How Are Christians Produced?

Introduction

Novak Djokovich and Roger Federer. Titans clashing on the lawn at Center Court at Wimbledon. Many are eating breakfast and lunch watching the epic battle that’s unfolding. And it is epic, by the way. I enjoy watching the heroes of the sport do their thing. But not on the Lord’s Day. We are here talking about ancient words. Ever true. Changing me and changing you. I want to speak to you this morning about this question. How are Christians produced? I actually had one member who saw this title say, Tony, that’s weird. And that’s okay with me. I think a title is all about getting people’s attention. And so if it gets your attention, even if you think it’s a weird question, then it will have served its purpose for me.

And then the further response was, it made me think of babies producing babies. And I thought, perfect. That’s exactly what I want to talk to you about this morning. And that is how babes in Christ are produced. And what we can learn from the text. In 1 Corinthians chapter 1, verse 29, I know this, that whatever we become in him, it is mostly about him. That no one should boast before God. Consider your calling, he has said in the prior verses in verses 26 and following. This is about the foolishness of God that is stronger than men. It is by his doing that you are in Christ Jesus. If we are produced so that we become Christians, know that it is by his doing who became to us wisdom from God and righteousness and sanctification.

Well, those are three power packed words. That’s what Jesus provides for us wisdom and righteousness and sanctification and redemption. That just as it is written, let him who boasts boast in the Lord. And this is on the heels of some thoughts that we shared two weeks ago about working out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who is at work in you to will and to work for his good pleasure. And because of that, because of your working on the basis of his will and his work and his desires in your life, that we can approach our lives with a perspective of contentment and positivity and hopefulness and optimism, thus do all things without murmuring and disputing. Because we have a mission that is huge, that is monumental before us as God’s people, to prove ourselves to be blameless and innocent, children of God.

That’s the product that I’m talking about. Children of God above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you appear as lights in the world. At the end of the day, this is all about producing Christians who will live for the Lord in the harsh environment of our wicked world, holding forth or holding fast. The word of life, Paul says in verse 16. So, in answering our question this morning, how are Christians produced? I want to take you to just one story, really, that’s quite compelling and insightful about how that happens. And I want to begin this morning by talking to you about the role of the Holy Spirit in this story. That is a concerning part of this story. We tend to shy away from certain passages that mention the Holy Spirit.

1. The Role of the Holy Spirit

I preached on this before, Acts 2 and verse 38. What were those first believers on the day of Pentecost who were pierced to their hearts? And when they asked that noble question that I wish we could get more people to ask, what do we need to do? In light of what Jesus has done and who we are as sinners, what do we need to do? Well, you need to change your course. You need to repent. You need to adopt his course for your life. You need to repent and be immersed, be baptized, every one of you in the name of Jesus. Hold that thought, we’ll come back to it. Be baptized in the name of Jesus for the remission of your sins, the forgiveness of your sins, the things that we read about in 1 Corinthians 1, your redemption.

And so many people want to stop reading right there. For you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. Look, first of all, it’s a gift. It’s a gift that comes from God. And so we should want to embrace it, whatever it means. Whatever that means, I want to embrace that. Now, contextually, that involves an explanation. There’s a lot of things going on that the Holy Spirit is causing to happen on the day of Pentecost. And we’d have to talk about all those things today. I’m just saying, don’t be afraid of it. Read the whole verse. It’s there for a reason. For the promises for you and for your children.

The extension of the Holy Spirit’s gift goes well beyond the events of this moment. Well, there’s somewhat of a perhaps frightening element involving the Holy Spirit in Acts chapter 10. While Peter, and I know I’m catching this in midstream, Peter is preaching to a Gentile centurion and his household. A Jew going into the presence of a Gentile, this is difficult. Peter has received special revelation and visions to suggest that this Gentile is not unclean, that he can go into his presence without violating some cleanness in himself. And so Peter arrives and preaches to Cornelius and his household, and in the midst of Peter’s preaching, this first Gentile convert to the faith, the first Gentile Christian that is produced. It says, while Peter was still speaking these words.

Okay, it sounds like to me that Peter is getting cut off mid-sentence while he’s preaching. And if that were to happen this morning, I would just have to roll with that, like other things that happen in an assembly. Bones going off, babies crying, things of that nature. A lot of unusual things have happened in my ten years here while I was preaching. You know, I’ve thrown the Bible out of the pulpit, I’ve fallen out of the pulpit. So things can happen. While Peter was still speaking, something extraordinary happened. The Holy Spirit fell upon all those who were listening to the message. Here is this group of Gentiles who are listening to Peter, and all of a sudden something incredible, extraordinary happens. A miraculous event.

Okay, whoa, we have power from God happening to Gentiles right in front of us. Because the gift of the Holy Spirit.

What exactly did this Holy Spirit do? For they were hearing them, speaking with tongues, and exalting God. I just want to make one observation here. That really goes back to 1 Corinthians 1 and our initial text. In salvation, God is always at the forefront of the story. God is the hero of the story. But I would observe that extraordinary, miraculous manifestation, the uniqueness of this event, that the Holy Spirit would fall upon these Gentiles in the presence of these circumcised believers. This miraculous manifestation did not alter universal requirements in regard to those who would come to Jesus.

Prior to receiving the remission of sins in Jesus’ name. I’ve been in discussions where people, when they say, is that what you’re saying? That he received the Holy Spirit in this way prior to receiving the remission of sins? Like, you can’t possibly be saying that, can you? Yeah, I can. Yeah, I can say that. That’s exactly what’s happened. Did people in Samaria a few chapters earlier in Acts chapter 8, just a couple chapters over, did the people in Samaria receive salvation in Jesus’ name? Many days before they received an outpouring from the Holy Spirit. Yes. It’s flip-flopped in the two stories. They received salvation in Jesus’ name in Samaria, and it was several days before Peter and John could come up and lay their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.

2. This Is a Sermon About Peace

Why didn’t the Holy Spirit just fall on those people in Samaria? God didn’t do it that way. They received salvation in Jesus’ name. The Holy Spirit came later when Peter and John laid their hands on them, and that’s how it was in ministry. This is a different occasion here in Acts 10. But I want to take a step back before we go further into that. Let’s not miss the sermon here. This is a sermon about peace. And I’m pretty sure Peter’s sermon involved more than just these few verses. This would be a very short sermon of just a few verses. As he talks about God is not a respecter of persons, but in every nation, he who fears God and does what is right is welcome to him.

And he says, this message through Jesus is one of peace. You know of Jesus of Nazareth. How God anointed him with the Holy Spirit and with power, and he went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him. And we are witnesses of all these things he did, both in the land of the Jews and in Jerusalem, and how they put him in, put him to death by hanging him on a cross. God raised him up on the third day and granted that he should become visible. And I want to tell you the fact that people saw the risen Lord is an underpinning of the faith and everything that we’re about today. He was visibly seen by many.

Not to all the people, but to witnesses who were chosen beforehand by God. That is to us who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. And he ordered us to preach to the people and solemnly testify that this is the one who has been appointed by God as judge of the living and the dead. Verse 36 said, the word which he sent to the sons of Israel preaching peace through Jesus. This message of peace. In Ephesians chapter 2, it could not be made any more clear that this is a peace that brings Jew and Gentile together. Those who were formerly the uncircumcision become the circumcision in Christ. The hostility of the commandments, the fact that the law convicted us of sin, and thus there is separation or enmity or hostility between us and God.

This message of salvation is a message of peace. It is bringing people together. Peace for those who are far away, and peace for those who are near. That was a promise of Isaiah, going back to Aaron’s good comments about the end of Isaiah last Sunday during the partaking of the Lord’s Supper. These promises of peace from those who are far away and those who are near, Jew and Gentile alike, go all the way back to Isaiah, where there was frustration and hostility and enmity, now we have a message of peace on the basis of the work that Jesus did. And that, my friends, this message is about the beauty of reconciliation. Okay, so that’s the nature of the sermon. Peace in Jesus’ name, and while Peter is preaching this message of reconciliation, not just a reconciliation with God, but a reconciliation where there was divisiveness and fracture before, Jew and Gentile brought together into one man in the gospel, the Holy Spirit falls on Carneus and his family.

3. Who Was I That I Could Stand in God's Way?

So when Peter is later describing that, trying to convince the guys back home, the circumcised believers in Acts 11, trying to convince those in Jerusalem that God has indeed accepted the Gentiles also. This was huge for Jewish Christians. To now have to embrace not just their fellow Jews, but Gentiles, heathens, the uncircumcised, as a part of this fledgling cause devoted to Jesus Christ. And so as Peter is explaining it to them in Acts chapter 11, he says, If therefore, verse 17, if God therefore gave to them the same gift as he gave to us also after believing in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could stand in God’s way? He goes, I mean, this isn’t really hard, is it? This isn’t rocket science.

I’m looking at a miracle. I’m looking at the Holy Spirit descending powerfully upon these people and them speaking in tongues. I’m pretty sure God’s approving of what’s going on here. Who is I? Who am I? Who was I that I could stand in God’s way? As they experience a unique spirit submerging or immersion. Notice, go back to verse 16. And I remembered the word of the Lord, how he used to say, John baptized with water. Okay, so that was a unique baptism, the baptism of John unto repentance. John baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit. They’ve been immersed with the Holy Spirit.

You know, a lot of people try to do just that.

They try to stand in God’s way when it comes to the moral requirements of discipleship to Jesus. They want to do things their own way. Or they find themselves in opposition to those who are teaching God’s way, like Gamaliel said, hey, you fellas need to be careful. Lest you be found what? Fighting against God. You don’t want to be found opposed to God. And I don’t know why I was thinking about this particular piece of machinery. I think actually I’ve seen one bigger than that. You know, you ever see that when they’re putting down asphalt? They do a lot of concrete here, so you don’t see that piece of machinery as much. But when you’re doing asphalt, have you ever seen how they throw it all down out of the trucks, you know, and it’s it’s got rocks and stuff in it, but then that thing comes along and just then it’s nice, we call it blacktop and smooth.

You know, I’ve always thought I don’t want to be under one of those because that would be a very unpleasant experience. It would be your last experience. That would be better than standing in God’s way.

4. Ordered to Be Baptized in the Name of Jesus Christ

They had embraced the message about peace in Jesus, and the Holy Spirit descended upon them, but this is a verse that follows in Acts 10. And he ordered them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. What does that mean? They had received the Holy Spirit in this miraculous manifestation, and they spoke in tongues, but now they are being told to be baptized in the name of Jesus. That’s how people received forgiveness of sins back two chapters earlier. Luke doesn’t have to go over that again. He doesn’t have to explain it all here. He explained it in Acts chapter 2. He explained in Acts chapter 8. Remember Acts 2.38. Repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus for the remission of your sins. Wait a minute.

So they receive the Holy Spirit, but yet they’ve not yet been baptized. And what is the nature of the baptism in the name of Jesus? It too, like John’s baptism is in water in likeness of Jesus’ death and resurrection. Our sins are washed away in the blood of Christ when we come in contact with his death. We’re submerged into him, into the likeness of his death and resurrection. And thus we rise to walk in newness of life. Baptism in the name of Jesus Christ is baptism, and I talked about this not very long ago, is on the basis of all that he is and has done.

Everything he did to secure peace, as this message that was preached in Acts 10. And so baptism in the name of Jesus could not be preached during Jesus’ ministry because he had not yet died and was raised and had ascended to the Father as King of kings and Lord of Lords. Baptism in the name of Jesus could only be done post-death and resurrection because that’s when victory was accomplished. And that’s why, though they received the Holy Spirit, and God was saying to those circumcised believers, I am accepting the Gentiles. They still needed to be baptized in the name of Jesus to receive cleansing and remission of sins. Just like we read about the universal requirements, just like we read about in Acts 2, and just like we read about in Acts 8.

And for further clarification on this, notice this is distinct from baptism of the Holy Spirit because that’s occurred earlier in the text. But notice a few verses earlier in Acts 11 and verse 14, when Peter first begins to explain this, he says, and he shall speak words to you by which you will be saved, you and all your household. There’s no indication that Corneas and his family would be saved by the Holy Spirit descending upon them. It’s not like Cornelius is standing there saying, I want to be saved by the Holy Spirit. I want to be overwhelmed by the Holy Spirit. This happened. Corneas didn’t ask for this. God had ministered. God gave it. But Acts 11, verse 14 says, He shall speak words to you by which you will be saved.

5. Human Communication and Ministry Is Always Used

Words like these. And he ordered them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Here’s something interesting. Despite the role of angels in this conversion story, the visions that Peter had, the visions that Corneas had, despite the role of angels, despite the role of the Holy Spirit, human communication and ministry is universally and always used to bring people into Jesus Christ. And I would take another story in Acts 8 to demonstrate that. Remember that nobleman who was off on a desert road by himself? And he needed to understand God’s way. And so God provides a preacher. There’s Philip. Boom. There he is. And when it’s over, and by the way, he said what? Here is water. What prevents me from being baptized? So when Philip was preaching Jesus, he wasn’t preaching some miraculous overwhelming, some submerging by the Holy Spirit, which was unique because Peter said it fell upon them as it did upon us in the beginning.

This wasn’t ordinary. This wasn’t normal. This was very abnormal. It was not usual. But it was an indication. Just like Acts 2 was an indication that these men were speaking from God as they spoke in tongues and there was present people from every nation under heaven. This was an indication that God is present and that he’s accepting the Gentiles. It is unique what is happening in Acts 2 and Acts 10. But in Acts 8, we have the Spirit providing the preacher. We have the preacher preaching. We have the learner saying, Here is water, not Holy Spirit. Here is water. What hinders me from being baptized? He said, Oh, you got it right. If you believe with all your heart you may. And they stopped the chariot and they went down into the water, and he baptized him, and they came up out of the water.

How much clearer can this be? In likeness of Jesus’ death and resurrection. And then the Spirit’s not done. What’s the Spirit do now? Suddenly snatches the preacher away. I would like to be snatched by that. Wouldn’t that be neat? I wonder where he’d send me. And if all of a sudden I disappear, you’ve got a story. Snatched him away. Isn’t it interesting? The Holy Spirit miraculously provides the presence and the exits of the preacher, but it’s the man who teaches the man the message that leads to his salvation. And the striking conclusion of the story is found in Acts 11 and verse 18. After Peter has explained all this very logically and simply, it says, they quieted down. Can you imagine the uproar and the stir among the Jews?

6. The Repentance That Leads to Life

The Gentiles. What are we going to do? Gentiles, what are we supposed to do about this? They quieted down and they glorified God, saying, Well, then, God has granted to the Gentiles also the repentance that leads to life. Not the submerging of the Holy Spirit, but the repentance that leads to life. And here’s the incredible part about this verse. The word repentance has not appeared anywhere in Acts 10 and Acts 11. This is the first mention of it. He’s quoting them. It’s not mentioned in Acts 10 and verse 11 and Acts 10 or chapter 11. But here’s the cool thing. Luke, as the writer of this story, knows he’s already covered the role of repentance. He covered it back in the very beginning. Repent and be baptized.

He doesn’t have to go into every specific detail. Do you think when he said he ordered them to be baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus? Oh, by the way, but you don’t have to repent. No. That was a part of the message. This is the shorthand version. Did he have to confess with his lips like the eunuch did in Acts 8? Yeah. This is, he doesn’t have to repeat all of that every time he’s telling a story. But isn’t it interesting? Though repentance is not mentioned anywhere. The conclusion of it is they’ve repented and come to God. And this, my friends, is how Christians are produced. Christians are produced this way. But how do Christians thrive? We are interested in not only producing Christians in this place, but bringing them to a place where they thrive.

Conclusion

And may I suggest Philippians 2, the passage we read at the very beginning, suggest what we do once we are produced. You’ve got something to prove. Blameless, innocent, children of God. There’s a certain way I need to think. There’s a certain way I need to live. And you need to know the surroundings in which you’re doing it. They are not conducive. They will not encourage you nor help you. They will oppose you. You need to know your surroundings. And in the midst of that, you can and will survive and thrive by clinging to the word of life. The word of life by which you were born, actually. The words by which you were saved, the living and incorruptible and abiding word of God. That’s what produced our rebirth.

That caused our faith, that caused our repentance, that fueled our confession, that caused me to be immersed in the likeness of Jesus’ death and resurrection. That living word that caused me to be produced as a babe in Christ. I must continue to cling and embrace that word. Always. Never let it go. Never let it be diminished. Never think it’s not worth the effort. This message is life. This message is peace. Peace with God and peace with his people. Peace among men with whom he is pleased. Embrace the message of peace. I don’t know who’s about to win Wimbledon. I don’t think it’s over yet. Somebody’s going to be hailed a champion. Could be Roger Federer. What a story. I love stories. That’d be a great story.

Wouldn’t be a greatest story as producing a Christian here today. Do you need to become one in Christ today? Let’s stand and sing.