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we can go out on this welcome to everyone it's good to be in the house of our god on this lord's day just a few announcements we have a baptism this morning uh lord supper tonight a reminder no wednesday night bible study just for the months of july and august and then uh josh and katie butler still technically members of our church in dryden she gave birth to a healthy baby boy this morning samson james butler and he weighed in at 8 pounds 10 ounces so he's living up to his name already so we can rejoice in our god for his goodness well for our call to worship you can turn with me in your bibles to psalm 135 psalm 135 and i'll begin reading in verse 1. praise the lord praise the name of the lord praise him o you servants of the lord you who stand in the house of the lord in the courts of the house of our god praise the lord for the lord is good sing praises to his name for it is pleasant for the lord has chosen jacob for himself israel for his special treasure for i know that the lord is great and our our lord is above all gods whatever the lord pleases he does in heaven and in earth in the seas and in all deep places he causes the vapors to ascend from the ends of the earth he makes lightning for the rain he brings the wind out of his treasuries he destroyed the firstborn of egypt both of man and beast he sent signs and wonders into the midst of you o egypt upon pharaoh and all his servants he defeated many nations and slew mighty kings scion king of the amorites og king of basian and all the kingdoms of canaan and gave their land as a heritage a heritage to israel his people your name o lord endures forever your fame o lord throughout all generations for the lord will judge his people and he will have compassion on his servants the idols of the nations are silver and gold the work of men's hands they have mouths but they do not speak eyes they have but they do not see they have ears but they do not hear nor is there any breath in their mouths those who make them are like them so as everyone who trusts in them bless the lord o house of israel bless the lord o house of aaron bless the lord o house of levi you who fear the lord bless the lord blessed be the lord out of zion who dwells in jerusalem praise the lord amen well please turn with me in your hymn books to psalm 24 psalm 24 be as in bravo and we'll stand as we sing together uh three one two is is is is [Applause] see foreign is [Music] is [Music] amen let us pray our god most high it's a great privilege to gather in your house on this lord's day it is a great joy to be able to sing psalms and hens and spiritual songs to our great god it is a joy to be in the fellowship of the saints and to engage in public worship for we know that christ is found in the midst of the lampstands and this cheers and encourages our hearts and we would ask now that you would be glorified that as we come to the father through the son and the power of the holy spirit our god would be all in all in this place we confess that you are from everlasting to everlasting we confess that you made this world and you govern it and you have redeemed your elect out of it and we confess that you are glorious father son and holy spirit and we pray that as we approach you it would be with reverence understanding that you are a great and a glorious god and that that would be mingled with joy with thanksgiving and gratitude because you have not dealt with us as we deserve but you have been gracious and merciful in the sending of the son of your love who lived for us and who died for us and who was raised for us god we praise you for that ministry of redemption and we praise you that you've made us partakers by granting us the graces of faith and repentance so that we may know the joy of having been called out of darkness into marvelous light in order that we may proclaim your praises and glorify your great name so god help us now by the presence and the power of your holy spirit to do all that we do in a manner that is consistent with the word of god for you call us to worship in an acceptable manner and we know that's not given to us to define but acceptable defined by god most high that we worship you in spirit and in truth and as we gather now and as we contemplate your holiness and your righteousness and your majesty we see our own sin and waywardness so we confess those transgressions now we see that law of god is a revelation of who you are and what you require from your creatures and even as the redeemed of christ we are prone to wander and prone to leave the god that we love so do forgive us now for those sins against your majesty forgive us for those sins that we commit one to another and cleanse us in that precious blood of the lord jesus christ reminding us always that we have an advocate with the father even jesus christ the righteous not so that we will go out in sin but that when we do sin we come back to you we find mercy in and through our blessed savior and we find redemption in his blood as well our god we pray for those who are still dead in their trespasses and sins those who are not believers we pray that today would be the day of salvation that you would open hearts that you would show forth that glory of jesus christ and his ability to save to the uttermost all who draw nigh unto god through him do this most high god for your glory for your honor and for the good of souls in this place and lord throughout this nation and to the uttermost parts of the earth we pray for the proclamation of your truth to go forth we have that great encouragement from the prophet isaiah that that word does not return unto you void but it always accomplishes the purpose for which you sent it and god we pray that from every tribe and tongue and people and nation that from every walk of life old and young sinners would hear of christ and him crucified and him resurrected and by grace would believe on him for their eternal good as well father we pray for our children and for our young people thanking you for each one of them and god we do commit them to you into the word of your grace and pray that by that grace they would remember their creator in their youth that they would look upon the glory of jesus christ that they would believe on him and know the joy of being found in him we thank you for this good news from josh and katie and we pray god in heaven that as this little one has been born healthy and well physically that one day he would be born again by the power of the holy spirit we pray for the other sisters in our congregation that are pregnant and we thank you for each one of them we know that children are a gift given by you and we pray god in heaven that you would protect each one as well our god we pray for your blessing upon those who are unable to be with us due to illness and affliction and we cry out to you on their behalf that though the outer man does decay day by day that that inner man would be renewed that they would grow in the grace and in the knowledge of our lord and savior jesus christ we ask for your blessing upon the church in surrey we thank you for pastor mike we pray for his continual ministry and the word and doctrine that you would just uphold him and strengthen him and continue to bless that congregation we also pray for ryan and for esther away and vernon god our hearts are encouraged by this and pray that all would go well today that the spirit would attend his preaching there and that father in your time we would see the establishment of a good solid church in that community we thank you that john and marguerita arrive safely in honduras and god we pray that you would bless them and prosper their work in the lord there we thank you for the blessing of being able to participate in the building of a building and we pray god that this would redound to your glory and honor and for the good of the saints there and for a faithful gospel witness in that part of the world we pray from myanmar and the continual atrocities that occur there on a daily basis continue to provide protection to the compound to the children to the students bless our brother peter and god we just praise you for the way that you have worked in his heart the way that you have readied him in the way that you are using him there so god continue to bless in that nation and bring stability and peace in a climate wherein the gospel of jesus christ can be proclaimed we pray for the persecuted church we know that our brothers and our sisters and other parts of the world are suffering under the oppressive hand of of false religion or or godless government and we pray that you would be gracious on their behalf that you would be merciful to them and in the midst of suffering may they continue to shine as lights in a crooked and perverse generation and god give them boldness to hold forth that word of truth and we pray for these nations that are steeped in false religion we pray for these nations that are steeped in humanism and atheism that your gospel would go forth conquering and to conquer in those places and that multitudes would be turned unto the living and true god through the proclamation of jesus christ our lord and our father we thank you for the privilege that we have to gather here this morning we thank you for your having protected us and provided for us over this past 16 months it is a great joy and an encouragement to gather here without restriction and without intervention by the rcmp and we do pray for our governing authorities that you would grant them wisdom grant them the ability to make good decisions for this body politic that god keep them from overreaching caused them to reflect upon the continual transgression of the sixth commandment in terms of abortion and euthanasia and lord god we pray that you would restrain them that you would move them in a manner that is consistent with your holy word and god we know that this is only your prerogative as solomon tells us their hearts are in the hand of a sovereign and a glorious god and we just pray that you would be merciful unto them and therefore unto us that we may lead peaceable and quiet lives in all godliness seeking to be a faithful witness to the gospel of our lord jesus christ in this community and we ask your blessing now to be upon us and we pray through jesus christ our lord amen you can turn with me again in your hymn books to number 447 hymn number 447 will stand as we sing together now [Music] see uh see [Music] so well you could turn with me in your bibles to acts chapter 10 a fitting sermon for baptismal service as i said we are baptizing joy and amy this morning so i want to read beginning in acts chapter 10 at verse 34. then peter opened his mouth and said in truth i perceive that god shows no partiality but in every nation whoever fears him and works righteousness is accepted by him the word which god sent to the children of israel preaching peace through jesus christ he is lord of all that word you know which was proclaimed throughout all judea and began from galilee after the baptism which john preached how god anointed jesus of nazareth with the holy spirit and with power who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil for god was with him and we are witnesses of all things which he did both in the land of the jews and in jerusalem whom they killed by hanging on a tree him god raised up on the third day and showed him openly not to all the people but to witnesses chosen before by god even to us who ate and drank with him after he arose from the dead and he commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that it is he who was ordained by god to be judge of the living and the dead to him all the prophets witness that through his name whoever believes in him will receive remission of sins while peter was still speaking these words the holy spirit fell upon all those who heard the word and those of the circumcision who believed were astonished as many as came with peter because the gift of the holy spirit had been poured out on the gentiles also for they heard them speak with tongues and magnify god then peter answered can anyone forbid water that these should not be baptized who have received the holy spirit just as we have and he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the lord then they asked him to stay a few days amen well let us pray our father we thank you for the written word of the living and true god we thank you for this passage of holy scripture we pray now for the ministry of the spirit to guide us and to illumine our hearts and minds and to feed our souls with the knowledge of the lord jesus christ to see his power in redemption to see his glory magnified to see his ability to save and god we rejoice in conversions we rejoice in persons wanting to identify publicly with the triune god in the waters of baptism as well our father we pray for that city of litton we just asked god in heaven that you would undertake on behalf of those there we thank you for returning chris we thank you for preserving kristoff and the other firefighters and we just pray god in heaven that you would be merciful to that community as they rebuild and we ask this in the name and for the glory of our lord jesus christ amen well acts 10 is a significant passage in redemptive history what we have is the official inclusion of gentiles in the covenant promises of god remember originally the gospel is revealed in genesis 3 15 and then that gospel is expanded or rather amplified in terms of promise and abraham is told to look north to look south to look east and look west that it wouldn't just be israel that received the benefit of the seed of abraham but it would also be gentiles you see that promise as well in the psalter you see it in the prophets you see that emphasis in isaiah for instance that the knowledge of the lord will cover the earth as the waters cover the sea so as i said the inclusion of cornelius and his household into the church was significant in terms of redemptive history just to give you an overview of chapter 10. in the first place cornelius himself has a vision in verses 1-8 peter then has a vision in verses 9-16 and then peter along with messengers arrive at joppa according to verses 17-23 and then there is this meeting with cornelius between peter and his associates with cornelius in verses 24 to 33 and then what i want to look at are two things first the preaching of peter in verses 34 to 43 and then secondly the conversion of cornelius and his household in verses 44 to 48. so the proclamation of the truth and then the conversion of those who had received the truth by the power of the holy spirit so let's look first at verse 34. notice the impartiality of god and verses 34 and 35 are curious notice what it says then peter opened his mouth and said in truth i perceive that god shows no partiality that's not curious we know that the old testament and the new testament everywhere celebrates that reality there is no impartiality with god doesn't depend upon where you live or what age group you are what socioeconomic economic stratosphere you you tend to belong to god shows no partiality but then when he says in verse 35 in every nation whoever fears him and works righteousness is accepted by him the point is simply this that gentiles can also come to the lord jesus christ just because jesus is israel's messiah that does not mean that gentiles are excluded the emphasis is is that cornelius gentile nationality was acceptable so that he had no need to become a jew not that his own righteousness was adequate so that he had no need to become a christian john stott said that i think he's bang on remember that when the spirit falls upon cornelius and his household those of the circumcision those companions of peter are surprised they're shocked as i said though it had been promised in the old testament though it had been celebrated in the psalms though it had been prophesied by the prophets nevertheless these jews are a bit surprised and disturbed at the inclusion of gentiles in terms of the service of the true and living god so we have this impartiality stated in verses 34 and 35 which is good news the christian does not or people that become christians don't have to first become jews and again an emphasis in this part of the book you don't have to first be circumcised you don't have to follow the laws of moses but rather you must come to jesus the one whom moses testified and wrote concerning and that moves us into the preaching of peter with the revelation of the son of god see gospel preaching is just that it is gospel it is good news it isn't good news for you to hear self-help it isn't good news for you to be given therapy it isn't good news for you to be given advice on how to be a better you what man in sin desperately needs is the good news of our lord jesus christ it is outside of us it is accessible by grace through faith in christ but it's the message of christ and him crucified and resurrected it involves his life of obedience his death on the cross as a substitute as the one who bore the penalty of those who believe and of his resurrection the third day that's the gospel the good news of jesus christ isn't a message of self-help it isn't a message of try a little harder and maybe god will receive you do a little better and then maybe you can be accepted by the whole high and lofty one no the blessed emphasis in terms of gospel is believe on this one and you shall be saved so it shouldn't surprise us that after having been divinely arranged peter now comes before cornelius in his household and what peter preaches is not peter peter doesn't say yeah i have a lovely wife i have a few kids we live in this a region and i'm a fisherman he doesn't take the time with that in fact cornelius doesn't want that cornelius says tell me all the things that god commanded to you in other words we don't want the man we want the man christ jesus and that's peter's emphasis so under the revelation of the son of god there are four things to observe first the peace of god secondly the person of christ third the work of christ and fourth the prophetic witness to christ but notice in the first place at verses 36 and 37 the word which god sent to the children of israel preaching peace through jesus christ isn't that what we all want i know there's a lot of not a lot there is a minority there is a handful of people out there that seem to thrive on chaos they seem to like a bit of confusion in their life but for the most part i think the consensus of mankind is a desire for peace and so as the apostles and the prophets before them went about preaching the main emphasis or at least a sort of a a way to identify what they were emphasizing was peace and when christ is preached what comes is peace with god through our lord jesus christ after discussing or engaging in a discussion of justification by faith alone the apostle paul in romans 5 1 says therefore having been justified by faith we have peace with god again brethren we have a lot of trouble in our world we have a lot of issues in our personal world we may have a lot of confusion in our family lives but one thing we have that is rock solid and never ending is peace with god through our lord jesus christ christ afforded that peace in john 14 my peace i give you my peace i leave with you not as the world gives the world has an offer of peace but it's futile it's vain it doesn't satisfy but what christ gives to the needy soul satisfies because it's peace with god but not only do the apostles preach peace with god through faith in our lord jesus they also preached peace with one another there was a great disparity between the jews and the gentiles at this particular time a faithful jew would rise up in the morning and thank god that he wasn't born a woman he wasn't born a slave and he wasn't born a gentile in other words this was a bad thing to be considered a gentile but under the gospel of jesus christ our lord and the realization of the promises made to abraham isaac and jacob we have peace one with another and that's the emphasis in ephesians chapter 2. christ came to preach peace christ makes peace and christ brings peace between jew and gentile he doesn't keep them as two distinct peoples but he makes one new man out of them having removed the barrier that existed before and so when it comes to gospel preaching this is the methodology by which pr peace is promoted that's why the church's witness is fundamental in the world it's not just canada it's not just the us it's not just you know north america but wherever we look throughout the globe there is a lack of peace what's going to fix it politics how's that working out are they that good at what they're doing as to provide and promote peace i surely hope that we're not banking on that i mean sometimes they actually do something right on occasion but it's the proclamation of the gospel that brings peace remember at the announcement of the coming of the messiah in isaiah chapter nine at verse six he is called what prince of peace if we want peace in the earth we ought to want gospel preaching to flourish and to thrive and to go forth that's why we pray for mike we pray for ryan we pray for the curries we pray for the missionary enterprise we pray for local churches and our community that are faithfully handling the word of god because this is the promotion of peace that man desperately wants now notice secondly the person of christ in verses 36 and 38 a in other words we need to know who the redeemer is and what he does and typically in theology we refer that refer to that as the person of jesus and as the work so what he is or who he is rather and what he does but notice with reference to his person in the first place peter declares his lordship which i believe is a description to the divinity of jesus we're going through john's gospel john 1 in the prologue in the beginning was the word the word was with god and the word was god so jesus the word is co-eternal with the father he's distinct from the father and he is consubstantial with the father he is in fact god and so as peter is going through his message he highlights that reality preaching peace through jesus christ notice in verse 36 he is lord of all so christ the word of god the son of god is in fact divine our savior is god most high in fact athanasius one of the sort of lines of evidence to prove the deity of christ as athanasius basically was count uh contra the world itself was that only god himself could save fallen humanity it's only as the son of god comes into this world takes on our humanity identifies with us in all points and yet without sin and he does this in order to live to die and to be raised again to save us from our sin so he is divine but also that humanity is stressed in verse 38 notice what he says how god anointed jesus of nazareth with the holy spirit and with power now jesus as the second person of the trinity jesus as the word who was in the beginning with god the word who was god doesn't have the spirit anointed upon him he is intrinsically at one in terms of essence with father and spirit but according to his humanity when he takes on our flesh when he identifies with us he goes into the waters of baptism the spirit descends upon him like a dove he hears the voice of approbation from the father this is my beloved son in whom i am well pleased and then in the mount of transfiguration god the father says hear him so he is both god and man and peter brings that out and that is crucial and essential information the gospel isn't just about a friendly fellow in the ancient near eastern world who went about and set a good example no it's god the son who took on our humanity who lived for us who died for us and who was raised again for us for us men and for our salvation that whoever believes on him shall not perish but have everlasting life so peter brings this out he is anointed with the spirit for the role of mediator specifically to function as prophet priest and king now notice thirdly the work of christ peter goes not from uh from the person to his work notice the earthly ministry verse 38 how god anointed jesus of nazareth with the holy spirit and with power who went about doing good isn't that beautiful he went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil for god was with him it's his earthly ministry how do we identify what jesus did jesus went about doing good he raised the dead he healed the blind he enabled the lame to walk he fed the multitudes he did glorious and wondrous things why because god was with him again according to the humanity of christ according to the function as mediator as prophet priest and king he didn't just hoard those things he didn't just have those resources but he went out he engaged in ministry he did wonderful things he stood at the side of the the gravesite of lazarus and he told that dead man be uh come forth and lazarus came forth what christ does in his earthly ministry is typical of who christ is according to his blessed person notice as well he highlights the death of jesus it's very important brothers and sisters and friends when we consider christ that we consider all that the bible says concerning christ there is that mindset out there that he was a good example for us we just do a little better try a little harder follow him a little more closely and be kind to one another and everything will pan out in the end that is a complete rejection of the gospel of jesus christ our lord christianity is a redemptive religion christianity is a religion of bloodshed christianity is blood atonement wherein those who by god's grace believe on jesus are washed clean through that precious blood we're sinners we're dead in adam we do the deeds of our father we engage in wickedness and lawlessness so not only do we need a savior who live for us and obeys god's law perfectly such that we receive that righteousness but we need a savior who dies for us because the wrath of god must be spent and he pours it up pours it out upon the son of his love the prophet isaiah says in chapter 53 it pleased yahweh to bruise him speaking of the son have you ever considered or contemplated that have you ever pondered that it pleased the father to bruise the son why is the father some sick sadistic child abuser no the father is in the the the plan and purpose of saving his people from their sins and the son willingly submits himself to that in order to pay the debt to pay the penalty to go in their place and take the wrath and fury of god that they deserve deserve notice what peter says in verse 39 b he says they killed whom they killed by hanging on a tree tree is utilized as well in chapter 5 and verse 30. not every time peter uses it in his epistle as well he uses the reference to treat cross or tree you see that in the new testament i think that the background i think it is reminiscent of a law in the book of deuteronomy deuteronomy 21 22 and 23 tells us if a man has committed a sin deserving of death and he is put to death and you hang him on a tree his body shall not remain overnight on the tree but you 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 is accursed of god paul emphasizes that in galatians chapter 3 he was made a curse for us again you have to understand the theology involved the beauty of the cross is that christ went and took our place we refer to it as substitutionary atonement if i would have been hit by a car on the way to church this morning somebody else would have preached i believe that i hope that and we ought to have a contingency pla plan in place but that person would have been my substitute he stood in my place to do what i was purposed to do think about that in light of substitutionary atonement christ is on the cross not because he's a sinner christ is on the cross not because he's a criminal christ is on the cross because we're sinners christ is on the cross because we're criminals christ is on the cross and it pleased yahweh to bruise him because this was the means by which we are washed free from all sin and transgression and iniquity you have to get this and appreciate this and hold on to this because it's the very lifeblood of the christian faith so peter sets forth that blessed reality but he doesn't stop that notice under the work of christ you've got his earthly ministry you've got his death but you've got his resurrection in verses 40 to 41. we're not a roman catholic church if we're a roman catholic church there'd be a big cross with jesus or at least an apparition or a a depiction of jesus on it but nobody went into the tomb but he was raised again the third day sin had no dominion over him it wasn't the case that he would remain dead it was the case that he'd be raised again in accordance with the promise of the prophets to show his triumph over death over hell over our sin and notice what peter says verse 39 we are witnesses of all things which he did both in the land of the jews and in jerusalem whom they killed by hanging on a tree now notice the contrast him god raised up on the third day and showed him openly there's a great contrast that's set forth by peter and other places as well what they did they hung him on a tree to crucify him but what did god do god raised him from the dead paul captures these two elements in that blessed summary statement a gospel truth in romans 4 25 he tells us that jesus was delivered up because of our offenses but he was raised for our justification when we consider the waters of baptism this isn't a reward for a virtuous life this is to identify with the victor with the savior with the redeemer with the blessed god of heaven and earth it is a public declaration as these two ladies go in and come out of that water that salvation is of the lord it is a most glorious testimony concerning the sovereign grace of god and what he does in the salvation of sinners it's not just that he chose us in him it's not just that he applies that redemptive work to us but it's that the son of god does come down from heaven for us men and for our salvation and he goes through his life and his death but his resurrection as well and then notice peter doesn't stop there i think at times the church stops there at times the church doesn't go on to the exaltation of our lord notice what peter does in verses in verse 42. well he says concerning the witness god raised him up on the third day verse 40 and showed him openly not to all the people but to the wit to witnesses chosen before by god even to us who ate and drank with him after he arose from the death you might think that's a bit of awkward information why do we need to know that you ate and drank with him because the body that went into the ground came up out of the ground uh self-same glorified to be sure but it wasn't that he was a phantom it wasn't that he was an apparition he says to his apostles touch me you'll see that i'm not you know i have flesh i have blood i have bones i have all that stuff it wasn't some apparition or cunningly devised fable but peter says we saw him and then notice in verse 42 he commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that it is he who was ordained by god to be judge of the living and the dead so see this jesus who lived this jesus who suffered and died this jesus who was raised again is now sitting and thrown at the right hand of the father and the bible tells us and this ought to cause some of you those of you who are not believers to fear you will stand before this christ one day to give an account of deeds done in the body whether good or evil look at what the text tells us verse 42 he commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that it is he who was ordained by god to be judge of the living and the dead you will meet this jesus you'll stand before him on the day of judgment again i don't think many people think about this today they don't think beyond you know dinner tonight they don't think beyond their four-year degree they don't think beyond a wife or a husband and a few kids they don't think beyond the grave they don't take into consideration what the apostle says in hebrews 9 it is appointed unto men to die once and then what judgment we will all stand before that glorious throne revelation 20 depicts that scene that great white throne judgment where we stand in the presence of christ if you do not receive him now by grace through faith and call him lord and savior you will ultimately hear those words depart from me i never knew you again just let that sink in for a moment see one of the travesties that i'm observing and i'm sure a lot of you are in western civilization is the decline of due process the idea that if you're upset you just burn down a church building no if that person was guilty they should be tried in courts there should be rules of evidence observed there should be cross-examination we are basically seeing the suspension of due process but this must much i assure you there is no suspension of due process in the court of god every single one of us will stand before jesus every single one of us will give an account of deeds done in the body whether good or evil every single one of us will have to testify and with reference to cross-examination you're going to be standing before the omniscient god of heaven and earth he knows you better than you know you so the idea is is that you believe the gospel you look unto the lord jesus christ the only way to be ready for that day of judgment is to be clothed in his righteousness it is to receive that father falling on the prodigal putting the ring on his finger putting the robe on his back and celebrating with the fatted calf it is to receive that righteousness by which we enter in to that great marriage supper of the lamb if you are not clothed in his righteousness and you stand before him on that day you will be consigned to hell that is the grim reality i know there's a lot of preachers today that say well you know hell is a fiction or or hell is temporary or hell is annihilationism or or hell is conditional that's not what the scripture says do not take the the word of men who cannot exegete scripture properly the bible teaches in fact jesus teaches more on hell than he does on heaven not to suggest that he doesn't teach on heaven but the bottom line is there is a real hell there is real rejection for those who reject jesus christ you get a form of it even on this this side of the judgment to come romans chapter one what happens when men do not uh uh they don't honor god as god neither are their hearts uh thankful to him they know god exists they see all the evidence around them the problem isn't a lack of evidence the problem is the hardened heart of man that suppresses that truth and unrighteousness but what you see happen in society and it should shake us up a bit believer and unbeliever when we read romans 1 to see how god responds to those who reject him three times it says god gave them up god gave them up god gave them up to what a reprobate mind in other words when they reject the god of heaven and earth god of heaven and earth rejects them hell is the absolute application of that reality if you young people you old people continue to reject jesus christ as lord and savior continue to resist gospel preaching continue to resist the overtures of of loving and faithful parents calling upon you to believe on him if you continue to reject that you'll be rejected on that day see that's the reality and peter doesn't just sort of leave it out there when he's tracing the person and the work of the lord jesus christ yes his true humanity yes his true divinity yes his earthly ministry yes his suffering and his death yes his resurrection yes his exaltation but yes his coming again and glory to judge the living and the dead it's a good time to ponder are you ready for that day are you ready to meet him because even if it isn't the day of judgment there could be your own personal eschatology wherein perhaps today i wasn't hit by a car but you might be what happens if your life ends today and you stand in the presence of a thrice holy god are you going to say you know i've been a good person i've tried my best i've done everything i was ever told all three of those statements are absolute lies and you know it at some level the only means by which we are accepted with god is through the beloved in whom we have redemption through his blood paul exclaims hebrews 9 22 it says without the shedding of blood there is no remission and this is a good place to transition into the next point notice the prophetic witness to the person and the work of our lord jesus christ what's the book of amos about what's the book of hosea about what's the prophet isaiah about what's ezekiel about what is jonah about well peter's going to tell us he's going to tell cornelius and by extension us notice in verse 2 43 he says to him this one he's just declared life death resurrection exaltation judge of the living and the dead to him this lord jesus christ all the prophets witness here's a great help to you when you're reading those prophets find jesus in them because according to peter jesus is in them and any pastor any preacher any bible teacher any bible scholar who says well you you really don't need the old testament is a fool you certainly need the old testament because the scope of the whole is the glory of god and the salvation of sinners by jesus christ the lord but notice with reference to the prophetic testimony they emphasize the self same things that peter emphasizes in other words he's come to cornelius who's described as a god fearer and god fear simply meant that he was a non-jew but he was interested in israel's god so he would go to the synagogue he would surround himself with jewish people he wanted to understand something about this yahweh of israel so he had this modicum of understanding but peter is giving him the christocentric interpretation peter is giving cornelius something that cornelius hadn't heard in the synagogue because the jews in the first century except those who believed the gospel would have still been waiting for messiah but as far as peter is concerned as far as paul is concerned as far as the history of the church is concerned the messiah came in the person and in the work of our lord jesus christ and so notice what peter says verse 43 to him this is jesus all the prophets witness that through his name whoever believes in him will receive remission of sins again the way these two men met peter and cornelius was amazing they both had separate visions calling upon them to take journeys and to meet with one another and so when they come together and cornelia says tell us everything that god had commanded peter doesn't engage in his life story he doesn't tell him biography or autobiography he testifies concerning faith in the lord jesus christ for the remission of sins why because you're going to stand before this one one day to give an account of deeds done in the body whether good or evil let's just step that up one more you know one more bit of emphasis in matthew's gospel in chapter 12 do you know that jesus says that on that day men will give an account for every idle word that they had spoken how many idol words do you and i engage in how many idol words do we say on a given day how many idol words do we you know cloud the the cloud with in terms of our our our ongoing blabbering how many idle words but but think about that what about the blasphemies what about the rejection what about the despising what about the contempt we show for god by our words you see why peter goes to where peter is going he wants cornelius to be saved he wants cornelius to be rescued he wants cornelius to be redeemed he wants cornelius to stand before god on that day of judgment clothed in the righteousness of another such that he won't here depart from me into hell prepared for the devil and his angels but such that he'll hear well done good and faithful servant enter into the joy of your rest so all of the prophets every single one of them they witness they testify that through the name of jesus whoever believes in him will receive remission of sins so in other words there is a salvation emphasis relative to the life and the death and the resurrection of jesus it's not just exemplary it's not just a model for good behavior but it is rather redemptive in nature and it is what sinners desperately need to hear so when you read isaiah 53 you better see jesus there when you read the old testament the the the law the moses writings you see jesus there remember we looked at that in john chapter five jesus upbraids the religious leaders of his day he says you read the scriptures uh you you read moses but moses testifies of me so the whole scripture tells us sets forth before us not us not our happiness not our glory there's not a narcissistic way to read the bible but rather it's about god in christ reconciling the world to himself so to him all the prophets witness that through his name whoever believes in him will receive remission of sins now it's at this point that i think any preacher worth assault ought to give a bit of autobiography by way of personal testimony there ain't anything better in this world than having been forgiven of your sins there is nothing better than psalm 130 verses 3 and 4 where david says to yahweh if you lord should mark iniquities oh lord who could stand that's a truism if god god should mark every one of our iniquities or just one of our iniquities who could stand but david doesn't stop there he says but there is forgiveness with you that you may be feared john the apostle tells us if we confess our sins he's faithful and just think about that statement faithful we get but but just when i come to god for forgiveness do i want justice yes it speaks of atonement it speaks of cross it speaks of blood it speaks of the penalty bearer it speaks of jesus christ so we want his faithfulness and justice to forgive us of our sin and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness david and the psalter in psalm 25 pleads his own sinfulness as the reason why god should forgive him in fact look there i don't think people even get this 25-11 uh psalm 25 11. good place to take a little sip of water too by the way psalm 25 david's statement here it's so counterintuitive to us we think we need to come to god having cleaned up our act you know god i've really tried hard this week i've really done well this week i obeyed my parents i i was kind to my spouse i i worked hard in school or at my job and so therefore god could you should just just give me a bit of a reward that's the way we tend to operate isn't it that's the way we tend to function we do good we expect good from god notice david in psalm 25 at verse well verse 10 all the paths of the lord are mercy and truth to such as keep his covenant in testimonies for your name namesake oh lord pardon my iniquity why because i've done well i've tried to mitigate some of it no for it is great do you ever consider that people don't always consider this we've gone out we've passed out tracks to various people in the neighborhood we've tried to talk to people and once in a while you'll meet a you know sort of a a crab apple of an old man who'll say things like well i'm just so sinful god would never have me david's argument is precisely the opposite i am so so sinful only god will have me i am so wretched that only god can avail i am so wicked that only blood atonement by jesus christ is the answer i am so wicked that the only hope for me the only help for me is not in reform it's not an improvement it's not in trying harder but it's in christ and him crucified christ in him resurrected christ delivered up because of our offenses and christ raised for our justification if you are a sinner i can tell you with firsthand knowledge that there is nothing better than the forgiveness of sins and those of us who have been here for any amount of time know it's at this point that i quote one of my favorite stanzas written by a non-inspired author that is contained in our hymn book my sin o 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 see nothing better for the soul of the weary sinner than the blood of jesus christ his son if you don't know this if you've not come to him if you are still dead in your trespasses and sins then if you listen to one thing this morning listen to this believe look unto him and you will be saved that's the emphasis the doctrine of justification by faith alone wasn't a protestant invention in the 1500s but rather it is what scripture teaches whoever believes in him will receive remission of sins that would have spoke volumes of encouragement to cornelius at two points first whoever not just jews you mean gentiles and secondly whoever believes in him not believes and is circumcised believes and does the works called upon uh given to him not the the one who believes and goes through the roman catholic sacramental system know it's whoever believes in him will receive remission of sins it is the doctrine of justification by faith alone and it is glorious it is wonderful it is most blessed and most excellent and for those of you who are not believers here this morning again listen to this statement believe on the lord jesus christ and you shall be saved and that brings us secondly in terms of the overarching theme of the sermon to the conversion and cornelius of his household conversion of cornelius in his household in verses 44 to 48. he listened he listened to peter he knew the prophetic testimony concerning messiah and now by god's grace he believes that gospel he looks and he lives he goes from death unto life he goes from darkness into light he is now one of the church he is now saved by god's grace notice the power of the holy spirit comes upon them verse 44 while peter was still speaking these words the holy spirit fell upon all those who hear the word i try to encourage our church if you're visiting this morning it's an encouragement you should take back to your church pray every sunday morning that the holy spirit comes not that so and so comes i mean it's okay that you pray that so-and-so comes but pray the holy spirit comes because if we engage in gospel preaching according to the flesh then it will not avail but we need the life-giving power of the holy spirit to fall upon the preaching to fall upon the hearing such that sinners will by god's grace lay hold of the mercy offered them in the person and in the work of our lord jesus christ the spirit works in the hearts of the hearers of the word to enable the elect to believe the gospel as well the fact that the holy spirit comes in power the way that he does evidence is that what peter is doing here wasn't peter's initiative peter wasn't the guy who woke up one morning and said hey i'm going to find this gentile named cornelius and i'm going to preach the gospel to him that's not it at all no peter is given this mission by god the lord so that when the spirit falls upon this meeting when the spirit works in the hearts of cornelius and his family members when the spirit does that blessed task it evidences that this is divine initiative just like when god comes in the garden to adam and eve they run from him just like after the the tower builders at babel they make this big tower they try to reach up into heavens they try to make a name for themselves well god confounds them by confusing their lip but on the next the very next chapter god comes to abraham and calls them out of ur the chaldeans it's god's initiative that is uppermost in the salvation of sinners it's not your free will it's god's free grace and in that is a world of hope it is a most blessed reality that it's up to god that salvation is of the lord notice the astonishment of the jews that were there statement those of the circumcision who believed were astonished they were jewish believers who accompanied peter from joppa there were six of them according to chapter 11 and verse 12. what you have in chapter 11 verses 1 to 18 is basically peter's explanation of what happened with cornelius because again more jewish believers those of the circumcision are curious and they want to know what happened why are you going in why are you having table fellowship with a gentile so peter explains to them that this is god's work of grace in the adding of gentiles into the covenant of grace notice the reason why they were astonished verse 45 those of the circumcision who believe were astonished as many as came with peter why because the gift of the holy spirit had been poured out on the gentiles also for they heard them speak with tongues and magnify god now it's not been that long ago that we were in the book of acts but just by way of reminder it's not the case that every time somebody gets the holy spirit they speak in tongues old school and perhaps modern school pentecostalism some forms of charismaticism teach that that the true sign that somebody has the spirit is that they speak in tongues they go to acts chapter 2 they go to acts chapter 8 and they go to acts chapter 10 they say see these people believed they they received the spirit and therefore they spoke in tongues but that is to neglect the emphasis in acts 2 acts 8 and acts 10. this isn't underscoring or highlighting individual responses to the gospel of the lord it's corporate reception in acts 2 all the nations of the earth are gathered in jerusalem and we have this day of pentecost acts chapter 8 they go to with the gospel to samaria and we have this pentecost here the gospel goes to the gentiles and we have this pentecost the emphasis isn't upon tongue speaking on the part of individual converts the emphasis is is that christ at the right hand of the father in this church age sends the spirit upon these people groups at key junctures in the missionary enterprise one man by the name of thompson understands it this way and he writes luke's focus in these texts acts 2 8 10 and 11 and then he adds 19 the john the baptist believers is on the fulfillment of prophecy salvation history and the beginning of the last days rather than paradigms for individual experiences in each of these chapters luke emphasizes corporate experience so if you neglect that you're going to end up as a charismatic and somehow think that if you don't speak in tongues you must not be saved brethren that's simply false you don't have to speak in tongues to be saved in fact at this juncture there's no more tongue speaking there's no more prophesying because these were revelatory gifts and now that the new testament canon is complete we don't have need for those revelatory gifts but then notice finally the baptism of cornelius and his household verse 47 is a question it's kind of like expects a no it's kind of like saying to somebody you don't like liver do you well well no it's kind of a question that leads or elicits that particular response if you happen to like liver then sorry i guess this doesn't apply to you but but some of us they'd say you don't like liver do you and i'd probably say well no because it's a question that not only leads it but experientially i just don't want to eat liver of course i'm not starving i'm sure a piece of liver would look very nice if i had been three days without food so you know that puts a whole different spin on things but notice what peter says peter answered can anyone forbid water that these should not be baptized who have received the holy spirit just as we have remember they're astonished he's believing jews are astonished at the fact that the spirit has come but peter's logic is impeccable they've received the spirit why shouldn't they receive the new covenant sign of baptism they've received the spirit why shouldn't they be immersed into that water in identification with the triune god of course it's an answer that expects a no or a question that expects a no john gill says since they had the greater baptism the baptism of the spirit the lesser baptism of water could not be denied that good logic and then notice what peter does in verse 48 he commanded them to be baptized see baptism is not optional baptism is not suggested baptism is not just recommended for a special class of initiates no peter says if you've believed on him whom the prophets testified concerning that through his name everyone who believes in him will receive remission of sins if you believe in him and if you've received the holy spirit again it's not an optional sort of act but rather you are commanded to be baptized not in order to be saved because we know that can't be you're saved by grace through faith in christ but baptism is in the life of sanctification we are justified freely by his grace and now the spirit indwells us and guess what we want to do what god commands we want to do what the lord says and with reference to baptism we don't have to be coerced we don't have to be cajoled we don't have to be promised character stick we simply obey god especially the blessed commandment of our savior when he says go therefore make disciples of all the nations baptizing them in the name of the father and of the son and of the holy spirit and then notice this is a them passage verse 48 he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the lord then they asked him to stay a few days which he did and would have to instruct them further but it's a them passage this is a household baptism and baptists do not reject this baptist do not resist this baptists do not say oh those household baptisms aren't for us basically we teach that the bible teaches household baptism here and that baptists affirm household baptism all those in a household who hear the gospel verse 44. all those who in a a house household believe the gospel look at 11 17. i've already mentioned this is peter's explanation verse 17 and chapter 11. if therefore god gave them the same gift as he gave us when we believed on the lord jesus christ who was i that i could withstand god and those who are receivers of the spirit of course they should be baptized of course this is a blessed expression of a household baptism of course god is to be praised god is to be glorified and that is precisely how those who heard this story responded look at 11 18. when they heard these things they became silent and they glorified god saying then god has also granted to the gentiles repentance to life so it is a most blessed example example of a household baptism now in conclusion just a few thoughts and then we'll transition into the water the first place the inclusion of gentiles and the covenant promises of god i don't think this thrills us the way it probably would have in the first century but it's something that should thrill us nevertheless the promises made by god to abraham to isaac to jacob are fulfilled in and through the person and work of the lord jesus christ they certainly involve people from israel but they involve people from every tribe tongue people and nation in one of the servant songs of the lord in the prophet isaiah god the father says to god the son it's too small a thing for you simply to save the tribes of jacob i will give you as a light unto the gentiles this is the foundation upon or one of the foundational pillars upon which we preach the gospel to every creature indiscriminately wherever there's creatures wherever there's image bearers wherever there are sinners we testify of salvation by grace through faith in our lord jesus christ secondly you see underscored here the unity of the people of god there's a common and popular way of reading the bible out there today that's wrong they continue to keep the jews and the gentiles distinct that's not what the apostles do the apostles understanding rightly the lord jesus and understanding rightly the prophets see the combination see that in christ whether you're jew or gentile you're israel you're the israel of god you're a spiritual israelite that believes the gospel in first corinthians 12 13 we read for by one spirit we're all baptized into one body whether jews or greeks whether slaves are free and have all been made to drink into one spirit ephesians 2 14-22 is an extended statement of the unity and the solidarity that jew and gentile has in our lord jesus and then that classic text in ephesians 4 4-6 there is one body and one spirit just as you were called in one hope of your calling one lord one faith one baptism one god and father of all who is above all and through all and in you all and when paul says that he affirms the christian doctrine of the trinity and when we come to baptism we should remember the trinity because it's at the baptism of our savior that we see the doctrine we see the truth rather of that doctrine the son of god goes into the waters of baptism the spirit descends in the form of a dove the spirit isn't a dove he descends rather in the form of a dove and then you have the voice of the father this is my beloved son in whom i am well pleased so at the baptism of our lord jesus christ we are encountering the triune god in fact the ancients used to say arius if you want to see the trinity go down to the river jordan but then at the baptism the com the great commission and the command for baptism we are encountering the triune god baptized in the name singular of the father the son and the holy spirit you have the one name singular representative of the substance or essence of god the oneness of god in his simple essence and then you have the reference to the persons or subsistences father son and spirit there was a church father by the name of gregory of nazianzen and he gave an oration on holy baptism and he made this statement no sooner do i conceive of the one then i am illumined by the splendor of the three no sooner do i distinguish them then i am carried back to the one when i think of any one of the three i think of him as the whole and my eyes are filled and the greater part of what i am thinking escapes me i cannot grasp the greatness of that one so as to attribute a greater greatness to the rest when i contemplate the three together i see but one torch and cannot divide of measure out the undivided light we come to the waters of baptism we are encountering we are seeing and we are identifying with the triune god of holy scripture and i would give a great encouragement to joy and to amy that this baptism ought to serve you well for the coming days in your christian experience romans chapter 6 the theology that paul sets forth he starts off in romans 6 1. what shall we say then shall we continue in sin that grace may abound may it never be guess how he counters the argument not with law but with gospel not that law doesn't have its place in the in the destruction of sin and the life of the believer but he turns to the gospel specifically that gospel they experienced when they were baptized you went into the water you were you were dead with him you were buried with him and you were raised again with him so water baptism is not salvific but it demonstrates outwardly what god has done inwardly it isn't a converting ordinance they don't go into the water as unbelievers and come out of the water as believers they go in as blood-bought children of the living and true god identifying with father son and holy spirit and made this day always stick in your heads and be a great encouragement to pursue holiness to pursue righteousness and as they enter into the life and and membership of this church we pray for them we encourage them and we trust that they will pray and encourage us as well well let us close in a word of prayer our father we thank you for your word we thank you for your grace we thank you for the person and the work of the lord jesus christ in whom there is salvation and god we affirm and confess the doctrine of justification by faith alone not just because it's in our documents but because it's in our hearts it's in our minds we see it throughout scripture abraham believed god and it was credited unto him as righteousness we see that that emphasis always in the prophets and in the new testament and throughout the history of the church that the just shall live by faith thank you for blessing amy thank you for blessing joy thank you for calling them out of darkness into marvelous light and again father i pray for any who are dead in their trespasses and sins today may you awaken them by the power of your word and may they see and behold the glory of jesus christ as the one in whom alone there is forgiveness and a righteousness that avails with you and we ask this in his most blessed name amen well please take your hymn books and turn to him number 436 if the ladies would like to change their clothing and i will do so as well so 436 steve lawson will come up and he can stand and sing together foreign uh so just wow so see yes um but uh of the children have been here this is a picture of what god does in salvation so as these ladies are baptized this represents a way they're dying and they're being raised again with our lord jesus christ it's the most blessed and wonderful thing just a few reminders with reference to baptism our confession of faith is very clear in terms of the ordinance or sacrament of baptism it speaks of its significance in chapter 29 paragraph one baptism is an ordinance of the new testament ordained by jesus christ to be come to the party baptized a sign of his fellowship with him in his death and resurrection of his being engrafted into him of the mission of sins and of his giving up unto god through jesus christ to live and walk in newness of life and then it speaks to the proper subjects of baptism in our church people sometimes think we only believe in adult baptism no we believe in believers baptism those who believe the gospel and it says those who do actually profess repentance towards god faith and obedience to our lord jesus are the only proper sufferings of this ordinance we reject infant baptism or pedo baptism because we simply do not know if that child is believing and then in paragraph three it speaks of the outward elements the outward element to be used with this ordinance is water wherein the party is to be baptized in the name of the father and of the son and of the holy spirit and an immersion or dipping of the person in life is necessary to do administration of this ordinance so that baptism in greek is the word we use for immerse it was used outside of biblical great and great that was used in the empire at that time of capsizing ships they weren't sprinkled they weren't just a little bit of water came on them capsized they weren't immersed they went fully under so that's the significance of baptism in our confession today both joy and amy are going to share a brief testimony concerning the lord's work in their we touch it i lives know electricians out there so for decades every week i recited and i see greed at church and part of that statement i believe in one baptism through the remission of sins and for me to redo life from baptism almost became an issue of non-faith became a very big deal but eventually it made sense to me to follow jesus in matthew 3 jesus told god that it was fitting that jesus could baptize to fulfill all righteousness the good news is our savior jesus christ passing through all righteousness for us however later in matthew 28 jesus commanded his disciples a baptized from all nations in the name of the father and the son and the holy spirit so despite decades of faith i've not taken the step of the mediums but better now than ever coven castle plants so i'm now into my seventh decade of life on this earth and i was starting to get anxious that maybe i would go to meet jesus in the air before i got baptized so i found three grace the baptist on the internet prayed to god saying goodbye to preach the bible and i find it very evident to come here i appreciate the preaching and teaching and i also appreciate the courage i appreciate the remembrance i appreciate the um thoughtfulness for the infection control measures while also remembering the crisis head of the church and the admonishment in hebrews 10 25 to not forsake the assembly so i'm very excited to become a member of grace baptist for my scripture and tools the amplified king james translation for like lincoln's three tab for my determined purpose is that i may know him that i may become more deeply and intimately acquainted with him perceiving and recognizing and understanding the relevance of this person the second part of the verb first will talk about suffering and i'm not going to pray for more suffering but i do pray that the holy spirit will use my share of christ's sufferings from the past and in the future to continually transform me into his likeness [Applause] i think reveal but i was sure it is not in me but it is is [Applause] our father in heaven we thank you for the salvation that you have brought we know that we're not deserving we know that we actually deserve your wrath and your purpose both in this life and that which is to come but we rejoice in the lord jesus christ and the salvation he has he has given us we rejoice in the goodness and kindness of our god with grace that we have shown to us i pray for these sisters that they will continue to grow in their understanding of gospel truth that they would pursue those things which are pleasing in your sight and god please reach down in your mercy and in your love and save sinners to the uttermost and we ask in the name for the glory of our lord jesus christ amen and you can turn to 568 we'll stand we'll close the service by singing [Music] so please be seated for free you you