What is our Soul?

Background

If we have not had the pleasure of meeting my name is John Colunga and I have the privilige of serving as lead pastor here at New Day Pasadena

I also have the privilige of bringing this weeks sermon

So if you have your Bibles, please turn to Acts 2:36-41

If you forgot your Bible please use the one in front of you and if you dont have a Bible at all, please take home the one in front of you as a free gift to you

The next two weeks we are going to be looking at the end of Acts 2 and today is going to be a set up sermon to our next sermon series called Soul Care

Starting next week, we will have a 4 week sermon series on caring for your soul

So much of todays culture focuses on mental and physical health

And this is a good thing - This is needed

But what about the health of our souls?

Why is this often neglected?

To some, the soul simply doesnt exist (we live how we want - YOLO - no afterlife)

To some, the soul exists solely as a means of happieness (The way I am wired/operate is to make me happy)

To some, the soul exists as a means of vibrations and feeling (Gut feeling - Good/bad vibes - energy - etc.)

But what is a soul to the Christian?

How should believers in Jesus Christ view the soul?

What is the Christian stance on the soul?

In individual terms - What do you believe the function of your soul is and is it congruent with scripture?

As you read all throughout scripture there are clear depictions that we have a soul

And because this comes from scripture itself, we see many great preachers and theologians highlight the distinction betweeen the physical body and the soul

As a tie in from last weeks sermon to this week - I found this quote from The Prince of Preachers Charles Spurgeon - He states, “I am no preacher of the old legal Sabbath. I am a preacher of the gospel. The Sabbath of the Jew is to him a task; the Lord's Day of the Christian, the first day of the week, is to him a joy, a day of rest, of peace, and of thanksgiving. And if you Christian men can earnestly drive away all distractions, so that you can really rest today, it will be good for your bodies, good for your souls, good mentally, good spiritually, good temporally, and good eternally.

And what Spurgeon does is take the principles of the Sabbath rest and attributes them to the Lords Day - That is a joy, a day of rest and peace in Christ

And this is good for the Christian for the physical body but also good for the soul

There is a disctinction between the two

And so today, we will be going to scripture in Acts 2 to find truths about what our soul is so that we can have a starting point as to how we are to care for it

Acts 2 Background

What we find in Acts chapter 2 is the fulfillment of what Jesus said in John 16:7 “Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you.”

And in chapter 2 following Jesus’ death, resurrection, and assention - The Holy Spirit comes

And this happens on the Day of Pentacost

Pentacost - was the fiftieth day after the passover week

And so remember in Jewish tradition they had the passover week in which Jesus fulfilled and instituded the Lords Supper

And now the day of pentacost - which was traditionally held on the first day of the week as a great feast because the people brought forward the first of their harvest

And this day symbolizes the giving of the law - the giving of the ten commandments

Remember that the Passover happens in Exodus 12 and the giving of the law happens in Exodus 20

And so on thisday of pentacost - the day that celebrates the giving of the law - we now find the giving of the Holy Spirit

And through the working of the Holy Spirit - the people were able to hear one another in their native tongue

This is to say that I would be speaking english but the german speaker, as I was speaking english - understood me as if I was speaking german

They were hearing their own language

And through this working - the people were able to hear and understand Peter in their native language even though he was only speaking one language

And he stood up and he gave what is referred to as the first “Christian Sermon”

And it is in this sermon that he relates the Old Testament prophecy to the fulfillment of the prophecy

And he starts out by quoting Joel 2:28-32 which fortells the comming of the Holy Spirit and the power of the Holy Spirit

And then he expounds on the text by relating the works that are happening through the Holy Spirit as the works that can only come from God

As the works that Jesus of Nazareth did while he was on earth

But the greatest miracle of all is that this same Jesus that you condemed to death - was actually carrying the plan that God had set forth before time

The plan that Jesus was to die but arise from the grave on the third day

And then he goes on to quote Psalm 16 - a Psalm of David

And he reveals to the people that what King David is saying is that he believes God when GOd said that through his line would come an everlasting King - And this Jesus who you crucified is that King

But the King is not dead - he is alive

And maybe you remember Psalm 110 from our Psalms series but it is this Psalm that Peter then quotes where King David sees and hears God the Father telling God the Son to sit at his right hand until the second comming

That one day all of the enemies of God will be no more on the earth

And this is where we will pick up today

If you are able to stand, I ask that you please do so for the reading of God’s word. I’ll read it as you follow along,

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.” 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?” 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.

This is the Word of the Lord, you may now be seated

Jesus Crucified for the Soul

You Crucified

Peter declares that for certain, God has made Jesus both Lord and Christ

This is where we get “Jesus our Lord and Savior from”

God has made Jesus Lord - Jesus had to have authority and complete power as Lord to conquer sin and death

Jesus in his physical form could not conquer sin and death

But Jesus as the full nature of God dwelling within the body could

And so Jesus conqueres as Lord of all and has authority over all which means everything is under him and should be submissive to Him

This is the part of Christianity that most take issue with

Everybody likes the Savior part

Jesus being Christ (anointed one) was anointed to save God’s people

And so it is easy to proclaim Jesus as Christ and Savior

but it is hard to proclaim his as Lord

Why?

What is the reason for this?

Creation and the Fall

Lets go to the beginning Genesis 2:7 “then the Lord God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature.”

So lets take note that the body was formed first - the body was there but there was no life

And so God breathes life into man

Man becomes a living creature because of Gods breath

Because God gives the physical body a soul

There is purpose both for the body and for the soul

Genesis 2:15-17 “The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it. And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, “You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.””

The body is to take care of Gods creation while the soul is to remain unified with God the father in obedience

And then immediately after in chapter 3 we see the fall of man

We find that Satan decieves both the body and the soul - the fruit looked good for eating and is able to make them wise like God

Adam and Eve disobey God and eat from the tree and what we find is that the death God has spoken about - it wasnt a physical death but a spiritual one

The body did not fall and die but the soul of man was now depraved and separated from God the Father

And so what we find through the scriptures is that the depravity of the fallen souls continues on to every human soul born after Adam and Eve

Immediately we see the depravity through Cain and Abel

And this same depravity of the soul continues on to us

We, as human beings are born with a physical body and a soul

And while Gods intention and design was for our soul to be one with him - through one mans action all have been separated by God

And so we must submit first and foremost that we have all fallen short of the glory of God

That from birth your desires have been contrary to God’s

And maybe you arent there, maybe you do believe that we are born naturally good -

To you I would say that the outcome of your belief is the same

If you are here today, and you have told one lie, thought one bad thought, failed to appropriately love or give mercy and justice - you have fallen short of God’s standard of perfection and therefore your soul is seperated from God and is in need of saving

And because you have sinned, because you have fallen short of the glory of God - Jesus had to die to pay the price for our sins - Peter is telling the people there that they physically and spiritually put Jesus on the cross

And while we are not here yelling “crucify him” “crucify him” “Free Barrabbas and crucify Jesus”

Our every act of disobedience and of sin is what put Jesus Christ on the cross

And our response to this must be the same response from the text

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?”

Brothers and sisters - Think about your conversion - think about the time when you realized I have fallen short and need Jesus to save you

Think about the time when you finally understood that Jesus willingly died for you

That Jesus did die for your temporary body but for your eternal soul

These realizations are due to your heart being cut and grieved

And with a cut and grieved heart you clung the Holy Spirit leads you into the realization that you need Jesus as Lord and Savior

And so Peter tells us the appropriate response to this cut heart

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.”

Misconceptions

Unfortunately, this text has brought about some misconceptions concerning the soul

However, the principles of what is said remains

Repentance is part of justification

Every believer is called to repentance

Every believer in Jesus Christ must have had a pierced heart for Christ that causes them to ask for forgiveness

The repentance is that we ask for forgivenes for the wrong that we have done - and not the wrong as defined by human standards but the wrong as defined by God’s standards

And so when a Christian repents - they change their mind from their old ways and is moved into new actions

And so repentance is an outward sign of our changed heart and of our faith

If there is no faith - there would be no reason to ask for forgiveness

But the faith in Jesus as the one who fulfilled the prohpecies, as the one who makes us right with God, as the one who conquered sin and death - leads us into action

And so lets be clear that it is your soul that has faith, not your body

Your body needs the tangible - your body requires sight, touch, hearing, smelling - you have to see to believe

But your soul - Your soul does what your physical body cant - Your soul trusts not in the seen but in the unseen

The soul of your heart is what is pierced and is what causes your physical body to spring into action

So the action of repentance is not what saves

However - Repentance is something that is given by God and his grace that accompanies salvation given by Him

Acts 5:31 “God exalted him at his right hand as Leader and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins.”

Acts 11:18 “When they heard these things they fell silent. And they glorified God, saying, “Then to the Gentiles also God has granted repentance that leads to life.””

So while the action of repentance doesnt save - repentance has to accompany faith

Baptism is required for salvation

Baptism is the sign and seal of the forgiveness of sins

And so we must also realize that the act of baptism doesnt save but is a sign of a pierced and changed soul

Your physical baptism does not save you - it is the faith you have in Jesus

But it is because of your faith that Baptism is done as a physical act of obedience

So Peter highlights repentance and baptisms as outward physical signs of a changed heart and repentance

But that it is Jesus who forgives and makes your heart whole again

Baptism in Jesus name alone

There are some who take this verse and when they baptize others, they only baptize in the name of Jesus and not of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit

But what Peter is doing here, is not suggesting that we baptize only in Jesus’ name but that because the gospel is central to Jesus - Because Jesus is the one who died for our souls, Jesus is the one who forgives and makes our heart whole

And so we are obedient to the Great Commission - which was actually given by Jesus - to Baptizing in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit

We do know and understand that Jesus is the one who carried out the work of Salvation but the plan of salvation was not exclusive to Christ - But that every member of the trinity plays a role in the redemption of mankind

So when we baptize we do it in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit

Holy Spirit only by Baptism

Another misconception of the soul is that the Holy Spirit is only received after physical baptism

Again, this is not what Peter is trying to convey

If baptism is not necessary for salvation - then the Holy Spirit does dwell within the believer form the moment that their heart is changed

As a matter of fact - Baptism is outward sign of the Holy Spirit working in the believers life

To want to live in obedience and in accordance with what Jesus has taught

Children are Automatically Saved

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

From scripture, there are blessings that come from having believing parents

I do believe that God can use parents as a primary influence to draw them to himself

But the promise here is not that children are automatically saved

But rather - Christs work isn’t exclusive to a small group of people

It isnt exlusive to a specific ethnicity or gender

But that Christ came for the Jew and the gentile

For the male and female

For everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself

We need to focus on the beauty of the ending of this statement

That the Lord can call anyone he wants unto himself

And so as a community of covenant believers we come together to help raise the kids in the Lord

Johnny dedicates his sons to the Lord to say that I will raise them up your way and we as a community assist Jonny in raising them up in the Lord

And we pray for Johnny and we pray for the boys that God would call them and reveal himself to them and we have hope in God’s love, mercy, and grace that he will answer our prayer as a community and draw the boys to him

To the point where their souls are pierced for God and repent and faith in Jesus

And this is why we, as a community cannot discount our role we play with one another in the building up of the body of Christ

And so we end with verses 40-41

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.

Application

Many of us would read this and think, this still applies

Look at all of the crookedness going on

And at the end, the exhortation is not to be like the world but - to be saved

And to be saved is not just a physical state

But a spiritual state of the soul

Our soul is given by God and is redeemed by God

God is the author and sustainer of life

Gos is the one who preserves our soul

And our soul will either be justified before him because of Jesus

Or our soul will be preserved for justice and punishment in hell

And this is not a scare tactic - this is biblical truth

That is why the exhortation here is for you to repent and follow Jesus

Not the ways of this world - This earth will pass away but God has made a way for you to be saved

To be redeemed

And this redemption is important because it isnt a redemption of your physical body but of our soul

Our soul is independant from the body and is eternal

Mat 10:28 “And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.”

The soul can exist without the body but the body cannot exist without the soul

Dont live for the physical - Do not focus on the physical

Satan wants us to be distracted with the affairs of the world

And when we are concerned with the things of the world, it is easy to care or fear about what it might think of you

However, when we care about the affairs of the eternal - when we focus on following Gods ways

When we care for the eternal state of the ouls of our friends, family, and neighbors

How much more praying do you think will do?

How many more bold and biblical conversations will you have?

How might your outlook on life or priorities in life change?

When we give our lives to Christ, it should impact the way we think, the way we talk, the way we act

And this is why our third application is important for us

Our soul needs to be in tune with the Holy Spirit and nurtured while we live on earth

I pray that we are community of believers that are cut at the heart when we fall into sin

I pray that we do not take our redemption for granted and seek to live lives that are pleasing to the Lord

We must always be in a posture of humility and of learning

Do we read the bible to check a box or do we truly believe that when we read God’s word - the Holy Spirit moves in such a way where it can convict, teach, and speak to you by what you read?

And maybe you are believing thee words for the first time

Not my words - but the word of God

(Gospel Message)

Our soul is our life - our soul is eternal - and our soul must be in a posture of total submission to Him, the one who paid it all, Jesus

Child Dedication

Child Dedication

The church is truly a beautiful thing. A spiritual family. We do life together. From the beginning of life on earth, to the end of life.

Today we get to partake in the sacred moment of dedicating 2 children to the Lord

INVITE Johnny

In Matthew 19 we see the passage where Jesus invites the little children to come to them

This is important because it reveals Jesus’ heart for people of all ages

It all gives children dignity and value in the church

Church is not just for adults or any one kind or person, church is for anyone that seeks God, inlcuding children in their own way

Today, Johnny is coming forward to say that he wants to dedicate his boys to the Lord

Psalm 127:3-4

3Children are a heritage from the Lord,

offspring a reward from him.

4Like arrows in the hands of a warrior

are children born in one’s youth.

Deut. 6:6-7

6 And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. 7 You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.

Why is child dedication important?

It’s a moment to dedicate our children to God - When we gather God is uniqely present with us. We honor God by showing we know He is the giver of every child

It’s a moment to invite the church to support us in our journey to raise our kids in God’s ways

When you give something to God, He does far more than we could ever do on our own

Johnny will you introduce your boys?

(1) What is your child's full name?

(2) What is your child's age?

(3) What is one sweet thing you'd like to share about your child?

Children:

Noah and Cameron

Vows:

Vows to parents and congregation: (At this time I will recite a set of vows to the parents first, and then the congregation. If you affirm these statements, please respond with “I Do.”

(Johnny) : “Do you commit to love these boys, protect them, and point them to Jesus Christ in all things?” --- We do.

New Day Church: “Do you commit to walk alongside Johnny, to support Johnny, to love these boys and to help raise him/her up in the image of Jesus Christ?” --- We do.

Gift on behalf of New Day Church

Prayer of dedication for the children at the end - Invite church to extend a hand forward to pray with us in spirit

Announcements

Introduce Dillon and Raquel

Connect Card - Please fill out, we want to connect with you

We want to be Kingdom Minded what is your response? - giving, serving, response to Christ

We will have a church work day on Saturday August 19th from 9am-1pm

Community Group Sign Ups - (Sept.) Meet Every Wednesday (1st Wednesday Midweek gathering)

2 Groups (Deer Park/Pasadena and South Houston/Pasadena area)

Sign Up out in the foyer or Online

New Service Time Change on August 20th - 9:15am for Sunday School and 10:30am for worship

‌New Day Reading Plan - Mon-Fri - 2 Corinthians 2 - 6

Ephesians 3:17-19 “May Christ dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.”