Care Without Caring (Part B)

Jesus, the source of life. Therefore to Jesus everyone will allegiance that is it. If he is who he says he is. Then you all allegiance to him. This is why would Peter ripsaw, the miracle of prizes depart from manes on his knees and not worthy to show you allegiance John the Baptist I can't even entire samples he saw right as I baptize with water, he's going to baptize you with fire, and the Holy Spirit is all know the level don't you love truth. 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, and now here's Pastor Rick with part two of his message called care without caring in acts chapter 3 today. Some Christian publishers would have recognized the bestseller in this event, and over the years I've seen so many come and go live had their experience. They published a book. It's all received for a while. Then in a few years you even know that the book even exists.

I don't know if that's just always the right thing the right way to go in part of the role of the pastor and the pulpit is to tell you things to spark in your thinking something that needs to be addressed that otherwise would not have been addressed, you might say, you know, that's a good point. Of course, if your hips morning you're going to say that throughout the service. But if you were in another church. For example, listening to somebody else on the why, but is as if you were and if you're visiting I'm kidding about about you being in another church seriously will be serious. I want to have fun right now.

Seriously, if you are when you listen to a sermon God is putting things out there for you to consider as you know, if it hurts, it does hurt sometimes you think when the past is preparing his message. He's not getting hit you think is above every body that would mean you're missing a lot of important features about how ministry works well. Anyway coming back to this. Jesus warned about spotlight Christianity warned about celebrity Christians in Matthew 23. The when you go to the marketplace will be looking for everybody's recognize all the areas I've been deciding you know this is not this is not good for us all get to a tows report about that and I just warning you because toes are of course just had a way of being very concise and dealing with our flesh in a way that we otherwise might not have allowed it. Men of Israel, he said, still a pronounced Jewish emphasis at this stage in Christianity look.

We owe the Jews so much as Gentiles go the structure of the church is set up by the synagogues, with the data that's out pattern. Not entirely, but much of it appalled did that and it's a good thing.

Well, in verse 12. Here, the Jewish men are addressed in verse 13, the Jewish fathers are referred to. Then in verses 21 through 25. Peter will bring up Moses and Samuel and the prophets, and that the last of the verse 25 he will call them children of the prophets, and the covenant, and this is so this is exciting. These endorsements of the Old Testament Scripture appropriately.

The message goes first to the Jew, then from the Jew. And here Peter is up becoming all things to all men taking advantage not an exploitive way, not exploiting them but taking advantage of his knowledge of the Jewish culture being that you and then using that to preach Christ. Paul will come along and do it with the Gentiles.

He learns the Gentile life he lived amongst the Gentiles to Saul of Tarsus, and he used that even boasted I become all things to all men, that doesn't mean he became a center for sinners. It means that he identified with them in their culture and their lives as he ministered the truth and did not live above them or apart from them as far as preaching about life in the fallen world. Here in verse 12. Still, why do you marvel, Peter asked them because computer what's the big deal about God doing a miracle you say.

Well Peter you know are you are you true that I think is very true. I think Peter said Lord of the Jew you beckoned me to come out walk on the water. I think he was say I have no problem with Jesus doing a miracle we got on the water is another story, but I could to see Peter making excuses what I had let my pocket what what anyway continuing in verse 12, or why look so intently at us, as though by our own power or godliness we made this man walk best with tools of the Lord, you know if if you were drowning someone through your life preserver you be very grateful for the life preserver but you wouldn't walk up to and thank it after it would be the one who tossed to you and Peter is simply saying God is the one that deserves the praise easy thing to understand. At least it seems to me very easy to understand those days of trusting individuals to work miracles they ended in the days of the apostles, not the miracles miracle still take place from time to time, but trusting an individual when you know Naaman was had the leprosy. It was a little Jewish girl that said if he only knew my master Elisha he could go and be healed and cleansed of his of his leprosy.

Paul the apostle. Of course you know he and Peter were doing extraordinary miracles in the fledgling days of the church, but became a time where Paul wrote refinements.

I have left in Miletus sick. That's a pretty big statement and that so this is of course the days of faith and trusting in the Lord. But the think that there is somebody that is the spiritually better than the rest of us that has this you know connection to God. That is a mistake that is not biblical. And Peter is saying I'm just the vessel I'm just the instrument don't pick up the tool and thank it is the one who uses the tool so he turns attention away from the lame man and himself, and he exalts the Lord is with toes are said about the flesh. Nothing that comes from God will minister to my pride or self-congratulation. See, these are the things we say and write for others to think about and and work through and I think that's where the growth and edification largely takes place. Verse 13 the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God of our fathers, glorified his servant Jesus, whom you delivered up and denied in the presence of Pilate, when he was determined to let him go Christ had to die for us, but you cannot read the gospel story.

I don't think as a believer and have this wish that he would escape the cross.

Thank God he didn't escape the cross.

But you know we want you know he was the closest cutter what Peter is saying and you messed it up. But really, of course, he died for our sins had Peter only said the God of Abraham, the Ishmaelites would've had a claim without the law of Moses had. He said the God of Abraham and Isaac. The Edomites would've had a claim without the law of Moses. This is very important that there's a unbroken witness connection here to Abraham and the law of Moses and the prophets in the fulfilling of prophecy in Christ.

This is critical information. Peter narrows it down to the chosen people in Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and the fathers, those of the Scripture those of the covenant within that covenant is the promise of a new covenant, or to say that another way is the promise of a new testament. That's why we call it the New Testament comes right out of Jeremiah so may children of godly parents not trade truth for sensation or the gods of Satan. Satan won't tell you, as a rule, that he is killing your soul and you know to be younger so many things going on with your life you you know you you don't yet know really who you are, you have not yet been tested by so many things that's understandable. What is not understand is to be born in a godly home and dismissed that and go trade sides for the lies of Satan happens too much is up to you because mom and dad can't force you to love the Lord your God, which you can call on him and he will meet you there whom you delivered up and denied in the presence of Pilate, when he was determined to let him go with a lot of guilt. He's laying on them is preaching that God visited them in the person of Jesus Christ. That is precisely what he saying to the terminology that he's using his right out of Isaiah now in verses 13 and 14, Peter uses the pronoun that singles them out you you you. We have other pronouns, sir. Her she him ma'am those of you who want to get rid of those pronouns may you see that Satan is made you his little flunky.

May you see that a Satan that hates your guts is destroying you by getting you decide against Christ and embrace madness in the interest of serving some carnal passion God loves you what that love will run out. God is not schizophrenic he will not be loving at the time of judgment. He will judge.

The wrath of God is nothing that that's not the love of God. At that point you got a lifetime to fix this.

Stop listening to the world and listen to Christ and come back to that in a minute.

But this Peter by saying you did this you did it. This is care without caring. He is got to hold them accountable.

If this is going to be resolved and he cannot be bogged down with what I sure hope I'm I'm not hurting their feelings with the truth be different if he was hurting their feelings with lies, or being mean and vicious is saying things to them that need not be said that is not the case. Peter cares for their souls without caring if the guilty do not like hearing. They can walk away as I jam it down their throats. We can't convert them unless we heard him. Guilt stings you know it is the goodness of God that leads to repentance that goodness is born out of recognition that I've been poisoned spiritually and there is an antidote and I've got to face my sin as painful and ugly as that is.

This is how we preach it to the loss. He would rather have them reject the truth than to have never faced the truth is God opens the door. Had they refuse these truths at their turn on him like they turned on Stephen he would not hound them. He let them go their way.

Our message of the gospel is a take it or leave it is not what we don't like it. Would we need to change about exegesis is the same yesterday today and forever because there's nothing in him that needs to be improved, modified, he is the same. He's perfect and cannot be altered and will not be altered, how message is not spam will keep calling up people in China jam a sale down their throat to get that conversion, God gave his son Peter says to them, but you cited against God. Your guilt is on you. No one cause you to bring about his conviction. Isaiah 53 and we will open up some good stuff here. Right. Isaiah 53 verse three he is despised and rejected by men, while in Isaiah, saying that the speaking we did not dwelling.

He just finished he is despised and rejected by men.

And we hid as it were our faces from him. He was despised, and we did not esteem him saying my people, we who are custodians of the Scripture we did not recognize our Messiah.

They are being held accountable with the Estes?

Why did not the Jews in Jesus day see it and why do the Jews today not see religious lease speaking not ethnically speak verse 14. But you denied the holy one and the just, and asked for a murderer to be granted to you the essence of the world's thinking you denied the holy one and the just tell the world thinks the world has this approach. What's in it for me. Psalm 78. Yes, again and again they tempted God and limited the holy one of Israel, but I'm establishing here's the his use of the word. The holy one is deity that Christ is divine that God the son is the son of God and the son of God, is God the son. Proverbs 30 verse three.

I need to learn wisdom nor have knowledge of the holy one of course is a rebuke in that is a challenge and that is why the rebuke is given to you. Reasons I don't want to be this guy who is ignorant who has no wisdom or knowledge of the holy one, that's the objective of the proverb Isaiah frequently describes God as the holy one and the servant showing God as distinct from his creation and then applying this to Christ. The righteous Jew of that time there was only one holy one that's Yahweh. This is a pretty bold move on Peter's part is saying Messiah is Christ Messiah is divine and the Jews understood that in the days of Christ no longer will come to that applying to Jesus. These exclusive titles and Psalms and Isaiah. For example, these exclusive titles are used for God.

Peter applies them to Messiah Christ Jesus Jesus Messiah and asked for a murderer to be granted to you… How dare you how dare you, this man was holy and righteous and you trade him for Barabbas. What is wrong with you that's what's in this I mean you listening to this is going to have a large conversion after this incident, you demanded death for the holy one in life for a murderer. So here we come to the stupid things that otherwise intelligent people, intelligent human beings will do when they reject Christ. You can have human beings that are compared to human beings, not compared to God are quite impressive quite ingenious.

As a matter of fact they could just do also to things, yet they reject God. The fool has said in his heart because many of them are our atheists, and they both look at me.

I don't believe there's a not so what I but I believe you believe is a God you still like what you heard.

Peter watered down nothing. He wasn't brutal in and mean way, a brutal and the true way is letting them have it.

Can you imagine sharing the Bible with somebody and there and all sorts of sin in your dream. Bring it up during bring sin, not what you sharing that. What part of the Bible you Sherry when pastors look for topical message. I think most pastors in the book. Most do I know what I do I try to look for something encouraging and uplifting is very difficult because so much of the Bible to write up in your face like you better fix this, you better at least address it what you sure are better not excuse it and is such a lesson in that you can cherry pick just we just going to take the word love from first Corinthians, and leave out all other severed balls as of you I love you. Nothing is mean you can't preach love without getting up in somebody's face and saying if you don't admire this and want this you nothing to God you're annoying that's how he calls so Peter says here in verse 15, you killed right out like that is even a Gentile was trying let him go this word, the Prince, the Prince of life, word Prince and the Greek okay Gus that we find it in Hebrews 2 and Hebrews 12 is translated. Also the author means the leader, the Prince, the source, the captain of our souls. Jesus is not only the servant of God, but he is the source of life is a big words.

I don't mean big words fully and alike anthropomorphic or something like that.

But the schadenfreude.

There's a fun word is really revenge of the built in that one anyway. Jesus, the source of life.

Therefore to Jesus. Everyone owes allegiance that is it. If he is who he says he is, then you owe allegiance to him. This is why when Peter rear saw the miracle of prizes depart from manes on his knees got nowhere early to show you allegiance John the Baptist I can even untie his sandals. He saw writers I baptize with water, he's going to baptize you with fire, and the Holy Spirit is all know the level don't you love truth, whom God raised from the dead will the indestructible Christ.

He gave up the spirit. They did not kill him. He total control and total suffering.

At the same time, which adds to his Majesty that he endured such treatment without this part of the message we have nothing to say.

As Christians without the resurrection of Jesus Christ. We have no gospel.

We can have a religious you know book of conduct.

Thou shalt not bow shall not Jesus can will put everything in a positive you shall you shall love your neighbor.

You shall love the Lord your God is lifting them up now.

The timing was right for that Moses.

They had bring them down. First Corinthians 15 and when you share the gospel. It is again okay to open your Bible and read it to them straight out when not covering up anything when I say well you know I want to know our rental reading the Bible to you. If Christ is not risen your faith is futile. You're still in your sins. Then, also those who have fallen asleep. The euphemism for died in Christ are perished. If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men. The most pitiful Paul is saying that all the resurrection is the changes everything. So back to the teens once again as you are never forgotten.

There are those in the Scriptures that boast since I was a child I follow the word of God. What are you going to do because there are forces out there bigger and tougher than you that are trying to get you to not ever make that claim to detour you, you are expected to prevail by simply calling on the Lord loving on the Lord.

This is true of you and is true of the adults you want to be treated any differently. You want your your junior adults you could say you're coming up.

You gotta earn it. You gotta work you know is not just handed to you.

You still have to work it out. All of us to possibly work out your salvation.

Not that you have to earn your salvation, she gonna live it got to engage the world by faith he says here, of which we are witnesses is a provocative fought 3 1/2 years walking with Jesus and the disciples were still not equipped enough said not provocative just because you walk with Jesus. I'm good, that's not enough. How do we know that because of the filling of the Holy Spirit that he promised he would give acts chapter 1, but you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you shall be witnesses to me in Jerusalem and Judea and Samaria and to the ends of the earth. How how we should embrace this is good news. There's more. This development there. Things to look forward to is a Christian and serving Christ and he is laid out for us. Even back in Isaiah chapter 43 God speaking about the Messiah, you are my witnesses says Yahweh, and my servant whom I have chosen that you may know and believe and understand that I am he. For me there is no God formed, nor shall there be after me, while the Jews never lost sight of that much of that.

Not in this stage of the game and so for Christ to come along and say I'm the one that's being spoken of years is quite powerful and they held him to it. That was the charge against Christ by the religious rulers keeping a man made himself to be God by claiming he was the Messiah. Verse 16 and his name, through faith in his name, has made this man strong, whom you see and know just the faith which comes through him has given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all. So Peter's faith in Christ, not the beggars faith bigoted know what was happening with the power that empowers is the name of God the credentials of God, you, you know it we watch those movies of Sherwood Forest and in the name of the King will I lose the name of Val King's got our power to it. Verse 17 yet now brother and I know that you did it in ignorance, as did.

Also, your rulers, your rules, not, not ours. He's already laid the conviction on them and now he's going with the grace something that Satan never does. He says that you did it out of ignorance Westwood Christ prayed from across father forgive them.

They don't know what they're doing is will people learn this from so he's got a chance now to open this up with them and he's doing exactly this is indictment of the rulers and their guilt that kicks the hornets nest that be chapter 4 and beyond.

Verse 18 with those things which God foretold by the mouth of all his prophets that the Christ would suffer. He has thus fulfilled when Jesus Luke 24.

Read quite a few times, beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.

The book like Obadiah says let me show you. If Christ is in Obadiah and every other one in seven iron books that we may scratch out head with price and he knows it all, that the Christ would suffer. He has refilled Peter's impressive Old Testament knowledge. He uses Joel uses Psalms Isaiah Deuteronomy Samuel Genesis is truly once was a man of his word now is a man of the word and is not going to depart. What a you could say role model. What we say dynamo of the faith 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.

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