WEBVTT 00:00:00.901 --> 00:00:14.005 If there are any children here who would like to go downstairs for a children's church, you can head way out right now and there will be a teacher joining you downstairs to give you a Bible lesson. 00:00:14.005 --> 00:00:29.928 We are in a sermon series in the book of the Acts of the Apostles on Sunday morning, and if you'd like a sermon outline didn't get one just raise your hand or I should be happy to give you one. 00:00:29.928 --> 00:01:02.154 Okay, got one up here Last time in Acts, chapter 8, if you brought a Bible and you want to turn there. 00:01:02.154 --> 00:01:04.275 In Acts 8, where we'll continue. 00:01:04.275 --> 00:01:15.930 Last time we saw what happened when the persecution of Christians led to their leaving their megachurch in Jerusalem and scattering them throughout the region. 00:01:15.930 --> 00:01:25.531 Luke then follows the story of Philip, a believer and disciple of Jesus, who was part of the leadership church in Jerusalem. 00:01:25.531 --> 00:01:41.731 He, stephen and five others were chosen to serve the widows in the church there, and after Stephen was martyred and Christians began to be persecuted in Jerusalem, philip fled and went north to the cities of Samaria. 00:01:41.731 --> 00:01:44.763 He was fleeing, but he wasn't hiding. 00:01:44.763 --> 00:01:46.046 To the cities of Samaria he was fleeing, but he wasn't hiding. 00:01:46.046 --> 00:02:00.394 He proclaimed Jesus and preached the gospel in Samaria, and the book of Acts explains how the church of Jesus Christ grew by conversions, conversions to Christ. 00:02:00.394 --> 00:02:11.629 We will continue that story today as I continue back up a little bit and continue on today in Acts, chapter 8, beginning in verse 4, just to get the context here. 00:02:12.532 --> 00:02:44.711 Therefore, those who had been scattered went about preaching the word, and Philip went down to the city of Samaria and began proclaiming Christ to them, and the multitudes, with one accord, were giving attention to what was said by Philip, as they heard and saw the signs which he was performing, for in the case of many who had unclean spirits, they were coming out of them shouting with a loud voice, and many who had been paralyzed and lame were healed, and there was much rejoicing in that city. 00:02:44.711 --> 00:02:56.664 Now there was a certain man named Simon who formerly was practicing magic in the city and astonished the people of Samaria, claiming to be somebody great. 00:02:56.664 --> 00:03:06.861 And they all, from the smallest to the greatest, were giving attention to him, saying this man is what is called the great power of God. 00:03:06.861 --> 00:03:13.502 And they were giving him attention because he had for a long time astonished them with his magic arts. 00:03:13.502 --> 00:03:20.062 But when they believed Philip preaching the good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ. 00:03:20.062 --> 00:03:25.991 They were being baptized, men and women alike, and even Simon himself believed. 00:03:25.991 --> 00:03:36.085 And after being baptized, he continued on with Philip and as he observed the signs and great miracles taking place, he was constantly amazed. 00:03:36.986 --> 00:03:52.751 Now, when the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent them Peter and John, who came down and prayed for them so that they might receive the Holy Spirit, for he had not yet fallen on any of them. 00:03:52.751 --> 00:03:56.405 They had simply been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 00:03:56.405 --> 00:04:02.625 Then they began laying their hands on them and they were receiving the Holy Spirit. 00:04:02.625 --> 00:04:17.670 Now, when Simon saw that the Spirit was bestowed through the laying on of the apostles' hands, he offered them money, saying Give this authority to me as well, so that everyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit. 00:04:17.670 --> 00:04:28.872 But Peter said to him May your silver perish with you, because you thought you could obtain the gift of God with money. 00:04:28.872 --> 00:04:35.773 You have no part or portion in this matter, for your heart is not right before God. 00:04:35.773 --> 00:04:50.973 Therefore, repent of this wickedness of yours and pray the Lord that, if possible, forgive the tensions of your heart, for I see that you are in the gall of bitterness and in the bondage of iniquity. 00:04:50.973 --> 00:04:58.329 But Simon answered and said Pray to the Lord for me, yourselves, so that nothing of what you have said may come upon me. 00:04:58.329 --> 00:05:01.706 Take a deep breath, thank you. 00:05:01.706 --> 00:05:04.043 Take a deep breath, thank you. 00:05:04.043 --> 00:05:14.935 Samaria was an area filled with many diverse, different religious beliefs than the Jews in Jerusalem. 00:05:14.935 --> 00:05:30.634 Philip, that to say, philip was out of his comfort zone when he brought the gospel to this pluralistic, diverse region, but as a result of his ministry, many Samaritans believed in Jesus and were baptized. 00:05:31.300 --> 00:05:33.548 Now, today, we're going to look at two things in this passage. 00:05:33.548 --> 00:05:36.408 Hopefully can be insightful and helpful. 00:05:36.408 --> 00:05:41.752 The first thing is confirming conversions and then, second, the gospel gift. 00:05:41.752 --> 00:05:51.730 When the apostles in Jerusalem heard the news that the Samaritans received the word of God, they sent two of them, peter and James, to confirm it. 00:05:51.730 --> 00:05:56.850 This was something brand new up until now. 00:05:56.850 --> 00:05:59.509 It was just Jews being converted to Jesus. 00:05:59.509 --> 00:06:07.608 They're learning God has extended the gospel to everybody, but this is going to be a process for them to pick up. 00:06:07.608 --> 00:06:20.014 So they sent these two apostles down to confirm that, in fact, these Samaritans had genuine faith in Jesus and were converted. 00:06:20.014 --> 00:06:35.713 And what we see here is this means the apostles were recognized as authoritative, confirming witnesses of God's truth and conversions that God was doing in the early church. 00:06:35.713 --> 00:06:38.202 Like I said, this is going to be a process. 00:06:38.202 --> 00:06:41.607 They're in a learning curve and this is one of the first steps. 00:06:41.607 --> 00:06:49.536 They see the gospel actually explode into other diverse, pluralistic cultures. 00:06:49.536 --> 00:06:56.072 The apostles were recognized as an authoritative witness. 00:06:56.072 --> 00:07:02.927 You see, believers in Jesus did not just believe in Jesus and do what was right in their own eyes. 00:07:02.927 --> 00:07:06.766 That's not how it went. 00:07:06.766 --> 00:07:16.769 The apostles were recognized as the authority God gave the early church to guide the church's progress, protect it from false teaching and ideas slipping in. 00:07:16.769 --> 00:07:27.110 It's one reason they're extremely important in the first generation of the church to establish it on sound doctrine. 00:07:27.862 --> 00:07:36.069 The apostles were called down to Samaria because, as I said, this was a unique, barrier-breaking moment for the gospel. 00:07:36.069 --> 00:07:39.790 They wanted to see it and confirm it. 00:07:39.790 --> 00:08:04.350 It was unique because, even though the Samaritans believed in Jesus and were baptized, they still, interestingly enough, had not received the Holy Spirit confirming that they were converted, that they were born again, didn't receive the Holy Spirit Like the Jewish believers did in Jerusalem at Pentecost. 00:08:04.350 --> 00:08:06.666 The Holy Spirit hadn't come on them. 00:08:06.666 --> 00:08:08.944 So the apostles are sent. 00:08:08.944 --> 00:08:10.690 Let's figure out what's going on here. 00:08:10.690 --> 00:08:27.689 So the apostles were sent not only to verify these conversions but to complete the process by praying for them and laying hands on them to receive the Holy Spirit, so they could witness God's seal on those who believe. 00:08:27.689 --> 00:08:39.176 Now I think behind this what's happening is God wants the apostles to see this is legit. 00:08:39.176 --> 00:08:48.269 You're going to see the Holy Spirit come on them, just like it did you, and they will be believers just like you. 00:08:48.269 --> 00:08:52.089 I think behind it it's for the apostles' sake. 00:08:52.089 --> 00:08:55.509 Mainly, you need to see the gospel is for everybody. 00:08:55.509 --> 00:08:57.807 And now let's look at what's happening. 00:08:57.807 --> 00:09:10.611 They were confirming that this was in fact what was happening once the truth was realized by the apostles and confirmed, which they did throughout the book of Acts. 00:09:10.611 --> 00:09:11.173 We'll see. 00:09:12.159 --> 00:09:33.548 Now we know when a person does believe in Jesus, no matter who they are, where they are, they receive and are sealed by the Holy Spirit immediately, which the Apostle Paul confirms in his letter to the Gentile believers in Ephesus Ephesians 1, 13 and 14. 00:09:33.548 --> 00:09:55.307 In him, he says to them after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise who was given as a pledge of our inheritance with a view to the redemption of God's own possession to the praise of his glory. 00:09:55.307 --> 00:10:01.548 Now let's actually start the sermon. 00:10:01.548 --> 00:10:05.885 How do you know? 00:10:05.885 --> 00:10:11.264 How do you know that you have believed and received the Holy Spirit? 00:10:11.264 --> 00:10:16.921 I see two things in Scripture that are confirming witnesses of that. 00:10:16.921 --> 00:10:23.634 The first thing is you will have when you believe genuinely from the heart. 00:10:23.634 --> 00:10:36.049 When you believe genuinely from the heart, when you believe you will be given the inner witness of the Holy Spirit in you, you will know he is in you. 00:10:39.501 --> 00:10:41.386 Romans 8, verse 16,. 00:10:41.386 --> 00:10:51.267 Paul says the Spirit himself testifies with our own spirit that we are the children of God. 00:10:51.267 --> 00:10:55.609 That's the first way you know you belong to him. 00:10:55.609 --> 00:10:58.368 You know Jesus is in you. 00:10:58.368 --> 00:11:11.750 Second, because the Holy Spirit's in you, the second thing you know that you have the Spirit is the Bible will actually start to make sense to you, maybe for the first time. 00:11:11.750 --> 00:11:18.011 A couple passages here 1 Thessalonians 2, verse 13,. 00:11:18.159 --> 00:11:37.211 Paul writes to the Thessalonians about their conversion and says for this reason we constantly thank God that when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but what it really is the word of God which also performs its work in you who believe. 00:11:37.211 --> 00:11:50.000 Understanding the scripture is a sign that Jesus' spirit is actually in you, is a sign that Jesus' spirit is actually in you. 00:11:50.000 --> 00:11:52.601 Luke 24,. 00:11:52.601 --> 00:11:55.509 After Jesus rose from the dead, jesus said this to the disciples. 00:11:55.509 --> 00:12:01.836 He said now, these are my words, which I spoke to you while I was still with you. 00:12:01.836 --> 00:12:03.306 Now you remember the Gospels. 00:12:03.306 --> 00:12:09.330 He's telling them the truth about what's good and quoting Old Testament Scripture. 00:12:09.330 --> 00:12:11.304 Do you think they got it? 00:12:11.304 --> 00:12:15.969 No, you guys were so hard to believe. 00:12:15.969 --> 00:12:25.581 He said to them these are my words, which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all the things which are written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled. 00:12:25.581 --> 00:12:30.052 Then he opened their minds to understand the Scripture. 00:12:30.052 --> 00:12:32.648 That's a function of the Holy Spirit. 00:12:33.581 --> 00:12:44.011 I say that because of what Paul says in 1 Corinthians 2, 12-16, because here Paul tells us that God gave us the Holy Spirit. 00:12:44.011 --> 00:12:56.173 One reason he gave us so that not only will we know he's in us and we belong to him, but so that we might understand the things God has given us, including his word. 00:12:56.173 --> 00:12:59.027 Listen to 1 Corinthians 2. 00:12:59.027 --> 00:13:23.408 He says Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the spirit who is from God, so that, so that we may know, understand the things given to us by God, which things we also speak, not in words taught by human wisdom, but those taught by the spirit. 00:13:23.408 --> 00:13:29.328 And he's referring to the Word Combining spiritual thoughts with spiritual words. 00:13:29.880 --> 00:13:38.250 But a natural man, an unconverted person, does not accept the things of the Spirit. 00:13:38.250 --> 00:13:43.225 They're foolishness, they don't get it. 00:13:43.225 --> 00:13:53.803 There's no insight, there's no enlightenment, and he cannot understand them because they're spiritually appraised. 00:13:53.803 --> 00:13:57.240 Without the Holy Spirit you cannot unlock this. 00:13:57.240 --> 00:13:59.876 That's the point of all of that. 00:13:59.876 --> 00:14:04.878 But he who is spiritual appraises all things. 00:14:04.878 --> 00:14:06.817 Yet he himself is appraised by no one. 00:14:06.817 --> 00:14:11.182 For who has known the mind of the Lord that he will instruct him? 00:14:11.182 --> 00:14:13.658 But here's an interesting statement to think about. 00:14:13.658 --> 00:14:15.436 We have the mind of Christ. 00:14:15.436 --> 00:14:16.339 Why is that? 00:14:16.339 --> 00:14:23.322 Because we have his spirit in us, helping teach us our thoughts. 00:14:23.322 --> 00:14:25.155 He has access to us. 00:14:25.155 --> 00:14:27.674 But here it is. 00:14:27.674 --> 00:14:38.097 It all begins on whether or not we understand that the gospel of Jesus is a gift, which we're going to turn to next. 00:14:39.691 --> 00:14:59.344 While the apostles were in Samaria verifying the conversions of the Samaritans, they met this man named Simon, who was formerly a magician and liked to think great things of himself and marveled at the audiences with his great feats and acts and power. 00:14:59.344 --> 00:15:05.841 Now I've got to admit this is a perplexing text. 00:15:05.841 --> 00:15:19.456 I'm not sure I've got the final word on this, but I'll give you the way I'm looking at it in context Simon. 00:15:19.456 --> 00:15:29.921 This is perplexing, says Simon the magician believed the gospel that Philip preached and was baptized with the others, and he was in awe of the signs Philip was doing. 00:15:29.921 --> 00:15:36.559 And yet when Peter gets there, keep in mind they hadn't received the Holy Spirit yet. 00:15:36.559 --> 00:15:44.442 When Peter gets there, peter rebukes him and tells him his heart is not right with God. 00:15:44.442 --> 00:15:57.736 Now look, it's possible to really be a believer in Jesus and we're still going to sin and our heart may not be right with God in particular instances in our lives. 00:15:59.649 --> 00:16:08.018 Apparently, in Simon's case, though, the issue seems to be much deeper, based on what Peter says. 00:16:08.018 --> 00:16:14.543 Apparently, simon never really understood the gospel. 00:16:14.543 --> 00:16:22.322 Whatever gospel he believed in, it was not the true gospel. 00:16:22.322 --> 00:16:29.278 But what he's doing is going through the motions like he did understand. 00:16:29.278 --> 00:16:30.975 That's my perspective on this. 00:16:30.975 --> 00:16:40.879 He thought the Holy Spirit was given to privileged people and not a gift based on faith in Jesus. 00:16:40.879 --> 00:17:01.403 Based on what Peter says, we'll look at in a minute the question I had in this is why did Luke include this account of Simon in this passage where the Samaritans are literally coming to Christ in droves? 00:17:01.403 --> 00:17:04.920 Why is Luke including this instance? 00:17:05.690 --> 00:17:11.063 It's not something the early church you'd think would highlight or brag about. 00:17:11.063 --> 00:17:16.162 Hmm, the early church you think would highlight or brag about. 00:17:16.162 --> 00:17:27.298 I believe it was to demonstrate that not everyone who professes to believe the gospel and is baptized is really a born-again Christian. 00:17:27.298 --> 00:17:28.981 That's my view. 00:17:28.981 --> 00:17:40.417 They may not really be converted and Simon is the exhibit A. 00:17:40.417 --> 00:17:44.882 I think this is extremely important for the church today. 00:17:44.882 --> 00:18:04.440 It is possible, it really is possible, to identify yourself as a Christian but not really be born again by God's Spirit and be converted. 00:18:04.440 --> 00:18:14.251 It is possible to know and believe the content of the gospel that Jesus died for sins and rose again, but not be born again by the Holy Spirit. 00:18:14.251 --> 00:18:27.992 Only those who believe in Jesus and receive the Holy Spirit are truly born-again, regenerated Christians. 00:18:30.958 --> 00:18:35.443 Listen to what Paul says in his letter to Titus, chapter 3, 5-7. 00:18:35.443 --> 00:18:59.761 God saved us not on the basis of deeds, which we've done in righteousness, but according to his mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ, our Savior, so that, being justified by his grace, we would be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life. 00:18:59.761 --> 00:19:06.031 Now I've got to tell you, as we go through Acts, we're going to be talking a lot about spiritual conversions. 00:19:06.031 --> 00:19:14.365 There's a lot of them, and Luke is placing a huge emphasis on him. 00:19:14.365 --> 00:19:26.959 And I think here we see this juncture where I come away thinking it's one thing to know and believe and profess the content of the gospel in your head. 00:19:26.959 --> 00:19:33.401 It's quite another thing to believe and experience the truth of the gospel in your very heart. 00:19:33.401 --> 00:19:39.278 Only the Holy Spirit can give you that sense. 00:19:39.278 --> 00:19:43.377 I belong to him, he's in me, I know it. 00:19:43.377 --> 00:19:56.064 As Paul says in Romans 10, 9 and 10, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you'll be saved. 00:19:56.064 --> 00:20:07.922 For with the heart person believes, resulting in righteousness, with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation. 00:20:07.922 --> 00:20:13.563 So it's not just the mouth that confesses oh, I'm a Christian, I believe Jesus. 00:20:13.563 --> 00:20:19.693 It has to happen here, now. 00:20:19.835 --> 00:20:31.919 So when Simon the magician saw Peter lay his hands on these believers to receive the Holy Spirit, simon wanted to add that power to his entourage, his magic show. 00:20:31.919 --> 00:20:32.732 He offered to pay Peter for that power to his entourage. 00:20:32.732 --> 00:20:32.736 His magic show. 00:20:32.736 --> 00:20:36.202 He offered to pay Peter for that power. 00:20:36.202 --> 00:20:40.874 Now listen, when Peter heard that, he knew right away. 00:20:40.874 --> 00:20:44.695 He doesn't understand the gospel, he doesn't get it. 00:20:44.695 --> 00:20:52.080 He says to him how could you think you could pay for a gift? 00:20:52.080 --> 00:20:56.195 Not possible. 00:20:56.195 --> 00:20:57.954 You don't get it. 00:20:57.954 --> 00:21:01.696 Yet Money perish with you. 00:21:01.696 --> 00:21:07.643 You thought you could attain the gift of God with money or anything else. 00:21:07.643 --> 00:21:09.536 Not possible. 00:21:09.536 --> 00:21:13.659 Your heart is not right with God. 00:21:13.659 --> 00:21:23.041 Note this well, burn it into your brain, seal it in your heart, because we drift away from this very easily. 00:21:25.112 --> 00:21:28.734 The gospel of Jesus is a gift that's received. 00:21:28.734 --> 00:21:34.039 It's not a commodity to gain through any effort or payment of ours. 00:21:34.039 --> 00:21:39.080 It is the gift of salvation in the name of Jesus Christ the righteous. 00:21:39.080 --> 00:21:44.309 It's the gift of eternal life given on the basis of Jesus' death and resurrection. 00:21:44.309 --> 00:21:50.900 It's the gift of forgiveness of sins, gift Given on the basis of Jesus' substitutionary sacrifice for us. 00:21:50.900 --> 00:21:58.699 It's the gift of the Holy Spirit given by Jesus, who ascended at the right hand of God and then gives it to all who believe in him. 00:21:58.699 --> 00:22:06.797 It's the gift of adoption into the family of God by sharing in the Holy Spirit he's given to us, gift, gift, gift. 00:22:06.797 --> 00:22:16.590 If you're still thinking you're pretty good and God will welcome you because you're right, you don't get it. 00:22:16.590 --> 00:22:19.236 It's not bad. 00:22:19.236 --> 00:22:23.663 God's gift cannot be bought, merited, earned, deserved or worked for. 00:22:23.663 --> 00:22:31.383 It's a gift to everyone who understands they are unworthy of it and can call on Jesus to save them. 00:22:31.383 --> 00:22:39.430 A gift Should I repeat that 10 or 12 more times? 00:22:39.950 --> 00:22:59.289 Now, look, there are probably some Simons who are part of every church. 00:22:59.289 --> 00:23:05.018 They are, like I was, individuals who identify themselves as Christians. 00:23:05.018 --> 00:23:09.164 They are even baptized, but they're not born again. 00:23:09.164 --> 00:23:15.198 They don't have the Holy Spirit. 00:23:15.198 --> 00:23:22.690 If you gave them a religious survey, they would check Christian as their religion. 00:23:22.690 --> 00:23:33.039 I'm a Christian and, like Simon, they believed the content of the gospel, the creed of the Christian faith. 00:23:33.039 --> 00:23:43.432 Jesus existed, he was the Son of God, he died on the cross, he rose from the dead, ascended to heaven. 00:23:43.432 --> 00:23:45.196 You know what? 00:23:45.196 --> 00:23:55.929 But like I was never received the Holy Spirit in me. 00:23:55.929 --> 00:24:00.954 It's a dangerous, dangerous place to be. 00:24:01.015 --> 00:24:05.338 I grew up in a church where I was immersed in the content of the gospel. 00:24:05.338 --> 00:24:09.102 I believed that Jesus was the Messiah, the Son of God. 00:24:09.102 --> 00:24:21.023 I believed Jesus died for sins and rose again, but my life remained unchanged. 00:24:21.023 --> 00:24:26.269 I was not converted. 00:24:26.269 --> 00:24:30.969 I did not know Jesus being in my heart. 00:24:30.969 --> 00:24:32.776 I had no assurance the Holy Spirit was in me. 00:24:32.776 --> 00:24:33.719 Listen to me carefully. 00:24:33.719 --> 00:24:38.298 This is so important Romans 8, 9 and 11. 00:24:38.298 --> 00:24:47.875 If anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to him. 00:24:47.875 --> 00:25:03.923 If Christ is in you notice the phraseology if he's in you, though, the body is dead because of sin, yet the spirit's alive because of his righteousness. 00:25:03.923 --> 00:25:10.663 But if the spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you don't miss this dwells in you. 00:25:10.663 --> 00:25:12.549 He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead dwells in you. 00:25:12.549 --> 00:25:12.892 Don't miss this. 00:25:12.892 --> 00:25:13.795 Dwells in you. 00:25:13.795 --> 00:25:20.467 He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life right now to your mortal bodies. 00:25:20.467 --> 00:25:25.159 You will become alive, first and foremost spiritually, like never before. 00:25:25.159 --> 00:25:28.366 Listen to me. 00:25:28.596 --> 00:25:32.165 I had an intellectual faith and thought myself a Christian. 00:25:32.165 --> 00:25:36.044 I considered it was my religion. 00:25:36.044 --> 00:25:40.684 I did not have the Holy Spirit. 00:25:40.684 --> 00:25:43.623 I was not converted. 00:25:43.623 --> 00:25:46.804 I was not born again. 00:25:46.804 --> 00:25:52.815 See to understand the gospel. 00:25:52.815 --> 00:25:55.165 See to understand the gospel. 00:25:55.165 --> 00:25:57.337 You must understand. 00:25:57.337 --> 00:25:59.326 It's not a call to religion or to be more religious. 00:25:59.326 --> 00:26:02.403 It's a call to Jesus. 00:26:02.403 --> 00:26:10.545 You must understand verses like this 1 John, 5, 11 and 12, and add 13. 00:26:10.545 --> 00:26:14.260 It's good too, and this is the testimony. 00:26:14.260 --> 00:26:25.307 John says that God has given us eternal life, gift given us, and this life is in his Son. 00:26:25.307 --> 00:26:30.987 He who has the Son has the life. 00:26:30.987 --> 00:26:35.445 He who does not have the Son does not have the life. 00:26:35.445 --> 00:26:41.207 I write this to you so that you may know you have eternal life. 00:26:41.207 --> 00:26:45.984 This is how I was converted. 00:26:45.984 --> 00:27:08.689 A professing Christian, going to church every Sunday, believing the content of the faith, this is how I was converted and it's now become my probably go-to witnessing tool. 00:27:08.689 --> 00:27:15.625 God just did a work in me recently that convinced me you need to tell this story. 00:27:15.625 --> 00:27:17.817 Okay, I'll tell it. 00:27:17.817 --> 00:27:20.301 This is how I was converted. 00:27:20.362 --> 00:27:37.048 When I was in college, freshman college friend my dorm invited me into a Bible study and I said, oh yeah, I'm a Christian and I could answer all the questions that came up in the passage in John. 00:27:37.048 --> 00:27:38.651 That did great. 00:27:38.651 --> 00:27:53.549 And then one night this friend, after the study was done, came to my room because, like Simon, see, he didn't know whether I was converted. 00:27:53.549 --> 00:28:01.865 He didn't know Am I born again or not, because I could answer all the questions perfectly. 00:28:01.865 --> 00:28:20.240 So he came to my room, he knocked on the door and I can't go into all the details and I shooed him away because I was planning on something else that night, went away Very next night. 00:28:22.261 --> 00:28:23.086 Hey, jim, you got a minute. 00:28:23.086 --> 00:28:25.202 I'm going to talk to you about something in the Bible. 00:28:25.202 --> 00:28:26.980 Okay, come on in. 00:28:26.980 --> 00:28:33.981 And he said here, I want you to read this verse 1, john 5, 11 and 12. 00:28:33.981 --> 00:28:36.801 Okay, read it. 00:28:36.801 --> 00:28:40.723 And then he said to me what do you think that means? 00:28:40.723 --> 00:28:53.468 I said, hmm, well, it says here he who and I did this motion he who has the Son has life and he who doesn't have the son doesn't have life. 00:28:53.468 --> 00:28:54.770 Right. 00:28:56.153 --> 00:28:58.876 Then he asked me the question that changed my life. 00:28:58.876 --> 00:29:03.442 Jim said would you like to? 00:29:03.442 --> 00:29:16.304 I said yes, how do I do that? 00:29:16.304 --> 00:29:23.817 He said all you got to do is just pray and ask him Really yeah, why don't we pray right now? 00:29:23.817 --> 00:29:27.025 I said, okay, I prayed. 00:29:27.826 --> 00:29:30.457 And listen to me, I tell people I can't explain this, but after I prayed I knew immediately the sun was in me. 00:29:30.457 --> 00:29:37.685 I tell people I can't explain this, but after I prayed I knew immediately the Son was in me. 00:29:37.685 --> 00:29:39.407 I knew it immediately. 00:29:39.407 --> 00:29:41.230 The Spirit testifying with my spirit. 00:29:41.230 --> 00:29:47.288 You belong to God. 00:29:47.288 --> 00:29:48.451 Now I was amazed. 00:29:48.451 --> 00:29:53.190 Something from outside me came inside me. 00:29:53.190 --> 00:29:56.193 The only explanation I have is it must have been the Holy Spirit, because I was not the same. 00:29:56.193 --> 00:29:59.843 My life was drastically changed. 00:29:59.843 --> 00:30:05.740 Immediately I was converted, holy cow. 00:30:05.740 --> 00:30:11.442 Not all at once did my life turn around, but some things immediately. 00:30:11.442 --> 00:30:16.578 I didn't do those things to get my salvation. 00:30:16.578 --> 00:30:19.734 Oh, I've got to clean up all my life now, and then maybe Jesus looks at me. 00:30:19.734 --> 00:30:20.718 No, no, no, no, no. 00:30:20.718 --> 00:30:24.798 I'm a sinner, a horrible sinner, and all I did was pray. 00:30:24.798 --> 00:30:28.267 I believed Come in, and he did. 00:30:28.267 --> 00:30:34.884 By the way, thank so many of you for praying for me. 00:30:34.884 --> 00:30:42.897 That's how I led my sister to Jesus before she died. 00:30:45.500 --> 00:30:59.036 I was in the hospital room and, long story short, I came to the place where I read this verse to her and I said Connie, do you have the son? 00:30:59.036 --> 00:31:05.207 The same question asked of me and she said I don't know, would you like to? 00:31:05.207 --> 00:31:06.730 She said yeah. 00:31:06.730 --> 00:31:11.664 I said well, let's pray together and just open your heart to Jesus and ask him. 00:31:11.664 --> 00:31:19.041 She did, I mean cried out to Jesus to come in, and I'm whoa. 00:31:19.041 --> 00:31:26.265 That's where the Lord said you know, jim, you ought to share this more often. 00:31:26.265 --> 00:31:28.362 I said you got me, lord. 00:31:28.362 --> 00:31:37.588 Now listen to me If you're like I was and you're not sure you have the Son. 00:31:37.588 --> 00:31:45.061 You don't, because you will know Romans 8, 16. 00:31:50.067 --> 00:31:56.479 To be born again by God's Spirit is different from becoming more religious After I was born again. 00:31:56.479 --> 00:31:57.040 It's funny. 00:31:57.040 --> 00:32:02.525 For years my family tried to explain me in many different ways. 00:32:02.525 --> 00:32:06.342 They didn't know what to do with me, my parents, my siblings. 00:32:06.342 --> 00:32:13.800 The only thing they could come up with telling their friends, our relatives, he got religion. 00:32:13.800 --> 00:32:17.097 Oh, okay, and what I told them? 00:32:17.097 --> 00:32:20.923 When I was home recently I said listen to me, I did not get religion. 00:32:20.923 --> 00:32:24.885 I got a relationship for the first time with Jesus Christ. 00:32:24.885 --> 00:32:30.864 I was converted by the Spirit of God. 00:32:32.596 --> 00:32:34.723 We're going to talk a lot about conversions in Acts. 00:32:34.723 --> 00:32:40.461 We're going to learn something from each and every single one of them what it means to be converted. 00:32:40.461 --> 00:32:41.919 How do I get converted? 00:32:41.919 --> 00:32:43.505 It's all right there. 00:32:43.505 --> 00:32:46.604 Every story gives us another insight. 00:32:48.096 --> 00:33:12.626 In order to receive the Son, you must understand and believe the message of the gospel, and that message is this you are so sinful that nothing but the sacrifice of the Son of God himself could ever save you, and, on the other hand, you are so loved by the Son of God. 00:33:12.626 --> 00:33:16.306 He was glad to die for you so he could be with you. 00:33:16.306 --> 00:33:20.040 That's the gospel. 00:33:20.040 --> 00:33:51.403 When you understand that, then open your heart to believe in Jesus to save you from your sins and come into you, because the scripture says in Romans 10, whoever and in other places, whoever calls on the name of the Lord, calls on the name of the Lord, will be saved, and it's nothing we do, it's all him. 00:33:51.964 --> 00:33:52.405 Let's pray. 00:33:52.405 --> 00:34:05.762 Father, thank you that you sent your son, jesus, not to just be our teacher, our example or start a new religion, but to be actually with us, inside us, in our hearts, in the presence of your Holy Spirit. 00:34:05.762 --> 00:34:23.588 Lord, I pray, would you please open the eyes and hearts of those of us who do believe but who've not yet been converted by the indwelling of the Spirit, so that they may experience the new birth and your real presence in their lives. 00:34:23.588 --> 00:34:35.108 And for those of us who do know we have the Son, help us to live our lives out for him, who gave himself completely for us. 00:34:35.108 --> 00:34:37.264 I pray in Jesus' name, amen.