Oh no, what have I done?
In the classic 2002 movie, Spider-Man,
the young Spider-Man has a chance to stop a thief,
but instead chooses to let him go.
He lets him get away only for that thief to end up killing his uncle.
I'm sorry if I've spoiled the movie for you, but the movie's 18 years old, it's okay.
Spider-Man has this moment when he realizes,
oh no, what have I done?
And for the rest of his life, it is shaped by his guilt,
trying to make up for this mistake that cost his uncle's life,
trying to deal with his sin, trying to find redemption.
His whole superhero future is because he is trying to pay the cost of his past sins.
Have you felt that before?
Not the being bitten by a radioactive spider part,
but that gut-wrenching feeling of realizing that you are at fault.
You've let a friend down.
You've been responsible for hurting a person close to you.
And then thinking, how do I fix this?
How do I make amends for my mistake?
Like, you know, I've let my kids down, so I'm going to take them some sliced fruit.
I'm going to, oh, let's go to Macca's kids.
I'm going to buy her flowers.
I'm going to buy her jewelry.
So when I go and say, sorry, I've got something to give her,
so that she'll actually forgive me.
When it comes to our relationship with God,
what happens when we realize what we have done to God?
That we are responsible for the death of his son,
for the murder of God himself.
Is it just enough for us to say sorry?
The great reformer, Martin Luther,
was famously so worried about his guilt and his death
that he became a monk.
Is this what we should do?
We should all, you know, just enter ministry
so we can somehow pay for our sins.
Today we are continuing in our series on the book of Acts,
seeing what living in the new world looks like.
And today we see what apology is.
We see a new repentance.
The people in Jerusalem realize what they have done to Jesus
and they are cut to the heart.
And we see what it means to repent,
to say sorry and to be forgiven.
Today we'll see what to do when we have that,
oh no, what have I done moment.
And we'll be reminded what it means to repent
and how wonderful it is to have a God
who deals with our sin once and for all.
We're going to be three points this morning.
The first is seeing the requirements for repentance.
So the disciples have done what Jesus told them to do
in Acts chapter one.
They were told to wait in Jerusalem until Pentecost.
And they've done that.
Pentecost means 50.
And so Pentecost is 50 days after Passover,
a famous Jewish festival, Passover,
when they remembered what God did passing over their sins.
50 days after that is 7 times 7 plus 1,
which is where they get 50, the Pentecost from.
And so we see what happens on this day.
Acts chapter 2, verse 2.
Suddenly, a sound like the blowing of a violent wind
came from heaven and filled the whole house
where they were sitting.
They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated
and came to rest on each of them.
All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit
and began to speak in other tongues
as the Spirit enabled them.
This is a massive, dramatic moment
in the history of the church.
This was not just a simple breeze
that blew through the house,
but it is a violent wind.
In the Old Testament,
the word for the Spirit and wind
are the same word.
It's ruach.
It's the same word.
And so we see in the Old Testament
that God made Adam come to life
by breathing into him.
And this rushing wind
is God's life-giving Spirit
coming to the apostles.
We see tongues of fire
coming to rest on these men.
And again, fire is a common image of God.
You only have to think back to, you know,
Moses and the burning bush.
And so the Holy Spirit
comes upon these men
so that they could be
about God's mission.
Last week with Steve,
in chapter 1,
we saw that Jesus was sending
his disciples,
his apostles,
out into the world.
To Jerusalem,
Judea,
Samaria,
and to the ends of the earth.
But he wasn't going to send them out
unprepared or unequipped.
They would have the Holy Spirit.
They were a witness
to what they had seen
about Jesus,
equipped to share the good news
to the ends of the earth.
And the Holy Spirit fills them here
so that they begin
to speak in other languages.
And I love this part of the Bible.
If you've heard me speak
about this kind of thing before,
I've prayed for this
because I really want to be able
to speak Mandarin Chinese.
And learning it takes time.
And I really wish
that had happened to me.
But here it happens.
God miraculously gifts these people
so that they can speak
other languages.
And they're speaking
about God's mighty deeds.
And they're making such a commotion
about God in other languages
that people around them
hear and gather.
Verse 5.
Now, they were staying in Jerusalem
God-fearing Jews
from every nation under heaven.
When they heard this sound,
a crowd came together
in bewilderment
because each one heard
their own language being spoken.
Utterly amazed,
they asked,
aren't all these
who are speaking Galileans?
Luke, the author,
is making a real point
in verse 5
explaining that there were
God-fearing Jews
from every nation
under heaven
in Jerusalem.
They were there
because of the religious festivals,
Passover,
and then Pentecost.
And the story
of the Old Testament
from the Tower of Babel
all of the way through
to their exile
had been a history
of disobedience.
They disobeyed God
over and over.
And he scattered them
at the Tower of Babel.
He sent them into exile
in their history.
Those who should have been
living in the promised land
had been spread
across the known world.
They've grown up
in foreign countries
speaking languages
not their own,
but they are all gathered
for Pentecost
and for Passover.
And God uses
his disciples
to speak to his
scattered people
who have gathered
for this moment.
The Holy Spirit
brings unity
where there was division.
The list of people
that had gathered
was impressive.
Verse 9.
Parthians, Medes,
Elamites,
residents of Mesopotamia,
Judea, Cappadocia,
Pontus, Asia,
Phrygia, Pamphylia,
Egypt,
parts of Libya
near Cyrene,
visitors from Rome,
both Jews and converts,
Cretans and Arabs.
We hear them
declaring the wonders
of God
in our own language.
Have you ever had
that feeling
when you're on
holidays overseas
if you can remember
being what overseas
is like?
And you have this moment
in a non-English
speaking country
if that's your
first language
where you don't
understand
what everyone's
saying around you.
It feels very foreign
because it is.
And then off in the distance
you hear someone
speaking your language.
You hear, you know,
someone speaking English
if you're in a non-English
speaking country
and it's just like,
oh,
they will understand me.
They know
what it is like.
And there's just
a feeling of home
and resonance.
I can imagine
that for these people.
These Jews
whose first language
is not
the local language.
But now
they are hearing
the good news
of God
in their
own language.
Some
just think
that they were drunk.
But Peter
gets up
and he speaks.
Peter,
who had been
very fearful,
who had
run
at the first
side of opposition,
the Holy Spirit
not only
has enabled
him to speak
in other languages,
the Holy Spirit
fills Peter
and is changing him
from being
someone who
was fearful
and stuttering
to now
someone who
is able to
get up in front
of a crowd
and preach.
And he explains
what is going on.
They're not drunk,
it's nine o'clock
in the morning,
but this
is what
was prophesied
long ago.
What is happening
right now
we have been
waiting for
for years
and years.
And he takes
them
step by step
to see
who Jesus is.
And he quotes
from the prophet
Joel
and from King
David.
From Joel,
in the last days
God says,
I will pour
my spirit out
on all
people.
God
giving the
Holy Spirit
to all
people.
Again,
this is an
amazing
dramatic
shift
from the
Old Testament
because
previously
God's
Holy Spirit
would come
upon kings
and prophets
and a select
few.
But now
the Spirit
is given
to young,
to old,
to male,
to female.
Peter is
showing them
in this
first step
that Joel
promised that
God would
pour out
the Spirit.
And that is
exactly what's
happening.
Not only that,
King David
said that they
should expect
someone better
than King
David himself,
someone who
would not be
abandoned to
the realm
of the dead,
whose body
would not
see decay.
And that's
not David.
Verse 29,
fellow Israelites,
I can confidently
tell you that
the patriarch
David died
and he was
buried and
his tomb
is here to
this day.
Seeing what
was to come,
he spoke of
the resurrection
of the Messiah,
that he was
not abandoned
to the realm
of the dead,
nor did his
body see
decay.
God has
raised this
Jesus to
life and
we are all
witnesses of
it.
Joel prophesied
that the Spirit
would come on
all people and
you are seeing
it.
David knew
that the Lord
and Messiah
would die
but not see
decay and
we have seen
it, the
apostles have
seen it.
And then
Peter gets
to the point,
verse 36,
therefore,
let all
Israel be
assured of
this,
God has
made this
Jesus whom
you crucified,
both Lord
and Messiah,
the one
you crucified.
He is the
Lord and
he is the
Messiah.
And the
crowd have
that,
oh no,
what have
we done
moment.
that painful,
gut-wrenching,
heart-cutting
moment when
they realised
that they
killed God.
Verse 37,
when the
people heard
this,
they were
cut to the
heart and
said to
Peter and
the other
apostles,
brothers,
what should
we do?
That phrase
is so
painful,
cut to the
heart,
what do
we do?
We killed
him.
The one
that we
have been
waiting for,
God's
chosen one,
the Lord
who would
save us
and we
killed him.
What do
we do?
I can
imagine
their minds
spinning with
options of
what they
could do.
Maybe it's
just the
Aussie male
dad in
me.
I can
fix it.
I see
one of my
kids with
a toy that's
not a little
bit broken,
pass it to
me, I'll
fix it.
Gaffer tape,
hot glue,
whatever it
takes, I
will fix it.
I can
imagine that
feeling in
the crowd.
Surely
there's
something we
can do.
God sent
him back,
we'll love
him this
time.
We'll
take care of
him, we
promise.
We'll
give more
money to
the synagogue,
we'll give
more sacrifices.
We've
stuffed up,
but surely
we can earn
your forgiveness.
38,
verse 38,
Peter replied,
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.
Repent,
turn away
from your
sin, be
baptized, be
washed clean
in the name
of Jesus
Christ, because
this Jesus,
he is still
working now.
Your sins
will be
forgiven, they
will be
wiped out,
and you
will receive
the Holy
Spirit.
No longer
is God
going to
dwell in
the temple,
but in
his people,
they will
be the
temple.
You can
have a
gift.
And that
day, about
3,000 people
were added to
their number.
This group
started out
divided by
language and
city of
origin, but
after they
had repented
and become
part of God's
family, they
were all united
together.
Verse 44,
all the
believers were
together and
had everything
in common.
And twice it
mentions that
they were
breaking bread
together.
God's Spirit
has come, the
gospel has
gone out,
thousands of
people have
been cut to
the heart,
they have
repented and
been baptized,
and now they
have God's
new church.
There is
nothing that
they could do
to make up for
their sins,
but forgiveness
is offered,
and they
have a gift
given.
The Holy
Spirit, God
himself would
dwell in
them.
No one
could have
expected that,
to go from
that gut-wrenching
moment of
realization of
what have I
done, to be
told that they
are forgiven,
and they're
getting a gift
instead.
This is
wonderful joy,
this is
amazing freedom.
We see this
structure in
chapter 2,
where God
works a
miracle.
Somebody
preaches the
gospel, and
then thousands
get saved.
It is the
same that
happens in
chapter 3.
A miracle
happens, Peter
preaches the
gospel, and we
see thousands
get saved.
In chapter 3,
the miracle is
a lame man
being healed.
This is our
second point
today, as
we see the
freedom that
comes from
repentance.
One day,
Peter, along
with John, was
heading to the
temple, and
there was a
lame man
begging.
Expecting to
get money,
verse 6,
Peter said,
silver or
gold I do
not have, but
what I do
have I give
you.
In the name
of Jesus
Christ of
Nazareth,
walk.
Taking him
by the right
hand, he
helped him
up, and
instantly the
man's feet
and ankles
became strong.
He jumped
to his feet
and began
to walk.
Then he
went with
them into
the temple
courts, walking
and praising
God.
The people
see the man
jumping and
praising, and
they rush to
Peter and
John.
And again,
Peter gives
context.
He explains,
he preaches
about what God
is doing in
their midst.
God
is doing in
the name of
Jesus.
Why do you
stare at us as if by
our own power or
our godliness we had
made this man walk?
The God of Abraham,
Isaac, and Jacob, the
God of our fathers has
glorified his servant
Jesus.
Verse 15,
you killed the author
of life, but God
raised him from the
dead.
We are witness of
this.
By faith in the
name of Jesus, this
man whom you see and
know has been made
strong.
It is Jesus' name and
the faith that comes
through him that has
completely healed him,
as you can all see.
And again, Peter gets
to the point.
He doesn't just talk
about God just to
talk about him, but
talks about him,
theologizes about him
for the sake of
people's lives.
Verse 19,
repent and turn to
God.
So that your sins
may be wiped out,
that times of
refreshing may come
from the Lord.
This is a wonderful
promise.
Turn to God,
repent.
Your sin will be
dealt with so that
you can have times
of refreshing.
The healing of the
lame man here is
like a physical
illustration of
repentance.
I don't think it's
by coincidence that
coincidence that
this story is in
the middle of
Peter preaching
twice about
repentance.
God's spirit
works in Jesus'
name to set
enslaved people
free.
The lame man was
enslaved to a
broken body and
when he is set
free, his change
is wonderful.
He is jumping for
joy.
He is praising
God.
Peter says,
you have killed
the author of
life, but you
can be free.
You can be free
as this man here
jumping with joy,
so repent.
And at the start
of chapter 4,
which we'll look at
next week,
again, we see
thousands of
people are saved.
in chapter 2
and 3,
we've been given
a picture of
what the new
repentance looks
like, that
comes from the
death, the
resurrection, and
the ascension of
Jesus.
Our repentance
is based not on
what we offer, but
on the completed
works of Jesus.
And we can jump,
we can praise,
and we can be
refreshed,
because our God
forgives us.
There are four
ways that this
helps us to think
through what our
repentance is.
This is our third
point today, what
repentance is, what
it actually looks
like.
So that's the first
of the four things.
We're going to see
four things about
what repentance
looks like.
The first is what
it actually looks
like.
The second, what
the marks of a
repentant person
are.
Third, the
challenges to
repentance.
And the fourth,
the joy from
repentance.
Now, if you
don't know Jesus
yet, let me
encourage you to
be reflecting on
the burden of
carrying our own
sin.
Because what God
offers us is joy,
and it is
refreshing.
And all he asks
us to do is to
repent and turn
to him.
So firstly, what
does repentance
look like?
Well, it's not
just saying
sorry.
But repentance
is rooted in an
understanding of
how sinful we
are, of our
actions, our
emotions, our
thoughts, our
beliefs, and our
way of life.
Repentance is
where we have a
high view of
God, where we
see that he is
the one who
dictates what
the best life
is.
and when we
see that our
life doesn't
match what he
would have for
us.
A life of
repentance begins
with that gut
wrenching,
heart cutting
recognition of
having defied
God by choosing
what is wrong
and hurtful to
others, to
ourselves, and
to God.
A life of
repentance is
where we
continually bring
our life before
God in his
word, convicted
by the Holy
Spirit, and
where we will
continually have
those, oh
no, what have
I done moments.
We will see,
ah, this part
of my life needs
to change.
That action, that
thought, those
desires don't
actually line up
with God's plan
for my life.
Secondly, the
marks of a
repentant person.
we've seen some
of the marks of
repentant people
in the passage
this morning.
We see people
responding to
Peter's teaching.
We see them, we
see the crowd
asking, what
should we do?
A mark of a
repentant person
is that they are
appalled by their
sin.
The crowd was
cut to the
heart.
They accept the
consequences.
They ask, what
should we do?
A repentant
person doesn't
demand forgiveness.
A person who
knows that they
are in the
wrong and is
saying sorry
doesn't say,
well, you
know, sure,
John, I'll
pick on you.
Sure, John, I've
sinned against you.
But because you're
a Christian, you
have to forgive
me.
No, a repentant
person knows that
they can't demand
forgiveness.
But when they get
it, they're
amazed.
And the marks
of an unrepentant
person are the
opposite of
these.
I think we
can, well, I
know at least I
can often have a
facade of
repentance.
I can
apologize but
not mean it.
My sin doesn't
really appall me.
I don't hate it.
I can say, do
you know what, that
thing that I did,
it's fine.
I can excuse my
sin.
Maybe we don't
accept the
consequences but
we try and shift
the blame.
You know, they
demand forgiveness.
You know, John, you
really should forgive
me.
And forgiveness is
not a gift, it is
an expectation.
The unrepentant
person may just
say sorry to fix
the situation, not
because they are
sorrowful about
what they have
done.
But repenting
is really hard.
And that's the
third thing we see
about repentance
here.
Repenting is
challenging.
And it's actually
really challenging
for us to deal
with our sin and
to understand its
consequences.
It's painful.
And this is why
we need God to
help us.
This is why
this repentance
is new because
it comes as a
gift from God.
it comes with
the Holy Spirit
coming upon us.
The Holy Spirit
works to convict
us of our sin.
We desperately
need Him because
otherwise it is
impossible for us
to face up to
our sin.
We will just be
an unrepentant
person who says
sorry to fix
situations.
Instead, we
need to be cut
to the heart by
God's Word and
God the Holy
Spirit.
repenting is
challenging because
we can desire to
protect ourselves.
I want to save
face before God
and before other
people.
So I can't
confess.
I will confess
partly.
I can shift the
blame or shift
fault.
I see it in me.
I see it in my
kids.
I say to one of
them, did you do
this?
And they say,
he did it
first.
He told me to
do it.
And I see that
in myself.
I have a saying
that I'm going to
keep saying to
myself and to my
family until I'm
good at it, which
is own your own
stuff.
Don't shift blame
to others.
Own it for
yourself.
Own it and
repent of it.
And ask the
Holy Spirit to
help change.
Fourth, once we
have had that,
oh no, what
have I done
moment, a life
of repentance is
truly a joy.
We are accepted
by God.
He cherishes
us.
We are his
valued people.
We are dearly
loved.
We are accepted
into the family
just like those
thousands were
when they
started the
church.
They met
together and
we come into
God's family.
The burden
of our sin
is taken away
and we can
have times of
refreshing.
We don't need
to be fearful
that admitting
fault will ruin
our relationship
with God.
God already
knows what we
are like.
It's actually
a picture of
what authenticity
is to truly
know who we
are.
and how
dependent on
God we
are to
admit our
fault and
to repent.
And then we
can jump for
joy.
We can leap.
We can praise
God.
We can even
do that this
morning.
As we sing
in a moment,
we can jump
around.
That's okay.
We can do
that.
We can have
joy because
what should
have destroyed
us before God
has been
wiped away.
I know that
I have
plenty of
challenges
personally
confessing
my sin
and you
may be
surprised to
know this
but I can
certainly be a
stubborn person.
I know,
I can see the
shock on all
of your faces
this morning.
I know when
I've been in
the wrong with
Alyssa,
my wife,
that it can
be hard
to confess.
I can much
prefer to be
stubborn and
shift the
blame and
actually go,
no, no, no,
it was her
fault.
It's her
fault.
I know that
when I've been
in the wrong,
I've hurt
Alyssa,
I've let her
down.
I cannot
want to
admit that
but there
is something
wonderful
about
confessing
sin.
When I
say to
her,
Alyssa,
I am
sorry,
I let
you down,
I did
this and
I was
wrong and
she forgives
me.
It is
wonderful.
It's like
having a
burden taken
off your
back and
we are
brought
closer.
We can
have new
levels of
intimacy
because there
is no longer
that burden
that keeps
me away
from her.
I'm not
sure if
you've had
this in
a relationship
before but
I certainly
have this.
If there
is conflict
between
Alyssa
and I
because I've
done the
wrong thing,
I don't
want to
see her,
I don't
want to
talk to
her,
I want
to hide
from her
but when
I confess,
when I
say sorry
and there
is forgiveness,
we are
brought
closer,
no longer
am I
hiding from
her out
of fear
that she's
going to
point out
my sin
but that
burden
is taken.
How much
more so
with God
that the
burden of
having a
broken
relationship
is taken
off and
it is
offered to
us.
It's just
like Peter
holding out
his hand
to the
lame man
and saying
do you
want
times of
refreshing?
Do you
want
to have
times of
joy?
Don't miss
out on
that oh
no what
have I done
feeling.
Don't run
and hide
from that
because God
uses his
spirit to
cut us to
the heart
to remind
us of how
we need to
repent and
we can come
before our
great God
and repent
not from
fear but
joy.
Not because
of who we
are but
because we
have a
loving and
merciful God.
Let me
pray for us.
Heavenly
Father,
Lord,
you are
so wonderful,
you are
so great.
you are
so merciful
that you
have dealt
with our
sin and
you offer
us times
of refreshing
and joy.
Father,
we ask
that you
would
continually
cut us
to the
heart.
As we
read your
word,
be working
your spirit
in us so
that we
know how
we need
to repent
and what
we need
to repent
of,
Lord.
Father,
continue to
do this,
sanctify us,
Lord,
so that we
would have
our burdens
taken off,
so that we
can rejoice,
so that we
can stand
before you
when we
meet you,
Lord.
Amen.