Acts 2:39-41
39 For the promise [of the Holy Spirit] is to and for you and your children, and to and for all that are far away, [even] to and for as many as the Lord our God invites and bids to come to Himself. [Isa 57:19; Joel 2:32.]
40 And [Peter] solemnly and earnestly witnessed (testified) and admonished (exhorted) with much more continuous speaking and warned (reproved, advised, encouraged) them, saying, Be saved from this crooked (perverse, wicked, unjust) generation.
41 Therefore those who accepted and welcomed his message were baptized, and there were added that day about 3,000 souls.
AMP
39 For the promise [of the Holy Spirit] is to and for you and your children, and to and for all that are far away, [even] to and for as many as the Lord our God invites and bids to come to Himself. [Isa 57:19; Joel 2:32.]
40 And [Peter] solemnly and earnestly witnessed (testified) and admonished (exhorted) with much more continuous speaking and warned (reproved, advised, encouraged) them, saying, Be saved from this crooked (perverse, wicked, unjust) generation.
41 Therefore those who accepted and welcomed his message were baptized, and there were added that day about 3,000 souls.
AMP
Category
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LifestyleTranscript
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00:29Our teaching today is called Is Hope Your Anchor in Faith? To Inheriting the Promise
00:37of Eternal Life? Have you ever thought of the fact that spiritual hope is the life of
00:44a true believer in Christ Jesus, and it's essential just as water and food and shelter
00:52and clothing are essential elements in our physical lives? The most important quality
00:59of hope in our lives as a Christian is that it is found and used in a combination to something
01:07in the future that one expects but yet does not possess. Apostle Paul declares in Romans
01:16chapter 8 beginning in verse 22, he tells us, we know that the whole creation of irrational
01:25creatures has been moaning together in the pains of labor until now. And not only the creation,
01:33but we ourselves too, who have enjoyed the first fruits of the Holy Spirit, a foretaste of the
01:40blissful things to come, grown inwardly as we wait for the redemption of our bodies from
01:47sensuality in the grave, which will reveal our adoption, our manifestation as sons of God. Verse
01:5524, for in this hope we are saved, but hope the object of which is seen is not hope, for how can
02:06one hope for what he already sees? But if we hope for what is still unseen by us, we wait for it
02:14with patience and composure. As we read the many accounts of the scripture, which encourage and
02:22mandate that our hope be found and centered on God and his promises and grace, which is abundantly
02:30poured out upon all believers for the hope of God's salvation. Now our biblical authors had set their
02:38hope on the triune God and the grace which Jesus Christ will bring when he is revealed, as told in
02:46first Peter chapter 1 verse 13, which declares, so brace up your minds, be sober, circumspect,
02:56morally alert, set your hope wholly and unchangeably on the grace, divine favor that is coming to you
03:05when Jesus Christ the Messiah is revealed. They hope for God's salvation and a future restoration
03:14from exile, and also we read about the hope of God in the resurrection of the dead and sharing the
03:20glory of God, which chapter 5 in Romans and verse 2 explains and declares, through him also we have
03:30our access, entrance, introduction by faith into this grace, state of God's favor, in which we
03:38firmly and safely stand, and let us rejoice and exult in our hope of experiencing and enjoying
03:45the glory of God, and most importantly we hope for salvation and the promise of eternal life,
03:55which we find in first Thessalonians chapter 5 beginning in verse 8, but we belong to the day,
04:04therefore let us be sober and put on the breastplate of faith and love for a helmet, the hope of
04:12salvation, for God has not appointed us to incur his wrath, he did not select us to condemn us,
04:18but that we might obtain his salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ the Messiah, verse 10, who died
04:27for us so that whether we are still alive or are dead at Christ's appearing, we might live together
04:35with him and share his life, and also in Titus chapter 1 verse 2, it is finally important for us
04:45to remember and be encouraged by regarding the promises of God concerning eternal life, resting
04:54in the hope of eternal life, which the ever-truthful God, who cannot deceive, promised before the world
05:01or the ages of time began. Dear listener, when we come to see and know and hold dear the undeniable
05:11images or figurative meaning for hope throughout the holy scripture, we see that the door is
05:19mentioned through the Bible and is a marker pointing to Jesus Christ himself, who declares in
05:27John chapter 10 verse 9, I am the door, anyone who enters in through me will be saved, will live,
05:37and he will come in and he will go out freely and will find pasture, and also in Hebrews
05:46chapter 6 verse 19, Paul says, now we have this hope, a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul,
05:57it cannot slip and it cannot break down under whoever steps out upon it, a hope that reaches
06:05further and enters into a very certainty of the presence within the veil, where Jesus has entered
06:13in for us in advance, a forerunner, having become a high priest forever after the order with the rank
06:21of Melchizedek. You see, the promises of hope that our great and awesome God has for those
06:29who love him and are obedient to his commands is stored up in heaven for them as stated in
06:37Colossians chapter 1 verse 5, because of the hope of experiencing what is laid up, reserved and
06:45waiting for you in heaven, of this hope you have heard in the past is a message of the truth of
06:52the gospel. You see, this hope is something that is supernaturally given and implanted inside
07:02the individual, the baby that is born at birth, and it is something into which one is born again
07:12as a new creation in Jesus Christ, told in first Peter chapter 1 verses 3 and 4, which declares
07:22praise and honor, blessed be the God and father of our Lord Jesus Christ, by his boundless mercy
07:30we have been born again into an ever-living hope through the resurrection of Christ from the dead.
07:37Verse 4, born anew into inheritance which is beyond the reach of change and decay,
07:44imperishable, unsullied and unfading, reserved for you in heaven. Now going back to when I
07:54was sharing that hope is something that is supernaturally given and implanted in a baby at
08:00birth, Ecclesiastes 3 verse 11 declares that God planted eternity within the hearts of every living
08:11human being. So this is where there is no excuse whatsoever for people to deny that Christ exists,
08:22and it is given by virtue of the creation around us that we see is an awesome reality
08:32of the living God, it begins there. Now Jesus Christ is the object and the ground of a believer's
08:41hope, and we learn as we grow in the grace and the knowledge and love for our dear Savior,
08:48that life without hope is absolutely worthless. Yours and my hope must be grounded upon something
08:58because unfounded or baseless hope is the product of an irrational mind. Hope in our lives should
09:07involve not only this life, but also the life that follows death. Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians
09:15chapter 15 verse 19 that if we who are abiding in Christ have hope only in this life and that
09:25is all, then we are a people most miserable and to be pitied. You see there are millions and
09:34millions of people in this world who have no hope beyond the grave and have unfortunately
09:40ended their lives prematurely to escape the trials and difficulties of life on this earth.
09:47Our scripture tells us that for those who have hope beyond the grave that their lives, their minds,
09:55their souls, and their whole being is centered in Jesus Christ and the promise of eternal life
10:02and the anchor of our souls. There is a testimony of an individual who had his hope wrapped up in
10:12himself and his life and it begins by saying the body of a suicide victim whose story is
10:22infinitely pathetic was taken out of North River in New York. The dead man was a graphic artist
10:32a musician, a linguist. He was 57 years old at the time of his death. After he had graduated
10:40from a German university he went to Puerto Rico to seek wealth. Fortune smiled on him and he
10:47sent home flowing accounts of the great printing business he was conducting. At the height of his
10:54prosperity he fell in love with a beautiful woman who soon became his wife. His marriage was a happy
11:01one but only eight years afterwards she died and with her death his power to work and plan seemed
11:10to cease. From that moment fortune seemed to desert him. He lost his zest in his work and finally
11:18failed in business. Two years later he came to New York and was advised by a friend to teach
11:25languages for he spoke German and English, French, Spanish and Italian with great fluency but he
11:32lacked that appetite for life and nerve of purpose that make men succeed. Finally without money and
11:42without heart he filled his pockets full of stones and leaped overboard into the North River. The
11:50thing he lacked above all else was the great anchor of faith and hope in Jesus Christ. His
11:56heart was anchored in love for his wife and when that cable parted he drifted. If his soul had been
12:05guided and held steady by the glorious and wonderful faith in Christ and eternal life he
12:12would have gone on with a humble and disciplined heart and serene and unflinching and courageous
12:19spirit. It is so very sad dear one that this unfortunate story is told in different forms and
12:27in different ways in every country near and far. Jesus Christ for the genuine believer is not only
12:36meant for life but for life hereafter. Apostle Paul teaches us this and it was his main concern
12:45was that Christ be magnified in his body. He says in Philippians chapter 1 verse 20,
12:53this is in keeping with my own eager desire and persistent expectation and hope that I shall not
13:00disgrace myself nor be put to shame in anything but with utmost freedom of speech and unfailing
13:08courage. Now as always hereto Christ the Messiah will be magnified and get the glory and praise
13:15in this body of mine and be boldly exalted in my person whether through by life or through by death.
13:24For me to live is Christ his life in me and to die is gain the gain of the glory of eternity.
13:33Verse 21 for me to live is Christ his life in me and to die again the gain of glory of eternity.
13:42If however it is to be life in the flesh and I am to live on here that means fruitful service for me
13:51so I can say nothing as to my personal preference. I cannot choose but I am hard pressed between the
13:59two. My yearning desire is to depart to be free of this world to be set forth and to be with Christ
14:07for that is far far better. But Paul declares in the last scripture of the set of verses
14:16that he knows that to remain on this earth will be for the glory of God and the inheritance
14:24of eternal life of those who he preaches to and teaches. You see for Paul to be absent from the
14:33body meant that he would be with Christ in an even greater and more glorious eternal state of existence.
14:41I don't know about you but I see this as a wonderful example of intense and passionate
14:49Christianity. Can you see and appreciate the fervor and the passion and the intensity
14:56of purpose that Paul desired that Christ be magnified in his body whether a life of
15:02continued service for the Lord or by a martyr's death. When he speaks about the word magnified
15:10in his body this word is from the Greek and it means to unloose or be set free and made great.
15:20In English the word magnify is used to translate this word which means to take something small in
15:28size and make it appear larger by means of a magnifying glass. But the Greek word literal means
15:38to greatly unloose or set free. In this context it means to display in a way so that Christ may
15:46be seen in all of his glory. Hallelujah! Paul's intense desire is that the Lord Jesus indwelling
15:56in his heart may be allowed freedom of action in Paul so that being greatly unloosed or set free
16:05that is not hindered in Christ manifestation of himself through the Holy Spirit by anything which
16:13Paul himself might do. Our chief apostle wanted Christ to have glory and praise to himself
16:21whose right it is to be glorified and that is either in Paul's life or by his death.
16:28Paul's thought is that nothing really matters except that his Lord be glorified. His own
16:36circumstances and desires do not amount up for any consideration but only that Christ Jesus
16:43be honored and glorified by his life in his savior and his master. Dear listener what an example of
16:52desire and intensity of purpose we all should strive for in our own Christians and lives
16:59in Christ today. What an expression of hope in the inheritance that lies ahead.
17:06Paul kept his eyes on the goal and when he said in Philippians 1 20 according to my earnest
17:14expectation and hope this is saying that Paul had great expectation and hope in his future beyond
17:21this earth and while he did not think more highly of himself than he ought and neither did he think
17:28of himself in a contemptible or a selfish manner either. Paul was a born leader he was a man of
17:37ambition and great abilities and capabilities. When Jesus spoke to Paul after he was blighted and fell
17:46to the ground from his horse he found a new master and at once he had a new object of faith and
17:53expectation and hope hallelujah and get this the expectation was that Jesus Christ would be
18:01magnified in him. He expected that Jesus would be magnified in his body and may we pause and cry out
18:11for this desire to be planted within our hearts. This should be our prayer precious ones.
18:19Paul expected that Christ would be magnified in his body regardless of time or circumstance or life
18:28or death and he knew that Christ's grace would be sufficient for all of these things that might
18:36stand in his way when it came to accomplishing the mandate that our Lord had given him to do.
18:43In all of this expectation Paul was not ashamed but rather he entertained it with great boldness.
18:51Some Christians feel ashamed of the bold and vigorous magnification of sharing the Lord Jesus
18:58Christ. What will the world say? What would my family members say? What would my co-workers say?
19:07You would be surprised that many Christians feel afraid to magnify Christ Jesus.
19:14I remember a dream many many years ago. I was sitting in a park on a bench. It was a beautiful
19:22surrounding and a gorgeous spring day and I was admiring the lovely trees and flowers when an
19:29older wise looking woman walked up to me and said, honey never forget to mention the name of Jesus
19:39Christ when you are visiting and sharing with people. I knew in this dream that it was given to
19:48me by God because the devil surely wouldn't tell you to talk about Jesus to people because he
19:56endeavors to shield people from hearing or knowing about Jesus. So I made it a point thereafter
20:04when visiting with someone no matter where I was if I felt inspired by the Holy Spirit
20:12that I would talk to them about Jesus. I realized that people needed to hear
20:18the name above all names the name of our Lord Jesus Christ and it is very surprising in most
20:26cases how people respond to conversation which involves Jesus Christ our Savior and further leads
20:35to the promise of eternal life. People are most attentive and receptive to listen and receive a
20:42CD or a DVD message but what they do with it after that well that is up to them. The work is in our
20:52hands but the results are not. Our part is to share the gospel message of truth and salvation
21:00which is found in Christ alone. We desire that not only Jesus Christ our Savior be magnified
21:09glorified and lifted up in the hearts of people and yes let us not forget even in ourselves
21:17our precious Savior is magnified in his people but you might ask well how is Christ magnified in my
21:26life? Well we first have to know that to magnify it means to make great or to celebrate an existing
21:34greatness and secondly only Jesus Christ can be magnified and he's magnified in our lives
21:43in the conversion or salvation of his people and he's magnified in his people's sanctification
21:52and consecration. Jesus is magnified in their faithfulness and devoted labors for his cause.
22:02He is magnified in their faithfulness and devoted labors in his cause if they do not stand in the
22:11way and endeavor to receive glory for themselves. Jesus is magnified in his people during their
22:21trials and sufferings and he is magnified as true believers fellowship and share together
22:28the wonderful privileges and the honor of being called to salvation and also
22:36Jesus is magnified in our firm belief of his vicarious sacrifice and he is magnified in our
22:47humility and our unshaken confidence and hope in him. Dear listener, Jesus our precious Lord and
22:57Savior is even magnified in the death of a Christian believer. The believer who is walking
23:05through the valley of the shadow of death in their time and hour is raised above the dread and fear
23:12that endeavors to interfere with the promise which declares I will never leave you nor forsake
23:18you. In an individual believer who is in his or her last hours will have the enduring consolations
23:27and encouragement from the Holy Spirit and the hope of inheriting eternal life along with the
23:34promise of receiving a crown of righteousness. Repeating our main focus in Philippians
23:41chapter 1 verse 20 again as Paul shares saying this is in keeping with my own eager desire and
23:49persistent expectation and hope that I shall not disgrace myself nor be put to shame in anything
23:58but that with the utmost freedom of speech and unfailing courage now as always heretofore Christ
24:05the Messiah will be magnified and get the glory and praise in this body of mine and be boldly
24:12exalted in my person whether through by life or through by death. As we have covered in a nutshell
24:22how Christ is magnified in our lives and our bodies as was Paul's greatest desire it is most
24:30important that remember that we remember that Jesus Christ's resurrection is the foundation
24:39of our hope. Paul gave historical proof of Christ's physical resurrection in first Corinthians chapter
24:5015 verse 4 which declares that he was buried that he rose on the third day as the scriptures foretold
24:58you see nothing else can negate this truth there is nothing. Paul also countered the possible
25:08objections to Christ's resurrection because no argument can stand in the way of the historical
25:14fact of Christ's resurrection when we read in first Corinthians chapter 15 verse 20 he said
25:21but the fact is that Christ the Messiah has been raised from the dead and he became the first
25:28fruits of those who have fallen asleep in death therefore since it was through a man that death
25:35came into the world it is also through a man that the resurrection of the dead has come.
25:42Jesus Christ who is God who became man yet understand please he never ceases to be God
25:53he died and he rose again and because of this wonderful miracle and living reality he will
26:01also raise us from the dead hope is a living reality dear ones salvation is not a one-time
26:10declaration that is a once saved always saved doctrine this is a doctrine and a lie and it is
26:17a heresy founded by John Calvin salvation is an ongoing work of hope and faith and is a recipient
26:27of God's grace and mercy every day in our lives until he comes to take us home if we should be
26:35so worthy salvation was costly for our precious savior when it came to divesting himself of his
26:43glory to come to this earth in the form of man whom he had created at the will of his father in
26:49heaven salvation is not cheap it is costly and it requires and demands our total attentions and
26:57focus on the one who was given all to call us children of God our hope should be anchored in
27:06faith to inheriting the promises of eternal life I leave you with an account of an individual who
27:14shared there is hope for the hopeless and it begins by saying one night when I was crossing the Atlantic
27:25an officer on the ship told me that we had just passed over the spot where the Titanic went down
27:34I thought of all that life and wreckage beneath and was beyond the power of man to recover and
27:39redeem I thought also of the great bed of the deep sea with all its held treasures too far down for
27:49man to reach and restore was too far down and then I thought of all the human wreckage engulfed
27:57and sunk in the ocean depths of nameless sin too far gone for what too far gone for what
28:08oh despair be gone all is not lost not too far down for the love of God listen to this
28:19he descended into hell and he will rescue you if you are lost in the depths of all of your troubles
28:27and your trials and seemingly hopeless situations scripture tells if I make my bed in hell you are
28:36there where sin is abound grace does much more abound he bore our sin yes Christ bore our sin
28:50and he is capable of rescuing anyone what encouragement dear ones that we find in the
28:58living truth of the living God you see there is no human wreckage lying in the deepest sea
29:06of iniquity and unrighteousness that God's deep love cannot reach and redeem what a wonderful
29:14gospel we hold what promises that we have in God what encouragement and hope if one's faith and
29:24life in Jesus Christ and life in Christ is bound up in the love and the will of God may our hope
29:35be anchored in faith and love of the triune God and may we all be privileged one day
29:42to inheriting the promise of eternal life