Bold Witness: The Transformative Power of the Gospel

Christianity is a phenomenon you know people think of Christianity in terms of a hum drum building and a hum drum sort of service where miserable people crawl in because they're afraid not to do so that's the common idea isn't it and people who don't do that they think they were emancipated themselves Christianity boring just some old lifeless tradition that's their view of it but you see it's quite wrong it's a phenomenon exciting something disturbing a kind of ferment something as this book puts it later on that turns the world upside down. [00:04:36]

The message that we preach is a message which is based upon the apostles these original Apostles you see here the Sanhedrin here's the great court and they are questioning and examining Peter and John Peter and John are just two of the Apostles they're two of the representatives of the Christian Church they were had been the preachers they were the people who caused the commercial Peter was the man who preached on the day of Pentecost so when you are asking this question what is this Christian message well the first answer we've got to give is this it is that which was preached preached by the apostles. [00:08:09]

The Apostle Paul in writing his letter to the Ephesians puts it like this at the end of the second chapter he says that the church is built upon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets there's the foundation there is the beginning the only message that I have in this Pulpit tonight is the message of the Apostles which I find in this book now the the these points are quite crucial you see if you want to know what Christianity is you don't start buying a textbook on philosophy you start reading the Bible. [00:10:17]

These men they preached with certainty assurance and boldness they've got Authority what's the authority Jesus Christ what's it mean well the Apostle has told us exactly what it means in that section I read at the beginning out of one Corinthians 15 here is having to write now to the church at Corinth about this see there were clever people in the first century as there are now and there were some who are saying there's no such thing as Resurrection it's impossible it can't happen and they thought they were still being Christians though they denied the resurrection. [00:20:20]

We have not followed cunningly devised fables when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ but were eyewitnesses of his Majesty for he received from God the Father honor and Glory when there came such a voice to him from the excellent Glory saying this is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased and this voice which came from heaven we heard they heard it with their natural ears when we were with him in the Holy Mount. [00:34:46]

Christianity is not primarily your attitude towards this or your opinion about that no no here's the only question of you accepted these things which the apostles had seen and had heard what are they oh let me hold them before you you know we are all so interested in Christianity that we really don't know what we ought to know about this Christ we are so interested in attitude that we've lost the whole mystery and novel of meeting the person but you know this book is all about this blessed person he dominates it he's the beginning the end they preach they taught in the name of Jesus it was always before them. [00:35:46]

We cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard what had they seen well they'd seen him turning water into wine of course they have these are Miracles these are facts there'd be no church but for these things these are the attestations of his deity and of his divine Savior they seen him asleep in a boat and a sudden storm arose and they're terrified they're convinced they're going to drown they're all going to be to lose their lives and they awaken him in Terror and alarm and he gets up and he says to the Raging wind peace be sting and immediately there was a great calm. [00:41:35]

The resurrection was proed positive that he'd borne all the punishment demanded by the holy law of God the resurrection is God's Proclamation that he satisfied delivered for our offenses raised again for our justification in the resurrection God is proclaiming to the universe that he's satisfied his son has borne the penalty he's offering free pardon in all to all who believe in him the resurrection justification by faith and what else oh that he is the savior of the whole universe and that as they'd seen him ascending into the heavens he would come back again visible in bodily form. [00:55:24]

We cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard gentlemen they said all right we respect you you're the authorities you're the court but when you ask us not to preach and to teach in this name we can't listen to you because of what we've seen because he is who he is because of why he came because of what he's done because he's the only way of Salvation we must and that is the message of Christianity this evening what is your relationship to this message my friend have you ever faced this these are not cunningly devised fables this is not merely a point of view I am here to report to you these facts these events these happenings these things that the apostles saw with their naked eyes and heard with their natural ears. [00:57:11]

This is the message of Christianity that God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life there's only one question before us it's this do you accept the evidence of these men do you take their testimony are you prepared to believe what they have witnessed they say to us tonight as they said to this court in Jerusalem we've seen him we've seen these things we've heard we've heard his own explanation of the message we are reporting to you the things which we have seen and heard. [00:58:20]

Have you obeyed that voice have you heard the message of the son of God he tells you tonight that he's come to seek and to save you because you're lost he's telling you he's telling us through Bread and Wine which he commanded that he gave his body to be broken and his blood to be shed on that Curel cross on calvary's Hill that you might be forgiven you are every sin and that you might From This Moment become a child a Son of God and an heir of everlasting Glory have you believed the apostolic witness and testimony. [00:59:33]

We do hope that you've been helped by the preaching of Dr Martin lyd Jones all of the sermons contained within the mlj trust audio library are now available for free download you may share the sermons or broadcast them however because of international copyright please be advised that we are asking first that these sermons never be offered for sale by a third party and second that these sermons will not be edited in any way for length or to use as audio clips you can find our contact information on our website at mlj trust.org that's mlj t.org. [01:00:16]