What's the meaning of all this?

So Acts chapter two, we're going to be all over

the chapter. The main the central key versus would be

verses thirty two and thirty three. We'll be putting those

up on the screen for you. But here we are.

It's easter. Yeah, exciting. There are lilies, which is awesome.

They are beautiful. And I want to thank the team,

you know who you are, that always keeps us looking good.

I'm wearing a jacket. That team is right there. She

is doing her best. But in that regard, I asked

the question, what is the meaning of all this? What

is the meaning of all this? Yeah, that's right. I

was getting to that that's the meaning of all this.

I asked the question because that's the question that comes

in up and Acts two. The same question is asked,

and the same answer for what is happening in Acts

two must be given. For what is happening right now

that Jesus Christ has risen and he is at work,

that's the meaning of all this. And I say that

knowing that in this room this morning, this is a

mixed assembly, that there are going to be those of

you who are here and you are participating in the

celebrating and the praising of a risen Lord who is

at work. You're participating, but kind of over on the

other side of the spectrum the continuum here. It may

be that you are here mostly as an observer. You're observing.

We're thrilled you're here. We want you to be here observing.

And maybe there's a bit of a mix even there.

Maybe some of you are here participating, but you may

have lost a little bit of your view of the

risen Christ. You're an observing participant, or maybe you're a

participating observer. I know there's a continuum here, and I

want to speak to the whole continuum that those who

are here observing what is going on would respond the

same way that those who were observing and acts too

responded they were compelled to trust in the risen Christ.

And for those of us who are participating, my hope

is that you would be participating in the same way

of the participants in Acts chapter two, that you would

be clear in your witness that whatever fog there may

be in your view of the resurrected Christ and his

work and your life and in this church and all

over the world, that that would clear up your communion

with Him and your witness of him would shine because

Christ is risen and he is at work. Let me

read our key text this morning, from chapter two, verses

thirty two and thirty three. Peter says, this Jesus God

raised up, that we are all witnesses, being therefore exalted

at the right hand of God, and having received from

the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has

poured out this that you yourselves are seeing and hearing.

And what was being seen and heard at this moment

is the same as what is being seen and heard

at this moment fundamentally, foundationally, it is the result of

Jesus Christ being risen and at work. And if I

make a claim like that that raises a bunch of questions.

I think we can deal with three of them today.

Here they are to say that Jesus has risen and

at work number one. Question number one, isn't that weird?

And you're looking back at me like, no, it's not, well,

is it? Here's the second question? Who says so, who

is saying that Jesus has risen and at work? And

then third, what does it call for if Jesus has

risen and Jesus is at work? Isn't it weird. Who

is saying that and what does it call for? So

let's just jump into that first question. Isn't this weird?

I mean claiming that there's a man, Jesus Christ, he died,

was raised, he is at work amongst us. And the

answer to that question is no, it's not weird. It's

way beyond weird. I mean, it would be weird if

through some sort of mass delusion, we would gather here together,

people who otherwise wouldn't know one another are gathering here together,

and we're singing songs, and we're praying, and we're giving

money and spending our time, spending our whole lives to

see this message of the Gospel go forward in the world.

If it was just some sort of cultural phenomena, that

would be weird. But what we're claiming is way beyond weird.

We're claiming that Jesus Christ rose from the dead and

is at work by his spirit. Here a similar explanation

is called for in Acts chapter two. There are those

who had followed Christ and then after his death and resurrection,

witnessed him alive, talked with him, ate with him for

five or six weeks together, and he ascended out of

this world, and then the Holy Spirit comes upon them

and they start talking about what God has been doing,

and they are talking in languages they've never learned, because

at that moment in that city there were people from

all over, from different countries and different cultures who had

come to the city. And as they started talking in

languages they had never learned before, the people from all

over the world could hear and understand. The things that

they were saying seemed pretty weird, and Peter, he says,

this is way beyond weird. I mean. In verse six,

it says that they were bewildered. In verse twelve, it

says they were a maze. They were perplexed. Verse thirteen.

The explanation they've got is this is so weird. They

must all be drunk. I know it's early. But when

they ask what is the meaning of all this, Peter says,

this is actually way beyond weird. This is the supernatural

spiritual work of God that Jesus Christ. He says in

verse twenty three, Jesus Christ, by the plan of God,

was crucified, and by the plan of God was raised,

And as the prophets foretold, he is now at work

by his spirit among us, she says, It says He

has poured this out that you ourselves, you yourselves are

hearing and seeing. And this morning, as we sing, as

we pray, as we praise, as we worship, as we've

gathered together from every people in tribe, it's way beyond weird.

It would be weird if it was just that. But

what we claim is way beyond weird, that this is

a work of God's Spirit among people who know that

Jesus Christ is risen, that Jesus Christ died and defeated sin,

that he rose and defeated death, and now is at

work by the Spirit of Christ in the people of Christ.

The disciples experienced it here in a very extraordinary way,

and we're proclaiming it. We are experiencing it now in

an ordinary work of the spirit, and we are proclaiming it.

And this morning I'm saying that the fundamental explanation for

what is happening right here in this ordinary work of

the spirit is exactly the same as for what was

happening there in that extraordinary work of the spirit. This

is how all happening because Jesus has risen from the dead,

and we are doing what we are doing because he

is at work by his spirit in his people. And

I say this to those of you who may be

more on the observing side of the continuum. I want

you to know what you're observing and in fact, are

invited into. What you're observed is not just a group

of people who are weirdly committed to singing or weirdly

committed to praying or living by a set of rules.

What you're observing is a people who are trusting a

risen savior at work. And what is the meaning of

all this. It's not just a cultural phenomenon that would

that would be weird. What we're saying is way beyond weird.

We're saying this is a supernatural, spiritual work of the

risen Christ, by his spirit. That's what you're being invited to. Now,

who is saying this again, if we're gonna take this

claim seriously, I think that's a question we need to address.

Who is saying that Jesus Christ has risen and at work.

I mean besides me, because you know, let's put me

aside at some point here, because I know I'm a

preacher and there are plenty of you who are out

there like, well, he's just wearing the funny microphone he's

paid to say Jesus is alive. Well, I mean, the

fact is I wasn't always a preacher. I wasn't born

a preacher. In fact, I was an atheist. I had

a very different life and a very different lifestyle. I

know that Jesus has risen and at work because I've

met him, not physically, I've met him spiritually. I have

interacted with him. I have gone to him for grace

and the forgiveness of sin by his work, and received

that grace. And like others, my view of the risen Christ,

my perception and communion with the risen Lord, it gets

distracted and clouded, it gets it gets muted by the

distractions of this world. It gets fogged by sin and

selfishness in my own life, and I can lose the plot.

I can lose the view of our Lord who is alive.

But I've known him for over twenty five years now,

and he nourishes me back to a clear eyed view

of him. He woos me back by forgiveness and grace. Yeah,

I'm saying that he's alive. I know him. But besides me,

who else is saying that Jesus has risen and alive.

I would say, let's look at three groups. Here's the

first group, the prophets, the ancient prophets. That's where Peter goes.

He says in verse thirty, he says, David, being therefore

a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an

oath to him that he would one day set one

of his descendants on his throne, he foresaw and about

the resurrection of Christ, that he was not abandoned to Hades,

nor did his flesh see corruption. Peter is referring to

Psalm sixteen, where which he quotes earlier also in his

message here, that his Holy One would not seek eruption,

that he would not be abandoned to Hades. There are

literally hundreds of ways in which the Old Testament prophets

saw and spoke of pre proclaimed the sufferings and the

resurrection of Jesus Christ. And then New Testament writers pick

up those pre proclamations and place them down in the

New Testament in a whole variety of ways. Just as

it says in Romans chapter one, let me just read

it to you as it says, this Gospel of God,

which he promised beforehand through his prophets in the Holy

Scriptures concerning his son, who was descended from David according

to the flesh, and was declared to be the son

of God and power according to the spirit of of

holiness by his resurrection from the dead, and the ancient

prophets in hundreds of different ways pre proclaimed his death

and pre proclaimed his resurrection. Like the stone that the

builders rejected has become the cornerstone, and Jesus takes that

and says, this is me. Like the lamb of passover,

that whoever trusted in the slain lamb and placed that

blood over their house, the angel of death passed over

death Death didn't visit them because of the lamb. Like

the serpent that Moses fashion in the wilderness. We talk

about this on Friday from numbers twenty one. Like the

serpent Moses fashioned in the desert and lifted up on

a snake on a steak, Jesus says, like that those

who believe in Me will have eternal life. The prophets

themselves have preproclaimed that Jesus is risen and at work,

and not just the prophets, also the apostles. Right, that's

the essence of what Peter is saying in verse thirty two.

This Jesus God raised up, and of that we all

are witnesses. He was kind of prepared to do that.

Jesus had already told him, you will be my witnesses.

And when Jesus was risen, he visited the twelve and

many others. He's like, nobody's gonna believe this. You will

be my witnesses. And so when he ascended, Peter was ready.

Peter and the others were ready to be his witnesses,

and they proclaimed their accounts of having seen the risen Lord,

which actually is something that creates a tremendous problem for

anyone who doesn't want to believe in the resurrection of Christ.

It creates such a problem that Newsweek magazine, a secular magazine,

in two thousand and five ended up putting on an

article that says, you know, the burden of proof is

now on those who say he did not rise, because

the evidence is so strong. I mean, we don't know

how it happened, but we're gonna go on record to

say it probably did. I mean, consider everybody who's looked

into this, everybody who's looked into this agrees that Christ lived,

died on a cross, and was buried. Everybody who studied

this agrees that he went into the tomb and then

and and his disciples were discouraged. They were dismayed. They

did not know what to think about this Christ that

they had trusted in. And then the body was gone.

And then his followers, not just the twelve, but hundreds,

in multiple places and at multiple times, experienced something that

they said was an interaction with the living bodily resurrected Jesus.

Everybody who's looking into his agrees. They said that they

experienced something that they're calling that, and that after they

had those experiences, they on to live completely transformed lives,

all of them, and all of them preferred a martyr's

death than to deny that they had seen the resurrected Christ.

And so Newsweek goes on records, is that you explain it.

The most likely explanation is that he rose from the dead.

The most likely record explanation is that maybe we just

don't understand everything about the world like we think we do.

But let me hasten to say, you may also come

to the conclusion that he probably rose from the dead.

Let me just make clear that trusting Christ faith in

him is not the same thing as coming to the

intellectual conclusion that he probably rose from the dead. It's

not the same. But nevertheless, there's no point. There's no

point in getting on your knees and calling out to

Christ and asking that he would apply his work on

the Cross to your sin. There's no point in submitting

your life to him and following him as Lord if

he's not alive. But if he is, it makes all

the sense in the world to get on your knees,

call out to a risen and living Christ, asking for

his forgiveness through his work, just as he said, and

submit your life to him. It makes all the sense

in the world to actually step out in living faith.

Who else, who else is saying Jesus is alive, the apostles,

the prophets, Not that it matters, but Newsweek, here's who

else we are. We are the Church. The Church is

saying Jesus Christ has risen and at work. And we

are saying so, not just today. We are not just

saying that with songs and lilies and jackets. We're saying

that with our lives. If you look at verses twenty

two through forty six. You see these kinds of things,

and they devoted themselves to the apostles teaching, which is

the New Testament, which we are devoting ourselves to, and

to the fellowship and the breaking of bread and the prayers.

They're devoted to one another, sharing their lives with one another,

day by day, worshiping together, gathered together, both in large

groups and in small right there in one another's homes,

breaking bread and receiving their food with glad and generous hearts.

Day by day, the Lord is adding to their numbers. This,

this is our experience, this is our testimony. By this,

we are proclaiming that Christ is risen, and he is

at work. He's not just at work in this room.

He's at work in these people. And not just these people,

but people all over the world, all over the globe

today have gathered together to proclaim Jesus has risen. Jesus

is at work amongst us, and not just all over

the globe, but all throughout history. So when somebody asked

what is the meaning of all this, we're actually asking

a much deeper question. What is not just the meaning

of all this? What is the meaning of this global movement?

This historical progression of faith, these changed lives, this experience

of grace, these scriptures pre PROCs claiming, these scriptures testifying.

What's the meaning of all that that Jesus has risen

and he is at work. So if you are committed

to trusting that Christ did not rise, my honest question

to you is have you really evaluated the claim? Maybe

you're on the fence because you don't know who to believe.

I would say, believe the prophets, believe the apostles, believe us,

believe me. If you're on the fence, evaluate what we

are having to say. Honestly. Now, maybe you're on the

fence for other reasons. And that brings me to my

last question, what is this call for? If Christ has

risen and at work, one of the questions we should

ask is what does that call for? And I would

give us two answers. The first thing it calls for

is real belief, real belief. That's where Peter goes in

verse thirty eight. He says, the people are like, what

should we do about this? What is this call for?

And Peter says to them, 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. For the promise is for

you and for your children, and for all who are

far off, everyone whom the Lord, our God calls to himself,

even in San Antonio. Peter is calling for real belief

on the risen Christ who is at work. He's calling

for more than mental agreement. He's calling for a belief

that includes repentance, which is to say, turning away from

sin and selfishness and turning to Christ. He's calling for faith,

which is to say, he's saying trust in the Lord

for the forgiveness of your sins and his work on

the Cross for the forgiveness of your sins. He's calling

for baptism, which is to say, a public proclamation that

you are entirely his real belief, entirely his, entirely his,

which is to say, like, don't we don't get half baptized,

you're entirely under the water. You may have heard there's

there's an old story of a band of soldiers who

when they were baptized, they they were baptized with their

swords still sticking up out of the water, which in

order to say, like, I'm giving most of my life

to Jesus, but my sword still belongs my battle services

still belongs to my employer. That's that's not real lordship.

So when when you when you engage Christ in real belief,

your baptism is full, you are fully immersed into him.

You don't say, Lord, I want you to have most

of my life but my wallet. I'm leaving out of

the water. But I want you to have most of

my life but my sex life I'm leaving out of

the water. Real belief involves real lordship. And earlier I said,

maybe you're on the fence because you haven't closely considered

the evidence. But that's probably not true. Rarely is it

the case that what we resist about trusting Christ is intellectual.

It is usually a desire to maintain mastery over the heart.

There is something you don't want to give up, there

is something you don't want to die, there's something you

don't want to go under the water. And if that's you,

I just I want to press on behalf of the

living Christ. He is so much better. Whatever it is,

whatever appetites you are finding satisfied by the things of

this world. He satisfies deeper appetites, and he satisfies them better.

Whatever you've structured your life around, career or relationships. He

is a better foundation and a lasting one. And there

may be a sin, There may be a whole complex

of sins that you feel like disqualify you from following Jesus.

Let me tell you he died to cover those sins,

not to hold them over your head. And I have

seen those who have come to real faith in Christ

have seen Jesus disentangle those sins over the course of

years and set gently, set his people free. You don't

have to clean up your act. He does that work.

Jesus has risen and at work. You can trust him

and he'll work in you. The second thing that this

calls for, besides real belief, is clear witness. Clear witness.

What I mean is if you know him, if you

are very much on the participant side of this continuum

this morning, and you are declaring along with me that

Christ has risen and he is at work. If you

are like in the position of Peter here in verse

thirty two, we are all his witnesses. If you're like

him in verse forty, and with many other words, he

bore witness and continued to exhort them. Let me just

remind you, it's not like Peter never struggled to have

a clear witness. Just like I said of myself. Peter

also he got foggy sometimes he lost sight of Christ.

You see it in the Book of Galatians, and Paul

had to confront him. The Galatian Church themselves, though they

knew Christ, were easily clouded. Their vision was easily clouded

from the living Christ. And they started to think that

maybe maybe that I don't even think they thought this.

They were just they were just they were moved to

the place where they were trusting following rules for power.

And Paul was that that's not where the power comes from.

The power comes from the person of Jesus Christ and

his spirit at work. The Corinthian Church, oh my goodness,

they were always losing sight of the risen Christ, always

allured by the things of this world, always allured by

their own the abilities, and taking their eyes off of

the risen Christ. And so what I'm saying is if

your sight is clouded, if you are here saying I

know Jesus has risen, but my communion with him has

gone cold. Let me press you to on behalf of

the risen Christ. Return to your first love, Commune with

him in clarity, and bear witness to him in clarity.

He is more satisfying than the things that are distracting you.

He is worth any ridicule or any exclusion. I would

rather have Jesus than the acceptance of anyone. Let your

witness be clear, Church, because your communion is clear, because

Jesus has risen, and he's at work. He's at work

right here. He's at work right here. That's the meaning

of all of this.