1 00:00:00,714 --> 00:00:03,635 The plan of salvation. 2 00:00:04,016 --> 00:00:07,017 Salvation has been brought down. 3 00:00:07,778 --> 00:00:10,079 What kind of leader do you want to follow? 4 00:00:10,500 --> 00:00:14,181 One that has a plan or one that just goes day to day? 5 00:00:14,362 --> 00:00:20,045 Now, we need to remember there are some jobs where you have to go day to day. 6 00:00:20,045 --> 00:00:24,097 You can't plan it out and know exactly what is going to happen. 7 00:00:24,097 --> 00:00:25,648 Just ask a farmer. 8 00:00:25,648 --> 00:00:28,810 Now, a farmer still has a general plan. 9 00:00:30,868 --> 00:00:33,940 Our Lord had far greater than a general plan. 10 00:00:33,940 --> 00:00:41,765 Now we look throughout history and we can see so many different leaders who had incredible plans and they followed through with them. 11 00:00:41,765 --> 00:00:52,852 We can look at Nebuchadnezzar, a man who took the small people of Babylon and as a general and then a king turned them into an incredible empire in a matter of decades. 12 00:00:53,033 --> 00:00:58,356 We can then look at the Medo-Persians after them, their ruler Cyrus the Great. 13 00:00:59,097 --> 00:01:00,598 He and his people 14 00:01:00,662 --> 00:01:04,183 took the waters that flowed under Babylon, the Euphrates River. 15 00:01:04,203 --> 00:01:10,665 He took his army and said, hey, we want to get into this city that was walled. 16 00:01:10,665 --> 00:01:20,047 They saw the Euphrates River that flowed through it, and they said, let's take the waters of the Euphrates River and reroute it somewhere else so that the water level going under 17 00:01:20,047 --> 00:01:22,208 Babylon would be lower. 18 00:01:22,208 --> 00:01:25,829 And then they could just swim underneath and get into the city. 19 00:01:25,829 --> 00:01:27,650 And they ultimately crushed it. 20 00:01:27,650 --> 00:01:29,250 Now that was a plan. 21 00:01:29,610 --> 00:01:32,131 That was an incredible plan. 22 00:01:32,172 --> 00:01:35,024 Now without the Lord's providence would it have worked? 23 00:01:35,024 --> 00:01:35,914 No. 24 00:01:36,115 --> 00:01:38,716 But he still used that ingenuity. 25 00:01:38,917 --> 00:01:42,659 There was Alexander the Great who then conquered those Persians. 26 00:01:43,120 --> 00:01:45,101 There were the Romans after them. 27 00:01:45,261 --> 00:01:50,625 All of these had incredible leaders, whether they be kings, whether they be emperors. 28 00:01:51,726 --> 00:01:54,668 And they went above and beyond to accomplish their goals. 29 00:01:55,869 --> 00:01:57,770 Their goals were self-seeking. 30 00:01:57,986 --> 00:02:01,488 Their goals at the very best were nationalist. 31 00:02:02,710 --> 00:02:04,370 We serve a king. 32 00:02:04,751 --> 00:02:06,272 We serve a lord. 33 00:02:06,752 --> 00:02:08,303 Yes, he is a nationalist. 34 00:02:08,303 --> 00:02:10,154 He is for his own kingdom. 35 00:02:10,195 --> 00:02:13,157 But he is not seeking for his own benefit. 36 00:02:13,157 --> 00:02:15,999 Actually, he is seeking for his benefit. 37 00:02:16,019 --> 00:02:18,861 His benefit is your benefit. 38 00:02:18,941 --> 00:02:24,605 What he wants more than anything is for you to be in heaven with him. 39 00:02:25,763 --> 00:02:27,905 Let's look at the plan that our Lord had. 40 00:02:27,905 --> 00:02:34,750 Now he started from the very beginning, before the beginning of time, he had something in mind for us. 41 00:02:34,771 --> 00:02:42,257 If you will, turn to Acts chapter 1 and we'll look at when this plan came to its climax, the very hub of the Bible. 42 00:02:42,718 --> 00:02:52,546 The plan of salvation, yes, most of us in here, if not all, have heard it since we were little tykes, but it is not something 43 00:02:53,582 --> 00:02:54,513 to be bored over. 44 00:02:54,513 --> 00:02:57,998 It is not something that isn't exciting anymore just because we've heard it. 45 00:02:57,998 --> 00:03:02,823 It is the very reason we can be glad that we have life. 46 00:03:03,345 --> 00:03:11,094 Now let's look at six factors in the context of Acts chapter one that build us up to Acts chapter two. 47 00:03:12,127 --> 00:03:23,557 Acts 1 verse 1, the former treaties have I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach, until the day in which he was taken up, after that he, through the 48 00:03:23,557 --> 00:03:29,121 Holy Ghost, had given commandment unto the apostles whom he had chosen. 49 00:03:29,282 --> 00:03:34,846 If you're taking notes, note six key words, and the first being persons. 50 00:03:36,055 --> 00:03:38,719 In my Bible it's marked in brown. 51 00:03:38,719 --> 00:03:42,684 I'm not sure if you mark in your Bible, but if you do I'll share these colors with you. 52 00:03:43,226 --> 00:03:48,974 In brown I've marked the apostles and whom he had chosen. 53 00:03:49,075 --> 00:03:51,618 There are very specific people here. 54 00:03:51,639 --> 00:03:58,003 They're about to receive something very specific, but first and foremost, whatever it was, was to them. 55 00:03:58,003 --> 00:04:00,605 They received this commandment. 56 00:04:00,605 --> 00:04:12,883 Now verse three, to whom he showed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them 40 days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom 57 00:04:12,883 --> 00:04:13,873 of God. 58 00:04:13,893 --> 00:04:16,534 Things pertaining to the kingdom of God. 59 00:04:16,974 --> 00:04:28,980 Now verse 4, being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which saith he, ye have 60 00:04:28,980 --> 00:04:30,750 heard of me. 61 00:04:31,131 --> 00:04:36,123 Christ tells them to wait for something, and it is the promise of the Father. 62 00:04:36,123 --> 00:04:40,375 Now verse 5 he goes to describe this promise. 63 00:04:40,555 --> 00:04:51,083 For John truly baptized with water, but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence." So we have persons. 64 00:04:51,223 --> 00:04:55,526 We now have persons that received a very specific promise. 65 00:04:56,107 --> 00:05:06,655 Now, verse 6, when they therefore come together, they ask him, saying, Lord, will thou at this time restore the kingdom again unto Israel? 66 00:05:06,915 --> 00:05:14,962 He said unto them, it is not for you to know the times or the seasons which the Father hath put in his own power. 67 00:05:15,664 --> 00:05:27,494 We mark the idea of persons, also have the idea of promise marked in a light blue, but we also have the idea of testimony, of witness. 68 00:05:30,551 --> 00:05:35,314 Now, ignore the fact that we have the idea of testimony and witness and think about timing. 69 00:05:36,555 --> 00:05:40,617 But wait for the promise of the Father, which saith he ye have heard of me. 70 00:05:40,918 --> 00:05:42,799 They are to wait for something. 71 00:05:42,967 --> 00:05:48,329 Now, verse 7, after they were asked a question, after Christ was asked, Lord, when will these things be? 72 00:05:48,329 --> 00:05:50,590 When will Thou restore the kingdom unto Israel? 73 00:05:50,590 --> 00:05:57,432 He says, it is not for you to know the times or the seasons which the Father hath put in His own power. 74 00:05:57,432 --> 00:06:04,814 There are very specific persons that received a very specific promise with very specific timing. 75 00:06:05,094 --> 00:06:06,835 God has left this 76 00:06:07,073 --> 00:06:08,303 in his own power. 77 00:06:08,303 --> 00:06:11,985 Now this word for power is a Greek word, exousia. 78 00:06:11,985 --> 00:06:14,545 Think of our word executive. 79 00:06:14,545 --> 00:06:20,427 He has the authority, he has the right, he has control over the time. 80 00:06:20,587 --> 00:06:23,647 Now that's not the only thing he has control over. 81 00:06:23,988 --> 00:06:30,490 God has a very specific time in mind, but he also has power that he is going to give to these apostles. 82 00:06:31,731 --> 00:06:32,851 He says, 83 00:06:33,387 --> 00:06:36,259 the times and seasons which the Father hath put in his own power. 84 00:06:36,259 --> 00:06:46,256 But verse 8, ye shall receive power after that the Holy Ghost has come upon you." Now, we have exousia in verse 7. 85 00:06:46,256 --> 00:06:48,697 This describes God's authority. 86 00:06:48,697 --> 00:06:52,800 But in verse 8 we have a different word, dunamis. 87 00:06:53,080 --> 00:06:55,622 What does that sound like in our English language? 88 00:06:56,022 --> 00:06:57,243 Dynamite. 89 00:06:58,384 --> 00:07:03,167 We can think of exousia like a police officer's badge. 90 00:07:03,169 --> 00:07:06,421 It says, have the authority to uphold the law. 91 00:07:07,102 --> 00:07:13,066 And we can think of dunamis as the tools the police officer uses in his job. 92 00:07:13,066 --> 00:07:14,646 He has a vehicle. 93 00:07:14,887 --> 00:07:16,528 He has a firearm. 94 00:07:16,989 --> 00:07:20,310 He has the other things that he needs to fulfill his job. 95 00:07:20,471 --> 00:07:24,914 He has the authority, exousia, and he has the power, the dunamis. 96 00:07:24,914 --> 00:07:27,225 Now these words have overlap in how they're used. 97 00:07:27,225 --> 00:07:29,216 We can look at Ephesians for that. 98 00:07:29,437 --> 00:07:32,399 But they still both have those distinct definitions. 99 00:07:33,131 --> 00:07:41,342 Now we've looked at very specific persons that received a very specific promise at a particular time. 100 00:07:41,604 --> 00:07:44,908 Now earlier I mentioned the idea of testimony and told you to ignore that. 101 00:07:44,908 --> 00:07:47,351 Now think about the idea of testimony. 102 00:07:47,692 --> 00:07:49,983 If we go back up to verse 3. 103 00:07:50,167 --> 00:08:02,093 When Luke is describing the apostles, he says to whom he showed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the 104 00:08:02,093 --> 00:08:04,606 things pertaining to the kingdom of God. 105 00:08:05,163 --> 00:08:09,587 It is very important to note that the apostles saw Christ. 106 00:08:09,587 --> 00:08:18,434 They saw him in his life, they saw him in his death, and most importantly, they saw him after he rose from the dead. 107 00:08:18,534 --> 00:08:24,298 Paul, an apostle that would become an apostle later, saw Christ. 108 00:08:24,705 --> 00:08:25,816 in that bright light. 109 00:08:25,816 --> 00:08:34,522 No, he didn't see Christ physically on this earth, but he saw the evidence firsthand and heard Christ's voice when he went blind on the road to Damascus. 110 00:08:34,522 --> 00:08:39,285 This idea of witness for the apostles is vitally important. 111 00:08:39,525 --> 00:08:47,530 These are very specific persons that received this promise, that received power at a very specific time with a very specific testimony. 112 00:08:48,351 --> 00:08:54,235 Now looking through all of this, there's a final aspect of the context and its stability. 113 00:08:54,913 --> 00:09:05,066 Now, verses 9 through 12, Christ was taken back up into heaven and the angels look at the apostles who are gazing up there and saying, what are you doing just standing here? 114 00:09:05,566 --> 00:09:09,987 This same Jesus who went up is going to come back down in the same way. 115 00:09:10,368 --> 00:09:21,871 Now, verse 12, then returned they unto Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is from Jerusalem a Sabbath day journey, a Sabbath day's journey. 116 00:09:22,295 --> 00:09:27,698 Looking at verse 13, we mention the persons at the very beginning of this lesson. 117 00:09:27,738 --> 00:09:32,441 Verse 13 describes the 11 apostles that remained after Judas killed himself. 118 00:09:33,061 --> 00:09:42,467 Verse 14, these all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, which the women and Mary the mother of Jesus had with his brethren. 119 00:09:43,215 --> 00:09:53,955 Verse 15, and in those days Peter stood up in the midst of the disciples and said, the number of names together were about 120, men and brethren, this scripture must needs have 120 00:09:53,955 --> 00:10:02,315 been fulfilled which the Holy Ghost by the mouth of David spake before concerning Judas, which was guide to them that took Jesus. 121 00:10:02,315 --> 00:10:06,675 For he was numbered with us and obtained part of this ministry. 122 00:10:07,309 --> 00:10:15,186 Peter goes to describe the betrayal Judas had against Christ and the fact that Judas killed himself after his betrayal. 123 00:10:15,306 --> 00:10:21,631 Now verse 17, for he was numbered with us and had obtained part of this ministry. 124 00:10:21,912 --> 00:10:24,914 Remember that Judas was an apostle. 125 00:10:24,915 --> 00:10:29,751 He had a very specific role and a role that if he continued with Christ, m 126 00:10:29,751 --> 00:10:31,573 was very specific in leadership. 127 00:10:31,573 --> 00:10:35,175 The apostles were the ones that would have the keys to the kingdom of heaven. 128 00:10:35,175 --> 00:10:39,398 What would have been bound in heaven would be bound on earth. 129 00:10:41,775 --> 00:10:49,915 Not that the apostles had authority over what was said in heaven, but they had the authority to tell earth what was already bound in heaven. 130 00:10:50,955 --> 00:10:53,355 Now, they had this leadership. 131 00:10:53,735 --> 00:11:03,875 Notice that whatever happens in Acts chapter 2, the thing that we are building up to, God did not allow that to happen before he had established his leadership. 132 00:11:04,035 --> 00:11:08,235 There's not supposed to be 11 apostles, there's supposed to be 12 apostles. 133 00:11:08,513 --> 00:11:16,188 That was God's plan at this time and he was going to make sure that there were twelve apostles before he established what was coming. 134 00:11:17,150 --> 00:11:23,774 Now, Judas had died but they were going to ultimately establish this man named Matthias. 135 00:11:24,395 --> 00:11:29,699 Now, looking at verse 21, describing the qualifications for this man, 136 00:11:29,773 --> 00:11:39,812 They say, wherefore of these men, which have accompanied us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, beginning from the baptism of John unto that same day that 137 00:11:39,812 --> 00:11:47,378 he was taken up from us, must one be ordained to be a witness with us of his resurrection? 138 00:11:47,559 --> 00:11:48,429 Again, 139 00:11:48,429 --> 00:11:55,702 The main qualification here for an apostle was that he be a witness of Christ's resurrection. 140 00:11:55,742 --> 00:12:01,085 They appointed these two men and ultimately justice was named an apostle. 141 00:12:02,285 --> 00:12:07,818 So we saw very specific persons that received a very specific promise. 142 00:12:07,818 --> 00:12:11,569 This promise of the Holy Spirit and they would have power. 143 00:12:11,890 --> 00:12:14,351 And this happened at a very specific time. 144 00:12:14,967 --> 00:12:19,248 This specific time was the day of Pentecost as will be seen very soon. 145 00:12:19,788 --> 00:12:22,949 Now, with all of that, there was also the testimony they had. 146 00:12:22,949 --> 00:12:25,030 They are witnesses of Jesus. 147 00:12:25,030 --> 00:12:27,590 They are witnesses of His resurrection. 148 00:12:27,590 --> 00:12:29,151 And finally, stability. 149 00:12:29,151 --> 00:12:34,992 God made sure that the leadership was set in place before He established what was coming. 150 00:12:35,332 --> 00:12:41,527 Now, with all of that groundwork laid, we are now ready for Acts chapter 2. 151 00:12:42,094 --> 00:12:45,035 And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, 152 00:12:45,185 --> 00:12:48,796 They were all with one accord in one place. 153 00:12:49,216 --> 00:12:56,618 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. 154 00:12:56,758 --> 00:13:01,560 And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as a fire, and it sat upon each of them. 155 00:13:01,560 --> 00:13:08,862 And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost and began to speak with other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance. 156 00:13:09,862 --> 00:13:13,183 Now those that received this baptism of the Holy Spirit, 157 00:13:13,571 --> 00:13:14,712 were the apostles. 158 00:13:14,712 --> 00:13:22,377 Verse 26 says, they gave forth their lots and the lot fell upon Matthias and he was numbered with the eleven apostles. 159 00:13:22,377 --> 00:13:27,380 The last group referred to was the apostles, were the apostles. 160 00:13:27,401 --> 00:13:34,505 They were the ones that received the promise of the Holy Spirit, which was the baptism of the Holy Spirit. 161 00:13:34,505 --> 00:13:36,786 They were overwhelmed with this power. 162 00:13:37,227 --> 00:13:44,349 Now, verse 5, and there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven. 163 00:13:45,189 --> 00:13:48,851 They received the power in verses 1 through 4. 164 00:13:48,851 --> 00:13:50,952 Now we mentioned the idea of timing. 165 00:13:51,212 --> 00:13:53,773 God mentioned He had a very specific time. 166 00:13:53,773 --> 00:13:58,775 Now we get to look at why that time was so specific and why that timing is so powerful. 167 00:13:59,085 --> 00:14:10,503 The day of Pentecost was either the most or second most busy day in Jerusalem, perhaps second to Passover, depending on what historians you read. 168 00:14:10,744 --> 00:14:24,755 Now, verse five, looking down at verses nine through 11, this power that is being shown by the Holy Spirit is shown to what was essentially the known world at the time. 169 00:14:24,769 --> 00:14:36,304 Parthians, Medes, Elamites, and dwellers in Mesopotamia, and in Judea, and Cappadocia, and Pontus, and Asia, Phrygia, and Pamphylia, and Egypt, and in parts of Libya about Cyrene, 170 00:14:36,304 --> 00:14:40,485 and strangers of Rome, both Jews and proselytes, Cretes and Arabians. 171 00:14:40,485 --> 00:14:44,907 We do hear them speak in our own tongue the wonderful works of God. 172 00:14:45,697 --> 00:14:50,448 What was being spoken in Acts chapter 2 was shown to the world. 173 00:14:50,448 --> 00:14:57,810 God had all of these people brought to the same place and then they would later spread out and give it to their homelands. 174 00:14:57,851 --> 00:15:00,591 God was very specific in His timing. 175 00:15:00,591 --> 00:15:05,613 He made it to where whatever was going to be established would spread throughout the world. 176 00:15:05,713 --> 00:15:07,054 This is beautiful. 177 00:15:07,054 --> 00:15:09,494 This is a plan like no other. 178 00:15:10,695 --> 00:15:12,335 They received this power. 179 00:15:12,941 --> 00:15:17,173 We see how incredible the timing was with it being the day of Pentecost. 180 00:15:17,473 --> 00:15:27,438 Now, when this was noised abroad, the multitude came together and were confounded because that every man heard them speak in his own language. 181 00:15:27,438 --> 00:15:33,541 And they were all amazed and marveled saying one to another, behold, are not all these which speak Galileans? 182 00:15:33,541 --> 00:15:38,203 And how hear we every man in his own tongue wherein we were born? 183 00:15:39,009 --> 00:15:40,760 They recognized the power. 184 00:15:40,760 --> 00:15:45,222 Now the specific power of the Holy Ghost here was speaking in tongues. 185 00:15:45,222 --> 00:15:48,704 They were able to speak in languages they had not learned. 186 00:15:48,884 --> 00:15:54,347 The Galileans this time were what many would consider us Southerners. 187 00:15:55,048 --> 00:15:59,010 Now, I'm from the South and I like being in the South. 188 00:15:59,010 --> 00:16:02,732 But how they looked at Galileans is how much of the world would look at us. 189 00:16:04,133 --> 00:16:08,555 Now, that didn't keep them from serving God. 190 00:16:08,815 --> 00:16:13,215 And that didn't mean they cannot be used throughout the world. 191 00:16:13,835 --> 00:16:21,455 Moving forward, are not all these which speak Galileans and how hear we every man in our own tongue wherein we were born? 192 00:16:22,595 --> 00:16:25,655 They all heard in their own language. 193 00:16:25,775 --> 00:16:28,975 And we look through verses 9 through 11, all that heard. 194 00:16:29,095 --> 00:16:36,255 Now verse 12, and they were all amazed and were in doubt, saying one to another, what meaneth this? 195 00:16:36,641 --> 00:16:40,574 They asked a very important question, what meaneth this? 196 00:16:40,574 --> 00:16:44,537 If you will, turn over and look at verse 22 in Acts chapter two. 197 00:16:45,178 --> 00:16:51,042 Peter ultimately starts to preach a sermon, and it is the first gospel sermon. 198 00:16:51,499 --> 00:17:02,345 And he says in verse 22, "'Ye men of Israel, hear these words, Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the 199 00:17:02,345 --> 00:17:06,968 midst of you, as ye yourselves also know.'" Three things are mentioned here. 200 00:17:06,968 --> 00:17:11,150 We have miracles, have wonders, and we have signs. 201 00:17:11,190 --> 00:17:15,072 Now these are not three different powers of God. 202 00:17:15,072 --> 00:17:20,255 They all refer to the same thing, but different parts of that same thing. 203 00:17:20,483 --> 00:17:26,746 The idea of miracle emphasized the supernatural aspect of the wonderful works God did. 204 00:17:26,746 --> 00:17:31,108 The fact that he worked outside of the rules that we abide by. 205 00:17:31,108 --> 00:17:33,368 He was able to go beyond nature. 206 00:17:33,609 --> 00:17:35,590 And then there were wonders. 207 00:17:35,590 --> 00:17:40,332 This referred to the reaction of the people that saw miracles. 208 00:17:40,332 --> 00:17:44,973 Not only was it outside of nature, it was something that amazed the people that saw it. 209 00:17:45,094 --> 00:17:47,875 And finally we have a sign. 210 00:17:48,939 --> 00:18:00,706 Now this is where the power of the miracle really comes into place because a sign is when the people look at the miracle and they say, okay, this means something. 211 00:18:01,047 --> 00:18:02,388 What does it mean? 212 00:18:02,608 --> 00:18:06,811 Now with that in mind, turn back and look at verse 12. 213 00:18:06,811 --> 00:18:12,875 And they were all amazed and were in doubt, saying one to another, what meaneth this? 214 00:18:13,015 --> 00:18:14,595 They saw that it was a sign. 215 00:18:14,595 --> 00:18:15,866 They saw the evidence. 216 00:18:15,866 --> 00:18:16,846 Keep that word in mind. 217 00:18:16,846 --> 00:18:20,617 They saw the evidence and were like, okay, what is happening here? 218 00:18:20,617 --> 00:18:22,297 We need to be listening. 219 00:18:23,018 --> 00:18:25,878 Others mocking said, these men are full of new wine. 220 00:18:26,019 --> 00:18:27,759 There were those that would not listen. 221 00:18:27,759 --> 00:18:32,640 In our world today, there will always be those that just mock when they see evidence, when they see truth. 222 00:18:32,820 --> 00:18:37,942 But we need to keep our eyes out for those that are looking, that will ask, okay, what is this? 223 00:18:38,242 --> 00:18:42,363 When there are those in the world that say, okay, why are their lives so amazing? 224 00:18:42,657 --> 00:18:44,307 Why are they so happy? 225 00:18:44,388 --> 00:18:45,948 When they ask, meaneth this? 226 00:18:45,948 --> 00:18:49,550 They aren't seeing miracles, they're just seeing God work through us. 227 00:18:50,030 --> 00:18:53,191 Are we ready to show them what Peter is about to show? 228 00:18:54,672 --> 00:19:07,577 Now, verse 14, but Peter, standing up with the 11, lifted up his voice and said unto them, ye men of Judea, and all ye that dwell at Jerusalem, be this known unto you, and hearken 229 00:19:07,577 --> 00:19:09,118 to my words. 230 00:19:09,478 --> 00:19:11,619 God is about to describe a plan. 231 00:19:12,673 --> 00:19:16,945 And in this plan the first thing they had to do was hear something. 232 00:19:17,306 --> 00:19:23,270 Ye men of Israel and all ye that dwell at Jerusalem, be this known unto you and hearken to my words. 233 00:19:23,690 --> 00:19:26,972 We mentioned the first thing that they heard was evidence. 234 00:19:27,093 --> 00:19:30,374 They heard evidence in the miracles that would take place. 235 00:19:30,935 --> 00:19:34,177 But now they heard evidence in prophecy. 236 00:19:35,778 --> 00:19:37,133 Verse 14. 237 00:19:37,133 --> 00:19:44,647 For these are not drunken, as ye suppose, seeing it is but the third hour of the day." Peter is saying, listen, it's too early for men to be drinking. 238 00:19:44,647 --> 00:19:46,387 This is not because they are drunk. 239 00:19:46,387 --> 00:19:48,108 This is an actual miracle. 240 00:19:48,108 --> 00:19:55,751 But then verse 16, but this is spoken, but this that which is spoken was spoken by the prophet Joel. 241 00:20:07,107 --> 00:20:08,418 shall dream dreams. 242 00:20:08,418 --> 00:20:16,985 And all my servants and all my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my spirit and they shall prophesy. 243 00:20:17,006 --> 00:20:23,111 And I will show wonders in heaven above and signs in the earth beneath, blood, fire, and vapor of smoke. 244 00:20:23,111 --> 00:20:29,436 The sun shall be turned into darkness and the moon into blood before that great and notable day of the Lord come. 245 00:20:30,358 --> 00:20:32,139 And it shall come to pass. 246 00:20:34,093 --> 00:20:38,966 that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved. 247 00:20:39,367 --> 00:20:47,613 The great and notable day of the Lord in Joel chapter two was the day in which those that called on the name of the Lord would be saved. 248 00:20:47,674 --> 00:20:54,899 Now Matthew 721 says, not everyone that saith to me, Lord, Lord shall enter the kingdom of heaven. 249 00:20:56,421 --> 00:20:59,923 But this says whosoever calleth on the name of the Lord shall be saved. 250 00:21:00,077 --> 00:21:04,871 We have to ask a question, what does it mean to call on the name of the Lord? 251 00:21:04,871 --> 00:21:06,972 It doesn't mean just to say his name. 252 00:21:06,993 --> 00:21:11,417 Calling on the name of the Lord, think about calling on the name of the law. 253 00:21:11,417 --> 00:21:17,682 If you watch an old western and they say stop, and they tell you criminal, stop robbing the bank in the name of the law. 254 00:21:17,682 --> 00:21:20,264 They wouldn't use those words, but you get the idea. 255 00:21:20,284 --> 00:21:23,526 They're calling on the authority of the government. 256 00:21:24,143 --> 00:21:34,463 This is Peter calling on the authority of Christ and saying, listen, if you call on the name of the Lord, if you obey this authority, you will be saved. 257 00:21:35,403 --> 00:21:38,963 Now the first thing that they heard was evidence. 258 00:21:38,963 --> 00:21:43,903 Now what is the rest of what they have to do to call on the name of the Lord? 259 00:21:44,321 --> 00:21:48,655 That is what Acts two is about, how to call on the name of the Lord. 260 00:21:48,675 --> 00:21:55,202 Well first, after hearing the evidence, one must hear the essence of God's word. 261 00:21:55,202 --> 00:22:04,971 Now when we use the word essence, think about essential, the thing that is core, the heart of a message, of a concept, of an idea. 262 00:22:05,132 --> 00:22:08,534 What is the core in the heart of God's word? 263 00:22:09,035 --> 00:22:11,946 It is the thing where everything behind it looked towards it. 264 00:22:11,946 --> 00:22:14,473 Everything after it looks back to it. 265 00:22:22,967 --> 00:22:32,431 Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know." Peter says, listen, 266 00:22:32,431 --> 00:22:35,313 you've seen the evidence, you saw the works that he did. 267 00:22:35,313 --> 00:22:47,088 Verse 23, him being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, he have taken and by wicked hands have crucified and slain whom God hath raised up, having loosed 268 00:22:47,088 --> 00:22:51,880 the pains of death, because it was not possible that he should beholden of it. 269 00:22:52,881 --> 00:22:56,382 25 and 26 show more prophecy as we talked about earlier. 270 00:22:56,522 --> 00:23:07,226 Verse 27, as David describes the resurrection of Christ, says, thou wilt not leave not my soul in hell, neither wilt thou suffer thine holy one to seek corruption. 271 00:23:07,226 --> 00:23:14,669 Verse 27, thou hast made known to me the ways of life, thou shalt make me full of joy with thy countenance. 272 00:23:15,249 --> 00:23:19,781 Peter then speaks more about David, and ultimately in verse 31, 273 00:23:19,927 --> 00:23:27,453 He says that David spoke of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not left in hell, neither did his flesh see corruption. 274 00:23:27,494 --> 00:23:33,618 This Jesus God raised up, note this, whereof we all are witnesses. 275 00:23:33,759 --> 00:23:37,462 Remember in Acts chapter one how important that idea of witness was. 276 00:23:37,462 --> 00:23:39,764 The apostles had to be witnesses. 277 00:23:39,764 --> 00:23:47,210 They had to establish another witness of Christ's resurrection before Acts chapter two was going to take place. 278 00:23:47,701 --> 00:23:55,775 Now, looking at all of that, it mentioned the death, the bare ill, the resurrection, and witnesses of Christ. 279 00:23:55,796 --> 00:23:59,271 If you will, turn to 1 Corinthians 15. 280 00:23:59,271 --> 00:24:01,499 1 Corinthians chapter 15. 281 00:24:01,499 --> 00:24:03,940 Now, even if you don't turn there, I will. 282 00:24:04,220 --> 00:24:06,021 And we'll all read it together. 283 00:24:06,742 --> 00:24:09,526 Starting in verse one, moreover, 284 00:24:09,526 --> 00:24:20,937 Brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand, by which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory that 285 00:24:20,937 --> 00:24:25,401 which I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. 286 00:24:25,626 --> 00:24:36,046 for I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures, and that he was buried and that he rose again 287 00:24:36,046 --> 00:24:41,446 according to the scriptures, and that he was seen of Cephas, then of the Twelve. 288 00:24:41,446 --> 00:24:50,226 After that, he was seen of about 500 brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain as of this present, but some are falling asleep. 289 00:24:50,226 --> 00:24:54,586 After that, he was seen of James, then of the apostles. 290 00:24:54,586 --> 00:24:55,589 And last of all, 291 00:24:55,589 --> 00:24:59,801 was seen of me also as of one born out of due time. 292 00:25:00,602 --> 00:25:08,986 Years ago a Baptist preacher named Walter Scott said that the gospel was the death, the burial, and the resurrection of Christ. 293 00:25:09,106 --> 00:25:14,329 Now that is much of the gospel, but there's a fourth part missing from that. 294 00:25:16,885 --> 00:25:19,710 Verse five, what is the first word? 295 00:25:20,954 --> 00:25:24,220 What is the first word before verse four? 296 00:25:25,384 --> 00:25:27,848 Why is it that we stop at verse four? 297 00:25:29,753 --> 00:25:32,353 Brethren, we have to keep this in mind here. 298 00:25:33,313 --> 00:25:40,513 We have a world where people are falling away from our Lord because they think the gospel is a fairy tale. 299 00:25:41,253 --> 00:25:43,933 They think that it wasn't real. 300 00:25:43,933 --> 00:25:45,973 Where is the evidence for it? 301 00:25:46,013 --> 00:25:55,373 In the very heart of the gospel, these four aspects that are seen in 1 Corinthians 15, these aspects that are seen in Acts chapter two, and if we had time that are seen 302 00:25:55,373 --> 00:25:57,093 throughout the book of Acts, 303 00:25:57,235 --> 00:26:00,986 show that the witnesses were vital in the gospel. 304 00:26:00,986 --> 00:26:03,227 They were a part of it like any other. 305 00:26:03,667 --> 00:26:08,348 The gospel is the death, the burial, and resurrection of witnesses of Christ. 306 00:26:08,348 --> 00:26:13,189 Now, what is the outcome of the gospel? 307 00:26:13,730 --> 00:26:25,229 Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures and he was raised so that we could be redeemed from our sins as will be seen later in Acts chapter 2. 308 00:26:25,229 --> 00:26:30,493 Christ sacrificed everything for us and then he left proof for us. 309 00:26:30,614 --> 00:26:33,055 Now let's turn back to Acts chapter two. 310 00:26:33,756 --> 00:26:40,441 To call on the name of the Lord, to obey the authority of the Lord, the first thing they had to do was hear. 311 00:26:40,762 --> 00:26:49,709 They heard evidence in miracles, evidence in prophecy, they heard essence, they heard the whole of the gospel. 312 00:26:50,190 --> 00:26:53,773 Now third, they had to hear consequence. 313 00:26:55,457 --> 00:27:08,581 Verse 36, therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God hath made this same Jesus whom ye have crucified both Lord and Christ. 314 00:27:08,801 --> 00:27:15,643 They heard about how amazing this Christ was, the miracles and wonders and signs that he did. 315 00:27:17,083 --> 00:27:19,984 And then they hear you are the ones that killed him. 316 00:27:20,624 --> 00:27:23,905 We hear today our sins put him on the cross. 317 00:27:24,375 --> 00:27:32,372 We are the ones guilty for the blood shed by him, or not shed by him, but shed of him. 318 00:27:33,514 --> 00:27:37,276 Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures. 319 00:27:38,158 --> 00:27:43,262 This same Jesus whom ye have crucified is both Lord and Christ. 320 00:27:44,184 --> 00:27:46,566 They had to be convicted of their sin. 321 00:27:46,566 --> 00:27:49,348 To be convicted, they had to be told of their sin. 322 00:27:49,408 --> 00:27:50,169 But now, 323 00:27:50,169 --> 00:28:00,809 Verse 37, when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, men and brethren, what shall we do? 324 00:28:00,969 --> 00:28:05,969 They saw the evidence and they realized that whatever is being spoken is real. 325 00:28:06,129 --> 00:28:09,909 They heard the word of God and then they believed it. 326 00:28:09,909 --> 00:28:11,909 They didn't question its validity. 327 00:28:11,909 --> 00:28:14,749 They said, okay, we have done evil. 328 00:28:14,809 --> 00:28:15,909 This is the Son of God. 329 00:28:15,909 --> 00:28:17,771 What do we have to do? 330 00:28:17,771 --> 00:28:21,063 Now also note here, heard God's word. 331 00:28:21,063 --> 00:28:25,525 They believed it enough to be pricked in the heart and say, okay, what do we have to do? 332 00:28:26,526 --> 00:28:28,747 But what is it that Peter told them? 333 00:28:29,408 --> 00:28:34,190 This same Jesus whom ye have crucified is both Lord and Christ. 334 00:28:34,190 --> 00:28:37,972 And they said, men and brethren, what shall we do? 335 00:28:38,873 --> 00:28:46,477 They did not explicitly say, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. 336 00:28:47,277 --> 00:28:50,059 But they said, men and brethren, what shall we do? 337 00:28:50,980 --> 00:28:56,764 When we baptize souls today, we say, do you believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God? 338 00:28:56,764 --> 00:29:03,928 Because Romans 10, 10, for with the heart man believeth unto righteousness and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. 339 00:29:03,948 --> 00:29:09,492 Confession is a vital part of this plan of salvation that we are seeing. 340 00:29:09,492 --> 00:29:13,955 Heard, believe, they are confessing Christ at this moment. 341 00:29:15,396 --> 00:29:16,717 But they did it. 342 00:29:16,823 --> 00:29:19,315 when they said, men and brethren, what shall we do? 343 00:29:19,315 --> 00:29:22,256 Because they acknowledged that they killed the Christ. 344 00:29:22,377 --> 00:29:31,223 Now, is there the potential, is there possibly the need for them to have said later on that they believed that Jesus Christ was the Son of God when they would later obey the 345 00:29:31,223 --> 00:29:32,604 rest of the gospel? 346 00:29:32,604 --> 00:29:35,346 Certainly, that could certainly be the case. 347 00:29:35,346 --> 00:29:39,689 But at the very least, they confessed Christ here. 348 00:29:39,989 --> 00:29:42,671 Men and brethren, what shall we do? 349 00:29:43,091 --> 00:29:45,653 Now, they heard the gospel of Christ. 350 00:29:45,791 --> 00:29:47,082 They believed it. 351 00:29:47,082 --> 00:29:59,989 They confessed, but now Acts 2.38, then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ, for the remission of sins, and ye shall 352 00:29:59,989 --> 00:30:02,551 receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. 353 00:30:02,891 --> 00:30:06,253 They were to repent and be baptized. 354 00:30:06,337 --> 00:30:15,361 This word repent is meta-nueo, meta, change, nueo, the idea of neuron, the idea of our mind. 355 00:30:15,361 --> 00:30:20,363 If any of y'all have a relative who's neurotic, it's that idea. 356 00:30:20,363 --> 00:30:24,485 But it's meta-nueo, a change of one's own mind. 357 00:30:24,845 --> 00:30:34,149 Now, a dear brother at the Memphis School of Preaching emphasizes that repentance isn't just a turning away. 358 00:30:34,539 --> 00:30:39,451 It is a deliberate and conscious changing of the will. 359 00:30:39,612 --> 00:30:49,757 If we look at the prodigal son, when he was in the pig pen, he said, he came to himself and said, why am I even here? 360 00:30:49,798 --> 00:30:52,979 Why am I here wanting to eat what the pigs do? 361 00:30:53,019 --> 00:30:56,301 He says, I will go back to my father. 362 00:30:56,375 --> 00:31:00,687 His point of repentance wasn't when he said he came to himself. 363 00:31:00,687 --> 00:31:08,912 His point of repentance was when he said, I will go back, when he decided that he was not going to live in that sin any longer. 364 00:31:08,912 --> 00:31:18,357 The repentance that we are to have today, this change of mind that leads to a change of life is a deliberate changing of the will of the way we live our lives. 365 00:31:19,115 --> 00:31:21,586 We change that for our Lord because he told us to. 366 00:31:21,586 --> 00:31:24,746 We look at how his word says to live and we apply it. 367 00:31:24,827 --> 00:31:33,069 Now we repent and we are baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ, for the remission of sins. 368 00:31:33,149 --> 00:31:40,491 This word, baptize, if it wasn't transliterated from the Greek, would literally mean immersed. 369 00:31:40,731 --> 00:31:45,092 Baptize was a word used to avoid the idea of immersion itself. 370 00:31:45,413 --> 00:31:47,149 If we looked at Romans 6, 371 00:31:47,149 --> 00:31:51,712 The idea of we are buried with Christ in baptism to walk in newness of life. 372 00:31:51,712 --> 00:32:00,696 It further reinforces baptism isn't just a sprinkling, it isn't just a pouring, it is being immersed in water just as Christ was buried in the earth. 373 00:32:01,197 --> 00:32:08,461 We are to repent and be baptized, every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ, for the remission of sins. 374 00:32:08,461 --> 00:32:14,584 This word for is ace in the Greek, which means unto, a step towards. 375 00:32:14,584 --> 00:32:16,365 No other time in the Greek 376 00:32:16,555 --> 00:32:27,244 Many desire to say that this word ace means be baptized every one of you because of the remission of sins, because you're saved. 377 00:32:27,244 --> 00:32:33,698 In no other passage in scripture does it seem to be used in that way, and there is no reason for it to be used that way here. 378 00:32:33,839 --> 00:32:40,824 Repent and be baptized for, unto, as a step towards the remission of sins. 379 00:32:41,305 --> 00:32:46,109 Baptism is the point at which our sins are washed away. 380 00:32:46,399 --> 00:32:50,611 That is the preaching of the first gospel sermon. 381 00:32:54,521 --> 00:32:57,781 Verse 39 and 40, or verse 38. 382 00:32:59,981 --> 00:33:08,082 Then Peter said unto them, Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ, for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost, for 383 00:33:08,082 --> 00:33:14,965 the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all who are far off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call. 384 00:33:14,985 --> 00:33:21,227 And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, Save yourselves from this untoward generation. 385 00:33:21,247 --> 00:33:29,569 They had a chance to be saved from the wickedness of that time, and we have a chance to be saved from the wickedness of our time. 386 00:33:30,241 --> 00:33:31,863 Now verse 41. 387 00:33:31,863 --> 00:33:40,117 then they that gladly received his word were baptized, and the same day were added unto them about 3,000 souls. 388 00:33:40,238 --> 00:33:43,279 Brethren, right here is the turning point of history. 389 00:33:43,360 --> 00:33:53,505 Now, God was always in control, but this is the point God was waiting for, where God once said, okay, this is where I can establish my kingdom on earth. 390 00:33:53,505 --> 00:33:58,828 Now, he could have done it any way he wanted, but with the way he did it, this is the exciting time. 391 00:33:58,828 --> 00:33:59,768 This, 392 00:34:00,281 --> 00:34:03,381 is what we look back and say, want to be like this. 393 00:34:03,381 --> 00:34:07,161 We want to be saved like this and we want to live like this. 394 00:34:07,161 --> 00:34:13,921 "Then they that gladly received his word were baptized and the same day were added unto them about 3,000 souls. 395 00:34:14,411 --> 00:34:26,036 And they, continuing steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine, in fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers, and fear came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were 396 00:34:26,036 --> 00:34:30,208 done by the apostles." Brethren, the evidence kept continuing. 397 00:34:30,208 --> 00:34:41,434 They didn't have the entire Word of God, but instead they had miracles, wonders, and signs in that day showing proof that God was truly God, that this Word was truly His Word. 398 00:34:41,434 --> 00:34:44,679 This was the turning point. 399 00:34:44,679 --> 00:34:45,743 history. 400 00:34:48,459 --> 00:34:52,672 and all that believed to work together and had all things in common. 401 00:34:53,673 --> 00:34:58,857 After they were saved, they weren't to just go back to their homes, go back to their nations. 402 00:35:01,751 --> 00:35:09,344 They were now a part of something new, a part of something fresh, a part of something that was greater than anything else that had been. 403 00:35:09,765 --> 00:35:13,306 At the beginning of this lesson, we mentioned Nebuchadnezzar. 404 00:35:13,306 --> 00:35:23,511 We mentioned the Medo-Persians, Cyrus the Great, Alexander the Great, and then the Roman emperors who made an incredibly powerful empire. 405 00:35:24,191 --> 00:35:27,993 What was it that killed, that destroyed all of those nations? 406 00:35:28,055 --> 00:35:33,671 That stone cut without hands, I believe Daniel 2.42, that was the church. 407 00:35:33,671 --> 00:35:38,216 That was what God established and was established here. 408 00:35:38,216 --> 00:35:43,541 This is the kingdom that will never be destroyed, the kingdom that will stand forever. 409 00:35:44,903 --> 00:35:47,165 And they were now part of it. 410 00:35:47,606 --> 00:35:50,329 And all that belief together were together. 411 00:35:50,357 --> 00:35:56,983 and had all things common, and sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need. 412 00:35:56,983 --> 00:36:06,510 And they, continuing steadfastly with one accord in the temple, and breaking of bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart, praising God and 413 00:36:06,510 --> 00:36:08,372 having favor with all the people. 414 00:36:08,372 --> 00:36:15,037 And the Lord added to the church such as should be saved. 415 00:36:15,077 --> 00:36:17,239 The Lord added to the church. 416 00:36:17,239 --> 00:36:19,713 This is God's model. 417 00:36:19,713 --> 00:36:21,654 This is model of salvation. 418 00:36:21,654 --> 00:36:25,316 This is his model of the everyday life of the Christian. 419 00:36:25,836 --> 00:36:27,657 The church was in its infant days. 420 00:36:27,657 --> 00:36:29,578 There were still things to be established. 421 00:36:29,578 --> 00:36:32,120 Elderships were to be made. 422 00:36:32,120 --> 00:36:35,041 The miracles would cease, 1 Corinthians 13. 423 00:36:35,041 --> 00:36:38,423 But this is the point where the church was born. 424 00:36:38,543 --> 00:36:42,145 The bride of Christ had now come into existence. 425 00:36:43,386 --> 00:36:46,467 We here today get to be part of that. 426 00:36:47,168 --> 00:36:49,129 This building is not the church. 427 00:36:49,271 --> 00:36:52,843 This building, we don't go to church. 428 00:36:52,923 --> 00:36:54,404 We are the church. 429 00:36:54,404 --> 00:36:57,506 We are the one singular body of Christ. 430 00:36:57,506 --> 00:37:00,127 The Lord did not add to the churches daily. 431 00:37:00,127 --> 00:37:02,748 He added to the church daily. 432 00:37:03,049 --> 00:37:13,161 He has a very specific way for us to live, a very specific way to be saved, and he beautifully showed us his plan and recorded it in Acts chapter 2. 433 00:37:13,574 --> 00:37:18,497 Now today, looking at the plan of salvation, here, 434 00:37:18,935 --> 00:37:31,985 believe, repent, confess, be immersed in water for their mission of sins, and finally remain faithful until death as they did at the end of Acts chapter 2. 435 00:37:32,169 --> 00:37:33,850 Is that how we are living? 436 00:37:34,150 --> 00:37:38,411 If you have not obeyed, hear, believe, repent, confess, be baptized. 437 00:37:38,411 --> 00:37:41,072 Now you have an opportunity to come forward. 438 00:37:41,152 --> 00:37:43,293 But also if you are a Christian, 439 00:37:44,193 --> 00:37:51,898 and you are one of those that is breaking bread from house to house, one of those that is with one accord with God's authority. 440 00:37:53,060 --> 00:37:54,940 But you have strayed from the way. 441 00:37:55,241 --> 00:38:03,427 Now is an opportunity to come back with an appreciation for God's church, with an appreciation for how He tells us to live. 442 00:38:03,547 --> 00:38:06,037 If needs be, will you come forward as we stand?