Does It Bring Conviction?
Notes
Transcript
introduction
How many of you have been at work, been on a team or as a kid with siblings or have children when a message was delivered about a problem. This problem involves a specific person but, rather than address it directly with them, the choice is made to address everyone with the hopes that the person in mind feels convicted.
Because the specific person isn’t addressed one on one, the behavior doesn’t change. This could be because they may not know their actions were wrong. General announcements get general responses.
It’s much more effective to talk to the person directly to correct the problem.
Some messages speak directly to the person who needs to hear it. This is especially true with the Holy Spirit when He convicts us of the truth.
In this lesson, we will see Peter addressing a large crowd about Jesus and that it hit home to several thousands of people because the Holy Spirit was convicting the individuals and bringing the change that needed to happen.
For 40 days after His resurrection, Jesus appeared to his followers and taught them about the kingdom of God. After His ascension, about 120 disciples would meet and pray together as they waited on the helper that Jesus would send.
On the day of Pentecost, fifty days after the passover, Jews from other countries were in Jerusalem for the festival. This is when the Holy Spirit appeared and descended on the disciples. The spirit allowed these men to proclaim about God’s actions in different tongues.
This speaking caught the interest of the Jews who were in town and they were amazed to hear these guys from Galilee speaking their languages. They wondered how this could happen, but others made fun of them and accused them of being drunk.
Peter stood up and began declaring the amazing things they were hearing was a fulfillment of Joel’s prophecy concerning the Messianic era. This was the time God would display signs and wonders and would pour out his spirit on all the people.
He said that the Jews were complicit in the death of Jesus, through whom God had worked miracles as evidence that he was the messiah. He went on to talk about His resurrection, confirming him as the Messiah who fulfilled God’s promise of a descendant for David who would reign in the eternal kingdom.
Christ was crucified and resurrected for our salvation.
Christ was crucified and resurrected for our salvation.
Acts 2:32–36 (CSB)
“God has raised this Jesus; we are all witnesses of this. Therefore, since he has been exalted to the right hand of God and has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit, he has poured out what you both see and hear. For it was not David who ascended into the heavens, but he himself says: The Lord declared to my Lord, ‘Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies your footstool.’ “Therefore let all the house of Israel know with certainty that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah.”
With the Holy Spirit in full swing and the apostles were speaking in different tongues, the Jewish people were astonished and puzzled by what they were seeing.
Taking advantage of the divine appointment, Peter took the opportunity to address the people and clarifying the messianic significance of the events based on the prophecy of Joel. He quoted Psalm 16:8-11, noting how David’s prophetic words applied to the promised ruler who would come from his lineage, the messiah who would be resurrected from the dead.
Psalm 16:8–11 (CSB)
I always let the Lord guide me. Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken. Therefore my heart is glad and my whole being rejoices; my body also rests securely. For you will not abandon me to Sheol; you will not allow your faithful one to see decay. You reveal the path of life to me; in your presence is abundant joy; at your right hand are eternal pleasures.
Peter told the crowd about how Jesus had done all these miracles and wonders. This happened for nearly 3 years, so the people who lives there in Jerusalem could confirm this.
But, rather than accepting him as their long awaited messiah, they rejected him and joined in the calls for his execution. This was carried out by the Romans. Thus his death was caused by both the Jews and the gentiles.
Although this happened, it was no accident. This happened according to God’s determined plan and foreknowledge (v. 23). Jesus’s sacrificial death was planned our before creation.
Peter said “God has raised this Jesus”. While the Jews believed the crucifixion was evidence that Jesus was a fraud and that he was rejected by God (Matt 27:43), his resurrection assured the believers that He was who he said he was and that he fulfilled God’s plan. His resurrection also assured his believers that they will also be resurrected (1 Cor. 6:14; 15:16-23).
Throughout the book of acts, the resurrection is the focal point. It was confirmed truth because the apostles were all witnesses of it. There were both the apostles and the 120 other believers who were witnesses to the execution, burial and resurrection of Jesus. They had also been appointed by Jesus to share what they experienced.
After his resurrection, Jesus appeared to many people (over 500 brothers and sisters at one time) during the weeks that followed. However, he didn’t die again, like Lazarus, he ascended to heaven while the disciples watched. And since then, he has been exalted to the right hand of God.
Because of his authority, Jesus has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit. He then poured out God’s spirit that day resulting in what people saw and heard. Peter’s words were that Jesus was not only the Messiah, but he was also God since God promised to pour out His spirit on all the people (Acts 2:17).
Peter then went to scripture and addressed David. Now, he noted that David had not ascended into heaven and was dead and buried. So, when David was prophesying in (Psalm 110:1), or verse 35, he affirmed the authority of the Messiah, whom he called my Lord.
The evidence of the eyewitnesses, the scriptures and the Spirit’s activities that day revealed the true identity of Jesus: He is both Lord and Messiah. Although Peter definitely confirmed that Jesus was the Messiah, he emphasized that Jesus is Lord or God himself. When he said that God has made, he wasn’t saying that Jesus became God after the resurrection. The angels proclaimed he was the messiah at his birth, thus he has always been the messiah, christ, chosen one. It was clearly demonstrated at his resurrection and exaltation.
Then Peter makes a very serious indictment: you crucified. Rather than accepting the long awaited messiah, they killed him.
The work of Christ calls for a response from us.
The work of Christ calls for a response from us.
Acts 2:37–38 (CSB)
When they heard this, they were pierced to the heart and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what should we do?” Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, each of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
After all the references to Jesus being the Messiah and Lord, Peter called out the crowd for killing him. Because they had done this, they may have realized they were the enemies of God that Psalm 110 had spoken about. Peter didn’t say what they had to do after making this statement. He just stated the truth and let the Holy Spirit do His work.
Jesus promised that the Holy Spirit would convict the world about sin, righteousness and judgement. Like a prosecutor in a courtroom, God’s spirit reveals the truth. He pronounces guilt on the sinner and issues the verdict that sinners face a certain judgment from God.
It was no surprise that the people were pierced to the heart after they heard what Peter proclaimed. Pierced is from the Greek word katanyssomai (kat-a-new-sa-my) which means to be pierced (emotionally) v. — to be or become moved or affected deeply or sharply (in one’s emotions or bodily feelings). This, used with the word heart, kardia, it reflected a distressing emotional sorrow, brokenheartedness.
The people responded in anguish asking what should we do? The fact that they addressed Peter and the rest of the apostles as brothers, it indicates that their hearts were softened. They recognized their sin and wanted to know what to do to right their wrong.
Thankfully the people weren’t hopeless in their guilt. Peter told them the primary thing to do was to repent. Metanoeo means to think differently; afterwards; reconsider; feel compunction. It doesn’t mean to feel bad about something, it means to change one’s mind towards something better. This accomplished by changed actions.
This was not a new concept to the crowds that were present. John the Baptist preached repentance as well as Jesus himself. The apostles would preach repentance throughout the rest of Acts.
He also called them to be baptized. This would come as an outward evidence of an inward change or repentance. This was also a familiar to them as new converts to Judaism would be baptized. And although the act of baptism wasn’t something new, being baptised in the name of Christ was. Doing this acknowledged Jesus as the Messiah and their commitment to Jesus as Lord.
What is sin? What is forgiveness? While sin separates us from God, forgiveness is available. Forgiveness mean to be released or sending away. Because of Jesus’s death, it satisfied the penalty of sin and God removes them for those who trust in Jesus and what he did on their behalf.
Only though the faith in the sacrificial work of Jesus Christ on the cross can our sins be forgiven. God removes the sin from our record and separates us from their penalty. Baptism comes afterwards as an indication of what has already occured in a believer’s life (Romans 6:1-11).
What should we say then? Should we continue in sin so that grace may multiply? Absolutely not! How can we who died to sin still live in it? Or are you unaware that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? Therefore we were buried with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we too may walk in newness of life. For if we have been united with him in the likeness of his death, we will certainly also be in the likeness of his resurrection. For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be rendered powerless so that we may no longer be enslaved to sin, since a person who has died is freed from sin. Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him, because we know that Christ, having been raised from the dead, will not die again. Death no longer rules over him. For the death he died, he died to sin once for all time; but the life he lives, he lives to God. So, you too consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.
The Holy Spirit is given to those who have received salvation through Jesus. He is a gift Jesus promised His disciples in Luke 24:49; He is the Spirit of Truth in John 14:17 who lives in every believer; and he enabled Peter to be a witness for Jesus in Acts 1:8 that day.
The right response to God’s conviction leads to salvation and obedience.
The right response to God’s conviction leads to salvation and obedience.
Acts 2:39–41 (CSB)
For the promise is for you and for your children, and for all who are far off, as many as the Lord our God will call.” With many other words he testified and strongly urged them, saying, “Be saved from this corrupt generation!” So those who accepted his message were baptized, and that day about three thousand people were added to them.
The message for salvation was good news to the guilty people, but it didn’t happen automatically. It required a response from those who had heard it. Peter explained God’s offer. The promise could refer only to God’s spirit. He was promised in Isaiah 44:3 and Ezekiel 36:27.
Isaiah 44:3 (CSB)
For I will pour water on the thirsty land and streams on the dry ground; I will pour out my Spirit on your descendants and my blessing on your offspring.
I will place my Spirit within you and cause you to follow my statutes and carefully observe my ordinances.
Salvation was meant for those who were listening to him “you”, the generations that followed “your children” and “all who are far off”. This included the Jews who were dispersed in remote lands but also gentiles.
Salvation is God’s gift to give (Romans 6:23; Eph. 2:8). He is the initiator. God must call a person before anyone can call on him to be saved. Jesus said “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him”(John 6:44). Not everyone is willing to answer the call and come to faith in Jesus so they can experience eternal life (John 5:40).
But you are not willing to come to me so that you may have life.
Peter went on to testify about other things but strongly urged them. This word, parakaleo, means to come alongside. This is a reminder of the ministry of the holy spirit, whom Jesus called the Counselor or parakletos in John 14:16.
Peter urged them to be saved from this corrupt generation. Skolios literally means curved or crooked. What word comes from this that we use today? (scoliosis). Peter used the word to describe those who perverted God’s standard and rejected His truth. Moses, Jesus and Paul used this term when describing the people of their day. Ultimately, the word refers to all people since we have all sinned. And through salvation, which Peter is pleading to them, can we be saved from the penalty of sin.
Peter’s message had an incredible result. Accepted brings the idea of something welcomed or gladly received. They were baptized. 3000 people responded to God’s call and were added to the 120 people who were already following Jesus. It is likely that more people became believers on that day then all who came to follow Jesus during his earthly ministry. The believers were doing greater works than those Jesus himself had done. (John 14:12)
“Truly I tell you, the one who believes in me will also do the works that I do. And he will do even greater works than these, because I am going to the Father.
People can often become convinced in the moment that what they are doing is right. But the Holy Spirit convicts us and will never lead us to do wrong.