Live Expecantly Week 3 - Preach the Gospel

Intro/Welcome

Incarnation

How many pet-lovers do we have here?

Do you think your pet can understand you?

Your affection for him?

Probably to some degree, right?

Cats and Dogs

Do you think your dog or cat could understand your love for them more if you were to say, become a cat or dog?

Ants?

Let’s widen the chasm.

What about something like an ant?

Let’s say you had an ant farm and you loved those ants.

How could you communicate it to them?

Probably the most effective way would be for you to become and ant right?

to appear to them in a way they could understand you.

to speak their language

God

Let’s widen the gap infintely more:

What about God with Human beings?

What would be the best way for God to communicate His love to human beings?

wouldn’t it be to become a human being — to come in a way they could understand?

to speak their language?

Gospel

This is what God has done in Jesus.

He came in humility to demonstrate God’s love for His people.

Jesus is the gospel message.

power cloaked in humility

Today

We are continuing our Live Expectantly series today as we are looking at the Story of the Church both then and now.

Really what we are doing in this series is laying a foundation, perhaps re-laying a foundation for the future of One Hope Church

We are laying down tracks to run on to be the Church God has created and called us to be.

Here’s where we have been:

The NT is the Story of the Church

we are caught up into the grandest story of all time.

It’s all about Jesus

What Jesus began, we are called to finish.

We are God-Gloryfing, Jesus-Centered

Last Week — Pentecost — The Pouring out of the Holy Spirit

ushers in a new age, the age of the Spirit, the last days

Where the Kingdom of God has been opened up to all peoples everywhere (the nations)

God’s Kingdom is coming first through Jesus, but now the the Church, the Body of Christ on earth, filled with the Spirit of Christ.

We shoule expect God to be working today as he was in NT times.

3. Today we come to the gospel message it self:

the life, death, resurrection and ascension of Jesus as we look at the first spirit empowered gospel proclamation.

and the result — is the first revival meeting

Bible

We wil be in Acts 2:14-41.

go there in bibles

Let’s Pray

Pray

Luke 4:18–21 (ESV)

18 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, 19 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” 20 And he rolled up the scroll and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. 21 And he began to say to them, “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.”

Peter’s Sermon

Let’s look at Peter’s sermon

Remember: He’s answering the question of what has just happend at Pentecost

This miraculous work of the Holy Spirit coming and giving dispered langues to the disciples that they might preach the gospel.

Power Evangelism Aside

Note*

This is a pattern we often see in the NT — the combination of proclamatoin and demonstration of the Kingdom of God.

There’ a healing or a demon cast out — then the gospel preached

or the gospel is preached and then a miraculous work follows.

It was really the same in the ministry of Jesus

was he healing people just to heal them?

No, he was demonstrating the Kingdom of God and pointing them to Himself.

It’s what the late Pastor John Wimber calls “Power Evangelism.”

Sermon

Let’s walk through this sermon and make some obersvations:

Here’w what we will see:

Peter’s Message is about Five things:

The life of Jesus (Acts 2:22)

The death of Jesus (Acts 2:23)

The Resurrection of Jesus (Acts 2:24)

The Ascension of Jesus (Acts 2:33)

The Outpouring of the Spirit (Acts 2:33)

The Conclusion (Acts 2:36)

in this we can say: Jesus is the gospel.

Joel

Acts 2:14–21 (ESV)

14 But Peter, standing with the eleven, lifted up his voice and addressed them: “Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and give ear to my words. 15 For these people are not drunk, as you suppose, since it is only the third hour of the day. 16 But this is what was uttered through the prophet Joel: 17 “ ‘And in the last days it shall be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams; 18 even on my male servants and female servants in those days I will pour out my Spirit, and they shall prophesy. 19 And I will show wonders in the heavens above and signs on the earth below, blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke; 20 the sun shall be turned to darkness and the moon to blood, before the day of the Lord comes, the great and magnificent day.

21 And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.’

Verse 21 is important:

Calling up on the name of the Lord to be saved was understood to have meant Yahweh

The Great “I AM”

The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob

The God who revealed himself to Moses

This actually launches the next part of his sermon.

that name of the Lord = Jesus Christ

Same thing Jesus says in John 17:11.

John 17:11 (ESV)

11 ...Holy Father, keep them in your name, which you have given me, that they may be one, even as we are one.

Text: Jesus Life, Death and Resurrection

Acts 2:22–24 (ESV)

22 “Men of Israel, hear these words:

Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with mighty works and wonders and signs that God did through him in your midst, as you yourselves know—

23 this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men. 24 God raised him up, loosing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it.

Jesus’ Life

Peter says Jesus of Nazareth — a man born in time and space

He was attested or proven by God

by the mighty works (miracles) and signs and wonders

that God worked through Him.

This is the mystery of the incarnation

This was the bringing of the Kingdom of God

but all of Jesus life was marching toward the cross

His mission was to save sinners

Mark 10:45 ESV

45 For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

Jesus’ Death

Acts 2:23 (ESV)

23 this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men.

Now this verse is astounding.

It holds both God’s Sovereignty and human decisions in tension.

This was always the plan — attested by the prophets in particular Isa 53.

Yet it was the religious leaders, the jews and the romans conpsiring together to bring about his death.

Acts 13:27–28 (ESV)

27 For those who live in Jerusalem and their rulers, because they did not recognize him nor understand the utterances of the prophets, which are read every Sabbath, fulfilled them by condemning him. 28 And though they found in him no guilt worthy of death, they asked Pilate to have him executed.

Why did Jesus have to die?

For the forgivness of sins (Acts 2:38)

And is clear from the teaching in the NT — “Christ’s death was an atoning death for sin” (Rom 3:23-26).

But Jesus didn’t stay dead.

Jesus’ Resurrection

Acts 2:24 (ESV)

24 God raised him up, loosing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it.

God raised Him — breaking the power of death

love that — it was NOT possible for him to be held by it

GREEK: the greek here is the strongest negation possible to really emphasize the power of God

Death had not power over Jesus.

He goes on:

Acts 2:32 (ESV)

32 This Jesus God raised up, and of that we all are witnesses.

thus filfillling Acts 1:8.

Peter is witnessing/testifying to Jesus by the power of the Spirit.

but he goes on to the ascension

Jesus’ Ascension

Acts 2:33 (ESV)

33 Being therefore exalted at the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this that you yourselves are seeing and hearing.

This Jesus, then returned to Heaven and is at the right hand of God the Father

And he poured out his Spirit

That is the answer to Pentecost

That is what you have witnessed

It is all becuase of the Life, death, resurrection and ascension of Jesus.

The Conclusion

What does all of this mean?

Peter’s conclusoin is in v 36

Acts 2:36 (ESV)

36 Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.”

God has made the man Jesus Christ both Lord and Savior

This is what the Son of God, the second person of the Trinity acheived by becoming a man in Jesus Christ.

He died our death for sin

He rose to give us new life

He ascended to send the Spirit

He is Lord and Savior

the one we owe our lives to — the Lord of our lives

he saved us and brought us home — our Savior

Explain Lord and Savior?

Jesus of the OT

How does Peter come to this conclusion?

We skipped some verses in our brief flyover.

He backs up these claims with the OT

You ever wonder what Jesus revelaed to the disciples as he was unpacking the OT and how it all pointed to Him?

This is what Peter’s sermon is

It is a demonstration of Luke 24:27

Luke 24:27 (ESV)

27 And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.

Luke 24:44–49 (ESV)

44 Then he said to them, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.” 45 Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, 46 and said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, 47 and that repentance for the forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem.

48 You are witnesses of these things. 49 And behold, I am sending the promise of my Father upon you. But stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.”

This is exactly what Peter is doing first with Joel 2:28-32, then with a couple quotations from Psalm 16, 110 and an allusion to Psalm 132.

Let’s look at these

b/c we see God’s story is consistent

He’s been writing it for thousands of years.

Peter says some astounding things about David

namely that David saw Jesus in his day.

Psalm 16 - The Resurrection

Acts 2:24 (ESV)

24 God raised him up, loosing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it.

Peter’s reasoning is Psalm 16:8-11 in Acts 2:25-31

Acts 2:25–31 (ESV)

25 For David says concerning him,

“ ‘I saw the Lord always before me, for he is at my right hand that I may not be shaken;

26 therefore my heart was glad, and my tongue rejoiced; my flesh also will dwell in hope.

27 For you will not abandon my soul to Hades, or let your Holy One see corruption.

28 You have made known to me the paths of life; you will make me full of gladness with your presence.’

29 “Brothers, I may say to you with confidence about the patriarch David that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day.

30 Being therefore a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that he would set one of his descendants on his throne, (Psalm 132:11-12)

31 he foresaw and spoke about the resurrection of the Christ, that he was not abandoned to Hades, nor did his flesh see corruption.

Acts 2:32 (ESV)

32 This Jesus God raised up, and of that we all are witnesses.

Peter says, David was speaking about the resurrection of the Messiah — the Holy One of God — The Christ — a thousand years before it took place.

Peter calls David a Prophet in this sense

How aware was David of this?

Did he see some kind of vision of this?

Is this what he wrote about?

Psalm 110 - The Ascension

speaking of the Ascension

Acts 2:33 (ESV)

33 Being therefore exalted at the right hand of God...

Peter’s justification for this is psalm 110

(the most quoted psalm in the NT) and a clear Messianic Psalm —

meaning the Jews understood this to be talking about the Messiah — the Christ.

Acts 2:34–35 (ESV)

34 For David did not ascend into the heavens, but he himself says, “ ‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at my right hand, 35 until I make your enemies your footstool.” ’

Was this some kind of vision that David had as he saw the Lord sitting at the right hand of God the Father?

Evidently

Peter’s conclusion then is since

not only did Jesus live a life of Kingdom Power — greater miracles than the prophets of old

not only did Jesus die the atoning death for sin as the lamb of God

not only did Jesus resurrect from death as foretold

but he infact ascneded to heaven and is at the right hand of the father

Therefore this Jesus is the Christ

He is the Lord and Savior foretold centuries before.

Gospel Response

What is the response to these astounding claims?

These claims would have made sense to a Jewish population familiar with the scriptures and in anticipation of the Messiah.

Conviction

Acts 2:37 (ESV)

37 Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?”

Their eyes are opened

The believe what Peter has said

They want to know — what do we do? How can we be saved?

Conversion

Acts 2:38 (ESV)

38 And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Repent = to turn away, to change allegience

Look how Paul describes it in Acts 26:18 his defense before King Agrippa

Acts 26:18 (ESV)

18 to open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.’

This first act of Repentance is to confess that you have sinned, followed other Gods and separated yourself from God

You recieve the forgivness of sin by the atoning death of Jesus in your place

You are then reconciled to God, placed in the family of God by faith and have a relationship with God again.

Commissioned

But it doesn’t end there.

Acts 2:38–41 (ESV)

38 And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins,

and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

39 For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself.”

40 And with many other words he bore witness and continued to exhort them, saying, “Save yourselves from this crooked generation.” 41 So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls.

The gift of the Holy Spirt is given.

For what purpose?

To witness to the gospel of Jesus

Acts 1:8 (ESV)

8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

For whom?

“This promise is for you, your children, those near and those far off”

to the ends of the earth.

By what power?

“To all whom the Lord calls to Himself”

it is still a sovereign work of the Lord

that is important to remember — God saves people, we do not.

Revival

3000 people give their life to Jesus and are commissioned on the spot to take the gospel back to their home land.

It’s the very first revival

how many of those 3000 you think were from Jerusalem?

we counted 15 nations that were present for this sermon.

I’m assuming many of them full with the same Holy Spirit took this gospel message to their homes.

It was the first massive missionary movement.

The Church in Rome

One example of this is Paul writing to the Church in Rome probably around 57 AD.

He is clear in the opening comments that he has yet to make to Rome.

Romans 1:10 (ESV)

10 always in my prayers, asking that somehow by God’s will I may now at last succeed in coming to you.

Romans 1:13 (ESV)

13 I do not want you to be unaware, brothers, that I have often intended to come to you (but thus far have been prevented), in order that I may reap some harvest among you as well as among the rest of the Gentiles.

Who planted the Church in Rome?

presumably some of the people who were present here at Peter’s Pentecost Sermon

Acts 2:10 (ESV)

10 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome,

The Pattern

The Holy Spirit comes in Power

A work of God is performed (dispered languages) by the Spirit

The Gospel is Preached in the power of the Spirit

People Respond in faith and repentance by the power of the Spirit

Those who were saved and now sent to proclaim the same life changing gospel message by the power of the same Holy Spirit.

For now

Here’s the amazing news!

This is still true for you and I.

This Gospel of Jesus is what has saved us

This Gospel of Jesus is now what we are called to proclaim to the nations.

We are still called to Acts 1:8 — to witness to Jesus by the power of the Spirit.

What if we lived expectantly that God was going to show up in power when we witness to Jesus?

Response

Have you come to Christ yet?

Have you recieved the forgivness of your sins?

Have you recieved the gift of the Holy Spirit? God’s very presence in yoru life?

If not, do so now

Today is the day.

Enter into a new life

A life of freedom from the condenmation of sin

free from shame and guilt

A life of power in the Spirit of God to live for Jesus

Is your life a Witness to Jesus?

in your words, your works and even wonders.

We’ve been saved from the horrors of hell — amen!

but we’ve been saved to something far greater

a real-vibrant-life with God

a life of expectancy

This is how we witness to Jesus

it is having a reason for the hope within us (1 Pet 3:15)

it is in how we suffer — not as those without hope

it is how we sacrifice for one another

it is how we serve the needy, the broken, the lost

it is in our testimony to God’s work in our life

it is in our preaching the gospel with our lives

with our words, our works and our wonders.

You are God’s messenger — equipped to pass on the message in a way that others can understand it.

Call to come to Christ or Re-commit to Christ

i want to call you to respond

If you want to give your life to Christ today and experince new birth

If you want to re-commit to Christ today

I want you to go ahead and come forward and we’d like to pray for you.