What must I do to be saved?

Text Acts 16:30, 31 Date 01/09/13 Place Childs Hill Baptist (Baptism)

Have you ever been in an earthquake? No? Nor me. Well, not a proper one. They tell us every now and again that there has been an earthquake in this country but we hardly notice it. No, I mean a real earthquake. I've talked to people who've experienced such a thing and I've been in a simulated one down at the Science Museum as you may have. Everything shakes. They don't last long but perhaps the worst thing is that you don't know how long it will last or exactly what it will do. They are fairly common in certain parts of the world.

I mention the subject as in Acts 16 we read how the Apostle Paul, along with his fellow worker Silas, was caught up in an earthquake, a really violent one. It happened at dead of night while they were in prison in the city of Philippi, in the most secure part of the jail. The earthquake was pretty strong and shook the prison's foundations. Somehow the earthquake threw all the prison doors open and, we read, everybody's chains came loose. In the midst of this earthquake the jailer and others come to trust in the Lord Jesus Christ. through the witness of Paul and Silas.

Let's backtrack a moment to Paul's arrival in the Roman Colonial City of Philippi in Macedonia. He was on his second missionary journey, you recall, and had been directed through a vision for the first time into Europe. Philippi had no synagogue but there were a group of women who met to pray by the river and so Paul preached to them and first a Gentile God fearer and business woman called Lydia was converted. In Chapter 16, Luke, who was with Paul and the others at this time, tells us how one day, on the way to the place of prayer, a slave girl who had a spirit by which she predicted the future came up to them. This woman earned a great deal of money for her owners by fortune-telling. She followed Paul and the rest of us, Luke says shouting, These men are servants of the Most High God, who are telling you the way to be saved. This went on for several days until Paul became so troubled that he turned around and said to the spirit, In the name of Jesus Christ I command you to come out of her! At that moment the spirit left her. Once the people who owned the girl realised that they couldn't make money out of her any more they seized two of the group Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace to face the authorities. They say to the magistrates These men are Jews, and are throwing our city into an uproar by advocating customs unlawful for us Romans to accept or practice. The crowd join in the attack and so the magistrates order Paul and Silas to be stripped and beaten. After a severe flogging they are thrown into prison. The jailer is commanded to guard them carefully so he puts them in the inner cell and fastens their feet in the stocks.

So come midnight Paul and Silas are stuck in a dark and smelly dungeon far from home. Their backs are bleeding, they are chained hand and foot. And what are they doing? Praying and singing hymns to God, of course. All the other prisoners are listening to them. Who are these people? They have never come across prisoners like this!

Now it is at just this point that the earthquake suddenly comes. Because all the doors swung open and chains fell off, the jailer, who had fallen asleep but has been woken by the earthquake, fears that the prisoners are going to escape and so he draws his sword ready to kill himself. Paul sees what's about to happen so shouts Don't harm yourself! We are all here! The jailer then calls for lights, rushes trembling into the inner cell, where Paul and Silas are, falls before them, and asks the question we will look at in a moment. We only have a brief account of the conversation. The jailer's question Sirs, what must I do to be saved? Their answer Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved - you and your household. We're told (32) that they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all the others in his house. Clearly the jailer and others were convinced by this message. The jailer then took Paul and Silas and washed their wounds; then immediately he and all his family (or household – may be the other prisoners) were baptised. Obviously they'd become believers. The jailer then brought them to his own house and set a meal before them. He was filled with joy because he had come to believe in God - he and his whole family/household.

On release Paul makes a point of complaining at their unjust flogging then leaves Philippi. He does this so that the authorities will think twice before they attack the infant church Paul left behind.

So what I want to consider is verses 30, 31 He then brought them out and asked, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? They replied, Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved - you and your household. I want us to look then at this great question – and the great answer that Paul and Silas gave.

1. A great question - Consider this vital question and ask it

So first we have the question. It's a great question and one that we all need to ask it and know the answer to it. He (the jailer) then brought them out (Paul and Silas) and asked, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? What must I do to be saved? Let's ask three further questions about that vital question.

1. What prompted it and what may prompt it in us?

Now, what did the jailer mean by his question? We do not know if he had been awake when Paul and Silas were praying and singing. Certainly he had heard and felt the earthquake and had at that very moment contemplated ending his earthly life with his sword. We are told that when he fell before Paul and Silas he was trembling and that is no surprise. In such a situation it would be more of a surprise if he had not been shaking. The earthquake that God had sent at that particular moment had served not only to shake up the jail and the surrounding area but this man too. Any complacency or self-satisfaction was gone. He was afraid.

It is worth noting that without this experience the jailer would never have asked his question. Questions are often prompted by specific situations. A man who gets all his clothes washed by his wife may never ask the question 'How does the washing machine work?' until she is not there one day. If you never want to shoot anything you will probably never ask the question 'How do you use a gun?' If you don't like ratatouille or spaghetti Bolognese you will probably never ask how to cook them.

And so if you are never afraid or fearful then you may well never ask the question what must I do to be saved?

And yet every one of us has reason to be afraid. There is death, which lies ahead for us all. Doesn't that make you afraid? It should do. There is the Devil. He is a snake, a wily serpent. He is like a prowling lion. He is a fiery dragon. Do you know what he can do to people like us? There is such a place as hell. Aren't you afraid of ending up there? What about your propensity to sin? Doesn't it frighten you sometimes, how easily you sin? There is a God, a God with whom we have to do, to whom we will have to give an account one day and with so many sins in our lives, why are we not fearful?

2. What the question is

Whenever you become afraid at any time, when you are brought to your knees, ask this question then What must I do to be saved? How can I escape from this? How can I be healed or made whole? How can I face death? How can I escape the Devil's clutches? How can I be delivered from hell? How can I turn from sin? How can I stand before Almighty God to be judged? Oh how we need to be saved from sin and from Satan and from death and from ourselves! How can we be saved?

3. Who was asked and who should we ask?

We should also notice this. The jailer had never asked this question of anyone before I guess. But now he is desperate. So who does he turn to – not to himself or to his family or to any of the other prisoners but to these two men who have been praying and singing to God in the heart of his jail. Now there's a lesson for us all. When people today get frightened and they want help they turn to all sorts of people. They turn to their friends or to the rescue services or to the National Health or they turn to various non-directive counsellors or to alternative medicine and may be they get some help from these. They turn to astrologers and to religion and to education and to entertainment. But the truth is that the only place we'll find help is in those who pray to God and sing his praise. It is only people like Paul and Silas and their successors that can properly answer the question, what must I do to be saved? If it's a fire you rightly call 999 and ask for the Fire Brigade; if someone has a heart attack you phone 999 and ask for an ambulance; if you're fed up or lonely call a friend, if your hair's in your eyes go to the barber.

However, if you're fearful and your question is What must I do to be saved? Then turn to those like Paul and Silas who know God and who can properly answer your question. Ask me. Don't just listen to the sermons. If you don't understand, be bold and ask to know more. Ask other believers here. They can tell you.

2. A great answer

So this is the great question - what must I do to be saved? What would you have said in that situation? Great questions are easier than great answers, I suppose. What is the great answer that Paul and Silas give to this great question? Perhaps we're best to begin by noticing what they did not say

1. What is not the answer – ignore the wrong answers that abound

They didn't say to him 'It's just an earthquake and it's okay now. You don't need to be saved.' They knew this one local shaking was pointing to the final great shaking that will come at the end.

They didn't urge him to believe in himself either. They didn't say, you just need to know yourself and be at one with yourself.

Nor was it – think positive. Get your attitude right and all will be well.

They didn't urge him to be religious either. They didn't suggest that what he needed was a trip to the prayer meeting or some ritual act.

Nor did they simply tell him to try and be a better person.

Some of you perhaps think in these terms. You feel things are wrong. You are fearful. You think may be what you need is a fresh start, a new religion, etc. I want to urge you not to think in those terms but to listen to what Paul and Silas say here.

2. What is the answer – Hear this important command and obey it

So what did they say? Paul and Silas had no hesitation in giving the answer they did. Verse 31 They replied, Believe in the Lord Jesus. The man had asked what must I do to be saved? There is a sense in which their answer was 'Do? Do nothing. You don't need to do something. You don't need to do anything. What you need is to believe in someone.' Or we could take it in the sense that the thing he had to do concerned a person - the Lord Jesus, and what the jailer needed to do in relation to that person. What they said to him, of course, is the same for us all. Many things have changed since then but not this. So two things.

Focus on the Lord Jesus

He is the only one who can save you. He is called Lord here because he is God. There is no point in thinking we can be saved by any human agency. We need to look to God. He is the only one who can save us. No other can. He alone is our hope. Jesus, of course, means 'he saves'. He is the only Mediator between God and man. There is no way to be saved except through him. He is the one who has come and lived the perfect life that none of us can live. He is the one who has died on the cross in the place of sinners. He is the Saviour of the World.

If you were in need of rescue – say stuck on a desert island, in a dinghy on the ocean or fallen on a mountain – then you know that you would be looking for rescue. You'd be looking for a ship or a helicopter. You wouldn't be thinking of ways to save yourself. You would look carefully every moment. You would be ready. I'm saying to you only Jesus can rescue you. Look out for him.

Are you looking to Jesus then? Do you see him as your one hope, your only hope? Are you eager to know about him so that you may be saved? I urge you to get to know him. Find out all about him that you can. He is the key. Without him you are sunk. We are all sunk.

Believe in him.

Of course, simply reading about the Lord Jesus or knowing about him will not save anyone. The Lord Jesus is the one who the Father loves and delights in. He is the one who has all power and might. What needs to happen then is that we need to be attached to him. We need to be joined to him. That is done by putting our faith in him. It is as you trust in the Lord Jesus that you are saved. Put your confidence there and nowhere else. Lean on him. He is the one you must come to and rest upon.

Are you doing that? Are you putting your trust in Jesus Christ? Many of you are I know. Go on trusting in him. If you have begun to trust, don't stop now. May be you have never realised that you simply need to look to Jesus. You keep thinking it's all sorts of other things but no, trust in Jesus. That's what is needed. Trust in him now. Believe. Just like this Philippian jailer did – just where he was and when he heard that was what he needed to do. Oh what joy was his when he did that. He became a different man. He was still big and gruff, I guess, not the most genteel of men. But God had changed him. No more rough treatment for followers of Jesus or thoughts of killing himself. No, all was changed now.

3. Hear this wonderful promise for all who obey

Let's get the whole sentence then to close Believe on the Lord Jesus and you will be saved - you and your household. Simply by believing a person is saved – saved from hell, from death, from sin, from the devil. This does not mean they will never have any troubles ever again but it does mean that their biggest troubles are over. They are safe. They are going to heaven. They no longer have to sin,. The devil cannot demand anything with regard to them. What applied to the jailer applied to all his family (or perhaps all the other prisoners) - you and your household

Think of our previous illustrations. Once the boat reaches the desert island, once the big yellow helicopter looms in sight, you know you are safe. Once you see Jesus as portrayed in Scripture and put your trust in him, you know all is well.

This is for everyone then. If you truly believe then you will truly be saved. What you do now will have an effect way into eternity.

A man and a woman baptised - their story and you

Text Acts 16 Date 19/04/15 Place Childs Hill Baptist (Baptism)

We are going to baptise two young people tonight. In a short while they are going to say something about their story and then one by one I am going to go down into the water with them and I am going to immerse them in the water and then they are going to rise and step out. They are going to be symbolically washed clean. Symbolically, they are going to die as they sink and then rise again as they come up from under the water.

Now whenever there is a symbol or a symbolic action there is potential for misunderstanding and so without words we will not be entirely sure that everybody understands.

Take for example if I shake my head left and right. For most people that means “no”. There are parts of the world, however, where it means “yes” and nodding the head means “no”. To be absolutely sure then you need to say which you mean.

Or take two fingers. A man in a pub indicating to the barman he wants two beers may be understood. In a similar way George Bush Senior apparently ran into trouble in 1992 in Australia when he tried to make a sign for peace.

In this country people often wear red poppies in November to remember the war dead. In 2010 David Cameron wore one in China, however, and it caused offence as in the nineteenth century Britain defeated China in two opium wars (opium coming from poppies).

I really want you all to understand what this mean then when these two are baptised. The best way to do that is if we turn to Acts 16 in the New Testament. There we are told about two people who are baptised in the Macedonian city of Philippi, the first a business woman and the second a tough jailer, probably a retired Roman soldier.

1. Consider Lydia and her experience, that of these two young Christians and your own

We can say four things about Lydia from the text, things that are true to some extent of these two young people too.

1. This woman prayed and worshipped but was unconverted, as with these two and may be you

Luke, the writer of Acts, explains how Paul and his team travelled to Philippi, a Roman colony and the leading city of that district of Macedonia. He says we stayed there several days. On the Jewish Sabbath (Saturday) we went outside the city gate to the river, where we expected to find a place of prayer. There were not enough Jewish men for a synagogue in Philippi but a group of women used to meet by the river to pray. We sat down says Luke and began to speak to the women who had gathered there. One of those listening was a woman from the city of Thyatira (back in the direction from where they had come) named Lydia, a dealer in expensive and much prized purple cloth. She was a worshipper of God. She was not Jewish but she had been attracted to the Jewish faith and regularly worshipped the true God. This all happened before she became a Christian.

Now our two young friends could tell you something similar about themselves. They have both been coming here pretty much all their lives. They have been used to coming here every Sunday to worship God and they come from homes where God is worshipped and where there is prayer. However, it is only in recent months that they have actually been converted themselves. You see, you can worship God and pray and yet not be converted. Conversion is a different thing.

Perhaps you pray and worship God. That's good. But it is not the same thing as conversion. The two must not be confused. We do not baptise people just because they pray of worship God. We try to baptise only the converted.

2. This woman's heart was opened by God to respond, as with these two and may be you

Let's think about Lydia's conversion then. How does Luke describe it? He says in verse 14 The Lord opened her heart to respond to Paul's message. As Paul spoke about the Lord Jesus Christ and the need to repent from sin and trust in him something happened. Her heart which had been closed to God began to open and she was able to respond to the message. The Lord worked within to enable Lydia to respond. That is how it is when someone is converted. It is secret and unseen, It is God's work, but it results in the person hearing the message of God and responding to it. That is what has happened to these two.

Has it happened to you? We pray that it will.

3. This woman and others were baptised, as these two are going to be tonight; what about you?

We then read in verse 15 that she and the members of her household were baptised. Lydia was not married but people worked for her and they too had clearly heard the message as well and Hod had enabled them to respond and so they were all baptised. This is the norm in the New Testament. People hear the good news – that God will forgive all their sins if they trust in Jesus Christ – they are enabled to respond to the message by God an then they are baptised. There is nothing in the Bible about baptising babies or baptising anyone before they have responded.

All who respond get baptised. If you have heard the message and God is at work in your heart then I urge you to be baptised too.

4. This woman did good, as these two must also do and you

The final ting we read about Lydia is where Luke says she invited us to her home. "If you consider me a believer in the Lord," she said, "come and stay at my house." He says And she persuaded us. Almost here first act as a Christian was to do something to help these preachers who had come to her city. It was an act of kindness and concern. We don't know where they had lived before but Lydia was sure she could provide them with something better and so that is what she did. A true Christian will always do good of some sort or another.

Gwion and Courtney, tonight you are being baptised but now you need to find something to do to help God's people. You can't put up preachers in your home and there is no need at the moment but I am sure there are other things you can do and you must. So must all who are baptised.

*

In verses 16-24 Luke goes on to tell us the story of how Paul and his companion end up in jail in Philippi. The little group of Christians continued to meet week by week down by the river. One day on the way there Paul and the others were met by a female slave who had a spirit by which she predicted the future and who earned lots of money for her owners by fortune-telling. She made quite a nuisance of herself until one day Paul had had enough and he turned around and said to the spirit, "In the name of Jesus Christ I command you to come out of her!" Immediately the spirit left which was good news for her but made her owners unhappy as their hope of making money was gone. Because of that they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace to face the authorities. They brought them before the magistrates and said, These men are Jews, anti-Semitism was alive and well in those days as it is now and are throwing our city into an uproar by advocating customs unlawful for us Romans to accept or practice. Philippi was a Roman colony and the Philippians were very proud of their Roman citizenship – something that Paul later uses to the new church's advantage. In verse 22 we read that The crowd joined in the attack against Paul and Silas, and the magistrates ordered them to be stripped and beaten with rods. After they had been severely flogged, they were thrown into prison, and the jailer was commanded to guard them carefully. When he received these orders, he put them in the inner cell and fastened their feet in the stocks.

*

So by midnight that night there they were, hands and feet in shackles, stuck in a strange prison far from home and in the dark. But they weren't discouraged. In fact, they were singing hymns we learn. It is not long after this that we read about more conversions and baptisms too. So

2. Consider the jailer and his experience, that of these two young Christians and your own

1. This man was in despair, as these two have been and may be you

So (25) About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them. No doubt they were learning from what was sung. The jailer was perhaps listening too at first. Then (26) Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open, and everyone's chains came loose. The jailer woke up, and when he saw the prison doors open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself because he thought the prisoners had escaped. As far as he was concerned this was a disaster. Not only was there an earthquake but as far as he could see in the gloom all the prisoners were about to escape and he would be held responsible. There was nothing for it but to take his own life. Now he was in despair.

Now I don't suppose either of our two friends have come close to thinking of killing themselves but they know what it is to be tempted to despair. They know what it is to come under conviction of sin – to realise that you are a sinner and that unless God does something very dramatic there is no hope. Do you know what it is to be in that position? It is not easy to go through such a thing but it can be good for you. We certainly all need to come to an end of ourselves. We cannot solve our problems ourselves – any more than the jailer here.

2. This man wanted to know how to be saved, as these two did and may be you

Paul can see what the jailer is about to do and so he shouts out (28) Don't harm yourself! We are all here! The jailer then called for lights, rushed in and fell trembling before Paul and Silas and after bringing them out asked his famous question (30) Sirs, what must I do to be saved?

Now what exactly he meant by this question is uncertain. No doubt he had heard Paul and Silas singing and realised that they were not in jail because they were criminals but for preaching their message about Jesus and the resurrection. He was also in the midst if an earthquake. He asked the very best question you can ask, though - what must I do to be saved? It's a question that these two began asking when they were still quite young. It's a question that you ought to be asking too. Have you ever asked it? What must I do to be saved from sin and death and hell?

3. This man was told to believe in the Lord Jesus to be saved, as were these two and now you

With that great question we have an even greater answer. 31 They replied, Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved - you and your household. The jailer knew Pal was in the prison for preaching about Jesus, who he said had died on a cross but had been raised to life. Now the man is told that all he has to do is to trust in this man Jesus who is God. And that is all these two have done and all you need to do too. Just trust in the Lord Jesus. Believe on him. If you do that, you will be saved.

4. This man and others were told other things from God's Word, as these two have been and now you

Of course, that is not all that they said. In verse 32 we read Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all the others in his house (which probably refers to the other prisoners). We do not know exactly what they said any more than we do what was said to Lydia. When we read the rest of Acts and other parts of the New Testament we can make a good guess that Paul focused on Christ and his death and his resurrection and then on repentance (turning from sin) and faith in Jesus Christ, then living a life pleasing to God through him.

There are many things you need to know – God made you, only God can save you. He has revealed his will in the Bible. God will one day judge you. The only way to be sure of being safe on that day is to trust in Jesus Christ. Gwion and Courtney know these things. They have helped them to come to the point where they trust in Christ. You too must trust in Christ.

5. This man did good, as these two have and you must too

Verse 33 says that At that hour of the night gone midnight the jailer took them and washed their wounds. Previously he had not cared about them but now he does. Why? He has been converted. Before he is even baptised he has begun to do good, as is the case with these two I'm sure.

6. This man and others were baptised, as these two are going to be tonight; what about you?

Next it says then immediately he and all his household were baptised. Just as it was with Lydia so with them, so with all believers in the New Testament. That is how it should be with all believers.

Are you a believer? Then get baptised. It is a matter of obeying God. You say, I wouldn't want to have a big crowd like this watching me. Fine, we could do it quietly some other night with just a few present – we have done that. The issue is obedience. You say you are a Christian – then get baptised!

7. This man did good and was glad, as these two must also do and you too

The final verse I want to look at is verse 34 The jailer brought them into his house and set a meal before them; he was filled with joy because he had come to believe in God - he and his whole household. The man continued to good, like Lydia. We are not saved by doing good but if we really are saved then we will do good. Gwion and Courtney. We expect to see you doing good – more and more. This man was also filled with joy because he had come to believe in God. I am sure you are filled with joy tonight and if you look to Christ you will continue to be filled with joy. Joy is one of the blessings of those who trust in Christ.

I won't say more. I trust I have said enough to make clear what is going on tonight. Trust in Jesus Christ. He alone can save you.

 

How to consider the gospel message

Text Acts 17:11 Time 07 09 08 Place Childs Hill Baptist ChurchI would like us to consider this evening how we should listen to the gospel message – to faithful preaching. This is useful if we are not used to it, of course, but I think it will also be a help to all of us who are used to listening to sermons telling us the gospel. The verse I want to focus on is Acts 17:11 Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.Acts 17 deals with part of Paul's second missionary journey and how Paul and his companions came first to the city of Thessalonica, today in Greece but then in Macedonia. It is a still a city today but then was even more important. Paul founded a church there and later wrote the two New Testament letters known as 1 and 2 Thessalonians to them. Paul had come into Macedonia following a vision he had in Troas in which he saw a man from Macedonia saying 'come over and help us'. Paul had worked first in Philippi (Acts 16) where he also founded a church and later wrote a letter that is again in the New Testament (Philippians). He then went on to Thessalonica. In each place although some come to faith in Jesus Christ there was opposition.
That is a reminder to expect that sort of thing if we are going to serve the Lord.
In Philippi, Paul and Silas were put in prison and in Thessalonica the Jews rounded up some bad characters from the marketplace, formed a mob and started a riot in the city. They tried to find Paul and Silas in order to bring them out to the crowd but failed. That night the believers secretly helped Paul and Silas to get away and they went on to Berea, where the reception was quite different to what they had had in Philippi and Thesalonica. As our text says Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.So let's look at this verse. I want to say two things – one more briefly and one at greater length.
1. Consider the contrasting ways in which people can listen to the gospel message
There is the statement Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians. The word Luke uses was originally a word meaning 'better born' but it came to stand for noble character as it is translated here. $ It is a little like the history of the word 'gentleman' in English. On the one hand, gentleman originally referred to a man's noble birth or superior social position. It has come, however, to mean anyone well-mannered or considerate, with high standards of proper behaviour.
That is a reminder perhaps that it is not enough simply to have the name Christian – we need to act as Christians too. We should all be more concerned about acting nobly than about having mere honours and titles.
Luke is saying here then not that the Jews of Berea were better born than the Thessalonians but that they showed a superior nobility in the way they acted when the gospel message came to them.
This is a reminder that when the gospel message is preached different people are likely to react in different ways. In Thessalonica, although many believed, many did not and they showed it by their animosity towards Paul and Silas. This animosity was driven by jealousy (see 5 the Jews were jealous) and led to them bringing in these bad characters from the marketplace to form a mob – not something noble at all.
The question forces itself upon us – what about us? Are we most like the Thessalonians, driven by jealousy and other bad motives into stirring up trouble and opposing Paul and his companions or most like the Bereans who reacted in quite a different way. Paul preached the same gospel in the two synagogues but in the two places there were contrasting reactions. Which is yours most like?
2. Consider the right way for people to listen to the gospel messageNow let's examine the detail here. In what way could it be said that the Bereans were more noble than the Thessalonians? What characteristics led to Luke making this distinction? Both has the same message preached by the same man but there were two distinctive things about the nobler Bereans and all who are like them.
1. They receive the message with great eagerness
1 What they do They receive the message (for they received the message). We know from 2 and 3 what the message was. It says there
Paul ... reasoned with them from the Scriptures, explaining and proving that the Christ had to suffer and rise from the dead. This Jesus I am proclaiming to you is the Christ, he said.
So his approach was based on Scripture, the Bible – it was what we call expository ministry, expounding the Bible. From the Bible he reasoned with people. He wanted them to accept two things – first, that the Messiah had to suffer and rise from the dead and then, second, that the Messiah is Jesus.
We endeavour to do something similar today. From the Bible I want you to see that the Jews are God's chosen people and that God promised them that Messiah would come and that he would suffer and die in this world and then rise again. I want you to see that the Messiah has come and suffered and died and risen again and that the Messiah is Jesus of Nazareth.
Are you willing to accept that message, to receive it. Are you willing to believe it?
2 How they do it We read that the Bereans didn't just receive the message, they received the message with great eagerness. They were marked by a readiness of mind and a real desire to know the truth. They were not narrow-minded and prejudiced against the truth but open to receive it, indeed eager to receive it. This is the noble attitude. This is the attitude that God likes to see. Sadly the Berean attitude is uncommon today. There is a narrow, bigoted and unreasonable spirit abroad that is unwilling even to listen to what Christians have to say.
The philosopher Antony Flew, now in his eighties and once a leading atheist, announced a change of mind in 2004 and published a book at the end of last year called There is a God: How the World's Most Notorious Atheist Changed his Mind.Flew is very critical of The God Delusion by the atheist writer Richard Dawkins. He says, it is "remarkable in the first place for having achieved some sort of record by selling over a million copies. But what is much more remarkable than that economic achievement is that the contents – or rather lack of contents – of this book show Dawkins himself to have become what he and his fellow secularists typically believe to be an impossibility: namely, a secularist bigot. The fault of Dawkins as an academic (which he still was during the period in which he composed this book although he has since announced his intention to retire) was his scandalous and apparently deliberate refusal to present the doctrine which he appears to think he has refuted in its strongest form."
We need to watch our for such bias – not just in others but in ourselves. If we are unwilling to eagerly receive the message then it betrays an ignoble spirit. Let's not be like that.

I can see how there might easily be an objection to this line of reasoning. It is felt to be naïve and unthinking. But there are two sides to this coin. What made the Bereans so noble in character was not just their openness and readiness to accept but also their scepticism and eagerness to examine whether these things really were so. Luke goes on and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.

2. They examine the Scriptures daily to see if it is true

1 What they do The Bereans didn't simply take Paul's word for it. They did the hard work necessary to be sure that what he said was according to the teaching of the Bible. John 5:39 famously talks about searching the Scriptures but there it is the searching of the minutiae. Here it is the idea of following the argument. Like lawyers looking trying to establish a case and so looking for possible loopholes in the law so they examined and investigated the Bible. It was not like in our day when you can just get hold of a Bible from Smith's or read it on the Internet. They had to go to the synagogue and arrange with the Synagogue ruler to be allowed to look at the scrolls kept there. They didn't let things like that put them off though. They were eager to know the truth and so they made the effort.

This is how we must be if we are serious about knowing whether the gospel message is true. Are you like that?

2 When they do it We are told that the Bereans examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true. They were taking time out form other things to be there at the synagogue and to examine the Scriptures to see if Paul was speaking the truth. Each day they would hear Paul saying something from the word and each day they would check up on him to see if what he said was true. @ That is how it should be with us. Find time daily to examine the Bible. Check out what the preacher says and see if it is really true.

3 Why they do it They did it we are told to see if what Paul said was true. Paul said that the Messiah had to suffer and rise from the dead and that the Messiah is Jesus. These people wanted to know whether it was true or not and so they examined the Bible to see if it was true.

This reminds us of just how much is in the Old Testament and how if we study it properly there are wonderful things to see there. It also teaches us to have that right sort of scepticism towards those we hear speaking. Test it out. Is what they say really true?

Sadly this attitude is not common today. Antony Flew again complains about the way in which Dawkins dismisses Flew's belief in God in a footnote in The God Delusion. Flew says

"What is important about this passage is not what Dawkins is saying about Flew but what he is showing here about Dawkins. For if he had had any interest in the truth of the matter of which he was making so much he would surely have brought himself to write me a letter of enquiry. (When I received a torrent of enquiries after an account of my conversion to Deism had been published in the quarterly of the Royal Institute of Philosophy I managed – I believe – eventually to reply to every letter.)

This whole business makes all too clear that Dawkins is not interested in the truth as such but is primarily concerned to discredit an ideological opponent by any available means. That would itself constitute sufficient reason for suspecting that the whole enterprise of The God Delusion was not, as it at least pretended to be, an attempt to discover and spread knowledge of the existence or non-existence of God but rather an attempt – an extremely successful one – to spread the author’s own convictions in this area."

Some people think Christians are afraid of scrutiny. No, our complaint is that there is not enough scrutiny. Not enough careful examination goes on. When people do that they often come to faith. I believe the writer and pastor Lee Strobel, a former journalist and lawyer, came to faith as a result of a two year examination of the subject of just who Jesus was. There are other examples of similar things. God wants people to think for themselves. He wants them to read the Bible. That is why in his providence we have our own translations and our own Bibles. He wants people to be able to test whether preachers are telling the truth. I want you to receive my message but I don't want you to be like a zombie. I want you to think about it. Test it. Weigh it up for yourself. As Protestants we believe in the right of private judgement. Yes, we ought to listen to what the church has to say but in the end each man must decide for himself what he believes. Think carefully then. Be noble. See what the Messiah is like and that Jesus is the Messiah and in believe in him. Weigh up these things – that is the way to nobility.

How to die well 2: Lessons from the first Christian Martyr

Text Acts 7:54-60 Time 07 09 08 Place Childs Hill Baptist Church

John Calvin once said “We may positively state that nobody has made any progress in the school of Christ, unless he cheerfully looks forward towards the day of his death, and towards the day of the final resurrection.”
Negatively the notoriously wicked Cesar Borgia said near the end of his life "I have provided, in the course of my life, for everything except death; and now, alas! I am to die, although entirely unprepared!"
We began to look last week at this question of how to die well. I want us to explore it a little further this week. Death will come to us all. We can defy gravity but not the grave! We must always be ready. As J C Ryle once said “Nothing in the whole history of a man is so important as his end”.
We mentioned last week the medieval Ars moriendi or 'Craft of dying'. It consists of six chapters
1. The first explains that dying has a good side, and serves to console the dying man that death is not something to be afraid of.
2. The second outlines the five temptations that beset a dying man, and how to avoid them. These are lack of faith, despair, impatience, spiritual pride and avarice (greed).
3. The third lists the seven questions to ask a dying man, along with consolation available to him through the redemptive powers of Christ's love.
4. The fourth expresses the need to imitate Christ's life.
5. The fifth addresses the friends and family, outlining the general rules of behaviour at the deathbed.
6. The sixth includes appropriate prayers to be said for a dying man.
Books like that can be a help to us but we are best to go to the Bible itself for help on how to die well. Psalm 37:37 says Consider the blameless, observe the upright; there is a future for the man of peace. In that spirit we looked last week at the case of the dying thief. This week I want us to consider Stephen the first Christian martyr. Stephen, you may know, was an early Jewish believer who belonged to the church in Jerusalem. Early on there was a dispute over the distribution of food to the widows and it was decided to appoint 7 deacons to deal with it. In the list given in Acts 6:5 the first of these and the one who is singled out for comment is Stephen. In Chapter 6 Luke goes on to explain (6:8) how Stephen, a man full of God's grace and power, did great wonders and miraculous signs among the people and how a dispute arose with the Jews leading eventually to the Jews (6:11) secretly persuading some men to say, We have heard Stephen speak words of blasphemy against Moses and against God. Stephen is then seized and dragged before the Sanhedrin or Ruling Council where he stands falsely accused. He then gives the wonderful sermon that takes up most of Chapter 7. 7:54 When they heard this, they were furious and gnashed their teeth at him. They then drag him outside the city to stone him. He suffers a vicious and violent and undeserved death. He is the first in a long line of Christian martyrs, a line that continues to this day. It is a possibility for every believer, although it is more likely for some than for others.
It is a good question to ask ourselves whether we are willing to be martyred? Another good question is – If being a Christian was against the law – would there be enough evidence to convict you?
Stephen's death was an unusual one in many ways but I want us to consider it this morning as an example for us of how to die well, whether we die as martyrs or not.
1. Have a right relationship with the triune God
As you know God is a Trinity. Cf Shorter Catechism “There are three persons in the Godhead; the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost; and these three are one God, the same in substance, equal in power and glory.” Here in Acts 7 there is a reference to all three persons of the trinity.
See 55 - But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked up to heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God.
It is a reminder of how we ought to know the doctrine and how we ought to be in a right relationship with all three.
1. Be filled with the Spirit

It was typical of Stephen to be filled with the Spirit as we learn back in 6:5 Stephen was a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit. It should be a habit with all of us who are believers. Pray daily to be filled with the Spirit. The command in Ephesians 5:18 is Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit. There can be some confusion over this. Every Christian has the Holy Spirit. They have all been baptised in the Spirit. Nevertheless the extent to which we are under the Spirit's control can vary and so we must seek to be filled with the Spirit. This does not involve seeking an experience but seeking to be controlled entirely by the Spirit. It is the complete opposite of being drunk. If you take too much alcohol into your blood stream it leads to acts of debauchery. If you are full of the Spirit on the other hand it will lead to acts of holiness. The parallel verse in Colossians 3:16 speaks about letting the word of Christ dwell in you richly – being controlled then by the Word of God. We should seek to be filled with the Spirit at all times but it will be necessary when we face the last enemy – death! Death is the real test.
Down in the west end, as you know, there are many shows and plays. Those who put them on are concerned about what the critics say regarding their shows. On the first night the critics come and decide whether a play is good or bad. It can't be easy to face your critics. There are critics not just for plays and shows but for books, restaurants, hotels, schools, etc. What the critics don't write about is how well people die. There are obituaries but no critiques of the actual dying. But your death and mine will be watched – and there will be critics and the critic who counts most is God himself. What will he think? It's no wonder that death can be a fearful thing. What is the answer to such fears. The answer is that the believer needs to be gripped not by fear but by the Spirit as he is filed with his good influence. There is strength and help for every believer in the Spirit.
What a tremendous comfort here. None of us needs to face death alone. The Spirit will bring you through if you look to him. Do you have the Spirit? No? Seek him in Christ. Yes? Seek to be filled with the Spirit daily.
2. Contemplate the glory of God

Stephen looked up to heaven and saw the glory of God. This was a spiritual revelation to a spiritual man no doubt but in a similar way we are to look to heaven at death. If we do we will see the glory of God. It is difficult to describe exactly what Stephen saw here but if we look to God in faith we will see something similar.
How often do you think of heaven? We ought to think of it more than we do. Do you love to learn of the glory of the place? Do you long to be there? If you ask the average person do they want to go to heaven they will say “yes” but strangely they seem to have little interest in it. If I know I'm going somewhere I like to get an idea of what it's going to be like – I get hold of the maps and the guide books. Some people are so earthly minded they will never be of any heavenly use.
In Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress Part 2 they are shown in the House of the Interpreter

“a room where was a man that could look no way but downwards, with a muck-rake in his hand. There stood also one over his head with a celestial crown in his hand, and proffered him that crown for his muck-rake; but the man did neither look up nor regard, but raked to himself the straws, the small sticks, and dust of the floor.” Don't be like that foolish man.
3. See Jesus at God's right hand

What particularly moved Stephen was the sight of the Lord Jesus. 56 Look, he said, I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God. He not only believed but he saw Jesus not only risen and ascended but there at God's right hand ruling. As Jesus told his disciples he has gone to heaven to prepare a place for them. And now Stephen sees him – not as usually described, sitting but standing ready to welcome him into heaven. The only hope that any of us have of entering into heaven is through Jesus. Are you trusting in him? Are you looking to him? That is the only way to be saved, the only way to know victory in death. Jesus will you help you then, when you die, if you will trust in him now in life.

2. Commit everything to God
Stephen's vision clearly prepared him for his death. His accusers were so enraged with him that they felt there was no time for the due process of law. They simply dragged him off and had him stoned. Despite their rage Stephen remains calm throughout it all. He is calm and composed – serene. It is strikingly impressive. It is no wonder that it had the impact on Saul of Tarsus that it did, leading eventually to his conversion. How could Stephen maintain his composure in the face of death? In a word – Stephen simply committed it all to God. He is a model for us.
1. Commit your soul to God

He says Lord Jesus receive my Spirit. Death is the separation of the body and the invisible part of you, your soul or spirit. Stephen realises what is about to happen. They are going to kill his body which will remain here on earth. As for his soul – that is going to soar to heaven and so he commits it to God. In life he had committed himself to God and now at death he does the same thing. He does not pray 'Let me die' as the prophets Jonah and Elijah once did in very low moments. We are not to seek death but when it comes we are to follow the example of Stephen who is following the example of Christ and commit our souls to God. Now and at death, this is how we must proceed.
2. Commit those you leave behind to God

In Stephen's case those nearest to him at death were those who were actually killing him. Here he echoes Luke 23:34 (Father forgive them, etc) when he prays Lord, do not hold this sin against them. His great longing at death was not for vengeance on his enemies but that they might also know the Lord. It must be a great relief at death to be able to die with a forgiving spirit. It is likely only if we cultivate that spirit throughout our lives. Do you have a forgiving spirit? When you have been forgiven by God it is possible to have such a spirit.
3. Commit yourself to God

Finally, we read how Stephen fell asleep. This phrase points to the perfect peace and calm he knew even in the midst of that very violent scene. How did he get that sense of calm? He had a right relationship to God and he had committed it all to him. Whether your death is violent or calm, sudden or by degrees, can you face it confidently? You can by the grace of God. Follow Stephen's example.

Induction Robin Asgher

Text: Acts 6:4 Date: 03/03/07 Place: Cranford Baptist
I count it a great privilege to be preaching today. What I want to do is draw your attention to Acts 6:4. We need to read a bit of verse 3 to get the context. The Apostles speak and they say We will turn this responsibility over to them (to these deacons they wanted chosen) and (here's the important bit) will give our attention to prayer and the ministry of the word.
Acts 6 describes something that happened in the early days of the church after Christ's ascension and the pouring out of the Spirit at Pentecost. The story comes in the middle of a series of persecutions (that's why we read the final verses of Acts 5). Persecution is quite normal for God's people but when it dies down for a while they heave a great sigh of relief. But soon other troubles come along – if not from without then from within.
Here in the Jerusalem church it was in the form of an argument between the Grecian and Hebraic Jews. You might imagine that in the Jerusalem Church it was all peace and harmony but no. There were differences among Jews living in 1st Century Jerusalem and even though they'd become Christians sometimes those differences were a problem. It's the same today. You can't say, well these are all Asian people or British people – they're all the same. No, there are Urdu speakers and Hindi speakers and Telugu speakers, people from Pakistan and India, Gujurat and Andhra Pradesh, etc. There are English and Welsh, Cockneys and Geordies, etc. We don't know the exact difference between Grecian and Hebraic Jews. It was probably that some spoke mostly Aramaic and some mostly Greek. Perhaps the Hebraic ones were born in Judea and the Grecians came from elsewhere. There was enough of a difference anyway for those in the know to see.
Now though people from both these groups had become Christians there was still a dispute. There were several widows in the church and as caring people they had a system of looking after them. They distributed food to them. Anyway, the Grecian Jews felt their widows were being neglected and not treated as well as the Hebraic ones. So they had a big meeting about it led by the 12 Apostles, still the leaders of the Jerusalem church. They'd not been driven out by persecution yet.
The apostles say It wouldn't be right for us to neglect the ministry of the word of God in order to wait on tables. Brothers, choose seven men from among you who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will turn this responsibility over to them and will give our attention to prayer and the ministry of the word. And that's what happens. Seven men are chosen to do this work. Stephen is the most famous - a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit. Philip is also mentioned later in Acts. There were 5 others. One notices that they all had Greek names so I don't know if that meant that everyone was doing their level best to keep things fair. Probably. These men are sometimes known as the "seven deacons" as although they're not called deacons here that's the sort of role they were taking on - a diaconal one, making sure the apostles were free to concentrate on praying and preaching.
It certainly seems to have sorted out the problem and, more than that, we read in 6:7 that the word of God spread. The number of disciples in Jerusalem increased rapidly, and a large number of priests became obedient to the faith.
Now what we have in this chapter then is a sort of 'rule of thumb'. In every church ideally there will be at least one person set aside to concentrate on praying and preaching while others take care of everything else – looking after the collection, opening the place and locking up, etc. Otherwise the praying and the preaching is going to get left out and that's no good.
So what I want to do is to take that principle and preach on it in three different ways. I say three but it's really four as though it's true in general that a preacher should always preach to himself first, I think it's especially so in this case. As a minister myself it would be hypocritical to tell everyone else how important it is to set Robin aside for prayer and preaching and not preach the message to myself first. It's so easy to let prayer and preaching get pushed out. There are lots of other good things to do – pastoral visiting, studying, organising things for young people, various committees, etc. But number one must always be prayer and preaching. Anyway you haven't come here to hear me talk to myself so I can't linger but I want you to realise I'm trying to do this in the right order.
I want to speak then to all who have gathered together for this induction for Robin. In particular I want to speak to three people or groups of people.
1. Robin himself

2. The members or prospective members of the Cranford church and other local churches

3. Others here today, especially those of you who are from the local area
Now I basically want to say something very similar to each using the text but it will have a different application in each case as we shall see

1. Robin

So let's start with Robin. Robin, I've already drawn my own attention to this text and now I want to draw yours to it. Notice how the Apostles, the church leaders of their day approach this problem - It would not be right for us to neglect the ministry of the word of God in order to wait on tables ... Brothers, choose seven men from among you who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will turn this responsibility over to them and will give our attention to prayer and the ministry of the word.
So there are three things here then for you
1. Negatively, don't let anything distract you from giving yourself to prayer and the ministry of the Word

As you know, there are lots of other calls on your time. You don't find yourself sat there twiddling your thumbs. There's plenty to do. Now what you must be careful not to do is to let all these other things crowd out the main thing. Have you ever done this? You've been in a room and needed something and thought 'I must go upstairs and get it' then on your way you think I could do this too while I'm up there. And so you do and you come back down and lo and behold you've forgotten the very thing you went up for! Easily done.

Now in the ministry it's easy to forget the main thing, to get sidetracked. Don't do it. You must get your priorities right.
2. Positively, give your attention to prayer

The apostles general concern is that they don't neglect the ministry of the word of God in order to wait on tables ... But when they speak they say they will give their attention to prayer and the ministry of the word. They put prayer first I think for several reasons.

Firstly, because prayer underlies everything else in the ministry. Without prayer everything else is pretty a much a waste of time.

Prayer is also the easiest to forget about because it's done in private. No-one really knows how much you pray. It's a secret thing between you and God. That's why it's easy to neglect. The ministry's a bit like an iceberg. You know that 5/8 of an iceberg is under the water, unseen. Something similar can be said about the ministry - a lot of it is hidden – the studying and reading and especially the praying. Don't neglect the secret parts. A concert pianist once said that he needed to practice everyday. If he didn't practice even one day, he could tell. If he left it a few days, he said, then other people would start to notice. If he left it longer again then soon everyone would know. Something similar could be said about the minister and his prayer life.
Okay, practically, how? In theory a minister needs to pray first as a Christian then as a minister but I don't think you can divide it up like that. They run into each other. Spurgeon once said – I'm never more than 10 minutes in prayer ... And never more than 10 minutes out of it. I think that's the key. Begin and end the day in prayer, pray when you eat, pray when you read the Bible, when you prepare sermons, etc. Whatever you do, pray. Never resist the urge. That's the best advice I can give.
3. Positively, give yourself to the ministry of the Word

This must be kept to the fore. Ministry of the Word, of course, is not just standing in this pulpit on a Sunday, it includes a whole range of things – speaking to the children and young people here or in the schools, speaking in small group meetings, talking to people on their doorsteps, etc. The important thing is that the whole week is geared towards this end – getting the Word of God out to people. Let the people hear! That's what matters. It involves hard work and a lot of preparation but it must be the thing that you focus on. 2 Tim 4:2 Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage - with great patience and careful instruction.

2. Members or prospective members of the Cranford church and others
Now what I have to say will affect you all to varying degrees but the principle is the same. This is for you Muno, and for church members and to some extent all of us. Again three things
1. Negatively, do everything you can to help Robin not to be distracted from giving himself to prayer and the ministry of the Word

Do you know the word 'facilitator'? A facilitator is someone who does not necessarily do a thing himself but he makes sure it gets done. You need to be facilitators for Robin. Because he is full time in the work it is easy to think, Well he can do this or he can do that quite easily and so he ends up dealing with workmen, giving lifts to people or whatever and very soon you will find the work of prayer and preaching neglected. Now I'm not saying he can't do these things or must never do them. However, these things must not be allowed to so take up his time that prayer and preaching is neglected. If you borrow a video or DVD from a shop – you want to get your use out of it while you have it and get your money's worth. There's no point having it lying round. Well, God is giving you a pastor. Make good use of him. Do everything you can to help him to be a prayerful preacher.
2. Positively, do everything you can to help him to give his attention to prayer

Two things –
1. Obviously, to pray he needs time alone. Whether he prays or not is up to him but you must make sure he gets the opportunity. Perhaps there needs to be some arrangement about when you phone or don't phone.
2. He needs not only time, but he needs to know about how things are with you. Imagine someone complaining their doctor never does anything to help them with their arthritis. You talk to them and it turns out they've never been to speaks to him about the problem! Now sometimes we don't want the pastor to know about how things are with us because they're not good. It is better to try and tell him, though – so he can pray. He doesn't want a blow by blow account of your daily routine but he needs to know something about you to pray for you. So keep him informed.
3. Positively, do everything you can to help him give himself to the ministry of the Word

Remember that is the main thing he is coming to do. So you do everything you can to encourage him in it.

1. When he's speaking to you, listen to what he says. Be enthusiastic about it.

2. Whether to you or to others, pray for the preaching - that it will be clear and powerful. Pray for its success. We can't all preach but we can all pray. Let's all pray for the success of the preaching of the Word.

3. Others here today, especially those of you who are from the local area
1. Negatively, understand what is happening here today, Robin is being set aside today for nothing other than the work of prayer and the ministry of the Word

Robin is not here as a community worker or a youth club organiser or something like that, although he may well be involved in such things. No, he has come here chiefly to pray and to preach – to pray for the people of Cranford and to tell them what God's Word says. That is his main work.

Don't oppose him then – he's God's man. It would be dangerous to stand in his way. Respect him and understand his work.
2. Be thankful that there is someone here who is being set aside to pray for you

Now here is wonderful thing. One of the things that Robin is doing for you and for other people of this area is praying for you. There are others praying I'm sure but perhaps he's the only one set apart especially for that. There's no-one else. The police don't do that or the local councillors or the school teachers. No, only Robin is set part for that. Be thankful it is so. Ask him to pray for you. Tell him what you want him to pray for – Tell him to pray for a BMW for me, you say. Well, he may not pray exactly as you want but he will pray for you. He'll pray for something better than a BMW – that you might know Jesus Christ and forgiveness in him.
3. Be thankful that there is someone here who is being set aside to minister the Word of God to you

Robin has come to preach Jesus Christ and him crucified. That's his message. If you turn from your sins and trust in Jesus Christ all will be well. That's what he wants you to know. Listen to him. Hear the message and be saved.

Ordination/induction Ian Middlemist

Text: Acts 26:16-22 Date: 07/07/07 Place: Hill Park Baptist HaverfordwestI count it a great privilege to be asked to preach here on this occasion. I want to speak directly to Ian (and in part to Hanna) although I want you all to listen in, as it were, as what I'm going to say has an application more or less direct to everyone of us especially if we are believers and I will try to point that out as we go along.
What I want to do is to focus on some words found in Acts 26:16-22. In Acts 26 the Apostle Paul is on trial before Herod Agrippa and Festus. You remember how Paul had been arrested in the Temple in Jerusalem due to the opposition of the Jews there and then taken to Caesarea where he stood before the Governor Felix. Felix kept him prison but often spoke with him over a two year period until his governorship came to an end and he was replaced by Porcius Festus. Festus also listened to Paul who at this time made his crucial appeal to Caesar.
In Acts 25:13 we read that A few days later King Agrippa and Bernice arrived at Caesarea to pay their respects to Festus. Festus decided to give Herod Agrippa an opportunity to hear the prisoner Paul too. Paul's speech and reaction are then recorded in Acts 26. In it, among other things, Paul recounts his conversion story – something Luke has already recorded twice before in this book. He clearly thinks it is important. Each time the story is told we get slightly different details. It is only in this version that we are told the actual commission that Paul received from the risen Christ and it struck me that although Ian is not being set apart as an Apostle today, of course, he is being set apart as an evangelist and to the work of the Christian ministry and so it is an appropriate place for me to turn to charge him for the task ahead. Drawing on what we find here then in Acts 26:16-22 I want to talk to you about three things Ian – basically, your past and present, your present commission and what you can expect in the future.

1. Consider the past - what you once were and what you now are1. You were once lost in unbelief

Paul describes here how he was once convinced that he ought to do all that was possible to oppose the name of Jesus of Nazareth. That's what he did in Jerusalem – putting Christians in prison and consenting to their deaths. He would go from one synagogue to another to have them punished and would try to force them to blaspheme. It was this obsession against Christians that led him to travel the Damascus road where his famous conversion took place. ILL You sometimes here people say 'He's a changed man' or 'He's not like he used to be'. He's different. There's no-one that could be more true of than Saul of Tarsus, the Apostle Paul.
Now Ian I don't think you ever went to any lengths to persecute Christians but there was a time when you (and Hanna) were not Christians. Like Paul, myself and every Christian here you were once dead in your transgressions and sins, without hope and without God in the world, an unbeliever. But, like Paul, you were converted. It wasn't as dramatic as in Paul's story but it was a real and a radical conversion that has changed everything and is part of the reason why you find yourself here today in these circumstances. Do not forget what you once were – a lost, blind wretch, a child of wrath by nature. It will help you when you seek to win others to Christ.

2. You have been appointed as a servant and a witness

Paul explains his famous Damascus Road experience. Coming to Damascus one day about noon, as he came along the road he saw a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, blazing around him and his companions. They all fell to the ground, and Paul heard a voice saying to him in Aramaic, Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads. Paul asks Who are you, Lord? He is told I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. He is then told to get to his feet, which he does and Jesus says I have appeared to you to appoint you as a servant and as a witness of what you have seen of me and what I will show you.Now although there are obviously many differences we have reason to believe that something similar has happened to you Ian (like Hanna and many others of us here). You've met with Jesus and he's appointed you as a servant and as a witness of what you have seen of me and what I will show you. Now, it is not that you have seen Jesus in a vision like Paul but the risen Lord has made himself known to you and he wants you to be his servant and a witness of what you have seen of him and what he will show you in the future. This is true of you in general as a Christian and more specifically as a minister of the gospel, the work you are being set apart to today.
So two things 1. A servant. You know what a servant is – one who serves. I don't suppose many of you have one. We don't see many as such today but think of days gone by when, say, a rich man would have his manservant. The manservant was to do whatever the master bid. Every Christian here needs to realise that he is a servant of Christ. The purpose of your life must be to serve the Lord in whatever way you can. How we need that servant spirit among us today. What can I do? How can I help?
Further, 2. You are a witness. Now we are in a court of law and someone is in the witness box -telling the truth on oath. You know in St Ffagan's you can see Christmas Evans's old pulpit. He had it made like a witness box so that when he preached he was aware of his role as a witness. You must tell people about what Jesus has done for you – what you already know, as young as you may be in the faith, and what you are continuing to learn from the Scriptures.
We must all be servants and witnesses. Some, like Ian, are set apart to this work of service and witness in a special way. They are to give themselves fully to this work of serving and witnessing. That's why we call them ministers (servants) – not because they're the only ministers. Every man ministry is quite a biblical idea. However, there are minsters who are particularly set apart to the work of serving the Lord and bearing witness to him. It's a little bit like when they call up an expert witness to testify in court. You must specialise in this Ian.

2. Consider the present - Your commission and what should you do about itIn 17-20 Paul goes on to spell out exactly what the risen Lord Jesus commissioned him to.
1. Understand the commission
In 17 there is a promise of rescue from his own people and from the Gentiles. More on that later. The point here is that Jesus says I am sending you to them. In a similar way we can say that Ian is being sent today with the same aim. See it in 18 to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God. Now this assumes certain things, of course
1 That Jews and Gentiles alike are blind and in the darkness by nature. You see a man with a white stick and dark glasses or with a guide dog. You know he is blind. Well, that is the spiritual condition of everyone by nature.
2 That Jews and Gentiles alike are under Satan's power by nature. Bob Dylan sang that song years ago. "Whoever you are you're gonna have to serve somebody. It may be the Devil or it may be the Lord but you're gonna have to serve somebody." Those who don't serve the Lord serve Satan. They are under his power. Remember that.
Now the great thing is that by God's light and by God's power Paul is commissioned to the work of shining the light of the gospel out, opening blind eyes so that they can see and delivering people from the power of Satan. That is also your commission, Ian – to go out and preach in such way that men and women and boys and girls are healed from their blindness and delivered from the devil.

You have a lighting job. Like a super trouper you are to shine in the night.

You have a deliverance ministry – rescuing people from the power of Satan.
By doing this you notice great changes come - so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.

• So there is forgiveness of sins for all whose eyes are opened and who are delivered from Satan
• Such people also find a place among the saints, the holy ones, those who are sanctified by faith in Jesus Christ. There is a setting apart to God.

It is a daunting task then – what a calling to heal the blind and to rescue them from Satan! Ah, but what a rewarding work for once that great change comes then forgiveness and holiness are guaranteed. What a glorious work to be involved in. Terrifying as the call may seem, see what it involves – bringing healing, rescue, forgiveness and true holiness to all who are touched by it.
Paul goes on to emphasis his message of repentance a little further on but notice how in 18 the emphasis is firmly on faith in Jesus Christ - so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me. You notice towards the end the emphasis on Christ too – 22b, 23 I am saying nothing beyond what the prophets and Moses said would happen – that the Christ would suffer and, as the first to rise from the dead, would proclaim light to his own people and to the Gentiles. It is because of Jesus Christ and what he's done in coming and dying and rising again that there is a message to preach. It is as we put faith in him who died and rose again that we find forgiveness and holiness, remission from sin's guilt and its power over us. Trust in Jesus Christ is central to it all.

There may be someone here who has never trusted in Jesus Christ. I want to urge you to it now. In him there is forgiveness, holiness and all you need.

2. Understand how to react
Paul goes on to tell King Agrippa how he reacted to this message. It is the way I trust you will react, Ian, and the way we should all react to such a commission. So then, King Agrippa, says Paul (19) I was not disobedient to the vision from heaven. How could he disobey – this was the risen Lord speaking? He had to obey – and we do too.
Paul began where he was, with those in Damascus, then he went to those in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and to the Gentiles also. He says I preached that they should repent and turn to God and prove their repentance by their deeds.To destroy the blindness Paul did not initiate healing crusades
To dispel the darkness he did not begin educational programmes
To overcome Satan's power he did not set himself up as some sort of an exorcist
No, it all focused on preaching – announcing, declaring certain things. In particular he preached that they should repent and turn to God. Paul made it clear that they had to turn from their sins and turn back to God. There had to be a revolution. They needed to be converted.
And Paul didn't do this in some naïve sort of way – getting people to raise their hands or come to the front or say a prayer with him. No, Paul knew human nature too well to fall for that. Before he accepted that someone had repented and turned to God he wanted to see evidence of it in their lives. He wanted them to prove their repentance by their deeds or to do deeds appropriate to repentance. Paul is conscious of the Jews opposition to considering Gentiles as part of the people of God but he makes quite clear that he urged practical repentance on them. One writer notes that “Paul, the greatest of theologians, was an interesting practical preacher.”
John the Baptist was the same. Cf Matt 3:7, 8 But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to where he was baptising, he said to them: You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. Remember the very practical advice he gave to different people when they asked what they should do. Help the poor - if you've got two coats he said, give one away. Share your food too. He told the tax collectors not to take more than their due. He told soldiers not to be violent to people or accuse people falsely and to be content with their wages. People's lives may seem a little more complex these days but they still need good practical advice about what to do. I heard a pastor from New York the other day. He has actors and financiers in his congregation so he has to speak to them about method acting and short funds. You need to know what to say to people who work in farming or in the oil refineries or to students.
What examples we have then. I want to urge you to obedience like Paul's, Ian, and the rest of us. Preaching is central to it all. Let people know they need to repent – they need to be converted. Their lives need a complete turn around. Very practical things need to happen – they need to stop doing certain things – like being violent, cheating or lying, being lazy and living for themselves and they need to start doing certain things like being contented and remembering the poor, reading the Bible and praying and coming under the sound of the Word. Give yourself to this sort of work.

3. Consider the future - what to expect in the days aheadNow the day of an ordination is lovely – lots of people present, a stirring message (hopefully), everyone happy and wishing you well but what is it really like – there at the pew-face as we might say, out in the real world – talking to the farmers and oil workers and housewives and students. Well, a right assessment involves both positive and negative elements.
1. Negatively

That hint in 17 I will rescue you from your own people and from the Gentiles is followed in 21 with Paul's That is why the Jews seized me in the temple courts and tried to kill me. Paul wants Agrippa to be in no doubt what the issue is. The reason the Jews ... tried to kill him was that he was preaching this message of faith in Jesus Christ and real repentance towards God.

Now your lives have never been threatened for preaching these things I guess, Ian and Hanna, but you know there can be opposition – the opposition of indifference mostly these days but sometimes something more hostile. Don't be surprised by this. Expect it. Don't let it wear you down. Be prepared for it.
2. Positively

What a wonderful verse we have in 26:22. This is a good place to end. But says Paul (and of course, he's bearing witness now just like he'd been told to all those years ago) I have had God's help to this very day, and so I stand here and testify to small and great alike. Oh yes, says Paul, there's been plenty of opposition – that's why he was a prisoner at this very time. But be in no doubt about this, he says, literally – I have had God as my ally, my assistant to this very day. It was by the help of God that he was stood testifying at that very moment.
So here's a word of encouragement to close with then for you both. The help and assistance Paul knew, you too can know. The Lord won't let you down. He will be with you in it all – however dark it gets. Ebenezer - up until now the Lord has helped you and he will into the future too. Amen.