Latest / Providence Baptist Church - Sermons / Acts 2:34-40
Transcript
- 0:00We're coming to the end of a mini-series within the book of Acts, which is Peter's sermon at Pentecost in Acts 2.
- 0:09And I guess the title of that series would be Lifting Up Jesus the Messiah.
- 0:16And I get that from a key verse in the text where it says in verse 22,
- 0:25Men of Israel, hear these words, Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God.
- 0:33And so I've been kind of repeating this, but the word attested means to lift up, to put on display,
- 0:41or to put on exhibition for one to look at and see and observe.
- 0:46It also means to prove something or to proclaim something.
- 0:50And all these are true about Jesus.
- 0:52Peter is preaching this sermon.
- 0:57He's like calling people to respond to the Scripture.
- 1:01He uses several different Old Testament passages to prove what he's saying.
- 1:07So just to remember that not even the apostles spoke on their own accord.
- 1:11They gave weight to what men had said before them.
- 1:15And he's putting Jesus on display.
- 1:19Like he's saying, God put Christ on display.
- 1:22So look to him and be convinced that he is the Messiah.
- 1:26And he's doing that for everyone here today too.
- 1:28It's not just at this time.
- 1:30Like if you're struggling with where you are with God and who is Jesus,
- 1:35like God is not trying to hide that from you.
- 1:37He's putting Jesus on display.
- 1:38And he's proving that Jesus was the true living Messiah.
- 1:43Last week we talked about how Jesus' identity, his life, his death, and his resurrection
- 1:51gave weight to the reality that he was the true Messiah.
- 1:54And so he spoke of how Christ was...
- 1:59He came and he lived and he died and he resurrected according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God.
- 2:09The predetermined plan of God.
- 2:11Namely that Christ coming to the earth was not plan B because man messed up.
- 2:16It was plan A to display the glory of his grace and salvation.
- 2:21And if you also remember the key term last week was that God used the greatest act of evil
- 2:28in crucifying Christ to destroy evil and to bring down the collapse of evil itself.
- 2:36So that's kind of where we're at.
- 2:38He explains Pentecost.
- 2:40He kind of at the beginning of this starting in verse 14.
- 2:44He addresses the crowd and kind of says like the coming of the Holy Spirit,
- 2:48you should not be surprised at.
- 2:50But this was foretold of by the prophet Joel.
- 2:53And so he explains the coming of the Spirit.
- 2:56And then he begins embarking on this exposition of who Jesus is and how he was the true living Messiah.
- 3:04So a couple other points today.
- 3:08I am going to revisit the last point that we looked at last week
- 3:11just because I think it's definitely just sort of connected.
- 3:18So number one, if you're taking notes,
- 3:21and all these are how did God put Jesus on display for us to see and for this crowd to see,
- 3:28is the resurrection of the Messiah.
- 3:31Okay?
- 3:33And look at verse 30.
- 3:38It says,
- 3:39So just revisiting this from last week.
- 4:03Our main text is going to be 34 through 40.
- 4:06So I'll just revisit this for a second.
- 4:11But he's saying that David, you know, the king, shepherd boy, David,
- 4:17he prophesied about the resurrection of the Messiah.
- 4:21And he kind of explains like David can't be talking about himself in Psalm 16
- 4:26because he did die.
- 4:29He did see corruption.
- 4:31And his grave is with us today.
- 4:32So go look at it.
- 4:33He's not talking about himself.
- 4:35He's prophesying about the Messiah to come.
- 4:39Then he says,
- 4:40God raised this man up.
- 4:41God raised Christ up from the dead.
- 4:44Then he says,
- 4:45We are witnesses of these things.
- 4:48We've seen him.
- 4:49We've touched him.
- 4:50We've heard him.
- 4:51We've eaten food with him.
- 4:54And even later on in one of Peter's letters,
- 4:58in 2 Peter 1, verse 16, he says,
- 5:01We did not follow cleverly devised myths
- 5:04when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ,
- 5:10but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty.
- 5:12Like we saw this.
- 5:14We all saw this.
- 5:16So the resurrection of Christ,
- 5:18you do need to see through just faith to be a believer.
- 5:25But you should know also that for 2,000 years,
- 5:29like this historical event has withstood the scrutiny of historians, scholars,
- 5:37archaeologists,
- 5:37archaeologists, for nearly 2,000 years.
- 5:39Like it's withstood that scrutiny.
- 5:41You can literally prove in a courtroom that Jesus did rise from the dead.
- 5:45Biblical as well as extra-biblical evidence gives plenty of weight to this.
- 5:49It's overwhelmingly revealing that Jesus of Nazareth was a real man who walked the earth
- 5:54and that he rose from the dead.
- 5:57Come and talk to me later.
- 5:58We'll get more in depth about that.
- 6:01But many have sought to disprove the historicity of the identity of Jesus as well as the resurrection.
- 6:09And in the process of them trying to destroy that,
- 6:12they have become followers of Christ
- 6:15because they were just convinced by looking at all the stuff there that this actually happened,
- 6:20that Jesus rose from the dead.
- 6:22And so, what are some implications, I guess, of the resurrection?
- 6:32So, just keep this in mind.
- 6:33If Jesus has simply been crucified, laid in the tomb, and is still there today,
- 6:38then everything that we believe is worthless.
- 6:42Everything that we do and say is worthless.
- 6:45It has no point.
- 6:46Why?
- 6:47Because, again, there's nothing good about a dead Messiah.
- 6:51Yeah, he's no different than any other false prophet that's gone and started other religions.
- 6:57But, if Jesus is alive, it's a big deal.
- 7:01It means like he is on the throne right now, that he is going to come back,
- 7:06and that we all are going to have to answer to him one day for how we've lived.
- 7:10Neither you will belong to him or not belong to him.
- 7:15So, three days after he was crucified, God raised him from the dead.
- 7:18He came out of the tomb victorious.
- 7:22So, this is God's greatest validation of who Jesus said he was.
- 7:26Right?
- 7:27The greatest proof is the resurrection of the son of David.
- 7:31Right?
- 7:32Turn, hold your hand in Acts chapter 2, but there's just two other places for you to look.
- 7:37But look at 1 Corinthians chapter 15 today.
- 7:46This is the hallmark chapter on the resurrection.
- 7:53That Paul talks about the resurrection, expounds on the resurrection.
- 7:591 Corinthians chapter 15, verse 3.
- 8:06This is what Paul says.
- 8:08For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received,
- 8:12that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures.
- 8:17There it is, according to the old Scriptures.
- 8:21That he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures.
- 8:27And then he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve.
- 8:31Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time,
- 8:35most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep.
- 8:40Then he appeared to James, and then to all the apostles.
- 8:44Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me.
- 8:50So he's like, we've seen him.
- 8:52Like, he's appeared to all these people, even at one time.
- 8:55Well, they were just hallucinating.
- 8:57Well, no two people had the same hallucination.
- 8:59They all saw him.
- 9:01And they touched him.
- 9:04So go on down to verse 6.
- 9:07And he's kind of getting to the implication here, but verse 6.
- 9:11For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised.
- 9:15And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile, and you are still in your sins.
- 9:24Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished.
- 9:28If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we above all are the most...
- 9:36Excuse me, I can't talk.
- 9:37We are of all people most to be pitied.
- 9:40But in fact, Christ has been raised from the dead.
- 9:44So he says, like, you know what?
- 9:45If Christ has not risen, everything we're saying is worthless.
- 9:49It's meaningless.
- 9:50And then he says, but at the very end there, but in fact, I'm not just saying this, but in fact, Christ has been raised from the dead.
- 10:00Because we've seen him.
- 10:01We've touched him.
- 10:02And it was promised in the Scriptures that this would happen.
- 10:05So this is how big it is.
- 10:07Everything we believe hangs on this.
- 10:09And he even says, if Christ is not risen, we apostles are above all the most to be pitied.
- 10:15We are the most to be pitied.
- 10:16And I want you to, you who know Christ and belong to Christ, like, chew on this for a second.
- 10:24If you were to find out today that your faith in Christ has been in vain, that Christ has not risen from the dead,
- 10:32what would you say?
- 10:33Would you be able to say, well, it's still been a good life anyway.
- 10:38It's been a lot of peace.
- 10:39It's been a lot of purpose and a positive life.
- 10:42Or would you say, wow, like, I'm to be pitied because I have literally thrown my life, everything I have, into the cause of Christ.
- 10:53I hope you can say that with Paul.
- 10:55Like, pity me if this isn't true.
- 10:57But guess what?
- 10:58It is true.
- 10:58That's why he says that.
- 10:59But in fact, Christ has been raised from the dead.
- 11:02So this is the greatest validation of the Son of God being resurrected.
- 11:09Some people may say, this is the most idiotic thing in the world to say, but you'll hear it.
- 11:16We talked about this when I was in school and some of my history classes.
- 11:20But one of my professors said, you can't test historical events with the scientific method.
- 11:28People will say, I'll believe this if you just prove it scientifically.
- 11:32But the idiocy of that is like you don't do history that way because historical events are not observable, measurable, or repeatable.
- 11:41You can't go back and look at a historical event.
- 11:44Rather than that, we are to use the evidentiary method.
- 11:48We look at the evidence, facts, documents, accounts, archaeology, whatever,
- 11:54that lends weight to the reality that something actually happened.
- 11:58So, the resurrection of Jesus, a true historical event.
- 12:04But even bigger, it means that he is here with us now, that he always will be with us,
- 12:09and that he's coming back one day, and that we have not believed in vain.
- 12:15So, that's number one, the resurrection of the Messiah.
- 12:20And getting into the next part of this in Peter's sermon, kind of where we find ourselves today,
- 12:27is in verse 33.
- 12:32Look at verse 33.
- 12:35I'll just go ahead and read this whole little section, and then we'll unpack.
- 12:39But it says, I broke one of the fundamental rules of preaching,
- 12:42which is read the whole text and then expound on it.
- 12:45But, let's look at, start in verse 33.
- 12:50It says,
- 12:51It says,
- 13:51That's just so awesome.
- 14:14And the same God is here with us today who worked this.
- 14:20So, point number one, the resurrection of the Messiah.
- 14:23Point number two is the ascension and exaltation of the Messiah.
- 14:28It's just right in our text, in verse 33,
- 14:30that he was exalted, and he ascended to the Father.
- 14:34So, he was risen from the dead.
- 14:37He walked among his disciples,
- 14:40and showed himself to many other witnesses.
- 14:43And then, later on, he was taken back.
- 14:47He descended back into heaven, or ascended back into heaven,
- 14:51to be with the Father.
- 14:53And then it says right here that he was seated at the,
- 14:55exalted in the place of honor, right?
- 14:58The place of honor and authority by the Father.
- 15:00Then he kind of brings it back full circle,
- 15:03and says,
- 15:04This is what you're seeing today,
- 15:06again, like the Holy Spirit coming on the people.
- 15:10You're seeing this come to pass, this day.
- 15:13And he draws attention again to the Scriptures,
- 15:16to prove that this is the case.
- 15:19And this is the second place I want you to turn,
- 15:22but again, hold your hand in Acts.
- 15:24This is a monumental text, Psalm 110.
- 15:30It's not very long, so we're going to unpack it.
- 15:36But Psalm 110 is another psalm of David.
- 15:41It's a messianic psalm about the Messiah.
- 15:43And astoundingly, like it's given so little attention in the church.
- 15:50Most believers have heard of the 23rd Psalm.
- 15:53They've heard of, you know,
- 15:55The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.
- 15:58But this particular psalm, Psalm 110,
- 16:03is quoted and referred to 27 times in the New Testament,
- 16:08which means that it was a big deal to the early church and the apostles.
- 16:14Psalm 110, let's read it together.
- 16:18It says,
- 16:20The Lord says to my Lord,
- 16:22Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies your footstool.
- 16:26The Lord sends forth from Zion your mighty scepter.
- 16:30Rule in the midst of your enemies.
- 16:33Your people will offer themselves freely on the day of your power
- 16:37and holy garments.
- 16:39From the womb of the morning,
- 16:41the dew of your youth will be yours.
- 16:43The Lord has sworn and will not change his mind.
- 16:47You are a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.
- 16:51The Lord is at your right hand.
- 16:54He will shatter kings on the day of his wrath.
- 16:57He will execute judgment among the nations,
- 17:01filling them with corpses.
- 17:03He will shatter chiefs over the wide earth.
- 17:06He will drink from the brook by the way.
- 17:09Therefore, he will lift up his head.
- 17:12And this psalm, again, is speaking, again, of the coming Messiah, the true Messiah.
- 17:20David is not referring to himself.
- 17:23He wasn't exalted to God's right hand.
- 17:25And this was a question that scholars of this time, Pharisees, scribes,
- 17:32they all asked this question.
- 17:34Because they could look at the language and just say,
- 17:36Who is David talking about?
- 17:38Because it definitely is not him.
- 17:40But here is the question they were asking.
- 17:42How could one who is descended of David,
- 17:46who is a son of David,
- 17:48also be the Lord of David?
- 17:50How could that be?
- 17:51Since David preceded Jesus by a thousand years,
- 17:55how could that be?
- 17:57So Peter explains it here.
- 17:58The Lord says to my Lord,
- 18:01and he uses like the sacred name of God here.
- 18:04It really says,
- 18:05Yahweh said to my Adonai,
- 18:08which is also like,
- 18:10God himself said to my sovereign,
- 18:13sit at my right hand.
- 18:16So in the context,
- 18:17this is clearly a conversation going on within the Godhead,
- 18:23namely between God himself, the Father,
- 18:26and the one whom he was going to appoint to be David's Lord.
- 18:30Yahweh said to David's Adonai,
- 18:34right,
- 18:35sit at my right hand,
- 18:37which the right hand is a place of power,
- 18:40and exaltation,
- 18:41and authority.
- 18:42But it also,
- 18:43interesting enough,
- 18:44is a place of subordination.
- 18:46It's not on the top,
- 18:47it's a place of subordination.
- 18:49And as we know,
- 18:50even within the Godhead,
- 18:52the Son is perfectly,
- 18:54and happily submitted to the Father,
- 18:57to do the Father's will.
- 18:58And that's what it says,
- 19:00like,
- 19:01God granted Christ that seat of cosmic authority at his right hand.
- 19:06And he,
- 19:06it says in Hebrews 1,
- 19:08after making purification for sin,
- 19:10he sat down at the right hand of the majesty on high.
- 19:15So then he goes on,
- 19:16just look at the psalm.
- 19:18It says,
- 19:18until I make your enemies your footstool.
- 19:20So this is an ancient figure of speech,
- 19:25denoting how a hostile,
- 19:27resistant,
- 19:29rebellious enemy
- 19:30is finally conquered and brought low,
- 19:33and is forced to submit to his conqueror.
- 19:37That's what this is.
- 19:38And this is a picture of our Lord,
- 19:41again,
- 19:42sends forth from Zion,
- 19:44his mighty scepter,
- 19:46rule in the midst of his enemies.
- 19:47So Christ will come back one day,
- 19:50is what this is saying.
- 19:51Like,
- 19:51one day,
- 19:52this Son of God,
- 19:54who's seated at God's right hand,
- 19:56He will one day return,
- 19:59and not as a baby,
- 20:01meek and mild in a manger,
- 20:02but as a conquering king
- 20:04that we just sang about a minute ago,
- 20:06who will crush all who have resisted Him,
- 20:10and who have rejected His terms of peace.
- 20:12He died for them,
- 20:14but yet they reject Him.
- 20:16So He comes back to conquer.
- 20:20So,
- 20:21this is a reality.
- 20:23This is what Peter is expounding on.
- 20:26He will make His enemies His footstool.
- 20:29So,
- 20:30when He returns,
- 20:30it goes on,
- 20:31it says,
- 20:32He will shatter kings on the day of His wrath,
- 20:34execute judgment on the nations.
- 20:36So those who hate Christ,
- 20:39again,
- 20:39will utterly be destroyed.
- 20:41All His enemies,
- 20:42visible,
- 20:43invisible.
- 20:45This is an inconquerable king.
- 20:47Yet,
- 20:48it goes on to say this,
- 20:50many of us on the earth
- 20:52who love Christ,
- 20:53and who belong to Christ,
- 20:55who have given our lives to Him,
- 20:57who are washed in His blood,
- 20:59it says this,
- 21:00His people will offer themselves freely
- 21:03on the day of His power.
- 21:05Like,
- 21:05they'll want to give themselves to this king.
- 21:08So,
- 21:08that's a question to ask yourself this morning.
- 21:11It's,
- 21:11do you,
- 21:11like,
- 21:12eagerly await the return of Christ?
- 21:15Do you long for it?
- 21:18Why did you come this morning?
- 21:19Because you were forced to,
- 21:20or because you wanted to?
- 21:22Did you come willing and freely,
- 21:24like this explains the people of God to be?
- 21:28Offer ourselves freely on the day of His power.
- 21:30So we,
- 21:31His church,
- 21:32will rejoice at this time,
- 21:33with joy inexpressible.
- 21:36And then you see a really cool image
- 21:37at the end of the psalm.
- 21:38It says,
- 21:39He will drink from the brook by the way,
- 21:43and therefore,
- 21:44He will lift up His head.
- 21:47Also,
- 21:47another ancient image
- 21:49of a conqueror
- 21:50returning from a conquest,
- 21:53and having exhausted himself
- 21:56in the process of that conquest,
- 21:58he stops
- 21:59and takes a drink
- 22:01from a cool stream of water
- 22:03to refresh himself
- 22:05after the conquest.
- 22:08It's a picture of having
- 22:09satisfaction of a mission accomplished,
- 22:11but still having a final goal to come.
- 22:14So,
- 22:14God's purpose in Christ
- 22:16will prevail.
- 22:16This was
- 22:17what Peter is saying
- 22:19to these people.
- 22:19Like,
- 22:20He is this,
- 22:20He is the Lord
- 22:21that David is referring to,
- 22:23and He will come
- 22:24and make His enemies
- 22:25His footstool.
- 22:28In your bulletin,
- 22:30if you have one,
- 22:32a great commentator
- 22:38on the psalms
- 22:39was the reformer,
- 22:42John Calvin.
- 22:42And this is what he said
- 22:43about Psalm 110
- 22:45that we just read.
- 22:48He says,
- 22:48From this,
- 22:50let us learn
- 22:51that however numerous
- 22:52those enemies may be
- 22:54who conspire
- 22:54against the Son of God
- 22:56and attempt
- 22:57the subversion
- 22:58of His kingdom,
- 22:59all will be unavailing.
- 23:02For they shall never prevail
- 23:04against God's
- 23:05immutable purpose,
- 23:06but on the contrary,
- 23:09they shall,
- 23:10by His greatness
- 23:10of His power,
- 23:12be laid prostrate
- 23:13at Christ's feet.
- 23:15Footstool.
- 23:16However much
- 23:17the world may rage
- 23:18against Christ,
- 23:20they will never
- 23:21be able to hurl Him
- 23:22from the right hand
- 23:23of the Father.
- 23:24Moreover,
- 23:25as He does not reign
- 23:26on His own account,
- 23:28but for our salvation,
- 23:30we may rest assured
- 23:31that we will be
- 23:32protected
- 23:33and preserved
- 23:34from all ills
- 23:36under the guardianship
- 23:37of this invincible King.
- 23:40Let that language
- 23:41just encourage you
- 23:43that this is who we worship,
- 23:45the King of kings
- 23:46and Lord of lords,
- 23:47the true and living Messiah
- 23:49who reigns on our behalf
- 23:51and for our good
- 23:52and for His glory.
- 23:54So then Peter closes
- 23:56this little section
- 23:57right here.
- 23:58Let all the house of Israel
- 23:59know that God has made Him
- 24:01both Lord and Christ
- 24:02and you crucified Him.
- 24:05And so,
- 24:06know for certain,
- 24:07this means like
- 24:07without a shadow of a doubt,
- 24:09without any doubt at all,
- 24:11that Christ's life,
- 24:12death,
- 24:12and resurrection,
- 24:13and ascension
- 24:14has proven Him
- 24:15as the true Messiah.
- 24:17Then He kind of adds in
- 24:19and you crucified Him.
- 24:22So,
- 24:22this is a guilty,
- 24:23guilty crowd
- 24:24that He's speaking to.
- 24:27Christ's blood
- 24:27is still on their hands,
- 24:28literally.
- 24:30And,
- 24:30this is the response.
- 24:33This is the third thing.
- 24:35So,
- 24:35we have
- 24:35the resurrection
- 24:36of the Messiah,
- 24:37the ascension
- 24:39or an exaltation
- 24:40of the Messiah,
- 24:41and number three,
- 24:43the response
- 24:43to the true Messiah.
- 24:46Verse 37.
- 24:49Verse 37.
- 24:50It says,
- 24:51Now when they heard this,
- 24:52they were cut
- 24:53to the heart
- 24:54and said to Peter
- 24:56and the rest of the apostles,
- 24:57brothers,
- 24:58what shall we do?
- 25:00That was their response.
- 25:02They were cut
- 25:03to the heart.
- 25:04It means,
- 25:04the word cut
- 25:05means to stab,
- 25:06to pierce something,
- 25:07to abruptly
- 25:08get hit.
- 25:11Unexpected,
- 25:12startling.
- 25:12That's like what this implies.
- 25:14And the word actually
- 25:15is only used
- 25:15at this place
- 25:16only in the New Testament.
- 25:17So,
- 25:17it makes me think that
- 25:18He's trying to get
- 25:19something across.
- 25:20They were cut,
- 25:21pierced,
- 25:21and stabbed in the heart.
- 25:22They were shocked.
- 25:24Like they realized
- 25:25that this Messiah
- 25:25that had been promised
- 25:27for thousands of years
- 25:29in the Scriptures
- 25:30that
- 25:30they crucified Him.
- 25:33They rejected Him.
- 25:34The very Messiah
- 25:34that was sent
- 25:35to save them
- 25:36rejected the prophets
- 25:38and then rejected Christ.
- 25:40So,
- 25:41imagine that.
- 25:43Being that
- 25:44indicted in that way.
- 25:45Like you
- 25:46crucified Him.
- 25:47This one that I've been
- 25:48talking about
- 25:49that the Scriptures foretold,
- 25:51you crucified Him.
- 25:52So they are
- 25:52terrified.
- 25:54This isn't
- 25:55impersonal at all.
- 25:57So,
- 25:58they probably could even
- 25:59be asking this question.
- 26:00If this Messiah
- 26:01is alive,
- 26:02what is He going to do
- 26:03to us
- 26:03that we rejected Him?
- 26:06They could be asking that
- 26:07so they're panicking.
- 26:08Like,
- 26:09what could they do?
- 26:10And that's what they said
- 26:11to the apostles.
- 26:12What shall we do?
- 26:15This is reminiscent
- 26:16of the Philippian jailer
- 26:18later on
- 26:19in Acts 16
- 26:20where He says,
- 26:20brothers or sirs,
- 26:22what must I do
- 26:23to be saved?
- 26:25So,
- 26:25listen,
- 26:26like everyone in this room
- 26:27has to answer that question
- 26:28at some point in your life.
- 26:29Like,
- 26:29what must I do?
- 26:31What shall I do
- 26:32to this reality
- 26:33of a living Messiah
- 26:35who shed His blood
- 26:37for me?
- 26:39So,
- 26:40let's get into the
- 26:41application
- 26:42a little bit here.
- 26:44Look at verses
- 26:4438 through 40.
- 26:47It says,
- 26:48Peter said to them,
- 26:49Repent and be baptized,
- 26:52every one of you,
- 26:53in the name of the Lord
- 26:53Jesus Christ,
- 26:55for the forgiveness
- 26:56of your sins
- 26:56and you will receive
- 26:57the gift
- 26:59of the Holy Spirit.
- 27:01Okay,
- 27:02so He says,
- 27:03okay,
- 27:04repent.
- 27:05This word literally
- 27:06just means to like,
- 27:08to turn away from something,
- 27:09to change the way
- 27:11that you think
- 27:11about something.
- 27:13It's not just,
- 27:14it's not just an action.
- 27:16So,
- 27:16just imagine like a sin
- 27:17that you struggle with
- 27:18a lot in your life.
- 27:20God's not just saying,
- 27:21stop doing that.
- 27:23He's saying,
- 27:23change how you feel about it.
- 27:25Change how you think about it.
- 27:27Hate it.
- 27:28Despise it.
- 27:29And love me instead.
- 27:30So,
- 27:31it's a turning away from sin
- 27:32and turning to Christ
- 27:34and by His grace
- 27:36resorting not to go back
- 27:37to it again.
- 27:39So,
- 27:39it's imperative.
- 27:41Repent.
- 27:42That's what He says.
- 27:43Then He says,
- 27:44be baptized.
- 27:45So,
- 27:46don't take this as like,
- 27:48well,
- 27:48you have to be dunked in water
- 27:49to be saved.
- 27:50That's not
- 27:50what this is saying
- 27:52for a lot of reasons.
- 27:53But,
- 27:54one is,
- 27:55it goes against
- 27:55what we know
- 27:56in the whole of Scripture
- 27:57that one is not saved
- 27:59and made right with God
- 28:00through water baptism.
- 28:02That would make it
- 28:02another ritualistic work
- 28:04that you had to do
- 28:05to be saved.
- 28:07And then even on
- 28:07the book of Acts later,
- 28:09it says that
- 28:09many people have been baptized
- 28:10but they really weren't
- 28:11genuinely saved
- 28:13by water,
- 28:14you know,
- 28:14in water.
- 28:16So,
- 28:17not saying that,
- 28:18but what He is saying
- 28:19that is this public baptism
- 28:21would not allow
- 28:22for them to have
- 28:23any secret disciples.
- 28:25Like,
- 28:25you couldn't just believe
- 28:26in the corner of your room.
- 28:28He was saying,
- 28:29come out
- 28:29and show yourselves.
- 28:31Like,
- 28:31make this firm break
- 28:32with the old order,
- 28:35with the old Judaism
- 28:37of the day
- 28:37and come forward
- 28:38and be baptized
- 28:40proving that your repentance
- 28:42is true.
- 28:44So,
- 28:45not necessarily like
- 28:46another work to be saved,
- 28:47but just come out
- 28:48and make a break.
- 28:50Don't hide.
- 28:52So then He goes on,
- 28:53He says,
- 28:53this promise is for you
- 28:54and your children.
- 28:55So this was,
- 28:56this was a promise
- 28:57given to them
- 28:58to the nation of Israel.
- 29:00And He was saying that,
- 29:01come on,
- 29:01like,
- 29:02embrace this.
- 29:02It's here.
- 29:03It's been promised to you.
- 29:05Come and receive it.
- 29:06It was for you
- 29:07and for your children
- 29:08and all that God calls
- 29:10to Himself.
- 29:11So,
- 29:12the result,
- 29:133,000 people
- 29:13are born again
- 29:15and baptized that day.
- 29:17So,
- 29:19just a couple things
- 29:21here in closing.
- 29:23So,
- 29:24if you're without Christ today,
- 29:27if you don't know
- 29:28where you stand,
- 29:29if you have doubts,
- 29:30or if you clearly know
- 29:31that you don't belong to Him,
- 29:34listen,
- 29:34like,
- 29:35Christ is a good,
- 29:37loving,
- 29:38and compassionate King.
- 29:40And though you've been
- 29:41His enemy,
- 29:41He will treat with you
- 29:42kindly.
- 29:43He will come to you
- 29:45and He will heal you
- 29:46and restore you
- 29:48back to God
- 29:48and give you the life
- 29:49that you were originally
- 29:50created for,
- 29:52which was to know God
- 29:53and to walk with Him
- 29:54and to honor Him
- 29:55in all that you do.
- 29:57Jesus said,
- 29:58I'm the bread of life.
- 29:59He who comes to Me
- 30:01shall not hunger,
- 30:02and he who is thirsty
- 30:04shall never thirst again.
- 30:06So,
- 30:07repent of your sin
- 30:08and cling to Christ.
- 30:11And then He said,
- 30:11to save yourself
- 30:12from this crooked generation.
- 30:15There's a lot of junk
- 30:17in our world
- 30:17pulling you away,
- 30:18everything pulling you away
- 30:20from the reality
- 30:21of the risen Son of God.
- 30:24So,
- 30:24go to Christ
- 30:25and have salvation
- 30:27and everlasting joy
- 30:28in Christ.
- 30:30But if you reject Him,
- 30:31know that this
- 30:32invincible King
- 30:33will be your enemy
- 30:34if you continue
- 30:35to revolt
- 30:36against Him.
- 30:38So,
- 30:39come and be
- 30:39His friend
- 30:41on His peace terms,
- 30:42His terms,
- 30:43not yours.
- 30:44You don't have
- 30:44a special deal
- 30:45with God.
- 30:46You don't.
- 30:47You treat people
- 30:48the same way.
- 30:50Come through Him
- 30:51and Him alone
- 30:51or be separated
- 30:53for God
- 30:54in eternity.
- 30:56So,
- 30:57but if Christ
- 30:58is yours
- 30:59today,
- 31:00rejoice
- 31:01because it says
- 31:01that your sins
- 31:02are forgiven.
- 31:02That's what it says
- 31:03right here.
- 31:04That all the stuff
- 31:05that you have done
- 31:06against God,
- 31:08that you have
- 31:09rebelled against Him,
- 31:10it is forgiven.
- 31:13You're not your
- 31:13old self anymore.
- 31:15Though you loathe
- 31:15your sin
- 31:16and you hate it,
- 31:17your sins
- 31:18are wiped away
- 31:19and they've been
- 31:19put away
- 31:21as far as the East
- 31:21is from the West.
- 31:23So,
- 31:23rejoice in that.
- 31:25Rejoice that you
- 31:26possess all things
- 31:27in Christ.
- 31:29As the old saying goes,
- 31:31who knows who coined it,
- 31:32but it's true.
- 31:34Christ
- 31:34or everything
- 31:35minus Christ.
- 31:38Right?
- 31:39Remember this?
- 31:40Everything
- 31:40minus Christ
- 31:41equals nothing.
- 31:43But Christ
- 31:44minus everything
- 31:45equals everything.
- 31:47You can have
- 31:48Christ,
- 31:49the most treasured
- 31:49possession,
- 31:50and literally
- 31:51lose all you have
- 31:51and still have
- 31:52everything in Christ.
- 31:54That's how
- 31:55great He is.
- 31:57So,
- 31:57rejoice
- 31:57that because
- 31:58He lives,
- 31:59you will live.
- 32:01This world
- 32:01is tough.
- 32:03Like,
- 32:03it's rough.
- 32:04You're going
- 32:05to suffer,
- 32:06like given.
- 32:07You're going
- 32:07to suffer,
- 32:07you're going
- 32:08to have pain,
- 32:09and you will die.
- 32:11It's just the reality.
- 32:12And it's a
- 32:13scary reality,
- 32:14especially if you
- 32:15don't know who
- 32:15you belong to
- 32:16and where you're
- 32:17going.
- 32:19But if you
- 32:19belong to Christ,
- 32:21because He
- 32:22has risen,
- 32:22you will also
- 32:23rise and have
- 32:25life with Him.
- 32:25He says,
- 32:27hear His words
- 32:27to you,
- 32:28I am the
- 32:28resurrection
- 32:29and the life.
- 32:30Whoever
- 32:30believes in
- 32:31Me,
- 32:32though he die,
- 32:33yet shall he
- 32:34live.
- 32:34And everyone
- 32:35who lives
- 32:36and believes
- 32:36in Me
- 32:37shall never
- 32:38die.
- 32:39Do you
- 32:40believe this?
- 32:42So,
- 32:43go to Christ,
- 32:44cling to Christ,
- 32:45and be
- 32:45transformed by
- 32:46Him.
- 32:47Look to this
- 32:48King.
- 32:49He's been put
- 32:50on display
- 32:50by God
- 32:51Himself.
- 32:51So,
- 32:52look to Him
- 32:52and be saved
- 32:53by Him.
- 32:54Let's pray
- 32:55together.
- 32:55Amen.
- 32:56Let's pray.