Don’t Let Jesus Become Another Conversation

In the evenings, we’ve mentioned Augustine. His story’s worth reading because he spent so many years of his life doing exactly what students might be tempted to do at university…

He was very bright. He loved academic study, philosophy, but he got involved with the wrong crowd at the Freshers’ Fair (as it were). He joined the Manichaeans, listened to their arguments, and ended up debating against Christianity, even though he had Christian friends.

But then he met someone from a church, a guy called Ambrose. In fact, he heard him preaching, and the Holy Spirit used the preaching of Ambrose to convince Augustine that Christianity was actually true.

But Augustine didn’t become a Christian immediately. He was like the people who said, ‘Oh yeah, we’ll hear you again. We’ll hear you again. I’ll hear you again, Ambrose.’ He didn’t want to surrender himself to the Lord Jesus. He didn’t want to give up his sin, ultimately.

But the amazing thing the Holy Spirit did was he didn’t give up on him. And we hope that Dionysius and Damaris didn’t give up on their friends from the Areopagus, because it’s lovely when the Lord persists with people.

And this is what happened to Augustine. He was in this garden in Milan, in Italy, seeing how sinful he was, but was not yet a Christian. And then he heard this child’s voice. Maybe it was an angel, or either way, in the providence of God, this little child was ordained to say these words: ‘Take up and read. Take up and read. Take up and read. Take up and read.’

And so he did that, Augustine. He took up this Bible and he read Paul’s letter to the Romans. He read that command, ‘Put on the Lord Jesus Christ. Make no provision for the flesh.’ He’d hardly even finished reading that out loud when the darkness of his doubt disappeared, and he was converted.

And that’s what we all need. Let’s not come to university just for conversations. Conversations are great. Do enjoy this unique opportunity that you have to stay up late into the night chatting. Enjoy it. But don’t let Jesus be just another conversation.

Be resolved on Jesus. Don’t toy around with Jesus. Pray that the Holy Spirit would overcome your blindness, that you’re sure in Jesus.

And you can stay up all night talking about the definition of art, or what the best Star Wars film is, or who’s going to win the Premier League. You can stay up all night playing Risk or Settlers of Catan, or trying to complete your favourite computer game. That’s fine.

But don’t toy around with Jesus.

If you’re going to stay up all night talking about Jesus, talk about how wonderful he is, and how resolved you are to follow him and share him with others. Don’t stay up all night talking about whether you’re going to take him or not.

No, no. That needs to be a resolved decision. Just decide. Follow him. You’re being invited to follow him this morning, don’t put off that invitation.