The Pattern of Admission in Acts 2

Introduction: The Vital Importance of Church Membership

0:02 This sermon was preached on Sunday evening, November 9th, 1986, at the Trinity Baptist Church in Montville, New Jersey. Now, most of you will remember that last Lord's Day, we announced that we desired to meet with all those who have applied for membership in order to secure a specific and mutually agreeable time in order to interview those candidates. And since then, we've been engaged in both interviewing and scheduling interviews for more than 30 people who have come forward declaring themselves desirous of identifying themselves with this assembly, with its life, and with its ministry. And in the light of this significant and concentrated increase of our ranks, your elders were of one mind that this would be a very appropriate time, a time to go to the scriptures and to open up some of the major biblical materials on the subject of membership in the Church of Jesus Christ. Now, I know the announcement of that subject is not the kind of thing that will make us hit the headlines. It's not the kind of thing that makes a congregation go,

1:21 as they sometimes do. But God willing, during the next five or six evening ministries, that I will be privileged to engage in over the next couple of months, we will be addressing the broad theme of the biblical view of church membership. Now, by way of introduction, in order to secure what I trust will be a wholehearted commitment in your mind and heart to this subject, let me say just three things in setting this entire subject in a broad biblical context. First of all, and this is but introductory, I want to say a word about the vital importance of this subject. How important is the subject of church membership? Well, it is of vital importance because of the strategic position and identity of the church in the purpose of the living God. And though I cannot give a comprehensive overview of all that the church is intended to be by divine purpose and all that it is by divine constitution,

2:37 just several texts to remind you of the mind-blowing identity of the church and the strategic position of the church in the purpose of God. In 1 Timothy chapter 3, after the apostle has been giving numerous specific directives concerning local, church, life, and practice, he writes to Timothy in verses 14 and 15 these very pivotal words. 1 Timothy 3, 14. These things write I unto you, hoping to come unto you shortly.

3:15 But if I tarry long that you may know how men ought to behave themselves in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth. And here the church is not only described in terms of its glorious identity, it is God's household, it is God's church, but in terms of its function in the purpose of God. God intends that his church should be nothing less than the pillar and the ground of the truth. In other words, God's purpose is to display his truth in any generation, in any geographical location, are bound up with the presence and well-being of the church. And in the context, the apostle is not talking about the church in some mystical, ethereal, abstract way, but in terms of a concrete assembly of God's people at Ephesus, where he had left the church. He had left his son in the faith and fellow worker Timothy in order to perfect the things that were lacking in that church. And so if we have any love of the truth, any concern for the upholding, dissemination, proclamation, embodiment of the truth,

4:41 then we must of necessity be deeply concerned with anything that pertains to the church of the living God. And then a text like Ephesians 3, and verse 10, sets before us a mind-boggling concept with reference to God's purpose for the church, a purpose that was laid in eternity according to Ephesians 3 and verse 11, according to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord. And what is that purpose with reference to the church? Verse 10, To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in the heavenlies might be made known through the church the manifold wisdom of God. God has chosen the church to be the theater in which he will display to principalities and powers in the heavens his manifold wisdom. It is in the church that God has chosen, both to deposit and to reveal his many-faceted, gracious wisdom in Jesus Christ, the church's Savior and Lord.

6:02 And then when we turn to a passage such as 1 Corinthians chapter 3, amazing that this statement should come to a church which in its present condition was far below the biblical ideal, far below what it would, would be after the reproofs of this letter. And yet Paul can say with reference to the identity of that specific congregation at Corinth, with all of its irregularities, with all of its abnormalities, its sins and blotches and ethical deviations from the norms of God, yet he says, Do you not know that you are a temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? If any man destroys the temple or sanctuary of God, him shall God destroy, for the temple of God is holy, and such are you. He says that that church at Corinth was nothing less than God's special dwelling place, God's sanctuary, the place where he has chosen to put his special presence.

7:24 Now to these three texts could be added many more that underscore the strategic position and the glorious identity of the church in the purpose of the living God. But surely these suffice to underscore how vital this subject is. For once we begin to concern ourselves with the subject, of church membership, once we take up the question, who gets in to God's house, who becomes part of that which he has ordained to be pillar and ground of the truth, once we begin to take up the question, what must men be and do to have a title to entrance into that which is God's theater, to display to principalities and powers his manifold wisdom? What must men do to have a title to entrance into that which is God's theater, What must men do to have a title to entrance into that which is God's theater, and how must they confess and profess to become part of this living temple? You see, we are dealing with a question that affects tremendously vital issues. And few things are of greater importance with reference to the church's ability to be what it is supposed to be and to do what it is supposed to do than the question of who gets in, what happens when they're in, and how must they walk in order to remain in?

The Regulative Authority for Church Membership: Christ's Word Alone

8:45 Our answer and practice with reference to that question with reference to those three questions, all clustering around church membership, have a tremendous impact on whether or not the church retains its God-given identity and accomplishes its God-given purpose. So though the title is not exciting and doesn't make anyone go, ooh, I hope the concern involved in it causes you to feel something of its tremendous importance. But then secondly, by way of introduction, let me underscore as we come to this subject not only the vital importance of the subject, but the regulative authority for addressing the subject. By what authority shall we come to some conclusions with reference to church membership? Who should be admitted? On what terms? What is expected of those who are admitted?

9:45 How long may they remain a part of that society of the visible? What grounds should they be excluded or cast out of that society? What is to regulate all of our thinking and practice with reference to this subject? Well, the great tragedy is that in most places, even those that call themselves evangelical and many that even call themselves Reformed, sentiment, human tradition, and common conscience, the consensus set the standards.

10:24 Whereas the scriptures are clear that the regulative authority with reference to everything that pertains to church membership must be the authoritative word of Christ and of his apostles. And our Lord could not have made this issue more plain than in his initial pronouncements with reference to the church when in the only two explicit references to the church, found in the Bible, found in the Gospels, our Lord says in Matthew 16, and then we shall look briefly at Matthew 18, these very significant words, Matthew 16 and verse 18, And I say unto you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church. Do you see how the Lord Jesus directs our attention to his rights, his, his prerogatives with reference to his church, the first mention of his church oozes with this Christ-centered concept of the church. I will build my church, and the gates of Hades or hell shall not prevail against it. I will give unto you the keys of the kingdom of heaven.

11:51 I, I will build the gates of heaven. I will give unto you the keys of the kingdom of heaven. I will build, I will give, and with reference to everything that pertains to my church, I call the shots, I confer the authority. You do not act on your own, Peter, though you will have a significant place as the human instrument in this great enterprise.

12:12 Whatever that place is, it is not a place of independent legislative authority. It is my church, I will build it, and I will give what I choose to give in the way of ecclesiastical authority and directives. And the same emphasis comes through in Matthew 18, 15 and following, in which our Lord anticipates His church as a church made up of imperfectly sanctified sinners, a church that occasionally will house within its ranks those who don't have the right to be church members. They have the root of the matter in them.

12:51 And so the subject here is that of the various stages of discipline in conjunction with private offenses. But you will notice that when he comes to speak of the issue coming before the church, he says in verse 17, And if he refuse to hear them, tell it unto the church. And if he refuse to hear the church, let him be unto you as the Gentile in the public, and verily I say unto you, In other words, everything that pertains to my church, entrance and exclusion, the maintenance of a standing in my church, it is what I say that is to be regulative in every facet of church life. Verse 19, again, I say unto you, with reference to what happens when the church gathers to pray and to act, it is what I say, and what I sovereignly choose to do that makes all the difference with reference to what the church is, what the church does, and what the church has a right to expect of my gracious presence. Therefore, when our Lord sends forth his own to make disciples of all the nations,

14:11 he puts all the attention upon the exaltedness of the position from which he speaks in Matthew 28, in verse 19, all authority has been given unto me, going therefore make disciples, baptize and teach them. But in that entire enterprise of proclaiming the gospel and constituting churches comprised of baptized disciples, never forget, legislative authority is with me exclusively. All authority is mine. There's none left for you to exercise.

14:48 Independently of my will and the revelation of my will to you. Therefore, when the Apostle Paul would desire to see the door of the church at Corinth swing open, that is the back door, and someone cast out of the church, he is very careful to make it evident that he speaks and acts in relationship to the regulative authority of Jesus, of Jesus Christ himself, 1 Corinthians chapter 5. This is a matter of church membership. Someone is a member in the church at Corinth who ought not to be in virtue of the pattern of his lifestyle.

15:32 So what does Paul say? He says, oil the back door. And here are the issues that ought to regulate your thinking as you do. Verse 3, For verily, being absent in body but present in spirit, I have already judged, as though present with you the one who has wrought this thing, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, you being gathered together in my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus, to deliver such a one unto Satan.

16:08 You see how careful he is to bring into sharp focus that this matter of membership in or exclusion from the membership in the church of Christ is bound up with the magisterial authority and power of Jesus Christ, the head of the church. Likewise, in chapter 14, when he is sorting out matters of behavior within the church, giving very specific directives concerning what we would call the order of service at the church in Corinth, after giving very specific directives with regard to the exercise of certain revelatory gifts, how they should be exercised, who should exercise them, males or females. He then says at the end of this instruction, verse 37, If any man thinks himself to be a prophet or spiritual, let him take knowledge of the things which I write unto you, that they are the commandment of the Lord. You see what he is saying? He is saying no other authority should cut mustard in the church but the authority of Jesus.

17:29 But when I as an apostle speak to you, in my capacity as an apostle, what I say bristles with and is fully identified with the plenary authority of Jesus Christ, the head of the church. Why do I emphasize that? For the simple reason that many of us have suffered at the hands of the pragmatism, human tradition, and common consensus which has regulated our past experiences with regard to church membership. In recent days as I have had to spend literally hours on my phone and at my dictating machine trying to help pastors who write and call from all over the country and sometimes literally from other parts of the world with issues pertaining to church membership I have been wrestling and praying Lord give me some way to conceptualize what the problem is. And in recent days I have been thinking and bouncing off people in personal conversation a concept that I believe is helping me to put the thing into sharp focus. The average evangelical church has what I would call the religious club mentality. Now I can remember when I was a little boy many, many, many decades ago and every once in a while when we felt important we would say I am going to start a club.

18:54 And so you would go around to your closest friends I don't know if kids do that anymore everything is done for you maybe you never had the joy of starting your own club. And you either made a clubhouse or you had an old garage and you declared that the clubhouse and then you agreed who would be the members of the club and then it was fun to sit down and make the rules. You had no authority outside yourself and so you would get together and usually it was a group consensus you wanted to exclude somebody either the block the bully on the block or someone that you were prejudiced against in terms of some ethnic prejudice that you had inherited but be that as it may what a sense of authority was there when you could sit down and make your own club and make your own rules. And someone would come and say Hey, can I come in?

19:39 No, you don't belong to our club you can't come in. And then when they did come this is what you've got to do. Why? That's the rules.

19:45 Who made them? We did. And you see, if anyone came in no matter who he was and he began to try to change the rules you say, hey, wait a minute you didn't make this club we did. Who are you to come in from the outside and tell us how to run this place?

20:00 This is our club we made it we make the rules you play by our rules or get out. You know, it's tragic that's the way the average church is run these days. The thing that is causing these men to write and call from all over the country is they're in the clubhouse with the book of King Jesus in their hands and they're telling the club members this is how Jesus says the church is to be run. And you know what the people are saying?

20:27 Who are you to tell us what to do? This isn't your church this is ours. We started it thirty years ago. This is our club.

20:41 That's got enough of Jesus in it so we can call it a Christian club and enough of the gospel to make us feel good that our sins won't meet us in the day of judgment and there's enough of the rule of Christ that we can pass as a Christian club. But you let someone come in who takes the rule book seriously from Genesis to Revelation and you watch the club members get angry and kick out this troublemaker. My friends this is not a religious club. It's not a club started by a bunch of people that got together and said let's have a club let's make our rules. It is Jesus Christ in the fullness of his own authority as God's messianic king who has absolute rights of regulative authority in his own church. And therefore as we come to this subject not only must we feel the weight of its importance in the light of the position and identity of the church in the purpose of God but we must be prepared to let scripture dictate all of our thinking about who should come into God's club into God's church

Biblical Realism: Imperfection and Diligence in Building the Church

22:06 into God's household and what is expected of those who do and what is biblical or what are biblical grounds to usher them out the back door when they no longer respect the authority and the rule of Jesus. But then thirdly by way of introduction I want to say just a word about the biblical realism with which we must approach the subject. We must not only feel the weight of its importance be prepared to look to the regulative authority of the word of Jesus and his apostles but we must come with a biblical realism to this subject. Imperfection will mark the church of Jesus Christ until the consummation. Now there's a lot of silly talk going on in our day by the so-called restorationist movement and they love to quote Ephesians chapter 5 and say God is doing a new thing in these end times. He is perfecting his bride. He's rubbing out all the wrinkles.

23:09 He's scrubbing out all the spots. And when we all get to baptism and speak in tongues and prophesy and all this other nonsense then the Lord's going to see his church perfectly glorious no spot, no wrinkle and then he's going to take it up to himself. Now that's not a character. That is being taught and there are thousands if not millions believing that nonsense.

23:31 No, the church prior to the consummation at the coming of Christ will always be marked by imperfection because the church is the aggregate of the people of God in what is true of each individual believer. He is not yet perfect as to his moral renovation into the likeness of Christ. So the church corporately and any local church individually and specifically will be marked by imperfections by spots and wrinkles until the consummation. But that truth is not a license to carnal indifference to the standard set for the church in the word of God. For example in 1 Corinthians 3 and verse 10 with reference to building God's temple his spiritual temple the church. Paul says that though grace was given unto him as a wise master builder to lay the foundation though others have come to build on that foundation he gives a warning. Let each man take heed how he builds thereof.

24:49 Take heed how he builds. He said if anyone comes along and says well let's change the foundation Paul says no there is no other foundation for a true church of Christ but Christ himself that is the truth about Christ in the uniqueness of his person in the perfection of his work received by the illuminating work of the Spirit and the transforming ethical power of the work of the Spirit in the heart of a regenerate and therefore penitent and believing sinner. But he says take heed how you build thereof. For a day is coming in which each man's work shall be made manifest and shall be tried of what sort it is. There will be a qualitative not quantitative analysis of a man's labor in the church of Christ. And so the apostle in this passage indicates the realism he said some will build of the materials of wood, hay and stubble. Others will build of gold, silver, precious stone.

25:56 There is a realism but not a realism that is to lead to indifference. Let a man take heed. And so we as your elders are deeply concerned how we build who we receive into membership on what terms and if we have any question that the Lord Jesus from his posture of exaltedness at the right hand of the Father and by his presence among us through the Spirit is indifferent to the state of his churches all we need do is prayer and carefully read Revelation 2 and 3 where we see the Lord Jesus in the midst of the seven churches of Asia Minor saying I know your works commending, reproving, exposing, threatening, promising. What is he doing? He is nourishing and cherishing his church rebuking her sins calling her to repentance ever urging her and encouraging her on into the path of more and more conformity to himself and to his will. And so in approaching the subject of church membership we must approach it not only feeling the weight of its importance respecting the regulative authority by which our thinking is to be constantly disciplined but with a biblical realism in which we are satisfied with nothing less than the norms of Scripture

27:20 while recognizing in the pursuit of them there will be many failures disappointments and griefs and sins along the way. At times we are chided here in this assembly they say you people at Trinity are preoccupied with trying to have a perfect church. No. We are seeking to have a church where the word of Jesus is taken seriously.

The Pattern of Admission in Acts 2: The Message Heard and Received

27:44 We are seeking to have a church where Christ rebukes reach our hearts and humble us and where his standards are set before us and where we press towards them in dependence upon the Holy Spirit. Well then with those introductory perspectives conditioning everything that I'll say over the next weeks God willing now let us come in the time that remains to look at that glorious opening of the door of faith on the day of Pentecost in Acts chapter 2. For here in Acts chapter 2 we have a wonderful description of the size the shape the dimensions of the door of entrance into the Christian church. I was thinking today if I wanted a title that would have awakened you I'd say I'm going to preach today on membership in the first Pentecostal church of Jerusalem. Well that's what it was. It was the first Pentecostal church and it was in Jerusalem.

28:51 It was the first church it was the only church it was at Jerusalem and it was constituted on the day of Pentecost and greatly enlarged. But since I don't indulge in sensational titles I didn't do it except in that sneaky way. Alright? On that day the scripture tells us that the 120 who had become on the day of Pentecost God's special dwelling place on earth 120 had become His living temple on that day God did a marvelous thing.

29:24 God added to the 120 approximately 3,000 in one day. Notice verse 41 Then they that received His word were baptized and there were added a passive verb somebody did the adding to them and we know who it was for down in verse 47 a similar construction the Lord added to them day by day and those whom He added are described as the ones who have come within the orbit of God's gracious application of salvation through Jesus Christ. He added those who were being saved. Now then on what terms did they get added? On what conditions were they brought in to that living temple that grew from 120 to 3,120 in one day? Well Luke very simply but beautifully describes the hinge on which the door of admission turned in verse 41 Then they that received His word such were baptized and being baptized they were added unto them

30:52 so they are described as a people who heard a distinct message and they received that message and that phrase receiving the word becomes synonymous with a saving response to the gospel. You will find it in Acts chapter 11 and verse 1 Acts 11 and verse 1 Now the apostles and the brethren that were in Judea heard that the Gentiles also had received the word of God. What a beautiful way of describing how people became Christians and how they became members of the Christian church. You find a similar phrase in 1 Thessalonians chapter 1 you find it again in chapter 2 and verse 13. So those who were received on that day of Pentecost received into the first Pentecostal church of Jerusalem are those who both heard and received a message and then secondly having heard and received a message they declared that inward reality by the outward ordinance of baptism those who received his word were baptized and they were added unto them.

32:20 The receiving of the word was the inward spiritual exercise submitting to the word the ordinance of baptism was the outward sacramental declaration of the inward spiritual exercise and together constituted the two hinges on which the door of admission to that church swung open to them. Well then let's ask this very simple question tonight as we come to the passage. What message did they hear and receive? It's described simply in verse 41 as his word and the his refers of course to Peter's word and the entire message a distillation of which is given to us in verses 14 all the way down through verse 40 is called a word and again you will find this terminology used in scripture. Though many words made up the message the message in its entirety was a saving word. Word from God and it was their reception of that word having heard it that became the first factor in their admission to that church in Jerusalem. What message then did they hear and receive?

33:46 I answer the question by three subheadings. They heard and received a word concerning God's salvation in Jesus Christ. They heard and received a word concerning God's salvation in Jesus Christ. When Peter stands up with the eleven as recorded in verse 14 and lifted up his voice the first thing he did was to clear away any notion that this unusual phenomenon of speaking in languages that they had not acquired in the ordinary manner speaking in the various dialects was not a sign that they were drunk with wine and notice his answer is not how could we be we are all sworn teetotalers nobody can be a member of our church who doesn't sign a teetotalers pledge. Now that's the way some would have answered but not Peter. He says you know enough to know that people aren't drunk this time of day. If you're going to imbibe too much that's not usually done this early in the morning.

34:56 That's Peter's answer. And then he goes on to declare to them this saving word with respect to the person and work of Jesus Christ and this is what he says in broad outlines as he brings to them this word of salvation in Jesus Christ. He says first of all it is a message rooted in the Old Testament scriptures verses 16 to 21. This is that which has been spoken.

35:29 And then he quotes this lengthy passage out of the book of the prophecy of Joel. And he says to them this word of salvation is no Johnny come lately word it is a word embedded in the Old Testament scriptures. And then secondly it was a saving word focusing on the sovereign activity of God in bringing to pass the things that were necessary for man's salvation. Verse 22 and following you men of Israel hear these words Jesus of Nazareth a man approved of God.

36:09 Verse 23 him being delivered up by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God. Verse 24 whom God raised up. Verse 30 being there for him for a prophet and knowing that God had sworn with an oath that he would set up one upon his throne. He foresaying this spoke of the resurrection of Christ.

36:34 This Jesus did God raise up being exalted by the right hand of God having received of the Father the promise of the Spirit. Verse 36 let all the house of Israel know that God has made him. What is he doing? He is not only bringing a word of salvation rooted in the Old Testament scriptures but a word of salvation that focuses on the sovereign activity of God in bringing to pass the saving activities wrought in Jesus Christ.

37:11 In other words it was not a Jesus only message. It was a message that bristled with Trinitarian substance. It is God in sovereign power acting in terms of eternal purpose and sovereign decree that brings to pass the saving activities of his Son. All that Jesus is and does he does by divine appointment.

37:38 All that he does he does in fulfillment of divine decree. All that he does he does in dependence upon and in obedience to his Father. And so you see this emphasis on the sovereign activity of God. And then thirdly it was a saving word not only rooted in the Old Testament scriptures one that focused on the sovereign activity of God but one that underscored the saving work of Jesus of Nazareth.

38:12 He is the approved Jesus. Verse 22 He is the delivered up and the crucified Jesus. Of verse 23. He is the raised up and resurrected Jesus.

38:27 Of verse 24. And he is the exalted Jesus who is constituted Lord and Christ. In verse 36. Now this does not mean that this is all Peter said.

38:39 This is most likely a condensation an outline of the major strands of emphasis. But you see even in this condensed outline the synopsis of his message there is not only this concern to demonstrate that the saving word of God is rooted in the Old Testament that it focuses upon the sovereign activity of God the Father purposing, decreeing, delivering up his Son raising him from the dead constituting him Lord and Christ. It also concentrates upon Jesus of Nazareth validated showing all the credentials of Messiah in their very midst. Jesus delivered up to the cruel death of the cross. Jesus raised up. Jesus exalted. Jesus constituted Lord and Christ.

39:34 And then finally it was a saving word that held forth the promise of forgiveness and the promise of the gift of the Spirit. Verses 38 and 9 Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ unto the remission of sins and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit for to you is the promise. To you is the promise. And he concludes as it were or brings to one focal point of concentrated emphasis this message of God's saving mercy in which all of that mercy is concentrated into the promise of forgiveness of sins and the gift of the Holy Spirit. So when we read in verse 41 they that received his word that was the word they received. Not a word that says God whoever he is loves you whatever that means and has a wonderful plan for your life. Not a word that simply said trust Jesus whoever he may be whatever he has done.

40:42 It was a word that had biblical and theological content. Do you see that? It is a word that bristles with the great overarching themes of Holy Scripture and it is that word which they heard and received. They heard and received God's saving word concerning Jesus Christ.

The Pattern of Admission in Acts 2: God's Indicting Word Concerning Sin

41:06 But then secondly they heard and received God's indicting word concerning their own sin. They heard and received God's indicting word concerning their own sin. Look at verses 22 and 23. You men of Israel hear these words plural.

41:28 When they received his word included in that word were these words. Jesus of Nazareth a man approved of God unto you by mighty works and wonders and signs which God did by him in the midst of him even as you yourselves know. What is he doing? He is saying blow all the smoke away.

41:54 Take all the accusations you threw into his face. You called him a Samaritan who had a demon. You called him an imposter and a blasphemer. But you know and I know that he was approved of God by his works.

42:06 They testified as to his precise identity and you know it. I know it. You know it. He is indicting them.

42:16 He is telling him all your accusations all your equivocations all of your resistance of the word and teaching of Jesus you know had no foundation. In fact he is indicting them. He is in a gracious way calling them a bunch of hypocrites. They had dared to say say me not well that thou art a Samaritan and hast a demon.

42:40 You are a blasphemer who can forgive sins but God only. Even though he had said that you may know that the Son of Man has authority to forgive sins as well as to heal the sick. I say unto this man rise up and walk. He validated his claims.

42:56 You know it. You saw it. But you resisted the light of his mighty signs and wonders in the perversity of your heart. And then he indicts them with something far greater.

43:08 Though approved of God as you know and though delivered up by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God verse 23 you by the hand of lawless men did crucify and slay. God's appointed God's approved God's manifested Messiah you murdered him. You talk about pointed preaching. You talk about indicting preaching.

43:39 He brought to them a word which they heard and received of God's indicting word concerning their own sin. And it's very interesting lest some missed it lest some were seeking to wriggle out from under the pressure of it. The word which precipitates their being humbled is found in verse 36 let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made him both Lord and Christ. This Jesus then all the things he could have said this Jesus who spoke words of grace this Jesus who did mighty signs and wonders this Jesus and he could have put many other things after the word this Jesus but he puts but one this Jesus whom you crucified. Treated him as a common criminal that was preaching that indicted them for their sin their own sin their crowning sin that sin concerning which they said his blood be upon us and upon our children. So when you read in verse 41 that those who became members of that church that day received his word you see what word they received? Not only a word that set before them this saving message of God's saving activity in Jesus Christ but it was an indicting word

The Pattern of Admission in Acts 2: God's Inviting and Commanding Word

45:07 that addressed them and nailed them as it were to the wall with their own sin staring them in the face. But then it was a message a word that had a third dimension. They heard and received God's inviting commanding word to repentance and radical separation from the world. Not only a saving word an indicting word but an inviting and a commanding word a word which invited and commanded both to repentance and radical separation from the world.

45:48 Look at verse 38 And Peter said unto them in answer to their question what shall we do? He was no hyper-Calvinist who said ah, my friends do, do is the fatal word in your theology you can do nothing sit and wait for the stirring of the spirit. My friends that counsel given to a distressed soul is not found in the Bible. It's not extracted from the Bible.

46:19 It's extracted from a cruel human logic. It turns the gospel into a message that creates spiritual paralysis. What shall we do? Peter said repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins.

46:40 You shall receive the gift of the spirit and then he gives the basis on which he can make such a certain promise. The promise is to you and to your children to all that are afar off even as many as the Lord our God shall call unto him but now notice and, and, and another summary statement with many other words. You see more words in that word. They received his word and here were some of the words within the word and what were they?

47:12 With many other words he testified and exhorted. In other words he set forth the necessity of and urged to compliance with this great issue. Save yourselves from this great and this crooked generation. You see what he's doing?

47:28 He's indicting again. He's saying this generation is a perverse generation. You stand in the midst of the generation whose hands are red with the blood of Jesus of Nazareth. Now break with them.

47:43 Prepare to receive exactly what he got. People say why don't we baptize immediately? Well when we've got a setting where the murderers of the Son of God are present and you might get murdered by the very ones that identified with him I'm prepared to push the pulpit to one side have the tank filled with water and say you want to join his ranks? Come.

48:05 You won't need an interview. The very fact you come prepared to be put to death like your master was in that context that's interview enough. Nobody runs to join the bandwagon in those circumstances. So much for the immediacy of the baptism but now notice what the content of that word was.

48:21 It was a word inviting but a word commanding. A word inviting to lay hold of the promise commanding to repent and to break in radical separation from the world. And when verse 41 says they that received his word the word they received was not only the saving word of God's activity in Jesus Christ the indicting word that nailed them with regard to their sin but they received God's inviting command and promise with respect to the forgiveness of sins the gift of the spirit and the necessity of radical separation from the world. Well that's the message they heard and received. So when it says they that received his word that is an overview of the words which constituted the word which they received. Now very briefly by what means did they declare their acceptance of that word?

The Means of Declaring Acceptance: Believer's Baptism

49:25 How did they declare that they received it? Receiving the word is an inward spiritual intellectual experience. And I use the two terms deliberately. Not intellectual as opposed to spiritual not spiritual apart from the intellectual.

49:44 Those of you who were here when Professor MacLeod preached will remember how he emphasized that a Christian is one who has received certain truths into his mind. And has embraced them with the entirety of his being. Now that's an inward thing. How did they know on that day that 3000 had received the word?

50:07 Well it's obvious. Then they that received his word and only they and all such were baptized. You see the reception of that word was inward intellectual and spiritual. And their baptism was the outward physical demonstrable evidence of the internal reception.

50:30 And so they received that word and declared that whole hearted reception by submitting to the ordinance of Christ's institution namely baptism. Here was a strict adherence to the commission of their Lord. Make disciples not at the point of a gun not by a gradual process of educating sprinkled children until they become confessed disciples. No.

51:04 He says make disciples. How? The same way Jesus made them. By preaching and preaching the saving word of God.

51:14 By teaching and preaching the indicting word of God. The promising commanding word of God. And having been made disciples of the Holy Spirit. And so by means of baptism they declared that they had received the word and having received that word and being baptized now the door of the church swings open.

Implications for Church Membership Today: Knowledge, Application, and Obedience

51:41 There were added unto them in that day about three thousand souls. Now in conclusion what are we warranted to say in this membership passage as it relates to us? Well surely you won't have to be a great logician to see that there are several very obvious implications and I trust God will help us to see them to embrace them and to live in the light of them. The first is this.

52:20 No church has any warrant to receive anyone who is ignorant of the fundamental facts of the saving message of Christ. It is those who received His word. What word? Well we looked at it.

52:40 It was a word focusing upon God's saving activity in Christ. God's indicting word about their sin. God's spirit and the necessity of being separated from the world unto Christ and to His people. That's a simple principle but oh how much harm has come.

53:07 And you know it's difficult at times when as elders we meet with people. They're lovely people. They seem to have such a gentleness and lovely spirit in their hearts. And we're not looking for the language of the astute theologian who could be dropped down into Pastor Nichols' systematic theology course and teach it next week.

53:40 But what we want to hear is that there is some understanding of the fundamental tenets of God's word. Yes, faith. Faith comes by hearing, hearing by the word of God. They that receive His word.

54:01 And what was that word? It was a word that had biblical, theological, conceptual content. And therefore no church has any warrant to receive anyone who is ignorant of the message of God. They must testify to a powerful application of that message to their own hearts.

54:30 You see, there are many who by good training, many of these children who by the time they're twelve years old can give a very biblically and theologically accurate statement of the fundamental tenets of the gospel. The word about Christ, the word about their sin, it reached their hearts, the citadel of their beings. There was a powerful application of the message to their own hearts. And that church then and any church to this hour has no warrant to receive anyone who cannot testify to that application. I didn't say that. I didn't say that we must be able to testify to the day when the gospel came in power. I could not say that from scripture.

55:42 I'm so glad we have the record of Timothy. We don't know when he was converted. We know that from a child and that's what we must insist upon. There can be no experimental religion without knowledge, but there can be knowledge without experimental religion.

56:10 And woe be unto the church that merely listens in screening applicants for membership for the right words to be said about who Christ is and what he is. There is no church that can open its doors to people who can parrot the major tenets of the faith but who cannot testify to a powerful heart application of the truth of the gospel to their own beings. Then thirdly, no church has any warrant to receive any who were weary and yawning. With many other words, he both testified and urged, taught, and sought to impel by persuasive urging. And if you want any biblical warrant for passionate, earnest, reasoned preaching, here it is. Peter wasn't a take-it-or-leave-it preacher.

57:20 He didn't simply testify. He exhorted, he taught, he urged, he gave his heart to the faithful who have been saved by God. He said, you should save themselves from that crooked generation. He says, you join us and you kiss them goodbye.

57:59 You don't bring them back to the world. Just let the world come in and begin like a horrible creeping plague to affect the whole spirit and perspective of this congregation. And God will have written Ichabod over the threshold. The glory has departed.

58:30 There is no warrant to receive their ways. And then fourthly, and some of you ask, why do you Baptists insist that people be baptized before they become church members? Well, because we have no other warrant but to do so. There is no warrant for any church to receive those who refuse to accept their faith.

59:06 We are not a church of the world. It is just a watery rite. But behind it stands the authority of the Lord of the Universe. All authority is mine.

59:28 Make disciples and baptize churches as not true churches. We pray for true and real churches where they do not practice confessor's baptism. We recognize the true people of God. But you see, while being charitable to others who may not see these things as we see them, we are not charitable to others who demand the violation of our own conscience. No. To his own master a servant stands or falls. And that's why we insist that until someone is saved by Christ and by Christ is my only hope of salvation from sin.

60:45 And in my faith union with him, the world behind me, the cross before me, no turning back, the people of God's own possession, henceforth to seek by the power of divine grace to live in the language of Romans 6, that great baptismal passage, as one who is dead with Christ to sin, who has risen with Christ to newness of life, who will be accepted unto God. Well, dear people, there is a little lesson on church membership from the First Pentecostal Church at Jerusalem. Notice, they didn't have a carrying meeting afterwards to see that they all spoke in tongues. If ever there was a crowd that should say some of the words they framed, maybe they tried as little kids to say some of those words and could never frame them.

62:13 Can you imagine the thrill it must have been to be speaking in this dialect and that dialect. If anyone would have been tempted to say that they were a church full of the Holy Spirit though they never spoke in tongues. They praised God in the tongue they did have. They served Him with the energy that He gave as they worked out the implications of their new life in community constituted by the power of the Holy Spirit. I hope you've been freshly convinced of the importance of the subject. I hope you've been freshly convinced there is but one regulative authority by which to shape our thinking. I hope you've been convinced that as the people of the Holy Spirit have come to worship the Holy Spirit in the midst

63:41 of the world in the midst of the world in the midst of the world in the midst of the world in the midst of the world. I hope you've been convinced that as the people of the Holy Spirit have been convinced that the Holy Spirit is the only power stiffer than God has, may the door of this congregation of God's people be continually plumbed by the word of God. And with the passing of time, as the doors in old houses have a tendency to get out of plumb, we were reminded that recently some of us, I'm sure, in fixing up the old home in West Orange. Not a door in that place that hangs plumb. With the passing of time, what is true with the doors of a house is true of the doors of a church. And some of you dear

65:01 younger men and women, may God help you that what you hear now, if you ever begin to see Trinity Church's door getting out of plumb, may God help you to pray and labor until once again it hangs true to the word of the living God. Let us pray. Our Father, we thank you for your holy word. We thank you that, in grace, you have sent this saving word concerning your Son, and that you continue to make it effectual in the hearts of men and women, so that they are prepared to receive that word in its entirety, and to declare that internal reception by the external ordinance of baptism. And we pray, O Lord, that even in this place there may be some this night who will receive the word of God. And come forth declaring that they desire to demonstrate and manifest that internal reception by being joined symbolically, sacramentally to your Son in the watery rite, and then emerge in fellowship with your community of the redeemed here upon the earth. O Lord, seal this word to

66:29 our hearts, and continue to lead us in our work. Amen. And now, I ask that you would lead us in your ongoing study to the end that this congregation may indeed be a household of faith, living in joyful obedience to the word of the head of that household, even Jesus Christ our Lord. We ask these mercies in his name. Amen.