The Promise Is For You
A Church For Everyone • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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· 7 viewsEmphasis on a response to belief in Jesus. The promise is for all.
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A Church for Everyone: The Promise is for You
A Church for Everyone: The Promise is for You
Recap
Jesus died and rose
Spent 40 days with his disciples and appearing to even more
Jesus ascended and told his disciples to wait for his spirit
12 Then the apostles returned to Jerusalem from the hill called the Mount of Olives, a Sabbath day’s walk from the city.
13 When they arrived, they went upstairs to the room where they were staying. Those present were Peter, John, James and Andrew; Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew; James son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot, and Judas son of James.
14 They all joined together constantly in prayer, along with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers.
15 In those days Peter stood up among the believers (a group numbering about a hundred and twenty)
During the days of their waiting, Peter prompts them to replace Judas from among the twelve apostles, which was for the fulfillment of prophecy.
16 and said, “Brothers and sisters, the Scripture had to be fulfilled in which the Holy Spirit spoke long ago through David concerning Judas, who served as guide for those who arrested Jesus.
17 He was one of our number and shared in our ministry.”
18 (With the payment he received for his wickedness, Judas bought a field; there he fell headlong, his body burst open and all his intestines spilled out.
19 Everyone in Jerusalem heard about this, so they called that field in their language Akeldama, that is, Field of Blood.)
20 “For,” said Peter, “it is written in the Book of Psalms: “ ‘May his place be deserted; let there be no one to dwell in it,’ and, “ ‘May another take his place of leadership.’
21 Therefore it is necessary to choose one of the men who have been with us the whole time the Lord Jesus was living among us,
22 beginning from John’s baptism to the time when Jesus was taken up from us. For one of these must become a witness with us of his resurrection.”
Here is what was unique about the apostles and their role. They were with Jesus from the beginning and served as his primary witnesses for the resurrection.
23 So they nominated two men: Joseph called Barsabbas (also known as Justus) and Matthias.
24 Then they prayed, “Lord, you know everyone’s heart. Show us which of these two you have chosen
25 to take over this apostolic ministry, which Judas left to go where he belongs.”
26 Then they cast lots, and the lot fell to Matthias; so he was added to the eleven apostles.
1 When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place.
Ten days after the ascension.
Pentecost is 50 days after passover and Jews from all over the world would migrate to Jerusalem.
This is still the 120 disciples.
This is most likely the temple
2 Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting.
3 They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them.
4 All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.
5 Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven.
6 When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard their own language being spoken.
7 Utterly amazed, they asked: “Aren’t all these who are speaking Galileans?
8 Then how is it that each of us hears them in our native language?
9 Parthians, Medes and Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia,
10 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome
11 (both Jews and converts to Judaism); Cretans and Arabs—we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!”
12 Amazed and perplexed, they asked one another, “What does this mean?”
13 Some, however, made fun of them and said, “They have had too much wine.”
14 Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice and addressed the crowd: “Fellow Jews and all of you who live in Jerusalem, let me explain this to you; listen carefully to what I say.
15 These people are not drunk, as you suppose. It’s only nine in the morning!
16 No, this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel:
17 “ ‘In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams.
18 Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy.
19 I will show wonders in the heavens above and signs on the earth below, blood and fire and billows of smoke.
20 The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord.
21 And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’
Peter is explaining that this crazy moment is something Joel foretold.
That this speaking in tongues is by the Spirit of God.
Joel says, “in the last days” and Peter says this is that!
Men and women prophesying and also great signs - judgement day language. To the Jew, they understood that any “day of the Lord” was both a day of salvation and a day of judgement - it just depended on which side you were on.
This is a bold assertion by Peter and isn’t exactly a fool-proof explanation of the speaking in tongues - though it is plausible. But now that he has the attention of the crowd, he explains and argues WHY all of this is happening.
22 “Fellow Israelites, listen to this: Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs, which God did among you through him, as you yourselves know.
They know Jesus. They are aware of his signs and miracles.
23 This man was handed over to you by God’s deliberate plan and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the cross.
24 But God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him.
Whoa, Peter, that’s another big claim. He’s going to have to back that up. He’s going to have to give book, chapter, and verse - and that’s exactly what he does. He said if you would open your hymnals to number 454, I’ll show you. He quotes a Psalm of David that all would be familiar with, if not fully memorized.
25 David said about him: “ ‘I saw the Lord always before me. Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.
26 Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will rest in hope,
27 because you will not abandon me to the realm of the dead, you will not let your holy one see decay.
28 You have made known to me the paths of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence.’
Peter just opened their eyes to what this Psalm really means - a Psalm that they have heard all their life. They thought this was a psalm of David, from his perspective. But Peter explains...
29 “Fellow Israelites, I can tell you confidently that the patriarch David died and was buried, and his tomb is here to this day.
It couldn’t be about David. He is dead. They’ve all been to the King David National Monument...that song isn’t about David.
That may seem super obvious, how could they miss that? It’s obvious that couldn’t be about David. Let me show you how that can happen. I’m going to open your eyes to a song.
Now this only works if you know the song, so we’ll sing it first.
I Come to the Garden, v1, chorus
What is this song about? A nice stroll with Jesus? No.
[explain the song and visit verse 3]
Just like you are having a revelation about this song, the Jews were having a revelation about their song - except their song was an inspired prophecy. Imagine how the minds of the Jews are scrambling to make sense of it all and the ramifications that come flooding in. Peter continues to explain and make his argument.
30 But he was a prophet and knew that God had promised him on oath that he would place one of his descendants on his throne.
31 Seeing what was to come, he spoke of the resurrection of the Messiah, that he was not abandoned to the realm of the dead, nor did his body see decay.
32 God has raised this Jesus to life, and we are all witnesses of it.
Peter and the eleven.
33 Exalted to the right hand of God, he has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit and has poured out what you now see and hear.
Then Peter references another Psalm thought to be about David:
34 For David did not ascend to heaven, and yet he said, “ ‘The Lord said to my Lord: “Sit at my right hand
35 until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.” ’
36 “Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah.”
37 When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?”
The argument holds and they are convicted. Peter made sense of Jesus and these “last days” using the prophet Joel and Psalms that they all knew. Imagine the despair that would wash through your mind in that moment. “We killed him...”
38 Peter replied, “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 The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.”
This isn’t a one off forgiveness for the hearers, but for their families, their descendents, and EVERYONE. This is a new thing. Remember the judgement language, the “last days” language. This is the beginning of something new. This is the beginning of the church.
40 With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, “Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.”
He kept preaching.
41 Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day.
42 They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.
43 Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles.
44 All the believers were together and had everything in common.
45 They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need.
46 Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts,
47 praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.
A new community is formed. A family of glad and sincere hearts.
These are the blessings of being a disicple of Christ in a nutshell. Forgiveness, the gift of the Holy Spirit, and a family of believers.
The promise is for everyone. It’s for you. For the believer, this story is a happy history in our faith. But if you are outside of Christ, this is a story of promise.
Believe Jesus is Lord and Messiah. Repent and be baptized.
