9 Marks of a healthy church Week 5 – Conversion Mark dever Ligonier.org

Marks of a healthy church Expositional Preaching Biblical Theology The Gospel Conversion Evangelism Membership Discipleship/Growth Discipline Leadership Corporate Prayer The Great Commission Mission Raising Up Leaders Reasons to Join a Church

Last WeeK: mark #3 – The Gospel CREATION: We are created in God’s image (Imago Dei) as male and female The FALL: What is wrong with me and the world? - Genesis We are guilty of moral crimes and such crimes deserve eternal punishment because God is GOOD, JUST and LOVING ATONEMENT: The sinless Jesus “takes our place as the guilty” – he is our substitute – shedding his blood on the cross in place of us He lived the life we ought to have lived and has atoned for our sin (“Jesus Paid it all, all to him I owe”) He has declared us righteous (That is GOOD NEWS!) This is a work of God – we are regenerated as Jesus imputes righteousness to us and our guilt is absorbed by Him Those who place their trust in God are justified and reconciled to God GLORIFICATION: Jesus rose from the dead, conquering death, and one day we will be resurrected to spend eternity with him

Mark #3 – the gospel Summary: God, Man, Christ, Response God is holy (just) and loving Man has sinned earning a loving God’s judgment Christ lived the life that we should have lived, died the death we should Defeated sin and death through his resurrection We are called to respond with repentance Romans 10:9, 14-17 Faith comes from hearing the GOOD NEWS

Last Week: Mark #3 - The gospel The gospel is not “our story”. It is God’s work on the cross CS Lewis Screwtape Letters, Chapter 25 Many churches today do not preach the gospel (reject the atonement) and will be held accountable Easy Belief Moralism Health and Wealth Gospel Universalism

Mark #4 - conversion https://www.ligonier.org/learn/series/marks-healthy-church/conversion/

9 Marks – #4 conversion Why is conversion viewed with such suspicion today? What is ironic about this view? Authenticity is what promoted – I need to be what I feel I am Are people satisfied? Why do people rearrange the furniture, change jobs, change spouses and even genders? What is root meaning of Christian conversion? Turning, doing “a 180” How we evangelize is a function of who does the converting – do you agree?

Mark #4 – Conversion Today’s Culture: “You should not impose your ideas on others” Go manage your own neuroses and leave me to manage mine! Billy Graham and Jews in Chicago Before conversion, what were you like? Romans 3:10 – none are righteous, not one Every aspect of our being has been touched by spiritual deadness Slavery, in debt, bankrupt, dead are descriptions of our condition before conversion How desperate are we before conversion? Change is absolutely necessary!! What does God owe us? He will judge us because he is good leaving us in trouble

Faith What is saving faith? Hebrews 11:1-2 Hope is not “hoping for another Cubs world series win” It is the “desire for a future outcome that absolutely certain” We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure Faith communicates the essence of our hope and it carries a strong element of trust Not seen – does that mean “blind faith”? 2 Peter 1:16 and Luke 1:1-3

Faith I Corinthians 15:1-3 and Paul conferring with John and Peter back in Jerusalem (Galatians) The evidence of things not seen simply means they have not yet occurred Think of Abraham’s trust when called him – He set out not knowing where he was going Hebrews 11:8-10 wall outside classroom

Conversion – Mark #4 Insulin dependency and knowledge I know that I need insulin to live (mere head knowledge) My parents administered the insulin (trust) What if the bottle contained saline and not insulin (is that trust justified? No!) Real faith is knowledge or “justified true belief” Faith is not blind, but trust in a person who made a promise to you and me Jesus is not a means to an end or a “carrots and sticks” religion STR.org article

Born again Nicodemus – What Jesus ask of him? Who calls on the name of the Lord Those who God calls! Joel 2:32: And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved; for on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there will be deliverance, as the Lord has said, even among the survivors who the Lord calls on the name of the Lord will be saved; Conversion includes our actions but it is God Spirit who calls us If it is something we do, then we are the ones bringing something we have in order to alleviate God’s eternal judgment

Next week– Mark #5 - evangelism Give ’em Heaven!!