Welcome to the Kerwin Baptist Church broadcast today.
Our desire is for the Word of God to be spread throughout the world so that all may know Christ. Join us now for a portion of one of our services here at Kerwin Baptist Church located in Kernersville, North Carolina. Welcome to the Kerwin Baptist Church at Jerusalem. And obviously this is the beginning of what we know as the church. Luke is the author of Acts. But in chapter 2, Peter begins to preach a sermon. Obviously we know at the end of chapter 1 they were all in the upper room. Obviously the Holy Spirit came.
And we know all that. But notice if you would in Acts chapter 2. Look at verse 14 just to kind of walk you through this passage to set you up for what we want to talk about. The Bible says, But Peter standing up with the 11 lifted up his voice and said unto them, Ye men of Judea and all ye that dwell at Jerusalem be this known unto you and hearken to my words. So this is Peter preaching a sermon basically. Notice if you would verse 21.
And it shall come to pass. He said that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be what? Ye men of Israel, hear these words. Jesus of Nazareth a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs which God did by him in the midst of you as ye yourselves also know.
Him being delivered. And by the way this is another whole message and I'm going to preach it but it's just going to take too many weeks of digging in to try to cover this. I don't know if you've ever noticed this phrase in Acts chapter 2 verse 23. The Bible is speaking of Jesus that he was delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God.
There is a whole bunch in that phrase. You know you and I struggle sometimes with the determinate counsel of God. Notice if you would in verse 23 it says ye have taken or taken Jesus obviously and by wicked hands have crucified and slain whom God hath raised up having loosed the pains of death because I love this. It was not possible that he should be holding of it. Wasn't even possible. You think Jesus is going to stay in that grave?
It wasn't even possible. Look at verse 36. Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God hath made that same Jesus whom ye have crucified both Lord and Christ. 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? 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 for the promise is unto you and to your children and to all that are far off even as many as the Lord our God has shall call. Verse 40 our key verse and we're going to go back through these briefly. And with many other words did he testify and exhort saying save yourselves from this untoward generation.
Isn't that interesting how he just talked about how Jesus died to save us. Peter said save yourselves from this generation. Let's pray. Lord I pray that you'd help our people to understand that you have purchased our redemption and paid for our salvation. But Lord it is up to us to save ourselves from this generation. Lord it's one thing to be saved but we don't stop there.
We continue. Lord I pray that you'd help our people to understand that you have purchased our I pray that you would help as we try to rightly divide your word this morning. Lord, you know in your heart, I've been excited about this, I've been talking about this passage for a couple of weeks.
Help me to explain it correctly and clearly. In Jesus' name we pray, amen. Peter's sermon here, I believe, can be summed up in three different parts. Don't you wish every preacher's sermon could be summed up in three parts? Amen. I was gonna say, he has three parts, it's gonna take me 10 points to explain his three parts.
No, it's not. I just have these exact same three points this morning on Peter's sermon. Number one, I want you to see his sermon about the Savior. And by the way, that's where everything starts, is with Christ. This church being established in Acts chapter one and two it all started with Christ. That church was not built on Peter, it was built on Christ. By the way, Peter was not the original pope.
You say, how do you know? Well, he had a mother-in-law. The Bible says he had a mother-in-law. You can't be a pope and be married. And by the way, if you have a mother-in-law and you don't have a wife, you're nuts.
Who would want a mother-in-law? Number one, Peter's, Daniel's demise, number one, no. Peter's sermon about the Savior, notice first in verses 22 to 23, and I'm gonna take you through this briefly because I gotta establish this to draw the point at the end it won't be long, listen to this, look at verse 22. He talks first about the punishment of Christ.
Verse 23, he says, him being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God. Notice what he says, ye have taken and by wicked hands have crucified and slain. He said this, you captured him, they took him, you contaminated him, our sins were laid on him.
He was pure and clean until we showed up. So they captured him, they contaminated him, and then last, they crucified him. You have crucified and slain.
Now I could take all morning and all night tonight and all next Sunday morning and all next Sunday night and I could do that for about four months and not even come close to trying to describe the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. But all I can say is this, that Peter briefly talked about the punishment of Christ. He was crucified and slain for us. Notice second, he talks about the power of Christ. Look at verse 24, whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death because it was not possible that he should be holding with it. That means this, he loosed the pains of death and it was not possible that that grave, neither death could hold Jesus. That is a powerful Christ. By the way, that's the exact same person that can help you pay that bill this month.
That's the same person that can supply your needs. If he could overcome death, surely he could overcome that. I want you to notice thirdly, he talks about the promise of Christ. The punishment, the power. That means punishment, he was crucified. The power, he was raised. Notice thirdly, the promise of Christ. After he was raised, look at verse 30. Therefore, being a prophet, talking about David, knowing that God hath sworn with an oath to him that of the fruit of his loins, according to the flesh, he would raise up Christ to sit on his throne. Now if you read down through verses 27, 28, 29, he's talking about David here and Peter saying that out of the lineage of David, notice the promise of Christ. First, that Christ would come from David's lineage and we know that. He says, look at verse 30, from the fruit of his loins.
That means through the lineage of David, it was prophesied that the Messiah would come. Notice second, it was prophesied and promised that he would be a man of flesh. Notice verse 30 in the middle, that of the fruit of his loins, David, according to the, you're not reading, according to the flesh.
Y'all are faking it, aren't you? You're not even at the verse. According to the flesh, that means this, that the Messiah would also be flesh. Notice this third, that Christ would come and be resurrected. It said he, in the end of verse 30, he would raise up Christ. Notice the fourth thing that was promised, that Christ would be raised to sit on the throne. Bible says all judgment has been given to the son. He is seated at the right hand of the throne of God and he and he only knows when he will call us home. The rapture of the church.
Wow. Notice next, he talks about the position of Christ. Now let's gather all this in. Here's the punishment, he was crucified. Here's the power, he resurrected. Here's the promise of where he would come from, how he would come, what he would be, and where he would end up. Notice fourth, the position of Christ. So what does that mean to me, preacher? Look at verse 34, Peter's, hey, Peter's preaching to the 11, he's preaching to the men of Israel. Notice what he says, for David is not ascended into the heavens, but he saith himself, the Lord said unto my Lord, sit thou on my right hand. The Lord, Jehovah, said unto my Lord, Master, until I make thy foes thy footstool. Look at verse 36, therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God hath made that same Jesus whom ye have crucified both. Here's his position, Lord and Christ.
What does that mean? Lord is the word kuros, K-U-R-O-S. It means supremacy, it means supreme and authority, it means controller, it means master and Christ. Christ is the word Christos, it means anointed, it means the Messiah. So let me put it this way, he said he is Lord and Christ. Lord means master, Christ means Messiah. Lord means sovereign, Christ means Savior. Lord means authority, Christ means anointed. He is Lord and Christ.
It doesn't matter whether you make him that or not, that's what he already is. I don't know about you, Peter's preaching pretty good, isn't he? Now he talks about the plan of Christ. I love this, look at verse 37.
He speaks all these things to all of them. And the Bible says in verse 37, now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart and said unto Peter and the apostles, men and brethren, what shall we do? This is what he said, repent, repent. By the way, the plan of Christ, Peter gives the plan. First, this is how Christ works.
First is always conviction. The Bible says they were pricked in their heart. The Holy Spirit draws men to himself. And that's where it starts. And if you're here this morning and you feel something, a prick in your heart you feel, it's something that I don't understand at all. Why do I feel this way?
Why do I feel this pressure? That's the conviction of Christ. That's where it always starts. And if you're here this morning and you're under conviction, thank God, that means he's drawing you. We believe you can't be saved unless he draws you.
The Bible says he'll draw all men, but you can say no one too many times. It always starts with conviction. Then second, it goes to response. The Bible says they were pricked in their hearts and then they said this, what shall we do? It starts with conviction. And that's when we run up to an altar and we say, all right, I'm convicted, what do I do? How do I get saved?
What is it I'm supposed to do? Then the next part of the plan is always repent. Unfortunately, we have a number of churches and religious organizations, they don't start with repentance.
You come, feel good, promise this, give this, commit this. Dear friend, I'm here to tell you, salvation doesn't come without repentance. There's conviction, then there's a response. All right, I believe how I've been convicted. I believe the word of God.
What shall I do? Repent! Unfortunately, we saved individuals sometimes struggle with repentance. We repented to get saved, but repentance doesn't stop.
It's a shame. What happens next? We receive. There's conviction, then there's response, then we repent, and then we receive. Notice at the end of verse 38, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. It wasn't that you get saved and later on, at some service, you get worked up emotionally, and then you get the gift of the Holy Ghost. This verse teaches you get the gift of the Holy Ghost when you repent, when you get saved. Now, starting right here in the book of Acts, from this point on, the Holy Spirit comes in to live.
What's next? Get baptized. Repent and be baptized. You know what, I encourage you, if you've ever been saved, you need to take that first step of obedience and get baptized. Say, does baptism save your preacher?
Absolutely not. I could spend all morning and instances in the Bible to prove that. Baptism does not save you, but baptism is your outward expression of acceptance, letting everybody know that I'm saved, and I am following that first step of obedience, because Christ himself was baptized in the River Jordan by John the Baptist, and he said, go and do thou likewise.
It's obedience. It proves that, you know what, I'm saved. I believe I'm associated with Christ, and I wanna take that first step of obedience to show and prove that I'm a believer. I encourage you to do it. Well, that was Peter's sermon about the Savior, and that's a pretty good one.
Now, we could just go home right there, but we're not. Second, I want you to see his sermon about the Spirit. You see, we have some people that put more emphasis on the Spirit than they do the Savior, but you don't get the Spirit unless you put your faith and trust in the Savior. What came first, the chicken or the egg? See, we got division in a Baptist church right now already. I don't care as long as it's fried, but anyway. The chicken came first. He was created by God. Man came first, not a baby, man. We understand all that. That has nothing to do with anything I'm preaching.
I just started thinking about fried chicken. My mind went elsewhere, I don't know. Look at verse 32.
I love this. Look at Peter's sermon about the Spirit. This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we are all witnesses. Notice in verse 33 first, we see about the Holy Spirit that Peter says that the Holy Spirit was promised in sovereignty. Look at verse 33. Therefore, being by the right hand of God exalted and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost.
Can I tell you something about the Holy Spirit? He was promised by God himself. He was promised by sovereignty, by the sovereign, by God. Now, I want you to think about this. If you'll notice through the Old Testament and the New Testament, between the promise of the Messiah coming and when Jesus actually did come, there was the promise that Jesus would come and then there was when Jesus did come, there was ages between the promise and the fulfillment. You all understand where I'm at.
Follow me so far. I mean, Jesus was prophesied long time before Jesus came, but between the promise of the Holy Spirit and the coming of the Holy Spirit was just a couple days. Jesus will come ages past and Jesus came. Out of the lineage of David, as Peter said, he would be flesh, all these things, but when the Holy Spirit was promised, it was just a few days later and he showed up.
Isn't that great? Now, during these days, the apostles, now think about this. Why did the church start? Because in the book, here's what Jesus said. Listen, you need to go to Jerusalem, then Judea, then Samaria, then to the other most parts of the earth. That verse is there because that is the church. Jesus said as he founded the church, it needs to start here in Jerusalem and then you need to grow out to Jerusalem, then Samaria, then Judea, and then the other most parts of the earth. That is how the church was to operate.
That's exactly why it was there and that's why it's there. And so all of a sudden now, he says, I want you to go out. I want you to go out and preach the gospel to every creature. I want you to go to Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and the other most part of the earth and they did nothing right away. He said, as you do, the power of the Holy Ghost is gonna do it, but they didn't have it yet. So in the upper room, in Acts chapter one and two, the Holy Spirit shows up, indwells them, and then they start the church.
Can I give you a little tidbit? Church shouldn't start until the Holy Spirit's ready. Wonder how many church services we go through before the Holy Spirit starts moving. The Spirit moves, then church.
We got it backwards, don't we? We're gonna have church long enough, we're just gonna hope the Holy Spirit shows up. The Holy Spirit should show up first. The Holy Spirit should already be working in your lives before you walk into this building. We come to church to see, all right, start my spiritual growth preacher. It should have started at home before we got here.
Before I got so much, but I'm not even in the message yet. Peter's preaching too long, it's ridiculous. The Holy Spirit, he says, was promised in sovereignty. Second, he was promised in salvation.
Look at verse, look if you would, look at verse 38. Then Peter said unto them, repent, be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the mission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. It was promised in sovereignty, and it was promised in salvation. It was promised by God, and it's given by promise when you and I put our faith and trust in Jesus Christ at salvation.
If you're with me so far, say amen. Great preaching, Peter. I mean, he talks about Christ, preaches about Christ, preaches the doctrine of the Savior, doctrine of Christ, then he preaches the doctrine of the Holy Spirit. You've gotten more doctrine this morning some of you have had in months. You're like, that's your fault, you're the pastor.
I know! No, I've been preaching doctrine, but notice third. Peter's sermon to the saved. Where did this start off in chapter two?
To the 11th. Notice what he says in verse 39. For the promise is unto you and to your children and to all that are far off, even as many as the Lord God shall call. Talking about those that get saved, that were a far off, the Bible says, but are made nigh by the blood of Christ. When you receive the Holy Spirit, now, we're saved.
Jesus Christ, he suffered, he rose again, he died, he rose again. Now we get the Holy Spirit, we're taught all the doctrine. And he says, now, once you get the Holy Ghost, you're saved, look at verse 40. And with many other words did he testify and exhort saying, save yourselves! He just said, this is how we get saved. Then he says, save yourselves from this untoward generation.
Dear friend, can I say something? In verse 40, his instruction is to save individuals. And it is this, you need to save yourself from this generation. What does the word untoward mean? It is the Greek word skolios.
Now I had a lot of fun talking about Pastor and George from this. We were sitting down, I said, you know, we were talking about Acts chapter two, and I said, do you know that word untoward in Acts chapter two? And it says this, literally, save yourselves from this untoward generation. It's the word skolios, and that's where we get skolio, or skoliosis.
It means, this word in the Greek literally means warped or crooked. Get this, this generation is warped. And Peter said that all the way back here. Imagine how warped we are now. Now listen, get this, please don't miss it. We're almost done. God can save you from sin, but you need to save yourself from this wicked generation. How do we save ourselves?
I'm so glad you asked. I have a whole list of things I was gonna tell you about our warped generation. Not even gonna do it, you know it, don't you? You don't need all the facts, you don't need the figures, you don't need all the things. It would just discourage us even more. But Peter said way back then, let me tell you something, this is Christ came, Christ died, Christ rose again. When you put your faith in Christ, we are indwell with the Holy Spirit now. He empowers us, he encourages us, he's the comforter. He does all this, but you have to save yourself from this warped generation. Because if you're not careful, this generation will grab you.
You'll start to think like them and act like them, and literally out of good motive, your whole thinking will be warped. I go to an upper cervical specialist in Cornersville. It's a long story. And I've been having issues for a couple of years and different things, so he goes in, does all this stuff, scans you and all that stuff, and he pulls this thing up. I've got some spine issues and things. So he pulls up on the screen and he says, now this line right here, that's where your spine should be. And then he put on the next screen, this is where your spine is, and this is where this other color line is where it's supposed to be, and this color line is where it is.
This is where it's supposed to be, and mine's woo. Now, here's what's happening. You and I have lost sight of where it's supposed to be, and we have been duped and, excuse the expression, sucked in by this generation. Even our good people that hear our good doctrine get ahold of junk, they get ahold of books, they get ahold of material, and they think they're smart, and they've convinced themselves, well, that this, and I this, and that blah, blah, and what happens is we don't even understand, we're looking at it through warped eyes.
And Peter said, listen, Jesus saved you from sin, but you've gotta save yourself from this generation. Now, I would love to say a whole lot to that, my time's almost gone, but I'm gonna tell you something. I am so tired of people that are taught the truth that listen to warped people because they like this and they're gonna bring out stuff to say this, and blah, blah, blah. Dear friend, I'm gonna tell you something. You're trusting a generation that is warped.
Man is warped. God's not. Telling you, I was listening to a preacher the other day, and you know I don't get off all this stuff? One of these days I'm going to. Right before I retire. I'm gonna do a six month series on everything I wanted to preach, and I'm outta here. You're like, goodbye. I'm gonna get it all in. No, I'm just pickin'.
I'm pickin'. I was talking to this preacher, and he was talking about all the stuff that he was attacking the King James, all this just archaic, it's just this, it's just, oh, blah, blah, blah. And one of the things is that you just can't read, you can't understand it, and the King James is written on third grade level, and what is interesting, he literally played some of the music that they sang at this church that said that it's just too hard to read, and the music they sang was at a 10th grade level, and the King James is at a third grade level, but they say we can't understand that. And he went into the these and the thows. He said, people say, well, we don't talk with these and the thows. He said, do you understand how important the these and the thows are? He said, do you know in the Bible that you is used as a singular and a compound? And the Bible says specifically, thee has a meaning, thou has a meaning, and you has a meaning. But what man does, they just make them all the same, and he said it makes the Bible harder to understand. We're warped.
Now you say preacher, you're being mean. I'm right in the middle of two generations getting further and further apart, and I am telling you, we are warped. What we think is clean used to be dirty. And Peter said this, let me tell you something, Christ did all this for you, but he can't make you dwell in this world and not be contaminated by it.
You've got to save yourself from this warped. Listen, all this good doctrine, we have nothing but good doctrine this week. Dr. Farrell preached his heart out. We've had people saved. The altars have been full every service, but I am here to tell you, if you're not careful, you'll leave a revival just like this. And revivals are dangerous. Brother Josh was saying in Sunday school, and saying before he got up, and even to our men, and I told you, revival's dangerous because we get on this spiritual high, and I'm gonna tell you, the next services are rough. And I'm gonna tell you, all the good doctrine that's been preached, you and I still have to save ourselves from a warped generation. We've lost the line. We're like this, and we think it's fine. And I'm telling you, it's our responsibility to get through this junk, and not be changed, and contaminated by it.
That's our responsibility. Notice, how do I save myself then? All right, you said, all this preacher, you've been really bold. You've got to save yourself.
Okay, how do you do it? I'm so glad you asked. Notice if you would, the Bible says that he rebuked. He said, hey, you've got to save yourselves. Then look at verse 41.
Then they that gladly received his word. Thank you for listening today. We hope you received a blessing from our broadcast. The Kerwin Baptist Church is located at 4520 Old Hollow Road in Kernersville, North Carolina. You may also contact us by phone at 336-993-5192, or via the web at kerwinbaptistchurch.com. Enjoy our services live, and all our media on our website and church app. Thank you for listening to the Kerwin broadcast today. God bless you.
