Author: petebeck3

Pete Beck III ministered as a pastor and Bible teacher in Burlington for over 34 years. He is married to Martha, with whom he has four children, ten beautiful grandchildren, and four amazing great grandchildren. He ministers in his local church as a Bible teacher and counselor. He has published two books - Seeing God's Smile and Promise of the Father - as well as a wide variety of Bible-related articles which he has compiled into books in PDF form.

Give clear instructions to those who respond to the gospel.

There are three ways people may respond to the gospel: apathy, hostility, or interest. In the category of interest, there are the possibilities of a passionate response or a measured one. Peter’s hearers ardently responded, which was the best possible outcome.

Now when they heard this, they were pierced to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, "Brethren, what shall we do?" 38  Peter said to them, "Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.Acts 2:37-38 (NASB)

When the Holy Spirit opens someone’s heart, there will be a positive response to the gospel. We should be ready to tell them what to do next, if the opportunity presents itself.

Peter gave clear instructions to his respondents.

  • Repent – Repentance is the proper response to the message that Jesus is Lord. It means we acknowledge Jesus’ claim to be Lord and willingly submit our lives to him.
  • Be baptized in water – Water baptism is a public declaration of  faith – our trust in and allegiance to Christ. It is an outward expression of a heartfelt faith and allegiance.
  • Receive the baptism or gift of the Holy Spirit – This baptism is separate from the new birth and is performed by Christ himself. It equips and empowers disciples to be bold witnesses.

These three steps will launch the new convert into his or her discipleship journey.

Share this post...

Jesus Is Lord Is the Core Declaration of the Gospel

Peter concluded his Acts 2 gospel presentation by declaring unequivocally that Jesus is Messiah and Lord.

"Therefore let all the house of Israel know for certain that God has made Him both Lord and Christ—this Jesus whom you crucified." Acts 2:36 (NASB)

If we do not likewise proclaim Jesus’ lordship, we have shortchanged our listener.

Many of us have been so influenced by the consumerism that plagues the church and culture that we may present the good news as a sales pitch encouraging our hearers to take advantage of God’s magnificent offer of forgiveness and eternal life without forcefully mentioning the call to recognize and surrender to Christ the Lord.

There are amazing benefits attached to believing the gospel and declaring that Jesus is Lord, but Jesus the Savior is not the core message. Jesus the Lord is. Rather than selling a life assurance plan, gospel preachers must call our hearers to set right Adam’s betrayal of the Creator by placing ourselves back under his divine rule.

The gospel calls us to turn away from a self-directed life and choose to serve Jesus the Lord.

If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. Romans 10:9 (NLT)
Share this post...

Gospel in a Nutshell: Tell people that Jesus is our only hope at the Last Judgment

Peter’s Acts 2 presentation of the gospel continued with a reference to the Last Days.

‘In the last days,’ God says, ‘I will pour out my Spirit upon all people...18  In those days I will pour out my Spirit ...20  The sun will become dark, and the moon will turn blood red before that great and glorious day of the LORD arrives.21  But everyone who calls on the name of the LORD will be saved.’Acts 2:17-21 (NLT)

The “last days” and the “day of the Lord” are recurring phrases that warn us to be reconciled to God while there is still time.

Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection ushered in the “last days.” The first disciples expected a quick culmination of all things, but this time period has extended over 2000 years, during which God has extended mercy to generations of people through the gospel.

The Lord isn’t really being slow about his promise, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent. 10 But the day of the Lord will come as unexpectedly as a thief. Then the heavens will pass away with a terrible noise, and the very elements themselves will disappear in fire, and the earth and everything on it will be found to deserve judgment. 2 Peter 3:9–10 (NLT)

We are drawing closer to the actual end, the “day of the Lord,” when Jesus will return in power and glory to judge all people who ever lived. The Bible teaches us that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. A proper fear of God brings people face to face with their ultimate destiny of standing before the glorious Judge who created them.

Jesus is our only hope of escaping destruction at the Last Judgment.

He already paid the price for the sins of those who put their trust and allegiance in him. Believers will stand before our glorious God included in Jesus’ perfect holiness. Those who put their trust in Jesus have nothing to fear, but those who reject the gospel should tremble. Encourage people to repent, believe, and receive all that Jesus died to give to us before it is too late!

Share this post...

Gospel in a Nutshell: Be uninhibited in expressing the joy of the Lord.

Peter’s Pentecost proclamation of the gospel began with an explanation of what onlookers were interpreting as drunken behavior. They acted in a way that required an explanation.

For these men are not drunk, as you suppose, for it is only the third hour of the day;Acts 2:15 (NASB)

The disciples were full of the Holy Spirit for the very first time. They were intoxicated with the joy that accompanies God’s presence. (Psalm 16:11) They were speaking aloud exuberantly in unknown languages or “tongues,” which is one of the evidences of the baptism in the Spirit. (Acts 10:44-46) In their case, speaking in tongues served as a sign to those present who did not yet believe in Jesus (1Cor.14:22). Their speaking aroused curiosity and begged an explanation.

Principle: We should unafraid to be authentic and let our “light shine.”

Christians are often so careful not to offend people that we may repress our natural feelings and refrain from sharing the gospel with those on their way to hell. Our culture has told us to keep our faith to ourselves. Our religious traditions, in many cases, have taught us that emotional restraint is godly. The gospel is the best news ever told or heard. Knowing God and experiencing his presence is the greatest “high” there is. We should be more excited about experiencing God and sharing the gospel than anything else. If we share the good news as information that does not impact us emotionally, what kind of hidden message does that send? If we are afraid to allow the Holy Spirit to manifest his joy the gifts through us, we may shut off the river of God’s power and presence. We may also miss a grand opportunity to explain why we are so happy and moved by God’s Spirit.

Let’s allow ourselves to be uninhibited in expressing the joy the Lord. Let’s be unafraid to be ourselves spiritually and emotionally. We may open the door to share the gospel, just as did those first disciples.

Share this post...

Gospel in a Nutshell: Use the activity of the Holy Spirit as a springboard.

Peter’s launched his presentation of the gospel on the first Pentecost by giving a biblical explanation for what God was doing right in front of their eyes.

but this is what was spoken of through the prophet Joel: 17  'AND IT SHALL BE IN THE LAST DAYS,' God says, 'THAT I WILL POUR FORTH OF MY SPIRIT ON ALL MANKIND; AND...Acts 2:16-17 (NASB)

Gymnasts performing the vault use a springboard to launch them into the air. We might be able to launch into a conversation about God by referring to something he has been doing recently of which we are aware. Many people do not know that God still acts in the lives of his people. If we can give a recent example, we might gain our listener’s attention and prick their interest to learn more.

It is one thing to read about miracles in the Bible and quite another to hear a first-hand account of something done by the Holy Spirit through one of us!

If we have the courage to pray for specific needs, we might generate a perfect example of this. Perhaps we do not see the Holy Spirit do more because we fail to ask! We should never be embarrassed or reticent to boldly ask God to do something specific to help our listeners, such as physical healing. He is more than willing to demonstrate that he loves people and that the gospel and Jesus are real. If we want to experience New Testament Christianity, we need to have the same kind of boldness and faith as the apostles.

Share this post...

Gospel in a Nutshell: Listen Up, Everyone!

The first gospel proclamation after Christ’s ascension into heaven took place on Pentecost in Jerusalem. Peter and the other disciples came out of hiding after being filled with the Spirit and boldness. The following verse contains the first words of Peter’s address to the throngs in Jerusalem for the feast.

But Peter stood up with the eleven, raised his voice, and addressed them: “You men of Judea and all you who live in Jerusalem, know this and listen carefully to what I say. Acts 2:14 (NET1)

Principle: Listen up, everyone!

When we share the gospel, be aware that it is a divinely authorized proclamation, similar to a trumpet blast. Peter raised his voice to be heard. It is the announcement that Christ, the crucified One, has risen from the dead and is Lord of everything! He ascended into heaven, where he waits for the appointed time when he will return to judge the living and the dead. To him all will be held accountable before God for how they respond to this message.

The gospel announcement deserves to be heard. It deserves our best effort to properly present it and our listeners’ most careful attention.

We should be aware that we are providing people with the most important and consequential information that they will ever receive. It is life to those who believe and receive it, but a sentence of death to those who reject it. Let us reflect the seriousness of the message with our earnest presentation.

Share this post...

Gospel in a Nutshell: Jesus Is Alive and Communicates with Us

Because Jesus actually rose from the dead, he is alive and communicates with us. The Star Wars series of movies presents its version of god in a Buddhist way as an impersonal force that includes both good and evil. That is not the God of the Bible.

The Bible reveals that God is a Person who is good and loving and who communicates with people.

The Bible records the history of God’s interactions with men and women in which he clearly communicated with them through direct words, visions, angelic visitations, prophets, the scriptures, and last, but certainly not least, by his indwelling Holy Spirit.

The eternal Logos became a human named Jesus who lived for some thirty-three years, interacting with his family, friends, neighbors, disciples, and even his enemies. He spoke as no one else had. (John 7:46) His personality and spirit magnetically drew those whose hearts were open to God, but repelled those who were hardened. When he met people, he often called them by name, as with his disciples and Zacheus. When Mary Magdalene searched for his body after the crucifixion, he appeared to her in a risen bodily form she did not immediately recognize until he spoke her name, “Mary.” Instantly she knew him and was overjoyed, running to tell the other disciples that he was indeed risen from the dead. Because Jesus is alive, he is still able to communicate with his disciples. Later, after his ascension into heaven, he appeared and spoke personally to the apostle Paul, bringing about his dramatic conversion.

He also visited me some fifty-three years ago. I was a seeker, who was not at all convinced in the truth of the resurrection, but I wanted to know. After I observed someone I loved and respected, now my wife, transform from being a standard Roman Catholic to becoming a “born again” follower of Christ, I asked the Lord, if he were real, to come into my life and reveal himself to me, too. That is just what he did.

Paul said that if we turn to the Lord, he will remove the veil that hides Christ’s identity from our eyes. (2 Corinthians 3:16)

Because I opened myself to him, the risen and living Jesus communicated with me via his Holy Spirit that he is indeed who the Bible says he is. I am not sure how he did it, but I sensed his presence so strongly that I was instantly transformed inside and filled with joy. My life was changed, moving me from doubt to faith in an instant. I now know that he is truly alive, and knowing and believing that gave me eternal life, too.

I tell you the truth, those who listen to my message and believe in God who sent me have eternal life. They will never be condemned for their sins, but they have already passed from death into life. John 5:24 (NLT)

You, too, can know the risen Lord. He is no respecter of persons. Anyone who comes to him will be received by him. He will not turn you away. (John 6:37) Will this be your day? Will you open your heart to the risen Lord and ask him into your life as I did some 53 years ago? Will you ask him to reveal himself to you so that you too can believe and be saved?

Prayer

Jesus, I want to know you. I ask you to come into my life and reveal yourself to me so that I can believe and be saved. I want to be forgiven for my many sins and experience what it is like to be in right standing with my Creator. I want to experience your love and life and be with you forever. I give myself to you. Amen.

Share this post...

Christ’s Exaltation and the Outpouring of the Spirit on Pentecost Are Part of the Gospel Message

Jesus’ resurrection from the dead proved that God accepted his sacrifice for our sins as the Lamb of God. He rose in power as the Lord of Lords, having stripped Satan of his authority and power.

and he was shown to be the Son of God when he was raised from the dead by the power of the Holy Spirit. He is Jesus Christ our Lord. Romans 1:4 (NLT)

When our Lord ascended into heaven forty days after his resurrection, he vanished from his disciples’ sight. Ten days later, on the exact day of the feast of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit was poured out on the disciples in the upper room. This proved that Jesus had been enthroned in heaven, from where he kept his promise to send the Spirit. (Acts 1:4-8)

Peter included the outpouring of the Spirit in the first gospel message ever preached by the apostles, making it part of the gospel.

Therefore having been exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He has poured forth this which you both see and hear. Acts 2:33 (NASB)

Jesus is now ruling from heaven as Lord of the Harvest, having commissioned his followers to preach the gospel and make disciples all over the world until his return. This fulfilled John the Baptist’s prophecy that Jesus would baptize people in the Holy Spirit and fire. (Luke 3:16) The Spirit baptism empowers and equips God’s people to be Great Co-Missionaries and is a promise God wants every child of God to receive. This is integral to the message of the gospel.

To read more about the baptism in the Holy Spirit, click here.

Share this post...

The New Covenant Radically Expands God’s Promise to Abraham

The New Covenant is radically different from the Old Covenant in many ways. It is an entirely new expression of God’s amazing love for people.

“The day is coming,” says the LORD, “when I will make a new covenant with the people of Israel and Judah. 32 This covenant will not be like the one I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand and brought them out of the land of Egypt. They broke that covenant, though I loved them as a husband loves his wife,” says the LORD. 33 “But this is the new covenant I will make with the people of Israel after those days,” says the LORD. “I will put my instructions deep within them, and I will write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. 34 And they will not need to teach their neighbors, nor will they need to teach their relatives, saying, ‘You should know the LORD.’ For everyone, from the least to the greatest, will know me already,” says the LORD. “And I will forgive their wickedness, and I will never again remember their sins.” Jeremiah 31:31–34 (NLT)

Instead of man relating to God based on obedience to a written Law, we now come into God’s family based on the finished work of Christ. Instead of having the Holy Spirit with us, he now indwells us. Instead of living by a set of rules, we live through the power of the Spirit.

In addition, the New Covenant expands what it means to be a child of Abraham. Rather than being limited to the physical offspring of that man, the family of God now includes all those who are born again by the Spirit, both Jew and Gentile.

For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. 27 For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s descendants, heirs according to promise. Galatians 3:26–29 (NASB95)

The physical nation of Israel has been expanded and transcended by what the Bible calls “one new man” – the church, the body of Christ.

For He Himself is our peace, who made both groups into one and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall, 15 by abolishing in His flesh the enmity, which is the Law of commandments contained in ordinances, so that in Himself He might make the two into one new man, thus establishing peace, 16 and might reconcile them both in one body to God through the cross, by it having put to death the enmity. Ephesians 2:14–16 (NASB95)

The New Covenant kingdom of God has transcended the Old Covenant kingdom of Israel. Jesus, the risen Lord and King of Kings, rules over the nations, not just Israel.

He says, “It is too small a thing that You should be My Servant To raise up the tribes of Jacob and to restore the preserved ones of Israel; I will also make You a light of the nations So that My salvation may reach to the end of the earth.” 7 Thus says the LORD, the Redeemer of Israel and its Holy One, To the despised One, To the One abhorred by the nation, To the Servant of rulers, “Kings will see and arise, Princes will also bow down, Because of the LORD who is faithful, the Holy One of Israel who has chosen You.” Isaiah 49:6–7 (NASB95)

In addition, instead of inheriting a narrowly defined land, God has promised that his children will inherit the entire earth.

Blessed are the gentle, for they shall inherit the earth. Matthew 5:5 (NASB95)

Some, who still hold to an Old Covenant concept of the Abrahamic promise, insist that the Greek word “ge” should be narrowly translated “land.” However, the messianic promise in Psalm 2:8 put this false notion to rest.

Ask of Me, and I will surely give the nations as Your inheritance, And the very ends of the earth as Your possession. Psalm 2:8 (NASB95)

Because the family of God has expanded include Gentiles, the promised land has to be much larger, too. Jesus quoted Psalm 37:11 in Matthew 5, and the Hebrew word for “land” or “earth” in “eretz,” the same word used in Genesis to describe the entire earth.

But the meek shall inherit the earth, And shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace. Psalm 37:11 (NKJV)

I believe it is a clear case of translators’ bias that leads people to translate “eretz” as land instead of earth, at least in respect to the New Covenant. Paul wrote in Romans 4:13 that we are heirs of the cosmos, which can never be narrowed to simply mean a small area in Palestine.

For the promise to Abraham or to his descendants that he would be heir of the world [kosmos] was not through the Law, but through the righteousness of faith. 14 For if those who are of the Law are heirs, faith is made void and the promise is nullified; 15 for the Law brings about wrath, but where there is no law, there also is no violation. 16 For this reason it is by faith, in order that it may be in accordance with grace, so that the promise will be guaranteed to all the descendants, not only to those who are of the Law, but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all, Romans 4:13–16 (NASB95)

The false teaching of Dispensationalism has brainwashed a large segment of the church into believing that God is still operating as if the physical nation of Israel is his chief focus.

It seeks to rob the church of understanding the radical upgrade Jesus brought to us via the New Covenant. By seeking to make Israel the focus of God’s plan in the future, it blinds us to the New Covenant reality.

The New Covenant is the fulfillment and enlargement of everything God promised in the Old. All things are fulfilled magnificently in Christ. The entire creation has come under his authority, and his rule will be shared by his people, born-again Jews and Gentiles, the Body of Christ, the fullness of him who fills all in all.

And He put all things in subjection under His feet, and gave Him as head over all things to the church, 23 which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all. Ephesians 1:22–23 (NASB95)

We cannot afford to allow the error of Dispensationalism to rob us theologically of the immense inheritance we have in Christ. The Jews thought that they were the absolute pinnacle of God’s plans, but the Bible makes it clear that they were used by God to preserve the Bible and provide a blood line for the Messiah. Once he came, everything changed. His kingdom transcends all Old Covenant boundaries and concepts. The New Covenant is truly amazing. Our Savior and Lord, the King of Kings, surpasses all in glory.

 

To read my other articles about the amazing new covenant, click here.

Share this post...

Discovering Jesus in the Old Testament

After Jesus rose from the dead, he appeared to two forlorn disciples walking on the road to Emmaus. The account in Luke’s gospel tells us that he spent time explaining how the Old Testament scriptures applied to him, the Messiah.

Then beginning with Moses and with all the prophets, He explained to them the things concerning Himself in all the Scriptures. Luke 24:27 (NASB95)

The Old Covenant points to our Lord, who fulfilled its types and shadows.

The Old Testament cannot be properly understood unless we see that its purpose was to reveal Christ.

One of the great lies of the last couple of centuries is Dispensationalism, which teaches the heresy that the Old Covenant explains the New. It is exactly the opposite. The Old cannot possibly be understood without what the New Covenant reveals and fulfills.

For example, some teach that the Jewish Temple will be rebuilt before Christ returns, but the New Covenant clearly teaches that Christ’s perfect sacrifice did away with the need and appropriateness of the external symbol of the Temple and its bloody animal sacrifices. It would be blasphemous to rebuild the shadow of what Jesus has perfectly fulfilled. God destroyed the Temple and the sacrificial system using the vehicle of the Roman army in 70 AD because its purpose was completed. If the Temple is ever rebuilt, it will be in defiance of God and an insult to the Messiah’s ultimate sacrifice as the Lamb of Go.

In that He says, “A new covenant,” He has made the first obsolete. Now what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away. Hebrews 8:13 (NKJV)

Dispensationalism has given the Body of Christ a false interpretation of God’s end time purposes because it is based on an incorrect premise – that the Old Covenant informs the New. This should be rejected and our eschatologies corrected to fit what the Bible actually teaches. I recommend the excellent book, Victorious Eschatology by Eberle and Trench. For an excellent YouTube presentation by a former Dispensationalist, click here.

A good example of finding Jesus in the Old Testament can be derived from Exodus Chapter 33. This is the account of Moses’ interaction with God following the gross betrayal and idolatry Israel committed when Moses and Joshua were on Mt. Sinai receiving the Ten Commandments. God told Moses that he would not personally accompany the nation any longer, but would send his angel instead. Moses interceded for the nation. Here is his initial request.

“Now therefore, I pray You, if I have found favor in Your sight, let me know Your ways that I may know You, so that I may find favor in Your sight. Consider too, that this nation is Your people.” Exodus 33:13 (NASB95)

Moses asked for three things: to know God’s ways, to know God, and to find favor with God. The New Covenant reveals that all born-again children of God receive these and all blessings in Christ.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, Ephesians 1:3 (NASB95)

In John 14:6, Jesus explained that he is the Way, and no one can come to the Father except through him. It was impossible for God to grant Moses’ requests apart from Christ. This means that the effect of Christ’s sacrificial death and glorious resurrection was experienced by Moses before that event ever took place historically. This is one of the amazing abilities of God. Since he exists outside of time, his actions are eternal, reaching forward and backward through history. From God’s eternal perspective, Jesus was slain before the foundation of the world.

All who dwell on the earth will worship him, whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. Revelation 13:8 (NKJV)

Whatever God does, it is forever. It is eternal. Nothing can be added or subtracted from it.

I know that whatever God does, It shall be forever. Nothing can be added to it, And nothing taken from it. God does it, that men should fear before Him. Ecclesiastes 3:14 (NKJV)

The New Covenant is an eternal covenant that replaced the Old temporary one, and there is no going back.

After Moses made his request. God answered by promising him that his presence would go with him and give him rest. (Exodus 33:14)

This promise was fulfilled in Christ via the Holy Spirit, who resides in every born-again child of God.

“Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. 29 “Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and YOU WILL FIND REST FOR YOUR SOULS. 30 “For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” Matthew 11:28–30 (NASB95)

I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever; 17 that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you and will be in you. 18 “I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. 19 “After a little while the world will no longer see Me, but you will see Me; because I live, you will live also. 20 “In that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you. John 14:16–20 (NASB95)

The rest of God’s abiding presence is only found in Christ. Moses was forced to move the tabernacle of God’s presence outside the camp because the nation had grievously sinned. God set up his tabernacle inside us because Christ perfectly satisfied the Law’s demands once for all time.

This is just one example of how we understand the Old Testament and discover Jesus in its words. I hope this encourages you to always be on the look out for Christ as you read the Bible.

Share this post...
Share this post...