This morning we're going to go ahead and read
verses 18 through 20 of Acts chapter 19. Many
also of those who had believed kept coming, confessing,
and disclosing their practices. And many of those
who practiced magic brought their books together
and began burning them in the sight of everyone.
And they counted up the price of them. and found
it 50 ,000 pieces of silver. So the word of the
Lord was growing mightily and prevailing. When
you hear the term superficial Christianity, what
do you think of? When you hear about a nominal
Christian, what comes to your mind? When you
hear the words shallow Christianity, what happens
when you think about that? Maybe you think about
those people who say they're Christians, yet
you've never witnessed any love or affection
or longing or desire. for Christ or holy things
in their life. Maybe you think of those individuals
who say they're Christians, but they go to church
three or four times a year when they know there's
activities that they'll enjoy. I think this can
best be... Seen and evidenced when we think about
superficial and shallow churches. When we think
about superficial, nominal, and shallow churches
that are in our world and so prevalent. They're
all around us, brothers and sisters. We all know
it's all around us. These churches which are
filled with individuals. who refuse to sing and
worship God because they don't want to be heard
singing and worshiping God. It's embarrassing
to them. These churches which are filled with
people, and men in particular, who are unwilling
to serve. They might serve, but it has to be
in a capacity where they're not seen or known
to be serving. They'll let the women lead. They'll
let the women be in charge of these things. Maybe
we see this in churches that are full of individuals
who love social activities, programs, individuals
that love social interaction. And they come to
church and they hear about the Word. They hear
about moral and ethical teaching from the Word.
But they only talk about what they've been doing.
They only talk about what they did last week
or what they're going to do next week. Christ
never enters their mind. The holiness of God
is never reckoned. It's never considered. Brothers
and sisters, superficial, nominal, shallow Christianity
is all over this world. And at the root and the
base of this is the reality that people are unconverted.
That people don't know Jesus Christ by faith
and repentance. And typically, superficial Christianity
is always going to be tied with this idea of
private, personal religion. No, that's none of
your business. That's my business. You don't
need to ask me about that. I don't have to talk
about that. This is my business. That's none
of your business. I made a decision this time.
Listen, I go to church every once in a while.
I'm fine. I'm good. You don't need to pry into
that. Religion is my thing. I do it in the way
I want. I carry it out and I function in my religious
capacity according to my desires and my longings.
And the way that pleases me. At the root, at
the bottom of all of these things is the reality
that men and women are reckoned as believers
when in reality they've never experienced any
change whatsoever in their life. They have hard,
stony, dead hearts. They've never been regenerated.
But they're reckoned as believers by the church
and by the culture and by society. That is superficial
Christianity. That's nominal and shallow, privatized
Christianity. And it looks nothing like the New
Testament. It's completely alien and foreign
to the pages of Scripture. In Acts chapter 19,
we read in verse 19, which is the text we'll
be focusing on today, And many of those who practiced
magic brought their books together and began
burning them in the sight of everyone. And they
counted up. The price of them, and found it,
50 ,000 pieces of silver. What's taking place
in this text is that these new converts, these
new believers in Christ who have heard Paul's
preaching, been converted, been transformed,
been changed, these new believers are realizing
we have to make known that we're no longer a
part of the Spiritism. We're no longer a part
of the occult. We have to let the world know.
We have to let the rest of Ephesus know. That's
not who I am. And so we see that these new believers
are going around and they're gathering up all
their old magic books, all their old magic manuals
that they utilize, and things that are worth
a great deal of money. And what are they doing?
They're gathering them up. And they're doing
this alongside of other believers, and they bring
them into one place, and what does it say? They
start burning them. They start ridding the world
of these things. They start forsaking and giving
up these things. They burn them. But they don't
just do this in groups of one or two in their
homes, do they? They don't even just do this
with the church. What does the text say? The
text says they were burning them in the sight
of everyone. Meaning everyone that was present.
This was a public action. But one of the things
we also see in this text is that it wasn't just
public. This was costly to these. new believers.
So we have to consider three things this morning
from this text. We're going to consider the public
nature of their actions. We're going to consider
the costly nature of their actions. And then
after all of that, we're going to draw some conclusions
based on the text that we've exposited and we've
spent time in. First, The public nature of their
actions. We can see clearly how this text is
speaking of a public event. Luke wants us to
know that this is public. That this is taking
place not in private. That's why he says that
they do it in front of everyone. They didn't
do this individually. They didn't do this by
themselves in isolation from everybody else.
They did this in a public sphere, in a public
capacity. There was public exposure to their
deeds, to their actions, burning them in the
sight of everyone. Now, this most likely means
that they were in the presence of the apostles
and all the fellow workers that were present
with Paul. This means that they were present.
With the church. That was in Ephesus. And most
likely it's gathering steam. And it's a large
group of individuals. But that also means. Everyone
must include. Members of the public. Citizens
of Ephesus. That they knew. Citizens of Ephesus.
That they had relationships with. Imagine. One
of these new converts. In Ephesus. They bring
their scrolls, they bring their books, they've
got an armful, and there's the bonfire. They
bring them over, and they're getting ready to
toss them in, and they look up, and there's their
mom or their dad, who's still actively practicing
spiritism. Who's still actively participating
in the occult and evil practices, and you're
bringing this here, and you're giving it up.
It was public. It was visible. There were public
ramifications and there were public implications
for their coming to faith in Jesus Christ. The
reasons for it being public? We have to surmise
and we have to deduce to a degree. Some would
say that this was done publicly because it renders
the spells inoperative. That the power of spells
and the power of the scrolls was in their secrecy.
And that's literally what occultism is. It's
talking about secret knowledge. There's the potential
for that. And that surely was part of it. But
there's also other reasons that they did this
publicly. We have to remember that these individuals
were those who practiced magic. Those individuals
who willingly, voluntarily practiced this evil
craft. That means that there had to be a general
knowledge that these individuals were involved
in those practices. Meaning the public was aware
that these individuals were practitioners of
the dark arts and wicked things. Therefore, they
publicly... come together and burn their books
because they were publicly known as practitioners.
They publicly renounce and condemn their participation
and the practices themselves. What are they making
a statement about in this? Because that's what
this is. It's a statement. that these believers
are making to the church and to the surrounding
world in Ephesus. What's the statement? When
they take those books and they burn them, they
don't sell them for money and make a profit off
of them. They burn them and rid themselves. What's
the statement? They're saying, I have no more
use for these whatsoever. I'm done with that
lifestyle. I don't have anything to do with these
practices anymore. I have no need of these scrolls,
these spells, these books, these magic potions
anymore. I'm done. That's not who I am. They
are condemning the sinful deeds and the sinful
practices that they once willingly took part
in. But they're also publicly Disassociating
with those practices and other practitioners.
You can't imagine that this is not going to have
any impact on who they affiliate with. On who
they associate with in their life. This is one
of the public consequences of their doing this
action. They are no longer going to associate
with those individuals and those practices that
are currently taking place in Ephesus. They're
no longer going to be a part of that magic association,
we could say. They're no longer going to be a
part of that magic group that meets as a chamber
of commerce. They're done. They're disassociating
themselves. from the practices and declaring
they have no use for these any longer. They're
publicly letting the world know and letting the
church know that that's not who I am. But they're
saying something positive as well. They're not
just saying, this is not who I am. This is not
what I'm doing. This is not what I'm going to
do. They're saying, this is who I am as well.
Because they're also publicly identifying with
what, brothers and sisters? Think about it. Who
are they doing this with? Who are they gathering
these books together with? Who were they converted
under? Who were they converted by? Here's the
name. What's the name that's being exalted in
Ephesus? What's the name that's being reverenced
all throughout the territory? Why did this fear
fall on Ephesus? Brothers and sisters, why? It's
because of Christ. They're not just... separating
themselves from the world and the culture that's
around them and the wicked practices around them.
They are positively identifying themselves with
the Lord Jesus Christ, with Paul and his gospel
message. It's not just negative. It's positive.
This is not just who I am. This is who I am now.
This is what I am now. That's what they're doing.
Now think about that. Think about the public.
Ramifications for that. Oh, it's not just that
he doesn't practice this anymore. No. He's a
Christian now. He believes the gospel now. He's
one of those do -gooders. He's one of those holy
people. He's one of those crazy people. He's
one of those people. that's given his life to
the Lord Jesus Christ. He's one of those people
that maybe was healed and miraculously changed.
He's one of those radicals. He's a part of the
way. He associates and he identifies or she associates
and she identifies with that man, Paul, who's
always going around proclaiming repentance and
forgiveness of sins. They are with him. They're
with the Lord Jesus Christ. So they're not just
saying this is not who I am. They're saying this
is who I am now. Now, we think about this, and
these were very unique circumstances. This will
not be the case for every single Christian and
every believer. Every Christian and every believer
does not live in the context and the circumstances
of... first century Ephesus. But, brothers and
sisters, there is a principle that's present
here that remains and continues. And that is
the reality. That true Christianity is always
public Christianity. True Christianity is always
lived out in the sight of others. True Christianity
is always going to have public ramifications
on a person's life. There are going to be consequences
for knowing Jesus Christ in your relationships
out in the world. On who you work with and who
you identify with and who you associate with
and who you don't associate with. You are living
in a world of men. You have a public life. You
walk in the sight of men. You talk in the sight
of men. You walk in groups. You are around people.
You work with people. You work in an exposed
capacity in a sense. Meaning people look on your
life. They view your life. They see your life.
They hear you talk. That's public. People see
you and they understand the words you speak.
That's public. What we're doing right now is
very public, is it not? We're gathering as a
group. We're lifting our voices and singing.
Other people are hearing our voices. We're going
to come forward to the Lord's table as believers
in Jesus Christ. We'll get up out of our seats.
We'll walk to the front and everybody sitting
down will watch and observe that you are identifying
with Christ. That's public. What about baptism?
Is that public? What about covenanting as a church?
Is that public? What about having your car parked
out front when people drive by? Is that public?
Brothers and sisters, true Christianity is always
public Christianity. Now, that doesn't mean it's
always easy. That doesn't mean that that's not
a difficult thing to experience. To go through
the reality that Christianity and our faith is
public makes it very difficult at times. It has
challenges, doesn't it? And for the very reason
that it is public. When people are talking about
certain things, when people are carrying on certain
conversations, when people are looking at certain
things, or people are talking certain ways about
certain people. Think about that. And then there's
the Christian, the believer in Jesus Christ,
who seeks to live the righteous life unto Christ
and to honor and glorify God. And here they are,
and they try to act differently. They restrain
their speech. They live differently. They don't
look, and they don't talk, and they don't laugh
at the jokes. They don't watch the same things
that everybody else has watched. They don't go
to the same places that everybody else has gone.
That's public, and that's difficult, and that's
hard. That's challenging. Every single believer
in this room knows that it's challenging. And
there's many other things that make it challenging.
There's fearfulness in their own hearts. What's
going to come as a result of this action? What
if I do this or I don't do this? What's going
to happen? What will happen to my family? What
will the consequences be for my income? What
will the consequences be for my career, my calling?
What will the consequences be for my relationship
if I choose Christ? over this. It's hard. And
Christians have to deal with those things day
in and day out as part of living in a dark and
a fallen world. It's public. It's not private.
It's difficult. And it's true of every believer
in all ages. It's always going to be true until
the Lord Jesus Christ But the glorious thing
about this text is this. It's not just that it's
difficult. The glorious thing in this text is
that these men and these women were truly converted,
and they did, in fact, burn their books. They
pushed through it. They gave up the books. They
went through the trial and the difficulty because
they were truly converted. Their Christianity
was authentic and true and real and living and
vital and powerful because they were living.
They had been new. They had been made new and
they had been made alive. They were genuinely
and truly converted in spite of all the difficulties
they went through with this. In spite of it being
public, they went ahead and burned their books.
So we see the public nature of their actions.
But we also have to consider the costly. of their
actions. We see in this text, in verse 9, the
second part, it says, and they counted up the
price of them and found it 50 ,000 pieces of
silver. Now, there's not complete agreement about
how much this is. We don't know exactly what
that looks like and what that would be equitable
to today. But we have a general idea that it
was probably 137 years. This is what one of the
historians says. It was 137 years of a single
worker's wages without a day off. That's quite
a bit of money. That's a lot of value that is
being burned into ashes. It shows two things.
This immense value. It shows the progress of
the gospel. There was a lot of people, brothers
and sisters, coming to Christ because there was
a lot of books being burned. The work of Christ
was successful in Ephesus. Men and women were
being converted. People were coming to Christ.
Christ's kingdom was being built in that place.
Pagan city. So we see that's a testimony of the
power of the gospel in Ephesus. But it also shows
us something else. It shows what those new converts,
what those believers were willing to give up
as a result of coming to Christ. It shows what
they were willing to sacrifice. They were willing
to sacrifice a lot of monetary value, a lot of
financial gain because of Christ. They were willing
to give up their money -making machines for the
Lord Jesus, brothers and sisters. Now, they weren't
doing this because they were trying to be right
with God. They were doing this because they had
been made right with God. They did this. Because
God had saved their souls. They weren't doing
this because they wanted to be right with God.
They were doing this, brothers and sisters, because
God had in fact saved them and they couldn't
hold on to these books anymore. This is the result
of their conversion. This is not them seeking
out conversion. This is what happens when God
truly saves sinners. He makes them willing to
give up anything. What is that parable about
the great pearl? What is that parable about the
hidden treasure? That when you find it, you're
willing to give up anything for it. When you
find it, you'll do anything to have it. Anything
at all, brothers and sisters. Because you value
and you love Jesus Christ so dearly because of
what He's done. Because of who He has made you
into. Because of what He's done in your soul.
Because of what He continues to do in your life.
You would do anything for Him. And you would
give up anything for him. This is what's happened
to these. These Ephesian converts. They are willing
to suffer the loss for Christ. And brothers and
sisters, it was costly. I don't even think we
can fully grasp living in the culture in the
day and the age of privileges. and the blessings
that we have in our society, I don't think we
can fully grasp the cost that these new converts
received and endured as a result of this. There
was certainly personal cost. Every single person
that brought a book to be burned, they experienced
a cost. Every single one of them. They had to
deal with it and appropriate it. and work it
out in their own souls. Each one of these Ephesian
converts had to work it out for themselves. Each
one of them had to decide, I am going to follow
Christ. Every single one of them. And every single
one of them chose to burn their own books. There
was a financial cost. This was their trade. We
don't know if this was their full -time trade,
their full -time craft. But we can see that obviously
there was money involved in their practicing
magic. They were willing to forfeit. To forsake
it and to give it up because of Christ. They
were willing to give up their nest egg, we could
say. Their insurance policy. Maybe one of them
would think, well, I'll just keep some in my
closet just in case the day comes. when I really,
really need some money. I'll just keep some back
here. I'm never going to use it. I'm never going
to look at it. I'm never going to open that closet.
I'm going to put it back. Brothers and sisters,
that's not what they did. They got rid of all
of it. They burned it in the fire because of
the Lord Jesus. So there was a financial cost.
It was personal. But there was a social cost
as well. Think about how this would affect and
influence their relationships. Think about how
this would change the dynamics of their family.
Think about how this would change the dynamics
of how they operate in Ephesus with everybody
knowing that they're a believer in Jesus Christ.
Think about how this would adjust and how this
would affect and impact Their interactions as
they went to the market. As they dealt with people
trying to make money for their families now.
They would lose jobs. They wouldn't get job interviews.
They would lose friends. They would lose family.
They would lose money. They would lose all. Why?
Because they publicly confessed that Christ is
Lord. And they suffer. the consequences for it.
Willingly and volitionally. And there was certainly
a relational cost. It affected all their relationships
as they came to the Lord Jesus. Now again, this
was a very unique circumstance, a very unique
situation that took place in a specific context.
But again, there's a principle that's present
here, isn't there, brothers and sisters? There's
a principle that remains with regards to true,
authentic Christianity. And the principle is
this, that true Christianity is always costly
Christianity. True Christianity always requires
much of its adherents, of those that are Christians.
True Christianity always... Costs. We're not
better than our Lord Jesus, are we? He suffered
shame and persecution. He suffered hardship.
He didn't have a place to lay his head. He was
mocked and he was ridiculed on the cross. Brothers
and sisters. We're no greater than our Lord,
and we will experience hardship as believers
in this life. There's always going to be a cost
involved in Christianity, not in superficial
or shallow Christianity. Superficial and shallow
Christianity says, oh, there doesn't have to
be a cost. Just give that up, let that go, and
be at peace. Compromise and everybody will get
along. Don't talk about it. Don't make it known.
Don't make it public. And there won't be any
friction. There won't be any conflict. Just get
what you need. Go for what you want. And then
leave and that's good. Call yourself a Christian.
Get all the benefits and all the blessings of
it. But none of the liability. That's what superficial
Christianity does. But not what true Christianity
does. Authentic Christianity is always costly
Christianity. This is very difficult, isn't it?
It's a very hard thing to know the Lord Jesus
Christ. To be a believer in a fallen and a dark
world. Yet, what's the glorious reality of this
text? That these men and these women, these former
practitioners, were genuinely converted and they
do, in fact, burn their books regardless of the
cost. They've been so changed. They've been so
transformed that there's not a cost. not willing
to undergo an experience because of the Lord
Jesus Christ. They love the Lord Jesus so dearly,
so much. We read in the Gospel of Luke, chapter
14. Verses 25 -27 Now large crowds were going
along with him, and he turned and said to them,
If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own
father and mother and wife and children and brothers
and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot
be my disciple. Whoever does not carry his own
cross and come after me cannot be my disciple.
Notice that he turns and says this, to a large
crowd. We could say they were the superficial,
shallow masses. And what does the Lord Jesus
Christ turn around and do? What does he say to
the superficial and these shallow disciples that
want, but they don't want to count the cost?
They want what Christ can offer. They want what
Christ can do. They want to see what all this
talk is about. But they don't want to suffer.
What does he do? He turns around and he says
a hard saying to them. And he says, if you want
to follow me, if you want to come after me, then
pick up your cross and die to yourself. That's
what Christianity is. That's what being my disciple
is like. That's what the Lord Jesus Christ himself
says. We see it all over the pages of Scripture.
It's a difficult reality, a hard thing, but nonetheless,
it's the reality of authentic, genuine, true
Christianity. Because of what God has done in
the life of believers, they will experience certain
costs in this life, certain difficulties and
hardships. pains and sufferings, trials, rough
spots in life, because they're no longer of this
world. Because they're different than everybody
around them by the grace of God, because they
think different, they look different, they look
at the world different, and they act differently
than the world around them. Because of what God
has done in the life of these Ephesian believers,
they are willing to count the cost, and follow
Christ publicly in Ephesus. Now let me draw a
few general conclusions about this text, and
then directly following that, I want to give
you a few specific conclusions regarding the
nature of true and authentic Christianity. So
a few general conclusions. We see that these
new converts, We're willing to undergo very difficult
things. We can draw that from the text clearly.
Everything about this scene is difficult. Everything
about this scene is hard. Everything about this
scene brings out turmoil, but also joy in their
souls. I mean, when they publicly identify with
the church, that's hard and difficult, but there's
also joy involved in it. And we see, brothers
and sisters, that everything in this situation
is trying. It's not going to be easy. They have
to face the fears in their own hearts in order
to be faithful. They have to deal with the humiliation
and the public shame in order to be faithful
and to be like their Lord, the Lord Jesus Christ.
And why is it that they were willing? to undergo
these very difficult things for the Lord Jesus
Christ. It's because they were truly converted
people. The reason they publicly burn their books
and the reason they give up this great cost in
their own life is because they have been genuinely,
truly, authentically born again by the Spirit
of God under the preaching of the Apostle John.
Paul, we know this. We know this is true because
it says many of those who practiced, they used
to, in verse 18, many also of those who had believed.
And then in verse 20, what do we see? So the
word of the Lord was growing mightily and prevailing,
meaning the events that are being described in
18 through 19 are true gospel progress. It's
the gospel really, truly prevailing in this world
by saving sinners, truly converting men and women.
So we have to conclude from this text, brothers
and sisters, that we're dealing with here, in
Acts 19 .19, true, authentic Christianity. The
real deal. So in considering some specific conclusions,
authentic Christianity is always, always, brothers
and sisters, built on true conversion. Always.
If it's not built on true conversion, it is not
authentic Christianity. Now, what do we mean
by authentic? I mean Christianity that's willing
to count the cost. I'm talking about faith that's
willing to live and walk in the sight of other
people. Public faith. Public Christianity. Because
only converted people do that. Only those who
are genuinely born again Only those who have
the Spirit of God, only those who have been regenerated
in their hearts, are being sanctified, made holy,
and made godly in this life. Only those live
distinctively in this world unto the glory of
God in Christ. Nobody else. Only those who are
born again. That's the basis for all true, authentic,
Christianity. Now, we see this clearly and obviously
when we think about it, the problems with superficial
and shallow Christianity don't exist. What is
the root and the cause of those movements and
that reality? It's that men and women have not
been born again. It's that men and women don't
truly know Christ. They may be good, moral, religious
people. They may be some of the nicest folks
in town. They may have been raised in church
their whole life. They can even be the most faithful
churchgoer there is, brothers and sisters, but
their heart's affection is not on Christ. They're
unconverted. Superficial Christianity, at its
root, has unconversion. True and authentic Christianity
is always based and built on true, genuine conversion.
The work of God in sinners' lives. This is why
people are willing to do all those hard things
for Christ. Think about that, brothers and sisters.
Why do people endure and persevere? Why does
anybody continue in the Christian life if they
don't know Christ? Why would anybody? Why would
you continue to crucify your own wicked and perverted
desires if you don't know Christ? Brothers and
sisters, why would you continue giving up hours
every Sunday of your life if you don't truly
know Christ? Why would you give yourself to people
that are holy and completely different if you
don't truly know Christ? You're going to fall
off the boat one of those days. But true and
genuine Christians, they persevere and they endure
in the difficulty and the hardship and the trials
because they're truly born again. Christians
are people that do hard things all the time.
All the time. When you don't get what you want,
and you get angry, repent of it. That's hard.
Brothers and sisters, when you sin and you have
to go to the Lord, you repent of it. That's hard.
When you give up your desires and you put others
first, that's hard, isn't it? When you decide
you're not going to do that behavior or that
action anymore because it displeases God, is
that easy or is that hard? That's hard, brothers
and sisters. When you're a wife that's frustrated
with your husband, and you have to submit to
your husband to honor Christ, is that easy or
is that hard? That's hard. Brothers and sisters,
when you're a husband, and your wife is frustrating,
and you still have to sacrificially lead and
wash your wife in the Word, is that easy or is
that hard? Oh, that's hard, brothers and sisters.
It's hard. It's hard to get up early and come
to church on the Lord's Day. It's hard to focus
our minds to the Word of God. It's hard to make
ourselves do things we don't want to do. That's
the Christian life. Christians are people who
do the hard things all throughout this life until
Christ returns in glory and the things will no
longer be hard. That's true, authentic Christianity.
Perseverance in the hard things throughout this
life to honor Jesus Christ and to bring glory
to the name of our almighty and our mighty God.
Authentic Christianity is always public Christianity.
Always. Now, Not in the same fashion that it
was in Ephesus. But remember, there's a principle
that remains. Christianity is always public.
What I mean by that is this. I mean that the
church, by nature, is public in this world. The
local church is public in this world. As we spoke
earlier about the elements in particular, the
nature of corporate gathering, it's public. And
Christians, in order to please Christ, in order
to honor God, they have to be a part of that.
They have to be a part of God's church and his
ordinances, and they're public, brothers and
sisters. But it also means that individual Christians
will walk in this world before... Men. In the
sight of men. We read in the Gospel of Matthew
again. Chapter 5. The Lord Jesus' Sermon on the
Mount. You are the light of the world, a city
set on a hill. A city set on a hill cannot be
hidden. Nor does anyone light a lamp and put
it under a basket, but on the lampstand. And
he gives light to all who are in the house. Let
your light shine where? Before men in such a
way that they may see your good works and glorify
your Father who is in heaven. Christianity is
public because the believer who is truly and
genuinely converted will walk faithfully performing
their good deeds and their good works in the
sight of men. Men who are part of Christ's kingdom
will live differently than the rest of this world,
brothers and sisters. And that's what this is
teaching us. That it's a public faith that takes
place and happens in the view of others. The
church that God uses and blesses. The Christianity.
that is powerful and vibrant in this world, that
God uses for His kingdom and for His glory. Brothers
and sisters, it's a church that is in the world
and seen by the world, but is seen as holy. It's
seen as God -honoring and distinct and separate
and different from everything else. We also see,
lastly, that authentic Christianity is always...
Costly Christianity. Always. Now when I mean
costly, it's what we've referred to already.
There's difficulties, there's trials, there's
hiccups, there's rough spots, there's suffering,
there's persecution in various ways in our lives.
There's just general hardships that we endure
as believers. And it's part... Of knowing Christ.
If your Christianity. Does not cost you anything
at all. It's not true Christianity. Listen. If
Christ doesn't require anything of you. It's
not the real Christ. If you just give up what
you want to give up and you take what you want
to take and you do what you want to do and you
don't do what you don't want to do, that superficial
Christianity is not authentic, true, genuine,
born -again Christianity. True Christianity is
costly to your very soul as a believer in Jesus
Christ. It's going to hurt and it's going to
be painful, but you're willing to endure it because
you know Glory is coming one day. Resurrection
is coming one day. Suffering before exaltation.
Suffering before glory. And you're willing to
endure it because you want to honor and please
your Lord who is a good master. That's true authentic
Christianity. Give up your desire and do what
you're supposed to do. Give up your pride and...
Do what you're supposed to do. Listen. Die to
yourself and honor Jesus Christ. Can you do that?
Are you willing to do that? If you're not willing
to do that, ask yourself, am I truly a born -again
believer or am I a superficial, shallow Christian
who loves tradition and coming to church? Brothers
and sisters, we serve a good king. A good Lord,
but that does not mean that He requires nothing
of those whom He has saved. He has saved us to
be like Him. He suffered. He was exalted and
glorified. We will suffer. We will be exalted
and glorified after His pattern. True Christianity
always follows the pattern of the cross and then
glory. Every Christian walks that path. Trial
and hardship, cost, glory, eternal joy, eternal
happiness, eternal fellowship with our Heavenly
Father. That's what the cross of Christ has accomplished,
brothers and sisters.