Sermon sneak peek for July 12th!

(Exerpts from the Sermon on July 12th)

From Lawless to Flawless

Biblical text: Acts 2:38

Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.

There were fruit flies in my office. They flitted over my desk by the dozens. I attacked them with bug spray and tried to kill a few with my bare hands. But for all the one's I got, there were dozens more to take their place. Every time I annihilated one, two more popped up. I never heard of fruit flies in an office. Someone told me the only place he ever saw fruit flies was around rotting fruit. So, I checked my wastebasket, and there it was...

In our text, Peter says there are three steps we must take to get rid of the flies.

Step One: You've got to repent. Then Peter said unto them, Repent. "Repent." It's a word that's hard to understand for several reasons. First, we don't see the point. Second, we don't have anything to be sorry for. And third,My business is my business! That's the tough, exterior shell of a man or woman that the Gospel of Jesus Christ has to crack.

When we reflect on our own conversion, and the newness of our life in Christ, it gives us a sense of awe and wonder that God could take this vessel we call man and transform our sinful flesh into a saintly fortress. And that's the mental picture we want to preserve, like a snapshot in our wallet. Look at me. I’m all cleaned up and ready to serve the Lord. But what about those sins you committed yesterday? Didn't they smudge that picture up just a bit?
We commit sins every day without a single thought of how it affects our spirit. So you can see why a repentant spirit has to be a part of our ever-evolving spiritual makeup. Repentance not only has to be specific, it has to be current and daily. When we recall our unkind thoughts, our careless words, and our selfish deeds, our repentant spirit…

· If you refuse God's mercy now without judgment, one-day you will face God’s judgment without mercy.
· If you refuse God's grace, one-day you will face God's wrath.
· If you refuse to accept Jesus Christ as your personal Savior now, One day He will reject you, saying, "Depart from me, ye workers of iniquity, I know you not."

"Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.