May it please the Lord to bless
us as we continue our meditation in this second chapter of the
Acts of the Apostles. And you will remember from the
last time we thought on these words. It refers to this great
and wonderful day. We call it and refer to it as
the day of Pentecost. A day when the fulfilment of
those prophecies had come to pass. When the Spirit came down
upon those people in that amazing way. Suddenly there came a sound
from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind and it filled all the house
where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them
cloven tongues like as of fire and it sat upon each one of them
and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost and began to speak
with other tongues as the Spirit gave them usherings. So we realised
how many there were gathered together then on that occasion
of every language, well many languages and peoples and they
came together and as we come down to this 14th verse we re-read
but Peter standing up with the 11 lifted up his voice well what
an occasion it must have been with all those people we know
there were 3,000 that were converted we don't know how many other
people that were there no doubt a considerable number but they
amazingly filled with the Spirit. What an occasion it must have
been. They were all anxious and concerned
and blessed. And so there was that wonderful
as it were movement together as they were here. And so Peter
then stood up and lifted up his voice. It wasn't just a whisper. He lifted up his voice so that
all the people would hear. we should always remember those
who preach the gospel are to lift up their voice so that the
people can indeed hear and he addressed them he said ye men
of Judah and all ye that dwell at Jerusalem be this known unto
you and hearken to my words now first of all he has to rectify
a mistake because many of those people had thought that these
people were drunk because he said Abba's mocking these men
are full of new wine and so Peter refutes this and he refutes it
in this way he says for these are not drunken as he supposed
it is about the third hour of the day and that is what we term
9 o'clock in the morning so we would of course not expect to
find people drunk at that time of the morning and so he just
informs them of that and then he tells them the effect that
it has had and he refers to that which Joel spoke that wonderful
little prophecy of Joel and he comes and tells them but they
weren't drunk but this is that which was spoken by the prophet
Joel and then he reiterates what it was said and it shall come
to pass in the last days saith God I will pour out my spirit
upon all flesh and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy
and your young men shall see visions and your old men shall
dream dreams and on my servants and on my handmaidens I will
pour out in those days of my spirit and they shall prophesy
well there are various interpretations as to what these words mean but
I believe that perhaps John Calvin has the best view of it and he
speaks of it as these people receiving spiritual understanding
and therefore as they were able, the word used here is prophesy
they were able to understand the things which had come to
pass and they were therefore able to explain them to those
that were with them And so we have a condition here that there
were those who were the sons and the daughters shall prophesy
and the young men shall see visions and the old men shall dream dreams. And we do of course have in the
word of God those occasions where there were those dreams and there
were those visions which God did come and did honour. so we
should not despise a position and a situation like this and
on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days
of my spirit and they shall prophesy that those who were young young
in the faith and now brought to the knowledge of the Lord
and now blessed with a spiritual understanding and here is this
expression and I will pour out in those days. Well, it was a
blessed occasion and I'm sure that today we also desire and
pray for that we may also see and observe and have an interest
in and be involved in a gracious return of the Lord in this way
that his spirit is once again poured out upon the people. And then we're told, and I will
show wonders in heaven above and signs in the earth beneath,
blood and fire and vapour of smoke. The sun shall be turned
into darkness and the moon into blood before that great and notable
day of the Lord come. Now this also is not an easy
portion to interpret But here again, I believe John Calvin
has a good view on this, when he makes the point that it probably
refers to the occasion that was to follow when the temple was
taken, destroyed in 70 A.D. and apparently there was
an occasion when there was an amazing comet which stood over
Jerusalem for something like a year and there was an amazing
occasion and other things occurred at that time so this may therefore
refer to that situation but then also I believe it can have a
situation to a spiritual, the spiritual life of God's people. How when the Holy Spirit moves
in their heart, there is that position, there is that view
as it were, the wonders in the heavens above and signs in the
earth beneath, blood and fire and vapour of smoke. Things which
are fearful to look at. things which bring a fear into
our heart and truly when the Spirit of God works in the heart
often there is that fear that fear as we see the justice of
God, the wholeness of God, the righteousness of God and to believe
that day of judgment will come and then where shall we stand?
The sun shall be turned into darkness and the moon into blood
before that great and notable day of the Lord come. And then we're directed to this
great and glorious statement. And it shall come to pass. I
believe we can take this again in two ways. First of all, perhaps,
in that where I made reference to when Jerusalem was overrun,
where it speaks of that whosoever shall call on the name of the
Lord shall be saved. And there would have been that
time when there were those who were delivered in their assault
on Jerusalem. But I also believe it has a much
deeper significance and a deeper significance is indeed to us
today. And if we are therefore under
the law of God and if we tremble perhaps under God's righteous
law and fear our position and wonder what will happen to us
Whether we should ever go to heaven or whether we should be
cast into hell or when that terrible day of the Lord comes. But here
we have therefore this encouragement that whosoever in that situation
shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved. Wonderful thought isn't it? To
know that if we're under that scene, that condemnation, that
fear and we come before our God trembling and call upon his name
for mercy, forgiveness the promise is, whosoever doesn't matter
how bad we are doesn't matter what nation we belong to doesn't
matter what colour we are doesn't matter what language we speak
and remember here Peter was addressing all those people who gather together
in various languages And there was no doubt as the Apostle was
able to declare these truths. There were those who had been
given this gift to other languages to translate these words to those
people so they were all able to understand these great and
precious words that the Apostle was able to declare. It must
have been an amazing scene, wasn't it? And here we think of Peter
standing up in a loud voice declaring this, whosoever shall call on
the name of the Lord, shall be saved." Certain sound, blessed
sound, glorious sound. And oh what a wonderful thing
it was that so many did call on the name of the Lord, and
indeed were saved. And today we should be thankful
that we come before the same God, the Almighty God, who is
able to do for us today great and wonderful things. Now the
Apostle Peter had addressed them in this way and then he comes
and in a few short sentences brings before them the great
plan of salvation and again we can imagine these people having
their understanding enlightened by this great and glorious truth
and what an effect it had upon them and my friends what a blessing
it is if these great truths have an effect upon us and that these
great truths may have an effect upon many people and so he comes
and he addresses them in this way ye men of Israel hear these
words you are here before me as it were hear these words Jesus
of Nazareth a man approved of God among you by miracles and
wonders and signs which God did by him in the midst of you as
ye yourselves also know well there had been many miracles
that the Lord had gloriously done when he was upon the earth
and Peter is here reminding them of this Jesus of Nazareth who
and he clarifies it in this way a man approved of God it wasn't
any person it was a man approved of God among you by miracles
and wonders and signs which God did by him in the midst of you
God did by him the Lord Jesus was God but of course he was
in his human form he had his human nature And so we see this
statement, approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and
signs which God did by him in the midst of you as ye yourselves
also know. And then he comes and tells us,
him being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of
God, it didn't come by chance. It wasn't something which just
occurred. It was the determinate counsel
and foreknowledge of God. Again, Peter lays it on the line
very firmly for them, so they were very aware this was God's
divine purpose. Divine purpose. Approved of God
among you, which God did by Him in the midst of you. If ye yourselves
know him being delivered by the determinate counsel and full
knowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified
and slain." He lays it, you see, this scene, and he tells the
people it was them that had committed this crime. They were the guilty
ones. It wasn't just Pilate, it wasn't
just those who had raised Christ on the cross, but it comes that
ye have taken and by wicked hands have crucified and slain. I believe when the Spirit of
God moves in our hearts we shall recognise that we were there. It was because of us that we
are crucified. the Lord of life and glory, by
which his hands have crucified and slain. And so there is a
very clear description of the Lord Jesus Christ. Remember,
the Lord, this Jesus of Nazareth, approved of God, many miracles,
and now crucified and slain. Yes, slain upon that cross, but
Of course it didn't end there. The devil hoped it had. Bless
God it hadn't. He then says, Whom God raised
up. Whom God raised up. Not man,
the power of God. You see the Lord Jesus crucified,
suffered, bled and died, gave up the ghost. to all appearance
dead, no hope. God raised up, hath God raised
up. It was something which had occurred. And of course the Apostle Peter
had observed it, he'd seen the Lord Jesus, he'd been with him,
he knew and he could preach therefore that which he knew. Whom God
hath raised up having loosed the pains of death because it
was not possible that he should be holding of it it was not possible
that death could hold the Saviour because if death could have held
the Saviour then there would not have been any hope because
the Lord Jesus would not have conquered sin, death, hell and
the grave. But because he rose in the dead,
he rose a glorious and wonderful conqueror. And these people that heard these
words, felt out to them so simply and so clearly, we know that
it had a wonderful and gracious effect upon them as we'll come
on to that in a little time, another Friday but we're here
tonight and can we bless God tonight that we have a risen
Saviour because not only is He conquered, He's conquered sin,
hell, death and the grave but He is now in glory and He is
now an intercessor and he now intercedes as our great and glorious
High Priest on the Father's right hand, this risen Jesus, this
same Jesus. Oh my friends what a blessing
it is that we have such words here to confirm that which the
Apostles were able to declare in those Gospels of Matthew,
Mark, Luke and John and now we have the Apostle Peter confirming
those words in very straight forward sentences and telling
us that it was not possible that he should be holding of it you
see the Gospels tell us what had occurred and now the Apostle
is able to tell us well that occurred it had to occur it could
not have occurred the Lord had to rise from the dead and because
of that our hope today is built on that gracious finished work
and a risen Saviour a risen Saviour reminds me I haven't been preaching
very long and I've been preaching on the crucifixion and after
the morning service I walked up the road with this gracious
deacon and he said to me very lovingly he said don't forget
he's risen Well, it was a very kind word,
wasn't it? A very kind word to me. I hadn't
forgotten, obviously. I didn't realise it, but I recognised
how important it was to always refer to the risen saviour, the
conqueror. He died. He rose again. Death could not hold him. Well,
tonight, may we be blessed to consider him and to realise what
a wonderful occasion this was. on this day of Pentecost but
also it's a wonderful truth that you and I have today and as it
had a wonderful effect upon those people on that day may indeed
have a wonderful effect in our lives that we may rejoice in
a crucified and risen Savior. Amen.