Acts Part 4: Peter's Sermon

We continue to explore Acts 2 and the truth that the gospel is far bigger than simply "going to heaven one day." The gospel is the announcement that Jesus is King, heaven has come near, and the Holy Spirit is forming a people who embody the life of God together now.

We reflected on how Scripture tells the story not of humanity escaping earth, but of God continually coming near — from Eden, to the tabernacle, to Jesus, to Pentecost, and ultimately to the renewal of all things. Acts 2 shows heaven invading earth through a Spirit-filled community.

Peter's sermon does not end with private spirituality. It creates a people. Strangers become family. Generosity explodes. Meals become sacred. Prayer becomes central. The church becomes an outpost of heaven — a living picture of the Kingdom of God in the world.

We consider how easy it is to approach church like a hotel rather than a home: evaluating, consuming, and remaining disconnected. But the New Testament vision is of a family where people carry burdens, forgive one another, serve sacrificially, and remain planted even when things become difficult. Isolated Christianity simply does not work. We were never meant merely to attend services, but to participate in the life of God together.

We explore Jesus' words at Caesarea Philippi: "I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it." This verse can be imagined as the church under attack, but Jesus does not speak of the swords of Hades, the armies of Hades, or the arrows of Hades. He speaks of gates and gates don’t attack! This is a picture not of a frightened church hiding from darkness, but of a Spirit-filled church advancing into places ruled by sin, despair, and death itself: the gates being unable to withstand the life of Christ. Death cannot prove stronger than resurrection. Darkness cannot overpower light. The risen Jesus is building a people that don't cower from the darkness but through whom heaven pushes back the darkness.

We reflect on Jesus standing in the synagogue in Luke 4 and reading from Isaiah 61 "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me to…"

• Bring good news to the poor.
• Freedom for prisoners.
• Sight for the blind.
• Freedom for the oppressed.
• The year of the Lord's favour.

Jesus announces that this mission is now being fulfilled in him. Then in Acts 2 that same Spirit is poured out upon the church. Meaning the mission of Jesus becomes the mission of his people.

The Holy Spirit is not given merely for spiritual experiences, but so the life and ministry of Jesus continue through his body on earth. The church is meant to become:

• good news to the poor,
• hope for the lonely,
• family for the unwanted,
• light in darkness,
• truth in confusion,
• a channel for healing to the sick,
• compassion in suffering, and,
• freedom for those in bondage.

Acts does not show a church hiding from the world. It shows ordinary people filled with the Spirit going out and "punching holes in the darkness" with the life of Jesus.

The church must be marked not by pride or performance, but by humility, love, compassion, and service. The goal is not simply better church services. It is a different kind of humanity: a people shaped by the presence of Jesus, filled with the Spirit, living as a preview of the coming Kingdom.

Until then:

• Be planted.
• Carry one another.
• Stop merely attending.
• Live the gospel.
• And let the world see what the reign of Jesus looks like in human form.

You can see past sermons on the Leominster Baptist Church website at  Leominster Baptist Church - YouTube and can contact us directly with your feedback or queries through the Contact Us link at the top of the episode description text.

Leominster Baptist Church can be found on Etnam Street in Leominster, Herefordshire. To find out more about us, visit our website leobc.co.uk. If you would like to speak to someone about anything that you have heard on our podcasts please give us a call and ask for a chat.

Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:06

In this podcast, we continue to explore Acts chapter 2, and the truth of the Gospel is far bigger than simply going to heaven one day. The Gospel is the announcement that Jesus is King. Heaven has come near, and the Holy Spirit is forming a people who embody the life of God together now. The podcast reflects on how Scripture tells the story not of humanity escaping Earth, but of God continually coming near, from Eden to the tabernacle to Jesus to Pentecost and ultimately to the renewal of all things. Acts 2 shows heaven invading Earth through a spirit-filled community. Peter's sermon does not end with private spirituality. It creates a people. Strangers become family and generosity explodes. Meals become sacred, prayer becomes central. The church becomes an outpost of heaven, a living picture of the kingdom of God in the world. Let's listen to this exciting message.

SPEAKER_00 1:08

Act two, the Book of Acts. That's what we've been calling this series as we've been going through the Book of Acts, seeing how it followed on from what Jesus did. Act 1. Jesus, the Son of God, comes, lives, dies, resurrected, ascended, and that leads into Act 2, the Book of Acts, where the church is sent out with a mission and with a purpose. And we've been going through this last week. We saw the moment when the Spirit is poured out, at least the first half, where the Spirit is poured out and people are renewed and the Spirit comes to dwell. There is this relationship. We saw that it's not just a moment, but it's something and it's an experience that goes on. We now walk and step with the Spirit. We walk in communion with the Spirit, that He is how we can relate to God and know God, that each of us can know Him and see Him and live for Him. And today we come on to part two. I'm going to begin just by reading the sermon. So this is Peter's sermon as he's preached. He's preached part of it, quoting Joel, saying, This is what was promised, that sons and daughters and old men and old women and everyone in between would be filled with the Spirit and would know God. That is what's taking place. And he carries on and he says, Fellow Israelites, listen to this. Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders, and signs, which God did among you and through him as you yourselves know. This man was handed over to you by God, God's deliberate plan and foreknowledge. And you, with the help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the cross. But God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him. David, that's King David in the Old Testament, said this about him. I saw the Lord always before me, always before me, not temporarily before me, but always. Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken. Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices. My body also will rest in hope. David sees a time where there'll be a Lord always before, who may die for a day, but will rise again and always be at the right hand of God. And he says, Because you will not abandon me to the realm of the dead, you will not let your holy one see decay. You have made known to me the paths of life, you will fill me with joy in your presence. Fellow Israelites, he goes on, I can tell you confidently that the patriarch David died and was buried, and that his tomb is here to this day. But he was a prophet and knew that God had promised him an oath that he would place one of his descendants on his throne. Seeing what was to come, he spoke of the resurrection of the Messiah, that he was not abandoned to the realm of the dead, nor did his body see decay. God has raised this Jesus to life, and we are all witnesses of it. The very thing promised, you will be my witnesses. That is what we are, we are witnesses of it. Exalted to the right hand of God, he has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit and has poured out what you now see and hear. For David did not ascend to heaven, and yet he said, The Lord said to my Lord, Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet. Therefore, let all Israel be assured of this. God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah. When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, Brothers, what shall we do? Peter replied, 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, the promises for you and your children, and for all who are far off, for all whom the Lord our God will call. With many other words he warned them and he pleaded with them, save yourselves from this corrupt generation. Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day. They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favour of all people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who are being saved. That is taking me about four minutes to read, which begs the question why most modern preachers take much longer than that to preach their sermons, but let's not dwell on that and go there. It is what it is. We seem to have extended our concentration time since the four minutes. We say today's concentration gets worse, doesn't it? They only had a four-minute sermon, so we're doing better than them. At least that's how I like to like to convince myself. Anyway, this is the first sermon, and it's significant because it's explaining something that's happened and something that comes from what happened. It ends with this wonderful picture, something that gets me through difficult days and hard weeks. There is this beautiful community, this wonderful thing that we call the church. It's a peculiar community. It contains some peculiar people, but that's not the reason it's peculiar. It's peculiar because it does something that no other community does. It unites around something that transcends time and age and interest and demographic and upbringing and culture. It transcends all of that. It is a group of people who have nothing in common. They are not the same people, they don't come from the same place, they don't speak the same language, they don't have the same beliefs, the same upbringing, they don't have barely anything in common except they've called on the name of Jesus. Because of that, they come together, they begin to share lives together, they begin to, with one voice, praise their one God. They begin to love one another, they begin to sacrifice for one another. And this thing, this movement that starts here is what we are a part of today. We call it the church. And it comes from this sermon that Peter preaches. And the two are connected, the sermon he preaches and the church that comes from it. And today I want to show that connection. Sometimes we separate it, we've got the gospel, where we talk about you and God being right, you being in relationship with him, you coming to know him as your father. And then secondary, you've got this church thing, which is kind of an event that we go to and a service we attend. And today I just want to bring them together because here we see them come together. Peter starts by preaching the gospel. And he says, This is the gospel. Jesus lived among you, Jesus was crucified before you. God raised him from the dead, and we saw him. He is exalted in heaven, he has poured out his spirit, therefore, God has made this Jesus both Lord and Messiah. And that's the gospel. Jesus is Lord. It's the first word summary of the gospel. It's how they preached it in the New Testament. Jesus is Lord. Notice that in Peter's summary, it isn't Jesus will help you escape earth. It's kind of a nuance that's how we've changed it over the time. We we sometimes hear the gospel as if you believe in Jesus, then you'll escape earth. And you'll get away from here. And when you die, you'll be with him, and that's all true and wonderful. But Peter doesn't preach that. Peter says, the king has arrived. Heaven has come down. This is the gospel. Jesus is Lord and Messiah, not at the end of your life. He is Lord and Messiah now. The kingdom has come now. This is kingdom language. He talks about King David, who believed there was a greater king to come. A king who wouldn't die. David has a tomb, he says. David is in the grave, but David believed in a king who would not see the grave, who would not dwell in the ground, but would be alive forevermore. And this king rules and reigns. God has made him Lord and Messiah. The Bible ends with heaven coming down, not us escaping creation, but creation renewed, the kingdom here at last. And the very first gospel summary is not if you believe you can go to be with him, it's if you believe you will know heaven come down in your life that will go on for eternity. See, we talk about Emmanuel, God with us. But I think we get it the wrong way around. I think we often think it's us with God. One day we will be with God. One day we will be with him. And that's not what Emmanuel means. Emmanuel means God with us now. God has come now. He came in Jesus, he comes by his spirit. What not one day we will leave, or one day we will escape, or one day we'll get out of here. But scripture is God coming near. God has come down, and heaven is being established here on earth. And the very first place, the community of heaven, the very first place that the atmosphere of heaven, the very first place that the culture of heaven is formed is in a people that is called the church. These little outposts of heaven, these little staging grounds. Like in a war where you invade a country, you just send in the army, you get a little base, you secure a little bit of land, and from there you go out. That is what the church is: an outpost where God has sent a little His Spirit to create a little beachhead, to break in, and then to come that the whole earth may be filled with his glory. This is why the sermon matters, because the sermon leads to a church. It leads to the spirit creating a community that are embodying the culture of heaven. They love one another, they serve one another, they praise and they enjoy fellowship with one another. Strangers become family, possessions become shared, meals become places where God's presence is known. Prayer becomes ongoing and central. Generosity explodes. Walls come down, barriers are dismantled. Why? Because that's what heaven is like. And it happens in the church because this is what heaven is going to be like. I know often it doesn't feel like that. I know you often think, I hope it's a bit more interesting, but I think it's because we think church, we think services. And I'll be honest, services can be boring, they can be long-winded, but but church is not service. Church is not event, church is community, it is love, it is fellowship, it is brother and sister, it is people who care for me and who I care for, it is people who lift me up and people that I lift up. It is people who are bound to me. Although they are not blood and flesh, I'm bound to them by the spirit. That barriers between us, things that should separate us, differences, are gone because I am one with them. This is the message that forms people. Church is not an event, and so my I've done this before, but I'll say it again. My goal this week is to stop you going to church ever again. Because church is not something you go to, church is what you are. You do not go to church. If I know we use that language and we have that mindset, it's hard to unsay it or or unlearn it, but we need to at least have another category that says, yeah, I might go to church, but what I really mean is I go to be with my church. I go to be with my brothers and sisters, I go to be with those. We are the church, you are the church. And if you've ever been brought up and you're not really sure what this thing is, and you think, well, I don't really like church, I know when I became a Christian, I shared it at my test made, I made a list of all the things I'd have to do, and one of them was I'd have to go to church on a Sunday for the rest of my life. And I get it, yeah. Going to church is awful. Being the church, that's wonderful. Being someone who has brothers and sisters all over the place and all over the world, different people that you might bump into, and you maybe you've had this where you go somewhere and you're chatting to someone, they just think there's something about you. And you maybe see the fish in their car, or you just see like something in their house, and you're like, and it's sometimes a little funny conversation, and you're like, So tell me, what do you do with your Sundays? You're trying to probe work out. Are you are you are you one of you are you like me? Are you then it comes out? Yeah, I'm I'm a follower of Jesus, I'm a believer, and you think, Yes, suddenly there's a bond. I don't know anything about you, but but I love you. I don't know anything about you, but I want to know you more. I'm drawn near this thing that happens, the church worldwide united, because this is the gospel. Heaven has come down and it's bound us together, and the church is scattered all over the place, they're hidden in all these different places, but it's everywhere, making a difference. You are the temple of the Holy Spirit, you are the body of Christ, you are the light of the world, you are a royal priesthood, you are the bride of Christ. All authority in heaven has been given to you, you are the church. And we have now a relationship with God, and we do emphasize that, but we also have a relationship with one another. And those two here in Acts we see are not separated, they flow one from the other. Jesus is Lord and Messiah, you call on his name and you are saved. But you are saved into a community, you are saved into a culture that we call the church, and one leads to the other. I know that sometimes that's hard. I know some of you have been damaged by church. You've been damaged. What we mean by that is you've been damaged by people, and that's that's that's completely fair and understandable. Most of us are trying to figure this out, and we can hurt each other, we can upset each other, but the culture of heaven, even there, speaks to that. That if this is something I attend, then I can just attend somewhere else. But if this is my brother and sister, if I've offended them or they have offended me, then I deal with it in a different way. I deal with it not as a consumer registering my complaint, I deal with it as a brother and sister would through grace and words and understanding and compassion. That's why it's so central. It's because it's the heart of God. God is Father, Son, Holy Spirit, God is community, and he brings us into that. We are part of that eternal love and fellowship, shared grace. It's who he is. You are one people. Well, the whole new New Testament says, you are one. You're not a hundred disconnected spiritual consumers, you are one. And that means that we we share something together. Your suffering matters to me, your joy matters to me, your growth matters to me, your burdens matter to me, your struggles matter to me. We are one. And so stop going to church, be the church. Don't ask the question, and this is where we need to shift our mindset. It's not whether I like it or did it meet my needs, or was the experience good, or did someone sit in my seat, or did I enjoy it? Those are all things we'd ask if we are consumers. But this is not, this is not, and I said this to in an email this morning to someone, we're not a hotel. This is a home. In your house, you may leave a towel on the floor, you may not put something away, you may not put something in the dishwasher, you may put it on top of it, like next to where you could just put it in. Sorry, it's a gripe of mine. Uh but then the quite the answer is hang on, hang on. This isn't a hotel, this is a home. When you notice something is wrong, you help put it right. Now, in a hotel, you go to the manager and you say, Excuse me, manager, my bedroom wasn't made up, and and there wasn't a chocolate on my pillow, and and it was a bit too warm. Now you try doing that to your parent or your wife or your husband, and you realize it's very different. And that's what it is in church. But it's not consumers going, well, actually, that didn't quite do it for me, and that wasn't quite, and that wasn't, and that didn't meet my need. No, it's a home where there's all sorts going on, and there's young children that need to be accommodated, and older people who need to be listened to, and and everyone in between that, and there are struggles and difficulties, and we come not to consume, but to be a part of a home, a family, where each one picks up after themselves, where each one contributes, where we where it's part of this partnership or this team, this family where everyone works together, we serve one another, we all carry responsibility for it. The church functions, we pray with each other, we eat together, we notice each other, we carry burdens, we ask the questions, we open up our homes, we encourage and we build up, we stir one another on, we don't neglect meeting up because it's family, and you don't avoid family. You cannot, and there are so many one another's in the New Testament, but you can't one another by yourself. So, this wonderful thing called the church, a culture of heaven, is established here in the book of Acts. And I just want you to capture the beauty of that before we move on to some more application. This is what the gospel is: Jesus is our King, He's bringing His kingdom, and God's kingdom is not an organization, it's not a charity, it's not any of those things. The kingdom is a family. Sons and daughters of the living King bound together by the grace and goodness of God, adopted into his family, his love poured out so that I know I am loved by God, and that love flows from me to you and you to me. And so I'll start by saying for thank you for being that kind of church, and my prayers that we continue to. I know there are some pastors who wouldn't be able to say that. I've been in churches where I wouldn't have been able to say that, but there is something of that, that understanding here, and I'm not telling you something you're not doing, I'm saying keep on. You know these things, continue, don't drift because it's easy to drift into organization. As we've grown as a church, there are certain things we have to do to protect and policies and all these things that kind of make it feel more formal. But underneath that, I know the deacon share this, and and it's my heart too, that underneath that we want to keep the heart, which is brother and sister, one with each other, not consumers, but a family where every part is important, where each person matters, and we are displaying something of God, something of his culture to the world. People would see us as we gather and as we go and as we live our lives, and they'd go, What are those people doing together? Why are they so joyful? Why do they smile when they come out of that building? Why are they all coming together? What is it about them? There's nothing. I wouldn't spend time with you, you probably wouldn't spend time with me. But Jesus brings you into my life and me into your life. Jesus makes us one and binds us with love. There is something beautiful that happens here, and that's what we see in Acts. This community forms, they share lives, they pray, they break bread, they gather around, they learn and they grow, and God does something wonderful. But there is another element to this. You see, the Spirit is the one who does this work. The Spirit, because Jesus is King, He pours out His Spirit, it says, so that the church would exist and would grow. And here we we see it says that while the Spirit is the Spirit has been given to each of us, you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. This promise is for you and your children, so it's old and young, for all who are far off, and for all on whom the Lord our God will call. Who's that? It's you. It's not just Peter and the disciples and those there. He says, All who are far off, down the channels of time through the centuries, there'll be many, and all who call on the name will be part of this family, this ongoing movement. And it's that idea that Peter sews in, not just a family that gather, but a movement that goes out into the world. You see, Jesus had an agenda, he had a manifesto, if you like. And people often talk about church vision and mission, and we talk about it kind of like a business, and I tend to resist that because I don't think we have a vision, we are given a vision. Jesus tells us what we're to do. You see, in in the in the Gospels of Luke, there's a moment where Jesus is starting off and he sets out, here's my plan. And he says, The Spirit of the Lord is in me. He goes into a service like a synagogue, he stands up, gets the scroll, and says, The Spirit of the Lord is on me. He has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, and to proclaim the Lear the Lord's favour. And now Jesus is a bit naughty here because he's taking this verse out of context. There is a line that comes after this that says, And the year of God's vengeance. But he doesn't quote that. He cuts it short and says, That's not my plan. My plan is this good news to the poor, freedom for prisoners, sight for the blind, set the oppressed free, proclaiming the year of the Lord's favor, God's love and grace and his mercy on you. He says, That's why the Spirit has sent me, that's why he's been given to me. Then he says, This scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing. He rolls up, mic drop, walks away, and says, This is my purpose. Then Jesus does all that he does. He lives and teaches, he performs miracles by the Spirit, He serves by the Spirit, He equips by the Spirit, He heals by the Spirit, He proclaims by the Spirit, then He dies and He resurrects by the power of the Spirit, and then He pours out the Spirit and says, As the Father has sent me, I am sending you. How was he sent? Well, he was sent to proclaim good news to the poor, freedom for prisoners, sight for the blind, the oppressed free, and the year of the Lord's favor. How are we sent? We are a family, but what's our purpose? I would suggest that the spirit is given for the same reason to proclaim good news to the poor, freedom for prisoners, sight for the blind to set the oppressed free and to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor. The mission of Jesus becomes the mission of his people. And Luke, who wrote Acts, it seems like he's tying these two together. The Spirit is on Jesus to do this, the Spirit is on the church to do that. Because as we get into chapter three, we Find the church doing what? They start preaching to the poor, proclaiming freedom for prisoners, giving sight back to the blind, setting people who are oppressed free and proclaiming the year of the Lord's favor. This is our purpose. We are family, but that doesn't mean that we grow into a huddle, we get smaller and tighter together. It means we get bigger and bigger because we have a role to do. This isn't a family just to sit around and enjoy each other as much as we can do that, and we love to do that. We are a church that exists, that we might overflow and go out with the same mission and purpose that Jesus had. And it's this I had to go, I think Anne was in the building, so I had to go tell her because I noticed something about it that I'd never seen before. It's the verse here. I quoted it already. On this rock, I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. You've heard that verse? I've quoted this verse today, so you must have heard it already, unless you were asleep at the start. Now I've always read that verse, and I've always heard that verse, is Jesus saying, right, here is my church, I'm gonna build my church. Now, church isn't a building, okay, but it's a people. I'm gonna build my people, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. And I've always heard that that God's gonna create this thing, this wonderful thing called the church, and the world will attack it, and Satan will attack it, and Hades and death will attack it. Some people say hell will attack it, it's gonna attack it, but it will the church will not stand forever. Yeah? That sounds pretty good. And that there's truth in that. That the enemy can attack and fire and try to get to the church, but the church will stand, it has stand for millennia despite all the attacks. But what I noticed was that it doesn't say, I will build my church, and the spears of Hades will overcome it, will not overcome it, or the swords of Hades will not overcome it, or the arrows of Hades would not overcome it. It's the gates of Hades. Now, gates are not an offensive weapon, are they? They're a defensive weapon, if anything, a defensive structure. And so that made me think, well, hang on a minute, but Jesus is not saying the gates, I've never been attacked, have anyone been attacked by a gate? No? Gates don't tend to attack, gates are the things that protect. And so that that overcome, although it can be overcome, some the the word is to will not prove stronger. And I suddenly noticed that maybe Jesus is saying something different. It is true that the church will stand and the enemy cannot overcome it, but it's also true that there is a world of death, the gates of Hades, and the church is being built, and those gates will not prove to be stronger than the church. It switches from the church being on the defensive, let's huddle in because the world's gonna attack us. And that's a wonderful narrative we often talk about the world's gonna make us compromise, or the world's gonna attack Christianity, or they're trying to get rid of our Christian heritage, they're gonna destroy our history, they're they're attacking Christians in particular. We can tell that story all day long, and maybe there's some truth to it. But I wonder if what Jesus was getting at was not church, don't worry, you'll be attacked, but I'll protect you. I would wonder if it was a threat. World, be on your guard, because the church is going to be built, and Jesus is stronger than the world. The gates will be there, the the obstacles will be there, the enemy will try to take captive, he'll try to keep people poor, he'll try to keep people blind, he'll try to keep people imprisoned, he'll try to keep people from knowing the favor and love of God, but the church will go out with a mission that is stronger, and we will drive back the darkness. There's a famous story, I can't remember it is Livingston, a young boy who was sat in Victorian times looking out of his house and saw one of the old lamp lighters going down the road when they had to light them hand by hand, and it was a dark night, and he saw him light one and then the next, and he asked his dad, What's that man doing? And the answer was he's punching holes in the darkness. It's a dark world. And this man is punching holes where the light comes in. And I wonder if Jesus wasn't saying, Don't worry, church, you'll be attacked, but just hold firm, huddle in, get in your bubble and look out, look for those people who are nice like you, and then you can all be safe until I come again. I wonder if Jesus was actually saying there is a world out there that is dark and suffering. In fact, where he preached this, there was a cave, and in that cave there was a huge hole, and that hole was called the gates of Hades. It was the belief that this is where death was, this is where death and idols and destruction came from. And Jesus is there going, you know, even that hole will not be strong enough for the church that you will push back these gates, you will break down the walls, you will push back the darkness, you are the light of the world, and you need to go out and be that light. Church is a family, but if the Spirit of God is on us, it's not just a family that gather together to protect ourselves. We are sent out. You were not made merely for services and sermons, for choruses and chords, for meetings and minutes. You were not made for rotors and routines or platforms or performances or rows and religion or attendance and activity. You were made for communion with God and to participate in his kingdom work, pushing back the darkness. And although you feel weak, although you don't feel like you're capable, the gates of Hades are not strong enough for the power of God. The hold that the devil has on this world is not strong enough for the gospel that will liberate captives, that will heal the blind, that will raise the dead, that will free the oppressed, that will declare God's love and favor in the world where people think that God is against them. The mission of Jesus is the mission of his people. And the church was never meant to be a people who gather in hidden bubbles to discuss the light. We were meant to be a movement that as we go, we bring light. That for me was just such an eye-opener. This verse that I've always understood to be, okay, be on your guard. But maybe we've been too on our guard. What you see in Acts is not a church to go, right, let's huddle in. They do that before the Spirit comes, before the Spirit, they're in their upper room, let's protect ourselves, let's look after ourselves, let's not go out and say anything because we might get into trouble. But from this moment, something changes. And it's wonderful seeing historians discuss this because none of them can figure out what it is. Of course, they don't believe it can be God, so they've got to rule that out. But then we're going, but we don't know what it was. How did this ridiculous bunch of people with no qualifications, no experience, no understanding, how do they suddenly transform from timid, bold, fearful fishermen into proclaimers of the gospel that turned the entire world upside down? The whole every generation from then increases in the number of Christians that believe. That not only that people are starting to listen to them and hear them and believe them and be transformed. The church itself is the greatest testimony of the gospel because no one understands why we exist. It's not like church is a culture you're born into, like some religions where it's not really a belief, it's sort of just you're born into it and so you you live it. The church is made up of every culture, you're not even those who aren't born into it suddenly find themselves a part of it, and it doesn't make sense, and it's lovely because all these historians are going, yeah, it's it's like if it's a miracle. But obviously, it can't be a miracle, but it is a miracle. There is no social scale, social parallel that explains this thing that happened, but yeah, it happened. And here we see the spirit poured out, and this thing starts and grows and it prevails and it pushes back. And so we're gonna see as we go through Acts, they come at they come against prisoners, and those prisoners are set free. They come to the blind and the sick and they're made well. They come to those who find themselves outside and they're welcomed into the fellowship with God. They find the the powers of the Roman Empire standing against them, Caesars and Lords and all these people who try to squash them, and none of them stand. Each one gradually falls and bows its knee to Jesus. For the gates of hell are not stronger than the power of God. We are those who go out, not to not with gates. The church doesn't have gates. We have a sword, the sword of the Spirit, the word of God that we proclaim. The church carries the presence of the risen Christ. Not because we're impressive, we really aren't. Not because we have power in ourselves, we really don't. Yet not I, but Christ in me. Jesus is alive among his people. And where two or three gather, he is there among them. The risen Christ in ordinary people. The one who walked out of the grave, the one who death could not hold, the one who strikes the greatest blow to the darkness, now gives us the same mission. And he says, I will build my church. I will build my church, which means everything we do, every act of costly love, every quiet step of obedience, every moment the gospel is spoken into the darkness, every time you pray for the spirit to fall, for someone to know God's grace, for someone to know his healing. You do it with weakness, you do it with fear, you do it going, I'm not sure this is going to work, but you don't need to, for the gates of hell cannot stand against the power of the gospel. Death cannot outlast resurrection. Darkness cannot overpower light. Hades itself is not strong enough to stop what Christ is building. That's why I get nervous when a bit itchy when we start talking about oh, that was a great service. That's great, but I want great servants. I want our times to be good. You know me, I want us to enjoy this, but I want it to overflow. There is a gathered church and there is a scattered church. That's where we're going to see it going in the coming weeks. There are 3,000 on Pentecost, but that 3,000 go out to proclaim the kingdom. And today I just want that shift to be central in our idea that we go out to proclaim the kingdom. You have a mission. It's not one I invented, it's not one, it's not something we create. It's the same as Jesus. Go. Go with confidence. Go knowing that you can set people free from what they may be enslaved by. By your words, by your compassion, by your grace. You can go and you can pray for the darkness to be pushed back. You can pray for things to be taken away and set free from. You have the keys of the kingdom. You can pray for healing. You can pray for hope. You can pray for relief. You can pray for the comfort of God to come into someone's life. You are the hands and feet of Jesus. You can go and announce the favor of God, that God's love is on people, it's for people. He's died to display his love. His kingdom is coming. We are a family, but we are a family with a mission. You don't have to be strong. You don't have to have power in yourself. You're given it because the Spirit dwells among us and in you. There's a story that I'll maybe I'll end with. It's one that's haunted me for years. It's a church in Nazi Germany that was built near train tracks. And as the war started and carried going on, every Sunday trains would pass by. And the trains gradually increased in frequency. And the church members started to notice that the sound of the trains changed. It wasn't just the click-clack going down the tracks, but they started to hear noises. They started to hear voices. They started to hear screams as the trains went by, as people were being transported to camps. And over time, instead of responding, what they did was they learnt the timing of the trains and arranged their music to be sung at the right moment to cover the noise of the trains going by. And as they continued, they just learned to sing a bit louder and a bit louder as the trains continued. And that story, it haunts me because what a terrifying image. A church that gathers and sings loud to cover the noise of a world that desperately needs what they have, that desperately needs to hear and to have what we have. What we have been blessed by, not by our own earning, but because the grace of God has been poured out. It terrifies me because I would hate more than anything to be a church that has learnt to sing loud but has not learnt to serve well. We are a church, we do want to sing, we do want to celebrate the goodness of God, but if that's where it ends, this isn't church. It's an excuse. We've talked about excuses. It's an excuse not to reach out, it's an excuse not to get our hands dirty. And may our gatherings never be an excuse for the mission that Jesus has called us to. To be his hands and feet, to be those who carry in our very bodies, in our hearts, the presence of God, the power of God, the ability to call on God and to bring him into any situation, to allow us to pray into any situation, to speak into any situation, to serve and to love, and not be afraid of the darkness of the world, not be afraid of the screams and the pain that's out there. Because the gospel of Jesus is the power of God for salvation, and it's ours. May we be those who do not exist for ourselves, but like Jesus, who didn't come to be served but to serve. May we walk in his likeness, be those who don't aren't here to be served. This isn't a hotel. It's a home, yes, but it's also a mission, something we live out. We are the church. We carry the authority, all authority has been given to Jesus. And he's given it to us that we can be the light. May we avoid pride, may we avoid apathy, may we be a community. The kingdom, an outpost of heaven. The goal, I always say this isn't better services, it's a new humanity. That's what the church was meant to be. And so I do, I hope you enjoy services. Don't hear me say that. I hope you like the sermons. That's always always there. But as I say, if it ends here, it's not enough. I've now preached 30 minutes longer than Peter did, which is probably too long. Go. Go and do likewise. Do not end here. It doesn't close with this song. May you go, may you scatter, with Jesus' King being the heartbeat of your life, the gospel in you being your power, and may you find opportunities. There are chances here. There'll be people, I think we're going to do it over here because things are being rearranged for chance to pray for. But any of you, you all carry within you, because you are the church, the power of God to speak into someone's life. You can do it among yourselves. This is a great place to do it because everyone's here is nice and they're all going to receive it. Everyone wants to be prayed for, everyone wants to be loved, everyone wants to be fellowship. Great, do it here, but then go out and do it there too. Those you come across, those you meet, that you might be those who carry the Spirit of Christ. The Spirit is on you. Here's what you can do: go out. Wherever you find someone, if they are poor, speak good news, be good news to them. If they are imprisoned, announce that in Christ there is freedom for whatever may oppress them. If they are blind, if they are sick, if there is something going on, pray for them. Bring the grace and the healing of God into that situation. If they are oppressed, if they are badgered, if there is something, be one who comforts them and encourages them that they might know freedom. If they haven't heard of the favor and the love of God, speak the favor and love of God to them. It's what Jesus came to do. And then he says, As the Father sent me, I am sending you. And he breathes out his spirit that his church may go and be his body and do likewise. Father, we we pray now that we would not only hear this, but our hearts would be responsive to it. Oh, that church, it's so easy to perhaps judge them, to look down on them and to be even appalled by their actions, but we want to not make it so extreme that we can rise above them. We ought to see ourselves in them. We are often afraid to go into the darkness. We are often afraid to step outside of our comfort. We are often those who can excuse and ignore the world around us because we know love and we know your grace and we know your goodness, and we have been saved and made safe in you. But Lord, we are not called to hide from the world. We are called to bear witness in the middle of it. Jesus, you're the one who said to us, You are the light of the world, and the light only makes a difference in the darkness. So may we, as we end our time together here, may we not end what it is to be the church. May we go out being salt and light. May we go out to speak into those situations that we come to. May we see that there is a power in us that is greater than the power of the world. May we trust that you will build your church and all the strongholds, all the ways the enemy has a grip on things is not strong enough for the grace and the goodness and the love and the sacrifice of Jesus. That can lift up the poor, that can free sinners, that can heal the sick, that can free the oppressed and announce the love of God. Send us, Lord. Send us with your grace and power. Let us go on, not merely attending, but living. Lord, we recognize that we are not perfect. Forgive us, Lord, grow us into that community that lives as a preview of the world to come. And so we do pray, Lord, your kingdom come on earth as in heaven. Come, Holy Spirit, breathe on us afresh, that we might continue to be a peculiar people, a humble people, a joyful people, a spirit-filled people, but also a sent people. Not consumers, not spectators, but a community that lives out the power and the grace of God that we have come to know. Send us, Lord, we pray, in your name and in your strength. Amen. Amen.

SPEAKER_02 40:28

We hope that you've enjoyed listening to Dean's thoughts today. If anything that he has said has challenged you or raised questions that you'd like answers to, please don't hesitate to contact us and ask for a chat. You can find our details on our website, which is leobc.co.uk, as well as on the information that we have posted with this podcast. Alternatively, if you live in our area, you are very welcome to join us on Sunday morning at 10 30 to hear things first hand. We'd love to see you there.