A Fresh Faith — Acts 1-2

0:00 And, Devin, thanks for giving the announcements. Just a point of clarification of something that's very important. Devin said that we'll... The conference weekend will start off with the pie baking contest, which is kind of true, but then we'll be eating first. We are having supper here that night.

0:18 Alright? So make sure the pie is for dessert. So get the full benefit of of coming for supper. But we do we do hope that everyone can join us for that fall Bible Conference. Really, it's coming up in in less than a week, right?

0:36 This it'll be next next Friday. And then there'll be instructions about this Wednesday. I think Mason was wanting to get together early before the prayer time maybe like at 05:30 to help kind of do some prep and setting up for the conference. Alright. So, today, October 19.

0:58 Glad that we can all be here together. We're in the book of Acts. Please take your Bibles and turn to Acts chapter two. Acts chapter two, please. We're going to open up with a word of prayer and then we'll look at we'll start working on our portion.

1:14 We've got Acts chapter two and if I could maybe just divide Acts chapter two in in this way is that you, well, we've had three speakers now in Acts chapter two and so, the first part of Act, if we take Acts two and divide it into three sections, the first part is the day of Pentecost where the spirit comes, the birth of the church. That's the first section. The part two section is Peter's sermon that we heard about last week. And then the third section would be the reaction to that. So you have the day of Pentecost, the coming of the spirit in a new way, the Peter's sermon, and then the reaction and instruction from Peter's sermon and that's where we'll be today.

2:00 As you find Acts chapter two, look at verse 37 and I'll pray just before we read. Our heavenly father, we give thanks for this opportunity once again, and father, we're we're before you just now, and we're thankful for this this... The... We're we're thankful for the whole scripture, but specifically that you've you've led us to focus in and study this portion of scripture that's about the birth of the church, that's about the work of the holy spirit and father, we're we're attesting to the fact that we need help in understanding these things. Father, I'm saying before you this morning, I need help in explaining some of these things.

2:42 So, father, we're we're trusting you. We're trusting the work of the holy spirit among here this morning. We pray that the holy spirit would have free course. We pray that the Holy Spirit would be unhindered here this morning by myself or or and so father, I just I I trust you for this. We commit this to you.

3:02 We pray this for our body, for our local expression of the body of Christ in in the lord Jesus Christ name. Amen. Amen. Acts chapter two and verse 37. Now, when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart.

3:17 That's how this first little phrase starts off in this in this verse. You might have that they when they heard this, they were cut to the heart and so we we would say, okay, what did they hear? And so, let's just back up just a tad a tad bit to verse 32. This is what they were listening to as Peter is bringing his sermon to a conclusion. Verse 32 says, this Jesus hath god raised up whereof we are all witnesses.

3:43 What's he saying? It's like, look, you saw the death, the burial of Jesus, and you saw the resurrection of Jesus which is an undisputed fact. This this is what we are witnesses of. There there verse 33. Therefore, being being by therefore, being by the right hand of god exalted.

4:02 It says, we we we read in Ephesians, god, the father, raised Jesus Christ from the dead. God, the father, raised him from the dead by being by his right hand of god, the right hand of god, exalting him, raising him from the dead, and setting him on his throne and having received the the father, the the promise of the holy ghost. Peter's making reference to the fact the the father has promised the holy ghost. If Jesus goes away, the holy ghost will come. He has shed forth this which you now see and hear.

4:37 Look at verse 36. Therefore, let all the house of Israel know assuredly. Know this for sure. This is concrete. This is this is you can bank on this.

4:48 That god hath made this same Jesus whom you crucified both lord and Christ And when they heard this, they were cut to the heart. When they heard this, they were pricked to the heart. We hear these these... I'm gonna call them titles. Okay?

5:11 Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus, God in the flesh, Emmanuel. We hear that name. We hear the name Christ, the anointed one, the the one who was selected to be able to pay for the sin of the world. We hear the name lord.

5:42 Highest, supreme, Paul writes, blessed and only potentate. He uses that the you know, sovereign. Lord, Jesus Christ And so, they they've heard this spoken about the lord Jesus Christ and maybe we could just make a little highlight in our mind to say, hey, one thing we want to see this morning is the lord Jesus Christ. The book of Acts is about the lord Jesus Christ. Peter's sermon is about the lord Jesus Christ.

6:14 You and I need to be about the lord Jesus Christ and so, when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart. Now, I want to before we advance in this, I want to I want to ask us to consider a question. What is going on here? What is it that's going on here? Peter's preaching, people are hearing, people are being cut to the heart.

7:05 Matthew chapter six. In Matthew chapter six, the lord Jesus is speaking and in verse 33, he says this, he's talking to the people that are following him. He says, but seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you. I'm going back here to give us a springboard or a basis to answer the question, what is happening in Acts chapter two? Jesus, when he was among us in the flesh, he said this, his teaching was seek first the kingdom of god.

7:45 Now, we we understand this this aspect of the kingdom and right now, let's just let's not get caught up on the kingdom of god. I want to I want to explain it. I want to I want to define it this way. Where god is? Where God...

8:04 Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness. Seek first to be where God is. Remember, John writes it this way in in John chapter 14. He says, I go away to prepare a place for you that where I am, there you may be also. So, let's seek that.

8:23 Seek, seek that where I am that you may be there also, okay? That's that's the first thing that we want we want to consider. The next thing in the book of Matthew is go to Matthew chapter 16. Flip over to Matthew chapter 16. We're laying some foundation.

8:41 We're laying groundwork. Seek ye first the kingdom of God. Seek ye first the lord Jesus Christ. In Matthew chapter 16, Jesus is working among his disciples. He's he's he's been teaching.

8:55 He is is leading them and look at verse 13. Matthew sixteen thirteen. He says this, when Jesus came into the coast of Caesarea Philippi, Jesus asked his disciples, whom do men say that I am? The son of man. Who do they say I am?

9:16 And they said to him, they answered him saying, thou art John the Baptist. Some say that you are Elias. Others say you're Jeremias or one of the prophets. And then Jesus turned to them and said, but who do you say that I am? And Simon Peter answered and said, thou art Christ, the son of the living God.

9:38 Remember that phrase, the Lord Jesus Christ? Thou art Christ, the son of the living God. Now, look at what happens in verse 17. I want to... We gotta...

9:48 We wanna catch what this... Jesus responds to him and says, blessed art thou, Simon Bar Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed it unto you, but my father, which is in heaven. What is going on right here? What's happening? He says, flesh and blood has not revealed this to you.

10:10 This was spiritually discerned, okay? And and Jesus is giving Peter an attaboy. There you go, Peter. You're getting it. Now, you got it, Peter.

10:21 I am the son of god. I am the Christ, the anointed one. I will be the lord Jesus Christ. You know me as Jesus now but you're going to see me as Christ. You know me as as Jesus.

10:35 You're going to observe me as Christ. You're going to recognize me as lord. This is spiritually discerned. And so, the highlight... Just make a little note of that in your mind.

10:46 We're going to come back to that. What's that that fact? And then then he goes on and says this, I say unto you Peter, I say unto you Peter, you are Peter and upon this rock, I will build my church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. So, the as we understand New Testament Christianity, as we understand, god revealing his plan to bring you and I, a sinful fallen people into relationship with him. We understand these things.

11:19 Jesus dwelt among mankind. Jesus would say, seek first my kingdom. As he's as he's leading the disciples alone... Along, and they... And he asked them this question, who do men say that I am?

11:35 And Peter, being able to spiritually discern, you're Him. You're the Messiah. You're the Christ. Jesus shifts gears here in the in the gospel and he lets he he exposes three new stages of god's redemption's plan. We see it right here in this this portion of scripture.

12:04 And they all start with c, okay, that we can easily remember them. And I'm even going to say there... It's Christ cross, Christ's church, and Christ's coming. We see that all right here. Who do men say that I am?

12:23 You're Christ. He tells them about the church. He he says, look look at it. In in chapter 16, he tells about the church first. Blessed are thou, Simon Bar Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed it unto thee but my father which is in heaven.

12:37 I say unto thee, I say unto thee, Peter, thou art Peter, upon this rock, I will build my church. There's the first sea. I will build my church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. One thing we want to grab hold of is that Christ is the builder. He's the master builder.

12:53 Remember, keep all this fresh in your mind because we're answering the question, what is going on in the second chapter of Acts? This plan is coming to fruition, okay? And so, Peter Peter, I'm going to build my church in the gates of hell not prevail against it and I will give unto thee the keys of this kingdom of heaven and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound on earth and in heaven. What shall thou shalt lose on earth shall be loosed in heaven and he charged his disciples that they should tell no man that he was Jesus the Christ. We may address that in a minute but let's let's cover the other two Cs.

13:58 The cross was only... The church was only made possible by Jesus going to the cross. And so then we read on... Skip down to... Well, let's look at this, verse 24.

14:11 Then said Jesus unto his disciples. Now look, this is this is the teachings of Jesus. Okay? This is the teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ. If any man will come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.

14:28 For whosoever will save their life shall lose it, but whosoever will lose their life for my sake shall find it. And now, look at this, for what shall it profit a man or a person if he would gain the whole world and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his own soul? For the son of man shall come in glory, the glory of his father with his angels. And then he shall reward every man according to his works, the coming, Christ coming.

15:04 As we have this in our minds, now go to Acts chapter one. Acts chapter one, please. Remember, we're studying the book of Acts and Acts is a transitionary book. What is it transitioning to and from? It's transitioning from the gospels to the epistles or the New Testament work in the church.

15:33 Okay? And so we're making this transition. And so Acts is a transitionary book. And so what we've just done is removed... Reviewed some fundamental teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ and what his plan is going forward and now, we're going to transition into it, okay?

15:50 The foundation was there in the verses that I just described to you. Now, look at Acts chapter one and be reminded of this. Christian covered this for us a couple of weeks ago in this first portion of of Acts chapter one. Look at verse four. I want you to just pick out, lay your eyes on verse four and pick out the phrase, wait for the promise of the father.

16:11 Jesus made reference to that when he was speaking back to the disciples. But he says, wait for the promise of the father. Then, look at verse eight, for you shall receive power after that the holy ghost has come upon you and you shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaritan and to the other most parts of the earth. What are we going be witnesses of? That the lord Jesus Christ lived on this earth, was was put on the cross for our sin, was buried, and rose again, seen by many witnesses And we're gonna be witnesses of God's plan to bring you and I into relationship with the holy God.

16:52 So what is the promise here? We know it's the Holy Spirit that's going to come. The promise is the Holy Spirit to come. Then Andy covered for us in the second half of Acts chapter one. He he went through the balance of and what I would like to draw your attention to here is verse 20.

17:15 Notice this, for for it is written in the book of Psalms. They hit up on their their first issue or first challenge, first problem. And what do we do? And Peter says this, he reminds them, he takes them back to the scripture for it is written in the book of Psalms. So in chapter...

17:37 In the first part of the chapter, we're seeing wait for the promise of the spirit. The second part of the chapter we're seeing the scripture. These two s's, the spirit and the scripture. These are fundamental and foundational for the church going forward. Again, so here, the spirit's gonna be integrated and the scripture is gonna be important.

18:13 Here's what I want you to catch hold of. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost and began to speak with other tongues as the spirit gave them utterance. So the promise was given to the spirit. This is a fulfillment of that promise. Now, the spirit.

18:32 Let's just think about it here. Hold your finger in Acts chapter one. I want to catch a verse in John chapter 16 to remind us of the work of the spirit. Okay? Everybody hanging with me?

18:47 We're still answering the question. What's going on in Acts chapter two and verse 37? Alright. So, John chapter 16, we're going to remind ourselves about what the spirit's purpose is here, okay? This is Jesus and the father revealing their plan.

19:04 Acts chapter or excuse me, John chapter 16 and verse seven. Nevertheless, I tell you the truth. This is truth. It is it is expedient for you. Jesus talking to his followers that I go away.

19:18 For if I go not away, the comforter, the holy spirit will not come unto you but if I depart, I will send him unto you And when he, the Holy Spirit, has come, he will reprove the world of sin. This is what the Holy Spirit does in in our own hearts and lives. He will reprove us of sin and of righteousness. He he pricks or recoils at sin and he affirms righteousness. And of judgment and of sin because they believe me not and of righteousness because I go to my father and you see me no more.

19:55 Of judgement because the prince of this world is judged. Now, look at this, okay? I have yet many things to say unto you but you cannot bear them now. Guess what? When Jesus was talking to the disciples that we read back in Matthew chapter six, seek ye first the kingdom of God, He gave that to them, but He...

20:19 There was more He wanted to tell them. When he was there talking with his disciples and says, who do men say that I am? And Peter recognized like, wow, you are... You're him. You're the Christ.

20:33 You're the anointed one. Jesus wanted to tell them more and he started to try to tell them more. He told them he told them about the church. Hey, I've got this idea. It's not just gonna be the Jews anymore, y'all.

20:47 It's gonna be the Jews and the Gentiles. And in order for me to build this church, in order for me to break down this middle wall of partition, I'm gonna have to be put up on the cross and die by the Jewish leaders. He wanted to tell... In fact, we... When you go back and you read that portion, they didn't understand what he was saying.

21:10 And and even he tells them repeatedly and he says, let this sink down into your ears. Guess what? He was trying to tell them more and they couldn't hear it. Now, we come and he's telling them, wait for the promise of the spirit. The spirit has come on the day of Pentecost.

21:30 And and now look look at we're at verse 12. I have yet many things to say unto you but you cannot bear em now. What I'm trying to suggest to you is that the now is now, okay? The the the now has come in Acts chapter two and look at verse 13. Howbeit when he, the spirit, the holy spirit has come and we might say, like he did on the day of Pentecost, the spirit of truth is come.

21:56 He will guide you into all truth. You see that? One of the aspects of the Holy Spirit is to guide us into all truth. Now we start to understand. Now here here, make this connection.

22:08 Peter, flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but it's been spiritually discerned. That's available to you and I, to spiritually discern what God is doing, what he's saying in his word, and what he wants us to do. So the spirit's here to guide us. We've waited for the spirit, so to speak. The spirit has come in fresh...

22:38 In a fresh new way. The church is established. He will guide you into all truth for he shall not speak of himself, but whatsoever he... You shall hear, that he shall speak. And when when he will show you the things to come.

22:59 And so the spirit comes in Acts chapter... To go back to Acts chapter two and verse four. There are special signs that are given right there to validate this is the work of God. This is not the work of man. This is the transition you remember.

23:14 He he wanted to bring something. When Jesus lived among them, he did signs and wonders. Now, Jesus is back in heaven. He's going to allow a sign and wonder to validate what he's doing. The coming of the spirit was accompanied by this by this wind and by the fire, by this by this manifestation of tongues, people being able to hear in their own language.

23:48 Peter preaches, but I want you to I want you to understand, the people ask a question. What... In fact, it's in Acts chapter two of verse 12. What what does this mean? What does this mean?

24:04 This wind, this noise, this fact that I'm hearing all these people speak. What does this mean? The spirit has come. That's what it means. The spirit has come.

24:14 Christ's plan, the next step in Christ's plan is happening. Now, Peter preaches. Peter, the very one that Christ was speaking to there in Caesarea Philippi. Peter, upon this rock, I will build my church. I'm gonna...

24:37 Jesus was the rock. Peter was the instrument. Peter was was preaching the word. And so Peter's being... He was divinely inspired to to be able to recognize the lord Jesus Christ.

24:52 Now, he's divinely inspired as he yields himself to the Holy Spirit and he attempts to answer their question. What does this mean? He tells them this is what it means. Now when they heard this, Acts chapter two and verse 37. When they heard this, they were pricked in their heart and they said to the...

25:12 To Peter and the rest of the apostles, men and brethren, what shall we do? What I've attempted to describe to you here in our beginning portion of this message is that how God was working. How God was working. God had a had a message that he wanted to communicate. God's wanting to reveal his son, the Lord Jesus Christ.

25:43 God is wanting to execute his redemption's plan. And so he does this by giving real human beings and Jesus in the flesh as a human. He does this by taking his scripture, the Old Testament, as we're transitioning to the New Testament. And he does this by the work of the Holy Spirit. God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit, all at work together in unison to bring about newness of life, to bring about you and I understanding a purpose, understanding why was I made?

26:29 Wait. I was made in the image and likeness of God. I was created to have capacity to have relationship with the true and living God. I was I was created with eternity in my heart. I will experience this human existence now, but my soul will live on in eternity, either joined together with God or separated from God.

26:53 This is what's happening. God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit, and god's word, the scripture is all coming to fruition, all coming together, all all all circuits are are jiving, all gears are meshing. This is what is happening. And when they heard the word, they were cut to the heart. You know why?

27:21 It was truth. Truth was being spoken. You know why they were cut? Because the Holy Spirit was doing its job convicting of sin and of judgment, of truth, of of righteousness, of This is this is why they were cut. This morning, you might remember that Jim opened up the breaking of bread with a personal story of him getting in trouble as a 13 year old and totally expecting a spanking or because of his offense.

27:57 And his mom and dad sat him down, and they gave him a talking to to express their disappointment in him. And he said that cut me to the heart. The people listened to this message and they were cut to the heart. I... And let me tell you this.

28:27 You remember we read back in Matthew chapter 16 and Jesus saying, who do men say that I am? And Peter says, you're the Christ. And Jesus says, oh, this is great Peter. You've done well. Flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but it was spiritually discerned.

28:46 You see... And then later he says, don't tell any man that I'm Jesus Christ. I'm going to offer this to you that, I mean, I can stand up here. I could juggle. I could stand on my head.

29:03 I could scream real loud and say, don't you realize who Jesus Christ is? Flesh and blood, me. I can't reveal it to you. But the Holy Spirit can. You gotta let it.

29:20 The people heard what was being said, and they were pricked in their heart. Jesus was the Messiah? Those people today, those people that are hearing that message, they understood that day in a new and fresh way that what Peter understood, Jesus is the Christ. And they were cut to their heart. And God is wanting to...

29:50 He's saying, look, I want other people to understand this truth. I want you to spiritually understand who Jesus Christ is. I understand that it's not flesh and blood, but guess what? I want flesh and blood to be my vehicle or to be one of my means to carry the truth. Wait for the power of the spirit.

30:08 You will be my witnesses. You see the power of the spirit is the god part. The the the the witnesses is the our part. That's what I gotta do. I've gotta be the witness.

30:21 God's gonna gonna set this up to where men and women are carrying on the the the scriptural message, the spirit's message. And all we we do is present. And so this morning, we're here and we say, what's going on? This is God at work. God at work.

30:55 And then they're saying this, what shall I do? He comes in and the people say... The people that heard the message, the ones that were convicted of heart said, men and brethren, what shall we do? And so I offer this to you this morning as a historical biblical example of what God is doing today. He's still doing this very same thing.

31:27 He has got you and I, he's got his word, he's got the Holy Spirit, and he's given a message. He's revealing his truth. What shall we do? Verse 38. Then Peter said unto them, repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sin and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.

31:55 What was the first thing to do? It take care of your spiritual standing before a holy God. I'm a sinner. The Bible says that all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. The Bible is very clear and says that there was none righteous, no, not one.

32:12 The Bible is very clear and says that the soul that sins will surely die as we read about in Ezekiel. If a person dies without Christ, they are separated from God eternally in a place called hell. If... The Bible also says that, hey, the the wages of sin is death, separation from God, but the gift of God is eternal life through, listen, Jesus Christ our Lord. Jesus Christ our Lord.

32:42 He's offered salvation. All that we have to do, whosoever will believe and receive this, they will be saved. And so that's the first thing is repent. What are you doing? I recognize I'm agreeing with God that I'm a sinner.

32:59 I was going my own way. I'm turning now. I'm going back toward God. I agree with God. God says I need to accept Jesus Christ as my savior.

33:07 I take him I take him in his word. I'm saved. I'm forgiven of my sin. And now, the order is still the fact when I am saved, the moment I'm saved, I am dwelt with the Holy Spirit. And so the Holy Spirit was working on me before?

33:24 Yes, that's true. Now I've got the Holy Spirit residing in me. Now, that same conviction, reproof, work of the spirit that went on before salvation still happens with me in salvation as I follow Christ. Now, Peter, these are the disciples of of Christ. The people that were in that room on Pentecost morning, they are the disciples, they are the followers of Christ.

33:48 They are indwelt with the Holy Spirit. Now look, I'm going to read this in verse 39. For the promise is unto you and unto your children. What's the promise? Well, there's a promise of salvation and there's a promise of receiving the Holy Ghost once you become a true believer in the Lord Jesus Christ.

34:05 The promise is to you and to your children and to all that are far off, even as to as many as the Lord our God shall call. Verse 40, and with many other words did he, I think this is a reference back to Peter, he did testify and exhort. I would love to hear... I don't... You know, would love to hear that the the continuation of that sermon.

34:28 It was a powerful sermon, but many other words that he he testify and exhort. He he was telling them what to do. He was giving them instruction. It was god's word to them. They were hearing it.

34:39 They were sensitive to god's word. They were being pricked in the heart. Now, look at verse 41. And they, our audience that we've been talking about, they that gladly received the word were baptized. Let me make a distinction for you in this in this phrase.

35:13 And they that heard and they that they that gladly received the word. There were some that received it and some didn't. Okay? Some heard the word and they said, you know what? Yeah, I don't know.

35:26 Maybe another day. For whatever reason, they chose not to respond to the spirit's prodding. Not to respond and say, you know what? It sounds good. I mean, it sounds it sounds accurate.

35:39 It sounds like it might be true, but I need a little bit more proof. A Thomas. They... But there were people there that gladly received the word. It was almost like, wow, this is what I've been looking for.

35:53 And you know what? It's exactly what we're created for. You mean I can enter in relationship with God? Yes. This is what I want.

36:02 They gladly received the word and they were baptized. And that same day there were added unto them about 3,000 souls. This was a work of the spirit. This was not the work of flesh and blood. This was not Peter.

36:16 This was Peter being used to the spirit to speak forth the scripture and to explain the scripture and the spirit working among that group and the people being sensitive. Does this make sense? This is what was happening. Now, here's another... Well, let's just let's let's just read on.

36:50 We just saw wind, a noisome wind. We just saw people speaking in our in our native tongue. We just saw signs and wonders. We just saw the unlearned fishermen give up and and give us a message like no other that any any priest or any rabbi has ever said and we're we're been pricked in our heart. We know this is of god.

37:19 This is the fear. This was like the awe, the wonder. 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 in common. They sold their possessions and goods and parted them to all men as every person had need and they continued daily with one accord in unison going to the temple and breaking bread from house to house. They did eat their meat or their meal with gladness and singleness of heart with oneness of heart.

37:51 Verse 47, praising God and having favor with all people and the Lord added to the church daily as such should be saved. Now I I wish I wish I could read Acts two forty two to you today. I wish I could read the scripture and say, and they continued steadfastly. The word steadfastly means they were seriously devoted to it. They put effort toward it.

38:21 They put energy toward it. I wish I could read that passage of scripture and say, they continued steadfastly putting emphasis, putting high priority, putting emphasis on coming together for the apostles doctrine, coming together to work together toward a common goal of fellowship, coming together and doing doing the breaking of bread, remembering the Lord Jesus Christ as he asked, coming together and pray together. I wish I could read that passage of scripture and we would all go like this. Oh, I'm cut to the heart. I'm convicted in my soul that this is God's word.

39:05 This is what he wants. This is what he desires. He's made it so clear.

39:15 Justin read in Psalm 78 this morning, but they forgot me. They wandered away from my commandments. They wandered away from my instruction.

39:28 They forgot the signs and wonders that I had done. What does this mean? Was one of their questions. What does this mean?

39:40 Peter told him, this means that God is among us. God has manifested himself in the spirit. God has given us the scripture. Remember that balance? The spirit and the scripture are balancing each other out, and we're gonna move forward.

39:59 We're gonna move forward.

40:02 What shall we do? What does it mean? What shall we do? You should hear the word and be convicted. You should be sensitive to the Holy Spirit.

40:14 If you haven't received Christ, receive him today. If you've never been baptized, be baptized.

40:26 If you

40:27 think that the breaking of bread

40:32 and prayer and fellowship and the apostles' doctrine are not important, reconsider that. Ask the Lord what he would have you to do. They gladly received it. They did it.

40:55 Listen.

40:58 I... I'm not trying to say shame on you. I'm trying to tell you that when people ask a question, what does God's word mean? What does God's spirit intend? When they asked the question to Peter, what shall we

41:41 building his church.

41:42 The gates of hell will not prevail against it, and his church is to continue in the teaching of the apostles' doctrine. The church is to continue in fellowship working together toward a common goal. The church is to continue in the breaking of bread and the church is to continue in prayer. Other men have talked about this and they've said like John Phillips, he goes, I I see four Ts here. Four Ts.

42:07 The first, the apostles dot doctrine is truth. They continued in truth. I see the fellowship, a tee, tie, the what tied them together. My common bond in Christ were brothers and sisters in Christ. I see a third T, the breaking of bread, the table.

42:25 And I see the fourth t, the throne, the throne of God. Recognize truth. Be tied together in the fellowship of the workings together of this local body, come to the table, come to the throne. J. B.

42:52 Nicholson stating the same four. He said, When I hear the doctrine, I hear truth. When I think of fellowship, I think of community. When I I see the breaking of bread, I think of devotedness. And when I hear prayer, I think of power.

43:14 Wait for the power. Jim Simbelow was used in the Brooklyn area to use mightily of the Lord. And he wrote a trilogy of his experience, three books. Some of you have read them. They're great.

43:33 The first book was entitled Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire. Reminds me of Acts, the beginning of Acts chapter two, the Holy Spirit. Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire. The second title was Fresh Faithfulness. What what Peter described and the people received was a fresh faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and they went on.

44:01 And the third book that he finished up with was Fresh Power. Ye shall receive power to do the work that I've given you to do. Heavenly Father, we commend all these things unto you, and we ask this in Jesus Christ's name. Amen.