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The Preaching Acts 2:22- 41 REVIEW In our first Sunday together we learned about

The Preaching Acts 2:22- 41 REVIEW In our first Sunday together we learned about 1.) The NATURE of the CHURCH It is the place IN which and THROUGH which the risen Jesus CONTINUES the work that He had begun to do in the Gospels. 2.) The NATURE of the CHRISTIAN LIFE It is lived BY FAITH.

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The Preaching Acts 2:22- 41 REVIEW In our first Sunday together we learned about

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  1. The Preaching • Acts 2:22- 41 • REVIEW • In our first Sunday together we learned about • 1.) The NATURE of the CHURCH • It is the place IN which and THROUGH which the risen Jesus CONTINUES the work that He had begun to do in the Gospels. • 2.) The NATURE of the CHRISTIAN LIFE • It is lived BY FAITH. • Last Sunday morning we looked at Acts 1:4-8 and saw THE PLAN and THE POWER – • The PLAN was to WAIT in Jerusalem for the POWER that they needed to GO.

  2. And then we saw the PATTERN – Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and uttermost parts of the world. • INTRODUCTION • This morning we are going to look at the very FIRST TIME that the message of the cross and resurrection was preached, and the FIRST HARVEST that followed it. • REMEMBER - We have said that the Book of Acts serves as a MODEL to us. • So Peter’s message serves as a MODEL for EVANGELISM that takes place under the EMPOWERING and LEADING of the Spirit. • WHAT he said, HOW he said it, and the RESULTS that follow are a MODEL for the Church today. • Before we get into the MESSAGE we want to reflect on the MESSENGER.

  3. (Acts 2:14 NKJV) But Peter, standing up with the eleven, raised his voice and said to them, "Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and heed my words. • KEY OBSERVATION: The man who could not stand up to a young woman 50 days earlier is standing up before a multitude in the city where Jesus was crucified. • The man who could not speak forth to a woman and a few men is now lifting up his voice to a MULTITUDE and DEMANDS their attention. • He is doing this in response to the HOSTILE element of the crowd - He addresses the MOCKERS first. • REMEMBER: It was ALWAYS in the heart of Peter to be such a witness for Jesus. • Peter had painfully discovered the words of Jesus to be true when Jesus declared – the spirit is indeed wiling, but the flesh is weak. • That which Peter always desired to BE and DO for Jesus in the NATURAL was accomplished because at the beginning of Acts 2 Jesus had IMMERSED Peter in the PERSON and POWER of the Holy Spirit.

  4. KEY APPLICATION: This is so encouraging to all of us who have desired to BE, and DO, so much for Jesus, but have found ourselves failing miserably. • Peter serves as a MODEL to us that we NEED to experience – and CAN experience this same work of Jesus, baptizing us in the PERSON and POWER of the Holy Spirit. • (Acts 2:22 NKJV) Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a Man attested by God to you by miracles, wonders, and signs which God did through Him in your midst, as you yourselves also know; • HEAR THESE WORDS • KEY INSIGHT: Every day of our lives we find the world COMPETING for our attention. • On Madison Avenue, in New York City, there are scores of advertising agencies that make hundreds of millions of dollars a year because they are the BEST at getting our attention. • They are able to GET and KEEP our attention for 30-60 seconds in order to tell us that we NEED the product they are selling.

  5. KEY INSIGHT: The mercy of God DESERVES attention! • Any words about Jesus are WORTHY of our attention and should be readily received. • KEY APPLICATION: We should prayerfully seek God as to ways of getting the attention of the world around us. • EXAMPLE: If you want to get a surfer’s attention, show him footage of great surfers riding great waves. • EXAMPLE: Contemporary Music • For a long time the church did NOT have the ears of the younger generation because the music did not get and keep their attention. • PROBLEM: Now the things that were seen as a MEANS to get the attention of men are now the FOCUS of the attention. • They have become an END in and of themselves. (Dove Awards/Christian Music Magazines) • This leads us to another important observation.

  6. When we GET the attention of the unbeliever we had better HAVE SOMETHING TO SAY. • Many Christian musicians were dying to be able to “Cross Over” into the secular market so they could have the attention of a huge audience. • Now that some of them are there they SAY NOTHING because they don’t want to lose their audience/recording contracts. • CONTRAST: RICHIE FURAY – in Rock ‘n Roll Hall of Fame (Buffalo Springfield >CSNY and Poco) • David Geffen, the G of SKG Films, and owner of Geffen records (which distributes Amy Grant and Michael W. Smith’s secular records) told Richie, “No Jesus”. Richie said, “No Deal”. • KEY OBSERVATION: JESUS OF NAZARETH • That is the name that by which Jesus was known. • That name, the name Jesus of Nazareth, was held in CONTEMPT by the religious leaders of the day. • KEY INSIGHT: Peter KNEW that that name would incite tremendous hostility. • Yet he BEGINS his message with it!

  7. KEY APPLICATION: Evangelism MUST include the Name of Jesus! • The Savior can not remain anonymous! • (Acts 4:12 NKJV) "Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved." • KEY INSIGHT: There are a lot of people who freak out at the name of Jesus. They have immediate hostility towards Him (and you). • EXAMPLE: Many people confuse Jesus with those who murder abortionists. • Many of these people can be disarmed if they can find out the truth about Jesus. • KEY POINT: Get people to Jesus, not political and social issues. • This is what Peter does here. • KEY OBSERVATION: APPROVED BY GOD

  8. Peter is in essence saying – • Jesus was CONDEMNED by MAN, but he was APPROVED by GOD. • GOD approved Jesus! • In other words: The opinions of the religious leaders, and the rest of Israel, don’t matter! • DON’T REJECT Jesus because others reject Him. The eternal God said – This is My beloved Son in whom I am well pleased… Hear Him! • If God approved Him, so ought you. • KEY OBSERVATION: IN YOUR MIDST • Peter reminds the enemies of Jesus that THEY were EYEWITNESSES of all that Jesus said and did. • KEY INSIGHT: One of the strongest facts about the Gospel is that it is the account of EYEWTNESSES to these things. • Not only did the followers of Jesus see them first hand. • But Peter tells the enemies of Jesus that THEY saw these things too.

  9. KEY OBSERVATION: He appeals to the miracles worked among them as if to say, “Can you OBJECT to these things? Can you DISPROVE these things?” • NOTE WELL: Peter is reasoning with them. • The reasoning is this – • “IF Jesus really did these things, THEN God has approved Jesus to be all that Jesus claimed to be - The Son of God and the Savior of the World, God manifest in the flesh.” • NOTE WELL: Peter reasons with these men on the same grounds that Jesus reasoned with them. • (John 10:37-38 NKJV) If I do not do the works of My Father, do not believe Me; {38} "but if I do, though you do not believe Me, believe the works, that you may know and believe that the Father is in Me, and I in Him. • (John 14:11 NKJV) Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father in Me, or else believe Me for the sake of the works themselves. • By the way – YOUR life changed by Jesus is one of the most compelling testimonies to the reality of Jesus

  10. KEY OBSERVATION: AS YOU YOURSELVES KNOW • KEY INSIGHT: There are many people who KNOW that Jesus is real but do NOT do anything about it. • (Acts 2:23 NKJV) "Him, being delivered by the determined purpose and foreknowledge of God, you have taken by lawless hands, have crucified, and put to death; • CRUCIAL OBSERVATION: This verse DEMANDS that the heart and mind of man stand in awe of the love of God BECAUSE it declares that the horrible and cruel death of Jesus Christ was the result of God’s PLAN to redeem and restore lost mankind to Himself. • CRUCIAL INSIGHT: This plan had it’s beginning in ETERNITY. • (Eph 1:4 NKJV) just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, • (Rev 13:8 NKJV) the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.

  11. THE BIBLE DECLARES that Jesus did NOT have His life TAKEN from Him. • He GAVE His life. • (John 10:18 NKJV) "No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. • (Gal 2:20 NKJV) I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. • CRUCIAL OBSERVATION:Having declared the eternal nature of God’s love and His plan of redemption, Peter boldly declares, • you have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain: • CRUCIAL INSIGHT: 700 years before the death of Christ, Isaiah gave the reason for Christ’s death - • (Isa 53:5-6 NKJV) But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed. {6} … And the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.

  12. This is so important that Peter repeats it again in verse 36 - • (Acts 2:36 NKJV) "Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ." • QUOTE: CHARLES SPURGEON • The Crucifixion of Christ was the crowning sin of our race. In his death we shall find all the sins of mankind uniting in foul conspiracy. Envy and pride and hate are there, with covetousness, falsehood, and blasphemy, eager to rush on to cruelty, revenge, and murder. The devil roused around the seed of the woman the iniquities of us all: they compassed the Lord about, yea, they compassed him about like bees. All the evils of human hearts of all ages were concentrated around the cross: even as all the rivers run into the sea, and as all the clouds empty themselves upon the earth, so did all the crimes of man gather to the slaying of the Son of God. It seemed as if hell held a levee, and all the various forms of sin came flocking to the rendezvous; army upon army, they hastened to the battle. As the vultures hasten to the body, so came the flocks of sins to make the Lord their prey.

  13. QUOTE: CHARLES SPURGEON • We took our sins, and drove them like nails through his hands and feet. We lifted him high up on the cross of our transgressions, and then we pierced his heart through with the spear of our unbelief. • (Acts 2:37 NKJV) Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, "Men and brethren, what shall we do? • CRUCIAL INSIGHT: When the Holy Spirit reveals to you the cross of Jesus Christ the result is always a deep conviction of sin and a conscious need for a Savior. • (2 Cor 7:10 NKJV) For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death. • The Cross causes us to be sorry for what our sins did to Jesus. • Have YOU had such a view of the Cross? • Do YOU know that HE was crucified for YOUR sins?

  14. KEY APPLICATION: FORGET what others may think about Jesus! • IF you are convinced that God so loved YOU that he PLANNED your redemption and salvation in sending Jesus to the cross to die for your sins, THEN surrender your heart to Jesus today. • (2 Cor 7:10 NKJV) For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death. • QUOTE: CHARLES SPURGEON • His five wounds kill my suspicions and my fears. A crucified Savior is the life of faith, and the death of unbelief. Canst thou stand and view the flowing of the Savior’s precious blood upon the tree of doom, and not trust Him? • What more can he do to prove his sincerity than to die for us? His life is • the mirror of love, but in his death the sun shineth on it with a blaze of • glory so that we cannot steadily look into its brightness.

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