Are Lives Being Changed
Acts 2:36-41 (ESV):
36 Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.”
37Now, when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?”
38And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
39 For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself.”
40And with many other words, he bore witness and continued to exhort them, saying, “Save yourselves from this crooked generation.”
41 So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls.
Since the month of November is our Church Anniversary Month, every year, I would choose to speak on a theme about the church. So, for this year, our theme is: “What to Look for in a Church.” You see when you came and decided to be a part of Bible Church International, I’m sure you came with certain expecta tions about what the church should be about. What made you decide to join our church? What attracted you to our church?
It is also possible that you have been coming to our church for quite some time now and have not yet decided whether you would be a member of our church. Perhaps there is something that you are look ing for in a church that you are not seeing in our church. So, the question for you is: What are you looking for in a church?
Pastor Stuart Briscoe wrote an article in the book, Practical Christianity, regarding the tendency of some Christians to do church shopping. This was his comment about it:
“Church shopping seems inevitable in the United States because this is a consumer-oriented society. But there is a real problem with this attitude. We have the mentality that we, the customers, are al ways right, and we really expect to find exactly what we want. If we don’t, we are dissatisfied; in stead of staying and making our church better, we leave on a quest for a church that will meet our needs. Churches begin competing for their share in the market, and some churchgoers never settle down.” (Stuart Briscoe, Practical Christianity, p.338)
There’s no doubt choosing the right church where you and your children will grow in your knowledge and love for God and where you and your family will serve the Lord Jesus is so important be cause this choice can have an eternal impact. However, church shopping is so dangerous. Why? It is because it is not God’s will that Christians keep hopping from church to church for months when they can be instru ments in God’s hands to edify and equip the church so they can reach the lost people around them.
Besides, there is no perfect church, and I can guarantee you that every church you will find has some flaws. What is critical is that if you are looking for a church, the church you should choose is patterned after the very first church, which was built by Jesus Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit. This is the reason why we are to study Acts 2, beginning in verse 36, and discover the characteristics we should be looking for in a church.
For some context, before our assigned text, you would find the early Christians gathered together in Jerusalem, praying and waiting for the coming of the Holy Spirit as promised by the Lord Jesus Christ. On the day of Pentecost, at the beginning of chapter 2, the Holy Spirit finally came in a mighty way. There were visible manifestations to signal the arrival of the Holy Spirit that day. There was the strong sound of the wind from heaven, the divided tongues like fire, the speaking of tongues, and the bold preaching of the
Word of God by Peter. For me, the most obvious evidence of the coming of the Holy Spir it is Peter standing up before thousands of people and preaching the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. Peter who recently denied Jesus three times because of his fear of making a
stand for Jesus. Now, suddenly, would boldly preach Jesus before thousands of people. Why was this the most important evidence of the Holy Spirit’s presence? Well, Acts 1:8 says, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
In other words, as Jesus promised, the Holy Spirit’s presence in their lives will result in them becom ing powerful witnesses of the Lord Jesus. That’s exactly what happened to Peter. Let’s go back to our main discussion: What do we need to look for in a church? Well, the first one is focused on the changed lives of the believers in the church. How did this happen in the very first church?
I THERE IS THE CONVICTION OF THE HEART (vs. 36-37)
As I mentioned earlier, Peter, through the power of the Holy Spirit, preached a very powerful sermon that was centered on Jesus Christ. Verse 36 serves as the conclusion to his sermon. Notice what he said – “Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Je sus whom you crucified.”
With these words, he presented two important truths about Jesus Christ:
Jesus is Lord
The word “Lord,” which came from the Greek word “Kyrios” is consistently used in the passage by the apostle Peter as a reference to Yahweh. Notice three places in Acts 2.
♦ v. 21 – “And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” ♦ v. 34 – “For David did not ascend into the heavens, but he himself says, “The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at my right hand,’”
♦ v. 39 – “For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself.”
This usage of “Lord” applied to both Yahweh and Jesus is a strong testimony of the deity of Jesus Christ. Jesus is the second person of the Godhead.
A. Jesus is Christ
The meaning behind the name “Christ” suggests that Jesus is “the anointed Messiah.” Jesus is the One whom God has anointed to be the ultimate Deliverer and King for His people. But Peter did not stop at this truth, he proceeded to inflict the strongest accusation to his listeners by saying – “this Jesus whom you crucified.” Obviously, this last phrase was meant to drive across very clearly that they messed up big time because of their failure to recognize who Jesus truly was.
How did the people respond? Verse 37 shows it – “Now, when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, ‘Brothers, what shall we do?’” To appreciate what hap pened, let me emphasize the word “cut” in this verse. This word, which is translated as “pricked” in other Bible Versions, comes from the Greek root word, which suggests “to pain the mind sharply.” This is the effec tive work of the Holy Spirit in convicting or convincing the people about the truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. If you remember, the Lord Jesus talked about this ministry of the Holy Spirit in John 16:8-11 (ESV):
8And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment: 9concerning sin, because they do not believe in me;
10 concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father, and you will see me no longer; 11 concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.
In these verses, the Lord Jesus clearly spoke about the convicting work of the Holy Spirit. This happens when the Holy Spirit convinces sinners of their sinfulness, their lack of true righteousness, and the judgment they deserve as sinners.
This function of the Holy Spirit is actually a great encouragement for all of us who are sharing the Word of God with our friends and loved ones who have not surrendered their hearts to Jesus Christ yet. Convincing is not our work; it is only sharing Jesus Christ with them.
So, on this first point, the most basic criteria we want to see in the church of the Lord Jesus Christ is how Jesus is presented to the people. Is He presented as God and Savior? These two truths should always go together because it is only God who has the capacity to save sinners. Mere human beings would not be capable of saving anyone.
II THERE IS THE CONVERSION OF LIFE (vs. 38b -40)
After the people experienced the conviction of the Holy Spirit, they responded to the apostles in verse 37, asking, “Brothers, what shall we do?” I totally love their response. Do you know why? Often, there are people who would hear God’s word and would also feel convicted by what they heard, but instead of asking the same question, they would find justification why it is not possible for them to make it right with God. The best application of this is found in Matthew 7:24-27 (ESV):
24 “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock.
25And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock.
26And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand.
27And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.”
These words were given as a warning to people who listened to all the teachings that Jesus gave in the Sermon on the Mount. If they fail to respond positively and reject the words of Jesus Christ, then they will end up being destroyed by the tests of life. So, how do you respond to God’s Word?
For these people who listened to Peter’s sermon, the most appropriate response is summed by Peter in these words found in verse 38, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” With these words, Peter led the people to acknowledge their need for conversion. To avoid confusion, let’s first define what we mean by conversion. There may be some who are thinking that I’m referring to the conversion of our dollars into an other currency. No, that’s not it. Theologically, the simplest definition of conversion is - The act of turning away from sin and trusting Jesus Christ as Savior.
If you examine this definition, true conversion demands two concrete actions. Here are they: A. Repentance
When you examine the word “Repent” in verse 38, this is definitely more than just feeling sorry or guilty because of the sins committed. The Greek word used here is “Metanoeo,” which is a combination of two words. First is the preposition “meta,” which could be translated as “after.” Then the verb “noeo,” which is translated as “to perceive” or “to think.” With these two words, repentance could be understood as “to perceive or think differently after.” This is the reason why Biblical repentance is often defined as “the change of mind.” Meaning, in repentance, a sinner changes their perception of sin. The once-enjoyed sinful activity is now perceived as an offense against God, so the sinner abandons their sins. This definition of
repentance led the great evangelist, D.L. Moody, to say:
“Man is born with his face turned away from God. When he truly repents, he is
turned right around toward God, and leaves his old life.”
This process is perfectly illustrated by Jesus in the parable of the Prodigal Son
found in Luke 15:11-32. Remember the story. After getting his share of the inheritance, he left his father, lived far away from him, and began living carelessly, wasting his money. Then he hit rock bottom, no more money, no more friends, and now, living as a servant caring for pigs. Let’s read how he re pented:
Luke 15:17-21 (ESV):
17 “But when he came to himself, he said, ‘How many of my father's hired servants have more than enough bread, but I perish here with hunger!
18 I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you.
19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Treat me as one of your hired servants.”’ 20And he arose and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him.
21And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’
Listen, this is repentance – You see yourself as someone who turned away from your Father in heav en, so you turn around, and you go back to him, asking forgiveness for all the things you have done against Him.
B. Faith
If you go back to verse 38, the command, “be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins,” is a bit problematic because there are people who interpret this to mean that baptism is a requirement for salvation. I disagree with such an interpretation for these three reasons:
1. The Bible is quite clear that salvation is never by works but by faith alone in Jesus Christ. Ephesians 2:8-9 (ESV):
8For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9not a result of works, so that no one may boast.
God will never contradict His Word; besides this passage, there are still so many other places in the New Testament that teach that salvation is only by faith and not by works (Titus 3:5; Romans 3:27-28; Gala tians 2:15-16).
2. The thief on the cross was assured of going to heaven without water baptism. Luke 23:43:
43And he said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise.”
The thief on the cross was a known criminal who was sentenced to die by crucifixion. However, while on the cross, he expressed his faith in Jesus Christ. Clearly, his faith led to his salvation.
3. There are no Biblical records of Jesus baptizing anyone during His public ministry. If baptism is an absolute requirement for salvation, why is it that Jesus did not spend a lot of time
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baptizing the people who responded to him positively? The lack of this activity only shows that baptism is not a requirement for salvation.
So, how should we properly understand this statement then? Without a doubt, this statement of Pe ter emphasizes the visible manifestation of faith in Christ. Instead of simply talking about faith in Christ, which happens inwardly, baptism demands that believers publicly identify themselves with Jesus. The reality was for these Jews who recently rejected and crucified Jesus, to be baptized publicly demanded a deeper level of commitment to Him. This usage is not an isolated rendering. If you read Mark 16:16 (ESV), you will find the same emphasis:
16Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.
Just like in Acts 2:38, the first part of this verse seems to suggest that baptism is a requirement for salvation. However, you should not stop on the first part. You should finish reading the verse that says, “but whoever does not believe will be condemned.” To qualify the first part of the verse, baptism is no long er included to be saved. The same is done here – baptism is included to show the importance of it as a visible manifestation of faith in Christ.
Going back to our discussion of conversion, true conversions to Christ lead to some very special bless ings, as stated in verses 38-40:
A. The Forgiveness of Sins (v. 38)
The Greek word used in verse 38 literally suggests “Release from bondage” or “Letting them go as if they have never committed sins.” This promise is a great blessing because the weight of sin upon our lives can make us miserable. Since Jesus took that burden of sin on the cross, He is able to grant us freedom from its grip or miseries.
B. The Gift of the Holy Spirit (v. 38)
The gift of the Holy Spirit in this verse refers to the indwelling presence in the lives of believers, which begins on the day of conversion. Jesus mentioned the purpose of His coming to believers in John 14:26 –“But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.”
C. The Call to Himself and Out of the Crooked Generation (vs. 39-40)
Reading verses 39-40, Peter declared, For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself.” And with many other words, he bore witness and continued to exhort them, saying, “Save yourselves from this crooked generation.” Prior to sal
vation, sinners are far from God and are being corrupted by this sinful generation. So, God extended an effective call to sinners so that they would respond to His call and be delivered from this perverse and wick ed generation. Clearly, our salvation in Christ is more than just going to heaven; it includes becoming a part of Him where the sinful world would no longer have the power to destroy us.
It is truly amazing to turn our lives over to Jesus because of the blessings He has prepared for us. All these blessings can certainly result in changing the lives of genuine believers. So, what do we need to look for in a church? We should see change lives produced by true conversions.
III THERE IS THE CONFIRMATION OF FAITH (v. 41)
Lastly, allow me to show you what happened to those who listened to the Gospel preached by the Apostle Peter that day – “So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls.” There are three distinct responses here:
A. They believed in the Bible – “received his word”
There are many people who would have the privilege to listen to God’s Word, yet, despite the clarity of His Word, would totally ignore what they heard. This hardness of the heart is not seen among the multi tudes of people who listened on the Day of Pentecost. The text declares that they received what they heard. If you highlight the word “receive” here, it can be literally translated as “to receive gladly.” They did not fight what they heard or try to justify their sinful lives. As they were told to repent and believe in Jesus, that’s ex actly what they did. I trust we learn this attitude of submission to God’s Word. Do you know why? Here’s the testimony of the Psalmist in Psalm 119:92 (ESV):
93 I will never forget your precepts, for by them you have given me life.
B. They were baptized as believers – “those who received . . . were baptized”
In Peter’s sermon, they were exhorted to be baptized as their public identification with Jesus Christ (v. 38). So, the second part of their response was to be baptized. Today, there are so many Christians who do not submit themselves to baptism because of the fear that they are turning their backs on their former reli gion. Listen, it is not about religion, it is all about your new identity in Christ. I trust we understand the main reason why we need to be baptized by immersion. Listen to Romans 6:3-4 (ESV):
3Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.
Baptism by immersion demonstrates the Gospel of Jesus Christ, which is His death, burial, and resur rection. When true believers submit to water baptism, it is a public declaration of their faith in the finished work of Jesus Christ. I pray that if you are not yet baptized, you will do it as soon as possible. Are you bap tized already? Don’t delay in obeying God’s Word.
C. They became members of the church – “there were added that day about three thousand souls.” Once believers were baptized, they were added to the first church in Jerusalem. Since baptism is so important in confirming our conversion, so is our church membership. God has designed the faith community as the main support group for believers spiritually. The Christian life was never meant to be lived away from other believers. Christians who isolate themselves from the church are more vulnerable to the destructive attacks of the Devil. As the Lord gave us our physical families, He also provided us with a spiritual family. So, are you a member of our church already?
As one of the pastors of Bible Church International, it is my utmost prayer that if people walk into our church, they will be convinced that we are a church that is committed to helping people experience a change in life that comes through Jesus Christ. For this to be a reality, each one of us should stay committed to faith fully preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ and authentically living out the teachings of the Word of God. I still believe that if we do both, our church can impact this broken and sinful world more. I’m reminded of the words of Edward Mckendree Bounds, saying:
“The church is looking for better methods; God is looking for better Christians”
The fact is that new methods and strategies of the church are useless if the believers in the church are not truly living changed lives in Jesus Christ. The more we become better Christians, the better our church becomes in attracting more people to Jesus Christ.
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