TFre Gospel **fender Miniskics$ermm of'the Mcnfh

Jmxary 2*17

we are at a new start. It is a new year. We think of the words of the Apostlelin :

page has turned; the leaf is blank. The new year is only a few hours old. We haven'tmade any really big mistakes yet; we will, but not yet. No wrong furns. No wrongchoices. But, if the Lord delays His retum, we have 364 more days to go.

n you and I were c christ we had another brand newgrnning. It may have month of February or Jul ember. For

some of us that was a long time ago. For others is has been relatively recent. When wewere converted we had a brand new !!&.ahead of us. We were new converls. We were

. We were babies in Christ who began to feed from the milk of the Word.S/e had a brand n€w name - the name Christian. 'We had a brand new spiritual standingwith Christ; we had been lost in our sins but now we were saved@a-ow sins We wereadded to a brand new kingdom. Before we were converted we were citizens of thekingdom of Satan; in our conversion we were

, . ,.. , : , the church of the Lord Jesuschdst. That is the way Paul worded it in . our king had been satan; butnow our King is Christ. Before our convercion our best friends were those in and of theworld; after our conversion our best friends are members of the church. Our citizenshipwas in the world; but now it :

. ( ) Before our conversion we were notbothered or upset with sin - our own or most anyone else's. We didn't give it anythought; we certainly did not look at ourselves as a sinner. But now we detest sin inwhatever shape or form it takes - but especially our own sin. Before our conversion wehad no time or interest in God or in His Word or in His chrnch. But now all of this andso much more are at the center of our life and thoughts.

have undergone a real transformation; as ., states it, we have been

brainwashed we answer without shame, "you are right. we hope beenbecause our brains needed to be washed- Before our conversion our brains were unclean.Our brains and the thoughts that were in our brains have been washed by the blood of the

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Lamb of God.' We have been delivered from this body of deafh by Christ and have beengven a brand new begirning.

s year there will beo and I have alrcady

experienced and are errery day that we breathe - a brand new beginning abrand aew start In the beginning of the church "the Lord added to the church dally

who were beW soved." 'We have no reason to believe that He is not doing the5669 thing almost two thousand years later. The world is shrinking but it is still big. It is&e same size as it was when the church began Its circumference is just shy of nventy-five thousand miles. Almost two hundred nations occupy the geographic temain of theearth. Just over seven billion people walk on, are \ryheeled or are carried over, or al€lalng in a hospital or nrrsing home M on its surface every day. The world is muchlargsthanthelittlebubbleinwhichyouandIlive. Arewetothinkthatpeoplearebeingsaved only on Sunday's at the end of some church service that are hetd wi&in a twentymile radius of our little bubble of life? The power of the gospel of Christ is much morepowerfirl than that. ttte *preaching of the cross" is preached mmy more times than thefew thfuty or forty-five minute sennons on a Lord's Day morning within our little bubbleof life. There arte more Bibles in the world than just our owrr- Our God is a great Godwith a great evangelistic program going on all the time someurhere in this world that Hespoke into existence. Somewhere men and women ase being converted to Christ all thetime.

his conversion is a brand new rememberremernberyorns? Andbecause nwas like

and because I know what the more than forty years that have followed have been like, Ibelieve that I am in a position to give some personal advice to anyone uiho is beingconverted to Chdst today. So here goes. I,et me make it personal.

you are converted today, be sure never to forget it. \rrite down thelace and the circumstances of your conversion. write down the name

who baptized you into Christ. rtrrite down the name of the church assembly or thelocation where you were immersed into Christ. Maybe it was in a baptistery. Maybe itwas in a river or a creek. It could have been in a whirlpool or a horse tough. It couldhave been in a church building or in a store front or in a prison. \tr/rite down thisinforrnation not because you will forget it but for the benefit of your descendants, thatthey will know all about what happened in your life concerning your conversion.

bethefirstpersoninyour yaube the last. Your record the

inspiration for your children or grandchildrm or your great grandchildren to follow yoursteps. The pusonal record of your coaversion may very well wip one of yourdescendants to Christ long after you have been planted under the sod. Life goes on afterour own deatb- The world does not stop. When Tabitha died h Acts t her influence didnot die. wh€n Peter went into the "upwr room" where Tabitha was laying, "the wido

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stood by him weeping, showrng tlw fitnics and garments which Dorcas had mode whileshe was with them." Peoples' memory of us and our influence outlive our bodies so forthe sake of yorr family who is not yet born let them know the circumstmces of yourconversion

today you mayyorr

immersion into Christ,;fiL and get *.,n3*lt*.* Bible. Get a good Bible rhatreminds you of the day of yorn conversion- Don't qlare any costs. Get a Bible that is agood translation of God's originat revelation. Get a Bible that you can use as a textbook- a Bible that you can write in and on, a Bible on which you can highlight passages ofScripture, a Bible that has large margins where you can scribble important notes. Writedown the titles of the messages you hear from the preacher and the lessons that you hearfrom the teacher. Record the date rrr&en you heard them preached or taught And whenyou vrear out that Bible get another good Bible in rarhich you can do the same thing alloveragain PaultoldTimothyinll othy 2:15 to "s to show thyself vedlntoGod, awar an thdt needeth not to be ashamed, r tly div the word oftruth." T\eBible is to be studied - not just read., not just to look at, not just to occupy some space ona shelf or in a drawer. Get into ttre immediate habit of studying it.

was knoum more for its contents than ndeed thetheBible -lTiyerseslong-butitisa anyother

chapter in either the Old ar New Testaments that extols the value of the Word of God. Inalmost eYery line the Psalmist praises God for having gven His Word to Gd,s creation.Over and over again the writer cannot say often enough how precious the Word of God isto him. Verse 14'- "I have r d in the wsy of Your testimanies, as much as in allriches." Yerse 72; "The law of Your mauth is better to me than thousands of coins ofgold and silver." verse 127: "Therefore I love your commandments more n goli,yes, than e gold!" verse 162: "I rejoice at your word ss one who Jinds irr*treasure. " Repeatedly he says to his Lord how much he loves God's revelation. lterrc15, "I will delight myself in Your statutes; I wilt not forget your word.,' Verse 24:"Your tes anies are my del t..." verse 3s: ' lre me walk in the of yaurcammsn ents, for I del t in it. " Verse T7: ,, ...yaur is my delight.,,

get a good Bible. Meditate in . Memorize it. Teach it.And at the end fe may you say like the psalmist in

119:54, "Your statutes have been songs in the ho of my pilgrim .,,

you are d today get a good Bible but also st ood Iooks- buy books - all kinds of books youtmderstanding of the Book of all books. Get books of biography of the men and womenin the Bible but also of the men and women whose lives were devoted to thean{ teaching of God's word, in leading people to christ. Get books of geographyshowing you where the places of the Bible were in the days of the Bible a"O wfrere tieyThe Gcspel Defender MirristriesPost Offiee Bax 575Chillic*the. Ohi* 45601-*5?s

The Crcpel Def@der Mnisties-*rffi#$are nolv - the towns, the cities, the rivers, the lakeq and the mountaias, where miracleshappene{ ufiere parables were taught, wherr seflnons were preached. Get books on thedoctrines ofthe Bible - doctrines that most churches seldom if ever talk about - elwtio4predestination, the decrees of God, the atfiibutes of God reconciliation, prcpitiation,

- the doctines of the end time - soteriology - thedoctines of salvation. &t books, atl kinds of boks. Get history books - books thathelp you to know what was g<ring on in the world when the events of the Bible weretaking place. Books help to bring the Bible books alive. Get commentaries, books thatwill expose you to more than one nar!c!% blind view of urhat a verse or chapter or bookmight mean. Don't h afraid to at lffist be familiar with what other men, u&o areinterested in Christiadty, believe and tfr;nt, even if their vievrpoint is differmt fromyours and those with whom you have fellowship. Get books that will widen yourperspective and in your search for the tnrth of God. It is only rmleanrdand ignorant men who think books that expose your spiritual vision to views other thanyour own are bad to read. When Paul encountered the Epicurean and Stoic philosophersin Athens he was confronted with the intellectuals of his day. He knew their literature.He quoted one of their prophets, Epimenides, in lcfs I 7 : 28 and he used their literature toprove that he knew who their "WKNOWN GOD" was and why his God, the"UNKNOWN GOD," was superior to their mythological gods. ln Titus 1:12 be quotedhim again- Paul knew heathe,n literature. Begrn building a good library of books.

, get a good library, and getme, begmis aaewbabe in

next to nothing except that Jesus of Nazareth is the Chdst and that through His blood urereceived the forgiveness sf sur sins. Of course, we knew rnrhat to do to be saved. Buteven those facts were unknown to us until someone taught them to us. Bu!then ritrhat? What's next? Sadly that's u&ere a lot of conversions end. They come uporff of the waters of baptism and like an alligalor slither up on some bank to sunthemselves ia the Son, S-o-n, and lay there for the duration of their Christian life. No realspiritual growth- No real advancement in the knowledge of Christ. Just an occasional,mechanical, robotic visit to a church assembly at the times they choose. Personally, I quittrymg to figure out if these people are saved or not. I have a very difficult time

how that can be a Bible conversion and I will do all that I can to dissuadepeople from living that kind of Christian life but in the end they will be judged by Godand not by me. But for those who want no part of that kind of Christianity I willencourage themto find a good mentor inthe Christian faith.

also." Paul was Timothy's mentor. He was amentorto Tifus. We atl need amentor andusually we have one in the beginning of our walk with Chdst. But not all mentors aregoodmentore.

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The Gospel De.feoder Miristdes***HYff$

want to make srefor sme, but maybe

in the world too. It is one thing to have someone who was bom in the church train yor4 itis quite another thing to have someone who has livd on both sides of the fence train youPaul told the "brethren and fathers" that he was "indeed a Jew, born in Torsus ofCilicis, but brought up in this clry fierusalem] at the feet of Gamatiel, t accordingto the strictness of ow fathert' low, afld was zealous toword God... " Paul was not bornin the church; when he was "born ogdin" he became a member of the Lord's church. Hehad lived on both sides of the fence. When he came to the Lord's side he knew what theother side was like. Someone said that you don't have to have lived in Hiroshima whenthe bomb was dropped to know how bad the bomb was; that's hre. But if you lived inHiroshima when the bomb was droppd you appreciate life a lot more than those whoweren't there at the time.

rlfio time fGod- Gettime Get has grown

lmowledge of our Lord and Sovior Jesus Christ." Get a mentor who has a genuineifierest in your spiritual developnent knowing that your spiritual developmen! and noone els€'s, will happea overnight. It takes time. This is the job of m elder u&o is ashepherd of the flock These kinds of elders are hard to fitd so if you can't find an elderwho will do his job, find smeone in the local flock who has the time to spend with youinpersonal home Bible studies and who has the interestto guide youto some good booksthat will help you. And cling to him. Don't let him lo"ose rmtil you outgrow him. Agood meffor isn't jealous urhen a rew convert outgrows him; he rqioices irrknowing thathe did hisjob. So get a good mentor.

are c attend eyery lecture series,Yely forum achers and teachers

besides your own No preacher knows it all, not even your oum. No preacher can teachit all, not eYen your onm. Paul counseled the Corinthim congregati onrn l Corinthiafls 12conceming what the body of Christ is. In verse 14 he said "the body is not one memberbut many." ln verse 20he sia'id, "ifideed thcre are mafly members, yet one body." Thereis always information to be gleaned from hearing different brethren deliver the Word ofGod- Sometimes you will have to spit out the bones to get to the meat but that's true ofwhat ycur own preacher preaches and teaches. His meals sometimes have some bones.The reason they do is because your preacher is not God. He is not infallible. But if he isa shrdent of the S/ord he is not stupid either. He always has sorans good, well-preparedmeals to deliver and you ought to be there when he does his feeding. If there is ahabit tobe formed as a new convert it is this: never be absent from any assembly where the Wordof God is being served Bible school. Smday morning. Srmday "igtt. Mid-weekassemblies. Always be in your chair and at the table when the S/ord of God is served.

u are convertd recommend is toare in a good, n of the Lord,s

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converts stay with the congregation in which they were converted. Most conyerts areinfluenced by the congregation in which they were converted. Most converts don't knowof any other congrregafioas than the one in which they were converted. But if a convert isgrowing in his knowledge of God's Word and he comes to realize that his "homecongregation" is not following God's'S/ord he has got to do something ahut it. The firstthing he ought to do is to go to someone in the congregation u&o is respnsible forleading that congregation- It could be the preacher or it could be an elder or it could be aperson who the conve,tt respects and esteems for that person's knowledge of God's

.Word

and the life that he lives. But go to that person and discuss whatever it is that he believesis in opposition to God's Word. If he goes to his mentor that mentor can point him in theright direction. ffthe congregalion is just blatantly and knowingly and recklessly side-stepping God's Word with no intent to repent the convert should seek out a congregationthat is f.ollowing God's Word to the best of ix ability. In this day and age a congregationlike this is not easy to find. Chdstian and doctrinal commihent is on a downward slidethese days. It is difficult to find a congregation that preaches and teaches aad lives theBible. So the only thing a new convert can do is to find one that is &e clcsest to theBible thathe can find.

who tell me that they cannot find ahear the Bible. Maybe that is why

long as I preach, God wi[ing, I am going to preach and teach &e Bible. No sermonettesfor Christianettes u&o want to go outside to smoke their cigarettes as the old saying goes.Cigarettes are not as much of a problem in the church today as they once wer€ but we stillhave Christianetes who want their sermonettes. I hear those serrnonettes occasionallyand I wonderto myself, "How inthe world can anyone sit here week after week md hearthis pabulum?' But many do. They were converted to iL They have been fed it from thetinre of their new beginning. They have become so accustomed to it for so long that theydon't know anything else. But for a new convert who has a good Bible, a good libr_ary ofbooks, and a good mentor, pabulum just will not cut it. He needs meat to eat Sometimeshe has to go to where the meat is being served leaving behind people who he loves butpeople rryho are content with pabuhrm.

more piece of advic the Lord'sGet yowself into a are on fire

for the Lord- Not everyone in the chmh is on fire for the Lord. Some people have littleif any zeal for the Lord or the Lord's work Some people are no frm to be around. Theyare pessimistic, always filled with gloom and doom. Nothing is ever right in the church,in their family, or in the world- They never smile. They never laugh. There is little joyin their life. You would think that they were the offspring of Balaam's ass who spend atlthrcir time sucking on lemon rinds. tlaag around them very long and you will be just likethem. Paul put it this way in Ephesians S:tI: "hdve na feltawship with the urfruitfulworlrs ofdorbwss."

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The Goepel Defender MinishiesSamnofftefrdmlh

Jaoury2017

you are converled o a eYencm hang out with s wi their

youfii, and engage in conversations that help you to grow spiritua[y. Study the Wordwi& the,m. Talk about the church. TaIk about the Word- TaIk about growirg in ChdstTalk about your new books. Talk about some confereoce or lecture or reyiyal that youattended- Get in a click that is a good click - a click that clicks with God's purpose andwill for your life.

u are c d it is new b . That's the titleadvice c s in year. aboutyou? You

convert. You repnted and were immersd into Christ a long time ago" You have beenarotmd the spiritual block more than once. So qihat does this message have to do withyou? Just this: you may not be that fffi ahead of new converts in your spirifual growth.Today could be a new beginning for you too. Do you have a good Bible? Do you markit up taking notes whenthe Word is taught or preached? Do you have any kind of libraryof books that you can refer to as you study otr your own? Do you attend srrery assernblythat you can to leam the Word? Do you have a mentor, someone to whom you can beaccountable as a Christim? Do you have a circle of Christian friends with whom you caofellowship, share meals, and discuss the Word of God? Or are you isolated thinking thatyou can live the life on your own? And if this congregation wa.s not in alignment withthe lVord of God are you committed enough to God and His Word that you would doufralever you could to get it back on the right track?

is an did the day before.for a ake today that day?

Why not let this day be like the day when you were immersed into Chris.t? Why notbegin today to "rise up to walh in newness of life?"

now?eto

fut audio copy of this message in ei$rer CD o cassette tape format is available from this ministry. The monierceived for ftis material is plowed direc{y back inb tris minisfy to produce additional recorded and printed

will further the gespel of Christ-

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"',,:' ;: r : isrecognizedbythe lntemal RevenueSeMceasanon-profit501(c)(3)tax+xempt ministry. AII confibutions are eligible for your personal tax exemption. Should you decide to assistthisevangelisticminisfyin'=Iti,1iilir:i: ,.:,.1i l:l;:idt:'j,*eri'iiil'!ni,:1::r'j,'areceiptforyourfinancial giftwilt

be mailed to you. Our work can reach out only as far as you reach bac* to us with your hand of support ln thespirit of ' we implore you to "Come over to Chillicothe and help us!' We thank you in advance for your

help.

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fre Goepel Deeo&r Mini*rftxSsmmoftkMocr&

Jmay2017

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