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Church picnic being planned out the date is already nailed down it will be Saturday September 15th an email will be sent in order to communicate the specific details to church picnic Saturday September 15th well for our call to worship this morning you can turn with me in your Bibles to the prophet Isaiah Isaiah chapter 11 obviously a reference to an announcement concerning the Lord Jesus Christ will read the first 10 verses of Isaiah chapter 11 there shall come forth a rod from the stem of Jesse and a branch shall grow out of his roots the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him the spirit of wisdom and understanding the spirit of counsel and might the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord his delight is in the fear of the Lord he shall not judge by the sight of his eyes nor decide by the hearing of his ears but with righteousness he shall judge the poor and decide with equity for the meek of the earth he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth and with the breath of his lips he shall slay the wicked righteousness shall be the belt of his loins and faithfulness the belt of his waist the wolf also shall dwell with the lamb the leopard shall lie down with the young goat the calf and the young lion and the fatling together and a little child shall lead them the cow and the bear shall graze their young ones shall lie down together and the lion shall eat straw like the Ox the nursing child shall play by the Cobras hole and the weaned child shall put his hand in the Vipers den they shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain for the earth shall be filled a full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea and in that day there shall be a root of Jesse who shall stand as a banner to the people for the Gentiles shall seek Him and his resting place shall be glorious amen well please turn in your Trinity Psalter to Psalm 24 Psalm 24 will stand as we sing together [Music] well let us pray God Most High it's a joy and a privilege to gather on the Sabbath day in the presence of your people to call upon you in prayer to sing the Psalms and hymns and spiritual songs unto you our great God and to hear from the Holy Scripture we bless you and we praise you and we thank you for ordaining this day for the good of our souls and we would pray that in all things you would be glorified exalted and praised we acknowledge that you are from everlasting to everlasting you are the great God Most High Father Son and Holy Spirit the God who is worthy to be feared by his creatures but we know because if sin creatures don't fear you a right so we thank you and we praise you for redemption through Christ Jesus our Lord we thank you that it's by your grace and for your glory that we have gathered here this morning we didn't save ourselves with our good works or our merit we didn't save ourselves with our own free will she chose us in him before the foundation of the world and the fullness of the time you sent forth your son born of a woman born under the law to redeem those under the law and after his life and his death and his resurrection you have sent the Holy Spirit to convict us of our sins and to show us our wayward nests and our rebellion to show us our lack of conformity for that law and that the transgression of your law and you've shown us the beauty and the glory of Jesus Christ how we thank you Lord God and how we praise you that he is altogether lovely in chief among ten thousand we know that one time our hearts opposed him at one time we were far off but you through the power of your spirit has effectually called us unto Christ and in this we rejoice thank you for the graces of faith and repentance thank you for giving us the grace to close with Christ and thank you for that that blessed yoke that he gives to us we know that it's easy we know that it's light and even in light of that we still sin against you and we confess those sins now when we come into the the Church of the Living God when we are mindful of the God of heaven and earth we see our sin before you and we confess that iniquity in that transgression trusting in the promises of the word of God the psalmist said for your name's sake Oh Lord pardon my iniquity for it is great and we would pray the same thing with our brother David and ask now that you would cleanse us in the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ we pray that this day would be a day and a means by which you would further conform us under the image of Christ that when we leave from this place it would be to pursue those things that are pleasing in your sight to let our conduct be worthy of the gospel and to bring glory to you in this lower world we pray for those who have come here that do not know the forgiveness of sins those who are still dead in their trespasses and sins and we pray to a sovereign God that today may be the day of salvation we pray that you would bring conviction and you would show sinners the glory of Jesus as you have with us and that they would come and taste and see that he is good that they would know the forgiveness of sins and the reception of an imputed righteousness that avails with God Most High may you do this for your glory and for the good of souls in this place we asked you'd be with our children our young people we know that these are wicked days that we live in we know there's always been sin in the world we know it's been prevalent yet father we pray specifically that you would shield them that you'd guard them she would surround them in their youth that they would by grace remember their Creator in their youth not only remembering in some general and vague sense but remembering on a daily basis walking in communion with Father Son and spirit seeking to bring glory to you and may you hedge them in and may you protect them and may you continually watch over each one we pray for the ladies that are pregnant we thank you for these precious gifts that you do give and we would ask God that these little ones would be healthy and and physically well and that they in due time would be born physically and we do pray one day would be born again we also pray for the churches that we know and love we pray for the Saints and Sri thang you for that work praying that your blessing would be upon them be with Pastor Mike today as he preaches the word and help him to handle accurately those scriptures and may sinners be saved and may Saints be more and more conformed unto the image of Jesus Christ and be with the plant and Vernon we thank you for that body of folk there we pray for them that you would encourage their hearts and that in your time you would supply a man the Lord Christ told his disciples the harvest is plentiful but the laborers are few we are to pray to the Lord of the harvest to raise up men we pray that even now for that work in Vernon Lord God be with the missionary enterprise be with those we know and love and support be with those Lord God that are engaged in preaching and teaching and benevolence ministry we ask that you would protect them in these lands where persons by and larger are opposed to the glory of Jesus Christ and he caused the brothers and the sisters may you caused the faithful to persevere in the midst of opposition in the midst of trial and affliction we also pray for those suffering in the persecuted Church those in chains are those under threat of death for their commitment to the Lord Christ we pray for them God we ask that you would be their portion and their lot that you would strengthen them with might in the inner man so that Christ may dwell richly in their hearts through faith and our Father we pray that this gospel would go forth throughout the earth conquering into conquer that your word would run swiftly and be glorified and that it would not return unto you void but it would accomplish the the purpose for which you sent it which is the glory of God and the salvation of sinners by Jesus Christ our Lord so do this Most High we pray and be glorified today as your church has gathered together in your midst and may you indeed be exalted and enthroned upon the praises of your people and may in all things your people bow before you confessing your majesty and your lordship owning Christ as Lord and Savior and having that joy which is that it is unsurpassable that that blessed reality that the knowledge of God is ours may this encourage us may the strengthen us may this be a means of blessing for those unable to be with us today because of illness or other challenges physically we do commit our brethren to you into the word of your grace asking that you would encourage their hearts even even in their absence from the the services of the church may they know the presence of God even on a sick bed and we ask these things through Jesus Christ our Lord amen well you can turn with me to your Trinity hymnal to him number 227 him to 2:7 we'll use a familiar tune we'll stand as we sing together [Music] [Music] you can turn in your Bibles to the Gospel of Luke or in Luke chapter 19 for our scripture reading this morning Luke 19 will pick up reading in verse 28 and read to the end of the chapter when he had said this he went on ahead going up to Jerusalem and it came to pass when he drew near to Bethpage and Bethany at the mountain called all of that that he sent two of his disciples saying go into the village opposite you where as you enter you will find a Colt tied on which no one has ever set loose it and bring it here and if anyone asks you why are you losing it thus you shall say to him because the Lord has need of it so those who were sent went their way and found it just as he had said to them but as they were loosing the Colt the owners of it said to them why are you losing the cold and they said the Lord has need of him then they brought him to Jesus and they set or they threw their own clothes on the Colt and they set Jesus on him and as he went many spread their clothes on the road then as he was drawing near the Descent her now rather then as he was now drawing near the descent of the Mount of Olives the whole multitude of the disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works they had seen saying blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord peace in heaven and glory in the highest and some of the Pharisees called to him from the crowd teacher rebuke your disciples but he answered and said to them I tell you that if these should keep silent the stones would immediately cry out now as he drew near he saw the city and wept over it saying if you had known even you especially in this your day the things that make for your peace but now they are hidden from your eyes for days will come upon you when your enemies will build an inn bank around you surround you and close you in on every side and level you and your children within you to the ground and they will not leave in you one stone upon another because you did not know the time of your visitation then he went into the temple and began to drive out those who bought and sold in it saying to them it is written my house is a house of prayer that you have made it a den of thieves and he was teaching daily in the temple but the chief priests the scribes and the leaders of the people sought to destroy him and were nabe unable to do anything for all the people were very attentive to hear him amen well we see the triumphal entry in our studies in Matthew's Gospel we saw that in many respects starting in Matthew 21 was essential for understanding the Olivet discourse in Matthew 24 and I think the same sort of thing is going on here the Olivet discourse will appear here in Luke's Gospel in Luke 21 and notice here specifically in verses 41 and following of Luke 19 as he drew near he saw the city and he wept over it saying if you had known even you especially in this your day the things that make for your peace but now they are hidden from your eyes now note verse 43 for days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment around you surround you and close you in on every side and level you and your children within you to the ground Jesus is speaking about a particular event that would come upon that generation and it was the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70 I think that if you understand that it's helpful to help out in interpreting the Olivet discourse he is not speaking of things in our future he was speaking of things that affected that particular generation the contemporaries of our Lord Jesus Christ that had crucified the Lord of glory and were now reaping the Covenant curses that God had prophesied a rather promised through Moses prophecy in Horeb in Deuteronomy chapter 28 so it's very helpful for us to see the broader context in which Biblical prophecy occurs so that we can properly interpret it then as well we ought to appreciate this triumphal and the Lord Jesus Christ comes into town and people praise Him blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord peace in heaven and glory in the highest now most likely these were Galileans Galileans had been exposed to Jesus ministry so that when it was feast time the Galileans would go to Jerusalem when Jesus makes this triumphal entry into Jerusalem it's most likely the Galileans that are praising him and they ultimately answer why because he is the Prophet the one sent from God the ones complaining obviously he represented by the Pharisees verse 39 some of the Pharisees called to him from the crowd teacher rebuke your disciples I love our Lord's response I tell you that if these should keep silent the stones would immediately cry out does he mean that he means that that Christ is so glorious and so wonderful and so excellent that if men don't praise Him the very rocks of the earth will praise it in fact if you are not a praise or of Jesus Christ this morning realize that statement you're not as smart as a rock I'm saying it in the nice way is true of you the created order praises its creator except for man you know there's a hymn we sang and it says speaking about the the death of Christ for us and it says that he would devote that head for such a worm as I and people today get offended they say oh we can't call each other worms we should change it to sinner they never ponder that sinner is far worse than worm I think that is a degradation to the worm to equate sinners with worms worms do what worms were made to do it's man that's transgressed it's man that has lacked conformity to the law of God it's man that's raised as fists it's man that's committed murder adultery theft lies covetousness and that grand sin of sins idolatry worms bring honor to their God rocks bring honor to their God if you continue to reject this God you are far worse Wurm or iraq and i would encourage you to pay attention to the preaching of the gospel today and may God by His grace show you the glory and the majesty and the excellence of Jesus Christ that one for whom the rocks cry out in praise and worship and adoration well let us pray father we thank you for your word and we thank you for this triumphal entry of our Lord into the city that would ultimately crucify him I pray that you would help us to cry out and praise and in worship and give glory and honor unto Him unto our great God Almighty may we with that bride in the song see him is altogether lovely in chief among ten thousand may this be the consistent testimony of our hearts and may we love Jesus more than we love our sin more than we love anything in this world God may you give us grace to appreciate that blessed one who died for us and who rose again I pray for the Lorenzen family I pray for Kirsten this morning and the rest of her family that you would comfort them in the midst in the wake of their mother's death we thank you that this woman had a testimony of being a godly woman and we pray that tomorrow at the funeral sinners would come to know the the Savior who had mercy on mrs. Lorenzen and we ask this through Christ our Lord amen well you can turn finally in your Trinity hymnal before the preaching of the word - number two - zero hymn number 220 will stand as we sing together [Music] [Music] we can turn with me to the book of Acts Acts chapter 3 as we continue our study in the Acts of the Apostles we remember that in verses 1 to 10 Peter and John went to pray they meet a lame man on the way and they heal him of his malady ultimately they give him salvation in the name of the Lord Jesus actually they don't give it they communicate they are the instruments it is God who saves him and here on the basis of that Solomon takes the opportunity to preach a sermon in Solomon's porch so I'll begin reading in verse 1 to remind ourselves of the larger context now Peter and John went up together to the temple at the hour of prayer the ninth hour and a certain man lame from his mother's womb was carried whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple which is called beautiful to ask alms from those who entered the temple who's seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple asked for alms and fixing his eyes on him with P John Peter said look at us so he gave them his attention expecting to receive something from them then Peter said silver and gold I do not have but what I do have I give you in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk and he took him by the right hand and lifted him up and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength so he leaping up stood and walked and entered the temple with them walking leaping and praising God and all the people saw him walking and praising God then they knew that it was he who sat begging alms at the beautiful gate of the temple and they were filled with Wonder and amazement at what had happened to him now as the lame man who was healed held on to Peter and John all the people ran together to them in the porch which is called Solomon's greatly amazed so when Peter saw it he responded to the people men of Israel why do you marvel at this or why look so intently at us as though by our own power or godliness we had made this man walk the God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob the god of Our Fathers glorify his servant Jesus whom you delivered up and denied in the presence of Pilate when he was determined to let him go but you denied the Holy One and the Jost and asked for a murderer to be granted to you and killed the Prince of life whom God raised from the dead of which we are witnesses and his name through faith in his name has made this man strong whom you see and know yes the faith which comes through him has given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all yet now brethren I know that you did it in ignorance as did also your rulers but those things which God foretold by the mouth of all his prophets that the Christ would suffer he is thus fulfilled repent therefore and be converted that your sins may be blotted out so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord and that he may send Jesus Christ who was preached to you before whom heaven must receive until the times of restoration of all things which God has spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began for Moses truly said to the fathers the Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from your brethren him you shall hear in all things whatever he says to you and it shall be that every soul will not hear that prophet shall be utterly destroyed from among the people yes and all the prophets from Samuel and those who follow as many as have spoken have also foretold these days your sons of the prophets and of the Covenant which God made with our fathers saying to Abraham and in your seed all the families of the earth shall be blessed to you first God having raised up his servant Jesus sent him to bless you in turning away every one of you from your iniquities amen well let us ask God's help as we look to his word father thank you for this written word of God thank you for the preaching of Peter thank you for the preaching of the Apostles throughout the book of Acts and the continual emphasis the constant refrain on the gospel of Jesus Christ our Lord these men weren't seeking praise for themselves these men were not to get followers after themselves these men preach the centrality of Christ and him crucified and we would pray Lord God that we would see this one again it's altogether lovely and may you indeed fill us with your Holy Spirit give us eyes and hearts to receive the truth give us ears to hear and receive and give us grace to stand amazed and to marvel at what a gracious and glorious Savior we have and what a wonderful Bible we have the consistency of it the the scope of the whole the consent of all the parts to bring glory to God Almighty and we pray these things through Jesus Christ our Lord amen well as I said this miracle of healing in verses 1 to 10 sets the stage of the foundation upon which this sermon follows and Peter does what he does in his sermon on the day of Pentecost remember that on the day of Pentecost the Spirit comes in great power men begin to speak in other tongues which are languages intelligible languages and there are those who mock and say that they are filled with new wine or with sweet wine so Peter stands up in the midst of that crowd and he first of all says what wasn't the case and then he says what is the case these men are not drunk as you suppose since it's only the third hour but rather this is what was spoken by the Prophet Joel and he tells us joel 2:28 and following is fulfilled before their eyes and then he sets forth the glory and the supremacy of Jesus Christ in his life in his death in his resurrection and in his exaltation well Peter does the same thing here verse 12 he says why do you marvel why are you so surprised if Christ could heal lame man when is in his earthly ministry certainly he can heal lame men from the the right hand of his father but as well it's not because of our power or our godliness so he denies her he says what this isn't it's not the Apostles power it's not the apostles godliness it's not their virtue so Peter essentially says I don't have silver I don't have gold I don't have power I don't have godliness but what I have is the name of Jesus Christ and that is powerful and that is what men desperately need to hear or they perish in their sins so he says what this isn't and then he says what this is and he highlights the authority of the name of Jesus in verses 11 to 16 we saw that last week and we noted that Peter isn't simply trying to inform them of a better biblical mindset he's not simply passing along information that this Jesus is the one that was prophesied in the Old Testament this Jesus is the one that is the a amen of all the promises of God he's certainly doing that but he wants them to believe on this Jesus he wants them to come to this Jesus he wants them to know this Jesus to be saved by this Jesus so he tells them about their sin he tells them what is necessary for them to hear because if a man a woman a boy or girl doesn't see their sin they will never see their need for the Savior the Savior summarized it well when he said I didn't come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance in other words you need to know something about yourself before you'll ever appreciate who Jesus is if we have a low view of sin we will inevitably have a low view of the Savior by low view I don't mean we ought to have a high view in the sense that wow it's wonderful but we ought to have a biblical understanding of what the Bible says concerning sin it's not a small thing it's no light matter breaking the law of God is condemned by God those who do so are liable to the punishment and to the judgment of God those who do so are liable to wrath and curse and judgment in fact note the language that the Apostle appeals to in verse 23 it shall be that every soul who will not hear that prophet shall be utterly destroyed from among the people that is the state or condition of those who hear the remedy for their sin and reject it they despise it they forsake it this is why it's important for Peter to tell these people what they had done in terms of their rebellion against God is not our power not our godliness but rather it's the God of Abraham the god of Isaac the God of Jacob he is the one that is over all of this stuff he is the one who glorified his servant Jesus that servant of the prophet Isaiah that servant found in Isaiah 42 Isaiah 49 Isaiah 50 Isaiah 52 and 53 that servant was glorified by the father but that servant is the one you deny that servant is the one you delivered up to Pilate that servant is the one you rejected when given the opportunity to choose that servant or rather to choose murdering traitorous wretched Barabbas you would rather have Barabbas but you killed the Prince of life Peter says to these men you killed the very author of life you asked for a murderer and you despised the one who is in fact the Prince of life so he is doing this for a particular reason and that particular reason is now found in verses 17 and following so we've seen the authority of the name of Jesus verses 11 to 16 now will notice the necessity of repentance from sin in verses 17 to 21 and if we have time we'll look at the consistency of the Old Testament witness to Jesus in verses 22 to 26 because one of the reasons Peter keeps citing from the Old Testament is to highlight to these Jews that he is not doing something that the Bible already hadn't told them about that's why he cites Abraham that's why he cites Moses that's why he cites the Old Testament witness is not Peter and the Apostles that have misunderstood the scriptures it's the unbelieving Jews that have misunderstood the Scriptures and that's why Peter grounds his message in that reality but note first with reference to this necessity of repentance three things to consider here first the ignorance of the Jews second the plan of God and third the call to repentance but note the ignorance of the Jews in verse 17 yet now brethren brethren there doesn't mean believers later on he speaks of them as being sons of the prophets and of the Covenant that doesn't mean savingly they had this attachment to the God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob when he calls them brethren he is speaking as a Jew to fellow Jews he's not speaking as a believer to fellow believers he certainly hopes that they'll become believers he certainly hopes that they'll repent from their sin and come to the Savior but when he says yet now brethren he is being gracious you see that sort of approach that only ever yells at people probably isn't balanced we need to actually address people as image bearers of God and realize that at least according to the flesh they might need brethren so he's not shy in bringing conviction for sin he is not shy and telling them that they denied and they delivered up the the holy and the just one but he comes to them and he says yet now brethren yet you see what Peter wants to do or Peter is doing Peter wants them to listen he wants them to pay attention he wants them to come to the Savior Peter is being all things to all men so that he might win some to Christ and when he says I know that you did it and in ignorance as did also your rulers he is not minimizing he is not excusing and he is certainly not mitigating their guilt and culpability in the crucifixion of the Savior all the stuff that he had previously said is true they did deliver him up to Pilate they did deny him they did do these wicked and terrible things asking for Barabbas and yet crucifying the very Prince of life the idea here is that ignorance does not imply in a sense it's intriguing because Paul in first Timothy chapter 1 verse 13 tells us that he acted ignorantly and then he goes on in verse 15 to describe himself as the chief sinner the book of numbers specifies that there is a necessity for atonement even over what's called unintentional sins Lourdes if you went out during the day and you did some horrific or a Choshu snake and it wasn't intentional there was nevertheless atonement required so that you would have right relationship to God and the community that was necessary so when Peter says I know that you did it in ignorance again we are not to understand this as innocence any more than we are to understand Paul in first Timothy why 13 Paul is the one that before his conversion held the garments of those who are throwing stones at Stephen Saul had blood on his hands Saul dragged men and women both off to prison Saul was consenting giving Hardy approval to the death of Stephen when he was martyred so whatever ignorance means it cannot mean innocence what I think ignorance means is ignorance of their scriptures ignorance of the truth of God's Word you did it in ignorance because nobody in their right mind would have ever denied and delivered up the one that their Old Testament Scriptures announced was coming to them you did in an ignorance not in a sense that doesn't excuse it what you've done is wicked what you've done you're responsible for what you've done you're culpable for that they were ignorant ignorant of the truth they didn't see that Christ Jesus was the man prophesied in the Old Testament the ignorance was an ignorance of the spirit or scriptural truth concerning the Messiah and how Jesus fulfilled all those things it's kind of like the ignorance that people have today again they hear the word of God preached they read it for themselves they see that that Jesus is this one prophesied in the Old Testament they see that Jesus is this one who lived in obedience to the father's law he died as a sacrifice at the cross he died as a substitute for sinners he was raised the third day and yet in their ignorance they continued to reject him they continued to spy's him and they continued to think things like well that's not really important it's an amazing thing brethren that in North America people really don't think a lot about eternity we think about today and we think about you know 5 10 15 20 years we think about retirement we think about weekends we think about schools we think about marriage we think about you know certain significant life decisions but we don't think about death we don't think about judgment we don't think about Hebrews 9 it is appointed for man to die and then judgment we don't think about eternity we don't consider where will we fly away we don't consider what lies on the other side of the grave of the we don't think about that and I suppose or I suspect that some in this place right now don't give thought to these things you're ignorant boy I don't want to go to that church again he told me I wasn't as smart as a rock and he told me that I was ignorant exactly precisely the Bible is clear as to who Jesus is the Bible is equally clear as to who you are all we like sheep have gone astray every single one of us has turned aside there is none righteous no not one there is none who seeks after God there is not a no fear of God before the eyes of carnal man the Bible is crystal clear why in ignorance will you continue to resist and reject this why would you continue to plan for you no future education or future marital plans or you know future retirement plans without thinking of the truth that you may die today and stand in the presence of a holy God why is it that way why do we have this native predilection against considering God heaven eternal things never try to talk to somebody about the truth of the gospel especially here in North America well why would I need the gospel what good news is there for me I'm rich I'm successful I got a wonderful family I got a wonderful wife I got wonderful kids I got a wonderful bank account I got a wonderful retirement plan all this stuff is in order because the church by and large has reduced the gospel to a to a message of niceness and happiness and have forgotten the fact that it's a gospel of righteousness we tell those well adjusted humans in North America you're a sinner standing justly liable to the wrath and fury of God most high this see if maybe that will even that doesn't arouse them I mean you still need the power of the Holy Spirit were hardened deadened you're ignorant this morning I bid you I plead with you I encourage you to stop especially those raised in the church those who have heard the gospel every week those who've heard the gospel every night with faithful parents those who have read the gospel for themselves in ignorance would you continue to resist and reject the only one there is to save you from your sins like you see that's what I think he say it's not you're ignorant because you're just not the brightest bulbs in the chandelier ignorance it's a willful ignorance and rejection of the truth of God's holy scriptures that testify that Jesus is the man see toward the end of the sermon he's going to appeal to Moses and this Moses like prophet he's going to appeal to Samuel and the rest of the prophets who spoke of Messiah he's going to appeal to to the Davidic King and that that subset there and then he's going to appeal to to Abraham you see all of these things testify something that should have been obvious something that should have been clear something you should have gotten just like those Pharisees at the triumphal entry why are these people singing Hosanna to the son of or calling this man the son of David and singing Hosanna to him Jesus says I tell you the truth if these men don't do it the rocks are gonna rise up and do it that's a willful ignorance that's a rejection of the truth of holy scripture so he's not saying it's that you're just not intellectually bright but rather you have a willful ignorance you've misread the Scriptures and it's the apostles who have come now to interpret properly you now know it's secondly the plan of God verse 18 intriguingly what they did actually serve the plan of God you see God's sovereignty is comprehensive it includes even the wicked acts of men if you want more detail on this I point you to our confession of faith the chapter on divine providence is very helpful the discussion and most of the the standard reformed systematic theologies is most helpful we certainly don't have time this morning or the ability and competency to explain every jot and tiddle between God's sovereignty and the evil acts of men but suffice for a full suffice for us now to say that the evil acts of men are included in the plan of God and overruled to serve the glory of God and the good of his people and that's precisely what verse 18 says notice but those things which God foretold by the mouth of all his prophets that the Christ would suffer he has thus fulfil the hearers ignorant is on further display in the fact that God foretold this by all the prophets specifically that Christ would suffer see most everybody knows that the the Jews had this expectation of a messiah that would be this sort of royal authority that would subjugate the Roman Empire and the Jews would have you know predominance there'd be a you know the chicken in every pot there'd be a car in every driveway there'd be a job for every man the Jews would be elevated to a place of great earthly esteem and pristine prestige but the Old Testament continually preached a suffering Messiah you say well where does it preach that I know it does in Isaiah 53 it does that all over we're going to consider genesis 3:15 in more detail tonight but consider genesis 3:15 he shall bruise your heel the the devil would bruise the heel of the seat of the woman that implies suffering I'll argue tonight it implies death Genesis 22 remember when when Abraham is told to go up to Mount Moriah with his son his only son the son that he loves and to sacrifice him Mount Moriah the the site of the future temple Abraham takes him up there and Isaac's bright enough to say you know we got the fire we got the wood we got everything but the sacrifice what does Abraham say the Lord will provide and then when we read in verse 13 they see this ram caught in the thicket Abraham takes that and sacrifices it instead of his son that's not just written to tell us nice moral stories about life in Abraham's day it's to point us to Jesus the whole Levitical system what's Israel taught Israel's taught Leviticus what Michael Morales rightly identifies that Israel is taught that the way to God the way to Yahweh is through a bloody knife and a smoking altar again it's not that the blood of those bulls and goats could ever take away sin Paul tells us that later in Hebrews but they point us to Jesus in other words this idea of a suffering servant this idea of a suffering Masaya this is not confined to one small location in the Old Testament Psalm 22 we considered that I think two weeks ago on a Sunday night Psalm 22 actually gives us more information about the physical torments that Christ suffered on the cross and the gospel records do Psalm 22 details the suffering of Messiah even more vividly than Matthew Mark Luke and John for those who say we shouldn't sing the Psalms or not many songs because it doesn't have Jesus we get more Jesus to some degree in Psalm 22 than we do in Matthew Mark and Luke Luke and John now I'm not saying get rid of Matthew Mark Luke and John Jesus is the focus of the song Jesus is the songs it's all about him doesn't he doesn't he do this with his disciples he he starts with Moses he he goes to the songs he goes through the prophets to show how all those things testified of him and it wasn't the Messiah that they had envisaged it wasn't the Messiah that they were expecting it wasn't a chicken in every pot sort of Messiah it wasn't a subjugate the Roman government Messiah but it was rather a suffering servant that would give his life in the stead of his people just like that ram caught in the thicket just like that suffering servant in Isaiah's prophecy in Isaiah 53 he was bruised he was stricken he was afflicted as a man of sorrows he was acquainted with grief the the chastisement for our peace was was laid upon him they missed that they were completely baffled by that they didn't interpret it properly Peter is not only preaching the gospel to them but he's giving them a lesson in what's called hermeneutics of the science of interpretation he's telling them the very scrolls the very Torah the very prophets the very writing the very things that you have on your hat on you miss the biggest point you ever get that in your life yet you miss the point sometimes yeah your wife says you know the house burned down today honey and everything's been destroyed in the rubble and all is gone and we just have nothing and Hobbie replies by saying something like but is the the car okay hobby we just lost every and your concern is for your car you miss the point come home hubby we got to do some fixing and some things they missed the point the testimony from Genesis to Malachi is Jesus and they were ignorant but they served the plan of God notice this fulfillment verse 18 those things which God foretold by the mouth of all his prophets that the Christ would suffer he has thus fulfilled the things spoken by the prophets be savvy the very suffering spoken by the prophets are fulfilled by these men that had received the prophets you see why they're ignorant it's willful it's not innocence its culpable they're responsible they're sinful they're responsible one man says he summarizes the thought this way God not only reversed your ignorant wickedness and putting Jesus to death by raising him from the dead he actually used your folly as the means of fulfilling his own purpose which he had previously declared through all the prophets that's our God even the wrath of man shall praise Him our God is the God who takes a crooked thing and can make something straight out of it our God is able to take saul of tarsus and raise him up to be Paul the Apostle our God is able to take the that the base the debase the the ignoble the the despised and lowly things and raise them up and do amazing things I mean just consider would you have picked the original 12 you'd have probably picked you know companies and squadrons and and and battalions of men to take the gospel across the fruited Plains Jesus takes 12 men one of which is going to betray him and the rest of the 11 they're not the kinds of guys that walk around like they're 8 foot tall and and bulletproof I mean that Christ and the scorned narrative in Matthew chapter 8 these guys are afraid that they wake Jesus from his slumber and they say Lord we are perishing these are men that had been on the sea these were men that had known this see these men were men that had probably experienced similar things and yet it's their cry that disturbs the Savior more than the storm itself you've got Peter would you have chosen beter if you knew Peter now well he finishes great in fact his sermon on the day uh in port Solomon's portico is wonderful Peter tonight is Lord three times brethren God uses even the wicked acts of man for his glory and for our good now again that may not satisfactorily fix all of life's issues for you that may produce or present even more questions in your head but settle it that God is wise God is eternal God is good I love the way a Seth before he tells us as for me my foot nearly slipped in Psalm 73 he starts off with this axiomatic truth Yahweh is good see brethren that's what we need to keep in our heads we need to understand that even the wrath of man does praise him that even the wicked acts of men do serve Him I don't know how and I don't know why I can't explain the various aspects in terms of suffering and problems and life on this earth I mean there are things that just cause me to to shatter when I consider it as I'm sure there are for you as well the brethren God is good he's on the throne you know the kids today say oh I got this God's got this and faith holds on even in the midst of the trials even in the midst of the storms even when everything around us seems like it's crumbling isn't this the point of psalm 46 though the mountains crumble though Cham fall in to the Pacific Ocean we're to be still and know that God is God that he will be exalted among the nations that he will be exalted in the earth we have attack here a classic text that shows us that God uses even the wicked acts of man and brings good to pass Joseph's learned this lesson didn't he you think you've got family problems as anybody in your family ever wanted to kill you and then thrown you into a pit and then sold you as a slave to a foreign people probably not if they have I apologize that's a terrible thing what's Joseph say when all is said and done in Genesis 50:20 you meant this for evil but God overruled it for good you see we tried a Monday Morning Quarterback with God when we only have a piece of the puzzle we get a little piece in the center of the puzzle and we flip out at God oh I can't believe this God's got it all figured out God has it all purposed God's told us a response in times of trial believe you me brethren Romans 8:28 isn't in your Bible to encourage you on the best of days we know all things work together for good when I've got money in my account when my wife is happy when my kids are happy when my dog does the dog thing outside all that does show me that God is for me Romans 8:28 means that God causes all bad things all terrible things all horrible things all miserable things all things that make you don't even want to get out of bed in the morning all the sorts of things that paralyze you the sorts of things that make your guts feel like they're just in turmoil he causes those things to work for good see faith just lays hold of that and says yeah God thank you faith start Psalm 73 with Asaph truly God is good to Israel as for me he says I almost lost my my footing I saw the wicked safar the wicked flourish I saw the the righteous suffer and it just bugged me this is the the paraphrase of Psalm 73 it just drove me nuts when I saw that I saw my brethren the godly the righteous the faithful suffering in their lives and I saw these wicked people just prospering everything that they touch seemed to turn to gold seem to turn to money they get the promotions they get the you know the beautiful people to surround them they get the cars the wealth the houses it didn't make sense for him until I went into the sanctuary it's when I use the public means of grace if I can be Reformation 'el in my approach here so when I went to church and I got God's perspective on the things around me and it made sense and I understood thou dost shortly put them in Slippery places they've got a recompense coming where has the righteous go to be with Christ brethren faith holds these things faith can't explain all these things if we can successfully explain every jot and tittle of the Bible we would in fact be as God there's always mystery there's always good and rub there's always a nigma I think the most dangerous people in the world the people who have the Bible all figured out really the God who is from everlasting to everlasting the God who is infinite eternal and unchangeable in his being in his wisdom and his power and his holiness and his justice goodness and truth you've got him all figured out brethren the most of us don't have the day figured out getting out of bed is an accomplishment for some of us at some point at in life finding the coffee maker stopping at stop signs trying to make heads or tails out of how to deal with a pretty and yet some are gonna say I got it all figured out you do not most certainly have it all figured out God is infinite and we are not God uses even a wicked man wicked acts of man to accomplish his purpose and that is precisely the thrust of verse 18 those things which God foretold by the mouth of all his prophets that the Christ would suffer he has thus fulfilled well these guys wouldn't had to think long and say well he must have fulfilled them through us because we despised we denied we delivered up we asked for Barabbas and we crucified the Lord of glory so Peter tells them that even their wickedness is in the plan of God and God uses it for his glory and for his good again faith doesn't have all the answers but faith lays hold of God in such things now let's look finally up this call to repentance in verses 19 to 21 and for those of you who think that oh he said we'd get to 22 and 20 to 26 we're not we'll just take up 19 to 21 and then finish note first the commands given and then secondly the blessings described I've often said that in the biblical record God tells us certain things and then he gives us these incentives as if we would need an incentive to come to God well you know obviously we do because he gives them to us oh you know everyone in thirst let him come let him call it by and glut himself a delight himself and in Milkin and in wine and and in water so that this that the prophets invitation in Isaiah 55 and he says come let your soul delight itself in abundance what's God doing he's not only telling you to come but he's telling you why you should come it's like when Jesus says the Son of man has come to seek and to save that which was lost and and in John 10 when he says he lays down his life that the Sheep may have life and that they might have it abundantly what is that but an enticement or an incentive if I were to invite you over tonight and say hey come to my house I'm gonna make the best bar burgers ever it's the best burgers ever that would be the enticement or the incitement for you to come the command has come the the reason why is because you're gonna eat the best burger ever now please don't show up at my house tonight looking for a burger my wife is away and I simply don't want to cook burgers for everybody here you see the point God not only tells us to come he gives us all these reasons why we should that's what Peter does here but the commands to fold he says first repent we've met this word already in Acts chapter 2 the preaching on the day of Pentecost repent and let every one of you be baptized the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins that's no new word repent Peter says repent simply means to change one's mind to feel remorse repent be converted alexander defines repentance is this way he says regret or sorrow is only one of its ingredients it's not just to feel bad about sin if it was just to feel bad about sin then he saw repented and Judas repented but the scripture tells us they didn't repent you see what I'm saying just because you feel bad over sin doesn't mean you're repenting a lot of people out there feel bad over certain things they do right doesn't mean they repented the repentance in the called exhorted here is a change of mind it's a change of heart it's a change of you now certainly fruits follow that but it is that he says regret or sorrow is only one of its ingredients evangelical repentance in its widens widest sense is an entire revolution of the principles and practice of the heart and light in other words it's Paul in Philippians chapter 3 what things were gain to me these are like dumb now I want no truck with those things anymore I have Jesus see that's what Jesus does when he comes to a sinner he doesn't just tack himself on or glom on to your already excellent life no he revolutionizes the way you think about life there is this transformation there is this this change that occurs and Peter says repent and then notice he says be converted new King James translates it that way it almost sounds like it's a passive be converted something has to happen to you now this is certainly true in John 3 something has to happen to you it's a passive form of the verb be born again or be born from above this has to happen to you we should translate it that way in John 3 here it's not a passive be converted rather it's an active he converted time is maybe a better during of the turn the new King James translates it converted a lexicon says it means to change one's mind or course of action for better or for worse turn return now the better commentators that I read sort of encapsulate the two terms this way repent from your wickedness and turn unto God that's a good way to understand what Peter is saying here here's your wickedness you've done these horrible things you've done these wicked things and the way that you are approach life now going forward is to repent of those things change your mind as to the legitimacy of crying out away with him away with him crucify him change your mind with reference to what happened there at Golgotha change your mind from what you've done in terms of the Lord of glory and turn to God no preference I just would like to make obvious the obvious notice what Peter is saying to these Jerusalem sinners he's telling them to turn to God what does that imply it means that God this is the most excellent thing ever well actually we see them isn't that incredible we see that in chapter 2 as well Jerusalem sinners remember that's who Peters preaching to both in chapters 2 and 3 now why do I call them Jerusalem sinners because they were the sinners that cried out away with him away with him crucify him they were the ones humanly responsible for the death by crucifixion of the Lord of glory and yet God the Lord through his inspired Apostle Peter tells them to repent from their sins and to turn to God and the promises is that when they turn he will receive beautiful that the Lord Most High shows that kind of grace he shows that kind of mercy he shows that kind of I speak in the manner of man the willingness to receive sinners notice the blessings notice what he says verses 19 B to 21 he says repent verse 19 and there therefore and be converted that your sins may be blotted out that's the first of the blessings described that your sins may be blotted out for those of us who have had their sins blotted out isn't this the best thing ever you hear little girls talk like that that's the best thing ever well anybody who's been forgiven of their sins knows what the best thing ever is it's not a new car it's not a summer home it's not a big bank account it's the reality that my sin oh the Bliss of this glorious thought my sin not in part but the whole is nailed to the cross and I bear it no more praise the Lord praise the Lord that's the best thing ever and that's what Peter says for those who repent of their sins those who turn to God that your sins may be blotted out the language is rich and beautiful the verb means to remove so as to leave no trace to remove destroy obliterate to get rid of it completely we see the verb in psalm 51 david psalm of repentance david says in psalm 51 9 hide your face from my sins and blot out all my iniquities that's a very appropriate prayer for a man who's guilty of the sins of adultery and murder this is a very appropriate way for a sinner to pray when he comes to God he asks God hide your face from my sins and blot out all my iniquities we see the verb or we see the the same idea in the prophet Isaiah enduring Isaiah 43 Isaiah 43 this whole idea blotting out sin you've seen the commands repent be turned and the blessings the first is the blotting out of sins notice in the prophet isaiah 43:25 i even i am he who blots out your transgressions for my own sake and i will not remember your sins that beautiful isn't that what we rejoice in and isn't this what gets us out of bed in the morning gets us to church on Sunday me brethren when all is said and done Christians aren't a people that are better than anyone else Christians aren't the virtuous among the earth we ought to always be ready to say with Peter are you following because of my power godliness cuz I ain't God either but we've got forgiveness we've got sins blotted we've got Yahweh of Israel making this pronouncement that he does it for his sake his name is on the line his faithfulness is at stake his glory is what is uppermost notice in the prophet Isaiah 44 44 21 remember these Oh Jacob in Israel for you are my servant I have formed you you are my servant Oh Israel you will not be forgotten by me I have blotted out like a thick cloud your transgressions and like a cloud your sins return to me for I everyday deemed you may we see that right now don't we might not be a cloudy day but it's a smoky day you go further into the interior it's very smoky such that you can hardly see anything we all know what a cloudy day is I know in the midst of August we forget what it's like to have all those clouds brethren in a month and a half we will remember all too vividly we will know this passage like we've never known it before when that rain comes and those clouds are stuck in the sky what does it do it blots out the Sun we can't see it we don't think it's there and God uses this analogy to tell us what he does with our sin I have blotted out like a thick cloud your transgressions and like a cloud your sins return to me for I have redeemed you the verb is used in Colossians Colossians chapter 2 the Apostle is highlighting the blessings of salvation in Jesus Christ Colossians 2:14 and 15 having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us which was contrary to us and he has taken it out of the way having nailed it to the cross having disarmed principalities and powers he made a public spectacle of them triumphing over them in it this whole idea of having wiped out that which was contrary he was taking it out of the way he has blotted out our iniquities now some of you may be here this morning laden with inequities some of you might have done bad things this morning might have done bad things last night there might be something horrible in your past and you're just thinking about it and you hear about you know preaching on sin he starts to think man I've got my share of issues there's a way to be rid of those issues that it's in the person and in the work of the Lord Jesus Christ there's a way to unburden your soul this morning there's a way to find peace with God there's a way to that joyous and blessed reception of Evan itself and it's to come to the Lord God Most High through His Son Jesus Christ seriously is there anything better than the forgiveness of sins there just isn't blotted out sins as a most blessed day remember that woman which was a sinner she comes into the house of the Pharisee she finds our Lord she humbles herself before his feet she takes her hair she weeps over his feet she wipes him thoroughly and she is showing the love that she has why because her sins which were many were forgiven therefore she loved much the greatest lovers of Jesus are those who at least at one time were the greatest sinners against Jesus and that's what that woman which was a sinner illustrates think about King David think about David Psalm then Psalm 51 think about the rest of the Psalms that David composed if you had one thought if you had to summarize David well you'd probably say well he was the king of Israel okay I get that in terms of his religious life he'd say he loved God didn't he and he's read of Psalms and that's what comes out he loved God he really loved God there was one time he was going to be excluded from the very promised land itself he didn't want to go because it would remove him from the presence of God he didn't want to take that as a job he didn't even want to leave the confines of israel for fear of missing out on God he loved God he was a branch that was forgiven much by God so if you don't know this blotting out of your sins listen to Peter repent and turn notice as well times of refreshing from the presence of the Lord repent therefore and be converted that your sins may be blotted out so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord it's that beautiful don't we all need times of refreshing from the presence of the Lord yeah I'd like to go to the beat that's that's not what's in view it's not sitting on the beach it's not you know seeing the ocean it's times of spiritual refreshment those encouragement from God Most High it's the cheering of the weary pilgrim it's the supper of the Lord it's the presence of God's people it's the singing of Psalms to God it's the preaching of the word of God it's private prayer with God it's private reading of Scripture with God what do we gain from that our sins have been blotted out but we have these these times of refreshing from the presence of the Lord so I think you're crazy back to the rock back to this third alarm you're crazy if you are a believer in Jesus Christ and you don't use the means he's given for your good why why won't you use what God's given you that's a gift said this before with reference to the Sabbath oh the Sabbath it's terrible it was a gift made by God given for the good of man do you ever do that to your parents or to a spouse they hand you a wonderful gift and you say oh that's miserable that's terrible that is just dastardly get it away from me that's what the bulk of the church does with reference to the Sabbath the Sabbath is the market day of the soul the Sabbath is when the Saints of Zion get to draw together with one another into the very corner of heaven it's where God is in the new covenant community in a special way y'all wait loves the gates of Zion more than all the dwelling places of Jacob you know the devil will whisper to you on a Sunday morning you've had a tough we got a sniffle you've got some issues you've got some problems you don't feel like going you shouldn't go brethren fight through that young families it's the only day of the week where every shoe is lost where every Bible is misplaced where every diaper is dirty it is the only day where all of those things converge upon busy parents to say well we should just stay home no do not stay home fight through it why so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord you know this week Wednesday you've got an early meeting and the tendency is going to be well I'm gonna sleep right up until the edge get that quick cup of coffee and make the meeting get up earlier and read your Bible why so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord note my language may come it's not formulaic if you approach God that way you're approaching him the way Canaanites approached Bale God is not manipulatable God is not a vending machine God is not the sort of deity that you put two coins in of prayer and out pops your blessing times of refreshing may come but that may come as a blessed incentive but brethren you should still read your Bibles and pray you should still come to church well I'm not sure it's going to come the refreshing may not be there do what you're supposed to do let's just get you know real down to brass tacks what happened to that ethic in our world you know just doing what we're supposed to do that's almost a revolutionary concept it why do you just go to work and work hard and be on time it's cuz I'm supposed to that's a legit argument that's a good thing that the promise of Yahweh is that those who repent those who turn onto God receive the blotting out of sin and that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord but that's not all that's not the only incentive I think these times of refreshing is actually G notice in verse 20 and that he may send Jesus Christ who was preached or announced or rather appointed the there's a variant reading here it's either that he may send Jesus Christ who has preached to you as we got in the New King James every other translation based on the other tax type says and that he may send Jesus Christ who was appointed to you before either way the idea is this I don't think the sending of Jesus in this verse is 1st or 2nd coming Jesus I think it's Jesus by a spirit and word this is what Paul prays for the Ephesian so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith you see the blessing of God is the blotting out of our iniquity times of refreshing from the presence of the Lord and and and may I suggest those times of refreshing from the presence of the Lord are the Lord Himself it's that known Christ to use an old Puritan word or per Puritan phrase it's a felt Christ now we can overdo that and get engaged in some pietistic existential experiential ism that's just bizarre and has no truck with biblical truth the Brethren ought to be that that known presence of Christ and the lives of God's people because the Spirit dwells in us the word is our our constant guide and source and encouragement and this is what Peter holds out to those who repent and to those who turn so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord and that he may send Jesus Christ who was preached to you before now this is a bit of a tricky statement verse 21 whom heaven must receive until the times of restoration of all things which God has spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began now essentially what I think is being said here and again we don't have time to get into all this is that that Christ on his ascension sad enthroned at the right hand of the Father and he was sit and throne at the right hand of the Father until the restoration of all things restoration of all things is when Jesus comes again in glory to judge the living in the dead the restoration of things is the new heavens and the new earth the restoration of all things is the consummated glory that the people of God have in their future so the idea is I think reading through this is that those who repent those return to the Lord received that blotting out of their iniquities those who repent those who turn to the Lord are those who know those times of refreshing that that may come from the presence of the Lord those who repent and those who turn to God are those who will experience the Lord Himself by word by spirit it's not like Jesus is going to show up at the end of your bed in the morning and say wake up let's have a day together that's not it the physical presence of Jesus but by Spirit work you have the presence of Christ and this is the church's benefit in blessing this is the church's gift this is the church's unspeakable glory to have until the restoration of all things in other words Christ enthroned at the right hand of the Father on high does not leave his church destitute he does not leave them orphans he is there with them he is present among them we see that blessed scene in the book of Revelation where is Christ with reference to those lampstands he's in the midst of them Christ is with his people the behold I stand at the door and knock revelation 3:20 that is not a personal invitation text that is a promise to churches those who hear my voice and those who open to me I will come and I will sup with you see Peter has a high view of church a blessed view of Christ relative to the church and this is why if you are sitting here this morning unsaved you need to repent and turn to God why because your sins will be blotted out why because times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord why you may receive the presence of the Lord himself in your life and why because this is God's purpose and plan until Christ comes and the restoration of all things at hand the consummated glory in other words Christ is at the right hand of the Father there to bring glory to the Father to be sure but to bring benefit and blessing and riches to his people to his church beautiful beautiful language that we ought not to ourselves out of because we're too lazy to show up at church because we're too apathetic or were too lethargic or we listen to the devil on a Sunday morning or on a Sunday evening rather than the Word of God yeah there's probably a hundred reasons why you may not need to come to church today but don't listen to it if y'all way loves the gates of Zion more than all the dwelling places of Jacob guess where you ought to be the gates of Zion that's the correct answer you see Peter says what you need to do and Peter says why you should do it Jesus does this in his ministry as well we'll close here Jesus does this in his ministry as well he doesn't just tell you come to me he says come to me and I will I will rest you jesus says so that what we all want rest times of refreshing this world is pretty antithetical to biblical faith isn't it it gets pretty discouraging many of us have known of that that the government got a Herman Herman or Dermot Gosnell for many years ago I remember when the when the cops the feds first invaded his place of business and they were horrified at the things they found in cupboards at this abortion clinic after many years they've made a movie of this and it's called I think America's greatest serial killer at least it's subtitled that way do you ever just think I don't want to live in a world where there's a God's now I think that somebody out there is probably saying I don't want to live in a world where there's a gym Butler so I get that I understand that the you know it goes both ways we don't want rest we're all weary we're all heavy laden talking about your work a day a week I'm talking about oh I slept this around all day long and I'm just burned out tired talking about seeing when Jesus says all you who are weary and heavy-laden he isn't talking about those farmers who just came in out of the field that are sweating and their muscles are aching he's right about those who are burdened with sin davidic cry in psalm 130 out of the depths I have cried to thee O God Lord hear my voice what is it they put it in that place Florida if if thou Lord shuts mark iniquities O Lord who could stand that thought alone I'll bury the best of men since but there is forgiveness with thee that thou mayst be feared you see Jesus not only says calm but he says come to me and I will keep you rest I will justify you I will give you forgiveness of sins and I will give you the righteousness that is my own that will avail with my father because that's what I did in my life I obeyed the father perfectly every jot every tittle and I did that for a reason not just to set out an exemplary life not just to teach Christian ethics but to satisfied God's requirement for obedience and I not only lived in obedience to that law but I died on the cross and again not for some sort of moral sappy sort of thought that oh we should just be like Jesus no he stood in the place of his people he bore the wrath due for our sins he was a substitute he was a sacrifice so that based on his doing and his dying and his being raised on the third day wretched sinners like us who by God's grace would repent and turn to him find that her sins are blotted out Jesus gives rest Jesus alone gives rest do not continue in that burdensome state of sin and misery but come to Jesus it's every reason in the Bible why you should come I know they'll be out there people say well here's a lot of reasons why you shouldn't might be might be teenagers might be periods you know well if you come to Jesus then you can't do this so if you come to Jesus then you can't do that might be adults you come to Jesus you can't do this you can't do that might be a theological system that says you can't come to Jesus because Jesus doesn't tell you to go brother listen to the Word of God if Peter the Apostle on this day stands up and says repent and turn then by all means may I say to you repent in turn and all the benefits that are outlined here will be yours in and through Jesus Christ the Lord well let us close in order prayer our Father we thank you for your word and we thank you for this sermon by the Apostle Peter we ask that you would give us ears to hear it hearts to receive it minds to contemplate these things in the remainder of this day I do pray for my brothers and my sisters here I pray that you would encourage their hearts at the view presented in verse 18 that even the bad things in life God has control over and he works them out for his glory and for our good increase our faith to accept this proposition increase our faith to accept the Bible's teaching on Providence not to be those that are that are that are scattered are those that are frayed but may we draw nearer to you in times of hardship and crisis and trial we ask as well for any here that are not saved those who are in their sins we pray that you would grant them the grace to repent and turn unto you and we pray these things through Jesus Christ our Lord amen well close by singing the doxology you can find that in your Trinity hymnal on page Roman numeral 16 and will stand as we sing praise to Father Son and Holy Spirit [Music] [Music] 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 father may these things be true of us today may you go with us now may you grant us the grace to enjoy this Lord's day bring us together tonight that we may worship you in spirit and truth and we ask in Jesus name Amen please be seated