Church! Receiving the Promise

 Jesus told His disciples, before He ascended into heaven,

"Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day: and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem." - Luke 24:46-47 KJV

"And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high." - Luke 24:49 KJV

Joel prophesied of the Father’s promise:

"And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions: and also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my spirit." - Joel 2:28-29 KJV

Jesus commanded His disciples,

"…That they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me. For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence." - Acts 1:4-5 KJV

On the Day of Pentecost, as promised, Jesus poured out His Spirit to those tarrying in an upper room.

"And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance." - Acts 2:4 KJV

Peter, standing up with the eleven apostles, told the people that had gathered,

"This is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel;" - Acts 2:16 KJV

"Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear." - Acts 2:33 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. 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." - Acts 2:38-39 KJV

It is Time to Receive the Promise!

Accepted in the Beloved by our covenant of baptism

 When we turn our back on sin by repentance, and are water baptized in Jesus name for the remission (forgiveness/washing away/burial) of our sins, we have entered into a covenant with God. He promises us the gift of His Spirit, the Holy Ghost. (Acts 2:38) We have become His bride. We forsake all others – putting away the world with its lusts and all other gods in our life - and cleaving to Jesus. (John 3:26, 29).

"And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength…" - Mark 12:30

"To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved. In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;" - Ephesians 1:6-7

"I am my beloved's, and my beloved is mine..." - Song of Songs 6:3

In our covenant, we are the bride of Christ. Our relationship is as a husband and wife.

"Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;" - Ephesians 5:25

"For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church: for we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones. For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh. This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church." - Ephesians 5:29-32 (John 14:20, John 15:4)

"For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." - Romans 8:38-39 KJV

Be ye therefore perfect

 

God is love (1 John 4:16). Jesus loves those that are good, as well as those that are evil.

"But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." - Romans 5:8 KJV

Rain is a blessing.

"For the earth which drinketh in the rain that cometh oft upon it, and bringeth forth herbs meet for them by whom it is dressed, receiveth blessing from God:" - Hebrews 6:7 KJV

Because God LOVES the just AND the unjust, He gives the BLESSING OF RAIN to the just AND the unjust.

"Who in times past suffered all nations to walk in their own ways. Nevertheless he left not himself without witness, in that he did good, and gave us rain from heaven, and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness." - Acts 14:16-17 KJV

"Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; that ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust." - Matthew 5:43-45 KJV

Jesus taught His disciples to love everyone – the good and the evil, the just and the unjust. We are to love everyone, as God does. (Luke 6:35).

"For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same? And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so?

“Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect." - Matthew 5:46-48 KJV

Jesus baptized.

On the day of Pentecost, Peter preached to the people, “Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins…”

When did Peter and the rest of the apostles get baptized in Jesus name, and who baptized them?

Jesus baptized them.

"After these things came Jesus and his disciples into the land of Judaea; and there he tarried with them, and baptized." - John 3:22 KJV

When did the rest of those that received the Holy Ghost in the upper room get baptized in Jesus name?

Looking back,

Some of John the Baptist’s disciples came questioning him. They apparently were concerned because Jesus’ ministry was growing. Jesus was baptizing.

"And they came unto John, and said unto him, Rabbi, he that was with thee beyond Jordan, to whom thou barest witness, behold, the same baptizeth, and all men come to him." - John 3:26 KJV

Jesus’ disciples also baptized.

"When therefore the Lord knew how the Pharisees had heard that Jesus made and baptized more disciples than John, (Though Jesus himself baptized not, but his disciples,) He left Judaea, and departed again into Galilee." - John 4:1-3 KJV

Thus, on the day of Pentecost, all the disciples of Jesus gathered in the upper room that received the Holy Ghost were already baptized in Jesus name. There were probably about a hundred and twenty disciples there all together. (Acts 1:15)

After Peter preached the gospel message, about three thousand MORE were baptized and ADDED to the disciples.

"Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls." - Acts 2:41 KJV

"…And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved." - Acts 2:47 KJV

 

Jesus commands His disciples - Peter OBEYED Jesus' command

 

How do we follow Jesus?

"And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me." - Mark 8:34 KJV

How do we follow Jesus?

Jesus denied Himself.

"Saying...not my will, but thine, be done." - Luke 22:42 KJV

Jesus took up His cross and was crucified.

"And he bearing his cross went forth into a place…where they crucified him..." - John 19:17-18 KJV

Jesus was buried.

"And laid it [His body] in a sepulchre that was hewn in stone..." - Luke 23:53 KJV

Jesus was resurrected.

"He is not here, but is risen…" - Luke 24:6 KJV

Then what?

Jesus was a witness.

"To whom also he shewed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God:" - Acts 1:3 KJV

Then,

"He was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight." - Acts 1:9 KJV

How do we follow Jesus?

We deny ourselves.

"Denying ungodliness and worldly lusts [sinful pleasures]..." - Titus 2:12 KJV

We crucify our sinful nature by repentance.

"Knowing this, that our old man [old sinful self] is crucified with him..." - Romans 6:6 KJV (See also: Galatians 5:24, 6:14.)

We are buried by baptism in Jesus name.

"We are buried with him by baptism..." - Romans 6:4 KJV (Also: Colossians 2:12).

We are resurrected by the Holy Ghost.

"That like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life." - Romans 6:4 KJV

Summary so far:

"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." - Acts 2:38 KJV

Then what?

We are witnesses.

"But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me..." - Acts 1:8 KJV (See also: 2 Corinthians 5:19-20)

"This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh." - Galatians 5:16 KJV

Then,

"Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord." - 1 Thessalonians 4:17 KJV

The Gospel - the power of God unto salvation

 "For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek." - Romans 1:16 KJV

What is the gospel?

"For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; and that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:" - 1 Corinthians 15:3-4 KJV

To be saved by the gospel, we must not only BELIEVE the gospel; we must also OBEY the gospel. (1 Corinthians 15:2).

To obey the gospel, we must be baptized with water and with the Spirit. (John 3:5).

On the Day of Pentecost, Peter preached the gospel of Jesus.

"Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain: whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible that he should be holden of it." - Acts 2:23-24 KJV

The people asked Peter and the rest of the disciples, “Men and brethren, what shall we do?”

Peter then preached how to obey the gospel.

"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." - Acts 2:38 KJV

The gospel, that Jesus died for our sins, was buried, and rose again, is the power of salvation. If we BELIEVE the gospel and OBEY the gospel by repenting of our sins, applying the blood and Spirit of Jesus to our life by being baptized in water in Jesus name and baptized with His Spirit (speaking in tongues as His Spirit gives us the utterance). (John 3:5-8, Acts 2:2, 4, Acts 10:45-48, Acts 19:5-6).

Jesus told His disciples to preach the gospel. Those that BELIEVE the gospel and OBEY the gospel by being baptized shall be saved.

"Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned." - Mark 16:15-16 KJV