Please turn in your Bibles to Acts chapter 2. Acts chapter 2, we'll pick up reading in verse 14, Peter's sermon on the day of Pentecost. Remember the specific scene, the Spirit of God had come upon the church. They spoke in other languages and communicated the great works of God Most High.
Some mocked and said that the people were full of new wine. So Peter stands amongst the disciples and preaches this particular sermon. I'll just pick up reading in Acts 2 at verse 14. But Peter, standing up with the eleven, raised his voice and said to them, Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you and heed my words.
For these are not drunk, as you suppose, since it is only the third hour of the day. But this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel. And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh. Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy.
Your young men shall see visions. Your old men shall dream dreams. And on my menservants and on my maidservants I will pour out my Spirit in those days. And they shall prophesy.
I will show wonders in heaven above and signs in the earth beneath. blood and fire and vapor of smoke. The sun shall be turned into darkness and the moon into blood before the coming of the great and awesome day of the Lord. And it shall come to pass that whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved. Men of Israel, hear these words.
Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs which God did through him in your midst. As you yourselves also know him being delivered by the determined purpose and foreknowledge of God, you have taken by lawless hands, have crucified and put to death whom God raised up. having loosed the pains of death, because it was not possible that he should be held by it. For David says concerning him, I foresaw the Lord always before my face, for he is at my right hand, that I may not be shaken. Therefore, my heart rejoiced and my tongue was glad.
Moreover, my flesh also will rest in hope, for you will not leave my soul in Hades, nor will you allow your Holy One to see corruption. You have made known to me the ways of life. You will make me full of joy in your presence. Men and brethren, let me speak freely to you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his tomb is with us to this day.
Therefore, being a prophet and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that of the fruit of his body, according to the flesh, he would raise up the Christ to sit on his throne. He, foreseeing this, spoke concerning the resurrection of the Christ, that his soul was not left in Hades, nor did his flesh see corruption. This Jesus God has raised up, of which we are all witnesses. Therefore, being exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he poured out this which you now see and hear.
For David did not ascend into the heavens, but he says himself, the Lord said to my Lord, sit at my right hand till I make your enemies your footstool. Therefore, let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ. Amen. Well, let us pray.
Our Father, we come before you now and we thank you that he is risen. We thank you that the tomb is empty, that our Lord Jesus is enthroned at your right hand, where he ever lives to make intercession for his people. We thank you that he is the one that sends the Spirit in powerful ways, as we see described in the book of Acts. We pray that even now he would send the Spirit to guide us and to direct us and to lead us into all truth.
We pray again that you would wash us and cleanse us in the precious blood of Jesus from all of our sin and all of our unrighteousness. We confess, Lord God, that we have sinned against you in all manner of wickedness, and we just plead now the merit and mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ. And we ask this in his most blessed name. Amen.
Introduction
Well, as Pastor Cam read in Psalm 16, and as Peter quotes here, we can rejoice that Jesus Christ has, in fact, risen from the grave. And as reformed Christians, we get the privilege of celebrating this 52 days a year. Every Lord's Day is a remembrance that he is, in fact, risen as well with reference to his death. It's not just once a year, but as often as we eat this bread and drink this cup, we proclaim the Lord's death. until he comes.
We are not bound to some man-made liturgical calendar. God has given us these blessed events to recall recurringly and repetitively. And so this morning, we're going to take up this great theme of the resurrection of our Lord Jesus in the book of Acts. And I want to accomplish three things this morning.
First, I want to see that the resurrection is the fulfillment of God's covenantal promises. Secondly, it is the application of God's redemptive blessings. And then thirdly, It brings on the culmination of God's plan for the world. So it'll be a topical survey.
We won't look at every resurrection passage in the book of Acts, but we'll sample a few. And these particular categories, the fulfillment of God's covenantal promises, the application of God's redemptive blessings and the culmination of God's plan for the world.
Fulfillment of Covenantal Promises
Well, let's first take up the fulfillment of God's covenantal promises. We saw this in the Gospel of Matthew, that prior to giving the genealogy, Matthew, the apostle, announces his theme. He speaks of Jesus Christ being the son of David and the son of Abraham. And Luke does precisely the same thing in this book of Acts.
He links the Lord Jesus to David's covenant, and he links the Lord Jesus to Abraham's covenant. And I believe this is foundational. It's not something we should bypass, but it's something we should appreciate, that the coming of the Lord Jesus wasn't some brand new thing in redemptive history, but it was where the Old Testament was going. It was where these promises were going.
Jesus Christ is the fulfillment. He is, in fact, the day and a man of God most high. So let's look at this specifically.
The Davidic Covenant
He is the one who was promised to come from David. See, notice in verse twenty nine of chapter two, he says, men and brethren, let me speak freely to you. of the Patriarch David. He takes this up because he's just quoted and cited Psalm 16. He's applying this to the Lord of Glory.
He is saying that this has fulfillment in Jesus Christ of Nazareth. That's why he is differentiating here. He says that he is both dead and buried, and his tomb is with us today. To this day, as great a man as David was, he is dead And he was buried.
His tomb is among us to this day. Notice in verse 30, it says, therefore, being a prophet and knowing that God is sworn with an oath to him, that of the fruit of his body, according to the flesh, he would raise up the Christ to sit on his throne. He foreseeing this spoke concerning the resurrection of the Christ. What a great ascription.
What a great testimony. What great news for the people of God in the church of Jesus today. We're not waiting for the Lord Jesus to take his rightful place on the throne of David. Jesus Christ has ascended on high.
He's led captivity captive. He's given gifts to men. He has assumed his position of reign at the right hand of God. on David's throne. Peter most certainly has in his mind here.
Second Samuel chapter seven. What we call the Davidic covenant. Remember, the second Samuel seven starts off this way. David wants to build a house for God.
That's a good and noble thing, isn't it? David is reflecting upon the privilege that he currently possesses. He sees the mansion that he is living in and his thought process goes something like this. How is it that I am living in such a splendid place and God dwells in a tent?
He has this desire to build a house for the Lord. He expresses this desire to Nathan, the prophet. And then God, through the prophet, tells David, you're not going to build a house for my name. It would come ultimately through Solomon, David's son.
But it is very intriguing the flow of 2 Samuel 7. David wants to build a house for God, but God says, No, David, I'm going to build a house from you. I'm going to build a dynasty from your particular line. And this is the Davidic covenant.
He makes a promise of Messiah. Notice in 2 Samuel 7 at verse 12, it says, When your days are fulfilled, then you rest with your fathers. I will set up your seat after you. who will come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.
I will be his father, and he shall be my son. If he commits iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men and with the blows of the sons of men. But my mercy shall not depart from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I removed from before you. And your house and your kingdom shall be established forever before you.
Your throne shall be established forever." This is the promise of the kingdom made to David. We need to notice here that death is not a novice promise. David died. Solomon died.
Godly kings and ungodly kings died afterwards. But Jesus comes ultimately in fulfillment of this gracious promise of God. Sin itself cannot destroy it. Even though it looked as if Judah was trying to, God ultimately sends them into exile, but he brings them back.
He keeps the people together so that in the fullness of the time, he would send forth his son born of a woman and born under the law to redeem those under the law. And then time will not exhaust this promise. His kingdom will be forever. Luke, the apostle, writing in the book of Acts, recording Peter's sermon, sounds just like what Luke had recorded in his gospel account when the angel comes to Joseph and Mary.
It says, Then the angel said to her, Do not be afraid, Mary. Luke 1, verse 30. For you have found favor with God. And, behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a son, and shall call his name Jesus.
He will be great and will be called the Son of the Highest. And the Lord God will give him the throne of his father David. And he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end." The temptation is in us at times to read through these Old Testament books. Wow, that's pretty neat.
And then just sort of forget about it. Do you realize that the King of Kings and Lord of Lords is stationed at the right hand of God Most High, based on this promise made to David so many years ago? Our King is the royal heir of the Davidic throne, and this is what Peter declares in Acts chapter 2. He, foreseeing this, spoke concerning the resurrection of the Christ.
The Abrahamic Covenant
But not only the Davidic covenant, the Abrahamic. Look over at Acts 3 for just a moment. Acts chapter 3. I believe this is crucial to understanding the remaining portions of the book of Acts, that covenantal framework, the fulfillment of God's promise, the reality that Jesus is, in fact, the rightful heir of David and the fulfillment of the Abrahamic promise.
Notice, in Acts chapter 3, beginning in verse 19, repent therefore and be converted that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that he may send Jesus Christ, who was preached to you before, whom heaven must receive until the times of restoration of all things, which God has spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began. For Moses truly said to the fathers, The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from your brethren. Him you shall hear in all things, whatever he says to you. And it shall be that every soul who will not hear that prophet shall be utterly destroyed from among the people.
Yes, and all the prophets from Samuel and those who follow, as many as have spoken, have also foretold these days. You are the sons of the prophets and of the covenant which God made with our fathers, saying to Abraham and in your seed, all the families of the earth shall be blessed. To you first, God, having raised up his servant Jesus, sent him to bless you in turning away every one of you from your iniquities. When God made that promise to Abraham that he would save by him a multitude, or would save in him all the families of the earth.
Remember specifically that promise given in Genesis 15. Abraham says, Lord, how do I know that this will come to pass? And there's that great ratification ceremony. I toyed with bringing this again, because I know we've looked at this a lot.
And I'm convinced Genesis 15 is the Romans 8, 28 of the Old Testament. And we love that, Romans 8, 28. God promises to work all things for good, those who love him, to the called according to his purposes. We put that on our refrigerator.
We put that in our heads. We put that in our hearts. I submit the old covenant saints put Genesis 15 on their refrigerators. They put Genesis 15 in their hearts.
When Abraham says, Lord, how do I know that this is going to take place? God engages in that beautiful ceremony, not beautiful in terms of the spectacle was quite a bloody right. But God separates these animals and he puts them into two separate sides. And then he puts Moses into a deep sleep or Abraham into a deep sleep.
And as Abraham comes out of it, he sees the smoking torch passing between these animals. The significance of this is that the party of the covenant is swearing, is calling down upon himself the wrath of God. If he reneges on the promise, he is saying essentially that what has been done to these animals, let it be done to me if I fail in my covenant obligations. Well, the beauty and the glory and the majesty of that promise is that it's the smoking torch alone that passes between the animals.
It is in Abraham's fidelity. It is in Abraham's covenantal faithfulness. It is God most high swearing to save his people from their sins. Palmer Robertson says, by dividing animals and passing between the pieces, participants in a covenant pledge themselves to life and death.
This is what God is doing with Abraham. Remember, Abraham says, Lord, how do I know? God says, let me show you. These actions established an oath of self-malediction.
We all know what a benediction is. It's a good word spoken. Malediction is a bad word spoken. It is to call down the wrath of God.
It says, or Robertson says, if they should break the commitment involved in the covenant, they were asking that their own bodies be torn in pieces just as the animals had been divided ceremonially. You see, Peter wants to connect the Lord Jesus with the throne of David and the promise of Abraham. This is the fulfillment of God's covenantal promises and the foundation for the mission of Jesus Christ throughout his church.
Application of Redemptive Blessings
Well, let's look, secondly, at the application of God's redemptive blessings. Because Jesus did this, because Jesus ascended on high, Jesus blesses his people. Remember how Paul puts it in Ephesians chapter one. He says, just as he has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ.
Do you ever think about that? Do you ever stop to ponder that? Do you ever consider that you've been blessed, not just partially, not just a little bit, not just in a miserly sense, but he has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ. Now, I have five things from the book of Acts.
There are several others to be sure. Because we're not going to be here all day, I've just sort of confined ourselves to five specific redemptive blessings that we see flowing out of Christ's finished work, which culminated in his resurrection from the dead and his ascension on high.
The Revelation of Jesus' Acts
The first is the revelation of Jesus' acts. The revelation of Jesus' acts. And you wonder, how in the world is that a blessing to me? Because faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.
If we don't have revelation, if we don't have a written record, if we don't have the word of truth, the gospel of free and sovereign grace, we die in our sins. General revelation never leads us to consider our sin before God and the sacrifice and surety, which is Jesus. But the fact is that Jesus apostles served as his representatives to record the theology and the implications of his life, death and resurrection. Go back for just a moment to Acts chapter one.
I want you to notice something about the book of Acts that I hope will encourage you in your study of this great account. Notice, in chapter one, verse one, the former account I made of Theophilus. Doesn't Luke write his gospel account to Theophilus? Doesn't Luke refer to this man as his audience in Luke one, one to four?
Well, here he is referring to that. He says the former account I made, O Theophilus. Now, notice of all that Jesus began both to do and teach. What's the implication here?
The former account records all those things that Jesus began to do and teach. This Book of Acts is the written narrative, the written record, the revelation of all that Jesus continues to do and teach from his position of glory at the right hand of God Most High. In some senses, Acts of the Apostles isn't precise. It is the Acts of the Ascended Lord Jesus.
He is risen, he's on the throne, and this records what he continues to do and teach with reference to the church. Luke goes on in summary fashion to highlight that these events were accomplished, these events were witnessed to, these events were transmitted, these events were investigated, and these events were recorded. We can bless God that he's given us the revelation of Jesus' acts. We can bless God that one of those spiritual blessings that we have in Christ is our Bible is the Scripture. is the Word of God.
You need to see it as the gift of God. You need to not take your Bibles for granted. You need to use the Scripture. You need to study the Scripture.
You need to compare 2 Samuel 7 with Acts chapter 2. You need to get that scene of Genesis 15 in your heart and head. You need to not take these things lightly. I mean, God has orchestrated these things for the good of His people.
The Sovereignty of Jesus' Reign
The second thing, the second blessing that we receive is the sovereignty of Jesus reign. Notice at the end of the sermon in Acts 2, verse 36. Where does Peter bring this home? He doesn't just give them a Bible study.
It's the difference between preaching and a lecture. He's not just presenting them with information so that they'll scratch their heads and wander home and say, wow, that's a pretty unique approach to the Scripture. Wow, that's a pretty unique approach to Psalm 16. Wow, that's a pretty unique approach to how David functioned in the role of redemptive history.
No, he says all that to be sure. He wants them to be instructed to be sure. But how does verse 36 begin? Therefore, therefore, you need to act upon this.
You need to understand this. You need to realize there are implications built into this gospel for your life. Therefore, he says, let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ, not just simply knowledge for knowledge sake. But it is knowledge designed to affect the will, as under the blessing of the Spirit we see that it does, because they're caught to the heart and they say, men and brethren, what must we do?
That's the kind of preaching we ought to pray, that would be an activity through God's Spirit, that men's hearts would be moved, their minds would be instructed, but their hearts would be moved. to repentance, to faith, to laying hold of the Lord Jesus. The resurrection led to the ascension, which led to the current session of Jesus Christ. He rules at the right hand of the Father and he has absolute authority in heaven and on earth. So what does that mean for us as individuals?
It means my king can beat up your king. It means my king has all authority. The religions of the earth, the philosophies of men, at best, produce heroic sorts of beings. At best, produce men worthy of some degree of emulation and imitation.
But this empty tomb resulted in the Son of God enthroned at the right hand of the Father, where he has all authority in heaven and on earth. Michael Horton says, from His incarnation to His reign at the Father's right hand, Jesus is not only the Lord who became the servant, but the servant who is Lord and continues, even in this exalted state, to serve His Father's will and His people's good. We have Christ in our corner. We have Christ on our side.
That means when you get to Revelation 19 and you see the King of kings and Lord of Lords riding on that white horse. You can rejoice and be glad because he's for you.
The Direction of Jesus' Church
And that leads us, thirdly, to consider a redemptive blessing that, again, I think we often take for granted, but it is conspicuously played out in the book of Acts. The direction of Jesus' church. Paul in Ephesians 1 says that Jesus has authority. He is head over all things.
And then he says this for the church. Great price has absolute authority over everything. So what he says in Matthew 28, all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Remember, the devil took him up in that place and he showed him the kingdoms of the earth and all their glory.
He says, you can have all these kingdoms of the earth and their glory if you'll bow down and worship me. The devil says or Jesus says away with you, Satan. It is written you shall serve and worship the Lord your God alone. The devil could only promise that.
But by virtue of Jesus death and resurrection, he has given all authority, not just on earth, but in heaven as well. So whatever happens, brethren, is according to the will and purpose of Him who has all authority. You ought not to forget that. Nothing happens by chance.
There's no haphazard events in this world. They are all a part of the plan and decree and the determined purpose of God Most High. He has stationed His Son at the right hand and He has given Him the reins of the universe where He has absolute authority over all things. But as Paul says, for the church.
He has all authority. He has His special eye on His church. Consider Jesus' activity in the church in the book of Acts. He's not an absentee king.
He's not a deistic sort of a Savior that just throws the church into being and then lets it go. Jesus is right there in the midst of His church. In fact, isn't that one of the thrilling things about the book of Revelation, specifically in chapter one, John turns and he sees one like the son of man in the midst of the lampstands, one of the lampstands and the churches. You see, when you come to church on the Lord's Day, it's not just to see your buddies.
It's not just to see if you're me, the grandkids. It's not just to see brethren that are connected to this local church. You ought to have an earnest expectation and a sincere desire of communing with Jesus. One of the most misinterpreted passages in all of the Bible is an invitation to the church to commune with Jesus.
Revelation, chapter three, verse 20. Everybody has taken that and sort of pictured it as a private invitation to the sinner to open up the door to his heart and let Jesus in. I mean, you've probably seen the picture before. As much as you want to get it out of your head, it lives on.
But it's Jesus standing there at this door and he's about to rap on it. And if you note the picture and you're very attentive, you'll notice there's no door handle on Jesus side. You see, the implication is that Jesus is an Arminian at best, a Pelagian at worst. He's just got to gently wrap on the door of your heart.
And hopefully you and your free will, hopefully you're in your undilutedness will open the door to your heart and let Jesus come in and suck with you. That's not the picture of salvation. I like the idea of Jesus taking a battering ram. and blasting down the door to your hardened and rebellious heart, ripping out that old stony heart, casting it away and putting in a new fleshly heart that is compliant to His law, that is compliant to His will, that has the Spirit as the enabling factor in it. Revelation 3.20 is not a private invitation to the needy sinner.
It is to the church of Laodicea, no less. You know that church that Jesus had threatened to spit out from his mouth because they were neither hot nor cold? Jesus says, Behold, I stand at the door and not of the gathered church. When you come into this place open to Christ, that he may come and sup with us, that he may have free course in our midst, that he may rule in our hearts by his spirit.
That's the promise of the Bible. That's the beauty of new covenant worship. Preaching isn't simply the impartation of truth. It is a means of grace by which Jesus comes.
Jesus is here by his spirit. Pastor Barcelos put it in a good way at this conference that I was at recently, says that Jesus is the one mediator between God and men. The spirit is the mediator between the risen Christ and men. What does Paul pray in Ephesians 3?
That you would have the spirit, that he would fill your heart so that Christ may dwell in you through faith. Christ is present. His sovereignty is conspicuous. And then he directs his church.
It's interesting in chapter one, we'll just rehearse this direction of Jesus Church in a few particulars. Chapter one, the apostles prayed to Christ to provide a replacement for Judas. They pray to Jesus. They pray to the head of the church.
Doesn't that make sense? We need elders or deacons. To whom shall we go to that guy who's accomplished in the congregation? We go to the risen Christ.
We lay out our petitions before the risen Christ, trusting that by his spirit he will make it plain what man or man we are to pursue for office. We notice that Jesus is involved in the addition to the church. What happens in Acts chapter 2? Then 3,000 were added to their number.
Well, who's responsible for that? Peter? His preaching? His power?
His ability? It is Jesus, through the Spirit, adding to the church. Acts chapter 4, you will see it multiply again. Several places in the book of Acts, you'll see what are summary statements or summary reports that Luke records.
And the word of the Lord prevailed. The word of the Lord grew mightily. What is that? But Jesus saving out of the world and adding to the church. the empowering of the disciples to speak the Word of God with all boldness.
In Acts 4, they pray. It says, And when they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the Word of God with boldness. Dropping down into verse 33, And with great power the apostles gave witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all. Jesus is an absentee king.
Jesus is involved. Jesus is blessing every step of the way. The generosity of the church toward one another in chapters four and five. Some people have wrongly implied a Christian communism from chapters four and five and even chapter two.
Do you notice it's not the state mandating benevolence? It's not the government putting a gun to your head saying you have to give. It is Jesus, by a spirit, moving the hearts of materialistic people to part with their bounty. Christ gives the spirit so that we're generous.
What happens when the church has need? Do we engage in guilt manipulation? Do we pray to Jesus to move the hearts of his people so that they would freely give as they have received? Christ is active here.
The discipline of the church in Acts chapter five. You see, some people just don't get it. Ananias and Sapphira thought it OK to lie to the Holy Spirit. And so what happens?
They are killed. They are destroyed in an act of discipline. The church is purged from the evil that is in her midst. The presence of God during times of trial.
Look at what happens in the book of Acts. Look at how God is for you. Look at how Jesus does not turn his back upon you. I know that past reporter has preached on this before, as have I.
Stephen, when Stephen is pressed to the edge, when Stephen is being poured out, when Stephen has everybody against him. I mean, you think you've got it bad? Look at Stephen. Here's a man who at one time his face shone like a holy angel.
Nobody was able to respond to the wisdom and the spirit that he had. He constructs this biblical theology using Israel's history to show how it inevitably leads to Christ. And what happens? They gnash their teeth at him.
They drive him out of the city. Presumably, they don't want to kill him and get his polluted blood on their holy city. So in that time, when he is pressed to the uttermost, what happens? But he, it says, being filled with the Holy Spirit, looked into heaven and he saw the glory of God.
And who else? Jesus standing at his right hand. John Gill has the best explanation on that section. Says Jesus is standing.
Don't we learn in the book of Hebrews, after Jesus accomplished his work, he sat down at the right hand of the majesty on high. Why is he standing? Kids, have you ever wondered that? In Acts 7, Stephen's filled with the Spirit and he sees Jesus standing at the right hand of the glory of God.
Hill explains it with two specific effects. One, to indicate his ready reception of his beloved Stephen. It's about to die a most horrific death, and what's Jesus doing? You're coming home.
You're coming to be with me. How else could Luke record, and then he fell asleep? I'm sorry, but the brutality of being stoned to death probably doesn't yield itself normally to the idea of sleep. But not only is Jesus standing to indicate his ready reception of this beloved saint, but he is showing who the judge is in this account.
The Sanhedrin has Stephen on trial. Jesus standing at the right hand of God the Father is saying, it's you on trial. It's the judge Christ presiding over this affair that he will one day vindicate, one day punish those wrongdoers with judgment from on high. We see the commission of Paul the Apostle.
What happens to this man, Saul of Tarsus? I mean, the worst enemy of the church. You see how great our God is, so glorious our Lord is. Saul is breathing out threats and violence against the church in response to Stephen's prayer.
Lord, do not charge them with this sin. Jesus comes to fetch Saul of Tarsus. That is a beautiful declaration of the involvement of the Lord in the church. Remember that when Paul, the apostle, first comes to the church, people are afraid.
Why are they afraid? Because he formerly persecuted the church. Right. Imagine if there was some big mean guy that lived in this town that took out a few of us. that persecuted, that tortured, that hurt, that imprisoned, that enslaved, that brutalized, that murdered.
And then, lo and behold, we see him sitting in the front row on Sunday. We're probably all going to be like, wait a minute now. Barnabas had to explain. No, he's good now.
Jesus has saved him. He's good now. He preaches the Christ. He one time attacked.
You see, Jesus is present. Jesus directs his church. Jesus uses Peter in the first half of the book of Acts, and then he uses Paul. The spotlight, as it were, was on this particular man who was a blasphemer, a persecutor, an insolent man who at one time tried to destroy the church.
And now he's become the hero of the Christian faith. Christ is lord of the church, the calling of the Gentiles. The progress of the church during persecution turned for just a moment to ask, well, can we just sketching a few of these things here? But this is a beautiful thing.
What happens in Acts 12? Herod kills James. Remember, the sons of Zebedee wanted to sit at the right hand and the left hand of Jesus. Jesus says, you don't understand the baptism with which I have to go through.
He doesn't say, you will learn later. Well, here's James's baptism. He has his head chopped off by Herod. And then what happens?
Peter gets thrown in the slammer, doesn't he? I mean, it starts off pretty bad here. James loses his head. Peter ends up in prison.
But how does the chapter end? John Stott summarizes beautifully. He says the chapter opens with James dead, Peter in prison, and Herod triumphing. It closes with Herod dead.
Remember, in a pretty nasty sort of way as well. The voice of a God and not a man. What does Herod do? Does he deflect that praise?
No, he soaks it in. And what happens? He dies before that, eaten by worms. Starts off with James dead, Peter in prison, and Herod triumphing.
It closes with Herod dead, Peter free, and the Word of God triumphing. Such is the power of God to overthrow hostile human plans and to establish his own in their place. Tyrants may be permitted for a time to boast and bluster, oppressing the church and hindering the gospel, but they will not last. In the end, their empire will be broken and their pride abased.
Christ is Lord. of all. You need to understand that he directs the church. He initiates by his spirit, the missionary enterprise. He assembles the church in fifteen to deal with theological controversy.
It's not as if when the apostles meet, it's some sort of other worldly concern. No, it's at the direction of the most high Christ. He strengthens his servants. Remember, Paul, the apostle, is afraid when he's in Corinth.
And what does Jesus say to him? Do not fear. I have many people in this city. He buoys his spirit.
He keeps him going. He enables him to press onward and he preserves his servants. The latter portion of the book of Acts from chapter 19 all the way to chapter 28. What happens?
Paul needs constant preservation and Jesus affords it. So the redemptive blessings, the revelation of Jesus acts. Secondly, the sovereignty of Jesus reign. Thirdly, the direction of Jesus Church.
The Outpouring of Jesus' Spirit
Fourthly, the outpouring of Jesus spirit. We need the spirit of God. It's an unfortunate reality that because the Pentecostals or the charismatics emphasize the person of the spirit, we have a tendency to let the pendulum swing the other way. Brethren, the Reformed emphasize the Spirit.
The Reformed understand their dependence upon God the Spirit. As I said, one mediator between God and man is Jesus. Jesus is locally present at the right hand of the Father where he mediates his blessings to us by the Spirit. We need the Spirit.
Jesus tells his church, Terry, in Jerusalem, until you are endued with power from on high. Peter ascribes the outpouring of the Spirit on the day of Pentecost to Jesus. Therefore, being exalted to the right hand of God and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he poured out this which you now see and hear. The Spirit is Jesus' gift to his church.
Notice in Acts chapter 5 verse 29. Remember, in the Upper Room, we have every reason to believe and expect this. Jesus says, I will not leave you as orphans. I will send another Comforter, even the Spirit, who will take all things that are mine and make them plain unto you.
Notice in Acts 5, 29, 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, whom you murdered by hanging on a tree. Him, God has 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. What a blessed gift we have from the person of the Ascended Lord Jesus Christ.
Remission of Sins by Jesus' Blood
And then the fifth and the final blessing, I want to just sketch briefly, is the remission of sins by Jesus blood. The forgiveness of sins by Jesus blood. This is that one that I hope you're all. Praise God.
And while Pastor Kim was reading that Luke 18 commenting on the Pharisee and the tax collector there. I got a little reading in my or a little note in my Bible there from J.C. Ryle speaks about pride. Speaks about pride, he says, we are all naturally self-righteous.
It is the family disease of all the children of Adam from the highest to the lowest. We think more highly of ourselves than we ought to do. We secretly flatter ourselves that we are not so bad as some and that we have something to recommend us to the favor of God. I submit that this idea of the remission of sins by Jesus blood is a piece of wonderful news to the sons of Adam.
To the children, even of God, as we struggle, as we battle, as we fight, as we hopefully wage war against that remaining corruption. We need to understand, brethren, our status, our acceptance, our place before God is not connected in our performance. It is connected to Jesus' performance. The Apostles everywhere through the book of Acts highlight the forgiveness of sins through the redemptive work of Jesus Christ.
Acts 2.37, now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the rest of the Apostles, men and brethren, what shall we do? And Peter said to them, repent and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins. It's that name of Christ that brings pardon. It is that name of Christ that brings healing.
It is that fountain open for sin and uncleanness that Zechariah prophesied in chapter 13. To love the fact that we live in those days We live in the days of the blood of Jesus Christ, which cleanses us from all sin. Acts chapter three. We already saw this in verse twenty six to you.
First, God, having raised up his servant Jesus, sent him to bless you in turning away every one of you from your iniquities. You see, if you're here this morning and you don't know Jesus and you're not a Christian, your problem is not that you don't understand enough. Your problem isn't that you just don't, you know, have the desire. Your problem is sin.
It's all of our problem. It's the great leveler of man. It takes white men, black men, yellow men, brown men, and puts them on the same playing field. What does Paul the Apostle say?
All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. If you are here this morning, and you are not in Christ, it's because you prefer your sin. That's the issue. That's it.
Oh, wait a minute. I don't like the way you pray. I don't like this church. Fine.
But at the heart, at the root, at the core, is that instead of Jesus, instead of pardon, instead of cleansing, you'd rather be in the sin. You see, that's what Jesus came to do, to die for sinners and to rise again so that we might receive pardon and the imputation of righteousness. That's why Christianity alone is a redemptive religion. All about redemption.
All about him purchasing us back. It's all about him dying in our stead. He didn't come to make us happy. He didn't come to make us healthy.
He didn't come to make us wise. He is not Benjamin Franklin. He is the Savior of sinners. That's the whole purpose.
He was delivered up because of our sins. He was raised up because of our justification. Listen to me. Hear this.
Understand. These first four redemptive blessings, you may say, I don't really understand too much about that. But listen to this. You are a sinner.
You need cleansing. And there's one place to go. The hymn writer says, fall like to the fountain fly. Wash me, Savior, or I die.
He says, nothing in my hands I break. Simply to thy cross I cling. That's the confession of every saint of Christ on that day of judgment. It's not going to be like this Pharisee.
Well, I'm not like other men. I'm not unjust. I'm not an adulterer. No, it's going to be just the opposite.
I am unjust. I am an adulterer. I am a wicked man. Foul I to the fountain fly.
Wash me, Savior, or I die. You hold to Christ. Acts 5.31. We saw this.
Him God has exalted to his right hand to be prince and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and notice forgiveness of sins. You see, if you start tracking with what the Bible says, you say, God's a holy God. Wow. He's awesome.
He's amazing. Then you start to connect the dots and say, wow, the Bible says I'm pretty bad. You know, my own experience teaches that I'm pretty bad. See, when I try to fake it and I try to put on a good front in front of my wife or in front of my husband, in front of my kids or in front of my parents, you know, they all look at me and they think I'm a pretty decent guy.
I do what I'm supposed to do. I go where I'm supposed to go. I don't do what I'm not supposed to do. But you know, in my heart, it's all a sham.
Who deals with that? Who cleanses that? Who washes that? Ask that publican. who couldn't even look up into heaven, but he beat his breast and he said, God, be propitious to me.
God, be merciful to me. For you Greek students, it's articular, the sinner in the world of man, that's not his concern right now. He sees himself before a holy God and he says, be merciful, be merciful. Acts 10, 43, when Peter is brought to the household of Cornelius.
Again, he traces the person and the work of the Lord Jesus Christ. And in verse 43 of Acts 10, he says to him, all the prophets witness that through his name, whoever believes in him will receive remission of sins. Have you believed? Have you received remission?
Do you know what it is to be cleansed in the blood of the Lamb? I suspect that a whole bunch of people yesterday washed their cars. The first sunny day in however long. I didn't have a whole lot of time, a little bit of a sickness, so I paid the eight bucks to drive it through the car wash.
Comes out on the other side, it looks beautiful. It's an older car, but it looks pretty. It's nice. Now I'm cruising, I've got a little bit of pride.
Hopefully not sinful pride. Got my arm out. My car's playing. You know what that is?
Not in your car, but in your heart. Do you know what it is to have pardon for iniquity? Do you know what it is to have the remission of sins? This is what Peter brings them to consider.
To him, all the prophets witness. So I think we need to see that covenantal framework. All the prophets stood, testifying, pointing their fingers at the Son of God who saves his people from their sins. And take Peter.
Take Peter, for instance. What happens? Who does God raise up on the day of Pentecost? The man who denied Jesus three times.
You would never think that to go from the end of the gospel accounts to the early sections of the book of Acts, that Peter would be there. Certainly, after Jesus forgave him of having denied him with oaths and curses three times, Peter's just going to fade off into the background, isn't he? Peter's going to be saved because Jesus is gracious and merciful and will cleanse him. But we're not going to hear any more of this guy.
Who's God raised up on the day of Pentecost to say, this is what the prophet Joel spoke. You see, when Peter says repent and let every one of you be baptized for the remission of sins, he knows what he's talking about. And when he calls Cornelius's household, whoever believes in him will receive remission of sins. He knows what he's talking about.
He's a standing testimony to the grace and mercy and forgiveness of almighty God. You see, it's not just Peter at all. Who needed forgiveness with Saul of Tarsus? His first sermon is in Pasadena Antioch in a synagogue of the Jews.
His first recorded sermon. I realized that when he first got. He went and preached the gospel. He went preaching in Damascus.
He was preaching already. But Acts 13 is that first missionary journey. He is sent out. He goes into a synagogue of the Jews.
He brings his sermon to a head. Verse 36, For David, after he had served his own generation by the will of God, fell asleep, was buried with his fathers, and saw corruption. But he whom God raised up saw no corruption. Therefore, here's the point.
You see, they didn't preach the resurrection. as a supernatural oddity. They didn't preach the resurrection as just a unique event in the history of man. They didn't want people to scratch their heads and walk away saying, well, this is a crazy world. Sometimes chickens are born with two heads and sometimes men raise from the dead.
Imagine that. That's not what they're doing. Why did he die? Why was he raised?
Therefore, let it be known to you, brethren, that through this man is preached to you the forgiveness of sins. And by him, everyone who believes is justified from all things from which you could not be justified by the law of Moses. He's in a synagogue of the Jews. He's in the churches of Galatia.
Sounds just like what you'll later write to these churches in Galatia. You're not justified by the law. You're not justified by your work. You're not justified by anything save belief alone in Christ alone.
That is where the pardon of sins comes and that is where you get righteousness. Those are some blessings. Those are some great truths that the scripture sets before us in rehearsing his conversion. Paul says, this is what Jesus sent me to do.
I will deliver you from the Jewish people, as well as from the Gentiles to whom I now send you. to open their eyes in order to turn them from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in me." It's about forgiveness.
Application and Gospel Call
I think we're going to look tonight at the culmination of God's plan for the world. I want to end on this most blessed note, this most wondrous truth. If you have come here this morning, heavy laden and burdened, weighed down. Isn't that what sin does?
I know there's some brazen wretches out there that seem like they're beyond all conscience for their sin. But for most people, conscience is still functioning according to Romans chapter 2. Sin doesn't bring liberty. Sin doesn't bring joy.
Sin doesn't make you a happy, well-adjusted person. Sin certainly doesn't make you a better husband. Sin doesn't make you a better father. Sin doesn't make you a better parent or a child.
Sin doesn't make you a better student. Sin doesn't make you a better citizen. Sin doesn't make you more whole. W.
H. O. L. E.
Sin is destructive. Sin is a burden. Sin is a hardship. Sin is horrible.
Sin is terrible. What did Jesus say in John chapter eight? Whoever commits sin is what? Free?
Has liberty? It's part of the Hollywood act? Whoever commits sin is a slave of sin. Notice what he attaches freedom to.
If the sun shall set you free, you will be free indeed. The earnest prayer of every Christian in this room is that those who have yet to come to this liberty, those who have yet to come to this fountain, those who have yet to come to this pardon for iniquity would come, would believe, would listen to the Apostle Paul. would hear this great statement that it is through this man the forgiveness of sins is preached. If you believe on him, you will be cleansed. You believe on him, you will be forgiven.
If you believe on him, you will have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. I connect this as one of the chief boons to that empty tomb. That empty tomb speaks of the power of sin broken. That empty tomb screams forgiveness through Christ the Lord.
That empty tomb demonstrates His power, His triumph, His victory, His ability, and His willingness to cleanse sinners from their sins. Don't miss that. Learn that lesson from the empty tomb this morning. Believe on him and you will be forgiven.
Closing Prayer
Well, let us pray. Our Father, we thank You for Your Word, and we thank You for the fact that that tomb is indeed empty. We thank You that sin had no dominion over Jesus Christ. We thank You, Father, that He died, that He rose again, that He ascended to Your right hand, and that He is active in the lives of people.
He is active in the midst of the Church. And we pray that even now, Lord Jesus, You would send the Spirit to bring conviction. Send the Spirit to show men their place before You. and cause them to confess Christ as Lord and Savior, to the glory of God the Father, and for the good of their own never-dying souls. We just rejoice in these truths.
We thank you, God, that He has risen, and I pray that we would live in light of these truths, God. And go with us now. Watch over us, we pray. In Jesus' holy name, amen.