We preach Christ crucified

 

LIMAVADY INDEPENDENT METHODIST CHURCH

SERMON NOTES FROM SUNDAY 13 MARCH 2022 pm

Acts 2 verse 37 – 47

Whenever we turn to Acts 2 we are turning to an exciting portion of scripture.  It was a great day for the church.  A day when it was born, when the disciples gathered in that Upper Room and God’s Holy Spirit came and filled every one of them.  they went out into the streets and preached the gospel in their own languages.  Everyone could hear it plainly.  Certain of them said they were drunk.  Peter stood to his feet and preached unto them Christ.  What was Peter’s qualification – he was a fisherman.  Remember the day when Andrew came to him and said “we have found the Messiah” (John 1 verse 41) .  Peter came and proved the Saviour for himself.  We cannot go on someone else’s faith.  You have to come yourself.  Get before the Lord, claim his work in your life, confess you sin before him, repent of your sin, trust what he has done on Calvary just for you.  Peter proved it for himself, gave all of himself.  He left his nets, his boat to follow the Lord.  The Lord had his all.  Can you look back to a day when you gave your all to the Lord?  Surrendered all you had?  Your possessions, your livelihood.  Such was Peter.  He preached and prayed with Jesus, sat and ate with him.  On Pentecost he was filled with the Holy Spirit.  Peter was calling the attention of men and women of this particular day, turning them now to the word of God.

He preached about Christ – the person of Christ.  In this portion of scripture he goes right to the very foundation.  The Holy Ghost had something to work on.  “He pricked their hearts”.  That is the work of the Holy Spirit.  He convicts us and convinces us of our sin.  It was not the work of Peter or the preacher.  It is the Holy Spirit who applies it to our hearts.  Peter takes up this wonderful sermon.  It is not a sermon if Jesus is not central.  John the Baptist saw Jesus coming one day and said “behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.” (John 1 verse 29)  He was speaking of his character, coming into the world to take your sin and mine.  Remember what Jesus said to Nicodemus who came to him by night.  The Lord took him back to the scriptures, when Moses was leading the children of Israel through the wilderness.  Serpents came into the camp and bit the people and death followed.  God told him to take a brazen serpent and put it on a pole.  Everyone that looked to it were saved from death.  The death penalty would be changed.  Life would be changed all because of one look.  “If I be lifted up, I will draw all men unto myself.” (John 12 verse 32)  Jesus was thinking of his cross one day when he would be lifted up, when a crown of thorns would be placed on his head and nails would be driven through his hands and feet to that wooden cross.  There was no other way of salvation.  Remember Peter in Acts 10 when he came to Cornelius who was sitting before God and praying for salvation.  He wanted to know how to be saved.  He was told “send for Peter, he is in Joppa, he will tell you words whereby you might be saved.” Cornelius was concerned about his soul.  There is still that same concern today whether you are going out into a lost and Christless eternity or to heaven and home with Christ for ever.  What a responsibility Peter had.  Here on that day at Pentecost and on that day in Cornelius’ home.  He would preach the h of God, that Jesus came into the world to seek and to save that which was lost.  Philip went out to meet the Ethiopian eunuch.  Perhaps the eunuch had heard the word of God in Jerusalem, heard the disciples preaching.  There in his chariot he was reading the word of God from the prophecy of Isaiah, of how a lamb would be led to the slaughter.  He couldn’t understand it.  Philip drew alongside him.  The eunuch invited him into his chariot.  Philip opened the scriptures and preached unto him Jesus.  There was no other message.  The message of Jesus Christ.  Peter in verse 22 took the life of Jesus Christ, how he came into the world, was born of the virgin and grew up amongst men, was rejected by the religious leaders and one day was crucified.  The officers confessed to the Pharisees one day “no man spake like this man” (John 7 verse 46).  Lydia in Acts 16 realised there was something special about the message of Christ she had never heard before.  She heard how she was a sinner, condemned and unclean.  She knew she needed to be saved.

The purpose of Jesus Christ.  Did he come into the world to give me an example of how to live?  Of course.  To be a renowned teacher?  Yes.  Nicodemus heard him preaching, seen the miracles, realised here was a man sent from God.  Peter in verse 23 tells the people he came to die.  The purpose of Jesus coming into the world was to be made sin for you.  That you might be saved for all eternity.  Verse 23 “him being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God ye have taken and by wicked hands have crucified and slain.”  Focus is back on him again.  God sent him into this world for a purpose.  Evil men took him, spat on him. nailed and hung him on cross.  That was God’s plan for salvation.  God loved you and me, he gave his only begotten son that whosoever believeth on him should not perish but have everlasting life.  We have taken him and crucified him but for that reason God delivered him into your hands.  God’s salvation.  What do you think of the way of God’s salvation?  Because you go to church, say your prayers, you are a good person, do no-one any harm that you are on your way to heaven and home?  He sent his son out into the world, not to condemn the world but that the world through him might be saved.  Paul said to Timothy “this is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.”  He puts himself in that verse by saying “Of whom I am the chief.” (1 Timothy 1 verse 15)  Where do we place ourselves tonight?  I am not a bad person, I do the best I can, do the best for my neighbour, wouldn’t be in the public house, don’t curse or smoke.  Or do we take our place as sinners coming to Christ?  Saying to him you have died in my place.  Such was seriousness of sin no-one could be found worthy.  That is who died for you and I.  “Neither is there salvation in any other for there is no other name under heaven whereby we must be saved.” (Acts 4 verse 12)  We must be saved through Christ.  Zacchaeus in Jericho climbed the tree because he wanted to see Jesus.  He does not disappoint tonight.  He will take you in.  “Him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.” (John 6 verse 37)  Zacchaeus had a hunger and a searching soul.  Jesus wouldn’t disappoint him.  Cornelius had a longing, a hunger in the depth of his soul and Jesus would not disappoint him.  The Lord stopped at that tree and said “come down Zacchaeus.”  God is waiting for you to make that decision.  He is calling you down from your tree.

The power that was present.  Verse 24 after Peter speaks of the death of Christ he says “whom God hath raised up having loosed the pains of death because it was not possible that he should be holden of it.”  God raised his son from the dead.  The women folk went that day to anoint the body heavy hearted.  They wondered who would roll that stone away but when they arrived it was already rolled away.  When they went into the tomb Jesus wasn’t there.  He had already been raised from the dead.  Jesus standing before Pontus Pilate boasting of all his power as a Roman Emperor said to the Lord “I have the power to crucify you and to release you.”  Jesus told him “you have no power against me except that which is given from above.” (John 19 verses 10 and 11)  In the city of Nain as Jesus and the disciples made there way through it they met a funeral procession.  He stopped at the coffin and said to the young man “arise”.  That is the power you need to be saved tonight.  The young man got up out of the coffin.  You need that power, that makes you a new creature.  That is the power found in the Lord Jesus.

A pathway to be taken.  A challenge that must be faced.  The people took to heart what Peter said that day.  The Holy Ghost came and they cried out “what shall we do” verse 37.  They reached such a crisis, realised they were guilty, must be prepared to do something.  No man can save himself.  Peter told them to repent.  That is where we start.  Acknowledge that they had sinned, could do nothing for themselves.  Peter told them to repent.  Are we prepared to do that, to turn from our sins and come to the cross, bow the knee, accept Christ as Saviour and Lord?  It satisfies the heart of God when a man comes to faith.