Made For This: Acts 2:22-39

Do you understand and believe the Gospel?

‘Fellow Israelites, listen to this: Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs, which God did among you through him, as you yourselves know. This man was handed over to you by God’s deliberate plan and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the cross. But God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him. David said about him: ‘I saw the Lord always before me.

Because he is at my right hand,

I will not be shaken.

Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices;

my body also will rest in hope, because you will not abandon me to the realm of the dead,

you will not let your holy one see decay.

You have made known to me the paths of life;

you will fill me with joy in your presence. ‘Fellow Israelites, I can tell you confidently that the patriarch David died and was buried, and his tomb is here to this day. But he was a prophet and knew that God had promised him on oath that he would place one of his descendants on his throne. Seeing what was to come, he spoke of the resurrection of the Messiah, that he was not abandoned to the realm of the dead, nor did his body see decay. God has raised this Jesus to life, and we are all witnesses of it. Exalted to the right hand of God, he has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit and has poured out what you now see and hear. For David did not ascend to heaven, and yet he said,

‘The Lord said to my Lord:

‘Sit at my right hand

until I make your enemies

a footstool for your feet.’

’Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah.’

When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, ‘Brothers, what shall we do?’ Peter replied, ‘Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.’

Acts 2:22-39 (NIV)

First: Becoming a Christian Involves The Intellect!

The primary audience to whom Peter is speaking are Jews.

When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.

-Acts 2:1-4 (NIV)

‘Fellow Israelites, I can tell you confidently that the patriarch David died and was buried, and his tomb is here to this day. But he was a prophet and knew that God had promised him on oath that he would place one of his descendants on his throne. Seeing what was to come, he spoke of the resurrection of the Messiah, that he was not abandoned to the realm of the dead, nor did his body see decay. God has raised this Jesus to life, and we are all witnesses of it. Exalted to the right hand of God, he has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit and has poured out what you now see and hear.

For David did not ascend to heaven, and yet he said,

‘The Lord said to my Lord:

’Sit at my right hand

until I make your enemies

a footstool for your feet.’

‘Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah.’

Acts 2:29-36 (NIV)

Peter is asking them to reason!

Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice and addressed the crowd: ‘Fellow Jews and all of you who live in Jerusalem, let me explain this to you; listen carefully to what I say. These people are not drunk, as you suppose. It’s only nine in the morning! No, this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel:

‘In the last days, God says,

I will pour out my Spirit on all people.

Your sons and daughters will prophesy,

your young men will see visions,

your old men will dream dreams.

Even on my servants, both men and women,

I will pour out my Spirit in those days,

and they will prophesy.

Acts 2:14-18 (NIV)

Christianity begins with the mind! What does the mind believe?

For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile. For in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed—a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: ‘The righteous will live by faith.’

-Romans 1:16-17 (NIV)

Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.’

-Acts 4:12 (NIV)

‘Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah.’

-Acts 2:36 (NIV)

Having an emotional experience is not the the same as conversion and making Jesus Lord, Messiah, and Savior over your life.

God has raised this Jesus to life, and we are all witnesses of it.

-Acts 2:32 (NIV)

Do you believe all religions lead to God? Then you deny the atoning work of Jesus on the cross as a necessity for salvation, and you call Jesus a liar or a lunatic.

Do you believe that every person should be able to determine what is right or wrong for themselves? Then you deny the Lordship of Jesus Christ and His right to speak objective moral values based on design into your life.

First: Becoming a Christian Involves The Intellect!

Second: Becoming a Christian Involves The Doctrine of Grace!

‘Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah.’

-Acts 2:36 (NIV)

Jesus is Lord: Kurios: authoritative.

Jesus is Messiah: Christos: the promised servant King!

There are major problems with believing the “Good People Go To Heaven” philosophy.

How Good is Good enough?

You have heard it was said to the people long ago, ‘you shall not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment. But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister will be subject to judgment.

-Matthew 5:21-22a (NIV)

You have heard that it was said, ‘you shall not commit adultery.’ But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.

-Matthew 5:27-28 (NIV)

If the law is your standard. You are in big trouble!

All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.

-Romans 3:23 (NIV)

…There is no one righteous, not even one.

-Romans 3:10 (NIV)

Therefore, no one will be declared righteousness in God’s sight by the works of the law.

-Romans 3:20a (NIV)

…Rather, through the law we become conscious of sin.

-Romans 3:20b (NIV)

Well, who can get in then?

But now apart from the law the righteousness of God has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.

-Romans 3:21-24 (NIV)

Are you certain that you will go to heaven when you die?

On what do you base your certainty?

First: Becoming a Christian involves The Intellect!

Second: Becoming a Christian involves The Doctrine of Grace!

Third: Becoming a Christian Involves the Heart!

When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, ‘Brothers, what shall we do?’

-Acts 2:37 (NIV)

When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, ‘Brothers, what shall we do?’ Peter replied, ‘Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

-Acts 2:37-38 (NIV)

Repent: Metanoeo: Change course.

When the people in Acts 2 became aware of what God had done for them through His son Jesus Christ—their hearts were melted.

The bible is not a set of rules but as a narrative of God’s love for you.

If you were the only one in the world, Christ would have done this for you—to not lose you.

When you realize the truth is:

You owe Him everything and give Him very little.

You have not pursued Him.

You and I have broken His heart……

Your heart will be melted by what He has done for you…and you will indeed begin to change.

“We don’t know how to motivate people to show compassion. We tried raising money for the children of Chernobyl, but the average Russian citizen would rather spend his money on drink. How do you reform and motivate people. How do you get them to be good?”

-The Jesus I Never Knew, Phillip Yancey

Goodness cannot be imposed externally, from the top down; it must grow internally, from the bottom up.

First: Becoming a Christian involves The Intellect!

Second: Becoming a Christian involves The Doctrine of Grace!

Third: Becoming a Christian involves the heart!

Fourth: Becoming a Christian involves giving Jesus your life!

Peter replied, ‘Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.’

-Acts 2:38-39 (NIV)

Four things:

Repent: Forgiveness and a newfound freedom to obey.

Baptism: New life has come. Old life has gone.

Power: The Holy Spirit takes you into new waters. He comes into your life to make renovations.

Promise: This is for those who are far off. When salvation is by grace though faith—you realise it’s for everyone.

Jesus answered, ’Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.’

-John 3:5-8 (NIV)

Imagine yourself as a living house. God comes in to rebuild that house. At first, perhaps, you can understand what He is doing. He is getting the drains right and stopping the leaks in the roof and so on; you knew that those jobs needed doing and so you are not surprised. But presently He starts knocking the house about in a way that hurts abominably and does not seem to make any sense. What on earth is He up to? The explanation is that He is building quite a different house from the one you thought of - throwing out a new wing here, putting on an extra floor there, running up towers, making courtyards. You thought you were being made into a decent little cottage: but He is building a palace. He intends to come and live in it Himself.

-C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity

When The Intellect believes the death, burial and resurrection,

When The Doctrine of Grace is truly understood,

When the heart is melted by what Christ has done for you how He has secured your future,

Then and only then will you give your life to Jesus and join the 3000 who responded to the first Christian sermon and were baptized.

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