Good morning and welcome in. Today we are going to take a look at a passage of scripture from the book of Acts, but before we do that, I wanted to tell you a little story.
Andrew and I have cut a lot of firewood over the years since we have a wood burning cook stove in our house. Over the years, through much trial and error, I have learned how to grind and sharpen chainsaw blades. Having a fresh blade in the woods will save you hours of work, as long as you don’t hit dirt or a boulder.
One day I can remember spending a half-hour sharpening a saw blade until the chisels were like razors, then completed the task by filing down all the depth gauges to the proper length. Andrew fired up the old pickup, and off we went into the thicket to find our load. We finally got to our site, found some dead and downed trees, and I gave a few quick jerks on the starter rope to get the engine to roar to life.
But when I tried to quickly slice through the first tree, I noticed that my new blade wasn’t cutting anything! I shut the motor off and after a few moments of examining the bar, quickly discovered the problem. I had put the chainsaw blade on backwards!
This event always reminds me of the Christian Life.
Just like my saw blade, each of us need to turn ourselves around if we truly want to be blessed by God. He wants to do a work inside each of our hearts but we need to be going the right way for that to happen. We must turn away from our own human desires that are formulated deep within the carnal nature, and begin to head the right direction so that we can undergo a conversion and transformation in our souls. This can happen through the power of the Holy Spirit, and the teachings of our Lord and savior Jesus Christ.
Acts 3:26 Unto you first God, having raised up his Son Jesus, sent him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from his iniquities.
We must understand that if we are going to make a heartfelt attempt to become a Christian it means becoming a follower of the teachings of Jesus Christ. When you follow something it means taking their path and going their direction. Each of us have grown up in this world following its philosophies and teachings but Christianity begins by recognizing that we have to turn around and follow Jesus. At first glance it seemed that my sawchain was going the right way, but proved otherwise.
Proverbs 16:25 There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.
The Lord wants to lead us on a new path but it’s going to require doing an about-face and turning from the darkness of sinful living to walking in the light. This is what He instructed the Apostle to do.
Acts 26:18-20 To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me.
Whereupon, O king Agrippa, I was not disobedient unto the heavenly vision:
But shewed first unto them of Damascus, and at Jerusalem, and throughout all the coasts of Judaea, and then to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, and do works meet for repentance.
How many of you have had a child abruptly leave the dining room table during supper? They decided to go into the living room and play with some toys instead. As a parent you retrieve them, turn them around, and walk them back to the table. Just like a child, all of us need to be turned around and put back on the right path.
Paul was attempting to do this very thing by pointing people back to God and His Only begotten Son, Jesus Christ. When we open up our eyes to Jesus and His teachings, we can see the way of the world for what it truly is, a lie.
Acts 14:15 And saying, Sirs, why do ye these things? We also are men of like passions with you, and preach unto you that ye should turn from these vanities unto the living God, which made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all things that are therein:
When people turn to Christ they can receive forgiveness for their sins. When we place faith and trust in Him as our savior, we can become cleansed and sanctified from our transgressions which can result in a new life.
Acts 3:19 – Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord;
Conversion is the act or process of changing. It’s a change from one direction to another, from one belief or opinion to another, from the path of sin to the path of righteousness. True conversion is an internal change that happens within the heart when you open your eyes and ears to biblical truth. Through faith in Christ, we can receive the Holy Spirit in order to win this battle against the flesh.
Acts 28:27 – For the heart of this people is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes have they closed; lest they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.
Jesus is the great physician who wants to heal our hearts from the penalty of our own sinfulness. He wants to free our consciences and minds through the blood that He shed for us at the cross, but it’s going to first require humility on our part.
Matthew 18:1-4 At the same time came the disciples unto Jesus, saying, Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven? And Jesus called a little child unto him, and set him in the midst of them, And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
The world and its ways are very deceitful. It can really fool you into believing that everything is going to work out fine while the truth is, a change is needed for the better. God cares for us greatly but he wants all men to accept the truth and come to a place of repentance which requires turning around. Although it may look like we’re going the right way, and even feel like we’re going the right way, if it’s not the way of Christ, it is the wrong way to go. Remember what I learned from the lesson of my saw blade. Going the wrong way,……
…..Just doesn’t cut it.
Let’s think about those things for today and Lord willing, we’ll talk with you some more tomorrow. Till then, bye-bye everybody.❤️
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