The content of the Apostles message

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The content of the Apostles message

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Two weeks ago last time we preached, we preached from Matthew chapter 4. We preached about the content of Christ's message.
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Hopefully you remember that. If not, I encourage you to go back, listen to the message.
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Because basically we're just going to be following on through with that thought. Because the importance is this, that we have but one message as the
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Church of Jesus Christ to proclaim. That is Christ and Him crucified. It is that the kingdom of God is at hand, that literally
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Christ came, that Christ was crucified, buried, and risen again, and that He is literally coming again.
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And our message is this, to repent. But specifically this morning in Acts chapter 2, beginning in verse 22, we're going to read down through verse 47.
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And we're going to be looking today at, we'll see several things in this passage of Scripture that we want to kind of set out before you.
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We're going to look at the content of the Apostles message as we looked at the content of Christ's message two weeks ago.
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We're going to be looking at the call to repentance that was given, and we're going to be looking at the congregational practices of the church, the early church, when the church was formed, which is what we strive to model and pattern ourselves after, though we many times come up very short and come up, we fail many times in carrying out these things, but we constantly want to be reforming, working toward these things to line up with the
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Word of God. But before we before we read the text, let's go to the
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Lord in prayer. Heavenly Father, our Lord, I come and I praise you, and I thank you this day for this privilege and this great honor that we have to be in your house together, that we've had this privilege to study your
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Word in Sunday school. Thank you for the lesson that Kenny taught us this morning, God. We thank you for the songs that we have sang this morning, for the joy and for the stirring of our hearts through the truth in these songs,
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God. I praise you and I thank you for your faithfulness, for your unending faithfulness,
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God, for your truth that never changes, upon which we always have a rock on which to stand.
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I praise you for that. I thank you for salvation. I thank you for the witness of the
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Holy Spirit. I thank you, God, for what you have done and for what you're yet to do. I pray that you bless the reading of your precious and your
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Holy Word and help us to be aware this morning, God, as it is every single week when we open up your book and we read your
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Word that we are hearing the very words of the Living God. Help us to take seriously and to know, to learn and to grow from what we hear in your
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Word. For it's in Jesus' name we pray, amen. Amen. Again, to kind of give you the outline what we're going to look at, we're going to look at the content of the
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Apostles message in verse 22 down through verse 36 and then verse 37 through 40.
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We're going to see the call to repentance and in verse 41 through 47 we're going to see the congregational practices of the early church.
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Thank you. Alexander McLaren in his commentary in the book of Ezra made a statement, and this has nothing to do with Ezra, but it's a very true statement for us today.
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Alexander McLaren said this, he said, Let us see to it that we do not fill our cisterns with poisonous sewage when
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God is waiting to fill them with the pure river of the water of life. Do not let us draw our blessedness from the world and its evils.
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The alternative presented for the choice of each of us is whether we will have surface joy in a center of dark discontent or we'll have surface sorrow in a center of calm blessedness.
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In this statement, and the reason that I'm that I'm quoting Alexander McLaren right up front here is this, is because that the tendency for many in the world today, for the tendency for many churchgoers in the world today, is to fill our minds, our lives, to give our attention to things that are, as Alexander McLaren refers to them a hundred years ago, as sewage when we ought to be filling our hearts and our minds with the pure water of the river of life, which is the
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Word of God. And so as we look at this message as we continue from two weeks ago basically concerning the the content of Christ's message and how it carries on throughout the church, because this is what we are called to do.
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The church has become largely a place of entertainment. It's become a place where folks are basically bidding on whether they'll go to this church or that church based upon what the church offers unto them.
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When the church's really only offer that we have is the gospel of Jesus Christ.
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And if it's not the gospel of Jesus Christ that that draws, if it's not the gospel of Christ that causes a man, woman, boy, or girl to want to be at a church, then my friend, there might be a time of examination needed in that individual's heart and mind.
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Because our central focus, our central theme, a matter of fact our theme here at Reformation is that we desire number one to be a glory of God centered.
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The glory of God must be the first and our highest aim to seek the glory of God and we do that by being
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Bible saturated. By being saturated by every aspect and part of the church life being saturated with the truth of the scriptures.
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And that carries on into the further of the statement that we desire to be missions focused, right?
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Glory of God centered, Bible saturated, missions focused. And some might say, well missions, we're not a
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Reformation Baptist Church doesn't have an outreach to to other countries, to other worlds.
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Our outreach and our ministry and our mission is for the people that we come in contact with every day that we might communicate to them the gospel truth.
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That Christ died for our sins, that Christ was buried and that Christ arose again on the third day.
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So the content of the Apostles message as we begin to look into this, notice first of all as we read the text beginning in verse 22, men of Israel hear these words,
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Jesus of Nazareth a man attested by God to you by miracles wonders and signs which
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God did through him in your midst as you yourselves also know him being delivered by the determinate purpose and foreknowledge of God you have taken by lawless hands have crucified and put to death whom
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God raised up having loosed the pains of death because it was not possible that he should be held by it for David says concerning him
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I foresaw the Lord always before my face for he is at my right hand that I may not be shaken therefore my heart rejoiced and my tongue was glad moreover my flesh also will rest in hope for you will not leave my soul in Hades nor will you allow your
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Holy One to see corruption You have made known to me the ways of life you will make me full of joy in your presence men and brethren let me speak freely to you of the patriarch
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David that he is both dead and buried and His tomb is with us to this day
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Therefore being a prophet and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that of the fruit of his body
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According to the flesh he would raise up the Christ to sit on his throne
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He foreseeing this spoke concerning the resurrection of Christ That his soul was not left in Hades or hell nor did his flesh see
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Corruption this Jesus God has raised up of which we are all witnesses
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Therefore being exalted to the right hand of God and having received from the father the promise of the
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Holy Spirit He poured out this which you now see and hear For David did not ascend into the heavens
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But he says himself the Lord said to my Lord sit at my right hand
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Till I make your enemies your footstool Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this
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Jesus whom you crucified both Lord and Christ Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the rest of the
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Apostles men and brethren What shall we do? Then Peter said to them
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Repent and that every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ For the remission of sins and you shall receive the gift of the
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Holy Spirit For the promise is to you and to your children and to all who are far off as Many as the
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Lord our God will call and with many other words He testified and exhorted them saying be saved from this perverse generation
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Then those who gladly received his word were baptized and that day about 3 ,000 souls were added to them and they continued steadfastly in the
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Apostles doctrine and Fellowship in the breaking of bread and in prayers
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Then fear came upon every soul and many wonders and signs were done through the
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Apostles Now all who believed were together and had all things in common and sold their possessions and goods and Divided them among all as anyone had need
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So continuing daily with one accord in the temple and breaking bread from house to house
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They ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart Praising God and having favor with all the people and the
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Lord added to the church Daily those who were being saved thus is written the
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Word of God So as we begin this morning the content of the
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Apostles message I want you to know the context of what's taking place here If you go back this week later, maybe later on this afternoon and you begin reading in Acts chapter 1
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You read Acts chapter 1 and Acts chapter 2 verses 1 through 21 It will lead you to where we are here.
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The the Lord has sent the Holy Spirit just as he promised he would do the
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Holy Spirit came set upon men as cloven tongues of fire The Bible says that all people of all nations were gathered there in Jerusalem that day and each one
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Heard the truth of the gospel in their own language. That's what the tongues were. It was their own language
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So the gospel was spoken in a way that could be understood in a way that was heard by by people of different nations of different tongues and so Peter here begins to stand up and I love the way that Alexander McLaren here in his commentary on this verse said this he said the
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Apostle rises to the full height of his Great Commission I wish I could preach like this He said the
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Apostle rises to the full height of his Great Commission and sets the trumpet to his mouth summoning all the house of Israel priests rulers and all the people
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Summoning them to acknowledge his master. He proclaims his supreme dignity and Messiah ship
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He is the Lord of whom the psalmist sang and the prophet declared that whoever called on his name
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Should be saved and he is the Christ for whom Israel look I love how
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McLaren said he set the trumpet to his mouth like a trumpeteer getting up to stand before the audience
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He sets the gospel trumpet to his mouth and notice the first thing That the
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Apostle Paul does we have in context here He calls the men of Israel to attention.
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Who is he calling to attention the men of Israel? How do we know this? Because the scripture says the
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Apostle Peter stood and he said you men of Israel If I get up here and I say
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Todd, I want you to listen Everybody knows who I'm talking to right? If I say
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Kenan, I want you to listen. Everybody knows who I'm talking to, right? Because the name is mentioned there is a
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Context set forth and so the Apostle Peter sets forth and he says you men of Israel He said
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I want you to hear these words This was a again. Remember two weeks ago gave you the definition of what it means to preach.
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It's an urgency. It's Importance it there's gravity in it There's no need to get excited, there's no need to become loud
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I've tried and I've tried and I've tried to figure out a way that I can stand here and put my hands on this podium and Just speak to you quietly constantly and There's nothing wrong with that if I could but I can't there is a sense of urgency
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That is laid upon me. Matter of fact, the Apostle Paul said this yay, though. I preach the gospel
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I have nothing to glory of for necessity is laid upon me
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It is of the utmost importance is what the Apostle Peter here is is
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Communicating men of Israel hear these words. So who's he speaking to he's speaking to the men of Israel in context
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What does this mean? It means that the people that he is calling to attention are aware of what the
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Old Testament Scriptures have said concerning Christ now, how is that applicable?
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How is that relatable? This is a so what for this for this statement that I'm making.
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So what preacher how does this relate to us? How is it applicable to us? Because of this there are a great many people who come into the church house week in and week out
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Who hear and sit under the word of the gospel preached and yet no little to nothing of what they knew before They started coming.
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It is important that we be aware that we be alert that we be conscious of what
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God's Word has said and that means throughout our Off -time away from church that we are studying somewhat regularly
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Regularly that we are seeking the face of God Peter goes on and he says men of Israel hear these words
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And so we see that the content in the focus of his message Who is
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Peter going to preach to them about he makes it clear Jesus of Nazareth Remember this this is the day of Pentecost Okay Now keep in mind that this is not years after as many of what much of what you'll read in the
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New Testament Is taking place. This is approximately 50 days after the resurrection and ascension of Jesus Christ this beast of Pentecost is being celebrated
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These people that he is speaking to were well aware and many of them likely had hand in part
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And by that we will see that many of them did have a hand and a part in the crucifixion of Jesus Christ himself
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So he's not speaking to them about an unknown God here He is speaking to them about the
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Christ of the scriptures and he says men of Israel hear these words
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Jesus of Nazareth and then he goes on to to Define what he who he's talking about He says a man attested by God or a man some of your translations may say a man approved by God It is one thing
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It is one thing to step out and to make a statement or to do it to do an action and to not have the
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Approval of the one in whom you're doing the action on behalf of does that make sense? For example,
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I can't I can't go and pretend to speak for Denzel, Tennessee Because I am NOT an approved member of Denzel, Tennessee Right.
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I'm not an employee of Denzel. I can't speak on behalf of Denzel So what
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Peter is saying here is that this Jesus of Nazareth whom he's preaching about is a man approved by God He was a man disapproved by them
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Disapproved by the Pharisees and the Sadducees and the scribes but a man whom
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God has approved it is one thing for a person a human being a human organization to disapprove of one thing and it is a whole nother thing when
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God Almighty as we learned about in Sunday school approves of his man
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Jesus Christ It is his only begotten Son a man attested by God This is the content of the
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Apostles message a man attested by God to you Notice the the personal the personal nature of Peter's statement here to the crowd.
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He's not speaking in general terms He's not afraid of their disapproval. Now. He's not afraid of what they're going to say
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He's not afraid of what they're going to do to him because he's already been put through the wringer
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This is the same Apostle Peter who when Jesus told him he was gonna have to die
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Look at Jesus and he said not so Lord. It'll never happen to you It's the same
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Apostle Peter whom Jesus told get behind me Satan for you do not desire the things of God But you desire the things of the flesh
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It's the same Apostle Peter whom Jesus said right after that Mark it down before the rooster crows.
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You are going to deny me three times the same night
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In which Jesus made this statement Apostle Peter has a chance to defend
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Jesus Christ and each time he denies Jesus Christ and on that third time the rooster crowed and you know the
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The guilt and condemnation that set in upon Peter But know this that after Christ arose from the dead when he appeared to the to the disciples
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There that he came unto Peter and that he restored Peter Peter. Do you love me?
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You know, you know, I love you Lord Peter. Do you love me? You know, I love you Lord feed my sheep feed my lambs
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Peter. Do you love me? Yes, Lord, you know, I love you and he was restored because the
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Lord had told him when you are converted go and strengthen the brethren and So Peter standing up not in his own power not in his own mind but in the power and the demonstration of the
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Holy Spirit of God stands before this Congregation of men and women alike and he says to them that Jesus of Nazareth was a man
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Attested approved by God to you before your eyes for he says with miracles
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Wonders and signs which God did Through him in your midst
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Now I hate this. I hate being confronted with a truth.
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Remember when you were a child Jackson you kind of this morning you were you were confronted with the truth of some of your actions
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Right in front of other people that you're a fowl master It's not always pleasant.
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Is it to have somebody tell the truth on you in front of other people? You know the truth yourself
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But it's kind of a stinger When the truth is told on you in front of others and so the
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Apostle Peter again and notice this Concerning the content of his message number one. It's Jesus Christ and him crucified
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But number two, he lays the accountability and the onus on the individuals to whom he is speaking and So he says this he was approved by God God Proved that he was who he says he was that he was the only begotten
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Son of God by the miracles that he performed No one can perform miracles of nature other than Jesus Christ This miracle of nature that when the disciples were out on the boat and the sea came up or and the storm came upon the sea and when the
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Wind and the waves grew about the disciples feared for their lives and the
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Bible says Jesus came walking under them on the water That is a miracle
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I dare anybody even though people today are claiming that they're doing this I dare anybody
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To get video footage of you for any length of time taking more than An idea of a step on water
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Jesus walked on the water to them in the boat They looked out they were troubled thought it was a spirit
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Peter the same Apostle Peter cried out Lord. Is it you? Jesus said it's me
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Peter Jesus Peter said well, if it's you been me come to walk on the water with you and Peter walked on the water
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Only person we know But he didn't do it for long because he began to look at the sea he began to look at the winds
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He began to look at the waves and he sank but Christ was there to save him
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God a man of God approved by miracles That's just one of them by the signs and by the miracles signs and wonders
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It's what they were called the wonders were the things that Christ did that caused them to be in all that Greek word
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They're wonders. It means to cause one to be in all it means to be all struck to be all struck many times
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Looks like your jaw dropping down and you salivate now at the side of your mouth when you see something amazing
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And so the Bible says him God attested him God proved in your midst
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And then he says this as you yourselves also know He's saying there's not a one of you here that can deny this truth that can deny this reality and he says him this
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Jesus of Nazareth, and this is where he puts the Responsibility on the hearers of the gospel message as which should always be done when we
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Communicate the gospel to those outside the church. We need to be able to communicate this in love
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In with compassion. He said him being delivered by the determinant counsel some translations
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Use the determinant counsel phraseology him being Him being delivered means handed over mean means to be given to by the
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Determined purpose by the mind of God it has been forever in the mind of God to sin his only son to die for our sins
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As it has been said repeatedly over the past several months Christ coming to die on the cross was not a plan
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B It was not the the second best It was the only way if people ever ask this question
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Is it possible for us to have been saved any other way the answer biblically is absolutely not
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For it must needs be that Christ come be crucified die be buried and raised again
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So he said he was delivered by the determined purpose and the foreknowledge of God And he said you have taken by lawless hands and have crucified him
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This message that Peter preached. I mean, can you imagine how well received? It must have how much how well received it must have been at that moment.
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I mean, I know you all may get tired of hearing it because we I Can't win good conscience come and stand before you though Though some of you likely may have good intentions in your life
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I cannot in good conscience stand before you it and build anyone up and say you're a good person
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Joel Osteen he said he believes 99 % of people are really good -hearted people.
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No, they're not The Bible says all have sinned that none seek after God that all have gone astray
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They were all Sinners in the hands of an angry God Jonathan Edwards put it that we are all separated from God by our sins and So Peter stands up and he says this you're the one that's crucified
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And he said by lawless by wicked hands you have crucified
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And put to death this Jesus of Nazareth because Jesus is the content of this message
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But hallelujah for the good news whom God raised up This same and again remember who he's speaking to here the context of this of this sermon is the context of those who are
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Supposed to know God because they had the scriptures They had access to the scriptures many of them had it memorized backwards and forwards
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And yet he said God raised him up having loosed the pains of death
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Because it was not Possible that he should be held by it and then he makes begins to make reference and he moves into the
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Old Testament Scriptures themselves concerning David because know this and if you don't know this it'd be good for you to make note of this
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So that you know it in the future That that Christ was promised to be of the seed of David Throughout all the
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Old Testament we see this promise given from time and time and time again And so what the
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Apostle Peter does here he stands, and he sets forth David before them He says remember what
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David has said he said I foresaw the Lord always standing before my face
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For he is at my right hand that I may not be shaken Therefore my heart rejoiced and my tongue was glad Moreover my flesh also will rest in hope you will not leave my soul in Hades Nor will you allow your
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Holy One to see corruption you have made known to me the ways of life You will make me full of joy in your presence and the
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Apostle Peter gives a Great example to us as preachers today that when you quote the scripture you always want to give an explanation
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That you always want to give the context and that's exactly what he does in verse 29 through 33
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He said men and brethren Let me speak to you freely of the patriarch David that he is both dead and buried and in his tomb to this day
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In contrast notice the contrast that he uses here because he has begun by preaching unto them
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Christ crucified Christ buried and Christ risen again on the third day
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And then he's going to the one that they have put all their stock and faith in and he said this man
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David is Dead in his tomb to this very day And he says therefore
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Being a prophet and knowing that God had sworn with him an oath to him that of the fruit of his body
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This is that explanation that of the fruit of his body of his seed According to the flesh he would raise up the
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Christ to sit on his throne He foreseeing this spoke concerning the resurrection of Christ that his soul was not left in hell
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Nor did his flesh see corruption this Jesus God has raised up of which we are all witnesses
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Therefore being exalted to the right hand of God and having received from the father the promise of the
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Holy Spirit He poured out that which is now what you see and hear he said and again this notice this this
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Inclusion that no one is able to get away from He said this
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Jesus has God raised up of which We he glimpsed himself in with the crowd.
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He said of which we have all been made witnesses Friends, let me let me tell you this whether you believe it or not
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And by that I mean the truth of the gospel whether you believe the truth of the gospel or not
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You are still a witness to the truth every single time You hear the gospel message and how sad a day that will be on the day of judgment
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When you stand before God and you say we in and week out we heard the
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Lord's message Concerning the Christ he is Savior and yet we chose to rebel and to not
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To deny the truth of that He goes on to say this for David did not ascend verse 34
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David did not ascend into the heavens as Christ ascended into the heavens, but he himself
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David himself says as Concerning this and notice the wording here. This is the wording is important when you read your
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Bible Notice he says the Lord the all caps L or D. That's that's
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Elohim Yahweh Jehovah God the eternal self existent one the father the
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Lord said to my Capital L or D capital L small or D is in reference to the
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Christ So the father has said to the son sit at my right hand
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Till I make your enemies your footstool and you can read of that in in 1st
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Corinthians Chapter 15 and you'll see the the last enemy that shall be destroyed is death
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Verse 36 the Apostle the Apostle Peter goes on here
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He says therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this
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Jesus whom you crucified both Lord and Christ the preaching of the cross may be ugly the preaching of the cross may be
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Offensive the preaching of the cross may not garner the attention of the masses in the world
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But my friend the gospel of Jesus Christ will save the sinner who is dead in their sins
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By it and through it is the only way that a man can be saved So he said this he's made this
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Jesus both whom you crucified both Lord and Christ both Lord and Savior Now notice this notice their their their response here now now in modern times in Modern days and every one of us here would probably have to be honest even even the youngest of us here
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Now if it if it had been in the last hundred years of our time
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This likely probably what would have happened The preacher preaches a message.
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He sees people getting tore up. So the preacher says Now all heads bowed and all eyes closed
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If you want to trust in Christ, just raise your hand. I see that hand. I See that hand.
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This is not what the Apostle Peter did the Apostle Peter said when they said when they heard this they were cut to the heart and Said to Peter and the rest of the apostles men and brethren.
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What shall we do? Peter did not say come up front Let's talk about this for a few minutes if I feel strongly that you have
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Made the right decision and I'm gonna ask you to stand up and I'm gonna turn you around I'm gonna present you to the rest of the crowd.
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I'm gonna say so -and -so got saved today. Ain't that good? That's not what
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Peter did what Peter did and what we must do to be a big
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Bible saturated church is Call for repentance like Peter did
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Peter's message response to them was this repent and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins and You shall receive the gift of the
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Holy Spirit Peters response was calling them to repentance repentance is not just having your mind change
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Everybody remember that But if your body don't follow your mind and your mind never was changed
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Because your mind controls your body the heart many times in the
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New Testament When the heart is spoken of in the heart being evil Jeremiah spoke of the heart being desperately wicked.
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It's the root of our emotions. It's the root of our mind It's the root of our will it's the root of our intellect and my friend
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So as the heart goes, so the body will go How's your heart? Is your heart right with God?
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And so Peter says repent and be baptized he was calling them to come out when he said be baptized he was calling for a
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Consecration if you would have it as Kenny touched on in reference to what we studied two weeks ago in Sunday school this morning
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When Jacob and his family he called them to to straighten up their ways to straighten up their lives to get rid of the old things
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To do away with the old way of life and to follow God and when
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Jesus calls men and women to be his disciples He calls us to deny ourselves to take up our cross and to follow
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Him and that means in this case. It was repentance because Baptism because baptism was a
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Signifying that they were stepping away from the world in its ways and they were going to follow
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Jesus Christ Baptism was very important as it should be very important today
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Because what that signifies it's a testimony in case anybody doesn't know when you are baptized
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It's showing and stating to those who are giving witness and looking on to the baptism
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That you have denied yourself that you have taken up your cross and that you are following Christ The water itself does not clean you the water itself does not make you say the water
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The act of baptism is simply a symbolic act that you're identifying that you're recognizing that as Christ was
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Crucified and that Christ was buried and Christ was put into the grave When you go down into the water that's signifying death and when you're raised up Just as Christ was raised up as you have been raised up to the newness of life in Christ That you will no longer and are no longer going to walk the same as you walked before That's what baptism is.
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That's what baptism is. So very important today and He said in verse 39 for the promise
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Is to you and to your children and to all who are afar off.
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I want to Maybe this will help when you're studying the scriptures because there seems to be so much
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Confusion many times about when when folks are talking when folks talk about election when folks talk about Sinners when folks talk about saved people that when you read the
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New Testament and you're talking about election That is God's choosing unto himself for salvation
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Those whom he calls because that's what the Bible says as many as the Lord our God will call
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You can't be saved unless you're called amen Jackson that pretty girl at school.
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She's never gonna be your girlfriend Unless you call you cut.
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Well unless she calls you That Christ calls the dead sinner gives the dead sinner a new heart
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Regenerates the heart takes the heart of stone out of the man puts the heart of flesh in the man
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So the man can thus respond unto him It is amazing it is beautiful and so when you think of When you when you think of this as many as are afar off you read that statement
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There's to those who are near for the promise is to you is speaking to those in Israel Those who had the promise of God He's speaking to those who are far off as we see proven out in the the epistles if you read
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Ephesians if you read a Galatians, you'll see this but particularly Ephesians We see how the
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Apostle Paul speaks to the Ephesian Church And he lets them know that whether Jew or Gentile they cry that we are all made
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We are all made now by the blood of Jesus Christ Christ has reconciled us
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So those who are near is Israel those who are far off are Gentiles By the way,
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I would I would go out on a limb here and say every single one of us are Gentile believers But hallelujah ain't it good that Christ loved the
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Gentiles as well as the Jews So we see the content of the
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Apostles message. He calls them to accountability for their own sin He preaches Christ crucified.
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He calls them to repentance and Then in verse 40 with many other words
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He testified and exhorted them saying be saved from this perverse from this perverse generation
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Hallelujah, then then the Bible says notice this as we move into the last portion of this notice this the congregational practices
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I want to communicate This particularly this morning
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Thank I thank God that the Word of God is our outline and the Word of God is our guide
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I believe it's very important this morning as we look very quickly at the congregational practices.
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What made them a Bible saturated church or what what makes what will make us a
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Bible saturated church if we do these things that the congregation did there but but Particularly in light of of who we are as a body
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We are a church and we do and have taught and preached the importance of personal accountability within the body of Christ We've taught and preached and spoke much about church
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Discipline and to carry out these these things to be a Bible Church to have to be part of a church that does practice
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Discipline there needs to be literal accountability More than just that I'll be there as long as the times are good
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But I'm gonna say I'm gonna be there when times are bad I'm gonna be there through the thick and the thin Because it is our responsibility to be a part of a local church body, but notice this
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Congregational practices verse 41 then those who gladly received his word were what?
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Baptized and that day about 3 ,000 souls were added to them and they continued steadfastly in the
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Apostles Doctrine the Apostles Doctrine if you if you I'll just jump there if you want to make note of this.
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I'd ask you to make note of Ephesians chapter 2 in verse
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Ephesians chapter 2 in verse 19 through 22 the
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Apostle Paul says to the church at Ephesus now Therefore you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but your fellow citizens with the
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Saints and members of the household of God This is what I was speaking of the Jew and the Gentile having been built on the foundation of the
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Apostles and the Prophets Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone in whom the whole building being fitted together grows
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Into a holy temple in the Lord in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the
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Spirit the foundation the foundation of the Apostles and the
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Prophets the foundation of the Apostles and the Prophets Jesus Christ being what holds it all together and So they they were steadfast in the
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Apostles Doctrine doctrine matters Theology matters, right? You've you've
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I sort of say you've heard this. Well, you have you've heard this for a long time But it is still the truth and it is the practice of the church as it ought to be
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When we come to church, we don't need to learn anything and everything other than the doctrine of scriptures
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We need to learn the doctrine of the scriptures. That's it. That's why we're here
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That's our purpose as God has placed us here. And he said they steadfastly they continued steadfastly
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That's a continuous verb tense. That means it was always going on They continued steadfastly in the
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Apostles Doctrine the doctrine of Christ You can name the doctrines the doctrine of sin the doctrine of salvation the doctrine of the church itself so on and so forth so many and they can they can
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Continued steadfastly in the Apostles Doctrine and fellowship Fellowship being together.
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That means they were united. They came together Regularly this fellowship was more listen there's nothing more that that I like to to get in a group text with with Tim and Kenny and Rob and for us to badmouth our wives and to talk like we're big we're the head honchos and then
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Somebody out of them says look don't tell my wife I said this if I want her to know I'll tell her myself
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Okay That's good. But that's not what this fellowship is talking about. This is talking about physical fellowship together coming together
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There is something about being together coming getting up even when you don't want to get up on Sunday mornings when you feel like garbage and Coming together to the house of God and the saints who sing the saints of God walk around and hug each other and tell each other
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I love you and ask each other how you been this week and Just share in their daily life because it's good for us to do this
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It strengthens us and then as the Apostle Peter or Paul goes on in Colossians and he encourages them to be singing together.
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This was a regular part of the fellowship This is part of the Apostles doctrine that we sing the truth of God with one another united together
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They continued in the Apostles doctrine and fellowship in the breaking of bread now there
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There's some disputes in commentaries Is this talking about just simply having meals together or is this speaking of having the
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Lord suffer right here? particularly It's about Participating together in communion of the
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Lord's Supper It is very important and that's something that we're that we're working on trying to figure out how to do regularly
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So and in prayers, so do you see this the congregational practices were being steadfast in the
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Apostles doctrine? That's in the teaching of the scriptures They were they were steadfast in fellowship meaning
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That they were steadfast in having communion together understanding the importance of this practice
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That baptism was a common common Shared practice among them not to be baptized and baptized and baptized and baptized and baptized the same person
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Baptism should be once when you stand when you're standing before the world saying a testimony
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Okay, but it is called for in the scriptures The Bible says in verse 43 and we're almost done then fear came upon every soul and many wonders and signs
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Again, this is why context matters many signs and wonders were done through the hands of the
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Apostles It has never been the practice It has never been the the the meaning of the scriptures that The church people are to be doing signs and wonders
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But we have here in historical document form that it was done through the hands of the
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Apostles so the Bible goes on to say this now all who believe were together and had all things in common and Sold their possessions and goods and divided them all as many as had need now.
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It's important to remember here and I want to Communicate this this was not a
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Communalism this is this is it was not the practice it is or more intended to be the norm or the church that If you're a part of a local body of believers that everybody just cast their their bid
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And the whole of the group live off with what's there that's not talking about it
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It means that it means this that the Holy Spirit made the individual so sensitive and caused such great love and compassion
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Amongst one another that when they saw that the other had a need that they tried to help meet that need
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Just simply showing love. That's what Jesus said. Jesus said herein Will men know that you are my disciples if you have love for the brethren
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Love the love of Christ compels us constrains us So this they sold their possessions and goods and divided them among all as anyone had need verse 46 so Continuing daily with one accord in the temple with one accord in unity
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And then we see this phrase here breaking bread from house to house there. We see the the meals
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Breaking bread from house to house. They ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart ulterior motives
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Now listen, they were people they had struggles they had problems and we if you read on in the book of Acts You'll find that ulterior motives.
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Certainly they struggled with that But what we have recorded for us here is this that to be a
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Biblically pattern and a biblically model church. This is what they they sought out to do
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They sought just to have simplicity of heart to have a simple reason to spend time with one another and that was to encourage one another in the faith
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So the Bible goes on and closes here praising God and having favor with all the people and the
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Lord Added to the church daily those who were being saved the church
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Has always been is always is and shall always be
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God's Church And it is built by him for his glory for his purpose and to his ends carried out by his means
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According to the gospel of Jesus Christ. And so in this passage of Scripture, we've seen this today
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We've seen the content of the Apostles message Christ we see the call to accountability for For our own individual sin, you're not responsible for my sin, and I'm not responsible for your sin.
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Thank God We see the the
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Apostle Peter's call to repentance for salvation We see that the work of salvation is the work of the
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Lord and the Lord adds to his church daily We also have the promise and the hope in that in that latter portion of that I believe it was that 36 verse where the
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Apostle Peter reminded them This is for you and for your children and your children's children and to them that are afar off As long as there's breath there is hope
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Pray for our lost people Pray for them Pray that God gets ahold of them friends the very worst and the very best place that they can be is in the hands of God for it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living
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God But it is also a gracious and a merciful place for them to be we see the congregational practices last of all of The of the church and that's what we want to strive to model ourselves after in the coming
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I mentioned it to you last week during the announcements as well. We strive to be
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Always be reformed according to the Word of God that means when we recognize a deficiency or an area in which we maybe
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Could can do better and follow through with the biblical pattern and print for the church life
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We're going to do that and moving forward just to give you just a I mean just literally a blurb what we want to do is it is
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Increase awareness of accountable church membership so that you as a
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Individual you may have been here for 10 years and We have always and we have always said and never really really striven to have a official church role
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But how are we going to call for accountable church membership? If you don't have an official
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Declaration so to speak of your commitment to the body So likely here in a few weeks.
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We want to be able to communicate this to those who are Not here today
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Maybe you can communicate it to him. Maybe they'll see the message but in a few weeks We'll likely have it.
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We're going to set aside a Sunday. I Set aside a Sunday where we're going to as the old -timers would say we're going to open the doors of the church to receive members
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And some of you been here 10 years You probably know by now. Do I want to do
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I want to put my name on a roll of? the church That teaches like this.
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Do I want to put my name on the roll of the church who? holds to church
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Personal accountability who holds the church discipline. Do I want to be subject as the scriptures teach that we should be subject
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To the local church we're going to do that and then we're going to have that because and I'm going to tell you this and I'll close with the
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And I'll I'll end up on this and I'll give them an announcement The reason that we do this again because we can't stand before you and say
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We're going to have accountable church membership. We're going to practice church discipline If the discipline isn't there to make the official commitment.
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There's the whole thing Old church old time throughout church history Church rolls were kept up my friend.
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If somebody was out for such and such a time The church loved them enough to go after people are in and out
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The church is not meant to be a place for transients come in and out Wanderers, well, this is just my healing place.
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No, the church is a place you need to get in and stay in Get locked in get grounded
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So that the wind the wind and storms of life come but you have a place that you can rely upon All right that being said last week in the announcements we announced