Notes from taped sermon by Mr Harold Paisley
Acts 11 verses 19 - 21, 26, Acts 26 verses 17 - 20, 22 - 32
When we begin to read the New Testament we find that the basis of all that we preach in the gospel is found in the 4 gospels. It tells us of the coming into humanity of the Saviour. Paul when he wrote in 1 Timothy 1 verse 15 gives an exposition of that birth when he said "this is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners." So when we preach the birth of the Saviour we present to those who listen the fact that he came not merely to show us a way of life or to do miracles which he did or even to preach but he came with one object before his heart, that he would go to Calvary and die for guilty sinners. So the gospels present his coming into humanity but they also present in great detail his leaving this world, his going to Calvary and without Calvary there would be no gospel to preach. So the cross and the atoning work of the Saviour which he accomplished there is vital to the preaching of the glorious gospel. When he went to Calvary he laid down a foundation for the preaching of the gospel. The apostle in 1 Corinthians 15 verse 2 said "this is the gospel" if anyone would want to ask us what is the gospel? The word `gospel` of course means good news from heaven, glad tidings from God to man. If I were to explain the gospel briefly I would quote the words of Paul "this is the gospel by which you also ye are saved if you keep in memory what I preached unto you unless ye have believed in vain" and the way that people believe in vain is they have denied the facts of the gospel concerning the resurrection of Christ. If a man denies the resurrection he can never be in heaven, it is vital to Christianity. Paul is setting out to declare the whole gospel - Christ died for our sins, he died on the cross at the hands of men, he died a violent death, he died to make atonement for all mankind, he died for our sins. When he hung on that cross God laid upon Him the iniquity of us all. On that central tree crowned with thorns and derided by man he became the sin bearer. We use the words of John the Baptist when he looked upon him on the banks of Jordan "behold the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world." When we preach the gospel we go back to its beginning "Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures" but he was buried and the burial proves he literally died because many false cults today say he swooned and the Aramatic spices and the grave revived him, but the Bible says he died. He literally and physically died. The Lord of glory in death was taken down from the tree and was laid in that garden tomb where never man before in was laid, he was buried but the third day he rose again according to the scriptures. The scriptures of truth in the Old Testament had prophesied of his resurrection. The scriptures of truth in the New Testament declare the fact of it. The greatest fact is this - the tomb is empty, the work is done and Christ is risen and glorified at the right hand of God. The gospels lay down the basis of the preaching of the message we bring today. We will never be far from that wondrous work for apart from that work none can ever be saved. When we come to the epistle to the Romans, the third part of the New Testament we find there the doctrine of the gospel. We must be clear as to its doctrine, how that a sinner by faith is saved. It matters not whether he be a Jew or a Gentile, whether he be religious or irreligious, all men are sinners and on a common platform all have sinned but God has intervened and has provided that mighty sacrifice and it is preached in the gospel and available to every soul. "He was delivered for our offences and raised again for our justification" (Romans 4 verse 25) therefore in light of that "being justified by faith", cleared from every charge of guilt by faith alone not of works less any man should boast. Romans 4 verse 4 says "to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace but of debt but to him that worketh not but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly his faith is counted for righteousness." "Therefore being justified by faith we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ." If you want peace in your heart, in your home, in the hour of death, from the penalty of sin, peace perfect peace in this dark world of sin you will find it in one source, faith alone in a risen Christ who justifies by faith apart from human effort altogether.
The preaching of the gospel. The book of Acts is the great guidebook because the different types the apostles met and especially the apostle Paul and the different attitudes to the gospel when it is preached are evident in the whole day of grace and so not only have we the basics of the gospel in the 4 gospels and the doctrine of the gospel in the Roman epistle we have examples of how it was preached. The results of the preaching of the gospel is seen in these examples. The gospel did not bring joy to everyone who heard it. It was the mind of God that it would. The Bible says "God desireth all men to be saved" 1 Timothy 2. He wishes. There is one God and one mediator between God and men who would have all men to be saved and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. If you want to be saved you can be saved right now. This book of Acts shows how people were saved in one meeting. Acts 8 shows a man who had never the gospel in his life and who had never had a scripture in his hand and he is reading in the bible and as he reads about the Lord Jesus he doesn`t know who he is at all. He was in darkness but as Philip read the scriptures to him and preached unto him salvation by faith in Christ who died for sinners he believed the message in his heart. The preaching in the Acts shows that being saved is heart work. God reaches men through his ears "he that hath ears to hear let him hear" and "then drew near unto him all the Publicans and sinners for to hear him" You will never be saved without hearing the gospel or reading the gospel. You must read the word of God or hear the word of God preached in order to be saved. It enters through the ear gate and it goes down into the heart. Romans 10 says "it is with the heart man believeth unto righteousness and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation." "If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved." We first confess it to God himself. Philip could not look into the heart of the eunuch but as they came along the road that man of Ethiopia desired to follow the Lord in the waters of baptism. That water of baptism did not cleanse him from his sin it was the blood that cleansed him but the water of baptism was his open confession that the death of the Saviour, he was identified with that death and he wanted to declare it before those men in the chariot, those heathen men that travelled with him, that Christ who died was his Saviour and he would defend his cause and confess his name before men but before he could be baptised Philip said "if thou believest with all thine heart." It came out at the water, this man confessed at the water that he believed that Jesus Christ was the Son of God. We cannot tell what is in a human heart. God is the only one. He said to Samuel "man looketh upon the outward appearance but the Lord looketh on the heart." What is your heart answer to the gospel? Has there ever been a day when you believed in your heart that you were a lost sinner and Christ on that cross not only died for the world as he truly did to make provision but he died for me that I might be saved and you received him by an act of faith? John 1 "he was in the world and the world was made by him and the world knew him not he came unto his own and his own received him not but to as many as received him." Have you ever received him to be your own Saviour? And his death to have made the atonement for sin? And his blood to have been shed to put away your sin as an individual? Have you ever believed personally that Christ died on that cross for me as that eunuch did? I believe in my heart in the Saviour and "he went on his way rejoicing." What does it mean to be a Christian? Only 2 occasions in the book of Acts when we read of Christians. One other time in Peter we read about Christians who suffer. Only 3 times in the New Testament do we read of the Christians as such. Disciples, believers and saints we have that name but here it is that wonderful name. It is a very misunderstood title. Happy are you if you can say "I am a Christian, I am a bible believeing Christian, I am a born again Christian, I am washed in the blood and Christ is my Saviour and heaven is my home." In Acts 11 we learn how people became Christians as a result of these men that came preaching at Antioch. The Lord Jesus had said in Acts 1 "ye shall be witnesses unto me in Jerusalem, in Judea, in Samaria and then to the uttermost parts of the earth." In Jerusalem there was a work of God so large, 3000 had been saved and in another day the number increased to 5000. There in the city of Jerusalem where sin abounded grace did much more abound and the largest community of believers were found in Jerusalem. Had they forgotten what the Lord said, that they should spread, it was never the Lord`s intention that they would remain in a large company in Jerusalem but that they would carry the gospel into Judea and Samaria and out in missionary service to the uttermost parts of the earth but they were reluctant to do it. So persecution came of severity and one of their men, a young man was martyred for his faith Stephen and then a great persecution arose. The result was these believers left Jerusalem and they started to travel back to the countries from which they had come at the day of Pentecost. Here we have unknown men who when they returned south to their own lands they began to preach the word of God to the Jews they met. Paul when he preached to Jewish people he took the bible and he expounded from the scriptures the thinsgs concerning the coming Messiah who was Christ who died upon the cross. Those Jews of the Old Testament and he would take that Old Testament and he would expound to them from it those who knew the bible how they could be saved through Christ who had come. We read these words "certain of them decided they would go beyond the Jewish borderline and carry the gospel to the Gentiles." It is thrilling to see how the gospel reached out to Antioch and across Asia Minor until finally Paul carried it to Rome and we see the gospel reaching out to the outermost parts of the earth and from there it has spread to every continent in the western world. The east is largely in darkness turned to idolatry and apostasy but through the darkness God will visit them and bring out of them a people for his name. At Antioch they preached the Lord Jesus to these Gentiles and as they preached what did they preach to them. They preached that the Lord Jesus was born at Bethlehem, that the Lord died on the cross for sinners and whosoever believeth in him can have eternal life and be saved. As they preached the Lord Jesus, the hand of the Lord began to work with those men, The great attraction they had was an uplifted Christ. He said "if I be lifted be up I will draw all men unto me." And great numbers of Gentiles in Antioch believed the gospel and turned to the Lord and were saved. When Paul came to minister to those new believers and to encourage them we read these words as he ministered to them they were first called Christians at Antioch. This is the first occasion that anyone was known as a Christian. God gave answer to the preaching of the gospel and caused that lovely name to be granted to every one that believed the gospel. What is a Christian? A Christian is one who is joined to Christ. We have an added word, Christ one. In is one in the original. Christ and Christ ones, joined to the Christ. As soon as a person believes the gospel he is joined to Christ in an inseparable union. Have you believed the gospel? Baptism cannot make a Christian, being born in a Christian home doesn`t make a man a Christian, being born in a Christian nation doesn`t make a man a Christian. A Christian is not one nominally speaking but he is one who has a living faith and is linked to a man in heaven by faith alone. They were called Christians at Antioch. Does the world call you a Christian? It is the only proper name for a believer. All other names mean nothing. The only name that is worth knowing that I am a Christian joined with a man in heaven going to be with him and among the Christians. In Acts 26 Paul was preaching the gospel. Not everyone became a Christian as a result. As he preached the gospel faithfully to a large company, a king was there that day and Bernice and the ruler Festus and a great multitude of principal people. He was on trial for his life as it were. Will we send him to Rome for a final trial? As he stood before them he began to declare the gospel. I have had an experience but had a conversion experience. He went back to the day when he was converted on the Damascus Road. "The Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me." When I was converted I had an ordination, wasn`t by human hands. The Lord ordained me to preach the gospel, to stand before men and rulers as I am today and to preach nothing else but this - that Christ should suffer, how he died on the tree, was buried and was raised again the third day and I am sent to open the eyes of men with the gospel. That they may turn from darkness to light. The gospel of Christ is an eye opener. If you die without being a Christian you can never be in heaven, only blood washed ones are there, the ransomed and the forgiven. As he preached the gospel he told them the way to receive it is by faith in Christ, through faith in a risen and glorified Saviour at God`s right hand. As he preached this gospel "I continue unto this day, witnessing both to small and great, saying none other things than those which the prophets and Moses did say should come, That Christ should suffer and and that he should be the first that should rise from the dead and should show light unto the people and to the Gentiles." You need him personally if you want to be in heaven. As he preached the word Festus cried out "much learning have made thee mad". This man was a scoffer, he didn`t believe it. Paul told him he was not mad, he once was mad in his unconverted days, I was exceeding mad against the Christians at one time in my life but I speak the words of truth. Then he turned to the king. He was different, not a scoffer. He said "the king knoweth these things whereof I speak." And this man I am preaching to king Agrippa I find it easy to preach to him, I speak freely before him. Some people don`t like the gospel, don`t value the preaching of the value of the gospel, not interested, object to the message. Satan is busy when the preaching is proclaimed. Satan is opposed to the preaching of the gospel. The serious gospel of Christ with men`s destiny before us is very important to Satan because he will oppose it every way possible. "Believest thou the propets? I know thou believest." He was a man that believed the scriptures. Some don`t believe the bible, they set it on par with any other religious books. The bible is the word of God, the only book in the world that is his. It is the only book that is entirely divinely inspired. This bible if it is not believed you will never be saved. There are great religions in the world and they say they believe the bible contains the word of God. The bible is the word of God entirely from cover to cover. It is the only guide to bring us to heaven. This book that has been banned and burned and banished, yet it triumphs. It is the world`s best seller today. God has presered it all the way through. The only way to know he has died is according to the scripture and the only way you will ever know you are saved is by the bible. No angel will speak in your ear, no vision will be given to you. If you are not a bible believing man you cannot be saved. "King Agrippa believest thou the word of God,, I know that thou believest." King Agrippa in response said "almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian." Here`s a king who knew the bible and listened to the gospel and acknowledged he was not a Christian. That is the first step on the way to becoming a Christian. This man acknowledged he was not a Christian. He went further and said "almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian". Paul replied "I would to God that not only thou but also all that hear me this day were both almost and altogether." He could see in that large audience there were many and they were far away from becoming Christians, they had no knowledge of what it was to be a Christian and they had no desire to be a Christian. The first step a person learns is I am not a Christian but then secondly they are almost a Christian. In this world there are people who are far away not interested in being a Christian but there may be those who are almost persuaded to be a Christian. This man acknowledged he was not a Christian and now as he listens he says "almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian". He never became a Christian though. Why was he not a Christian? Why did he turn back? One of the reasons was this, he was living in an unlawful union with a woman that was not his wife. He was living in sin. He knew he should become a Christian but it would cost him something. His life would have to be altered and as he measured it he said I know what this man is preaching is right and I believe what he is preaching is true and I believe the bible to be the word of God and I am almost persuaded. Then as he looked around he saw the multitudes of men that would mock him if he became a Christian, the woman he was living with would persuade him otherwise if he became a Christian. Festus and the other rulers would say he had gone soft and he would become a hated Christian. He couldn`t bear the reproach of becoming a Christian. The world was too great a price. "What shall it profit a man if he should gain the whole world and lose his own soul?" Here`s a man who is going to lose his soul because of the fear of man around him. Are you afraid to become a Christian? Are you not prepared to pay the price? Jesus demands entire acceptance, your entire faith. He will plan the path before you. He will give you the strength to witness as a Christian and to live the Christian life but you must start, you must begin. You cannot live the Christian life without Christ. As you think on it it seems impossible but if you receive Christ he will give you the strength day by day. It is a day by day experience. It begins at the cross but we need him every day. No one has ever been perfect but there is one that never fails us. Christ was waiting at that man`s door. Acts 13 he had seen governor of Island of Cyprus saved but the price was too much for Agrippa. There is no man who wants to become a Christian cannot become a Christian but many would desire to become a Christian have stumbled because of pleasure, the world, Satanic influence, influence of family and background. A young man once came to Christ and when the Saviour told him how he could become a Christian he wasn`t prepared, he turned away and was sad. Jesus beholding him loved him. If you turn away without Christ the Saviour beholding you will love you. You can be loved by Christ and be lost for ever. What did this man lose by not becoming a Christian? He lost real joy. No man that remains away from Christ will ever have true joy, peace, satisfaction. You can never have true joy in this life without Christ. Turning away from being a Christian meant that he died without Christ. Many can live without Christ and get through life wthout Christ but when you lie down to die you will need Christ. We all have to die at once stage. It is a danger without Christ, all experiences are finished. To die without Christ means you will be lost forever. What shall I do then with Jesus who is called Christ? Will you trust him, turn from everything that hinders and say I receive Christ that I might have peace with Christ.
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