The Wonderful Works of God

Acts chapter 2. Acts chapter 2 has a record of what transpired on the day of Pentecost, the first day of Pentecost after Jesus had been raised from the dead. And as things began in Acts chapter 2, we are told of what would happen, was exactly what Jesus told the disciples, His apostles, what would happen.

Tarry ye at Jerusalem, he told them, until ye be endued with power from on high, until the Holy Ghost come upon you. And here we find about in chapter 2, verse 1, that they were all with one accord in one place.

And there was suddenly a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting, And there appeared unto them cloven tongues, like as a fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.

Now Luke gives us this record, and we can well understand what evidence is given for the people on the day of Pentecost. My mind is set for Bible class, you have to understand what we were going through in class was evidence offered in the book of John.

Luke is giving evidence also, but he is giving it in the form of a historical record. That’s what the book of Acts is in the New Testament. It’s a book of history, and he gives us one event after another, and most of it is in pretty good sequence.

But we find in Acts chapter 2, here toward the beginning, they are still doing what they’re supposed to be doing by dwelling at Jerusalem and doing what Jesus requested of them. And they are able to have the Holy Ghost come upon them. And it does give them utterance with these tongues that they didn’t have to study, to learn.

And they would speak in these tongues, and there were men, verse 5, devout men, Jews, out of every nation under heaven, it says. Now this is the audience in Acts chapter 2. Devout men, Jews, out of every nation under heaven, And they heard what was noised abroad, and the multitude came together and were confounded, because every man heard them speak in his own language, verse 6 says, and they were all amazed and marveled, saying one to another, Behold, are not all these which speak Galileans?

Now every year the Jews had some holy days. Every year the Jews would come to the temple At Jerusalem, every year the Jews would come on these holy days to the temple to worship as God had told them to in the law. And this year was, they didn’t expect going to be any different.

So these Jews, devout men that were assembled here together, they could tell their brethren from the north had it come down. Just like they could tell that Peter was a Galilean back when he was denying the Lord. Surely you’re one of his disciples because you’re a Galilean, they said. And Peter denied it.

His language was that of a Galilean. People could tell who the Galileans were there in Jerusalem. Are not all these which speak Galilean? They knew the answer. Yes, they were for the most part. And verse number 8 says, “…how hear we every man in our own tongue wherein we were born?” A miracle is happening. The apostles are able to speak in these other tongues, and people are able to hear them in their own language.

It says here in the language of Acts chapter 2 for us to understand even now that He said, Parthians, Medes, Elamites, dwellers of Mesopotamia, Judea, Cappadocia, Pontus, Asia, Phrygia, Pamphylia, Egypt, and the parts of Libya, Cyrene, and strangers of Rome, Jews and proselytes, Cretes and Arabians, verse 11 says, We do hear them speak in our tongues the wonderful works of God. Now, what they were saying up to this point, we don’t have a direct record of, but this is the summation. We do hear them speak the wonderful works of God.

And there’s some confusion, confounded nature to the proceedings of what’s been going on because so many are interested in finding out, how is this possible? How can we all understand them? How can they be speaking these tongues that proclaim the wonderful works of God? How can this happen? And it’s because of the involvement of the Holy Spirit.

But some mocked. Verse 13, these men are full of new wine. Of course, this is dispelled right away as Peter is able to say, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice and said to them, The men of Judea, and all that dwell at Jerusalem, be this known unto you, and hearken to my words, these are not drunken, as you suppose, seeing it is but the third hour of the day. It’s only nine o’clock in the morning. They’re not drunk. Very plainly proclaimed here that this was not the case. But this is, verse 16, this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel. How is this possible?

It’s possible because God’s involved and it says, verse 17, “…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, and on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit, and they shall prophesy.”

Now, this is happening and this is a sign in itself that it is happening because this is the explanation that is given. God is involved. God is letting and making this happen. And it’s for the recognition on the part of men that they should see the significance here. This is the outpouring of the Spirit on all flesh.

Verse 19, I will show wonders in heaven above, and signs of the earth beneath, blood and fire and vapor of smoke. The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before that great and notable day of the Lord come.

So this is going to transpire according to the words of Joel from the Old Testament, Joel chapter 2, I think it’s about verse 28, 32, somewhere in there, that they, the people of that day that he’s talking about, Would receive the Holy Spirit. The pouring out of the Spirit upon all flesh would happen.

And this is going to continue forth from Jerusalem, Acts chapter 1, verse 8. The word of the Lord, the witness that is being offered will be going forth from Jerusalem and Judea and Samaria and unto the uttermost part of the earth.

And it will go with the Holy Spirit. If you look in Mark chapter 16, you see that Jesus says, Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. And He goes on and He says, These are the signs that shall follow those that believe. And there would be the ability to take up the serpents, and other things that are mentioned as specific signs of those that were believers or those that would have the Holy Spirit.

And this is the kind of thing that was transpiring there in the first century. But in Acts chapter 2, for this first proclamation of the gospel in its fullness, we have summed up, at the very beginning at least, that the wonderful works of God are being talked about.

And this is what Peter’s talking about right here, isn’t it? This is the wonderful works of God that the Spirit is being poured out. This is the wonderful works of God, he’ll go on to talk about, that He sent His only begotten Son. This is the wonderful works of God that God did this according to prophecy from Joel hundreds of years ago. Wonderful works of God. Prophecy made, prophecy being fulfilled. That is a fantastic building block of the faith. Being able to see that God keeps His word. He always does what He says He’s going to do. We can trust God because He does keep His word.

Joel chapter 2. I will pour out my Spirit. God poured out His Spirit. Acts chapter 2. He did what He says He’s going to do. I will send the Messiah. He sent the Messiah. Verse 22. 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 you 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 Him God hath raised up, verse 24, having loosed the pains of death, because it was not possible that He should be buried.

Holden of it. Now we have proclaimed the Lord’s death, burial, and resurrection. We have proclaimed the Lord’s death and partaking of the Lord’s Supper this morning. We acknowledge He was put to death on the tree. He was taken down from the tree. He was buried. And God raised Him up. Acts chapter 13, scripture we had up here on the board. 1 Corinthians 15, verses 1 to 4, the gospel that went forth and was preached in every place by the apostles.

The Apostle Paul, this gospel included that Jesus died, was buried, and rose again. Same gospel being preached 2,000 years later in the words of these apostles. This gospel is the same gospel, Romans 1 16, that is God’s power unto salvation.

We must believe that Jesus is the Son of God. We must be willing to repent of our sins. We must be willing to confess Jesus as the Son of God and make that confession and be baptized for the remission of sins.

What he gets to here in just a few verses. But Jesus of Nazareth is the one identified as the, verse 22, He is the Messiah, the Christ. He is of the lineage of David, and David spoke of Him, verse 25. David speaks concerning Him, 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, because thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, or Hades, neither wilt thou suffer thy Holy One to see corruption.

And Peter is giving these words as a quotation. Peter is giving this as another example of God does what He says He’s going to do. You can trust God. He spoke of this, this was what He said He’s going to do, and this is exactly what He did.

And it was relevant to and in the person of Jesus Christ that these things transpired. Acts chapter 2, verse 22. Jesus of Nazareth. This is the one that has been going about doing good. Acts chapter 1. This is the one who has been approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs. This great miracle has recently occurred. God raised Him up. It was not possible that He should be holden.

He was delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God. You took Him and by wicked hands have crucified and slain Him, but God raised Him up, verse 24, having loose the pains of death because it was not possible He should be holding of it. We are ourselves guilty of the blood of the Lord if we don’t lay hold of the grace and mercy that God offers.

And when we are pricked in the heart, coming to realize this, and when we ask the question, what should we do, hopefully we can find the answer in passages just like this one here, down in verse 37 and verse 38.

They were given clear and simple instructions of what to do there in the first century and how they should handle the rift in their relationship between themselves and their God. Men and brethren, what shall we do? The answer was given then, 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.

The promise is unto you, verse 39, and to your children, and to all that are far off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call. And the plea was this day, and the plea is this day, that people should be saved from this untoward or crooked generation.

We should testify and exhort with everything we have that this salvation is made possible in the person of Jesus Christ, that this salvation is made possible to everyone, that this salvation is here and available for us all, If we will but trust and obey God. And they that gladly received His word were baptized, verse 41, the same day there were added to them about 3,000 souls.

And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship and in breaking of bread and in prayers. And fear came upon every soul and many wonders and signs were done by the apostles. And all that believed were together and had all things common and sold their possessions and goods and parted them to all men as every man had need.

And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.

We are given this record and we are given insight as to how things were kind of kicked off or began there in Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost, this holy day, and how people were at first, at the very first, given the impression these apostles, well, they’re speaking so that everybody can understand, but what are they talking about?

They’re talking about the wonderful works of God. And the wonderful works of God included what God said He was going to do and what He did. The wonderful works of God included sending His Son, Jesus Christ, for the salvation of the world, the death, the burial, and resurrection. All part of God’s plan, He, by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, underwent these things.

And thirdly, the wonderful works of God included these that were willing to obey, these that were, again, among the first fruits of the gospel, these that were willing to acknowledge the truth and that God had sent His Son and He had been put to death, but God raised Him up.

Romans chapter 1 says that He was declared to be, Jesus was, declared to be the Son of God with power by the resurrection from the dead. Now, 1 Corinthians 15, we’ve already mentioned that gospel and the elements of the death, burial, and resurrection being proclaimed in every place, everywhere.

That’s a launching point for Paul to start talking and continue talking about the resurrection for the whole rest of the chapter. And we have this to look forward to if we want to be part of that, that we will be part of the wonderful works of God. We can be, if we will but trust and obey Him.

And the instructions that are given are simple. The instructions are given, repent and be baptized. Elsewhere, of course, we also read of confession, Romans chapter 10, verses 9 and 10, Matthew chapter 10, verse 32 and verse 33. We know it’s essential. We know what is necessary for salvation because of the record that is given in the New Testament, the commands that are given very plainly. We know what to do and the instructions are there.

Are we willing to trust God for the salvation that He offers, and the resurrection and the life that awaits those that are faithful? The message is yours this morning. If you are willing to accept God, take Him at His word, that is another way of saying you have faith. Hebrews chapter 11, verse 6.

If you are willing to accept God and take Him at His word, having faith, you believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him. That’s what Hebrews 11, verse 6 says. It means that it is possible, then, for you to please God.

When we believe God, take Him at His word, have faith, and know that He’s going to do what He says He’s going to do, and we see that He says, if you would have your sins remitted, you should repent, and you should be baptized.

Well, that means I need to repent and be baptized. It means that command, given that way in Acts chapter 2, verse 38, applies to me 2,000 years later. It applies to you 2,000 years later because that’s the promise of God. Calling on the name of the Lord is mentioned right here in Acts chapter 2. It’s also mentioned in Acts chapter 22. Calling on the name of the Lord, calling on the Lord for salvation, for the washing away of sins. Acts chapter 22, verse 16.

We want to have our sins remitted or washed away. We want to have our sins blotted out. Jeremiah chapter 31, that’s a great promise that God made back in the Old Testament. You can have your sins blotted out. This is how you do it. Repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ.

The opportunity is yours this morning. You can, in believing, obey God and reap the benefits and rewards that come to those that He has said will be blessed by Him. If you have a need this morning to make your life right, won’t you let it be known while we stand and sing?

End of transcript. Thank you for reading along!