The Cutting Message
Ekklesia • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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Transcript
Text: Acts 2:1-41
Central Idea of the Text: Christ appoints High Level Leaders for High Level Tasks.
Proposition: For the work of God to continue, it will require faithful witnesses, some who will be appointed to specific roles.
Purpose: All hearers should be prepared to articulate a story of what Jesus has done for them.
Intro
The commercial was iconic and it got the message across. It was simple, with a man dressed in a grey work jacket and work pants. He wore glasses. And all he did for the whole commercial was one thing. He took one step, and then another. Cell phone in his hand, you would simply hear the same phrase over and over and over again: “Can you hear me now?
The point of the commercial was clear and memorable. Verizon was working to make sure that they could be heard in the most locations nationwide. And you could almost imagine them actually sending a worker out to actually do this.
Central to the human experience: A desire to clearly speak, a desire to clearly listen, a desire to know that which is TRUE.
Paul reminds us of this centrality of communication in the transformation of a human heart: Rom 10:14-15
How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!”
Verizon: Can you Hear me now
Transition
A Different Sort of Text
Pray.
The Significance of the Great Confession … Matthew 16:13-20
Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” And they said, “Some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” Then he strictly charged the disciples to tell no one that he was the Christ.
If the Apostles are the Missiles … the sent ones who make disciples wherever they go
Ground Zero: Jerusalem
The Occasion: Pentecost … The Feast of Weeks … Noting Exodus 23:16 “You shall keep the Feast of Harvest, of the firstfruits of your labor, of what you sow in the field. You shall keep the Feast of Ingathering at the end of the year, when you gather in from the field the fruit of your labor.” Deuteronomy 16:9 ““You shall count seven weeks. Begin to count the seven weeks from the time the sickle is first put to the standing grain.”
What is to be Launched: The church and her beautiful Central Message: the Gospel
Body
The Message is Meant to be Heard.
The Message is Meant to be Heard.
When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance. Now there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men from every nation under heaven. And at this sound the multitude came together, and they were bewildered, because each one was hearing them speak in his own language. And they were amazed and astonished, saying, “Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? And how is it that we hear, each of us in his own native language? Parthians and Medes and Elamites and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabians—we hear them telling in our own tongues the mighty works of God.” And all were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, “What does this mean?” But others mocking said, “They are filled with new wine.”
Meaning of Tongues/ Glossalia … Languages ...
HS Power … A one time event? Or regulative of the church? … Look at the bulk of Acts and at the instructions to the churches.
The difference between the gifts of the Spirit (Romans 12:6-8, 1 Cor 12:4-11, Eph 4:11) & the Fruit of the Spirit (Gal 5:22-23)
Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads, with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness.
Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. For to one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the ability to distinguish between spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills.
And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers,
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.
God’s intention in order and purpose. What is his order? To be Understood. What is his purpose? To grow his church.
Ultimately this is an undoing of the pride of what happened at the Tower of Babel.
The aim of the message where we are: For it to be understood.
The Message is meant to be Proclaimed.
The Message is meant to be Proclaimed.
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. For these people are not drunk, as you suppose, since it is only the third hour of the day. But this is what was uttered through the prophet Joel: “ ‘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; even on my male servants and female servants in those days I will pour out my Spirit, and they shall prophesy. And I will show wonders in the heavens above and signs on the earth below, blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke; the sun shall be turned to darkness and the moon to blood, before the day of the Lord comes, the great and magnificent day. And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.’ “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— this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men. God raised him up, loosing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it. 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; therefore my heart was glad, and my tongue rejoiced; my flesh also will dwell in hope. For you will not abandon my soul to Hades, or let your Holy One see corruption. You have made known to me the paths of life; you will make me full of gladness with your presence.’ “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. 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, he foresaw and spoke about the resurrection of the Christ, that he was not abandoned to Hades, nor did his flesh see corruption. This Jesus God raised up, and of that we all are witnesses. 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. For David did not ascend into the heavens, but he himself says, “ ‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool.” ’ Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.”
The one who speaks up: Peter
His Drawn audience: Jewish believers from many nations.
Message in 4 Points:
1. What is Happening Now? Fulfilled Prophecy of Joel. Joel 2:28-32
“And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions. Even on the male and female servants in those days I will pour out my Spirit. “And I will show wonders in the heavens and on the earth, blood and fire and columns of smoke. The sun shall be turned to darkness, and the moon to blood, before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes. And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved. For in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there shall be those who escape, as the Lord has said, and among the survivors shall be those whom the Lord calls.
2. What Happened to before this Happened? Jesus, the Messiah, Arose. Ps 16:8-11
I have set the Lord always before me; because he is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken. Therefore my heart is glad, and my whole being rejoices; my flesh also dwells secure. For you will not abandon my soul to Sheol, or let your holy one see corruption. You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.
3. Why are those events connected? Because of a Person: Jesus … the Exalted One is Sending His Spirit & Has All Authority. Ps. 110:1
The Lord says to my Lord: “Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool.”
4. What does this have to do with me? You Killed Him.
The message is tailored to eternally damage the pride of man, and call people to the Gospel Message. It is the Power of God to All who believe: Rom 1:16
For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.
Ultimately, these truths are at the core of every message of the Gospel: God had done something a great saving work, and it was your sin that necessitated it.
The Message is meant to Find a Home.
The Message is meant to Find a Home.
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?” 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. 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.” And with many other words he bore witness and continued to exhort them, saying, “Save yourselves from this crooked generation.” So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls.
Hearers cut to the heart. Good Soil. Receiving the Word of God.
We are not saved by works. But our salvation calls for works in Obedience to Christ as our savior and Lord.
What should we do? Repent! Be Baptized!
What will you receive? The GIFT of the Holy Spirit.
Who is this for? ALL who hear and receive it.
Every proclamation of the Word is to be a call for response. Not one for manipulation and for allowance of space for decision and for God to move.
Summary
The ultimate aim of the church: To preach the good news & to call for a response from the Lost. This is how we build the Church.
We Celebrate it in every heart that turns.
In every Faithful family.
In every Solid Servant.
In every “Sent One” from our midst.
Invitation
To be used by God’s Spirit
To speak the message
To Respond to Jesus
