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Beaten, bloody, and unjustly imprisoned, Paul and Silas spent their night in the Philippian jail “praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them” (Acts 16:25 NKJV). “Suddenly there was a great earthquake…and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone's chains were loosed” (Acts 16:26 NKVJ). Fearing that all the prisoners had escaped, the jailer prepares to kill himself to avoid certain crucifixion, but Paul stops him - "Do yourself no harm, for we are all here" (Acts 16:28 NKJV). Trembling before Paul and Silas, the jailer asks them how to be saved, takes them into his house, and treats their wounds. The jailer and all in his house believe and are baptized. Leaving the city, Paul and his companions travel to Thessalonica and spent three Sabbaths in the synagogue “explaining and demonstrating that the Christ had to suffer and rise again from the dead, and saying, ‘This Jesus whom I preach to you is the Christ’” (Acts 17:3 NKJV). As a result, some of the Jews and many Gentiles including “not a few of the leading women” came to faith in Jesus. Pastor Kevin corrects a common misunderstanding that Acts 16:31 teaches that an entire family is automatically saved when the husband / father believes in Jesus; shows how this passage reinforces the importance of knowing Bible prophecy in our day; demonstrates the radical nature of the gospel as equally available to all persons – Jews and Gentiles, men and women, slaves and free; and exhorts believers to be bold in our witness because we never know who might be eavesdropping on our conversation! Maranatha! Associated notes, links, and the uncensored audio file are at calvarypo.org under Sermon Archives, Acts, https://calvarypo.org/sermons/this-jesus-whom-i-preach-to-you-is-the-christ-acts-1625-174/

After a time of reporting and ministry in Antioch, Paul tells Barnabas, “Let us now go back and visit our brethren in every city where we have preached the word of the Lord, and see how they are doing” (Acts 15:26 NKJV). After disagreeing about whether to bring John Mark with them again, Paul takes Silas instead and begins to retrace the route of the first missionary journey, while Barnabas and Mark sail for Cyprus. After strengthening the churches in Syria, Cilicia, Derbe, and Lystra, God in a vision calls Paul and Silas, now joined by Luke and Timothy, to preach the gospel in Macedonia. “Now after he had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go to Macedonia, concluding that the Lord had called us to preach the gospel to them” (Acts 15:10 NKJV). Sailing for Macedonia, Paul enters Phillipi and brings Lydia, a seeking Gentile and a seller of purple, to faith in Jesus. Paul then delivers a fortune-telling slave girl from demonic possession, enraging her masters who lost their income stream. As a result, Paul and Silas are severely beaten, imprisoned, and placed with their feet in stocks. In this passage, we see how God uses all circumstances in the life of the obedient Christian – even disagreements with other believers – to further His purposes and the spread of the gospel; how He ensures that those who seek Him with humble hearts find Him; that demonic powers are real; and that obedience to the Holy Spirit does not mean freedom from tribulation and persecution. Pastor Kevin exhorts us to resist all the distractions in our lives and relentlessly pursue God’s call to share the gospel as He provides opportunity. As we obey, persevering despite rejection, ridicule, and persecution, God will use our witness in ways we cannot foresee. “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways, says the Lord” (Isaiah 55:8 NKJV). Maranatha! Associated notes, links, and the uncensored audio file are at calvarypo.org under Sermon Archives, Acts, https://calvarypo.org/sermons/the-lord-has-called-us-to-preach-the-gospel-to-them-acts-1536-1624/

Drawing from Daniel Chapters 7 and 9, the Book of Revelation, and other Scriptures, Pastor Kevin reviews what the Bible reveals to us about the last days, including formation of the final world empire and rise of a global leader, the Antichrist. We see that it has been only within the last few years that everything is now in place to enable the formation of a global government. Against the backdrop of ever-escalating conflicts in the Middle East and elsewhere around the world, all signs point to the soon culmination of the Church Age and God’s outpouring of His wrath upon this sinful world. Pastor Kevin explains why the Church will be translated to heaven before Antichrist is revealed. Until then, there is still time to escape the judgment to come. Have you turned in repentance and faith to the resurrected Jesus? If you are unsure, please see “Normal” Isn’t Coming Back – Jesus is. Are you Ready? (https://calvarypo.org/normal-isnt-coming-back-jesus-is-are-you-ready/) Maranatha! Associated notes, links, and the complete audio file, including Q&A, are at calvarypo.org under Sermon Archives, Topical, https://calvarypo.org/sermons/prophecy-timeline-update-how-close-are-we-to-the-last-days-topical/

Paul and Barnabas continue their ministry in Antioch, blessing both Jews and Gentiles who were receptive to the Word of God and arousing envy and hostility among the religious Jews who saw their position and power being threatened. Rejected by the Jewish leaders in Antioch, Paul tells them, “It was necessary that the word of God should be spoken to you first; but since you reject it, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, behold, we turn to the Gentiles. For so the Lord has commanded us…” (Acts 13: 46-47 NKJV). Expelled by the city leaders, Paul and Barnabas depart the city. “And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit” (Acts 13:52 NKJV). Paul and Barnabas travel next to Iconium and then to Lystra, where we witness the same two-fold response to the preaching of the gospel – some receive the Word with humility and joy and some reject it with envy and hostility. In Lystra, God grants Paul the power to heal a man crippled from birth, which incites the people to worship Paul and Barnabas as gods. However, Paul and Barnabas refuse their worship and plead with them to worship instead the true God and their Creator. “Then Jews from Antioch and Iconium came there; and having persuaded the multitudes, they stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, supposing him to be dead” (Acts 13:19 NKJV). Pastor Kevin explains how this account also gives us important insights about the deity of Jesus and His identity as our Savior from sin; why the unbeliever is so hostile towards Jesus; what it means to be “appointed to eternal life” (Acts 13:48); and some signs of false cults. Maranatha! Associated notes, links, and the uncensored audio file are at calvarypo.org under Sermon Archives, Acts, https://calvarypo.org/sermons/you-have-judged-yourselves-unworthy-of-everlasting-life-acts-1342-1419/

Pastor Kevin opens today’s message by addressing the biblical / prophetic significance of the July 27, 2024 murderous bombing of a children’s soccer field in northern Israel, purportedly by the Lebanon-based terrorist group Hezbollah, and the satanically-inspired opening ceremony of the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris. After his stoning by the mob in Lystra, Paul is left for dead. “However, when the disciples gathered around him, he rose up and went into the city.” (Acts 14:20a NKJV). Paul and Barnabas then retrace their route, returning to the same cities in which they suffered persecution, “…strengthening the souls of the disciples, exhorting them to continue in the faith, and saying, “We must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God” (Acts 14:22 NKJV). Returning to the church in Antioch of Syria at the end of Paul’s first missionary journey , Paul and Barnabas “reported all that God had done with them, and that He had opened the door of faith to the Gentiles” (Acts 14:27 NKJV). Pastor Kevin points to the Apostle Paul as our example in faithfully sharing the gospel, despite persecution, a call that is ever more urgent as we see so many signs pointing to the soon-culmination of the Church Age, a dispensation that began nearly 2,000 years ago when God “opened the door of faith to the Gentiles” (Acts 14:27 NKJV). He also explains how this account and related Scriptures gives us important insights about what it means to “continue in the faith,” and the role of elders in the church then and today. Maranatha! Associated notes, links, and the uncensored audio file are at calvarypo.org under Sermon Archives, Acts, https://calvarypo.org/sermons/they-had-opened-the-door-of-faith-to-the-gentiles-acts-1420-28/

Today’s study starts a new division in the Book of Acts, which chronicles the spread of the gospel beyond Jerusalem and Judea. Pastor Kevin begins with a brief recap of prior divisions, tracing the history of the early church and how God used the early Christians – even through persecution and martyrdom – to begin spreading the gospel to peoples beyond Jerusalem. As the news spread that many Gentiles outside Judea were being saved (without first converting to Judaism), the church leaders in Jerusalem sent Barnabas to investigate. “When he came and had seen the grace of God, he was glad, and encouraged them all that with purpose of heart they should continue with the Lord.” (Acts 11:23 NKJV). Now Barnabas finds Saul in Tarsus and brings him back to the ministry for the first time since being sent out of Jerusalem nine years earlier. “So it was that for a whole year they assembled with the church and taught a great many people. And the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch” (Acts 11:26 NKJV). At the conclusion of Chapter 11, Scripture records how Gentile believers sent relief to the church in Judea during famine, foreshadowing how the primarily Gentile Church would aid and support the Jews and the nation of Israel to the present day. Chapter 12 records how King Herod, likely in partnership with the Jewish religious leaders, resumes persecution of the church in Jerusalem, slays James the brother of John, and imprisons Peter, whom God miraculously delivers from jail. As we reflect on how God used persecution to spread the gospel to the uttermost parts of the earth, Pastor Kevin exhorts us to, with grateful and willing hearts, continue to seek the Holy Spirit’s power to preach the gospel in our individual parts of the earth while there is still time. Maranatha! Associated notes, links, and the uncensored audio file are at calvarypo.org under Sermon Archives, Acts, https://calvarypo.org/sermons/persecution-starts-again-and-james-is-murdered-acts-1119-1225

In our study today, we see how God prepares and then directs his willing servant Peter to do what would have otherwise been unthinkable for this righteous Jew – enter the home of a Roman centurion with God’s message of salvation through faith in Jesus. That God was opening the door of salvation to Gentiles without requiring them to first convert to Judaism was a shocking revelation to these early Jewish believers. However, Peter came to see that “God shows no partiality” (Acts 10:34) so that he boldly preached Jesus’ death and resurrection to Cornelius and his family, assuring them that “whoever believes in Him will receive remission of sins” (Acts 10:43). As Cornelius and others in his home receive Peter’s preaching, “the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who heard the word” (Acts 10:44 NKJV). This momentous event marks a pivotal moment in God’s work to transition from the old dispensation of the Law to the new, current, dispensation of grace. Pastor Kevin explains how this account also answers fundamental questions about repentance, salvation, our ability to seek God, and the deity of Jesus. Maranatha! Associated notes, links, and the uncensored audio file are at calvarypo.org under Sermon Archives, Acts, https://calvarypo.org/sermons/god-uses-peter-to-raise-tabitha-from-the-dead-acts-921-42

Within just the first few weeks following the crucifixion, resurrection and ascension of Jesus, those in Jerusalem saw multiple manifestations of the Holy Spirit’s power in the Apostles to perform miracles and to boldly testify of Jesus’ resurrection from the dead. “And believers were increasingly added to the Lord, multitudes of both men and women” (Acts 5:14 NKJV). In today’s passage, we see the religious leaders again attempting to stop their preaching, but God miraculously delivers the imprisoned apostles and commands them to “Go, stand in the temple and speak to the people all the words of this life" (Acts 5:20 NKJV). Pastor Kevin draws forth important truths from these few verses about the holiness of God, His high demands for absolute integrity and obedience in His followers, the Personhood and deity of the Holy Spirit as one member of the triune Godhead, and how Jesus’ crucifixion redeemed those who believe in Him from the curse of the law. With the Apostles as our examples, let nothing stop us from proclaiming the life-giving truth of the gospel, and may we ever more earnestly seek the Holy Spirit’s power to do so until Jesus takes us home. Maranatha! Associated notes, links, and the uncensored audio file are at calvarypo.org under Sermon Archives, Acts, https://calvarypo.org/sermons/speak-to-the-people-all-the-words-of-this-life-acts-51-33/

Today’s study examines various passages in Acts and Paul’s epistles to learn about the major events Paul’s life from his conversion on the road to Damascus until he was arrested in Jerusalem at the completion of his third missionary journey, about 23 years later. We discover that the now radically converted Saul first enters a 12-year period of personal discipleship in Arabia and Tarsus, living in relative obscurity, before embarking on his first missionary journey. While Paul is in Arabia and Tarsus, God uses the Apostle Peter as His prominent means to bring about the transition from the old dispensation of the Law to the new dispensation of Grace. In the last portion of Acts 9, we read how God used Peter to heal Aeneas, a man who had been paralyzed and bedridden for eight years, and to raise Tabitha from the dead, both miracles serving to draw many people to the gospel: “And it became known throughout all Joppa, and many believed on the Lord” (Acts 9:42 NKJV). You can find a detailed timeline of the life of Paul here: https://www.blueletterbible.org/study/paul/timeline.cfm. Maranatha! Associated notes, links, and the uncensored audio file are at calvarypo.org under Sermon Archives, Acts, https://calvarypo.org/sermons/god-uses-peter-to-raise-tabitha-from-the-dead-acts-921-42

Having returned to their home base in Antioch of Syria after completing their first missionary journey, Paul and Barnabas now confront men who came from Jerusalem to teach the new Gentile converts, “Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved” (Acts 15:1 NKJV). Understanding the urgency of this question – "Must Gentiles become Jews to be saved?" – Paul and Barnabas depart Antioch to take up the matter with the church leaders in Jerusalem in a momentous gathering now known as the Jerusalem Council. After much discussion, Peter rose up and reminded them how God had saved the believing Cornelius and other Gentiles years earlier. “Then all the multitude kept silent and listened to Barnabas and Paul declaring how many miracles and wonders God had worked through them among the Gentiles” (Acts 15:12 NKJV). Pastor Kevin explains how this early incident typifies the many efforts of false teachers from the beginning of the Church Age until now to dilute the gospel of Jesus Christ and His words on the cross, “It is finished” (John 19:30 NKJV). Drawing from related Scriptures, Pastor Kevin emphasizes that we can add nothing to what Jesus has done on our behalf; we simply and only believe. Maranatha! Associated notes, links, and the uncensored audio file are at calvarypo.org under Sermon Archives, Acts, https://calvarypo.org/sermons/the-true-gospel-faith-in-jesus-not-religion-acts-151-12/

After much discussion with Paul and Barnabas “declaring how many miracles and wonders God had worked through them among the Gentiles” (Acts 15:12 NKJV), James, the half-brother of Jesus and leader of the church in Jerusalem, issues the final decree on the question of whether Gentiles need to convert to Judaism to be saved. Quoting the prophet Amos and under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, James declares, “Therefore I judge that we should not trouble [with religion] those from among the Gentiles who are turning to God, but that we write to them to abstain from things polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from things strangled, and from blood.” (Acts 15:19-20 NKJV). With other representatives from the church in Jerusalem, Paul and Barnabas deliver the letter to the Gentile church in Antioch. “When they had read it, they rejoiced over its encouragement” (Acts 15:31 NKJV). Pastor Kevin explains the significance of the Jerusalem Council’s decree including how it represented another step in the transition from the old dispensation of the Mosaic Law to the new dispensation of the Church and fulfilled Old Testament prophecy. He also shows how this decree, issued for Gentiles only, established a wall between Gentile and Jewish believers, who continued in the requirements of the Law. It would take more time, further revelation, and destruction of the temple in A.D. 70 for the early Christians to fully understand that Jesus came to destroy that wall and that “through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father” (Ephesians 2:18 NKJV). Maranatha! Associated notes, links, and the uncensored audio file are at calvarypo.org under Sermon Archives, Acts, https://calvarypo.org/sermons/it-seemed-good-to-the-holy-spirit-acts-1513-35/

In today’s passage, we see the Apostles appointing spirit-filled men to serve (Greek - deacon) the growing church by solving a dispute about equitable food distribution to both Hebrew-speaking and Greek-speaking widows. Taking this dispute off the Apostles plate allowed them to give themselves continually to prayer and to the ministry of the word. The example of servants being used to free teachers and preachers to maintain the focus on prayer and the preaching of the word of God has provided a model for deacons and deaconesses in today’s churches. We also see the Jewish religious leaders intensify their persecution of the early Christians, but the Apostles, “…did not cease teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ” (Acts 5:42 NKJV). In Chapter 7, the persecution culminates in Stephen’s arrest upon a false accusation of blasphemy and his martyrdom by stoning. Stephen’s address to his accusers reveals how proud and rebellious men throughout history have persecuted those whom God sent to proclaim His message of reconciliation. Still, some do respond – Saul, who participated in Stephen’s stoning, was eventually converted and became the Apostle Paul. So, Pastor Kevin exhorts us to “not cease teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ” while there is still time. Maranatha! Associated notes, links, and the uncensored audio file are at calvarypo.org under Sermon Archives, Acts, https://calvarypo.org/sermons/they-did-not-cease-teaching-and-preaching-jesus-acts-534-760

In Acts 13, Saul, re-named Paul, is deputized by the leaders of the church in Antioch to begin his formal ministry. In company with Barnabas and John Mark, Paul begins the first of his four missionary journeys, traveling first to the island of Cyprus where they encounter the “proconsul, Sergius Paulus, an intelligent man…who sought to hear the word of God (Acts 13:7 NKJV). As a Jewish sorcerer tries to keep Sergius Paulus from listening to the gospel, “Then Saul, who also is called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked intently at him and said, “O full of all deceit and all fraud, you son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, will you not cease perverting the straight ways of the Lord?” (Acts 13:9-10 NKJV). The sorcerer is blinded, and “the proconsul believed, when he saw what had been done, being astonished at the teaching of the Lord” (Acts 13:12 NKJV). Paul and his companions then sail to modern day Turkey. In Antioch in Pisidia, Paul preaches first to the Jews, showing from their Scriptures (our Old Testament) how Jesus fulfilled all the prophecies related to the First Coming of the promised Messiah, including His resurrection. Pastor Kevin explains how this account also gives us important insights about the role of fasting and prayer in the life of the Christian; the historical accuracy of Luke’s account in Acts; how the Cypriot sorcerer is a type of all who oppose the gospel; and why the time markers in Scripture preclude anyone but Jesus from fulfilling messianic prophecies. However, Jesus did fulfill all prophecies related to his First Coming, and Pastor Kevin exhorts us to cling with certain hope to remaining prophecies of the Rapture and Jesus' Second Coming as we watch current events accelerate towards the Last Days' fulfillment. Maranatha! Associated notes, links, and the uncensored audio file are at calvarypo.org under Sermon Archives, Acts, https://calvarypo.org/sermons/full-of-deceit-and-fraud-you-son-of-the-devil-acts-131-41/

In Acts 9, we read how the resurrected Jesus encountered Saul of Tarsus while on his way to arrest Christians living in Damascus. As a result, this zealous Pharisee and foremost persecutor of the Jerusalem Christians was radically and forever changed from Saul of Tarsus, the Murderer, to Paul the Apostle. “Immediately he preached the Christ in the synagogues, that He is the Son of God” (Acts 9:20 NKJV). Paul later endured much persecution and eventual martyrdom for the sake of the Jesus he once hated. Drawing from other New Testament passages, Pastor Kevin takes us on a deep dive into Scripture’s account of Saul’s miraculous conversion and encourages us to reflect on our own miraculous conversion. Despite present trials and suffering, may we, like the Apostle Paul persevere in proclaiming the Name of Jesus, that He is the Son of God, while there is still time. Maranatha! Associated notes, links, and the uncensored audio file are at calvarypo.org under Sermon Archives, Acts, https://calvarypo.org/sermons/saul-of-tarsus-the-murderer-becomes-paul-the-apostle-acts-9/

In this teaching, we learn how Stephen’s martyrdom began a frenzy of Christian persecution to which God used as a launching pad to spread the Gospel outside the city of Jerusalem to Samaria and Judea. Persecution divides the church necessarily cutting away the dross and strengthening what is left. In the fury of persecution in which Saul of Tarsus played a leading role, a fellow Hellenist Christian by the name of Philip, in whom was filled with the Holy Spirit, was sent to Samaria to preach the Gospel and work the gifts of miracles. During a revival in Samaria the Lord decided to send Philip south to Gaza where he divinely happened upon an Ethiopian eunuch whom was dedicated to the worship of the God of Israel and the searching of the Scriptures. Philip the Evangelist takes full advantage of the inspired situation. The Truth prevails as the Gospel goes forth into Gentile lands and peoples.

Following the birth of the Church in Acts 2, God continues to pour out His spirit upon His disciples, authenticating their authority as His witnesses by imbuing them with the power to perform miracles and preach with boldness. In today’s passage, Peter, in the name of Jesus, heals the lame man at the Beautiful Gate to the temple. As the people marvel, Peter glorifies God and then points the people to the prophetic Scriptures that prove that Jesus was the prophesied Messiah, exhorting them to “Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord” (Acts 3:19 NKJV). For a complementary message on this passage, see Pastor Kevin’s detailed teaching of 31 March, 2024: https://calvarypo.org/sermons/he-presented-himself-alive-by-many-infallible-proofs-acts-31-422/ Maranatha! Associated notes, links, and the uncensored audio file are at calvarypo.org under Sermon Archives, Acts, https://calvarypo.org/sermons/sins-may-be-blotted-out-so-that-times-of-refreshing-may-come-acts-31-26/

Many of the Jews who had traveled from all over the known world for that first Pentecost following Jesus’ resurrection witnessed God’s miraculous imparting of foreign tongues to His disciples. As they heard the disciples speak in their own languages, “…they were all amazed and marveled” (Acts 2:7 NKJV). What happened that day that enabled Jesus’ followers to speak in languages they had not learned? Why did God use this specific demonstration of His power on that Pentecost Sunday? Is speaking in tongues a spiritual gift for today? Is speaking in tongues a requirement of all true Christians? Drawing from other Scriptures and his personal experiences, Pastor Kevin answers these and other questions about speaking in tongues, bringing biblical clarity to an issue that has long been a source of confusion and division in the church. As we ponder the miraculous role God’s Holy Spirit has in our lives and His desire to empower us to be His witnesses, we are reminded that all genuine work of the Spirit glorifies Jesus and points us to His Word. Maranatha! Associated notes, links, and the uncensored audio file are at calvarypo.org under Sermon Archives, Acts, https://calvarypo.org/sermons/then-they-were-all-amazed-and-marveled-acts-25-13/

Today, we read the first part of Peter’s sermon to the thousands of Jews who had gathered in Jerusalem for that first Pentecost after Jesus’ resurrection. Peter begins his message by quoting the prophet Joel and explaining that what they were witnessing – God’s miraculous impartation of foreign tongues to the 120 who had gathered in the Upper Room to wait for the Promise of the Father as Jesus had commanded – was a fulfillment of an 800-year-old prophecy. Pastor Kevin explains that this Pentecost marked the beginning of the “last days,” the Church Dispensation and fulfillment of God’s plan to bring His gospel to this fallen world. While under the Old Testament economy, God sent his Spirit upon specific individuals, primarily His prophets, now God’s Holy Spirit will indwell “all flesh” - all who believe in His Son: “And it shall come to pass that whoever calls on the name of the Lord Shall be saved' (Acts 2:21 NKJV). As on that Pentecost Sunday nearly 2000 years ago, most people today are uninterested in or outwardly mock the God of the Bible and His Son Jesus. May we continually seek the power of the Holy Spirit in our lives to proclaim the most important message anyone can hear. With Peter, we plead with our unsaved friends and family, “Heed these words… Whoever calls on the name of the Lord Shall be saved' (Acts 2:14, 21 NKJV). Maranatha! Associated notes, links, and the uncensored audio file are at calvarypo.org under Sermon Archives, Acts, https://calvarypo.org/sermons/peter-preaches-the-gospel-on-pentecost-acts-214-23/

In today’s study of Acts Chapter 4, the religious leaders challenge the apostles, “being greatly disturbed that they taught the people and preached in Jesus the resurrection from the dead” (Acts 4:2 NKJV), demanding to know "By what power or by what name have you done this" (Acts 4:7 NKJV)? Quoting Psalm 118, the Apostle Peter shows that their rejection of Jesus fulfills yet another prophecy: “the stone which was rejected by you builders, which has become the chief cornerstone” (Acts 4:11 NKJV). In a world that is increasingly hostile to biblical Christianity, Pastor Kevin exhorts us to remember and boldly proclaim, with the Apostle Peter, “Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved" (Acts 4:12 NKJV). Maranatha! Associated notes, links, and the uncensored audio file are at calvarypo.org under Sermon Archives, Acts, https://calvarypo.org/sermons/jesus-the-stone-which-was-rejected-by-the-builders-acts-41-37/

In today’s message, we study the events of the first Pentecost following Jesus’ resurrection. Pastor Kevin explains how the Gregorian calendar used by the Western world has led the church to depart from the biblical dates for the Resurrection Sunday (Easter) and the Jewish Feast Day of Pentecost. As a result, Christians may fail to see how these Feast Days are types of the Person and work – past and future – of Jesus Christ. We see how Jesus’ ascension and other Scriptures provide glimmers of what will happen in the upcoming Rapture of the Church. Pastor Kevin also answers some of the questions Christians have about the Holy Spirit, including: Is there a difference between having the Holy Spirit “in” you versus having the Holy Spirit come “upon” you? What does it mean to be baptized with the Holy Spirit? “When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place” (Acts 2:1 NKJV). May we, like the 120 men and women in the Upper Room so long ago, be diligently and with one accord seeking and expecting the Holy Spirit to empower us to be His witnesses to our world in these last days (Acts 1:8)! Maranatha! Associated notes, links, and the uncensored audio file are at calvarypo.org under Sermon Archives, Acts, https://calvarypo.org/sermons/when-the-day-of-pentecost-had-fully-come-acts-18-24/

Today, Pastor Kevin introduces a new study of the Book of Acts, written by physician and historian Luke. This book, a continuation of his account of Jesus’ life in the Gospel of Luke, covers the period just prior to Jesus’ ascension until Paul's first imprisonment. In these first few verses, Jesus instructs His followers to remain in Jerusalem, where, “…you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth" (Acts 1:8 NKJV). Pastor Kevin shows from passages in the Gospel of John where Jesus had previously prophesied this coming of the Holy Spirit, an event that would institute a completely new way for sinful human beings to enter into a relationship with a holy God and begin the Dispensation of the Church. Pastor Kevin reminds us that all that Jesus had prophesied about the Holy Spirit and the spread of the gospel has been fulfilled in the 2,000 years since this book was written. In the same way, we know that all that the Scriptures prophesy about events still future to us will also be fulfilled. Pastor Kevin encourages us to take comfort in our security in Jesus and exhorts us to trust Him in these last days, no matter what may come before Jesus takes us home. Maranatha! Associated notes, links, and the uncensored audio file are at calvarypo.org under Sermon Archives, Acts, https://calvarypo.org/sermons/wait-for-the-promise-of-the-father-acts-11-8

On this Easter Sunday, a day on which most of the Western church celebrates Jesus’ resurrection, Pastor Kevin reminds us that the essential foundation of biblical Christianity is the historical fact of Jesus’ rising from the grave three days after his crucifixion. We see in Acts Chapters 3 and 4 and related Scriptures some of the many proofs of the resurrection, with Pastor Kevin drawing attention to the responses of the people who saw and heard of the risen Jesus. Some responded in repentance and faith in the risen Jesus. However, most still rejected Him, refusing to consider how this profound event would affect their eternal destinies, despite the Apostle Peter’s warning on the Day of Pentecost that, “And it shall be that every soul who will not hear that Prophet (Jesus) shall be utterly destroyed from among the people” (Acts 3:22 NKJV). Describing contemporary signs pointing to Jesus’ soon return, Pastor Kevin exhorts believers to remain unflagging in our mission to share the gospel with the unbelieving while there is still time for them to escape the judgment to come. Have you turned in repentance and faith to the resurrected Jesus? If you are unsure, please see “Normal” Isn’t Coming Back – Jesus is. Are you Ready? Maranatha! Associated notes, links, and the uncensored audio file are at calvarypo.org under Sermon Archives, Exodus, https://calvarypo.org/sermons/he-presented-himself-alive-by-many-infallible-proofs-acts-31-422

As we conclude our study of Peter’s sermon in Acts 2, we see the apostle’s emphasis on Jesus’ resurrection. Pastor Kevin points out that the resurrection is an historical fact and one component of our faith that distinguishes biblical Christianity from all other religions. Quoting from Psalms 16 and 110, Peter then shows how both Jesus’ death and resurrection were foretold by King David 1,000 years earlier, proving that He was the promised Messiah and God. Pastor Kevin explains how Psalm 110 also refers to Jesus’ Second Coming, an event still future to us. An accurate understanding of Bible prophecy is as important to us today as it was to those first century believers. As has been the case throughout history, most who heard Peter’s sermon on that Pentecost Sunday rejected his message, but 3,000 did heed Peter’s exhortation to “Be saved from this perverse generation” (Acts 2:40 NKJV), and the Church was born. Maranatha! Associated notes, links, and the uncensored audio file are at calvarypo.org under Sermon Archives, Acts, https://calvarypo.org/sermons/the-church-is-born-acts-223-47

On this New Year’s Eve, 31 December 2023, Pastor Kevin reviews current events and their significance in light of Bible prophecy, with focus on the Jewish people and the land of Israel. Why do we believe the Bible literally? What prophecies have already been fulfilled, and what must still occur before Jesus returns, according to Scripture? Based on what we have seen in recent years, what can we expect in 2024? For background, see New Year’s Day 2023 Prophecy Update. Maranatha! Associated notes and links are at calvarypo.org under Sermon Archives, Topical, https://calvarypo.org/sermons/prophecy-update-2023-24-the-importance-of-prophecy-in-our-day/

In our study today, Pastor Kevin expounds on laws governing a variety of situations likely to occur in ancient Israel, including: physical altercations between people resulting in injury or death; relationships between masters and their slaves; injuries to or caused by one’s animals; theft; and misuse of another’s property. While the skeptic mocks the Bible, Pastor Kevin explains how these laws executed a system of justice that was far more fair, compassionate, and fiscally responsible than our own. We also see how Jesus raised the Mosaic Law to an even higher plane to emphasize that keeping God’s law is not about outward compliance only, but the heart. No one can keep the Law perfectly. We praise God the Father for so loving us that He sent His Son, Jesus, to die for the sins of the world so that by believing we can have life in His Name. Maranatha! Associated notes and links are at calvarypo.org under Sermon Archives, Exodus, https://calvarypo.org/sermons/gods-laws-on-loving-your-neighbor-exodus-2120-2215/