Gospel - Central Baptist Church, Okinawa

Sun, 8th Jun 08 by Rich

I want you all to stop and think for a moment. I want you to think of Almighty God for a moment and think about how you might describe to another person what you think about Him. Don’t say it out loud. I want you to simply think to yourself for about 30 seconds. Think about God and list those things you think about when you consider Who He is. I’ll pause while you consider this.

Please keep your list of ideas to yourself but I want to ask you each as you sit in your pew, did fear ever enter your mind when you thought of God? Did you give the fear of the Lord even a fleeting thought?

Fear?

Are any of you asking yourself that now? Fear, unfortunately seems like a very strange thing to use to describe our relationship to God today. In fact, when you interview young people today, the concept of fearing God is completely foreign to them. Youth activities are organized to make God cool. God needs to be fun. Experiences need to be exciting. Fear would just turn kids off, right?

Not simply youth activities though. Adults in most Churches today expect the same ideas. To the ideas of fun, cool, and exciting, maybe most adults would think of God as useful, as relevant, or maybe as a helper in a time of need.

What do most of the e-mails that you receive that tell you about God teach? God is this cosmic nice guy who writes you a love letter telling you how much He’s always loved you and maybe you could arrange some time in your schedule later to plan a date with Him. Or maybe God is pictured as walking with you in the sand and you look back and He’s only there for the hard times. It’s those times that He carries you but He’s a nice companion the rest of the time. Some have even said that He’s a dance partner during the good times.

Are these e-mails, though, the beginning of our understanding of God? Is this what the Scriptures teach us about God – that we need to understand how much He wants to be our best friend? Is this the beginning of understanding for a believer?

Here is what the Scriptures testify to concerning wisdom from the beginning of the Book of Proverbs:

5A wise man will hear and increase in learning,

And a man of understanding will acquire wise counsel,

6To understand a proverb and a figure,

The words of the wise and their riddles.

7The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge;

Fools despise wisdom and instruction.

8Hear, my son, your father’s instruction

And do not forsake your mother’s teaching;

What is the beginning of knowledge? What is the beginning of Godly wisdom? The fear of the LORD.

Oh, but surely what this is talking about is respect and reverence and not fear? God isn’t supposed to frighten us in any way?

Don’t be so sure. I know this is a hard truth for many to embrace but, beloved, if you have any love for God on the basis of what He has done in redeeming you from sin and death, don’t you desire to really know Him? Don’t you desire to know what He says about Himself? Stop for a moment sometimes and think: Just because I read this in an e-mail about God and it made me feel really good, does that mean that what the e-mail said about God is true? Think about this for a moment too: Is everything I believe about God that I’ve thought in the past true?

If we’re not willing to measure what we believe about God with His Word then how does that make us any different than the Pharisees and Sadducees who we keep reading about that had their own ideas about God that made them feel good but were not according to God’s Word? Again, friends, let the Word transform you and do not ignore the Word simply because it’s not as fun as you would like it to be.

It’s not as if I get up here every week taking great delight in the idea that the Word of God will make men and women uncomfortable. It makes me uncomfortable too but I’m bound to teach what it teaches and it doesn’t flatter men. I realize there are Churches on this island today where you could be that will flatter you and always leave you feeling good about yourself and content that you need not change anything.

I’m not teaching you about this to be obnoxious or because I think you need it more than I do. I’m teaching you about this because it’s in the Word of God and we need this if we desire to grow in wisdom. The way of wisdom is hard. Humility requires humiliation sometimes and a hard look at our sin and a painful look at how we create idols in our minds so we can destroy those idols and grow in our devotion of God.

As this episode opens up we recall that a believer named Joseph, a levite, had sold his field – probably his life’s inheritance – and laid it at the feet of the Apostles to give to the Church as any had need. Joseph was such a loving and encouraging soul that everyone just started calling him by his spiritual qualities: Son of Encouragement – Barnabas.

As Acts 5 continues the story, we read of Ananias and Sapphira who desired the same kind of esteem among the brethren. They resolved to sell their land and give the money to the Church and tell the Church that they had given the Church everything from the sale of the land. The only problem is that they sold the land and gave only a part of the money from the sale but held the rest back. That would have been fine if they told the Church they were giving part of the money to the Church but they lied to the Church and told them they were giving everything.

You might get the impression from Acts 2 and Acts 4 that God had commanded the disciples to sell everything they had and hold everything in common. The text does not say that. It only points out that this is what many of the disciples were doing. Not all of them but the main point is that there was no need or want in the Church. Nobody was starving or without shelter because the disciples took care of one another.

I suppose it’s inevitable that someone is sitting right now thinking that this is a story that the Church would use to make people feel guilty so that they give everything they have to God. But listen to what Peter says to Ananias: “While it remained unsold, did it not remain your own? And after it was sold, was it not under your control?” In other words, Ananias, nobody commanded you to do this. You could have given as much or as little as you desired. God desires a cheerful giver.

One might also get the false impression in this episode that the most terrible aspect is that Ananias lied to the men of the Church in promising this thing. But the terrible sin in this episode is revealed by Peter: “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back some of the price of the land? 4″While it remained unsold, did it not remain your own? And after it was sold, was it not under your control? Why is it that you have conceived this deed in your heart? You have not lied to men but to God.”

Ananias has just stained the Church of Christ by this action. Christ calls His Church His Body. Ananias and Sapphira conceived a thing to lie to the entire Church in order to receive the approval of men and then hid the rest of the money, as it were, from sight.

But who saw this?

God. The Holy Spirit.

Did they really think that God didn’t know what they were doing? But isn’t this the nature of sin that we pretend as if God is not watching and God doesn’t know and that the thing we have done is not known by Him? We live our lives as if the things we hide from others are hidden from God.

And when we do such things, we lie to the Holy Spirit. We lie as if He does not exist. We lie as if God is not true, is not living, does not see.

We know it is wrong to gossip and we talk about other men or other women in this Church. We complain about them. We would stop in an instant if they walked into the room but, when we are talking in private, we destroy them with our tongues as if God cannot hear. We think that because the person we gossip about cannot hear that God does not hear and so we lie to the Holy Spirit when we smile to the person’s face and destroy them among others behind their back.

Don’t we fear God? Do we have any understanding or wisdom? Do we believe that God will judge every deed and every idle thought?

Ao as we continue in this story, some of us might be shocked that Ananias and Sapphira were struck dead for this sin. After all, I wonder if you could imagine a footprints in the sand plaque that read: “And here’s the footprint when I lied to God and He put me to death for it.” I don’t think that would sell too well.

But, beloved, this was a gracious thing that the Lord did for the Church. For all we know it might have been a gracious thing for Ananias and Sapphira. Paul talks about believers who “fall asleep” because of their sin. Sometimes the Lord graciously takes a person’s life so they won’t be tempted to sin even more before His face. After all, if a man believes upon Christ then even the sins that we commit will be covered by His blood but God doesn’t desire a child to keep slapping Him in the face.

But this episode served a very gracious purpose to the Church at large as well. We continue in verse 11:

11And great fear came over the whole church, and over all who heard of these things

12At the hands of the apostles many signs and wonders were taking place among the people; and they were all with one accord in Solomon’s portico.

13But none of the rest dared to associate with them; however, the people held them in high esteem.

14And all the more believers in the Lord, multitudes of men and women, were constantly added to their number,

Great fear filled the Church. Fear filled the believers of the Church and, as the Proverbs testified, it opened their eyes to Wisdom. They began on the path to understanding the Holy One. They began to have greater understanding that God was powerful and almighty. They began to hold Him in the fear and reverence that He deserves. Perhaps some of them were given to thinking they ought to give into temptation. Perhaps some of them were deceived into thinking that they could stop attending worship. Perhaps some of them were getting bored with the long sermons or with how tedious it is to worship a God they couldn’t see.

We’re so accustomed to God giving us so many good things in life that we deceive ourselves into thinking we deserve good things even though we are wicked and even when we are purposefully disobeying His Word. Most of the time in the Scriptures, God doesn’t strike people dead when they do things that He would have every right to do so. And people become complacent. They become foolish because they do not fear God.

But occasionally God reminds His people that He’s not to be trifled with. He reminds them that He is God. He reminds them to stop lying to the Holy Spirit. He reminds them to stop lying about who He is and that He’s mighty and powerful and awesome and terrible. He reminds them that nobody can look upon Him and live. This reminder is a gracious thing. It is a loving thing. It wakes men up. It wakes the Church up. It restores the relationship so that the creature begins anew in worshipping the Creator as He really is.

You see, later in this passage, not everybody receives the same gracious sign, which causes the Church to fear the Lord. Not everybody in this chapter ends up growing in the knowledge of this gracious truth.

The Sanhedring throw the Apostles in prison again for preaching in Jesus’ name and an angel let them out and they go right back into the Temple and preach Jesus’ name again. They haul the Apostles before the Sanhedrin and the high priest is angry at them: “27When they had brought them, they stood them before the Council. The high priest questioned them, 28saying, “We gave you strict orders not to continue teaching in this name, and yet, you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and intend to bring this man’s blood upon us.”

Who does this guy think he’s kidding? He knows very well that he and the other members of the Sanhedrin demanded Christ’s blood. He’s lying with no fear of God. What’s worse is that He’s lying about putting the Son of God to death. What kind of fool would do that? One who has no fear of God.

But the Gospel has to continue to proclaim the Truth to men who are lying to the Holy Spirit. You see, if we had spiritual eyes to see we would think to ourselves that it would be better for the High Priest to believe in Christ and be struck dead at that moment for lying to the Holy Spirit but, at least if He believed in Christ, he would have been saved from further sin.

But Peter teaches the Gospel to the Sanhedren again boldly. He doesn’t let up and says: “29But Peter and the apostles answered, “We must obey God rather than men. 30″The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom you had put to death by hanging Him on a cross. 31″He is the one whom God exalted to His right hand as a Prince and a Savior, to grant repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins. 32″And we are witnesses [c]of these things; and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey Him.”

Does the Sanhedrin respond with the fear of God? Do they repent? They’re called to obey the Gospel. They’re called to fear the Lord and worship His Son and bow down.

But because there is no fear of the Lord in them, they are fools. Because they are fools they see the world in upside down terms. Here is their response to the Gospel: “33But when they heard this, they were cut to the quick and intended to kill them.”

You see, more clearly, how the Gospel ends up costing the Apostles. If a man has no fear of the Lord then they cannot stand to hear that Christ was put to death at the hands of lawless men and that they need to believe in Him. They will not only hate that message but will get so angry at that News that they’ll try to kill you if you keep proclaiming it.

Why? Because they do not fear the Lord. Because they lie to themselves and lie to the Holy Spirit about Who God really is.

Let us, then, never grow weary of the Truth. Let us not grow weary of the Gospel. Let us constantly be reminded, afresh, that God is greatly to be praised because He is greatly to be feared.

Sun, 25th May 08 by Rich

The Name of Jesus (Acts 3)

Acts 3

We’re reading through the Acts of the Apostles as the gospel is spread from Jerusalem to Judea and Samaria and to the outermost parts of the world even as Christ commanded at the beginning of Acts.

Last time we left the Acts, Peter had concluded a powerful Gospel message on the day of Pentecost during which the men of Israel were convicted of their sin and the Gospel of the resurrection of Jesus Christ converted 3000 in to the New Testament Church.

Today is another episode and you’ll notice some striking parallels in the Gospel presentation after the healing of a lame man.

What I want you all to focus upon today as we proceed through this account is the manner in which Peter presents the Gospel to men. What you’ll find in this episode is a close connection to the way he presented the Gospel in Acts Chapter 2. It’s the same way the Gospel is presented throughout the Acts of the Apostles. It is done with great boldness and conviction of sin and impending judgment with the announcement of Christ’s resurrection as the solution to that judgment. The reason we need to focus on this is because we should be examining our own ideas about how the Gospel goes forward and asking ourselves: “Is this what I think the Gospel is?”

Unfortunately, today, the Gospel is often presented as a worried God who desires to love all men if they would simply love Him in return. This is not the message of Peter. God is not in heaven waiting on men to respond but His ambassadors go forward with power to announce Christ’s Lordship and the need that all men repent of their wickedness.

The idea that men are wicked and need of repentance, though, is a foreign concept today – even among Christians who are supposed to understand that Christ came to be the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the World. In fact, most men view the problems of evil as coming from the outside. Man thinks the problem is society or things we eat or drink that defile us or make us evil. In fact, it is from within the heart that wickedness is found. It is the heart of man that is the problem. It is his rebellion against an almighty God that is the problem. Christ’s Gospel goes forward to overthrow that rebellious heart that men might be restored to their Creator.

As the story opens, Peter and John are going to the Temple as was their habit and they encounter a beggar. In this culture, crippled men would not be able to conduct a trade so it was common for the families of these men to leave them in a place where they might beg for money to sustain themselves. From the story, it is plain that this beggar has been dropped off at the temple for years and years because everybody knows this man. Here is the poor man on yet another day begging for the coins of men who are going to the Temple. These men would be going into the Temple with their consciences filled with the guilt of sins committed and would likely take pity on this man as his eyes are downcast and he’s holding out his hand for coins.

But today is a different day. Peter and John see the man and, being led by the Spirit, they walk up to the man. His eyes are downcast as his hand is extended in poverty.

“Look at us!” commands Peter. The man needs to look up because Peter is about to command the man to do something.

The man looked up expecting to receive some coins but, Oh, how much more was he about to receive!

⁶But Peter said, “I do not possess silver and gold, but what I do have I give to you: In the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene–walk!”

Now, I can imagine that, just for a moment, the man became downcast as he heard Peter tell him he had no gold and silver to give him. No money to put bread on the table that day.

But then the name that is above every other name was spoken with authority by a man commanded to heal by that name: “In the name of Jesus of Nazareth – walk!”

Now, I want you to notice something. Peter didn’t ask the man if he was worthy of this. He didn’t ask the man if he was ready to be healed. He didn’t ask the man for anything. The man was a beggar. Peter simply commanded the man to walk by the power of Jesus.

Have you ever seen a person who has been in a wheelchair all their lives? How their muscles are atrophied and tight? There is no strength in their legs for this.

But this is no match for the power of God that calls things that are not as if they are. Even as the command was going forward, the legs of the man were strengthened and Peter literally pulled the man to his feet. Bones became dense, tendons were lengthened and improved, muscles were formed, and a man who had been lame from birth could walk again. Praise God!

Isn’t it easy to simply stop at that fact and think it remarkable that the man could walk again? But what good would it be if that man could walk again and still be an unbeliever and perish in his sins? No, in fact, the name of Jesus and what He represented as the substitute for man had also been spoken into that man’s heart. Verse 16 reveals that, at the moment of his healing, not only was this man given new legs but he was given a new heart by the power of Jesus name and He believed in the Savior. When you see acts of healing in the Scriptures, they’re never performed merely to heal the body, which eventually perishes, but the healing of the soul is the most glorious result.

I love this next part as verse 8 tells us: “With a leap he stood upright and began to walk; and he entered the temple with them, walking and leaping and praising God.”

Can you imagine the scene as a downcast man, with a miserable life, alienated from God, not only has his legs strengthened but, God in His mercy, visits this man with the Gospel that day? Of course he was leaping and praising God. How could you contain yourself when you’ve been redeemed with such a great salvation? Or maybe you’ve forgotten what God has done for you so it is foreign after all.

But not for this man. This man could not contain the joy of his salvation and makes so much noise that everybody in the Temple area is drawn in a crowd around him as he’s following Peter and John into the Temple.

The Book of Acts records that everybody rushed over to see this powerful work of God. They knew this was the beggar they had seen for years. There was no mistake that something powerful had happened. Nobody was mocking this event as many had mocked the Apostles on the day of Pentecost. They pressed in around Peter and John wondering what this could mean.

Now the primary reason for the healing is revealed. You see, we like to think of miracles a personal events but miracles are intended to point away from the person that receives healing and call attention to the mighty works of God. Peter notices the crowd and verse 12 tells us: ¹²But when Peter saw this, he replied to the people, “Men of Israel, why are you amazed at this, or why do you gaze at us, as if by our own power or piety we had made him walk?”

Isn’t it interesting that, today, those that claim the power to heal are always calling attention to their own anointing? If you talk to a Word of Faith person, won’t they repeatedly tell you that the reason why someone can heal or receives healing is based on the power of their faith or their piety? Peter absolutely destroys such a notion. He tells the men around him. Why are you looking at us as if we have power? Why would you think it is because we’re such good or faithful people that are able to heal men born lame? He wants to point them to Jesus and so he continues in verse 13:

¹³“The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified His servant Jesus, the one whom you delivered and disowned in the presence of Pilate, when he had decided to release Him.

¹⁴“But you disowned the Holy and Righteous One and asked for a murderer to be granted to you,

¹⁵but put to death the Prince of life, the one whom God raised from the dead, a fact to which we are witnesses.

We see again something remarkable about the Gospel presentation of Peter that we are not used to expecting if we are simply looking for nice soothing words about how much God loves everyone. Peter is convicting these onlookers of the death of the Son of God. He’s reminding them that they disowned the Holy and Righteous One and asked instead for a murderer to be released to them. He’s reminding them that they put to death the Prince of Life whom God raised from the dead and that they are witnesses to it all.

This is the Gospel, the Good News, the announcement of the death and resurrection of Christ but it contains a sharp edge of judgment for these men because they were responsible for rejecting this Man who they should have bowed down to and worshipped. It is really quite impossible, in fact, for a person to understand the Gospel if they don’t understand their Sin. What is the Good News, in fact, except to understand that there is a need to be delivered from something Bad? Is that bad thing simply an unhappy life? No. It is much more profound and frightening to men that they need to understand that they stand under the judgment of God.

Some might think it hateful to speak of God’s wrath for sin but I say the opposite. The hateful thing to do is to lie to men and tell them that there is no wrath but peace with God apart from Christ. They need to understand the wrath and the judgment or they’ll never understand what Christ had to die for to put away.

And so Peter does not shy away from this hard truth but proclaims the fact of Christ’s death and resurrection and their conspiracy to contribute to that terrible act. In fact, beloved, we all bear responsibility for His death for it is for Sin that Christ had to die.

Peter continues: ¹⁶“And on the basis of faith in His name, it is the name of Jesus which has strengthened this man whom you see and know; and the faith which comes through Him has given him this perfect health in the presence of you all.

¹⁷“And now, brethren, I know that you acted in ignorance, just as your rulers did also.

¹⁸“But the things which God announced beforehand by the mouth of all the prophets, that His Christ would suffer, He has thus fulfilled.

¹⁹“Therefore repent and return, so that your sins may be wiped away, in order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord;

²⁰and that He may send Jesus, the Christ appointed for you,

The Gospel never stops at a simply a reminder of the Sin of mankind but points out that Christ then came to reconcile men.

Peter points out that it is the faith of the lame man that not only strengthened the man but saved his soul as well. This Name above all Names is the Christ who can not only heal but save men utterly.

And so Peter points out that God knows that these men acted ignorantly when they put His Son to death and that it was the Cross itself, a wicked act in the hands of men, that God used to pay the penalty for sin. The place of the Curse becomes the place for Blessing. God had prepared this sacrifice well beforehand that Christ would offer Himself on the Cross and suffer for sin. He has fulfilled this role and Sin is atoned. The wrath of God for sin is completely dealt with in Christ for those that believe.

And so the call goes out again to them: “Repent and return, that your sins my be wiped away!” This is why Christ was sent. He was appointed for this errand. He was marked out to be scorned by you that He might save you by the scorn and by bearing the Sins of all who place their trust in Him.

You see, in the end, the Gospel is really quite simple but, because we are so full of ourselves we need to be reminded of its message.

You are desperately wicked. There is no good inside of you. The purpose of this life is not to look deep within your heart to find truth within you. The reason why you say and do and think wicked things is because it flows out of your heart. You are deceived if you think that good is within you. You are deceived if you think that God looks at your heart and sees something good in it apart from Christ. You are in need of perfection in this life.

But, thanks be to God, perfection has been provided in the life and work of Jesus Christ. His heart was good. His intentions were pure.

And He went to the Cross, scorned by the World that thought its heart was fine. He went to the Cross because men were convinced that they were good on the inside and could please God by their own attitudes, by the sincerity of their hearts and by the sincerity of their deeds. Christ was hated then and is hated today because men are insulted that something is wrong with them and that God doesn’t see how good they are without any need for someone else.

But Christ died for men like us that are self-deceived. He paid the penalty for the wickedness that is in our hearts as a result of Sin in this world. He paid the penalty for the sin that you and I deserve to spend eternity in Hell paying for. He cried out in agony as His Father turned His face away from Him so that we would never have to experience that.

And so the Gospel requires that we turn away from looking within ourselves and stop trusting in our own goodness. It requires that we turn and fix our eyes upon the Cross. The simple announcement is that Christ has come in the flesh and died on the Cross for Sin and was resurrected on the third day and ascended on high to reign forever. All those who stop trusting in themselves and look to Christ will surely be saved from their sins.

Sun, 27th Apr 08 by Rich

Repent and Be Baptized (Acts 2:22-41)

Acts 2:22-41

Having just read a lengthy and powerful section that demonstrates the power of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, I think it’s probably worth noting very plainly that the Gospel is a powerful message. For some of you that might go without saying and taken for granted. It shouldn’t be taken for granted though. The power of the Gospel to save men, in fact to convert men by its preaching, is central to the Gospel itself.

I fear that, today, many people don’t actually see the power to save as coming from the Gospel but see the power to save as coming from within. Many of the most popular preachers on TV and in books today are proclaiming a message that man’s problem is not tapping into something that God has made available to every man inside of them. The power of salvation, they say, is found in our sincerity or in our experience of God. The idea that the power to save comes from outside of us is now a foreign idea to many. The reason it is foreign is that it is not being taught like it used to be. Preachers no longer talk about Christ and His work – instead it’s our sincerity that becomes the work that improves our condition.

Even the words we use about the Gospel can communicate whether or not we believe salvation rests on the inside of us or comes from the outside of us as an announcement. Too often, men talk about an invitation to believe. An invitation, though, is something you get to a special event and you have the option to accept or refuse. We might not say it out loud but many probably believe that the invitation is given because God will just spend eternity in misery if we don’t make Him whole by accepting Him.

But God is not made whole by us. No, we are made complete by Him.

What if the Gospel was not an invitation at all but a command? What if the Gospel had within it the power of salvation to actually convert the hearts of men? What if the God who said “Let there be light” and there was light was able to raise dead men to life by the preaching of the Word?

Honestly, I don’t think there’s any if about it.

Romans 1:16 calls the Gospel the power of God for salvation. There’s a reason why we preach the Gospel to the world: because the Gospel saves and if men had it within themselves to save by coming to God then we would not need to go to them as ambassadors of Christ. The Gospel is much more than helping men come to a self-realization that God loves them. Christ didn’t have to die on a Cross for the message that you just need to wake up and realize that God loves you.

Peter continues in his powerful presentation of the Gospel here by reminding all the Jews present of an obvious fact: Jesus the Nazarene was attested to them by God with miracles and wonders and signs that God performed in their midst. These men were without excuse for not believing Christ because, as Nicodemus noted, no man could have done the things that Christ did unless He came from God. This was so plainly taught in the Scriptures that these men were blameworthy for not believing that He came from the Father just as He said. It wasn’t as if they were being asked to have a blind faith like the Mormons who accept tales of Joseph Smith’s encounter with an angel. Christians have a faith based in the evidence of Christ’s power and that ultimate power was displayed in a historically recorded event known as the Resurrection.

But, in spite of the evidence, these men were blind. They were blind in their sin and Christ Himself had regularly condemned them for their blindness and unbelief. It’s not that they needed to have a blind faith but their problem was that they were blind so they had no faith. Jesus even told Nicodemus that a man cannot see the Kingdom of God unless he is born again in John 3. These men were dead in their sins and, even though Christ was clearly manifest, they fought tooth and nail against Him.

Christ did everything that the Scriptures foretold the Son would do and they missed it. Instead of embracing His feet and calling Him Lord they actually put Him to death. Notice in verse 23 he condemns them for what they did to Christ: “…you nailed to a cross by the hands of godless men and put Him to death….”

Many in attendance were probably Pharisees that had long schemed how they could trip up Jesus or how they could put Him to death. Many more were those who had stood in a crowd and called that a robber be released and yelled to crucify Christ.

But it wasn’t just these men who had sent Christ to the Cross, it was God Himself. Christ did not go as a helpless victim but He gave Himself up freely. Christ was “…delivered over by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God….” God was not pacing back and forth in heaven, biting His nails, and wondering how things could have gone wrong. No. God had foreordained that this would happen.

But even as God ordains all that comes to pass, this did not relieve these wicked men from their responsibility. God is able to use the wicked deeds of men for His purposes even while He does not tempt them to sin. Men act according to their own desires – their wicked desires – but God uses it for His glory. God ordained things so that Christ literally died at the very hour that God had planned He would while these men were completely blameworthy because they planned his death according to their own desires. God did not have to plant sinful desires within them or twist their arms: they put the Son of God to death willingly.

But, Peter continues in verses 24-32, Christ did not remain dead. “You failed to kill the Son of God like you planned. Oh, you murdered Him but little did you know that the Son of God could not be held captive by death.”

Peter quotes David in Psalm 16 who proclaims:

‘I SAW THE LORD ALWAYS IN MY PRESENCE;

FOR HE IS AT MY RIGHT HAND, SO THAT I WILL NOT BE SHAKEN.

26’THEREFORE MY HEART WAS GLAD AND MY TONGUE EXULTED;

MOREOVER MY FLESH ALSO WILL LIVE IN HOPE;

27BECAUSE YOU WILL NOT ABANDON MY SOUL TO HADES,

NOR ALLOW YOUR HOLY ONE TO UNDERGO DECAY.

28’YOU HAVE MADE KNOWN TO ME THE WAYS OF LIFE;

YOU WILL MAKE ME FULL OF GLADNESS WITH YOUR PRESENCE.’

Peter uses a very obvious object lesson here by pointing to the very tomb of David. Obviously, Peter declares, David couldn’t be talking about himself not decaying because his tomb is nearby. Everyone knows that David is in the grave.

But not Christ. Christ is risen from the dead. Christ was not abandoned to Hades nor did His flesh suffer decay. This Jesus, that you crucified, God raised up again just as Christ foretold. You thought this Man to be deceived. You thought this man false but God vindicated Him and proved Him to be the Son of God by raising Him from the dead just as He foretold He would. All of us standing here proclaiming the mighty works of God in your tongue are witnesses to the resurrection of the Son of God from the dead.

Try to put yourself in the shoes of the hearers of this news. Remember that they put Jesus to death and were deceived into thinking they were pleasing God while they were doing so. Can you just imagine that the hair on the back of their necks is starting to stand on end as they begin to feel the weight of their guilt? If you think that’s bad, wait until Peter really nails them with the Ascension of Christ that we talked about two weeks ago.

In verse 33 Peter proclaims the Ascension of Christ to the right hand of God in heaven where the resurrected Jesus assumes His place of power and majesty on high. Christ had promised His disciples at His ascension that, after He went to the Father, He would send the promise of the Holy Spirit to them. Just as He promised, the Spirit has been poured out on His disciples. Men of Israel have witnessed this power, which attests to Christ’s place of power and glory on high.

He quotes David again with a Psalm that would have scared the life out of the Pharisees. It’s the same Psalm that Christ Himself had quoted to them in Matt 22:44.

THE LORD SAID TO MY LORD, “SIT AT MY RIGHT HAND, UNTIL I MAKE YOUR ENEMIES A FOOTSTOOL FOR YOUR FEET.”

It’s from Psalm 110 and Christ asked the Pharisees: “Who is David talking about?”

Of course it was Christ but, in their hard-heartedness the Pharisees only wanted to kill Christ for claiming to be God.

Do you understand that? The Pharisees and, indeed, the men present had put Christ to death for claiming to be God.

And they thought they were honoring God for doing so.

But here is the bad news for these men in verse 36: “Therefore let all the house of Israel know for certain that God has made Him both Lord and Christ – this Jesus whom you crucified.”

Verse 37 says very simply that when they heard this, they were pierced to the heart.

What pierced them?

The Gospel did. The power of the Gospel cut them to the heart. The Word that is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword laid out the plain truth: These men were guilty of putting the Son of God to death on a Cross.

Guilty! Deserving of judgment! Deserving of condemnation! God had every right to destroy them, to judge them for their great sin.

But God was rich in mercy toward them. Even as Christ was in agony at the hands of these wicked men – men just like you and just like me – He prayed for them: “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.”

That prayer was about to be answered for them.

They asked: “Men and brethren, what must we do.”

We’re guilty of treason against God. We know we’re toast. How can we escape the wrath of a Holy God. Tell us, please, what must we do?

³⁸Peter 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. ³⁹“For the promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off, as many as the Lord our God will call to Himself.”

What?

Are you serious?

That’s it?

Repent and be baptized in the name of Christ and this great offense will be taken away?

God intends to bless me?

God intends to save me by the work of this Man?

This is the truly mind-boggling thing about this News they receive. It is the mind-boggling thing about the Gospel: Sinful men intended to kill the Son of God and they succeeded. They were under the judgment of God for killing the Son of God. But the very act that condemned them is the work that saved them!

It is Christ’s death on a Cross that saved these men! It was His work for them and not any work they could do in return to make up for their wicked deeds that covers overed their wicked deeds.

It was His resurrection on a Cross that pointed to the acceptance of that sacrifice for their great sin that paved the way for their eternal life.

It was His ascending on high where He interceded for them powerfully and prayed that these men be saved by the power of the Gospel and, so, the power of the Gospel went forward and cut them to the heart. It opened their eyes so they could see their sin. It opened their eyes so they could see the Son of God who had died on a Cross.

And now, the Man they once hated because they were dead, they now loved because they had been made alive by the power of the Gospel. The man they once hated because they were blind, they now loved because they could see. Though they were once under condemnation for putting the Son of God to death, they now ran to the very Cross of offense and held onto it for dear life because only in that sacrifice of Christ would they have any hope of forgiveness. The place of the Curse was the place where the Curse was taking away. The stone of stumbling that would have crushed them became the very Rock of salvation.

Do you understand the great power and beauty of the Cross? God, in His foreordained plan uses that which man wants to kill and to hate and to call a curse to turn it around to bless them, to love them, and bring eternal life. It’s glorious.

That powerful Gospel went forward that day and, by the grace of God, men who had once hated the Son of God and been blinded to His power were now awakened in newness of life. 3000 souls were added that day to the Church.

Beloved, the Gospel truly is the power of God for salvation. The Power of that Gospel is in its command. Indeed it is a command that Paul declares in Acts 17:30-31: “30 The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent, 31because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead.”

Even as the Gospel is going forward as a command, though, the glorious thing about it is that the power of God is going with the command. It is bringing dead men and women to life as the News of Christ’s death and resurrection is announced.

We need not fear then that we are not persuasive. We need not fear that we are not perfect. We need not fear that men might have objections. Of course men will deny God and His Son but we have the power of the Gospel to proclaim. We ought to trust in its power and not our power to persuade men but trust the power of the Gospel to convert men. We are simply happy bearers of the message and allow the power of God to do the rest.

The question for you and me, though, is always: Have we believed the report? Are we still blind and deaf to the things that God has done by sending Christ to die on a Cross? Are we still offended by the idea of judgment and that God is just in condemning men who reject the Savior?

Do we believe the report that Christ has risen from the dead and reigns on high?

Indeed, may the power of the Gospel cut us all to the heart. May the Gospel convince us in a fresh way that we do not deserve the grace shown us. May the Gospel remind us that we too would have rejected the Son had He not died on a Cross and interceded for us that we too would hear the News of His victory and dominion on high. May we all continue to put away the vain idea that we contributed anything to God by our belief. Instead, He has done all the work, He has put away the offense all by Himself and we only cling to the promise that He saves those that trust in that work by faith.

Sun, 20th Apr 08 by Rich

Pentecost (Acts 2:1-21)

Acts 2:1-21

Over the next two Sundays, we’re going to be studying the historic outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon the disciples at an event called Pentecost and then the subsequent presentation of the Gospel and the breaking out of the New Testament Church. Not only is the event an important event in the Redemptive History of the Scriptures that has tremendous impact for all of us, but the Gospel presentation by Peter is a powerful presentation of the nature of the Gospel and how it converts dead hearts into living, beating, believing hearts that embrace the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

You will recall that Christ was crucified on the day before the Passover. This, the Jews insisted would occur so their plot to kill the Son of God would be complete before they fulfilled this most important religious observance in the religious life of the Jews.

According to the Law, the Passover was always celebrated on the fourteenth day of the first month of the year. The Jewish calendar was a lunar calendar so the months of the year alternated between 29 and 30 days depending on when the new moon would fall. About every 3 years, a thirteenth month called Elul was added to the calendar to keep the seasons from getting too messed up, which is why the Jewish Passover doesn’t always fall at the same time every year but is either March or April according to our calendar that has the same number of months every year.

The Israelites used the lunar month, so the Passover was always on a full moon. Associated with Passover in Deut 16:9-12 was the presentation of the first ripe sheaf of grain (Lev. 23:9). On the day following the seventh Sabbath after that presentation (Lev. 23:15, 16) was the one-day “Feast of Weeks” (v. 10), called “Pentecost” in the New Testament because of this fifty-day calculation. Pentecost gets its name from fifty because 7 Sabbaths and a day would follow the Passover, which is 50 days. This feast day was a day that devout Jews were expected to attend every year.

Now, something you and I need to remember about the Scriptures is that people didn’t have automobiles in those days. One of the reasons why the region of Israel is not terribly large is because it would be quite impossible for men to journey to a central place for worship every year if the nation was enormous. Even though the country is still relatively small, it was no small task for men to walk to these major feasts that they were required to attend three times a year. In fact, due to the journey and the hardship of it, the Scriptures only required the men to go up to these regular feasts to represent their families.

I lived, from 1980-1986, in Fort Worth, TX. My best friend across the street was the son of a Palestinian Christian. His father had been forced at gunpoint to leave Israel in 1946 as the Israelites took land that had belonged to his family for countless generations. My friend’s father, Samir, recounted an interesting tale to me one day that he told about his older brother and his father as he grew up near Jerusalem.

Samir’s brother had purchased an automobile, the first in the family to own one and so he invited his father to join him for a trip in the car. They got in the car at the base of the mountain leading up to Jerusalem and he drove to the top where the temple had been located at the time of Christ. It took them 15 minutes.

The brother turned to his father and asked him what he thought. The father was very troubled. “A trip to Jerusalem should take 3 days. Take me back down the mountain,” he replied.

We find this strange but the pace of men was much different before transportation. There was a joy in the journey of pilgrimage with other men. In the Scriptures there are even Songs of Ascent as men approached the Temple Mount. Men would travel for weeks to journey to the Temple for the Passover and there was much joy and hospitality as residents of Jerusalem would open their homes to house the thousands of pilgrims from Judea and even the known civilized world where devout Jews were dispersed.

It is very significant, then, that these men that were at the Pentecost were undoubtedly the same men who had been present during the Passover 7 weeks earlier as they would not have made a trip home but would have stayed in Jerusalem to await this feast. This will become more significant next week.

As the passage opens, in response to Jesus’ command in Acts 1:4 to await the coming of the Spirit, the apostles were waiting patiently and prayerfully in Jerusalem for the gift of the Holy Spirit. Christ had ascended only shortly earlier but now the day of waiting is completed and a new era dawns. The passage indicates that they were all together in one place and these included not only the Apostles but all 120 of Christ’s disciples who were assembled together.

Suddenly there was a sound of a violent wind. It demonstrated heavenly power as it suddenly descended upon the house and shook it so violently and loudly that men outside gathered around to figure out what had happened.

Fire appeared that separated and rested upon each one of them in fulfillment of John the Baptist’s description of Jesus’ power in Matt 3:11 that Christ would baptize with the Holy Spirit and with fire. Fire is a regular symbol in the Old Testament of God’s presence.

All present were filled with the Holy Spirt and began to speak in other tongues, literally other spoken languages, as the Spirit gave them ability. The filling of the Spirit occurred once and for all – it did not come and go but stayed. The outpouring of the Spirit is not repetitious but the Spirit stays with the person who has been filled. In the Acts, the Spirit reaches out in ever-widening circles to the Samaritans in Acts 8:17, the Gentiles in Acts 10:44-46 and then the disciples of John the Baptist in Acts 19:1-6. This fulfills Christ’s command to witness to Jerusalem, in Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth in Acts 1:8.

One significant point of this event of spoken languages at Pentecost should not be overlooked. Genesis 11:1-9 records a time where all the men on the earth spoke the same language and, in the pride of their human accomplishment and ability, exalted themselves and began to build a tower that they reasoned would reach to God. In judgment of the pride and sin of men, God confused the language of mankind. Here in the Pentecost, the Holy Spirit enabled the disciples to speak the languages of the known world. The power of the Holy Spirit overcame the disunity that sin brought to the world by human pride and united all men present at Pentecost to hear the disciples praising and telling of the mighty works of God. Not only did the Holy Spirit unite men to understand the same message that is confused by the tongues of the earth but it directed men away from worship of themselves and telling of their own deeds to the proper worship of God and His mighty works.

As I noted earlier, devout men from all over the known world were dwelling in Jerusalem and were nearby the house. It was about 9 am in the morning and thousands were gathered to celebrate the Pentecost near the Temple. They heard the loud noise and walked over to investigate what had occurred.

As they arrived on the scene the men from around Jerusalem were utterly amazed as they each heard the disciples praising God in their native tongues. Several nations and their languages were mentioned that represented every major tongue of the known world where Jewish believers were dispersed.

Either the men recognized the clothing or some other feature of the disciples but they knew they were Galileans. Galileans were not known for being educated and culture but were what we might call “hicks”. Galileans were looked down upon much like mainland Japanese people are known to look down on some other prefectures. There is amazement that, somehow, these Galileans are speaking in their native tongue. How can this be?

Verse 12 and 13 records two very different reactions to this amazing event: “12And they all continued in amazement and great perplexity, saying to one another, “What does this mean?” 13But others were mocking and saying, “They are full of sweet wine.”

This is the constant response in the history of Scriptures when God’s power is on display. There are always men who will be amazed by the power of God and then seek an explanation from others to find out what things mean. How is it possible, after all, for a bunch of uneducated men who have obviously never ventured outside the boundaries of Judea to be proclaiming the mighty works of God in all the known tongues of the earth?

But then there’s also a really dumb response that is so typical of unbelief. Some men just make fun of this event and say that all of these people speaking in other languages and extolling God are just drunk with wine.

Does that make any sense? I mean, really, we could understand if the disciples were jumping up and down and speaking in some sort of babbling language that men might think them drunk but how does being drunk give all these disciples the ability to speak in the known languages of the earth? It’s just silly. It’s almost as silly as their disbelief that was on display at that moment. It’s almost as silly and unforgivable as the Pharisees who witnessed Jesus perform wonders that Nicodemus had to conclude could only be done by someone who came from God. But unbelievers always mock the things of God. It’s almost as if a fireworks show is going on and they’re looking the other way with their ears plugged and then start mocking people who are describing how beautiful the show is.

Peter stepped forward at this point in boldness. This was the same Peter who only weeks before had been afraid to admit to a servant girl that he knew Christ. Now he’s in the middle of thousands of men who had likely shouted to crucify Christ and is about to give witness to the risen Lord who has just ascended on High with the Father.

True to His Word, Christ had sent the Holy Spirit with power to His disciples. Before the Pentecost, Peter had loved Christ but, in his flesh, he was not strong enough to withstand the persecution that comes from the world that stands against God and His holiness and even may kill those that name Jesus Christ. Prior to Pentecost, Peter could express devotion on his own strength only to find he lacked it when he needed it.

But disciples of Christ do not have the strength within themselves to witness to the true Gospel. It must be given from above and the Pentecost is a demonstration of the power of the Holy Spirit that comes alongside Peter and empowers him to witness to Christ.

You see when Christ promised the Spirit, He promised He would send another Paraclete in John 14:16. That is sometimes translated helper or comforter but the idea of a paraclete in the ancient world was more like a family lawyer – person who was very close to the family and would represent the family and it’s interests when a member was being accused. The Spirit is said to witness to our Spirit that we are Sons of God. The Spirit strengthens and stands beside us and confirms to us that we are Sons of God and that nobody may bring a charge against us and that He who has power over death and life is with us when we proclaim Him among men.

So Peter stands up and commands the crowd: “”Men of Judea and all you who live in Jerusalem, let this be known to you and give heed to my words. 15″For these men are not drunk, as you suppose, for it is only the [b]third hour of the day;”.

Notice how Peter commands the assembly to pay attention. He tells them to heed his words. We’ll speak more of this next week but Peter is not inviting men to pay attention or to listen, he is commanding their attention. You see, he had been ordained by God to proclaim the Gospel as are all faithful ministers of the Word. When they are proclaiming the Word of God as it is meant to be proclaimed then those that ignore the words are ignoring God Himself and are judged for it. The authority that Peter speaks with is backed up by the authority of God’s Word and so he does not merely invite men to stick around and listen if they are interested in the message but commands it.

First of all, he rebukes the mockers by telling them they’re not drunk. After all, he says, it’s only 9 in the morning. He then begins a sermon that we will begin today and conclude next week.

In verses 16-21 he quotes the prophet Joel. Joel had predicted the outpouring of the Holy Spirit and Peter boldly proclaims that the prophecy has just been fulfilled in their midst. He teaches that the era of the last days has come. Peter is proclaiming Christ’s gospel and visibly demonstrating to them that he is filled with the Holy Spirit and power.

Notice in this prophecy that all believers, regardless of age, gender or place in society receive the blessing of the Holy Spirit: sons, daughters, young men, old men, salves, men and women both!

The Holy Spirit has gone forward to be in all who believe upon Christ. It is not a privilege that only the few that receive a “second blessing” receive. It is not the privilege of the super holy and sanctified. All who believe upon the name of Christ receive the promise of the Holy Spirit to be their Paraclete against the world and the devil. All receive the Holy Spirit to have the comfort of knowing that, when they sin that the devil may want to convince you that you are not worthy of salvation because, as Paul notes in Romans 7, you keep doing the very things you know you should not be doing. But the Spirit then witnesses and reminds us in our spirits that we are sons of God and we cry out “Abba! Father” and know that we are, indeed Christ’s because we are reminded of the Cross. We are reminded that everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord is saved!

Indeed, Christ has died and risen and when that Good News is heralded, it is heralded with authority. The question for you this day is whether or not you are one who just comes to the event of the news of God’s power with curiosity and interest with ears willing to hear and embrace the risen Messiah. Or, instead, are you a mocker? Is the news of the resurrection of a man silly? Do you suppose we’re all just out of our minds or, perhaps even drunk at such an early hour and are simply babbling. The power of God in the Gospel is in your midst. It demands your attention and your response. Believe upon it. Call upon the name of the Lord for He is worthy, He has all authority, and He demands it. And as you repent from your sins and turn to Christ you will, indeed, be saved from your sins.

Acts 5

The Name of Jesus (Acts 3)

Repent and Be Baptized (Acts 2:22-41)

Pentecost (Acts 2:1-21)

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