Receiving the Promise-Part VI

Working Intro: If you survey the the world today you will find there are so many religions and beliefs out there to the point where people love to ask the question, “with so many religions who is right.” Even with that question it opens up more questions, “how do I know this religion is right” how does that effect the way I live.” Not every religion is right and also not every church is truly a church. So how can we be assured that here are Cornerstone we are truly a church of Jesus Christ and how do we as individual know we are following the Right Religion. In order to find the answer to this is not to chase after opinions or to pontificate utilizing philosophy and our experiences to know what is true and what to follow but to actually take a look at what the Bible says and teaches on this matter. It is only through the Word of God that we can learn what is true and what is to be followed and what comprises the true church and how you can be a part of the true church. We are going to see this in our study of the book of Acts.

The church growth movement began about a half a century ago. The church growth movement was designed to make the gospel relevant. The movement, as most do, spiraled out of control and lead to methodologies that spoke to peoples felt needs, began using cultural and worldly ideas as ways to fill seat, turning the church into social gatherings with no true conversions. There is to this day methodologies that are pragmatic, basically, “how can we get people in the door.” So now church have become a rock concert with a person coming up and giving a short message that doesn’t feed those there. They give this short messages about love and loving one another. They put together love week and as a a church go out and love the community for a week. All for the purpose of marketing people into the Kingdom. It is a show to being people in. This isn’t biblical. This may be a means of getting people through the doors, and it might be an impact on a society that is selfish and has the give-me give-me give-me mentality and they will go to see what else they can get out of it. The problem is pragmatism, ends justify the means and this is not how the first church in the Bible came into existence. Nor did any church in Scripture come into existence this way. We will see the morning the only thing that grows the real church is not give aways and fun games or even put on a rock concert.

We will see it is God who moves the conscience turns the hearts and calls mankind to Himself.

We are in Acts 2 and we have been studying the first sermon of the Church which was given by the Apostle Peter. Peter has just addressed the community in regard to what God is doing here with these 120 Galileans. They have witnessed a miraculous event in the fact that these men were speaking in languages the crowds were able to understand, the crowds own native languages. This prompted Peter to proclaim a rousing sermon explaining from God’s Word, their own Hebrew Scriptures, the promise of the Holy Spirit. Using Scripture Peter also explains how and why the Holy Spirit has come on them now in such a unique and mighty way. This unique work of the Spirit has come through God’s plan to send His chosen King and Lord to be born of a virgin, be betrayed by a friend, put to death by the people He came to save and be resurrected and enthroned on high.

Working BI: The Promise of the Spirit is Received through those whose consciences are pierced by the Word of God and are moved to turn from their sin and take on the mark of forgiveness which is baptism.

God’s Spirit Moves the Conscience, Turns Hearts and Calls Mankind to Himself.

Look with me at verse 36, Peter ends his sermon with this statement, “Therefore let all the house of Israel know for certain that God has made Him both Lord and Christ-this Jesus whom you crucified.” The therefore here points to all that Peter has said. God has made Jesus both Lord and Christ, He is the King and He is the One whom God has chosen from the beginning of all time to be the King. God has done this work in and through Jesus. I love how Peter ends this, he says, “this Jesus whom you crucified.” Even though it has always been God’s plan to place Jesus on the cross and even though it has always been God’s plan to send Jesus to be King, Mediator and Judge. It doesn’t matter they are still guilty. Those people there are the same ones who 50 days earlier shouted in the streets ‘Crucify Him, Crucify Him.” The sign of this being a fact has come fourth in the reality that the crowds heard them speaking in their own languages which makes this statement so intense that as we are about to see it is going to move them to respond.

Let’s go ahead and look at their response in Acts 2:37-41.

God Moves Man’s Conscience.

In verse 37 we the crowd’s response to what Peter has just preached. Peter, a fisherman from Galilee has just provided an eloquent, exegetical sermon. The thing is it wasn’t Peter’s smile that moved a response it wasn’t Peter’s charismatic charm. Peter didn’t offer them some kind of promise of worldly gain or provide them with worldly things, he didn’t promise an easy life or tell them he go over their house and clean their yards. The one thing Peter did the only thing Peter did was explain the Bible. The sermon explained God's promise and how God brought His own plan to fruition. Peter wasn’t just appealing to their felt needs. He wasn’t telling them what they wanted to hear or provide some sweet, kind words of inspiration or even motivating them to be nice. He gave them the truth. He gave them what they needed not what they wanted to hear and the truth came from the only place where truth comes from which is the Word of God.

Even though this was always God's plan Peter made sure the crowd was not without guilt in taking God's plan which God meant for good and wickedly placed Jesus on the cross. Peter made it very clear the crowd was guilty. It was his clarity and explanation of God's plan along with letting the crowd know they were not with out sin in this whole matter that caused the crowd to be 'pierced to the heart,' which is a very striking phrase. There consciences were cut open and their guilt was laid bare. This moved them to seek out what they must do on their end because if the King is reigning on High and if the promise of God has been recieved in and through them which the crowd witnessed with their eyes and their ears then what can they do to escape the Judgment to come and be recipients of the promises of God.

Jesus teaches His disciples this in the gospel of John. Jesus must go so the Holy Spirit can come;

John 16:5–11 NASB95

“But now I am going to Him who sent Me; and none of you asks Me, ‘Where are You going?’ “But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart. “But 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 He, when He comes, will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment; concerning sin, because they do not believe in Me; and concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father and you no longer see Me; and concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world has been judged.

Peter just told them Jesus had to be exalted seated on high and with Him being seated He is victorious and He sends His Spirit who is the One who takes the Word of God and like a sword pieces through the hearts of man.

What is happening here God’s Word actually points to Zechariah 12:10;

Zechariah 12:10 NASB95

“I will pour out on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the Spirit of grace and of supplication, so that they will look on Me whom they have pierced; and they will mourn for Him, as one mourns for an only son, and they will weep bitterly over Him like the bitter weeping over a firstborn.

Peter made it very clear what God is doing and man’s position before God, which is guilty. This is not Peter’s own words it is God’s word and God is the One who moves the conscience.

Hebrews 4:12–13 NASB95

For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are open and laid bare to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do.

It is only through God’s Word that the conscience is laid bare, opened up. It is opened up before God and God opens our eyes to our disobedience and moves us to do what these men who heard God’s message through Peter to do. It moves man to ask,’What shall we do?’ Once God’s has pierced your heart this is the natural reaction and look at what Peter tells them.

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

Peter tells them what they are to do but what is happening because of God’s Word being preached is;

God Turns Man’s Hearts

Peter doesn't provide a long list of rules and regulations for these people to be saved all he says to them is two simple steps, repent and be baptized and the purpose is for the forgiveness of sins. To repent is to turn or to change your mind. The first thing anyone must do is to turn from following after their own way or the ways of the world and to place their faith in who Jesus is and His Lordship or rule of your heart and soul. Once you have turn to Him for the forgiveness of sins the next natural step is to be baptized which is the believer associating him or herself with Jesus death, burial and resurrection. Now these two steps do go hand in hand but the coming on of the Holy Spirit only comes on the believer when he or she repents and see Jesus as the Lord of their life. Once a believer repents of their sins the receive the promise of the Holy Spirit and the Holy Spirit never leaves that person.

this repentance is a changing the way you think. It is changing from I,I,I, and me, me , me, to looking at God as the author of life and the One whom we are to seek. It is changing from chasing after the desire and false joys of this world which leads to empty satisfaction and chasing after the only One who can give us purpose and true joy and real satisfaction.

1 John 2:15–17 NASB95

Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world. The world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God lives forever.

Romans 12:1–2 NASB95

Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.

Repentance and baptism go hand and hand. God moves our hearts to change to turn from this perverse and crooked generation. Repentance is internal Baptism is an external outward expression and symbolism of what is going on in the heart of man.

Romans 6:1–7 NASB95

What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin so that grace may increase? May it never be! How shall we who died to sin still live in it? Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death? Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life. For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection, knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin; for he who has died is freed from sin.

God has done this mighty work in man to move man’s heart to turn back to Him. He does this by the power of the Holy Spirit who He gives to those. It is a unique event salvation because we can’t know Him with out the Holy Spirit first opening our eyes, mind and heart to Him and at the moment of salvation the Holy Sprit does this and He indwells us and leads us and guides us.

God Calls Man to Himself

Peter whether he knew it or not made it very clear here the promise of the Holy Spirit is not only for the nation of Israel. Peter begins with those who are the, 'the promise is for you' then he continues on to the families, 'your children' and moves to those who are not even there 'all who are far off.' Then he makes the gospel message all inclusive in its exclusivity, 'as many as the Lord our God will call to Himself.' This is an undetermined number of people but they are only people God calls to Himself. We don't find God, we don't invite Jesus into our hearts, that is a misnomer. God calls us, God provides the invitation for us not the other way around. Without God's call we wouldn't even want God so He calls us and invites us. Those whom He invites or calls are those who receive the promise.

Romans 10:11–15 NASB95

For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes in Him will not be disappointed.” For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, abounding in riches for all who call on Him; for “Whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved.” How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? How will they believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how will they hear without a preacher? How will they preach unless they are sent? Just as it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news of good things!”

The gospel is not giving a materialistic self centered, selfish, self indulging society stuff. It is not about going around and putting on a veneer of spirituality and calling it godliness when all it is in reality worldly marketing. Can God use those things to bring people to His message sure but is that what He prescribes in His Word no, His prescription is to bring the gospel to all the world and the gospel is always rooted in Scripture and points to Jesus. The greatest act of Love anyone can perform and can demonstrate is telling people about their guilt and sinfulness, without being judgment, and telling them about what they really deserve which is hell and pointing them to God and His word which will change their hearts and their minds and move them to living for God.