Our Vision and Values – 12. The Cross and Resurrection of .

Looking at the preaching of the early church in Acts, two events are prominent in the messages of Peter and Paul – the death of Jesus on the cross and the from the dead. Usually this message was followed by a call to respond: a. Repentance, b. Putting our faith in Jesus as Saviour, c. Receiving for our , d. Recognizing Jesus as our Lord, e. Being baptized, f. Receiving the gift of the Holy Spirit. Peter and Paul both based their preaching on the scriptures, adapted to their audience. Sometimes they were explaining what God was doing – the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, the healing at the Beautiful Gate, the earthquake in the Philippi jail. Sometimes they were teaching in the synagogue, using the scriptures. They were very adaptable in presenting the message of Jesus, crucified and risen, to different audiences of Jews and Gentiles. They were greatly helped as The Lord worked with them and confirmed his word by the signs that accompanied it. Mk 16:20. We are going to compare 8 different preached messages from Acts. Fill in the chart below as we read each passage. 1. Acts 2: 14-15,22-24, 32-36.Peter’s Pentecost sermon explaining the outpouring of the Holy Spirit V 37-41 call for response. 2. Acts 3:11-21. Peter’s sermon to the crowds in the temple following the healing at the Beautiful Gate. 3. Acts 4:8-12 and 16. Peter speaks to the Sanhedrin. 4. Acts 10:34-48. Peter at the house of Cornelius. A gentile Pentecost interrupted the message. 5. Acts 13:26-33and 36-39. Paul and Barnabas in Pisidian Antioch. 6. Acts 16:29-34. The Philipian jailer. 7. Acts 17: 1-3 and 7. Paul in Thessalonica, proclaiming Jesus as Messiah to the Jews. 8. Acts 17:22-34. Paul preaching in Athens taking a very different approach, adapting his message to clever Greeks.

Based on. Death Resurrection. Repentance. Faith in Jesus Receiving Faith in Jesus Receiving . scripture of Jesus of Jesus as Saviour forgiveness as Lord Holy Spirit.

Acts 2:14-41 ______

Acts 3:11-21 ______

Acts 4:8-11 ______

Acts 10:34-48 ______

Acts 13:26-39 ______

Acts 16:29-34 ______

Acts 17:1-3 and 7 ______

Acts 17:22-34 ______

The Six Responses. (We will look at Baptism and Receiving the Holy Spirit session 16.) 1. Repentance. Acts 2:38, 3:19 and 17:30. In these verses it is a command. Repentance was a key part of Jesus’ teaching. :14-15. Repent and believe. Acts 3:26 Repentance is turning from our wicked ways. Acts 20:21. Repentance is turning to God. (Isaiah 55:7) Repentance is a complete U turn in thinking, beliefs and behaviour. :18-19 shows repentance in action. Repentance is an ongoing way of life for a Christian. It is a great and powerful gift from the Lord. 2. Faith in Jesus as Saviour. Acts 4:12 and Acts 16:30-31. We need to recognize that we are sinners and separated from a holy God by our sins. We need to be saved from our sins, otherwise the separation from God will become permanent. God, in his love has provided forgiveness and cleaning from for everyone who puts their trust in Jesus and his blood. Verses like the following help us to make the death of Jesus personal to us. Isaiah 53:5-6 teaches clearly the substitutionary death of Jesus for us. Also Romans 3:22-25 and 5:8 Ephesians 2:8-9 says For it is by grace that you have been saved through faith – and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no-one can boast. It is only faith in Jesus that saves us – not our human effort and good works. 3. Receiving forgiveness for our sins. This follows on from 2. It is one thing to believe that Jesus died for the sins of the world, (John 1:29) and another to personally receive God’s forgiveness. The scriptures teach that forgiveness follows repentance and faith in Jesus. Acts 2:38 and 10:43. Acts 13:38-39 takes this teaching further. Through faith in Jesus we are also justified – a legal term meaning declared not guilty and having credited to our account by God. Jesus took our score card and we are given his! 4. Faith in Jesus as Lord. Acts 2:36, 10:42, 20:21. Romans 10:9 Confessing “Jesus is Lord” with our lips. :18-22. Following Jesus involves leaving things/people behind. We confess that Jesus is our Lord through our lives.