Peter’s Sermon

Acts 2:1-13 Gathered together / H.S. comes with sound of wind and fire/ disciples begin speaking in all sorts of foreign languages… People out on the street come to see what the ruckus is all about… They hear the disciples prophesying about the KOG in their own language.

Acts 2:15-18 Peter explains to them that this is the outpouring of God’s spirit prophesied in Joel 2:28:32. An event that was to happen in the "later" days. Peter re-phrases Joel's prophecy and speaks of what is happening that Pentecost day in 31 A.D. as "these last [final] days".

Since Peter made this public proclamation 1,988 years have come and gone and it is now the year 2019.  So how could Peter speak of his own time as "these last [final] days"? Was he wrong? Had he given in to his own private interpretation of scripture? Was he just being overly optimistic about how much time was left until Christ returned?

My purpose today is to convince, persuade, remind you that Peter [as inspired by the spirit of God] was speaking of a final age that was beginning on that day, Pentecost 31 AD. It was the beginning of the final age before the return of Christ. I am going to call this "the age of the Church of God".

Peter's quote from Joel tells us about the outpouring of the holy spirit. This is the phenomenon that marked the beginning of the final age [the age of the Church]... Then the quote goes on and in verse 19 also tells of the events and phenomenon which will help mark the end of the "age of the Church of God". These should also be recognized as:

The 6th seal - Revelation 6:12-14 [signs in the heavens]

The 7th seal - Revelation 8:1-5 [the day of the Lord]

This age of the church will be bracketed in by the outpouring of God's spirit and the mighty works of the church at the beginning... and at its end, by the signs in the heavens that signal immediately precede the return of Christ.

You could say that between verses 18 and 19 there is a very long gap of about 2,000 years.

Acts 2:40 Luke’s summary of Peter’s message: “be saved from this perverse generation”. This same warning stands for us today.. knowing all this come out and be separate! This is the reality of the church and the reality of your life.

Note: the Jews were expecting a special outpouring of God’s Spirit based on scriptures such as Ezekiel 37:13 BUT what they heard from Peter was different that what they were expecting. Peter quotes from Joel 2:28-32 regarding this same outpouring of God’s spirit… poured out upon ALL flesh.

The focus of God's work in this final age would no longer be funneled through Israel. The spirit of God would go out to people of all nations, tribes... people would now have direct access to God through Jesus Christ the new and perfect high priest. However, God would continue to work through a body of people, no longer a nation like Israel, the responsibility of representing God to the nations would pass to the Church.

The End Of An Age And The Beginning of A New Age

Exodus 19:5-6 Israel called to be a kingdom of priests, to demonstrate the worship of God and the cleansing away of sin required to come into His presence.

Deuteronomy 4:5-8 A living example meant to attract the attention of other nations.

God entered into a covenant with Israel at Sinai. They agreed to keep His commandments and He agreed to be their God, to lead and take care of them. The covenant also included terms of punishment Deuteronomy 4:25-29.

Alas, that is exactly what happened. Israel failed.

Deuteronomy 5:29 there was a missing ingredient... the holy spirit = heart. Without it Israel could not live up to the fullness of God's purpose for them. Just having access to the truth was not enough. Human beings need conviction, commitment, and courage to do the things God's law instructs and change the way they live. The holy spirit provides this sort of deep level help.

Jeremiah 31:31-33 the next phase of God's plan would include this missing ingredient. This new covenant has not yet been applied to Israel... but has been applied to the Church.

With the historic appearance of Jesus (God in the flesh) the period of God’s showing Himself and His law through the physical descendants of Abraham, Israel, was coming to a close. His death at Passover 31 AD marked the end.

The instrument through which God would now work would be the Church. This "age of the Church" will be the final or last age before the return of Jesus Christ. This is how Pete could speak of what was happening on that Pentecost as the beginning of the last days.

1 Corinthians 10:11 – Paul speaks of the “final age which has come” telios aion. Telios = end or terminal point, AION= age or period of time.

Note: Age is a undetermined period of time that share's a characteristic. Examples include: the space age, the information age, the age of exploration, the iron age, the modern age.

Scripture then goes onto warn us. Israel were called to serve God's purpose in the previous age, they failed they drifted into temptation, idolatry and all sorts of vile practices. We are warned to be careful lest the same things happen to us. Read verses 6-14. Once again, knowing these things... save yourselves from being overwhelmed by a wicked and perverse generation.

Hebrews 9:26 in this final age Christ's sacrifice is the atonement for sin

Hebrews 6:5 the power of the holy spirit we have in this age is a foretaste of the age to come

Ephesians 1:21 the authority of Christ within the church in this current age is a foretaste of the authority of Christ to be exhibited in the age to come.

History Applied To The Ages

[refer to chart] on this chart you see human history divided into 4 ages. In the very middle of the chart you see the transition from the age of Israel to the age of the Church. The transition is marked as Pentecost 31 A.D.

The age of Israel lasted about 2,000 years. Prior to that we have another age which also lasted about 2,000 years.

The "age of Israel" began with the calling out of Abraham and the birth of Jacob in 2006 BC. Jacob is the man who was renamed Israel. Then approximately 2,000 years later Jesus is born in 4 BC. and died 31 AD.

The age that came before Israel appears to also be about 2,000 years long. The bible's internal chronology indicates Adam came on the scene about 4,004 BC. that's about 2,000 years before Jacob, or Israel. I'm going to call this the age of lawlessness. After Eden, humanity was cut off from God. Then through Israel God would re-introduce His law, and through the priesthood provide a temporary means for human beings to approach the most holy God.  

It is interesting that these first two ages are about 2,000 years long. If that is any indication of how long the present Church age might be... a time line would place us very near the end of the present church age. We know that it has been 1,988 years since that day of Pentecost when the Church began.

At the close of the church age we will see the second coming of Christ, the Day of the Lord, the heavenly signs. These mark the transition from the church age to the age of Christ's 1,000 year rule on earth.

The Church believes and teaches that we are living toward the end of the current age, and very close to the return of Christ. We base this on a number of other signs of the times.

However, this chart is not intended to "prove" anything or "predict" any specific date.

The Church Has Taken On the Role of God's Representative

CHURCH—on Pentecost a new age began… the age of the Church of God. The age of which lasted about 2,000 years… was over. In 31 A.D. on the day of Pentecost and new age began. It would now be the role of the Church of God to serve as God’s representatives on earth and to take up the role intended for Israel. 

Romans 2:17-29 – faith unto obedience is what makes a person a Jew or Israelite

Romans 9:23-26 – church is the object of reconciliation

Romans 9:27-29—church is the prophesied remnant of Israel

2 Corinthians 3:7-18 ministry of reconciliation

1 Peter 2:4-12-- the Church is to be that holy nation

The Mission of the Church

Matthew 28:18-20 

Israel’s purpose was to be an example nation that would attract positive attention to God, His laws, the blessings of His presence, the benefits of worship and His love, the process of atonement for sin and reconciliation. The Church’s mission and purpose is the same… but the approach is different.

With the beginning of the Age of the Church there is a larger scale outpouring of the Holy Spirit, an openness to all peoples… through faith that leads to obedience. This new age signals a more proactive position. Instead of merely serving as an example (Like Israel) the Church is told to:

• Go out and to make disciples
• Call people to repent and obey
• Baptize with the Holy Spirit
• Provide instruction in law
• Preach the coming Kingdom/Rule of God on earth (carrying forward the message of the prophets)
• To love one another (the Royal law of Leviticus)
• To live righteously - as example and for the transformation of our own hearts and minds into the fullness of Christ.

Knowing all these things then, save yourself from this wicked and perverse generation.