The Limits of God's Grace (Sermon: Acts 9:19-22)

Saul was a murderer and persecutor of Christians. Yet, God not only saved him and transformed him into a new man, He also used him to do a great missionary work. Saul is one more example of the limitless grace of God. To all who will come and receive, He is willing to give.

Many people are buried under a pile of shame and guilt. They feel that God could never forgive them or use them. Although you may feel differently at times, the Bible promises that: "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (1 John 1:9).

Better yet, the grace of God exceeds mere forgiveness. God also wants to bless us and use us for His glory. Jesus said: "I came that they may have life and have it abundantly" (John 10:10). Do you realize that every person that God ever called to service was a sinner?

If you have been hindered by guilt or shame, let me encourage you to accept God's forgiveness and allow Him to use you. And as you look to the future be encouraged by this verse: "For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for wholeness and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope" (Jer 29:11). And be certain, for everyone who will call upon the Lord and seek His forgiveness, His grace has no limits.

Talking Back to God

When the Lord called Ananias to go and meet with Saul of Tarsus, he had some reservations, but in the end he trusted the Lord and faithfully went to Saul as the Lord asked. Unfortunately, Ananias' obedience was not shared by everyone in the Bible. Talking back to God seems to be quite popular both in the Bible and in the church today. Moses was called to go and speak to Pharaoh. He talked to Pharaoh, but not until after he had made multiple excuses to God why he couldn't go. Jonah was called to go Nineveh and preach. He went to Nineveh and preached, but not until after some intense (or should I say intestinal) persuasion. Jesus told Peter of the crucifixion He must suffer and Peter rebuked Him. Yet, Jesus went to the cross, just as God planned.

Do you notice a pattern? God calls someone to do something. They respond with "no, not there," or "no, not me," or maybe even "no, not now." Then what happens? The Lord's will is accomplished, irregardless of their resistance and protests. The only apparent variance in these stories is the amount of persuasion and/or discipline the individual had to endure before they surrendered to the Lord's will.

What a great example Ananias serves for us. Yes, he had some reservations about going, but when God reassured him, he went. We could all save ourselves from God's persuasive measures, if only we could learn to say "yes" the first time we hear Him call.

Parental Wisdom (Sermon: 1 Kings 3:16-28)

The story in 1 Kings 3:16-28 shows the love of a mother and the wisdom of a king, but in addition to love, mothers (and fathers) need wisdom as well. Ask any parent with a few years experience and they will tell you that parenting involves countless situations for which no one has ever coached you. There is no book or website that provides the magical solution to this minute's new dilemma. Instead, you--the parent--must use wisdom.


Solomon was incredibly wise. In fact, he was the wisest person on the earth during his time (1 Kings 4:29-34). What parent would not love to have his wisdom? Well, you can! Maybe not to the extent that Solomon had, but you can have wisdom that surpasses human intellect. Solomon's wisdom came from the Lord (1 Kings 3:6-9). All wisdom comes from the Lord and in His Word He has promised that He will give wisdom to anyone who comes in faith and asks: "If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him" (James 1:5).

There is another verse in James that may explain why some of us can be so unwise at times: "You do not have, because you do not ask" (James 4:2). The choir at Dorsett Shoals often sings a song entitled, "All Your Promises Are True." If we believe the title of that song, then why don't we claim the promises of God more in our lives. God has promised to give us wisdom, if only we would ask. Whether you are a parent or not, why not ask the Lord today to give you the wisdom you need to be faithful in every situation in which He has placed you?

Baptism in the New Testament (Sermon: Acts 8:26-40)

Do we follow the New Testament model of baptism in our churches today? It's a question we should all ask ourselves if we desire to be obedient to God. In Acts 8, two separate instances of baptism are recorded. First, Philip preaches to a group of Samaritans who believe and are baptized. Second, He leads an Ethiopian to the Lord and baptizes him. Of course, there are other baptisms recorded in the New Testament and when they are all compared, one factor in particular stands out--only believers were baptized.

Acts 8:12 reads: "But when they believed Philip as he preached good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women" (Acts 8:12). Why are only believers baptized? Baptism is a picture and a symbol of the change that has already taken place in our life (Romans 6:4). Being baptized before you are saved makes as much sense as wearing a wedding band before you are married. Why would you use a symbol of something that has happened in your life, if it had not yet happened?

Now some will concede that although the proper way to be baptized is as a believer, they were baptized as an infant. And so since they have already been baptized, isn't that good enough? The apostle Paul wouldn't think so. Look at what happened when he encountered some believers who had previously been baptized. "And it happened that while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul passed through the inland country and came to Ephesus. There he found some disciples. 2 And he said to them, "Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?" And they said, "No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit." 3 And he said, "Into what then were you baptized?" They said, "Into John's baptism." 4 And Paul said, "John baptized with the baptism of repentance, telling the people to believe in the one who was to come after him, that is, Jesus." 5 On hearing this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus" (Acts 19:1-5). Although these disciples had been baptized by John the baptist in expectation and preparation for the Messiah, they had not been baptized after believing in Jesus and so Paul rebaptized them in the name of Jesus. I believe this passage demonstrates that if we have not been baptized correctly, we should be rebaptized.

We are all commanded to be baptized. If as a believer, you have never been baptized, you are living your life in disobedience to the Lord. Why not go to your pastor today and express your desire to be obedient to the Lord and to follow Jesus in believer's baptism?

Becoming Usable (Sermon: Acts 8:9-25)

There is a sharp contrast in Acts 8:9-25 between Simon and the other men listed. Philip preached to change lives. Peter and John prayed for the Samaritans to receive the Holy Spirit to bring unity to the church. Simon amazed people with his magic to draw attention to himself. Keyword with Simon...self. Philip, Peter, and John all experienced the type of following and fame that Simon was seeking. Yet, unlike Simon, they were not seeking to be an attraction, they were seeking to attract people to Jesus.

Here is the problem I think many believers face: Whether we are teaching a Sunday School class with only 2 members or preaching to great crowds, we are often rewarded with complements and admiration. Be careful. Many who started their service out of love and a desire to serve the Lord have drifted from these motivations and began serving for glory, or for money, or for __________(you can fill in the blank). If we want to be used by God, we have to get self out of the way. We must examine our heart and be willing to let God transform those areas that are not right. Philip, Peter, and John were all used in mighty ways by God, but look at what Peter told Simon about the ministry: "You have neither part nor lot in this matter" (Acts 8:21). And what was the reason that God would not use Simon: "for your heart is not right before God" (Acts 8:21).

You might conclude that there was no place for Simon in the Kingdom of God or that he was unusable, but neither of the conclusions would be true. There was a place for Simon, but he chose to make his own place. And Simon was only unusable for the moment. If Simon had truly repented, he could have been used by God.

Are you usable? Is your heart right before God? If not, do you realize that your current state is only permanent if you want it to be? If you will repent, God can and will use you for His glory. And the amazing thing is that by denying yourself, you will receive more than you could have ever achieved for yourself. Simon could have been a great missionary of the early church, but instead we know of him today as a magician whose heart was not right before God. What could you be if only you were usable?

Learning to Trust (Sermon: Acts 8:1-8)

Trust in the Lord is not something we are born with; it is something that we learn. It's difficult to trust. Something inside of us wants to remain in control, and yet, most of life is out of our control. But do not fear, God is in control. We fear the unknown. We worry about the uncertainty of our future. But do not worry, the future may be unknown to us, but God sees tomorrow as clear as yesterday.

As Saul and others began persecuting the early church, they scattered in fear. I can't blame them for being afraid, but as we now look back in hindsight, we can see that they had nothing to be afraid of. As for the church, God intended the persecution to spread missionaries all over the world. It was part of His plan. As for those who lost their lives, remember what Jesus taught: "And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell" (Matt 10:28). John wrote of the revelation that God gave him: "I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the witness they had borne. 10 They cried out with a loud voice, "O Sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long before you will judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?" 11 Then they were each given a white robe and told to rest a little longer, until the number of their fellow servants and their brothers should be complete, who were to be killed as they themselves had been" (Rev 6:9-11). What a great reward was waiting for those who gave their lives, as Paul said: "For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain" (Phil 1:21).

We see all throughout scripture how God has protected and provided for His people. We have so many reasons to have faith in the Lord and to trust Him completely. So why is it still so difficult to practice trust? For one, recognizing that God has provided for others is a matter of our mind and our reason, but trusting God with our own lives is a matter of the heart. Our heart--our will and our desires--is reluctant to change. So we must constantly surrender new areas of our heart and allow God to mold us and shape us into the image of His Son. Trust in Him comes little by little, but take heart, oak trees don't grow over night.

There are two things that may help you to learn to trust the Lord. First, as you read the scriptures, watch how God never fails those who trust in Him. Second, look back at your own life and recognize how God has been faithful to you in the past. As you meditate on these things, you should find a source of strength to help you to learn to trust Him even more.

Faith Leads To Action (Sermon Acts 7:56-60)

Stephen was a bold preacher, but words are cheap. Many people talk a big talk, yet fail to produce a corresponding walk. Stephen, however, was not the norm. Through his death, Stephen demonstrated that he truly had the faith to support his words. After preaching a harsh and accusatory sermon, Stephen's prayer for his executioners to experience forgiveness reveals that his motives were to bring them to repentance. What a heart Stephen had, to be willing to preach to those who had the power to execute him, and then to pray for their forgiveness will being stoned to death.

That's the thing about faith...it leads us to do things we would never do without it. Faith is difficult to hide, because it keeps producing works. James said, "faith apart from works is dead" (James 2:26).

So why do we see so many people today who profess faith and yet lack works? The saying is: "If it talks like a duck, and it walks like a duck, it probably is a duck." But what about people who talk like believers, and walk like unbelievers, are they believers? I think it is safe to say that in most cases the answer is no, because if you truly believe something, it will always have an effect on your actions.

Stephen believed the message that he was preaching and so he was willing to die for it. Stephen believed God would take care of him through death and so he committed His spirit into His hands. Stephen believed that Jesus' teaching on forgiveness was the best path to take with his life and so he forgave the men that stoned and prayed for them. Why did he do these things? Because faith leads to action.

What acts can you point to in your own life that demonstrate your faith? If you don't have any, don't go and perform acts of service just to produce evidence, that will only lead to empty religion. Instead, if you are lacking acts of service in your life, focus on developing your faith and genuine acts of service will be sure to follow.