6. Spirited Gospel Preaching Unleashed (2)

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Hymns: RHC 110 Heaven Came Down and Glory Filled My Soul 111 Only a Sinner 112 Redeemed 

Acts 2:37-41

37 Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do? 38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. 39 For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call. 40 And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, Save yourselves from this untoward generation. 41 Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.

Spirited Gospel Preaching Unleashed (2)

OUTLINE

  • Spirit-Filled Men (v14a) 
    • Courageous and Fearless
  • Spirit-Filled Preaching (v14b-36)
    • Bible-Based 
      • Joel 2:28-32 (v17-21)
      • Psalm 16:8-11 (v25-28)             
      • Psalm 110:1 (v34-35)
    • Christ-Centred (v22-36)
      • Christ’s Miracles (v22)
      • Christ’s Death (v23) 
      • Christ’s Resurrection (v24, 29-32)
        • Proof Text: Psalm 16:8-11 (v25-28)
      • Christ’s Ascension (v33)
        • Psalm 110:1 (v34-35)
  • Spirit-Enabled Conversion (v37-41)
    • Repentance
    • Baptism

(3) Spirit-Enabled Conversion (v37-41)

37 Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do? 38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. 39 For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call. 40 And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, Save yourselves from this untoward generation. 41 Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.

The people were pierced in their hearts. Many submitted to Christ and were saved as a result of spirit-filled witnessing. 

In the new birth, one is cleansed from the inward filthiness of sin – by the washing of regeneration.

Ephesians 2:1-5 (KJV) And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others. But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)

Before the new birth, we were dead in trespasses and sins (the analogy is that the dead person can only decompose and rot), but when he is made alive, he sees the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ which God shined upon his heart.

John 3:19-21 (KJV) And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.

We cannot choose to believe in God when we are dead in trespasses and sins because 

We hate the light, neither come to it.

2 Corinthians 4:4-6 (KJV) In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them. For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus’ sake. For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

There is a change. As a result of the new birth, he begins to understand spiritual things. Such a person becomes a believer in the true sense of the word.

The Apostle Paul explains in 1 Corinthians 2:11-12 (KJV) For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.

The new birth, receiving spiritual life, enables one to see and enter the kingdom of God. He becomes a citizen of God’s kingdom.

Repentance implies sorrow for sin as committed against God, with a purpose to forsake it. 

It is not merely a fear of the consequences, or of the wrath of God in hell. It is such a view of sin as evil in itself, as to lead the mind to hate it and forsake it. 

Laying aside all view of the punishment of sin, the true penitent hates it. Even if sin was the means of procuring him happiness; if it would promote his gratification, and be unattended with any future punishment, he would hate it and turn from it. The mere fact that it is evil, and that God hates it, is a sufficient reason why those who are truly penitent should hate and forsake it. [Barnes]

False repentance dreads the consequences of sin; true repentance dreads sin itself. These persons whom Peter addressed had been merely alarmed; they were afraid of wrath, and especially of the wrath of the Messiah. They had no true sense of sin as an evil, but were simply afraid of punishment. This alarm Peter did not regard as by any means genuine repentance. Such conviction for sin would soon wear off, unless repentance became thorough and complete. Hence he told them to repent, to turn from sin, to exercise sorrow, for it is an evil and bitter thing, and to express their sorrow in the proper manner. 

There is no safety in mere conviction for sin: it may soon pass off, and leave the soul as thoughtless as before. 

There is no goodness or holiness in mere alarm or conviction. The devils tremble. A man may fear, who yet has a firm purpose to do evil if he can do it with impunity. 

Many are greatly troubled and alarmed who yet never repent. There is no situation where souls are so easily deceived as here. Alarm is taken for repentance; trembling for godly sorrow; and the fear of wrath is taken to be the true fear of God. 

True repentance is the only thing in such a state of mind that can give any relief. An ingenuous confession of sin, a solemn purpose to forsake it, and a true hatred of it, is the only thing that can give the mind true composure. Such is the constitution of the mind, that nothing else will furnish relief. But the moment we are willing to make an open confession of guilt, the mind is delivered of its burden, and the convicted soul finds peace. Till this is done, and the hold on sin is broken, there can be no peace. 

We see here what direction is to be given to a convicted sinner. We are not to direct him to wait; nor to suppose that he is in a good way; nor to continue to seek; nor to call him a mourner; nor to take sides with him, as if God were wrong and harsh; nor to tell him to read, and search, and postpone the subject to a future time. We are to direct him to repent; to mourn over his sins, and to forsake them. Religion demands that he should at once surrender himself to God by genuine repentance; by confession that God is right, and that he was wrong; and by a firm purpose to live a life of holiness. 

Be baptized. The direction which Christ gave to his apostles was, that they should baptize all who believed. 

Matthew 28:19 (KJV) Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:

Mark 16:16 (KJV) He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.

The Jews had not been baptized; and a baptism now would be a profession of the religion of Christ, or a declaration made before the world that they embraced Jesus as their Messiah. It was equivalent to saying that they should publiclyand professedly embrace Jesus Christ as their Saviour. 

The gospel requires such a profession; and no one is at liberty to withhold it. And a similar declaration is to be made to all who are inquiring the way to life. They are to exercise repentance; and then, without any unnecessary delay, to evince it in the ordinances of the gospel. If men are unwilling to profess religion, they have none. If they will not, in the proper way, show that they are truly attached to Christ, it is proof that they have no such attachment. Baptism is the application of water, as expressive of the need of purification, and as emblematic of the influences from God that can alone cleanse the soul. It is also a form of dedication to the service of God. 

In the name of Jesus Christ. The usual form of baptism is into the name of the Father, Son and Holy Ghoas. Here it does not mean to be baptized by the authority of Jesus Christ; but it means to be baptized for Him and His service; to be consecrated in this way, and by this public profession, to Him, and to His cause. The name of Jesus Christ means the same as Jesus Christ himself. 

To be baptized to his name is to be devoted to him. The word name is often thus used. And the profession which they were to make amounted to this: A confession of sins; a hearty purpose to turn from them; a reception of Jesus as the Messiah, and as their Saviour; and a determination to become his followers, and to be devoted to his service. 

Thus, (1 Cor. 10:2) to be “baptized unto Moses,” means to take him as the leader and guide. It does not follow that in administering the ordinance of baptism they used only the name of Jesus Christ. It is much more probable that they used the form prescribed by the Saviour himself, (Matt. 28:19) though as the peculiar mark of a Christian is that he receives and honours Jesus Christ, this name is used here as implying the whole. The same thing occurs in Acts 19:5.

 1 Corinthians 10:2 (KJV) And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea;

Matthew 28:19 (KJV) Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:

Acts 19:5 (KJV) When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.

For the remission of sins. Not merely the sin of crucifying the Messiah, but of all sins. There is nothing in baptism itselfthat can wash away sin. That can be done only by the pardoning mercy of God through the atonement of Christ. But baptism is expressive of a willingness to be pardoned in that way; and a solemn declaration of our conviction that there is no other way of remission. He who comes to be baptized, comes with a professed conviction that he is a sinner, that there is no other way of mercy but in the gospel, and with a professed willingness to comply with the terms of salvation, and receive it as it is offered through Jesus Christ. [Barnes]

And ye shall receive – The gift of the Holy Ghost here does not mean his extraordinary gifts, or the power of working miracles; but it simply means, you shall partake of the influences of the Holy Ghost as far as they may be adapted to your case, as far as may be needful for your comfort, and peace, and sanctification. There is no evidence that they were all endowed with the power of working miracles; nor does the connexion of the passage require us thus to understand it. Nor does it mean that they had not been awakened by his influences. All true conviction is from him. 

John 16:8-10 (KJV) And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: 9 Of sin, because they believe not on me; 10 Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more;

But it is also the office of the Spirit to comfort, to enlighten, to give peace, and thus to give evidence that the soul is born again. 

To this, probably, Peter refers; and this all who are born again, and profess faith in Christ, possess. There is peace, calmness, joy; there is evidence of piety, and that evidence is the product of the influences of the Spirit. “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace,”.

Galatians 5:22-23 (KJV) But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 23Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.