Love And Compassion

If you are new and it's been a couple of weeks since we were here in this book, but The second letter to the church at Corinth in the first chapter of this letter Paul talks about the suffering that he has been going through and also the early church there at Corinth has been going through but he also reminds him of the Comforter or the comfort that God gives us and the comforter Which is John talks about the Holy Spirit of God which comforts us in all of our affliction and So suffering Paul is suffering a great deal He lists some of the things that he is going through and he is suffering We'll get to them a little bit later on a few months, I guess and second Corinthians chapter 11 But he talks about of the Jews five times received. I 40 stripes save one Thrice was I beaten with rods once was I stoned thrice. I suffered a shipwreck a night and day.

I have been in the deep in journeyings often in perils of waters and perils of robbers and perils of my own countrymen in perils by the heathen and perils in the city in perils in the wilderness in perils in the sea and perils amongst false brethren in weariness and painfulness in Watchings and fastings and hungers and thirst and cold and nakedness and then the last thing he mentions is This beside those things that are without That which cometh upon me daily the care of all the churches and so there's a lot on him as he writes here and and Especially when he when you think about the care that the church at Corinth needs because the church at Corinth is is having a lot of issues and Paul is we're going to see here in a bit Paul is is having to suffer through some of the things that are going on there at Corinth and it's a very big it's a great grief to him as he goes on here and he talks about it, but Corinth needs a lot of care and Chapter 3 if you go back and read 1st Corinthians, there's division Division Probably one of the well humanity likes to divide strife debate But one of the first examples in the Bible of division some were saying I am Paul some I am of Hollis I'm of Cephas I'm of Christ and Dividing up the body and Paul has to address the division that's going on in the church. He also has to address fornication in chapter number five, which is what we're going to talk about here this morning and He also addresses in chapter 6 going to law one with another Chapter 6 brothers going to law one with another and then in chapter 11 He addresses the Lord's Supper issue, which we've talked about many times taking the Lord's Supper in an irreligious manner and then the misuse of gifts in chapter 14 and that's just to mention a few of the things that are going on here in 1st Corinthians, so a Lot of problems and Paul is carrying a burden we talked about this last time Look look to chapter 1 here in verse 23 moreover I call for a record upon my soul that to spare you I Came not as yet Unto Corinth and so Paul has written this first letter and he's hoping his first letter will address these issues and they'll repent And they'll get their hearts right so that he can come and have joy With them. He does not want to come to them with a rod He wants to come to them in the spirit of meekness.

And so he's delaying His coming to them. He is circling the airport in a sense. He's dragging his feet He is wanting them to get their hearts right so that he can come With joy, and so we're going to start reading here in chapter 2. I'm going to go down verses 1 down through verse 11 and We'll address This passage here verse.

Let's pray before we begin Heavenly Father. We acknowledge you in all of our ways that you might direct our paths Lord and and We love your word and we want to be edified and instructed and admonished and encouraged by it and So we humble ourselves this morning under the mighty hand of God what I pray you'll use me to help to teach and instruct and To edify the the people of God which are precious in your sight You love them Gave yourself for them. So we pray your blessing this morning on our time together in Jesus name.

Amen I'm going to start reading here in verse number one But I determined this with myself that I would not come again to you in heaviness For if I make you sorry who is he then that maketh me glad but the same which is made sorry by me and Brother Chris share a little bit last time in a children's lesson I don't want to come to you and when you're in a bad state because it'll make me Sorry, I want to come to you When things are going well because I want you to make me glad Verse three and I wrote this same unto you Lest when I came I should have sorrow from them of whom I ought to rejoice Having confidence in you all that my joy is the joy of you all for out of much affliction and Anguish of heart I wrote unto you with many tears Not that you should be grieved but that you might know the love which I have More abundantly unto you now. Here's I think a beautiful example of balance You know, we need balance in the Christian life ever tried to run a vehicle when the wheels are out of balance It's not a pleasant experience. And so Balance, you know preaching these many years.

I find that churches and Christians have basically two major issues. One of them is with priority Setting proper priority in life. The other is having balance Being balanced we tend to be reactionary We tend to react like I used to play pinball, you know And that that little metal ball and that machine would bounce all over the place It hit a bumper and bounce and it would just react from from place to place And we don't need to to be that way reactionary, but Paul here represents balance Balance look what it says here in verse number four for out of much affliction and anguish of heart.

I wrote unto you with many Tears not that you should be grieved but that you might know the love which I have more abundantly Unto you now Paul's first letter that he wrote Was a letter to show them his love And you know when you read that letter, you don't really feel a lot of love coming out of that letter There's a lot of review. There's a lot of repute reproof. There's a lot of things that are pretty strong We're going to look at one example here, but but Paul is desiring to show us love Through this letter or show the church at Corinth love and notice some words there He says in verse 4 for out of much affliction This was painful for him to write this first letter and anguish of heart Another had anguish of heart.

I mean he was putting this letter together and his heart was twisting inside of him His heart was burdened as he is penning this letter and all the issues that he's having to write You know sometimes when you when you start to correct your children, it's it's a difficult thing To have to correct and so his spiritual children here are needing correction So he talks about having to write with affliction with anguish of heart and with many tears and I could just see him, you know writing and The paper there whatever they used back then stained with tears and that's just a picture of a broken a brokenhearted individual who is Who is broken over what's happening in the church at at Corinth and he was a man that had great compassion a man that wept and and you know tears are a wonderful thing God gave us tears for a purpose and Tears flow out of a heart with compassion. I think of Jesus, you know after he had rebuked the the the Jews It says he stood and he looked over Jerusalem and it says he wept over it He wept over it, even though they were going to deliver him up Even though he had very strong seven or eight woes to the Pharisees there that next chapter he looks over the city and he weeps over it and he has compassion That's something we definitely need a lot of is compassion in this world today Matthew 9 36 says But when he saw the multitude he was moved With compassion on them because they fainted and were scattered abroad as sheep having no shepherd You know not like those in John chapter 8 when the woman is taken in adultery and And they wanted to kill her on the stoner. There was no compassion toward the woman and The Lord rebuked them for their lack of compassion True love is concerned for the eternal Well-being of others.

Amen True love is concerned for the eternal Well-being of others God brother John read it this morning God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believes in him should not perish Why did God so loved the world for their eternal? Well-being that they would not perish And if you and I are going to love people in a real way We're going to love them in such a way as to think first of all of their eternal Well-being and young people and old people alike But young people especially if you want to live your life for purpose and have meaning live for the eternal well-being of others That's how Jesus lived. That's how the Apostle Paul lived For the eternal well-being of others if you want to have a miserable life Live for your own well-being Let you be the center of life and you'll be a miserable person But live life for the well-being of the eternal well-being of others But here in verse number four, there's there is balance and Boy, I tell you what in this world. We've lost all of our balance the church has lost its balance and I especially see this on a college campus and preaching and and Way lopsided out of balance, but notice what it says here in verse number four out of much affliction and Anguish of heart I wrote unto you Now you notice here that Paul did not excuse what was going on there he was willing to speak into the situation He was willing to speak the truth as a matter of fact He's the one that said this in Ephesians that were to speak the truth in Love I'd like to go back if you would to 1st Corinthians chapter 5 And I'd like to read what he's what he said.

We're going to talk about this man here in Chapter 2 a little later on here But in 1st Corinthians chapter 5, this is what Paul was grieved over This is what Paul was one of the things he was grieved over and he was writing these things with tears Well, I want you to notice what he says here in 1st Corinthians chapter 5 verse 1 it is reported commonly that there is fornication among you and such fornication as It's not so much as named among the Gentiles that one should have his father's wife I don't know if that's incest or what that is there, but But needless to say it's not something that is good and you are puffed up and have not rather mourned We're going to talk about that word in a minute You have not rather mourned that he that hath done this deed might be taken away from among you For I verily is absent in the body, but present in spirit have judged already as though I were present concerning him that hath so done this deed in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ when you are gathered together and My spirit with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ to deliver such in one unto Satan For the destruction of the flesh that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus now How many think Paul was real happy when he wrote that he was not happy it was a grief and he wrote he said with much affliction much sorrow of heart and many tears He wrote these words and this is one of the situations that he's addressing and so he was willing to address The issue look down to verse 13 of 1st Corinthians 5 But them that are without God judges therefore put away from among yourselves that wicked person Wow You don't hear that much today. Do you put away from yourselves that? Wicked person now, there's two aspects. I want to talk about in this letter Chastisement, that's what we see here.

Put him out deliver him unto Satan and a rebuke Verse 13 put away from among yourselves that wicked person. Let me ask you this. Are these words loving words? Are they mean words they're loving words, actually, they're loving words and and Paul is writing these things out of a burdened heart for what is going on here, but he is Loving he is being a loving Individual, you know, I face this a lot I'm preaching and and sharing the Word of God and speaking out against sin and people come to me and say you're hateful you're hateful you're a hateful person because You're speaking out against people and you're making people feel bad Well, that's that's not the issue here.

The issue is to speak the truth and Paul here He does he writes and he speaks the truth He chastens and he is willing to rebuke Listen to this Jesus speaking to the church at Laodicea. He said as many as I love I what? Rebuke and what? Chastened as many as I love I rebuke and Chasten and you know this with regards to our children Hebrews chapter 12 says if if you be without chastisement, then you're bastards and not sons Many years ago. Dr. Spock.

I think his name he back in the 50s and 60s taught many of our our parents You shouldn't spank and chastise your children It's gonna you know Abrupt their their growing process. It's not good and many many parents accepted that idea and and went on and you see what it's brought us a Generation of individuals and many of them even feel in their hearts as though they're they're bastards. They're they're no one cared No one cared enough to correct them Proverbs 13 24 says he that spared his rod.

What's the next word? hate it Hated his son but he that loveth him chases him betimes and the word betimes there means early and So chastisement and rebuke are a part of what love is How many of us can really care for people if we don't if we see people who we love heading in a direction? It's not good and say nothing to it It's simply not even natural. It's not it's not right. And so So Paul is a man who is full of compassion, but yet he has to speak to the truth.

He has to speak Into into the truth and we have a lot of love churches today and many liberal churches and Those love churches are void of rebuke. They're a void of Chastening there's a church right up here in Mount Vernon. I've stood before it in the past There's a big rainbow flag rainbow banner up there inviting all Homosexuals and all kinds of individuals to come to the church and we receive Everyone we will not rebuke will not reprove will not a chastise we receive and Not speak into their life.

So that's where most of the churches are heading. They're heading down that road Joe Thompson and I we were elders here for many years and back around 2001 2002 we got to know some of the ministers up here in Mount Vernon and They had a ministers meeting we started to attend the ministers meeting all the ministers in the area and we wanted to try to have some unity and work together and So we would go to the meeting and they were planning on having a large Get together in Mount Vernon at the fairgrounds and they were inviting The church is there in Mount Vernon and there was probably 15 or 20 ministers we were putting this whole thing together and Joe and I were kind of leery about it and But we went to this meeting it's the last one we went to and there was some discussion about who to invite whether you invite the Catholics and Who do you invite here and and it got down to this and they all agreed with this one man, but he made a statement I'll never forget it. He said brothers.

Listen, I found this in my life and ministry Here's how it works. He said love unites and truth divides Love unites and truth divides and They all agreed with that. Let's just love and we'll lay truth aside And that's where the liberal church is heading Out of balance of you of what love is love cannot be love apart from Truth and so a balanced view Paul has it here in the second Corinthians He has a rebuke and a chastisement But he does it with a heart of love and every parent knows that's how you're supposed to do it Amen to rebuke and chasten but to do so with a heart of Love now, I want you to notice something very important here well, look what happens to this individual back in 2nd Corinthians because this is Paul's concern and this man who committed fornication is going to get right with God and It's going to work out good and that it doesn't mean it always happens this way But but Paul is showing us how to address The these situations look here at verse number 5 of 2nd Corinthians chapter 2 But if any have caused grief he has not grieved me but in part that I may not overcharge you all Sufficient to such a man is this punishment which was inflicted of many so that contrary wise you ought to rather forgive him and Comfort him lest perhaps such a one should be swallowed up with over much Sorrow now what happened is this that Paul's rebuke and the chastisement that the church put him out and Delivered him to Satan those things worked in him a sorrow a grief these chastisements and rebuke bought an Anguish in this individual's own heart and that's what Paul's letter caused this man who was involved in sin To grieve and to be sorrow Sorrowful for his evil way and it had a good effect And I'd like you to turn over here to 2nd Corinthians chapter 7 Because here's what happened to this man.

We'll talk about it later on a couple of months But in 2nd Corinthians chapter 7 in verse number 8, here's what Paul says for though I made you sorry with a letter He's talking about this letter. He wrote I do not repent I don't want to change my mind. I wanted you to be sorry Though I did repent for I perceive that the same epistle hath made you.

Sorry though It what but though it were but for a season now, I rejoice that you were made. Sorry, but that you sorrowed to repentance For you were made. Sorry after a godly manner that you might receive damage by us in nothing for godly sorrow Worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of but the sorrow of the world works death Now here's something that's happened.

It was beautiful this letter That was a very powerful and strong letter about the issues that were going on there in the church Brought at least this man will see other incidents later on but this man who had been involved in sin It brought him to a place of grief and to a place of sorrow and that sorrow then led him to biblical repentance Because of the chastisement because of the rebuke He was led to sorrow over sin and that led to repentance look at verse 10 for godly Sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of but the sorrow of the world Works death and so this chastisement this rebuke I Know probably when Paul was writing it and weeping he said I hope that this will bring this man to a place of brokenness to a place of repentance and he'll clear himself and praise God he did rebuke, excuse me and sorrow brought him to a place of repentance If there's no rebuke, there's no chastening then there's no repentance and I see this in our society in the church, there's no repentance There's no brokenness. There's no humility. We'll see humility in a minute But this letter brought this man to a place of brokenness the chastening the putting him out of the church led him to repentance and that's an essential element to Help people to come to repentance.

I want to read to you James here James chapter 4 look what this is what it says here You don't have to turn there verse 8 draw an eye to God and he will draw an eye to you cleanse your hands you sinners and Purify your hearts you double-minded now. Listen to this be afflicted and mourn and weep Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to heaviness Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord and he shall lift you up You know, what's it's something that all of us need on a regular basis Lord And we actually were told to do this be afflicted and mourn Mourn over what mourn over your sin? Be afflicted back in the Old Testament. They would take sackcloth and ashes and afflict their souls and bring their souls down Here is a New Testament way to afflict your souls be afflicted and mourn Humble yourself.

Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to heaviness you know a lot of times we just want to go through and be happy and Not mourn and not grieve and just go on our way and you know First John 1 9 if we confess our sin and hey, we're all we're all fine And the only problem with that is it doesn't bring about a sincere true deep repentance in the heart And we tend to not be delivered from our sin Amen You know, let's face it the society doesn't like to grieve That's why you go to funerals anymore and there's hard any grieving everybody just wants to forget grieving sorrow Those kind of things put it off and so to sit in a church and say we need to have sorrow and grief and we need to cry out and and Get on our faces and weep for our sins. It's a no. No, no, no, no, no.

No. No, we want to have joy Well, it says let your joy be turned into sorrow into weeping Matthew chapter 5 says blessed are they that mourn for they shall be comforted and that morning there is mourning for sin And I'll remind you here That when Paul wrote this letter One of the things he was having issue with is in 1st Corinthians 5 he says and you're puffed up and if not rather mourn You should be mourning and not being puffed up about those things Godly sorrow Godly sorrow is a beautiful thing and it's godly sorrow that brings us to a place of Repentance not the sorrow of the world notice in verse 10 godly sorrow works repentance to salvation Not to be repented of but the sorrow of the world works death as two different things there salvation and death Sorrow toward God godly sorrow, you know David said it Well against thee and thee only have I sinned and done this great evil God you're the one that I've sinned against it's a sorrow towards him godly sorrow and this man had a godly sorrow and it led him to deliverance it led him to To a right standing before God, but the sorrow that is of the world You know many people sorrow over sin, but it's a worldly sorrow. I Was caught I'm Grieved that I was caught.

I'm in a jail cell. I'm I'm confined. I was caught I was embarrassed I'm grieved that I was embarrassed.

I was harmed I went too fast around the corner and I wrecked my new car and and it can't be fixed and I'm Sorrowful for what I did because my car is now wrecked and there's a lot of sorrow for the wrong reason Amen But you find someone that's sorrowful because they've sinned against God you find someone in a good place Oh Lord, I'm sorry. I sinned against you and those two sorrows one produces Salvation the other produces death and some of you I Know when I was the younger Christian, I wonder what was the difference between Judas and Peter. I mean, here's Judas Pretty much the same time frame Judas betrays the Lord and delivers him up and I think he has just covetousness as his motive He just wants the money and here's Peter denies the Lord three times in the presence of a little maiden and now Peter gets to be a great apostle and Judas goes out and hangs himself and is the Infamous for the rest of eternity.

What was the difference? I mean one delivered him up the other denied him three times Well, the difference was this Peter wept bitterly and had a godly sorrow He was grieved before the Lord. He was agreed before God. He said Oh God, forgive me.

I've done wrong Peter Excuse me Judas get a worldly sorrow. His sorrow was never towards God His sorrow was because he he delivered up a man that he thought They would not get him and he had escaped every other time. Why would he escape now? he could get his 30 pieces of silver and they wouldn't get him and He delivered them up and he saw him crucified He just had no place to turn and there are many people today who get That sorrow in the world and they go out and hang themselves So they shoot themselves in the head because there's it's no place to turn So we have a godly sorrow so if you're here today and you're in sin or you've lived you're living in sin, you need to turn towards him and Sorrow in that direction and come to him and acknowledge and humble yourself in and weep and mourn and acknowledge Your condition before the Lord.

Let's go back here at second to 2nd Corinthians again 2nd Corinthians chapter 2 Here's something very important and I've experienced this over the years Let's keep reading here starting in verse 6 sufficient to such a man is this punishment which was inflicted of many So that contrary wise you ought rather to forgive him and comfort him Lest perhaps such in one should be swallowed up with over so much sorrow Wherefore I beseech you that you would confirm your love toward him For this and also did I write that I might know the proof of you whether you be obedient in all things To whom you forgive anything I forgive also For if I forgive anything to whom I forgave it for your sakes forgive I it in the person of Christ and here's something important Lest Satan should get an advantage of us For we are not ignorant of his devices now Satan is looking for opportunities the Bible says he's walking around as a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour and He's looking for those who are vulnerable He's been defeated by the Lord Jesus on the cross But he walks about looking for the vulnerable and those who are in this condition those who are sorry for sin those who are grieving over their sin oftentimes are vulnerable people and the devil comes begins to lie to them and to bring them into a place of depression and over so much sorrow He tries to take advantage of them looking for an opportunity to destroy and here's the danger verse 7 says over much sorrow depression and Suicide now sorrow for sin is good and we ought to have it especially if it goes towards the Lord but Satan can take advantage of it and lie to you and I've seen many people over the years lie to you like this. God is finished with you You've sinned too much right God doesn't care about you anymore and all those kind of things that come to the mind and sometimes people embrace those things and they just become Swallowed up in sorrow. I'm worthless.

God hates me I'm going to just go out and end my life and Judas was probably at that place. It's that I'm done and I'll just end my life and So Paul says that the devil is walking about and he's looking for opportunity I don't know that maybe some even here that are in a place of just being over much sorrowful with their life where they're at and the difficulties that they face maybe even sin in their life and they feel like they're they're hopeless and The devil is driving them to despair. There's one words you want to avoid in life and that word is despair Don't despair Despair is of the devil Paul said I am perplexed but not in despair You want to avoid despair? You know God is a God of hope the devil wants to place you into a place of despair.

Oh It's worthless. I can't do it. It's I've failed so many times It's it's you know, and I'm in despair Despair is a dangerous place to be I've met many people in despair over the years.

It's not a good place to be the mind gets way under And here's some good news for those that are in despair Let's look at verse number 10 here to whom you forgive anything. I forgive also What a what a great word of encouragement for this man who had committed adultery or committed fornication with I don't know his mother-in-law or mother Stepmother, I don't know what it was here to whom Paul says to whom you forgive I forgive and To whom I forgive I forgive it for your sakes forgive. I it in the person of Christ.

It's not a beautiful thing If you forgive him, I forgive him and I forgive him in the person of Jesus Christ In other words, I know Jesus well enough that the Lord would forgive him I Don't I don't care here what you've done How far you've gone the Bible says though your sins be as scarlet. They should be as white as snow. Amen and Let's not let's not despair.

I know sometimes it can be rather difficult, but forgive I like I Like verse number eight wherefore I beseech you that you would confirm your love Towards him, you notice here the beautiful picture of love Paul writes a strong rebuke and chastisement deliver him to Satan but then when he sees a godly sorrow in his heart, he says get around him and Comfort him and receive him and forgive him and bless him and restore him That's real Christianity there, but verse 11 Less Satan should get an advantage of us or we are not ignorant of his devices now one of the devices that Satan uses Confusion God is not the author of confusion whenever you're confused Confused it's not the the purpose of or a will of God. God is not leading you into Confusion. It's one of the devices of the devil To bring you to the place of confusion, that's what we're told that the devil the serpent did to Eve Eve was confused Serpent had twisted twisted the words of the Lord and caused her to be confused Confusion But also this despair Despair is one of the devices of the devil if you find yourself in a place of despair And I've been there you need to recognize that this is the work of the enemy here in me I Need to recognize this.

They're not good And you need to embrace here the promises of God forgiveness restoration If you're willing to repent and to deal with with your sin, but despair You know, I don't know if you ever pictured it this way, but here is Judas in his heart He wants to deliver up the Lord and sitting there at the Lord's Supper. He's got not a good heart He takes the sop From the Lord. He eats the sop and what's the next thing the Bible says? Satan entered him Satan entered him and It's from that point out that he ends up being within the next day or two in despair And I have no doubt that the devil drove him right to that potter's field To the tree, however, it happened to the rope and he dropped himself from the limb and he hung himself Because of his his despair Over what he had done.

I have no doubt, you know, of course God knows the end from the beginning He knew that Judas would would betray but but if Judas had come to the Lord and acknowledged He did something wrong. He sinned against the Lord and he repented and he asked for forgiveness I have no doubt the Lord would have said amen. You're good and you're forgiven But the Lord knew it ahead of time.

He would not and so we have the scriptures We have the story and God foreknows and so Judas chose to despair He chose to to listen to the devil He chose to to head to the potter's field and to end his life and a lot of people end their life Because they're in despair they have no hope Many of them have never met the Lord some of them met the Lord and have felt like they're useless and they've Sinned and there's no longer any hope for them well, I just want to assure you that there is hope amen and Bible says though Bible says that we're sin abounded what happens grace does much more abound and That Jesus has died for the sins of the whole world everyone that you've committed He's already paid for so don't lose hope and don't despair So there's a balance here. It's a real it's a real tender balance rebuke Chastisement leads to repentance, but watch out that the devil doesn't take that opportunity to drive you to despair So let's take the admonition here and I like this admonition in in the book of James. I'll read it to you again Draw an eye to God and he will draw an eye to you cleanse your hands you sinners What are you doing with your hands, what are you doing that are getting involved in sin? Purify your hearts you double-minded.

Oh, I love Jesus, but I love this. I love this and I have a double mind and then he says be afflicted and mourn and We ever got down on you in a prayer closet and just Curl up and just tried to weep for your condition. Just we just Lord.

I just want to weep Who I am I got I got so many needs I just want to weep and just weep before the Lord Let your laughter be turned in the morning, and I know we love to laugh We like to have fun, but let your laughter be turned to mourning take some time to mourn Over your condition bless are you that mourn and your joy to heaviness? I don't like to be heavy I like to be light, but but to say Lord I need to just humble myself and the next verse says humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord and He shall lift you up So Paul's care with the church and Getting them in a right place place of repentance and I don't know. We'll probably see as we go through 2nd Corinthians if other areas were restored but this man seems to be restored praise God and We'll probably see him in heaven someday and maybe talk to him about it He said I'm sure glad that Paul wrote that letter and just give me a good spanking because I needed it and it drove me to a place of sorrow and grief and that sorrow led me to repentance and And restoration and I know out there in the world as you go and preach people don't like To be rebuked That sin is evil That's wicked But we need to do that. You know when Peter stood up and I just give you a few examples here when Peter stood up there on the day of Pentecost and 3,000 people were saved one of the things that Peter said in his sermon I had it in here He said in this sermon in Acts chapter 2. He says you have taken Jesus and by wicked hands have crucified and slain him Wow Yeah, you did in Acts chapter 3 when when when 5,000 people were saved there at the second Great conversion there are 5,000 conversions Listen to what Peter said to the crowd as he preached to them in Acts chapter 3 verse 13 the God of Abraham of Isaac and Jacob the God of our fathers has glorified his son Jesus whom you delivered up and Denied him in the presence of Pilate when he was determined to let him go But you denied the Holy One and the just and desired a murderer to be granted unto you and you killed the Prince of life Whom God hath raised from the dead were of all we are all witnesses Now you you people are murderers 3,000 were converted 5,000 were converted But you know sometimes and I think one of the reasons why we shun away from Rebuke and reproof is because of what happened when Stephen rebuked the Sanhedrin and he said to them you stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart you always resist the Holy Ghost You are murderers and betrayers he used those two words you murderers and betrayers and instead of Ben brother, what should we do? Pricked in their hearts and sorrow they were angry and they stoned into death And so we get that response many times so Paul has a balanced view Here in Acts chapter 2 we'll continue on there one of my favorite messages is this next one I was two good messages here in Acts chapter 2, but my favorite one is this next one the last part of Acts chapter 2 and Lord willing in a couple of weeks.

We'll share that one