In Trent Moody's sermon 'Close Is Not Enough,' he emphasizes the spiritual danger of being close to the Kingdom of God without truly entering it. Using Acts 16:6-15 as the focal text, Moody highlights the story of Lydia, a woman whose heart was opened by the Lord to the teachings of Paul, illustrating the difference between being near the Kingdom and being truly part of it. He warns against the false assurance that proximity to spiritual activities and communities can provide, underscoring that genuine entry into the Kingdom requires a transformation of the heart by the Spirit of God. The sermon calls listeners to self-examination, urging them to ensure their faith is authentic and their hearts are truly opened by God. Moody draws on biblical examples such as Judas and Cornelius to illustrate the peril of being near yet not in the Kingdom and emphasizes that salvation is possible only through God's grace. He passionately exhorts the congregation to cry out to God for a heart transformation, stressing that true Christians exhibit spiritual fruit such as a love for God's Word, prayer, and the church community.

Our focus text this morning will be verses 11 through 15, but I would like to back up and begin with verse 6 just to gain a little context since it's been a little bit a while since we have been in the book of Acts. Acts chapter 16 and we will begin reading in verse 6. Now when they had gone through Pergia and the regions of Galatia, they were forbidden by the Holy Spirit to preach the word in Asia. After they had come to Messia, they tried to go to Bithynia, but the Spirit did not permit them. So passing by Missia, they came down to Troas, and a vision appeared to Paul in the night.

A man of Macedonia stood and pleaded with him, saying, Come over to Macedonia and help us. Now after he had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go to Macedonia, concluding that the Lord had called us to preach the gospel to them. Therefore, sailing from Troas, we ran a straight course to Samothrace and the next day came to Neapolis and from there to Philippi, which is the foremost city of that part of Macedonia, a colony. And we were staying in that city for some days. And on the Sabbath day, we went out of the city to the riverside where prayer was customarily made.

And we sat down and spoke to the women who met there. Now A certain woman named Lydia heard us. She was a seller of purple from the city of Thyatira who worshipped God. The Lord opened her heart to heed the things spoken by Paul. And when she and her household were baptized, she begged us saying, if you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord come to my house and stay so she persuaded us may God bless the reading of his word let us pray our heavenly father oh god we have come truly to hear a word from You this morning.

Lord, we have come to open Your Word. We have come that Your Spirit would teach us. And Lord, we have asked and will ask again that your Spirit would dwell among us Lord that you would rain down your Spirit upon us in such a glorious way Father that the Word of God would be open to us and Lord no doubt there are hearts here this morning that are closed off. They are hearts of stone. They are as hard as flint.

And Father, there is only one thing that can open that heart. There is only one thing that can take that heart of stone and make it a heart of flesh, and that is the Spirit of the Living God. Lord, I feel so feeble and weak coming simply with words to speak. Lord, we need You this morning. We need Your Spirit to do the work.

But I thank You, Lord, that I have not come with my words, but I have come, Lord, with a true and sincere desire to proclaim Your Word. Oh God, please give me Your Word to speak. And Lord, please send Your Spirit to awaken these hearts, to receive and to heed the things spoken. And I ask it in the name of Jesus, the name which is above every name. Amen.

You may be seated. You'll notice in the outline there, the title of this message is, Close is Not Enough. Close is Not Enough. I want you to know that I have been in much prayer and in distress this week for each of you, but specifically some of you, because of the text that is before us. What I thought to be a simple message about a lady named Lydia coming to the Lord has been changed in my mind and in my understanding through study and prayer, and it has become a passage that has stirred my spirit for this congregation and certain individuals in it.

I've been restless. My heart has been troubled for you. I've been awakened in the night and God has called me to pray for you. I have prayed for every one of you by name. Every man, woman, and child here this morning, God has heard your name.

And I have asked God to open your heart to the truth of God's Word and some of you I know are open to the Word of God. Many of you are and I praise God for that. And as our brother prayed this morning, I pray that it would be open still wider. I fear that some of you here this morning who profess to know God, you who draw near to the people of God, you who have entered into this worship service of God, you who even bow your head in prayer with the people of God, and perhaps even speak words of prayer yourself, you who believe that because of these external actions that you are now, this day, on your way to heaven. I have a word for you this morning.

You are close to the Kingdom of God, but close is not in the Kingdom of God. You have drawn up to the threshold, but you have not entered into the narrow gate. Close to the kingdom, but not in the kingdom, you need to understand is a terribly dangerous place to be. It's a dangerous place because close makes you believe that you're in. You sit among God's people, you sing hymns, you pray, you enter into this time of worship with true believers, and yet because of these things you think your soul is safe.

Close gives you a false assurance that you're right with God because you do things. But I want you to know this morning that close to the kingdom of life is not the same thing as in the kingdom of life. You remember the scribe who asked Jesus what the greatest commandment was. And Jesus answered to love God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength. And the second is like unto it to love your neighbor as yourself.

And Jesus said this to him in Mark chapter 12. So the scribes said to him, Well said, teacher, you have spoken the truth, for there is one God and there is no other but he. And to love him with all the heart and with all the understanding and with all the soul and with all the strength and to love one's neighbor as oneself is more than all burnt offerings and sacrifices." Now listen to what Jesus said to him. Now when Jesus saw that he answered wisely, he said to him, you are not far from the kingdom of God. Not far.

Not far from the kingdom of God is not in the kingdom of God. Not far is actually a dangerous place to be if you stop there. I'm not satisfied with being not far from the Kingdom of God. And brothers and sisters and visitors and all who are here this morning, I'm not satisfied with you being not far from the Kingdom of God. I fear I become the weeping prophet this morning.

I have labored in prayer for your souls this week. And I'm not satisfied with you being near the kingdom. I have begged God that you would be in the kingdom. You must be in the Kingdom of God. You see this man was on the threshold of the Kingdom of God, but he was not there.

He was not in it. He had not entered into the narrow gate. We are not told what happened to this man, but I say that there are many in this church today, and I believe at least, or many in the churches today, and at least some in this church here this morning, who are in the same condition as this man, not far from the Kingdom of God. And again, I want you to know I have called each of you by name. I have prayed for you, every man, woman, and child.

In my prayers for this congregation This past week, I have asked that God would make known to you if you are in the Kingdom of God or just simply close to the Kingdom. I have prayed that the Lord would show you where you are and what you are. I have asked God to open your heart to receive the things spoken this morning. I have asked that God would awaken you as Ephesians says in Paul quotes, Awake you who sleep and arise from the dead and Christ will give you light. I want you to see the light of the Gospel.

To those who sit in darkness, a great light has shown. And I so desire for you to see that light. I want you to feel the warmth of that light. I want you to experience the joy of it. I want you to have ears that hear.

Do you remember what Jesus said after His interaction with the rich young ruler? In the Gospel of Matthew chapter 19, then Jesus said to His disciples, Assuredly I say to you that it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. And again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. When his disciples heard it, they were greatly astonished, saying, who then can be saved? But Jesus looked at them and said to them, with men this is impossible.

But with God all things are possible. I have come here this morning to declare to you that with God all things are possible. With God it is possible this morning that you who stand near the gate but have not entered, it is possible today that the Spirit of the living God would open your heart and you would receive the things spoken from God's Word this morning, and you would become from death to life. You would be outside the gate, but when you leave, you will be inside the gate. You have been a child of the devil who only disguised himself as a child of God, and today you can be truly born again and be a child of the living God.

With God all things are possible. There is none here this morning who are too far from the kingdom who could not yet this morning enter the kingdom. But know this, close is not enough. Close is not enough. Close is not enough.

Close is to be in the kingdom of death. I want to show you some things this morning in this passage and I pray would be an instrument of God to open your heart by His Spirit. Look with me in verses 11 through 14 and I want to show you the danger of being near the kingdom but not in the kingdom. It is a great danger. The Bible says in verse 13, And on the Sabbath day we went out of the city to the riverside, Where prayer was customarily made, And we sat down and spoke to the women who met there.

Now a certain woman named Lydia heard us. She was a seller of purple from the city of Thyatira who worshiped God. The Lord opened her heart to heed the things spoken by Paul. But before we get to that glorious statement that the Lord opened her heart, I want to show you how close she was, but yet not there. She was at a place where prayer was customarily made.

That's what the Bible says. She was even there on the Sabbath day where prayer was customarily made. Coming to prayer and even praying, I want you to understand, is no guarantee that you are in the kingdom. Think of how often Judas was with Jesus and the other disciples when he prayed, And he was not in the kingdom. Judas was near not only to the kingdom, but he was near the king himself.

But yet he was not in the kingdom. He ultimately turned from the threshold of the kingdom and died in his sins. He was the son of perdition. Another man that we had looked at in the book of Acts in chapter 10 was Cornelius. Cornelius was a man very near to the kingdom.

He was a man who was in a dangerous position even though he prayed. He prayed and he fasted and he called out unto God, but yet he was not in the kingdom until God sent to him Peter to come and preach the gospel to him. So you can be here this morning and you can be sitting near those who are praying. You can even speak words of prayer upon your lips and you can be outside of the kingdom because prayer does not save you. Being near those who pray does not save you.

Being prayed for those other people who are believers does not save you. It is a means by which God hears his people and by which God will be gracious to send his Holy Spirit to give you new life and that is the new life that brings you into the kingdom. But Cornelius, what a man, a devout man who feared God. He was much like Lydia with all his household, gave alms generously to the people and prayed to God always. Yet that was not sufficient for Cornelius.

About the ninth hour of the day he saw clearly in a vision an angel of God coming in and saying to him, Cornelius, and when he observed him he was afraid and said, What is it Lord? So he said to him, Your prayers and your alms have come up for a memorial before God. Now send men to Joppa and send for Simon, whose surname is Peter. He is lodging with Simon a tanner whose house is by the sea. He will tell you what you must do.

I'm here this morning to tell you what you must do. Because being in this place is not enough. Being in the midst of the prayers and of the singing of the hymns and of the worship of God and the preaching of God. Listen to me, awake you who sleep, it is not enough. You must be born again.

There are some sitting here who are not born again. Remember the Pharisees, they love to make long prayers. But Jesus called them a brood of vipers and sons of the devil. I want you to know that you can be on the threshold of the kingdom in regular times of prayer and still not enter the kingdom because you have not entered the narrow gate by faith. Not everyone who prays is a Christian, but for sure every Christian prays.

I want you to know that you can be on the threshold of the kingdom in regular times, But brothers and sisters and those of you who are not brothers and sisters, I want you to know you can even be in the hearing of the Word of God that puts you near to the Kingdom of God, but not in the Kingdom of God. Hearing the Word of God puts you near, but not in. Think of all the multitudes of people in Jesus' day alone who heard the preaching of the Word of God. They heard the Word of God, they listened, and they turned away from God. Think about how many millions of people who have heard the preaching of the Gospel throughout century after century after century, and yet hell is expanding its borders because of all of those who have rejected the hearing of the word of God.

Being in the hearing of the word is not the same thing as being in the kingdom. Paul and his companions, they sat here and spoke to the women who met there and look at what it says in Lydia is is singled out for being one who heard them and then one whom God gave a heart to heed what was said. So hearing is not enough to put you into the kingdom. Many of you sit here week after week and hear the Word of God, and yet I'm here to tell you this morning you are not in the kingdom of God. Simply by hearing.

Look at this amazing statement in verse 14. She was a seller of purple from the city of Thyatira who worshipped God. Worshipping God is actually what every rational and understanding person ought to do. God commands all people to worship Him. He's worthy of worship.

But I want you to know that entering into the worship of God actually does not put you into the kingdom of God. You can sit right here in the midst of worship and you can be surrounded by people who are praising God and whose hearts are bowed to the Lordship of Jesus Christ who have entered into the gate and you actually be standing outside the gate. You can be looking around and experiencing and seeing what others are doing and you can see and hear the praises going up to God. You can even have a fear of God, which is really what this means. This idea of worship here means to be religious, to worship.

It refers to respect shown not only to humans, but it's also the ceremonial acts of devotion to a deity. But this word is often translated as fear. It's an act of devotion done for the sake of a God in non-biblical literature, but it's not the same thing as being in the kingdom. Now let me go back just for a moment. We skipped someone or some some ones And I want to draw your attention to something that you may have not noticed.

In verse 13, And on the Sabbath day we went out to the city, to the riverside where prayer was customarily made, and we sat down and spoke to the women. Lydia was not sitting alone on that riverbank. Did you know that there was a group of women there who had come to pray? I would say without much doubt that these women had also come and were much like Lydia who had come to worship, who were hearing the things spoken by Paul and his companions. They all spoke with Paul.

They all heard the things spoken by Paul. I'm convinced that they all had some sense of the fear of God or else they wouldn't have been there at all. It could easily be said that they were like Lydia in this sense. But listen to what the Bible says in verse 14. Now A certain woman named Lydia heard us.

She was a seller of purple from the city of Thyatira who worshipped God. The Lord opened her heart. What about the other women? They were there. They were there to pray.

They were there to worship. They were there to hear. They did hear the things spoken by Paul. What about them? What about their hearts?

Were their hearts not opened? Could it be possible to sit in a congregation like this today to have prayed as we've prayed, to have read Scripture as we've read Scripture, to sing hymns as we have sung hymns, and to not be in the kingdom of God, to not have your heart open to the things that were spoken. What about their families? We know what happened to Lydia's family. Why weren't they baptized?

Why didn't they come to the apostle and say, please come stay at our house? And there wasn't a fight over whose house he would stay at. But Lydia, I want you to know something. Oh, that dangerous ground just outside the narrow gate. The ground that eases the conscience and flatters the soul and makes the sinner think that near the kingdom is close enough.

That ground that causes the one who stands on it to say the prayers and sing the hymns and see the wind of the Spirit blowing on their neighbors but never feel the effect of it in their heart. That most glorious working of God all around them, that Spirit that opens the narrow gate to heaven, that ground that causes one to think that near is enough. I tell you this morning that near the gate is truly to be outside the gate. Near the gate is death. But I have good news for you through the gate.

Through the gate is life and joy and peace forevermore. Let me ask you, upon which ground are you standing? I have named you to God this week on multiple occasions and I've asked myself when I come to some of your names and I'm wondering upon Lord, which ground Are they standing? I tell you, here you sit. You've been surrounded by prayers.

You're with the saints. You have entered the place of worship. You have sung the hymns. You have a sense of the fear of God. You are so near the gate, you can see it.

But let me ask you, is your soul satisfied to be near it? Or are you like Lydia? Is your soul crying out to have a heart open like Lydia? O sinner who sits near the kingdom, I command you to cry out to God that He would give you an open heart. You think, what can I do to enter into that gate?

God must give you a heart to enter that gate. What can you do then? I say cry out to God to open the gate. Cry out to God to open the gate. These people were so lost that God had to send a man and a vision to Paul to cry out for them.

God sent this man, this man of Macedonia stood and he pleaded with him and the man said to Paul in the vision, Come over to Macedonia and help us. Don't be so foolish and hard-hearted that you won't even call out for help. I want you to know something that God this week has caused me to cry out on your behalf. I have called out to God for you. I'm so desirous for you.

I so want to see you enter the gate." I read a book this week, most of it anyway, by George Whitefield that in his early days someone gave him this book by a Scotchman and the title of the book was this the life of God in the soul of man. Whitfield was early in his days or early he was young in his in his 20s and he was part of the Holy Club. You ever been a part of a Holy Club? You thought, man, I'm going to be just as good as gold. I can be good enough.

He was in that club. But someone gave him this book in Whitfield, as of yet knew nothing of the miracle of the new birth. This book says he assumed that by performing good works, he could place himself on the pathway to heaven. Let me pause just for a moment. I'm fearful that some think that just by being here in this church and being around God's people that you think you are on the pathway to heaven.

This book convinced him, however, that all such assumptions were utterly false. The discovery filled him with concern, and he wrote that by it God showed me that I must be born again or be damned. I learned that a man may go to church, say prayers, receive the sacrament, and yet not be a Christian." He writes, shall I burn this book? Shall I throw it down or shall I search it? I did search it and holding the book in my hand I thus address the God of heaven and earth.

Lord if I am not a Christian or if not a real one for Jesus Christ's sake show me what Christianity is that I may not be damned at last." Notice what he did when he learned that he had not yet entered into the narrow gate. He had not yet been born again. He did not throw the book to the ground. What did he do? He called out to God and said, Lord, If I am not a Christian or if not a real one, for Jesus Christ's sake, show me what Christianity is that I may be not damned at last.

So what can the sinner do this morning if your heart has not been opened to God? I say cry out to God that He would open your heart. Cry out that He would show you what you are and show you what true Christianity is. And I'm doing my best, my dead level best to show you and to tell you what a true Christian is. Surely you remember what Jesus said in Luke 13.

And he went through the cities and the villages teaching and journeying towards Jerusalem. Then one said to him, Lord, are there few who are saved? And He said to them, Strive to enter through the narrow gate. For many, I say to you, will seek to enter and will not be able. When once the master of the house has risen up and shut the door, and you begin to stand outside and knock saying, Lord open for us and he shall answer and say to you, I do not know you where you are from.

Then you will begin to say, we ate and drank in your presence and you taught in our streets. They were close. They were so close. But he will say to them, I tell you, I do not know you, where you are from, depart from me, all you workers of iniquity. They were close.

Please look at me. Please hear what I'm trying to say. Dear God, give them ears to hear. Please Examine yourself to see if you are in the faith. Do you not know yourself?

Do you not know whether you're in or out? Do you not know whether you have the Spirit of God or not? Do you not know if you have crossed through into the gate the narrow way that God has said it is only this way that you must go to enter into the kingdom of heaven? Surely you know if you're on the Broadway or not. He says that there are a few who find it And I don't want a single person here this morning to be replaying this message over and over in their head throughout all of eternity while the flames of hell lick upon them.

I want you to know, I pray to God that you will not be satisfied standing beside the gate, outside the gate. I beg and plead with you, and I have pleaded with God for your sake, and now I'm begging and pleading with you for Christ's sake. Be born again. Enter into the narrow gate. Teary no longer.

Enter in. Call out to God to save your soul and open your heart. Today is the day of salvation. Today, if you will not harden your heart, Listen, be reconciled to God. That is the command of Scripture.

And I pray that God would open your heart so that you would receive the words into your heart and that the riches that Lydia had can be yours. Not her physical wealth of being a seller of purple, but the riches of the Kingdom of God became hers that day. It made that what she had before pale in comparison to what God had given her. But I want you to know it was not her riches that got her in. It was not her prayers, it was not her devotion, it was not her worship or fear of God that Lydia performed.

It was the Lord who had to open her heart. Matthew Henry said, It is not enough to be the worshipers of God. We must be believers in Jesus Christ. For there is no coming to God as a Father, but by Him as a Mediator. But those who worship God according to the light that they had stood fair in the discoveries of Christ." I want you to know that being here is not useless.

It's useless for your salvation. It cannot save you. But it is not useless to get you in the place in which you might hear of the things of God and be able to receive the preaching of the Word of God. For faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God, and my prayer is that it would have much effect upon you, every one of you. I've cried out to God to open your hearts, for our second point is this, to have your heart opened is to enter the kingdom.

To have your heart opened is to enter the kingdom of God. Look in verse 14, the Lord opened her heart to heed the things spoken by Paul. Do not let this statement trip you up. Many there are that would say that if you believe that only God can open your heart, then there is nothing a person can do to be saved. Therefore if a person be damned, then it is God's fault because God did not open His heart.

This is a foolish fatalism that would remove all responsibility for man, and I utterly reject it because it is not biblical. The Bible clearly teaches that God is the author of salvation, and it clearly teaches that man is responsible for his sin before God. These two doctrines, they do not need to be reconciled. As one man said, they are the best of friends, because it is biblical. This is the doctrine of Christ.

It is the doctrine of Paul and the apostles. It is the doctrine that we preach here. That Jesus Christ said, No man can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him, and I will raise him up in the last day. And the same Jesus said this, Come unto me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.

For my yoke is easy and my burden is light. Jesus said both those things and both are true. And so I call unto you today, come unto Jesus. Come unto Jesus. All ye who are labor and are heavy-laden and he My friend will give you rest.

He'll give you rest from all your striving for all of those works that you think are putting you on your way to God. They are not. It is dangerous ground that you're standing on. There is only one ground that you need to stand on and that is the ground at the foot of the cross of Jesus Christ, trusting in His works alone. So do not be that foolish fatalist who says, I cannot open my heart, therefore, there is no need to prepare my heart to be opened.

How foolish would it be if the farmer that cannot make the seed to grow says, Well, therefore, neither will I plant, neither will I plow, and neither will I water. Because I can't make the seed to grow, I might as well not do any of it. If the farmer neglects all the things that he can do, I promise you the seed will certainly not grow. And when the harvest does not come in, there is only one to blame, and that is the farmer. You are responsible for your sins before God.

Matthew Henry again says conversion work is God's work. I can't convert you this morning, I wish I could. Oh if I could every one of you would be converted. You would all enter in at the narrow gate you would all be joyful and singing praises to God but I can't but I can tell you I can pray for you I can plead with God for your souls I can ask God to awaken you I can command you to be awakened but I cannot do it. Only God.

He is the one that does the conversion work. Matthew Henry says it is he that works in us both to will and to do. Not as if we had nothing to do but of ourselves without God's grace we can do nothing, nor as if God were in the least chargeable with the ruin of those that perish, but the salvation of those that are saved must be wholly ascribed to Him. We hold both of these truths together because they are not at odds. They go perfectly together.

You see, Lydia was a woman who did what she could do. She did what she had understanding to do. She prayed, she worshiped, she placed herself in the hearing of the Word of God, but she could not open her heart to heed the things spoken by Paul. However, she did do all that natural man can do. And then God did the converting.

God did the opening, the statement. The Lord opened her heart. Is none other than the work of God to bring a person from death to life. It is none other than God converting a sinner and that sinner being born again. This is the new birth.

For you must be born again. That's what Jesus tells us. You see, you must have an open heart. What does this mean? Well, it means to just make open.

It means to take that which is closed to something and open it to something. In Luke 24, the Bible says, Now it came to pass as He sat at the table with them, that He took bread and blessed and broke it and gave it to them. Then their eyes were opened and they knew Him, and He vanished from their sight. And then they said to one another, did not our hearts burn within us while He talked with us on the road and while He opened the Scriptures to us? He brought the meaning.

He opened their heart to receive what the meaning of the Scripture was. And that is the problem here this morning. Everyone here hears the words that I speak, but not everyone here understands the meaning of the words that I speak. God must open your heart. Jesus said in answer to them, most assuredly I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." Though Nicodemus was a teacher in Israel, yet he did not understand this.

Nicodemus needed to be born again. He was totally confused by this whole concept of being born again. But you see this is the work of the Spirit of God in the heart of a person. This is what happened to Lydia and as well we will see to her whole household. To have a heart that is opened means to have a heart that has been given spiritual life and vitality and vigor.

It is to give ears to hear and eyes to see and heart that understands. That is what it means to be opened in heart. It is not only open in heart, but it is to have a new heart as we read this morning and Scott read again and I will read again then in Ezekiel 36 and then I will sprinkle clean water on you and you shall be clean. I will pull out excuse me I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all of your idols. I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you.

I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes and you will keep My judgments and do them." And guess what? You will find that His commandments are not burdensome, but they are a blessing. They are that which gives life. In the book of Titus that Scott's preaching in, "...but when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, not by works of righteousness which we have done, he says, but according to his mercy He saved us through the washing of the regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior that having been justified by His grace, we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

I prayed last night, I was sitting on my porch and I was watching the clouds roll in. And I said, oh Lord, this is a dry and thirsty land. And God, would you please, Would you please send rain upon this land?" And then it started to rain just moments later, and I was thanking God, and I said, God, we also live in a land that is so dry and so thirsty for the Spirit of God. And in the same way that you poured out your rain upon this land, God I pray that you will pour floods of water upon this land. That the water of the Word of God would wash down upon us, just like He says here.

That's what He says. Look at it. Whom He poured out on us abundantly. That is my prayer that God would pour His Spirit out upon you abundantly. Because without a new heart, you were not able by any means to enter the Kingdom of heaven.

The old hymn writer of Rock of Ages declares, not the labor of my hands can fulfill thy laws demands. Could my zeal, no respite, no. Could my tears forever flow? All for sin could not atone. Thou must save and thou alone.

Nothing in my hand I bring, simply to the cross I cling. Naked come to thee for dress, helpless look to thee for grace. Foul I to the fountain fly, wash me Savior or I die." That is the call of the hymn writer and that is the call of the sinful heart who knows his only hope is Jesus Christ. Now let us consider this last point. Consider the life of one who is in the kingdom of God.

We've seen the danger of being close. We've seen what it means to have your heart opened. But I want you to see now the fruit of those who are in the kingdom. In verse 14b, the latter part, the Lord opened her heart to heed the things spoken by Paul and when she and her household were baptized she begged us saying if you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord come to my house and stay and so she's persuaded us What does it look like to be in the kingdom? What kind of person are you when you're in the kingdom?

Well there's many things that could be said and here's just a few of the things I think are of note here in this passage of Scripture, the next few things will be somewhat, if you will, of a spiritual test to know if you have had a new heart given to you by the Lord. Has the Lord opened your heart? Well, look to these things and see if any of these things are true of you. In other words, an open heart bears spiritual fruit. And what was the spiritual fruit of Lydia?

Well, let's see. First, she heeded the words of the apostles and those of his companions. It literally means to heed, it means to pay attention to. Everybody hears it, but nobody pays attention to it. Nobody has a heart that hears with a heart that is diligent and desirous to obey it.

There are many who come and hear The Word preached here every Sunday with no heart to go home and obey it. One of the first things that changes in a person who has had their heart open by the Lord, they heed the Word of God. They no longer see it as a bitter pill, but that it is truly their meat and drink indeed. Jesus said, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God. And that word becomes sweet to your taste and is sweeter than honey.

It is lovely to those who have had their hearts open. Do you love God's Word? That is a test to know if you've entered into the narrow gate. Is it sweet to the taste or is it bitter? In 2 Peter 1.19, And so we have the prophetic word confirmed, which you do well to heed as a light that shines in a dark place until the day dawns and the morning star arises in your hearts.

And the writer of Hebrews says, Therefore we must give the more earnest heed to the things we have heard, lest we drift away. This idea of heeding something, this earnestness in hearing it, it is the idea of paying close attention to so that you can obey it. That is the heart of someone who has entered the narrow gate. One commentator says, What were the effects of this work on the heart? She took great notice of the Word of God.

Her heart was so open that she attended to the things that were spoken by Paul. She not only gave attendance to Paul's preaching, but she gave attention to it. Can I pause there? There are many who attend the preaching of the Word of God, but very few, I'm not necessarily here, but there are few who attend to it, who give attention to it so that they have a heart ready to go and obey it. She applied to herself so some read it.

The things that were spoken by Paul and then only the word does us good when we attend to it. He goes on and he says, "...and makes an abiding impression upon us when we apply it to ourselves. This was an evidence of the opening of her heart and was the fruit of it." She attended to the Word of God. Next, she was baptized and her whole household. What a blessing to have a household when the Gospel is believed by the leader of that household.

It was her household. I don't know if she had a husband, probably either dead or something. I don't know where he is. Nothing is said of this husband. But it does speak of Lydia and it speaks of her household.

The blessing spreads by the grace of God through households. Not always to all in every house. But the influence is certainly felt by all. I think testimony of experience in scripture and history and scripture tell us that just because the gospel comes to a house, not everyone in that house believes. For else Jesus would not have said, I've come not to bring peace, but a sword.

And there will be two in one house against three and three against two. There will be some who stand against you even in your own household but in this household by God's grace pouring out upon them not only did he open Lydia's heart he opened everyone in that house's heart because it says they were all baptized. The Bible says they are I'll get to the Bible in just a moment but in this case all were baptized because all believe because they all had their hearts opened. The Bible says in Acts 2 41 then those who gladly received his word were baptized. The Bible says in Acts 8.12, but when they believed Philip as he preached the things concerning the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, both men and women were baptized.

Acts 18, 8, then Crispus, the ruler of the synagogue, believed on the Lord with all his household, and many of the Corinthians, hearing, believing, and were baptized. Why did her whole house get baptized? Because her whole house believed! Why did they believe? Well, that's the next part.

She spoke of the things that God had done for her. Now, it doesn't say she spoke, but how else in the world did they believe if they did not hear? And how did they hear if she did not speak? She spoke the things that God had done. She spoke these things that God had done in opening her heart to receive the things spoken by Paul.

What did they believe? They believed what they heard. What did they hear? They heard what she said. All the wonderful words of life or fate comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God.

They believed what she told them. That is a true sign of someone in the Kingdom. Your heart burns for those who are not in. You are hungry to tell people that do not know the Lord Jesus Christ about the Lord Jesus Christ. You are willing to overcome the awkwardness of going to a stranger and saying, do you know the Lord Jesus Christ?

I handed out a track this week to somebody I'm in constant contact with. I shouldn't have been, but I was shocked by his response to that. I handed him a track because he was at work. I said, read it on your lunch time. And a few moments later I came walking back by and he goes, thank you.

Thank you. What a response. Thank you. I just told you you're a sinner on your way to hell if you don't repent. Thank you.

That is truly the heart of someone who is ready to hear the Word of God. They thank you for telling them the bad news and they glorify God for the good news and we're here to proclaim the good news and that's what Lydia did. She told the good news of the gospel to her household but not only that she had a zeal for the church and for her ministers. Look at what it says. And when she and her household were baptized, she begged us.

She begged us saying, If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come to my house and stay. Come to my house and stay. What does that mean? I believe that she had a zeal and a love for God's people. That's what 1 John tells us.

How can you love God whom you've not seen and not love your brother whom you have seen. You can't hate your brother and love God. If you love God you're going to love the brethren and she had her heart opened by God and he filled it with the love of the brethren. She begged Paul and his company to come stay at her house. You know this could have a two-fold sense that she now had a love for them but also a true sign of loving God and most certainly a desire to be taught more by the Apostles who would be staying in her house.

She's not satisfied with with the light that she had received on the riverbank. She wanted now more. Are you there? I want more. I come every week wanting more.

Lord, keep feeding me the Word of God. I'm not satisfied with what I have. I want more. This was also no doubt a desire to provide from her own means for their good. She cared for the ministers of the gospel.

She had received spiritual benefit from them And it was an honor for her to bestow upon them her material benefits and blessings. This is what Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 9. If we have sown spiritual things for you, is it a great thing if we reap your material things? If others are partakers of this right over you, are we not even more? Nevertheless, we have not used this right, but endure all things lest we hinder the gospel.

Do you not know that those who minister the holy things eat of the things of the temple and those who serve at the altar partake of the offerings of the altar. Even so the Lord has commanded that those who preach the gospel should live from the gospel. We see that Paul though was seemingly hesitant to come to her house. She begged them, and then she had to persuade them. So she persuaded us.

That means that there was a little bit of hesitation on Paul's behalf. Perhaps it was because of what he wrote here in 1 Corinthians 9. He didn't want to say that he was preaching the gospel so that he could receive free housing and food and lodging and whatnot. He wanted to preach the gospel free of charge so that everyone could hear the gospel and no reproach would be brought onto the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. But look at what she does.

This is kind of a funny thing that I see. She says this, If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come to my house and stay. Have you ever known someone who does that to you? They put you in a situation where you can't win. She says, if you've judged me to be faithful come to my house.

That way if you don't come to her house you're saying that you judge her not to be faithful. She put a little trick on him. She put him in a spot there and then since that he had to come to her house. She persuaded us to come. Well, you are faithful sister.

Well, come to my house then. And so there he comes. He comes to the house and she blesses them because she was a woman of means. And she helped them and provided for them. And you know what though?

It didn't end there. There's more that she did. This generosity that was born in her heart was not short lived nor did it remain singular to her heart and her house. In the book of Philippians chapter four, look at what it says, nevertheless you have done well, Paul's writing to the church at Philippi, you have done well that you shared in my distress. Now you Philippians know also that in the beginning of the gospel, that would be here, When I departed from Macedonia, no church shared with me concerning giving and receiving, but you only.

For even in Thessalonica you sent aid once and again for my necessity, Not that I seek the gift, but I seek the fruit that abounds to your account. Indeed, I have all in a bound. I am full, having received from the path, for diet is the things you sent that the things sent from you, a sweet smelling aroma and acceptable sacrifice. Well pleasing to God and my God shall supply all your needs according to his riches in Christ Jesus now to our God and Father be glory forever and ever isn't that what happened with with Lydia and with the church at Philippi? Now her works, because now they were done with a heart that God had opened, had become a sweet smelling aroma, acceptable sacrifice, well pleasing to God.

Do you realize that if you stay outside the gate and continue on in your Association with praying and worshiping and you never enter that gate all of that Time will be a weight against you on the day of judgment But if you would but enter the gate, all of those things will now be a sweet smelling aroma unto the Lord, well pleasing to God. This is how God transforms a heart And I want to end this message by saying to each one of you that every word that has come from my mouth today has been prayed over and I want you to know was born from the burden of my heart for your soul. I've not come here this morning to stand and proclaim this gospel to you to condemn you but I've come that you might have life. I've come that you would believe and I want you to know not only I but your elders pray and your deacons pray regularly for each of you. We love you and we're so thankful for every one of you.

We are so desirous that every one of you come into the kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ that there would be none who enter this room who would leave lost. We so desire and so my heart's desire I pray was displayed this morning to you. I hope you understand that I truly have felt a holy unction of God this week to preach this word to you, but I also know that It is only God who can open your heart and I pray that he does for his glory's sake and for your good. Let us pray. Oh God in heaven, we acknowledge that you alone can save.

Lord, I pray for those this morning who are standing on the dangerous ground, those that can see the gate but have never entered the gate. Oh God, would you do for them what you did for Lydia? Would you open their hearts? Give them a new heart. Give them a heart that rejoices in the preaching of the Word of God and in the reading of the Word of God and rejoices in prayers and in worship and rejoices in their fellow believers.

And Lord, that you would give them generous hearts like you did with Lydia. Lord, I just pray that your spirit would come and awaken them and I ask this in Jesus name. Amen.