"A New Creature in Christ"

Hi there this is on Solomon and I'd like to welcome you to our program today. You know it's a tremendous honor that God is given us to be on stations all around the nation bringing the truth of God's word as it is uncompromising and straightforward and I'm so glad you tuned in to listen and be part of that. Thanks again for your support and your generosity that keeps us on the radio and now let's get to the word of God and wonderful to see you today.

Thanks for being here have not taken a Bible. Let's open it together to our acts chapter 16 the book of acts chapter 16 were to be coming there in just a minute.

So here we go a little bit of background, the apostle Paul the second missionary journey. Remember that he is going through what we think of today is turkey that is crossed over in the northern Greece. Here's a map and all you can see he's gone northwest up to the city of Truax as here in Northwestern Turkey. He's been sailed across the Aegean Sea to the northern Greek city of Philippi and here in Philippi.

Paul is been preaching. He's been leading people to Christ. Hundreds of them had one of the people he led the Christ was a young servant girl who was demonized. Demon possessed and the demon that was in her enabled her to predict the future. Solar owners made a lot of money on this gal. Well, of course, when Paul healed her. She couldn't tell the future anymore.

So there went there source of income and furious with Paul. They dragged him down in the city square and they convinced the city officials to BDM and the beat Silas's assistant and then you throw them in jail. Not after we pick up the story here in acts chapter 16 verse 23 and after they had been severely flogged. They were thrown into prison and the jailer was commanded to guard them carefully, and upon receiving such orders. The jailer put them in the inner cell maximum-security and the jailer fastened their feet in the stocks. Now the jailer when Paul and Silas were delivered to him, put them in a sitting position with their backs up against the rough jagged stone wall. Remember we said in messages past that the rods that were used to be Paul and Silas were specifically designed with claws on them to rip the skin and rip the flesh right off the bone and so their backs were in pretty bad shape.

By the time they got to the jailer. He could care less put them right up. These raw untreated, backs up against the cold stone wall keychain their hands above their head and then he stretch their feet as wide as they could go and put them in stocks like you see in Williamsburg. The idea this position was to cause their feed the muscles in their legs to cramp without giving them any way to move and change position to relieve it.

This position was designed to cause maximum discomfort at about midnight.

Verse 25. Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them and suddenly there was a violent earthquake so violent that the foundations of the prison were shaken and it wants the prison doors flew open and everybody's chains came loose. The jailer woke up and when he saw the prison doors open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself because he thought the prisoners had escaped. There is no doubt that this jailer was a retired Roman soldier, and as such he knew full well what the penalty was from losing your prisoner is a Roman soldier if you don't believe me, you can check out the code of Justinian.

But the drew the print of the other penalties that so he knew they were really killing, so I thought well why make them go to the trouble, I'll just draw my sword and take care of it myself.

What Paul shouted out, do not harm yourself, were all here in the jailer called for lights rushed in and felt trembling before Paul and Silas. He then brought them out and said servers. What must I do to be saved.

What must I do to get eternal life. What will I have to do to get a relationship with God like you guys have an Paul replied, believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and you will say. Paul said this guy hey friend, you don't have to do anything to get eternal life.

You don't have to do anything to get connected with God the way we are all you really need to do is trust what Jesus Christ has already done for you. All you gotta do is believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and you can have eternal life in a relationship with God. Just like we do they know it's interesting to me that this jailer made the same mistake that so many people in our world today made his mistake was he thought that the way you get a relationship with God and the way you get eternal life in heaven is to do something, to do some good works to do some human activity to do some religious work of some kind and that eventually you'll get over the goal line, and God will say to you all okay here is eternal life now. I'll let you happen but you know what, that's not at all what the Bible teaches. And that's not all with the apostle Paul told his jailer. He said no my friend, you got it all wrong. How do you get eternal life. How do you get a spot in heaven. How do you come into her personal connectedness with Jesus Christ. What did Paul say he said leave in the Lord Jesus Christ believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. That's all you gotta do and all these things, God will give you as a gift not you're here today and you got the same mistake in your mind that the jailer had his mind. We want to correct that mistake today we want to make sure you understand that coming in or relationship with Christ and getting eternal life has nothing to do with your religious activity. It has nothing to do with your good works for your human effort. It has everything to do with your willingness to embrace what Jesus did for you on the cross and simply trust him and his blood shed on the cross to be your payment for city salon.

That's too easy for and why would God want to make it hard he wanted, easy enough child can do and that's our problem. Is it so simple for some of us it makes it hard because we want to do something cottage can't do anything Jesus did for you. Just trust. I hope if you're here today and you been making the mistake the jailer have we cleared that up now. What happened next will verse 32 it says then they Paul and Silas spoke the word of the Lord to him and all the others in his house. The jailer's house.

You know what the jailer did the jailer took him out of jail and took him home in the middle of the night and at that very same hour of the night and by the way what time was what time did the earthquake happened midnight.

So, what time is this.

I don't know 1 AM 2 AM 3 AM somewhere like that at that same hour. The Bible says the jailer took them and wash their wounds and then immediately he and all of his family were baptized at 3 AM and the jailer brought them back into his house and now set a meal before them, and he was filled with joy because he had become to believe in God. He and his whole family. Now that's what I want to stop today because it's time for us to ask the critical question of the morning and I know we have done this for a couple months and I hope you guys have gotten out of practice and some of you are new with this you don't even know the critical question, but were going to teach you right now it's already here we go deep breath 123 right so why is a lot. I'm so happy for that jailer God blessing, but what difference does that make me well let's see we can help you make that connect as many of us know Johnny Unitas passed away this past week Johnny Unitas won the greatest football players of all time played for the Baltimore Colts. I'm sorry. Cold does not belong behind Indianapolis. It belongs behind Baltimore. Thank you very much is one thing in here but anyway Johnny Unitas was unbelievable. Let the coast of three NFL championships, including Super Bowl V went to temporal bowls was elected to the Pro football Hall of Fame. The very first year of his eligibility 1979 and when he retired in 1974 Johnny Unitas held 22 passing records in the NFL.

Now he still almost 30 years later still holds one of those 22 you know which one it is Johnny Unitas passed for at least one touchdown in 47 consecutive NFL games. Nobody is ever income close to breaking that record. The close is anybody's ever got his authority and that was Dan Marino. In fact, oral moral who played with Johnny. Alina said in the paper and I quote no lien was save if you were playing against Johnny and no game was out of reach. If you were on his team that while I bring Johnny and I'm so well because I was talking this week to one of our staff members and he said to me he said you know is I used to go to the church in Baltimore. The Johnny Unitas came to methacrylic acid. The did he come often is it was there all the time I saw him every week and I thought wow that's pretty cool. And then I asked the question that so often we ask about other people I sit will tell me do you think he was a real believer or do you think he was just a churchgoer.

Now that's the million-dollar question really and the friends is a person a real believer are they just a churchgoer and their issue is how can we tell how can we tell if a person has the real disease.

How can we tell if a person really knows Jesus Christ in a personal way. How can we tell if a person is born again, and really on their way to heaven. How can we tell well, the Bible answers the question. Second Corinthians chapter 5 verse 17 says this. If any person is in Christ, they become a new creature, old things passed away and new things, love how the message translates this. It says those who become true Christians become new persons, they are not the same anymore for their old life is gone and friends what the Bible is telling us is that when a person does with the apostle Paul told his jailer to do when a person embraces Jesus Christ as their personal savior. When a person relies on what Jesus did on the cross for them as the one and only payment to God for their wrongdoing and when a person does this transaction sincerely genuinely and authentically. The Bible tells us that something supernatural happens inside that person that God the Holy Spirit comes and takes up residence inside that person and he begins to morph them into a completely different creature, a completely different being a person who has different values and different morals are personal has different desires and different goals. A person who uses new language. A person who has new behavior around members of the opposite sex. The person who has a new level of joy in their everyday experience a personal as a new definition of success.

The Holy Spirit comes in and changes a person and having a new level of conscience in their life as well as a new attitude towards others and a new purpose in life. Jesus spoke of this radical change in Matthew chapter 13, when he said the kingdom of heaven is like yeast which a woman mixed into a big old lump of Joe and it leavened it completely change the character of that entire lump of dough a few years ago my in-laws for Christmas day. Brendan me a breadmaker now you know I was 45 years old and I've never seen bread made my whole life is that why did your mother make bread. Did your mother cook muffins or did your mother make pastries or do anything like that.

Now my mother you know Saturday night live Mike Myers Linda Richman coffee talk on getting the clamp talk among yourselves you know are. That was my mother let me tell you my mother cook the way Whoopi Goldberg did you member Whoopi Goldberg's recipe for chicken soup. Step one.

Send the Butler to the store for chicken. That was my mother.

My mother did grocery shop she can cook anything she didn't want dishes and she definitely did not bake bread. My mother was the original Jewish American Princess. If you understand what I'm saying. Well, I'm 45 years all I've never seen bread made my whole life is that we got this breadmaker and we start to make this bread you get this big old wanted though and then it says, but these two so I'm thinking you put a call for maybe a cup and 1/2. Will I don't know. Then Brenda says to me what you crazy now you put this up she and you put the little bit you.

So I said that'll work. I mean is only is hardly anything she said watch so we put the little downy pension there and kaboom man until he went off like an atomic reaction inside his bed and I will change from this little bitty yeast.

I could not believe it but you know that's exactly the way Jesus says it is when you come to Christ. Jesus said right here that when we come to Christ, God the Holy Spirit. God supernaturally needs comes to live inside the lump of dough that we are, and he begins working on us from the inside out like an atomic reaction and begins changing completely everything and radically that we are. This is the one way you can tell whether or not you got the real disease and I want to go back now for a moment let's go back and look at the jailer and let's see if the jailer really show this kind a new creature change. Let's see if he became a radically new person as a result of his commitment to Christ. Well, what happened with him number one the first thing that we can see where he became a new creature is that after believing in Jesus. This jailer demonstrated a spiritual excitement that he didn't have before. Verse 32, Paul spoke the word of the Lord, all the others in his household, as we saw the jailer rushes home with Paul and Silas. He wakes up his wife. He wakes up his children.

He wakes up the neighbors whoever's around he called them all into his living room and he said okay okay okay now you have got to hear this, Paul, Paul told me, all doubt you will not believe what he's going to tell you. And then after that he rushes out in the middle of the night to go get baptized. Don't you think.

His wife said to him, honey. Can we wait in the morning know know know what to do this right now you go get the torches we are going down the river were getting baptized volunteer for 3 o'clock in the morning now is us in character for this guy. Patty explained the change like that in this guy. I'll tell you how he's become a new creature number two after believing in Jesus. This jailer demonstrates a compassion that he didn't used to have verse 33.

At that hour of the night.

The jailer took them and wash their wounds.

Paul and Silas will remember when Paul and Silas were delivered to them with their backs bleeding and torn open. Frankly, he could care less people to write up against the stone wall and he didn't give a flying flip what their back, look like here's a guy who's killed. Who knows how many men up close and personal in brutal hand-to-hand combat.

Roman soldiers were not known for their compassion and and when Paul and Silas were delivered to him. They were just two more pieces of meat source. He was concerned and now all of a sudden, in the middle of the night. He takes water. He takes oil he takes have any don't make his wife go do it any not ask his children to go do it.

He goes out personally gets on his hands and knees and washes and cleans their backs out.

How do you explain this, compassion and a man like this, all of a sudden I'll tell you how he's become a new creature third, after believing the jailer demonstrated a hospitality that he didn't have before. Verse 34 says, then the jailer brought them into his house and set a meal before he sent his wife into the kitchen at 3 AM to cook a meal that's dangerous. Ask any woman to do in the middle of the night, and he did it and how often do you think this jailer took people out of jail and brought him home and offered him a meal.

It is stable. Can you say never, I mean the four seasons.

This guy was young. Say what I'm saying. How do we explain this change in this man will frenzies become a new creature. Finally, after believing the jailer demonstrated a spiritual conviction that he had never had before. Remember, this jailer was a retired Roman soldier. It was mostly an honorary position being a jailer there really was a whole lot to it is basically sat around and slept like he was doing a midnight to get a job like this. Such a cushy job while tell you how you got it you get it by never bucking the tide never going against the flow never creating ways and never giving your officers a hard way to go. You get it by being a good soldier who keeps her mouth shut and if you have an opinion you never share with anybody that's how you get a job like this and now all of a sudden this jailer decides to go public for Jesus Christ at 3 o'clock in the morning. All of a sudden this guy decides to go out will walk through the town. Would torches think people woke up and said where is ego.

I'm sure they did always go to your baptized get whatever he allies himself with the apostle Paul keeps the apostle Paul in his house and the apostle Paul is somebody that everyone in his bosses is mad at. That's what he doing in jail.

Now he puts in his retirement job at risk by doing this he puts his income at risk. He puts his family at risk people to standing in the community and risk he puts his old friendships at risk.

This is out of character for this guy, this guy never had a conviction in his life that he was willing to go public about why all of a sudden is he willing to go public about Jesus because he is a new creature, a friend a little bit of time I have left.

I like to go from preaching the Medlin if you don't mind. Second Corinthians chapter 13 says this it says examine yourselves and see whether you are truly in the faith test yourselves and use it a lot if I wanted to give myself a test to see if I was truly in the faith, what tests would I give myself what I give myself to go to church to know what I give myself to sing in the choir test know what I give myself to put money in the offering plate test know what I give myself to teach Sunday school test. No, the test you got to give yourself a friend is the new creature test. Have I become a new creature. As a result of my faith in Jesus Christ are my attitudes radically different for my values radically different if my language radically different or my desires and my goals radically different is that my level of conscience radically different. Am I different person because of my faith in Jesus Christ and is this a supernatural thing that flows from the inside out in my life.

Is it something that I can even control he's a lot are you saying that a new creature never does anything wrong that a new creature never messes up disobeys God no not saying that but I am saying that if we are new creature in Jesus Christ. There is a Holy Spirit given zeal in our life to water please God to want to obey God to want to make God happy.

And when we let God down and when we disobey God and when we fail to wear a new creature. There is a sadness. There is a contrition.

There is a sorrow that we feel that is so deep and so nagging that we will not go away till we repent and get things right with God and this is not something you fake friends. You either got it or you don't. God is just. Either there or in their this is how I knew in 1971 that I really had become a new creature in Jesus Christ.

I gave my life to Christ and within the first week there was no huge outside looking difference in my life.

I didn't dress different pastoral smoking though and are still drinking, but I knew on the inside, something happen supernatural in my life and let me tell you how I knew because the stuff I could get away with a week ago and never feel one bit of guilt one pang of conscience. One sorrow about when I did those very same things. The week after I trusted Christ, my conscience beat me black and blue and which would not turn me loose and I know I didn't do this because frankly those days out in Walmart conscience to be around, but it was. I knew I hadn't created this news. The reason for that is because you been a seminary for not been the seminary was the reason I was outweighs because now you you knew the Bible.

I didn't know the Bible.

Let me tell you what happened in my life when I trusted Christ, the Holy Spirit moved into my life and he said you are new creature in Christ.

Now that stuff you used to get away with Sonia not get away with anymore, not Ms. body you don't anymore and when I would try it. He would beat me black and blue and say those days are gone. Friend, you knock a live like that and I knew I wouldn't do in this.

That's how I knew. People are friends would come up to me and say Jesus you believe in Jesus.

What are you crazy you smoked one too many joy. What is wrong with you nothing. It is Jesus stuff.

It's all just a bunch of money making hocus-pocus, don't you know that well friend I don't care what they said to me, the one thing I knew is that inside of me. Something that happen supernatural that it never happened before and I didn't know it.

And so I said, you can tell me anything you want to tell me, but all I know is some happen inside of me I can explain any other way than I became a new creature in Jesus.

My question is has that happened to you is that happen. You because friends if it hasn't been. I don't care how many church services you attend and I don't care how many Bible verses.

You can quote you are not where you need to be in your relationship with Jesus Christ but spray for Jesus. Thanks for reminding us today from the example of the Philippian jailer. The true measure of what it means to get the real disease.

It's not the measure of going to church and it's not the measure of singing in the choir and it's not the measure of saying the rosary and it's not the measure of put money in the offering plate is not the measure of reading the Bible are praying, it's the measure becoming a new creature whole new person because of the work of God in our hearts and lives to supernatural thing in my prayer father is that you would help everyone of us here to be really honest with ourselves.

If were not totally sure that we can say we became new creatures, we can see in every part of our life, the Lord, I pray you would give everyone who isn't there, the courage to go out and let us help them in Christianity 101. It's a little risky.

Sure, it is the Lord, the stakes are worth eternal life have a relationship with God, so give us the courage we need to take that little step of faith.

Lord, the little risk and grant that many people here today six weeks from now can say well you know what I couldn't set it six weeks ago, but brother I can say it today.

That's our goal. Lord help us achieve that as we work together with every person in this auditorium, and we pray these things in Jesus name, amen and listening to that went with Dr. Lon Solomon plan is an outrage of Lon Solomon ministering to listen to today's message, or for more information visit our website. Lon Solomon ministries.org. Thank you for your support.

If you would like to contact us, please visit our website or call 866788777 we had people join us next time in line to answer one of life question