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June 13, 2022 6:00 am
Pastor Rick teaches from the book of the Acts
And if saved, if you are saved. Say you're saying don't hide it, announce that you have surrendered to Christ and the water baptism is your first opportunity to make a public statement by now side with Jesus. I have changed teams. I am with him now I am no longer with the other group home. I still love and care for and hope to preach to them also from 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 converting lost souls, beginning at verse 37 now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, men and brethren, what shall we do and Peter said to them, repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit the promises to you and to your children and to all who are far off as many as the Lord our God will call and with many other words he testified and exhorted them, saying, be saved from this perverse generation, then those who gladly received his word were baptized that day about 3000 souls were added to them.
We have to fragment this second chapter of acts because are so many spots or sections that just I don't think should rush through now. I've entitled this message converting lost souls. But thinking about it as I was walking up. I probably should've titled it conviction is not enough.
If you look with me again in acts chapter 2 in verse 36 this time where we left off last session we read therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ. That's Peter preaching for conviction and he achieved that he preached to convict them, which means to convince them or includes convincing them that this Jesus is Joshua of Nazareth was indeed their Messiah and many in the audience and the crowds believe this but it is as though Peter hit the target and didn't know what to do next.
Let's look at verse 37.
Like maybe bring that out now when they heard this, that step convicting word. He just preached they were cut to heart and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles man brethren, what shall we do, so Peter again hits the target, but it seems as though he would've kept or continued preaching, had not the Holy Spirit politely and effectively enter intervened and what was happening and guided the crowd to call out okay were convicted.
What we do.
Well, maybe you get to share the gospel with someone and you convict them, but maybe you're not mindful enough that's not enough. We've got to get to the conversion. They've got to repent and accept Christ as their Savior or they will not benefit from mere conviction. So this is a great lesson appeal is going to learn this next chance he gets.
In chapter 3. He's going to go for the conversion and not just leave it at the conviction. Jesus said I will not leave you orphans.
I will send the help of the Holy Spirit and were seeing this right now Peter is not a left to himself. The Holy Spirit gets involved in so conviction again to drive it home. Not enough to finish what we are doing conviction and confession of faith surrendered to Christ. A verbal a deliberate confession of one's sins and reception of Jesus as Lord. So the goal of that first sermon was to notify these Jewish religious people that their Messiah had come and died for them, just as the Scripture had told him would happen to convict them of their sin for rejecting Messiah, their Savior.
In this way they would avoid judgment.
So again looking at verse 36 Peter again.
He lets them have it.
He says, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ right out in front of them. Nothing vague or foggy about that. Jesus forgives many people preach, but they leave out so much more of the message that has to go with that churches today so many of them there is this premeditated effort to avoid convicting people of their sin. They want to tell people that Jesus forgives that he's kind that the heaven is glorious but they leave out the conviction and I think this is a great mistake he does. He does forgive he is kind, but those who do not face their sin will not benefit from this kindness it has to be repent. That is part of our message and as we look at the Bible we have to say to ourselves, do we think that we have better methods than the apostles of Jesus Christ do we think that we can do it when more clever in our approach to reaching lost souls than the apostles.
Jesus said in John chapter 16 and when he though.
Well let me go back and when he has come. Speaking of the Holy Spirit, he will convict the world of sin and of righteousness and judgment. How does he do that through the preaching of Peter was doing and then the Holy Spirit there there there they were cut to their hearts.
It tells us here in verse 37 to churches. They preach to strengthen believers, but that's not enough. It's not enough to make believers stronger in their faith. There also must be the conviction of unbelievers, so that when an unbeliever comes to the house of God.
They get the message from God. The word from God which is in is always for the unbeliever going to be repent we can't get past that we can't move forward. So to churches preach these things but you won't hear this at church growth seminars. You just won't get it.
I get mail all the time about you know how to grow your churches nothing about conviction. This is something about paying the money to come tell you to do what evidently the Holy Spirit can do where you are. I'd be very concerned of our pastor and I needed somebody to tell me how to be obedient when I have the Bible when I am assigned to do this very thing. Now you may say that sounds obnoxious. I think it sounds very faithful.
I think it sounds very, much of the thing you want to hear from somebody who was called to preach and so we see them strive to make church services pleasant for the impenitent comfortable for sinners by suppressing truth and sin, II know I say these things all the time, but they need to be repeated. We know that there are many churches that are committed to entertaining those who come in looking for God long as they don't disturb me I will come back, but if they make me uncomfortable. Then I will find another church that will not make me come back.
I hope that's not something that anyone here online or in the church itself is thinking or hope you're not living that way. We cannot hold the truth sermons that are laced with big doses of humor and statistics and stories atop a story and pop psychology. That's not preaching the Bible you know I like a good laugh just as much as the next person I like to be humorous. Also but when I started noticing that more people coming out remembering the humor and not Scripture. I felt that was the Lord saying you need to tone down that funny business to Rick. I know you really fun even I laugh at some of your stuff but you if you can't hurt him.
Sometimes you can hit them, and when I need to be hit… Then a vicious way. Well, let's go to the Scripture to see it in action.
Jonah is unmitigated message of doom saved an entire city. He didn't go in with the pop psychology in the store. Let me tell you about the time I was in and it just all that is easy, this is Joan of Jonah chapter 1 God, this is this is his initial instruction to Jonah, arise, go to Nineveh, that great city and cry out against it for their wickedness has come up before me. Then after we get past the big fish story. We get to Jonah going then being called to go back to the to Nineveh and Jonah began to enter the city on the first day's walk. Now this was a prophet that was irritated.
He was irritated with God and he was irritated with everybody who wasn't a Jew, following God, and he didn't want to do this, but he was being out will not persuaded him of course you yell something fishy about this prophet anyway. Then he cried out and said yet 40 days and Nineveh shall be overthrown and then we read this. So the people of Nineveh believed God is the Holy Spirit at work. They know they were wicked, they just needed somebody to come along and pointed out to them somebody outside the fence and we read in Jonah chapter 3 verse 10 then God saw their works and that they turn from their evil way.
This is repentance and action. God relented from the disaster that he had said he would bring upon them, and he did not do it. That is the gospel. If you repent the judgment that abides on every single human being that is ever been conceived. Judgment abides on them because they are born sinners.
They need a Savior. So what about the unborn.
Those who never or don't get to live for the still born sinners is just a still need a Savior. And I believe they are in heaven as he continues herein. Verse 37 and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles how they saw the apostles as a united group. There speaking to Peter, the speaker, but there addressing all of them, men and brethren, what shall we do with heard the message. The crowd is dousing the bean we will hear your preaching. This is the work of the Holy Spirit. This is him convicting them of sin. They did not deny their own Scripture.
They were being honest with themselves. They recognize that only Christ could fulfill the things that were written and that is even more so today I he would if someone were to come up in the Jewish rabbis say I am the Messiah, the first question you would have to ask is where were you on and is a Bethlehem he's out and if he says Bethlehem minions and well what tribe are you from, what he's not going to be able answer that today did those records are gone.
Messiah cannot come today is already come states that the thesis it's it's it's clear to so many of us. As I mentioned these men that cry out are going to be saved because they were honest with themselves. Unlike the Jesus haters were confronted and convicted and have no defense against what is being told them yet they continue to resist.
And so Peter was interrupted by that cry for help. As I mentioned, he will not make this mistake when he gets a chapter 13.
He will go from the conviction right into repent. This is what you do next. So there you are preaching to someone and you're telling them about Christ.
And you can see that there there believing this, then you have to say. Are you ready to receive Christ as your Lord and Savior. Are you ready to confess that you are dirty before God, you are filthy dirty before God and ask him to forgive you because you recognize that you are a sinner and that you will begin to work towards obeying Christ and ordering your life behind his Lordship that is repentance is nothing complicated about that, without further further hesitation, Peter is there cry. He goes right into what is supposedly just didn't know when to stop. The sermon I've never had that problem every pastors had their problem. Verse 38 then Peter said to them, repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
Peter said to them, repent, John the baptizer that was his message 12. Bring the people back in line with their own Scriptures. It was to reform them our baptism. Water baptism were speaking about astute as it signifies a rebirth goes beyond what John was preaching Jesus when he entered his public ministry. The first words recorded out of his mouth were repent.
That was the beginning of his public ministry. It is the message that we find the New Testament church.
The first Christians were preaching because Christianity is incomplete without that but without repentance of the center and it is our invitation to lost souls own their sin. You got only if you want to keep attending and faking it.
God does not save make believers. Only believers and it's up to the individual baptism. It is meaningless without faith unto repentance. Otherwise, if you can just baptize anybody without repentance you just making somebody where they could've done that at home.
I don't know of an auxiliary message. I don't know of in different meta-substitute message without repentance there is no salvation. You know that. What do you preach that to unbelievers when you share to them.
You know you can say what Jesus is the reason for the seaways a reason for every single day is the upholder of all things without him. It all goes away in a very nasty way to is the reason for everything that is good and right. But to no benefit. If there's not repentance. This is the dark alternative to repentance is room and that's it. You don't have to be making a let me tell you, in the Greek doom doom doom Jesus said it this way. I tell you, unless you repent you will also perish. Think this is not a message on repentance. Incidentally, this is a message about completing the preaching taking it to where it belongs. Arriving at the destination finishing the work if saved, if you are saved than say your saved. Don't hide it. Announce that you have surrendered to Christ and the water baptism is your first opportunity to make a public statement. I now side with Jesus. I have changed teams. I am with him now I am no longer with the other group home.
I still love and care for and hope to preach to them also.
Romans chapter 1 verse 16 repeat it with me is super excited to get where I'm not ashamed of the gospel of Christ.
Where is the power of God to salvation for everyone believes is the gospel. Paul was not ashamed to beatings for it is the good news of Christ is, it is the power of God to salvation. It it there did it takes us somewhere and that is to heaven and that this is for everyone who believes, chuckled a little bit about you. Knowing this verse by heart. It's funny when someone will say, I was just reading in Leviticus 25 verse three like you know the verse you know it's cute anyhow I fake it. I do gonna verse that everyone of you be baptized. All believers are commanded to be baptized is not a suggestion, is not an option is a commandment go will harden that right. If you haven't been baptize. I don't take it back, Peter is obeying orders at this point that he received from Jesus Christ, along with the other apostles. Matthew 28 verse 19 go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, immersing them in the name of the father and the son and the Holy Spirit. And here he is getting right to now we do not encourage the youth to become baptize for some reasons, we will do it. We won't be the bad guy. But what happens with the youth's in 01 may be sincere or not.
It takes time to sit tell them to be in the faith under pressure, but then it could cause you know this peer pressure kind of thing. One of you getting back as I'm getting baptized and that's not the right of course. Motive for baptism soap was sensitive to that were not to Conine about it and how. How dare you ask us fought him, but we just want to say listening you reach the age where you know Jesus as your Savior. You must be baptized. It doesn't save you and therefore differently, and all someone on their deathbed. You can baptize them know just a little water registered is would not. It's not the ritual that were after. It's the statement. Baptism publicly serves everyone notice that you belong to Jesus and it is no wonder that he commands it be done if that is what it does accept real get to the part about you know it being that it will not save your soul come to that acts chapter 8 there's another one. Philip Philip didn't know how to close it either. This is running along and catches up to the charity just preaching his heart out and Ethiopians disc and convicted in this Ethiopian is is hey has water how much you baptize me. It will Peter a fellow could've said if you really believe were coming up on this worry a lot, but I baptize you read it, so we will learning these things that even the first Christians developed good coming out of Judaism into Christianity because again our water baptism is not identical to the baptism that John the Baptist baptized with acts chapter 8 verse 36 now as they went down the road, they came to some water and the eunuch said, see, here is water.
What hinders me from being baptized. Then Philip said, if you believe with all your heart, you may answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ, the son of God.
Then I just got a love that befits us to know that this whole moment with Peter and this Ethiopian if you know if you believe you, Peter a Philip says listen, you don't just do this is something that must go with the water baptism and that is faith belief that Jesus is the Christ, the one I just been preaching to you in the chariot from the book of Isaiah and of course they went down into the water, meaning it was deep and they baptized the baptized him there in the name of Jesus as Peter let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus over acts 412 is no other name or salvation is preaching to a multitude calling the Jewish converts who said that you what's the next step because we do believe what you're saying. He says in the name of Jesus Christ, who is the Messiah of the Old Testament there was no old New Testament yet when this was taking place just the Old Testament about second Chronicles 714. Some of you won't like this, but that's a passage of Scripture. It's not for every nation under the sun is not for any nation under the sun.
It's for one nation are read because we like to take this and applied to America and it's not a good fit under parts of it that are noble, but it's it's not what was intended. If my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and I will forgive their sin and heal their land. Well, this part about if they were turn from their wicked ways. It can apply to the church to the church is already done that.
Speaking about the nation of Israel and her apostasy and God's devotion to resolving this problem of doom by saying just turned to me while we were watching the Jews here in Jerusalem at this time turn to the Lord there seeking his face. They going to pray to him there coming to him. But it's not the nation, and the land will not be healed. That will come as a prophecy that remains to be completely fulfilled. Continuing on, for the remission of sins. I we get baptized because our sins have been remitted canceled out, not to remit them. We are baptize because they have been not to remit the sin and this is a big difference because if you believe you get baptized so that your sins can be removed and you believe the finished work of Christ is not enough that dying on the cross was not enough.
You've got to get wet. Water does not wash away sin. The blood of Jesus Christ and that alone washes away sin and it is unfortunate that the translators, but in using this word for the remission of sins have opted to go with that word and in the English Bibles because is not what the Bible teaches Bible teaches.
Contrary to that the Greek word for for sins of four in the phrase for the remission of sins can also be translated on the account of as not a fault of the original Greek is not a fault of the Peter just translators have opted for a different word. One of my favorite pastor Bible teachers of long ago said, you know, theologians like sheep all go astray some time and date they just that I think this is one of the into some translations have will go with the on to remission of sins, to make it clear here's why I said the Bible doesn't teach that if baptism were necessary for salvation to nobody in the Old Testament saved and we know there in heaven because the Bible tells us these things more of you know, just Moses and Elijah on the Mount of Transfiguration, Jesus saying what you and feel pretty bad music. Abraham and Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom and you left out so we we understand that Old Testament saints were up saved apart from water baptism. Water baptism is not a condition of salvation. It is an admission that Jesus finished the work for my salvation sires death canceled my debt sin is remitted. They understood that Peterson really said what do we do repent and right of their repentant because we been commanded first act as a Christian is to be baptized.
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.
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