Introduction
“Luis Palau tells of a woman in Peru whose life was radically transformed by the Gospel. Rosario was a terrorist, a brute of a woman, an expert in martial arts who had killed 12 policemen. When Palau conducted a crusade in Lima, she learned of it, and incensed by the message of Christianity, made her way to the stadium to kill the preacher. When she arrived, however, she heard his warning on hell, was convicted her of her sins, and embraced Christ as her Savior. Years later, Palau met Rosario for the first time. By then she had assisted in the planting of 5 churches, was an active witness for Jesus, and had founded an orphanage that housed over 1000 children.” (Green, Illustrations for Biblical Preaching.)
What a great story. It has everything we want in a Gospel conversion. It has a bad guy (or in this case, a bad gal), a faithful pastor preaching about hell, and a poor sinner cut to the heart then healed by divine grace. Plus her life has “fruit” which lends credence to the sincerity of her faith. It is a perfect Easter illustration. And this morning, in churches all over America, stories like Rosario’s will be told in hopes of seeing one terrible sinner saved.
Maybe you are terrible. Maybe you are involved in serious sin from which you need deliverance. Please know that it is true – God’s grace is greater than all your sin. I hope you, like Rosario, fall under conviction and turn to Jesus for forgiveness and change.
Yet there are not many Rosarios here today, are there? (Have any of you murdered a policeman?) In fact, there will be few Rosarios in any churches this morning. Pastors will preach for their conversion, but they will not likely attend. Instead, however, some of us may leave feeling pretty good about ourselves: “After all, I am not wicked; I do not need to be cut to the heart; I’m in church on Easter Sunday!”
Could it be that some of the hardest hearts are not in the wicked, but the devout? We who do not “need” God like Rosario? Our text describes people who were “cut to the heart,” and then healed. We need that same “hurting” and “healing” – we need preaching like that of Peter. Notice, please, four characteristics of Gospel sermons, and how each speaks to the devout.
1. Even the Devout Need Gospel Preaching (Acts 2.5,37)
Peter in not ministering from a jail, nor in a Roman coliseum. He is not preaching to pagans, not to the Rosarios of the world.
Yes, God’s grace does convert some “terrible” people. The message of “freedom from slavery to sin” went to Milan in AD 400 and saved Augustine (who was promiscuous, rebellious and wicked). It converts murders on death row (today) just as it changed Roman soldiers who were killing Christians when the Bible was written. The Gospel offers grace sufficient for all the depths of human depravity. Yet those are not the people whom Peter is addressing. He is “preaching to the choir.” He is teaching about Jesus to men and women who are already seeking God. And verse 37 tells us, “they were cut to the heart.” (One version paraphrases the Greek with “acutely distressed.” We might say “they were deeply convicted” of their need for mercy.
In 20+ years of being a Christian, I have participated in eight churches in six states. Additionally, I know pastors from all over the country. In all of those years and through all of those contacts, I have never – not once – heard of a church problem caused by those outside. (Of course, I am aware of the reality and terror of persecution in other lands.) But in the American church, every conflict and every problem I have heard of has come from those who were already “devout.”
At a conference on revival and reformation, Dr. Duncan commented that the greatest threat to the church today is from those who profess Christianity but are not truly cut to the heart.
Jesus faced the same threat. When he ate with the irreligious, and with thieves who worked for the hated Roman government, and with those degraded and dismissed by being referred to simply as, “sinners,” the devout said: “Why does he go to parties with pagans?” And Jesus answered: “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. Go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy and not sacrifice.’ For I did not came to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance” (Matthew 9.10-13).
Jesus was rebuking the “religious” with this fact: if you think Rosario needs grace more than you do, then you do not know the first thing about the Gospel. The Gospel has the same message for the devout as for the Rosarios: “You are more wicked than you would have ever dared imagine.”
Peter preaches and the devout were “cut to the heart.” Will you hear that same message today? We all need Gospel preaching.
2. Even the Devout Need Preaching Which Reveals Christ’s Life, Death and Resurrection
From many pulpits and podiums this morning, the preacher will give a self-help seminar. People will leave feeling some vague sense of goodness because God is on their side. But such is not good news. Biblical preaching is about Jesus — his life, his death, his resurrection – and then how that reality changes you. First, his life.
2.1. Jesus’ Life was Proof (Acts 2.22)
Unlike me, Jesus lived a perfect life. He was both God and man, united in one person, born of a virgin, living here on earth. And in order to prove his divinity, he performed miracles: healing the sick, raising the dead, multiplying the fish and changing water into wine. These “signs” point us to the perfect life of God in Christ.
This truth is critical because we need a spotless substitute for our sins. During the Old Testament sacrifices, the priest would offer up two animals: one for his own sin and another for the sins of the people. This was repeated yearly, for no sinless sacrifice existed. But Jesus offered himself, his perfect life, once, that sin might be forever destroyed. We need preaching which points to Jesus as the perfect provision of God.
2.2. Jesus’ Sacrifice was Ordained (Acts 2.23a)
We are born to live, created for eternal delight in fellowship and friendship with God. Jesus was born to die. In the unsearchable mystery of the Triune counsels of God, it was determined before the foundation of the world to make a people who would be redeemed by the death of the Son of God, for the praise of the glory of his grace. Amazing love!
Yes, the truth about Jesus cuts to the heart: “My sin is so great that my only hope is free grace.” Such a message is repulsive to high thoughts of ourselves! It cuts our self-esteem and leaves us looking for help. But the great physician not only exposes the disease, he also heals! You are shown in Jesus that the Father loves you more than you could ever hope – he gave his son! It was God’s plan to provide a sacrifice.
2.3. Jesus’ Death was My Doing (Acts 2.23b)
As I prepared this sermon, I wanted to know why these listeners were cut to the heart while so few of us are. The answer is given here: they were convinced of their personal responsibility in Messiah’s death. For thousands of years the Jews had longed for a Messiah to save them. Yet when he arrives, they hate him, they mock him, they torture and kill him. Of course, those listening to Peter did not actually drive the nails, did they? In what sense, then, did they crucify the Christ?
There may be many ways in which they share some guilt of this murder. The primary meaning, however, is this: God appointed him to die for their sins. By sinning, they nailed him to the cross! Christ’s death is my doing because the Father made him my representative.
Some may say, “I do not want such responsibility.” There is an alternative – pay for your own sins. Live your own life and die your own death. But can you afford the cost? Either Jesus pays for your crimes or you pay for your own. Those are the only two alternatives.
Thankfully Gospel preaching does not end with the cross.
2.4. Jesus’ Resurrection is My Hope (Acts 2.24)
In spite of misguided devotion to crucifixes in which Jesus remains on the cross, the Bible reminds us that he is alive! Death could have no power over him, for he is Lord of death and of hell and of Satan. And when Jesus rose, all those for whom he died rose with him. The sacrifice has been accepted; atonement has been made; the price has been paid. The Father’s wrath is appeased and the Son’s obedience rewarded with a redeemed people.
Praise God, there is hope – Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! We need preaching which tells us the good news of Jesus’ life, death, and especially, his resurrection!
3. Even the Devout Need Gospel Promises (Acts 2.38-40)
The word “Gospel” means, “Good News.” It is news because it accurately describes events which transpired. Jesus lived and died and was raised up by God. On Easter we remember real, historical realities. But the Gospel is more than simply “news”; it is also good news. The “good” comes from the promises.
Specifically two promises are made in these verses. First is the promise of “forgiveness,” — the assurance that all past sins are wiped out. God promises not to bring to his mind our evil deeds; he graciously separates us from our sins as far as the east is from the west.
As wonderful as that is, however, there is more: the gift of the Holy Spirit. You can think of it this way: forgiveness is a promise which deals with my past failures; the presence and power of the Holy Spirit points forward to my future victories. No longer must you be a slave to sin! No longer will it have dominion! No longer must you continue in behavior which destroys both you and your loved ones! You have the Spirit of Holiness.
John Stott: “Together these constitute the freedom for which men are searching — both freedom from guilt, defilement, judgment, and self-centeredness, and freedom to be the persons God made and meant us to be.”
The twin promises of forgiveness and a changed life, through grace and the presence of the Holy Spirit, are tremendous — will you receive by believing that this gift is yours? Those who do, respond to the Gospel. That is the last point of Peter’s gospel sermon.
4. Even the Devout Need Preaching Which Requires a Response (Acts 2.37, 38, 41)
Please notice three parts of the response.
4.1. Your Response Must Include Guilt
Upon hearing the news they were “cut to the heart.” They felt guilt; they knew they were wrong. They killed the Messiah and offended the Holy God. No longer was it the “bad gals out there,” who were the problem — it is the bad guy right here who needs saving. Guilt is a good response to Gospel preaching. We should feel convicted; we are sinful! In fact, here is one of the great failures of preaching today – Rosario can be cut to the heart, but the devout are not.
Yet guilt alone is not a sufficient response.
4.2. Your Response Must Include Repentance
The word “repentance” means, primarily, a change of thinking, a 180 degree turn from your previous response to God. For these Jews, it meant no longer thinking of Jesus as a criminal; now he is to be worshipped as Messiah. Their thinking about the person and work of Jesus Christ was radically changed by the Gospel. The same must happen to us. Let me give some examples.
No longer will I think of Jesus as simply an interesting teacher; now I will accept him as Lord of my conscience and master of my thinking. My attitudes on money, marriage, singleness, church government, evangelism, the law — everything, will be conformed to his standards. “How precious are your thoughts to me, O God” (Psalm 139.17).
No longer will I think of Jesus as giving me grace to sin; from now on he is the Savior whose grace keeps me from sinning. Now I realize that his Spirit gives the holiness which alones makes me happy.
No longer does Jesus say that my behavior is a matter of private interpretation; he is now the Interpreter of all things.
No longer is Jesus impotent to protect you from suffering; he is the sovereign Lord who so controls the world that that you might know the joy of sharing in his sufferings.
No longer does Jesus care so little for you that he will not change your spouse; he is the only one who loves you enough to give you the perfect spouse for sanctifying your weaknesses.
On and on the list goes. Will you change your false thinking about Jesus? 1) A conviction that you have been going away from God. 2) A change in thinking about God. And, 3…
4.3. Your Response Must Include Baptism into Christ’s Church
Those who believed in Jesus made a public profession of their faith, were baptized, and joined the church. It is popular in America to think that religion is a matter best kept as a private experience. But Biblical faith cannot be private, because it is a change of mind and heart about Jesus which changes of every aspect of your life. Private religion is a faith without Jesus! If you have not yet done so, will you join with those who were cut to the heart and commit to Christ’s church?
5. Conclusion
One day the pastor called on a 96-year-old man who had just lost his wife of many years. The old man said, “There’s nothing I want more than to be with my wife again.”
The pastor said, “Now why do you say that? You don’t profess to be a Christian. How do you know where she is? And can you be sure you’d be happy there?”
The old man thought a few moments and said, “You’re right. In fact, when it comes right down to it, the thought of leaving this life terrifies me.” Then he blurted out: “I’m sick of living, but I’m afraid of dying.”
Maybe some of you are sick of living like Rosario. You wonder, “Is there forgiveness sufficient for my terrible life, for my awful sins?” The resurrection proves that the Father has accepted Jesus’ death as a perfect sacrifice. Will you accept his life and gift in your place?
Others are sick of living a life of pretended righteousness. You long to admit your need, to confess your weariness, to quit acting what you are not. The death of Christ proves that there are none righteous, no not one. Accept the cutting of the great physician and find his healing grace.
And for all who are afraid of dying, remember this: the grave is empty. Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! And he has taken the sting of death.
