Know For Certain! That God has made Jesus both Lord and Christ
Notes
Transcript
This morning I am going to plagiarize and entire sermon! This morning I am going to preach someone else’s sermon entirely. And I guess if you are going to plagiarize a sermon you might as well steal a really good one right? So this morning I am going to preach to you a sermon from the Apostle Peter.
The main goal of Peter’s sermon was to convince his audience of one main truth. What methods do you use when you want to convince someone as soundly as you possibly can? How do you cause another human to know something for certain and to trust something completely?
Peter wanted the devout Jews in Jerusalem to know for certain that the Father had made Jesus of Nazareth both Lord and Christ.
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.”
Friends, I want everyone here this morning to know for certain that Jesus is both Lord and Christ so that you might be saved.
How can we know for certain that Jesus is both Lord and Christ?
Peter gives us three reasons why you can have absolute certainty that Jesus is both Lord and Christ.
I. The Promise of the Holy Spirit
I. The Promise of the Holy Spirit
The Father poured out the promised gift of the Holy Spirit upon all kinds of people as a sign so that you can know for certain that Jesus is both Lord and Christ.
1 When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. 2 And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. 3 And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them. 4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.
They were filled with the Holy Spirit and they began to speak in other tongues. What does it mean that they began to speak in other tongues? I believe this filling manifested itself by a Spirit-produced divine ability to speak in a knowable language that the speakers previously did not know.
There were about 120 people assembled according to Acts 1:15, and Acts 2:1 says they were all together in one place and they were all filled with the Spirit and began speaking in other tongues.
5 Now there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men from every nation under heaven. 6 And at this sound the multitude came together, and they were bewildered, because each one was hearing them speak in his own language. 7 And they were amazed and astonished, saying, “Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? 8 And how is it that we hear, each of us in his own native language? 9 Parthians and Medes and Elamites and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, 10 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, 11 both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabians—we hear them telling in our own tongues the mighty works of God.”
It seems like each of the 120 people were speaking in a different language- some spoke Mesopotamian, some Egyptian, some Greek, and so on- so that all of the Jews dwelling in Jerusalem from every nation under heaven heard the mighty works of God being proclaimed in their own heart language.
Why do you think God would do this? Why did God allow them the supernatural ability to speak a foreign language in order to declare the mighty works of God? What kind of effect do you think that would have on the crowd?
We don’t have to wonder!
12 And all were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, “What does this mean?” 13 But others mocking said, “They are filled with new wine.”
This was God supernatural stamp of approval on these saints to make some of the people curious enough to listen to what they had to say! It was the best attention getter for a preacher in the history of sermons!
Speaking in tongues was a divine sign gift to show the validity of the gospel and the validity that God was doing something new in establishing his church. Now that the church is established I believe that we no longer have tongues in effect today.
God is setting the stage so Peter could get up and deliver a sermon. And we have Peter’s sermon recorded for us here in Acts 2.
14 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.
15 For these people are not drunk, as you suppose, since it is only the third hour of the day. 16 But this is what was uttered through the prophet Joel:
Now in Peter’s sermon he has three primary texts from the Old Testament that he preaches from. The first one if from Joel 2:28-32.
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.’
Wow! Think of the authority that Peter is bringing to bear on his message. Not only are there 120 people speaking in tongues as a sign of divine approval, but now Peter quotes a prophecy from the OT. Joel is coming true before their very eyes. To add validity to Peter’s message he has divine workings of the Holy Spirit and obviously fulfilled OT prophecy. Do you think this lends a bit of weight to the certainty of Peter’s message? And who is at the center of Peter’s message?
22 “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—
23 this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men.
What a powerful sermon by the Apostle Peter- the first reason you can know for certain that Jesus is both Lord and Christ is the promise of the Holy Spirit- evidenced both by divine signs and by obviously fulfilled prophecy. Christianity is certainty not blind faith!
What is Peter’s second reason?
II. The Resurrection of Jesus
II. The Resurrection of Jesus
Jesus was raised up from death to life by the Father so that you can know for certain that this Jesus is both Lord and Christ.
23 this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men.
24 God raised him up, loosing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it.
And again Peter brings the authority of Scripture to bear. Peter shows from Psalm 16.8-11 that Jesus fulfills yet another OT prophecy.
25 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;
26 therefore my heart was glad, and my tongue rejoiced; my flesh also will dwell in hope.
27 For you will not abandon my soul to Hades, or let your Holy One see corruption.
28 You have made known to me the paths of life; you will make me full of gladness with your presence.’
Aside: The paths of life, fullness of joy, pleasures forevermore are inseparably linked to the the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the grave! The life that desires be full of gladness must know and must participate in the resurrection of Jesus Christ. The taste of joy and life and pleasure that we have now if we know Christ, is nothing compared to the life that awaits us on the other side of the resurrection!
29 “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.
30 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,
31 he foresaw and spoke about the resurrection of the Christ, that he was not abandoned to Hades, nor did his flesh see corruption.
32 This Jesus God raised up, and of that we all are witnesses.
Two weighty proofs: 1). fulfilled prophecy 2). 120 eye witnesses (who are supernaturally speaking in tongues as a stamp of divine approval) who are all bearing witness to the truth of the mighty works of God! Wow! What a powerful message? Are Peter’s words enough to convince you yet that Jesus is both Lord and Christ?
The first reason you can know for certain that Jesus is both Lord and Christ is the promise of the Holy Spirit.
The second reason is that Jesus was raised up from death to life by the Father so that you can know for certain that this Jesus is both Lord and Christ.
What is the third and final reason?
III. The Exaltation of Jesus
III. The Exaltation of Jesus
Jesus has been exalted by the Father to sit at the right hand of God in heaven so that you can be certain that Jesus is both Lord and Christ.
32 This Jesus God raised up, and of that we all are witnesses.
33 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.
This is a summary of Peter’s three points in his sermon! (v. 32) God raised up Jesus, (v. 33) God exalted Jesus to his right hand, and (v. 33) they received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit.
Then Peter again brings to bear the weight of Scripture. This time showing how Jesus fulfills yet another prophecy from Psalm 110:1.
34 For David did not ascend into the heavens, but he himself says, “ ‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at my right hand,
35 until I make your enemies your footstool.” ’
Now after laying out all of his arguments, Peter brings home his conclusion to his message!
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.”
What about application?
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.
Be baptized for the forgiveness of your sins?
The word “for” can have several meanings:
In English we can say, “I went to the store for a loaf of bread.” And we mean, “I went to the store to obtain a loaf of bread.” But we can also use “for” in other ways as well. “I want to thank you for the gift” does not mean, “I want to thank you so that I may obtain a gift”, but rather, “I want to thank you because of the gift.” The Greek word “for” in this verse can have these same two meanings.
I think the causal meaning of the word “for” is the best choice in this passage.
“Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ because of the remission of sins.”
The application that Peter is giving to his sermon is: “Repent, or place your trust in Christ. This will bring to you both the forgiveness of your sins and the Holy Spirit as a gift; then be baptized by the authority of Jesus Christ because your sins have been forgiven.”
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.”
What a wonderful truth- this promise, the gift of the Holy Spirit and the forgiveness of your sins is for everyone! Jew and Gentile, adults and children, males and females, those near and those far- everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself!
How did people respond to this application by Peter?
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.
Friends, do you need to be saved this morning? Have you never before been absolutely convinced that Jesus of Nazareth, the Jesus of the Bible is both Lord and Christ?
If God is working in your heart this morning, if you heard Peter’s sermon, and if you were convinced by Peter’s evidence
The promise of the Holy Spirit
The resurrection of Christ from the dead
The exultation of Chris to the Father’s right hand
If you believe these things to be true and certain. If you feel God calling you to Himself you can be saved!
Repent, put your trust in this Jesus who is Lord and Christ and be saved! Believe in Jesus, Receive Him as your Lord and Savior and your sins will be forgiven and you will receive the promise of the Holy Spirit.
Will you receive the Word of God today?