The How Begins with?

Title: The How Begins with?

Theme: The how begins with the God through Christ empowered by the Holy Spirit

Text: Acts 2:17-21; 2:36-41

Goal: The how begins with the God through Christ empowered by the Holy Spirit. The why becomes the purposes of God. ( Salvation, purpose, mission ) The result is the transformed lives fulfill the mission of God.

Live in the mission of God.

ME: ORIENTATION: FIND COMMON GROUND WITH THE AUDIENCE

In our last series we talked about humanity connecting with the resurrected Christ. As they reconnect with a risen Savior, they are called to what they have been groomed for. Salvation, purpose, and a mission.

Every believer in everything we do, remembers and lives out the Mission of Christ.

The people, purpose and power of the church

WE: IDENTIFICATION (MAKE IT CLEAR THAT YOU STRUGGLE)

The how begins with the God through Christ empowered by the Holy Spirit.

Salvation, purpose, mission

GOD: ILLUMINATION (THE GOAL IS TO RESOLVE THE TENSION

I. We begin with the Holy Spirit

English Standard Version Chapter 2

16 But this is what was uttered through the prophet Joel:

17  “ ‘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;

18  even on my male servants and female servants

in those days I will pour out my Spirit, and they shall prophesy.

19  And I will show wonders in the heavens above

and signs on the earth below,

blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke;

20  the sun shall be turned to darkness

and the moon to blood,

before the day of the Lord comes, the great and magnificent day.

21  And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.’

A. Peter quotes Joel 2:28-32

a. Peter states a new day is coming

In the preceding sections, the prophet has presented God as restoring to fullness what he punished for some unidentified wrongdoing. Now he moves beyond restoration to promising a new thing, advancing beyond anything his people, or any people, experienced before.1

1 Baker, D. W. (2006).

“I will pour out my Spirit” (cf. Ezek. 39:29). The literal use of the verb špk involves pouring either liquid or dry material from a container (e.g., Ex. 4:9; Lev. 14:41). The audience was all too familiar with the metaphorical use of outpouring God.

They have witnessed this with God’s anger but now they see it with God’s blessing

“ ‘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;

18  even on my male servants and female servants

While the Spirit in the Old Testament is many-faceted (see Bridging Contexts section), here she (the noun is grammatically feminine in Hebrew) is associated with receiving revelation from God. This comes in three forms: prophecy, dreams, and visions, terms that often overlap in meaning. The new thing is not in the revelation per se, but in its recipients

Sometimes, however, there are elements that are not ever fulfilled in this way, such as the predicted restoration of both Judah and Israel (Jer. 3:18; 50:4) and a turning by all nations to Israel and Jerusalem as the only source for help and guidance from God (Jer. 3:16–17; Zech. 8:14), neither of which have happened up to this day. There can be, therefore, an eschatological implication with this phrase, pointing beyond the original context and situation. This fits the present passage, which Christian interpreters understand as referring to a much later Pentecost (Acts 2:1–21) and beyond (Rev. 8:7).1

B. This day Peter states is now...

 Peter picks up this theme in his Pentecostal sermon in Jerusalem (Acts 2:17–21). He recognizes the event of the filling of the Spirit for those gathered on that occasion as an element of fulfillment of Joel’s promise.

the great and magnificent day.

21  And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.’

II. The message

English Standard Version Chapter 2

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.

A. 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.” Acts 2:36 (ESV)

Thus, the kerygma of the early church included the Lordship of Christ; intimately associated with that was the reign of Christ

The community through the move of the Holy Spirit and preaching is coming to see Christ as Lord and Christ.

* Peter will say, referring to this same exalted reign, “He must remain in heaven until the time comes for God to restore everything, as he promised long ago through his holy prophets” (3:21).

* He will restore not only Israel, but everything. The process he began with his exaltation will climax in the great consummation, after “he has put all his enemies under his feet” and “God may be all in all” (1 Cor. 15:25, 28).

B. heart

* Heart:

καρδία (kardia). n. fem. heart, mind, will. Signifies the inner person, where the will and decision-making faculties exist.

This word is the usual Septuagint translation of Hebrew לֵבָב‎ (lēbāb, “heart”) and לֵב‎ (lēb, “heart”). It is used similarly in the nt. Thus, the expression “in the heart (kardia)” defines processes taking place in the mind, depicting various types of thought, and the place where thinking occurs (Luke 1:66). In Matthew 24:48 the heart (kardia) represents the place where the slave speaks to himself, or thinks (see also Rev 18:7). It is the place where belief in something is held (Mark 11:23; see also Rom 10:9) and where events are pondered and thought about (Luke 2:19, 51; see also Phil 1:7). An individual’s doubts may also exist in the heart (kardia; Luke 24:38

*.

C. Cut to the heart

κατανύσσομαι (s. νύσσω and prec. entry) pass.: fut. κατανυγήσομαι LXX; 2 aor. κατενύγην and κατενύχθην LXX; pf. κατανένυγμαι LXX, TestJob (Pel.-Leg. 7, 16; LXX; TestSol 20:3 P; JosAs 6:1; Just., D. 91, 3; Hesychius.—The act. in Phlegon [II a.d.]: 257 Fgm. 36 IV Jac.) be pierced, stabbed fig., of the feeling of sharp pain connected w. anxiety, remorse, etc. (Photius: κατανυγείς· λυπηθείς; Ps.-Callisth. 2, 36 Müller κατανυγεὶς ἐπὶ τοῖς λόγοις=stricken, taken aback; Cyr. Scyth. p. 53, 14; 96, 19; 108, 2 be deeply moved; Leontius 14 p. 30, 13 al.) κατενύγησαν τὴν καρδίαν they were cut to the heart Ac 2:37 (v.l. κ. τῇ καρδίᾳ as Ps 108:16). τοῦ … Παύλου κατανυγέντος since Paul was racked with pain AcPl Ha 7, 36.—DELG s.v. νύσσω. M-M s.v. κατανύσσω. TW1

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.”*-

III. Salvation purpose mission

“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. Acts 2:40b-41 (ESV)

A. Save yourself ( salvation must be yours before you share it with others.)

This is more than just intellectual or emotional. It is a living relationship.

You can’t give away what you haven’t received.

Receiving Christ and giving your life over to God through asking forgiveness and repentance is essential

B. You then become a disciple.

relationship with Christ, open to the Holy Spirit growing, transforming and sharing are the key.

C. God has a purpose for you.

YOU: APPLICATION (TELL PEOPLE WHAT TO DO AND WHAT THEY HAVE HEARD)

Conclusion:

How: elevator 3-5 min. which share how you found Christ.

Draw Close to Christ

Understand the Why ?