THE DAY OF PENTECOST 6/6/65

Acts Chapter 2: 13 - 32

The First Christian Teaching after the Outpouring of the Holy Spirit

But Peter, standing up with the eleven……………., [how many? 11 and 1 make how many, 12, still back to the 12 apostles who received in the original outpouring in Acts verses 1 to 4 and now, they’d been speaking in tongues.

Now Peter stands up with the 11 and Peter preaches the first sermon or teaches the first message in the history of the Christian church. And this is a remarkable thing to me because how in the world could Peter preach this message without going into his study and working on it for a week? That’s right. Without being able to bring your good old notebook, and write out his sermon in longhand first and then get it typed out so it doesn’t occupy quite so many pages and bring it in on the pulpit on Sunday morning and start reading his sermon. That’s right.

You know why you have to read the sermon? Because you don’t know Him not well enough. You’re not in contact, perpendicular wise. So we have to read the junk and its just about as dead as we are because we have to read it.

Peter didn’t have time to go into his office and get out his commentaries, other research books and figure out his sermon. He was here in the Temple born again of God’s spirit, just an hour or two before, and he had been speaking in tongues ever since and these people who heard this – the multitude said “Boy, something is going on here. What meaneth this?”

We should remember the following verse from the previous teaching of Acts.

And they were all amazed and were in doubt, saying one to another, What meaneth this? – Acts 2: 12

But there was a few of them around, like they’re always have to be a few around, nincompoops, you know, you know what a nincompoop is? They said these men are full of new wine.

Others mocking said, These men are full of new wine. – Acts 2: 13

Then Peter stood up with the 11 and he lifted up his voice, and he said unto them, ye men of Judea, and all ye that dwell at Jerusalem, be this known unto you, and hearken to my words: -- Acts 2: 14

For these are not drunken, as ye suppose, seeing it is but the third hour of the day. – Acts 2: 15

The third hour of the day corresponds to 9 o’clock our time. There were five hours of prayer, the first hour, the third hour, the six hour, the ninth hour and the 12th hour. This is the third hour, it documents it, it gives you the time. Peter said it is but the third hour of prayer. The third hour is an hour of prayer - 9 o’clock in the morning. It is an hour of prayer. The people, as it says in Luke, were in the temple – the apostles – daily, in the temple praising and worshiping and praising God. They were there at the hours of prayer when they were supposed to be. How come you people are here now? Why won’t you be sitting in here tomorrow morning at 4: 30? Because it is not an hour of teaching. Tonight you’re here and you came at 7 o’clock and we are still here because this is the hour when we sing, when we pray together, when we believe God, when we study the Word, this is our hour, right? Well it was an hour of prayer. Where were they? Where they were supposed to be? At the Temple. How come you fellas are not on the other side of the hill? No teaching going on out there. This is an hour of teaching. It was an hour of prayer, the third hour of the day.

But this is that which was spoke by the prophet Joel; -- Acts 2: 16

And right there you’ve got to very carefully note this correction. Verse 16 literally from the Greek text reads as follows:

But this is like that which was spoken by the prophet Joel; -- Acts 2: 16 according to the critical Greek text.

Why? Because this which occurred that day was not a fulfillment of that which was spoken by the prophet Joel. That which was spoken by the prophet Joel has as yet not been fulfilled now. But it will be fulfilled some day for it is God’s Word and it relates itself specifically to Israel. But this which occurred that day of Pentecost was like that which was spoken by the prophet Joel. It compares a great deal to it. Look at it.

And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams: -- Acts 2: 17

Now here he is quoting from Joel.

And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy: -- Acts 2: 18

And I will show wonders in the heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke: -- Acts 2: 19

The sun shall be turned into darkness………… Has it come to pass? Therefore, it could never read accurately, “This is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel” because the sun has not been darkened. Yet if you work the Word of God, you will find out there is a day coming in the prophecy of Joel and other places when the sun will be darkened, when it will not give its light.

The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before that great and notable day of the Lord come: -- Acts 2: 20

And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord [at the time that Joel was writing] shall be saved. -- Acts 2: 21

But today, if you people will turn to the Lord Jesus Christ, believe God raised him from the dead, you are going to be saved. That’s what Peter is talking about, bless God. Isn’t that wonderful?

Ye men of Israel, [ 50 days before that, Peter was scared to death of them ] 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: --- Acts 2: 22

A man is approved of God, if the Bible is right, in only a two-fold way. No. 1, by rightly dividing the Word and No. 2, by carrying out the job of rightly dividing it to see that signs, miracles and wonders are wrought in this world. The proof that God is a real God and that He is alive are the signs, the miracles and the wonders which are wrought under the hands of men and women who believe by the power of God. That’s the proof. And if you do not have signs, miracles, and wonders in your life or in your church, you haven’t got the power of the right god in you. That’s right.

The proof is, you know anybody can talk, anybody can yak, anybody can blow - you have them preach a beautiful sermon with all the great wonderful English words and everything else, but no signs, miracles, and wonders. You may stand approved before the congregation, you may stand approved before society and the people of your community, but the Word of God says that you do not stand approved before God. The only way a man can stand approved before God is to carry out the works of God, the signs, the miracles, and the wonders by the power of God that’s in him. Then he stands approved and as he rightly divides the Word.

Jesus of Nazareth, a man, did you see the word ‘a man’? Do you know what the theologians teach? A God. A God, one of the three, you know. My Bible says he was a man. What does the word man mean? Man. If it meant God, do you know what it would say? God. Right? No, no, no, no - you just sit tight. That’s what it says, that’s what it means. The theologians teach, Jesus of Nazareth, God. The Bible teaches Jesus of Nazareth, a man, and you have to make up your mind whether the theologians are right, whether the right reverend is right, or the denomination is right, or whether the Word of God is right. And ladies and gentlemen, it doesn’t take me long to make up my mind who is right. But if I am going to go down with any ship, I’ll go down with Word of God. Not with men. And I’m pretty sure that the Word of God stood a lot longer than the men who criticized it and who say the opposite of what the Word says. Men will come and go, but that Word of God liveth and abideth forever, the Book says. And you know that. Boy there is a terrific lever in there for you. If I were here with you tonight, I’d mark those words concerning man.

Can God be born? Let me ask you a question. Can God be born? No, God is eternal. He is from the beginning. But the Hindus teach - all the Eastern religions, all teach God is born. You know Venus or somebody, Neptune. All these gods were born. No, No, No, God is forever. He is eternal. God cannot be born. Jesus of Nazareth was however, born, conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary. You bet your life.

Boy, you talk about Peter, hey, he didn’t have time to write this sermon in his little old office. How did he get all of this info? 50 days before, he was scared to death of the people. Today, he stands up and he says, you men listen to me. You people listen to me. You men of Judea. All of you. You men of Israel. Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved by God because of the signs, the miracles, and the wonders which he did by the power of God that was on him.

Boy, what a Peter. Ladies and gentlemen - you know how did it? That old boy was inspired. He had tapped the resources. God had filled him with the power of the Holy Spirit and Peter had been working the Word before. And now since he was filled with the spirit, he had an effervescence, an enthusiasm, a glow. Well, he had a spark. He wasn’t long-faced like a cow. Boy, he had enthusiasm. He believed and he was ready to move. Isn’t that wonderful? Sure, and so he just talked from the bottom of his heart - as God gave it to him, old Peter gave it out. You bet your life. Some things happened too.

Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain: -- Acts 2: 23

Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible that he should be holden of it. – Acts 2: 24

For David speaketh concerning him, I foresaw the Lord always before my face, for he is on my right hand, that I should not be moved: -- Acts 2: 25

Therefore did my heart rejoice, and my tongue was glad; moreover also my flesh shall rest in hope: -- Acts 2: 26

Boy, isn’t that something? Do you know what that last phrase means? (“my flesh shall rest in hope”) It means, that with death, that flesh rests in hope, not faith. Faith is because of what you can have now, but hope is that which you expect, and ladies and gentlemen, the flesh rests in hope. The only hope of the flesh is the return of Christ. If Christ does not return, then we are of all men and women most miserable. But the Word says that the flesh lies in hope of the return. Where did Peter get all of this information? He must have had a connection – he must’ve been plugged in real good, right? Sure, he was filled with the Holy Spirit and he spoke in tongues.

Because thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption. -- Acts 2: 27

Thou hast made known to me the ways of life; thou shalt make me full of joy with thy countenance. – Acts 2: 28

Men and brethren, let me speak freely unto you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his sepulcher is with us unto this day. – Acts 2: 29

Hey, David is dead and buried. Well, if he is dead, how can he be alive? The Bible says he is dead. The theologians teach he isn’t dead, he’s up there in heaven circling around smoking quarter cigars and doing something else. Hey, people, isn’t that wonderful? David is dead so if the people teach that he isn’t dead, that he is alive, somebody is wrong, right? Either the Bible is wrong or the people that do the teaching, right? It says as plain as the nose on my face that Abraham is dead, he’s buried and his own tombstone was setting there. You could walk over to it - you can see it. Peter sure ruins a lot of theology in this chapter, doesn’t he? A lot of wrong teaching, he just takes it apart.

Therefore being a prophet, and knowing that God had 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; -- Acts 2: 30

He seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul [Christ’s soul - the person] should not be left in hell, neither his flesh did see corruption. – Acts 2: 31

Had Christ stayed in the grave, what would’ve happened to his flesh? It would have seen corruption, but God raised him and therefore it did not totally corrupt. Had he stayed there, it would’ve totally corrupted.

This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses. – Acts 2: 32

Verse 31 and 32 are just tremendous in the usage of the words ‘Christ’ and ‘the’. Hardly anybody ever sees it, so I guess I better show it to you……………. Verse 31…….He seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Jesus. No. When it talks about the resurrection, it’s always the resurrection of who? Christ. The Messiah. Because the word ‘Jesus’ is always associated with humility - with defeat – with getting beat. That’s why, in verse 32, it says This Jesus hath God [what?] Why does it use Jesus? Because they have done what to him? Crucified him. They crucified him and because they have crucified the Jesus, God had to raise him up and when he raised him up, He resurrected the Christ. This is a wonderful teaching, people.

This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses. – Acts 2: 32

We all, who? Not all ‘the about 120’ had perhaps seen him in the resurrection, but the 12 Apostles had seen him.

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