Let's open our Bibles back to Acts chapter 2. Acts 2. Beginning with verse 22. Acts 2 verse 22. you men of Israel, hear these words." Now, if you look back in the previous verses of Acts 2, you'll see there was a sound from heaven as a mighty rushing wind, and that wind filled the house. Men were filled with the Holy Ghost and they began to speak in tongues. Now this wasn't gibberish. This wasn't somebody just standing up, just making a lot of racket. Look at verse 6. It said, when it was noised abroad, the multitude came together and they were confounded. that every man heard them speak in his own language. And they were all amazed, and they marveled. This wasn't some unintelligent speaking that nobody could understand. They spoke, and everyone there heard in their own language. They preached the word of God, and it was understood.

Now it would be easy, so easy to be caught up in talking about that mighty rushing wind. Or if you look at verse three, those cloven tongues of fire are being filled with the Holy Ghost and speaking in tongues. But listen to me. Better yet, listen to the word of God. Peter speaks in verse 22 and he says this, ye men of Israel, what's important? What's vital? Hear these words. Hear what's being spoken. That was the emphasis. The main thing at Pentecost and the main thing in our day, it hasn't changed. It's the gospel of Jesus Christ. That's missing. That's missing in our day. I would characterize what goes on in most so-called church buildings this day as nothing more than entertainment. People don't come to hear the word. They come to be entertained. I'm certain it was Henry that said this, that described it as men doing nothing but entertaining sinners on the way to hell. Youth programs, I hear about bus ministries and food drives and praise teams and music services, mission trips where they go and dig ditches and teach people to plant crops. There's little, there's very little, if any, about preaching the gospel, declaring the truth from God's Word.

Paul wrote this in 1 Corinthians. He said, Christ sent me not to baptize. He sent me to do this, to preach, to preach the gospel. God sent me to preach. I enjoy the worship service. I truly do. I enjoy singing hymns. That specially that you just sung, how much I owe. But what's paramount, what's critical above all things is the preaching of the gospel. the declaring of God's word. In 1 Corinthians 15, Paul wrote, moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel, the gospel which I preached unto you, the gospel you received wherein you stand by which also ye are saved. if you keep in memory what I preached to you, unless you believed it in vain, for I delivered unto you that which also I received. I hope you don't hear any original thoughts from me this morning, or any time for that matter. We declare that which has already been declared. We declare what Christ and his disciples taught, what he taught them and they taught others.

You know, Noah, way back there in the Old Testament, what was he called? A preacher, a preacher of righteousness. Solomon, look at the title, the preacher. Jonah was sent to preach. John the Baptist, he came doing what? Preaching. Our Lord stood up in the synagogue and he read in Luke 4, he said, the spirit of the Lord is upon me because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel. Paul asked, how shall they hear? How shall they hear without a preacher? God's Word says it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe. And that's what Peter does here in our text. He's going to preach a message. Look again at Acts 2 verse 22. He says, hear these words. Don't get caught up in these other things. Hear these words. He that hath an ear to hear, let him hear. You still have verse 22? Jesus, 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.

This message declares one man. Jesus. Call His name Jesus, for He shall save His people from their sin. Jesus of Nazareth. That's where He was brought up. That was His hometown. He was called this generally by way of contempt. They said, Can anything good come out of Nazareth? Most certainly could, because listen, he's a man approved of God. Jesus Christ, God was made a man. He said this, he said, a body. A body hast thou prepared me. A man approved of God, he was shown, declared, he was demonstrated by him. He was sent in human nature. God became a man. He's the true Messiah. He's the savior, chosen of God, loved of God, honored by him, demonstrated by him by miracles and signs and wonders. He cast out devils. He cleansed lepers. He gave sight to the blind. Can you imagine that, the power that he had? A man who'd never seen before and he gives sight. He caused the blind to see, the deaf to hear, the lame to walk. He even raised the dead.

And Peter says this, he said, you've seen some of these things. He said, as ye also yourselves know. He said, you know these things. They were done by him, but listen, they could not be done by him unless God was with him, unless he was of God, unless he is God. In John 3, Nicodemus, the ruler of the Jews, he came to Jesus by night and he said to him, Rabbi, we know, we know you're a teacher from God, for no man can do these miracles that thou doest except God be with him.

Well, let's go back to our text here, the second point. Look at verse 23. Him. The Lord Jesus Christ, Him being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken and by wicked hands have crucified and slain. Hear these words. Hear these words, words that declare God's sovereignty. God's absolute sovereignty and yet man's responsibility. He was delivered. Delivered by the determinant counsel and foreknowledge of God. God foreknew it. He determined it. This wasn't a... Men act like when Adam fell, God had to fall back on some type of a backup plan. Well, that's not the... That's foolishness. Known unto God are all his ways from the beginning. He foreknew it. He determined that it would be. He does all things after the counsel of his own will. He spared not his own son, but delivered him up for us all. He did it for the salvation of His people, for the glory of His grace, all according to His wise decree. God determined it to happen.

But listen, that doesn't excuse our actions. Any more than it would excuse Judas in his sin of betraying the Lord of Glories Himself, or Pilate in condemning Him, or the Jews in crucifying Him. They did what their wicked hearts desired to do. God purposed it, God determined it, God ordered it, but man did what his wicked heart desired to do. in crucifying the Lord of Glories. He said this, he said, you, well that hits home, doesn't it? You, you have taken and by wicked hands have crucified and slain him. They did that, they took him in the garden, they bound him, they brought him before the high priest and then Pilate, And they all cried out with one voice, crucify him. And that request, what they asked for, was granted. Though no fault was found in him, he's the spotless lamb of God, and yet you, you have by wicked hands crucified and slain." God's sovereignty, man's responsibility. And listen, not just my responsibility, but my depravity to crucify him.

Well, let's read on in our text. Look at verse 24. This same man whom God hath raised up having loose the pains of death, because it was not possible that he should be holding of it. For David speaketh concerning him, he said, I foresaw the Lord always before my face. He's on my right hand that 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 would not leave my soul in hell, neither would Thou suffer Thine 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 this day. 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 to sit on his throne. He seen this before, spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not left in hell, neither did his flesh see corruption."

Now look at verse 32. Hear these words, this Jesus, hath God raised up, whereof we are all witnesses. God raised him from the grave. Peter said, we're all witnesses of this. Not only that he was risen from the grave, God, Almighty God raised him from the grave.

Listen, the Lord Jesus Christ suffered. There's a penalty to be paid for sin. The wages of sin is death. Our Lord suffered like no man ever has or ever will. We've seen, we've seen, we all know people that have suffered, suffered greatly, but none have suffered. None suffered like our Lord. He suffered and He died. He died in due time. He died in the time appointed by the Father. He died for our sins. He died to put away the sin of His people. He died the just for the unjust that He might bring us to God. He died for the ungodly. That's what scripture says. He died for the ungodly. He died for his sheep. He suffered and died. He said, I lay down my life for the sheep. He died as my substitute. He died as my sacrifice, as my sin offering. He died.

And those men, they took his body and they wrapped it in grave clothes and they put his body in a tomb. But he didn't stay there, did he? He did not stay there. He did not stay in the grave. He is risen. Romans 4.25 says he was delivered for our offenses and he was raised again for our justification. In that resurrection, Christ's resurrection declares that the sin debt has been paid in full. His resurrection declares that God is satisfied. Who is he that condemneth? It's Christ that died, yea rather that is risen again, even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us, for his people. God raised him from the dead, and listen, he exalted him.

Look at verse 33. Here's the fourth point. Hear these words. 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 you now see and hear, seeded at God's right hand. That speaks of His power. That speaks of His sovereignty, His reign. In Psalm 110 verse 1, the Lord said unto my Lord, sit, sit thou at my right hand until I make thine enemies thy footstool. and he rules and he reigns over all. He has all power. He has all authority.

The religion of this world, false religion exalts man. We do enough of that on our own, don't we? God exalts his son. Far above all principality and power and might and dominion and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in the world is to come. And he hath put all things, all things under his feet and gave him to be head over all. the church, his church, which is the body, the fullness of him that filleth all in all.

This gospel declares an exalted savior, where he is now, seated at the right hand of God. You know, men will accept Christ as a prophet, as a teacher, They'll accept him as one who, you just watch a man get in trouble, right? One who has power to heal, even as a savior. But men refuse to hear a message that declares Christ is the sovereign Lord of all things. He's Lord of lords. He is King of kings.

I read an article not long ago, it said this, if Christ is exalted at the right hand of God, and he is, everything else about him should be easy to believe, knowing that he is all powerful. His resurrection declares him to be the son of God. His exaltation on high declares him to be Lord. Every knee is going to bow. Every tongue is going to confess, what? That Jesus Christ is Lord. To the glory of God the Father.

Well, let's read on. Verse 34. David is not ascended into the heavens, but he saith himself, the Lord said unto my Lord, sit there on my right hand until I make thy foes thy footstool. Verse 36, therefore, let all the house of Israel know assuredly, hear these things, hear these words, God hath made this same Jesus whom you've crucified both Lord and Christ. Hear these words, Jesus Christ is Lord.

In Luke 2, when the angels of God, when they came down to announce the shepherds, to those shepherds, his birth, this is what they said. They said, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which shall be to all people Unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior. What's his name? Christ the Lord. He's Lord.

Romans 10 verse 9. Just listen to this. Just listen to these words. If thou shalt confess with thy mouth Jesus to be Lord and believe in thine heart that God raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. Would you just hear those words? Jesus Christ is Lord. He has all authority. All authority in heaven and in earth and in all places. All men are subject to Him. All people, all creatures, all providence subject to Him. He has no rival. The Lord has no rival.

God hath highly exalted Him. Who's He talking about? The Lord Jesus Christ. He's given Him a name which is above every name. Every name. And it's His name. Every knee is going to bow. willingly or with his foot on our neck. And his Lord, his will shall be done. That's what Nebuchadnezzar said. He said, he doeth according to his will in the armies of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth and none can stay his hand or say unto him, what doest thou? He's Lord.

Remember the account of that Philippian jailer. I think this might be one of my favorite in scripture. I think about that jailer. I think he was a harsh man. I think he was a very harsh man who did not know the Lord, had no desire to know the Lord. He lived in a place, he lived in that jail. And the only way the gospel's gonna come there is if the Lord sends it to him. That man, that harsh man, he was brought to his knees. I just feel he probably ruled that prison with an iron fist. And in a moment, he was brought to his knees. He's a hard man, and yet he was humbled. And now he comes trembling, and he falls on his face, and he asks this question, sirs, what must I do to be saved?

I tell you what he wasn't told. He wasn't told. accept Jesus as your personal savior. What was he told? Believe. Believe. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved. Hear these words. Hear these words. The word declares who the Lord Jesus Christ is. These words that declare his sovereignty, God's sovereignty and man's responsibility, man's depravity, his sinfulness. These words that declare an exalted Lord. Who gets the glory in that? He gets all the glory. These words that declare him to be both Lord and Christ.

Now quickly, let's read on here. Verse 37, back to our text, Acts 2. Now when they heard this, what did they hear? These words, these words that were spoken, they were pricked in their heart. The truth had pierced their heart. Maybe they saw something of their sin, of their guilt, of their shame. And then they said to Peter, when that happened, they said to Peter and the rest of those apostles, men and brethren, what shall we do? We're in an awful situation. What shall we do?

Quickly, just a few more words. Look at verse 38. Peter said to them, repent. Repent, change your mind about who God is, about who the Lord Jesus Christ is, about yourselves, your sinners, guilty. Nothing to offer, repent. Paul writing to the Thessalonians, he said, you turned to God from your idols. You turned to Him to serve the true and living God. What shall we do? Repent and be baptized. Be baptized to confess Him in believers baptism. Every one of you. In the name of Jesus Christ, for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.

One more verse. Look at verse 39. Who's this for? Who's this for? Do you ever wonder that? Is this gospel speaking to me? Is the Lord speaking to me? Listen to verse 39, this declares who this is for. He said, the promise, it's to you, to your children, to all that are far off, even as many as the Lord, our God, shall call. Those called. by His irresistible grace, those called by the power of His Spirit. It's an effectual call. It's an irresistible call which God has given to His elect, to His sheep. And in His time, He causes them to come to Him. He draws them to himself, all that the Lord would cause us to hear these words, to hear his word, the gospel of his grace, the gospel of his son, the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, to hear these words. And that he'd prick our hearts. and calls us to come to Him, to draw us to Him, to repent and to be baptized.

Men and brethren, hear, hear these words.

All right, Isaac's going to come lead us in a closing hymn, and then when he's finished, Brother Jason will come up and dismiss us in prayer.