October 30, 1938.  Halloween Evening.  One of the most talked
about radio shows in history took place.  It was a take off on
H. G. Wells' novel about a Martian invasion of Earth at the end
of the 19th century, as related by a narrator seeing the events
unfold in England. The action was transferred to contemporary
Grover's Mill, New Jersey, and the radio program's format was
meant to simulate a live newscast of developing events.

Many people missed or ignored the opening credits of the
program, and in the atmosphere of growing tension and anxiety in
the days leading up to World War II, took it to be a news
broadcast. Contemporary newspapers reported that panic ensued,
with people fleeing the area, and others thinking they could
smell the poison gas or could see the flashes of the lightning
in the distance.

A student at Campbell College in North Carolina turned on his
radio midway through the broadcast and did not realize he was
hearing a fictitious report. When the announcer vividly
described fire falling upon the earth, the student recalled some
sermons from his boyhood years and concluded that the end of the
world had come.  He grabbed the telephone and called home,
saying:  "Mama, Mama, have you got your radio on?  The fire is
falling, the end of the world is coming, and I'm not ready to
meet God!"  The next morning he was the object of jokes and
teasing around the campus. 

 But in the chapel service a godly Bible teacher took the podium
and said, "I understand that one of the boys got a lot of
ribbing because he got scared listening to the radio program
last night.  But, young men and women, what if it had truly been
the end of the world last night -- would you be ready?"

Today we speak of conversion.  Not customization, which many
people can do for themselves.  Rather, conversion, a change from
one thing to another.  

A change that our Lord said was necessary.  A change which we
cannot accomplish.  A change that can only be brought about by
divine intervention.

Matthew  18:1  At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying,
"Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?"

2  Then Jesus called a little child to Him, set him in the midst
of them,

3  and said, "Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted
and become as little children, you will by no means enter the
kingdom of heaven.

4  "Therefore whoever humbles himself as this little child is
the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

We find at least three main points in this passage.  

First, we need to be something that we are not.  

Second, that implies that we are not what we should be.  

And third, the role that we play is to exercise humility and let
God work.

We find these thoughts repeated in:

Psalm 51:1  Have mercy upon me, O God, According to Your
lovingkindness; According to the multitude of Your tender
mercies, Blot out my transgressions.

2  Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, And cleanse me from my
sin.

3  For I acknowledge my transgressions, And my sin is always
before me.

4  Against You, You only, have I sinned, And done this evil in
Your sight; That You may be found just when You speak, And
blameless when You judge.

5  Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, And in sin my mother
conceived me.

6  Behold, You desire truth in the inward parts, And in the
hidden part You will make me to know wisdom.

7  Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; Wash me, and I
shall be whiter than snow.

8  Make me hear joy and gladness, That the bones You have broken
may rejoice.

9  Hide Your face from my sins, And blot out all my iniquities.

10  Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast
spirit within me.

11  Do not cast me away from Your presence, And do not take Your
Holy Spirit from me.

12  Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, And uphold me by
Your generous Spirit.

13  Then I will teach transgressors Your ways, And sinners shall
be converted to You.

In this heart-broken passage, David realizes the depth of his
wickedness, the totality of his need, and the truth that only
God can accomplish within him what needs to be done.  

As I read it, I hear a plea from a broken heart for renewal and
change.  In a word, conversion.

As we look at the disciples, we can see this played out by
looking at before and after conversion experiences.  And I
believe that we can pinpoint the conversion experience for most
of them at Pentecost.  Assuming that, let's look at the before
and after attitudes and actions.

Let's take James and John.  Sons of thunder.  Manipulators. 
They send Mama to try to influence Jesus for preferential
treatment for her sons.  Suggesting that Jesus call down fire on
those who inconvenienced them.  

That was before.

After.  One gave his life for his faith.  The other was spared
execution, but spent much time in prison and in banishment.

Peter:  Self appointed spokesman for the group on many
occasions.  Coarse, impulsive.  Denying Christ when confronted
with his discipleship.  

That was before.

After conversion:  Speaking to the multitudes about Jesus
Christ.  Boldly standing for Christ before the priests and
rulers.  Eventually dying on a cross like his Master, but asking
to be hung upside down because he was not worthy to die like his
Lord.

All of the disciples, Before:  It is all about me.  Who can be
the greatest?  Who can lead out in the new kingdom?  What about
this disciple or the other one?

That was before.

After: It was all about Jesus.  Repent in the name of Jesus.  In
the name of Jesus rise and walk.  They gave witness to the
resurrection of the Lord Jesus.  God raised up Jesus.  And they
preached Jesus.

Again, all of the disciples.  It was about an earthly kingdom. 
Jesus feeds the multitudes.  What a king He would make.  Heals
the sick.  Don't need any more doctors.  We can rule the world.

That was before.

After:  It is about the kingdom of heaven.  Repent.  Be
baptized.  Jesus is coming again.  The parables about the
kingdom of heaven began to make sense.

Why would disciples need to be converted?  

Why do we need to be converted?

Acts 3:19  "Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins
may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from
the presence of the Lord,

20  "and that He may send Jesus Christ, who was preached to you
before,

Why do we need to be converted?

1.  To take care of our sin situation.

2.  So that we can be refreshed by God's presence.

3.  So that we will be ready for the coming of Jesus.

Now with or without your permission, I am going to do some
meddling.  

What would our church be today if we were really converted?  Not
just a theoretical question.  It is a question that I have been
struggling with in my life.  Am I different in my life because
of claiming the name Christian.  Are we different from the
unchurched in a way that Jesus would see a difference?

What differences we might list?

We eat differently.

We go to church regularly.

We tend to dress somewhat differently.

We shun jewelry.

We teach the Bible and prophecy.

Now for the "ouch." 

What about the similarities with those who do not claim
Christianity?

Do we strive for power / position / influence?

Is money our God?

Do we worship ourselves?  ( ideas, desires, opinions )

Do we look on the outcasts and poor any differently than anyone
else?

Do we treat our family members kindly?

Are we more concerned with building an earthly kingdom than an
heavenly one?

In short, are we content with membership but resistant to any
meaningful real heart change?

Paul wrote:  "If ye then be risen with Christ," he said, "seek
those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right
hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things
on the earth. For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ
in God."

..... Through the power of Christ, men and women have broken the
chains of sinful habit. They have renounced selfishness. The
profane have become reverent, the drunken sober, the profligate
pure. Souls that have borne the likeness of Satan have become
transformed into the image of God. This change is in itself the
miracle of miracles. A change wrought by the Word, it is one of
the deepest mysteries of the Word. We cannot understand it; we
can only believe, as declared by the Scriptures, it is "Christ
in you, the hope of glory."  {AA 476.1}

When the Spirit of God controls mind and heart, the converted
soul breaks forth into a new song; for he realizes that in his
experience the promise of God has been fulfilled, that his
transgression has been forgiven, his sin covered. He has
exercised repentance toward God for the violation of the divine
law, and faith toward Christ, who died for man's justification.
"Being justified by faith," he has "peace with God through our
Lord Jesus Christ." Romans 5:1.  {AA 476.2}

Often the question arises, Why, then, are there so many,
claiming to believe God's word, in whom there is not seen a
reformation in words, in spirit, and in character? Why are there
so many who cannot bear opposition to their purposes and plans,
who manifest an unholy temper, and whose words are harsh,
overbearing, and passionate? There is seen in their lives the
same love of self, the same selfish indulgence, the same temper
and hasty speech, that is seen in the life of the worldling.
There is the same sensitive pride, the same yielding to natural
inclination, the same perversity of character, as if the truth
were wholly unknown to them. The reason is that they are not
converted. They have not hidden the leaven of truth in the
heart. It has not had opportunity to do its work. Their natural
and cultivated tendencies to evil have not been submitted to its
transforming power. Their lives reveal the absence of the grace
of Christ, an unbelief in His power to transform the character. 
{COL 99.1}

Colossians 3:5  Therefore put to death your members which are on
the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and
covetousness, which is idolatry.

6  Because of these things the wrath of God is coming upon the
sons of disobedience,

7  in which you yourselves once walked when you lived in them.

8  But now you yourselves are to put off all these: anger,
wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth.

9  Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man
with his deeds,

10  and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge
according to the image of Him who created him,

11  where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcised nor
uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave nor free, but Christ
is all and in all.

12  Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on
tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering;

13  bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if
anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave
you, so you also must do.

14  But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of
perfection.

15  And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also
you were called in one body; and be thankful.

16  Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom,
teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and
spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.

17  And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of
the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.

Bottom line.  The power of a higher, purer, nobler life is our
great need. The world has too much of our thought, and the 
kingdom of heaven too little.  {AA 478.1}

A certain titled gentleman was converted. He loved the Lord a
great deal, but he was not well taught in the Scriptures. He
thought that he could continue in some of his worldly
engagements and still bear a good testimony. On one occasion
some weeks after he gave his heart to the Lord, this man
accepted an invitation to a rather worldly party. Upon his
arrival, one of the guests greeted him with these words: 

"I'm so glad to see you and to know that it isn't true."

"I beg your pardon," he replied, "but I don't think I quite
understand you."

"Why,"  said the other guest, "rumors were around that you had
been converted a few weeks ago; I'm so glad you're here and to
know the rumor was unfounded."

"But it is true!" the man exclaimed. 

Hesitating a moment, he added, "I see that you think this party
is no place for a Christian to be, and you are right. You will
never again see me at such an affair, nor will anyone else."1

Conversion brings change.  Not just outward change.  But change
of heart.  A root change, if you will. A motive change.  

I want to close with a passage from a Scottish minister and
prolific hymn writer Horatius Bonar who wrote in the 1800s.

It is a great thing to be a Christian. The very name is a noble
one, beyond all the noble names of earth. The thing itself is
inconceivably blessed and glorious. To say, 'I am a Christian,'
is to say, 'I belong to God's nobility; I am of the peerage of
heaven.'

Much, then, is expected of you. Do not disgrace the old family
name. Do nothing unworthy of Him who represents you in heaven,
and whom you represent on earth. He is faithful to you; be you
so to Him. Let men know what a Lord and Master you serve. Be His
witnesses; be His mirrors; be His living epistles. Let Him speak
through you to the world. Let your life tell your fellow-men
what He is, and what He is to you. Speak well of Him to men, as
He speaks well of you to God. He has honoured you by giving you
His name; He has blessed you by conferring on you sonship, and
royalty, and an eternal heritage: see that you do justice to His
love, and magnify His greatness.

Let your light shine. Do not obstruct it, or hide it, or mingle
darkness with it. 'Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the
glory of the Lord is risen upon thee' (Isa 60:1). It is the
light of love that you have received; let it shine. It is the
light of truth; let it shine. It is the light of holiness; let
it shine. And if you ask, How am I to get the light, and to
maintain it in fulness? I answer, 'Christ shall give you light'
(Eph 5:14). There is light enough in Him who is the light of the
world. 'The Lamb is the light thereof' (Rev 21:23). There is no
light for man but from the Lamb. It is the cross, the cross
alone, that lights up a dark soul and keeps it shining, so that
we walk in light as He is in the light; 'for God is light, and
in Him is no darkness at all.'

Be true to Him who loved you, and washed you from your sins in
His own blood. He deserves it at your hands. It is the least
that you can do for Him.





1 AMG Bible Illustrations. 2000 (electronic ed.). Logos Library
System; Bible Illustrations Series. Chattanooga: AMG Publishers.