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good morning to everyone and welcome to free grace Baptist Church visitors with us this morning we welcome you it's a joy to have you with us just one announcement a reminder that the there's no fellowship luncheon this month but there will be one in June and you'll get information and announcements on on that and as we have done in years past the one in June is is the last prior to the summer and then we'll reconvene with the fellowship luncheons in September as well just to thanks I know that on behalf of the Deacons and email went out and on behalf of Jim and myself and the church at large we thank everybody that was able to to show up yesterday and help with the cleanup it went well and place is looking good the parking lot is clean and we have a shiny building so thanks again to everyone well let's turn in our Bibles and as we now move to the worship of our great God if you'll turn with me to Psalm 2 song to our call to worship will be a reading that glorious messianic Psalm Psalm 2 beginning in verse 1 the Word of God why do the nation's rage and the people plot a vain thing the kings of the earth set themselves and the rulers take counsel together against the Lord and against his Christ saying let us break their bonds in pieces and cast away their cords from us he who sits in the heavens shall laugh the Lord shall hold them in derision then he shall speak to them in his wrath and distress them in his deep displeasure yet I have sent my king on my holy hill of Zion I will declare the decree the Lord has said to me you are my son today I have begotten you ask of me and I will give you the nation's for your inheritance and the ends of the earth for your possession you shall break them with a rod of iron you shall dash them to pieces like a Potter's vessel now therefore be wise o Kings be instructed you judges of the earth serve the Lord with fear and rejoice with trembling kiss the son lest he be angry and you perish in the way when his wrath is kindled but a little blessed are all those who put their trust in him amen well let's stand together and sing we're gonna sing our first hymn from the Red Trinity Psalter Psalm 96 to a familiar tune that Psalm 96 [Music] please be seated let's go to our God in prayer let's pray Heavenly Father we rejoice in this Lord's Day Sabbath we thank you for this new day we pray that your name would be hallowed in this place that the gathered assembly here would give you honor and praise it's our our request our desire each and every Lord's day God that you would be the recipient Father Son and Holy Spirit of of all honor and all praise at the the lips of this gathered assembly would sing your praises would come to you in prayer would reflect their hearts desire that the Lord Jesus Christ would be honored would be praised that the gospel of Jesus Christ would be proclaimed would be believed on that the savior of men would be rejoiced in we do pray God that we would worship you or right this day and we pray that Father Son and spirit you would be the recipient of praises by your gathered Saints and once again not only in this church but around the world we pray that all of your Christians all of your Saints all of the believers in the Lord Jesus Christ who assembled together in church as God we pray they would give you honor that they would give you praise that they would hallow your name we're truly Lord God you are worthy of all honor and worthy of all praise having made all things of nothing in the space of six days and all very good upholding all things by the word of your power providentially guiding all things by the wisdom and the prudence of your unchangeable will and Lord God redeeming guilty sinners by virtue of the perfection of the work of Jesus Christ the Lord and we rejoice in your condescending kindness your love your mercy in your grace we would pray God that all of us here this morning because it is possible with you alone would rejoice in the Savior the king of kings and Lord of lords we rejoice his people rejoice in the fact that he came in the fullness of the times born of a woman and born under the law to redeem those who were under the law and we rejoice in the perfection of his saving work that he was obedience to your law in every place and perfectly in the place of all who believe in his name that he died upon Calvary's cross so glorious of death that substitutionary sacrificial death upon Calvary's cross that once for all sacrifice wherein he saves a multitude which no man can number we thank you that he rose again the third day in power and great victory and we rejoice that he has been exalted to the right hand of the Majesty on high we sing the praises of the blessed fact that there he lives there he reigns there he ever lives to intercede for his people to subdue the hearts of his elect and to reign over his enemies and we do pray that we would give you honor and praise and that blessed mediator that blessed Messiah Jesus Christ would be exalted upon the praises of not only this gathered assembly but again be exalted upon every every assembly gathered on on your in your world in your created universe that the Lord Jesus Christ would be the recipient of all honor and praise and we pray God that we would reflect with delight with cheerful hearts with great joy upon so glorious a savior we do pray that you would cause us to be in prayer and now and throughout the week Lord for those who struggle physically with disease and illness and those who perhaps are recovering from surgeries and all these things that affect the physical man God we pray that you be with each and every one of our brothers and sisters who are so afflicted we pray that you would cheer their hearts in the midst of affliction that you would cause them in the inner man to be lifted up to high thoughts of their God that they would rest upon your will in all things and we do pray that you would bring healing that you would bring strength we think of Karen we think of dawn we think of Sue we think of many others Lord God who struggle physically we do just ask that you'd tend to them now strengthen them in body and strengthen them in the inner man to in the face of affliction rejoice in their God we do pray that you'd be with those who are spiritually afflicted those who are struggling spiritually we pray that you would lift these brothers and sisters up from out of those places to the high places of glorious gospel reflection and to the joy of their salvation and we do just pray that you attend to their hearts Lord God tend to their souls and stir them up to walk according to the calling that you've called them to and to walk in accordance with so glorious a gospel we do pray that you'd help each and every one of us - so walk as we're exhorted in the scriptures reflecting upon the fact that we're saved by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone to conduct ourselves in a manner worthy of that glorious gospel we do pray that you would help us each and every day we would ask God that you be with the persecuted Church as there are many who struggle throughout the world in the face of opposition and tyranny and an act of violence against the people of God we would pray that you'd be with our brothers and sisters in Christ whether they're in Chains or whether they're in those places where they dwell receiving the persecutions of your enemies we do just pray God that you would be with them caused them in the face of that opposition to look with eyes of faith upon a conquering Christ we pray that that it would find their courage and their comfort and their blessings solely and alone in Christ and in the triune God of heaven and earth we do pray God that you would deal with those who persecute your people we know that you are a God of promise and a God of wholesome severity who does bring judgment upon those who would oppose the triune God we do pray that you deal with those who are persecuting your people that you would bring them forth by the proclamation of the gospel and the power of the Holy Spirit to believe in the one whom they now persecute and we pray Lord God for those who would remain - in in persecution as we pray each and every Lord's Day those who will not bend a knee to the king of kings and Lord of lords that you would remove them from their their posture that you would remove them from their places where they are causing violence against your people that you would take them out of the way that they might no longer bring violence upon the people of God we pray unto the end of the proclamation of the gospel that you would be over those who rule and reign in this lower world that you would turn the hearts of kings and princes and presidents and prime ministers God that you would even save many in positions of power that they might rule in righteousness and justice and inequity we pray even if they remain in unbelief that you would turn their hearts and cause them to rule in justice and to rule in righteousness we pray Lord God that those who will not so rule that you would take them out of the way that you would cause them to stumble like drunken men and raise up those in positions of power who will properly uphold virtue in the land and cast down vice and unto that end we pray for the proclamation of the gospel of Jesus Christ around the world not only here but in Chilliwack at large in the Fraser Valley in British Columbia Canada throughout the world we pray Lord God that ministers of yours would proclaim the full and saving Christ a full and saving gospel a triune God of righteousness and holiness and justice and that by the power of the Holy Spirit and your amazing grace many would come to a knowledge of Jesus Christ and that your the the knowledge of the Lord God Almighty would cover the earth at the gospel of Jesus Christ would be in every nation under heaven and that your name Lord God would be vindicated throughout the earth be with us then now in worship be with pastor Butler as he preaches help him in this pulpit strengthen him as he proclaims your word and be with us God and be with those who received the word might your Saints be edified and strengthened might sinners be saved and might this exercise of worship be unto the praise of Father Son and Holy Spirit we pray in the name of Jesus Christ our Savior amen let's stand again and sing this time it'll be 272 if you'll stand with me and sing 272 [Music] please be seated you turn in your Bibles with me to the Gospel of Luke chapter 11 Luke 11 beginning in verse 37 our New Testament scripture reading for this Lord's Day Luke 11 beginning at verse 37 to the end of the chapter once again this is the Word of God and as he spoke a certain Pharisee asked him to dine with him so he went in and sat down to eat when the Pharisee saw it he marveled that he had not first washed before dinner then the Lord said to him now you Pharisees make the outside of the cup and dish clean but your inward part is full of greed and wickedness foolish ones did not he who made the outside make the inside also but rather give alms of such things as you have then indeed all things are clean to you but woe to you Pharisees for you tithe mint and Rue and all manner of herbs and pass by justice and the love of God these you ought to have done without leaving the others undone woe to you Pharisees for you love the best seats in the synagogues and greetings in the marketplaces woe to you scribes and Pharisees hypocrites for you are like graves which are not seen and the men who walk over them are not aware of them then one of the lawyers answered and said to him teacher by saying these things you reproach us also and he said woe to you also lawyers for you load men with burdens hard to bear and you yourselves do not touch the burdens which with one of your fingers woe to you for you build the tombs of the prophets and your fathers killed them in fact you bear witness that you approve the deeds of your fathers for they indeed kill them and you build their tombs there for the wisdom of God also said I will send them prophets and apostles and some of them they will kill and persecute that the blood of all the prophets which was shed from the foundation of the world may be required of this generation from the blood of abel to the blood of zechariah who perished between the altar and the temple yes I say to you it shall be required of this generation woe to you lawyers for you have taken away the key of knowledge you did not enter in yourselves and those who were entering in you hindered and as he said these things to them the scribes and the Pharisees began to assail him vehemently and to cross-examine him about many things lying and wait for him and seeking to catch him in something he might say that they might accuse him amen let us pray Heavenly Father we rejoice in your revelation to us we rejoice in this account of our Lord Jesus Christ speaking these words of wholesome severity to to an unbelieving and apostate people and we thank you Lord God for the the Verity of Jesus Christ for the confidence of Jesus Christ for the power by which he spoke and that authority by which he spoke and we rejoice Lord God that we are not counted as those who will be judged by you and condemned by you but being safely in Christ Jesus by virtue of his shed blood his righteousness the perfection of his saving work and we thank you that we are have your favor by grace through Christ and we would pray for any who would remain under this wholesome severity this judgment this condemnation we pray Lord God by your grace you would bring them forth we pray that by your victorious grace you would cause them to see your holiness you would cause them to see their sin that you would cause them to see Christ Jesus as the only and the perfect Savior for sinners and Lord God by your grace by the power of the Holy Spirit by the proclamation of your gospel you would bring them forth from the deadness the darkness of sin to life in light in Jesus Christ our precious Savior it's in his name that we pray amen let's stand and sing our final him before the preaching will be in the larger Trinity hymnal again this time 444 4-0 let's stand and sing as a church [Music] [Music] well please turn with me in your Bibles to the book of Acts where in Acts chapter 2 Acts chapter 2 I'll begin reading in verse 1 we'll read the verse 21 and then our portion this morning will be verses 14 to 21 so acts 2 beginning in verse 1 when the day of Pentecost had fully come they were all with one Accord in one place and suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind and it filled the whole house where they were sitting then there appeared to them divided tongues as of fire and one sat upon each of them and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance and there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews devout men from every nation under heaven and when this sound occurred the multitude came together and were confused because everyone heard them speak in his own language then they were all amazed and marvelled saying to one another look or not all these who speak galilaeans and how is it that we hear each in our own language in which we were born parth ian's and Medes and Elamites those dwelling in Mesopotamia Judea and Cappadocia Pontus and Asia Phrygia and Pamphylia Egypt in the parts of Libya adjoining Cyrene visitors from Rome both Jews and proselytes Cretans and Arabs we hear them speaking in our own tongues the wonderful works of God so they were all amazed and perplexed saying to one another whatever could this mean others mocking said they are full of new wine but Peter scanning 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 for these are not drunk as you suppose since it is only the third hour of the day but this is what was spoken by the Prophet Joel and it shall come to pass in the last days says God that I will pour out my spirit on all flesh your sons and your daughters shall prophesy your young men shall see visions and your old men shall dream dreams and on my men's servants and on my maid servants I will pour out my spirit in those days and they shall prophesy I will show wonders in heaven above and signs in the earth beneath blood and fire and vapor of smoke the Sun shall be turned into darkness and the moon into blood before the coming of the great and awesome day of the Lord and it shall come to pass that whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved amen let us pray our Father we thank you for the written word of God and we pray you that you have blessed us and have not left us in this world alone you've given us the scriptures and you've given us another comforter even the Holy Spirit and we pray that he would be present with us now she would help us and illumine our minds and our hearts that we may receive thy Holy Word and that it may be a benefit and encouragement to each of our hearts as well God for any and all who've come here this morning that are that are outside of Christ those who have not by grace believed we pray that today would be the day of salvation that they would heed the Prophet Joel and the Apostle Peter and the blessed promise of scripture that whoever calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved how we thank you for this promise how we thank you for the work of our Lord Jesus Christ and his life his death his resurrection we thank you for the current session at the right hand of the Father where he always lives to make intercession for his people and where he does exercise forgiveness and the giving of righteousness to all those who come to him in faith do forgive us now for our sins and our transgressions wash us afresh and the that precious fountain that has opened for sin and uncleanness purify our hearts and our minds we pray through Jesus Christ our Lord amen well in Acts chapter 1 we saw our Lord Jesus emphasized to the upon whistles that they needed to remain in Jerusalem until they were endued with power from on high now certainly they obey Christ they do remain in Jerusalem and we see here in chapter 2 verses 1 to 4 the Holy Spirit is poured out upon them in a dramatic and in a wonderful and in a glorious way and having been ended by the Spirit with power the Apostles and the disciples the hundred and twenty now speak the truth of God to the various persons assembled there on the day of Jerusalem they spoke in tongues remember we're not supposed to think Tong's relative to Benny Hinn or the Pentecostals of the charismatic movement when you hear tongue think language they spoke languages that were represented by the people here and notice specifically the content of which they spoke in verse 11 they spoke in our own tongues the wonderful works of God and we see something here of a reversal of Babylon there the men tried to make a name for themselves by building this great tower to reach up into the heavens and God confounded them with language well here God confuses them but not in a bad way they are marveling at the reality that they hear the truth of God and they are brought nigh now through the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ well certainly there were mockers present as we learn there in verse 13 the mocker said they are full of new wine and so now we come to Peter Sirmon on the day of Pentecost Peter first of all answers this particular charge and then secondly he gives us the fulfillment of Joel's prophecy and then he goes on to preach the person in the work of the Lord Jesus Christ from verses 22 to verse 39 and then he calls the people to repent to believe the gospel to come and be forgiven of their sin but as I said our focus is on verses 14 to 21 this morning we'll look first at the response to the men of Jerusalem in verses 14 to 16 and then secondly the fulfillment of Joel to a 28 to 32 but note first with reference to verse 14 we ought to stand again and marvel at the grace of God it's always good for us to do this we sing Amazing Grace how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me I once was lost but now I'm found was blind but now I see but I think those first few words of verse 14 should give us pause again to reflect on how gracious our dog is but Peter standing up with the eleven remember back in Chapter one we made that observation in verse fifteen and in those days Peter stood up in the midst of the disciples Peter had denied the Lord Peter had denied the master Peter had denied him to a servant girl when called upon to identify himself as an associate of the Nazarene Peter now stands up with the eleven and if we remember with the eleven at least ten of them Matthias wasn't present but ten of them including Peter forsook the Lord according to Matthew's Gospel in Matthew chapter 26 the disciples fled they departed from him and noticed the the rest of the restoring grace of God the goodness and the kindness of God the forgiveness of God if you've ever doubted the free offer of the gospel if you ever doubted the free mercy of God the great breadth and extent and length and depth of his forgiveness look at Peter and these eleventh they had been forgiven much by our Lord Jesus and now they are restored to a place of service of Christ with reference to gospel ministry John Gill says for being in dude with the spirit from on high he was fearless of men who but a little while ago was frightened by a servant made that's what God's grace does Peter stood up with the eleven fearless of men these opposers these mockers now notice what he says he corrects their charge or he corrects their mockery and specifically note in verse 14 when he says men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem that confirms our identification of verse 13 mockers as native Jerusalemites those who oppose Jesus Christ and those who will continue to oppose Jesus Christ now certainly some from among them would be saved but by and large Old Covenant Israel is represented by these native Jerusalemites and Peter corrects them he says these are not drunk as you suppose since it is only the third hour of the day it's kind of an interesting way to argue against this charge of them being drunk he says it's only 9 o'clock this is not what's happening this is a great phenomena that God has poured out upon us so he not only corrects what they say he goes on to explain what they are witnessing and he does this by appealing to the Prophet Joel chapter 2 and Joel's prophecy verses 28 to 32 in the Greek translation the Septuagint it's chapter 3 verses 1 to 5 but before we get to Joel notice what Peter says in verse 16 this is what was spoken by the Prophet Joel so I think at least we ought to observe three things here before we progress we ought to notice first of all that this outpouring of the Holy Spirit was no new thing it wasn't some brand new thing in the in the history of God's dealings with man this is precisely what Joel had prophesied the Old Covenant expectation was not only of a crucified and risen Savior but an outpour holy spirit in a dramatic and glorious manner secondly we ought to realize the events of the day of Pentecost were the fulfillment of the prophecy of Joel now this ought not to take too much to convince you because look at what Peter says in verse 16 this is what was spoken by the Prophet Joel you have to get this because there are persons that disagree Peter says absolutely positively clearly but this is what was spoken by the Prophet Joel in other words what you are witnessing here what was spoken by the Prophet Joel one very famous and popular study Bible representing what's called dispensationalism explains this this way it says Joel's prophecy will not be completely full fulfilled until the Millennial Kingdom in the final judgment that's not what Peter says where's the literalism that they sort of you know it's stolen their interpretated method he says but Peter by using it shows that Pentecost was a pre fulfillment he absolutely positively does not he does not say but this is a pre fulfillment of what was spoken by the Prophet Joel he doesn't say a little now and a little later he says this is what was spoken by Joel this popular study Bible goes on to say that Peter by using it shows that Pentecost was a pre fulfillment a taste of what will happen in the Millennial Kingdom when the Spirit is poured out on all flesh that is to take one's eschatology ones preconceived methodology and read it right into Peters words instead of hearing Peter tell us that what you're witnessing is what Joel said you would witness brethren this is what Joel spoke by way of prophecy a third observation before we proceed is that the presence of the spirit does not negate the authority of Holy Scripture you have to appreciate what I'm doing here first we're just highlighting that it's poured out or the pouring of the Holy Spirit is consistent with Old Covenant Scripture secondly we're alienating dispensationalists by telling them that this is what Joel spoke thirdly we're going to alienate the charismatic sin the Pentecostals because notice that the outpouring of the Holy Spirit does not negate the authority of Scripture what does Peter do as one who's now in dude with the Holy Spirit he goes to the Prophet Joel and he highlights that this is what was spoken by the Prophet Joel in other words the scripture or rather the presence of the Spirit does not do away with the scripture the present of the Holy Spirit does not do away with deep study of the scripture but the presence of the Holy Spirit facilitates our understanding of the scripture Matthew Henry said Christ's scholars never learn above their Bible and the Spirit is given not to supersede the scriptures but to enable us to understand and improve the scriptures now in Puritan ease improve doesn't mean make it better but it means to apply it within our own lives so you see this Peter now and dude with the power of the Holy Spirit doesn't stand as some supercharged guru and say we can dispense with the scriptures because I've got a word from the Lord brethren that is a false approach to the Spirit I suggest that if persons search the Scriptures harder than looking for the tongs or the prophesies that are given to us here in chapter 2 they would be a whole lot better off and I would suggest that if they really study the Scriptures they'll end up leaving charismatic ISM and Pentecostalism and be welcomed into Geneva and that reform community that sees that the eminence or the the primary emphasis in Acts chapter 2 is not the tongs but it's Jesus Christ that's the focal point that's where Peters going now let's look secondly at the fulfillment of Joel 2:28 232 now the Prophet Joel it's always good to have a little bit of understanding as to who the Prophet is now the book of Joel is notoriously difficult to date many prophets help us to date their prophecy by telling us of certain events telling us of certain kings that were that were at the throne or on the throne at that particular time Ezekiel particularly you can trace you know all of his references to specific numbers and dates you know exactly how old he was when he said such and such the book of Haggai you can you can date that with specificity to a particular day in our February and I think 512 BC that's pretty good isn't it you can't do that with Joel I'm most persuaded by those who argue that Joel was an early 8th century prophet that he probably lived around the same time as Hosea and Amos however Joel prophesied in the south and the specific instance of Joel's prophecy the specific occasion for Joel's prophecy had been a locust invasion locusts had attacked the southern kingdom and locusts can do great damage and they saw this and Joel interprets this not only as the judgment of God not only the locusts were the armies of God but it was a foreshadowing of a greater judgment to come that Joel called the day of the Lord that's the occasion upon which Joel prophesied and in Joel chapter 2 he speaks specifically to his readers or his hearers and he tells them to repent they need to forsake their sinfulness they need to forsake their wickedness they need to flee to the Lord God Most High and then he ends chapter 2 with a statement concerning the messianic age he's pointing forward to this Acts chapter 2 he is telling his readership what's going to happen when Messiah comes the age of the Spirit will come as well so that's the prophet now let's look at his prophecy and there's four things we ought to observe here in verses 17 to 21 first we ought to notice this reference to the last days verse 17 it shall come to pass in the last days says God what are these last days if you have studied eschatology or the doctrine of the last things you will have come across this little phrase the last days now Joel doesn't say last days he says after word well I think the way that we understand that is Joel speaks of the absolute certainty that such things were going to come and Peter identifies correctly this age is called the last day Calvin takes it this way as most others do as well but the use of the last days in the scripture typically broadly refers to the times of the Messiah the times of Jesus Christ the times of the one anointed by God to come and save his people from their sins these last days are initiated by the first coming of Jesus Christ you can jot this down or ask me later I'll send you the notes I don't want to go through each and every one of these texts but Hebrews one verse two and first Peter 1 verse 20 tell us the last days were initiated by the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ when these last days are initiated by Christ there are certain things that are going to happen when he does this one to accomplish Redemption Hebrews 9:26 to pour out the spirit Acts chapter two and as well these last days will be punctuated by perilous times 2nd Timothy chapter 3 in the last days know that there will be perilous times also 2nd Peter 3:3 it is in fact the time of the Messiah and it was in fact prophesied by not only Joel but Isaiah - if you haven't read Isaiah - lately be encouraged you just sang it and what does the Prophet say in Isaiah - that in the latter days the nation shall come to Zion and they'll be taught the law of Yahweh it's the last days the age of Messiah the age of our Lord Jesus Christ it has that specific or general meeting meaning it means that time between the first and the second coming of our Lord Jesus you know you meet people who say well we're coming up to the last days it's typically understood as a small section of time prior to the return of the Lord Jesus Christ that's inaccurate that is absolutely false when Paul warns Timothy concerning those perilous times concerning those sorts of people that will punctuate the last days he says and from such withdraw Lords Timothy you're living in the last days you've probably been surrounded by these fools withdraw from them how could he say that unless the last days were on Timothy the last days generally speaking of a time frame between the first and the second coming of our Lord Jesus the time of Messiah but I'll argue in a few moments when we get to verses 19 and 20 that last days here means specifically the last days of the Jewish age in other words Israel as a body politic is being cut off and it's not politics that has to do with its covenant it's consistent with Jesus words in Matthew 21 I'm going to take the kingdom from you and I'm going to give it to a nation that bears the fruits of it so what we have here is the last days of the Jewish age specifically generally last days is that period between the first and the second coming of our Lord Jesus Christ now notice that's the reference to last days notice secondly the outpouring of the Holy Spirit again this is consistent with other prophets Joel's not alone here Joel is simply in line with the rest of the prophets who foretold these days concerning Jesus and the great power of the Holy Spirit that would be present at that time this isn't a sort of an isolated incident does Joel really encapsulates everything so Peter says this is that or this is what was spoken by the Prophet Joel but for instance Isaiah 32 15 the promise of Jeremiah 31:31 234 now they're specifically God doesn't say I'm going to give you my spirit but when we compare it with other statements in the Old Covenant that's precisely the same thing says I'll write my law in your heart I will I will put the fear of God in your heart later in Jeremiah Jeremiah 32 he says and all will receive forgiveness and all shall know the lord from the least of them even to the greatest of them and then the prophet Ezekiel chapter 36 it's a testimony concerning God's blessing upon people in the New Covenant and what does God say says I will take out your old stony heart I will put in a new fleshly heart and I will put my spirit within you so this outpouring of the Holy Spirit again wasn't something wow we never saw this coming if you had been reading your Bibles you would have seen it coming if you'd have been interpreting the life and Ministry of Jesus Christ it would have made perfect sense if you would have listened to Jesus it would have made perfect sense remain in Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high and that power would then enable them that what we spirit would enable them to fulfill the mission parameters of acts 1:8 to be my witnesses in Jerusalem Judea Samaria and to the uttermost parts of the earth you see this Holy Spirit was promised in the Old Testament now we ought to observe the abundance of the spirits presence in this outpouring notice the abundance that we have I will pour out my spirit on all flesh now I take that as all flesh within the New Covenant community I don't think it refers to the pagan or the atheist or the Buddhists or the or the Hindu and last by God's grace they leave those false religions and they come unto the Savior King this all flesh is conditioned by the context it is the new covenant people of God all flesh will receive the Holy Spirit and then notice the parallel statements that he gives us with reference to this outpouring he says your sons your daughters your young men your old men your are my means momentous and my maidservants there is an abundance of the spirits presence matthew Poole said before the spirit was given in lesser measures and comparatively by drops here a little and there a little now more largely even to overflow you see it's not that there was no holy spirit in the Old Testament again another idea that crops up among Bible believing Christians I don't know how we get so far off the beaten track how far off when people say well the Holy Spirit wasn't present in the Old Testament he absolutely positively 100% most surely was and he indwell the people of God what's David say in a psalm of repentance in Psalm 50 one take not thine Holy Spirit from me so how do we explain what's happening here it's not as if there was no spirit in the Old Testament but it's like Poole says they're a little here a little now it's to an overflow I take it sort of alongside of Jeremiah 31:31 234 what's happening in Jeremiah 31:31 234 what is happening is that the Prophet is announcing a new covenant not like the covenant that i made with them before that they broke but this new covenant that God makes with the house of Israel and Judah is one that cannot be broken it is one that has the law of God internalized it is one wherein the Spirit comes and it is one one where everyone in the New Covenant will know the Lord from the least of them to the greatest of that the same is true with the New Covenant in terms of the Holy Spirit see you had an Old Covenant situation where there were persons that knew the Lord and persons that didn't know the Lord you had an Old Covenant situation where persons had the Holy Spirit and persons didn't have the Holy Spirit but they were still in the Old Covenant not so with the New Covenant when you by God's grace believe the gospel guess what you get you get access to the New Covenant to be sure you've calmed him out Zion to be sure you have Christ as Lord and Savior to be sure and you have the outpouring of the Holy Spirit he is the seal and the guarantee according to Ephesians 1:13 and 14 so it's both abundant and extensive it is to all people groups within the new covenant community it's to all persons that confess faith in Christ your sons your daughters your young men your old men men servants maid servants Calvin says with reference to this statement whereby the Prophet does signify that there shall be no difference of age or kind but that God admit athough one with another unto the partaking of His grace and a modern commentator Daniel Bach says even the lowest of classes will be blessed across both genders look at that look at verse 18 and on my men's servants and on my maid servants you see in this new covenant community we all have the same redemptive benefit this is Paul's point Galatians 6 Galatians 3 neither male nor female or barbarian or Scythian we all have redemptive benefit in Christ we're all on an equal footing in terms of our justification by faith you don't have a class of people within the new covenant community that are that are more justified the most wretched who by God's grace believes the gospel is as justified as the Apostle Paul if that isn't an enticement for you to lay down arms today and flee to Jesus Christ I don't know what is you want to be counted righteous come to the Savior you want to know the joy of salvation look unto Him you want to know what justification sanctification and glorification are experientially come to the Savior we have redemptive benefit in the person of Christ back to Bach even the lowest of classes will be blessed across both genders - often ignored groups of people servants and women will be included now note as we consider the outpouring the Holy Spirit what's the evidence that this is in fact concurred the evidence is the signs and the wonders the evidence confirms that what we are witnessing is in fact the Holy Spirit not some aping by the devil not some you know illegitimate trick show put on by the Apostles but it's the signs and wonders accompanying this phenomena that indicates that what we are witnessing is in fact the truth of God notice the evidence of the spirits presence is seen he says your sons and your daughters shall prophesy your young men shall see visions your old men shall dream dreams now does that mean every single person right then and there started having visions and dreams no I don't think it means that I think the first thing we got to appreciate is the conscious or conspicuous link between acts - Joel - and numbers 11 and 12 I mentioned this text last week or two weeks ago which by the way it was great last week to be able to preach in another Reformed Baptist Church in BC praise God Almighty for his goodness and his kindness that was indeed a historic occasion and we ought to praise God for that not that I've reached there but that there was a place to preach it's a good thing remember numbers 11 and 12 the Spirit comes upon Moses helpers and a young man freaks out because Eldad and Medad were prophesying and he tells Joshua and Joshua tells Moses almost like in the mindset of we need to stop this and Moses says wouldn't a god that all of his people were prophets it's been revealed there's been acheived been fulfilled been realized in the person and the work and the Lord Jesus and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit again it doesn't mean everybody drained dreams everybody had visions everybody prophesied everybody had tongues rather the language of Joel reflecting the language of his present audience is used by Peter to demonstrate that the tongues they're hearing the tongues they are witnessing is a confirmatory sign that the Holy Spirit of God is upon them it is legit it is reality it is the real deal now I know that this passage suggests a lot of questions well he says that that women are prophesying and women are speaking in tongues and what about in the life of the church again we need to make the specific distinction between what happens in the normative conduct of the church and what is simply described here in terms of the phenomena that show us that what's happening is truly God's holy spirit now I don't think I said that as clear as I thought it in my head so if you want to know why women may have prophesied and spoke in tongues then and they don't do so in church now well it's easy because till tongue shouldn't be spoken in church anyway we have the written word we have the completed Canon that's a fundamental argument and as we'll see in just a moment we're gonna see the the Old Testament prophesied this as well the whole idea of tongue speaking and prophesying well the Bible doesn't say the Bible does say it's supposed to stop I don't know why we just don't hear it at least certain factions within have angelical ism or reformed or you know the charismatic sore Pentecostals I don't know why they turn a deaf ear they're chasing tongues and they forget that they have ears and they need to listen to the Word of God brethren scripture gives us the tongues and the prophecy in the new covenant situation until the covenant documents are completed once the covenant documents are completed why would we need revelatory words from prophets or from tongue speakers prophesying and tongue speaking here and in Corinth work for revelation once we have the revelation of God we don't need the tongue speakers and we don't need the prophets I'm not suggesting we imprison them or jail them I'm simply saying God doesn't continue to give that gift when we have that which is perfect we have the written word of God the closed Canon of Scripture we ought not to be seeking revelatory gifts we're not suggesting that God isn't powerful God can't do great things we're simply suggesting that why in the world would God continue to do this when his own word said that he wouldn't that when the perfect has come we no longer need tongue speakers and prophets within the context of the local church so I think the specific link here is between numbers 11 and 12 Joel 2 and acts 2 and then notice thirdly by way of the judgment of God verses 19 to 20 some take this as a reference to the whole kingdom of Christ notice in verse 19 and I will show or I will show wonders in heaven above and signs of the earth beneath blood and fire and vapor of smoke the dark Sun shall be turned into darkness and the moon into blood before the coming of the great and awesome day of the Lord so son take this as sort of symptomatic or typical of the entirety of Christ's Church latter date period will be sort of punctuated not only by perilous men or perilous times but there will also be these tokens of God's wrath some see it as a reference simply to the second coming of our Lord Jesus Christ in other words this particular passage fulfills at the second physical coming of the Lord Jesus Christ you might imagine I don't think either of those are correct I think it refers to the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70 the same sort of language is employed here that we saw at length in our studies in Matthew 24 Matthew 24:29 takes Old Covenant language to speak to a specific judgment of God Peter does the same thing here and as we noted last week or two weeks ago the presence of tongues signify not only the communication of the great things of God but judgment upon Israel the prophet Isaiah said when you hear men of strange tongues in your land you'll know that this is a judgment Israel as a body politic as the Old Covenant people of God are coming to a conclusion they are going to be cut off you see this here in acts 2 19 and 20 this is why Stephen is on trial in act 6 13 and 14 when Paul stands before the Jews and in Acts chapter 22 everything is fine until Paul says God called me to go preach to the Gentiles then they flip out it's mayhem they oppose him they target him you see in Acts chapter 28 Paul specifically says that he's on trial for or he's in Chains for the hope of Israel he's not speaking he's speaking about the promises of God in the Old Testament that are fleshed out through the Israel of God Jesus Christ and those who are the Israel of God by virtue of their union with him and then later in Acts chapter 28 he applies Isaiah's prophecy to ethnic Jews that had come to hear him you have ears but you don't hear you have eyes that don't see you have hearts that are hardened and you are under judgment this language this apocalyptic language is instructive concerning the fall of kingdoms we see in this particular passage that Peter links the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ his life his death his resurrection that that real sort of end to the Old Covenant system when our Lord on the cross as it is finished but then it's visible manifestation or demonstration in the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70 now some will say that that's just a stretch this is exactly what the Apostle says in Hebrews 8 Hebrews 813 he says in that he says a new covenant he has made the first obsolete when did God make the first covenant obsolete when Jesus died I mean as we said this morning all the events associated with Christ's life death resurrection what invalidates or what abrogates or what brings to completion or rather fruition or fulfillment best of the Old Covenant its Christ but notice 813 again in that he says a new covenant he has made the first obsolete now what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away you have to understand the significance of this statement in the context of the book of Hebrews the author Paul is writing prior to the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70 the apostasy that he's dealing with in Hebrews 6 in Hebrew Stan isn't what we oftentimes interpret it as we think now you know I forgot to pray on Thursday I must be an apostate or you know I sort of thing I shouldn't have said I must be an apostate that's not what Hebrews 6 and 10 are speaking about Hebrews 6 and 10 are speaking to Jews who have professed faith in Jesus and if left Jesus and gone back to Moses that's the apostasy that's the falling away that's the defection when we have the once-for-all sacrifice of Jesus the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world and we say I'm gonna go back and bring my goat and cut its throat and hand it to the priests so that he can send it up to the Lord that's the apostasy of Hebrews 6 and 10 now I don't want to take the teeth out of Hebrews 6 and 10 if you continue in unrepentant sin you continue in rebellion against God Almighty you don't forsake it you don't from it yeah you may just be an apostate but in Hebrews the Apostle is writing the Jewish believers or professor's of faith in Jesus that are tempted to turn back and so this statement how does it have significance he has made the first obsolete in all those events associated with Christ now what is becoming obsolete what does that mean the temple that was standing the sacrifices that are under discussion the very things that they are seeing with their own eyes what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away when does it vanish away when Jerusalem is surrounded by armies when the city is sacked when the city is destroyed we said this morning it's not a political thing it's not just a historical observation it's not just to suggest that the Romans had a superior army it was covenant tall it was Matthew 21 I'm taking the kingdom from you and I'm giving it to a nation bearing the fruits consistent with it it's the Church of Jesus Christ that is the Zion of God it is the Church of Jesus Christ that is the pinnacle of the promises of God we don't wait for us to be raptured so God can now get busy with his special people the special people Old Covenant Israel entered the rank-and-file of every other nation at 80 70 they're just like the rest of us zany Jesus they need to believe they need to turn from their sins and they need to come to the true Mount Zion which is Christ Jesus the Lord and the church that's the palete of the the Bible the son say well you know why would Joel speak about AD 70 he was living before Assyria and Babylon because 80 70 was the decisive event God always promised that after Babylon there would be a reconvening the Jews would return to Judah from whence Messiah would come that was always stipulated but AD 70 see it ad 70 is the final application of the Covenant curses of God in Leviticus 26 in Deuteronomy 28 it's a closed system it's a closed book some will point to this same sort of apocalyptic language in Revelation 6:12 and st. Butler you're obviously wrong well Butler's got something under his sleeve Butler thinks revelation has to do with the same thing when we see the contrast in in in in the book of Revelation why is New Jerusalem glorious because all Jerusalem is apostate it's the divorce of the harlot and the harlot there isn't pagan Rome its apostate Judaism and it's the marriage of the bride to his church and this was always God's plan the promise from the beginning Abraham look North looks outlook East look west this is the world you will inherit men from every tribe tongue people in Asia this is why Paul can pronounce peace upon the Israel of God in Galatians chapter 6 it's not ethnic Jews it's spiritual Jews those who have been saved those whose hearts are circumcised by regeneration those who have come out of darkness and a marvelous light the Bible is a blessed and beautiful unity and may I go one step farther and say that this shows us that the proper interpretation of the Old Testament is the Christian interpretation the Jews got it wrong this is the first instance of many in the book of Acts where we see that the true interpreters of Old Covenant scripture isn't the Jews it's the Christians it's Paul it's Peter they're hermeneutic wrought out by the Holy Spirit in their conversion gave them the lens to properly interpret that Joel too was speaking about the times of Jesus when he would pour out the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost it's a beautiful and a wonderful and a glorious thing Chris Austin saw the fulfillment in both events 780 70 and in the world to come or in the the second coming he said in these words he speaks both of the judgment to come and of the taking of Jerusalem now I should be you know candid and say most of the guys that I'll cite in terms of you know interpreters that support this view see both eighty seventy and they see the second coming but that's fine with me modern commentators don't even mention eighty seventy this isn't something whacked out you know partial preterists hobbyhorse eighty seventy according to the book of Hebrews according to book of Revelation according to the all of that discourse is the most monumental significant event and to just bypass it pretend that it didn't happen or that it really wasn't being spoken about by the Apostles here when they use the same sort of apocalyptic elliptic imagery and language and apply it to this particular situation I think that's irresponsible you may not be completely convinced that this is all ad 70 I am if you think it's eighty seventy and the second coming fine but just do not neglect the reality that eighty seventy is certainly in the horizon this was a judgment of cosmic significance upon the covenants of God John Owen saw it only as eighty seventy he says the things here spoken of in acts two were those science prodigies and judgments which God showed unto and exercised the people of the Jews with all before the destruction of Jerusalem even those floor told by our Lord Jesus in Matthew 24 now for those of you don't know John Owen I mean he's kind of a Spurgeon calling the Prince of the Puritans he was no lightweight in the-- he certainly was wrong in some things he remained a peyto Baptist so I can't say you know he was the infallible inerrant John Owen but he was certainly a man of great renown in terms of his learning and understanding and he just you know in another context the commentary and he brews three just you know matter-of-factly relates that what Peter speaking to here isn't the second coming it is speaking to the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70 so I suggest that's how the passage in acts 2 is to be understood so we have the out reference to the last days the outpouring of the Spirit the John of God I noticed finally in this passage the promise of salvation the promise of salvation verse 21 and it shall come to pass that whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved you know there are certain passages that preachers sometimes joke not joking a you know haha sort of way or you know maybe just quip that that preach themselves the government Alberta and Martin say or at least somebody told me he said you don't preach the end of Romans 8 you just read it I mean how do you preach what Paul says there it's incredible just read it well this is one of those statements whoever and it shall come to pass that whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved it's a beautiful statement isn't it you know what it shows us it shows us that both for Joel and Peter salvation is by grace alone through faith alone in Christ Jesus alone notice for Joel for Isaiah for Ezekiel for Jeremiah they didn't teach that you know you need to just pull up your bootstraps and try a bit harder now you need to come to the Lord you need to believe on the name of the Lord not whoever calls and works with reference to the name of the Lord shall be saved but whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved if you have not called on the name of the Lord may I suggest that acts 2:21 is a text speaking it to you to this morning you may not have got all the intricacies of the verse 19 and 20 application to 80 70 I'll grant that to you you may not have gotten all the intricacies about the anti charismatic Pentecostal rant or the dispensational ran I'll grant that but you cannot miss the significance of verse 21 now when Peter says whoever I'm not certain that Peter at this point would have included Gentiles remember in acts 10 he's still a bit hankie about going to see Cornelius God acts has to give him this vision and had to give it to him three times this happened three times Peter says and Peter come on one was not enough that you didn't get it right away that at this point I'm not sure his who ever would have included Gentiles but it will in acts 10 but you know who definitely sees this text as inclusive of Gentiles the Apostle Paul and Peter did too I'm not suggesting he didn't but here on the occasion in acts 2 acts 2 it may be argued that he didn't but in Romans chapter 10 we have that beautiful statement in verse 9 that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised him from the dead you will be saved listen to this passage I know there are some of you who do not profess faith in Christ I know there are some of you who do not know what it means to believe in Christ I know there are some of you that perhaps have been a bit confused about this reality in the past listen to the clarity and the simplicity and the beauty of the words here what the Apostle says if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised him from the dead you will be saved what what does it mean to believe we we often point to John 3 when Jesus says just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness so also must the Son of Man be lifted up what was the way of salvation for those bitten by the serpents in the Book of Numbers they looked and lived what Jesus saying in John 3 look and live suddenly heels of that way that we get for God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whoever believes in Him will have ever lasting life you know go home today and you know rack your brain over 80 70 I really wish everybody got it and understood it and said wow boy it makes sense of the entirety of the Bible but go home and wrack your brain today over this fundamental thing have I called on the name of the Lord am I saved am I going to heaven horrible things happen in this world on a daily basis who should know this better than 21st century people that carry a horrible thing conveyor in their pockets everywhere they go we get notifications all day long about horrible things horrible thing in Texas on Friday through the phone horrible thing you know all over the place all the time through the phone we know this we know that this is not you know a promise so there's not a promise of longevity for each and every one of us so go home today and ask yourself the question or better yet ask yourself right now have I called on the name of the Lord is he mine am i his do I know forgiveness have I been clothed in a righteousness not my own am I dressed in that righteousness not my own am I ready to confess with Edward mote my hope is built on nothing less than Jesus blood and righteousness I dare not trust the sweetest frame but wholly lean on Jesus name this is what Paul tells us if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised him from the dead you will be saved for with the heart one believes unto righteousness and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation for the scripture says whoever believes on him will not be put to shame other translations render it will not be disappointed can I get a yay and Amen from all of God's people there if any of us ever said wow I'm disappointed I ever came to Jesus my life is terrible it's miserable I hate it no that's not the response of the people of God in Zion they say things like man I wish I became you know twenty years earlier because I did all terrible things in that 20 year stretch it's been tough there's been trials but Christ has always been right there with me in the boat doesn't he teach the disciples that disciples get on the boat and there's waves and there's wind and there's you know calamity and tumult and our Lord is found sleeping on the in the boat and they come and said dude don't you care about you know save us what's the take-home message Christ in the boat doesn't mean that the waves will never you know stir Christ in the boat doesn't mean they'll never be strong winds Christ and the boat may oftentimes even bring such things you know when we stand for Christ in this world according the Apostle in second Timothy all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution we have another reason for horrible things to happen to us and living in the secular West it may be coming more rapidly than we ever anticipated I mean they're constantly pushing ungodly anti God stuff down our throat they don't want us to just not disapprove they want us to embrace it and accept it and rejoice in it brethren there are perilous times that punctuate this period between the first and the second coming of the Lord Jesus but for those who by the grace of God come to Jesus they'll never be put to shame they'll never be disappointed they'll never be a time in the life of a true believer who says man I wish I wouldn't have come to Jesus been terrible been horrible that's not the way our people die our people one man said die well they die well if you have not come listen to the Apostles words he says for there is no distinction between Jew and Greek for the same lord over all is rich to all who call upon him here comes Joe for whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved it's a beautiful and a wonderful and a glorious statement used by our Apostle Paul in Romans 10 to continue his explanation of the glorious gospel of Jesus Christ it's a wonderful thing that that Peter the Apostle addresses Jerusalem sinners the very city that crucified our Lord and Savior he tells them that whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved now before we end you got to understand something very significant and very awesome in the Joel prophecy who's the Lord its Yahweh isn't it it's Yahweh who's the Lord in acts 2:21 it's Jesus it's the rest of the sermon 22 239 Peter's gonna tell us how that's the case how is he Lord how is he now object of faith how is he the one upon whose name man can Paul and be saved one commentator says there's no connection between 14 to 21 and 22 to 39 they're disparate they're not connected they couldn't be more closely connected after saying and it shall come to pass that whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved Peter now tells us how Jesus is the Lord upon whose name you must call or you will not be saved the emphasis in the New Testament upon calling on the name of the Lord is a target to Christ it is the object Christ not to suggest that Yahweh and Jesus are not identifiable one God three persons but it's showing us in this new covenant setting that Yahweh is Jesus and this is the one that we need to believe in that's probably not correct Yahweh is God who exists his father son Holy Spirit typically we refer to the Yahweh but we have in our mind that he's the father and so what Peter is going to show us is the glory of Jesus Christ according to his person and work wherein he is the name upon whom men call so brethren those are some things that we ought to consider the blessedness of forgiveness just to rehash a few things and then we'll close the the blessedness of forgiveness seen in the restoration of the Apostles the wonderful consistency of the Bible you know Peter got Joel right the Jews didn't get Joel right the glorious presence of the holy spirit I did mention I want to make sure I show you that text in Daniel 9 can turn to Daniel 9 where we have a specific word concerning the end of the prophetic word Daniel nine verses 24 to 27 is referred to as the 70 weeks it's a prophecy and it is all confined to the first coming of the Lord Jesus Christ I think it's demonstrable there's some exegesis of the passage we simply don't have time but notice I know that seems weaselly for a pastor to do that we don't have time well I wanted to hear it well then we can talk later we really don't have time because if you want to hear it you know 20 others want to get home to their roast but notice in verse 20 for seventy weeks are determined for your people and for your holy city now here's the things Messiah will accomplish in his first coming one to finish the transgression two to make an end of sins three to make reconciliation for iniquity four to bring in everlasting righteousness five note this to seal up vision and prophecy to seal up vision and prophecy doesn't that tell us that vision and prophecy will be sealed up it won't be continuing into the 21st century once the New Testament Canon is completed once vision and prophecy have fulfilled the intended purpose for which God gave it it will be sealed up because those who have the Old Testament New Testament don't need to sort of look into the clouds and get a word from the Lord they need to study their Bibles more everybody wants a word from the Lord how many of you have studied Joel how many you know charismatic sore Pentecostals that are telling you busily what they what the Lord told them have actually read Amos who could give you any idea of who Amos was ask the next person that said you know the Lord spoke to me has he ever spoken to you in Leviticus you told me how to deal with that yellow hair covered sore can you keep can you tell me the the laws of quarantine you know what I'm saying people are the Lord spoke to me or I get tongs or I get prophecy or whatever they don't even know their Bible why would God give you more when you don't know what there is but Daniel tells us by inspiration of the spirit there's a day coming for vision and prophecy to be sealed not in terms of no Bible but in terms of these particular gifts given to communicate the mind of God we have to best give it gift given by God in a completed voluble it's a beautiful thing and to anoint the most holy I would argue if we continued on in verses 25 to 27 you'll see the destruction of 80s Jerusalem in AD 70 right there - as well so brethren we see the glorious presence of the holy spirit the Messianic age is characterized by an abundance and extensive influence of the Spirit of God the outpouring of the Spirit is experienced by all those who are in the new covenant community and the evidence of the spirits presence in this instance and again in chapters 8 and in chapters 10 the evidence of the spirits presence is through the signs and wonders but even in this passage you have to note that the signs and wonders give way to something what do they give way to the apostolic preaching of the cross that's what 22 239 is he doesn't say well that's all peel off into little groups and encourage one another on how to get tongues let's just prime the pump and start saying things and maybe we'll get more of these that's not the point in 22 to 39 the point is Christ lived Christ died Christ has been raised Christ has ascended to the right hand of the Father and God has made this Jesus whom you crucified both Lord and Christ you see these signs and wonders - 8 and 10 were necessary to confirm that what the Holy Spirit or the coming of the Holy Spirit was legit once we've got that confirmed why would we continue to look for the signs and wonders why are we a people that are so craving for signs and wonders why isn't the normal in the ordinary okay for us we all have to be on fire no we all just have to get out of bed and be faithful I got a burden for Jesus just show up at work and do what you're supposed to do the the normal the ordinary the mundane is as blessed and sanctioned by our Lord as Peter scanning up with reference to men and and bring in the heat just be faithful we don't need to crave signs and wonders we need to read Joel we need to read Genesis Exodus Leviticus numbers Deuteronomy and we keep going your roast is gonna burn all the way to Revelation we need to read and understand and know our God we need to be a prayerful people God uses precious few in the history of the world to actually do monumental things the church isn't littered with Martin Luther's and with John Calvin's the church is littered with regular normal ordinary folk who get out of bed who do what they're supposed to do and they do it faithfully they do it consistently they do it with discipline for 40 50 60 70 years and then they die or breathe their last and they go to be with Jesus I can't think anything better than that don't crave signs and wonders read your Bibles and then finally go to Christ whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved what a great statement what a glorious truth what a wonderful thing if you have not called on the name of the Lord call sometimes you'll see those churches where they have an altar call they tell people you need to come forward and you need to sign a card or you need to bow your head and close your eye and raise your hand you don't need to do that and you just need to call on the name of the Lord we used to preach in this place called the Bible Tabernacle it was a guy who got converted he had a bunch of money and he set up this great big tent in Santa Clarita and it was dudes that got out of prison and they needed a place to stay for a while and we would go and we would preach and afterwards sometimes the guys would say at least on one occasion this guy said you know so many people would have gotten saved if you would have a would have had an altar call you know that's just terrible theology but so many people would have gotten saved if yet you just had an altar call we would say things like our God is able to save people when they stay in their seats he doesn't need them to walk forward because he sent his son to go gather the it's a glorious wondrous thing the beauty of the gospel isn't that men accept Jesus into their heart it's that God accepts miserable sinners through the atoning work of our Lord Jesus Christ let us pray father we thank you for your word we thank you for the clarity of acts 2 and Joel 2 we thank you for the consistency and the unity of holy scripture and I pray she would give us wisdom concerning such things give us grace to marvel at the glory of God Almighty Father Son and Holy Spirit all three persons present so conspicuously in the second chapter of Acts and may it be the case that here and elsewhere and all throughout the earth today sinners would call on the name of the Lord and we pray this through Jesus Christ our Lord amen well let's turn in our Trinity hymnal to the doxology or perhaps you know it by heart and will stand and we'll close our service by singing the doxology and then a benediction from the Word of God [Music] Oh then the Lord bless you and keep you the Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace amen will please be seated