WEBVTT 00:00:04.469 --> 00:00:08.529 Everyone loves a birthday, at least before you 00:00:08.529 --> 00:00:14.369 get 40. We are looking in the Word of God at 00:00:14.369 --> 00:00:17.410 the celebration of a birthday. It is the birthday 00:00:17.410 --> 00:00:20.570 of the Church, and the record is found in Acts 00:00:20.570 --> 00:00:23.710 chapter 2. Would you turn there with me, please? 00:00:32.969 --> 00:00:35.609 The church was born on the day of Pentecost by 00:00:35.609 --> 00:00:40.329 the coming of the Holy Spirit to personally and 00:00:40.329 --> 00:00:46.469 permanently indwell believers. He came to indwell 00:00:46.469 --> 00:00:52.929 us so that he might unite us and form us as one 00:00:52.929 --> 00:00:59.850 body in Jesus Christ. The day of Pentecost signaled 00:00:59.850 --> 00:01:04.689 the beginning of a new age. a new dispensation 00:01:04.689 --> 00:01:10.409 or administration of God's redemptive plan. This 00:01:10.409 --> 00:01:16.469 epical event was marked by three visible or audible 00:01:16.469 --> 00:01:21.930 phenomena. There was the noise of a hurricane 00:01:21.930 --> 00:01:28.670 or a tornado, a violent rushing wind out of heaven. 00:01:29.150 --> 00:01:32.859 There was not the movement of... the wind and 00:01:32.859 --> 00:01:37.219 the air, but there was that noise, frightening 00:01:37.219 --> 00:01:40.359 and terrifying perhaps to those outside who heard 00:01:40.359 --> 00:01:44.400 it, but it signaled and symbolized the coming 00:01:44.400 --> 00:01:48.060 of the Spirit of God for his indwelling ministry. 00:01:49.140 --> 00:01:52.260 And then there appeared fire, which distributed 00:01:52.260 --> 00:01:58.000 itself as a tongue of flame, as it were, over 00:01:58.000 --> 00:02:01.670 the head of each of those disciples. in the upper 00:02:01.670 --> 00:02:05.750 room. And then they were given the ability to 00:02:05.750 --> 00:02:10.250 speak in languages or in tongues. That these 00:02:10.250 --> 00:02:15.310 were human languages is remarkably clear, it 00:02:15.310 --> 00:02:18.310 seems to me, in the text. There is the interchange 00:02:18.310 --> 00:02:23.509 of the word tongues with the Greek word for dialects 00:02:23.509 --> 00:02:28.699 in verses 6 and 8. which makes it clear that 00:02:28.699 --> 00:02:31.219 these people who were gathered in Jerusalem from 00:02:31.219 --> 00:02:35.699 all over the world heard these disciples speaking 00:02:35.699 --> 00:02:40.819 in their native tongues, even though the disciples 00:02:40.819 --> 00:02:44.819 had not learned those languages. All of this 00:02:44.819 --> 00:02:49.699 happened by God's timetable. It happened on the 00:02:49.699 --> 00:02:55.780 day of Pentecost by design. The coming of the 00:02:55.780 --> 00:02:58.560 Holy Spirit, as we saw last week, is the fulfillment 00:02:58.560 --> 00:03:03.960 of what is typified in the Old Testament Jewish 00:03:03.960 --> 00:03:09.439 feast of Pentecost. Jerusalem at that time was 00:03:09.439 --> 00:03:13.419 crowded with people, Jews, from all over the 00:03:13.419 --> 00:03:16.699 known world where the Jewish people had settled. 00:03:17.479 --> 00:03:20.860 Those places are named for us in verses 9, 10, 00:03:21.060 --> 00:03:25.800 and 11. The reaction of the multitude varied. 00:03:27.300 --> 00:03:31.419 There were those who were astonished, some who 00:03:31.419 --> 00:03:35.680 were perplexed and confused. And as a result 00:03:35.680 --> 00:03:39.539 of that, they resorted to ridicule and mockery. 00:03:39.979 --> 00:03:44.280 They said, these people are drunk. But at least, 00:03:44.319 --> 00:03:49.139 at least, what took place in the lives of God's 00:03:49.139 --> 00:03:52.099 people on that occasion attracted the attention. 00:03:53.750 --> 00:03:58.650 G. Campbell Morgan wrote, The Church's responsibility 00:03:58.650 --> 00:04:04.349 is that her members be so spirit -filled that 00:04:04.349 --> 00:04:07.469 the Spirit may be able to produce the new phenomena 00:04:07.469 --> 00:04:13.270 required to startle this age. The Church has 00:04:13.270 --> 00:04:17.089 been far more anxious about emperors and states 00:04:17.089 --> 00:04:20.470 and wealth and theologies and organizations. 00:04:21.680 --> 00:04:26.180 than about the spirit. It is the church, spirit 00:04:26.180 --> 00:04:30.439 -filled, which makes the city amazed, perplexed, 00:04:30.439 --> 00:04:34.519 critical. That is the church's opportunity for 00:04:34.519 --> 00:04:37.819 preaching. What is the use of Peter preaching 00:04:37.819 --> 00:04:42.899 when the world is not amazed? The psychic moment 00:04:42.899 --> 00:04:46.540 for preaching comes when the city is amazed, 00:04:46.860 --> 00:04:50.879 perplexed, and critical. as the result of the 00:04:50.879 --> 00:04:54.180 living testimony of the Spirit -filled Church. 00:04:55.620 --> 00:04:58.680 Then upon the astonished ear of the amazed people, 00:04:58.980 --> 00:05:03.519 the word will fall as thunder and as benediction, 00:05:03.579 --> 00:05:08.420 and results will be produced. Our responsibility 00:05:08.420 --> 00:05:12.980 then, says Morgan, is only that of seeing to 00:05:12.980 --> 00:05:17.879 it that we are filled with the Spirit. Those 00:05:17.879 --> 00:05:23.019 are powerful and convicting words. As we look 00:05:23.019 --> 00:05:25.600 at the narrative of chapter 2, we see the drama 00:05:25.600 --> 00:05:30.620 building toward a peak. And then Peter seizes 00:05:30.620 --> 00:05:36.420 the moment to speak. In verses 14 through 21, 00:05:36.560 --> 00:05:39.480 he gives an explanation of what is taking place. 00:05:39.920 --> 00:05:45.439 In verses 22 through 36, an exposition of Jesus 00:05:45.439 --> 00:05:49.860 Christ. and concludes in verses 37 through 40 00:05:49.860 --> 00:05:54.379 with an exhortation for them to repent. Today 00:05:54.379 --> 00:05:56.800 we will look at the first section of what he 00:05:56.800 --> 00:06:00.319 had to say, the explanation in verses 14 through 00:06:00.319 --> 00:06:05.480 21. But Peter, taking his stand with the eleven, 00:06:05.680 --> 00:06:10.819 raised his voice and declared to them, Men of 00:06:10.819 --> 00:06:14.160 Judea, And all you who live in Jerusalem, let 00:06:14.160 --> 00:06:17.120 this be known to you, and give heed to my words. 00:06:18.199 --> 00:06:21.240 For these men are not drunk, as you suppose, 00:06:21.639 --> 00:06:25.959 for it is only the third hour of the day. But 00:06:25.959 --> 00:06:29.759 this is what was spoken of through the prophet 00:06:29.759 --> 00:06:34.319 Joel. And it shall be in the last days, God says, 00:06:34.480 --> 00:06:37.420 that I will pour forth of my Spirit upon all 00:06:37.420 --> 00:06:40.759 mankind, and upon your sons and your daughters. 00:06:42.060 --> 00:06:44.360 And your sons and your daughters, rather, shall 00:06:44.360 --> 00:06:47.740 prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, 00:06:47.819 --> 00:06:52.180 and your old men shall dream dreams. Even upon 00:06:52.180 --> 00:06:56.199 my bond slaves, both men and women, I will in 00:06:56.199 --> 00:06:59.139 those days pour forth of my Spirit, and they 00:06:59.139 --> 00:07:03.180 shall prophesy. And I will grant wonders in the 00:07:03.180 --> 00:07:07.680 sky above and signs on the earth beneath, blood 00:07:07.680 --> 00:07:12.629 and fire and vapor of smoke. The sun shall be 00:07:12.629 --> 00:07:15.209 turned into darkness and the moon into blood 00:07:15.209 --> 00:07:18.230 before the great and glorious day of the Lord 00:07:18.230 --> 00:07:21.709 shall come. And it shall be that everyone who 00:07:21.709 --> 00:07:24.910 calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved. 00:07:26.209 --> 00:07:29.910 In his explanation of what was taking place, 00:07:30.209 --> 00:07:34.509 Peter sets the record straight on what was occurring 00:07:34.509 --> 00:07:40.569 in their midst. His explanation... can be separated 00:07:40.569 --> 00:07:44.889 into three parts. In verse 14, the introduction. 00:07:45.350 --> 00:07:50.009 Verse 15, his contradiction. And then beginning 00:07:50.009 --> 00:07:54.889 in verse 16 through 21, his declaration. In his 00:07:54.889 --> 00:07:59.170 introduction, Peter takes three actions. First 00:07:59.170 --> 00:08:02.810 it says that he took his stand with the eleven. 00:08:03.589 --> 00:08:05.990 I think it's significant that the eleven were 00:08:05.990 --> 00:08:09.709 there with him. indicating that they were together 00:08:09.709 --> 00:08:13.110 in this proclamation that was about to be made. 00:08:13.709 --> 00:08:17.230 They were one group. And so while Peter is the 00:08:17.230 --> 00:08:21.829 one doing the talking, as we might say he often 00:08:21.829 --> 00:08:27.290 did, the eleven are with him in what he is about 00:08:27.290 --> 00:08:32.509 to say. Furthermore, it is worthy of note to 00:08:32.509 --> 00:08:36.330 see that he took his stand in order to speak. 00:08:38.029 --> 00:08:44.509 In doing so, Peter gave an example for how preaching 00:08:44.509 --> 00:08:48.049 should be done through this whole age. For there 00:08:48.049 --> 00:08:51.889 is a new attitude that is conveyed in his taking 00:08:51.889 --> 00:08:58.370 his stand. The rabbis, when they taught, would 00:08:58.370 --> 00:09:02.590 sit down. Indeed, that was the posture that the 00:09:02.590 --> 00:09:07.000 Lord Jesus took many times when he taught. In 00:09:07.000 --> 00:09:09.539 Matthew chapter 5, it says that when he got those 00:09:09.539 --> 00:09:11.759 people together, the multitude together for the 00:09:11.759 --> 00:09:14.580 Sermon on the Mount, that he sat down to teach 00:09:14.580 --> 00:09:18.200 them. That was the custom, you see, for the rabbis. 00:09:18.559 --> 00:09:21.559 They would sit down and then would give their 00:09:21.559 --> 00:09:28.100 discourse. But now in this age, Peter tells us 00:09:28.100 --> 00:09:33.559 by his example that we are to stand up when the 00:09:33.559 --> 00:09:37.299 proclamation is made. Now, why is that? Because 00:09:37.299 --> 00:09:40.559 in the message that we have to proclaim, there 00:09:40.559 --> 00:09:46.480 is a certain authority. There is an authority 00:09:46.480 --> 00:09:51.500 that comes from God. There is no tentativeness. 00:09:52.799 --> 00:09:57.080 There is not a time for discussion. But there 00:09:57.080 --> 00:10:02.340 is a proclamation of what God has said. Now, 00:10:02.360 --> 00:10:05.559 of course, we can use methods. of discussion 00:10:05.559 --> 00:10:09.759 in small groups, etc., on certain occasions. 00:10:10.460 --> 00:10:13.200 But when it comes to the proclamation and the 00:10:13.200 --> 00:10:16.879 preaching of God's Word, it seems most appropriate 00:10:16.879 --> 00:10:20.940 that one stand up. Because, you see, a herald 00:10:20.940 --> 00:10:24.519 would stand when he would give his proclamation. 00:10:25.220 --> 00:10:29.700 A herald was one who was sent by the king to 00:10:29.700 --> 00:10:34.210 give the message. He stood on the authority of 00:10:34.210 --> 00:10:38.909 the king and proclaimed what the king said. And 00:10:38.909 --> 00:10:41.110 you see, folks, that's what we are doing in this 00:10:41.110 --> 00:10:44.809 age. We are proclaiming what the word of God 00:10:44.809 --> 00:10:50.070 in all of its authority has to say. Peter took 00:10:50.070 --> 00:10:53.870 his stand. And then he raised his voice. And 00:10:53.870 --> 00:10:56.629 well, he might, for he had none of these kinds 00:10:56.629 --> 00:11:01.000 of contraptions that I wear today to... magnify 00:11:01.000 --> 00:11:05.139 the voice. And he had quite a multitude to speak 00:11:05.139 --> 00:11:08.980 to, many thousands of people. As I said last 00:11:08.980 --> 00:11:13.000 week, there are some scholars who suppose that 00:11:13.000 --> 00:11:16.360 up to 200 ,000 people could fit into the temple 00:11:16.360 --> 00:11:19.340 area. And that's where they were at this point. 00:11:19.460 --> 00:11:21.879 How many of those thousands were listening, we 00:11:21.879 --> 00:11:25.259 do not know. But there was a great multitude. 00:11:25.779 --> 00:11:29.440 He lifted his voice. And then it says he declared. 00:11:31.209 --> 00:11:34.409 That is the word that we saw in its noun form 00:11:34.409 --> 00:11:40.090 in verse 4. There it referred to a weighty utterance, 00:11:40.149 --> 00:11:44.129 to an oracle that was about to be delivered. 00:11:44.730 --> 00:11:47.450 The point is that Peter is about to lay something 00:11:47.450 --> 00:11:52.529 heavy on them. And so with a clear voice, he 00:11:52.529 --> 00:11:56.669 articulated this important message. He declared 00:11:56.669 --> 00:12:02.340 it. He addresses, the men of Judea and all of 00:12:02.340 --> 00:12:05.919 you who live in Jerusalem. Literally, he says, 00:12:06.019 --> 00:12:11.340 men, Jews, to get their attention. And of course, 00:12:11.340 --> 00:12:14.159 they would be the ones on the Temple Mount, for 00:12:14.159 --> 00:12:18.139 no Gentile was permitted there. And he broadened 00:12:18.139 --> 00:12:20.240 it to include all of those who live in Jerusalem, 00:12:20.299 --> 00:12:23.539 which seems to have included these many, many 00:12:23.539 --> 00:12:27.039 people from all parts of the then -known world. 00:12:28.519 --> 00:12:31.019 The point that he makes as he says, let this 00:12:31.019 --> 00:12:35.799 be known to you and give heed, is this. I have 00:12:35.799 --> 00:12:40.519 an explanation for what is perplexing and amazing 00:12:40.519 --> 00:12:44.480 you. They had inquired of its meaning, you will 00:12:44.480 --> 00:12:47.360 notice, in verse 12. They said, what does this 00:12:47.360 --> 00:12:54.580 mean? And so now Peter says, let this be known 00:12:54.580 --> 00:13:00.240 to you. Verse 16, he says, this is what was spoken 00:13:00.240 --> 00:13:03.620 of through the prophet Joel. And he uses that 00:13:03.620 --> 00:13:06.799 same phrase again in verse 33. He says, therefore, 00:13:06.799 --> 00:13:09.340 having been exalted to the right hand of God 00:13:09.340 --> 00:13:12.500 and having received from the Father the promise 00:13:12.500 --> 00:13:16.440 of the Holy Spirit, he has poured forth this, 00:13:16.480 --> 00:13:21.600 which you both see and hear. So what Peter is 00:13:21.600 --> 00:13:27.379 doing is giving an explanation. of this, this 00:13:27.379 --> 00:13:31.240 which perplexed them, this which amazed them, 00:13:31.419 --> 00:13:34.720 this coming of the Holy Spirit which they could 00:13:34.720 --> 00:13:39.039 not figure out. In his explanation, Peter essentially 00:13:39.039 --> 00:13:44.700 tells them two things. Number one, this was prophesied 00:13:44.700 --> 00:13:47.500 by your own prophet, Joel, and you should recognize 00:13:47.500 --> 00:13:55.289 it. Number two, this... is what Jesus Christ 00:13:55.289 --> 00:14:02.210 spoke about. The one that you saw and witnessed, 00:14:02.470 --> 00:14:06.549 the one that you crucified, but whom God raised 00:14:06.549 --> 00:14:09.970 from the dead and exalted to heaven, this is 00:14:09.970 --> 00:14:12.669 what Jesus Christ had spoken about, and therefore 00:14:12.669 --> 00:14:18.210 you should know it. The sad part is that on neither 00:14:18.210 --> 00:14:21.830 account did they understand what was taking place. 00:14:23.659 --> 00:14:26.539 He proceeds to his contradiction in verse 15. 00:14:27.279 --> 00:14:31.980 This is not drunkenness, he says. After all, 00:14:32.000 --> 00:14:36.519 it's only nine o 'clock in the morning. Charles 00:14:36.519 --> 00:14:39.580 Ryrie reminds us that those engaged in exercises 00:14:39.580 --> 00:14:45.220 of the synagogue on feast days, or that is, devout 00:14:45.220 --> 00:14:51.519 Jews, would fast from food and drink until... 00:14:52.220 --> 00:14:56.700 10, 11, or 12 o 'clock in the morning. They should 00:14:56.700 --> 00:14:59.120 have known better. These people were not drunk, 00:14:59.259 --> 00:15:02.700 for they were all fasting from food and drink 00:15:02.700 --> 00:15:09.059 on this feast of Pentecost. But something abnormal 00:15:09.059 --> 00:15:13.179 was taking place. They weren't acting like normal 00:15:13.179 --> 00:15:17.419 men should act. They were under the power of 00:15:17.419 --> 00:15:21.580 something beyond themselves. In their confusion, 00:15:21.919 --> 00:15:27.360 the multitude attributed it to drunkenness. The 00:15:27.360 --> 00:15:30.320 fact that it reminded the bystanders of drunkenness 00:15:30.320 --> 00:15:35.720 reminds us of what the Apostle Paul says in Ephesians 00:15:35.720 --> 00:15:40.159 5 .18, And be not drunk with what? With wine, 00:15:40.419 --> 00:15:46.840 wherein there is excess, there is waste, but 00:15:46.840 --> 00:15:53.399 be what? filled with the Holy Spirit. So you 00:15:53.399 --> 00:15:55.899 see, even in the mind of the Apostle Paul, there 00:15:55.899 --> 00:16:00.940 is an association of some sort with drunkenness 00:16:00.940 --> 00:16:05.720 and with being filled with the Holy Spirit. Now, 00:16:05.779 --> 00:16:09.460 in the pagan religions of that day, drunkenness 00:16:09.460 --> 00:16:13.879 was a part of their orgiastic worship. They would 00:16:13.879 --> 00:16:16.399 get themselves drunk to lose control of themselves 00:16:16.399 --> 00:16:20.639 and somehow enter into a higher level of consciousness. 00:16:21.460 --> 00:16:26.320 That was part of their pagan idolatry. And so 00:16:26.320 --> 00:16:28.679 the apostle says to them, don't be drunk with 00:16:28.679 --> 00:16:35.480 wine, but be filled with the Spirit. Why is there 00:16:35.480 --> 00:16:39.519 this association made? Men take wine, do they 00:16:39.519 --> 00:16:45.279 not, to lift their hearts from their cares? to 00:16:45.279 --> 00:16:50.000 put some light into their eyes, to produce a 00:16:50.000 --> 00:16:55.539 certain euphoria and lift to the spirit. Is that 00:16:55.539 --> 00:17:02.179 not why they take wine? Today in our television 00:17:02.179 --> 00:17:06.819 sets we see the good life, so -called, of those 00:17:06.819 --> 00:17:11.220 who drink. We are led to believe that one cannot 00:17:11.220 --> 00:17:17.730 have a party. or a good time, unless there is 00:17:17.730 --> 00:17:22.130 some kind of alcohol involved. It is too bad 00:17:22.130 --> 00:17:24.569 they do not show the end result of all of that, 00:17:24.630 --> 00:17:28.769 where I and some of you have been down on Skid 00:17:28.769 --> 00:17:34.230 Row, and we see men who were once family men, 00:17:34.450 --> 00:17:40.849 some prosperous, some in their professions as 00:17:40.849 --> 00:17:45.319 doctors and lawyers. who today live from one 00:17:45.319 --> 00:17:49.019 bottle of cheap wine to the next in their sin 00:17:49.019 --> 00:17:53.400 of alcoholism. That is the end result of it. 00:17:54.799 --> 00:17:59.000 That's where it leads to debauchery, to waste, 00:17:59.200 --> 00:18:04.519 to riot. But initially men take it in order to 00:18:04.519 --> 00:18:08.180 lift themselves, in order to deaden their hearts 00:18:08.180 --> 00:18:13.500 from the pain that they feel. But that is a false 00:18:13.500 --> 00:18:19.660 and temporary lift. It is the Holy Spirit who 00:18:19.660 --> 00:18:25.319 produces the genuine lift to the Spirit, who 00:18:25.319 --> 00:18:29.579 puts the real sparkle in the eye, who is able 00:18:29.579 --> 00:18:34.099 to lift the heart from its care, and who can 00:18:34.099 --> 00:18:39.740 produce a real joy within the heart. It is the 00:18:39.740 --> 00:18:46.019 Holy Spirit. And so instead of taking wine for 00:18:46.019 --> 00:18:49.440 that purpose, we are commanded to be controlled 00:18:49.440 --> 00:18:55.160 or dominated by the Holy Spirit. When one is 00:18:55.160 --> 00:18:57.240 drunk with wine, it is obvious that there is 00:18:57.240 --> 00:19:01.799 a power controlling him outside of himself. When 00:19:01.799 --> 00:19:04.500 one is controlled by the Holy Spirit, the same 00:19:04.500 --> 00:19:08.119 is true. It is clear that there is more to that 00:19:08.119 --> 00:19:13.119 personality than the person himself. but that 00:19:13.119 --> 00:19:16.720 the Spirit of God is working in that life. That 00:19:16.720 --> 00:19:20.940 is made clear. And so Peter says on this first 00:19:20.940 --> 00:19:23.980 day of the church, this birthday, this day of 00:19:23.980 --> 00:19:27.579 Pentecost, this is not drunkenness as you suppose, 00:19:27.759 --> 00:19:33.400 yet they were under the control of someone else. 00:19:33.819 --> 00:19:39.269 It was the Spirit of God. He then, in his declaration 00:19:39.269 --> 00:19:43.750 in verses 16 through 21, explains what, in fact, 00:19:43.750 --> 00:19:47.430 is taking place to his hearers. He says this 00:19:47.430 --> 00:19:52.609 is the work of the Holy Spirit. And as his proof, 00:19:52.890 --> 00:19:57.569 he quotes from the prophet Joel in the Old Testament. 00:19:57.930 --> 00:20:01.569 From the second chapter, as we divided in our 00:20:01.569 --> 00:20:06.980 English Bibles, verses 28 through 32. Notice 00:20:06.980 --> 00:20:10.220 that he says, this is what was spoken of through 00:20:10.220 --> 00:20:15.740 the prophet Joel. I mention this in passing because 00:20:15.740 --> 00:20:19.380 Peter does not say here that Joel was the originator 00:20:19.380 --> 00:20:24.220 or the source of what he said. But he was merely 00:20:24.220 --> 00:20:29.000 the channel. He was the instrument by whom the 00:20:29.000 --> 00:20:33.019 words came. In other words, this is a strong 00:20:33.019 --> 00:20:37.390 statement. and affirmation of the inspiration 00:20:37.390 --> 00:20:42.109 of Joel's writing. Essentially what Peter is 00:20:42.109 --> 00:20:46.069 saying is that Joel was but the mouthpiece of 00:20:46.069 --> 00:20:49.789 the Holy Spirit. And so it is with all of Scripture, 00:20:50.009 --> 00:20:54.130 for all Scripture is inspired by God. It is God 00:20:54.130 --> 00:20:59.450 -breathed. The content of Joel's prophecy was 00:20:59.450 --> 00:21:02.789 regarding the coming of the Spirit. And that's 00:21:02.789 --> 00:21:08.069 what they were seeing. The beginning of the fulfillment 00:21:08.069 --> 00:21:12.049 of Joel's prophecy was taking place right in 00:21:12.049 --> 00:21:16.509 their midst. Now that prophecy included several 00:21:16.509 --> 00:21:20.390 elements. It included first a time, and we see 00:21:20.390 --> 00:21:27.130 that in verse 17. It shall be in the last days. 00:21:27.430 --> 00:21:32.549 That is the time element. What is meant by the 00:21:32.549 --> 00:21:39.839 last days? That is a phrase that seems to embrace, 00:21:40.039 --> 00:21:44.019 in this context as well as in some others, this 00:21:44.019 --> 00:21:50.660 whole age. Not just a few days as we number them 00:21:50.660 --> 00:21:55.779 in 24 -hour periods, but it is a phrase which 00:21:55.779 --> 00:22:00.819 seems to describe this whole age, the age of 00:22:00.819 --> 00:22:05.720 the Messiah. The age between his first and second 00:22:05.720 --> 00:22:11.759 advents. The writer of Hebrews uses the same 00:22:11.759 --> 00:22:17.420 phrase in the same way. He says, God has spoken 00:22:17.420 --> 00:22:23.940 in these last days by his Son. In other words, 00:22:23.940 --> 00:22:27.539 in this age, we have the fullness of all God 00:22:27.539 --> 00:22:31.579 wants to say. We have the completion of his revelation. 00:22:32.400 --> 00:22:38.220 in his son, in these last days. He applies it 00:22:38.220 --> 00:22:41.180 there to this whole period in which we live. 00:22:42.980 --> 00:22:49.640 Its start, that is this age, its start was signaled 00:22:49.640 --> 00:22:55.019 by Israel's rejection of her Messiah and her 00:22:55.019 --> 00:22:58.960 resultant destruction as a political power and 00:22:58.960 --> 00:23:02.799 the scattering, the diaspora. of the Jewish people. 00:23:04.519 --> 00:23:09.039 That characterizes this age. The Jews scattered 00:23:09.039 --> 00:23:13.480 and without a political base. You say, but wait 00:23:13.480 --> 00:23:16.440 a minute, we have Jews who have a political base 00:23:16.440 --> 00:23:19.859 in our day. Indeed we do. And there are many 00:23:19.859 --> 00:23:22.859 of us who believe that that is a strong signal 00:23:22.859 --> 00:23:28.059 that this age is just about over. We are coming 00:23:28.059 --> 00:23:35.559 down to the closing days of the last He proceeds 00:23:35.559 --> 00:23:40.680 then to give us a description of what these days 00:23:40.680 --> 00:23:45.819 would be like. And he says that they would begin 00:23:45.819 --> 00:23:48.759 with the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. It shall 00:23:48.759 --> 00:23:53.160 be in the last days, God says, that I will pour 00:23:53.160 --> 00:23:58.259 forth of my Spirit. And so it begins with the 00:23:58.259 --> 00:24:01.839 outpouring of the Spirit. Not that the Spirit 00:24:01.839 --> 00:24:06.720 was not here before. He was here in the Old Testament. 00:24:07.359 --> 00:24:10.980 He was here in the days of Joel. It was he who 00:24:10.980 --> 00:24:14.779 enabled Joel, who bore Joel along so that what 00:24:14.779 --> 00:24:19.099 he wrote was the very words of God. But the Spirit 00:24:19.099 --> 00:24:23.440 is being poured forth in a new dimension at this 00:24:23.440 --> 00:24:29.519 time upon all mankind. Your sons, your daughters 00:24:29.519 --> 00:24:32.960 shall prophesy. Your young men shall see visions. 00:24:33.000 --> 00:24:36.460 Your old men shall dream dreams. Fellows, do 00:24:36.460 --> 00:24:38.680 you see visions or have dreams? Tell me, which 00:24:38.680 --> 00:24:42.519 is it? That tells your age, doesn't it? Upon 00:24:42.519 --> 00:24:46.759 my bond slaves, men and women, I will in those 00:24:46.759 --> 00:24:53.119 days pour forth of my Spirit. And so that this 00:24:53.119 --> 00:24:58.980 age... These last days will be initiated by the 00:24:58.980 --> 00:25:03.000 outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon all mankind. 00:25:03.920 --> 00:25:11.559 Notice that, all mankind. Not just Jews, but 00:25:11.559 --> 00:25:17.259 Gentiles as well. Everyone, all mankind. And 00:25:17.259 --> 00:25:23.140 then all classes of people, despite gender. It 00:25:23.140 --> 00:25:26.619 says men and women. That was hard for the Jews 00:25:26.619 --> 00:25:31.359 to accept. Did you know the Pharisees had a prayer 00:25:31.359 --> 00:25:35.299 that went something like this? Oh God, I thank 00:25:35.299 --> 00:25:39.000 thee that I am not a Gentile. I am not a slave. 00:25:39.599 --> 00:25:44.700 I am not a woman. That was their attitude toward 00:25:44.700 --> 00:25:50.500 women in ancient Israel. They did not count as 00:25:50.500 --> 00:25:54.049 people. And that is why even in the counting 00:25:54.049 --> 00:25:57.170 of multitudes, it so often says, there were so 00:25:57.170 --> 00:26:03.710 many men. Why do you count women? That was the 00:26:03.710 --> 00:26:07.769 Jewish thinking. But now in this age, things 00:26:07.769 --> 00:26:13.470 are different. Women are elevated to the place 00:26:13.470 --> 00:26:18.789 of men. I will pour forth of my Spirit upon men 00:26:18.789 --> 00:26:24.390 and women. Despite age, the Spirit is poured 00:26:24.390 --> 00:26:30.089 forth, whether young or old. Irregardless of 00:26:30.089 --> 00:26:33.069 social position, the Spirit was poured out upon 00:26:33.069 --> 00:26:36.450 God's people, whether they were bond slaves or 00:26:36.450 --> 00:26:40.910 free men and women. Irregardless of their social 00:26:40.910 --> 00:26:46.309 status, the Spirit was poured forth. The result 00:26:46.309 --> 00:26:53.279 of that was prophecy, visions, and dreams. In 00:26:53.279 --> 00:26:56.099 other words, the beginning of this age in which 00:26:56.099 --> 00:26:59.720 we live was characterized by an unusual imparting 00:26:59.720 --> 00:27:05.839 of additional special revelation. That's what 00:27:05.839 --> 00:27:11.359 the prophecy, dreams, and visions refer to. It 00:27:11.359 --> 00:27:15.099 refers to that burst of revelation that was given 00:27:15.099 --> 00:27:21.059 when the church was begun in the foundation days 00:27:21.059 --> 00:27:25.599 of the church. The Spirit was poured forth, and 00:27:25.599 --> 00:27:30.299 the immediate yet temporary result was prophecy, 00:27:30.519 --> 00:27:35.099 visions, dreams, by which God gave additional 00:27:35.099 --> 00:27:40.259 special revelation. The question is, and it's 00:27:40.259 --> 00:27:45.680 still argued today, should that continue? Should 00:27:45.680 --> 00:27:48.980 there still today be special revelation given 00:27:48.980 --> 00:27:52.960 from God? The fact is that historically it did 00:27:52.960 --> 00:27:57.220 not continue. Argue as you will about today, 00:27:57.400 --> 00:28:01.819 historically it ceased. And it ceased in the 00:28:01.819 --> 00:28:05.559 days of the apostles. In the foundation days 00:28:05.559 --> 00:28:11.380 of the church, revelation was completed. I don't 00:28:11.380 --> 00:28:14.099 care what people claim to have received today. 00:28:14.279 --> 00:28:18.200 God is not today giving revelation as he did 00:28:18.200 --> 00:28:21.779 then. That was a part of the initial outpouring 00:28:21.779 --> 00:28:27.400 of the Spirit which began this age. Now notice 00:28:27.400 --> 00:28:32.759 in verse 19 there is an abrupt change. From the 00:28:32.759 --> 00:28:37.400 pouring out of the Spirit upon mankind, he turns 00:28:37.400 --> 00:28:40.440 his eyes to heaven and God says, I will grant 00:28:40.440 --> 00:28:44.079 wonders in the sky above and signs on the earth 00:28:44.079 --> 00:28:48.269 beneath, blood and fire. vapor of smoke, the 00:28:48.269 --> 00:28:50.569 sun will be turned to darkness, the moon into 00:28:50.569 --> 00:28:55.329 blood. What is all of this about? Did that happen 00:28:55.329 --> 00:28:58.589 on the day of Pentecost? No, it did not. Because, 00:28:58.670 --> 00:29:02.130 you see, this prophecy not only describes the 00:29:02.130 --> 00:29:06.049 beginning of this age, but it describes its conclusion 00:29:06.049 --> 00:29:11.849 as well, these wonders and signs. They are a 00:29:11.849 --> 00:29:16.339 part of the end of this age, these last... days 00:29:16.339 --> 00:29:21.059 when there will be signs in the heavens and on 00:29:21.059 --> 00:29:25.000 the earth beneath. Great wonders will be accomplished. 00:29:25.640 --> 00:29:28.599 If you want to read more in detail about them, 00:29:28.660 --> 00:29:30.759 go to the book of Revelation beginning in chapter 00:29:30.759 --> 00:29:34.480 6 and just follow through a few chapters there. 00:29:34.759 --> 00:29:38.500 And you will see sign upon sign and wonder upon 00:29:38.500 --> 00:29:41.819 wonder which will occur at the conclusion of 00:29:41.819 --> 00:29:45.160 this age in that period of time that we call 00:29:45.630 --> 00:29:49.970 the tribulation. Jesus also spoke about this 00:29:49.970 --> 00:29:53.789 in very similar language to Joel in Matthew 24, 00:29:53.990 --> 00:29:59.269 29, and again refers to the tribulation. And 00:29:59.269 --> 00:30:03.230 notice that Joel times it properly. He says, 00:30:03.289 --> 00:30:07.509 these wonders will occur before the great and 00:30:07.509 --> 00:30:12.529 glorious day of the Lord shall come. Those of 00:30:12.529 --> 00:30:14.809 you who are Bible students recognize immediately 00:30:14.809 --> 00:30:19.109 that phrase, the day of the Lord. That is an 00:30:19.109 --> 00:30:25.109 apocalyptic phrase. It is a prophetic kind of 00:30:25.109 --> 00:30:29.269 phrase. And it is found through the Old Testament 00:30:29.269 --> 00:30:34.549 prophets. The day of the Lord would come. And 00:30:34.549 --> 00:30:40.109 that day involved both judgment and glory. The 00:30:40.109 --> 00:30:42.569 day of the Lord will begin in the day of the 00:30:42.569 --> 00:30:47.849 tribulation. And it will culminate with the second 00:30:47.849 --> 00:30:52.569 coming of Jesus Christ to the earth. In his return 00:30:52.569 --> 00:30:56.269 from heaven through the clouds to the Mount of 00:30:56.269 --> 00:31:02.190 Olives where his feet will rest. That is the 00:31:02.190 --> 00:31:06.029 great and glorious day of the Lord. And it includes 00:31:06.029 --> 00:31:09.599 his reign of a thousand years. which follows 00:31:09.599 --> 00:31:14.119 it. And so in the prophecy of Joel, we see the 00:31:14.119 --> 00:31:17.559 beginning of this age, the beginning when the 00:31:17.559 --> 00:31:22.059 Spirit would be poured out upon all flesh. And 00:31:22.059 --> 00:31:25.140 we see the conclusion of this age, when signs 00:31:25.140 --> 00:31:28.259 and wonders would be performed by God in the 00:31:28.259 --> 00:31:31.079 heavens and on the earth before the great and 00:31:31.079 --> 00:31:35.099 glorious day of the Lord. And then in verse 21, 00:31:36.039 --> 00:31:39.920 We see a third part of Peter's declaration as 00:31:39.920 --> 00:31:42.700 he explains what is taking place. This too from 00:31:42.700 --> 00:31:46.619 Joel. And it shall be that everyone who calls 00:31:46.619 --> 00:31:51.319 on the name of the Lord shall be saved. Now in 00:31:51.319 --> 00:31:53.799 the context here, it refers obviously to those 00:31:53.799 --> 00:31:57.079 days when the signs and the wonders will be taking 00:31:57.079 --> 00:32:00.299 place. But it's a verse as well that applies 00:32:00.299 --> 00:32:04.339 to the message for this whole age. Do you see 00:32:04.339 --> 00:32:10.019 that the 1900 plus years of this age fit into 00:32:10.019 --> 00:32:13.039 that little white space between verses 18 and 00:32:13.039 --> 00:32:17.079 19? Do you see it there? There's 1900 years right 00:32:17.079 --> 00:32:22.740 there. Plus. And the message that we have the 00:32:22.740 --> 00:32:26.039 joy of proclaiming throughout this age is the 00:32:26.039 --> 00:32:30.259 one found in verse 21. The message, the universal 00:32:30.259 --> 00:32:35.779 message of salvation. That is universal in three 00:32:35.779 --> 00:32:40.380 aspects. It is universal in its offer. It says, 00:32:40.460 --> 00:32:44.579 everyone who calls shall be saved. Everyone, 00:32:44.799 --> 00:32:49.839 whether man or woman, bond or free, Jew or Gentile, 00:32:49.980 --> 00:32:55.880 everyone who calls will be saved. It is a universal 00:32:55.880 --> 00:33:01.200 offer. It applies to anyone here today who has 00:33:01.200 --> 00:33:05.380 never trusted Jesus Christ. You are not outside 00:33:05.380 --> 00:33:11.079 the possibility of salvation. For this offer 00:33:11.079 --> 00:33:14.059 that God himself gives is an offer that applies 00:33:14.059 --> 00:33:18.339 to you right where you're sitting. If you today 00:33:18.339 --> 00:33:22.559 will call upon him, you will be saved. And then 00:33:22.559 --> 00:33:25.619 it's universal in a second aspect, in its condition. 00:33:27.700 --> 00:33:31.700 It says, everyone who calls on the name of the 00:33:31.700 --> 00:33:36.900 Lord. Anyone hearing the gospel may do that. 00:33:37.619 --> 00:33:40.480 One does not have to do certain things. One does 00:33:40.480 --> 00:33:43.359 not have to have a certain background. One does 00:33:43.359 --> 00:33:45.960 not have to perform certain rituals in addition. 00:33:46.980 --> 00:33:50.380 All we have to do is to meet this one condition, 00:33:50.619 --> 00:33:54.839 to call on the name of the Lord. What does that 00:33:54.839 --> 00:33:59.900 mean? Does it mean to pray to Him? Sort of, but 00:33:59.900 --> 00:34:02.859 more than that. For there are many people who 00:34:02.859 --> 00:34:05.400 call upon Him in prayer who don't really call 00:34:05.400 --> 00:34:09.420 upon Him for salvation. To call upon Him means 00:34:09.420 --> 00:34:15.300 to appeal your case to Him. To recognize yourself 00:34:15.300 --> 00:34:18.519 as a sinner who is under the just judgment of 00:34:18.519 --> 00:34:23.099 a holy God. But to recognize that God in His 00:34:23.099 --> 00:34:27.059 love for you has offered a substitute on your 00:34:27.059 --> 00:34:31.699 behalf. One who died on a cross for your sins 00:34:31.699 --> 00:34:35.599 and mine and who was raised from the dead. And 00:34:35.599 --> 00:34:38.159 instead of being judged by God as we deserve, 00:34:38.400 --> 00:34:41.280 we may today appeal to the Lord Jesus Christ 00:34:41.280 --> 00:34:46.079 and call upon Him for salvation. And when we 00:34:46.079 --> 00:34:51.000 do that, we're saved. Have you met that condition? 00:34:52.539 --> 00:34:56.329 Have you appealed? your situation to Him who 00:34:56.329 --> 00:34:59.150 loves you and died for you, who lives for you. 00:35:01.010 --> 00:35:03.030 You say, well, I've been a church member all 00:35:03.030 --> 00:35:05.349 of my life. I'm not talking about being a church 00:35:05.349 --> 00:35:07.250 member. I'm not talking about being baptized. 00:35:08.030 --> 00:35:11.849 I'm talking about a heart transaction of faith 00:35:11.849 --> 00:35:16.309 where you recognize your own bankruptcy and helplessness 00:35:16.309 --> 00:35:20.170 before God and call upon the name of the Lord 00:35:20.170 --> 00:35:26.550 Jesus. There is a third aspect which is universal, 00:35:26.610 --> 00:35:30.230 and that is the promise. It's a universal offer, 00:35:30.429 --> 00:35:33.090 universal condition, and a universal promise. 00:35:33.690 --> 00:35:37.630 And that is that everyone who calls on the name 00:35:37.630 --> 00:35:42.110 of the Lord shall be saved. That's the promise. 00:35:42.610 --> 00:35:45.469 And I remind you that God is the God who cannot 00:35:45.469 --> 00:35:49.650 lie. Say, how do I know that he will save me? 00:35:50.010 --> 00:35:54.829 Because he promised he would. And God is not 00:35:54.829 --> 00:35:57.769 like man. Let every man be a liar, but God is 00:35:57.769 --> 00:36:02.989 true. God cannot lie. And that is his promise 00:36:02.989 --> 00:36:10.250 to you. You say, why isn't the church age itself 00:36:10.250 --> 00:36:13.130 spoken about here? Why is it in between verses 00:36:13.130 --> 00:36:18.889 18 and 19? If you think about it, you'll find 00:36:18.889 --> 00:36:23.980 the answer yourself. It's because the... Truth 00:36:23.980 --> 00:36:27.880 of the church was not revealed yet at this point. 00:36:28.840 --> 00:36:33.239 The Bible is progressive revelation. And to this 00:36:33.239 --> 00:36:35.619 point, that truth has not been revealed that 00:36:35.619 --> 00:36:38.960 there even would be a church, except in one little 00:36:38.960 --> 00:36:41.800 word that Jesus gave in Matthew 16, upon this 00:36:41.800 --> 00:36:47.900 rock I will build my church. Beyond that, there 00:36:47.900 --> 00:36:50.880 was nothing said about it to this point in Acts 00:36:50.880 --> 00:36:57.739 chapter 2. However, it may have been. We do not 00:36:57.739 --> 00:37:01.059 know, and I would not proclaim this as truth, 00:37:01.360 --> 00:37:06.719 but it's a possibility that the man through whom 00:37:06.719 --> 00:37:11.179 that doctrine would come, the Apostle Paul, was 00:37:11.179 --> 00:37:16.380 somewhere around in Jerusalem on this day. Certainly 00:37:16.380 --> 00:37:18.920 a little bit later, when Stephen is put to death, 00:37:19.059 --> 00:37:23.500 he was there. And though Luke does not mention 00:37:23.500 --> 00:37:27.099 it, and as far as I know, no writings, ancient 00:37:27.099 --> 00:37:29.920 writings mention it, it is possible that Saul 00:37:29.920 --> 00:37:32.679 of Tarsus was there on this day, on the birthday 00:37:32.679 --> 00:37:36.039 of the church. At that point, he would have been 00:37:36.039 --> 00:37:39.780 a great antagonist of what was taking place. 00:37:40.500 --> 00:37:45.199 But it was he whom the grace of God would sovereignly 00:37:45.199 --> 00:37:50.019 change and would make the greatest proclaimer. 00:37:50.750 --> 00:37:53.070 of the truth of the Church in this whole age. 00:37:56.070 --> 00:37:59.409 There are several observations and applications 00:37:59.409 --> 00:38:03.429 I would make briefly in closing. Number one, 00:38:04.349 --> 00:38:09.190 the Jews were expected to have recognized these 00:38:09.190 --> 00:38:12.429 phenomena and to respond to them positively, 00:38:12.769 --> 00:38:19.789 but most did not. Because their hearts We're 00:38:19.789 --> 00:38:24.750 cold. And the question that I ask myself and 00:38:24.750 --> 00:38:30.630 I ask you is this. Do we today respond to the 00:38:30.630 --> 00:38:35.510 work of the Spirit of God in our own midst? Or 00:38:35.510 --> 00:38:40.550 like those Jews of old, are our hearts cold toward 00:38:40.550 --> 00:38:47.510 His working? Not to respond places one in a dangerous 00:38:47.510 --> 00:38:53.449 position. For the Jews, as a nation, it meant 00:38:53.449 --> 00:38:56.010 their destruction and their dispersion for this 00:38:56.010 --> 00:39:01.829 whole age. And for us today, as God's people 00:39:01.829 --> 00:39:07.309 indwelt by His Spirit, it is a dangerous thing 00:39:07.309 --> 00:39:12.849 for us as well not to respond to the work of 00:39:12.849 --> 00:39:16.829 God's Spirit. Whether he is working in our lives 00:39:16.829 --> 00:39:19.210 or in the lives of those around us, if we are 00:39:19.210 --> 00:39:24.110 cold and hard -hearted toward that, then we place 00:39:24.110 --> 00:39:31.429 ourselves in danger of chastisement and his judgment. 00:39:33.429 --> 00:39:37.449 I exhort all of us today to be responsive to 00:39:37.449 --> 00:39:40.369 the Holy Spirit and be not like those ancient 00:39:40.369 --> 00:39:46.710 Jews. Second observation. We must learn to interpret 00:39:46.710 --> 00:39:50.550 religious events in the light of God's Word. 00:39:52.829 --> 00:39:55.849 That is, to allow it to direct our understanding 00:39:55.849 --> 00:40:01.269 of the unusual around us. Let us remember that 00:40:01.269 --> 00:40:04.429 the Word of God is the final interpreter in all 00:40:04.429 --> 00:40:10.670 things. Not reason, not experience, not expediency. 00:40:11.230 --> 00:40:16.039 The Word of God is the final interpreter. So 00:40:16.039 --> 00:40:18.099 when there is something that occurs around us 00:40:18.099 --> 00:40:20.679 that we do not understand, which perplexes us 00:40:20.679 --> 00:40:25.320 or amazes us, before we jump to any conclusions, 00:40:26.039 --> 00:40:30.280 let's go to the Word of God and let it be an 00:40:30.280 --> 00:40:34.539 interpreter of those events that we see. That 00:40:34.539 --> 00:40:37.719 was what Peter did on the day of Pentecost. He 00:40:37.719 --> 00:40:41.099 let the Word of God and Joel 2 interpret what 00:40:41.099 --> 00:40:48.400 was taking place. Number three. Consider your 00:40:48.400 --> 00:40:52.300 privilege to be born in this age, the age of 00:40:52.300 --> 00:41:00.019 the Spirit. Think of it. You are in an exalted 00:41:00.019 --> 00:41:03.760 place of privilege that no people in the history 00:41:03.760 --> 00:41:09.139 of the world until these last days has enjoyed. 00:41:13.190 --> 00:41:16.690 For God has chosen to pour out His Spirit from 00:41:16.690 --> 00:41:20.889 heaven, not just into the world, not just to 00:41:20.889 --> 00:41:28.210 influence you, but to indwell you so that today 00:41:28.210 --> 00:41:33.010 you are the vessel of God. You are indwelt by 00:41:33.010 --> 00:41:37.510 His Spirit. And His Spirit is today active in 00:41:37.510 --> 00:41:40.409 your life if you are a believer in Jesus Christ. 00:41:41.309 --> 00:41:46.230 He is teaching you. He is guiding you. He is 00:41:46.230 --> 00:41:51.769 leading you. He is encouraging you. He is sealing 00:41:51.769 --> 00:41:56.909 you. He is empowering you. Think of the privilege 00:41:56.909 --> 00:42:01.690 that you have. Consider that. Think of the wealth 00:42:01.690 --> 00:42:06.030 spiritually that you enjoy that none of the ancient 00:42:06.030 --> 00:42:11.500 Jews enjoyed. Abraham did not enjoy it. Noah, 00:42:11.539 --> 00:42:13.820 though he walked with God in his generation, 00:42:14.099 --> 00:42:17.219 did not know the exalted privileges that you 00:42:17.219 --> 00:42:21.980 have because God has placed you in your lifetime 00:42:21.980 --> 00:42:28.940 into this age of the Spirit, this age of Pentecost. 00:42:31.699 --> 00:42:36.440 Are you living up then to those privileges? Do 00:42:36.440 --> 00:42:39.079 you heed the Spirit's direction? Do you listen 00:42:39.079 --> 00:42:43.940 to His teaching? Do you appropriate His power 00:42:43.940 --> 00:42:50.139 within you? Are we not, of all people in the 00:42:50.139 --> 00:42:52.860 history of the world, most miserable and wretched, 00:42:52.920 --> 00:42:58.960 having the privileges that we have, if we fail 00:42:58.960 --> 00:43:05.699 then to use those privileges? Could the judgment 00:43:05.699 --> 00:43:12.840 upon Capernaum, upon Solomon Gomorrah, upon the 00:43:12.840 --> 00:43:17.440 ancient world before the flood be any worse than 00:43:17.440 --> 00:43:23.619 what we would deserve? Having the glorious privileges 00:43:23.619 --> 00:43:29.559 that we have if we fail to use them? Not that 00:43:29.559 --> 00:43:33.380 we will have those judgments, but what a pitiful 00:43:33.380 --> 00:43:38.860 people we would be to be so blessed by God and 00:43:38.860 --> 00:43:48.289 to live small, wrinkled. useless lives. Number 00:43:48.289 --> 00:43:58.670 four, does your life startle anyone? Do you stimulate 00:43:58.670 --> 00:44:03.710 anybody to ask questions about your faith? Is 00:44:03.710 --> 00:44:08.329 there anything about you that perplexes or amazes 00:44:08.329 --> 00:44:15.420 anyone? Do you ever provoke ridicule or mockery? 00:44:19.300 --> 00:44:23.260 It seems hard to believe that any of us could 00:44:23.260 --> 00:44:30.619 live godly in Christ Jesus and avoid that. In 00:44:30.619 --> 00:44:33.179 such a day, in such an age, in such a generation, 00:44:33.420 --> 00:44:36.460 perverse and darkened as it is, if we somehow 00:44:36.460 --> 00:44:39.179 can avoid amazing and perplexing and even... 00:44:39.559 --> 00:44:41.800 bringing ridicule upon ourselves, and somewhere 00:44:41.800 --> 00:44:46.559 we are missing the boat because a people, a church, 00:44:46.639 --> 00:44:50.059 that is filled with the Spirit of God will startle 00:44:50.059 --> 00:44:56.159 its age. We have been called of God to make a 00:44:56.159 --> 00:44:59.199 difference in this generation. By the grace of 00:44:59.199 --> 00:45:06.719 God, let's do it. Heavenly Father, I pray today. 00:45:08.429 --> 00:45:14.429 that by your Spirit you will work in our minds 00:45:14.429 --> 00:45:20.670 and our hearts, our wills, so that whatever you 00:45:20.670 --> 00:45:24.289 have said to us individually, we will now have 00:45:24.289 --> 00:45:31.750 the grace, the faith, the obedience to respond 00:45:31.750 --> 00:45:37.690 to properly. Lord, as we close this service, 00:45:37.869 --> 00:45:42.949 I pray that we will see ourselves as you've called 00:45:42.949 --> 00:45:47.230 us to be in this age of the Spirit, the channels 00:45:47.230 --> 00:45:53.110 of your working. And if in our pride we see ourselves 00:45:53.110 --> 00:45:59.449 as something more than that, humble us. And if 00:45:59.449 --> 00:46:02.550 in some false sense of humility we see ourselves 00:46:02.550 --> 00:46:09.130 less than that, rebuke us. And if there be some 00:46:09.130 --> 00:46:12.170 sin or disobedience in our lives that hinders 00:46:12.170 --> 00:46:21.449 us from being that, bring us to repentance. Make 00:46:21.449 --> 00:46:27.329 us your channels of blessing, I pray. Would you 00:46:27.329 --> 00:46:27.949 sing with me?