A Vital Church Grows

Peter testified and exhorted them with many other words

From this perverse generation

1. From this perverse generation

2. Perverse because it was crooked; this generation had murdered their Messiah

3. Jesus called that generation perverse in Matthew 12:38, 23:33-36; Luke 11:29

He encouraged them to make the decision to be saved

1. Exhorting them to “Be saved from this perverse generation”

2. Be saved

   1. This was an imperative command; he is telling them that the need to be saved – KJV renders this verb “save yourselves

   2. This verb is also passive in its tense, so the power is not in them to literally save themselves, but rather God is the one who saves, and the imperative places the responsibility upon the hearers to respond.

   3. The context: they are asking What shall we do, Peter responds to them by telling them what is necessary for forgiveness

3. Theological significance of the word “Save yourselves”

   1. It is a direct command that we are to save ourselves

   2. We have the ability to choose God

   3. This goes against total depravity and irresistible grace

      1. Total Depravity: We are born so evil and totally depraved, with a corrupt, sinful nature, that we can never, on our own ability, choose God

      2. Irresistible Grace – When God chooses to save us, there is nothing we can do.

      3. Charles H. Spurgeon, a famous Calvinist preacher, preached a sermon on Nov. 13, 1859, titled Man’s Ruin and God’s Remedy, and taught that a sinner cannot repent unless God grants them repentance: “thy helplessness, thy utter inability to do anything to save thyself, even if God should offer thee a chance.”

      4. 1869 London Baptist Confession of Faith, in the second London Baptist Confession, chapter 9, paragraph 3: “Man by his fall into a state of sin hath wholly lost all ability of will, to any spiritual good accompanying salvation

      5. If these teachings state that an unregenerate sinner cannot respond apart from God's work irresistibly upon a sinner, then why does Peter imperatively command these sinners to be saved?

   4. What we do matters

      1. Isaiah 1:18-19 (our own will)

      2. 2 Thessalonians 1:7-9 (we must obey)

      3. Hebrews 5:9 (God saves though who obey)

      4. We are going to be judged for the decisions that we make (2 Corinthians 5:9-11)

Those who gladly received the word

1. We need to cherish the words of God

2. It was the words that Peter was speaking that had the power to save

   1. This is important because God has put the power to save in the word of God

   2. In the milieu of the miraculous working of the Holy Spirit, it is important to note that the Holy Spirit never directly converted anyone; the Holy Spirit inspired the words that converted them.

   3. Words converted them in the first century, and words are what convert us today

      1. James 1:21: We receive the engrafted word, which is able to save our souls; we are begat with the word of truth (James 1:18)

      2. Acts 11:14: Who shall tell you words, whereby thou and all thy house shall be saved

      3. 2 Timothy 3:15: The Scriptures are able to make thee wise unto salvation

They were added to the church

1. Those who gladly received the word were baptized

2. They were added, they were added to the church (Acts 2:47)

This is the establishment of the church, the kingdom of God

Every time the church of the kingdom is talked about prior to this, it is in a future sense

1. Now it is addressed as being here as a reality

2. They were being added to the church

The very first descriptive factors of the church of Christ

1. The continued steadfastness in the apostles' doctrine

2. When you abide in the doctrine of Christ, that is how you become the church of Christ

   1. What is included in the apostles doctrine?

   2. Foundation

      1. It cannot be founded upon a man other than Christ (Eph. 2:20, 1 Cor. 3:11)

      2. Roman Catholics teach that their church was founded upon Peter (Mt. 16:18); therefore, it cannot be the church in the New Testament

      3. This principle applies to any religious organization; if there is a founder separate from Christ, we cannot be the church of the New Testament

   3. Organization

      1. The church in the New Testament had two offices (1 Tim. 3:1ff): this would consist of Elders (Pastors, Overseers, Bishops, Shepherds) and deacons (Acts 14:23, Titus 1:5-7, 1 Peter 5:12, Philippians 1:1)

      2. Catholics have more than one office; therefore, it is not identified as the church in the New Testament (Same principle applies to any other religious organization that does not follow after doctrine of plurality of elders)

      3. There are qualifications for Elders and Deacons (1 Tim 3:1f, Titus 1:5f), if there are elders and deacons serving without these qualifications, then they are not qualified to hold that office

      4. Any time there is not a plurality of qualified elders, it is either purposely not following after the New Testament pattern, or it is an immature church)

   4. Salvation

      1. The church Christ built would tell people the proper way to be saved

      2. If it is not teaching the proper way to be saved, how can it be the church that Christ built?

   5. Worship

      1. Christians are commanded to worship in Spirit and in truth (John 4:24)

      2. If we are not worshipping correctly, then how could it be the church that Christ built?