Pastor Albert N. Martin expounds Acts 20:17-26, particularly verses 20-21, to present repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ as the two inseparable, universal, and crucial signposts to the Celestial City (heaven). He uses the metaphor of a two-lined signpost to illustrate these essential components of salvation, emphasizing their aggressive declaration by Paul, their suitability for all people, and their inseparable nature. Martin vividly describes repentance as the 'vomit of the soul' and faith as 'eating the pure bread of life,' urging listeners to continually repent and believe.
Primary Texts
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Acts 20:17-26This passage is the primary text, providing the context of Paul's farewell and his summary of his ministry, which includes testifying repentance and faith.
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Acts 20:20-21These specific verses are the focal point, explicitly stating the two 'signposts' of repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.
Introduction: The Tenth Signpost to the Celestial City0:00
The Signpost's Imagery: Repentance and Faith2:30
The Crucial Importance of This Signpost6:21
The Universal Suitability of the Signpost17:19
Basic Directions: Repentance Toward God29:08
Basic Directions: Faith Toward the Lord Jesus Christ42:14
The Inseparable Nature of Repentance and Faith49:52
Repentance as the Vomit of the Soul52:09
Faith as Eating and Drinking the Bread and Water of Life54:19
The Mark of True Repentance54:33
Repentance and Faith Defined in Relation to God and Christ55:45
A Call to Embrace the Signpost's Message56:06
The Continuous Nature of Repentance and Faith56:54
Key Quotes
“Repentance with an arrow that points to God, and faith with an arrow that points to our Lord Jesus Christ. And surely, this captures the very heart of the Apostle's words in verses twenty and twenty-one.”
“There isn't a half inch bump for a Gentile, for anyone of any background, of any ethnic, religious identity know this signpost has upon it that it is applicable to all, repentance to I put it in a way that I hope will shock you”
“When he came to himself, you see, to be sinning and choosing anything but God as your master is to be a form of moral insanity.”
“You know what repentance is? It's a change of mind about God.”
“Those two lines are inseparable. They are inseparable. They are inseparable. They are inseparable. They are inseparable.”
“Repentance is the vomit of the soul. The things you took down with delight have now turned to sin. And now you are turned to sourness and bitter.”
“If now you're not ashamed of what you were before you repented, you've never repented.”
“Is that you continually repenting, continually believing. Is in faith. In faith. Is not the you.”
Applications
Parents & families
Get right with God, recognizing that a wrong relationship with God leads to sinful behavior.
Recognize that repentance is a change of mind about God, no longer viewing Him as a harsh master but with love and obedience.
All listeners
Contemplate this signpost with piety, tenderness, and aggressiveness, guarding its message.
Love God enough to stop mocking others and stop engaging in foolish talk that leads people to hell.
If you claim to be converted but don't know grief and shame for your sin, you deceive yourself.
Understand that without repentance toward God, you will never enter the Celestial City, as heaven would be hell to those who don't love God and His ways.
Stop bragging about sins like putting one over on parents, breaking house rules, or sneaking around standards, as this is like bragging about vomit.
Go home tonight and reflect on whether you are bragging about things that ought to shame you and make you sick.
A truly repentant sinner never brags about the sins of which he has repented; he is ashamed.
If you are not ashamed of what you were before you repented, you have never truly repented.
Hear the words of repentance toward God and faith toward the Lord Jesus Christ, and pray that the Holy Spirit works these dispositions in your heart.
Live as a Christian by continually repenting and continually believing, as long as sin exists and until faith turns to sight.
A full transcript is available on the
tab. 152 paragraphs, roughly 59 minutes.
Machine transcription
Introduction: The Tenth Signpost to the Celestial City
Now then, turn with me, please, in the Word of God to the 20th chapter of the Book of the Acts of the Apostles, Acts chapter 20, and follow, please, as I read from verses 17 through verse 26.
Speaking of the activity of the Apostle Paul and one of his missionary journeys, Luke, by the guidance of the Holy Spirit, writes, And from Miletus he sent to Ephesus, and called to him the elders of the church. And when they were come to him, he said unto them, You yourselves know that from the first day that I set foot in Asia, after what manner I was with you all the time, serving the Lord with all loneliness of mind, and with tears, and with trials which you have done.
Which befell me by the plots of the Jews, how I shrank not from declaring unto you anything that was profitable, and teaching you publicly, and from house to house, testifying both to Jews and to Greeks, repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ. And now, behold, I go bound in the Spirit unto Jerusalem. Not now. knowing the things that shall befall me there, save that the Holy Spirit testifies unto me
in every city, saying that bonds and afflictions abide me. But I hold not my life of any account as dear unto myself, so that I may accomplish my course and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God. And now, behold, I know that you all among whom I went about preaching the kingdom shall see my face no more. Wherefore, I testify
unto you this day that I am pure from the blood of all men.
The Signpost's Imagery: Repentance and Faith
We come tonight to the tenth message in this relatively brief series of sermons which I have entitled, Simple Signposts to the Celestial City. Using the term celestial city as it is found in John Bunyan's immortal Pilgrim's Progress as a synonym for heaven, I would like to invite you to examine some of those texts in the Bible in which the central issues of the way of life and
salvation are both clearly and simply declared. Tonight, our signpost is found in the midst of Paul's farewell address to the Ephesian elders. As Paul is reviewing his three-plus years of ministry at Ephesus, he constructs one of the most clear and one of the most helpful of these simple signposts to the celestial city to be found anywhere in the Word of God. I want you to imagine
with me that we are approaching the place where Paul, having constructed this signpost by the guidance of the Holy Spirit, has driven us to the place of the Lord Jesus Christ. And I want you to its support into the ground, and there the signpost stands, pointing all who will consider what it says to the way of life and salvation, even to the celestial city. As we gaze upon this signpost from afar, it seems to have written upon it, and as we make our way closer
to it, we do indeed discern that it has two lines upon it, but rather than the lines being filled with words, each line, one over the other, has both words and a symbol. Fascinated by this unusual signpost that is not all words, but words plus symbols, we draw closer until standing before it, we see that there is very clearly stamped upon this signpost of the celestial city these two lines
with words and with symbols. On the top is the word repentance, the symbol of an arrow, and it points to the word God. Repentance, and an arrow pointing to God. Just beneath it is the word faith.
And an arrow that points to the words, the Lord Jesus. And, and gaze at this simple signpost to the celestial city, we behold a signpost, stamped upon it, repentance with an arrow that points to God, and faith with an arrow that points to our Lord Jesus Christ. And surely, this captures the very heart of the Apostle's words in verses twenty and twenty-one, where he says,
The Crucial Importance of This Signpost
I did not shrink from declaring unto you anything that was profitable, but I taught you publicly and from house to house, testifying both to Jews and to Greeks. Repentance, to notice with me first of all from this portion of the Word of God, under the imagery of the signpost, the crucial importance of this signpost.
How important was it in the mind of the Apostle Paul? Well, first of all, we see its crucial importance because it was essential to the profit of men's sins. Notice he says in verse 20, I did not shrink, I did not draw back from declaring unto you anything that was profitable, but I taught you both publicly and from house to house testifying repentance.
As we found in verse 20, for I did not shrink from declaring unto you, it was conveyed with aggressiveness.
Notice what he says in verse 20. I did not shrink from declaring unto you anything that was profitable. What did I do? Wait for men to come to me? No.
But he says, I taught you. It was a message. He conveyed it.
Notice the importance of mind and the professional actor that he becomes when in his mind and psyche he is of the impress of the weighty issues in which he trafficked.
Notice the importance of the words that are inscribed upon the signpost. That says repentence and an arrow points to God.
And an arrow from house to brokenness just stated incarnate God upon a Roman gibbett trying to create a happy club
seeking under God through the message inscribed on that signpost. I see men broken over their sins. For the son of God who was broken, consider this signpost first of all underscoring the crucial importance of it. Now a lesson you mustut employ.
I plead that you with me will come Lord. For I am living and I know you are living are alive. will contemplate this signpost piety tenderness aggressiveness with which the apostle guarded it
The Universal Suitability of the Signpost
oh in my own spirit has been my prayer that tenderness of sickness to be charged with now having noticed this secondly what is very vital about this signpost is the universal suitability
signpost i'd ask signpost of the sudden life and size in this passage universal signpost
defying for greeks god willing next week is level ground created in the image of level ground when
we stand in the presence of a holy god in the burning light of his holy law and that law desire attitude and disposition is not in and on level ground there at golgotha incarnate god he who knew knows
sophisticated to to know man can number out of every kindred tribe and dog in nation and while being charged with all kids and legally liable in the Court of Heaven for the punishment due to those sea since then did a bond given standing in the presence of the bleeding groaning ab19 MW on inti but should you can stand and say well
I'm a little bit closer and I'm a little more deserving of what Christ did because I'm a Jew there isn't a half inch bump for a Gentile, for anyone of any background, of any ethnic, religious identity know this signpost has upon it that it is applicable to all, repentance to I put it in a way that I hope will shock
you, if that on this side of the auditorium in this pew that's empty, someone who acknowledged I've just come from the bed of fornication another who said I've just come from the wretched climate of a topless bar and another who said I've just come from a house full of cursing and brutality and abuse and over here there was an arrogant atheist who laughed and sneered when Pastor Smith read about the literal account of creation in Genesis 1 next to him an upright, moral
philanthropic tens of thousands of his hard earned money to worthy causes in the community but who was a stranger to grace, the kind of people we could gather, what I'm saying looked at the crucial importance of this
Basic Directions: Repentance Toward God
signpost, secondly the universal suitability of the signpost now thirdly the basic directions upon this signpost the basic directions upon this signpost and obviously we've got two sub points the first one repentance
and this mother's heart
can do that your relationship to God you wouldn't poke fun at the person who runs ding toad you can be mean out in the playground because your relationship to God is all wrong kids it's all wrong
so you can't hear it's because even after these sermons I've poured out my heart from this pulpit with you to get right with God can go down in that fire and laugh
and treat him like an old bum
unworthy to be loved and honored and served would that others should treat me I should treat them therefore I love that God enough I'm no longer going to poke fun at the person who runs funny out in the gym I'm no longer going to stand down in the fire and help people go to hell talking foolishness foolishness
this let's live in the預備 in the biblical in aßen gleichen life in theней onto pumppul When he came to himself, you see, to be sinning and choosing anything but God as your master is to be a form of moral insanity. The Bible says he came to himself and he said, hey, wait a minute, you stupid dummy. Wait a minute.
The thoughts you had about your father, that he was harsh and he was narrow spirited and he was trying to cramp your style. I sinned against heaven.
I'm no longer worthy to be called your son. You make me as one of your hired servants. You talk about a change of mind about his old man.
The one he thought was so narrow spirited, so narrow minded, so stuck in the mud, antiquated. He now sees him as so gracious that it'd be lovely to be one of the slaves in the household.
He had a change of mind about his daddy. You kids listen, you adults. You know what repentance is? It's a change of mind about God.
You no longer look upon him. He's a harsh master. You no longer have enmity to him as one whose laws and rules are constricting and binding. You have a change with sorrow and with grief.
The prodigal didn't come tripping home, singing a dance. La, la, la, la, la, pappy, here I come. It says while he was a great way off, his father saw him and ran to him, threw his arms around him. His attitude was, I'm no worthy.
I'm no longer worthy to be called. The son that was grief and there was shame. And any of you who claim to be converted and don't know what it is to be grieved and shamed for your sin yourself to see. But Paul said to the Corinthians, you sorrowed with a godly sorrow unto not to be repented of.
And there is no repentance to God without godly sorrow going before it and flowing with it. That's the directive. You see it described. Described to the Thessalonians in 1 Thessalonians 1, Paul says, You turned unto God from your idols to serve the living and the true God.
You saw the true God is worthy to be loved and honored and served and obeyed. You had a change of mind above God. Now as we stand by this signpost to the celestial city, kids, men and women, everything in between. Listen, listen.
Listen. That signpost says repentance. And it has an arrow that terminates upon God. And without this repentance to God, you will never, never.
The celestial city. God will not take into heaven people who do not see him as worthy of the whole soul of love of their heart. Heaven would be hell to anyone who doesn't want to love God with all the heart, mind, soul.
Heaven would be hell to anyone that doesn't love. The laws of God and the ways of God and the present.
Basic Directions: Faith Toward the Lord Jesus Christ
That's why Jesus said, except you repent, you shall all likewise perish. But now very quickly, we drop down to the second line on the signpost. And on it are written the words, faith. And an arrow that terminates upon the Lord Jesus.
There's a textual question. Should the word Christ be added? Since we know that his full title is. The Lord Jesus Christ.
Without going into those technicalities. I shall take that textual variant. And say that it is. Believe or faith.
With an arrow that terminates. On the Lord Jesus Christ. What's that mean? When Paul said, I solemnly testified.
Faith toward the Lord Jesus Christ. Well again. There is an assumption. And a directive.
The assumption is. That a real. Person called Jesus of Nazareth. Actually existed.
In space-time history. Paul wasn't calling people to have faith in a phantom. Faith in a notion. In an idea.
Name given to him. At his incarnation. Thou shalt call his name Jesus. For he shall save his people from.
The assumption is that that person is none other than the Lord. The exalted Son. The Sovereign. Jehovah incarnate.
He is the Lord. Jesus.
God's anointed prophet.
In power.
And in glory.
That to the account of every believing sinner. To take an exaltation to the right hand of the Father. To welcome with a holy welcome.
In religion. And superstition and iniquity. With its smattering of Jewish righteousness and works. Righteousness and externalism.
And there I preached. Fully declared. With tears. And with earnestness.
It's upon. That there is a person.
Jesus Christ. In Jesus. For he shall save his people. Not in their sins.
But from them. From the guilt of their sins. From the love of. Drinking of him.
Fourteen. A looking to him. And by this signpost.
The Inseparable Nature of Repentance and Faith
And take our last.
Lingering looks at it. This evening. We must understand. Those two lines are inseparable.
They are inseparable. They are inseparable. They are inseparable. They are inseparable.
They are inseparable. Repentance. With the arrow that points to God. Faith.
With the arrow that points to the Lord Jesus Christ. They are inseparable. No one makes it to the celestial. Does not repent.
To which it is a distinct. They are inseparable. Breathing has two. In one or the other.
And you've had it. You aren't breathing anymore. You're gone. A breathing man.
A breathing woman. Boy or girl. Similarly. Anyone.
Who will be found. In the celestial. City. Will be found.
As one. Who has known.
Repentance as the Vomit of the Soul
Repentance.
Towards God. When you vomit. Kids. You get so sick.
To your stomach. That what's in there. Has got to come out. And though it's a horrible experience.
Once it's all out. You feel so good. After you rinse your mouth out. And get that horrible taste out.
Whatever was causing the grippers down there. Though you hate the act of vomiting. You love the aftermath. Repentance.
Is the vomit of the soul. The things you took down. With delight. Have now.
Turned. To sin. And now. You are.
Turned. To sourness. And bitter. You ever find a kid.
Catches vomit. At a pan. And go around. And brag about it.
To his friends. You say. Pastor Martin. That's gross.
Yet that's exactly. What some of you do. You brag. To your friends.
On how you put it over. On your mom and dad. You brag. To your peers.
About what you did. To break the house rules. In your boy girl relationships. You brag.
About how you. Sneaked around. The standards. And you managed.
To get in a time. Of smooching. The standards. Your parents have said.
Know what you're doing. You're looking. At your. Slot bucket.
And bragging. About what's in there. You've never repented. You repent.
And decided. It'll make you sick. It's the vomit. Of the soul.
Faith as Eating and Drinking the Bread and Water of Life
Faith. Is the eating. Of the pure. Bread of life.
And drinking. Of the pure. Water of life. And Jesus said.
Whoever drinks. Of that water. Shall never thirst. Again.
The Mark of True Repentance
You know anything. Of the vomit. Of the soul. You say.
You get it. And I hope. You remember it. Long enough.
To go home. Tonight. And say. Pastor.
Was talking. To me. Who goes around. Bragging.
About the very thing. That ought. To shame. Me.
And make me sick. To think. One of the marks. Of a truly repentant.
Sinner. Is he never brags. About the sins. Of which he has repented.
God says. You will never open. Your mouth. Again.
And you'll be ashamed. You are now. Ashamed. If now.
You're not ashamed. Of what you were. Before you repented. You've never repented.
I don't care. If you're. Two years old. Four.
Ten. Twelve. Fourteen. Or a hundred.
The mark. Of a man. A woman. Boy.
Or girl. Who's truly. Repented. Is that he regards.
What he repented. As the vomit. Of his soul. And he is ashamed.
Repentance and Faith Defined in Relation to God and Christ
If repentance. Is saying. God business. And have God.
Is my God. Then faith. In the Lord. Jesus.
Is saying. I am prepared. To take. Christ.
As the only one. Through whom. I can experience. Communion.
And fellowship. With this. God. As we stand.
A Call to Embrace the Signpost's Message
By that sign. Post. My friends. Hear me.
And make. God. Grant. That my words.
Will not echo. In your ears. In hell. But in.
My heart. Will be. Repentance. Towards.
God. Faith. Towards. The Lord.
Jesus. Christ. And for you. Who can say.
By the grace. Of God. The Holy. Spirit.
Is brought. Me. By that sign. Post.
And in. His own. Mysterious. But powerful.
Way. Has worked. In my. Heart.
Those. That they. Are the. Present.
The Continuous Nature of Repentance and Faith
Dispositions. Of your. Soul. For as.
Long. As. There. Is.
Sin. There. Is. Need.
For. Repentance. And as. Long.
As. There's. Need. For.
Repentance. There's. Need. For.
Faith. In. Believing. Until.
He. Comes. To. A.
Place. Where. Repentance. Is.
No. More. Necessary. And.
Faith. Is. Turned. To.
Sight. That's. A. Christian.
Is. That. You. Continually.
Repenting. Continually. Believing. Is.
In. Faith. In. Faith.
Is. Not. The. You.
Have. That. I. Don't.
Care. If. You. Criticize.
My. Method. One. I.
Don't. Want. To. Be.
A. Murderer. Of. Soul.
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Passages Expounded
Acts 20:17-26
This passage is the primary text, providing the context of Paul's farewell and his summary of his ministry, which includes testifying repentance and faith.
Acts 20:20-21
These specific verses are the focal point, explicitly stating the two 'signposts' of repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.
Texts Expounded
auto_stories
This passage forms the core text for the sermon, particularly Paul's farewell address to the Ephesian elders and his summary of his ministry.
auto_stories
These verses are highlighted as containing the 'simple signpost' of repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.