WEBVTT 00:00:01.100 --> 00:00:03.459 There are some things to be completed, and among 00:00:03.459 --> 00:00:07.120 those things is the choir area. They won't always 00:00:07.120 --> 00:00:09.000 sound like a herd of turtles when they leave, 00:00:09.119 --> 00:00:16.559 because nothing personal. It will be carpeted, 00:00:16.559 --> 00:00:18.480 and then there will be some additional risers 00:00:18.480 --> 00:00:22.079 that should arrive before next Sunday. And so 00:00:22.079 --> 00:00:23.980 the choir will be sloped all the way back to 00:00:23.980 --> 00:00:25.760 that shelf that you see there where the plants 00:00:25.760 --> 00:00:29.239 are. And then in the future... when the Lord 00:00:29.239 --> 00:00:31.600 provides the money for our organ enlargement, 00:00:31.760 --> 00:00:35.439 there will be revealed pipework there in that 00:00:35.439 --> 00:00:38.020 area, right in the center, in the back. The organ 00:00:38.020 --> 00:00:41.759 in its present size is being placed into that 00:00:41.759 --> 00:00:44.899 chamber, and there will be a grill cloth put 00:00:44.899 --> 00:00:48.560 over that when it's finished. And hopefully that 00:00:48.560 --> 00:00:51.579 may be done next Sunday as well. That will be 00:00:51.579 --> 00:00:54.619 exciting to hear. And then the front, of course, 00:00:54.719 --> 00:00:57.719 will be finished, and this will have a vinyl 00:00:57.719 --> 00:01:06.060 covering. Hello, John. That was an interesting 00:01:06.060 --> 00:01:10.659 doorknob, wasn't it? There will be vinyl here 00:01:10.659 --> 00:01:13.980 across the front, which will tie this gray stripe 00:01:13.980 --> 00:01:16.700 in so that it will appear to go around the whole 00:01:16.700 --> 00:01:20.219 room. Do you notice what the sound is like in 00:01:20.219 --> 00:01:24.430 here? There is just a very alive room, a very 00:01:24.430 --> 00:01:27.269 terrific room, really, for the choir, for all 00:01:27.269 --> 00:01:30.530 music. So we're very excited with what has happened 00:01:30.530 --> 00:01:35.629 here and rejoice in God's provision for us. The 00:01:35.629 --> 00:01:40.230 Lord has been good, and we give him praise. As 00:01:40.230 --> 00:01:42.189 you go down to your small churches later, you 00:01:42.189 --> 00:01:44.849 will find that downstairs is a little less finished 00:01:44.849 --> 00:01:48.340 than up here. The carpet for downstairs as well 00:01:48.340 --> 00:01:50.319 as the carpet for the nursery was shipped out 00:01:50.319 --> 00:01:52.540 about Thursday of this week, we were told, and 00:01:52.540 --> 00:01:55.900 so it should be here tomorrow, perhaps Tuesday. 00:01:56.120 --> 00:01:57.859 And we're glad it didn't come, frankly, before 00:01:57.859 --> 00:02:00.140 the weekend. They could not have laid it, and 00:02:00.140 --> 00:02:02.379 we would have had about 18 huge rolls laying 00:02:02.379 --> 00:02:04.659 around here somewhere. So we're just thankful 00:02:04.659 --> 00:02:06.219 it's on the truck this morning and not here. 00:02:07.420 --> 00:02:09.539 Hopefully the carpet will be all down by next 00:02:09.539 --> 00:02:14.270 week, and the rest of the painting, the... Vinyl 00:02:14.270 --> 00:02:16.770 covering on the walls downstairs as well as some 00:02:16.770 --> 00:02:19.289 other places will be finished. The bathrooms 00:02:19.289 --> 00:02:21.189 downstairs have yet to be finished, although 00:02:21.189 --> 00:02:23.629 I think the new lights are up there. So there's 00:02:23.629 --> 00:02:26.110 just lots of exciting things yet to happen this 00:02:26.110 --> 00:02:29.210 week. But how thrilled we are to be here this 00:02:29.210 --> 00:02:31.870 morning. I think you agree with me on that. I 00:02:31.870 --> 00:02:33.909 woke up about six times last night wondering 00:02:33.909 --> 00:02:40.550 when the night was going to end. Let's take our 00:02:40.550 --> 00:02:42.689 Bibles and turn together to the book of Acts. 00:02:45.099 --> 00:02:49.000 If you have questions as to what time something 00:02:49.000 --> 00:02:52.340 is happening or where this room is or how to 00:02:52.340 --> 00:02:54.539 get to another place, check with the information 00:02:54.539 --> 00:02:56.419 desk there in the lobby, and they should have 00:02:56.419 --> 00:03:05.180 those answers for you. Acts chapter 2. We'll 00:03:05.180 --> 00:03:09.319 read our text and begin with verse 37. When they 00:03:09.319 --> 00:03:11.580 had heard this, they were pierced to the heart 00:03:11.580 --> 00:03:14.259 and said to Peter, and the rest of the apostles, 00:03:14.639 --> 00:03:18.740 Brethren, what shall we do? And Peter said to 00:03:18.740 --> 00:03:22.180 them, Repent, and let each one of you be baptized 00:03:22.180 --> 00:03:25.020 in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness 00:03:25.020 --> 00:03:28.099 of your sins, and you shall receive the gift 00:03:28.099 --> 00:03:31.319 of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you 00:03:31.319 --> 00:03:34.879 and your children, and for all who are afar off, 00:03:35.039 --> 00:03:38.180 as many as the Lord our God shall call to himself. 00:03:39.469 --> 00:03:42.430 And with many other words he solemnly testified 00:03:42.430 --> 00:03:45.830 and kept on exhorting them, saying, Be saved 00:03:45.830 --> 00:03:49.750 from this perverse generation. So then those 00:03:49.750 --> 00:03:53.090 who had received his word were baptized, and 00:03:53.090 --> 00:03:55.710 there were added that day about 3 ,000 souls, 00:03:55.849 --> 00:03:57.830 and they were continually devoting themselves 00:03:57.830 --> 00:04:00.909 to the apostles' teaching and to fellowship, 00:04:01.030 --> 00:04:06.030 to the breaking of bread, and to prayer. What 00:04:06.030 --> 00:04:10.110 a birthday celebration was Pentecost. The birth 00:04:10.110 --> 00:04:12.650 of the Church of Jesus Christ was accompanied 00:04:12.650 --> 00:04:17.569 by the epical release of the greatest energy 00:04:17.569 --> 00:04:22.069 in the universe, the power of the Holy Spirit. 00:04:22.790 --> 00:04:27.649 His coming to indwell believers was signified 00:04:27.649 --> 00:04:32.529 outwardly by the noise as of a hurricane, by 00:04:32.529 --> 00:04:37.310 flame as of a fire, and the miracle of tongues 00:04:37.310 --> 00:04:43.629 or languages. With explosive impact, his presence 00:04:43.629 --> 00:04:48.470 and power became personal to the newborn body 00:04:48.470 --> 00:04:52.670 of believers. The Holy Spirit clothed himself 00:04:52.670 --> 00:04:58.129 in their humanity, making them vessels, channels 00:04:58.129 --> 00:05:03.829 of his mighty working. They were not merely humans 00:05:03.829 --> 00:05:08.300 anymore, but more than that. because they were 00:05:08.300 --> 00:05:12.420 indwelt by the Spirit of God himself. They were 00:05:12.420 --> 00:05:16.019 indwelt with the supernatural. And we notice 00:05:16.019 --> 00:05:19.300 they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and 00:05:19.300 --> 00:05:22.540 spoke in the native languages of the multitudes 00:05:22.540 --> 00:05:25.899 who had gathered together for this Jewish feast 00:05:25.899 --> 00:05:30.279 from all over the Roman Empire. But it was Peter 00:05:30.279 --> 00:05:34.899 who became the chief spokesman for them. as he 00:05:34.899 --> 00:05:39.519 stood up and explained the phenomena which was 00:05:39.519 --> 00:05:44.819 taking place. And then he began to expound regarding 00:05:44.819 --> 00:05:51.420 Jesus of Nazareth being Lord and Christ. His 00:05:51.420 --> 00:05:55.519 message was more an indictment of the nation 00:05:55.519 --> 00:06:00.519 than it was an invitation, for it exposed the 00:06:00.519 --> 00:06:05.529 crime of the Jewish nation. The power of the 00:06:05.529 --> 00:06:10.389 Spirit of God produced dynamic results at Pentecost. 00:06:11.029 --> 00:06:15.709 Like an atomic explosion, his special entrance 00:06:15.709 --> 00:06:20.810 into the world produced an amazing Pentecostal 00:06:20.810 --> 00:06:25.589 fallout. In contrast to atomic fallout, which 00:06:25.589 --> 00:06:30.709 is destructive and life -destroying, this Pentecostal 00:06:30.709 --> 00:06:36.269 fallout was... constructive, and life -giving. 00:06:37.149 --> 00:06:40.149 Will you notice with me, please, the three results 00:06:40.149 --> 00:06:44.449 of the coming of the Spirit of God at Pentecost? 00:06:46.089 --> 00:06:49.670 The first result is found in verses 37 to 40, 00:06:49.730 --> 00:06:54.970 and it is conviction. It is described here as 00:06:54.970 --> 00:06:59.810 their being pierced to the heart. That means 00:06:59.810 --> 00:07:04.560 that they were stung sharply. literally. That 00:07:04.560 --> 00:07:08.740 is, they were pricked by a sharp point. It is 00:07:08.740 --> 00:07:10.819 as though you ladies were to slip as you were 00:07:10.819 --> 00:07:15.759 sewing and stick the pin into your finger. Or 00:07:15.759 --> 00:07:18.040 you were to have an ice pick that you were working 00:07:18.040 --> 00:07:21.639 with and you slipped and hit your leg. There 00:07:21.639 --> 00:07:25.160 was pain inwardly involved in what took place. 00:07:25.639 --> 00:07:29.540 The same word is used outside of the Bible. in 00:07:29.540 --> 00:07:31.980 the literature of that day to describe the sharp 00:07:31.980 --> 00:07:37.519 striking of horses' hooves on the ground. They 00:07:37.519 --> 00:07:42.139 became aware, as Peter preached, of the terrible 00:07:42.139 --> 00:07:46.120 crime that they had committed in rejecting their 00:07:46.120 --> 00:07:50.860 Messiah and crucifying him. What we have here 00:07:50.860 --> 00:07:53.500 in their statement in response to conviction 00:07:53.500 --> 00:07:57.000 is but the fulfillment of what Jesus said in 00:07:57.000 --> 00:08:01.019 John... chapter 16 for there in that chapter 00:08:01.019 --> 00:08:04.899 he prophesied regarding the coming of the holy 00:08:04.899 --> 00:08:10.259 spirit and he says and he when he comes will 00:08:10.259 --> 00:08:14.660 convict the world concerning sin and righteousness 00:08:14.660 --> 00:08:19.000 and judgment concerning sin because they do not 00:08:19.000 --> 00:08:23.879 believe in me And so the Spirit of God in His 00:08:23.879 --> 00:08:27.379 coming on that day of Pentecost produced a powerful 00:08:27.379 --> 00:08:33.120 conviction in the lives of those hearers. Now 00:08:33.120 --> 00:08:35.740 the reason that they were convicted is because 00:08:35.740 --> 00:08:38.919 they did hear the Word of God. You will notice 00:08:38.919 --> 00:08:42.379 that it says, and hearing they were convicted. 00:08:43.139 --> 00:08:46.559 That is, they heard a relevant proclamation regarding 00:08:46.559 --> 00:08:51.080 Jesus. of Nazareth, being both Lord and Christ. 00:08:51.799 --> 00:08:55.080 They heard it. And that hearing of the Word of 00:08:55.080 --> 00:08:59.379 God produced the conviction inwardly. Without 00:08:59.379 --> 00:09:03.860 that hearing, there cannot be the inward convicting 00:09:03.860 --> 00:09:08.139 work of the Holy Spirit unto saving faith. Where 00:09:08.139 --> 00:09:13.139 Romans 10, 17 says that faith comes by hearing, 00:09:13.240 --> 00:09:18.970 and hearing the Word of Jesus Christ. That is 00:09:18.970 --> 00:09:21.129 what happened on that day and still today as 00:09:21.129 --> 00:09:24.629 the word of Jesus Christ is proclaimed or shared 00:09:24.629 --> 00:09:29.629 by us. It does a work in the lives of those who 00:09:29.629 --> 00:09:33.250 hear. The Spirit of God takes that word and produces 00:09:33.250 --> 00:09:37.269 conviction. It is not always apparent, nor is 00:09:37.269 --> 00:09:41.570 it always yielded to, but the Spirit of God nonetheless 00:09:41.570 --> 00:09:46.009 uses it. So you and I have a great responsibility. 00:09:47.529 --> 00:09:50.029 It is the same responsibility that Peter and 00:09:50.029 --> 00:09:52.750 those apostles had on that first Pentecostal 00:09:52.750 --> 00:09:58.409 Sunday. It is to declare the Word of God about 00:09:58.409 --> 00:10:01.370 Jesus Christ so that people can be brought under 00:10:01.370 --> 00:10:05.529 conviction. Now the response of Peter to their 00:10:05.529 --> 00:10:09.029 conviction was that he solemnly testified and 00:10:09.029 --> 00:10:12.090 he kept on exhorting them. And so what we have 00:10:12.090 --> 00:10:19.639 here is a condensation of, the total sermon that 00:10:19.639 --> 00:10:24.600 Peter preached. Luke takes the essential elements 00:10:24.600 --> 00:10:26.940 of it, records those for us, but there were many 00:10:26.940 --> 00:10:30.539 other words that Peter spoke. And essentially 00:10:30.539 --> 00:10:34.100 there's a three -fold command in his response 00:10:34.100 --> 00:10:37.100 to them. And it's sort of progressive. The first 00:10:37.100 --> 00:10:39.480 thing that he says to them in verse 38 is, repent. 00:10:40.759 --> 00:10:42.759 That wasn't the first time they'd heard this 00:10:42.759 --> 00:10:44.700 word because that was the word that John the 00:10:44.700 --> 00:10:49.299 Baptist had used. Peter said in response to their 00:10:49.299 --> 00:10:52.519 question, what must we do? Number one, repent. 00:10:53.500 --> 00:10:57.899 The word repent means to change the mind. But 00:10:57.899 --> 00:11:00.299 it's more than just intellectual. It involves 00:11:00.299 --> 00:11:05.820 a change of conduct and action as well. He commands 00:11:05.820 --> 00:11:09.379 them to repent of their rejection of their Messiah. 00:11:10.419 --> 00:11:14.440 To repent of their rejection of what he did and 00:11:14.440 --> 00:11:18.669 who he was. They needed to change their mind 00:11:18.669 --> 00:11:24.049 about Jesus of Nazareth and to receive him. This 00:11:24.049 --> 00:11:26.769 idea of repentance is emphasized in the book 00:11:26.769 --> 00:11:29.370 of Acts. The word is used at least ten times 00:11:29.370 --> 00:11:32.809 in the preaching of the book. And by the way, 00:11:32.830 --> 00:11:35.909 repentance should not be separated from faith. 00:11:36.389 --> 00:11:39.090 There are those who make repentance a separate 00:11:39.090 --> 00:11:42.490 work from faith. I believe that's incorrect. 00:11:43.629 --> 00:11:46.629 For there is not true saving faith that does 00:11:46.629 --> 00:11:50.710 not involve repentance. And repentance, genuine 00:11:50.710 --> 00:11:54.470 repentance, always brings to true faith. They're 00:11:54.470 --> 00:11:58.370 like two sides to one coin. In this particular 00:11:58.370 --> 00:12:01.889 place, Peter emphasizes the repentance, their 00:12:01.889 --> 00:12:04.730 changing of their mind, their turning from their 00:12:04.730 --> 00:12:09.470 former attitudes about Jesus of Nazareth. Repent, 00:12:09.509 --> 00:12:13.320 he says. May I say to you that I believe that 00:12:13.320 --> 00:12:16.600 is a missing element in too much evangelism today. 00:12:18.059 --> 00:12:22.799 We talk a lot about faith, believing on Jesus 00:12:22.799 --> 00:12:26.299 Christ, and that is absolutely true. But somehow 00:12:26.299 --> 00:12:28.840 we need to recover an emphasis on repentance 00:12:28.840 --> 00:12:32.740 so that people understand that believing on Jesus 00:12:32.740 --> 00:12:35.480 Christ is more than intellectually receiving 00:12:35.480 --> 00:12:39.500 Him. It is more than adding Him into the life. 00:12:40.399 --> 00:12:43.399 It also involves getting some things out of the 00:12:43.399 --> 00:12:47.580 life. It involves changing the mind about some 00:12:47.580 --> 00:12:54.700 things to receive him. The second thing that 00:12:54.700 --> 00:12:58.759 he told them was, be baptized. Now the Greek 00:12:58.759 --> 00:13:04.259 word baptizo means to immerse or to dip. I have 00:13:04.259 --> 00:13:07.860 personally never read a Greek scholar who differed 00:13:07.860 --> 00:13:13.889 from that. It was familiar to the hearers because 00:13:13.889 --> 00:13:18.450 they had seen baptism, not only by John's baptism 00:13:18.450 --> 00:13:20.629 out in the wilderness, but it was their custom 00:13:20.629 --> 00:13:24.590 to practice immersion of Gentile proselytes into 00:13:24.590 --> 00:13:29.009 Judaism. They too were immersed. And so this 00:13:29.009 --> 00:13:32.990 was not a strange word or concept to them. But 00:13:32.990 --> 00:13:36.330 he goes on to say, be baptized in the name of 00:13:36.330 --> 00:13:38.850 Jesus Christ. And that's what gives this baptism 00:13:38.850 --> 00:13:42.080 its significance. In other words, he's saying 00:13:42.080 --> 00:13:46.700 be baptized with respect to Jesus Christ and 00:13:46.700 --> 00:13:50.820 what he taught. He is not giving here the formula 00:13:50.820 --> 00:13:53.179 that we're to use for this age when baptizing. 00:13:55.039 --> 00:13:57.840 The formula that we use, as you probably are 00:13:57.840 --> 00:14:00.960 aware, is I baptize you in the name of the Father 00:14:00.960 --> 00:14:04.799 and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. That is 00:14:04.799 --> 00:14:08.059 the customary formula. And we use that because 00:14:08.059 --> 00:14:10.970 of the command in the Great Commission. In Matthew 00:14:10.970 --> 00:14:15.070 chapter 28, verses 19 and 20, Jesus said that 00:14:15.070 --> 00:14:16.889 we were to baptize in the name of the Father 00:14:16.889 --> 00:14:20.009 and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. And I 00:14:20.009 --> 00:14:22.429 don't believe that Peter here is contradicting 00:14:22.429 --> 00:14:26.389 what Jesus has said. He is not giving the formula 00:14:26.389 --> 00:14:29.429 that they would be baptized with. He is simply 00:14:29.429 --> 00:14:32.230 saying with respect to the teachings of Jesus 00:14:32.230 --> 00:14:37.090 Christ, you need to be baptized. Every one of 00:14:37.090 --> 00:14:42.009 you. Every one of you. Baptism is not just for 00:14:42.009 --> 00:14:46.710 a few or for those who really are obedient, but 00:14:46.710 --> 00:14:50.970 it's talking about everyone who believes to be 00:14:50.970 --> 00:14:54.610 baptized. And he says that they are to do this 00:14:54.610 --> 00:14:58.590 for the forgiveness of their sins. And that is 00:14:58.590 --> 00:15:01.570 undoubtedly the most difficult part of this verse 00:15:01.570 --> 00:15:03.769 and the most controversial in church history. 00:15:04.629 --> 00:15:07.549 What does it mean to be baptized for the forgiveness 00:15:07.549 --> 00:15:13.009 of sins? It all hinges upon one three -letter 00:15:13.009 --> 00:15:16.690 Greek preposition, which is a three -letter preposition 00:15:16.690 --> 00:15:22.029 in the English translation. It is for. Be baptized 00:15:22.029 --> 00:15:27.269 for the forgiveness of your sins. That little 00:15:27.269 --> 00:15:33.389 word, ice, as it is in the Greek, can have one 00:15:33.389 --> 00:15:37.490 of two meanings primarily. It can mean for the 00:15:37.490 --> 00:15:41.440 purpose of. And so this could be translated, 00:15:41.639 --> 00:15:45.700 be baptized for the purpose of the forgiveness 00:15:45.700 --> 00:15:50.019 of your sins. And there are those who take it 00:15:50.019 --> 00:15:52.980 that way. But there are a couple of problems 00:15:52.980 --> 00:15:55.740 that we have with that particular translation 00:15:55.740 --> 00:16:00.460 of that preposition. One is that it therefore 00:16:00.460 --> 00:16:04.360 makes baptism essential for salvation, for sins 00:16:04.360 --> 00:16:07.360 to be forgiven. In other words, if you're not 00:16:07.360 --> 00:16:10.379 baptized... You cannot be forgiven of your sins. 00:16:12.000 --> 00:16:14.840 That would stand in contradiction to other clear 00:16:14.840 --> 00:16:17.220 statements in the Scripture where baptism is 00:16:17.220 --> 00:16:21.779 not a part of the picture, where faith alone 00:16:21.779 --> 00:16:25.679 is mentioned. And so the first problem we have 00:16:25.679 --> 00:16:29.220 if we translate this little preposition for the 00:16:29.220 --> 00:16:32.480 purpose of is that it contradicts other clear 00:16:32.480 --> 00:16:36.200 statements of Scripture. The second problem we 00:16:36.200 --> 00:16:41.000 have is that it adds works to faith. So that 00:16:41.000 --> 00:16:43.220 instead of believing on the Lord Jesus Christ 00:16:43.220 --> 00:16:49.000 only to be saved, one must believe but also perform 00:16:49.000 --> 00:16:53.700 a work himself of being baptized. And again, 00:16:53.820 --> 00:16:57.000 I say we reject this particular translation because 00:16:57.000 --> 00:17:01.259 it adds works to faith. Now there is another 00:17:01.259 --> 00:17:05.839 translation. which is just as prominent in the 00:17:05.839 --> 00:17:09.759 Scripture and just as legitimate here. And it 00:17:09.759 --> 00:17:14.000 is the translation, on account of. In other words, 00:17:14.019 --> 00:17:17.539 he is saying, be baptized on account of the forgiveness 00:17:17.539 --> 00:17:22.000 of your sins. It seems to me that that particular 00:17:22.000 --> 00:17:25.059 translation is consistent with Scripture in other 00:17:25.059 --> 00:17:29.779 places, and it does not add baptism as a condition 00:17:29.779 --> 00:17:33.390 for salvation. And therefore, I believe that 00:17:33.390 --> 00:17:35.190 the way that this should be translated is that 00:17:35.190 --> 00:17:40.069 way. Be baptized on account of the forgiveness 00:17:40.069 --> 00:17:43.210 of your sins. That is, as a proclamation of, 00:17:43.289 --> 00:17:47.710 as a testimony of, as a witness of the forgiveness 00:17:47.710 --> 00:17:53.210 of your sins. I am glad for this word, forgiveness. 00:17:54.130 --> 00:17:57.009 I think so often we get tied up in knots over 00:17:57.009 --> 00:18:00.750 that particular controversy that we forget. The 00:18:00.750 --> 00:18:04.509 wonderful promise that is here. That is the forgiveness 00:18:04.509 --> 00:18:07.269 of sins. That is the great message that we have 00:18:07.269 --> 00:18:11.029 to offer. There is not another faith in the world 00:18:11.029 --> 00:18:16.670 that offers that particular hope. One has to 00:18:16.670 --> 00:18:22.630 work and somehow to overcome his sins. Somehow 00:18:22.630 --> 00:18:24.990 to accumulate enough good things so that his 00:18:24.990 --> 00:18:28.950 bad things not weigh the good. But in biblical 00:18:28.950 --> 00:18:32.029 Christianity, there is this offer that no other 00:18:32.029 --> 00:18:35.109 faith makes. And that is when we come to Jesus 00:18:35.109 --> 00:18:40.349 Christ, our sins are forgiven by God. They are 00:18:40.349 --> 00:18:44.450 not any longer held against us. They are removed 00:18:44.450 --> 00:18:49.769 from the record. They are remitted. And it involves 00:18:49.769 --> 00:18:54.930 all sins, those that we think of as great or 00:18:54.930 --> 00:18:59.150 as small. The forgiveness of our sins. No condition 00:18:59.150 --> 00:19:03.490 there. Not a few, not big ones only, but our 00:19:03.490 --> 00:19:08.970 sins. All of them. Furthermore, it does not say 00:19:08.970 --> 00:19:11.309 all of the sins in your life up to that point. 00:19:15.430 --> 00:19:18.509 When God forgives us of sins, He forgives us 00:19:18.509 --> 00:19:24.829 of all of them, past, present, and future. You 00:19:24.829 --> 00:19:27.569 say, wait a minute, you mean... God has forgiven 00:19:27.569 --> 00:19:30.269 me already for all the sins I'm going to commit 00:19:30.269 --> 00:19:35.970 in the future. That is absolutely true. In Colossians 00:19:35.970 --> 00:19:39.390 it says He has forgiven us all of our trespasses 00:19:39.390 --> 00:19:44.089 and sins. You say, but how does God know what 00:19:44.089 --> 00:19:45.789 I'm going to do in the future? I don't even know 00:19:45.789 --> 00:19:48.470 that. Well, I think the answer to that is obvious. 00:19:49.450 --> 00:19:52.430 God's bigger than we are. And God is eternal. 00:19:53.730 --> 00:19:56.680 You see, as God views your life, He sees the 00:19:56.680 --> 00:19:59.920 whole thing laid out before him. He doesn't see 00:19:59.920 --> 00:20:03.039 you as having an unknown future. He knows what 00:20:03.039 --> 00:20:06.819 your future is. So when God forgives sins, he 00:20:06.819 --> 00:20:11.460 forgives the whole life of sins. That's a wonderful 00:20:11.460 --> 00:20:14.640 security that we have. You say, well, then why 00:20:14.640 --> 00:20:16.920 does it say in 1 John 1, 9 that we're to confess 00:20:16.920 --> 00:20:19.240 them and then he'll forgive and he cleanses? 00:20:20.079 --> 00:20:22.519 That has to do with our fellowship and our walk 00:20:22.519 --> 00:20:26.140 with God. But it does not have to do with our 00:20:26.140 --> 00:20:30.380 essential, basic relationship to Him. For in 00:20:30.380 --> 00:20:34.039 that respect, we are already forgiven of all 00:20:34.039 --> 00:20:38.400 of our sins. That does not give us license to 00:20:38.400 --> 00:20:42.859 go out and sin the way we want to. But what it 00:20:42.859 --> 00:20:46.640 does do is assure us that God, through Jesus 00:20:46.640 --> 00:20:52.299 Christ, has forgiven us for a lifelong pattern 00:20:52.299 --> 00:20:57.460 of sin. and has already in his mind seen us in 00:20:57.460 --> 00:21:00.579 heaven. You remember in Romans 8, we studied 00:21:00.579 --> 00:21:03.500 those series of verbs that talks about our salvation. 00:21:03.920 --> 00:21:08.019 And God sees us in Jesus Christ as already glorified, 00:21:08.180 --> 00:21:11.380 even though in time where we're living, we're 00:21:11.380 --> 00:21:15.339 not yet glorified. But God sees us in Christ 00:21:15.339 --> 00:21:18.869 as forgiven totally of all of our sins. past, 00:21:18.869 --> 00:21:21.349 present, future, great and small, and is already 00:21:21.349 --> 00:21:24.769 glorified in Jesus Christ. It is a marvelous, 00:21:25.009 --> 00:21:30.230 marvelous truth. Their baptism was symbolic of 00:21:30.230 --> 00:21:33.829 that. It was symbolic of their new beginning. 00:21:34.829 --> 00:21:37.470 It was symbolic of their repentance and their 00:21:37.470 --> 00:21:40.910 faith. It was symbolic of the fact that their 00:21:40.910 --> 00:21:46.299 old ways and their old religion was behind. By 00:21:46.299 --> 00:21:51.519 the way, it was and still is baptism today, which 00:21:51.519 --> 00:21:57.220 separates a Jew from his nation. It is that final 00:21:57.220 --> 00:22:01.619 line of demarcation as far as one leaving the 00:22:01.619 --> 00:22:06.059 Jewish faith. When a Jew is baptized at that 00:22:06.059 --> 00:22:09.019 moment by his family, his friends, and so on, 00:22:09.019 --> 00:22:11.940 if they're Orthodox, they are considered dead. 00:22:13.099 --> 00:22:15.920 And they will sometimes even have a funeral for 00:22:15.920 --> 00:22:20.759 that person who has been baptized. And so Peter 00:22:20.759 --> 00:22:25.500 is saying to them, repent and be baptized. Make 00:22:25.500 --> 00:22:31.440 a break with the past. And symbolize that by 00:22:31.440 --> 00:22:36.299 your baptism. And then he says, thirdly to them, 00:22:36.339 --> 00:22:40.799 be saved. That's passive. It's not something 00:22:40.799 --> 00:22:43.609 they could accomplish, but he's saying, Be saved. 00:22:44.710 --> 00:22:48.309 And here it seems to have not only the idea of 00:22:48.309 --> 00:22:50.910 initial salvation, but being saved in their lifestyle. 00:22:51.329 --> 00:22:55.910 For he says, be saved from this perverse generation. 00:22:57.130 --> 00:23:02.910 Perverse means crooked or bent generation. So 00:23:02.910 --> 00:23:07.529 he is saying to them, be saved from the perverseness 00:23:07.529 --> 00:23:13.490 of those around you. Now the assurance they would 00:23:13.490 --> 00:23:16.769 have if they would follow through would be not 00:23:16.769 --> 00:23:19.930 only the forgiveness of all their sins, but they 00:23:19.930 --> 00:23:22.869 would also receive the Holy Spirit. Notice in 00:23:22.869 --> 00:23:26.150 the last part of verse 38, And you shall receive 00:23:26.150 --> 00:23:30.210 the gift of the Holy Spirit, for the promise 00:23:30.210 --> 00:23:32.849 is for you, your children, and all who are afar 00:23:32.849 --> 00:23:38.730 off. The free gift of the Holy Spirit. Notice 00:23:38.730 --> 00:23:42.000 not the gifts of the Spirit. That's not His subject 00:23:42.000 --> 00:23:46.420 here. It's the gift of the Spirit Himself. He 00:23:46.420 --> 00:23:48.740 is not promising them that they will experience 00:23:48.740 --> 00:23:54.880 the phenomena of the fire over the head or the 00:23:54.880 --> 00:23:58.380 ability to speak in the languages, but He is 00:23:58.380 --> 00:24:01.720 saying to them, you too will receive the gift 00:24:01.720 --> 00:24:05.940 of the Holy Spirit. And notice for whom this 00:24:05.940 --> 00:24:09.509 promise is. He is speaking to Jews, and he says, 00:24:09.529 --> 00:24:13.069 it's for you and your children, your descendants, 00:24:13.190 --> 00:24:16.809 in other words. But thank God, he goes on to 00:24:16.809 --> 00:24:19.390 say, and Peter probably said more here than he 00:24:19.390 --> 00:24:26.950 realized. He says, and for all who are afar off. 00:24:28.289 --> 00:24:30.809 Now, it could be that Peter had in mind here 00:24:30.809 --> 00:24:35.660 those Jews who were not in Jerusalem. who were 00:24:35.660 --> 00:24:38.000 still scattered in the diaspora throughout the 00:24:38.000 --> 00:24:42.599 Roman Empire. It's possible. But spiritually 00:24:42.599 --> 00:24:46.019 speaking, we have this wonderful truth that those 00:24:46.019 --> 00:24:50.500 who are far off are the whom? The Gentiles, right? 00:24:51.240 --> 00:24:54.119 In Ephesians chapter 2, we are declared to be 00:24:54.119 --> 00:24:56.920 far off and separated from the commonwealth of 00:24:56.920 --> 00:25:00.519 Israel and the promises of God. But by the blood 00:25:00.519 --> 00:25:02.819 of the Lord Jesus Christ, it says, we have been 00:25:02.819 --> 00:25:07.140 brought near. And so we have an intimation at 00:25:07.140 --> 00:25:11.460 least that Gentiles too are included. Even here 00:25:11.460 --> 00:25:14.559 on the day of Pentecost, they were included in 00:25:14.559 --> 00:25:18.819 the promise that Gentiles who believe would receive 00:25:18.819 --> 00:25:21.359 the Holy Spirit. And then he goes on to qualify 00:25:21.359 --> 00:25:25.279 it. He says, as many as the Lord our God shall 00:25:25.279 --> 00:25:29.700 call to himself. That is an interesting phrase. 00:25:31.140 --> 00:25:33.619 It speaks to the point of the sovereignty of 00:25:33.619 --> 00:25:37.579 God. and to the effectual call of the Holy Spirit. 00:25:38.640 --> 00:25:42.779 That same word that we saw in Romans 9, chapter 00:25:42.779 --> 00:25:49.000 8, verses 29 and 30, where it speaks about the 00:25:49.000 --> 00:25:54.039 fact that we are summoned to salvation. We are 00:25:54.039 --> 00:26:00.259 called to salvation. You say, well, I found Jesus 00:26:00.259 --> 00:26:04.630 Christ five years ago. That is the truth from 00:26:04.630 --> 00:26:07.809 your side, but from God's side, he found you 00:26:07.809 --> 00:26:12.390 long before that. For in his mind, in his purposes, 00:26:12.529 --> 00:26:15.250 before the creation of the world, he called you 00:26:15.250 --> 00:26:19.970 to be his own in Jesus Christ. So there's an 00:26:19.970 --> 00:26:23.950 interesting balance here, it seems to me. They 00:26:23.950 --> 00:26:26.750 say, Peter, what shall we do? And he says to 00:26:26.750 --> 00:26:33.519 all of them, legitimately, repent! And then as 00:26:33.519 --> 00:26:35.519 he balances it out at the end, he says, as many 00:26:35.519 --> 00:26:39.180 as the Lord our God shall call. And that is the 00:26:39.180 --> 00:26:44.160 balance, mysterious though it is, that is found 00:26:44.160 --> 00:26:48.099 throughout the New Testament. And so there was 00:26:48.099 --> 00:26:50.539 on this first Pentecost Sunday the result of 00:26:50.539 --> 00:26:53.759 conviction. And only the Holy Spirit can produce 00:26:53.759 --> 00:26:57.359 conviction. You and I can manipulate people. 00:26:58.359 --> 00:27:01.960 We can do a sales job on them. We can win an 00:27:01.960 --> 00:27:05.420 argument occasionally. We can lay on a guilt 00:27:05.420 --> 00:27:11.519 trip. But only the Holy Spirit can produce conviction 00:27:11.519 --> 00:27:16.980 in the heart. So don't try to do the work of 00:27:16.980 --> 00:27:20.359 the Holy Spirit, will you? Will you leave that 00:27:20.359 --> 00:27:24.119 up to Him? Our part is to declare the gospel 00:27:24.119 --> 00:27:29.599 lovingly, with an appeal, but it's up to Him. 00:27:30.380 --> 00:27:32.960 To bring it home to the heart and produce the 00:27:32.960 --> 00:27:35.339 conviction so that people say, what must I do? 00:27:38.059 --> 00:27:40.799 Now the second result on this Pentecostal Sunday 00:27:40.799 --> 00:27:45.359 was that of converts, verse 41. Who were they? 00:27:46.160 --> 00:27:49.259 Well, they were those who received his word. 00:27:50.480 --> 00:27:53.400 To receive here is a special word that means 00:27:53.400 --> 00:27:58.819 to welcome. It's the idea of throwing open the 00:27:58.819 --> 00:28:04.559 doors and saying, welcome. It means to appropriate 00:28:04.559 --> 00:28:09.619 the word. There's more involved here than just 00:28:09.619 --> 00:28:11.920 the transmission of a message to those people. 00:28:12.740 --> 00:28:15.640 All of them had a message transmitted to them, 00:28:15.700 --> 00:28:18.579 but there were some who said, welcome. They opened 00:28:18.579 --> 00:28:22.720 their heart to the word and received it. They 00:28:22.720 --> 00:28:27.200 are the ones who were converted. And how were 00:28:27.200 --> 00:28:30.619 they known? They were baptized. They were baptized. 00:28:30.740 --> 00:28:32.839 We have no indication that there were some who 00:28:32.839 --> 00:28:36.339 held back, or some who said, that's not for me, 00:28:36.440 --> 00:28:41.420 or I'll wait till later. The indication is that 00:28:41.420 --> 00:28:44.119 when they received the word, they were all baptized, 00:28:44.200 --> 00:28:48.200 and that indicated that they were genuine about 00:28:48.200 --> 00:28:53.339 their receiving of the word. That baptism symbolized... 00:28:53.690 --> 00:28:56.789 their identification or their association with 00:28:56.789 --> 00:29:00.990 Jesus Christ. And there were 3 ,000 of them. 00:29:01.869 --> 00:29:05.109 3 ,000. Now when we have a baptism and have 20, 00:29:05.269 --> 00:29:08.849 it takes a whole service. And it's a wonderful 00:29:08.849 --> 00:29:12.430 service. And we're going to do that this month 00:29:12.430 --> 00:29:16.190 over there in that place right there as soon 00:29:16.190 --> 00:29:19.569 as they get the rubber in there. We'll put the 00:29:19.569 --> 00:29:23.809 water in and we'll be ready to go. I hope you'll 00:29:23.809 --> 00:29:26.789 be here for that service. But how do they do 00:29:26.789 --> 00:29:31.430 3 ,000 in one day? Well, you've got to remember 00:29:31.430 --> 00:29:34.849 in the first place there were 12 apostles, and 00:29:34.849 --> 00:29:39.750 beyond that there were 100 -plus other disciples 00:29:39.750 --> 00:29:43.710 who were there in that upper room when the Holy 00:29:43.710 --> 00:29:46.890 Spirit came. And so we have to think that there 00:29:46.890 --> 00:29:50.789 were 100 -plus people who were doing the baptizing. 00:29:50.890 --> 00:29:55.210 It was not just Peter. Or just the twelve, probably. 00:29:56.329 --> 00:30:01.309 And there were pools all over Jerusalem. And 00:30:01.309 --> 00:30:03.690 there was nothing wrong with going into the pool 00:30:03.690 --> 00:30:07.769 for this kind of a purpose. And so the 3 ,000 00:30:07.769 --> 00:30:10.150 were baptized, and that indicated their sincerity. 00:30:11.430 --> 00:30:14.529 Every genuine believer ought to be baptized in 00:30:14.529 --> 00:30:18.130 obedience to the Word of God. And what happened 00:30:18.130 --> 00:30:21.549 to them? Well, it says they were added. that 00:30:21.549 --> 00:30:25.869 day to the church. They were added. That word 00:30:25.869 --> 00:30:28.410 means they were joined to, and it's an interesting 00:30:28.410 --> 00:30:30.509 word. It's where we get our word prosthesis, 00:30:30.670 --> 00:30:36.289 which refers to an artificial limb that is added 00:30:36.289 --> 00:30:40.630 to the body. When I grew up as a child, I had 00:30:40.630 --> 00:30:43.609 a friend who was involved in a farm accident 00:30:43.609 --> 00:30:45.809 and had his leg taken off just below the hip. 00:30:47.079 --> 00:30:49.960 And that was my first introduction to a prosthesis, 00:30:49.960 --> 00:30:54.200 to an artificial leg that he wore. It became 00:30:54.200 --> 00:30:57.259 the extension of his body so that he could walk. 00:30:58.539 --> 00:31:02.339 It was added to him. And that's the word here. 00:31:03.700 --> 00:31:06.940 It is the extension of the body. It is adding 00:31:06.940 --> 00:31:11.380 to the body. They were joined to it. And there 00:31:11.380 --> 00:31:13.519 is a suggestion here that it was more than just 00:31:13.519 --> 00:31:16.339 a membership role. In fact, it doesn't even indicate 00:31:16.339 --> 00:31:19.779 there was a membership role present. It's the 00:31:19.779 --> 00:31:21.920 idea that they were assimilated into the body. 00:31:24.019 --> 00:31:27.079 Whose responsibility is it to see that new people 00:31:27.079 --> 00:31:31.720 are assimilated into the body, that they're made 00:31:31.720 --> 00:31:34.920 to feel a part, made to feel welcome? It's my 00:31:34.920 --> 00:31:41.950 job and yours. It's the job of all of us. to 00:31:41.950 --> 00:31:44.289 reach out to new people who are brought into 00:31:44.289 --> 00:31:47.509 the church by the Lord so that they feel that 00:31:47.509 --> 00:31:51.650 they're a part of what we're all about. If you 00:31:51.650 --> 00:31:56.150 see someone standing around who you do not know, 00:31:56.250 --> 00:31:59.450 I'll get these words out in a moment here, whom 00:31:59.450 --> 00:32:06.069 you do not know and they look like they're strangers, 00:32:06.509 --> 00:32:12.009 be sure to go to them and greet them. Last Sunday 00:32:12.009 --> 00:32:15.930 there was a couple over at the Maranatha Auditorium 00:32:15.930 --> 00:32:18.829 that way, and one of our staff members said that 00:32:18.829 --> 00:32:20.470 he saw them standing there, and he was on his 00:32:20.470 --> 00:32:22.529 way to greet them, and someone, a member of the 00:32:22.529 --> 00:32:27.069 church, beat him to it. And that's great. We 00:32:27.069 --> 00:32:30.190 want that to happen. Never allow anyone to stand 00:32:30.190 --> 00:32:34.549 around looking lonely. Now, it may be that they've 00:32:34.549 --> 00:32:37.529 come here longer than you have. Don't worry about 00:32:37.529 --> 00:32:42.490 that. That's the least of our concerns. But, 00:32:42.509 --> 00:32:44.450 you know, it's more than just that. You want 00:32:44.450 --> 00:32:46.410 to find out who they are and shake their hand 00:32:46.410 --> 00:32:49.029 and make sure they feel welcome. But it's finding 00:32:49.029 --> 00:32:51.569 out that they're involved in small church. It's 00:32:51.569 --> 00:32:53.849 encouraging them to get involved in the church. 00:32:55.549 --> 00:32:57.970 We want to assimilate the people the Lord adds 00:32:57.970 --> 00:33:01.609 to the body. Well, only the Holy Spirit can produce 00:33:01.609 --> 00:33:04.910 converts. We can twist people's arms. We can 00:33:04.910 --> 00:33:08.369 get them to say a prayer. But only the Holy Spirit 00:33:08.369 --> 00:33:12.269 can produce converts, those who receive the Word. 00:33:12.950 --> 00:33:14.950 And then there's a third and final result, and 00:33:14.950 --> 00:33:19.329 that is commitment, verse 42. Their whole lives 00:33:19.329 --> 00:33:23.849 were affected by what they were doing. There 00:33:23.849 --> 00:33:26.589 was a new commitment on the part of these new 00:33:26.589 --> 00:33:30.170 converts, and it was revealed in the priorities 00:33:30.170 --> 00:33:34.390 which they established. All of them surrounded 00:33:34.390 --> 00:33:36.450 the church in some way. There's the priority 00:33:36.450 --> 00:33:40.829 of teaching. It says they were continually devoting 00:33:40.829 --> 00:33:44.390 themselves. There's priority there, folks. That 00:33:44.390 --> 00:33:46.950 means that this was the number one concern they 00:33:46.950 --> 00:33:50.190 had, what was going on at the church. And that's 00:33:50.190 --> 00:33:52.450 not the building here either. It's the fellowship. 00:33:53.450 --> 00:33:56.690 And the first priority they established was the 00:33:56.690 --> 00:33:59.990 apostles' teaching. The apostles taught them 00:33:59.990 --> 00:34:04.099 about the life of Jesus. His death, His resurrection, 00:34:04.339 --> 00:34:06.799 His ministry in heaven, as much as they understood 00:34:06.799 --> 00:34:10.579 it at that point. These new converts decided 00:34:10.579 --> 00:34:13.039 that was a priority. They had to get the teaching. 00:34:13.179 --> 00:34:17.559 Number two was fellowship. They devoted themselves 00:34:17.559 --> 00:34:20.760 to fellowship. The word means to share in common, 00:34:20.860 --> 00:34:26.920 a matter of interest. To be a partner with someone 00:34:26.920 --> 00:34:29.119 else. It's the idea of being a partner in business 00:34:29.119 --> 00:34:33.150 or a player on the same team. It's a broad term 00:34:33.150 --> 00:34:37.329 with a wide range of New Testament uses. It talks 00:34:37.329 --> 00:34:38.909 in the New Testament about the blood of Christ, 00:34:39.190 --> 00:34:42.489 the fellowship of the work of the gospel, the 00:34:42.489 --> 00:34:45.110 fellowship of contributing to the poor saints, 00:34:45.269 --> 00:34:47.670 the fellowship of oneness of spirit, the fellowship 00:34:47.670 --> 00:34:51.889 in the Lord's Supper. It means to be a sharer. 00:34:51.969 --> 00:34:54.610 These new converts had come from all over the 00:34:54.610 --> 00:34:58.170 world and were prepared to stay in Jerusalem 00:34:58.170 --> 00:35:02.190 for the feast. But something happened there they 00:35:02.190 --> 00:35:06.190 had not anticipated. And they were going to be 00:35:06.190 --> 00:35:09.829 around there for a little while anyway. And so 00:35:09.829 --> 00:35:13.170 those who were believers took in others who were 00:35:13.170 --> 00:35:17.170 new converts, and they shared. No longer were 00:35:17.170 --> 00:35:19.849 they all strangers, though Jews, coming to the 00:35:19.849 --> 00:35:21.829 city to celebrate a feast, but they were now 00:35:21.829 --> 00:35:25.309 a part of a family. And so they began to share 00:35:25.309 --> 00:35:29.110 burdens and practical needs. That was a priority 00:35:29.110 --> 00:35:32.650 to them. Priority number three was communion, 00:35:32.909 --> 00:35:36.829 the breaking of bread. Now this may refer to 00:35:36.829 --> 00:35:40.369 the meals because in those days they celebrated 00:35:40.369 --> 00:35:42.570 the Lord's Supper in connection with their meals. 00:35:44.170 --> 00:35:47.650 It was usually the last part of the meal, the 00:35:47.650 --> 00:35:50.590 breaking of bread, remembering the Lord's body 00:35:50.590 --> 00:35:55.489 and His shed blood. But that was a priority to 00:35:55.489 --> 00:35:58.989 them as they... Fellowship together, it involved 00:35:58.989 --> 00:36:01.809 meals apparently, and there was part of that 00:36:01.809 --> 00:36:06.349 meal when they worshipped the Lord by communion, 00:36:06.530 --> 00:36:11.309 by the Lord's Supper. You know, the Lord's Supper 00:36:11.309 --> 00:36:13.590 is more than just something that we do. It is 00:36:13.590 --> 00:36:16.230 a command of Jesus Christ as much as baptism 00:36:16.230 --> 00:36:19.989 is. When was the last time you were in the Lord's 00:36:19.989 --> 00:36:24.010 Supper? It is a marvelous, worshipful experience. 00:36:25.610 --> 00:36:28.489 As we partake of those elements, Jesus is not 00:36:28.489 --> 00:36:32.530 in the elements or with them. But nonetheless, 00:36:33.010 --> 00:36:38.710 he ministers to us in a very special way as we 00:36:38.710 --> 00:36:43.429 observe communion together. Then the fourth priority 00:36:43.429 --> 00:36:47.690 was that of prayers. These were apparently formal 00:36:47.690 --> 00:36:52.389 services when they, as a body of people, prayed 00:36:52.389 --> 00:36:56.320 together. In chapter 4, verse 23, it suggests 00:36:56.320 --> 00:36:59.539 also they had home prayer meetings. But they 00:36:59.539 --> 00:37:02.300 established prayer with other believers as a 00:37:02.300 --> 00:37:06.980 priority in their lives. Only the Holy Spirit 00:37:06.980 --> 00:37:11.139 can produce this kind of commitment. Only the 00:37:11.139 --> 00:37:14.960 Holy Spirit can do it. Now there are several 00:37:14.960 --> 00:37:16.840 observations that I want to make and we'll be 00:37:16.840 --> 00:37:21.099 gone. Number one, when the Word is preached in 00:37:21.099 --> 00:37:24.280 the power of the Holy Spirit, there will be conviction. 00:37:26.280 --> 00:37:28.739 When the Word is preached or shared in the power 00:37:28.739 --> 00:37:30.960 of the Holy Spirit, there will be conviction 00:37:30.960 --> 00:37:34.800 in the hearts of the hearers. And that conviction 00:37:34.800 --> 00:37:37.880 is not always measured by the immediate response. 00:37:39.420 --> 00:37:45.199 I remind our staff that the response to a message 00:37:45.199 --> 00:37:48.880 that is proclaimed here from the pulpit is not 00:37:48.880 --> 00:37:52.019 measured accurately ever. by what happens during 00:37:52.019 --> 00:38:00.599 the invitation time. The Holy Spirit always produces 00:38:00.599 --> 00:38:03.880 conviction, and when there is not even one who 00:38:03.880 --> 00:38:07.280 comes forward, the God has nonetheless done a 00:38:07.280 --> 00:38:11.320 work in many lives. How can we see conviction 00:38:11.320 --> 00:38:16.800 increase? By prayer. For power in the pulpit, 00:38:16.880 --> 00:38:21.360 there must be prayer in the pews. The more that 00:38:21.360 --> 00:38:25.460 we are a praying people, the more powerful the 00:38:25.460 --> 00:38:31.119 conviction of God will be in our services. Someone 00:38:31.119 --> 00:38:33.059 has said, where there's no prayer, there's no 00:38:33.059 --> 00:38:35.000 power. Where there's little prayer, there's little 00:38:35.000 --> 00:38:37.420 power. Where there is much prayer, there's much 00:38:37.420 --> 00:38:44.539 power. And we have a ways to go. Observation 00:38:44.539 --> 00:38:47.119 number two, we offer a message that deals with 00:38:47.119 --> 00:38:52.019 a person's greatest need. His guilt before God. 00:38:53.420 --> 00:38:56.099 You and I proclaim a message that involves the 00:38:56.099 --> 00:38:59.440 forgiveness of sins, which removes that offense 00:38:59.440 --> 00:39:02.519 against a holy God. That's the greatest need 00:39:02.519 --> 00:39:07.519 in the world. The greatest need there is. What 00:39:07.519 --> 00:39:09.539 a privilege we have then to be sharers of it. 00:39:11.119 --> 00:39:15.440 Number three, I believe the Holy Spirit wants 00:39:15.440 --> 00:39:20.829 to deepen your commitment to the same Four priorities, 00:39:20.849 --> 00:39:25.190 as those early believers had. Number one, a commitment 00:39:25.190 --> 00:39:31.030 to teaching. How concerned are you to receive 00:39:31.030 --> 00:39:36.050 the instruction of the Word in our church? How 00:39:36.050 --> 00:39:39.289 concerned are you about it? Are you concerned 00:39:39.289 --> 00:39:41.429 enough that you're involved in a Sunday school 00:39:41.429 --> 00:39:45.269 class or in small church where it's offered? 00:39:47.190 --> 00:39:51.480 Is that a priority in your life? Are you concerned 00:39:51.480 --> 00:39:54.780 enough that you come back on Sunday evening for 00:39:54.780 --> 00:40:02.280 the teaching of the Word? The Spirit of God produced 00:40:02.280 --> 00:40:06.420 commitment in the lives of those early converts. 00:40:08.199 --> 00:40:10.780 And I believe He wants to produce a commitment 00:40:10.780 --> 00:40:14.579 to teaching, to the teaching of the Word of God 00:40:14.579 --> 00:40:19.039 in our lives as well. So that when the Word of 00:40:19.039 --> 00:40:23.239 God is being taught, We're there. Whether it 00:40:23.239 --> 00:40:26.579 be small church, Sunday school, morning worship, 00:40:26.780 --> 00:40:32.300 evening service, a special service. One of the 00:40:32.300 --> 00:40:36.619 reasons that we have had very few mid -week kinds 00:40:36.619 --> 00:40:39.539 of things other than Wednesday night is because, 00:40:39.599 --> 00:40:41.659 frankly, I don't know what the commitment of 00:40:41.659 --> 00:40:43.800 some of our people is. In fact, many of our people 00:40:43.800 --> 00:40:47.079 to the Word. And we're going to find out in about 00:40:47.079 --> 00:40:52.739 four weeks. On January the 4th, Dr. Earl Rodmacher 00:40:52.739 --> 00:40:54.820 is going to be here for a Friday night service. 00:40:55.019 --> 00:40:58.179 He will be here also for Sunday, but he will 00:40:58.179 --> 00:41:00.500 be coming from Portland to preach to our church 00:41:00.500 --> 00:41:04.300 on that Friday night. And that will be one measurement 00:41:04.300 --> 00:41:08.900 of our commitment to the Word and to the teaching 00:41:08.900 --> 00:41:12.300 of it. Do we only come when it's convenient? 00:41:15.690 --> 00:41:18.010 And then I believe the Lord wants a commitment 00:41:18.010 --> 00:41:21.590 from us in the area of fellowship. Do you avail 00:41:21.590 --> 00:41:24.110 yourself of the fellowship opportunities that 00:41:24.110 --> 00:41:31.050 there are? There are many of them. Do you sense 00:41:31.050 --> 00:41:34.329 a need for fellowship? If not, then there is 00:41:34.329 --> 00:41:36.590 a greater need that you have, and that is to 00:41:36.590 --> 00:41:40.349 realize your need of fellowship. Because you 00:41:40.349 --> 00:41:43.019 see, we need each other. None of us is created 00:41:43.019 --> 00:41:46.480 to be a little member out there by himself. We 00:41:46.480 --> 00:41:51.159 are made to be a part of the whole. What is your 00:41:51.159 --> 00:41:54.059 commitment to fellowship? Do you seek that out, 00:41:54.159 --> 00:41:56.159 if not here at church with some people at work, 00:41:56.260 --> 00:41:59.219 so that somewhere there is a group that you are 00:41:59.219 --> 00:42:02.039 involved with on a dynamic level sharing with 00:42:02.039 --> 00:42:05.920 them? We are building this into our church, and 00:42:05.920 --> 00:42:08.320 there are those in our fellowship who are committed 00:42:08.320 --> 00:42:11.440 to see that strengthened and deepened. Listen, 00:42:11.599 --> 00:42:15.960 there's not a one of us who can mature spiritually 00:42:15.960 --> 00:42:19.440 without this commitment, without this commitment 00:42:19.440 --> 00:42:25.440 right here. And then there is a commitment I 00:42:25.440 --> 00:42:27.739 believe that God wants to work in us toward the 00:42:27.739 --> 00:42:30.619 Lord's Supper. I asked you when was the last 00:42:30.619 --> 00:42:35.500 time you attended. Sometimes I think we see it 00:42:35.500 --> 00:42:37.139 as just one of those things that we do if we 00:42:37.139 --> 00:42:41.079 desire it. It's not really mandatory. Listen, 00:42:41.260 --> 00:42:46.000 a command is mandatory. And Jesus commanded us 00:42:46.000 --> 00:42:51.059 to observe the Lord's Supper. It is not an option. 00:42:53.800 --> 00:42:56.059 And we have not had the Lord's Supper in our 00:42:56.059 --> 00:42:58.880 church for a couple of months because of our 00:42:58.880 --> 00:43:03.800 difficulty there with the logistics of it. But 00:43:03.800 --> 00:43:05.480 now being back in our own place, we're going 00:43:05.480 --> 00:43:08.690 to have that. We've decided the first time we're 00:43:08.690 --> 00:43:11.170 going to have it will be on Christmas Eve in 00:43:11.170 --> 00:43:13.449 our service at 4 .30. Now, that may be a tough 00:43:13.449 --> 00:43:15.530 time for some people to be here for. We recognize 00:43:15.530 --> 00:43:18.190 that. It will be offered again shortly thereafter. 00:43:19.409 --> 00:43:22.650 But I want to encourage you, indeed, to exhort 00:43:22.650 --> 00:43:26.710 you to consider this command and obey it. Make 00:43:26.710 --> 00:43:29.530 that a priority. And then the priority of prayer. 00:43:31.269 --> 00:43:35.599 Is that a commitment in your life to pray? You 00:43:35.599 --> 00:43:39.960 say, sure, before every meal. Wonderful. But 00:43:39.960 --> 00:43:47.300 does it go beyond that? Let me ask you a question. 00:43:47.360 --> 00:43:53.260 If every person in our church prayed just as 00:43:53.260 --> 00:43:58.500 much as you pray, what kind of a church would 00:43:58.500 --> 00:44:04.559 we have? If everyone's commitment to prayer matched 00:44:04.559 --> 00:44:09.980 yours, what kind of a ministry, what kind of 00:44:09.980 --> 00:44:14.500 an impact, what kind of a fruit would we see 00:44:14.500 --> 00:44:18.260 from what God is doing here? How much power would 00:44:18.260 --> 00:44:24.920 we have? In some ways, I look upon this Sunday 00:44:24.920 --> 00:44:27.760 as a new beginning for Grace Church Roseville. 00:44:29.539 --> 00:44:33.099 We are now back. by the grace of God in a facility 00:44:33.099 --> 00:44:35.280 that's going to allow us to minister to people 00:44:35.280 --> 00:44:37.440 and to grow for some time to come, we believe. 00:44:41.019 --> 00:44:44.179 Now, as we as a church have a new beginning of 00:44:44.179 --> 00:44:47.900 sorts, I think it's appropriate that each of 00:44:47.900 --> 00:44:51.219 us individually look upon this day as a time 00:44:51.219 --> 00:44:56.719 of new beginning. That we say to ourselves, to 00:44:56.719 --> 00:45:01.550 our families, and to the Lord today, Lord, I 00:45:01.550 --> 00:45:04.070 am beginning anew to have the right priorities 00:45:04.070 --> 00:45:09.070 in my life, to make those commitments. I am committed, 00:45:09.210 --> 00:45:13.349 Lord, to serve you in some capacity in the local 00:45:13.349 --> 00:45:17.610 church. I am committed to give faithfully as 00:45:17.610 --> 00:45:21.730 I ought to give, as you've prospered me. There 00:45:21.730 --> 00:45:23.590 may be some who would need to say, Lord, I've 00:45:23.590 --> 00:45:27.090 been here for months. Some would have to say 00:45:27.090 --> 00:45:31.039 for years. And today I'm making the commitment 00:45:31.039 --> 00:45:35.900 to join. I believe this needs to be a day of 00:45:35.900 --> 00:45:39.139 commitment for all of us, a day of new beginning. 00:45:40.539 --> 00:45:43.960 I came across a poem that's a little bit humorous, 00:45:43.960 --> 00:45:48.579 but maybe only a little bit. It's based on some 00:45:48.579 --> 00:45:51.519 of the hymns that we sing as a church, hymns 00:45:51.519 --> 00:45:54.460 of commitment. I don't know the author, but it 00:45:54.460 --> 00:45:59.300 goes like this. I love thy church, O God, her 00:45:59.300 --> 00:46:04.739 walls before thee stand. But please excuse my 00:46:04.739 --> 00:46:09.739 absence, Lord, this bed is simply grand. A charge 00:46:09.739 --> 00:46:14.539 to keep I have, a God to glorify. But Lord, expect 00:46:14.539 --> 00:46:19.820 no cash from me, thy glory comes too high. Am 00:46:19.820 --> 00:46:22.360 I a soldier of the cross, a follower of the Lamb? 00:46:23.059 --> 00:46:28.599 Yes. Though I seldom pray, I still insist I am. 00:46:30.340 --> 00:46:33.820 Must Jesus bear the cross alone and all the world 00:46:33.820 --> 00:46:38.519 go free? No. Others, Lord, should do their part, 00:46:38.639 --> 00:46:48.699 but please don't count on me. ...him, all creatures 00:46:48.699 --> 00:46:53.300 here below. Loud my hymns of praise I bring. 00:46:53.960 --> 00:46:59.539 because it doesn't cost a thing. Let's make this 00:46:59.539 --> 00:47:03.800 a Sunday of new beginning for us, folks. And 00:47:03.800 --> 00:47:07.099 we can say to the Lord, I love you, and you can 00:47:07.099 --> 00:47:12.639 count on me. Heavenly Father, I pray that today 00:47:12.639 --> 00:47:17.340 all that we are and all that we have will be 00:47:17.340 --> 00:47:21.619 given to you in a fresh new commitment. There 00:47:21.619 --> 00:47:23.820 are some who may need to come for baptism, Lord. 00:47:24.760 --> 00:47:28.500 We've been putting that off. May they come for 00:47:28.500 --> 00:47:32.480 that purpose and the invitation. And others for 00:47:32.480 --> 00:47:35.679 membership. They've thought about it and prayed 00:47:35.679 --> 00:47:41.119 about it and are ready for it. And others of 00:47:41.119 --> 00:47:43.380 us have other areas of commitment, of prayer, 00:47:43.639 --> 00:47:50.489 of giving, of attendance. where we need to give 00:47:50.489 --> 00:47:54.489 ourselves afresh to you. Lord, make this today 00:47:54.489 --> 00:47:58.150 the time of new beginning that it needs to be. 00:48:00.010 --> 00:48:01.590 In Jesus' name I pray.