Church at the Ballpark

Katie Greer you see the great love of God for you and the cross it changes your heart toward God because you see that he was not an adversary that was trying to lure you it was a father who created you for his purposes and for you to walk in.

That is the abundant life is everything you been searching for.

Paul said is the goodness of God that leads us to repentance, not just the threats of God. It's the goodness of God leads you to repentance. The pastor of the stomach hurts.

I'm your host Molly events every week. The summit church meets on multiple campuses around the Raleigh-Durham area of North Carolina. Every once in a while we did get the chance to gather as one united family at places like the different Bulls baseball stadium. Today we are hearing a message from that special gathering pastor Jake is our study where the book of acts chapter 2 starting at verse 22 to grab your Bible and a pen and let's join Pastor Jane has told historian for years is why Christianity spread so fast in its earliest days that Jesus left a relatively small group of followers. They were not people of influence. The when others because of their stature and because they just had natural followings. There were lots of persecuted groups are not first few centuries Christianity was not the only religiously persecuted group.

There were lots of them. But the believers, the followers of Jesus were the only ones that didn't fight back. There were the ones who sometimes usually to their executions joyfully praying for their captors that they welcome the outcast May 1 multiracial communities on the planet where here's a question where that energy come from where did that energy that became that kind of community that grew faster and larger than any other religious movement ever house of the planet. Where did that come from. I want us to take a look. Very briefly, relatively briefly at the first message ever preached and try to show you what it was that release that energy this message that Peter gave a relatively short and to the point led to an extraordinary response 3000 people were baptized in one day is the symbol that they were going all the way with Jesus couple years ago when we were here my one of my daughters was baptized here at our ballpark service and as she was leaving CI we were in the elevator going down and there was a picture I am assuming during the durables coach having one.

I think the championship for that year with his hands in the air and people pouring champagne on him and not my daughter who is six years old at the time said to have, I think you got baptized to excessively us in a manner of speaking, but they got an Peter sermon verse 22. Let me tell you what happens. Leading up to Peter sermon the apostles and the first band of disciples and hiding out together in an upper room when a mighty tornado like wind filled the room where they were sitting a little closer. Fire began to appear above their heads, symbolizing the presence of God. They were filled with the Holy Spirit and then went outside into the crowded marketplace in the temple area where there were people there from all the different nations on earth, the world's fair every year that took place in in Jerusalem and they began to proclaim the glory of God and proclaim what Jesus had done in languages that they did not know were unknown to them for the people there from all over the world who were listening to this a wait a minute. You're not from my hometown that you're speaking my language and you're doing it fluently, you're doing it without accent. How is it you having never been 50 miles outside of your hometown, how are you speaking my language fluently. This would be something to see you get the picture of like the that the crew of Duck Dynasty breaking out of the fluid French or Mandarin, you have no idea where that's coming from.

Will Peter stands up in response to the question and he explains that this multilanguage phenomenon was the symbol that the Holy Spirit had been given by God's promise had been fulfilled and it signaled that God wanted the gospel preached in all languages and all nations on earth after Peter stands up he says, 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 did through him in your midst, as you yourselves already know you're very familiar with these this Jesus delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of wicked men.

This Jesus God raised up, and that we are all witnesses. Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ. This Jesus whom you crucified verse 40 says and with many other words he bore witness to these things and continue to exhort them, saying, save yourselves from this crooked and corrupt generation. Verse 37 now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart and he said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, brothers, what shall we do, brothers, what shall we do cut to the heart. It felt like a knife and entered their chest.

Jesus had promised that when the Holy Spirit came John 1680 would convict the world of sin and convince the world of who he was. The word convict that he uses in Greek is a lingo and what it means is to cross-examine a single lawyer that he's going to press the case and still be inconsistencies are exposed and you have to face and hopefully finally admit the truth. That's what the spirit had promised to do.

And that's exactly what's happening here in acts chapter 2, verse 43 or two questions I want to consider really quickly.

First of all, what was it that cut them to the heart. And secondly, what are they doing response because this is the energy behind our first Christian movement number one.

Why were they cut to the heart.

Why would they cut to the heart. Tim Keller says that there are two things about what Peter said that cut them they are number one. They realize they had been wrong about Christ. You see, in Peter's day in Jesus's day. There were a lot of different theories about Jesus, but Jesus did not conform to anybody's expectations. They claim to be God. He claimed to be able to forgive people send something that the Jewish people was blasphemous because only God can forgive sins. He demanded absolute Lordship over people lives. The IEEE did miracles you let people worship him saying that if they didn't worship in the rocks and the trees would cry out in praise of him.

They claim to be on a rescue mission to save people and that he was the only way that we could be saved and more like Jesus.

We like you are behind you, but you gotta be quiet about this. All this God and Lord stuff you would be quiet about it so they crucified him.

Peter said that in the resurrection. However, God overturned their opinions and declared Jesus to be who he was Lord, which means God, not another religious prophet with the creator of the universe Lord and Christ which means the only Savior.

Not one way among many, but the only name given under heaven by which we can be saved.

Many of us today have something we want Jesus to be a solid interview couple years ago with Bono in an interview. The subject Jesus came up is on public new station, but that doesn't stop Bono if you ever seen them.

After bringing Jesus of the most fascinating conversation transpired between him and the interviewer was one of his biographers. Bono said this lesson. The secular response to to the Christ story always goes like this, Jesus was a great prophet. Obviously a very interesting guy had a lot of it had a lot to say along the lines of the other great prophet's b-day Elijah and Moses, Mohammed, Buddha or Confucius, but actually Christ.

Bono said says no I'm not saying I'm a teacher. Don't call me teacher.

I'm not saying I'm a prophet. Don't call me a prophet I'm safe I'm saying I'm God in the flesh. And people say, but as a people say back to minimum. Please just be a prophet. A prophet we could take your business centric. Jesus, but we had John the Baptist eating locusts and wild honey. We can handle a centric, not God, not the Messiah. As you know enough to crucify you if you keep saying that and he goes no no I actually am the Messiah at this point, Bono says everybody starts staring at their shoes and says oh my God, he's gonna keep saying this, so what you're left with is either Christ was who he said he was.

Bono says God incarnate the Messiah or a complete nutcase. I me or talking nutcase on the level of Charles Manson. I'm not joking here. The idea that the entire course of civilization. Over half of the globe could have changed its fate and turned upside down the war in the world by nutcase for me.

Bono says that's a little far.

Fletch far-fetched.

Now some of you are engaged at all when I was reading Peter's words about what what what what what what what what is a reporting out with Peter saying here they kill him, but God resurrected him and God resurrected Jesus and what you and I think about him is less important who he actually is. Are you open-minded enough to consider Christ for who he says that he is are you open-minded enough for God to be what God is not really what you want him to be. Are you humble enough for you. Open enough for Jesus to be who he is or do you insist that Jesus be who you want him to be.

They were cut to the hearts because they realize that they been wrong about Jesus and what they point to the current prevented them the resurrection. The resurrection that's the question did God resurrected Jesus the people listening appeared and see how they could deny that I'm keep in mind this is in the very city where Jesus had been crucified and buried. And you got 3000 people who could say only we know where his grave is. I think they could've set up with in because they are very familiar with the events that had taken place in CL.

They can write it off as a hallucination. Paul refers to 500 people. It's all Jesus at the same time.

500 people to hallucinate about the same thing at once. They could write it off as a hallucination they couldn't just dismiss these people as liars prophet when they have gained a thought from this lab. They were telling this lie did not gain the money, prestige or power.

Quite the contrary everyone to be apostles women that died a martyr's death, but proclaiming to BMPs alive. We soloing we saw them and they didn't believe in the light of that resurrection negatively go on choosing to believe about Jesus. What they thought he was Lord and Christ. So they were cut to the heart because they realize they been wrong about Jesus.

There also cut to the heart. Number two, because they realize they were responsible for the death of Jesus realize they were responsible for the death of Jesus couple different times.

Verse 23 and 36 figure point to this crowd. Many says you telling over the years, this verse has been used anti-Semitic only claiming that the Jews killed Christ, and that they ought to be held responsible for that. That is a very poor understanding of Peter's many first when Peter says you killed him. He was speaking globally. He was thinking all of us. Not everyone there had been directly involved in the Christ crucifixion. If Peter looks at all them and says you all of you killed it. Verse 39 Peter says this is about you, your children and those who are far-off children in other nations, you haven't even been born yet. This was not about a particular group of Jews in Jerusalem is about all people. It's about you and it's about me. Second, when Peter says you killed him. Peter was speaking personally, Peter knew he himself had had a part in it. On the night that Jesus was crucified.

Peter had denied him three times.

Luke, who was recording these things. The last denial records. One very important little detail that people sometimes overlook. It says that after Peter denied Christ. The third time that Jesus turned and looked at it. He was close enough that he could see the face of Jesus. Jesus, by that point.

His face would've been beaten and swollen bruised blood in the spirit of Roman soldiers dripping off of it. Peter realized in that moment as he stared into the eyes of Jesus that was his betrayal that was putting Jesus on the cross, Jesus was looking at Peter saying this, but I'm doing I'm doing for you.

You are doing this to me. Those who are listening to Peter came to the exact same conclusion that Peter did.

We did this using the Bible says that Jesus died for our sins. He was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities.

Your cut to the heart.

When you realize it was your sin that did this.

Cut to the heart when you see Jesus looking at you.

You did this against God. That was for your rebellion. It was for your cheating was for your refusal to do things God's way, your selfishness, your pride, your hatred, your hypocrisy, your bigotry is you before you are caught. You see, sin is breaking God's rules after your cut.

You think of sin is breaking God's heart. You see in the Lord, but he gives to you that he came in love as a father coming together his rebellious children home but you said no I don't trust you. I'd rather be in charge of all life.

We resisted him and we wouldn't be resisted. We killed him severed his head like this and every heart there is a throne and across. If Christ is gonna be on the throne. You gotta be in the cross but if Christ you are on the throne, the Christ has to be on the cross. If you're going to be the Lord of your life, and there is no room for Jesus and the only option is to kill him, the one who came to save crucified. Growing up in church when up in a great family, but I saw that my rebellion put Christ on the cross. I saw that my refusal to follow if that's what crucified it my caring about so many things more than I cared about, in the opinion of my friends more than his opinion. My feeling of being ashamed of being identified with him by giving myself over to the lust of my flesh where they were in control of me and not him. I saw him in high school now with the eyes of my head but the eyes of my heart, looking at me and I said, with John Newton the writer that him, amazing grace, my conscience felt and owned the guilt and plunge me into spare costs.

All my sins.

His blood had spilled.

I hope to nail him there. I was cut his questions that ever happened to you, not what you believe or what you know what can a family and you are a bit.

Have you ever had a firsthand personal experience with God. You can come to God and the faith of your parents. You have to be cut personally.

Were you see that it was your Cindy did that and you see that he did it for you. There's a second question, what are they do what was in the cut them. I told you that the truth about Christ, the death of Christ. What they do with you just a handful of things here. Number one they sought forgiveness from the cross, they sought forgiveness from the cross. Peter said verse 38, be bad ties as a symbol that your claiming Christ, Deb, is your forgiveness is a little ironic as it is it what the cross is where we murder Jesus, why would it be the place of our forgiveness. Yes, that is the great irony of the cross that God used our most heinous act against him ever as the source of our salvation. Romans 623 says the wages of our sin is death.

Jesus on the cross paid that death penalty in our place. Isaiah 53 he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities. Punishment that brought us peace was put upon him by his stripes we laid on. We are healed. There two things that you have to see in the cross one is that your sin did that to him to that he didn't to rescue you. The cross is an imitation of grace. It's an offer for you to come home back to him. It is not enough to feel the condemnation of the cross. You have to perceive and personally receive the goodness of God that comes to you through it. She Peter was the only but a possible betray Jesus at night. Another we did name Judas when you look at it Genesis and Peter's sin against Jesus were not that different. A boat betrayed him. Judas went out and hung himself. Peter came back to Jesus because both of them felt watch this, the condemnation of the cross. But Judas did not proceed by faith God in the cross saying Judas come back to me. I did this to bring you back not to condemn you. Jesus resurrected from the dead saying listen you tell me come back because I did this for you. Have you heard that voice is the voice of your father saying calm home is in college you all your life you might realize that you might not have whatever religion you're raising with the religious or not is recalling you there something in all of us that knows we are restrained from God. You were created to know the God of the universe. You were created to feast upon his glory.

You were created, walk in him and might and power to show people the demonstration of the beauty of who you he created you as his son or daughter so that you could know him and bring joy to him.

You and I saw that in the ravages of what is left is called sin, and he says in the cross come home they sought forgiveness they change. Secondly, their minds about God. They change their minds about not worthy Peter uses is repentance. Verse 38 repent and be baptized repentance in Greek means a change of my chain is more than just a resolve to do better.

It's a whole new attitude toward God. You see that your whole attitude toward God has been wrong.

You saw him as your adversary. Bodie came as was your father and your friend when you see that it changes your attitude toward sin is you and somebody loves you and you know they love you and changes your heart toward and does not let my wonderful wife Veronica, loyal and faithful to me you would look at me and say you know JD Veronica is so loyal to you. She is so tender.

She is so loving to you so devoted to you that you could cheat on her and get away with it. I bet she forgive you if you did know her steadfast faithful love toward me makes me want to be faithful to our when you see the great love of God for you and the cross it changes your heart toward God.

As you see that he was not an adversary that was trying to lord over you was a father who created you for his purposes and for your walking.

That is the abundant life.

It's everything you been searching for the book of Romans, Paul said is the goodness of God that leads us to repentance, not just the threats of God. It's the goodness of God leads you to repentance. Lastly, they surrendered, they surrender verse 37 it's a what shall we do what we do not, okay, okay, just with the things we do to make up for this dessert offer implacably given that the what we do another words will do anything coming to Christ means recognizing that he is the Lord that you been living in rebellion against him is only one appropriate response. Absolute surrender not compromised.

Net negotiation got a go to church more got you more money. God quit doing these things out out clear my language. No, there's one response surrender. CS Lewis headed this way will come to God as bad people try to become better people become his rebels need to lay down our arms.

When you come. It's not about becoming a better person build a more religious.

It's about recognizing the Lordship of Christ. But he's in charge and surrendering him and receiving his offer to save you because he's the only way that something less than that. You be the daughter you have you done it or you have a thing like a line allow you be the cross. He got it right you you come to a place for you surrendered to Christ and received him as your Savior or you have.

It's I mean you become a perfect person. I still struggle daily with inconsistencies in sin. See, I do know that he is the Lord and I'm done arguing about who was in charge of my life. We have a culture where a lot of people growing up in around church, but that never cross that line they they they they say things like this. I see Jesus as my Savior. But he's not really my Lord. Yet, maybe you compare yourself to others all the time you think one good enough as long as God great in the car on Monday five that's not the issue. The issue is, Christ is the only Savior he is the Lord you cross that line and received him, so I grew up in search of course I'm a Christian. What else would I be a Muslim amount Jew. I'm not an atheist. You have to trust Christ as Lord and Savior for yourself the fate of your parents that matter all right thing, God forbid, it's gonna be your decision, or for my says it this way, God has no grandchildren. This first generation people are chosen him for themselves.

Have you made that decision to trust Christ as Lord and Savior had used up the cross that line with many other words it says, but he said to Col. good generation come back to God.

He was say the same thing to us.

Have you saved yourself from that generation by letting Jesus save you while you being without Jesus. What is life. If you would publish everything that you want out of life, what you die without him. What does it profit a man. Jesus said he gave the whole world and loses his own soul. Have you cross that line. Have you trusted Christ as Lord and Savior. The sign that you made this decision is baptism a public declaration that your following Jesus receiver 41 the bed they rented about 3000 souls for 3000 people that day marked a turning point in their lives.

The day they crossed the line must assemble and disassemble the fact that they had surrendered to Christ as Lord and received him as their Savior. That name 3000 cross that line. This day could be that baptism you've trusted Christ as your Savior truly is your first step of obedience. It's a new beginning of blessing in your life. We left to pray with you. If you have any questions about what new life in Jesus means just give us a call at 866-335-5220 where the teaching series called stents and were here every day on the radio in the lab to help you dive deeper into the gospel. So if you happen to join us late today or if you'd like to catch up on previous messages you can find them all free of charge@jdgreer.com when you get to spend that life here helping us expand our website and radio ministry to reach new listeners all across the country.

Also that more people can dive deeper into the gospel with each and every day we are so grateful for your partnership and as our way of saying thanks will send you a copy of the new resource created especially for our listeners title since the book of volume 1. As you read and study more about the book of acts in the history of the early church, but more importantly you'll discover when mission every believer for your copy of same. Max volume 1, covering chapters 1 to 8. When you donate today at suggested level at $25 and give us a call at 866-335-2866 five and more convenient to get online you need clear.com and Molly that infection. I am so glad you join us Wednesday when castigating our study of the early church on Senate night dating