Acts 2:22-24

"Men of Israel, listen to this: Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs, which God did among you through him, as you yourselves know. This man was handed over to you by God's set purpose and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the cross. But God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him.

This is the first recorded sermon after the resurrection and ascension of Christ. The Holy Spirit comes at Pentecost and this is a sermon preached by Peter.

Acts 2:25a

David said about him:

This is what I want you to see. This is in the New Testament but we know King David from the Old Testament. Note what Luke, the author, says.

Acts 2:25b-28

"`I saw the Lord always before me. Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken. Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will live in hope, because you will not abandon me to the grave, nor will you let your Holy One see decay. You have made known to me the paths of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence.'

Where is this from? Psalms 16. We’ll read Psalms 16 in a moment but it reads about the same.

Note what it says there, "you will not abandon me to the grave, nor will you let your Holy One see decay." What is that a reference to? Christ in the tomb. Christ died and was buried. God did not abandon Him. The "Holy One" is a reference to the Messiah, Jesus Christ.

Acts 2:29-30

"Brothers, I can tell you confidently that the patriarch David died and was buried, and his tomb is here to this day. But he was a prophet and knew that God had promised him on oath that he would place one of his descendants on his throne.

Does anyone know what chapter this is from? 2^nd Samuel 7. That’s a very key chapter in the Old Testament. Here it is mentioned again.

Understand what’s happening. This is Peter, preaching on the day of Pentecost. He’s telling these people (Men of Israel, Jews) who’ve gathered there in Jerusalem about the risen Christ. How does he speak to them? With a reference to the Old Testament. That’s why your understanding of the Old Testament will mean so much to you in the New Testament. That’s all they had at this time. That’s all Peter could reference was the Old Testament. They didn’t have the New Testament. He couldn’t say, "OK, now turn to John," or "turn to Luke." It wasn’t there yet. This is just spoken word that we’re reading here.

Acts 2:31

Seeing what was ahead, he spoke of the resurrection of the Christ, that he was not abandoned to the grave, nor did his body see decay.

Could that be any clearer?

Acts 2:32

God has raised this Jesus to life, and we are all witnesses of the fact. Exalted to the right hand of God, he has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit and has poured out what you now see and hear. For David did not ascend to heaven, and yet he said, "`The Lord said to my Lord: "Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet." '

What is that a reference to? Psalms 110. Do you see the references here, from the New Testament to the Old Testament?

Acts 2:33

"Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ." When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, "Brothers, what shall we do?"

I love that question. They asked, "What shall we do?" because they understood.

I just wanted to read a little of that. Let’s go to Psalms 16 now. We’ll see what Peter referenced.

Psalms 16:9-10

Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will rest secure, because you will not abandon me to the grave, nor will you let your Holy One see decay.

Does that sound familiar?

Psalms 16:11

You have made known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.

I am going through these quickly because you should have been reading these during the week. Right? Do you remember how to read five Psalms and one Proverb every day of the month? You can do this on your own now:

Day 1: Psalms 1, 31, 61, 91, 121
Day 2: Psalms 2, 32, 62, 92, 122
…
Day 30: Psalms 30, 60, 90, 120, 150

Psalms 110:1

The LORD says to my Lord: "Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet."

That’s the other reference we just saw in Acts.

Psalms 110:2

The LORD will extend your mighty scepter from Zion; you will rule in the midst of your enemies.

This is a reference to a king.

Psalms 110:3

Your troops will be willing on your day of battle. Arrayed in holy majesty, from the womb of the dawn you will receive the dew of your youth.

I know that’s very grand, symbolic language but if you read it, study it, and think about Christ, that’s who is described here. You can see that.

I want to move on to Proverbs but before we do, I want to open it up and ask you about Psalms. I could talk about Psalms all day long. You already know that. This is the third week we’ve talked about Psalms. I have so many favorites. Please tell me some of your favorites.

These are Psalms of praise to God but I told you that when you really get into them, they will bless you. You will forget about yourself and focus on God.

Psalms 103:1-5

Praise the LORD, O my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name. Praise the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits--who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion, who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's.

Psalms 103:8-10

The LORD is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love. He will not always accuse, nor will he harbor his anger forever; he does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities.

God is patient and God is love. I love verse 10, "he does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities." That’s a spiritual truth, isn’t it? We hear that. Here it is written in the Bible.

Psalms 46:10a

"Be still, and know that I am God;

I can’t help but think when I read this about "know." The "know" here is that complete knowledge of character, attributes, plans, nature, etc. Anything you can possibly know about Him. You can only do that if you study His Word and spend time with Him daily. It just doesn’t happen through osmosis by putting your Bible under your pillow at night. It doesn’t work that way.

Psalms 46:10b

I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth."

Note that. Has that happened yet? No. It will happen. He will be exalted among all the nations and all the earth. We’ll study that in the New Testament.

Psalms 46:1-4

God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging. Selah. There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy place where the Most High dwells.

I just love this. Can you picture this? If you’re in the middle of Baghdad with everything going on and you read this, it’s got to give you peace, security, and comfort. In this world today, this is what we need. This is why you need Psalms. I’ll beg and plead for you, again, to read Psalms at least four times per year, once every three months. Read it in addition to everything else you read. You just can’t go a year in a relationship with God without reading the Psalms. They’re just too good.

Psalms 37:3-5

Trust in the LORD and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him and he will do this:

As you read the Psalms, they will come alive in your life. Delight in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart. These are fantastic.

Psalms 37:23-24

If the LORD delights in a man's way, he makes his steps firm; though he stumble, he will not fall, for the LORD upholds him with his hand.

Psalms 37:37

Consider the blameless, observe the upright; there is a future for the man of peace.

That is a good one, isn’t it? We’re just picking a few this morning but these are good ones.

Psalms 34:7

The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear him, and he delivers them.

I wonder who the "angel of the Lord" is. Jesus Christ? Maybe or maybe not in this case but I’d like to think so.

Psalms 34:19-20

A righteous man may have many troubles, but the LORD delivers him from them all; he protects all his bones, not one of them will be broken.

Oh. There’s another reference to Christ, isn’t it? "Not a bone will be broken."

Psalms 34:12-14

Whoever of you loves life and desires to see many good days, keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking lies. Turn from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it.

Psalms 5:11-12

But let all who take refuge in you be glad; let them ever sing for joy. Spread your protection over them, that those who love your name may rejoice in you. For surely, O LORD, you bless the righteous; you surround them with your favor as with a shield.

Psalms will set you free. Read them every day.

Psalms 117

Praise the LORD, all you nations; extol him, all you peoples. For great is his love toward us, and the faithfulness of the LORD endures forever. Praise the LORD.

Short, sweet, and to the point. Absolutely.

Psalms 118:24

This is the day the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.

Great song!

The Psalms are just so good. Like I said, there are different ways of looking at them. There are different ways of reading them. I hope you can see that if you’ve never spent time in Psalms, spend time in Psalms. It will deliver you. It will help you during the day. Your focus will be on God. It will get your mind off of yourself and put it on God. It will put things in perspective. You will not be overcome by this world. You will see that God is the overcomer.

Proverbs

Proverbs was written mostly by Solomon. Psalms gets to your heart and soul, the softer side of us, the praise and worship. Proverbs is practical, how to live a life. You read these and it says, "Here’s what you should do and here’s what you should avoid doing." It’s very practical. Most of them were written by Solomon.

There are 31 Proverbs. You should read one a day (for a 31-day month) along with your Psalms. Proverbs is another very helpful daily supplement for your nourishment from God’s Word. It talks a lot about righteousness vs. wickedness, wisdom vs. folly, discipline vs. laziness, etc. These are the kinds of practical things you’ll find in Proverbs.

Proverbs 1:1

The proverbs of Solomon son of David, king of Israel:

Solomon wrote most of them. He was the wisest man. We read that and understood that God gave him wisdom.

Proverbs 1:2-3

for attaining wisdom and discipline; for understanding words of insight; for acquiring a disciplined and prudent life, doing what is right and just and fair;

If you want these things in your life, what should you be reading? Proverbs.

Proverbs 1:4-7a

for giving prudence to the simple, knowledge and discretion to the young--let the wise listen and add to their learning, and let the discerning get guidance--for understanding proverbs and parables, the sayings and riddles of the wise. The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline.

The Hebrew word for "fool" refers to people who are close-minded. They’re not willing to listen to anything or learn anything. There is no discipline in their lives. Those are fools. You will see that word throughout the rest of Proverbs.

Like me, I am sure that none of you have ever been a "fool," the way I just defined it, where I didn’t want people to tell me how to do something. Or I was close-minded about something. Or I didn’t want to be disciplined about something. Yeah, right. No. We all fit in this category. This is a book to show us when we’re that way and why we shouldn’t be that way. We should have an open mind. I’ve told you before that Christians should have more open minds than anyone else in the world. We will listen to anything because we know the truth and the truth has set us free. We don’t have to be tied up about anything else.

Proverbs 3:1-4

My son, do not forget my teaching, but keep my commands in your heart, for they will prolong your life many years and bring you prosperity. Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart. Then you will win favor and a good name in the sight of God and man

Read this carefully. Wisdom is spoken of as a person. Love and faithfulness are like tangible items that you want to seize and hold.

Everyone has heard verses 5 and 6. Let’s look at them.

Proverbs 3:5a

Trust in the LORD with all your heart

With everything you’ve got, you trust the Lord.

Proverbs 3:5b

and lean not on your own understanding;

Don’t lean on your own understanding. It doesn’t mean that you don’t have your own understanding. But don’t lean on it. Don’t rely on it. You’ll have problems.

Proverbs 3:6a

in all your ways acknowledge him,

In everything. Whether you’re looking for a job, deciding what to invest in, pondering major purchases, deciding where to go eat, etc., acknowledge Him. There’s no problem with any of that if we acknowledge God. Say, "God, you are in control. You are sovereign. You know everything."

Proverbs 3:6b

and he will make your paths straight.

Proverbs 3:7-8

Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD and shun evil. This will bring health to your body and nourishment to your bones.

This has actually been scientifically, medically proven. Whether you’re a Christian or not, it’s been proven.

Proverbs 3:9-12

Honor the LORD with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops; then your barns will be filled to overflowing, and your vats will brim over with new wine. My son, do not despise the LORD's discipline and do not resent his rebuke, because the LORD disciplines those he loves, as a father the son he delights in.

So when you’re disciplined, praise the Lord. "Outstanding, God. Keep the discipline coming. I know that you love me."

Proverbs 3:13-15

Blessed is the man who finds wisdom, the man who gains understanding, for she is more profitable than silver and yields better returns than gold. She is more precious than rubies; nothing you desire can compare with her.

If you look at "wisdom" in the Proverbs, wisdom, itself, is usually referred to as a woman. If you keep reading Proverbs, you’ll see that the pronoun used for "wisdom" changes to personal instead of feminine.

Proverbs 8:12

"I, wisdom, dwell together with prudence; I possess knowledge and discretion.

When you read this with personal pronouns, it’s trying to make it as applicable as possible to your life. Wisdom is something you want to possess, have, love, and hold.

Wisdom gives you the spiritual discernment to be open-minded. When I say "open-minded," I mean that we see people from God’s perspective, not from our own. A close-minded person would judge, condemn, and avoid others who are in sin. An open-minded Christian should say, "That’s wrong but I know that God still loves them and died for them." That’s what I mean by "open-minded." The love of God comes first, not our personal evaluation or comfort level. It’s seeing things from God’s perspective. There is no risk involved. You are set free. If you are close-minded, you still have some baggage that you’re carrying around. You’re trying to judge other people to make yourself feel good or better, no matter what it is.

Proverbs 4:23

Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.

That’s a good one. What comes out of your mind and body begins in your heart. Guard your heart.

Proverbs 6:23b

the corrections of discipline are the way to life

"I love discipline." We should say that every day. Discipline is good. It’s good for your mind, heart, soul, and body—everything. Speaking of discipline…

Proverbs 12:1

Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but he who hates correction is stupid.

There’s another word for "fool," "stupid."

Proverbs 13:12

Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life.

That just speaks volumes for some of the things about our lives.

Proverbs 13:18

He who ignores discipline comes to poverty and shame, but whoever heeds correction is honored.

Proverbs 13:22

A good man leaves an inheritance for his children's children, but a sinner's wealth is stored up for the righteous.

This is interesting. The inheritance is for your grandchildren, not your children. <Sorry, son.>

We need to stop but I wanted to give you Tim’s all-time favorite Proverb.

Proverbs 21:9

Better to live on a corner of the roof than share a house with a quarrelsome wife.

<Ha ha. Tim: Actually, my favorite is 12:4.>

Proverbs 12:4

A wife of noble character is her husband's crown,

Oh, isn’t that sweet!? That’s good.
Mine is all of chapter 31. This is fun, isn’t it?

Proverbs 31:10

A wife of noble character who can find? She is worth far more than rubies.