WEBVTT 00:00:09.869 --> 00:00:11.990 This morning we're going to go ahead and read 00:00:11.990 --> 00:00:17.690 verses 18 through 20 of Acts chapter 19. Many 00:00:17.690 --> 00:00:23.190 also of those who had believed kept coming, confessing, 00:00:23.190 --> 00:00:28.030 and disclosing their practices. And many of those 00:00:28.030 --> 00:00:31.589 who practiced magic brought their books together 00:00:31.589 --> 00:00:35.789 and began burning them in the sight of everyone. 00:00:35.950 --> 00:00:39.500 And they counted up the price of them. and found 00:00:39.500 --> 00:00:44.899 it 50 ,000 pieces of silver. So the word of the 00:00:44.899 --> 00:00:50.280 Lord was growing mightily and prevailing. When 00:00:50.280 --> 00:00:56.719 you hear the term superficial Christianity, what 00:00:56.719 --> 00:01:01.380 do you think of? When you hear about a nominal 00:01:01.380 --> 00:01:07.989 Christian, what comes to your mind? When you 00:01:07.989 --> 00:01:17.109 hear the words shallow Christianity, what happens 00:01:17.109 --> 00:01:22.709 when you think about that? Maybe you think about 00:01:22.709 --> 00:01:28.709 those people who say they're Christians, yet 00:01:28.709 --> 00:01:32.569 you've never witnessed any love or affection 00:01:32.569 --> 00:01:39.340 or longing or desire. for Christ or holy things 00:01:39.340 --> 00:01:44.939 in their life. Maybe you think of those individuals 00:01:44.939 --> 00:01:53.019 who say they're Christians, but they go to church 00:01:53.019 --> 00:01:59.060 three or four times a year when they know there's 00:01:59.060 --> 00:02:04.060 activities that they'll enjoy. I think this can 00:02:04.060 --> 00:02:08.300 best be... Seen and evidenced when we think about 00:02:08.300 --> 00:02:13.379 superficial and shallow churches. When we think 00:02:13.379 --> 00:02:16.840 about superficial, nominal, and shallow churches 00:02:16.840 --> 00:02:22.300 that are in our world and so prevalent. They're 00:02:22.300 --> 00:02:25.000 all around us, brothers and sisters. We all know 00:02:25.000 --> 00:02:28.199 it's all around us. These churches which are 00:02:28.199 --> 00:02:32.960 filled with individuals. who refuse to sing and 00:02:32.960 --> 00:02:35.539 worship God because they don't want to be heard 00:02:35.539 --> 00:02:38.060 singing and worshiping God. It's embarrassing 00:02:38.060 --> 00:02:42.300 to them. These churches which are filled with 00:02:42.300 --> 00:02:46.560 people, and men in particular, who are unwilling 00:02:46.560 --> 00:02:49.379 to serve. They might serve, but it has to be 00:02:49.379 --> 00:02:51.580 in a capacity where they're not seen or known 00:02:51.580 --> 00:02:57.120 to be serving. They'll let the women lead. They'll 00:02:57.120 --> 00:03:01.990 let the women be in charge of these things. Maybe 00:03:01.990 --> 00:03:08.449 we see this in churches that are full of individuals 00:03:08.449 --> 00:03:16.210 who love social activities, programs, individuals 00:03:16.210 --> 00:03:21.069 that love social interaction. And they come to 00:03:21.069 --> 00:03:26.509 church and they hear about the Word. They hear 00:03:26.509 --> 00:03:29.669 about moral and ethical teaching from the Word. 00:03:32.160 --> 00:03:37.379 But they only talk about what they've been doing. 00:03:38.699 --> 00:03:42.280 They only talk about what they did last week 00:03:42.280 --> 00:03:44.479 or what they're going to do next week. Christ 00:03:44.479 --> 00:03:49.219 never enters their mind. The holiness of God 00:03:49.219 --> 00:03:53.680 is never reckoned. It's never considered. Brothers 00:03:53.680 --> 00:03:57.000 and sisters, superficial, nominal, shallow Christianity 00:03:57.930 --> 00:04:01.629 is all over this world. And at the root and the 00:04:01.629 --> 00:04:07.250 base of this is the reality that people are unconverted. 00:04:08.090 --> 00:04:13.050 That people don't know Jesus Christ by faith 00:04:13.050 --> 00:04:18.769 and repentance. And typically, superficial Christianity 00:04:18.769 --> 00:04:22.509 is always going to be tied with this idea of 00:04:22.509 --> 00:04:28.300 private, personal religion. No, that's none of 00:04:28.300 --> 00:04:30.500 your business. That's my business. You don't 00:04:30.500 --> 00:04:32.600 need to ask me about that. I don't have to talk 00:04:32.600 --> 00:04:36.199 about that. This is my business. That's none 00:04:36.199 --> 00:04:39.920 of your business. I made a decision this time. 00:04:40.420 --> 00:04:42.600 Listen, I go to church every once in a while. 00:04:42.639 --> 00:04:44.680 I'm fine. I'm good. You don't need to pry into 00:04:44.680 --> 00:04:50.000 that. Religion is my thing. I do it in the way 00:04:50.000 --> 00:04:54.480 I want. I carry it out and I function in my religious 00:04:54.480 --> 00:04:59.360 capacity according to my desires and my longings. 00:04:59.800 --> 00:05:05.639 And the way that pleases me. At the root, at 00:05:05.639 --> 00:05:08.660 the bottom of all of these things is the reality 00:05:08.660 --> 00:05:13.519 that men and women are reckoned as believers 00:05:13.519 --> 00:05:17.689 when in reality they've never experienced any 00:05:17.689 --> 00:05:20.930 change whatsoever in their life. They have hard, 00:05:20.949 --> 00:05:24.310 stony, dead hearts. They've never been regenerated. 00:05:25.410 --> 00:05:29.110 But they're reckoned as believers by the church 00:05:29.110 --> 00:05:33.069 and by the culture and by society. That is superficial 00:05:33.069 --> 00:05:38.230 Christianity. That's nominal and shallow, privatized 00:05:38.230 --> 00:05:45.170 Christianity. And it looks nothing like the New 00:05:45.170 --> 00:05:49.740 Testament. It's completely alien and foreign 00:05:49.740 --> 00:05:56.000 to the pages of Scripture. In Acts chapter 19, 00:05:56.160 --> 00:06:00.560 we read in verse 19, which is the text we'll 00:06:00.560 --> 00:06:04.000 be focusing on today, And many of those who practiced 00:06:04.000 --> 00:06:08.899 magic brought their books together and began 00:06:08.899 --> 00:06:13.399 burning them in the sight of everyone. And they 00:06:13.399 --> 00:06:16.920 counted up. The price of them, and found it, 00:06:16.939 --> 00:06:23.920 50 ,000 pieces of silver. What's taking place 00:06:23.920 --> 00:06:28.199 in this text is that these new converts, these 00:06:28.199 --> 00:06:30.740 new believers in Christ who have heard Paul's 00:06:30.740 --> 00:06:33.740 preaching, been converted, been transformed, 00:06:34.079 --> 00:06:36.899 been changed, these new believers are realizing 00:06:36.899 --> 00:06:42.600 we have to make known that we're no longer a 00:06:42.600 --> 00:06:46.550 part of the Spiritism. We're no longer a part 00:06:46.550 --> 00:06:49.069 of the occult. We have to let the world know. 00:06:49.069 --> 00:06:52.170 We have to let the rest of Ephesus know. That's 00:06:52.170 --> 00:06:57.050 not who I am. And so we see that these new believers 00:06:57.050 --> 00:06:59.730 are going around and they're gathering up all 00:06:59.730 --> 00:07:04.490 their old magic books, all their old magic manuals 00:07:04.490 --> 00:07:07.329 that they utilize, and things that are worth 00:07:07.329 --> 00:07:10.449 a great deal of money. And what are they doing? 00:07:10.449 --> 00:07:13.100 They're gathering them up. And they're doing 00:07:13.100 --> 00:07:16.420 this alongside of other believers, and they bring 00:07:16.420 --> 00:07:20.000 them into one place, and what does it say? They 00:07:20.000 --> 00:07:25.439 start burning them. They start ridding the world 00:07:25.439 --> 00:07:28.899 of these things. They start forsaking and giving 00:07:28.899 --> 00:07:33.220 up these things. They burn them. But they don't 00:07:33.220 --> 00:07:35.980 just do this in groups of one or two in their 00:07:35.980 --> 00:07:40.899 homes, do they? They don't even just do this 00:07:40.899 --> 00:07:45.540 with the church. What does the text say? The 00:07:45.540 --> 00:07:49.000 text says they were burning them in the sight 00:07:49.000 --> 00:07:55.420 of everyone. Meaning everyone that was present. 00:07:55.959 --> 00:08:00.279 This was a public action. But one of the things 00:08:00.279 --> 00:08:03.680 we also see in this text is that it wasn't just 00:08:03.680 --> 00:08:09.259 public. This was costly to these. new believers. 00:08:10.519 --> 00:08:14.040 So we have to consider three things this morning 00:08:14.040 --> 00:08:17.519 from this text. We're going to consider the public 00:08:17.519 --> 00:08:22.079 nature of their actions. We're going to consider 00:08:22.079 --> 00:08:25.740 the costly nature of their actions. And then 00:08:25.740 --> 00:08:28.160 after all of that, we're going to draw some conclusions 00:08:28.160 --> 00:08:33.700 based on the text that we've exposited and we've 00:08:33.700 --> 00:08:39.269 spent time in. First, The public nature of their 00:08:39.269 --> 00:08:44.090 actions. We can see clearly how this text is 00:08:44.090 --> 00:08:49.370 speaking of a public event. Luke wants us to 00:08:49.370 --> 00:08:53.169 know that this is public. That this is taking 00:08:53.169 --> 00:08:57.710 place not in private. That's why he says that 00:08:57.710 --> 00:09:00.029 they do it in front of everyone. They didn't 00:09:00.029 --> 00:09:03.269 do this individually. They didn't do this by 00:09:03.269 --> 00:09:05.649 themselves in isolation from everybody else. 00:09:05.879 --> 00:09:09.299 They did this in a public sphere, in a public 00:09:09.299 --> 00:09:14.899 capacity. There was public exposure to their 00:09:14.899 --> 00:09:18.440 deeds, to their actions, burning them in the 00:09:18.440 --> 00:09:24.000 sight of everyone. Now, this most likely means 00:09:24.000 --> 00:09:27.440 that they were in the presence of the apostles 00:09:27.440 --> 00:09:29.940 and all the fellow workers that were present 00:09:29.940 --> 00:09:33.159 with Paul. This means that they were present. 00:09:33.549 --> 00:09:37.110 With the church. That was in Ephesus. And most 00:09:37.110 --> 00:09:40.110 likely it's gathering steam. And it's a large 00:09:40.110 --> 00:09:43.269 group of individuals. But that also means. Everyone 00:09:43.269 --> 00:09:49.570 must include. Members of the public. Citizens 00:09:49.570 --> 00:09:55.669 of Ephesus. That they knew. Citizens of Ephesus. 00:09:55.730 --> 00:10:00.269 That they had relationships with. Imagine. One 00:10:00.269 --> 00:10:04.019 of these new converts. In Ephesus. They bring 00:10:04.019 --> 00:10:06.360 their scrolls, they bring their books, they've 00:10:06.360 --> 00:10:09.139 got an armful, and there's the bonfire. They 00:10:09.139 --> 00:10:10.980 bring them over, and they're getting ready to 00:10:10.980 --> 00:10:12.720 toss them in, and they look up, and there's their 00:10:12.720 --> 00:10:16.460 mom or their dad, who's still actively practicing 00:10:16.460 --> 00:10:21.700 spiritism. Who's still actively participating 00:10:21.700 --> 00:10:26.179 in the occult and evil practices, and you're 00:10:26.179 --> 00:10:27.980 bringing this here, and you're giving it up. 00:10:29.000 --> 00:10:32.850 It was public. It was visible. There were public 00:10:32.850 --> 00:10:37.029 ramifications and there were public implications 00:10:37.029 --> 00:10:42.750 for their coming to faith in Jesus Christ. The 00:10:42.750 --> 00:10:47.309 reasons for it being public? We have to surmise 00:10:47.309 --> 00:10:51.309 and we have to deduce to a degree. Some would 00:10:51.309 --> 00:10:55.529 say that this was done publicly because it renders 00:10:55.529 --> 00:11:02.179 the spells inoperative. That the power of spells 00:11:02.179 --> 00:11:05.600 and the power of the scrolls was in their secrecy. 00:11:05.620 --> 00:11:08.299 And that's literally what occultism is. It's 00:11:08.299 --> 00:11:10.980 talking about secret knowledge. There's the potential 00:11:10.980 --> 00:11:15.200 for that. And that surely was part of it. But 00:11:15.200 --> 00:11:19.159 there's also other reasons that they did this 00:11:19.159 --> 00:11:22.679 publicly. We have to remember that these individuals 00:11:22.679 --> 00:11:27.710 were those who practiced magic. Those individuals 00:11:27.710 --> 00:11:32.309 who willingly, voluntarily practiced this evil 00:11:32.309 --> 00:11:36.590 craft. That means that there had to be a general 00:11:36.590 --> 00:11:40.470 knowledge that these individuals were involved 00:11:40.470 --> 00:11:45.370 in those practices. Meaning the public was aware 00:11:45.370 --> 00:11:49.750 that these individuals were practitioners of 00:11:49.750 --> 00:11:54.570 the dark arts and wicked things. Therefore, they 00:11:54.570 --> 00:11:59.019 publicly... come together and burn their books 00:11:59.019 --> 00:12:03.500 because they were publicly known as practitioners. 00:12:04.980 --> 00:12:11.940 They publicly renounce and condemn their participation 00:12:11.940 --> 00:12:17.860 and the practices themselves. What are they making 00:12:17.860 --> 00:12:20.799 a statement about in this? Because that's what 00:12:20.799 --> 00:12:23.860 this is. It's a statement. that these believers 00:12:23.860 --> 00:12:26.700 are making to the church and to the surrounding 00:12:26.700 --> 00:12:30.539 world in Ephesus. What's the statement? When 00:12:30.539 --> 00:12:32.799 they take those books and they burn them, they 00:12:32.799 --> 00:12:35.860 don't sell them for money and make a profit off 00:12:35.860 --> 00:12:38.759 of them. They burn them and rid themselves. What's 00:12:38.759 --> 00:12:41.840 the statement? They're saying, I have no more 00:12:41.840 --> 00:12:46.200 use for these whatsoever. I'm done with that 00:12:46.200 --> 00:12:49.440 lifestyle. I don't have anything to do with these 00:12:49.440 --> 00:12:53.639 practices anymore. I have no need of these scrolls, 00:12:53.639 --> 00:12:56.299 these spells, these books, these magic potions 00:12:56.299 --> 00:13:02.399 anymore. I'm done. That's not who I am. They 00:13:02.399 --> 00:13:05.580 are condemning the sinful deeds and the sinful 00:13:05.580 --> 00:13:09.980 practices that they once willingly took part 00:13:09.980 --> 00:13:17.440 in. But they're also publicly Disassociating 00:13:17.440 --> 00:13:22.480 with those practices and other practitioners. 00:13:24.200 --> 00:13:28.639 You can't imagine that this is not going to have 00:13:28.639 --> 00:13:35.720 any impact on who they affiliate with. On who 00:13:35.720 --> 00:13:38.879 they associate with in their life. This is one 00:13:38.879 --> 00:13:41.039 of the public consequences of their doing this 00:13:41.039 --> 00:13:44.980 action. They are no longer going to associate 00:13:44.980 --> 00:13:49.120 with those individuals and those practices that 00:13:49.120 --> 00:13:54.200 are currently taking place in Ephesus. They're 00:13:54.200 --> 00:13:57.240 no longer going to be a part of that magic association, 00:13:57.360 --> 00:13:59.799 we could say. They're no longer going to be a 00:13:59.799 --> 00:14:03.580 part of that magic group that meets as a chamber 00:14:03.580 --> 00:14:09.320 of commerce. They're done. They're disassociating 00:14:09.320 --> 00:14:14.179 themselves. from the practices and declaring 00:14:14.179 --> 00:14:20.379 they have no use for these any longer. They're 00:14:20.379 --> 00:14:24.340 publicly letting the world know and letting the 00:14:24.340 --> 00:14:31.179 church know that that's not who I am. But they're 00:14:31.179 --> 00:14:34.129 saying something positive as well. They're not 00:14:34.129 --> 00:14:37.389 just saying, this is not who I am. This is not 00:14:37.389 --> 00:14:39.629 what I'm doing. This is not what I'm going to 00:14:39.629 --> 00:14:42.750 do. They're saying, this is who I am as well. 00:14:43.850 --> 00:14:48.970 Because they're also publicly identifying with 00:14:48.970 --> 00:14:53.870 what, brothers and sisters? Think about it. Who 00:14:53.870 --> 00:14:57.129 are they doing this with? Who are they gathering 00:14:57.129 --> 00:15:00.090 these books together with? Who were they converted 00:15:00.090 --> 00:15:03.210 under? Who were they converted by? Here's the 00:15:03.210 --> 00:15:05.629 name. What's the name that's being exalted in 00:15:05.629 --> 00:15:08.029 Ephesus? What's the name that's being reverenced 00:15:08.029 --> 00:15:10.429 all throughout the territory? Why did this fear 00:15:10.429 --> 00:15:14.190 fall on Ephesus? Brothers and sisters, why? It's 00:15:14.190 --> 00:15:17.940 because of Christ. They're not just... separating 00:15:17.940 --> 00:15:20.360 themselves from the world and the culture that's 00:15:20.360 --> 00:15:22.259 around them and the wicked practices around them. 00:15:22.299 --> 00:15:25.639 They are positively identifying themselves with 00:15:25.639 --> 00:15:29.220 the Lord Jesus Christ, with Paul and his gospel 00:15:29.220 --> 00:15:33.720 message. It's not just negative. It's positive. 00:15:34.740 --> 00:15:38.480 This is not just who I am. This is who I am now. 00:15:39.279 --> 00:15:42.960 This is what I am now. That's what they're doing. 00:15:43.080 --> 00:15:46.379 Now think about that. Think about the public. 00:15:47.409 --> 00:15:50.210 Ramifications for that. Oh, it's not just that 00:15:50.210 --> 00:15:54.850 he doesn't practice this anymore. No. He's a 00:15:54.850 --> 00:16:02.250 Christian now. He believes the gospel now. He's 00:16:02.250 --> 00:16:06.169 one of those do -gooders. He's one of those holy 00:16:06.169 --> 00:16:10.669 people. He's one of those crazy people. He's 00:16:10.669 --> 00:16:14.289 one of those people. that's given his life to 00:16:14.289 --> 00:16:16.370 the Lord Jesus Christ. He's one of those people 00:16:16.370 --> 00:16:18.789 that maybe was healed and miraculously changed. 00:16:18.990 --> 00:16:21.190 He's one of those radicals. He's a part of the 00:16:21.190 --> 00:16:26.470 way. He associates and he identifies or she associates 00:16:26.470 --> 00:16:31.389 and she identifies with that man, Paul, who's 00:16:31.389 --> 00:16:34.169 always going around proclaiming repentance and 00:16:34.169 --> 00:16:38.669 forgiveness of sins. They are with him. They're 00:16:38.669 --> 00:16:42.100 with the Lord Jesus Christ. So they're not just 00:16:42.100 --> 00:16:45.700 saying this is not who I am. They're saying this 00:16:45.700 --> 00:16:53.559 is who I am now. Now, we think about this, and 00:16:53.559 --> 00:16:58.840 these were very unique circumstances. This will 00:16:58.840 --> 00:17:02.879 not be the case for every single Christian and 00:17:02.879 --> 00:17:06.539 every believer. Every Christian and every believer 00:17:06.539 --> 00:17:08.980 does not live in the context and the circumstances 00:17:08.980 --> 00:17:14.029 of... first century Ephesus. But, brothers and 00:17:14.029 --> 00:17:15.950 sisters, there is a principle that's present 00:17:15.950 --> 00:17:19.329 here that remains and continues. And that is 00:17:19.329 --> 00:17:24.109 the reality. That true Christianity is always 00:17:24.109 --> 00:17:30.349 public Christianity. True Christianity is always 00:17:30.349 --> 00:17:35.309 lived out in the sight of others. True Christianity 00:17:35.309 --> 00:17:39.879 is always going to have public ramifications 00:17:39.879 --> 00:17:43.980 on a person's life. There are going to be consequences 00:17:43.980 --> 00:17:47.099 for knowing Jesus Christ in your relationships 00:17:47.099 --> 00:17:50.480 out in the world. On who you work with and who 00:17:50.480 --> 00:17:53.019 you identify with and who you associate with 00:17:53.019 --> 00:17:57.960 and who you don't associate with. You are living 00:17:57.960 --> 00:18:05.589 in a world of men. You have a public life. You 00:18:05.589 --> 00:18:08.210 walk in the sight of men. You talk in the sight 00:18:08.210 --> 00:18:11.069 of men. You walk in groups. You are around people. 00:18:11.309 --> 00:18:15.230 You work with people. You work in an exposed 00:18:15.230 --> 00:18:19.089 capacity in a sense. Meaning people look on your 00:18:19.089 --> 00:18:21.150 life. They view your life. They see your life. 00:18:21.230 --> 00:18:26.369 They hear you talk. That's public. People see 00:18:26.369 --> 00:18:28.329 you and they understand the words you speak. 00:18:28.549 --> 00:18:31.950 That's public. What we're doing right now is 00:18:31.950 --> 00:18:36.000 very public, is it not? We're gathering as a 00:18:36.000 --> 00:18:38.279 group. We're lifting our voices and singing. 00:18:38.359 --> 00:18:42.359 Other people are hearing our voices. We're going 00:18:42.359 --> 00:18:44.920 to come forward to the Lord's table as believers 00:18:44.920 --> 00:18:47.380 in Jesus Christ. We'll get up out of our seats. 00:18:47.460 --> 00:18:49.279 We'll walk to the front and everybody sitting 00:18:49.279 --> 00:18:51.680 down will watch and observe that you are identifying 00:18:51.680 --> 00:18:56.059 with Christ. That's public. What about baptism? 00:18:56.819 --> 00:19:00.920 Is that public? What about covenanting as a church? 00:19:01.079 --> 00:19:03.440 Is that public? What about having your car parked 00:19:03.440 --> 00:19:05.660 out front when people drive by? Is that public? 00:19:06.960 --> 00:19:11.000 Brothers and sisters, true Christianity is always 00:19:11.000 --> 00:19:17.720 public Christianity. Now, that doesn't mean it's 00:19:17.720 --> 00:19:23.400 always easy. That doesn't mean that that's not 00:19:23.400 --> 00:19:28.470 a difficult thing to experience. To go through 00:19:28.470 --> 00:19:33.789 the reality that Christianity and our faith is 00:19:33.789 --> 00:19:38.029 public makes it very difficult at times. It has 00:19:38.029 --> 00:19:40.990 challenges, doesn't it? And for the very reason 00:19:40.990 --> 00:19:44.369 that it is public. When people are talking about 00:19:44.369 --> 00:19:47.549 certain things, when people are carrying on certain 00:19:47.549 --> 00:19:50.009 conversations, when people are looking at certain 00:19:50.009 --> 00:19:52.630 things, or people are talking certain ways about 00:19:52.630 --> 00:19:58.309 certain people. Think about that. And then there's 00:19:58.309 --> 00:20:00.190 the Christian, the believer in Jesus Christ, 00:20:00.309 --> 00:20:03.190 who seeks to live the righteous life unto Christ 00:20:03.190 --> 00:20:06.230 and to honor and glorify God. And here they are, 00:20:06.269 --> 00:20:09.910 and they try to act differently. They restrain 00:20:09.910 --> 00:20:12.910 their speech. They live differently. They don't 00:20:12.910 --> 00:20:14.410 look, and they don't talk, and they don't laugh 00:20:14.410 --> 00:20:17.130 at the jokes. They don't watch the same things 00:20:17.130 --> 00:20:18.769 that everybody else has watched. They don't go 00:20:18.769 --> 00:20:20.650 to the same places that everybody else has gone. 00:20:20.730 --> 00:20:23.269 That's public, and that's difficult, and that's 00:20:23.269 --> 00:20:28.490 hard. That's challenging. Every single believer 00:20:28.490 --> 00:20:31.609 in this room knows that it's challenging. And 00:20:31.609 --> 00:20:33.430 there's many other things that make it challenging. 00:20:33.569 --> 00:20:37.190 There's fearfulness in their own hearts. What's 00:20:37.190 --> 00:20:39.829 going to come as a result of this action? What 00:20:39.829 --> 00:20:42.029 if I do this or I don't do this? What's going 00:20:42.029 --> 00:20:45.130 to happen? What will happen to my family? What 00:20:45.130 --> 00:20:47.170 will the consequences be for my income? What 00:20:47.170 --> 00:20:50.130 will the consequences be for my career, my calling? 00:20:50.250 --> 00:20:52.410 What will the consequences be for my relationship 00:20:52.410 --> 00:21:00.049 if I choose Christ? over this. It's hard. And 00:21:00.049 --> 00:21:02.109 Christians have to deal with those things day 00:21:02.109 --> 00:21:04.789 in and day out as part of living in a dark and 00:21:04.789 --> 00:21:11.410 a fallen world. It's public. It's not private. 00:21:12.009 --> 00:21:15.930 It's difficult. And it's true of every believer 00:21:15.930 --> 00:21:21.750 in all ages. It's always going to be true until 00:21:21.750 --> 00:21:25.150 the Lord Jesus Christ But the glorious thing 00:21:25.150 --> 00:21:28.009 about this text is this. It's not just that it's 00:21:28.009 --> 00:21:31.289 difficult. The glorious thing in this text is 00:21:31.289 --> 00:21:35.569 that these men and these women were truly converted, 00:21:35.710 --> 00:21:42.049 and they did, in fact, burn their books. They 00:21:42.049 --> 00:21:46.170 pushed through it. They gave up the books. They 00:21:46.170 --> 00:21:50.349 went through the trial and the difficulty because 00:21:50.349 --> 00:21:54.410 they were truly converted. Their Christianity 00:21:54.410 --> 00:21:57.230 was authentic and true and real and living and 00:21:57.230 --> 00:22:01.109 vital and powerful because they were living. 00:22:01.650 --> 00:22:04.369 They had been new. They had been made new and 00:22:04.369 --> 00:22:06.410 they had been made alive. They were genuinely 00:22:06.410 --> 00:22:10.349 and truly converted in spite of all the difficulties 00:22:10.349 --> 00:22:13.430 they went through with this. In spite of it being 00:22:13.430 --> 00:22:16.750 public, they went ahead and burned their books. 00:22:17.589 --> 00:22:19.829 So we see the public nature of their actions. 00:22:20.309 --> 00:22:24.230 But we also have to consider the costly. of their 00:22:24.230 --> 00:22:30.930 actions. We see in this text, in verse 9, the 00:22:30.930 --> 00:22:33.450 second part, it says, and they counted up the 00:22:33.450 --> 00:22:38.690 price of them and found it 50 ,000 pieces of 00:22:38.690 --> 00:22:44.210 silver. Now, there's not complete agreement about 00:22:44.210 --> 00:22:47.509 how much this is. We don't know exactly what 00:22:47.509 --> 00:22:50.529 that looks like and what that would be equitable 00:22:50.529 --> 00:22:56.200 to today. But we have a general idea that it 00:22:56.200 --> 00:23:00.319 was probably 137 years. This is what one of the 00:23:00.319 --> 00:23:04.680 historians says. It was 137 years of a single 00:23:04.680 --> 00:23:11.000 worker's wages without a day off. That's quite 00:23:11.000 --> 00:23:16.859 a bit of money. That's a lot of value that is 00:23:16.859 --> 00:23:23.420 being burned into ashes. It shows two things. 00:23:24.619 --> 00:23:30.400 This immense value. It shows the progress of 00:23:30.400 --> 00:23:33.119 the gospel. There was a lot of people, brothers 00:23:33.119 --> 00:23:35.220 and sisters, coming to Christ because there was 00:23:35.220 --> 00:23:39.160 a lot of books being burned. The work of Christ 00:23:39.160 --> 00:23:44.400 was successful in Ephesus. Men and women were 00:23:44.400 --> 00:23:47.619 being converted. People were coming to Christ. 00:23:47.960 --> 00:23:51.380 Christ's kingdom was being built in that place. 00:23:51.240 --> 00:23:56.779 Pagan city. So we see that's a testimony of the 00:23:56.779 --> 00:24:00.799 power of the gospel in Ephesus. But it also shows 00:24:00.799 --> 00:24:06.640 us something else. It shows what those new converts, 00:24:06.740 --> 00:24:10.960 what those believers were willing to give up 00:24:10.960 --> 00:24:17.339 as a result of coming to Christ. It shows what 00:24:17.339 --> 00:24:20.910 they were willing to sacrifice. They were willing 00:24:20.910 --> 00:24:25.710 to sacrifice a lot of monetary value, a lot of 00:24:25.710 --> 00:24:31.369 financial gain because of Christ. They were willing 00:24:31.369 --> 00:24:34.930 to give up their money -making machines for the 00:24:34.930 --> 00:24:38.109 Lord Jesus, brothers and sisters. Now, they weren't 00:24:38.109 --> 00:24:40.710 doing this because they were trying to be right 00:24:40.710 --> 00:24:43.950 with God. They were doing this because they had 00:24:43.950 --> 00:24:49.529 been made right with God. They did this. Because 00:24:49.529 --> 00:24:53.150 God had saved their souls. They weren't doing 00:24:53.150 --> 00:24:54.950 this because they wanted to be right with God. 00:24:55.009 --> 00:24:57.390 They were doing this, brothers and sisters, because 00:24:57.390 --> 00:24:59.869 God had in fact saved them and they couldn't 00:24:59.869 --> 00:25:03.309 hold on to these books anymore. This is the result 00:25:03.309 --> 00:25:05.829 of their conversion. This is not them seeking 00:25:05.829 --> 00:25:09.349 out conversion. This is what happens when God 00:25:09.349 --> 00:25:13.890 truly saves sinners. He makes them willing to 00:25:13.890 --> 00:25:16.230 give up anything. What is that parable about 00:25:16.230 --> 00:25:19.720 the great pearl? What is that parable about the 00:25:19.720 --> 00:25:22.920 hidden treasure? That when you find it, you're 00:25:22.920 --> 00:25:24.859 willing to give up anything for it. When you 00:25:24.859 --> 00:25:28.220 find it, you'll do anything to have it. Anything 00:25:28.220 --> 00:25:30.619 at all, brothers and sisters. Because you value 00:25:30.619 --> 00:25:34.319 and you love Jesus Christ so dearly because of 00:25:34.319 --> 00:25:36.880 what He's done. Because of who He has made you 00:25:36.880 --> 00:25:40.220 into. Because of what He's done in your soul. 00:25:40.720 --> 00:25:42.900 Because of what He continues to do in your life. 00:25:43.019 --> 00:25:47.319 You would do anything for Him. And you would 00:25:47.319 --> 00:25:51.759 give up anything for him. This is what's happened 00:25:51.759 --> 00:25:57.900 to these. These Ephesian converts. They are willing 00:25:57.900 --> 00:26:04.380 to suffer the loss for Christ. And brothers and 00:26:04.380 --> 00:26:07.700 sisters, it was costly. I don't even think we 00:26:07.700 --> 00:26:11.279 can fully grasp living in the culture in the 00:26:11.279 --> 00:26:13.720 day and the age of privileges. and the blessings 00:26:13.720 --> 00:26:16.299 that we have in our society, I don't think we 00:26:16.299 --> 00:26:21.920 can fully grasp the cost that these new converts 00:26:21.920 --> 00:26:28.440 received and endured as a result of this. There 00:26:28.440 --> 00:26:32.180 was certainly personal cost. Every single person 00:26:32.180 --> 00:26:36.279 that brought a book to be burned, they experienced 00:26:36.279 --> 00:26:41.160 a cost. Every single one of them. They had to 00:26:41.160 --> 00:26:43.490 deal with it and appropriate it. and work it 00:26:43.490 --> 00:26:46.450 out in their own souls. Each one of these Ephesian 00:26:46.450 --> 00:26:49.150 converts had to work it out for themselves. Each 00:26:49.150 --> 00:26:52.130 one of them had to decide, I am going to follow 00:26:52.130 --> 00:26:55.789 Christ. Every single one of them. And every single 00:26:55.789 --> 00:27:01.309 one of them chose to burn their own books. There 00:27:01.309 --> 00:27:06.289 was a financial cost. This was their trade. We 00:27:06.289 --> 00:27:08.109 don't know if this was their full -time trade, 00:27:08.210 --> 00:27:12.880 their full -time craft. But we can see that obviously 00:27:12.880 --> 00:27:18.299 there was money involved in their practicing 00:27:18.299 --> 00:27:24.319 magic. They were willing to forfeit. To forsake 00:27:24.319 --> 00:27:28.160 it and to give it up because of Christ. They 00:27:28.160 --> 00:27:30.160 were willing to give up their nest egg, we could 00:27:30.160 --> 00:27:34.660 say. Their insurance policy. Maybe one of them 00:27:34.660 --> 00:27:38.000 would think, well, I'll just keep some in my 00:27:38.000 --> 00:27:40.890 closet just in case the day comes. when I really, 00:27:40.930 --> 00:27:45.369 really need some money. I'll just keep some back 00:27:45.369 --> 00:27:48.309 here. I'm never going to use it. I'm never going 00:27:48.309 --> 00:27:50.410 to look at it. I'm never going to open that closet. 00:27:50.650 --> 00:27:52.509 I'm going to put it back. Brothers and sisters, 00:27:52.569 --> 00:27:56.329 that's not what they did. They got rid of all 00:27:56.329 --> 00:28:01.210 of it. They burned it in the fire because of 00:28:01.210 --> 00:28:03.769 the Lord Jesus. So there was a financial cost. 00:28:03.789 --> 00:28:06.630 It was personal. But there was a social cost 00:28:06.630 --> 00:28:13.380 as well. Think about how this would affect and 00:28:13.380 --> 00:28:18.980 influence their relationships. Think about how 00:28:18.980 --> 00:28:22.259 this would change the dynamics of their family. 00:28:23.460 --> 00:28:26.539 Think about how this would change the dynamics 00:28:26.539 --> 00:28:29.779 of how they operate in Ephesus with everybody 00:28:29.779 --> 00:28:32.420 knowing that they're a believer in Jesus Christ. 00:28:32.960 --> 00:28:36.819 Think about how this would adjust and how this 00:28:36.819 --> 00:28:40.660 would affect and impact Their interactions as 00:28:40.660 --> 00:28:44.859 they went to the market. As they dealt with people 00:28:44.859 --> 00:28:47.539 trying to make money for their families now. 00:28:49.180 --> 00:28:52.640 They would lose jobs. They wouldn't get job interviews. 00:28:53.619 --> 00:28:56.740 They would lose friends. They would lose family. 00:28:56.839 --> 00:28:59.920 They would lose money. They would lose all. Why? 00:29:01.759 --> 00:29:04.740 Because they publicly confessed that Christ is 00:29:04.740 --> 00:29:09.549 Lord. And they suffer. the consequences for it. 00:29:09.730 --> 00:29:14.549 Willingly and volitionally. And there was certainly 00:29:14.549 --> 00:29:21.509 a relational cost. It affected all their relationships 00:29:21.509 --> 00:29:27.230 as they came to the Lord Jesus. Now again, this 00:29:27.230 --> 00:29:30.950 was a very unique circumstance, a very unique 00:29:30.950 --> 00:29:36.230 situation that took place in a specific context. 00:29:36.990 --> 00:29:39.009 But again, there's a principle that's present 00:29:39.009 --> 00:29:41.750 here, isn't there, brothers and sisters? There's 00:29:41.750 --> 00:29:44.710 a principle that remains with regards to true, 00:29:44.710 --> 00:29:48.730 authentic Christianity. And the principle is 00:29:48.730 --> 00:29:52.509 this, that true Christianity is always costly 00:29:52.509 --> 00:29:57.589 Christianity. True Christianity always requires 00:29:57.589 --> 00:30:03.029 much of its adherents, of those that are Christians. 00:30:03.609 --> 00:30:08.990 True Christianity always... Costs. We're not 00:30:08.990 --> 00:30:13.210 better than our Lord Jesus, are we? He suffered 00:30:13.210 --> 00:30:17.150 shame and persecution. He suffered hardship. 00:30:17.150 --> 00:30:20.190 He didn't have a place to lay his head. He was 00:30:20.190 --> 00:30:24.589 mocked and he was ridiculed on the cross. Brothers 00:30:24.589 --> 00:30:28.269 and sisters. We're no greater than our Lord, 00:30:28.309 --> 00:30:30.710 and we will experience hardship as believers 00:30:30.710 --> 00:30:35.089 in this life. There's always going to be a cost 00:30:35.089 --> 00:30:38.650 involved in Christianity, not in superficial 00:30:38.650 --> 00:30:45.490 or shallow Christianity. Superficial and shallow 00:30:45.490 --> 00:30:49.089 Christianity says, oh, there doesn't have to 00:30:49.089 --> 00:30:53.650 be a cost. Just give that up, let that go, and 00:30:53.650 --> 00:30:57.400 be at peace. Compromise and everybody will get 00:30:57.400 --> 00:31:00.920 along. Don't talk about it. Don't make it known. 00:31:01.039 --> 00:31:03.819 Don't make it public. And there won't be any 00:31:03.819 --> 00:31:10.059 friction. There won't be any conflict. Just get 00:31:10.059 --> 00:31:13.480 what you need. Go for what you want. And then 00:31:13.480 --> 00:31:17.740 leave and that's good. Call yourself a Christian. 00:31:17.839 --> 00:31:21.079 Get all the benefits and all the blessings of 00:31:21.079 --> 00:31:26.000 it. But none of the liability. That's what superficial 00:31:26.000 --> 00:31:30.460 Christianity does. But not what true Christianity 00:31:30.460 --> 00:31:37.380 does. Authentic Christianity is always costly 00:31:37.380 --> 00:31:43.539 Christianity. This is very difficult, isn't it? 00:31:46.440 --> 00:31:50.859 It's a very hard thing to know the Lord Jesus 00:31:50.859 --> 00:31:54.809 Christ. To be a believer in a fallen and a dark 00:31:54.809 --> 00:31:59.490 world. Yet, what's the glorious reality of this 00:31:59.490 --> 00:32:03.670 text? That these men and these women, these former 00:32:03.670 --> 00:32:07.410 practitioners, were genuinely converted and they 00:32:07.410 --> 00:32:11.609 do, in fact, burn their books regardless of the 00:32:11.609 --> 00:32:17.049 cost. They've been so changed. They've been so 00:32:17.049 --> 00:32:22.559 transformed that there's not a cost. not willing 00:32:22.559 --> 00:32:25.859 to undergo an experience because of the Lord 00:32:25.859 --> 00:32:31.019 Jesus Christ. They love the Lord Jesus so dearly, 00:32:31.019 --> 00:32:38.019 so much. We read in the Gospel of Luke, chapter 00:32:38.019 --> 00:32:54.410 14. Verses 25 -27 Now large crowds were going 00:32:54.410 --> 00:32:57.730 along with him, and he turned and said to them, 00:32:58.089 --> 00:33:01.549 If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own 00:33:01.549 --> 00:33:04.369 father and mother and wife and children and brothers 00:33:04.369 --> 00:33:08.430 and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot 00:33:08.430 --> 00:33:11.869 be my disciple. Whoever does not carry his own 00:33:11.869 --> 00:33:15.569 cross and come after me cannot be my disciple. 00:33:16.789 --> 00:33:21.019 Notice that he turns and says this, to a large 00:33:21.019 --> 00:33:26.980 crowd. We could say they were the superficial, 00:33:27.099 --> 00:33:32.119 shallow masses. And what does the Lord Jesus 00:33:32.119 --> 00:33:35.519 Christ turn around and do? What does he say to 00:33:35.519 --> 00:33:39.599 the superficial and these shallow disciples that 00:33:39.599 --> 00:33:42.460 want, but they don't want to count the cost? 00:33:43.480 --> 00:33:46.279 They want what Christ can offer. They want what 00:33:46.279 --> 00:33:48.589 Christ can do. They want to see what all this 00:33:48.589 --> 00:33:52.210 talk is about. But they don't want to suffer. 00:33:53.210 --> 00:33:56.769 What does he do? He turns around and he says 00:33:56.769 --> 00:34:00.230 a hard saying to them. And he says, if you want 00:34:00.230 --> 00:34:05.049 to follow me, if you want to come after me, then 00:34:05.049 --> 00:34:09.090 pick up your cross and die to yourself. That's 00:34:09.090 --> 00:34:11.869 what Christianity is. That's what being my disciple 00:34:11.869 --> 00:34:14.570 is like. That's what the Lord Jesus Christ himself 00:34:14.570 --> 00:34:21.769 says. We see it all over the pages of Scripture. 00:34:22.710 --> 00:34:26.730 It's a difficult reality, a hard thing, but nonetheless, 00:34:26.869 --> 00:34:29.230 it's the reality of authentic, genuine, true 00:34:29.230 --> 00:34:35.110 Christianity. Because of what God has done in 00:34:35.110 --> 00:34:41.570 the life of believers, they will experience certain 00:34:41.570 --> 00:34:46.289 costs in this life, certain difficulties and 00:34:46.289 --> 00:34:51.280 hardships. pains and sufferings, trials, rough 00:34:51.280 --> 00:34:55.400 spots in life, because they're no longer of this 00:34:55.400 --> 00:34:59.619 world. Because they're different than everybody 00:34:59.619 --> 00:35:02.340 around them by the grace of God, because they 00:35:02.340 --> 00:35:04.719 think different, they look different, they look 00:35:04.719 --> 00:35:07.059 at the world different, and they act differently 00:35:07.059 --> 00:35:12.039 than the world around them. Because of what God 00:35:12.039 --> 00:35:14.260 has done in the life of these Ephesian believers, 00:35:14.739 --> 00:35:18.230 they are willing to count the cost, and follow 00:35:18.230 --> 00:35:27.610 Christ publicly in Ephesus. Now let me draw a 00:35:27.610 --> 00:35:30.329 few general conclusions about this text, and 00:35:30.329 --> 00:35:31.889 then directly following that, I want to give 00:35:31.889 --> 00:35:36.670 you a few specific conclusions regarding the 00:35:36.670 --> 00:35:40.750 nature of true and authentic Christianity. So 00:35:40.750 --> 00:35:46.030 a few general conclusions. We see that these 00:35:46.030 --> 00:35:52.389 new converts, We're willing to undergo very difficult 00:35:52.389 --> 00:35:55.530 things. We can draw that from the text clearly. 00:35:56.289 --> 00:36:00.110 Everything about this scene is difficult. Everything 00:36:00.110 --> 00:36:04.210 about this scene is hard. Everything about this 00:36:04.210 --> 00:36:07.730 scene brings out turmoil, but also joy in their 00:36:07.730 --> 00:36:10.250 souls. I mean, when they publicly identify with 00:36:10.250 --> 00:36:12.389 the church, that's hard and difficult, but there's 00:36:12.389 --> 00:36:16.730 also joy involved in it. And we see, brothers 00:36:16.730 --> 00:36:18.550 and sisters, that everything in this situation 00:36:18.550 --> 00:36:23.369 is trying. It's not going to be easy. They have 00:36:23.369 --> 00:36:25.829 to face the fears in their own hearts in order 00:36:25.829 --> 00:36:30.309 to be faithful. They have to deal with the humiliation 00:36:30.309 --> 00:36:34.130 and the public shame in order to be faithful 00:36:34.130 --> 00:36:37.909 and to be like their Lord, the Lord Jesus Christ. 00:36:38.349 --> 00:36:43.420 And why is it that they were willing? to undergo 00:36:43.420 --> 00:36:46.440 these very difficult things for the Lord Jesus 00:36:46.440 --> 00:36:50.599 Christ. It's because they were truly converted 00:36:50.599 --> 00:36:57.139 people. The reason they publicly burn their books 00:36:57.139 --> 00:37:00.179 and the reason they give up this great cost in 00:37:00.179 --> 00:37:03.420 their own life is because they have been genuinely, 00:37:03.420 --> 00:37:07.320 truly, authentically born again by the Spirit 00:37:07.320 --> 00:37:10.719 of God under the preaching of the Apostle John. 00:37:10.960 --> 00:37:15.880 Paul, we know this. We know this is true because 00:37:15.880 --> 00:37:18.400 it says many of those who practiced, they used 00:37:18.400 --> 00:37:21.920 to, in verse 18, many also of those who had believed. 00:37:22.619 --> 00:37:27.340 And then in verse 20, what do we see? So the 00:37:27.340 --> 00:37:29.820 word of the Lord was growing mightily and prevailing, 00:37:30.019 --> 00:37:32.639 meaning the events that are being described in 00:37:32.639 --> 00:37:41.659 18 through 19 are true gospel progress. It's 00:37:41.659 --> 00:37:46.219 the gospel really, truly prevailing in this world 00:37:46.219 --> 00:37:51.880 by saving sinners, truly converting men and women. 00:37:52.460 --> 00:37:55.300 So we have to conclude from this text, brothers 00:37:55.300 --> 00:37:59.059 and sisters, that we're dealing with here, in 00:37:59.059 --> 00:38:07.239 Acts 19 .19, true, authentic Christianity. The 00:38:07.239 --> 00:38:17.199 real deal. So in considering some specific conclusions, 00:38:17.559 --> 00:38:24.960 authentic Christianity is always, always, brothers 00:38:24.960 --> 00:38:32.340 and sisters, built on true conversion. Always. 00:38:33.460 --> 00:38:38.840 If it's not built on true conversion, it is not 00:38:38.840 --> 00:38:43.429 authentic Christianity. Now, what do we mean 00:38:43.429 --> 00:38:45.929 by authentic? I mean Christianity that's willing 00:38:45.929 --> 00:38:50.590 to count the cost. I'm talking about faith that's 00:38:50.590 --> 00:38:53.030 willing to live and walk in the sight of other 00:38:53.030 --> 00:39:01.030 people. Public faith. Public Christianity. Because 00:39:01.030 --> 00:39:08.869 only converted people do that. Only those who 00:39:08.869 --> 00:39:12.869 are genuinely born again Only those who have 00:39:12.869 --> 00:39:16.050 the Spirit of God, only those who have been regenerated 00:39:16.050 --> 00:39:19.909 in their hearts, are being sanctified, made holy, 00:39:20.050 --> 00:39:23.110 and made godly in this life. Only those live 00:39:23.110 --> 00:39:27.250 distinctively in this world unto the glory of 00:39:27.250 --> 00:39:33.349 God in Christ. Nobody else. Only those who are 00:39:33.349 --> 00:39:39.030 born again. That's the basis for all true, authentic, 00:39:39.730 --> 00:39:44.769 Christianity. Now, we see this clearly and obviously 00:39:44.769 --> 00:39:48.969 when we think about it, the problems with superficial 00:39:48.969 --> 00:39:53.789 and shallow Christianity don't exist. What is 00:39:53.789 --> 00:39:59.909 the root and the cause of those movements and 00:39:59.909 --> 00:40:03.889 that reality? It's that men and women have not 00:40:03.889 --> 00:40:07.349 been born again. It's that men and women don't 00:40:07.349 --> 00:40:11.250 truly know Christ. They may be good, moral, religious 00:40:11.250 --> 00:40:15.550 people. They may be some of the nicest folks 00:40:15.550 --> 00:40:20.449 in town. They may have been raised in church 00:40:20.449 --> 00:40:23.349 their whole life. They can even be the most faithful 00:40:23.349 --> 00:40:25.989 churchgoer there is, brothers and sisters, but 00:40:25.989 --> 00:40:32.670 their heart's affection is not on Christ. They're 00:40:32.670 --> 00:40:37.010 unconverted. Superficial Christianity, at its 00:40:37.010 --> 00:40:43.030 root, has unconversion. True and authentic Christianity 00:40:43.030 --> 00:40:50.329 is always based and built on true, genuine conversion. 00:40:50.510 --> 00:40:54.650 The work of God in sinners' lives. This is why 00:40:54.650 --> 00:40:58.949 people are willing to do all those hard things 00:40:58.949 --> 00:41:02.610 for Christ. Think about that, brothers and sisters. 00:41:03.650 --> 00:41:08.610 Why do people endure and persevere? Why does 00:41:08.610 --> 00:41:15.570 anybody continue in the Christian life if they 00:41:15.570 --> 00:41:20.050 don't know Christ? Why would anybody? Why would 00:41:20.050 --> 00:41:23.050 you continue to crucify your own wicked and perverted 00:41:23.050 --> 00:41:26.650 desires if you don't know Christ? Brothers and 00:41:26.650 --> 00:41:29.150 sisters, why would you continue giving up hours 00:41:29.150 --> 00:41:31.530 every Sunday of your life if you don't truly 00:41:31.530 --> 00:41:35.269 know Christ? Why would you give yourself to people 00:41:35.269 --> 00:41:37.530 that are holy and completely different if you 00:41:37.530 --> 00:41:40.210 don't truly know Christ? You're going to fall 00:41:40.210 --> 00:41:43.690 off the boat one of those days. But true and 00:41:43.690 --> 00:41:46.550 genuine Christians, they persevere and they endure 00:41:46.550 --> 00:41:49.130 in the difficulty and the hardship and the trials 00:41:49.130 --> 00:41:53.889 because they're truly born again. Christians 00:41:53.889 --> 00:41:56.809 are people that do hard things all the time. 00:41:58.110 --> 00:42:01.650 All the time. When you don't get what you want, 00:42:02.139 --> 00:42:04.659 and you get angry, repent of it. That's hard. 00:42:05.739 --> 00:42:08.239 Brothers and sisters, when you sin and you have 00:42:08.239 --> 00:42:11.199 to go to the Lord, you repent of it. That's hard. 00:42:11.940 --> 00:42:14.380 When you give up your desires and you put others 00:42:14.380 --> 00:42:17.760 first, that's hard, isn't it? When you decide 00:42:17.760 --> 00:42:19.639 you're not going to do that behavior or that 00:42:19.639 --> 00:42:22.679 action anymore because it displeases God, is 00:42:22.679 --> 00:42:25.880 that easy or is that hard? That's hard, brothers 00:42:25.880 --> 00:42:28.900 and sisters. When you're a wife that's frustrated 00:42:28.900 --> 00:42:32.010 with your husband, and you have to submit to 00:42:32.010 --> 00:42:34.730 your husband to honor Christ, is that easy or 00:42:34.730 --> 00:42:39.530 is that hard? That's hard. Brothers and sisters, 00:42:39.710 --> 00:42:43.389 when you're a husband, and your wife is frustrating, 00:42:43.769 --> 00:42:47.449 and you still have to sacrificially lead and 00:42:47.449 --> 00:42:50.769 wash your wife in the Word, is that easy or is 00:42:50.769 --> 00:42:54.329 that hard? Oh, that's hard, brothers and sisters. 00:42:55.309 --> 00:43:00.119 It's hard. It's hard to get up early and come 00:43:00.119 --> 00:43:05.059 to church on the Lord's Day. It's hard to focus 00:43:05.059 --> 00:43:08.519 our minds to the Word of God. It's hard to make 00:43:08.519 --> 00:43:11.860 ourselves do things we don't want to do. That's 00:43:11.860 --> 00:43:15.940 the Christian life. Christians are people who 00:43:15.940 --> 00:43:20.639 do the hard things all throughout this life until 00:43:20.639 --> 00:43:24.420 Christ returns in glory and the things will no 00:43:24.420 --> 00:43:31.909 longer be hard. That's true, authentic Christianity. 00:43:33.329 --> 00:43:37.230 Perseverance in the hard things throughout this 00:43:37.230 --> 00:43:41.989 life to honor Jesus Christ and to bring glory 00:43:41.989 --> 00:43:45.610 to the name of our almighty and our mighty God. 00:43:48.789 --> 00:43:53.469 Authentic Christianity is always public Christianity. 00:43:54.349 --> 00:44:00.750 Always. Now, Not in the same fashion that it 00:44:00.750 --> 00:44:03.250 was in Ephesus. But remember, there's a principle 00:44:03.250 --> 00:44:08.590 that remains. Christianity is always public. 00:44:09.170 --> 00:44:14.590 What I mean by that is this. I mean that the 00:44:14.590 --> 00:44:20.300 church, by nature, is public in this world. The 00:44:20.300 --> 00:44:23.480 local church is public in this world. As we spoke 00:44:23.480 --> 00:44:26.159 earlier about the elements in particular, the 00:44:26.159 --> 00:44:30.659 nature of corporate gathering, it's public. And 00:44:30.659 --> 00:44:33.360 Christians, in order to please Christ, in order 00:44:33.360 --> 00:44:36.099 to honor God, they have to be a part of that. 00:44:36.920 --> 00:44:39.320 They have to be a part of God's church and his 00:44:39.320 --> 00:44:41.539 ordinances, and they're public, brothers and 00:44:41.539 --> 00:44:45.840 sisters. But it also means that individual Christians 00:44:45.840 --> 00:44:51.409 will walk in this world before... Men. In the 00:44:51.409 --> 00:44:55.110 sight of men. We read in the Gospel of Matthew 00:44:55.110 --> 00:45:03.289 again. Chapter 5. The Lord Jesus' Sermon on the 00:45:03.289 --> 00:45:07.610 Mount. You are the light of the world, a city 00:45:07.610 --> 00:45:11.130 set on a hill. A city set on a hill cannot be 00:45:11.130 --> 00:45:14.530 hidden. Nor does anyone light a lamp and put 00:45:14.530 --> 00:45:18.230 it under a basket, but on the lampstand. And 00:45:18.230 --> 00:45:21.389 he gives light to all who are in the house. Let 00:45:21.389 --> 00:45:25.949 your light shine where? Before men in such a 00:45:25.949 --> 00:45:29.530 way that they may see your good works and glorify 00:45:29.530 --> 00:45:34.849 your Father who is in heaven. Christianity is 00:45:34.849 --> 00:45:37.510 public because the believer who is truly and 00:45:37.510 --> 00:45:42.250 genuinely converted will walk faithfully performing 00:45:42.250 --> 00:45:44.510 their good deeds and their good works in the 00:45:44.510 --> 00:45:48.260 sight of men. Men who are part of Christ's kingdom 00:45:48.260 --> 00:45:50.840 will live differently than the rest of this world, 00:45:50.940 --> 00:45:53.760 brothers and sisters. And that's what this is 00:45:53.760 --> 00:45:58.380 teaching us. That it's a public faith that takes 00:45:58.380 --> 00:46:07.460 place and happens in the view of others. The 00:46:07.460 --> 00:46:14.340 church that God uses and blesses. The Christianity. 00:46:15.400 --> 00:46:19.860 that is powerful and vibrant in this world, that 00:46:19.860 --> 00:46:23.659 God uses for His kingdom and for His glory. Brothers 00:46:23.659 --> 00:46:26.179 and sisters, it's a church that is in the world 00:46:26.179 --> 00:46:30.780 and seen by the world, but is seen as holy. It's 00:46:30.780 --> 00:46:34.019 seen as God -honoring and distinct and separate 00:46:34.019 --> 00:46:39.539 and different from everything else. We also see, 00:46:39.579 --> 00:46:43.699 lastly, that authentic Christianity is always... 00:46:45.079 --> 00:46:51.219 Costly Christianity. Always. Now when I mean 00:46:51.219 --> 00:46:53.579 costly, it's what we've referred to already. 00:46:54.119 --> 00:46:58.059 There's difficulties, there's trials, there's 00:46:58.059 --> 00:47:02.119 hiccups, there's rough spots, there's suffering, 00:47:02.500 --> 00:47:05.699 there's persecution in various ways in our lives. 00:47:07.079 --> 00:47:10.679 There's just general hardships that we endure 00:47:10.679 --> 00:47:15.849 as believers. And it's part... Of knowing Christ. 00:47:17.630 --> 00:47:23.570 If your Christianity. Does not cost you anything 00:47:23.570 --> 00:47:35.610 at all. It's not true Christianity. Listen. If 00:47:35.610 --> 00:47:41.150 Christ doesn't require anything of you. It's 00:47:41.150 --> 00:47:48.780 not the real Christ. If you just give up what 00:47:48.780 --> 00:47:50.719 you want to give up and you take what you want 00:47:50.719 --> 00:47:52.780 to take and you do what you want to do and you 00:47:52.780 --> 00:47:56.559 don't do what you don't want to do, that superficial 00:47:56.559 --> 00:48:00.139 Christianity is not authentic, true, genuine, 00:48:00.239 --> 00:48:05.500 born -again Christianity. True Christianity is 00:48:05.500 --> 00:48:09.840 costly to your very soul as a believer in Jesus 00:48:09.840 --> 00:48:12.099 Christ. It's going to hurt and it's going to 00:48:12.099 --> 00:48:14.380 be painful, but you're willing to endure it because 00:48:14.380 --> 00:48:19.550 you know Glory is coming one day. Resurrection 00:48:19.550 --> 00:48:23.449 is coming one day. Suffering before exaltation. 00:48:23.630 --> 00:48:27.869 Suffering before glory. And you're willing to 00:48:27.869 --> 00:48:30.389 endure it because you want to honor and please 00:48:30.389 --> 00:48:35.829 your Lord who is a good master. That's true authentic 00:48:35.829 --> 00:48:39.269 Christianity. Give up your desire and do what 00:48:39.269 --> 00:48:43.809 you're supposed to do. Give up your pride and... 00:48:43.929 --> 00:48:48.530 Do what you're supposed to do. Listen. Die to 00:48:48.530 --> 00:48:54.110 yourself and honor Jesus Christ. Can you do that? 00:48:54.170 --> 00:48:57.289 Are you willing to do that? If you're not willing 00:48:57.289 --> 00:48:59.949 to do that, ask yourself, am I truly a born -again 00:48:59.949 --> 00:49:02.530 believer or am I a superficial, shallow Christian 00:49:02.530 --> 00:49:08.449 who loves tradition and coming to church? Brothers 00:49:08.449 --> 00:49:13.780 and sisters, we serve a good king. A good Lord, 00:49:14.000 --> 00:49:16.880 but that does not mean that He requires nothing 00:49:16.880 --> 00:49:21.760 of those whom He has saved. He has saved us to 00:49:21.760 --> 00:49:29.559 be like Him. He suffered. He was exalted and 00:49:29.559 --> 00:49:34.119 glorified. We will suffer. We will be exalted 00:49:34.119 --> 00:49:42.579 and glorified after His pattern. True Christianity 00:49:42.579 --> 00:49:50.599 always follows the pattern of the cross and then 00:49:50.599 --> 00:49:55.800 glory. Every Christian walks that path. Trial 00:49:55.800 --> 00:50:01.519 and hardship, cost, glory, eternal joy, eternal 00:50:01.519 --> 00:50:05.139 happiness, eternal fellowship with our Heavenly 00:50:05.139 --> 00:50:09.500 Father. That's what the cross of Christ has accomplished, 00:50:09.599 --> 00:50:10.539 brothers and sisters.