Greg Laurie - The Church's First Prayer Meeting (02/12/2018)
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Pastor Greg Laurie preaches from Acts 2 on the Church's first prayer meeting at Pentecost, where the Holy Spirit filled believers with power, leading to bold witness and 3,000 conversions. He explains the supernatural events, Peter's Christ-centered sermon calling for repentance, and how the same Spirit empowers us today for practical living and evangelism. The message urges turning from sin and committing to Christ for forgiveness and readiness.
The Church's First Prayer Meeting – Acts 2
But Acts chapter 2 is our text tonight in our series, Upside Down Living. And the title of this message is The Church's First Prayer Meeting.
Now, we're going to look at the first real prayer meeting of that first century church. And this meeting is also known as the Day of Pentecost. Now, they had prayed before, but never like this. Because this is the day that the Holy Spirit was poured out in great power upon all of these believers. And as a result, the world was never the same.
This is the day they were filled with the Holy Spirit. Now, when we hear that phrase, we may wonder what it even means. And it's because some people... oh, I don't know. Oh, it seems like whenever they refer to the Spirit, it gets weird. You know, they'll say strange things and blame it on the Holy Spirit. They'll speak in strange ways and attribute it to the Holy Spirit. They'll say, the Holy Spirit is coming upon me. Yay! I'll say unto them. It's like, what? What's just happened? I don't know. Yay! Okay, whatever it is, I don't want that.
Guess what? I don't want it either. That's not what God has for you. The power that God has for you is a practical power. It's power to make a difference. In some cases, the way some people will work or represent the work of the Spirit, it's like a fire hose that, you know, is out of control, just flailing about. No, let's get that hose and aim it in the right direction and put out a fire.
And this power that was given to these believers was given to change the world. And God wants to fill you with the Spirit.
The Practical Power of the Holy Spirit
Last Thursday night, we all prayed for the Holy Spirit to fill us. And He did. But it would be nice if we could get up every morning and just sort of like plug in and have a major emotional encounter with God. And that's what some people want. They want to feel God. And sometimes you will. And sometimes you won't.
The day of Pentecost was like the explosion that set the early church into motion. It's not like driving a car. You know, when you start it, there's that initial explosion, if you will, that starts the engine. And once the engine is started, you drive the car. You don't keep starting the car after you've already got it going. You don't need the explosion over and over again to start the engine. You've got it. Now drive.
And in the same way, God gives us His power and we need to live it out. We don't need another Pentecost any more than we need another Calvary. We just need to appropriate what God has made available for every believer. The work and the power of the Holy Spirit to help you to be the person that God has called you to be.
This is a story of the mighty rushing wind that changed these disciples and the world. So we're going to see what happened on the day of Pentecost. And then we're also going to take a little time to examine the first message of the church. One of the greatest sermons ever preached.
I almost called my message that, the greatest sermon ever preached. But I was afraid people would think I was giving the greatest sermon. Where in reality, I'm going to reference the greatest sermon or at least one of them.
The Supernatural Events of Pentecost – Acts 2:1-13
So let's read together. Acts chapter 2, starting in verse 1. And tonight I'm going to read from the New Living Translation because of the flow of the way it is stated. So if you have a New Living, you can read along. If you have New King James or whatever, just follow along. Or you might just listen.
On the day of Pentecost, seven weeks after Jesus' resurrection, the disciples were meeting together in one place. Suddenly there was a sound from heaven like the roaring of a mighty windstorm and it filled the house where they were meeting. And then what looked like flames or tongues of fire appeared and settled on each of them. And everyone present was filled with the Holy Spirit and began speaking in tongues as the Holy Spirit gave them this ability.
Godly Jews from many nations that were living in Jerusalem at that time. And when they heard this sound, they came running to see what it was all about. For they were bewildered to hear their own languages being spoken by the believers.
They were beside themselves with wonder, saying, How can this be? These people are all from Galilee. And yet we hear them speak in the language of the lands where we were born. Here they are, Parthians and Medes and Elamites, people from Mesopotamia, Judea, Cappadocia, Pontus, the province of Asia, Phygria, Pamphylia, Egypt, and the areas of Libya towards Cyrene, visitors from Rome, both Jews and converts to Judaism, Cretans and Arabians. And we hear all these people speaking in our own language about the wonderful things God has done.
They stood there amazed and perplexed. What can this mean? they asked each other. But others in the crowd were mocking. They are drunk, that is all.
Rejecting the Drunk Explanation
We will stop there. What a lame explanation. What does this all mean? Well, they are drunk.
Look, having spent a lot of time around drunk people, I should explain that probably. Aren't you a pastor? Yes, I am. But for the first 17 years of my life, I was raised in an alcoholic home. And for as far back as I can remember, I was around drunk people.
And I never saw them act like this. Speak in new languages. This is not something you see in a bar. You know, where suddenly, after a few drinks, someone turned to me, Parlez-vous Francais? Oh, Domo Arigato? Helga Zimus? You know, I don't know. I'm just throwing out random little... Domo Arigato, Mr. Roboto. That doesn't happen.
You know, drunks usually get loud. They get stupid. They slur their words. They think they're really funny when they aren't. Sometimes they get mean and mad and violent. But certainly, they don't act like this. This was a supernatural work of God taking place on the day of Pentecost.
Understanding the Wind and Fire
The way it's described here, Suddenly, there came from heaven a noise like a violent, rushing wind. Luke's use of the word suddenly emphasizes the element of surprise. Even though the believers knew something was coming, after all, Jesus told them to wait for this power that they would receive. You should receive power after the Holy Spirit has come upon you to be witnesses unto me in Jerusalem, Samaria, Judea, and the innermost parts of the earth. Acts 1:8.
They didn't know what that was going to be exactly. And by describing this noise, this emanating from heaven, Luke is emphasizing this was a supernatural action.
The supernatural activity of God is so beyond their grasp, they have to employ similes to describe these manifestations. Notice Luke says, It was like a mighty rushing wind or what looked like flames of fire. Was it literally a wind blowing through the room? Was it literally a flame on top of everyone's head but they looked like little liars or something? I don't know that it was.
This was a supernatural phenomenon that was taking place. And so Luke, a doctor, a very learned man, a very articulate man, also who had a poetic flair in his writing, is trying to put into words what he experienced, what they saw.
But it was an amazing thing and everyone experienced it simultaneously. Jesus used the analogy of the Spirit being like wind on another occasion. You remember in John 3, he was speaking with Nicodemus and he talked about how the wind would blow where it wills and you don't see it, but you see the effects of it. So is everyone that is born of the Spirit.
That's why it's so crazy when someone says, You know what? If I can't see it, I won't believe it. You know, what a stupid statement. Give me a break. I mean, would you say this if you were in the middle of a hurricane? If I can't see the wind, I won't believe it. His cars fly by. Can you see the effects of the wind right now? Ah, yes you can.
In the same way, you can see the effect of the Holy Spirit.
The Transforming Power of the Spirit
One night, a number of years ago, hurricane-enforced winds battered an American town. And in the morning, people emerged from their homes and shelters to assess the damage. And one thing that they found that was amazing was embedded in a telephone pole. There was a flimsy, plastic, drinking straw.
Now, how would you ever get a straw in a telephone pole? Under normal circumstances, you wouldn't. But the tremendous power of the wind drove that straw like a spike into wood.
And my point is simply this. This is what happened on the day of Pentecost. The power of the Spirit came upon these frail, weak men and transformed them so they became powerful witnesses for Jesus Christ.
Now, we read about this and we wonder, well, is this supposed to happen to us today? Well, the answer is yes and no. For instance, there is no other time that the believers experience the mighty rushing wind and having the Spirit come upon them in flames.
However, we read frequently through the book of Acts of the Spirit empowering, filling, and using them for His glory. Pentecost was a one-time, never-to-be-repeated event, but at the same time, the same power that was poured out on those believers is available for every believer today.
For Peter says later in Acts 2:39, this promise is unto you, to your children, and to those that are far off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call. So that's us, folks. We've been called by God. So this power is available to us.
There are some that believe that the gifts of the Spirit died with the last apostle, but that's simply not taught in Scripture. In fact, Scripture says that you should come behind in no gift as you wait for the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ.
We need the power of the Spirit. We need the gifts of the Spirit. We need the working of the Spirit in our life up to this present day.
Receiving Refills of the Holy Spirit
As I said, there were many instances in Acts where the Spirit was poured on the believers again, reminding us that God gives refills. Right? So there's nothing wrong with asking for a refill.
You know, you go into a restaurant and you order a drink, an iced tea, whatever, and they'll say, would you like a refill? Yes, I would. And they keep filling it up. And sometimes I don't notice when they filled it up. And I like a lot of ice in my drink. I don't know about you. So I like it when it's full of ice and just in this a little bit below the ice level and I kind of shake it around and drink it and then they'll fill it and you don't know and you think it was the way it was and they go all over you. You know, so that...
Maybe that's only happened to me. I don't know. But you can receive refills.
After a great crowd gathered after the healing of a man at the gate beautiful, we read, Peter filled with the Holy Spirit said to them, Let me state to you and all the people of Israel what God has just done. He was filled with the Spirit right there in the spot.
This power came on Paul when he was trying to preach the gospel to the governor. In Acts chapter 13 he was being opposed and we read that Paul was filled with the Spirit.
And then when the believers were persecuted for preaching the gospel and were told to stop, they prayed for more boldness. And Acts 4:31 says, After this prayer the building where they were meeting shook and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and they preached God's message with boldness.
So, if you have ever been opposed or mocked or been told to stop talking about your faith, you're a candidate to be filled with the Holy Spirit.
The Spirit's Power in Marriage and Daily Life
I'll tell you another area where you really need the power of the Spirit and that is in marriage. And I'll tell you why. Because in Ephesians 5:18 it says, Don't be drunk with wine because it will ruin your life but be filled with the Holy Spirit speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs singing and making melody in your hearts to the Lord giving thanks for all things to God the Father in the name of the Lord Jesus submitting to one another in the fear of God then it goes on to say Husbands love your wives as Christ loved the church and gave himself for it and wives submit unto your husbands as unto the Lord.
But that's interesting before Paul gets to the commands to husbands and wives he says you need to be filled with the Holy Spirit.
Okay, but what does it mean? The word that is used there in Ephesians 5 for filled has many shades of meaning. One way you could translate the word filled is the idea of wind filling the sail of a ship as it carries it out to sea.
I don't know if we have any sailors here but you know you need that wind to get out there beyond the harbor. And in the same way the Holy Spirit wants to fill your sail with His power and guide you through life. And this makes His commands a delight not a drudgery. You know just when you're just following the Lord and it's not like I have to do this but it's more I want to do this.
But it's not only that but the word filled could also be translated to permeate. And it was the idea of taking salt in these days they didn't have refrigeration. And so they would preserve their meat by rubbing salt in it and when they permeated the meat with salt it would last longer.
Our modern equivalent would be beef jerky. You know those little pieces of meat you pay $30 for in a bag at the checkout on the market. But...
God's Holy Spirit wants to permeate your life. He wants to permeate your worship life and permeate your business and permeate your finances and your family and everything else.
So the idea here is that you are filled with the Spirit so His thoughts become your thoughts His standards become your standards His will becomes your will.
Peter's Explanation and Bold Sermon
Now as the Spirit came upon them they spoke in tongues or languages they had never known previously. It's pointed out these guys are from Galilee. Now that may not mean a lot to us but in this culture that was like saying these guys are from the sticks. These guys are like country bumpkins. These guys are uneducated. They're not sophisticated like we are here in Jerusalem.
Where would they coming from Galilee have this ability to do such a thing? Well it didn't come from their own abilities. It was from the Lord.
Look at verse 14 to 16 in Acts 2. Peter explains it. He stands up with the eleven. He raises his voice and says Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem let it be known to you and heed my words. These men are not drunk as you suppose for it's only the third hour of the day. Guys, it's nine o'clock in the morning. The bars aren't even open yet.
But this is that which is spoken of by the prophet Joel.
I want you to notice that Peter has a biblical explanation for what has just happened. And we should not seek anything that we cannot back up biblically. If it's not in the word it's not of the Lord.
Every now and then someone will come along and say that they have a new word from God because they're a prophet and they'll reveal this to you. Well, wait a second. You have a new word from... Yes, it's new. Check this out. If it's new it's not true. And if it's true it's not new.
Listen to this. Everything you need to know about God is found in this book right here. We don't need a new revelation from some so-called prophet. We need to just go back to this book and read it carefully and let the Holy Spirit speak to us through it.
This is that which is spoken of by the prophet Joel.
Peter's Christ-Centered Gospel Message
If you can't find a biblical basis for what you are doing or what you're experiencing then you should not be doing it.
Now Peter gives the first message of the church. He proclaims the gospel. Shows how Christ has risen from the dead. This is a very important message for a number of reasons. For starters, though it is 2,000 years old, it is a classic prototype given to us of how we can effectively bring the gospel to our culture.
This message does not have a shelf life. It's not dated. It still relates and resonates to us today. In fact, aside from the messages of Jesus, as I said earlier, this is one of the greatest sermons ever preached.
Why is it one of the greatest sermons? It was great because of the place it occupies in the history of redemption. It was the inaugural sermon of the church, if you will. It was great because there was a killer response to it. 3,000 people believed. And finally, it was great because it was and is a model for evangelism.
So let's see if we can learn anything from this sermon as we think about reaching our own culture.
Look at Acts chapter 2, verse 22. Peter says, People of Israel, listen. God publicly endorsed Jesus of Nazareth by doing wonderful miracles, wonders, and signs through Him, as you well know. But you followed God's prearranged plan and with the help of lawless Gentiles, you nailed Him to the cross and murdered Him. However, God released Him from the horrors of death and raised Him back to life again, for death could not keep Him in its grip.
Drop down now to verse 36. So let it be clearly known by everyone in Israel that God has made this Jesus whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah.
Peter's words convicted them deeply. And they said to him and the other apostles, brothers, what should we do?
Verse 38, Peter replied, Every one of you must turn from your sins and turn to God and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit for this promise is unto you, to your children, even to the Gentiles, all who have been called by the Lord our God.
Then Peter continued preaching for a long time. And that's what I'm going to do tonight as well. Well, not too long. Strongly urging all of his listeners, Save yourselves from this generation that has gone astray.
Those who believed what Peter said were baptized and they were added to the church about 3,000 in all.
Keys to an Effective Gospel Message
So why was this a great message and what are the ingredients in it that make it such an effective gospel presentation? You might want to write these points down. They're up here on the screen to help you if you are taking notes.
Number one, Peter knew his audience or his congregation. He knew his audience. He knew who these people were. He knew that in his audience were some of the very ones who were literally responsible for the crucifixion of Jesus Christ.
As our story begins, we're only a couple of months away from the crucifixion here. And since this is Jerusalem and our Lord was crucified at Jerusalem outside of the walls of the city, no doubt there were some of the very people that were culpable, responsible, standing there and Peter being an eyewitness of the crucifixion probably even recognized them.
So, I want you to notice that this message is filled with Old Testament scripture. His goal was to convince them that Jesus Christ was the long awaited Messiah of Israel.
Now, these people were conversant with scripture. They were raised studying the Torah, the Bible. and so, he referenced Old Testament scripture repeatedly showing Jesus as the Messiah.
Adapting to Your Audience
I bring this up because when we look at Paul in Acts 17 speaking to the Athenians, it was not the same kind of an infrastructure in his message. There he was speaking to a secular mindset, probably more like what we're dealing with today in our culture.
And there was a time when there was a certain biblical literacy among people. When I first started preaching, when I would reference certain things, people would know what I'm talking about. You know, like when you mentioned the Garden of Eden or Noah's Ark. Oh yeah, I've heard of that.
Nowadays, I'm telling this young generation, they are completely devoid of biblical knowledge. I mean, there was a time where at least the Bible was taught as literature as many of our schools, not necessarily believed to be God's word, but at least acknowledging it as great literature.
Now it's not even taught that way. There's just a complete ignorance of anything the Bible says.
So Paul comes in a different way and quotes some of their secular philosophers to build a bridge to his audience.
So I just bring that up to say everyone is different. There is not a one-size-fits-all approach to evangelism. Some people share the gospel in a robotic way. In other words, they have things they've memorized and they say the same thing to every person. That is not the way to share your faith.
You have to adapt to the person you're speaking to and make sure they're understanding what you are saying.
There is no greater example of this than Jesus himself. As you see him with the woman at the well, he speaks to her of the inner thirst that drove her from relationship to relationship. She'd been married and divorced five times and was living with a man. But then to Nicodemus, the learned Pharisee. He speaks in a different manner. And then with Zacchaeus, it was different. And so it goes.
And so Peter adapted to his audience.
Becoming All Things to All Men – With Limits
That's point number two. He adapted to the situation. He took time to understand these people. This is becoming all things to all men. Paul told us over in 1 Corinthians 9, I become a servant of everyone so I can bring them to Christ. When I'm with the Jews, I become one of them so I can bring them to Christ. When I'm with the Gentiles who do not have the law, I become like one without the law so I can bring them to Christ.
I mean there's limits to what you can do, right? Especially when you're hanging around non-believers. People will often say, well, you know, Jesus hung around sinners all the time. Well, that's not really true. Jesus hung around his disciples mostly. And when he was around sinners, they didn't stay that way.
So my point is, yes, we want to build a bridge, but let's make sure that we're not becoming like them. The goal is not to become like them. It's to bring them to Christ.
So don't lower your standards in order to extend your reach. Don't compromise your values. You think it's ultra cool to do everything a non-believer does so they'll relate to you? If you become too much like them, they won't want to become like you.
The idea is to say, here's Jesus and here's what he's done for me. And yes, I have standards that I live by. And sometimes in the name of adapting or relating or whatever, we make unnecessary compromises.
Well, certainly, Peter did not do that.
Scriptural and Christ-Centered
Peter's message, number three, was great because it was scriptural. It was scriptural. He quotes Joel 2:28-32, apparently from memory. In verse 25, he says, David said, then he quotes Psalm 16 and Psalm 110.
Obviously, Peter had committed great portions of scripture to memory.
Now, listen to this. Any Christian worth their salt should be able to get up in a moment's notice and present the gospel. I think in five minutes or less. I even think you can do it in three minutes. You can get to the essential gospel message.
I should be able to call on any of you and say, why don't you come up here right now and just give me the gospel. Right now. Boom. Go. And everyone should be able to do that.
And you should have scriptures that you have committed to memory as you present who Jesus Christ is and what he said.
And so this is something that Peter was able to do. And that is why we need to be familiar with the word of God.
We're told in 1 Peter 3:15 always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope you have and do it with gentleness and respect, always keeping a clear conscience.
That phrase there, always be ready to give an answer, is from the Greek word apologia. We get our English word apologetic from it. And apologetic or apologetics is not apologizing for our faith. I'm sorry, I'm a Christian. No.
The word apologia means a legal defense is in a court of law. It's like you're making your case before the judge or the jury. And that's what we're doing when we present the facts of the gospel. We make our case.
And when it comes to sharing your faith, nothing is more effective than quoting the word of God. Why? Because Greg's word will return void. But God's word never will.
Isaiah 55:10 says, As the rain comes down on the snow from heaven and does not return there but waters the earth but brings forth and buds and may give seed to the sower and bread to the eater, God says, So shall my word be that goes forth from my mouth that will not return to me void but it will accomplish what I please and it will prosper in the thing for which I sent it.
So you need to know the scripture just as an artist would know his brushes and pens or his computer programs nowadays. As a builder would know his tools or as an ancient soldier would know his sword or a doctor would know his instruments, you need to be familiar with God's word.
The Power of God's Word
Heard about a man that went to see the doctor. The doctor told the man to stay in the waiting room. Excuse me, a man took his wife to see a doctor. And so the husband was waiting to see what was going on and the doctor came rushing out and asked if someone had a screwdriver. They gave it to him. He ran back in the room and came running out again and then he asked for a pair of pliers. The man was becoming concerned at this point. He goes back in the room and then returns and says, Does anybody have a hammer?
Now the man is concerned. He says, Doctor, what is going on in there? What's wrong with my wife? The doctor says, I don't know. I can't get my medical bag opened. You know?
That's a joke, see? Anyway, okay. Excuse me for one second. Never use that joke again. Really bombed bad. Okay. But he hadn't even opened his bag yet, see? And it's the same with a lot of us. We haven't even opened our Bibles.
And this is why. I think it's really important in church to bring your Bible with you. You know, the trend in some churches is people don't bring Bibles to church. That's bizarre to me. When I see people going to church without a Bible.
And when I see preachers get up and they don't preach from the Bible. Why are we even doing this if we don't have the Bible? Who cares what I have to say? Really. But I care what God's Word has to say, don't you?
And so I think it's important to bring your Bible. It's to read your Bible. That's why I don't put verses up on the screen. I don't have a problem with that in principle. But I don't want you looking at a screen. I want you looking at your Bible. I want your Bibles to be used.
It's been said a Bible that is falling apart is usually an indication of a life that isn't. I like this. He thrashed Bibles. And so we encourage you to bring your Bible.
This is a Bible study especially here on Thursday night. And that's where we put references up on the screen so you can write those down and look them up later so you become familiar with the Word of God.
The devil will do everything he can to keep you away from the Word of God. So use it.
You say, but Greg, what if the person I'm speaking to doesn't believe the Bible is the Word of God, shall I still quote it? Of course you should. I'd be like asking the question if you were in a battle with someone. Well, what if they don't believe my sword is real? Use your sword on them. They'll find out. A sword is a sword. It's like a horse is a horse. Ancient reference to Mr. Ed. Forget it.
Use the Word of God.
Now, when I say use the Word of God, you can memorize it and you can paraphrase it. It doesn't mean you have to pull out the biggest Bible ever created every time you quote it and say, the Bible says, you know, and people do freak out when they see Bibles. Have you noticed that?
There have been times where I'm flying and I'll, you know, if you're in coach, there's one seat, the worst seat is the middle seat in coach. I always end up with that seat. I hate that seat. And so, there you are next to two people, you're like this, and the guy of course in front of you has to fully recline, so you're like this much space around you.
Okay, so you reach down and you pull out a Bible. I'm going to read my Bible. But I'll tell you what, the way some people react, you'd think you pulled a rattlesnake out of your backpack. You know, you just reach down and pull out the Bible. They're just kind of looking, like they're afraid it's going to attack them or something.
Sorry, it's a living Bible. It's very active.
If I told you how long I'd been doing that joke, you would be shocked.
Christ-Centered and Bold Proclamation
Listen to this. This message was great because it was Christ centered. It was Christ centered. I want you to notice how often Peter references Jesus. Verse 22, he says, Jesus of Nazareth. Verse 32, this man. Verse 36, God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.
I can't emphasize this enough. It's Jesus. It's not Christianity. I'm a Christian. I acknowledge that. But my message is Jesus Christ, not religion.
I don't want to make people religious. I don't even want to be religious myself. In fact, if it wasn't for a relationship with Jesus, I would not be a religious person. Some people love the rituals of religion. Not me. I have no interest in them whatsoever. But I have all the interest there is to have a relationship with God.
And that's what we're here to talk about. Not the Christian ethic. Not morality. Not a conservative worldview. No. My message is Jesus Christ and Him crucified. And I want to present that to every person.
In the wisdom of God. The world through wisdom did not know God. It pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe. Then he says, and we preach Christ crucified.
I'm telling you, I've traveled all around the world. I preach in every kind of venue imaginable. From large stadiums to small gatherings in front rooms to on the street to here there, you name it, I've probably and I never cease to be amazed by the power of the gospel.
And I don't care how educated the person is or how illiterate the person is or how wealthy the person is or how poor the person is or what their circumstances are, the gospel always connects.
And sometimes people have come to our crusades and they said, this message is like so simple. Almost they're saying, what an idiot, you know. Did you know that's intentional? Did you know that when I prepare my messages for crusades, I actually get to a point where I start clearing the clutter away so it is as simple as it possibly can be because I don't want anything to clutter the message of the cross of Jesus Christ.
And so there's a key to that simplicity and it's making it understandable.
I had the opportunity to be at Billy Graham's home some years ago for lunch and I asked him a question and I said, Billy, if you knew as a younger man what you know today after preaching the gospel all these years, what would an older Billy Graham say to a younger Billy Graham? What would you tell yourself you need to do more of as a younger preacher?
And Billy said, I would preach more on the cross and the blood of Christ because that's where the power is.
I thought that was good advice. I've tried to keep it.
Number five, Peter's message was great because he called sin, sin. It was great because he called sin, sin.
Look at verse 38. Each of you must turn from your sins and turn to God.
Now this is the essence of the gospel. What does the word gospel mean? Does anyone know? That's right. It means good news.
Now I am not going to fully appreciate the good news until I first know the bad news.
We've all heard those good news bad news jokes about doctors, right? Like the doctor that called his patient in said I have some good news and some bad news. The patient said well what's the good news? Well you only have three weeks to live. That's the good news? What's the bad news? Well I found this out two weeks ago. I should have told you but I was so busy.
It's just a joke people. I don't think it really happens.
Listen, a person cannot fully appreciate the message of the gospel until they fully understand how desperate their situation is.
If we offer Jesus Christ as a mere additive to a person's life, we're missing the point. The gospel is not become a Christian so you'll have a happier life and a better marriage and your teeth will be whiter. What? No, I'm not denying the fact that Christ will bless your marriage. He will make it better. I don't know about teeth whitening.
But Jesus is far more than someone who enhances our life. No, the real picture is we're in a burning building about to die and Jesus rushes in and saves us from eternal separation from God.
And that is the situation of every person. So we have to call sin, sin and we're afraid to do this sometimes. We don't like to use that word.
The most popular preacher in America is reluctant to use it. He was interviewed by Larry King when Larry still had his show. And Larry King actually asked this preacher if he ever used the word sinner. And the pastor said, no, I don't use it. I think most people already know they're doing wrong.
Well, I don't know that that's really true. Peter certainly called sin sin and I think that we need to just call it what it is.
And if something is a sin, say it's a sin.
Yeah, Peter called sin sin because we do not want a person to be separated from God and end up in hell. And yes, there is a hell.
The Reality of Hell
Now, Time Magazine had a cover story out recently on Easter of all times. And they asked the question, is hell real? It was based on a book that has been quite popular called Love Wins by Rob Bell.
And Rob is a pastor with Evangelical roots, I'm told. And he wrote this book about hell, sort of questioning if it really does exist. And if it does, would God give second chances in this place?
And here's a quote from his book. A staggering number of people have been taught that a select few Christians will spend forever in a peaceful, joyous place called heaven while the rest of humanity spends forever in torment and punishment in hell with no chance or anything better.
It's been clearly communicated to many that this belief is a central truth of the Christian faith and to reject it is in essence to reject Jesus.
Bell concludes, this is a misguided and toxic idea and subverts the contagious spread of Jesus' message of love, peace, forgiveness, and a joy that our world so desperately needs to hear.
Bell believes that the story of an eternal hell is not a good story. He suggests a better story would involve a sinner coming to Christ after death.
Now, that's a nice idea, but here's the problem with it. That's not what the Bible teaches.
The only story that's legit is not the story I dream up. It's the way God states it in His Word. And the Bible clearly teaches there's hell.
Guess who talked more about hell than any other preacher in the Bible? Jesus. That comes as a shock to some. Well, I thought Jesus was all about loving us. And He talked about hell. Yeah, you know why? Because He's all about loving us. And He, as God, knows the horrors of it. And the last thing He wants is for any man or woman made in His image to spend eternity separated from Him.
As to the point of heaven is only for a few select Christians, well, the reality is heaven is for sinners who repent and put their faith in Christ, He'll forgive you.
And here's what Jesus said in Matthew 7:13. Enter by the narrow gate, for wide is the gate, and broad is the way that leads to destruction. And many there are that go in by it, but narrow is the way that leads to life, and few there are that find it.
That's what Jesus said.
Scripture teaches that just as there is an eternal heaven, there is also an eternal hell. You can't have one without the other.
G.I. Packer said, an endless hell can no more be removed from the New Testament than an endless heaven can.
And the fact of the matter is, is deep down inside, we hope there is a hell. Not for us, of course. But for those that have sinned in such a wicked way.
I was watching TV last night and looking at some old footage taken from these concentration camps. And you think about the wickedness of these guards and these Nazis and Hitler himself, of course, that executed men and women and little boys and girls. It was so depraved.
But we remember there is a final court of arbitration. And even if they escape the long arm of the law, they'll never escape the long arm of the Lord. A place of judgment for the Hitlers, the Stalins, and yes, the Osama Bin Ladens of the world.
Here's the amazing thing. Even if those men I just referenced, as wicked as they were, would have repented in the last moments of their life, Jesus Christ would have forgiven them and taken them to heaven. That blows people's minds too.
Heaven is not for good people, it's for forgiven people. Case in point, the thief on the cross. He was a murderer most likely, but yet he was forgiven. Anyone can be, if they will turn to Christ.
But hell is real. And we can't deny it. And the Bible teaches on it many, many times.
C.S. Lewis said, there are only two kinds of people in the end. Those who say to God, thy will be done. And those to whom God says, in the end, thy will be done. All who are in hell, choose it. Without that self-choice, there could be no hell.
Timothy Keller wrote, people only will get in the afterlife what they most wanted, either to have God as Savior and Master, or to be their own saviors and masters. Hell is simply one's freely chosen path going on forever. He wanted to get away from God, and God in His infinite justice sends us where we want to go.
So let's get over this notion, oh, God's so cruel, sending people to hell. Give me a break. God poured His wrath on His own dear Son so we wouldn't have to go to hell. The last thing He wants is for anyone to perish. But if we're bound and determined to reject this offer of forgiveness, then it's really on us.
So we can't change the script, and we can't rewrite the story. As Al Mohler said, we have no right to determine which story of the gospel we prefer or think is most compelling, we must deal with the gospel that we receive from Christ and the apostles, the faith once and for all delivered to the church.
Listen, my job, your job, our job is to deliver what God says. Not to edit it, not to change it, not to add to it, and certainly not to subtract from it.
That's what Peter did. He told the people that sin was sin, and they needed to turn to God.
Boldness and Calling for a Decision
Number six, Peter's message was great because it was incredibly bold. It was bold.
Look at verse 36. Therefore let all the house of Israel know that God has made this Jesus whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.
I mentioned earlier that there were probably some of the people who were culpable in the crucifixion present. You almost wonder if Peter pointed him out. This Jesus whom... You! I remember you! You held the nail. You hit it with a hammer. I remember you, too. You mocked him. And I remember...
Well, I don't know if he did that or not, but imagine how you would feel standing there. I mean, Peter could have died for this sermon. This could have been Peter's last sermon very easily. But he went for it.
And also, number seven, it was great because he went for a decision. You know, he went for a decision.
He said, you know, do you want to believe in Jesus now? You know, one of the reasons we don't evangelize is because of a fear of failure, right? We don't want to tell someone about Jesus and have them shut us down or blow us off or laugh in our face.
But I think another reason we don't evangelize is a fear of success. Because we don't know what we'll do then. Now what? It's like when I went fishing years ago in Alaska with Franklin Graham and I caught a bunch of fish. That was a good part. And then after we came in, I said, will you clean these for me? Because I'd never cleaned a fish before. He said, no, clean your own fish. I've never really done it. So it's time to learn. Oh, gross. You know, and I had to cut the fish open and rip the guts out and all that. You know?
And that's the thing. I want to catch a fish. That's the fun part. Oh, I have to clean it now? And you know, the idea is, you know, we want to go out and, you know, tell others about Jesus. But if they believe, are you ready to now take it to the next step?
You know, here's what it means. It means that you lead a person to Christ and you take them under your wing and you get them up on their feet spiritually and show them an example of what a Christian looks like. And then guess what? You do it again.
That is the Great Commission. It really is. Jesus said, Go into all the world, preach the gospel, and make disciples of all nations, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you and lo, I am with you, even to the end of the age.
That's our job. It's not optional, by the way. Every one of us is called to seek to win people to Christ and then disciple them, which means to help them grow up spiritually and then do it again and again and again.
So Peter went for it and he boldly challenged them to believe.
Look at verse 37. They were cut to the heart or pierced to the heart. This phrase appears only here in the New Testament. It means to Pierce or to stab. And it depicts something sudden and unexpected.
The Holy Spirit began to convict them and they became aware of the fact that they were responsible for the death of their long-awaited Messiah. The one they had longed for for centuries. The one that was the hope of their nation and personal lives had finally come.
But instead of welcoming Him, they rejected Him and handed Him over to their bitter and hated enemies, the Romans, for execution. It dawned on them, Oh no! We missed it! It was our Messiah! What do we do now?
They cry out. Peter says, verse 38, Repent.
The Call to Repentance and Final Invitation
That's my last point. Peter's message was great because he preached repentance. That's a word we rarely hear in the church today or anywhere else. Repent. I haven't even pented yet. How do I repent? What does it mean?
Well, it means to change your direction. The Bible says, Godly sorrow produces repentance. You know, there can be remorse and no repentance. Remorse is being sorry, but you might still do it again.
It's like if you're driving along and you go over the speed limit and you get pulled over by a police officer. You are remorseful. Why? Because your insurance rates are going up. That's why. So, now what are you going to do? Well, now you're going to get one of those radar detectors like your friend has.
Well, that's not the idea. Repentance would mean now I'm going to slow down and drive more carefully. See, so sometimes we're remorseful when we face the consequences for our actions. Oh, I stole something and I got caught. I'm sorry. Sorry enough to stop? No, just I'll be more careful next time.
You see, that's not repentance. That's just remorse.
So Peter says, you need to repent. You need to change your direction.
That comes back to what we talked about in the beginning when we talked about prayer and revival. If my people which are called by my name will humble themselves and turn from their wicked way.
So, let's close on that point. And let's ask ourselves the question, have we done that? You know, we want to preach this message to others. But we need to be living it, folks.
And if there's an area in our life that needs to be dealt with, a sin that needs to be confessed, then this is the time to do it.
But I want to close by also saying that if you've joined us tonight and you've never put your faith in Jesus Christ, as I've been talking about how to share Jesus with others, I've been effectively sharing Jesus with you.
Maybe you've come here and you don't have this relationship with God. You hear me talk a little bit about hell and it freaks you out a little bit and probably should. But the good news is is you don't have to go to a place called hell. You don't have to be separated from God. You can be forgiven of all of your sin.
That's why Jesus came and lived and died and rose again from the dead so you can be forgiven and have this relationship with God and know that you will go to heaven when you die.
The same Jesus that died and rose again from the dead is here with us right now standing at the door of your life and knocking and He is saying if you'll hear His voice and open the door He will come in.
Have you asked Jesus Christ to come into your life yet? If not, would you like to? I'm going to give you an opportunity to pray and ask for His forgiveness as we close now.
Let's pray. Father, thank You for Your Word to us. Thank You for Your offer of forgiveness. And now I pray for any here, any listening or watching. Help them to see their need for Jesus and help them to believe in You now so they can know with certainty that they will go to heaven when they die. And then they can experience Your plan and purpose for them in this life.
While our heads are bowed and our eyes are closed and we're praying, how many of you would say tonight, Greg, pray for me. I want Jesus Christ to come into my life. I want Him to forgive me of my sin. I want to know that when I die I will go to heaven. I'm ready to say yes to Jesus. I want Him to come into my life now.
If that's your desire, if you want Christ to forgive you, if you want Him to come into your heart and life, if you want to go to heaven when you die, Would you just lift your hand up wherever you are? I'm going to pray for you tonight.
If you want Christ to come into your life, just lift your hand up. I'll pray for you wherever you're sitting. God bless you over there. Just lift it up where I can see it. I'll pray for you tonight. God bless you. Just lift your hand up wherever you are. God bless you. Anybody else? You want His forgiveness tonight? You want to go to heaven when you die? You want your guilt taken away? You're ready to say yes to Jesus. Lift your hand up, I'll pray for you. God bless you. While our heads are still bowed, maybe some of you would say, you know what, I've been doing things that I know are not right before God. And you've talked about repentance, and I need to repent right now. I need to turn from my wicked ways. And the Holy Spirit has convicted me, and I'm ready to take that step of obedience and following Him. Pray for me.
If that's your desire, would you lift your hand up, and I'll pray for you tonight. God bless you. Just lift your hand up. God bless. Don't be embarrassed. You're among family here. God bless each one of you. God bless all of you.
Now I'm going to ask all of you that just lifted your hand, if you would please, I want you to stand up, and I'm going to lead you in a prayer of commitment or recommitment. Just stand up if you raise your hand with me during that prayer. Just stand up wherever you are. Outside in the foyer there, just stand up. You watching at Harvest, you can stand as well in Riverside. Kind of, however you are, stand. And I am going to lead you in a prayer. Even if you didn't raise your hand but you want to make this commitment or recommitment to Christ, just stand up. I will lead you in prayer now.
Anybody else? This is the final moment. Stand now. Anybody else? God bless you guys in the back. Anybody else in this final moment? God bless you sir. One final moment. Stand now. Anybody else? All right.
Now you that are standing, I want you to pray this prayer out loud after me. This is a prayer of commitment to Jesus. So as I pray, pray this out loud after me if you would. Pray this now.
Lord Jesus, I know I'm a sinner, but you died on the cross for me and shed your blood for every sin I have ever committed. I turn from that sin now. I repent of it. I'm sorry for it. Forgive me, Jesus. Thank you for paying the price for the wrongs I've done. I commit myself to you now. I choose to follow you from this night forward. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.