Scott Brown's sermon 'I Will Pour Out My Spirit' discusses the significance of the day of Pentecost as a pivotal event in the history of Christianity, marking the outpouring of the Holy Spirit and the beginning of the church age. He emphasizes the prophecy from Joel that the Holy Spirit will be poured out on all flesh, leading to prophecy, visions, and dreams among God's people. Brown highlights three sustaining graces for believers during the church age: the power of the Holy Spirit, the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, and the ascendant Christ's victory over his enemies. He underscores the importance of repentance and baptism for salvation and being filled with the Holy Spirit. The sermon also addresses the historical and future context of the Church, drawing parallels between the challenges faced by early Christians and those in contemporary times. Brown calls for a response of faith and action, urging believers to be saved from the perverse generation and to embrace their role in the church empowered by the Holy Spirit.

Please have your Bibles opened to Acts chapter two beginning in verse 14 and we'll read to verse 41. But Peter standing up with the eleven raised his voice and said to them, men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you and heed my words. For these are not drunk, as you suppose, since it is only the third hour of the day. But this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel. And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God, that I will pour out of my spirit on all flesh.

Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy. Your young men shall see visions. Your old men shall dream dreams. And on my men servants and on my maid servants I will pour out my spirit in those days and they shall prophesy. I will show wonders in heaven above and signs in the earth beneath, blood and fire and vapor of smoke.

The sun shall be turned into darkness and the moon into blood, before the coming of the great and awesome day of the Lord. And it shall come to pass that whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved." Men of Israel, hear these words. Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested by God to you by miracles, wonders, and signs, which God did through him in your midst, as you yourselves also know, him being delivered by the determined purpose and foreknowledge of God, you have taken by lawless hands, have crucified, and put to death, whom God raised up having loosed the pains of death, because it was not possible that he should be held by it. For David says concerning him, I foresaw the Lord always before my face, for he is at my right hand, that I may not be shaken. Therefore my heart rejoiced and my tongue was glad.

Moreover, my flesh also will rest in hope, for you will not leave my soul in Hades, nor will you allow your Holy One to see corruption. You have made known to me the ways of life. You will make me full of joy in your presence. Men and brethren, let me speak freely to you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried and his tomb is with us to this day. Therefore, being a prophet and knowing that God has sworn with an oath to him that of the fruit of his body, according to the flesh, he would raise up the Christ to sit on his throne.

He for seeing this spoke concerning the resurrection of the Christ, that his soul was not left in Hades, nor did his flesh see corruption. This Jesus God has raised up, of which We are all witnesses. Therefore, being exalted to the right hand of God and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he poured out this which you now see and hear. For David did not ascend into the heavens, but he himself says, The Lord said to my Lord, sit at my right hand, till I make your enemies your footstool. Therefore, let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.

Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, men and brethren, what shall we do? Then Peter said to them, Repent and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is to you and to your children and to all who are far off, as many as the Lord our God will call. And with many other words, he testified and exhorted them, saying, Be saved from this perverse generation. Then those who gladly received his word were baptized and that day about 3, 000 souls were added to them.

Let's pray. Father, you have brought before us this towering section in your word. We pray Lord that you would help us to understand your will through it. We thank you for the breadth and the depth and the height of your love that's communicated here and the truth about our lives and our lives in this world today. In Jesus name, Amen.

Please be seated. Spoiler alert, There isn't any way in this next however many number of minutes this is going to be to handle everything in this text. As you're aware, we try to handle everything in the texts that we encounter. This is so vast and so deep. I have a particular objective that will make it convenient to pass over many details in this text.

I hate to do it. It would probably take me five or six weeks to work through this text, but we're moving on, we're moving toward the book of Revelation, and I want to have us look at this text to help us prepare for the things ahead. So I once heard a pastor ask, you know, what would you say are the five most important days in the history of the world? I don't know what you would say about that. What are the five most important days that have happened in the history of the world?

You might say the creation, you might say the flood, you might say the Tower of Babel, Exodus, God giving the law on Mount Sinai. You could make a really long list. But the day of Pentecost ought to somehow measure in the calculation of what might be some of the most important days, the top five important days in the history of the world. The day of Pentecost was a great in-gathering of the saints and an outpouring of the Holy Spirit and all of the gifts that flow and the fruit that flow from this one event are sustained throughout the church age and you know as for those who name the name of Jesus Christ, who love him, who want to obey him, you know, what is said in this text makes it very clear that we will have all the resources we will ever need from this fountain of blessing, of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. His sustaining grace for all of our weaknesses, his comfort, his peace for our turmoil, his truth in our uncertainty is all wrapped up in here.

And we have this massively important issue that's brought before us. It's the most important thing that can happen in anyone's life and that is to repent and to be baptized and be filled with the Holy Spirit and to be saved from this perverse generation and I pray somehow you know this would be all of our experience you know people today are very concerned about getting sick they're very concerned about getting COVID and I'll just say it for sure here, I'm far more concerned that your soul is saved and that you're saved from this perverse generation than I am that you're getting COVID. I would rather have us all meet together and some of us get sick from time to time in trade for salvation and being saved from this perverse generation. That's why the Church of Jesus Christ meets. That's why the Church of Jesus Christ must meet.

Eternal souls are far more important than healthy bodies. And so here we have this principle of the, it's just a dramatic importance of the preaching of the gospel and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. What you find here is a characterization of the central matter for the church age and of course you can see it on your outline. I've identified three things from this text. It could have been 35 I think, but I'm going to identify three big picture items that are in this passage of Scripture.

You know I know that so many of you at the end of this sermon are going to be tempted to come up to me and say well you didn't handle this and you didn't handle that and you didn't handle this and you didn't handle that and I'm just gonna say oh Lord have mercy on me. You see here first of all we'll be dealing with the power of the Holy Spirit. I'm gonna call this a sure foundation for the Saints during the church age. Here the Apostle Peter quotes Joel 2. Notice there are three Old Testament texts.

Joel 2 is the first one. Secondly, the death and the resurrection of Jesus Christ is the source of joy and his presence from the moment you receive Jesus Christ to all eternity. That's based on Psalm 16 and then the ascended Christ, he putting his foot on all of your enemies and all of his enemies. And this is a citation from Psalm 110. And then you see this dramatic response of the crowd and the appeal to be saved.

Now, as a congregation, I know that we have many thoughts about the current moment in history that we are living in. We are living in a time of uncertainty. And as a pastor, I want to just acknowledge that most of us are thinking about the freedoms in the United States of America and how they're being challenged like never before. The recent turmoil and uncertainty over elections has caused millions of Americans to be concerned about the integrity of the entire American system of government. And we've, at the same time, you know, we've seen the emergence of a new kind of church, the state-controlled, masked-up, social-distanced, state-sanctioned church.

We've seen that arise overnight, historically. We've been a free people for all of our lives and there have been so many blessings about it. I was just recently reading a speech that Samuel Alito gave last week at the National Lawyers convention. He said some things that were I think consistent with what most of us are thinking. He said this quote, the pandemic has resulted in previously unimaginable restrictions on individual liberty.

He continued and he said we have never before seen restrictions as severe, extensive, and prolonged as those experienced for most of 2020. He mentioned all the canceled events and meetings, you know, canceled church meetings, synagogue meetings. He said, he said, think about access to the courts or the constitutional right to a speedy trial. Trials in federal courts have virtually disappeared in many places. Who could have imagined that?

He noted that all over America we're seeing governors engaging in lawmaking by executive fiat. He said, for many today religious liberty is not a cherished freedom. And He said that the question we face is whether our society will be inclusive enough to tolerate people with unpopular religious beliefs, unquote. So with things happening like they are around us in America, it's really important that we maintain historical perspective concerning the history of Christianity. We know that the evildoers will be cut off, we know that we ought not fret because of evildoers, because God is in control.

But let's remember that when this sermon was delivered by the apostle Peter, when the day of Pentecost came, as it did here in this text, Herod Antipas was the Roman representative in Galilee. He was the local ruler during the ministry of Jesus Christ. He imprisoned John the Baptist. He chopped his head off because of John the Baptist's view of marriage. Herod was in authority, presiding over the trial of Jesus Christ authorizing his crucifixion and immediately after the resurrection the disciples found themselves in an upper room terrified that they might be next so that was the environment that this was preached in.

Then just three or four years later, Caligula became the Roman Emperor. He was murderous. He was a debauched tyrant. You might want to talk about Sleepy Joe for a minute, but this man was deranged, absolutely deranged. His successor was Nero, mounting a vicious attack against the church.

Christians were accused of hating the human race, being enemies of society. Some of them were covered with freshly skinned animal skins and wrapped in them and thrown into the Colosseums and were eaten by wild animals. Nero took Christians, impaled them, lifted up on poles after covering them with pitch and using them to light the streets of Rome. And then he burned the city down blaming it on the Christians So I mean I'm just saying when when these things were written when this text was written we have to understand the context That it was written in Vespasian assumed power after that he did the same kinds of things. Titus followed him, he came into Jerusalem, absolutely destroyed it, slaughtered, slaughtered everyone in sight.

He died, his younger brother Domitian took over his persecutions were the most vicious. He loosed his fury on what he called the godless atheist. So this was the historical context. We cannot forget the historical context of scripture, and this sermon arises out of that historical context, but it also it also envisions the future context of the Church of Jesus Christ and the experience that people in the church will have from time to time in one nation or another. And so, you know, our text, I think, speaks to the implications of that day from the day it happened to this moment in American history.

And it's very interesting. This passage of scripture pictures a great in gathering of believers into the church in Jerusalem and in the history of the church there had been great seasons of in gathering we always pray for them that they would come here And there are seasons of dispersion and faith and apostasy. We see this all over the Bible. We'll see pictures of this when we get to the book of Revelation. You know, it's very striking to me that we're considering this dramatic launching and ingathering of the church while today, right before our eyes, we're watching the greatest scattering and dispersion of church people in the history of America.

And there are two elements to this scattering that's going on. On the one hand, millions have left their churches and there's no sign that they're going to return except maybe by live stream from time to time. Millions absolutely won't return. Millions have been duped by their pastors to accept that a live stream church is a legitimate expression of Christianity. They've accepted the live stream pajama iPad at the lake kind of Christianity, and they've really abandoned biblical Christianity.

On the other hand, millions have left their churches and they're not meeting, they're not meeting in their old churches, but they have gone to other churches. These are the COVID refugees and they're all over the place. I talk to pastors all over the country and it's astounding the movement, the dispersion that's happening in Christianity today is astounding. Nothing like it has happened in my lifetime for sure. I was reading LifeWay Research reported just a few weeks ago.

34% of churches have 30 to 50% of their original number. 21% have 10% to 30% of their original number, 20% have 50% to 70% less attending, and 11% have 90% to 100% fewer people. So it's really an astounding thing that's happened. Who knows how it'll all play out. Most people believe that there'll be many people who won't return to their churches.

Many people are leaving their churches, they're trying to find somewhere else. It's really an astonishing moment in the history of the American church. At the same time, you know, the majority of churches around 90% say they're still meeting but they're not meeting the way that Jesus Christ commanded his church to meet and They're not doing the things that Jesus Christ commanded his church to do to actually do When they meet so it's a it's it's an astounding moment now well, while the churches in America are experiencing a dispersion, a diffusion, and things seem to be thrown up in the air, here in Acts 2 there's an end gathering. It's a dramatic end gathering, and here as you as we read, you know, 3, 000 people came into the church at the end of Peter's sermon. And so, in the text that's before us is the launch of the last days inaugurated by the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost.

So historically we just need to understand what's happening here. There is this period called the church age that is being launched right here in this text with Peter's sermon. And of course in the sermon Peter is proving that Jesus Christ is the promised Messiah and he's saying let me tell you who Jesus is let me tell you from Joel 2 let me tell you from Psalm 16 let me tell you from Psalm 110 so that's what Peter's doing and and again you know Peter's Peter is most concerned that people would believe and that they would repent, that they would be baptized, that they would be filled with the Holy Spirit, and that they would be saved from this perverse generation. This is the most important thing that happens in the world. It's the sweetest thing that ever happens to a soul.

And so that's what Peter is dealing with here. And so historical perspective is important. And you know our time here in these two chapters in the book of Acts is really designed to lay down some kind of general historical coordinates in the history of redemptions. And I'm hoping that our brief time here in the book of Acts, four sermons in these first two chapters, will be a bridge from the Gospel of John to John's testimony in Revelation. And so in these two chapters you see the historical continuity that we pick up after the end of the Gospel of John taking us to this great age, this church age, this season of the Holy Spirit.

And what we find here are really the marching orders and the methodologies of the Church of Jesus Christ. And when we get to the book of Revelation, you'll see what's happening on the earth and how the people of God filled with the Spirit operate during that season of the church age. And of course in Revelation you receive this information in graphic, symbolic, detailed, beautiful, remarkable language. So again, just fair warning, I'm not gonna handle everything in this text. I'm gonna pass right over a lot of things which I hate to do.

But now, we're in the book of Acts. Remember in chapter one, we learn that the kingdom of God has come. The kingdom of God is not something that just happens at the end of the age. The kingdom of God has come. Jesus Christ has launched his kingdom.

And it is as theologians say, already but not yet. In other words, his kingdom will come in greater measures of power at the end of the age. But Jesus Christ's kingdom has come. He has broken the power of sin. He is saving sinners.

People are being baptized. People are being saved from this perverse generation, they're being rescued from their lusts, they're being rescued from so many things as a result of the power of Jesus Christ. So that was chapter one in the book of Acts. The kingdom of God has come. And then in the second chapter we saw how the the Apostles were compelled to replace Judas as the missing Apostle.

And they did that to fulfill the Old Testament pattern of twelve tribes of Israel. The heads of twelve tribes of Israel. There were a couple of Old Testament passages that convinced them that they needed to replace Judas with another apostle in order to complete the 12. And when we get through the book of Revelation you're gonna see the number 12 over and over again. 12 matters.

And we already saw that in Acts. You can see this continuity from John to the book of Acts and then to the book of Revelation. And then now finding ourselves in chapter two, in the last discussion we had in verses one through 13, we encountered these great metaphors, the fire and the mighty rushing wind. And this is the kind of imagery that we're gonna continue to see. And now in this sermon that Peter preaches, he's bringing evidence that Jesus Christ is the Messiah that really demands a response.

And I hope you see it that way this evidence that Peter presents really demands for you to consider whether you will repent and be baptized and be filled with the Holy Spirit and be saved from this perverse generation That's really what's on the table here. This massive encounter with these people here. And there are many things that are made clear. Now, so Peter is identifying what I'm just going to call three sustaining graces for God's people during the church age. I have them listed there in your outline and the first is the power of the Holy Spirit, a sure foundation.

This is in verses 14 to 21 where Peter is quoting the prophet Joel. And this is the inaugural power of the Holy Spirit. This is taking place strategically to fulfill prophecy during the Feast of First Fruits Passover or the Day of Pentecost where this it and what's happening here is the first fruits of the power of the new birth and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit are being revealed here. And what God has designed here is that there is that there would be powerful, irrefutable, astounding proofs that the Spirit had been outpoured and the new covenant had been launched. And at the same time, it's very clear in this first section, the church needed a new foundation and that foundation is the foundation of the Apostles.

And there would be a need for this power to carry them through this next season of laying the foundation for the church. That's what the apostles are going to do. And the Spirit of God comes upon them to lay the foundation so that the church would know how to live through the church age. And what the apostles would do is they would leave behind the New Testament, which would carry the Church of Jesus Christ all the way to the second coming. It would be enough, it would be sufficient, they would need counsel, they would need comfort, they would need discernment, they would need directions, they would need words of life, and the Apostles would establish this.

And the Spirit was poured out and all of these things that we see here that happen, the prophecies, the dreams, the visions, all of them are for the authentication of the power of the gospel poured out by the Holy Spirit on the apostles to lay the foundation of the Church of Jesus Christ in the New Testament. And so, and Peter's explaining this whole thing, and he's explaining why people are being accused of being drunk because that's the accusation of the crowd. And so Peter explains it, verse 14, but Peter standing up with the 11 raised his voice and said to them, men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you and heed my words for these are not drunk as you suppose for it is only the third hour of the day." So Peter stands up with the eleven he says these people are not drunk they're happy they're happy in Jesus and they have a lot to say That's what happens by the way when you're filled with the Holy Spirit you open your mouth and you begin to speak words of life to those who are around you.

One of the things that's critical to recognize here is that the very first thing that happens in the Messianic Age is preaching, the preaching of the gospel. And this is what Peter does when he is first filled with the Holy Spirit. Peter is the prominent speaker for the apostles. He had witnessed the life of the Lord Jesus Christ and now he is testifying to the life of Jesus Christ. He is speaking.

So this is the first apostolic sermon. By the way, about 25% of the words in the book of Acts are sermons and it's a prominent feature. Eight of them are by Peter, you know, two of them are by Stephen, five of them are by Paul. And this sermon here is really just a summary. It only takes, you know, a couple, three or four minutes to read this sermon.

But it was a lot longer sermon. And we know that in verse 40. And with many other words, okay, this was actually a longer sermon. This is a summary of the sermon. And let's talk about the kind of preaching that the Spirit of God was launching into the church.

Now, we've already noted that it's preaching, It's preaching that draws from the Word of God. And here in this case, Joel 2, Psalm 16, and Psalm 110. I'm gonna give you eight elements from this sermon really quickly. First of all, it's preaching that illustrates the life, death, and the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is mentioned I think over a dozen times in this sermon.

Secondly, it uses scripture to prove scripture to interpret the events. Peter uses these Old Testament texts to explain. Well, you know, in Joel 2, he's explaining the outpouring of the Spirit and from Psalm 16 he's explaining the power of the resurrection. From Psalm 110 he is proclaiming the impact of the ascension of Jesus Christ. He is preaching from the Old Testament.

Third, it's preaching that declares fixed doctrinal truth. Fourth, it's not preaching from his own experience. He's not preaching his own experience. He's really preaching the truth of God drawn from the word of God. The sermon is not about him.

It's about Jesus Christ and the words of God that appear in his word. Fifth, it's very Practical. Preaching should always elicit this kind of response. Hey, this means something to me. This actually means something to me.

It's just not ethereal head knowledge. It's preaching that actually means something. There's an action to take. In this case, repent and be baptized and be filled with the Holy Spirit and be saved from this perverse generation. In other words, it's for me.

Is that for you, by the way? I know many of you are converted, but is this for you? Are you the one here today who under God's providence is hearing repent, be baptized, be filled with the Holy Spirit, and be saved from this perverse generation? Are you that one? I don't know.

God knows and you know. And I pray that you'll respond the way that these 3, 000 responded on this day. Sixth, Peter is answering accusations briefly saying these guys aren't drunk And I think what he's saying is that, hey, the people are filled with a spirit are really different. They are happy people. Some of our guys went out at downtown Raleigh to protest the way some of the elections were happening and they said you know the BLM crowd were so angry they were so mean they were so unhappy they were so scowly they weren't you know they didn't smile you know you can tell what kingdom you're from by this.

But these people who were filled with the Holy Spirit, they were very, very different. Peter also, seventhly, he concludes this sermon with hope, be saved from this perverse generation. And then eighth, this sermon begins and it ends with Jesus Christ. So those are, I think, some very helpful marks of the kind of preaching that we find in the book of Acts that really should form a pattern for the kind of preaching that the church should be involved in today. You know, positively, Peter makes it very clear that what's happening is a fulfillment of scripture.

First of all, Joel 2. He says, this is that. What is happening here is that, which the prophet Joel says. The Bible is full of this is that. The Bible quotes, The New Testament quotes from the Old Testament over and over again.

And Peter begins by explaining all of that. I think when Peter opened his mouth when he stood up to preach, I think Peter was like a caged lion because he just spent 40 days with Jesus. Jesus was explaining the kingdom of God. I'm pretty sure Jesus was doing very much like what he did on the road to Emmaus. He was going from Genesis to Revelation.

He was playing that piano from one end to the other, back and forth and back and forth. And when Peter stood up, he was full. He'd learned a lot. And I think he was like a cage line. He just couldn't wait to share what he'd heard about the kingdom of God.

And who knows, maybe it was Jesus that took him to Joel 2. Maybe it was Jesus that took him to Psalm 16. Maybe it was Jesus that took him to Psalm 110 and said, this is that, and it's gonna happen. So you have the power of the Holy Spirit being poured out. And this outpouring of the Holy Spirit ensures the laying of a firm foundation, a sure foundation for the Church of Jesus Christ to be founded upon the teaching of the apostles, not just any old Joe's doctrine, but that the church has a regulative principle to live by and it's found in the word of God.

There's only one principle that ought to regulate the church and that is the regulative principle of scripture. And that's what we find here. Now, it says here that Peter says, and it shall come to pass in the last days. There's that phrase, in the last days. Are we in the last days?

Yes, we are in the last days. And the last days were launched right here with this sermon. And he is quoting Joel here about the last days. And this is the church age. You can call it the age of the Messiah.

You can call it the age of the Messiah, you can call it the age of the new covenant, you can call it whatever you want. But it is this new day where there's an increased power of the Holy Spirit that falls upon the people of God. And it begins with the codifying of scripture through the apostles. Just to be clear about what's happening in the last days, Hebrews chapter 1 verse 2 says, God who at various times in various ways spoken time passed to the fathers by the prophets has in these last days spoken to us by his son. In 2nd Timothy 3 verse 1 we learn there's a dark side of these last days but know this that in the last days perilous times will come, for men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power.

Now, this is what's going to be happening during the last days. So don't be surprised. Don't be surprised when you run across boasters and proud blasphemers and people who are disobedient to parents. These are the last... After all, these are the last days.

We were told what will happen. In Jude 18, we find the same thing, and how they told you that there would be mockers in this last time who would walk according to their own ungodly lusts these are sensual persons who caused divisions not having the spirit in second Peter chapter 3 verse 3 Peter says that scoffers will come in the last days, walking according to their own lusts, and saying, where's the promise of his coming? So this is what's gonna happen in the last days. So expect it, it's happening now, it's gonna continue to happen until Jesus Christ comes. Christians just need to be mature and understand what's going on in the world and not be too worried about it.

God is in control. God is going to destroy the wicked. In the meantime, they're let loose. So these verses identify the central explanation of the moment. Verse 17, I will pour out of my spirit on all flesh your sons and daughters will prophesy.

Now you know I I recognize that it would be very helpful if I spent an entire sermon on each one of these matters because he is he's speaking of prophecy and visions and dreams. I will not go into detail, I'm just going to graze right over the surface of these things. And what we find here in this matter of prophecy is that the Apostles will speak the Word of God. They will explain the great deeds of God. They'll go about talking about the wonderful works of God with authority and they will give the Church of Jesus Christ a sure foundation and the church will rest on the doctrinal foundation of the Apostles and the prophets and and they will speak the Word of God they will set the pattern for the church of Jesus Christ during the church age as the Apostle Paul said we have no other pattern We only have the pattern of the Apostles and this departing from this is the source really of the church going astray you know in the 20th and the 21st century at all times trying to invent a new way of doing church rather than actually just being the church that Jesus Christ founded through the Apostles being regulated by the Apostles having no other pattern but the Apostles.

Now there's much more to say about this. And then visions. Your young men shall still see visions. Just very briefly, this absolutely at minimum refers to the explicitly recorded visions that we later on see in the book of Acts, in Peter's vision of the sheet of the unclean animals, Peter's vision on the domestic road or Paul's vision on the domestic road and his vision in the temple. It may include John's vision on the island of Patmos where he composes the book of Revelation.

Then we go to dreams. Your old men shall dream dreams. There are two kinds of dreams. There's the kind of dreams that you have when you're sleeping at night and they're the kind that you have in daytime when you plan your life and you think about what it ought to be and you have great dreams about their life. They're not the kind that you got at two o'clock in the morning.

They're the kind that you got during the day. And I believe this refers to the apostles who have great thoughts about the future of the church, given to them by God. When you get to the book of Jude, you see a contrast. In Jude Chapter 8, you have these dreamers, they're dreamers. Well, they're not people who are sleeping and are having dreams.

These are men who are just dreaming up ridiculous, profane lifestyles. They're trying to figure out how to make their way in their life their own way. They're dreamers. And It's the exact same word that is used here in Acts chapter two. But here I believe what he's talking about is the apostles will have holy and beneficial ideas and plans for the church that came from God and God alone.

And the church will be founded upon those principles. And then there have you have prophesying on my men servants and maid servants I'll pour out my spirit and they shall prophesy. Again the Apostles are going to speak the Word of God they're going to speak authoritatively there's much to say about this we're just going to keep moving on. But just know that God is laying the foundation He's laying a sure foundation for the Church of Jesus Christ by the outpouring of the Holy Spirit and this absolutely dramatic manifestation of the Holy Spirit where people are speaking the gospel in other languages. Remarkable.

It's very interesting here too that Peter doesn't mention in this section tongues as a manifestation of the spirit here in this list of prophets and so forth and I think that's because there are many manifestations of the power of the Holy Spirit and the Bible doesn't just isolate one evidence of the Spirit as an evidence of salvation. So you have these remarkable events, I will show wonders in heaven above and signs in the earth beneath, blood and fire and vapor of smoke, The sun shall be turned into darkness and the moon into blood before the coming of the great and awesome day of the Lord." There's much to say about this. I'll just quote a commentator, Keddie, very briefly. The entire period is telescoped within these verses. The signs of Pentecost and the signs of the last day Of all appear to merge in this verse Again, the signs are associated with periods of new revelation Namely the first coming of Christ culminating in Pentecost and the second coming of Christ which will be the culmination of human history.

You find this in the prophets over and over again. I'm just going to call it a telescopic prophecy, where it's very clear the prophecy is going to be fulfilled in near term but it has longer term implications and many times you find that longer term implication to be found in the second coming of Jesus Christ and the establishment of his kingdom. John Calvin says that these are figurative speeches, I'm quoting, whereby he gives us to understand that the Lord will show us tokens of his wrath through the whole frame of the world which will bring men to their wits end. Now, you know, my view is that this is prophetic language, I'm going to call it prophetic hyperbole. It's very common in Old Testament apocalyptic language.

And they speak of the shocking and memorable manifestations in the heavens that mark either the judgment of God or some great event as it did here for Joel. I'll just give you a couple of examples of this kind of language. In 2nd Samuel 22, go ahead and open your Bibles there. 2nd Samuel 22. Find verse 7.

2nd Samuel 22. If you find this apocalyptic language and it's spoken of a moment that is recounting, David is recounting when God delivered him from Saul and he uses this dramatic language because God delivered him from Saul. Verse 7, 2 Samuel 22, In my distress I called upon the Lord and cried out to my God. He heard my voice from his temple, and my cry entered his ears. Then the earth shook and trembled.

The foundations of heaven quaked and were shaken. Because he was angry, smoke went up from his nostrils and devouring fire from his mouth. Coals were kindled by it. He bowed the heavens also and came down with darkness under his feet. He rode upon a cherub and flew.

Dark waters and thick clouds of the skies from the brightness before him. Coals of fire were kindled. The Lord thundered from heaven and the Most High uttered his voice. He sent out arrows and scattered them, lightning bolts, and he vanquished them. Then the channels of the sea were seen the foundations of the world were uncovered at the rebuke of the Lord the blast Of his breath of his nostrils.

He sent from above he took me. He drew me out of many waters He delivered me from my strong enemy from those who hated me for they were too strong for me. They confronted me in the day of my calamity, but the Lord was my support." He's talking about getting delivered from Saul. This is apocalyptic hyperbole. He's using this language to describe these dramatic things that happened to him.

He was rescued so dramatically. It was like fire. It was like darkness. It was like coals of fire. It was like thunder.

It was amazing. That's what he's saying. It's absolutely amazing. And he's saying, it was so amazing and God just took me out of the waters. Well, did he literally take him out of the waters?

No, he took him away from being killed by Saul. That's what happened. In Isaiah chapter 13 verse 5, you have a very similar scene where the scene is a near term event, the destruction of Babylon at the hands of Nebuchadnezzar. In Isaiah chapter 13 verse 9 we read this, Behold the day of the Lord comes cruel with both wrath and fierce anger to lay the land desolate he will destroy its sinners from it. He's talking about Nebuchadnezzar.

For the stars of heaven and their constellations will not give their light. The sun will be darkened in its going forth and the moon will not cause its light to shine. Therefore, I will shake the heavens and the earth will move out of her place in the wrath of the Lord of hosts and in the day of his fierce anger." And This is really a picture of God dealing with his people and you find the same language in God dealing with Babylon. God dismantles Babylon in this exact same kind of language is used. And here we learn, it says, this happens before the coming of the awesome day of the Lord.

That's what it says here in this text. But this, you know, this prophetic hyperbole is used over and over again. It's symbolic language that describe remarkable events. And that's what you find, I believe, in the book of Joel, quoted by the apostle Peter here. And what's the result?

And it shall come to pass that whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved. Whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved." Zero in on that phrase, name of the Lord. In other words, salvation is by grace. Salvation is by the merits of Jesus Christ, they're saved by the name of the Lord. Whoever calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.

I mean, back to the original question, you know, are you one of those people? Are you one of those people? And you're hearing God say to you, repent and be baptized and be filled with the Holy Spirit and be saved from this perverse generation. Call on the name of the Lord and you will be saved. Are you one of those people?

Well, after dealing with Joel 2, Peter then identifies another sustaining grace of the Church of Jesus Christ, and that is Christ's death and resurrection and the joy in his presence. And now he's quoting Psalm 16. And we learn here that the Lord Jesus Christ suffered according to the foreknowledge of God. Peter says, Men of Israel, hear these words, Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested by God to you by miracles and wonders and signs which God did through him in your midst, as you yourselves also know, him being delivered by the determined purpose and foreknowledge of God you have taken by lawless hands have crucified and put to death." Now there's so much to say here I think I think first of all we should recognize that this is a remarkable disclosure of the sovereignty of God and the responsibility of man all in one verse. That It was God who delivered up his son, but it was the Jews who put him to death.

The fact that God is the one who delivered up his son does not absolve human responsibility. You're not absolved because God is sovereign. That's the point here. Notice how the apostle Peter piles up language to drive home the power of God in salvation. He was delivered.

In other words, it was God who sent him to the cross by the determined purpose of God. In other words, there was a purpose that God had and that was really to relieve people from the burden of their sins so they could say, God has taken my guilt off of my shoulders and put it on his son. It was a determined purpose and the foreknowledge of God. God is sovereign. If God was sovereign to take his son and make him the sacrifice for sinners, what that means is that every single thing in your life is under the sovereign hand of God.

Every single thing. Even the sins that you've committed and the rescue that God rescued you with by his son. We see that here that Jesus was a man, Jesus of Nazareth, a man. I mean, there's remarkable Christology in these verses here. It's hard to keep moving here.

But you have this universal principle that God is sovereign and man is not absolved of his responsibility. If you do not believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, you will not be saved. You will spend eternity in everlasting torment." And that's why the apostle is crying out, be saved from this perverse generation. So we learn in the next verses, in verses 24 to 33, that God raised him up having loosed the pains of death because it was not possible that he be held by it. And then the result of it, you have known, you have made known to me the ways of life, you will make me full of joy in your presence.

That's the blessing of knowing God, knowing his presence, his comforts, his wisdom, his goodness, his truth, his knowledge, you get all of those things. You know how to live, you know what to do, you know where to go, you know how to feel because the Word of God tells you, you're not left to yourself. We need his presence. You know, this is such soaring language. He's speaking of God's presence and the beauty of God's presence.

It reminds me Spurgeon. Spurgeon used to say, you know, when you talk about heaven, you just should smile. You should have the biggest smile on your face whenever you talk of the joys of heaven. And then he said, And if you're talking about hell, just your normal face will do. But he is speaking about the glory and the beauty of heaven here, about the pleasures that you experience when you come to him.

Verse 32, this Jesus God raised up of which we are all witnesses, therefore being exalted to the right hand of God. I want to stop there. Being exalted at the right hand of God. That means that Jesus Christ is the enforcer of God's authority during the church age. And having received from his father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He poured out this which you now see and hear.

He has poured out the Spirit. In John chapter 14, we heard the Lord Jesus Christ say, I will send you another helper who will be with you. The one called alongside to help, the Paraclete, the one who is with you all the time. And at the very end, of course, the Lord says, I will never leave you or forsake you. He does this through the Holy Spirit.

And then Peter finally, thirdly addresses this final grace that I want to identify, the ascended Jesus Christ, putting his foot on his enemies. He's quoting Psalm 110, verse 34 in Acts 2, For David did not ascend into the heavens but says to himself the Lord said to my Lord sit at my right hand till I make your enemies your footstool. Zero in on the word till. This is a time marker. Until the enemies are made a footstool completely.

There are two things that we can say about that. First of all, Jesus Christ has disarmed the devil, but at the same time, he has ordained that the devil would do work until that final day. And that's where that word till comes in, until. That means that Christ's enemies will be active during this time of the church age. And it answers the question, why do people fall away?

Why do we have wars? You know, why do we have a sexual revolution? Why does injustice rule in many places in the world? And the reason is that the enemies of God exist during the time of the kingdom reign of Jesus Christ on this earth and he will put his feet on their necks. He will make them his foot stool.

And how will he do it? Well, in Psalm 110 explains it, your people shall be volunteers in the day of your power. In the beauties of holiness from the womb of the morning, you have the dew of your youth. In other words, God through his son by the power of the Holy Spirit, uses his children on the earth, his saints, Christians in churches, to be volunteers in the day of his power. And the devil is vanquished wherever the saints walk.

And that's really the purpose of the church and the world, is to put to death the deeds of the devil one person at a time, and then to send those people out into the world having put to death the deeds of the devil and continuing to put to death the deeds of the devil and confronting the deeds of the devil wherever they go. There's really no intention of God that you're safe in this world. This safe culture is so corrupt. God wants you to be victorious. He wants you to do battle.

He doesn't want you to be safe. He wants you to be dangerous in the world to the devil. And we learn here that he was appointed by God. Jesus Christ was appointed by God. He was attested by God by miracles and signs.

And the summary here is that Christ is of the lineage of David and he has fulfilled all these prophecies. And then we come to the response of the crowd, verses 37 to 39. Now, when they had heard this, they were cut to the heart. The word actually means stabbed. They were stabbed to the heart.

You know, in the life of every Christian, it happened to them one day when they were stabbed in the heart and they couldn't deny it and they realized, I'm lost, I'm hopeless, I'm a sinner, I'm a fool, I've been a fool my whole life. I've ruined my life. There's no hope for me and Then they call on the name of the Lord and they're saved and they're baptized and they're filled with the Holy Spirit and they're saved from this perverse generation. These people were stabbed in the heart. Have you been stabbed?

Have you been stabbed? Or everything changed after that? That's what he's talking about here. And these 3, 000 people were stabbed. And he said, repent and let each, let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of your sins and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

For this promise is to you and to your children and to all who are far off as many as the Lord our God will call." So those 3, 000 people, they called on the name of the Lord. Somebody in Men's Bible said he called this the first super spreader event. It certainly was. And that gospel spread throughout the whole earth. And then there's Peter's final appeal to be saved and then the result.

And then those who gladly received his word were baptized. Here's how it works. You get stabbed, you get glad, you receive the word and you're baptized and you get added to the thousands who are in the family of God. That's how it works. And that's what Peter is saying here.

So these three sustaining graces of the Church of Jesus Christ during the church age, all of the gifts and the fruit of the spirit flow from this moment in history, All the resources you ever need are found in this moment in salvation that is in Jesus Christ. So what should we say about all of these things? And that is that God is calling sinners to be in his family and he has such wonderful plans for them and it all begins with salvation and the power of the Holy Spirit. This is the engine of the Church of Jesus Christ, the foundation of the Apostles, and the power of the Holy Spirit working through the Word of God in the church age. And we know we live in a time of tumult.

Absolutely, it's a time of tumult. Nobody knows what's gonna happen. We just happen to live in one of the only countries in the whole world that's been free for a long time. Maybe they're gonna disappear, maybe not. Here's what we know for sure.

God will decide. In the meantime, be saved from this perverse generation. Let's pray. Father, we thank you for your word. We thank you for this dramatic testimony of your goodness being poured out in the world.

Lord, we pray that you would use these words that were here to shape us, to help us. And Lord, I also pray that if there are any who have not been stabbed, that you would stab them in the heart, you would pierce them to the heart, and you would give them your pleasures in your presence forevermore. Amen.