The Message

Welcome to this edition of PowerPoint with Jack Graham a little later in the program will tell you, you can get a copy of Dr. Graham's evangelism bundle first hears the message. The message that God's word and turn with me to the second chapter of acts. The Holy Spirit poured out on the day of Pentecost resulted in men and women proclaiming the wonderful works of God sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ. In the midst of this conversation and communication of the message of Christ.

One man stood up and gave the first sermon.

The inaugural message of the church and when we read this message in acts chapter 2 delivered by the big fisherman Simon Peter were taken by the heart of this message and the simplicity of this message and yet the powerful affect the dramatic effect and impact of this simple message Jesus saves is the message that change the world is the message that changed my life.

Is the message that is change the lives of countless men and women throughout the ages and this very day, in the context in the atmosphere of the work and witness of the Holy Spirit, one man deliver the message, but it was the voice of the church, praying and praising God together that accomplish the goal you read this message in acts chapter 2 is just 22 verses. Of course, what we have in these 22 verses comprising this sermon is really a summary that the spirit of God has given us of the message declared that day and the message that we hear in this passage of Scripture is God can see it is full of the Scripture is full of God's spirit is Christ centered and in his spirit control and it brought the congregation listening that they face to face with the living Lord for looking at verse 14. Chapter 2 of acts, but Peter, standing with the 11, lifted up his voice and addressed men in Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you and give ear to my works. For these men are not drunk, as you suppose, since it is only the third hour of the day you see those who were speaking, the wonderful works of God in the languages of other nations were gathered around of the day of Pentecost were accused now being drunken but they were not drunk except that they had a drink at Joel's place. Joel, the prophet had prophesied the coming of the Holy Spirit and that is what is happening. He said in verse 16. This is what was uttered through the prophet Joel and then verse 21.

Initial come to pass that everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. Men of Israel, hear these words verse 22 Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with mighty works and wonders and signs that God did through him in your midst, as you yourself know this, Jesus delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men. God raised him up, loosing the pangs of death because it was not possible for him to be held by then skip down and look at verse 37 now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, brothers, what shall we do, and Peter said to them repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sin and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit for the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself and with many other words he bore witness and continue to exhort them, say, save yourselves from this crooked generation. Note what happened in verse 41, so those who received his word were baptized and there were added that day about 3000 souls.

Simon Peter took a text from the word of God. He proclaimed the gospel of Jesus Christ. The spirit of God activated in the lives of God's people and their witness then connected with those who heard and on the very first day on the church. 3000 souls were born into the kingdom of God. This message like all gospel messages.

Like all messages that are effective and successful in reaching the hearer is very simple. You don't have to go down deep and stay down long and come up dry in order to be successful.

No proclaimed the message of Christ in all of its content and know that the gospel and his power will change lives. Whether it is in your public witness as I'm sharing Christ publicly right now or it is in your personal witness because remember this the message was delivered in the context of all of the believers spreading out into the streets and sharing the message of Christ. So coming together is his personal witness and now this public message of hope as Peter is drawing the net. I know many of us have fears concerning sharing our faith. But if you understand the message that God has given you. You can be effective and used by God in proclaiming the gospel and if you will do these things that Simon Peter did that we all can do, you can be effective in communicating the message to the world and the message is simply this is the explaining of the Scriptures. It is the exaltation of the Savior, and it is the exhortation to the center and let's look at that briefly today. First there is the explaining of the Scripture. That's what this man did on that day. Of course this is the same man who melted like butter on a hot day before the cross of Christ.

He denied Christ three times, Simon Peter, who was often so bold in his faith, was a weakling when it came to standing up for Christ at the cross.

But now this same man full of the holy. In all of his humanity. God did not change this man in terms of his personality, but used his personality and transform his life from the inside out, and now he is not a coward. He is a courageous witness of the gospel.

He's not whipping out he standing up and he says men of Israel, listen to me. I love the authority that we see in his voice. I love the passion and the heart that we see as this man shares in this message is just full of God's word and has both content and intake and it is powerful. It is practical, it is personal and it is persuasive. No real preaching is truth shared through personality is true through personality and it is aimed at the heart it goes for the heart and not just the head and with all of his energy. He pressed the truth home that Jesus is Lord and that every person can know Christ and can be saved by receiving the Lord Jesus repenting of their sin and believing in him. They should always be the passion of the man of God. They should always be the passion of the preacher of the gospel, not to impress people with our eloquence not to entertain people with our theatrics not to persuade people with our human personality but to simply courageously boldly proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ because in that message. Hope is given there is the humanity of this preacher as he delivers the Scriptures and then there's the spirituality of this preacher because remember these now anointed and appointed for this moment, there's fire. There's conviction. There's power in what is said. And remember, this is all done in the context in the atmosphere of prayer, God's people had waited as Jesus had instructed them. Those 120 you gathered in an upstairs room in the spirit of God came and they were full of God's spirit. So Peter was not alone when he stood that day.

He stood in the midst of the other disciples, he stood on the wings of believing prayer. He was the voice of the praying church so moving from Scripture to Scripture as you read these words, it is chock full of the word of God. He is simply explaining the Scripture. There is no doubt here regarding the infallibility in the inerrancy of the word of God. The validity of miracles, the deity of Christ, the need for people all people everywhere to be say several days previous.

Simon Peter had drawn a sword in the garden of Gethsemane to defend Christ. He failed miserably in that case and was rebuked by the Lord Jesus, but now he he bears a sort of a different kind.

He now stands full of the spirit and is bearing the sword of the Spirit which is the word of God you know is not great preaching that God blesses, but it is a great witness to Jesus that God blesses and they are witness me of Christ.

May our witness be Jesus himself. And that brings us to the second point really on this message and this ought to be included in all of our witnesses as we are explaining the Scriptures and as we are exalting the same as you read this message. It is a Jesus filled message. He speaks of a recognizable Savior. Look at verse 22 men of Israel, hear these words, Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with mighty works and wonders and signs that God through did through him in your midst as you your self. No, the word attested their means proven or demonstrate attested to you by God. God said of his own son at his baptism. This is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased. He is the fulfillment of prophecy and what Peter does is make a case for Christ and he says Jesus's miraculous life is demonstrable you can know it. You can see he is living proof of who he is receiving the Christian faith.

Unlike any of the world religion is totally dependent upon one person, Jesus Christ.

You're listening to PowerPoint with Jack Graham and today's message. The message you have a God-given calling to take the gospel to the world. That's why we put together a special bundle of resources to help you grow in your lot of the gospel and share it with others.

This evangelism bundle includes three of Pastor Jack Graham's books the help of Easter life but in God's promises for doubt filled days. This evangelism bundle is our thanks for your gift today and thanks to a generous matching grant your gift today will be doubled. So call now to request your evangelism bundle when you give call 1-800-795-4627 that's 1-800-795-4627. You can also text the word PowerPoint to 59789 and don't forget to visit Jack Graham.org where you can shop our E store. Give a gift online or sign up for Dr. Graham's free daily email devotional our website again is Jack Graham.Margie now it's Québec. Today's message the message the miracle of life of Jesus his virgin birth is virtuous life is vicarious death on the cross is victorious resurrection and his visible return. It is all about him. And of course when he came and walked upon the earth. He attested to his deity by signs and wonders and miracles.

He demonstrated power over disease and over death and over darkness.

The miracle working power of Jesus Christ is still active today.

We have seen the miracle hand of God in our lives.

Most personally, most deeply the miracle of the new life. The new birth in Christ, but our God is still alive and are God, the Lord Jesus is still performing miracles in people's lives today is I don't believe in miracles that explain the life of Jesus Christ. There's no explanation of his life apart from his miracles and these who watched and listened. That day they knew it was true they had seen the miracles they'd seen him heal the sick, they had seen him touch the labyrinth make the leper clean they had known of his raising Lazarus from the dead as you. Your cells know you must come face to face with the reality of the incarnation of Jesus Christ, that he live a miracle like no one ever live like this one, but not only is he a recognizable site, but he is a rejected site and Peter took the message right to the cross and he pointed a long finger in the faces of those who were listening there that day. Those who participated in the very death and crucifixion of Jesus and said he knew have crucified the Lord of glory. You did it. He said God planted. Don't ever think that the cross was just an accident or an afterthought in the mind of God. No, the Lamb of God, the Lord Jesus was slain before the foundation of the world.

This was God's plan. From the very beginning so it was for planned it was ordained by God himself, the Lord laid on him the iniquity of us all, but know that Jesus was not a victim he delivered his life.

He offered his life, he said, greater love hath no man than this, but that a man lay down his life for his friend. He laid down his life.

But thank God he was at the end of the story because many speaks of a risen Savior.

Verse 24 God raised him up, loosening the pains of death because it was not possible for him to be held by you sale resurrection is impossible know it is impossible for Dan to hold the Lord of glory. Jesus is alive and that is the heart of the Christian message that is the hope of what we share. If Christ is still in the grave. We have no message but because he lives because Christ is Lord we have a message of everlasting life. He is alive and that's the gospel. The death the burial the resurrection of Christ, and were not preaching the gospel until we deliver that message. But not only a rejected Christ, the risen Christ a recognizable Savior, but anyone raining safe because in this passage, he goes on to say, verse 32 this Jesus God raised up, and that we are all witnesses being therefore exalted at the right hand of God and having received from the promise of the father, the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this that you yourselves are seeing and hearing Christ is alive.

He is raining angels adore him. The saints are worshiping him earlier accusations and him blaspheme his name, denying him, but you cannot stop him because he is Lord he is on changeable he is on stoppable because he is raining. That's why the Scripture says that one day every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God. Well Peter gets to the close of this message, and that is exhorting the center when they came running up and said cut to the heart.

The Bible says they were cut to the heart word which means stand to the heart. It just ripped them wide open may send, what shall we do, and Peter said repent and believe. Repent and be baptized and received the Holy Spirit. There was conviction of sin. Conviction of sin and where there is a true witness of the gospel and true conversion. There will always be conviction in the instrument a conviction is a Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is, according to John 16 to convict the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment, and when Jesus is preached when the gospel is delivered.

People come face-to-face with their own sin. In view of a cross of God's love. There was conviction of sin. There was conversion of life. Three things have to take place there. Three marks that identify a converted person one is repentant conversion means repentance the word repentance means that you are going in one direction. Your back is towards God, you're walking away from God.

Living your own life, doing your own thing and then you come face-to-face with Christ and his claim upon your life you come face-to-face with your own sin and the judgment of God against sin in your life and you repent of your sin, which means you turn around. You do an about-face and now you are following Christ.

You are walking towards God. You are living in the forgiveness of sin and the power of Jesus Christ and repentance is the missing word in the contemporary church and yet Jesus said unless you repent you will all perish. So there is conviction of sin.

There is conversion of life through repentance and in remission, which is the forgiveness of sin is what remission is the forgiveness of sin through personal faith in Jesus Christ in the shed blood of Christ which cleanses us, we are say is unfortunate that some use acts chapter 2, verse 38 to teach that baptism somehow say Peter never mentioned baptism in his other messages being the saving instrument of God.

Water baptism does not say, nor does it help to say say say what is it say then repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus for the forgiveness of your sin that the word for there is a great preposition a small preposition EIS ice is translated in various ways.

In the New Testament and on at my with her because of his fast was it.

And in this case, no doubt about it, it means because of the baptized in lieu because of the forgiveness of sins because Christ has cleansed you is the blood of Christ. God son the cleanses us from every sin and baptism in water signifies that and symbolizes that wonderful fruit you say how you know that read the rest of the New Testament. The New Testament does not teach baptismal regeneration, in other words, that baptism saves or helps to say no Christ and Christ alone when he says baptized for the remission of sin. Use it the same way in the English language the word for it.

If you read a poster on Wallace's man wanted for murder. You don't go and apply for the job know you know that, for in that case means because of and so the remission of sins we are forgiven and baptism then is the outward sign in visible symbol that inner cleansing and then simultaneous with repentance and remission of sin is regeneration or receiving the gift of the Holy Spirit. No one is converted apart from the incoming and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.

I'd like to say more about that especially the fact that when the Holy Spirit is innocent, regenerates us, that is the confidence that we have in Christ, he is the witness of God spirit in us. That is why we can say we know that we know that we know that Christ is living in us, so there is the conviction of sin. There's the conversion of life and then there's the confession of faith. On that day.

They confess Christ as Lord and Savior and met a costly act of commitment.

These Jews who heard the gospel that day publicly followed Christ. It was obedience to God's son and allegiance to God's church. They were added that day. Verse 41, and that day the believers were 3000 on the first day the message changed lives and then verse 47 look at it that the people were praising God and having favor with all the people and the Lord added to the number to their number day by day those who were being say little mass with in acts chapter 120 believers were in the upper room, praying the spirit came down in the church when out sharing Christ. So, in acts chapter 2, verse 41, 3000 were added when the gospel was first three in acts chapter 24 verse 47 we just read it. People were added to the church daily there witness was in the streets and in the temple and from house to house, and every day.

Evangelism was taking place in acts chapter 4 and verse four we read again the 4000 men. No doubt others rather than women. The children came to Christ, but are noted where the 4000 men who were added in acts chapter 4. The church is now growing at an unprecedented pace. Acts chapter 5 verse 28, the church is still the entire city with the gospel. They were accused of filling the city with this message of Jesus Christ.

They captured the hearts of the people in that city with a message of Christ in acts chapter 6 and verse seven, the church and multiplied greatly. Now they moved from addition to multiplication and ultimately describing the church in Jerusalem.

It was known as a multitude of people who believe. Thousands upon thousands upon thousands of people came in the kingdom of God is this simple message Jesus say you're listening to PowerPoint with Jack Graham and today's message. The message 3.2 billion people in our world still have no access good news of Jesus, and we must do whatever it takes to reach the lost, with the hope of Christ. That's why were excited to tell you about a matching grant that will double when ever you give today to help reach more people to PowerPoint your support will help broadcast the gospel into some of the most spiritually dark corners of the earth will say thanks for your gift by sending you three of Pastor Graham's books Tempe share the gospel right where you are. This evangelism bundle includes the hope of Easter life and God's promises for doubt filled days so call now to have your gift doubled by the man's requester evangelism bundle: 800-795-4627 that's 1-800-795-4627. You can also text the word PowerPoint to 59789 that's PowerPoint to 59789 and don't forget to visit Jack Graham.org where you can shop our E store. Give a gift online or sign up for Dr. Graham's free daily email devotional our website again is Jack Graham.award*what is your PowerPoint for today is really so much we can learn from this man's life.

Peter was a man that was certainly acquainted with fear the night before Christ was crucified. He had been so frightened that he wouldn't even associate with Jesus and he denied the Lord three times, yet in Peter's first sermon in acts chapter 2 we see a different man. We now see a courageous Peter, a man empowered we see a man who we truly say of him. He is as bold as a lion. Peter was known in the past as being brash, but now he is bold for the Lord in the same courage, empowerment and boldness that we see in his life can be the courage, the empowerment and the boldness that we can have in our lives because of the work of the Holy Spirit is true. When Peter shared the good news of Jesus. He relied upon the work in the witness of the spirit in him, not on his oratorical skills are the powers of his persuasion, and when he spoke, he aimed at the heart, not at the head and then is also important to remember that when Peter shared with people. He was practical he was down to earth he proclaimed the facts and with the force of the gospel. He delivered on the message and then thirdly, when Peter preached he was personal. He met people where they were and he professed that Jesus was Lord, and the last thing is when Peter spoke and shared his faith in the Lord Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit. He was persuasive with passion. He proclaimed that everyone all people must repent and receive Jesus as Lord and Savior, and as a result, many, many people were moved by the Spirit working through Peter and they came to faith in Christ is my prayer. As you look at the example of this bold believer today that you will realize the tremendous potential that you have, to touch people at the point of their need. With the gospel of Jesus Christ. Allow the spirit of God to fill you in flood your life and overflow be unfolding witness for Christ boldness ally to proclaim the good news that Jesus saves. And that is today's power. Remember when you give a gift to PowerPoint your gift will be doubled by a matching grant call 1-800-795-4627 that's 1-800-795-4627. You can also text the word PowerPoint 259789. Join us again next time. Dr. Graham brings a message about how you can tap into the work of Jesus through your church. That's next time on PowerPoint with Jack Graham PowerPoint with Jack Graham is sponsored by PowerPoint ministries