Bold Faith: The Early Church's Divine Mission

The apostles are in trouble and have been arrested because of their preaching and because of the miracles the kind miracles and deeds which they have worked the peculiar special cause of their being in trouble was that Peter and John were going up to the temple one afternoon to pray. [02:14]

The Apostles have become the symptom of great interest and everybody is listening to them rather than to these great Jewish teachers the Pharisees and scribes and Sadducees and doctors of the law and there of course infuriated by this their jealousies of rivalry and they arrest the Apostles once more and throw them into the common prison. [05:03]

We preach this because it is God's plan of redemption we are too how can you listen in to God rather than entombed in the preaching of the Apostles was not an expression of their ideas of their thoughts that which claims to be gospel which is nothing but the ideas and theories and suppositions of men there's only one thing to say about it it is a lie. [07:33]

The gospel is God's the god of Our Fathers raised up Jesus it isn't what a man thinks with his modern knowledge and ideas no no if this old message God not men and anything that purpose of claims to be gospel which is nothing but a human authority behind it is of the Nile of the New Testament message doesn't matter who preaches it whatever his position may be in the church it is a lie it is God's and not men's. [08:03]

The god of Our Fathers has raised up Jesus and made him a prince and a saviour the message about the son of God the only begotten Son of God the great message of the Incarnation the miraculous attestation of his deity his death upon the cross and its meaning the glorious of resurrection here it is the person of Christ he does the saving he doesn't teach us how to save ourselves he saves he's the prince the governor of the universe he is the savior of mankind. [08:39]

We are witnesses of these things there is no greater denial of the gospel than to represent it merely as a philosophy as a collection of ideas as one view amongst others and to put the Lord Jesus Christ into the category of Socrates and Plato and Aristotle and the great prophet no no it's not a teaching it is a series of Acts of events these things that have happened they say we are witnesses of these things. [12:39]

The coming of the Holy Ghost upon the early church from the day of Pentecost is the most crucial event because when you go back to your Old Testament you find that all this have been anticipated are you in trouble about your Christian faith do you get shaken by the modern criticisms here's the answer to it all you see the New Testament is the fulfillment of the own it's all been foretold and that's the amazing astounding thing there is nothing more staggering then verified fulfilled prophecy. [24:44]

The descent of the Holy Ghost is the only explanation of these people you can't explain them in any other terms and that's why the Holy Ghost is a witness even through them and their witness to the truth of these particular things now you know people today in their cleverness and suppose it wisdom they try to persuade us that they can explain the whole of Christianity and the favorite explanation of course in this present century has been the psychological wall can be explained so simply psychologically. [42:08]

The Holy Ghost alone can save a soul no man and his speaking and his argumentation can ever convince anybody of sin and righteousness and judgment become the Holy Ghost alone can do it and on the day of Pentecost even through the mouth of an ignorant fisherman like Peter he did it as he was preaching we are told they were pricked in their hearts and they cried out saying when and brethren what should we do wasn't Peter it was the Holy Ghost and thus he bears his witness and testimony to the truth of these things. [50:23]

The revivals of history the repetition if you like of what happened on the day of Pentecost and this is the amazing thing about did you read the story of the Reformation Zand revivals this is what you'll find the church has become weak become ignorant become worldly become more even become almost dead then suddenly and in an utterly inexplicable manner God again since pours forth your spirit retsina men perhaps on a company MJB shall arrive and they renew and they're filled with power their world becomes irresistible and the church goes on to a new period of revival. [54:56]

The spirit that came upon these apostles came upon them my dear friends this is how all the different parts of the Christian churches ever come into being they've all started in revival but then they become respectable and lose their power and there's only one hoop still and there is that the early spirit is still there and he still witnesses to these things we are witness of these things and so is also the Holy Ghost which God has given to them that of bacon. [56:20]

Whatever you have been in your past life however much of a failure whether greater sinner if you bet see tonight that that is your condition that you have nothing to expect but the punishment that you so richly deserve if you but repent and acknowledge and confess that and believe this witness and this testimony that Jesus is the Son of God who has come out of the eternal glory into this world in order to save us and redeem us and that he did it even by dying on us on the cross and he's risen again and will give you a spirit and give you a new life new power and ultimately receive you into the everlasting glory with himself. [57:44]