Listen to These Words...
Lessons from the 1st Century Church | A Study through the Book of Acts • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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· 1 viewWithin the heart/body of Peter's sermon at Pentecost is a simple picture of the Gospel which demands a response.
Notes
Transcript
Introduction
When working through a message, you read through the material, pray through the material, and repeat until it leaps off the page at you. As you begin to develop your message, you work through the body of the message and then work on the introduction and conclusion. Last week, we addressed the introduction to Peter’s first sermon, we now go to the body of his sermon. Within this text we find where Peter and the other eleven disciples find their confidence, the witnessed and verifiable evidence of who Jesus was, and what that meant for the audience mocking the outpouring of the Holy Spirit.
Focus Passage: Acts 2:22-36
Outline
Listen to these words (vv. 22-23)
Listen to these words (vv. 22-23)
As Peter stand with the other eleven, with boldness and raised voice (v.14) begins the body of his message. Within the body of his message, there is no doubt he addressing those in the crowd who would like to call foul, with those that were saying, you are all drunk. He is declaring the truth of what has been seen and heard, even by them. He begins by saying, listen to these words. In common language today, he is telling them to come closer so that he doesn’t have to yell. He is telling them to turn off the TV, turn off the radio, get off your phone, stop looking at your social media accounts, or looking up your last news or stock reports and give me your undivided attention. What was so important that he wanted their undivided attention? What Peter had to say was of eternal significance. May we realize today that his message then, still have eternal significance. So, let us do as Peter called his audience to do, listen to these words.
As Peter speaks to is Jewish brethren, he tells them, listen to these words, and these words are about Jesus the Nazarene, His office, His passion, and current ministry...
Peter tells his fellow countrymen...
1. You should have known this Jesus was the Messiah
1. You should have known this Jesus was the Messiah
He looks at the crowd and those mocking the apostles and said, the evidence is right in front of you, a Man attested to you by God with miracles and wonders and signs which God performed through Him. They couldn’t deny it. They witnessed these miracles, in your midst. Be reminded, this audience is just fifty days removed from the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus. This is not month or even years since Jesus’ ministry but days. All that had been happening some three and half years through the ministry of Jesus was very fresh in their mind. May we be reminded that every sign that took place, every miracle that took place, was for one reason, to point to the truth of who Jesus was that they might believe.
30 So then, many other signs Jesus also performed in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book;
31 but these have been written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that by believing you may have life in His name.
Even when John the Baptist’ disciples came to see if Jesus really was the Messiah, what was His response? He responded with look for yourself...
22 And He answered and said to them, “Go and report to John what you have seen and heard: people who were blind receive sight, people who limped walk, people with leprosy are cleansed and people who were deaf hear, dead people are raised up, and people who are poor have the gospel preached to them.
And upon Jesus’ testimony and quotation of the prophet, these signs pointed to Him being the Messiah...
18 “the spirit of the lord is upon me, because he anointed me to bring good news to the poor. he has sent me to proclaim release to captives, and recovery of sight to the blind, to set free those who are oppressed,
19 to proclaim the favorable year of the Lord.”
1. You should have known this Jesus was the Messiah
1. You should have known this Jesus was the Messiah
2. Jesus was crucified according to God’s divine plan
2. Jesus was crucified according to God’s divine plan
Yes, Jesus was crucified, but it was by God’s divine providence this took place, by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God. God knew the end of from the beginning. He knew from before creation that man would fall. Before the foundations were laid, God already had predetermined that the Son would be the Savior of the world.
4 just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. In love
From the beginning, God had planned for Jesus to be the answer to man’s problem, sin.
15 And I will make enemies Of you and the woman, And of your offspring and her Descendant; He shall bruise you on the head, And you shall bruise Him on the heel.”
Jesus would truly bruise the head of the enemy by destroying him and his power on the cross.
2. Jesus was crucified according to God’s divine plan
2. Jesus was crucified according to God’s divine plan
Jesus willing followed the plan of the Father out of His great and sacrificial love for His creation.
13 Greater love has no one than this, that a person will lay down his life for his friends.
3. You are guilty as sin - ‘…you nailed to a cross...’
3. You are guilty as sin - ‘…you nailed to a cross...’
Peter looks at those men who are scoffing and says you should know what happened. You nailed him to the cross. He was nailed to the cross by the hands of godless men. These men were laughing and mocking the one that they handed over to the godless men to crucify. They were the ones yelling ‘crucify him, crucify him,’ in the crowd. He was telling them that blood was on them. Brothers and sisters, before judging those yelling crucify him, crucify him, be reminded of why he was on that cross. He was nailed to the cross of Calvary because of our sin. He was born of a virgin, tempted in all the ways we have been, but sinned not. He was not a sinner and yet died a sinners death on the cross to pay our penalty. We are the the ones that have sinned, not Him (Rom. 3:10,23). We were indebted to the penalty of death due to our sin (Rom 6:23a), but it was in God’s sovereign plan, because of His great love for us, His creation man, that He allowed His son, the Jesus the Nazarene, the Messiah, to die on the cross (Rom. 5:8; 6:23b). Although Jesus died according to the divine sovereign plan of God, it was sinful man who placed Him on the cross and they were guilty.
if there was any denying what being said by Peter, by a Jewish people who knew the Scripture. We are speaking of a group of people who were required to have the Torah memorized by the age of the age of ten. These were grown men and women who knew the Old Testament. They knew the Word of God. They had memorized and could quote the prophets of old. With that said, Peter goes to a prophet of old, David. Yes, David, although not thought of as a prophet, was a prophet. Peter quotes him in exposing that this Jesus the Nazarene, was the Messiah, the promised Christ and salvation of the world, written of by David.
A Divine Testimony From the Past That Points to the Present (vv. 24-32)
A Divine Testimony From the Past That Points to the Present (vv. 24-32)
1. Peter found confidence in the divine work of God, the Resurrection - ‘…But God raised Him from the dead...’
1. Peter found confidence in the divine work of God, the Resurrection - ‘…But God raised Him from the dead...’
It was this same hope that Paul says we must believe in our heart and confess with our mouth.
9 that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved;
10 for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.
1. Peter found confidence in the divine work of God, the Resurrection - ‘…But God raised Him from the dead...’
1. Peter found confidence in the divine work of God, the Resurrection - ‘…But God raised Him from the dead...’
Truly the resurrection is our divine hope and confidence. Without the resurrection, we have no hope. As Paul writes to the church at Corinth...
19 If we have hoped in Christ only in this life, we are of all people most to be pitied.
1. Peter found confidence in the divine work of God, the Resurrection - ‘…But God raised Him from the dead...’
1. Peter found confidence in the divine work of God, the Resurrection - ‘…But God raised Him from the dead...’
2. Peter found confidence in the divine position of Christ - ‘…Because He is at my right hand, so that I will not be shaken...’
2. Peter found confidence in the divine position of Christ - ‘…Because He is at my right hand, so that I will not be shaken...’
Peter quotes David as he writes under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, a conversation between God the Father and God the Son. He was in essence being given the privilege to ease drop on God the Father and God the Son. Within this text, God the Father tells God the Son, Jesus Christ, take His rightful position as His right hand.
To be placed at the right hand was a sign of power, a sign of authority, a sign of influence. Due to this position of the Lord, David took confidence. Peter in turn took confidence in this same divine position of Christ. Peter was as David stated, that I will not be shaken.
3. Peter found confidence in the divine message of a prophet
3. Peter found confidence in the divine message of a prophet
Peter, speaking of David, called him a prophet, because he was a prophet. He declared that the words spoken of David were not for his time but for a time to come, he looked ahead and spoke of the resurrection of the Christ, that He was neither abandoned to Hades, nor did HIs flesh suffer decay.
Peter states, I speak with confidence that this is Jesus whom He spoke of and not himself. He states, I may confidently say to you. He says that he could take them to the grave of David, he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. However, the message he, Peter, proclaimed to the audience was that David’s words were a message about Jesus the Christ. They were all witnesses to the proof of this message, It is this Jesus whom God raised up, a fact to which we are all witnesses.
Divine Appointment (vv. 33-36)
Divine Appointment (vv. 33-36)
1. Jesus was divinely appointed to a position of authority
1. Jesus was divinely appointed to a position of authority
Peter declares to his audience, those mocking the movement of the Holy Spirit, that Jesus was exalted by the Father to the right hand. It was God almighty who gave Jesus His authority, who exalted Him. So, to mock Jesus, mock the coming of the promised Holy Spirit, has received the promised Holy Spirit from the Father, is to mock and try God. Brothers and sisters, may I declare to you that God will not be mocked. You will reap what you sow.
7 Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a person sows, this he will also reap.
2. Jesus’ divine appointment was witnessed by the word of a prophet
2. Jesus’ divine appointment was witnessed by the word of a prophet
Once again, we find that David was afforded the opportunity to hear a heavenly message between the Father and the Son, For it was not David who ascended into heaven, but he himself says: ‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at My right hand, Until I make Your enemies a footstool for Your feet.” In that message, God declares to the Son, I will make your enemies, satan, sin, death, and the grave will all be conquered.
3. Jesus’ divine appointment is assured and they are guilty (v.36)
3. Jesus’ divine appointment is assured and they are guilty (v.36)
Conclusion
You may be here this morning and your asking what does this mean? The answer is simple. We all have missed the mark. We’ve all sinned. In that sin, we’ve found ourselves in a broken relationship with God. We all stand guilty. You don’t have to accept your guilt to be guilty, you are guilty. However, God desired from the beginning to have a relationship with you and that relationship is only afforded through Jesus Christ.
6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father except through Me.
Want you call upon the name of the Lord to be saved?
13 for “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
For others that are here this morning, you may be mocking. To mock the Holy Spirit is to deny your only hope of salvation. May I remind you this morning, God will not be mocked.
7 Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a person sows, this he will also reap.