A Good Man Who Was Lost

Introduction

I hope you have your Bibles that you’ll be opening to the Book of Acts, chapter 10. Last Lord’s Day morning we studied from Acts the ninth chapter and called it what the blind man saw. Basically, it was a story of the conversion of the Apostle Paul, who was first introduced to us in the Bible as Saul of Tarsus. Landed in the vision on the road to Damascus, he certainly understood some things that we all need to understand. He understood that just being a good moral person alone or being religious, being of clear conscience, was not enough. He needed to believe in Jesus Christ. It’s a great story of conversion. Today I want us to go to Acts the 10th chapter. And if you have your Bibles, you’ll be able to follow along quite easily with us.

Because in our lesson today, I want to talk about a good man who was lost. Now we’ll begin reading by Acts chapter 10, verses 1 through 6. The scripture said that there was a certain man in Caesarea called Cornelius, a centurion of the band called the Italian band, a devout man, one that feared God with all his house, which gave much alms to the people and prayed to God always. He saw in a vision, evidently, about the ninth hour of the day, an angel of God coming into him and saying unto him, Cornelius. And when he looked on him, he was afraid and said, What is it, Lord? And he said unto him, Thy prayers and thine alms are come up for a memorial before God.

1. A Good Man Who Was Lost

And now send to Joffa and call for one Simon, whose surname is Peter. He lodgeth with one Simon, the tanner, whose house is by the seaside. He shall tell thee what thou oughtest to do. You know, the Bible tells us about several good men. But I do not know one better than Cornelius. As the scripture here, in fact, says of him in verse 2, he was a devout man. He was one that feared God with all his house. He was not only that, but gave much alms to the people, those who no doubt were in need. And he prayed to God always. That’s God’s description of him. When you look down at verse 22, man’s description, these men who sent to Peter, and they said of Cornelius, the centurion, he’s a just man, and one that fears God, and is of good report among all the nation of the Jews.

Surely Cornelius is an outstanding character. And there’s several reasons that make this lesson important. He was a he was a soldier. He was a Gentile, a Roman soldier. And in this story, we’re going to read about how that there are really three supernatural events that occur in his conversion. It is significant, though, that even though he’s first presented to us as a good man who was devout, feared God, who gave much alms to the people and prayed to God always, he was lost in that condition. In chapter 11 and verse 14, as Peter, in fact, reviewed this story to the brethren back in Jerusalem, he said of him how that even Cornelius was told by the angel to send to Joppa to fetch Simon, Peter, who shall tell thee words whereby thou and all thy house shall be saved.

He was lost, even though he was a good man. And I tell you, there are some preachers today who would make people think that they’re saved if they’re good. Certainly they do even more than just being good neighbors if they are as good as Cornelius was, who would pray to God, who would fear God, who was religious-minded, devout. I well remember several years ago when I was living in Alabama, the brother of one of our faithful Christians was killed in an accident at work. And I attended the funeral out of honor, really. I didn’t know the man, but I knew, of course, his brother who was a Christian. And the preacher really preached him right into heaven. And what astounded me so was that his own brother had told me, well, he nearly never went to church.

But the preacher preached him into heaven because they had the young people over one Sunday evening, and he welcomed them as he went out on his way to work and said, Y’all come back at any time. He’s a good man. And because he was a good man and we welcome people into his home like that, he’s surely going to be saved. You know, a lot of people have been deceived by some preachers who think that, well, because we live in this good old United States of America, and we’re pretty good people ourselves, surely somehow, somehow, we’re all going to go to heaven. But Cornelius is the illustration that that’s just not true. In fact, more than the fact that he was a good man, his prayers went up as memorial before God.

2. The Part of Prayer in His Conversion

When the scripture says in verse 4 that even as the Lord appeared to him, or the angel appeared to him in the vision, he said, What is it, Lord? He said, Thy prayers and thine alms are come up for a memorial before God. I want you to look first of all at the part of prayer in his conversion. You’d hear some today who would think, well, just say the sinner’s prayer and you’ll be saved. Surely here was a man who was praying. He knew, no doubt, that he was not a perfect man, but he was not saved. He had to hear words whereby he shall be saved. On the other hand, we sometimes hear people say, Well, you know, don’t ever tell a sinner to pray, because you know the passage in John 9, verse 31 says, God does not hear sinners.

I hear two extremes about prayer. Well, on the one hand, there are some preachers who say, Oh, just pray the sinner’s prayer and you’ll be saved. There are those on the other hand who say, Oh, don’t pray at all. No point in praying if you’ve never been baptized, become a Christian. Well, I think both points are wrong. When you look at John chapter 9 and verse 31, you know the context there. It’s a time where Jesus had healed the blind man. And the rulers of the Jews were questioning this blind man. Who healed you? And when he declared it was Jesus. And then they retorted it, well, Jesus, you know, he uh he’s a sinner. We’re followers of Moses. And the blind man responded, even as the scriptures would declare in the Old Testament, we know that God hears not sinners.

One who is rebellious against God. Well, the point is, how could Jesus have been heard by the Father if he’s a sinner? And he really made a point to these religious leaders that they could not answer. What the scripture does say about that is in passages like Proverbs 28 and verse 9, God does not hear one. In fact, his prayer is an abomination if he turns away his ear from God. A man who goes his own way and says, I don’t care what God says. Indeed, it is of no value for him to pray. Or, like the psalmist in Psalm 66 and verse 18 would say, He that he will not hear those who really love sin. If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me.

But on the other hand, in 1 Peter 3 and in verse 12, while it reiterates this, it says, The eyes of the Lord are over the righteous. His ears are open to their prayers, but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil. Indeed, one who does not care what God’s word says, I would say to him, no point in praying. It’s of no value. But a man like Cornelius or others who say, Lord, if you just show me. In fact, as the prayer that we were led in this morning, if the Lord indeed a promise, our attitude ought to be, show me, teach me, lead me in your way, and I’ll keep it to the end. When you find people who are saying, Lord, help me to understand.

3. An Angel Appeared in a Vision to Cornelius

To that end, I would encourage even a sinner to pray if that’s his attitude. That upon hearing it, upon learning it, I’ll do something about it. Indeed, I believe that’s the kind of prayer that was heard of Cornelius. Or that went up as a memorial unto God from Cornelius. You see, his prayers, if they went as memorial before God, we need to look and say, Well, how did God answer? Did God answer his prayer? And really, as the word suggested, we find in this story at least three supernatural events. First of all, an angel appeared in a vision to Cornelius. And what he told him to do is to send to Joffa. That’s where Simon Peter, the apostle was. In fact, he said in verses 7:8, when the angel which spake unto Cornelius was departed, he called two of his household servants and a devout soldier of them that waited on him continually.

And when he declared all these things unto them, he sent them to Joppa. Cornelius responded immediately. What was the purpose for the angel appearing to Cornelius? Well, it wasn’t to save him. You never read in the Bible of an angel ever appearing to anyone and saving him in a vision. You don’t see that Cornelius was saved in a vision. We learned last week that Saul wasn’t saved by the vision itself. Each of them was to go and hear words whereby they would be saved. For as Romans 1017 says, faith comes by hearing. And hearing by the word of God.

4. Peter’s Vision: Call Not Any Man Common

When the scripture says, on the morrow, as they went on their journey and drew nigh unto the city, Peter went up upon the house, stopped to pray about the sixth hour. And he became very hungry and would have eaten. But while they made ready, he fell into a trance and saw heaven opened, and a certain vessel descending unto him, as it had been a great sheet knit at the four corners and let down to the earth. Wherein were all manner of four footed beasts of the earth and wild beasts and creeping things and fowls of the air? And there came a voice to him, Rise, Peter, kill and eat. But Peter said, Not so, Lord, for I have never eaten anything that is common or unclean.

The voice spake unto him again the second time, but God had cleansed. That call not thou common. This was done thrice. And the vessel was received up again into heaven. Peter, as a faithful Jew, had been taught at least the law according to the law of Moses, certainly for unclean. And so still, with conscience about that matter, what he is replying about this is, I’ll not eat that which is unclean. But God said, and three times this was done. What God is called clean, don’t you call unclean or common. Did Peter understand immediately? In fact, he did not, as the next few verses show.

In the next few verses, 17 through 20, it says, While Peter doubted in himself, what this vision which he had seen should mean. Behold, the men which were sent from Cornelius had made inquiry for Simon’s house and stood before the gate and called and asked whether Simon, which was surnamed Peter, were lodged there. While Peter thought on the vision. The Spirit said unto him, Behold, three men seek thee. Arise and go with them, doubting nothing. For I have sent them. Well, that changes the picture, doesn’t it? He wouldn’t have gone otherwise, but if God sent them, then go, doubting nothing. The fact is, he went. But he still did not understand why. The Lord was sending him there. In verse 21, the scripture says, Then Peter went down to the men which were sent unto him from Cornelius and said, Behold, I am he whom you seek.

What is the cause? Wherefore you are come. And they said, Cornelius, the centurion, a just man, and one that feareth God, and of good report among all the nation of the Jews, was warned from God by and holy angel to send for thee into his house and to hear words of thee. Then called he them in and lodged them. And on the morrow, Peter went away with them. And certain brethren from Joppa accompanied him. And the morrow after they entered into Caesarea. And Cornelius waited for them and had called together his kinsmen and their friends. And as Peter was coming in, Cornelius met him and fell down at his feet and worshiped him. But Peter took him up, saying, Stand up, I myself also am a man.

And as he talked with him, he went in and found many that were come together. And he said unto them, You know how that it is an unlawful thing for a man that’s a Jew to keep company or come unto one of another nation. But God assured me that I should not call any man common or unclean. Therefore came I unto you without gainsaying, as soon as I was sent for, I asked therefore for what intent he have sent for me. And you stop and think about it. Peter says, Now I’ve come because the Lord told me to. Why am I here? You know it’s not right for a Jew, it’s not lawful for a Jew to go into the house or company of a Gentile, again, according to the law of Moses tradition.

He was not to keep company with the Gentile. So when you understand that this is the first Gentile convert. Some seven to nine years have happened or passed since the day of Pentecost. And when you read from Acts chapter 2 all the way to Acts chapter 10, not a single Gentile has obeyed the gospel, at least not one who was not a proselyte to the Jewish faith. And so it’s a rather difficult decision. Peter, will you go? Well, not of just some men called me, not of just Cornelius that sent for me by himself, but now the Lord has appeared to me. I go, but Cornelius, why am I here? Tell me what intent have you sent for me. He questioned why. Then Cornelius explains about his own vision.

In verses 30 through 33, Cornelius said, Four days ago I was fasting until this hour, and at the ninth hour I prayed in my house, and behold, a man stood before me in bright clothing and said, Cornelius, thy prayers heard. Thine alms are had in remembrance in the sight of God. Send therefore to Joffa and call hither Simon, whose surname is Peter. He’s lodged in the house of one Simon Tanner by the seaside, who when he cometh shall speak unto thee. Immediately, therefore, I sent to thee. And thou hast well done that thou come. Now therefore are we all here present before God to hear all things that are commanded thee of God. What an attitude. He’s gathered his friends and near kinsmen. He sent immediately for Peter and gathered his friends and their kinsmen to do what?

Hear all things commanded of God. I tell you, this is the kind of attitude that God saw in Cornelius and why his prayer is heard or went up as a memorial. But it’s at that point, and only then, that Peter understand and began to preach about faith in Christ. In verses 34 through 43, Peter says, Peter, the scripture says that Peter opened his mouth and said, Of a truth, I perceive that God is no respecter of persons. But in every nation, he that feareth him and worketh righteousness is accepted with him. The word which God sent unto the children of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ, he is Lord of all. That word, I say, you know, which was published throughout all Judea and began from Galilee after the baptism, which John preached.

How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power, who went about doing good and healing all that were oppressed to the devil, for God was with him. We are witnesses of all things which he did, both in the land of the Jews and in Jerusalem, whom they slew and hanged on a tree. Him God raised up the third day and showed him openly. Not to all the people, but unto witnesses chosen before of God, even to us who did eat and drink with him after he rose from the dead. And he commanded us to preach unto the people, and to testify that it is he which was ordained of God to be the judge of quick and dead. To him give all the prophets witness that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins.

5. Holy Spirit Baptism on the First Gentile Convert

Now, in some reform, that’s basically the message that was preached on the day of Pentecost in Acts 2. That Jesus Christ approved of God by the miracles, the wonders and signs which God did by him. But he was crucified. But even his death was according to God’s plan. For God also raised him up. He is Lord of all. And all who believe in him, only those who believe in him shall be saved. It was at that point in time. The scripture says the Holy Spirit fell on Cornelius in his house. Here is Holy Spirit baptism occurring. In Acts 10, verse 44, while Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word, and they of the circumcision, that’s the Jews who’ve come with Peter.

They of the circumcision which believed were astonished. As many as came with Peter. Because that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost. For they heard them speak with tongues and magnify God. To the Gentile, the Holy Spirit has fallen on them. I tell you how unusual this really is. When you look at the fact that in this case there were three supernatural revelations. Cornelius had a vision, Peter had a vision. And now the Holy Spirit baptism on Cornelius and his household. It is set apart as one of the most unusual examples of conversion that we read about in the New Testament. But we need to ask, why was it done this way? The answer is because he was the first Gentile convert.

Now, what does that mean? You see, for 1,500 years from the time really of Moses, and you might even date back earlier, 2,000 years to Abraham, God had set apart this special family. And with Moses, the law of Moses was given, and it was kept, they were kept as a distinct family. God was preparing a family out of which Christ should be born. But in the process of giving them law and keeping them as a family and having a genealogy that you trace and say, this is the right one. It’s not an imposter. He’s of the lineage of David. He’s of the lineage of Abraham. And pursuing and protecting and providing for that family, he also kept them separated from Gentiles. And so now, here is a Jew, though he’s a Christian, he has not before this understood that the gospel was for all.

Jesus had given the Great Commission, going to all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. But they didn’t understand really the fullness of that statement as yet. I want to say something to everybody in this audience. That the baptism of the Holy Spirit on Cornelius did as much for him as it did for you and me, who are Gentiles. It did as much for him. It didn’t save him, but it sent a message that Gentiles could be saved by faith, just like Jews. It did as much for you and me in matter of salvation as it did for Cornelius. You see, when you read in Acts 11, you go into the next chapter, and Peter goes back to Jerusalem. And now his Jewish Christians back in Jerusalem said, Peter, what have you done?

We’ve heard you’ve gone over there to the house of a Gentile. You’ve baptized these Gentiles. Why? Look at chapter 11. We begin to get some understanding of why. The apostles and brethren that were in Judea heard that the Gentiles had also received the word of God. And when Peter was come up to Jerusalem, they that were of the circumcision contended with him, saying, Thou wenteth into men uncircumcised, and did eat with them. But Peter rehearsed the matter from the beginning. Expounded it by order unto them, saying, I was in the city of Joppa praying, and in a trance I saw a vision. A certain vessel descended, as it had been a great sheep, that down from heaven by four corners, and it came even to me.

Upon the which, when I had fastened mine eyes, I considered and saw four footed beasts of the earth and wild beasts and creeping things and fowls of the air. And I heard a voice saying unto me, Arise, Peter, slay and eat. I said, Not so, Lord, for nothing common or unclean hath at any time entered into my mouth. But the voice answered me again from heaven, What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common. And this was done three times. And all were drawn up again into heaven. And behold, immediately there were three men already come unto the house where I was, sent from Caesarea unto me. And the Spirit bade me go with them. Nothing doubted. Moreover, these six brethren accompanied me, and we entered into the man’s house.

And he showed us how he had seen an angel in his house, which stood and said unto him, Send men to Joppa and call for Simon, whose surname is Peter, who shall tell thee words whereby thou and thy house shall be saved. And as I began to speak, the Holy Ghost spell on them, as on us at the beginning. Then remembered I the word of the Lord, how that he said, John indeed baptized with water, but you should be baptized with the Holy Ghost. For as much then as God gave them the like gift as he did unto us who believed on the Lord Jesus Christ, what was I that I could withstand God? When they heard these things, they held their peace and glorified God, saying, Then have God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life.

You see, what he’s saying is, look, here’s what we read in chapter 10. Here’s the story, here’s why. But I want you to notice something about this baptism. In verse 15, he said it was it fell on them as on us at the beginning. You know, today it’s quite common to hear some preachers in Pentecostal type churches talking about Holy Ghost baptism. Have you been baptized the Holy Spirit? And some would even say it’s essential if you’re going to be saved, you need to have Holy Spirit baptism. There are those who tried to pray through, they call it, for Holy Spirit baptism, and they think that if they get it, they’ll be able to speak with tongues, and which today is just gibberish, but in the New Testament, it was speaking another language they had never before learned.

But nevertheless, if it were a common experience, if every believer or Christian had received Holy Spirit baptism, I ask you, why would Peter think back nine years earlier? It happened to them like on us at the beginning. Why didn’t he say it with like every believer has had it? I say to you that Holy Spirit baptism was an uncommon experience. The only two occasions we read about it is in Acts 2, when the Holy Spirit fell on the apostles at Jerusalem that set them apart as the ambassadors of Christ, and as they began to preach the gospel for the first time this side of the cross. And now, Cornes is the second time you read about it. Oh, there are other occasions where you have the apostles laying hands on believers and on those believers imparting spiritual gifts that they went about working signs in order to confirm that the word they spoke was really from God, but that’s never called Holy Spirit baptism.

That came through the laying on of the apostles’ hands. Holy Spirit baptism came from heaven. It was never administered by man. It is something that was an overwhelming from God. In fact, I believe it is Holy Spirit baptism, for in verse 18 he says it was the like gift as on us. He recalled the statement of Jesus that described how John baptized the water, but how they would be baptized with the Holy Spirit, and he said, the like gift as on us. Why? Well, look at one more place in Acts 15. And we read why and the purpose for Holy Spirit baptism on this Gentile. Acts 15 is at the time at the close of Paul’s first preaching journey. At a time when they had gone among Gentiles and baptized many, and there were some Jewish Christians who were saying, Oh, wait a minute.

In Acts 15 and verse 1, they were saying, Some, you could not be saved unless you’ve been circumcised. Unless they had kept the law of Moses, they could not be saved, was what was being said. So there grew a contention in the early church. And they came down to Jerusalem to discuss this matter. What is God’s will? Must a Gentile keep the law of Moses in order to be saved? Of course, you and I know now the answer to that question. But at that point in the history of the early church, it had not yet been resolved, and they had to say, What is the Lord’s will about it? And so Peter’s the first one who stood up at that meeting and began to explain. And you know what he did?

He rehearsed this same story that we’ve been reading. In Acts 15, beginning in verse 7, when there had been much disputing, Peter rose up and said unto them, Men and brethren, you know how that a good while ago God made choice among us that the Gentiles by my mouth should hear the word of the gospel and believe. And God, which knoweth the hearts, bear them witness, giving them the Holy Ghost even as he did unto us. What’s the point? Verse 9, and put no difference between us and them purifying their hearts by faith. What the baptism of the Holy Spirit did was as God’s witness that Jew and Gentile are saved alike by faith. He put no difference between us. We don’t have to keep the law of Moses.

6. Commanded to Be Baptized

We simply come to Jesus Christ by faith. Now remember, as we look at this story, what was Cornelius commanded to do in order to be saved? He was a good man. He was a good man who prayed. He was a good man who had a vision. Some would surely think, oh, he must be saved at that point. Especially after every Holy Spirit baptism. The fact is he was still a lost man. Peter came to teach him words whereby he could be saved. Peter preached to him about the Christ. But Peter and the other Jews with him probably would have never agreed to baptism had the Lord not borne witness to him. Look at verses 47 and 48, the last two verses of chapter 10. We go back to the story after the Holy Ghost fell on them.

Peter asked the question, can any man forbid water that these should not be baptized which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we. Why would you raise that question? Somebody comes forward this morning. I’m not going to say, does anybody here forbid water that they shouldn’t be? We don’t ask that question, do we? But in the case of the first Gentile convert, after so many years of not having any Gentiles, Peter says, Can anybody forbid water? Would anybody forbid these Gentiles being baptized? Now that you’ve seen what God has born witness to.

Verse 48, he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord. Then prayed they him to tarry certain days. Commanded to be baptized. Now you hear some today say, Well, you know, baptism is a good thing, but you don’t have to be baptized to be saved. It’s important to say there’s the word there. They were commanded. If you want to do God’s will, you understand it’s a command of the Lord. It’s shown in many cases of the New Testament where there was people, where there were people who wanted to obey the Lord. I well remember some years ago when I lived in East Texas at a university town. There was a student who graduated before he left town. He told me that his younger sister was coming to school and wanted me to look her up.

So came September 1st of the semester. I went and looked them up. She’d just been married just prior to that, or that summer prior to coming to school. Invited to services, but she never came. Really, several weeks, months passed. And one Sunday morning at the invitation, she came forward. And she expressed to me how that, well, she’d been going to worship with her husband, who demanded her going with him. And she said, I’ve been trying to pray through to get the Holy Ghost baptism. I’ve been trying to pray through to get tongue speaking. She said, the more I’ve done that, the more I realize that’s not what the Bible teaches me to do. And she said, I want to come back to the Lord. Well, we had prayer with her.

She was back that night. But about midnight that night, Arlene and I got this telephone call. Would you please come to our house? I’ll tell you, when I got there, you could cut the air with a knife. It was that brutal. I sat down and this young man said, Now, preacher, I want you to tell my wife, number one, that she is to submit to her husband. And number two, that it’s good for a family to be united in Christ. I’m the head, and I want to go to church with me. How would you have answered that? He had two pretty good arguments. Though the head doesn’t mean he’s the ruler and Lord, still, there ought to be unity, shouldn’t it? Well, I responded, I said, Well, first of all, I would simply say to you, let’s turn this thing around.

What if you were the wife and your husband wanted you to go and worship Mary and burn incense and count beats? And he knew where I was headed then. He said, No, he didn’t want that. So he stopped me. He said, Well, I’ll tell you what. He said, Just show me where water, baptism, was essential to salvation. Well, I said, first of all, then let’s open your Bible. Look at Acts chapter 8. And we turned to Acts chapter 8, and there we read in verses 35 through 38, where Philip got up from the chariot with the Ethiopian and began the same scripture preached to him Jesus, verse 36, as they went on their way, they came into certain water. The eunuch said, See, here’s water, what does hinder me to be baptized?

And he said, If thou believeest, thou mayest. The answer and said, I believe Jesus Christ is the Son of God. He commanded the chariot to stand still. They went down both into the water. Both Philip and the eunuch and he baptized. The man said, Well, I’ll have to think about that. I said, Well, let’s look at Acts chapter 10. And here you have a case of a man receiving Holy Spirit baptism. But did you notice? Verse 47, can any man forbid water? He commanded him to be baptized in the name of the Lord. Water is obviously being commanded. I’ll have to think about that in a second. Well, I said, Turn to 1 Peter chapter 3. And 1 Peter chapter 3, verses 20 and 21, where the apostle Peter wrote how that sometime there were some disobedient when once the long-suffering of God waited in the days of Noah, where while the ark was prepared, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water.

The like figure where unto even baptism does also now save us. Not the putting away the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God by the resurrection of Jesus Christ. He read that, you know what he did? He moved his Bible and slammed it to the floor and probably made a louder noise than that. And within a few minutes, he went and opened the door and literally made me leave. I’ve never had before nor since someone forced me out of their house. And the saddest part of that story is he later divorced his wife. And then also it was also found out that he had another woman involved. But that’s another part of the sad story. The attitude that he had toward the word of God was surely unlike that of Cornelius.

Conclusion

Or surely unlike that of Saul of Parsus. Indeed, here was a man who obeyed the Lord. His prayer was heard because that was his attitude. Have you done what Cornelius did? You see, the attitude of Cornelius, he heard the word of God. He was wanting to hear it. He believed when Peter preached to him about Christ. He repented, as Acts 11, 18 speaks about the Gentiles who came to repentance, and he was baptized. I ask you, have you obeyed the gospel? You know, when you read the scriptures, it’s not that hard to understand. It simply takes an open mind and an open heart. An attitude that wants to obey the Lord. Turn in your hymn books to number 347, our invitation song for this morning. With the invitation that if there be one in this audience who has yet to obey the gospel of Christ, your heart is right with God.

Why not turn to him in obedience? Who will follow Jesus? Question of our song. There may be one here who needs the prayers of brethren, who may have been baptized, but you’ve not been walking as you should. If there’s any way in which we could help you make your soul right with the Lord even before you leave this building. We bid you to come even this morning and now, while together we stand while we see.