The Gospel Goes Forward

Intro

Last week we saw as Peter started to engage the culture and after doing so the Gospel goes forward without compromise and out of engaging the culture 3,000 souls were saved.

One of my favorite songs is by Ryan Stevenson, The Gospel:

A restless generation

We’re turning over every stone

Hoping to find salvation

In a world that’s left us cold

Can we get back to the altar?

Back to the arms of our first love

There’s only one way to the Father

And He’s calling out to us

To the captive, it looks like freedom

To the orphan, it feels like home

To the skeptic, it might sound crazy

To believe in a God who loves

In a world, where our hearts are breaking

And we’re lost in the mess we’ve made

Like a blinding light, in the dead of night

It’s the Gospel

The Gospel that makes a way

It’s the Gospel that makes a way

The Only Plan (v. 22-24)

What is this definite plan talked about here in Acts?

God putting on human flesh

To be tempted in all ways

Hebrews 4:15 ESV

For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.

Tempted in all ways but never sinned

Lived a life to set an example of how we should live a holy life

Pay the price for our sin

Crucifixion, his wrath being poured out upon himself

God who must sentence sinners to death fought with God who wishes to love them. The fact that this fighting God is not two different gods but the same God causes his pain. Here heart is opposed to heart within God. “God oped the way for man’s atonement by experiencing unspeakable suffering, going through agonies, and offering himself as sacrifice.” the doctrine of atonement is to illuminate this process of his agonies. -Kazoh Kitamori

The crucifixion was part of God’s plan since the beginning of time

A part of his plan that displays how serious he takes His glory, how he desires his creation to have free will, and it shows the depth of his redeeming love

God knew mankind would betray him, and in knowing that he had a plan to redeem us

Ephesians 1:3–6 ESV

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved.

Realize God did not have to plan to redeem us, He would have been just and leaving us in our sin to perish

A couple reasons I believe why God created us and planned to redeem us:

1. Is it really love if we are forced to love?

I believe God desires we choose to love him, not simply love him out of obligation (because we are programmed to)

God wants a true heart behind our actions

1 Samuel 16:7 ESV

But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.”

Why do we do what we do? We as the church have to ask ourselve the question Paul Washer gives in a sermon:

“Are you really doing it for God or is it all about you in God’s name?”

2. The fullness of God’s character is revealed

Without the fall of man certain elements of God’s character would not been able to be evident. Those characteristics are:

Wrath

justice

Mercy

Grace

These four things make us realize how deep the Father’s love is for us

In these four things we see how serious sin is and how offensive sin is

And the fact God will redeem and forgive us from these great offenses paints a beautiful picture of his love for us

Isaiah 6:3 ESV

And one called to another and said: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!”

When we truly grasp the plan how does our life look?

The Gospel Impact on Our Lives (v. 25-28)

I want to sahre with you 3 ways Peter pulls from Psalm 16:

Unshakable

we can have an unshakable faith knowing we serve the Lord of armies, the Lord who stands by our side

This means we can walk into any situation God calls us into with all boldness, because we do not stand there by our confidence but the Lords

I preach with he enthusiasm and boldness I do because I walk in the confidence of the Lord, not my confidence

We pray with the person at work the gas pump, etc. not because we are confident in what we can do, but with what our God can do

The reason we can rebuke the enemy that prowls around like a roaring lion is not by our confidence, but the Lord’s

The reason i have been able to tell the devil to leave, is not by my power but the Lord’s

Hope

When we dwell in hope it allows us to be joyful despite any circumstance of this world

Our hope is a confident expectation in the promises of God

what a freeing way to live knowing God has a plan of redemption of our souls and pain

That our walk in Him in this world will bear much fruit if we stay the path

This means we pray with a confident expectation of God to listen

i think of Mrs. Maxine praying for someone to come visit on a Sunday

This means we share the Gospel with a confident expectation

Isaiah 55:10–11 ESV

“For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return there but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.

Let us remember God’s plan is fulfilled even if we do not understand what is going on

Guarded against corruption

Our life is covered in the blood of Christ and death no longer has dominion over us

Isaiah 43:18–19 ESV

“Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.

We have been freed from destruction, the Lord has made us a new creation, we no longer have to dwell on ways of spiritual self harm, God has prepared us a way in the wilderness of this world, that will protect us and glorify him

The Gospel goes Forward (v 29-41)

We go on to read of David pointing forward to Christ, and as David had that responsibility we have the same responsibility to do so

We have no excuse not to do so, David is known as a man after God’s heart, and he had some big failures, but despite the failures he did not retreat from making God known

You may be going Brother Austin you don’t know my past people are not going to listen to me

I don’t know your past, but I know David’s and how God used him and that man was a murderer and rapist

Yes there are consequences to your actions, because God chastises those he loves, but he also does not stop using his children for his kingdom work

Do not be so prideful that you think you are so big of a mess up you can derail God’s plan

that is a lie the devil loves for you to believe because in a messed up way you are making yourself “bigger” than God

the Gospel going forward does not depend on us, the Spirit of God takes it forward and He chooses to use us as a vessel to do so

Acts 2:37–38 ESV

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.

Unbeliever this morning has the Word cut to your heart, the response to this cutting is the same as it was 2,000 years ago, repent and be baptized and walk in the forgiveness and power of the Holy Spirit.

Believer has the Word convicted you on ways that you are failing to walk in the forgiveness of the Lord and in the power of the Holy Spirit, repent and lay down the burden and walk the way you were meant to