Welcome to "Books of the Book."
00:00:21.89\00:00:24.12
We're so glad you could join us.
00:00:24.15\00:00:25.65
My name is Jim
Howard, and I'm the pastor
00:00:25.68\00:00:28.04
of the Metropolitan and
South Lyon Churches in Michigan,
00:00:28.07\00:00:31.09
and I'm here
with my brother, Mark,
00:00:31.12\00:00:32.68
who is also a pastor in
the Michigan Conference,
00:00:32.71\00:00:35.48
and we're excited to dive back
00:00:35.51\00:00:36.98
into the Book of Acts today.
00:00:37.01\00:00:38.82
Where we left off last time was
00:00:40.00\00:00:42.13
with that beautiful
story of the day of Pentecost.
00:00:42.16\00:00:45.64
And we walked
through a portion of that,
00:00:45.67\00:00:48.14
but we kind of stopped
short before we got to the real-
00:00:48.17\00:00:51.78
Heart of the message
of the day of Pentecost.
00:00:51.81\00:00:54.38
We saw the
prophetic message of Joel 2,
00:00:54.41\00:00:57.99
but we didn't then get
into the application too much
00:00:58.02\00:01:00.72
that came after
that. That's right.
00:01:00.75\00:01:02.24
The words of the
apostles themselves,
00:01:02.27\00:01:04.77
as they preached and reached
the hearts of their hearers.
00:01:04.80\00:01:08.15
So, just before we dive
back into the Book of Acts,
00:01:08.18\00:01:11.34
I want to ask if you
would just pause at home
00:01:11.37\00:01:13.41
and bow your heads with us
00:01:13.44\00:01:14.81
as we ask God to bless
our study time together.
00:01:14.84\00:01:17.86
Father in Heaven, we're
so grateful for Your word.
00:01:17.89\00:01:21.52
It gives us understanding
and helps us in our way.
00:01:21.55\00:01:25.05
We pray that the Spirit
of God would be given now
00:01:25.08\00:01:27.33
that we might be able
to rightly divide the word
00:01:27.36\00:01:29.84
to understand what it means,
00:01:29.87\00:01:31.73
and we ask it in
Jesus' name, amen.
00:01:31.76\00:01:36.09
So, what I'd like to do is pick
back up in the Book of Acts.
00:01:36.12\00:01:38.10
So, if you have
your Bibles at home,
00:01:38.13\00:01:39.50
please, pull them out,
and let's look at Acts 2,
00:01:39.53\00:01:43.02
beginning with verse 22.
00:01:43.05\00:01:46.08
Now, the Apostle
Peter, as you recall,
00:01:46.11\00:01:48.42
Mark had- had just
pointed to the fact
00:01:48.45\00:01:50.86
that this great
outpouring of the Holy Spirit
00:01:50.89\00:01:54.70
that caused such
a loud noise and-
00:01:54.73\00:01:56.55
and the speaking of the apostles
00:01:56.58\00:01:58.71
in other
languages, other tongues.
00:01:58.74\00:02:01.22
He pointed to
the prophecy in Joel
00:02:01.25\00:02:03.28
to say this was a
fulfillment of that prophecy.
00:02:03.31\00:02:06.09
But then, he comes to
the heart of his message
00:02:06.12\00:02:08.75
for those who
were there gathered
00:02:08.78\00:02:10.96
on this day of Pentecost,
00:02:10.99\00:02:12.91
and I want to walk
through this message
00:02:12.94\00:02:14.65
because I think it
has value in and of itself
00:02:14.68\00:02:17.70
that is still
meaningful to us today.
00:02:17.73\00:02:20.29
Let's pick up in verse 22.
00:02:20.32\00:02:23.06
The apostle
says, "Men of Israel,
00:02:23.09\00:02:25.75
hear these words,
Jesus of Nazareth,
00:02:25.78\00:02:28.87
a man attested by
God to you by miracles,
00:02:28.90\00:02:32.62
wonders, and signs
which God did through Him
00:02:32.65\00:02:35.75
in your midst, as
you yourselves also know.
00:02:35.78\00:02:39.54
Him being delivered
by the determined purpose
00:02:39.57\00:02:42.21
and foreknowledge of God,
you have taken by lawless hands,
00:02:42.24\00:02:46.51
have crucified,
and put to death."
00:02:46.54\00:02:49.41
Now, right from the start,
00:02:49.44\00:02:50.99
that's some pretty
strong language, isn't it?
00:02:51.02\00:02:53.15
He actually, in verse 22
00:02:53.18\00:02:54.62
wants to make sure
they remember that,
00:02:54.65\00:02:56.64
"Look, this
wasn't done in a corner.
00:02:56.67\00:02:58.46
They saw everything
that Jesus did, His ministry,
00:02:58.49\00:03:01.39
His miracles, His
wonders, His signs.
00:03:01.42\00:03:03.44
They themselves
also know, he says,
00:03:03.47\00:03:06.34
and yet it wasn't- it
wasn't because of them
00:03:06.37\00:03:09.75
that Jesus went
through what he did.
00:03:09.78\00:03:11.76
But, he says, "Being delivered
by the determined purpose
00:03:11.79\00:03:14.94
and foreknowledge of God.
00:03:14.97\00:03:17.56
You-you have taken by
lawless hands, this Jesus."
00:03:17.59\00:03:20.73
Now, in verse 24-
00:03:20.76\00:03:22.13
Before we go there, I
think an important point.
00:03:22.16\00:03:23.70
This makes me think, you know,
00:03:23.73\00:03:25.10
somebody may read this
and some of our viewers
00:03:25.13\00:03:27.45
may be thinking,
"While he was determined,
00:03:27.48\00:03:29.00
delivered by the
determined purpose
00:03:29.03\00:03:30.69
and foreknowledge
of God," and of course,
00:03:30.72\00:03:32.09
we know that the father had-
00:03:32.12\00:03:34.14
This was a plan
between Him and the Son,
00:03:34.17\00:03:35.84
the plan of
redemption, but sometimes people
00:03:35.87\00:03:38.28
get the idea that there are
00:03:38.31\00:03:39.71
certain things
that God foreordains
00:03:39.74\00:03:43.85
and you know,
so that the people,
00:03:43.88\00:03:45.80
I've heard people say
they're certain people
00:03:45.83\00:03:47.20
acting their parts like
Judas and what have you,
00:03:47.23\00:03:48.81
well, they had to act that way
00:03:48.84\00:03:50.21
because it was
foreordained by God, etcetera.
00:03:50.24\00:03:52.09
And it makes me think
of the passage where Jesus,
00:03:52.12\00:03:54.46
speaking of some
of these things said,
00:03:54.49\00:03:57.47
"It must be that
offenses will come, but,
00:03:57.50\00:04:00.63
woe to that man by
whom the offense cometh."
00:04:00.66\00:04:03.02
In another words, God
know-knew that His son,
00:04:03.05\00:04:06.41
Jesus, would be crucified,
00:04:06.44\00:04:08.01
would be taken and
crucified because of the truth,
00:04:08.04\00:04:10.60
of the message that he preached.
00:04:10.63\00:04:12.60
But God didn't force
the people to reject him.
00:04:12.63\00:04:16.61
That was their choice.
00:04:16.64\00:04:18.01
That was their choice,
and Peter is going to bring
00:04:18.04\00:04:19.41
that out in his message here.
00:04:19.44\00:04:20.81
Absolutely. That's
an excellent point.
00:04:20.84\00:04:22.88
So, we get to verse 24,
and he continues speaking of
00:04:22.91\00:04:26.13
Jesus and says,
"Whom God raised up,
00:04:26.16\00:04:29.06
having loosed
the pains of death,
00:04:29.09\00:04:31.34
because it was not possible
that He should be held by it."
00:04:31.37\00:04:34.15
Now, that's
strong language to say,
00:04:34.18\00:04:35.88
it was not possible
that he should be held by it.
00:04:35.91\00:04:39.63
And the next
word in verse 25 says,
00:04:39.66\00:04:41.55
"For, which means because-."
00:04:41.58\00:04:44.17
Because David
says concerning him.
00:04:44.20\00:04:46.51
So, he's saying,
"It wasn't possible
00:04:46.54\00:04:48.82
for death to hold on
to Jesus and the reason
00:04:48.85\00:04:51.61
was because of what
the scripture said."
00:04:51.64\00:04:54.92
And he's about to quote
from David, the psalmist.
00:04:54.95\00:04:58.37
So, he quotes here- in verse 25,
00:04:58.40\00:05:01.28
for David says, concerning him,
00:05:01.31\00:05:03.06
"I foresaw the Lord
always before my face,
00:05:03.09\00:05:06.46
for he is at my right
hand that I may not be shaken,
00:05:06.49\00:05:09.57
therefore, my heart
rejoiced and my tongue was glad,
00:05:09.60\00:05:13.01
Moreover, my flesh
also will rest in hope.
00:05:13.04\00:05:15.88
For You will not
leave my soul in Hades,"
00:05:15.91\00:05:18.36
that's the grave,
"Nor will You allow
00:05:18.39\00:05:20.70
your holy One to see corruption.
00:05:20.73\00:05:23.50
You have made known
to me the ways of life,
00:05:23.53\00:05:25.47
You will make me full
of joy in your presence."
00:05:25.50\00:05:28.95
So, when he says in verse
25, David says, concerning him.
00:05:28.98\00:05:32.41
What he's saying
is that this Psalm
00:05:32.44\00:05:33.81
is in the first
person- person as if-
00:05:33.84\00:05:37.61
is speaking of Jesus who
is making this declaration.
00:05:37.64\00:05:42.24
And you've got to
imagine that if you're there,
00:05:42.27\00:05:44.74
one of the Jews, and
you've heard this Psalm before,
00:05:44.77\00:05:46.92
you knew that David wrote it.
00:05:46.95\00:05:48.78
You're thinking, "No, that's
David speaking about himself."
00:05:48.81\00:05:51.93
But now Peter shows conclusively
00:05:51.96\00:05:54.80
that this could not be
Peter speaking of himself.
00:05:54.83\00:05:57.98
He says, in verse
29, "Men and brethren,
00:05:58.01\00:06:00.38
let me speak freely to
you of the patriarch David,
00:06:00.41\00:06:03.84
that he is both dead and buried,
00:06:03.87\00:06:05.99
and his tomb is
with us to this day."
00:06:06.02\00:06:08.73
In other words, this
prophetic scripture that says,
00:06:08.76\00:06:12.15
you will not allow your
holy one to see corruption,
00:06:12.18\00:06:14.80
you won't leave
him in the grave,
00:06:14.83\00:06:16.82
couldn't have been talking-
00:06:16.85\00:06:18.22
David couldn't have
been talking about himself
00:06:18.25\00:06:19.62
because he's still in the grave.
00:06:19.65\00:06:21.28
Instead he had to be
speaking on behalf of,
00:06:21.31\00:06:25.82
in a prophetic
sense, the Messiah
00:06:25.85\00:06:27.88
and that's where he
goes on to say in verse 30.
00:06:27.91\00:06:30.22
"Therefore, being a prophet,
00:06:30.25\00:06:32.66
and knowing that God had
sworn with an oath to him
00:06:32.69\00:06:36.21
that of the fruit of his body
that is of the lineage of David,
00:06:36.24\00:06:39.94
according to the flesh,
He would raise up the Christ
00:06:39.97\00:06:42.76
to sit on his
throne, he, foreseeing this
00:06:42.79\00:06:45.74
spoke concerning the
resurrection of the Christ,
00:06:45.77\00:06:49.09
that His soul was not
left in Hades or the grave,
00:06:49.12\00:06:52.10
nor did His
flesh see corruption."
00:06:52.13\00:06:54.97
So, he's saying,
"Look, you guys understand
00:06:55.00\00:06:57.17
that what we have known
and read in this scripture
00:06:57.20\00:06:59.52
for so long was not
David speaking of himself,
00:06:59.55\00:07:02.70
but David was speaking
ahead of time of the Messiah
00:07:02.73\00:07:05.65
that would come
through his lineage
00:07:05.68\00:07:07.78
and He would not see corruption
00:07:07.81\00:07:09.92
which means that he
would need to be resurrected.
00:07:09.95\00:07:13.74
And by doing
this, he just proved
00:07:13.77\00:07:16.19
that whoever the Messiah is,
00:07:16.22\00:07:18.43
we should expect the
Messiah to be resurrected.
00:07:18.46\00:07:20.88
Now, of course, they had already
heard the reports, right?
00:07:20.91\00:07:24.68
The reports had already
been cast across the land
00:07:24.71\00:07:27.80
that Jesus of
Nazareth whom so many saw
00:07:27.83\00:07:30.34
to be the Messiah
had disappeared and-
00:07:30.37\00:07:33.87
and as many had seen
him since his resurrection.
00:07:33.90\00:07:37.35
That's right, and
the religious leaders
00:07:37.38\00:07:39.11
of course had
circulated the report
00:07:39.14\00:07:40.60
that his disciples
came and stole the body.
00:07:40.63\00:07:44.04
This whole thing is
actually fascinating
00:07:44.07\00:07:46.57
because you have, you know,
00:07:46.60\00:07:48.88
the disciples have seen Christ
00:07:48.91\00:07:51.53
and He was seen of others
and they could have simply
00:07:51.56\00:07:54.15
gone on the
testimony of eyewitness.
00:07:54.18\00:07:56.39
They could have
simply said, "Hey, we've seen
00:07:56.42\00:07:58.47
and this is why
we're saying this,"
00:07:58.50\00:08:00.27
but it's interesting
that Peter goes to scripture.
00:08:00.30\00:08:03.40
And he goes to the scripture
00:08:03.43\00:08:04.94
that his hearers
have confidence in-
00:08:04.97\00:08:07.28
They had confidence in David,
they had confidence in Joel.
00:08:07.31\00:08:10.65
They believed these scriptures,
00:08:10.68\00:08:12.69
but they'd never seen this
application of the scriptures.
00:08:12.72\00:08:15.82
They believed
this- this Psalm of David
00:08:15.85\00:08:17.70
but they thought David
was talking about himself
00:08:17.73\00:08:20.08
and I wondered,
Jim, to myself too,
00:08:20.11\00:08:22.38
if-you know, as we see-
00:08:22.41\00:08:23.79
One of the things
we're gonna see as we go on
00:08:23.82\00:08:25.33
in the Book of Acts
is a lot of opposition
00:08:25.36\00:08:27.31
by a class called the Sadducees,
00:08:27.34\00:08:29.45
who were religious
leaders of the day,
00:08:29.48\00:08:31.61
who strongly opposed the
doctrine of the resurrection.
00:08:31.64\00:08:37.05
So, the people
probably weren't taught a lot,
00:08:37.08\00:08:40.40
certainly from the Sadducees
on the idea of the resurrection.
00:08:40.43\00:08:44.64
And this was
probably the first time
00:08:44.67\00:08:47.05
that some of them
had ever really realized
00:08:47.08\00:08:50.54
that David was
foretelling a resurrection
00:08:50.57\00:08:54.02
from the grave and a
resurrection of the Messiah.
00:08:54.05\00:08:58.71
And when they linked it with
the current report now of Jesus.
00:08:58.74\00:09:03.47
It gripped them and
they saw in the scripture
00:09:03.50\00:09:08.58
that they had confidence in,
00:09:08.61\00:09:10.38
that they had been
standing on the wrong side.
00:09:10.41\00:09:12.30
That's right.
00:09:12.33\00:09:13.70
And now, Peter adds a
little insult to injury,
00:09:13.73\00:09:16.90
because, in verse 32, he says,
00:09:16.93\00:09:19.49
"This Jesus God has raised up
of which we are all witnesses."
00:09:19.52\00:09:25.06
All of these apostles
who were standing in unison,
00:09:25.09\00:09:29.53
they all declared
and they're speaking
00:09:29.56\00:09:31.46
with such
clarity, such authority,
00:09:31.49\00:09:33.25
and they all
agree that they had seen
00:09:33.28\00:09:35.94
Jesus after His resurrection.
00:09:35.97\00:09:37.96
Sure and there's the
miracle of the tongue to say,
00:09:37.99\00:09:39.66
so they're hearing in,
they see there's a supernatural-
00:09:39.69\00:09:42.63
They heard the
supernatural noise,
00:09:42.66\00:09:44.44
all of these elements coming
together to bring conviction.
00:09:44.47\00:09:47.66
And now, we get to
verse 33, where he says,
00:09:47.69\00:09:50.77
"Therefore being exalted
to the right hand of God,
00:09:50.80\00:09:55.18
and having
received from the Father
00:09:55.21\00:09:57.19
the promise of the Holy Spirit,
00:09:57.22\00:09:59.30
He poured out this
which you now see and hear."
00:09:59.33\00:10:02.30
In other words,
this Jesus who was
00:10:02.33\00:10:04.61
resurrected is
still the Living Christ.
00:10:04.64\00:10:07.92
He has gone to
heaven but He is alive,
00:10:07.95\00:10:10.43
He is still
active, and He is the one
00:10:10.46\00:10:13.13
Himself personally, who
is looking down upon us today
00:10:13.16\00:10:16.91
and has poured out
this Holy Spirit upon us
00:10:16.94\00:10:19.07
and everything we see
here is a manifestation
00:10:19.10\00:10:21.67
of the evidence that God
has received him in heaven,
00:10:21.70\00:10:24.17
and has given him
authority as Lord and Christ.
00:10:24.20\00:10:27.41
Oh, what a powerful thought.
00:10:27.44\00:10:29.69
The one you've
just been responsible,
00:10:29.72\00:10:31.54
the one you may have
yell, you've been in the-
00:10:31.57\00:10:33.11
you're in the crowd
saying, "Crucify him."
00:10:33.14\00:10:35.82
That's right.
"His blood be on us."
00:10:35.85\00:10:37.39
Yes. "And on our children."
00:10:37.42\00:10:39.26
And now, you know,
thinking he's an imposter
00:10:39.29\00:10:41.63
and now- they
imagine the conviction.
00:10:41.66\00:10:44.47
The conviction has come home.
00:10:44.50\00:10:45.87
That you were
deceived and on the wrong side
00:10:45.90\00:10:48.42
and fighting
against your Messiah.
00:10:48.45\00:10:51.61
He makes a concluding statement.
00:10:51.64\00:10:53.14
I think we'll get back
to that one in a moment,
00:10:53.17\00:10:54.81
but in verse 36, I just
want to look at his close
00:10:54.84\00:10:57.92
"Therefore let all
the house of Israel,-"
00:10:57.95\00:11:01.04
These are the ones
he is speaking to here-
00:11:01.07\00:11:03.47
"Know assuredly that
God has made this Jesus
00:11:03.50\00:11:06.64
whom you crucified,
both Lord and Christ."
00:11:06.67\00:11:11.37
Now, I'll tell you what,
if I had heard that sermon,
00:11:11.40\00:11:15.87
I would probably
be having all sorts of
00:11:15.90\00:11:19.86
differing responses, but I know
that one thing I would feel is,
00:11:19.89\00:11:23.96
"Wow, I was just responsible,
00:11:23.99\00:11:27.03
partially responsible,
for the death, the murder,
00:11:27.06\00:11:31.53
the crucifixion
of the Son of God."
00:11:31.56\00:11:34.48
I mean, this- this
prophecy pointed at home
00:11:34.51\00:11:37.44
that everything
ties together here,
00:11:37.47\00:11:39.88
it made perfect sense, and now,
00:11:39.91\00:11:43.47
there's only one response
that the people can give,
00:11:43.50\00:11:45.59
and in verse 37, they give it.
00:11:45.62\00:11:47.34
It says, "Now
when they heard this,
00:11:47.37\00:11:48.74
they were cut to the
heart, and said to Peter
00:11:48.77\00:11:52.03
and the rest of the
apostles, 'Men and brethren,
00:11:52.06\00:11:55.12
what shall we do?'"
00:11:55.15\00:11:56.71
What can we do
to get out of this?
00:11:56.74\00:11:58.11
It's surely judgment has come
upon us for what we've done.
00:11:58.14\00:12:01.21
They now- this is an evidence
00:12:01.24\00:12:03.46
that they have
fully acknowledged
00:12:03.49\00:12:05.54
that there is clear evidence
00:12:05.57\00:12:07.24
in what's shared
here and just before-
00:12:07.27\00:12:09.42
I want you to respond to this,
00:12:09.45\00:12:10.96
but just before you
do, I'm thinking to myself
00:12:10.99\00:12:13.44
about Jesus,
back there in Luke 24,
00:12:13.47\00:12:16.76
"Opening the
scriptures to those disciples,
00:12:16.79\00:12:20.40
showing them all
things in the law
00:12:20.43\00:12:22.02
and the Psalms and the prophets
00:12:22.05\00:12:23.93
that we're a
fulfillment of himself."
00:12:23.96\00:12:26.65
And I can imagine that Peter
here is simply reiterating,
00:12:26.68\00:12:30.41
sharing what Jesus
00:12:30.44\00:12:32.37
had intimately
shared with those disciples,
00:12:32.40\00:12:34.23
and now he's
sharing it with conviction,
00:12:34.26\00:12:36.27
and the people are responding.
00:12:36.30\00:12:37.92
Absolutely, and
that makes me think of
00:12:37.95\00:12:39.96
what Jesus told His
disciples in John 13:19
00:12:39.99\00:12:43.61
about the
prophecies of scripture.
00:12:43.64\00:12:46.32
He said to them, "I tell
you before it comes to pass,
00:12:46.35\00:12:49.89
that when it does come to pass,
00:12:49.92\00:12:52.08
you may believe that I am He."
00:12:52.11\00:12:55.18
And he says something
similar in John 14:29, he says,
00:12:55.21\00:12:58.99
"Now I have told
you before it comes
00:12:59.02\00:13:01.16
that when it does come
to pass, you may believe."
00:13:01.19\00:13:03.85
So, it's
interesting that the Lord gives
00:13:03.88\00:13:05.93
evidence for faith.
00:13:05.96\00:13:08.07
I mean there's
an element of our-
00:13:08.10\00:13:09.47
of our experience where
we've got to trust the Lord
00:13:09.50\00:13:12.42
beyond what we can see.
00:13:12.45\00:13:14.59
But the Lord doesn't
leave us without evidence,
00:13:14.62\00:13:16.31
and one of those evidences,
00:13:16.34\00:13:17.71
strong evidence is the
prophecies of scripture.
00:13:17.74\00:13:19.61
And so he points
therein, on the road to Emmaus,
00:13:19.64\00:13:22.33
He points his
disciples to prophecy
00:13:22.36\00:13:24.05
and then here we see Peter
00:13:24.08\00:13:27.39
pointing the people to
prophecy because it's in seeing,
00:13:27.42\00:13:30.74
it was in seeing
those fulfilled prophecies,
00:13:30.77\00:13:33.10
that they realized
their true condition,
00:13:33.13\00:13:36.40
their need of Christ,
00:13:36.43\00:13:39.84
the person in the
authority of Christ
00:13:39.87\00:13:42.23
and their need for repentance
and reception of the Gospel.
00:13:42.26\00:13:46.42
That's right. That's right.
00:13:46.45\00:13:47.82
And there's more to say on this,
00:13:47.85\00:13:49.22
but I know that we
have to go to a break.
00:13:49.25\00:13:50.78
So, I hope you stay with us.
00:13:50.81\00:13:52.98
We're gonna come right back
00:13:53.01\00:13:54.38
into the Book of
Acts, stay tuned.
00:13:54.41\00:13:57.14