Acts 2:38-39 KJV Then Peter said unto them, 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. (39) For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.
Responding to the Gospel of Jesus Christ
After obeying the master and returning to Jerusalem to wait and tarring, the Holy Ghost was poured out upon these followers, the 120 in the room. It really must have been a great experience for them, the pouring out of the Holy Ghost, to see the promise being fulfilled of the Comforter. So here they are, acting as though they had been drinking, and after the public saw them, they could only assumed that these men are drunk ... but Peter standing up with the other 11 told them that they were not drunk, at least drunk like you think ... we are drunk ... but this kind of drunk is different then the one that you have in mind. You see, what is inside us right now is not going to leave us with a hang-over tomorrow, we are not going to wake up the next day wondering where we have been or who we have been with ... what deceases we may have picked up in a stupor. We are not going to wonder where are keys are at, did we make it to the right house.
Peter said, we are drunk ... but this drunk is better ... for we have been filled with a spirit, but this is a different kind of Spirit then you have in mind. You see, this kind of drunk is not going to destroy your mind ... but it is going to renew it. This kind of drunk is not going to leave you down and out ... but it will bring you up and in. This kind of drunk will not destroy your body ... but it will be healing, life and health to you.
Then Peter goes on ... let me tell you where this kind of drunk came about.
Jesus Christ came, and He lived in this world. He was the Messiah that the Old Testament had promised us. Now what this Jesus did was He lived a sinless life, Jesus lived a perfect life. Jesus was made perfect, like the first Adam. But the first Adam had sinned ... and in the book of Romans it says:
Romans 5:12-19 KJV Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned ...(14) Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam’s transgression ...
Thought: the law brought forth what was sin ... so that we would know what was sin ...
Romans 5:13 KJV For until the law sin was in the world: but sin is not imputed (put on account) when there is no law.
Romans 5:17-19 KJV For if by one man’s offence death reigned by one ... (18) Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation ... (19) for as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners
Thought: many were made sinners ... all have sinned ... there will not be a time when you can stand before the Lord and say that “I was a good person ... I did not steal ... murder ... covet ... back bite ... I honored my mother and my father”
Roman 5:14 KJV Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned
So the first Adam passed onto all humanity the guilt of disobedience. All of us are born under the first Adam. We are all clothed with the guilt of humanity. Other then Jesus Christ, the Messiah, there was never anybody born that would escape this thing that was passed on, the sin of the first Adam. But then Jesus Christ comes on the scene and the bible tells us that He was the last Adam. Notice the bible doesn’t say that He was the third Adam, or one of the Adams to come. Jesus was the last Adam, born without sin, lived a sinless life. Lived a life of obedience. So this being drunk as you suppose is taking place because of the last Adam. This is why be He said in the book of John
John 3:7 KJV Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.
Now the reason you must be born again is because Jesus wants to transfer life. Jesus wants to take away the life of the first Adam and give to you the life of the second Adam. Jesus said I am going to take away the disobedience of the first Adam, I am going to take away the sin from the first Adam, and I am going to give you the purity of the second Adam. I am going to give you the obedience of the second Adam. I am going to take away the guilt, and give you guiltlessness, I am going to take away the unrighteousness and give back to you righteousness, and in doing this, He will take your soul away from death, hell and the grave. He wants to redeem us, buy us back from death.
Sin
Now, I don’t know how you feel. But I hate sin. I despise sin. Sin isn’t just the actions that we do ... the Lord told Cain that he better be careful. Sin waits at the door. Sin just waits for something ... so that you can invite it into your life. That is what sin does. Sin just waits for an opportunity.
Look, sin might tell you to go out and head down to the casino. Spend all your money so that you can’t take care of your family. Sin is sly ... sin is not just interested in you, but it wants to destroy all that is around you. You go and spend all your money here in this place ... then I am going to go back to your children and get a hold on them. I going to cause bitterness in them because you can’t take care of them and supply the needs. You won’t have the money for new clothes or new shoes. You won’t have the money for food to keep them nourished. Sin says I going to cause envy in them ... because they may have friends that make fun of them because the way they dress ... I am going to cause bitterness to take root in the soul of that little child and cause the child to hate you ... but that is alright, you had your good time. Sin just doesn’t want you. Sin wants everything about you. Sin just needs a little hold and then sin just waits.
Sin wants you to go out to the bar and get soused, so that you can not think clearly. Get into your car ... find yourself in jail for a few months for involuntary manslaughter. Then sin will run back to your children and cause them to despise you because you’re not around. Then as that child grows, sin already has a hold on him. Sin will fester in the heart and the mind of that little child and make him so full of envy and hatred that sin will manifest and grow. Then soon that teenager or young adult has become full of despair and lost all hope that they turn to drugs or worse, they blow their brains out somewhere ... that is how sin works.
Sin wants you to go home with that handsome guy, or that attractive lady ... so that it can run to your spouse and cause envy and strife ... Then you turn to drugs and drink your way through life so that life doesn’t seem so bad. That what sin does, it just waits. Sin doesn’t want you to see any hope ... so sin will do what ever it takes to keep you from the light.
Sin first attacks the mind. Sin fills your mind full of fear and full of worry. Sin fill your mind with thoughts like guilt and shame. Sin wants to keep your mind occupied.
Then sin will begin to work on your emotions. Fill you with depression and discouragement. Sin wants you to become so full of despair.
Then sin says I am going to attack your body, begin to destroy the thing that God created. Fill you fill of affliction and decease. That is how sin works. Sin wraps its fingers around your life and hangs on. Sins says I do all of that for one purpose. Sin eventually wants to get a hold of your soul where it can drag you to hell and work destruction on you for all of eternity. That is what sin has set its course to do.
But Peter said, “let me tell you what Jesus has come to do”
Jesus has come to destroy the power of sin on your life. You do not have to live with your mind under continued attack. You don’t have to live with your emotions under continual attack. You don’t have to live with your body under attack. Jesus said in the book of John:
John 10:10 KJV The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.
Look, Jesus was not so worried about Heaven or Hell. This thing is not about that. Jesus came to destroy the power of sin in your life, and if He can destroy the power of sin in your life then Hell is not a problem. If He can destroy the power of sin in your life then death has already lost. If He can destroy the power of sin in your life then the grave won’t have any hold ... If he can destroy the power of sin in your life.
And so, Peter had preached this ... and the onlookers said what must we do. How can we be delivered? Is there any hope for us? And so Peter continued to preach.
Now, what Peter preached was not his message. What Peter preached had already been preached before.
The first thing you must do is repent. Peter did not think of this on his own. This was the same message that Jesus had preached.
Matthew 4:17 KJV From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
Peter was only saying what the Master had said. The first thing you need to do is repent.
Repentance
Some of you may say, “Preacher, I do not know how to repent”. “I have never repented before, or may it has been a long time”.
First of all, repentance is asking Him to be the Lord of your life.
God, I need You to be the Lord of my life.
I need You to be the Lord of my family.
I need You to be the Lord of my career.
I need You to be the Lord of my future.
God I want You to be the Lord over every area,
and every thing in me.
God, I want to surrender to You,
I want to serve You.
I want Your hand to rest upon my life,
I want You to lead and direct my life.
I do not want to be the master of my destiny,
God, I want You to be the Master of my destiny.
I do not want to be in control of me,
God, I want You to be in control of me.
God, I give everything over to You,
all of my dreams, all of my goals, everything that I am,
God, please come even right now, and be my Lord.
God, I do not even understand what all that means ... I do not know what it means to be a Christian, but I want to be a Christian. I want to serve You.
I do not know even how to quit living in sin, but I want too.
I don’t know how to live a right life, but I want to live a right life.
I am not sure I even know what it means to love, but I want to love You.
Lord, I am asking that you deliver me from sin ... change the course that I am on.
Lord, I am asking that you take me into your arms and shelter me.
God, I don’t know how to walk right.
I don’t even know how to talk right.
But, if You will come Lord ...
Secondly, repentance is admitting you’re a sinner
Lord, I have been a thief
Lord, I have been a liar
Lord, there are things in my life that I have done that I am not proud of.
Lord, I have had evil thoughts.
Lord, I have done evil things.
Forgive me Lord, have mercy on me.
I know I don’t deserve it, but I am asking please come.
Forgive me of all my sins
I love how the prophet Isaiah spoke it:
Isaiah 1:18 KJV Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.
Though your sins are red crimson, they will be white as wool
Though your life has been a complete shame ... come ... let us reason together.
I like how God reasons. I like what He says. But first of all He said come now.
God knows all the sins in your life. God knows what is in the secret places, and He says come ... let’s work through this together. There is nothing that can be hidden from the Lord. There is nothing that He hasn’t seen. You will not shock God.
God says I see all the failures and short comings in your life.
God sees all the faults and wrong doings, and still I say to you, come ... and let’s reason.
Listen to how God reasons, though your sins be as scarlet, they SHALL be white as snow. But you have got to come.
Give Me your sorrow, and I will give you joy
Give Me your pain, and I will give you peace
Give Me your sin, and I will give back to you salvation
Thought: The creation reasons differently then the Creator. The creation says what good will you give me so that I may give good back. The Creator says give me your bad, and I will give you good. I love His reasoning.
Give Him your fear, and He will give you hope.
Come with your failures, all your excuses, and everything that is messed up ... and let’s reason
Notice that God did not say come with your perfections and strong points and let’s see how to make them better.
In 3 of the gospels there is recorded a man with a withered hand. And Jesus comes up to him and says:
Matthew 12:13 KJV Then saith he to the man, Stretch forth thine hand. And he stretched it forth; and it was restored whole, like as the other.
Jesus did not tell this man which hand; He just said stretch forth your hand. Now the man had to make a decision in his life. Which hand am I going to expose? Do I reach out with my good hand and show Jesus my strength and stableness? Exposing only the good side of myself to the Lord, or do I stretch forth my hand which I am most embarrassed about and show my feebleness, my weakness, my wounds.
You and I are faced with the same question when the Lord says come. Do I go before the Lord and show him all the goodness that I am, the greatness that I have achieved ... or do I expose myself to him. Do I share with Him the things that make me pull my covers over my head when the sun comes up in the morning? Do I share with Him the thoughts of suicide? Do I share with Him the thoughts of lust and expose my true man to Him? God says that is what I want. I already see the scarlet ... I already know those things, but let’s reason together.
And that is what repentance is:
Wash me
Cleanse me
Forgive me
The other thing that Peter said was be baptized, every one of you. Repent and be baptized ... these two go together. Peter did not say repent for the remission of sins, he said “REPENT AND BE BAPTIZED for the remission of sins”. They go together, you bind them together. Repent and be baptized, they work in harmony.
Baptism
What is baptism?
Well, baptism is not joining a church. Baptism is not becoming a member of a particular assembly. When you get baptized, you are not joining the United Pentecostal Church. What baptism is, is joining into a covenant relationship with the Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. That is what baptism is, a covenant with Jesus.
Here again though, baptism was not Peter’s idea ... Peter did not come up with this thing on a whim. But baptism is what Jesus taught:
Matthew 28:19 KJV Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
It was no mistake when Jesus slips down to the Jordan River and came to John requesting that John baptize Him. John said “Lord, I do not need to baptize You, You need to baptize me”. Suffer it to be so John. Jesus said you need to baptize Me, because I am getting ready to do something that will open a covenant, that whosoever will can join Me in the water and partake of a covenant, and when they do, they are going to give their life to me and I am going to give My life to them. Jesus was instituting something there, a covenant relationship.
Jesus knew that the world was bound by the disobedience of Adam ... and He wants to clothe us with His obedience. We are bound in the unrighteousness of the first Adam, but Jesus wants us to put on His righteousness. They are condemned because of the unrighteousness of the first Adam, but when they are baptized unto ME, then they will have my righteousness. I am going to cloth them a new with the holiness of Myself ... and that is how they will say it is no longer I that live, but Christ that lives within me ... and I in him. So, I want you to baptize me John so that all righteousness may be fulfilled.
I am so glad that I have been baptized in Jesus’ name. And so John took Jesus down into the water and baptized Him.
But many ask the question ... is baptism important for my salvation? The bible says:
Mark 16:16 KJV He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.
The bible ties your baptism to the salvation of your soul. The bible says that when we are baptized, we put on Christ:
Galatians 3:27 KJV For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.
See, we are baptized into Christ. Another words ... I step into a Christ by the water covenant relation. I am clothed with Him in baptism. He covers me. Now it is not my righteousness ... but it is His righteousness. It is not my holiness ... but it is His holiness. It is not my purity ... but it is His purity. When He looks at (?NAME?), He doesn’t see (?NAME?), He sees the Christ. When He looks at me, He doesn’t see what I used to be; He sees a new creature. When He looks at me, He sees a son.
Another words, here is what happens. (volunteer)
When He looks at you He sees you’re impurities. When He looks at you, He sees your guilt and your shame. When He looks at you He sees despair and hopelessness. Now, I know that you didn’t ask for this. It just happens this way. Just by being born unto the first Adam. But Jesus said I got something for you, and this is why I say that you must be born again. Now watch what happens. He takes away the garment of unholliness and unrighteousness and He takes it far from you. Jesus will take these matters to the cross, and there He nails them there, with surity, and these things will never bother you again:
John 8:36 KJV If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.
But that is not all, He says then I am going to give you a new garment, I am going to give you of Myself. I am going to re-clothe you with my garments. I am going to give a new life.
But it is not you’re holiness, it is not your godliness, it is not your rigthouness, it is mine ... I paid the price. Since it is mine then sin can’t get you. Hell has no power over you. I have already been to the grave. I have already been to Hell. I have already got the keys to those things, so now I am going to clothe you in victory, but it is not you’re victory, it is my victory.
That is why the Bible says that in Him there is neither male nor female, Greek nor Jew ... because it is not about you any more ... it is about Him. It is about Jesus Christ and His holiness. It is about Jesus Christ and His godliness.
I loose me ... I loose my identity ... I loose my characteristics ... it is not about me ... it is all about Him.
That is what happens at baptism. If somebody wants you to be baptized to be a member of his or her church ... remember it is not about you. It is a covenant relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. You have become a new creature. Jesus says give what you are and I will deal with it at Calvary, take what I am and it will get you to eternity.
But not only that, you need to do it in His name. See, if you want the right righteousness then you have to call on the right righteous maker. You have to get the right name.
Let me share with you a little secret. That is why when the angle came to Joseph he said:
Matthew 1:21 KJV And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.
You have got to have the right name. Of all the things that the angel could have told Joseph, this is what he said. The angel could have said listen Joe ... he is going to be a healer ... he is going to be a deliverer ... he is going to do miracles ... he is going to make the blind see again ... he is going to take away the power and authority of sin ... he is going to bring out his people. But the angel made sure of one thing, you must call him by the right name ... he must be called JESUS.
See, if you have the name ... you have healing ... if you have the name ... you have deliverance ... if you have the name ... you have the power ... if you have the name ... you have freedom. But you have to have the name. I could tell you a lot of things about him Joseph, but it what really matters is you get the name right ... because the bible says:
Acts 4:12 KJV neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.
It matters what you call upon. It matters what you say. IT MATTERS because here is what happens. The bible records in Luke 1 and 2 that when John was circumcised that they were going to call him Zacharias, after the name of his father. But Elizabeth said no; his name shall be John. He was named at circumcision. When Jesus was circumcised, they took him and called his name Jesus. They got their names at circumcision. It is not mistake that in the book of Colossians that states:
Colossians 2:11 & 13 KJV In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ ... (13) And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses
It is at baptism where the putting off of the body of sin occurs. It is at baptism where you are buried with Him and it is at baptism where you receive you’re new name. It matters only that you get the right name. And that name is Jesus.
And from there, Peter just kept on preaching. Again, he was not preaching any thing new, he just continued to preach what he had heard Jesus preach. Go into all the world, teaching and baptizing ... in the name of the father
What is the name of the father?
John 10:30 KJV I and my Father are one.
John 5:43 KJV I am come in my Father’s name
John 14:9 KJV Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father?
THE NAME OF THE FATHER IS JESUS. That is why when Jesus looked up in a time of prayer He said, “Father, you have glorified your name in me, now glorify your name in them”.
The angel said, “Joseph, his name shall be called Jesus”.
The name of the son is Jesus.
Jesus said:
John 14:16-18 KJV And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; (17) Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. (18) I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.
The name of the Holy Ghost is Jesus.
It is amazing the bible records that He was made lower then the angles, and yet records that at the mention of His name every knee shall bow.
Let me tell you how that is possible ...
Hebrews 1:4 KJV Being made so much better than the angels, as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they.
Inheritance means that it belonged to somebody else before it belonged to you. You have received something of great value. Jesus was not just the name of the Son of God, Jesus was not just the name of the Christ-man.
Somewhere, sometime, the Almighty God said this will be my name, because I will use this name to redeem ... I will use this name to bring salvation ... I will use this name as a covenant. God deemed this as so, so that whosever would believe on that name would not perish, but have everlasting life.
Jordan River, twelve stones in ... twelve stones out ... this shows that there are things you take into baptism with you and leave them there; guilt, sorrow, envy, ungodliness, you’re going to carry in your old ways and your old destination and you are going to leave them there ... but there are things that you bring out of baptism; joy, piece, godliness, peace, your going to get a new future, and your going to get a new name, salvation ...
I have never met anybody that came up out of the water saying “I wish I had not of done that” ... but they say I wish I had done it sooner ... I feel clean and good inside ... there is something different about calling on the name of Jesus Christ when you go under the water. I feel so different ... let me tell you ... you are different ... you are a new creature ... old things are passed away ... you have a new destination.
Holy Ghost
Finally, Peter says that you will receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. And this is where we find the 120.
But again, Peter was not preaching something new. Jesus said, I have been with you ... and I shall be in you ...
There is nothing like the power of the Holy Ghost.
Imagine, what must have run through the minds of the twelve. Imagine the Holy Ghost bringing to remembrance ... you see, that is what the Holy Ghost is about.
John 16:13 KJV Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth ... He shew you things to come.
Bring to rememberance ...
There they are, toiling to cross the sea ... and Jesus comes up as says, Peace ... Be still.
They were with the peace maker, now they have the peace maker inside them.
Lazarus ...
I am the resurrection, but now resurrection and life shall be in you ... man, you thought you felt good when you were baptized in water ... wait until you are baptized with fire and with power, wait until the baptism of the Holy Ghost flows through your blood.
