Let me welcome you this evening to the
last evening of our Spiritual Renewal Conference.
Many of you have been with us for
these three nights.
Those of you who are new, and I've
met some of you, we'd like to extend
an especially warm welcome to you.
It is, again, my great privilege to be
able to introduce Major Ian Thomas.
As I said before, a man who's had
tremendous influence on my own life.
And I can't tell you how appreciative I've
been over these days of seeing this man
of God who has weathered many storms.
In Psalm 90 it says this, Those who
are planted in the house of the Lord
shall be fresh and flourishing.
They shall bear fruit in old age to
declare that the Lord is righteous and there
is no unrighteousness in him.
And Major Thomas certainly has done that for
me, for us, and we are so privileged
to have him once again this evening.
Major Thomas.
Well, it's so good to be with you
again tonight, and I appreciate so much the
very real privilege that has been mine to
share the Lord Jesus with you.
During the evening, as also with some of
the cadets last night, and with the pastors
and wives this afternoon.
We had a good time, and I had
the joy of sharing again how gloriously, overwhelmingly
adequate the Lord Jesus is in every circumstance,
in everybody's life who is prepared to let
him be as God, the God he is
in them, in and through them.
It's exciting to get up every morning and
know that the one who died for us
then is the one who is going to
share his life with us today, right here
and now.
And accomplish in and through us what is
his mind and will and purpose.
That's the Christian life, a member of the
body of the Lord Jesus, through whom he
continues to do and continues to teach the
things that he began to do and began
to teach.
And he'll go on doing that through that
which is now his body on earth, the
church, until he returns vindicated in his deity,
recognized for who he is, and every tongue
will confess that Jesus is Lord and bow
in his presence.
What a day that's going to be.
It could be tomorrow, or the day after.
I'm looking forward to it.
Because remember, I don't anticipate dying before he
comes.
It's so near.
I can't say that for sure, because he's
God and I'm not.
But I still cherish the ambition of being
numbered amongst those who are alive and remain
at his coming.
I believe the events all around the world
are such that they're shouting at us, he's
on the doorstep, he's knocking at the door.
Hope you're ready for that moment, when if
you're redeemed, numbered amongst those whose names are
recorded in the Lamb's book of life, you
see him as he is and you're like
him, restored to image.
As I was indicating to the folks this
afternoon, when we see him as he is
and we're like him, who will he see?
When he looks at you, when he looks
at me?
Himself.
That's exactly what he had in mind when
he first created Adam.
Let us make man in our image, our
likeness, in the image and likeness of God,
made he, him.
So when God looks at man and sees
himself, that's normality.
That doesn't make you superman, it simply makes
you normal.
And that's why he came and died and
rose again from the dead.
And on the day of Pentecost, for the
first time in all human history since Adam
fell, by the gift of his indwelling Holy
Spirit, took up residence within the humanity of
every forgiven sinner, who was there at his
command, waiting to receive that power that alone
comes from on high.
Not just power, a person, somebody in whom
all the power is vested.
Tremendous.
It wasn't until the early believers discovered the
Lord Jesus alive and well that they got
into action, were empowered by his divine indwelling
for the purpose for which he had brought
them in to be.
And it is still today, nearly 2,000
years later, only by virtue of his presence
that you and I are enabled to be
functional as a member of his body, sharing
his life, recognizing his headship and gladly acknowledging.
As the Lord Jesus said, the kingdom of
God is within you.
And if the kingdom of God is within
us, then that's exactly where the king ought
to be, exercising his sovereignty.
Calling the shots and expecting us to do
as we're told.
And when you're told what to do and
you do as you're told, when you're sent
and you went, you're put.
And we talked about this yesterday.
But you can't be put until you've made
the discovery that the early church had to
discover before they could become effective.
A risen living Lord, in whom you have
a new joy, a new Bible, a new
message, a new responsibility, and supremely by his
divine indwelling a new enabling.
Then you can say to me to live
is Christ.
Because his strength is made perfect in our
weakness.
So all we can boast about is our
weakness and his strength.
And let God loosen the world in which
we live.
Marvellous.
And the message of the early church once
said we discovered Jesus alive and well.
They had nothing else to talk about.
But a risen living and indwelling saviour.
Peter, who had said not so Lord to
the cross, because he didn't want the cross.
Didn't believe in the resurrection.
And full of enthusiasm and dedication and commitment
and genuine love to the Lord Jesus was
a dead loss.
Until he too came to know the risen
Lord.
Convinced of the truth of it.
And the early church entered then into the
good of it at Pentecost.
And then demonstrated the fact of it.
And preached in the power of it.
And lived in the joy of it.
That was the real church.
So long as they kept the Lord Jesus
by faith in the place where he deserves
to be.
In their hearts.
Clothing his deity and divine activity with their
redeemed humanity.
The church in action.
Is Christ in action.
We're going to talk about that a bit
tonight.
Peter and the other disciples and said we
ought to obey God rather than men.
We'll just pick up the story from there.
It's in the fifth chapter of the book
of Acts.
And said they were his witnesses.
This is our new responsibility.
To be witnesses to the person of the
Lord Jesus and to the uttermost ends of
the earth.
We're his witnesses of these things.
But not only we, so also is the
Holy Spirit.
Whom God has given to them that obey
him.
Obeying the gospel.
In other words, being honest enough to admit
that you're a guilty sinner.
Needing exactly what the Lord Jesus came to
do.
And undeservingly to become thereby the recipients of
his indwelling life.
So that he can get on with what
he once began to do and began to
teach.
And the story of the true early church
is what the Lord Jesus continued to do
and continued to teach.
Peter and the other apostles in the 29th
verse of the fifth chapter.
Said we ought to obey God rather than
men.
The God of our fathers raised up Jesus
whom you slew and you hanged on a
tree.
Him hath God exalted with his right hand.
Him hath God raised up with his right
hand to be a prince and a savior.
For to give repentance to Israel and the
forgiveness of sins.
And we're his witnesses.
And so also is the Holy Spirit whom
God has given to them that obey him.
In other words, simply at his disposal.
Available.
When the scribes, the Pharisees and the Sanhedrin
heard these things.
Verse 33.
They were cut to the heart.
And they took counsel to slay them.
Foolishly imagining that if they could silence them
they could silence God.
But there stood up one of them in
the council, a Pharisee.
But he was named Gamaliel, the doctor of
the law.
And in reputation among all the people because
they recognized in Dr. Gamaliel genuine reality.
So he commanded them to put the apostles
forth a little while.
And said you men of Israel, take heed
to yourselves.
What you intend to do is touching these
men.
Before these days rose up Judas, boasting himself
to be somebody.
To whom a number of men, about 400,
joined themselves, who was slain.
He died.
And they were scattered and brought to nothing.
After this man rose up Judas of Galilee
in the days of the taxing.
He drew away much people after him.
He also perished.
And all even as many as obeyed him
were dispersed.
Judas is dead.
Now I say unto you, verse 38, refrain
from these men.
Let them alone.
For if this counsel or this work be
of men, it will come to nothing.
But if it be of God, you cannot
overthrow it unless happily you think you can
fight against God.
Judas is dead.
And thought they, Jesus is dead.
But if this is of God, Jesus is
alive.
And to him they agreed.
And when they had called the apostles and
beaten them because they couldn't deny themselves that
privilege.
They commanded that they should not speak in
the name of Jesus.
And let them go.
And they departed from the presence of the
council rejoicing that they were counted worthy to
suffer shame.
For his name.
And daily in the temple.
And in every house, house to house.
They ceased not to teach and preach.
Jesus.
The Christ.
Convinced of the truth of it.
Entering into the good of it.
On the day of Pentecost, becoming the recipients
of his divine indwelling.
By the gift of God the Holy Spirit.
Demonstrating the fact of it.
Preaching the power of it.
And living in the joy of it.
The joy of suffering shame for his name.
That was the early church after they had
made the life transforming discovery that Jesus was
alive.
Risen from the dead.
Teaching.
And preaching.
For they ceased not to teach and preach
that Jesus is the Christ.
You can't do any preaching until you are
prepared to do some teaching.
You see teaching is an intelligent declaration of
the fact.
The truth as it is in Jesus.
Preaching is then an exhortation to those who
have been taught the fact.
To obey the truth and put their faith
in Jesus.
This is what the Lord Jesus did.
When there was a great company of people
who had been fed miraculously by the Lord
Jesus.
He taught them many things.
I like the way Luther translates that in
his Bible.
I mean the German Bible, it isn't his.
He just borrows it from the one who
wrote it.
Instead of he taught them many things.
That means he preached a long sermon that's
always been a great encouragement to me.
At least I'm following in the footsteps of
the Lord Jesus.
He preached a long sermon.
What was he teaching them?
The truth.
He looked at this great multitude, 5000 and
he said they were like shepherds without a
shepherd.
They keep without a shepherd.
He recognized their ignorance of what they needed
to know.
So he didn't teach them what they wanted
to hear.
He did what Jesus always did, taught people
what they needed to know.
At least the disciples thought it was a
long sermon.
Because finally they came along and said it's
getting dark.
These people are tired and hungry.
It's time you quit.
And the Lord Jesus said if they're hungry,
feed them.
He said how can we feed them?
5000.
Or we've got five loaves, two fishes.
Lord Jesus, it'll be a miracle and I'm
going to teach you how to do a
miracle.
And live miraculously.
And he took the five loaves and two
fishes and broke them and gave them to
distribute.
And everybody had as much as they could
possibly eat and they were all filled.
Because the genuine life of a genuine man
is a miraculous life.
Because it has no possible explanation but God.
That's why the Lord Jesus wasn't Superman when
he came.
He was simply man.
As he is God created man to be.
He was never ever less than God.
Co-equal in deity with the Father and
the Holy Spirit and the triune Godhead.
But he deliberately chose, and I have already
alerted you to this in the second chapter
of the book of the Philippians.
That of his own free choice and volition
he deliberately chose to be born a human
being.
But he had to be born a human
being by relinquishing all the attributes of deity.
But still demonstrating the genuineness of his humanity.
He was never less than God.
But always insisted upon living as though he
were never more than man.
Because he knew that he was going to
send us, you and me, as the Father
had sent him.
And he couldn't send us as God.
He could only send us in our restored
humanity as those reconciled, cleansed from our sin.
By what he did upon the cross in
the reconciling act.
Have been restored to function by the gift
to us of his resurrection life.
But as men, reconciled, redeemed and restored to
life.
Sharing his resurrection.
That's why the disciples had absolutely nothing to
talk about but Jesus alive.
A witness at all times to his resurrection.
The Lord Jesus allowed to be clothing his
deity with their humanity to be in action.
As he had allowed the Father clothed with
his sinless humanity to be in action.
He that has seen me has seen my
Father.
What I do he does.
What I say he says.
What I am he is.
Look at me and know God.
And that's the privilege that he's given now
to you and to me.
As he yielded his body then without reserve
to the Father.
So now he calls upon you and me,
cleansed in his blood, reconciled to our Creator.
To place our humanity at his disposal without
reservation.
So that when others see us behave and
hear us speak.
This is the incredible privilege of being a
Christian.
They'll see God behaving and hear God speaking.
Incredible.
How could you settle for less than be
restored to your true function as an individual
member of the body of Christ.
With whom today he clothes his divine activity.
So what would you expect of the church
in action?
What would you then had you known the
truth have expected of the Lord Jesus but
the Father God in action.
When the church, the true church, the real
church is in action.
You would expect to see Christ behaving.
Of course.
And that was the early church.
Those who were sent.
And went.
And were put.
And let God take the consequences.
In the blessing that is inevitable in the
place where he's put you.
Turn to the 8th chapter of the book
of Acts.
Acts chapter 8.
Saul.
Saul of Tarsus.
The arch enemy of the early church.
Consenting unto the death of Stephen.
Seeing him stoned to death.
Reveling in the fact that his blood was
running in the gutter.
At that time there was a great persecution
against the church which was at Jerusalem.
And they were all scattered abroad throughout the
regions of Judea and Samaria.
Except the disciples who remained in Jerusalem.
The apostles.
Devout men carried Stephen to his burial.
To whose death Saul of Tarsus had given
his consent.
And took care of the clothes of those
who stoned him to death.
Devout men carried Stephen to his burial.
Made great lamentation over him.
As for Saul.
He made havoc of the church.
Entering into every house.
Hailing men and women.
Committed them to prison.
Therefore they were scattered abroad.
Went everywhere.
Bemoaning their faith.
Uh uh.
Preaching the word.
You see.
God didn't want the church to settle down
in Jerusalem and get comfy.
Air conditioning.
Cushions to sit on.
So he sent a cat among the pigeons.
Saul of Tarsus.
And scattered them.
In case they forgot to what end they
had been redeemed.
To tell the world that Jesus is alive.
They were scattered and went everywhere preaching the
word.
The living word.
Jesus.
In whom all the promises and foreshadowings of
God in the written word had their final
consummation.
Clothed with his sinless deity.
Scattered abroad and went everywhere preaching the word.
And then Philip.
Went down to the city of Samaria.
And preached Christ.
Don't jump to a wrong conclusion there.
It wasn't that some disciples preached the word
and Philip preached Christ.
You can't preach the word without preaching Christ.
And you can't preach Christ without preaching the
word.
Teaching and preaching.
Explaining the facts from the revelation that God
has given to us in his book.
And then exhorting people to mix those facts
with faith.
So that he God by the Holy Spirit
can turn the facts into reality.
The experience of some boy, girl, man or
woman who has come to know Jesus for
who he is.
And is prepared to let him be God.
So Philip went down to Samaria and preached
Christ.
Was he a preacher?
No, he was a deacon.
But he preached.
Because any boy, girl, man or woman can
be a preacher if you talk about Jesus.
He went down to the city of Samaria.
And preached Christ.
Go on to the verse 35, 25.
When they had testified and preached the word
of the Lord, they returned to Jerusalem.
And they preached the gospel in many villages.
Villages of the Samaritans.
And the angel of the Lord spake to
Philip saying, Then arise and go toward the
south.
The angel said go.
And told him where to go.
Unto the way continuing in that 26th verse,
Unto the way that goes down from Jerusalem
unto Gaza.
Which is desert.
Now Philip by this time had become a
well-known, applauded city evangelist.
He had become accustomed to countless people coming
to hear him speak.
And then God said go.
Go south, down from Jerusalem to Gaza which
is desert.
Can you imagine how Philip might have responded
to that?
Out into the desert.
Don't you know?
Haven't you been in my meetings when I've
had thousands of people listening to what I
had to say?
Who do you think I'm going to preach
to in the desert?
A bunch of goats?
But he didn't say that.
Do you know why?
Because he was a man being, continuous present
tense, filled with the Holy Spirit.
He was available as a healthy member of
the body of the Lord Jesus to be
put where he was needed.
And that's why he didn't argue.
Instead, because he was being filled with the
Holy Spirit.
Do you know what he did?
Look at verse 27.
He arose and went.
That's pretty simple.
The Lord said go and he went.
That's a man being filled with the Holy
Spirit.
That's what it means to be a Christian.
Be so available to the Lord Jesus 24
hours a day that whenever he says go,
you arise and go and you win.
And when you're told where to go and
you win, where do you find yourself?
Where was John when he was sent?
A man sent from God.
In the first chapter of John's Gospel.
Where God put him.
If you're sent and went, you're put.
That's what it means to be being filled
with the Holy Spirit.
A healthy member of the body of Jesus,
available for his every instruction, giving him the
confidence to expect that when he says go,
he'll be numbered amongst those who win.
Behold, a man of Ethiopia, a eunuch of
great authority, under Candacy, Queen of the Ethiopians,
who had the charge of all her treasure.
He was the Chancellor of the Exchequer.
And the Queen, the Queen of Ethiopia, Candacy.
And he was returning and sitting in his
chariot, reading Isaiah the prophet.
Would you expect to go into the desert
and find somebody reading their Bible?
The prophecy of Isaiah.
And the Holy Spirit said then to Philip,
go near, join yourself to this chariot.
Because he's the object of Christ's quest.
Philip ran thither to him.
He had to run, otherwise he would have
missed this text.
He ran thither to him, heard him read
the prophet Isaiah and said, do you understand
what you're reading?
He said, how can I?
Except some man should guide me.
So he desired Philip that he would come
up and sit with him.
And the place of the scripture which he
read was this.
He was led as a sheep to the
slaughter, like a lamb done before his shearer
so opened he not his mouth.
In his humiliation his judgment was taken away.
Who shall declare his generation for his life
is taken from the earth.
Fifty-third chapter of the prophecy of Isaiah.
The foreshadowing of the death of our Lord
Jesus upon the cross.
Wounded for our transgressions, bruised for our iniquities,
and the cost of our peace laid upon
him.
The eunuch answered in verse 34 and said,
I pray thee of whom speaketh the prophet
this?
Is he talking about himself?
Or of somebody other man?
Somebody else, some other man.
And then Philip did a very smart thing.
He opened his mouth.
It's a good thing to do if you're
going to say something.
That's the first lesson in preaching.
Homiletics.
Open your mouth.
Now the Lord Jesus had spent a whole
bunch of time telling the disciples to keep
their mouths shut.
Don't tell anybody, because you don't know enough
to talk sense.
But here was a man in the desert,
in the place where God had put him,
who had the right to open his mouth.
And began at the very same scripture and
preached unto him, Jesus.
That's all he had to talk about.
Because he knew exactly of whom the prophet
Isaiah was speaking in the 53rd chapter of
that prophecy.
Wounded for our transgressions, bruised for our iniquities,
the cost of our peace with God laid
on him by whose stripes we're healed.
So right beginning at that scripture he talked
about Jesus.
As they went on their way, they came
under a certain water.
So it's quite obvious that Philip had told
him the significance of baptism.
Not just that Jesus died then, but that
he rose again from the dead.
And those who put their trust in this
risen, living, indwelling Saviour testify to their faith
in him by being baptized, going beneath the
water, identifying themselves with his death and coming
up out of the water, sharing his resurrection.
Because that's what it means to be baptized.
Countless millions get baptized and haven't a clue
what's happening, except they're becoming a church member.
Identified with Christ in death, very.
But identified with him in the power of
his resurrection life, up out of the water,
to begin your ministry as a member of
his body.
Philip said, if you believe with all your
heart what I've told you, you may.
Which presupposes, of course, that if he didn't
believe all that Philip had told him, he
may not.
He answered and said, I believe that Jesus
Christ is the Son of God.
So Philip commanded the chariot to stand still,
and they went, both of them, down into
the water, both Philip and the eunuch, and
he baptized him.
And when they would come out of the
water, the Holy Spirit caught away Philip.
But the eunuch saw him no more.
He went by donkey, and went home by
air.
A donkey ride in the desert.
You know, if Philip hadn't gone when God
said go, and got on that donkey and
set out, I think God would have sent
the donkey.
And he would have been about as good,
of course, as somebody who goes without being
sent.
It's wonderful when you're sent and you win,
but it's pathetic when you go when you
haven't been sent.
And out of sheer enthusiasm, there are countless
who've done that, and made fools of themselves.
Philip didn't.
He was found finally at Azotus, and passing
through, he preached in all the cities, till
he came to Caesarea.
And I give you only one guess as
to what he preached about.
Jesus.
Well, this is the church in action, a
donkey ride in the desert.
Being told what to do, doing as you're
told, and being in the place where God
has put you, and finding a man reading
his Bible, wanting to know what it really
meant, and led him to Christ.
That doesn't sound very complicated, does it?
Philip didn't have to have unusual skill or
special training.
All he had to do was get on
a donkey when he was told to, and
go for a ride in the desert.
And God had already prepared the heart of
a man who was waiting to hear, from
the lips of one whose mouth had been
placed at Christ's disposal, why he went to
the cross.
That's the church in action.
Donkey ride in the desert.
Where you expect nothing.
Human is speaking.
Except your heart is filled with a simple
childlike faith in a God who knows what
he's doing, and does what he knows.
Chapter 9.
Same book.
And remember, this is the continued activities of
the Lord Jesus.
Saul, yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against
the disciples of the Lord, went unto the
high priest, Saul of Tarsus, arch enemy of
the early church.
Relished the death of Stephen when he was
stoned to death.
Threw others into jail.
Ridiculed those who believed that Jesus was the
Christ.
And so Saul of Tarsus desired of the
high priest letters to Damascus, to the synagogues,
that if he found any of this way,
whether they were men or women, he might
bring them bound to Jerusalem and throw them
into jail.
But it was then that a light shined
from heaven, brighter than the sun, and he
heard the voice of God through the clouds.
Saul arose from the earth, verse 8, and
when he saw no man but they led
him by the hand, he was brought to
Damascus.
And there he resided, in Damascus.
But there was a certain disciple at Damascus
whose name was Ananias.
And the Lord said to him in a
vision, Ananias, calling him by name.
He said, behold, I'm here.
And the Lord said unto him, arise and...
What's the word?
Go.
This is the church in action.
Who's running the church?
The Holy Spirit.
Who's giving the instructions?
The Holy Spirit.
That's the real church in action, the body
of Christ.
Indwelt by a risen, living Saviour.
I saw the vision, and God said, Ananias,
go.
Go into the street which is called straight,
and enter into the house of Judas for
one called Saul of Tarsus, for behold he
prayeth.
So we see the church in action.
A donkey ride in the desert, now we
see the church in action.
A knock on the door down the road.
Ananias answered, Lord, I've heard by many of
this man, Saul of Tarsus, how much evil
he hath done for thy saints at Jerusalem.
Did you say, Saul of Tarsus?
Are you sure you've got the name right?
God said, yeah, I've got the name right.
But he hath authority from the chief priests
to bind all that call him your name.
I'd be sticking out my neck.
Well, I understand that, said God to him,
but that's not your business, that's my business.
Because now that you're a member of my
body, your neck is my neck.
The Lord said unto him, verse 15, Go
thy way, do as you're told.
He is a chosen vessel unto me to
bear my name before the Gentiles, kings and
the children of Israel.
This man whom you fear is going to
become Paul the Apostle.
My special emissary to the Gentiles.
So Ananias stopped arguing.
Do you know why?
He was a man being filled with the
Holy Spirit.
How do you know?
Well, it's simple.
God said go, and Ananias, verse 17, went.
And if you're told to go and you
went, it means that you're a healthy member
of the body of Christ.
That's all it means, to be being filled
with the Holy Spirit.
You don't have to make antics and draw
attention to yourself.
You just are told what to do, and
do as you're told.
Isn't that terribly complicated?
A man full of the Holy Spirit.
He went his way, entered into the house,
putting his hands on him, said, Brother Saul,
the Lord, even Jesus, that appeared unto me
in the way as thou camest, hath sent
me that thou mightest receive thy sight and
be filled with the Holy Spirit.
Saul of Tarsus, you're going to become an
entirely new creature.
Nobody will recognize you for who you were.
And immediately they fell from his eyes as
it had been scales.
For Saul of Tarsus had been led blinded
into Damascus when he saw that light from
heaven in the face of God.
The glory of God in the face of
Jesus Christ.
He received sight forthwith and arose, and he
too was baptized.
Identified himself, Saul of Tarsus, enemy of the
early church, with the one who died and
who spoke to him from heaven on the
road to Damascus, came out of the water
to share the life of his risen indwelling
Savior.
And straightway, verse 20, he preached Jesus, the
Christ, in the synagogues, that he is the
Son of God.
All that heard him were amazed and said,
is not this he that destroyed them which
called on this name in Jerusalem?
Came hither for that intent that he might
bring them bound into the chief priest?
Is this the same man?
Of course.
But recreated by the gift of that life
from God that man lost in the day
that Adam believed the devil's lie that he
could be a man without God.
Humanism.
And man becomes his own God.
Saul increased the more in strength, verse 22,
confounded the Jews which dwelt at Damascus, proving
that this is the very Christ.
Just a knock on the door down the
road, because a man was told to go
and he went.
This is the church in action.
Nothing spectacular.
Donkey ride in the desert, knock on the
door down the road.
Just ordinary people, doing ordinary things, but under
divine compunction.
This is the church in action.
Chapter 10, verse 1.
There was a certain man in Caesarea called
Cornelius, a centurion of the band called the
Italian Bands.
That regiment in the Roman army that were
present and crucified the Lord Jesus and later
was stationed at a city in England called
Chester.
And there's a museum there of this particular
regiment.
And this man was a centurion called Cornelius.
He was a major.
And all majors are very, very fine people.
He was a devout man.
He was one that feared God with all
his house.
In other words, his fear of God was
so convincing that his kids couldn't help but
be identified with him in his fear of
God.
His servants identified themselves with him.
He was a devout man.
And his devotion to God they couldn't challenge.
He gave much alms to the people.
He was generous.
And he prayed to God always.
He was a God-fearing man, a man
of prayer.
So convincing that he didn't have to whip
his kids to go to church.
They loved him for the man of God
he was.
He saw in a vision evidently about the
ninth hour of the day, verse 3, an
angel of God coming into him saying to
him, Cornelius.
And when he looked on him he was
afraid.
And he said, what is it Lord?
He said to him, your prayers and your
alms, your gifts have come up for a
memorial before God.
Never imagine that an unbeliever is despised by
God if he's earnestly seeking to know the
truth.
The Lord Jesus promised if a man seek,
he will find.
Only those fail to find who never sought.
Only those to whom the door remains shut
are those who never knock.
But to those who seek, they'll find.
To those who knock, said the Lord Jesus,
the door will open.
Always.
And the lovely thing is that the Lord
Jesus knows exactly where they are.
He knew there was a man reading his
Bible in the desert.
He knew that there was a soul of
Tarsus who had heard the voice of God
on the road to Damascus.
Bear that in mind.
When God says go, he knows where you've
got to go.
And he knows where you're going to be
put.
And he's already prepared the hearts of those
to whom he's going to minister through you
for their eternal good.
Send men now, verse 5, God said to
the angel, to Cornelius.
Send now men to Joppa, call for one
Simon whose surname is Peter.
I'll tell you where he lives.
He lives with one Simon Atanah whose house
is by the seaside.
And he shall tell you what you ought
to do.
God has seen your prayers, heard them.
God has seen the good gifts that you've
given to your fellow countrymen in their need.
God knows it all.
But I'm going to send you, or tell
you to send for a man who's going
to tell you what you ought to do.
Because your prayers, Cornelius, aren't enough in themselves.
Your good works, the alms, the gifts that
you make available to the poor, they aren't
enough in them.
They won't wash away your sins.
But there's a man down in Joppa who'll
tell you what you ought to do.
Well, a well-meaning neighbor of Cornelius might,
having heard this, say, If ever there was
a man that deserves to go to heaven,
Mr. Cornelius, or Major Cornelius, you're that man.
Don't listen to these people, they're scaring you,
they're frightening you as though you weren't fit
for heaven.
Forget it.
If ever a man deserved to go to
heaven, on the basis of the kind of
life that you live, you're that man.
Was Cornelius impressed?
No.
When the angel which spake unto Cornelius was
departed, verse 7, he called two of his
household servants and a devout soldier, two of
them, that waited on him continually.
And when he had declared all these things
unto them, he sent them to Joppa.
He wasn't too proud to admit to two
of his servants and a soldier escort that
God had told him by an angel that
he needed something more than his devotion and
good works.
And he's told me to send to Joppa
that there's a man called Peter there who's
going to tell me what I ought to
do.
Wasn't that kind of God?
To find a man too ignorant to come
to Jesus, because nobody ever told him about
Jesus, but make sure that somebody who knew
Jesus would come and tell him what he
needed to know.
That's how good God is.
That's his kindness.
That's grace.
On the morrow as they went on their
journey and drew nigh unto the city, Peter
went up unto the housetop to pray about
the sixth hour.
This is the man they'd gone to fetch.
And he had climbed onto the roof and
was praying there.
And while he was up there, he saw
a vision.
He became very hungry and would have eaten.
And while they made ready, he fell into
a trance.
Peter saw the heavens opened and a certain
vessel descending unto him as it had been
a great sheet knit at the four corners
and let down to the earth, wherein were
all manner of four-footed beasts to the
earth, wild beasts, creeping things, fowls of the
earth.
And there came a voice to him, Peter,
rise, Peter, come and eat.
You're hungry, here it is.
I sent it down for you.
And Peter said, not so long.
Did he ever say that before?
Sunday morning, wasn't it?
16th of Matthew.
And the Lord Jesus said, I'm going to
the city of Jerusalem, there I'll be delivered
into the hands of wicked men, religious men,
and they'll do me to death, I'll be
crucified, but don't panic.
The third day I'll rise again from the
dead.
Peter then didn't believe it.
Now he did.
Because he was living in the power of
his resurrection.
But he said, not so, Lord.
You know I'm a Jew, Jews don't eat
that kind of stuff.
Not so, Lord.
I've never eaten anything, verse 14, that is
common or unclean.
I can't do that.
It would break my religious tradition.
So the voice spoke again unto him the
second time.
Peter, what God hath cleansed, that call thou
not common.
This was done three times.
And then the vessel was received up again
into heaven.
And while Peter doubted in himself what this
vision which he had seen meant, behold, the
men who were sent from Cornelius, the major,
had made inquiry for Simon's house and stood
before the gate.
And they called and asked whether Simon, surnamed
Peter, was lodged there.
And while Peter thought on the vision, the
Spirit said unto him, Behold, three men seek
you.
Two servants and a soldier escort.
Sent by Cornelius.
Verse 20.
Arise therefore.
Get thee down.
What's the word?
Go.
That's all.
Go.
Go with them doubting nothing.
I sent them.
Here was Peter just about to step into
the timeless purpose of God.
Because we are recreated in Christ Jesus unto
good works which God has before ordained, that
we should walk in them.
That's why you're only in the will of
God when you were sent and you went
and you're put.
And God has already been telling the story
and preparing for that part that he's allowing
you to play in the story.
So Peter went.
He was sent and went.
He went down to the men which were
sent unto him from Cornelius and he said,
Behold, I am he whom you seek.
What is the cause wherefore you are come?
And they said, Cornelius, the centurion, a just
man, one that fears God and of good
report among all the nation of the Jews,
was warned from God by an holy angel
to send to thee into his house and
to hear words of thee.
Then called he them in and lodged them.
And on the morrow Peter went away with
them and certain brethren from Joppa accompanied him.
And Cornelius, when they arrived, was waiting for
them.
And had called together his kinsmen, relations, and
their near friends.
And the house was filled with people.
Peter took him up saying, as Cornelius fell
at his feet and worshipped him, Stand up,
I myself am just a man.
And as he talked with him he went
in and found many that were come together.
And said unto them, You know how that
it is an unlawful thing for a man
that is a Jew to keep company or
come into one of another nation.
But God hath showed me that I should
not call any man common or unclean.
Therefore came I unto you without gain saying
as soon as I was sent for.
I ask therefore for what intent you sent
for me.
And Cornelius recounted the story of his own
encounter with God when the angel came to
him and told him to send and bring
Peter.
Who would tell him what he needed to
know and what he ought to do.
Thy prayer is heard, the angel said to
Cornelius as he recounted the story.
Thine arms are come up before a memorial
in remembrance in the sight of God.
Send therefore to Joppa, call hither Simon whose
surname is Peter.
He is lodged in the house of one
Simon of Tanna by the seaside.
And he when he come shall speak unto
thee.
Immediately therefore I sent to thee.
And thou hast well done that thou hast
come.
Now therefore are we all here present before
God to hear all things that are commanded
thee of God.
We're not interested in listening to your opinions.
We want as we've been promised through your
lips to hear God speak.
And Peter was as smart as Philip the
deacon.
Verse 34.
He opened his mouth.
Isn't it great when you open your mouth
you've got something to say that's worth saying.
This is the exciting adventure of being a
Christian.
A member of the body of Christ with
whom he's clothing his divine activity.
He knows exactly where the seeking souls are.
He's made all kinds of preparations in advance
unknown to you.
So that when you arrive all you've got
to do is open your mouth and tell
the truth about Jesus.
Don't allow anybody to make for you the
Christian ministry or call complicated.
All you've got to do is be told
what to do.
Do as you're told.
Be sent and went and be put.
And when you see how marvelously God has
opened this door of opportunity you open your
mouth and talk about Jesus.
He opened his mouth and said of a
truth I perceive that God is no respecter
of persons.
But in every nation he that feareth him
and worketh righteousness is accepted with him.
The word which God sent unto the children
of Israel preaching peace by Jesus Christ.
He is Lord of all.
That word I say you know which was
published throughout all Judea.
And began from Galilee after the baptism which
John the Baptist preached.
How God anointed Jesus.
Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and
with power.
Who went about doing good and healing all
that were oppressed of the devil.
For God was with him.
And we, verse 39, are witnesses.
Of all things which he did both in
the land of the Jews and in Jerusalem
whom they slew and hanged on a tree.
But God raised him up the third day
and showed him openly.
And Jesus is alive.
Knock on the door down the road.
Donkey ride in the desert.
And a day in the dog house.
For Peter had to go to the house
of a dirty Gentile dog.
But if you're prepared by God's indwelling Holy
Spirit to be a healthy member of the
body of Jesus.
You'll enter into all the adventure of being
available to the one who alone knows where
they are.
Who is seeking the truth and have never
heard it.
And you'll go for a ride on a
donkey in the desert and find a man
reading the Bible.
You'll go down the road and knock on
a door and throw your arms around the
neck of a man.
Who is the arch enemy of the early
church.
And you'll be sent into the dog house
of those whom men despise.
Because they're unclean.
In other words we read as those who
were members of the early church.
Of those who were in the right place
at the right time saying the right thing
to the right person.
But who organized it?
The Lord Jesus himself.
He's the head of the body.
Right man, right place, right time saying the
right thing to the right person.
When can you enter into the adventure of
that quality of life?
Very simple.
All you've got to do is die to
yourself.
And become available to Jesus.
When Philip got on the donkey and went
for a ride in the desert.
He died to himself.
He had earned the reputation of being a
city wide crusader.
Thousands would come and listen to him preach.
And God said go into the desert.
I've got somebody I need to talk to.
And I need your lips.
And he went.
And was put.
Ananas had to die to his own physical
preservation.
He got a knock on the door of
a man who was the arch enemy of
the early church.
Who consented to the death of Stephen.
And cast countless others into jail.
And you want me to knock on that
door?
Dead on said Jesus.
He's my chosen vessel to go one day
to the Gentiles.
And Saul of Tarsus will become Paul the
Apostle.
So Peter said to the Lord Jesus I
want you to go with these men.
But the Gentiles.
I'm a Jew.
I can't go into their home.
It's dirty.
God said don't you dare to call common
what I have cleansed.
Be told what to do and do as
you're told.
Go.
And he went.
And Cornelius.
The Roman officer became a Christian.
All you've got to do is die to
your own ambitions.
Die to your own success.
Die to your own physical well being.
And die to your religious prejudices.
And racial prejudices.
And you'll be in the place where God.
Who so loved the world that he sent
his only begotten son.
That whosoever believeth on him should not perish.
But have everlasting life.
You'll be part of the action.
And for weeks and months and years afterwards.
You'll be hearing the story of what happened
to that boy.
That girl.
That man.
That woman.
To whom you went because you were sent.
Isn't that exciting being a Christian?
You don't need a PhD.
Just a heart for Jesus and total availability.
So that you become expendable.
For him.
As he once was expendable.
For us.
What an incredible privilege.
What a joy.
And this is your privilege.
This is your joy.
Don't imagine that being a church member of
this body.
Is simply to sit in a seat.
Once a week or twice or three times.
And put a dollar in the plate.
That would be dull.
That's being religious.
That's being churched.
Open before you.
Is the glorious prospect of being a member
of the body of Christ.
In action allowing him to do his thing.
His way.
His time.
For his reason.
And always to his praise.
Not now and again.
When it's convenient.
But with the hilarious expectation when you get
up in the morning.
And say Lord Jesus.
Thank you for what you did so many
years ago.
So that you could be right now who
you are living in me.
I haven't a clue what your agenda is
for today.
But you do.
And I want you to know that I'm
available.
And just tell me the word to go.
And I'll be one among those who have
sinned.
And I'll enjoy the miracle of seeing God
in action.
Doing his thing.
In his way.
For his reason.
That's a glorious prospect.
But that's yours right now.
Because Jesus is not the one who was
alive.
He's the one who is alive.
Right now.
Living in you.
And all you've got to say Lord.
Here are your hands to work with.
Here are your feet to walk with.
Here are your lips to speak with.
Your eyes to see the need.
Your ears to hear the cry.
And your heart to love with.
Thank you.
It's going to be fun to see what
you have in mind.
I'm a Christian.
Not just a church sitter.
I'm a Christian.
I'm a member of the body of Christ.
I'm alive.
Because he's alive.
And I share his resurrection.
And every tomorrow is the unfolding adventure of
being part of God's story.
Created in Christ Jesus unto good works that
he has before ordained that I should walk
in.
He knows the story and is waiting to
tell it.
But cannot, will not and does not.
Unless I let him.
How do you let him?
Just by making yourself as available now to
him as he made himself available to the
Father.
And say thank you in advance for what
he's going to accomplish.
In spite of who you are but because
of who he is.
Terrific.
Storm or no storm.
Because he's coming back again and you don't
have to come back.
Your responsibility and privilege and joy now is
to answer the call.
And be found when Jesus comes in the
place where he put you.
Reveling in the blessing that is inevitable.
In the place of God's divine appointing.
Great.
I know it's true because I've tried being
religious and found it so boring that finally
in despair I quit.
Even though I was enthusiastic to the nth
degree to do my best for Jesus.
But I've missed the whole point.
That he died for me only that he
might live in me.
Every moment of every day on earth on
the way to heaven and then forever.
I'm not trading that for anything else.
I can't settle for less.
I don't know how long I've got to
live.
But that's not my business.
Because I'm ready to go.
But I'm ready to stay.
So was Paul.
He said I'd like to be out of
the body and with Christ much better.
But so long as he still has something
to do through me.
For the furtherance of your faith and the
furtherance of your joy.
I'll hang around.
But when Jesus has nothing more to do
with me and it's my body on earth
I'm off.
Bye.
That's the Christian life.
Terrific.
Right?
Well live it up.
Loving Jesus.
We thank you.
We recognize you gladly now as the head
of that body of which we have become
members though we never deserved it.
Because you've reconciled us to God with your
death.
But you've quickened us to life.
You've restored us to function.
By coming in your resurrection power to clothe
your deity with our redeemed humanity.
Thank you so much.
Thank you for every new day that dawns
in which we're prepared to allow you to
do your thing.
Your way.
In your time.
For your reason.
And to your praise.
Bless these men and women.
Let them get excited about tomorrow.
Because tomorrow is going to be as big
as God.
So long as they let you be God.
Thank you for boys, girls, men and women.
You know where they are right now.
We don't but you do.
But you'll need a hand to touch them.
You'll need lips with which you can give
utterance to your saving work on their behalf.
We don't know where they are.
Anyone, Philip, knew who or where that eunuch
was in the desert.
We don't know where they are but you
do, Lord Jesus.
Just as you knew where Cornelius was.
Practicing religion sincerely, earnestly.
Honoring, loving God but not knowing the truth
about Jesus.
But you made sure he came to know
the truth.
Thank you for that little boy who was
like I was when I was only 12.
Never heard the gospel.
Taken to church but never heard the gospel.
Never was introduced to Jesus.
But thank you that that little boy sitting
in that tent so many years ago was
designed in your purpose to go all over
the world and tell other people.
Tell them that you were waiting to be
as much alive in them as you came
to be then alive in me.
Dear Lord, grant that these people may get
excited about the incredible privilege of being active
members of your body and part of the
action and seeing God triumph again and again
because he is the victory.
Bless the pastor of this church.
Bless all the other pastors who have their
role to play.
Bless every individual member of your body as
a member of this body corporate made up
of individuals in particular who have been to
the cross and said thank you Jesus for
what you did.
But a million times more I thank you
now for who you are and for all
that you've got in mind in days to
come.
It's going to be exciting and I'm ready
to go and be numbered amongst those who
went and were put.
Thank you.
Dear Lord, you can't give us a greater
privilege and we want every bit of it.
Not now and again, not in odds and
ends, but a life that is no longer
existence but the fulfillment of a divine plan.
Thank you.
In your own dear, purest, precious and all
prevailing name, our Savior, our Lord and our
God.
Amen.
Mr. Thomas, we can't thank you enough for
what you said.
Could we give an adequate appreciation for him
tonight?
Thank you.
I deeply appreciate it.
Father, we just thank you so much for
your choice servant, Major Ian Thomas.
Father, for the innumerable lives that you have
touched through him over the years and over
the last three days the way you've touched
our lives and drawn us closer to your
son, helped us to focus more clearly, more
specifically on who he is and what he
wants to be through us.
Father, I pray that the words that you've
spoken through Major Thomas would bear fruit in
coming days and coming years.
And Father, we look forward to seeing you
face to face.
And Lord, in the meantime, we pray that
in our lives, indeed, to live would be
Christ, in Christ alone.
It's in his name we pray.
Amen.