to sin or refuse to warn others we make that price that was paid worth nothing.

What if the people who were rescued through the death of the rescue swimmer, went into the next storm, and the next, and continued to need to be rescued.  It would mean that that man gave his life for nothing.  Those people would be frivolous with the lives of those who risk it all to rescue them.  When we continue in our si,n or allow others to do the same we are being frivolous with God’s mercy and Jesus’ sacrifice.

Jesus went to the cross to free us from slavery to sin. He did it to destroy Satan’s power over mankind.  He did it to rescue us

He Saves Sinners

Finally, here’s the good news.  That what the Gospel is, that’s what I said at the very beginning of this.  Gospel literally means the good news.  So here it is:

1 Timothy 1:15 (NKJV)
^1:15 This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief.

Paul says that Jesus’ purpose was to come into the world to save sinners.  Then he says that he’s the worst of the worst:  The Chief of all sinners.  He’s saying that if Jesus can save him, He can save us, too.  You haven’t killed Christians just for being Christians, have you?  Paul did.  He stood by and consented to their death, that’s the same as throwing the stones.  God forgave him and he can forgive you.  In fact, there are many people whom we would consider to be horribly evil sinners:  Murderers and rapists.  People who have done horribly evil things and God forgave them.  

They've repented and they’re saved.  They've been given a second chance.  They are free from sin.  If they could be forgiven what would hinder you?

I talk to people sometimes and they tell me, “God can’t forgive me.”  But the Bible says that if we will confess our sin, God is faithful to forgive.  “But you don’t know what I've done, is the response.”  No I don’t, but I know what Paul has done.  I know what others have done and God forgave them.  God can forgive you as well.  That’s the good news today.  Jesus came to save sinners like you and I.  He came for us.  He’s our Lord and Rescuer.