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June 3, 2022 6:00 am
Pastor Rick teaches from the book of the Acts
Christian should preach Christ under persecution. You cannot say well you control my life is really going on my way just really struggling. I don't know.
In the New Testament with negatives pass is not repent. It is an encouragement that if the early Christians could preach under persecution. We should be able to preach. Also something about that in season and out. That should be appealing to us. This is cross reference radio with our pastor and teacher Rick Gaston. Rick is the pastor of Calvary Chapel Mechanicsville. Pastor Rick is currently teaching through the book of acts. Please stay with us after today's message to hear more information about cross reference radio, specifically how you can get a free copy of this teaching, but for now let's join Pastor Rick in the book of acts chapter 2 as he begins his message down to business. You have your Bibles book of acts chapter 2 of acts chapter 2 will take versus 14 to 21 beginning at verse 14 but Peter, standing up with the 11, raised his voice and said to them. Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and heed my words but these are not drunk, as you suppose, since it is only the third hour of the day. This is what was spoken by the prophet Joel and it shall come to pass in the last days, says God, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your young men shall see visions, your old men shall dream dreams and on my menservants and on my maidservants I will pour out my Spirit in those days they shall prophesy. 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 the coming of the great and awesome day of Yahweh, and it shall come to pass that whoever calls on the name of Yahweh shall be saved. These be seated down to business, that's the title of this message.
It's an idiom and out our language. Let's not for a moment. Suppose that after the Gospels and after the Lord Jesus ascended into heaven, that somehow the book of acts is anti-climactic. It is an exciting book is the book that tells us about what Jesus was preparing his disciples to do.
He had invested in these men and now it was time for them to apply that investment. The teachings that the lessons the things they experienced and witnessed and it is no different for us and I say this because I think sometimes there are some believers that feel the thrill is gone when you get to the book of acts, after the Lord sends but again it tells the story of the apostles getting busy getting down to business. Luke chapter 19 verse 13, so he called 10 of his servants delivered to them 10 minute us and said to them, do business till I come will he's never retracted that it's a parable that is giving but the parable.
It is so fully applicable to the believers to the church and Peter in this section of Scripture is going to unlock the witness of Christ to the world because of Pentecost. And I don't know that a lot of Christians appreciate that Pentecost at Pentecost the church was born before Pentecost, they were just Jewish believers in Jesus Christ, they believe their Messiah had, and he was Jesus but after Pentecost, things begin to change in the chance they they evolve.
It was not radical in its outreach to the world and without a personal Pentecost. We have nothing to say to the world as we learn from chapter 1 before Pentecost before the that the coming of the Holy Spirit.
The believers were just really amongst themselves and they they did not reach out that all is going to change. In this chapter is changing changing in the section that we have before us. Ezekiel the prophet God was sending him to a people who were under judgment and they were under judgment because of their idolatry and that idolatry brought all different types of sins with it.
That's what idolatry does. And Ezekiel had did great vision of spiritual things in the first chapter and then God follows up is a God was saying is not enough. Ezekiel that I give you a vision yet to do something with this. Ezekiel chapter 2 verse two, then the spirit entered me, and he spoke to me and set me on my feet and I heard him who spoke to me and he said to me personal economies and their Son of Man. I am sending you to the children of Israel to a rebellious nation that has rebelled against me.
They and their fathers have transgressed against me to this very day. And of course then God develops the prophet and his ministry were quite dramatic ministry, but as God filled his Old Testament prophet to speak to Israel.
He fills the New Testament church to speak to the lost world, and this book of acts is telling us the story of how it began. It is that our foundation as a church, not as a local church.
The universal church, which then translates to the local church also and here at this time.
In chapter 2, the Holy Spirit had amazed and perplexed, the people with his dramatic entry the Pentecostal crowds did not know what was going on. Look back at verse 12 of acts chapter 2 and there we read, so they were all amazed and perplexed, saying to one another. Whatever could this mean others mocking said, they are full of new wine.
So the Holy Spirit shows up with the sound of a mighty rushing wind. The up the apostles was speaking in their praises to God, and this being understood by those with the various languages is quite a miraculous moment, but some felt that they were drunk.
They did not understand what was going on. Verse 14 now but Peter, standing up with the 11 races voice and said to them. Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and heed my words so that remark that remark from verse 13 about them being drunk there full of it was ignorant and it was insulting. Weather was intended to be sort nodded genealogy was accusing them of being drunk at 9 o'clock in the morning. Peter was not going to ignore this and he did not ignore it and it is significant. It says, but Peter, standing up this Peter is now endued with power from on high. As a witness and he is unlocking the truth the same Peter who once denied his Lord is now empowered to stand up and tell those who are scoffing about the truth what the truth is in Peter it really is going to scoff at the scoffers there, is not o'clock.
Don't be silly. This is going to be how he he says it so by God's spirit again. The man who denied the Lord three times is now preaching Jesus Christ. This is the first gospel declaration to sinners to lost sinners of the church to this point, there has been no preaching to the world is as I mentioned earlier.
This is important because maybe your Christian and you really don't have a heart to preach you feel whatever but you not excited about sharing Christ, you need a personal Pentecost need to be filled with the spirit Christians to preach Christ under persecution. You cannot say well you have have trouble in my life and things are really going good on my way. I just really struggling.
I don't know.
In the New Testament with negatives of pass is not a review. It is an encouragement that if the early Christians could preach under persecution. We should be able to preach. Also something about that in season and out of season. That should be appealing to us and so Peter is going to stand up is going to make his declaration is going to explain this phenomenon but is going to do it from Scripture is not just going to give his opinion about this is going to give God's word about this to be immersed in the Holy Spirit is to be excited about Christ my relationship with Christ and the potential for those who have not this relationship to Christ to get one, and perhaps God will use me.
It is, it goes beyond commitment to Christ. It has that excitement that fire and when it is lacking. We notice it, notice it ourselves. We notice it in others.
Pentecost is a big deal. Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem. Again, he's getting down to business.
This is what he's been prepped for. This is why he is been immersed in the spirit. On this day just a little while ago but work these things that are taking place. He is addressing Jewish worshipers at the temple on the Temple ground. There were niches all over for the rabbis to take their students and teach Jesus part of the temple in the temple ground often and so there were these places where the apostles got together and then when the spirit comes in that giant courtyard. There was space to house the multitudes that were responding to this phenomenon that Peter is talking about. So where he says men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, we it was Peter who wrote later sanctify the Lord God of your heart and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asked you a reason for the hope that is in you with meekness and reverence or meekness in respect he's doing the scoffing and what he has already sanctify the Lord in his heart because you don't get the quote district beat the prophet Joel like Peter is going to quote him without sanctifying the Lord in your heart. He's been in the word depicts a passage of Scripture is quite complicated.
Not a basic section of Scripture's predictive prophecy and Peter is going to open this up when he says always be ready. We see him dear in action is now ready it was ready till spirit came as close as he was to Christ. He was not ready.
Without the Holy Spirit without him being immersed in the Holy Spirit that comes to the cross, resurrection the ascension of Christ, and he adds this with meekness in respect and that's what he does. He doesn't say your drop you the last out of the guy you think you are is as no any reasons from the Scripture says, with the 11 weld. I leave the Scripture points to the this is the 12 apostles Peter makes up the 12 from this number 11. Of course, as verse three in verse 37. Those verses highlight that it is the apostles that were receiving this initial outpouring of the Spirit, Peter is not alone here that is helpful. There are those in Christianity that fear or resist pastoral authority and this is not biblical. I think it be better to support it than to resist it, and if you say well you know I come from a church where they are the pastors abused the authority well. I've seen Christians in the pew abuse Christianity. That's no excuse. We can say okay II guy got stung and now amount that you know in boxing that would you be accused of having a glass jaw you know one hit to the chin and you're done. You can't take a punch and where we Christians were supposed to be able to take some heat dependence upon the Lord Exodus chapter 17 verse 12 I think illustrates what I'm talking about very nicely because if the church did not support these apostles who would've been the end of the church when the apostles died.
They did support as much trouble as as they had to confront her face in the church. The church prevailed, and we being here, as are many other churches are proof of Abbott Exodus chapter 12 Moses hand.
This is when Josh was on the battlefield is fighting and Moses is overseeing the battle and when Moses lifts his arms up. Joshua prevails when Moses arms get tired and he brings them down to rest. Then Joshua forces get pushed back in.
Moses recognizes this and so does Aaron and a man named her who was with them. This is what they do. They formulate a response solution they come up with something to win the fight. They know they've got to support their leader. Exodus 17 Moses hands became heavy so that they took a stone and put it under him and he sat on it and Erin and her supported his hands, one on one side and the other on the other side and his hands were steady until the going down of the sun. One man can't do it. Major Joshua's you need your troops.
You need your Erin and her you need Moses. It is the body of Christ, and it works better. It is more, it is victorious when it works together the 11 is with Peter making 12 is not a little statement.
Let this be known to use nation responding to that ignorant statement is going to correct he is explaining and he is going to encourage all at the same time that's preaching to be able to convict to rebuke and to exhort second Timothy chapter 2 Paul tells Timothy this is ministry. This is pastoral ministry Timothy but it doesn't excuse the individual Christian either. He says in humility correcting those who are in opposition if God perhaps will grant them repentance so that they may know the truth and that's what Peter is doing and I when I say I mentioned that this is not excuse the Christian we are all pastor are not supposed to in humility when the Holy Spirit opens the door as he's doing here Pentecost. We are to correct those who are in opposition of perhaps God will grant them repentance that they may know the truth, nodded, remember now are, though after the spirit came upon them, and before we don't read about them just running around the temple route preaching to people they let the Holy Spirit open the door. Peter is going to reinforce his sermon with Scripture is going.
As I mentioned cross reference Joel the prophet because he himself is now a man of the word were going to really get to that in chapter 6, but before that rereading what we been I've been saying over the last few sessions in acts Jesus after he rose from the dead. Luke writes this and he Christ opened their understanding that they might comprehend the Scriptures, which of course presupposes they were getting it as we go through the gospel is and what is wrong with these guys. Well, the Lord changed all that and now we're seeing it in action.
As Peter gets down to business.
Acts chapter 6 this is next chapter 6 the Christians came up with what they thought was a good idea would evidently fail because it it just falls off the pages but the Peter stood up and said listen, this is good stuff, what you're saying choose from among you. Those who are worthy for this ministry who have a good reputation a good witness and filled with the spirit. Let them oversee this but he goes on to say we give ourselves continually to prayer and the ministry of the word. He's now this dynamo in the word and it is it will imagine what would happen if he was not what would've happened to the first church if they did not fill themselves with the Scripture, you would've had a bunch of leaders who didn't know the word of God and when the blind lead the blind. They both fall into a ditch.
Peter says, and heed my words. He invites this multitude that is preaching to who are not Christians.
He invites them to act on solid preaching. It was Peter also, who wrote in second Peter chapter 1 we have the prophetic word confirm that the prophecies of Christ that the evidence is that he's fulfilled these prophecies. No one else has. And then he says which you do well to he we have got the Scripture.
We've got the truth we can backup what would preaching unlike any other religion or you do well to so here is telling them even those two different records the same meaning. Heed my words verse 15 for these are not drunk, as you suppose, since it is only the third hour of the day so debunking their theory as we have to do is just one of the evolutionists decide the going to be honest with themselves. You know, you don't need Christianity to debunk evolution need science at those pretty good so he's appealing to their sense of reason in their sense of honesty will if you witnessing to somebody who's not going to be rational and not good and not going to be on us is really not much more you can do, but they are there listening in his reasoning with them and they're honest with themselves, evidently because we know the outcome of this, the Holy Spirit often calls us to explain his work was why does he need witnesses. Why does he need servants he really wants us involved. We are to interact with him as we interact with lost souls and saved roles and just in case you haven't figured this out save souls can be sometimes more of a pain in the neck that I put too much emphasis on that P but I pop that P too much.
They can be more of a pain in the neck then unbelievers, it shouldn't be this way. And of course then you had add to that the make believers.
They're not real Christians, but they use all the Christian languages say they are but they're fruits disputed the locket band no way this guy can be a believer Lord is for you to decide that finally. But I gotta be careful with this person and that as such is life. Anyway, he says as you suppose there is no way that these people could have understood without help.
No one stumbles into salvation, yet I was just drinking a milkshake and all of a sudden it dawned on me. I'm a sinner and I need a Savior. We know you know that the does not happen at some point there has to be boots on the ground. There has to be engagement. Even Paul, who was saved miraculously on the road to Damascus.
He got clobbered by Stephen sermon. That sermon eviscerated Paul's doctrine. He was still seething threats of violence. He was coming against the church because he was taken apart by truth and you know how to get and God help them with well again Peter, instead of being offended. The reasons from the Scripture did not let the scoffers have the last say it did like how they think were drunk alright that's veritably whatever the well.
Sometimes you have to do that.
Not this time, and it sure helps to know when it's a time to say you know what, I'm not giving you a pass on that one, that I'm going to take you to task. It is certainly beneficial to us to be engaged to be in the game and to learn when to be led when the Lord leads us to sit still and when the Lord leads us to speak. However, there's a big caveat that goes with this a big warning if you have not love, what is your problem. I asked for all of us. The apostle said I don't have love, I am nothing and there a lot of Christians they want to reach the lost with them just the most loveless judge mental self righteous unknowing people and you gotta love right. I'm not asking you and I'm sure there's some other says something out about you.
How could they said about made's know it is everything you love about me I'm you know your this is eye-opening when someone tells you, you know, I thought you were a jerk you think that in India know it even causes you to go back. What did I do to make this person think that I was this or that when I'm not that way is my mom. The Peter says don't be silly.
This incidentally is the hour of prayer.
When the morning sacrifices were being offered.
They had been slaughtered earlier, but by the time they give me. This is event every morning.
The morning sacrifices and that Pentecost predominantly men are there at the temple more so than than at other times because of the mandated holiday for the men. Three of them.
God said you know some of you men you just will never go to church so I'm bandying three of the holidays to be there and maybe something will click in your noggin move you've been listening to cross reference radio daily radio ministry pastor Rick Gaston of Calvary Chapel in Mechanicsville, Virginia. As we mentioned at the beginning of today's broadcast. Today's teaching is available free of charge at our website. Simply visit cross reference radio.com that's cross reference radio.com would also like to encourage you to subscribe to the cross reference radio podcast subscribing ensures that you stay current with all the latest teachings from Pastor Rick, you can subscribe to cross reference radio.com or simply search for cross reference radio your favorite podcast to the next time as Pastor Rick continues teaching through the book of acts right here on cross reference radio