The Amazing First Century Church | Part 1

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They have tried everything, and they found nothing satisfies. And they're wondering one more time, do we have the answer? And the answer is yes.

Welcome to Love Worth Finding. Pastor, teacher, and author Adrian Rogers said, A New Testament church, Spirit-filled, Bible-believing, Christ-honoring church is a mighty weapon in the hands of a holy God. As the body and bride of Christ, the church is the world's first idea of Jesus. Do we exhibit the same power as the amazing first century church who turned the world upside down with the gospel?

If you have your Bible, turn to Acts chapter 2 as Adrian Rogers tells us more about the amazing first century church. Do you have the feeling that God is giving the church one last mighty urge for the revival of all revivals before the night of all nights comes? I have that feeling. And I also have a feeling that the world is looking at us one more time. They have tried everything, every form of government, every kind of leader, every excess of pleasure, everything that money can buy, that heart's desire, that minds can conceive, and they found nothing satisfies. And they're wondering one more time, do we have the answer?

And the answer is yes. But when they look at us, I wonder what they're going to see. Nietzsche was a cynic, an atheist, an ungodly, lascivious man. He looked at the church. He considered Christianity. Do you know what he said? He said, if you want me to believe in your Redeemer, you're going to have to look a little more redeemed.

Now, you think about it. This world gets the idea of Jesus Christ, not from the Word of God, because they don't read it. They get that from us. Now, I'm going to give you now a description of a church triumphant, and we're going to ask God to make our church that kind of a church, found right here in the second chapter of the book of Acts. You know, we talked about the principles of power and the Holy Spirit of God. But now, once we have that anointing, that power, what do we do?

What is our purpose? Well, number one, we are to exalt the Savior. Now, begin now in verse 22 of this chapter. The day Pentecost has come, all of these signs and wonders have been done. The Holy Spirit has come and baptized that motley crew into the body of Christ, and Peter stands up to preach the gospel. And here's what he says in verses 22 through 26.

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 by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken and by wicked hands have crucified and slain, whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death, because it was not possible that he should beholden of it. For David speaketh concerning him, and I foresaw the Lord always before my face, for he is on my right hand that I should not be moved. Therefore did my heart rejoice, and my tongue was glad.

Moreover also, my flesh shall rest in hope. Now, Peter preached the message, and it is simple to see that it was a plain Christ-centered gospel message. The church grew because they lifted up Jesus.

Jesus said, and I, if I be lifted up, all men unto me. No church, in my estimation, is going to be a growing, vibrant church that does not exalt the Lord Jesus Christ. Some churches reserve Sunday morning for God the Father, Sunday night for God the Son, and Wednesday night for God the Spirit.

Now, not really, but, you know, there's sort of an emphasis like that. On Sunday morning, they just want to speak of God, and there's nothing wrong with that. Of course, we should magnify God the Father, because every service, every service must exalt the Lord Jesus Christ.

Do you believe that? I do, because he is the attracting power of the church. I, if I be lifted up, will draw all men unto me. Now, notice the message that Peter preached concerning Jesus. First of all, he preached about the manner of his life.

Look in verse 22. He says there that he was the man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs which God did by him. Somebody wrote this about the manner of Jesus' life, and said, I am far within the mark when I say that all of the armies that ever marched and all of the navies that ever were built and all of the parliaments that ever have sat and all of the kings that ever have reigned put together have not affected the life of man upon this earth as powerfully as the one solitary life, Jesus of Nazareth.

Think about that. Here was a man born 2,000 years ago, and tonight this building is filled with people who say, I love him with all of my heart, including the man who is preaching. Jesus Christ is real to me. And so, first of all, Peter preached about the manner of his life, and then he preached about the meaning of his death. Look in verse 23. Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, have ye taken and by wicked hands have crucified and slain. Now, what's he saying here? He's saying that Jesus Christ's death was not an accident. It was not an incident. It was planned before the foundation of the earth, the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God.

Nothing went wrong. God was not up there in heaven wringing his hands and saying, oh, how terrible that this has come to pass. And the purpose of the cross, as we learn from this message, is substitution, the just for the unjust. Christ died for us. He took our place, and we must not only speak of his sinless, spotless life, but his vicarious death that he died upon that cross to pay the sin debt. Take that message out and forget the rest. And yet there are many who want to take the message of the cross of Jesus Christ out. Why, that's like taking water out of a well that blew out of the sky, notes out of music and numbers out of mathematics.

You don't have anything left. If you take the death of Jesus Christ's far sins out, but not only as he exalted the Savior did he speak of the manner of his life and the meaning of his death, but he also spoke of the miracle of his resurrection. Continue, verse 24, whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death, because it was not possible that he should be holding of it. Death cannot keep his prey.

There's no way possible that death could keep Jesus in the grave. I read years ago about a spider who saw a great massive lion with a great mane go into a cave to sleep. And the spider thought, I will imprison that lion in that cave. And so he said, I will spin a web to keep the lion in the cave. And so he crisscrossed the mouth of that cave with his web, and he spun and he spun and he spun and he spun.

He almost spun himself away. And there was the spider's web. Then came the time when the old lion awoke from his nap.

And he gave a roar that caused the mountains to tremble, shook the dust off his old mane, walked out of that cave, never knew the web was there. Friend, I thought of the resurrection of our Savior, and old death says, I'll keep him in. We'll put him there, and he will not rise, but up from the grave he rose.

The mighty triumph bore his foes. And what Peter preached on this day of Pentecost, anointed with the Holy Spirit, was Jesus, the manner of his life, signs, wonders, miracles, the meaning of his death by the predeterminate counsel of God, the miracle of his resurrection, and then the magnificence of his reign. Look, if you will, in verse 33 now. Therefore, being on the right hand of God, exalted and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, which he hath shed forth this, which ye do now see and hear. For David is not ascended into the heavens, but he saith himself, The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand until I make thy foes thy footstool, not if, when, or maybe, but until.

Thank God for the until. Where is Jesus right now? He has ascended the high hills of glory.

Where is he? He is seated on the right hand of the majesty on high, and he is waiting till that time when God gives the signals, and he shall step from his throne back down to this earth to rule and reign. But Peter preached on that day that Jesus is exalted, that he is Lord of lords and King of kings. And I'm going to tell you something. You may not be a believer, but I can tell you with all of the authority of the Word of God and unction and function and emotion of my soul, one day you will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.

I don't care who you are. Every knee shall bow, and every tongue shall confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father. And so what do we do as a church? What is our duty? What is our privilege? What is our joy? What is our mandate? It is, first of all, to exalt the Savior.

Now, until we do that, we have not done anything. But secondly, not only must we exalt the Savior, secondly, we must evangelize the sinner. Now, continue to read now and look, if you will, in verse 37 through 41 in this passage of Scripture.

Now, when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart and said unto Peter and the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what must we do or what shall we do? Let me tell you what true evangelism is. Let me tell you what true salvation is. Let me give you the marks of it.

They're right here. Let me follow the steps in a true conversion. First of all, people must be convicted by the Spirit. Verse 37, do you hear this?

Do you see it? When they heard this, they were pricked in their hearts. I've preached enough to know that there are services where there is no conviction. My heart grieves, and I wonder, Lord, is it me? Am I the one that has failed to pray and seek your face?

Is there coldness? Have you been in a service where you just couldn't explain it, but people begin to weep or tremble, and there's the moving of the Spirit of God? Don't just saunter in here and sit down and chatter a little bit without praying and saying, Oh, God, send your convicting power. See, first of all, they must be convicted by the Lord, and then they're converted to the Lord. Look now in verse 38. They said, What shall we do?

They said that because they were pricked in the heart. Now, verse 38, 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. To repent means to change your mind. I told you the Greek word metanoia, which means a change of mind.

A change of mind about what? Change of mind about sin. In my estimation, you've never been saved if you've not changed your mind about sin. Jesus said in Luke 13-3, Except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish. But not only is it a change of mind about sin, it's a change of mind about self. You say, I don't have what it takes to overcome this sin, and you have completely no more confidence in the flesh, and not only is it a change of mind about sin and a change of mind about self, but it is a change of mind about Jesus Christ, about God himself.

You're saying, He is my only hope. I put my faith where God has put my sins upon the Lord Jesus Christ. And that is a conversion. You say, Pastor Rogers, this verse doesn't say anything about faith.

No, it doesn't. But faith is there. Repentance and faith are the heads and tails of the same coin. You cannot turn to God without turning from sin.

You cannot turn from sin truly without turning to God. One time I was preaching, and one of these seminary students came up to me. He hadn't been a student very long, but he wanted to rebuke me a little bit. And he said, Now, you were telling people how to be saved, but he said, You never mentioned repentance. I said, Oh, that's interesting. I said, Do you know what book in the Bible, the whole book, tells us how to be saved? What book is that? These things are written that you might believe that Jesus is the Christ, and believing you might have life through his name.

He wasn't quite sure, so I told him. It's the Gospel of John. I said, Now, son, go home and read the Gospel of John all the way through and see if you can find the word repent one time.

It's not there. But how to be saved is there. You cannot turn to God in faith without repenting. You cannot repent without turning to God in faith.

But it is a conversion. It is a turning, coming to God. You must be convicted by the Lord. You must be converted to the Lord.

And thirdly, you must make a confession of the Lord. Look, if you will, in verse 38, and he says, Repent and be baptized, not some of you, every one of you. Now, does baptism save you?

No. But if you repent and you're truly saved, you ought to be baptized. Baptism is the outer expression of what takes place in your heart.

I am not convinced that anybody is truly saved who says, I know I ought to be baptized, but I'm not going to. Jesus asked a good question. He said, Why do you call me Lord, Lord and do not the thing that I say? How can you say that Christ is your Lord when he has commanded baptism and you are nonchalant or oblivious to it?

His great commission says, Go ye therefore and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost, teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you, and lo, I am with you always even unto the end of the age. Do you know what New Testament confession of Jesus Christ was? Not coming down a carpeted aisle and shaking hands with a preacher. Nothing wrong with that.

I'm going to ask you to do that tonight. But that is the precursor to the real confession of Christ, which is baptism. That is the confession of Christ. That open public baptism is the way that you acknowledge and you confess the Lord Jesus Christ. You identify with Christ in the water of believer's baptism. By what right do you claim to be a disciple of Jesus Christ if you've not had believer's baptism?

I didn't say sprinkling. I said baptism. Sprinkling is not baptism. And I said believer's baptism. That happens after you have received Jesus Christ as your personal Savior and Lord. If you were baptized before you're saved, that's like having your funeral before you die.

You've gotten it backward. The Bible never says be baptized and believe. It's always believe and be baptized. There is a confession of the Lord.

It says, I belong to him. I read somewhere years ago about a little boy who got saved in the children's church, not the big worship service, but in the children's church service. The pastor of the children's church service said to the little fellow, now you need to go over and tell them over at big church that you've been saved and you need to get baptized. Well, he didn't quite understand what we understand, so he went and told the pastor, I've been saved and I need to get advertised.

That's very true. Once you get saved, you get advertised. You're saying, here, I belong to Jesus Christ. I want everybody who sees me to know that I have been buried with him by baptism into death and raised to walk in newness of life.

I am identifying myself with the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. What is the conversion, the evangelization of the sinner? Number one, listen to me again, it is the conviction by the Lord, it is conversion to the Lord, it is a confession of the Lord, and it is control by the Lord. Look again in verse 38, if you will here, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.

That is, he comes into you to control you. The Holy Spirit takes possession now of the person who has been bought with the precious blood of Jesus Christ. Real salvation is not just to believe something or to achieve something, but to receive someone. The Holy Spirit of God comes into you. Real salvation is not just going to heaven when you die.

That's a byproduct. Salvation is not getting man out of earth into heaven, it is getting God out of heaven into man. First of all, there's conviction, then there's conversion, then there's confession, and then there is control, and finally there is continuance.

Look, if you will, in verse 41 and 42 of this same chapter. Then they that gladly received his word were baptized, and the same day there were added unto them about 3,000 souls, and they continued steadfastly. Jesus did not call us to make decisions, he called us to make disciples.

They continued steadfastly a continuance with the Lord. Now that's what we're about in evangelizing. That's why we preach, that's why we teach that people might be convicted, that they might be converted, that they might make a confession of Jesus, that they might be controlled by the Holy Spirit, and that they might go on and on with God in continuance and continue steadfastly.

Now here's the third thing that we want to do. Not only exalt the Savior, not only evangelize the sinner, but we want to enlist the saints. Once we get them saved, what do we do? We'll begin now in verse 42 again, and look, and they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine. The little boy again didn't understand what the word doctrine meant. Somebody asked him, what is doctrine? He said, that's what folks need when they're sick.

I say, amen, we need a lot of it. Great churches are Bible-centered. They continued in the apostles' doctrine. That's just another way of saying they continued in the Word of God, because the Word of God came through these apostles. How do we enlist the saints? Well, first of all, we get them in Bible study. You say, well, Pastor Rogers, I just don't need it.

Yes, you do. That's how they know you by name. That's how they miss you when you're sick. That's how they pray for you when you're sick. And if you go to the hospital, come over and cut your grass and minister you. That's where you have fellowship. That's for prayer, care, share.

They're in that class. And so we're going to enlist people in Bible study, but also we're going to enlist them in fellowship. Notice, if you will, in verse 42 again, they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine.

Watch this. And fellowship. Now, there's some people who think that fellowship is incidental. No, fellowship is absolutely fundamental. The Bible does not teach a lone ranger Christianity. I need you.

You need me. I was reading an interesting passage of Scripture concerning the apostle Paul. Do you think the mighty apostle Paul had such a walk with Jesus? Did he need fellowship? Listen to this verse.

It's Acts 28, verse 15. Paul has been through a shipwreck. He's been trying to get to Rome. Finally, he lands on the shores of Italy, and this is what it says, And from thence, when the brethren heard of us, they came to meet us as far as the api forum and the three taverns, whom when Paul saw, and when he saw these brethren, whom when Paul saw, he thanked God and took courage.

I love that. Here's the mighty apostle Paul. These brothers go out and meet him now.

He's tired, worn, bedraggled, and when he saw him, he said, oh, thank God, and he took courage. Hebrews chapter 10, verses 24 and 25 says, let us consider one another to provoke unto love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together as the manner of some is, but exhorting one another and so much the more. We need fellowship.

And coming up tomorrow, we'll hear the conclusion of this vital message. In the meantime, do you have a prayer request that you'd like to share? At Love Worth Finding, it's one of our great honors to come alongside you and pray with you and for you. If you can go to our website homepage at lwf.org slash radio and scroll down to our prayer wall. There you'll find the option to either submit a prayer request or pray for others or both. This resource is one of our favorite ways to keep the ministry and the community praying continually for one another's needs.

Let us hear from you today. Again, find our prayer wall at lwf.org slash radio. Now, if you'd like to order a copy of today's message in its entirety, call 1-877-LOVE-GOD and mention the title, The Amazing First Century Church.

This message is also part of the insightful series, Living Supernaturally. For that complete collection, all 13 powerful messages, call 1-877-LOVE-GOD or you can go online to lwf.org slash radio or write us at Love Worth Finding, Box 38600, Memphis, Tennessee 38183. You can also purchase our new Bible studies, much like this message, in our online store.

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