1. I would like to speak this morning about "Genuine Christianity."
2. Much of what is called "Christian" today is not genuine.  I am talking about the glitzy Christian television programs, the dead, apostate mainline denominations, the homosexual churches, the heretical churches, and cults, etc.
3. Most churches today resemble the church in Laodicea.  Our Lord rebuked that church, and said in Revelation 3:16, "So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth."
4. In fact, this mess, commonly referred to as "Christendom," is preparing the world for the devil's one-world ecumenical church (Revelation 17).
5. But thank God there are still many genuine New Testament churches around today -- preaching the Gospel and winning souls.  I would like to speak this morning about "Genuine Christianity."
6. Or we could call it "Apostolic Christianity" or "Biblical Christianity."
7. What ever you call it, make sure you have it!

I. CONVICTION OF SIN (2:37)

1. In order for a person to get genuinely saved, there first has to be conviction of sin. The reason there are so many unsaved, unregenerate, lost sinners in churches (and even in many pulpits) today is many people have never seen themselves as hell-bound and hell-deserving sinners.
2. The words, "they were pricked in their heart" (2:37) indicate genuine conviction.  There will never be genuine conversions unless there is genuine conviction.
3. There should be genuine conviction about sin. Peter called them "wicked" in Acts 2:23.  Psalm 9:17 says, "The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God."
4. Today, most sinners do not see themselves as "wicked."  But according to the Bible, all sinners are wicked.
5. A few years ago, the liberal mainstream media criticized President Bush for referring to terrorists as "evildoers."  But the word "evildoers" is a perfectly good Bible word.
6. I think the reason the media was so upset over the use of that word is because they themselves are a bunch of evildoers -- adulterers, homosexuals, liars, drunkards, dope addicts, etc.
7. So sinners must be convicted of their sin.  They must understand they have sinned against a holy God, and that unless they repent they will surely be punished for their sin.
8. Furthermore, they need to understand that the penalty for sin is hell.  Sadly, many people no longer believe in hell, though the Bible contains many warnings about hell.
9. Jesus said, "And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell" (Matthew 10:28).
10. Jesus referred to hell as "a furnace of fire" in Matthew 13:42 and 50.
11. He said, "There shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth."
12. In Luke 16, our Lord warned that sinners are tormented in the fires of hell.
13. Our Lord said, "And if thy hand offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter into life maimed, than having two hands to go into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched: Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched" (Mark 9:43, 44).
14. There must be conviction about sin, and the penalty of sin, and there must be conviction that Jesus is the sinner's only hope.
15. Not his good works.
16. Not his baptism.
17. Not his church membership, etc.
18. There must be conviction that Jesus is the sinner's only hope (Acts 2:36).
19. The Philippian jailer asked Paul and Silas, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?" (Acts 16:30).
20. "And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house" (Acts 16:31).
21. This conviction about sin comes from the Holy Spirit.  Our Lord said in John 16:8, "And when he (the Holy Spirit) is come, he will reprove (convict) the world of sin."
22. Conviction does not always lead to conversion (cf. Acts 7:54).
23. However, genuine conversion must begin with conviction of sin.

II. CONVERSION TO CHRIST (2:37, 38)

1. I am speaking of conversion to Christ.
2. Some people join a church but have never been genuinely converted.
3. They say that never in the history of America have more people been switching religious denominations.  May I say that many of these people are changing churches but they have never been genuinely converted to Christ.
4. They have never been born again.
5. Some people get baptized but they have never been genuinely converted to Christ.
6. Some people get "religious" but they have never been genuinely converted to Christ.
7. Genuine conversion begins with conviction of sin and this leads to repentance (2:37, 38).
8. When a person is genuinely converted, they are born again.   Last week I went to a store to buy a Mothers Day present for my wife.  I gave a Gospel tract to one of the employees, but she did not want it.  She said she was "born Catholic."
9. I told her she needed to be born again.
10. Being born Catholic or Baptist or Pentecostal (or any other denomination) will never get a person into heaven.
11. Second Corinthians 5:17 says, "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new."
12. This is genuine conversion.  Many pastors will not preach this because they are scared their attendance and their offerings will go down.
13. Most preachers won't even preach against sin.  I read an article recently that said Andy Stanley, the pastor of a large church in Georgia, and the son of Charles Stanley, has homosexuals serving in leadership positions in his church.
14. The Bible says, "The fear of man bringeth a snare: but whoso putteth his trust in the LORD shall be safe" (Proverbs 29:25).
15. The apostle Paul told Timothy, "Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears" (II Tim. 4:2, 3).
16. Today's preachers are weak and worldly like Andy Stanley and Joel Osteen.  We need bold, old-fashioned preachers like Billy Sunday and Sam Jones.
17. Sam Jones once said, "If God will empty your heads and hearts of all the error you have packed away in them, I will preach enough truth to save you tonight."
18. Genuine conversion means repentance, that is, a change of mind leading to a change of direction (cf. 3:19; 5:31; 11:18; 13:24; 17:30; 20:21; 26:18-20).
19. In his book on expository preaching, Stephen Olford has a good illustration of repentance.   First he correctly defines repentance as a change of mind that leads to a change of life.  He says, "It involves turning from sin, self, and Satan to God, His Son Jesus Christ, and to a life of obedience and holiness."
20. He then tells a story about conducting a Bible story with a group of soldiers.  When the subject came to repentance, Olford asked the soldiers if anyone knew what the word meant.  Instantly a hand was raised, and a young private offered to give his definition.  He came forward and started marching from right to left across the room, shouting in a loud voice, "
21. Genuine conversion means repentance, and then "remission of sins" My back is turned to God; I am on my way to a life of self-seeking and destruction.  Then I hear a voice from heaven saying, 'Halt!  Right about turn. Forward march.'"
22. Pastor Olford said the soldier then stopped, grinned, and said, "That is repentance, sir."
23. This genuine repentance leads to forgiveness of sin.  "Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission (removal) of sins..." (2:38).
24. This remission or forgiveness of sins comes through faith in the shed blood of the Lord Jesus Christ.   Hebrews 9:22 says without the shedding of blood there is no remission.
25. Another great blessing that comes with genuine conversion is receiving the gift of the Holy Spirit (2:38, 39).
26. People say, "I cannot live the Christian life."  This is true if they are attempting to live the Christian life in the energy of the flesh.  But when a person gets saved, he receives the Holy Spirit.
27. The apostles were able to win souls and carry the Gospel all over the world by the power of the Holy Spirit (cf. Acts 1:8).

III. CONFESSION OF FAITH (2:41)

1. These new converts "gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls" (2:41).
2. The fact that they were baptized is evidence that they "gladly received" the Word of God.  They were taking a stand for Christ.
3. They were publicly identifying with the Lord Jesus Christ and His church.
4. For Jewish people back then, this meant persecution, just as it does today.
5. Jesus said, "Whosoever shall confess me before men, him shall the Son of man also confess before the angels of God: But he that denieth me before men shall be denied before the angels of God" (Luke 12:8, 9).
6. Baptism does not save anyone.  We are saved by the grace of God through faith in Lord Jesus Christ.  Baptism is symbolic.
7. In baptism, we identify with our Lord in His death, burial, and resurrection.
8. When a man and woman (not two men or two women!) stand before the preacher, and the preacher says to the woman, "Will you take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband?" and she says I do; and then the man also affirms his desire to marry the woman, the preacher declares them husband and wife.
9. The wedding ring is symbolic.  Anyone can put a ring on his or her finger, but that does not necessarily mean they are married.
10. Oftentimes unsaved people get baptized, but the water cannot save them.
11. "What can wash away my sin?
    Nothing but the blood of Jesus."  -- Robert Lowry
12. In baptism, we declare our obedience to the Lord, and we declare our allegiance to His church.  "Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls" (Acts 2:41, 42).
13. This is genuine New Testament Christianity -- souls saved, baptized, and added to the church.  Christians continuing stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.
14. We need to get back to the basics of New Testament Christianity -- Bible preaching, soulwinning, and prayer.
15. Many churches today are trying to attract people with worldly amusements, worldly music, and worldly gimmicks.
16. These worldly contrivances produce worldly congregations.
17. A pastor (John MacArthur, What's Wrong with "User Friendly"?) looked through some articles and advertisements from worldly churches.  These are some of the things he saw:
18. "There is no fire and brimstone here...Just practical, witty messages."
19. "Our services have an informal feeling. You won't hear people threatened with hell or referred to as sinners. The goal is to make them feel welcome, not drive them away."
20. "As with all clergymen our pastor's answer is God -- but he slips Him in at the end, and even then doesn't get heavy. No ranting, no raving. No fire, no brimstone. He doesn't even use the H-word. Call it Light Gospel. It has the same salvation as the Old Time Religion, but with a third less guilt."
21. "The sermons are relevant, upbeat, and best of all, short. You won't hear a lot of preaching about sin and damnation, and hell fire. Preaching here doesn't sound like preaching. It is sophisticated, urbane, and friendly talk. It breaks all the stereotypes."
22. "The pastor is preaching a very upbeat message...It's a salvationist message, but the idea is not so much being saved from the fires of hell. Rather, it's being saved from meaninglessness and aimlessness in this life. It's more of a soft-sell."
23. In other words, do not preach about sin or repentance or judgment or hell -- just preach little soft sermonettes for weak and worldly "Christianettes."
24. Jeremiah 6:16 says, "Thus saith the LORD, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls."
25. "But they said, We will not walk therein" (Jer. 6:16b).

CONCLUSION:

1. Peter Cartwright was a circuit riding Methodist preacher in the nineteenth century. On one occasion Peter Cartwright was getting ready to preach to a very large congregation. Somebody came to him and said "Preacher, you need to know that President Andrew Jackson is in the audience, so make sure that whatever you say is not offensive to the President."
2. He said "Thank you for telling me that." He got to the pulpit and said "I have been told that Andrew Jackson is in this congregation and I've been asked to carefully guard what I'm going to say. I want to begin by saying that Andrew Jackson will go to hell if he doesn't repent of his sins." They say you could have heard a pin drop.
3. After the service, President Andrew Jackson walked up to Peter Cartwright and said "If I had a regiment of men like you, I could whip this world."
4. May I say that if we had a few hundred preachers like Peter Cartwright around today we could turn America back to God.