Back in Acts chapter 2, we want
to begin reading at verse 14. We stopped at verse 13 in the
reading, but we want to pick it up now at verse 14 in Acts
chapter 2. We'll read down through verse
36. Rather lengthy, but I think necessary
to get the picture set before us here. Verse 14. But Peter,
standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice and said
unto them. Now this is an answer to the
question, what meaneth this? What's this all about, they asked. Ye men of Judea, and all ye that
dwell at Jerusalem, be this known unto you, and hearken to my words. For these are not drunken, as
ye suppose, seeing it is but the third hour of the day, nine
o'clock in the morning. But this is that which was spoken
by the prophet Job. And it shall come to pass in
the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my spirit upon all
flesh, and your sons and your daughters will prophesy. And
your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream
dreams. And all my servants and all my handmaidens I will pour
out in those days of my spirit, and they shall prophesy. And
I will show wonders in heaven above and signs in the earth
beneath, blood and fire and vapor of smoke. The sun shall be turned
into darkness and the moon into blood before that great and notable
day of the Lord come. And it shall come to pass that
whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. Ye men of Israel, 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,
him being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of
God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands crucified and slain, whom
God had raised up, having loosed the pains of death, because it
was not possible that he should beholden of it. Where David speaketh
concerning him, I foresaw the Lord always before my face. For
he is on my right hand, and I should not be moved. Therefore did my heart rejoice,
and my tongue was glad. Moreover also my flesh shall
rest in hope, because thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, the
grave, nor wilt thou suffer thy holy one to see corruption. Thou hast made known to me the
ways of life, Thou shalt make me full of joy with thy countenance. Men and brethren, let me freely
speak unto you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and
buried, and his sepulcher is with us until this day." So what
was just spoken of, quoting from the Psalm of David, Peter says,
David wasn't talking about himself. Verse 30, therefore, being a
prophet and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him
that of the fruit of his loins, according to the flesh, he would
raise up Christ, the Messiah, to sit on his throne. He's seen
this before, spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was
not left in hell, neither his flesh did see corruption. This
Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we are all witnesses. Therefore,
being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received
of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he hath shed
forth this which ye now see and hear. For David is not ascended
into the heavens, but he saith himself, The Lord said unto my
Lord, Set thou on my right hand, until I make thy foes thy footstool. That was God the Father speaking
to the Son. Verse 36. Therefore, let all
the house of Israel know assuredly that God had made that same Jesus,
whom you have crucified, both Lord and Christ." As you are probably well aware,
there are some very popular very accepted notions in our day concerning
what took place here in Acts chapter 2. Very popular, very
widespread, and very unscriptural, just not so. For example, I read
a comment yesterday and it said, all notable theologians agree
that on the day of Pentecost, here in Acts 2, was the birthday
of the church. Well, I declare, Lord, I hate
to be at variance with all those noted theologians, but I don't
think this was the birthday of the church. Because if it was,
where does that leave you and me? If this was the birthday
of the church, where were all those believers before this took
place? No, that's not what it was. And
even a more widespread unscriptural notion is this. Multitudes in
our day, multitudes, swear that this event by which the so-called,
is the so-called charismatic movement, the beginning of it,
that this event by which the so-called charismatic movement,
or Pentecostalism, had its beginning. They declared to us, this is
what took place at Pentecost. And the most prominent thing,
they say, is the speaking of tongues. That's the evidence,
we're told, of being filled with the Holy Ghost. You speak in
some sort of heavenly language that nobody understands but God. Seems rather ridiculous to me. And when we read that together,
was it not obvious to you that the miracle of them speaking
in other tongues, that is, languages, was for the purpose of those
people hearing and understanding the gospel. It was a means to
an end. It was certainly a miracle. The
apostles hadn't learned that language. They themselves said,
that is, these men from these various nations, are these not
all Galileans? How do we hear them speak our
language, our tongue? God granted them that miracle
on this occasion for this purpose. They said on down in the chapter,
these many people gathered at this day, What meaneth this? How is it that we hear them speak
in our tongues, verse 11, the wonderful works of God? It was a means to an end. How anybody reads this and sees
something about an unknown tongue or a birthday of the church is
just a matter of pride. how they can read this and overlook
the fact that as the means of preaching the gospel, 3,000 people were saved in one day
by that one simple sermon that Peter preached. How anybody can
put anything else above that is beyond me. It's just beyond
me, Louie. Oh, it was a means to an end,
this miracle that God granted that they should speak those
languages that hitherto they didn't know. So these many people
gathered here could hear the gospel, because faith cometh
by hearing. Oh no, what took place here?
is exactly what our Lord promised the disciples would take place. Turn, if you will, back to Luke,
chapter 24. I mention in the reading that
Luke picks up in Acts where he left off in his gospel. But what
takes place at Pentecost is just exactly what the Lord Jesus Christ
promised His disciples would take place. The promise of power,
that they might be effectual witnesses of His grace and glory. Verse 46 of Luke 24. He's on Mount Olivet, just as
we read in Acts 1. He's expounded to them from Moses
and the prophets and the Psalms, all the scriptures at that time. And then he says in verse 46,
thus it is written, and thus it behooved Christ, it was necessary
for Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day.
and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in
his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. And ye are witnesses
of these things. And behold, this is what took
place in Acts 2. And behold, I send the promise
of my Father upon you, but tarry in the city of Jerusalem until
ye be endued with power from upon high." That's exactly what
we read of in chapter 1. They said, will you restore the
kingdom to Israel? He said, that's not your business.
That's not your concern. He said, you tarry at Jerusalem
until you be filled with my Holy Spirit, until my Father sends
the promise of his Spirit up on you, and then ye shall be
witnesses unto me. That's your business. That's
the issue. That's what happened at Pentecost. Oh, the day of Pentecost, as
we said. The very word means 50th. 50th. Oh, it was 50 days after
Passover. Isn't that significant? Last
Lord's Day, we attempted to preach from Christ our Passover. Exodus
12. When I see the blood, I will
pass over you. 50 days after that event, was
the day of Pentecost. Oh, it's also known as the Feast
of Weeks. It was a festival they observed
by the commandment of God before harvest. 50 days after our Lord
declared, as our Passover lamb, it is finished, he sends his
Holy Spirit and begins to gather out all those he redeemed at
the cross. That's what Pentecost is about.
Oh, it's the work of our glorious, effectual Redeemer. And what began here is the same
thing that's carried on today. He's calling out those that He
redeemed at the cross. This is a picture of it. Our
ascended Lord sends God the Holy Spirit, if you will, to harvest
those souls which He had already redeemed 50 days before. Oh, glorious, glorious gospel. Turning, if you will, to Galatians
chapter 3. This is pretty much what we're
told here. That's what took place and is
taking place. Galatians chapter 3, verse 13.
We read, Galatians 3 and 13, Christ hath, hath, Already he hath redeemed us from
the curse of the law, being made a curse for us, for it is written,
Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree. That he did at Passover. Verse 14, that the blessing,
oh this is what he did at Pentecost, that the blessing of Abraham
might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ that we might receive
the promise of the Spirit through Peter said, this is that. That's what's taking place here.
And bless God, it does today. Remember in John 12, oh, just
hours before his arrest by the traitor Judas, just hours before
he would be made sin and forsaken of God, he told his disciples,
now is my soul troubled. And what shall I say? Father,
save me from this hour, but for this hour came I into the world. A corn of wheat, unless it fall
into the ground and die, abides alone. But if it fall into the
ground and die, it bringeth forth much fruit. 3,000 people were saved. It was the
fruit of the travail of the sufferings of the Son of Man. Isaiah prophesied,
He shall see. There's no question about that.
He shall see of the travail of His soul and be satisfied. Jesus Christ did not die for
nothing. He accomplished eternal redemption
for us. What a Savior. What a Savior. And Peter's answer to their question,
when they asked him, what meaneth this? What's this all about? Peter answered. He answered by
preaching Jesus Christ as he really is. Think about that a minute. Preaching
Jesus Christ as He really is. That's the title of my message.
And by God's grace, I want to do the same thing that Peter
did. Preach to you what Peter preached to them. Jesus Christ
as He really is. Peter preached Him risen, ascended,
and exalted. at the right hand of God the
Father. Those three things, Christ risen,
Christ ascended, and Christ exalted, now. Not someday in the future,
but right now. We're entering that time of the
year when Christ, sad to say, is more than usual misrepresented. Now don't misunderstand me. I
enjoy the season. I enjoy the fact that this world
is reminded at least once a year that Jesus Christ came into this
world. I detest the commercialism. I
detest how he's represented falsely, but still I enjoy it as a believer. That is, observing this blessed
fact that Christ Jesus came into this world to save his people
from their sins. Driving around Sylacauga or any
other town in America reminds one of what Paul felt like in
Athens. In Acts chapter 17, when he waited
for Timotheus, Timothy, and Silas, we read that his soul was stirred
within him. when he saw the whole city, everybody,
the whole shooting match, given over to adultery. They all worshipped false gods. I mean, they had a false god
for everything. And Paul, as he walked up Mars
Hill, just in case they forgot or missed one, they had one that
said, to the unknown god. Just in case we're leaving anything
out, let's make sure we cover all our bases to the unknown
God. And Paul said, let me preach
Him to you. I perceive in all things you're
very superstitious, he told them. You know what the word is. He
said, you're very religious. You're very religious. Look at
today's paper, brothers and sisters. Look at the paper. Turn to the
religious page and see the nonsense that's going on, that will be
going on every Lord's Day, but especially this month. I passed
a church just below the parsonage. I don't think the sign is there
now, but it was a week or two ago, and it said on that particular
Sunday there would be the hanging of the greens. The hanging of
the greens. Lonnie, I don't have a clue what
that means. Are they going to put onions
from the rafters or something? I guess it's got something to
do with the reefs. I really don't know. Hanging of the greens.
But there will be all kinds of things. Plays and puppet shows
and a little manger scene and all kinds of nonsense. Everything
and anything except preaching Jesus Christ as He really is. Peter preached to him as he is. First of all, risen. Risen. Look again at verse 22 of Acts
2. Ye men of Israel, 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 you yourselves also know,
him being delivered. Him being delivered by the determinate
counsel and foreknowledge of God. The death of Christ, Jeff,
wasn't an afterthought. What they did didn't catch God
off guard. They were responsible for the
death of Jesus Christ. They murdered Him, Peter told
them that, and God would hold Him accountable for it. But at
the same time, they were carrying out the Lord of Glory's perfect
will. What a Savior. Isn't this what
he says? Him being delivered by the determinate
counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken and by wicked
hands crucified and slain. But that's not the end of the
story, is it? That didn't alter God's purpose.
It was a part of God's purpose. Look at the next verse. Whom
God raised. We'll not have this man rule
over us. God raised him up. We don't have
any king but Caesar. God raised up King Jesus. We'll not bow down to him. The
stone which the builders refused is still become the headstone
of the corner. This is the Lord's doing. It's
marvelous in our eyes. Whom God had raised up. having loosed the pains of death,
because it was not possible that he should be holding of it. Raised up from the tomb? Oh yes. But much more than that,
so much more than that, he was raised up to a place that no
one else would ever be raised to. He was raised up to a place
and occupies a place that was reserved for Him alone. Him alone. Oh, turn, if you will,
to Psalm chapter 1. Psalm chapter 1, the first Psalm,
rather. This is exactly what the psalmist
is talking about. what took place, what the heathen
did, and what God did. They'll not stop God's purpose.
Verse 1 of Psalm 2. Did I say Psalm 1? Psalm 2, verse
1. Listen to this. Why do the heathen
rage and the people imagine a vain thing? That's what happened at
Calvary. The kings of the earth set themselves,
and the rulers take counsel together against the Lord and against
His anointed, His Messiah, Jesus Christ, saying, This is the enemy's
determination. Let us break their bands asunder
and cast away their cords from us." Sounds pretty rough. What do
you think God's going to do, Lester? Is God going to have
to rethink this thing? No. How does it affect God? How
does it affect God? Look at the next verse. He sets
an absolute, perfect, calm, sovereign majesty. Undisturbed. Undisturbed. Look at here, verse
4. He that setteth in the heavens
shall laugh. She'll laugh. That's our God. He that saideth in the heavens
shall laugh. He'll just laugh at all their
plotting and all their conniving. He'll laugh and the Lord shall
have them in derision. Then shall He speak unto them
in His wrath and vex them in His sore displeasure. We won't
bow to the king. The God of glory says, you will
bow to my son. Every mouth shall confess that
he's Lord. Every tongue's going to confess
that he's Lord, and every knee's going to bow to him. And you
are. You are. You say, I never have. You're going to. You're going
to. Unless this book is a lie, you're
going to. Oh, may God give you grace like
those 3,000 in Acts 2 to bow to him now because you're in
the hand of the king. Look what he says in verse 6.
Yet, yet, in spite of all their rebellion, in spite of all their
hatred of my son, yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of
Zion. God raised him up. How high? Well, he gave him a
name above every name. men, angels. He's given him authority
and Christ exercises that authority over principalities, over powers,
over dominions. Nothing is left out. We're told
in Ephesians 1, God has put everything, everything under the feet of
King Jesus. What meaneth this? Oh, God raised
Him up. Look at verse 32, included in
Peter's message, his answer to them. This Jesus had God raised
up whereof we are witnesses. That's what this is all about.
You shall receive power, our master said, and you shall be
witnesses unto me. and start at Jerusalem, start
where I was hated most, start where I was mistreated the most,
start right there and I will demonstrate the power of my mighty
grace right there and then spread out over the whole world and
be a witness unto me. I read somewhere years ago that
the early Christians, because of persecution because they had
to be careful who they trusted. When they would meet someone,
a stranger, that they weren't sure it was a believer or not,
they would speak to them in words like this, he is risen. He is risen. And if they were
a believer, they would know just exactly what that meant. And
they would respond to them Oh yes, he is risen. He is risen. And that's what
Peter preached. He is risen. We don't worship
a dead Christ. A dead Christ can't save anybody. That's exactly right. Christ
left on the cross is a failure. Until he rises from the dead,
we have no proof of evidence that what he did on the cross
was successful. But being raised from the dead
proves it. Proves it. This is what we're
told throughout the scriptures. He led captivity captive, and
he enters glory raised up. He enters glory as the victorious
Redeemer of His people. This is the Lord's doing, Peter
says. This is proof of redemption accomplished. It's a living Savior that applies
the benefits of His redemption. His atonement. It's a living
Savior that gathers in those elect that He redeemed at Calvary. That's the only reason this world
stands today. He's gathering His elect. King Jesus sets upon the throne,
interceding for those he redeemed, and in time, in the hour of love,
he calls them by his mighty grace. He says, Your mind, Saul, I redeemed
you. Come here. Bow down. Oh, brothers and sisters in Christ,
what a Savior we serve. Turn, if you will, to Hebrews
chapter 9. What I'm saying, or trying to say, is exactly what
the writer of the book of Hebrews says here. In Hebrews chapter
9, verse 24. Hebrews 9 and 24. The writer says, For Christ is
not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the
figures of the true, but into heaven itself, now to appear
in the presence of God for us. Nor yet that he should offer
himself often as the high priest entered into the holy place every
year with the blood of others, for then must he often have suffered
since the foundation of the world. But now, but now, once, once,
Once is enough. Once he was made sin. Once he
was forsaken of God. Once he carried the load of our
guilt. Once he cried, it is finished. One time is enough. He got the
job done. But now once in the end of the
world had he appeared to do what? Be an example of morality? To
make an attempt at something? To just go so far and pretty
please beg people to make it successful? No. That's not the
God of Scripture. That's not the Christ of Scripture.
had He appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself. That's our Redeemer. And now
He sends forth His Spirit, as we read in Acts 1 and chapter
2, the promise of the Father that we may now receive the benefits
of the atonement. This is what Paul says in Romans
4. 1 Corinthians 15, if Christ be not risen, ye are yet in your
sins. Hmm? Risen. Not if he didn't
die, you're yet in your sins. Oh, no. If he be not risen, you're
yet in your sins. It's a risen Savior, let me repeat,
that applies the benefits of his redemption. Brothers and
sisters, We live in a glorious day. The mission of the Son of
Man is being accomplished. He said, other sheep I have which
are not of this fold. Them also, Lord what did he say? Them also I must bring. I must bring. They will hear
my voice and follow me. They're my sheep. And bless God
when he calls them. when he calls that prodigal son,
that wayfaring daughter, that lost husband, wife, whomever,
if God Almighty declares, that's my sheep, That's mine. You're coming to my son. I'm
gonna draw you by the power of my mighty grace. Oh, other sheep
I have, they will hear my voice. Oh, Peter was a witness to this,
was he not? Ye shall be witnesses unto me. He was a changed man, wasn't
he? I mean, it wasn't many days before
this that a little maid, a young maid, a servant girl, stood before
Peter as he warmed himself at the campfire of our Lord's enemies,
and as our Lord stood in Pilate's hall as Peter's substitute, Peter
was denied that he ever knew him. And a little maid came up
to him and looked up and said, I know you, you're a Galilean,
you were with him, And Peter began to curse and said, I don't
even know that man. And now we see him standing before
this mob, this multitude, many among them, very ones that said,
crucify him. And Peter said, you killed the
Lord of glory, but God raised him up. Man, Peter was a changed
man, wasn't he, Lord? What happened to him? He'd experienced
the power of the risen Savior. Oh yes, he had seen Christ risen
from the tomb, but more than that, he had experienced in his
own heart the power of that risen Redeemer. And he said, I know
He lives. He lives! And He's told me to
be a witness. unto the fact that he's risen
from the dead. He didn't preach a doctrine of
resurrection, but he preached a risen, reigning, ruling Savior. He preached Christ as he really
is, right now, right now. And he said, we are witnesses
of these things. And brothers and sisters, so
are we. So are we. We are witnesses of
these things. That's why we're here. That's why we're here. This is
not a social club. We don't gather here to socialize. We do that outside. That's fine. Good. Get together. Love to do
it. Love to do it. But when we come here, We come
here to worship our King. We come here to bow before our
Redeemer and our Savior. We come here seeking a word from
Him. We come here singing praises
to Him, praying to Him, preaching about Him. When we're here, it's
all about Him, hallelujah. And bless God, we love to have
it so, do we not? We come here to sound forth from
this place, by every means God is pleased to give us, at every
opportunity, at every door, to sound forth from this place the
glorious gospel of the blessed God. He is risen. And if you've experienced his
redemption, his atonement, That can only happen if the one who
atoned and the one who redeemed lives. Lives! And he does. Bless God, he does. He went on to say, Peter did,
in verse 34, that he's ascended. He's ascended. In verse 34 of
chapter 2, look at it with me. Not only risen, but ascended.
For David is not ascended into the heavens, but he saith himself,
the Lord saith unto my Lord, set down on my right hand. Oh, now that's not speaking of
David, but the son of David. David's king. I looked up the
word ascend. I had a pretty good idea what
it meant. But I just wanted to see what Mr. Webster had to say
about it. Ascend. It said to move or go
upward, to rise to a higher point or degree or rank. You remember when John the Baptist
stood and he told the multitude and his disciples, there's one
that's coming after me who is preferred before me. That word
preferred means he ranks higher than I. He ranks higher than
I. Oh, I'm just a voice. I'm just
a friend of the bridegroom. Oh, but he's the bridegroom.
He ranks higher than I. I'm not worthy to untie his sandals. Behold, the Lamb of God, He takes
away the sin of the world, and only He. Oh yes, He ranks higher
than I. There's a hymn on page 223 of
our handbook that expresses this, I think, pretty well. It says
in verse 1, the title is, Arise My Soul, Arise. Arise, my soul,
arise. Shake off thy guilty fears. The
bleeding sacrifice in my behalf appears. Before the throne my
surety stands. My name is written on his hands.
My name is written on his hands. Five bleeding wounds he bears,
received on Calvary. They pour effectual prayers,
they strongly plead for me. Forgive him, O forgive, they
cry, nor let that ransomed sinner die. The last verse. My God is reconciled. His pardoning
voice I hear. He owns me for His child. I can
no longer fear. With confidence I now draw nigh. And Father, Abba, Father, cry. And Father, Abba, Father, cry. Because He's ascended at the
right hand of the Majesty on high. I've got to draw to a close. Verse 33. Christ risen, Christ
ascended, Christ exalted. Therefore, verse 33, being by
the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father
the promise of the Holy Ghost, he has shed forth this which
ye now see and hear. Peter said that's where he's
at now. He's exalted now. He's not in
a manger anymore. He's not that little baby in
a manger anymore. People like that Jesus. He's
not a threat to them. And He's not a dead Savior on
the cross anymore. No, no, no. God has highly exalted
Him, Peter says. and giving him a name above every
other. This is Christ as he is. He returns victorious from the
conflict and is now enthroned at the right hand of God. Paul
said he's led captivity captive and gave gifts unto men. Like a mighty conqueror returning
from a fierce conflict in Roman times. And those enemies that
weren't slain in battle were forced to be chained behind his
chariot as he marched through Rome. Our great king and our
redeemer, after he accomplished redemption for us, rose from
the dead, declared by that to be the son of God with power,
and he enters glory victorious. having conquered on the behalf
of his people sin and death and degrade, having brought in an
everlasting righteousness, and now he sets in glory, ruling
and overruling everything for the salvation of his people. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. What a Savior! He has control
over all things and all men. Now I ask you again, does that
sound anything like the helpless Jesus that's being preached today? Look at verse 36 and we'll wrap
this up. Therefore, let all the house
of Israel know assuredly that God hath made I've heard all
my life, won't you make Jesus the Lord of your life. You know
who that's addressed to? Somebody that made a decision
in a revival meeting and it didn't amount to a hill of beans. They
walked out and then they walked out, just like they walked in. No change. And they don't live
like there's a change. So what do you do with them?
Well, let's call them carnal Christians. They've never bowed
to Jesus. There's no such person. A person
that's never bowed to Jesus is not a believer. He's lost. Let all the house of Israel know
assuredly that God had made that same Jesus whom you crucified,
both Lord and Christ. God made him Lord. We don't make
him Lord. We bow to him as Lord, but God
exalted him as Lord. Paul in 1 Corinthians 15 says,
He must reign. He must reign. Brothers and sisters in Christ,
the outcome is not in question. It's not uncertain. He said again,
and let me repeat it, other sheep I have, them also I must bring. Our labor in the gospel and the
cause of Christ cannot be in vain. It cannot be in vain. Oh, no. Our great shepherd is
still gathering his sheep, and may he give us grace to serve
him in our day. Last night, I sent my dear friend
and pastor an email asking that, or telling him I was praying
that the Lord would be with him today, Mr. Fortner. And he answered
me a little later. And I looked on the computer,
and he, among other things, he wrote this. He said, God be with
you tomorrow, my friend. Preach the Savior high. Preach Him glorious. Preach Him full of grace. I read this the other day. Mr. Barnard made the statement. He
said, somewhere I read these words. It's painful to hear a
man who does not believe Peter's gospel. Seek to preach it as
if in some sense he believed it. But it is thrice more painful
to hear a man who believes Peter's gospel preach it as though he
did not believe it. Preaching, praying, living, witnessing
without passion, without urgency. Reciting facts, quoting creeds,
repeating religious formulas. Preaching without heart passion
and without divine urgency. And I wrote this under it. God,
God, please don't allow me to do that. Christ deserves better
than that. And so do you. And so do you. God bless you. Brother Lord.