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[Music] welcome to everyone we have just a couple of announcements before we begin first there is the Lord's Supper tonight at our 5 p.m. service there is Bible study this Wednesday evening and then next Sunday we have the hospital ministry at the extended care unit that's right at the hospital the main facility there and that's at 2:30 p.m. so any who are interested in participating there please show up just a few minutes early about to 2225 well for our call to worship this morning you can join with me in turning to psalm 119 psalm 119 we'll look at verses 89 to 96 psalm 119 beginning in verse 89 forever O Lord your word is settled in heaven your faithfulness endures to all generations you established the earth and it abides they continue this day according to your ordinances for all are your servants unless your law had been my delight I would have I would have perished I would then have perished in my affliction I will never forget your precepts for by them you have given me life I am yours save me for I have sought your presets the wicked wait for me to destroy me but I will consider your testimonies I have seen the consummation of all perfection but your commandment is exceedingly broad amen well please turn in your Trinity hymnal to him number 219 hymn number 200 I'm sorry 217 and we'll stand together [Music] [Music] [Music] well let us pray a blessed God and holy father it's a joy and a privilege to gather in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ on the Sabbath day we come to the father through the son in the Spirit of God and we would pray that God would be all in all in this place she would grant us aid and grace and help and strength to worship you in spirit and in truth to acknowledge your holiness and your majesty and your glory to acknowledge as well your graciousness and your kindness and your mercy and your love for God you not only made the world you govern it and you have redeemed your elect out of it and in this we greatly rejoice and we would pray that this day you would be honored in this place and all throughout the earth wherever the people of God gathered together that you would be praised and worshiped we ask that you would cause us to reflect upon what the scripture says concerning you that you are infinite that you are eternal that you are unchangeable your God of Majesty and a glory a God who is to be feared a God to be revered and honored and praised and as well a god to be rejoiced and for we know Most High that it is you that has saved us and not we ourselves we are heaven bound not because of our goodness or our keeping of the law but because of the grace of God revealed to us in the gospel we thank you for the work of the Redeemer for his life of obedience unto the father for his death at Calvary is both substitute and sacrifice and for his resurrection the third day and how we thank you and praise you that he sits enthroned at the right hand of God on high where he ever lives to make intercession for us help us God to see the import of such a statement help us to see the practical benefit of that reality that Christ intercedes for his people God may this encourage and share our hearts and may it build us up in our most holy faith and may we realize that God is for us and as a result who can be against us we asked he would forgive us now for our sins and our transgressions whenever we consider what the scriptures concerning your holiness or we look at what the law of God says concerning your demands your prohibitions your requirements we see how far short we have fallen we have transgressed that law we've lacked conformity unto it and so we confess that transgression now trusting in the promise of first John that if we confess our sins you are faithful and just to forgive us and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness rejoicing and what David wrote in Psalm 130 that a few Lord should mark iniquities O Lord who could stand but there is forgiveness with you that you may be feared may this indeed encourage and strengthen each and every one of us and may it cause us to sing our hymns of praises unto you with with very thankful and grateful hearts and Lord for any and all who have come here that are strangers to the to the God of grace and mercy we pray that today would be the day of salvation we pray that your Holy Spirit would be active and would be at work among us that he would bring the conviction of sin and set forth the glory of Jesus Christ and his sufficiency as Savior be merciful Lord God and save to the uttermost all who draw nigh unto you through your son we pray for the sick in our our church we thank you God that you are not only over the spiritual man but you are over the physical man and we would ask that you would undertake on behalf of the Brethren here she would look with favor upon the D Armani's as they continue to to traverse this time of trial and difficulty we thank you for your answers to prayer with reference to Linda and the treatment and we pray that you would continue to watch over them be with our brother dawn Neufeld we just commit him to you into the word of your grace we also pray for others God we know that the flu and the sickness is going around and we would ask that you would just comfort and aid and strengthen your people we also thank you for the fruit of the womb we thank you for the blessings of little ones that are that are to be born soon and we would pray God in heaven that you would watch over mothers and children we pray God that you would give grace to these dear sisters to press on to persevere to know that this is a most high and Noble and we pray that you would bless each one help all of us as parents and his grandparents to take seriously Paul's charge to bring up children and the training and admonition of the Lord we know this is a godless age we know there are a whole host of temptations and and sins that are present to our young people and we pray that they would by grace take every thought captive to the obedience of Jesus Christ be merciful unto them watch over them protect them and best of all God caused them to see the the surpassing value of Jesus Christ and may they by grace believe on him and know the joy of being found in him we pray for other churches we thank you for those in our community that are worshipping you in truth and spirit those that are preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ we pray that you would prosper and bless them we also pray for the work in Surrey and in Vernon asking that you would watch over these dear people of God that you had bless them today as they gather together and may the word of God be there their encouragement and their their strength and father send forth that word throughout the earth today and may it not return unto you void but may it accomplish the purpose for which you sent it we know God you have purpose to save a great multitude that no man can number from every tribe tongue people and nation and we pray that today would be the day of salvation and that Christ would see the travail of his soul and be and be satisfied and bless our brothers and sisters suffering for the cause of God and truth we know that there are many and other countries that are under severe oppression for their faith in Jesus Christ we pray they'd not shrink back from declaring truth or holding the truth or professing and confessing that truth that may you surround them may you protect them and may you even through the midst of or in the midst of their persecution draw persecutors unto faith in Jesus Christ our Lord and God we just ask now that you would continue with us bless us by the power of your Holy Spirit and we pray in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ amen well please turn with me in your Trinity hymnals again to 484 him number 484 will stand as we sing together [Music] [Music] [Music] well you can turn in your Bibles to the Gospel according to John John chapter 3 for our scripture reading this morning John chapter 3 John 3 beginning in verse 1 now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus a ruler of the Jews this man came to Jesus by night and said to him rabbi we know that you are a teacher come from God for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him jesus answered and said to him most assuredly I say to you unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God Nicodemus said to him how can a man be born when he is old can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born jesus answered most assuredly I say to you unless one is born of water and the spirit he cannot enter the kingdom of God that which is born of the flesh is flesh and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit do not marvel that I said to you you must be born again the wind blows where it wishes and you hear the sound of it but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes so is everyone who is born of the Spirit the Kadima s' answered and said to him how can these things be jesus answered and said to him are you the teacher of Israel and do not know these things most assuredly I say to you we speak what we know and testify what we have seen and you do not receive our witness if I have told you earthly things and you do not believe how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things no one has ascended to heaven but he who came down from heaven that is the son of man who is in heaven and as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness even so must the Son of Man be lifted up that who saw or that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life for God's soul of the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life for God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world but that the world through him might be saved he who believes in Him is not condemned but he who does not believe is condemned already because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God and this is the condemnation that the light has come into the world and Men loved darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil for everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light lest his deeds should be exposed but he who does the truth comes to the light that his deeds may be clearly seen that they have been done in God amen well we see that this fellow Nicodemus he's described here as a ruler of the Jews he's a man who's very skilled in the knowledge of the Word of God he's a man who knows the law of God he certainly is interested and curious about our Lord Jesus he says we know that you are a teacher come from God for no one can do those these signs that you do unless God is with them and notice the wisdom of our Lord he gets right to the point he cuts right to the heart he goes right to the nub of the issue he says most assuredly I say to you unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God that's it men must be born again in order to see the kingdom of God now oftentimes this is taken as a command for persons to cause themselves to be born again fact there's a famous book by a famous man and it's called how to be born again but that's not what Jesus is highlighting Jesus is highlighting the act of God Jesus is highlighting the sovereignty of God Jesus is highlighting the reality that for sinners to enter into the kingdom of God it must be by an act of God's grace you must be born again or you must be born from above the verb is what's called a passive verb something must happen to you and at times when we highlight this reality people say well that's discouraging if you tell somebody that they can't do what they need to do it will discourage them no be encouraged that God is in the business of causing centers to be born again God has purpose to save a great multitude that no man can number and God will save those persons through our Lord Jesus Christ Jesus says you must be born again your heart must be changed you must be radically transformed by the power of the Holy Spirit and then notice that Nicodemus is perplexed about this verse for how can a man be born when he is old can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born Jesus reiterates what he is said or what he says and then in verse five he says most assuredly I say to you unless one is born of water and the spirit he cannot enter the kingdom of God now that reference to water there has given rise to a whole host of different interpretations some suggest the water refers to the natural birth other words somebody must be physically born before they're ever in a place to be born again I don't think that's what it means others have taken the reference to water there is a reference to baptism and it fits well with this notion that in order to be saved you must be baptized again I don't think that's what's being taught here I think behind the scenes Jesus is speaking of Ezekiel 36 in Ezekiel 36 God the Lord promised what we see in John 3 this new birth this being born again God will take the old stony hearts out of the chest cavity of man and he will put in new fleshly hearts and God says he will sprinkle them with clean water the imagery is that of forgiveness that's why I believe that Jesus upbraids Nicodemus in this context when he says are you the teacher of Israel and you don't know these things with Jesus point you should know these things you should know the age of Messiah according to Ezekiel 36 is also the age of the Spirit who gives the new birth to sinners by God's grace and draws them unto ins and notice that Jesus emphasis here on the sovereignty of God does not eliminate the responsibility of man because what he goes on to say is that just as or as Moses lifted up the serpent notice in verse 15 as a 14 as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness even so must the Son of Man be lifted up that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life that's the emphasis for sinners today the issue is not will is God gonna cause me to be born again the issue is I need to believe the gospel I need to believe whatever it is said that accurately contains gospel truth and in a few moments we'll look at in more detail at the gospel in our study in the book of Acts the point is you need to believe on Jesus just as those Israelites looked at that serpent when they had been bitten for those who are unfamiliar with the story the children of Israel have been grumbling they had been murmuring they had been whining against God not unlike our own generation and so God sent these fiery serpents to bite them in terms of punishment and chastisement and then in terms of remedy Moses was taught ask with putting this brazen serpent lifting it up and everybody who looked at that serpent would live it's beautifully simple isn't it look and live not suck the venom out of your bite and then crawl over and kiss the pole that's not what was in view not present yourselves to that brazen serpent with all of your good works and hopefully you'll be cured no was a look and live that's the analogy Jesus gives with reference to the gospel it's not clean yourselves up it's not suck the venom out of your wounds the wounds it's rather look at Christ and live that's where salvation is it's in Jesus Christ the Lord and that is the most encouraging news that we have for sinners today well let us pray our Father we thank you for your word and we thank you for the beauty of the gospel the simplicity of the gospel in terms of looking and living and I pray God that all over the earth today sinners bitten affected infected by sin look on to the son of God they would know eternal life and the blessings of being found in him not having their own righteousness which is from the law but that righteousness which is from you through faith in Christ Jesus the Lord we ask this in his most holy name Amen well for our final him before the preaching we can turn to number 580 hymn number 580 again we'll stand as we sing together [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] we can turn with me in your Bibles to the book of Acts the Acts of the Apostles we find ourselves in Acts chapter 5 Acts chapter 5 I'll read beginning in verse 22 I'm sorry verse 17 and then our focus this morning will be on verses 27 to 32 but beginning in acts 5 at verse 17 then the high priest rose up and all those who were with them which is the sect of the Sadducees and they were filled with indignation and laid their hands on the Apostles and put them in the common prison but at night an angel of the Lord opened the prison doors and brought them out and said go stand in the temple and speak to the people all the words of this life and when they heard that they entered the temple early in the morning and taught but the high priest and those with him came and called the council together with all the elders of the children of Israel and sent to the prison to have them brought when the officers came and did not find them in the prison they returned and reported saying indeed we found the prison shut securely and the doors standing out Tsar the guards standing outside before the doors but when we opened them we found no one inside and when the high priest the captain of the temple and the chief priests heard these things they wondered what the outcome would be so one came and told them saying look the man whom you put in prison are standing in the temple and teaching the people then the captain captain went with the officers and brought them without violence for they feared the people lest they should be stoned and when they had brought them they set them before the council and the high priest asked them saying did we not strictly command you not to teach in this name and look you have filled Jerusalem with their doctrine and intend to bring this man's blood on us but Peter and the other apostles answered and said we ought to obey God rather than men the god of Our Fathers raised up Jesus you murdered by hanging on a tree him God is exalted to his right hand to be Prince and Savior to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins and we are his witnesses to these things and so also is the holy spirit whom God has given to those who obey Him when they heard this they were furious and plotted to kill that then one in the council stood up a Pharisee named Gama Leal a teacher of the law held in respect by all the people and commanded them to put the apostles outside for a little while and he said to them men of Israel take heed to yourselves what you intend to do regarding these men for some time ago through this rose up claiming to be somebody a number of men about four hundred joined him he was slain and all who obeyed him were scattered and came to nothing after this man Judas of Galilee rose up in the days of the census and through many a drew away many people after him he also perished and all who obeyed him were dispersed and now I say to you keep away from these men and let them alone for if this plan of this work is of men it will come to nothing but if it is of God you cannot overthrow it lest you even be found to fight against God and they agreed with him and when they had called for the Apostles and beaten them they commanded that they should not speak in the name of Jesus and let them go so they departed from the presence of the council rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name and daily in the temple and in every house they did not cease teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ amen let us pray father thank you for the written word we believe in the presence and the power of the Holy Spirit and ask now that he would be at work in our hearts and minds we pray father as well that you would forgive and cleanse us from all sin and it's darkening influence over the mine Jesus says men who love darkness don't come to the light so cleanse us forgive us wash us and purify us and again cause the Spirit to guide us and lead us into all truth and we ask in Jesus Holy Name Amen well we have seen and we saw last time we were in the book of Acts the similarities between chapter five and acts chapters three and four remember in acts chapters three and four the Apostles had been arrested specifically Peter and John and then they had been called upon to defend themselves before the council before the Sanhedrin and there in Acts chapter four the Sanhedrin or council had given them strict orders not to teach or preach in the name of Jesus well here in Acts chapter five the disciples and the Apostles continued to preach they continued to shine the light upon the Lord Jesus Christ and the high priest and the council make plans to Rio and that is precisely what happens notice in verses 17 to 21 the Apostles are imprisoned not just Peter and John this time but all 12 of the Apostles but they are freed they are released by this angel of the Lord and in verse 19 and remember the the beautiful contrast there the the council or Sanhedrin both terms are synonymous it was the religious / political council of Israel at that particular time it was made up of 71 persons the high priest obviously presided over them they were charged with decisions affecting Israel in both politics and in religious matters but remember that the bulk of them or at least a majority of them were Sadducees and the Sadducees denied the presence of angels the Sadducees denied the doctrine of the resurrection from death the death and Luke tells us in verse 19 that it was an angel of the Lord that broke them out of prison whether the Sadducees believed in the angels of the Lord or not the angel of the Lord breaks free these apostles from their prison and then we see that the Apostles are brought now to the Sanhedrin or to the council once again to answer for their alleged crimes and I want to look first at the council's charge in verses 27 and 28 and then secondly the Apostles defense in verses 29 to 32 but note in the first place with reference to the high priests look at verse 37 I'm sorry 27 and when they had brought them they set them before the council note that the Apostles do not resist arrest they do not engage in any sort of assault upon the offer they they they comply they are brought back to the sanhedrin they are brought back to that place where they are being interrogated or investigated nay I would say they are being intimidated by the high priests of the Religious Council and that's what we see there in verse 28 it says did we not strictly command you not to teach in this name and look you a filled Jerusalem with your doctrine and intend to bring this man's blood on us the obvious omission should be observed here in the first place if you were part of this religious council wouldn't you have wondered how they broke out of prison wouldn't that have been sort of a natural question how'd you guys manage the escape especially in light of verse 23 notice what it says in verse 23 the officers return and report indeed we found the prison shut securely and the guards standing outside before the doors but when we opened them we found no one inside no one came by with a tank and blasted the door down there were no tunnels that they you know whittled out of a spoon and shimmy their way out of the prison that would be a natural question wouldn't it how did you break out of this prison how could it be the case that the door weren't a doors weren't intact guards weren't attacked and yet you were not present I think it's because they were embarrassed they didn't want to visit this they didn't want to know some part of their heart of hearts realize that perhaps God was on their side and they didn't want to ask the question for fear of the particular response and as well if it was not a divine intervention that broke them out of the prison in other words if it was the Apostles and the Apostles alone who had managed that jailbreak why in the world would they have gone back to the temple and preached in that public spot everything here tilts in the direction of God's divine intervention we are told specifically in verse 19 and everything in the context highlights that so then the high priest now reminds them of their threats did we not strictly command you not to teach in this name go back to Jack's chapter for Acts chapter 4 again this is where they were arrested the first time specifically Peter and John and in verse 17 but so that it spreads no further among the people let us severely threaten them that from now on they speak to no man in this name verse 18 so they called them and commanded them not to teach at all nor teach speak at all or teach in the name of Jesus and then in verse 21 so when they had further threatened them they let them go finding no way of punishing that so back here in Acts chapter fight he asks them this to highlight or exacerbate that their actions were a direct contrast to what they had been told in other words it wasn't ignorance it was from the perspective of the high priest malice what they were engaged in was maliciousness treason really treachery taking a lawful command issued by the religious council and disregarding it back matthew henry hi matthew pool highlights this hence they aggravated the Apostles crime as done out of malice and not out of ignorance and I would suggest the question is designed to intimidate the Apostles how dare you do what we told you not to do I think there's a lot of similarities between the tactics of these political officials and politicians in our own day and age I think the Sanhedrin feared man they didn't want to seize the Apostles in some public display because they feared the people the people might stone them because the apostles were looked at favorably by the mass of humanity at that time in Jerusalem they feared the people they loved their power they perceived Jesus in the first place and then these apostles as a threat to their power and to their stronghold and as well they attempt in to silence their opposition I would suggest there's no new thing under the political Sun that's the way politicians I grew a Gravette it in their rage against God today they function the same way they they hate Christ they they love power they they fear man they want to do that which they think will secure their place in politics forever and they ultimately want to silence the opposition the high priest here is intimidating the Apostles and this is absolutely abhorrent and thankfully God is on their side and then he goes on to he moves from this reminder of the threat to this actual rebuke of the Apostles look at the end of verse 28 and look you have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine and intend to bring this man's blood on us beautiful isn't it they're fearful you intend to bring this man's blood on us a far cry different than in Matthew chapter 27 remember what they say before Pilate they say let his blood be upon us and upon our children why the change in heart why is it at this particular point now their concern about them being looked at as responsible for the death of our Lord Jesus Christ because they've had a change of mind because they've got guilty conscience --is no probably because they fear man if man as a whole see them as a murderous mob then men as a whole might take up stones to throw at them and the Sanhedrin is paralyzed by that thought now just look at this double charge you fill Jerusalem with your doctrine and you have sought to impinge upon us the responsibility for his death that's what's in view at the end of verse 28 it's an intend to bring this man's blood on us in other words that we will be held liable that we will be seen as responsible that we will be culpable for this now I just want to jump to the to the end here in one sense and say look at what Peter does Peter speaks for the apostles I don't think all the apostles all twelve say the exact same thing Peter speaking on behalf of the Apostles you fill Jerusalem with your doctrine and you intend to bring responsibility for this man's death upon us what does Peter do he does those two things he continues to fill Jerusalem with his doctrine and he continues to charge them with particular responsibility for Jesus death one of the points of of application as we close the sermon this morning is going to be to pray for men like these men men that do not shrink back men that do not kowtow and men that don't say well we really didn't try to fill Jerusalem with our doctrine and and we really really aren't trying to make people think that you're responsible but rather to speak the truth against all comers full or friend delight that's what the church desperately needs not men that are going to kowtow not men that are gonna lie down not men that are going to say well I know that homosexuality is a hot topic so I'm not going to address that or men that say well I know abortion is a hot topic and I'm not going to address it I know that euthanasia is a hot topic and I'm not going to address that no other God the Word of God speaks to all matters of faith and practice and faithful courageous bold preachers of the word will speak those things brethren Jesus told us the harvest is plentiful but the laborers are few pray the lord of the harvest to raise up laborers we'll pray that he raises up man that will be men that's what the pulpit desperately needs not preachers and skirts but men who will testify to the truth of God's Holy Word that's what we find here with Peter he fills Jerusalem continually with the doctrine and he continues to show these men that they are culpable and responsible for the death of our Lord Jesus Christ let's look at their defense I want to look at two things in particular here the declaration of their allegiance and the proclamation of their gospel note the declaration of allegiance in verse 29 but Peter and the other apostles answered and said we ought to obey God rather than men I don't know what the high priest was fishing for here Peter already told him this in Acts chapter 4 didn't he fact you can turn there in acts 4 Acts chapter 4 verse 18 so they called them and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus but Peter and John answered and said to them whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you more than to God you judge for we cannot but Speak the things which we have seen and her so what did he think the high priest was gonna ask Peter this so well you know we've changed our principles we we've changed our views no we got to obey God rather than men we have to obey God when men tried to usurp the authority and the role of God fact Peter lays down a principle that abides for the Church of Jesus Christ our Lord he'd already told them this position in Chapter four they've already demonstrated their position by continuing to preach in the in the temple and the fundamental principle in biblical law is this God is the final authority and when men command that which is contrary to God's law man is always bound to God please accept this please appropriate this please understand this and please abide in this man may command God has given fathers and mothers that responsibility in the home man may command God has given magistrates that responsibility in society and insofar as those commands are consistent with the law of God then by all means were duty-bound to obey but the moment that the father or mother or that the husband with reference to husband and wife relationship or or church officers or or civil officers usurp the authority of God this is the principle this is what we are determined by this is what we must obey we must obey God rather than man and the word is must it's not an odd sort of like the best possible option it's a divine necessity we must obey God rather than men listen to John Calvin he says we must obey God's ministers and officers if we will obey em but so soon as rulers do lead us away from the obedience of God because they strive against God with sacrilegious boldness their pride must be abated that God may be above all in authority that's the marching orders that's the principle that's what we are determined to do so if the government says you can no longer preach against say this sin we don't say okay government we're gonna do what you say no God says you need to preach against said thought doesn't say well you know kowtow to the government if they don't like what it is that you have to say no we say what the Word of God says we don't try to purposefully be offensive we don't purposely well I mean I guess we do if anybody watched MacArthur and Shapiro he says yeah my job is to offend everybody I think that is a there's a sense where that's accurate and that's right in the sense of you know telling people your breath smells or no that's not the offense it's it's that you're a sinner before God because Jesus Christ came to call not the sinner to repent not the righteous but but sinners to repentance but brethren we're to hold fast to obedience to God's law and then note the contrast we saw that in chapter four as well now if this Sanhedrin or this religious council is made up of the best and the brightest and these men's jobs are to sort of adjudicate things concerning politics and and ethics and and religion then these men are no doubt skilled in the Word of God these men are no doubt the skilled interpreters of the law of God and yet Peter puts them on opposite poles Peter says we must obey God rather than men in this context the men are the Sanhedrin this is a blow this is a shock this is something that would have no doubt offended them remember they love power they love to be seen as the interpreters of God's law they love to be seen as the doctors and the law and the Reverend and the lawyers and the ones who have what God's mind is and Peter says no we're not going to obey you we're gonna obey God so what by implication is Peter saying he's saying you don't speak for God the Apostles speak for God CK Barrett made this observation he says the principle of the supreme authority of God is one highly characteristic of Judaism itself this is a principle they too would subscribe to wasn't they if they were in you know exile in Babylon and the Babylonians commanded them to bow to bail or about a you know a sure about it whatever God that the Babylonians had that particular time Bell or Mar dude they would have said no we need to obey God rather than men they would have imbibed this principle he goes on it is one highly characteristic of Judaism itself in which it had been established at a high cost and suffering Peters application of it in its context is new and shocking because it sets over against each other God and those men who were best qualified to expound God's command as expressed in his law you need to see that and appreciate that that Peter is doing that to see why these up the high priests and the council is upset I'm not justifying it but if you look at the gospel records and you look at you know Matthew Mark Luke and John II you see the sorts of things that Jesus said you you can understand from a humanistic and a godless perspective why he irritated the religious leaders of his time when he says before Abraham was I am I mean it's not perplexing why they pick up stones to throw it in again I'm not justifying it I'm not suggesting it's right but these are godless carnal men and Jesus irritated them with his words well the Apostles are doing the very same thing here we must obey God rather than men we must continue to preach the gospel in obedience to God rather than to be silenced in obedience to you they are pitting God against these particular men and these men understand the implications and they know this and it's irritating them and it's frustrating that that's why as we end the close of this particular chapter they beat them they actually lay the whip to these men's back they hurt them these men suffered for what they believed and they didn't suffer in some sort of a way where they laid on the couch and said honey bring me ice I just got my back ripped open by the Sanhedrin no they rejoiced that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name they rejoice that they had born in their own body the brand marks of Jesus they rejoice that they were going through these particular things why because God had commanded them and they were able to testify concerning faith in Jesus Christ now note the proclamation of gospel verses 3232 he doesn't stop is there well I know this kind of offends these guys so I'm just going to keep silent here I know they don't like this story about Jesus so I'm just gonna be silent I'm not gonna I'm not gonna cause further waves I don't want them to be right in their accusation that that I'm filling Jerusalem with doctrine and and I'm I'm actually heaping upon them culpability or responsibility for the actual murder of Jesus Christ I don't want to do that no he continues to do that it's like Paul's logic in second Timothy chapter 4 with Timothy he says preach the word be ready in season and out of season convinced rebuke exhort with all longsuffering and teaching if Timothy were to ask the question why Paul Paul will tell him for the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine you see if I got that or you got that or somebody today got that we'd say well I don't know Paul maybe you didn't understand my problem the problem is they don't want what I've got it doesn't matter what they want it matters what God says so this is what's really offensive about bad preaching and I don't mean homiletically bad not three points or not two points or you know structurally difficult to follow bad preach and non good doctrinal preaching it's a betrayal of the very task you only had one job preach the word not stories not anecdotes not how to make people feel good that's offensive preach the word be ready in season and out of season and don't do it in some limp-wristed skirt wearing way convinced rebuke exhort but remember with all long-suffering because the people of God need patient man with all teaching why because the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine I keep this I have this picture in my mind of Timothy getting this letter from Paul and walking into his congregation and they've got hands over their their ears and he keeps preaching to them that's Paul's point that's what Paul emphasizes as his last official charge to the corporate Church preach the word it's not beautiful that's what defines to us that's what describes us that's what what we're about so I say you only had one job take this Bible open it and preach it that's it you don't have to be a fortune 500 you know manager CEO tight you don't have to be the the cheerleader you don't have to be the man with all the charisma you don't have to be the man with all the answers you have to be the man that opens his mouth and speaks the truth of God's Word you got to be a Jeremih man you got to be an Isaiah man you got to be a Paul man you got to be a Peter man and when Peter is brought to charge or brought on charges of a filling Jerusalem with your doctrine and intending to bring this man's blood on us he continues to emphasize those things look at his proclamation of the gospel in the first place he highlights the appointment of Jesus by God verse 30 the god of Our Fathers raised up Jesus whom you murdered by hanging on a tree now the raised up Jesus there is often times language utilized for the resurrection I don't think that's what's in view at this particular point I think the raising up of Jesus is the Incarnation I think it's the sending of Jesus to function as the mediator of the New Covenant it's the sending of Jesus to engage in the redemptive activity of calling God's people unto himself his life his death his resurrection not that resurrection is absent from the passage it's included in the reference to the exaltation but the raising up Jesus highlights notice the God of our fathers again Peter's done this before Jerusalem sinners in Acts chapter 3 Peter's point here is that Jesus is the fulfillment of the Old Testament it's not the sanhedrin's interpretation which excludes Jesus it's not the sanhedrin's interpretation that says Jesus wasn't who he claimed to be in fact noticed the Sanhedrin doesn't even to Jesus they say this man they say this doctrine they don't even want to to form his name on their lips there's no reverence involved it shows how much they despise and disdain Jesus and so Peter says the God of our fathers did this in other words the Apostles are the ones that are right in their understanding of who Jesus is in light of the Old Testament the sanhedrin's missed it the council is wrong they are interpreting the Bible incorrectly and they're in a position of authority and they are calculating to do bad to the nation of Israel this are the god of Our Fathers raised this Jesus Peters theology is the fulfillment of the Old Testament as I said this is probably not a reference to the resurrection but his incarnation as the mediator sent by the Father then notice the crucifixion go back for just a moment in verse 28 and intend to bring this man's blood on us verse 30 the god of Our Fathers raised up Jesus whom you murdered by hanging on a tree I got to tell you brethren that takes guts we just read through it well that's nice these guys are complaining you're making it sound like were responsible for the crucifixion of Jesus and Peter says that's absolutely positively what we're saying you have understood correctly now I'm not suggesting they're the only ones responsible Jerusalem has a whole set away with him away with him crucify him the brethren it was the religious leaders I read recently where the ADL the anti-defamation league wants to encourage Bible publishers to put a qualification at the beginning of the Bible that it contains anti-semitism some have observed the gospel records are anti-semitic lore they suggest they're anti-semitic because it puts the Jews in a negative light I'm not picking on the Jews I think any group of Gentiles would have done the very same day any group man committed to darkness rather than light would have wanted to crucify the Lord of glory but we're not supposed to redefine we're not supposed to try and recall if I were simply supposed to highlight what is the case and Peter says it does fall upon the religious leaders to a certain degree they bear culpability they bear responsibility now again that doesn't mean that we Christians in a 21st century context blame every Jew for the crucifixion of Jesus Christ God brought judgment to bear upon the Jewish nation for that particular crime in AD 70 at 80 70 the Jews entered the rank-and-file of other nations they need the gospel they need to hear though Jesus and him crucified and resurrected they need to believe that gospel by God's grace so they can come into the church and know the blessings of being found in him the brethren we do no favours to anybody by changing the narrative or by trying to hide the fact that certain people did certain things Peter was a Jew the Apostles were Jews it wasn't an ethnic issue it was an ethical issue it was then that were the ringleaders it was then that were the instigators it was them that that convened that kangaroo court and found false witnesses to testify against Jesus Christ and Peter's not going to let them off the hook for that and neither should we again we don't land ask every Jew for the death of Jesus Christ we land by sinners for sin so that they'll go to Christ for that forgiveness that he promises and that we sang of in 580 notice the repeated declaration of their responsibility Bach says Peter accepts the charge that he blames the leadership for Jesus death noting that Jesus though is the one whom you killed he does this in Acts chapter 2 he doesn't actually after three doesn't actually after four he's going to keep doing it why because Jesus didn't come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance we tell people their sin with a hope and the prayer and the desire that they flee to Jesus in other words they've been bit by that fiery sir so we direct them to that brazen serpent so that they'll look and live brethren we can't play games with sinners men love darkness rather than light they they hate the light they don't want to come to the light less their evil deeds are exposed we don't do them any favors by redefining their darkness we don't do them any favors by redefining their malady by redefining their sin but I saying well you know it's not your fault or you didn't mean it or you didn't know what you were doing no you're a wretch but good news is God saves wretches look at me my brethren look at us we're not going to heaven this morning because we're good we're going to heaven this morning because of verses 31 and 32 notice you crucified Him and I think that Peters language it's utilized elsewhere by Peter but as well by Paul it's utilized by Peter in acts 10 it's utilized by Paul acts 13 utilized by Peter in 1st Peter - but it's utilized by Paul and in Galatians chapter 3 this language of hanging him on a tree now you should have your deuteronomy hats on because you ought to think Deuteronomy 21 22 and 23 if a man has committed a sin deserving of death and he has put to death and you hang him on a tree his body shall not remain overnight on the tree but she shall surely bury him that day so that you do not defile the land which the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance for he who is hanged as accursed of God Paul develops this at least in some detail in Galatians 3 Christ was made a curse Christ became a curse for us that the blessing of God may fall upon Gentiles but I think Peters point here is this you hanging him on that tree was meant or intended by you to be a curse but God overruled it God blessed it not only was it not a curse it did function that way theologically in terms of imputation and substitution but that's a whole nother sermon it was meant by God as the means by which he would exalt the Sun and that's what Peter goes on to say in verse 30 verse 31 notice the exaltation of Jesus and Peter does this all throughout his preaching both here and in acts 2 acts 3 he sets this contrast up between what men did to Jesus and what God does toward Jesus it's a huge contrast men crucified him God raised him men wanted shame and curse for him God wanted exaltation for him and that's what he highlights here he says in verse 31 him God has exalted to his right and to be Prince and Savior to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins he functions as a Prince and Savior you love that title of our Lord obviously Savior were very well versed in we often refer to the Lord Jesus as our our personal Lord and Savior he is the savior for sinners in this context I think I've said before that the Emperor the Roman Emperor was known as the Savior he was the Lord and the Savior at least in the Empire we'll see that develop further on in the book of Acts when they come into conflict with the civil authority that is outside of Jerusalem but to say Lord and Savior and the Roman Empire at that particular time meant Caesar to say Lord and Savior with reference to the Christians meant Jesus obviously he's also called Prince the origin the chief the head the main one he is the Prince and noticed the function that this Prince and Savior has he gives repentance and he gives forgiveness and I want you to notice here something that is very consistent with what we saw in the scripture reading in John 3 you can't make yourself be born again you cannot concoct repentance repentance is a gift and again for any and all who would say well this will diminish man's hope God loves to give good gifts didn't we just read that in John 3:16 God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whoever believes in Him should not perish but but have everlasting life you see faith and repentance our graces faith and repentance are gifts if you're a believer here this morning it's not only to your wisdom it's not only to your ingenuity it's not only to your intellect but it's owing to the grace of God if you have repented of your sins and repentance in the first place is a change of mind never forget that somebody who stops smoking crack doesn't necessarily repent now there are fruits associated with repentance such that if somebody believes the gospel they will they will stop smoking crack that's a fruit of repentance that that change of mine affects them in a particular way but not everybody who engages in a bit of moral reform is repentant somebody who quit smoking or drinking or somebody puts having you know illicit sax are engaging in promiscuity or whatever it might be they're not necessarily repentant repentance is first in the mind it's in the heart it's it's coupled with the grace of faith we believe the gospel we repent from our sins and now there's going to be fruit that is consistent with that repentance and it may not come overnight I mean sometimes those fruits of repentance take a little while that thought that change in terms of what we think about Santa it matures and it grows and all that sort of thing but in this particular instance realize it's it's it's God who gives the grace of repentance I think this is a humbling thing for people isn't it we didn't repent repent because we're good we've repented because God's good we didn't repent and believe because we've achieved something we we were intellectually superior to the person sitting next to us no it's because God in His grace and in his mercy chose us in him before the foundation of the world because that sovereign Spirit that the Lord Jesus speaks of in in John chapter 3 he's like the wind you don't know where it comes from and you don't know where it goes but boy you sure know the effects don't you you don't know where the wind originates you don't know where the wind is going but you know when the wind blows your your laundry down you see those effects don't you well this is Jesus point the sovereignty of the Holy Spirit and on Chapter three this is Peter's point the sovereignty of Almighty God in giving the gift of repentance I think J Alexander hits the nail on the head when he writes to give repentance is not merely to give time for it or to give place for it but to give the grace of repentance ie power and disposition to repent turn to Acts chapter 11 for just a moment Acts chapter 11 to see this thought continue Acts 11 Peter is defining or defending rather the grace of God given in the gospel terms of the salvation of the household of Cornelius who was a Gentile and in 1118 it says when they heard these things they became silent and they glorified God saying then God has also granted to the Gentiles the repentance to life she was God had granted this this repentance to jeta to Cornelius in his household and then turn over to 2nd Timothy chapter 2 again the point is not to highlight the graciousness was the grace character of faith and repentance to discourage people but rather to encourage because God gives those graces and he gives them to likes of us and he gives them to likes of us he'll give them to the likes of you as well it's very encouraging to understand something you're unable to do God can enable you to do and God is in the business of actually doing it notice in 2nd Timothy 2:24 and a servant of the Lord must not quarrel but be gentle to all able to teach patient in humility correcting those who are in opposition if God perhaps notice will grant them repentance so that they may know the truth and that they may come to their senses and escape the snare of the devil having been taken captive by him to do his will so back to Acts chapter 5 the god of Our Fathers raised up Jesus whom you murdered by hanging on a tree him God has exalted to his right hand to be Prince and Savior to give repentance and then he says to Israel who's Israel who is Israel well it might just be a reference to the priority involved is he is it in Acts chapter 4 you know to the Jew first and also to the great sham and then Japheth finds safe harbor and the the tents of sham that's a Genesis 9 reference for those of you who are not at the Wednesday night Bible studies you should be there if you're not there you're a terrible person just kidding just absolutely just making sure everybody's awake here but Noah gives a prophecy that is programmatic concerning the salvation of Xiamen Japheth and in the context Japheth is Gentiles so that might be Peter's point to give repentance to Israel to the Jew first and also to the Greek it might as well be a reference to the spiritual Israel all the elect of God he gives repentance to Israel were Israel you understand that the theology of the New Testament teaches us this that a Jewish person Jewish ethnicity that does not believe the gospel is a Gentile Gentiles who believe the gospel are Jews now that everybody is sufficiently confused back to the text it could highlight as well what Peter's been known to do in acts 2 specifically is to highlight that there's forgiveness even for Jerusalem sinners to give repentance to Israel the sin that you've committed hanging the Son of God on a tree is absolutely positively horrific it's enormous it's bad it's putrid it's gross but God's grace is enormous God's grace is amazing God's grace is such that this Prince and Savior grants repentance to the likes of you and that then brings this forgiveness that we just sang of 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 this is what Peter says he's exalted him to his right hand to be Prince and Savior to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins and then finally the Apostle highlights the Apostles function with reference to Jesus he says in verse 31 and we are his witnesses to these things and so also as the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey Him the testimony of the Apostles this was their job according to Jesus in Acts chapter 1 you will be witnesses to me first in Jerusalem then Judea Samaria and then to the uttermost parts of the earth they highlight this particular function throughout acts one two three four and now five we are witnesses to these things again that's what gospel preachers are supposed to be witnesses to the gospel testify to Jesus not try to entertain the masses not try to you know it s to ties the masses not try to you know make everybody feel good but rather to declare the truth as it is in Jesus there's not only the Apostles it's the Holy Spirit and notice Trinitarian theology right here in sermons Peter's brief sermon Father exalts the Son and the Spirit testifies to these things it's not one isolated passive persons often time they hear this doctrine of the Trinity was and he gives in Matthew 28 baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit but beyond that I really don't know of any other passages read with your eyes open you'll see that the Trinity is everywhere in the New Testament and Peter highlights that very specifically the father exalts the son whom you crucified and the spirits function and role is to testify with us in this and this fulfills what Jesus says in the Upper Room in John 15 26 and 27 but when the helper comes the helper there apparently that's the Holy Spirit whom I shall send to you from the father the Spirit of Truth who proceeds from the father he will testify of me and you also will bear witness because you have been with me from the beginning it's a beautiful thing and notice Peters word here and so also is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey Him now there's a general sense oh that's absolutely true we obey God and what does God do he gives us the Holy Spirit but in a particular sense it's the Apostles it's the apostles who obeyed God and not men the apostles we've taken a stand against the council it's the Apostles and in the fulfillment of Jesus language you will be brought before the council you will be Scourge do will be called to testify but do not fear my spirit will give you utter ins this is being played out specifically in Acts chapter 5 it is obedience to the spirit that yields this practical fruit of their being able to testify concerning Jesus before these godless men who want to do them harm it's the Spirit of the Living God testifying to the Son of God who had been sent by the father it's a beautiful description or a beautiful testimony or affirmation of the Trinitarian theology that is replete throughout Scripture well I want to conclude with a few thoughts first we ought to be reminded of the persecution of the church the persecution of the church this ain't going away this is still happening these sorts of things it may not be the religious council and in in in Jerusalem or in Israel at this particular time but it's Islam it's Roman Catholicism it's it's atheism it's secularism it's humanism this kind of persecution is going on and if you trace the persecution up to this particular point you will see that it gets increasingly escalated and increasingly hotter they start by threatening them they then arrest them they then intimidate them they'll ultimately in this passage beat that we know it doesn't stop there either history tells us that Peter was crucified for his master now the history says that he opted to be crucified upside down because he wasn't worthy to be crucified in the same way that his master was see brethren it's simply a fiction to think that will always be unmolested by the civil state or by contrary religions we need to be ready for persecution I'm not saying find bunkers and you know get your oats and barley and you know get your guns and all I'm not suggesting that necessarily but I'm suggesting that the liberties that we hold dear to now may not always be there and I'm convinced brethren if we're weak-kneed passive non faithful Christians when we have it this good what's it going to be like when there's actually persecution when there's actually trouble for being a bully when we could actually go to jail or get our heads chopped off we need to stand up and testify for Jesus then if we're not standing up and testifying for Jesus now we're probably not standing up and testifying for Jesus then we're afraid to bow our heads into Tim Hortons and ask a blessing from the God who gave us that doughnut then we're not going to do it when guys standing there with machine guns are threatening to shoot us if we do such an activity we need to plan for persecution all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution and you know in the history of the church its persecution that oftentimes advanced the church doesn't Paul say that Philippians chapter 1 his chains his chains in Christ had actually promoted in the people of God and earnestness and a desire to further the truth of the gospel a whiff of persecution can at times do good in the church now I'm not suggesting we go out court execution please take our religious liberties away from us so we can really get hold I'm not saying that don't write to you know Prime Minister Trudeau and say we don't want to have our religious liberties anymore take them away but if things go the way they have gone in the past and we're continually inundated by politicians that are like these men of the Sanhedrin who love power who fear men not men in the sense of godly men but they fear the the voting masses and they they hate God and they want to silence the opposition we need to be ready we need to understand that these this is a reality and I think we need to really bless God for the freedoms that we have these countries in the world right now where you couldn't do what we're doing you couldn't gather together and have a guy preach the gospel just wouldn't happen do we thank the Lord for that do we count that as one of the benefits that he loads us with daily do we say God praise you that that we can confess Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior that that we can have you know Christian education that we we can't have churches that that we can't have preachers so that's something that that make its way into our Psalm 103 moments when we bless the Lord and we thank him for all of his good Providence to us secondly we ought to appreciate the perseverance of the church go back for just a moment to acts 4 Acts chapter 4 remember that apostolic prayer meeting Acts chapter 4 verse 27 for truly against your holy servant Jesus whom you anointed both Herod and Pontius Pilate with the Gentiles and the people of Israel were gathered together to do whatever your hand and your purpose determined before to be done as God's decree God had purposed it God had determined it but it doesn't mitigate against contingency or second causes Pilate and Pilate and Herod were involved in all of this now notice in verse 29 now Lord look on their threats and grant to your servants remember when we looked at this they didn't say grant to your servants that we may be unmolested by the government grant here servants that the council will leave us alone grant your servants a respite grant to your servants an island where we can you know sort of go to and not have to deal with all these this this rabble no they don't do that look on their threat threats and grant to your servants that with all boldness they may speak your word they don't ask for the removal of persecution they don't ask for an easier life they ask for the strength and the grace to do what they're supposed to do whatever the circumstances are I would suggest according to acts 5 God answers prayer he grants his servants boldness he grants his servant the ability to look at the high priest the highest man in Israel at that particular time and say well as a matter of fact you are guilty for the murder of the Lord Jesus Christ as a matter of fact we will continue to fill Jerusalem with our doctrine as a matter of fact we will obey God and not you brethren that takes boldness and it takes courage it takes something that are not Natan this stuff that's not native in the heart of man it's why the Apostles pray God grant this so that we can do this the perseverance of the church is evidenced here thirdly we ought to appreciate the problem of the church the proclamation of the church hasn't changed acts 2 act 3 X 4 X 5 all the way to the book of the row of Revelation and should be continuing today we preach the true humanity of Jesus Christ we preach the reality that God raised him up as the Covenant mediator as the prophet priest and King that he sent him into this world to obey the law of God perfectly he sent him into this world to die as a substitute on the cross at Calvary he sent him into this world to be a sacrifice that would atone for the sins of his people he sent him into this world that not only having been crucified he'd be raised the third day that he would be exalted to the right hand of the Father that he would be called Prince and Savior that he would give repentance to Israel that he would give the forgiveness of sins you see that message is the message of the church that message must define the church and that message must always be presented by the church what we find here in the book of Acts is normative in terms of our calling as the people of God and then finally the profession of the church is simply this we believe this we believe the truth as it is in Jesus in fact look back for just a moment in the previous section in verse 19 they were in jail and in verse 19 we read at night an angel of the Lord opened the prison doors and brought them out and said go stand in the temple and speak to the people all the words of this life john 6 68 jesus asks his disciples do you also want to go away from me do you also want to stop following me do you also not want to go forward and what a sign in Peter say Lord ohm shall we go you have the words of eternal life here's my question to each and every one of you have you believed not as my father and mother a saved man or woman not as my brother a believer not is my you no friend about have I believe the gospel have I believed these words of life have I believe this message concerning Jesus have I believed that he lived that he died that he was the third day and that all those who by God's grace looked to him in faith will have everlasting life can you confess with the Apostles Creed I believe in the forgiveness of sins I believe in the Holy Spirit can you confess with first John 1:9 that if we confess our sins he is faithful and just to forgive us and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness now I suspect it's because I'm a great sinner but one of the favorite things for me about the Christian gospel is forgiveness it's a boon that's a blessing to me that's the chief jet jewel in the crown of salvation the fact that that 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 I'm of the mind of John Newton he said I'm a great sinner but Christ is a great Savior you may find yourself in that place here today you may have engaged in things that are very ungodly very unrighteous very contrary to the law of God but notice if Jesus or rather Peter held out forgiveness of sins through Jesus Christ to these men then there is forgiveness for men women boys and girls like us believe on him and you will be saved let us pray father thank you for your word thank you for this testimony concerning Jesus Christ thank you that he is the son of your love the one you sent into this world sinners to save in God thank you for including us and that blessed blessed promise and plan I pray that this word would go forth that many would hear many would understand many would believe and in this place Lord God made today be the day of salvation for sinners may they look and may they live and we ask that you would go with us now help us to sanctify the day help us to enjoy the day help us to call it a delight and we pray through Jesus Christ our Lord amen we'll turn in your Trinity hymnal to him number seven hymn number seven will stand as we sing this praise to God [Music] [Music] and 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 God may this be true in our lives may we know your nearness and your kindness as our chief good go with us and bless protect and cause your face to shine upon us now and we ask in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ amen will please be seated for a brief time of meditation