The lapel-mic was not turned on this morning, and therefore the first sixteen or so minutes of today’s morning service was seen but not heard by those watching online!
For those of you who would like to read a draft of what was said during the service here are some accompanying notes:
- Intro:
When they came to the home of the synagogue leader, Jesus saw a commotion, with people crying and wailing loudly. He went in and said to them, “Why all this commotion and wailing? The child is not dead but asleep.” But they laughed at him. After he put them all out, he took the child’s father and mother and the disciples who were with him, and went in where the child was. He took her by the hand and said to her, “Talitha koum!” (which means “Little girl, I say to you, get up!”). Immediately the girl stood up and began to walk around (she was twelve years old). At this they were completely astonished. He gave strict orders not to let anyone know about this, and told them to give her something to eat.
That’s Mark chapter 5 there, and this is who we come to this morning, the one who can raise the dead with his voice, the Lord Jesus Christ. We are not only dead and dying in our bodies, but more seriously this morning, by nature each and every one of us is dead in our trespasses and sins. And yet we are here because the Father sent his Son, Jesus, into the world to raise us from our death, and he feeds us, not only with food every day, but with salvation-life from himself. It’s of this same Lord Jesus Christ that we will sing in our first hymn together…
- I Greet Thee Who My Sure Redeemer Art [153]
- Prayer:
How great you are Lord Jesus,
How deserving of praise,
We want to set our minds on where you are right now,
On your holy mountain—in heaven!
There you are, high and magnificent!
We thank you for heaven—for Mount Zion, the holy mountain,
The city of the great King Jesus!
And we thank you Father that the Lord Jesus Christ himself is in Jerusalem’s towers,
Revealing himself as its defender.
That yes, before Jesus died on the cross, the kings of the earth joined forces
And advanced against him
And yet—even though he died—
They then saw his power over death in resurrection,
And all will see his return in power and glory,
All your enemies Lord Jesus will be terrified and will cower in fear
And that will be a day when they are gripped with terror
These are terrifying thoughts Father, and yet
We are able to thank you for warnings in your word of your power,
That you destroy your enemies them like a mighty ship is destroyed in a storm
When it is shattered by a powerful east wind.
And so, we thank you Father, that we have heard of your city’s glory,
But we long to see it for ourselves—
To see the city of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.
The city of our God that we love to sing about;
Please make it safe forever.
Lord God, we have meditated on your unfailing love
As we worship you together this morning as your temple.
Your name deserves worship O God, our Father,
You will be praised to the ends of the earth.
Your strong right hand is filled with victory.
We long for the day when we your people will rejoice with you on Mount Zion
When all the tribes of your church will be glad!
Because of your justice.
And we long to—even this evening—inspect the city of Jerusalem.
To walk around and count the many towers.
To take note of the fortified walls,
And tour all the citadels,
And we pray that what we here this morning, may note all that we’re doing,
So that we can describe to future generations.
What you and your city are like.
You are our God forever and ever,
And you will guide us until we die.
We look to you,
In Jesus’ name.
Amen.
- Acts 20:7-38
- As Pants The Hard For Cooling Streams [667]
- Sermon:
Title: Becoming a Christian (4): Conversion
Text: Acts 20:21
There’s a song you might have heard which talks about who to call if there’s something strange in your neighbourhood. It ask that as a question… “Who you gonna call?” And the answer comes as a response.
It would be very strange if you were listening to that song one day, and suddenly there was no response. “Who you gonna call?” *Silence*
There has to be a response to that call!
***
Well, the gospel-call also needs a response too.
We’re in this series which were calling “becoming a Christian” and what we’ve seen already is that before the creation of the world every Christian was chosen in Christ, and that then at a certain point in their lives a Christian heard the gospel-call. And then—as we saw last week—the Holy Spirit gives a Christian rebirth so that they have the ability to respond to that call.
This week we are looking at that response. We could call it our conversion.
You may be used to hearing that sort of conversation in our Christian-context. “She’s been converted” someone might say.
And yet sometimes we can talk about conversion without ever really knowing what conversion is. But, what I hope we’ll see today is not something vague, it’s something specific. Conversion is repenting of our sins and trusting in Jesus.
Which is why we’re saying this to one another today:
If the Gospel Call has been given, we must respond to the invitation by repenting, and trusting in our Lord Jesus.
We’re taking Acts 20:21 as out text because it’s there that the Apostle Paul talks about exactly that. Repenting, and trusting in our Lord Jesus.
Now, in order for us to begin this conversation, we’re going to have to build a three-legged stool. And each leg of that stool is essential.
All three of those essential elements of conversion will be included in this first point.
Okay, here’s point one…
- Repenting, and trusting in our Lord Jesus is a personal decision based on personal knowledge.
Look at verse 21 of Acts 20. In Paul’s summary of the message he preached, he says that he ‘declared to both Jews and Greeks that they must turn to God in repentance and have faith in our Lord Jesus’. Which is why Paul says that this was a message that was ‘declared’. There was knowledge communicated.
He says something similar in Romans 10:14, ‘how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard?’
To which you may say, well if Repenting, and trusting in our Lord Jesus is based on knowledge, why we can’t just say that?
[Continued online: https://youtu.be/IClF_1GGsPA?t=975 sound comes in after 16:15.]
