Attacking the Gates (Part A)

The Holy Spirit power of God. We don't have to see the dead raise.

We don't have to see the leprous plans to realize is still the miracle of preaching the gospel and converted souls to convert a soul is a miracle you can do it and I can't do it. No human being can convert the soul to Jesus Christ. However, almost exclusively God uses human beings so that he can convert 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 his teaching, but for now let's join Pastor Rick in the book of acts chapter 2 as he begins his message attacking the gates. This message is entitled attacking the gates and out text will be acts chapter 2 verses 22 through 36 versus 22 to 36. We will we be able to read this and under 2 1/2 minutes so acts chapter 2, the acts of the Holy Spirit, the acts of the apostles, the acts of the church after the ascension of Christ. Men of Israel, hear these words verse 22 Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs which God did through him in your midst, as you yourselves also know him, being delivered by the determined purpose and foreknowledge of God, you have taken by lawless hands have crucified and put to death, whom God raised up, having loosed the pains of death because it was not possible that he should be held by for David says concerning him, I foresaw Yahweh always before my face, for he is at my right hand, that I may not be shaken. Therefore my heart rejoiced and my tongue was glad. Moreover my flesh also will rest in hope you will not leave my soul in Hades, nor will you allow your holy one to see corruption. You have made known to me the ways of life you will make me full of joy in your presence. Men and brethren, let me speak freely to you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried in his tomb is with us to this day. Therefore being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that of the fruit of his body, according to the flesh, he would raise up Christ to sit on his throne he was seeing.

This spoke concerning the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not left in Hades, nor did his flesh see corruption. This Jesus God has raised up, of which we are all witnesses.

Therefore being exalted to the right hand of God and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he poured out this which you now see and hear.

David did not ascend into the heavens. But he says of says himself. Yahweh said to my Lord, sit at my right hand until I make your enemies your footstool. Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ would be nice to go to verse 37.

Two but we cannot because that's going to tell us what the result of the sermon is attacking the gates by phenomenon.

The church was inserted into the world and by phenomenon, the church will be removed from this world as we know as the rapture the church is the assembly of believers of true believers. The apostate church will be left behind in the apostates along with them. But the true believers will be taken away. Now the apostles at this point, when the Holy Spirit made this dramatic entrance and they began to speak in tongues and were understood in other languages, which clearly is a miracle. They were falsely accused of being drunk.

It's 9 o'clock in the morning. Peter then of course refutes that and launches into a counter attack because it was an attack.

It was Satan influencing some in the audience to say this is not this is nothing to do with goddesses that has everything to do against God. These men around the temple ground is likely with this is taking place and then not even sober and Peter was not going to stand for that.

He does stand, but he stands to launch this attack using reason. Truth in Scripture lessons fly off the page for us as Christians that's what I want to use when I'm sharing the faith.

When I am defending the faith by attacking the fortifications of the enemy. It was to Peter that Jesus said you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. Will Peter is carrying that out right now he is attacking the gates of hell and Jesus spoke of Hells gates metaphorically to get us to understand spiritual fact that hell has fortifications that held makes war plans that hell will execute those war plans and that we better be ready and that we should prevail, and that if we going to prevail. We have to attack now if you look at it. Culturally the gates of the city was where the rulers were with a war counsel and war plan took place with a put in place but to us. We think of the gates of this barrier. This fortification, and as we listen to Jesus say the gates of hell shall not prevail. Taking both meanings. That puts us on offense because the enemy doesn't attack carrying gates to us.

We have to go to the gates if we going to prevail. We have to beat their plan on the battlefield and continue to attack until there position is overrun by us when the church is done this centuries oath or else we wouldn't be here now. We do this through truth and love and the Scripture city gates, the place where war plans were made.

Satan's war plans according to the metaphor of Christ Jesus promised their collapse if the righteous attack. If the righteous do what Peter is doing here. They started this Peter is going to finish this. It is the church militant the church on the move ever intolerant of Satan's influence of Satan's work Richard warm ran in portrait for Christ is now with the Lord. And if you haven't read his book portrait for Christ. I encourage you to get it and read it. He writes wars are one only by offense never by defense strategy that's true throughout Scripture.

In the New Testament. Paul and the apostles got out of Jerusalem. And they went on to the Gentile world and they took the gospel with them. They went on the attack, attacking the gates our tax on Satan's influence must be directed by the Holy Spirit.

He is our field marshal. He points to which direction we go when we go and it is our responsibility to be ready. What good is having a field marshal if the troops have no ammunition if the troops have no courage if the troops have no faith, we have our responsibility, God will certainly fulfill his if he can, he cannot do it if were not ready to go with what were going to see in this section of Scripture is Peter Herling Scripture verses that his audience because he was ready. He was armed. He did not know this was going to happen. They went up with the apostles to meet together and praise the Lord and then he finds himself face-to-face with scoffers and hungry souls goes right to work. You've got to love this kind of stuff.

If you are a believer if you're not born again and filled with the Holy Spirit.

You may have a nonchalant response to these things. The reaction, but if you feel with the spirit you've got. I want a piece of this. I want God to use. We were just singing past me not, O gentle Savior while on others thou art calling, do not pass me by. Before God blessed me with the church.

The pastor he called me to ministry and then he let me sit friend for over a decade and it was very painful because I was see others unwrapping their gifts. I was the others who were called and were not passed by and I felt pass by from time to time, and all I did was study just load up I take my books in my car with the driver. The works I get there two hours early and study the word of God confident that he was going to one day use me as a painful day.

Let's stop talking about so anyway this is Peter and this is a lesson for us all. In verse 22 men of Israel, hear these words, Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested by God to you miracles, wonders and signs which God did through him in your midst, as you yourselves also know church at this time will remain predominantly Jewish for almost 30 years and it. The Gentiles will pour in, but it was again a very difficult thing to take place to to come with this New Testament that God had spoken of born-again Christians, born-again Christians love Israel. I think you know if you could say your Christian you don't have a heart for Israel even for the Jewish people.

It is seen in a reality check from the were somethings missing something is not right you not falling under proper influence. Psalm 130 verse eight and there are other places in the Scripture, but this is the sentiment that God wants to communicate to his people and he shall redeem Israel from all his iniquities. God is not given up on Israel is not replace them.

He certainly has raised up the church. But the church is made of those who no longer Jew and no longer Gentile. The people of God. And when the church is confused about this C is confusing whenever we are confused we are weaker than what we could have been had we not been confused here these words, Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested by God to you by fact by profit and by God. That's how Jesus has benefited the fact is his audience understood who Christ was. They knew the story just couldn't put it together yet. And Pete is going to get them to do many of them to do just that.

But the prophets spoke of these things for which Peter will draw in God is one that is overseeing at all through his Holy Spirit to eliminate the supernatural from Christianity is to have nothing left that is vital to put it this way without the Holy Spirit the power of God would have nothing. We don't have to see the dead raise. We don't have to see the leprous plans to realize is still the miracle of preaching the gospel and converted souls to convert a soul is a miracle you can do it and I can't do it. No human being can convert a soul to Jesus Christ. However, almost exclusively God uses human beings so that he can convert. This is the gospel message. This is why we we have something to do and we come to Christ other than wait to go to heaven. We are to take the gates to go on the offensive. We are to attack where to be ready to attack. This doesn't make us rude forcing our opinions on others because we wait for the Holy Spirit to open the door and then we enter into dialogue as Peter is doing here is a running around the temple ground a sandwich board you will repent. The end is near. He says here these words, Jesus of Nazareth man attested by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs, we are in the age of grace, not the law.

The law of Moses, John the Baptist, Jesus said was the last prophet of the law, wherein the age of faith, according to the truth of the word, not the age of miracles.

When I running around waiting for some allies of the come up and do miracle so that we can believe miracles that is power in action. Now Satan is capable of doing miraculous things to and granted by God. The story of Job teaches that Antichrist will come with lying wonders, signs and lying wonders, lying in the sense that they going to mislead people. Those who want to be misled because the deciding factor with Antichrist is he going to be unrighteous is not going to be a decent person so anything he does is disqualified with those who will fawn over him. That will matter.

Indecency won't matter, Solomon tomorrow should have been preserved according to their mindset of those will be around Antichrist.

Many today the science of first the miracles that is the power in action in the wonders, the wonders of the effects of the miracle experiencing that here. Next chapter 2 with a mighty rushing wind with the tongues they were experiencing something that was. Not normal. There were spiritual.

This Spiritual Activity Taking Pl. in Peter will let them know that spiritual activity is from heaven not from hell. The signs here of the value of the miracle. The effect is the wonder, the sign is supposed to create a response that's what it says this is not to be wasted. It's meaningful it's connected connected to God's word, not outside of God's word miracles today there still granted, they're just not as widespread dramatic as in biblical times at much of biblical times of their periods in the Bible when miracles were not pronounced either, but miracles tend to breed a craving for more miracles. Okay you seen Amir that I will know and God will not be reduced to that he gives us a special beatitude on this very subject.

Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe the age of faith. It's disappointing when people tried to tell you that you're going to be healed when you're not going to be healed. When is it when you know you're not going to suffer this or that and you are going to suffer this, that's not what we're supposed to do. We don't know the mind of God be quite presumptuous on many things to just insert into somebody's life would God is going to do for them what happens when he does I think so many times we are here to subject ourselves to the will of God because we cherish him and we cherish him, because we know who he is. We know what he is about. We know where he's taking us and we know where we are going and we are not apologizing to anybody for this and when I backing away from it either apostates.

They will come. That's them. That is them that is not me and you've got to have that foundation in your heart you two going to leave where we are, though you have the words of life. Well coming back to this quote that again from Peter here in verse world only got the first verse of four guys gotta hurry up verse 22 is where we are. He says which God did through him in your midst, as you yourselves also know what Jesus was well known to this crowd. Big John chapter 12 verse 19. The Pharisees therefore said among themselves. You see that you are accomplishing nothing.

Look the whole world is gone after him callous miracles of Galilee and Syria to Jerusalem and Judea, but it was just the word was spreading all over the place about Jesus. Peter knew that they knew and he was going take advantage of that to their edification. They knew the character of Christ even if they never saw him, they heard the knew about the sermons miracles in the murder. They heard of his resurrection. Also, Peter is about to bring to them right up close these facts is going to back them up from the Bible and they going to be converted.

The signs are evidences made necessary in order to grab their attention.

The sign of the coming of the Holy Spirit.

Those signs never produce conviction, they stay loss they had the signs saw the miracle but they still were lost. This was the case in the days of Christ is the case in the days of Paul.

It is the same way. To this day. Miracles are not enough to convert a soul just ask Judas Iscariot but you can ask because he became an apostate peters preaching his witnessing of the truth with reason produce conviction. Look with me at versus 37 now when they heard this, they were cut to heart and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, men and brethren, what shall we do, how do we fix this. You've convinced us that we are guilty and that's conviction felons are convicted.

When found guilty. Verse 23 him, being delivered by the determined purpose and foreknowledge of God, you have taken by lawless hands have crucified and put to death. What is boring about this kind of preaching. Peter, do you know that Steve is going to do the same thing and to kill him for doing this Peter points out here we says in verse 23 him, being delivered by the determined purpose and foreknowledge of God is pointing to the mystery of sovereignty and free will and human choice by God's decided will him being delivered by the determined purpose. God decided how he was going to deal with our sin. Jesus became the Lamb slain before the foundation of the world according to other passages than Revelation 13 eight which says it just like that the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world, God the father delivered Jesus Christ to the cross that we could be delivered from the judgment upon ourselves because of our sin. Now this crucifying of Jesus did not absolve those responsible for their ghastly crucifixion simply because God had purpose to deliver humanity by delivering Christ of the cross. The Lord use what he had and what he had were guilty people who were many of them opted to remain guilty in Luke's gospel, Jesus speaking to the naysaying religious leaders essentially said to them, you got plenty religion you plenty of culture which are going to hell anyway because you don't want to believe the truth. Luke 1213, 28 there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

When you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God and yourselves thrust out as you have no one else to blame and the fact that they will be gnashing their teeth indicates they will be angry at God for having the audacity to be God to judge them for their wickedness. Even though God had offered them salvation. Jesus forsaken by his father for not abandoning us to sin, taking our sin upon himself according to his father's will.

According to the will of Christ. Every time you see the cross of Christ. Remember, it was no accident.

Whether you see it on a piece of jewelry whether you see on the roadside altar whether you see it in the church on a church where you see the cross of Christ. It was not a mistake. It was planned by God him, being delivered by the determined purpose and foreknowledge of God. Isaiah 5310 yet it pleased Yahweh to bruise him.

He has put him to grief. When you make his soul an offering for sin that has happened is done, not when Isaiah when Isaiah wrote those words still over 700 years away, even in the millennial age according to Ezekiel what Christ achieved for us on the cross will be commemorated with bloodless sacrifices they will act out the crucifixion because there will be people born in that age that really don't understand it and they're going to get a lot of help with that and some will still reject. In the end, the foreknowledge of God, first of all, all knowledge with God's foreknowledge. It is almost a redundancy. God knows everything. You cannot learn this foreknowledge of God, a W told her really just lays us out so wonderfully. He says before man sin. The remedy had already been provided before paradise was lost paradise had already been regained because Christ was crucified before the foundation of the world and in the mind and purpose of God.

Christ had already died before he was born in the purpose of God in Christ had already died before Adam was created in the purpose and plan of God. The world had already been redeemed for the world was ever brought into being moved. 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 cross reference radio.com or simply search for cross reference radio in your favorite podcast to the next time as Pastor Rick continues teaching through the book of acts right here on cross reference radio