WEEKLY ANNOUNCEMENTS
Catch up on our weekly announcements here.
CALVARY INSTITUTE
Handout and notes can be found here.
WORSHIP
There’s a really interesting movement in the language of praise the elders bring to God between Revelation 4 and 5. At the end of chapter 4, the focus is on God as creator. “Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created.” But after the Lamb takes the scroll, John points out that “they sang a new song, saying, ‘Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation.’” The relationship between God and the people he created has shifted. No longer is he only a magnificent, holy, awesome God somewhere out there. Because of Christ, now it’s personal. He is their rescuer, their redeemer, their hope! He is our rescuer, our redeemer, our hope! The only appropriate response to God’s mercy is to express our thanks and to continue our praise of who God is and what he has done for us.
Call to Worship - Psalm 111:1-2, 9-10
Great Are the Lord's Works
111 [a] Praise the Lord! I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart, in the company of the upright, in the congregation. 2 Great are the works of the Lord, studied by all who delight in them.
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9 He sent redemption to his people; he has commanded his covenant forever. Holy and awesome is his name! 10 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all those who practice it have a good understanding. His praise endures forever!
LEADER: Praise the Lord! I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart, in the company of the upright, in the congregation. TOGETHER: Great are the works of the Lord, studied by all who delight in them. LEADER: He sent redemption to his people; he has commanded his covenant forever. TOGETHER: Holy and awesome is his name! LEADER: The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all those who practice it have a good understanding. TOGETHER: His praise endures forever!
Adoration
Song - Only A Holy God
Confession
Song - Be Thou My Vision
Assurance of Grace
2 Corinthians 5:21 For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
Song - Cornerstone
Thanksgiving
Song - Worthy of It All
SERMON - Peter's Greatest Sermon
Scripture - Acts 2:14-39(ESV)
Peter's Sermon at Pentecost
14 But Peter, standing with the eleven, lifted up his voice and addressed them: “Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and give ear to my words. 15 For these people are not drunk, as you suppose, since it is only the third hour of the day.[a] 16 But this is what was uttered through the prophet Joel:
17 “‘And in the last days it shall be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams; 18 even on my male servants and female servants in those days I will pour out my Spirit, and they shall prophesy. 19 And I will show wonders in the heavens above and signs on the earth below, blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke; 20 the sun shall be turned to darkness and the moon to blood, before the day of the Lord comes, the great and magnificent day. 21 And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.’
22 “Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with mighty works and wonders and signs that God did through him in your midst, as you yourselves know— 23 this Jesus,[b] delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men. 24 God raised him up, loosing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it. 25 For David says concerning him,
“‘I saw the Lord always before me, for he is at my right hand that I may not be shaken; 26 therefore my heart was glad, and my tongue rejoiced; my flesh also will dwell in hope. 27 For you will not abandon my soul to Hades, or let your Holy One see corruption. 28 You have made known to me the paths of life; you will make me full of gladness with your presence.’
29 “Brothers, I may say to you with confidence about the patriarch David that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. 30 Being therefore a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that he would set one of his descendants on his throne, 31 he foresaw and spoke about the resurrection of the Christ, that he was not abandoned to Hades, nor did his flesh see corruption. 32 This Jesus God raised up, and of that we all are witnesses. 33 Being therefore exalted at the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this that you yourselves are seeing and hearing. 34 For David did not ascend into the heavens, but he himself says,
“‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at my right hand, 35 until I make your enemies your footstool.”’
36 Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.”
37 Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” 38 And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself.”
Discussion Questions:
How did Peter relate his sermon to what the crowd was seeing and hearing (cf. v.11-12)?
Why would he mention (twice) the fact that his listeners were responsible for crucifying Jesus?
How might you expect a crowd to react to that kind of message?
What part did the Jewish Scriptures have in his sermon? Why would that be important for this
audience?
What connections did he make between the work of the Holy Spirit and the work of Jesus?
BENEDICTION
Song - Living Hope