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Nobleton Community Church
29084 Sentinel Street PO Box 224
Nobleton, Florida 34661
Rev. Paul V. Lehmann, Pastor
813-389-8683
Nobletoncommunitychurch.org
info@nobletoncommunitychurch.org
OUR VISION IS:
To experience SPIRIT-FILLED WORSHIP AND PRAYER
To be involved in EVANGELISM, DISCIPLINING AND TRAINING PEOPLE
To use our SPIRITUAL GIFTS
To SERVE AND REACH PEOPLE FOR CHRIST, BOTH
“ACROSS THE STREET AND ACROSS THE WORLD”
Nobleton Community Church
Date July 20, 2025
Text Acts 2:24-47 (message based on verses 37-38)
Pastor Paul Lehmann
None of us likes pain. Yet pain is very important because it is a signal designed to alert us when something is wrong in our bodies. Our response to pain may be to determine the root of the problem or to simply numb the discomfort with painkillers. The painkillers may work for a while, but when the numbing effect wears off, the pain often reemerges because the source was never identified and corrected.
Generally speaking, the only way to permanently get rid of pain is to go to the root of the problem. Once the source is identified and the correct treatment is applied, the pain can usually be eliminated.
This principle is also true spiritually, especially for people who are unsaved or are out of fellowship with God. For example, a sermon about the coming of Jesus that simply thrills the heart of a born-again believer and fills us with joy can create great pain in the heart of an unsaved person or a Christian who isn’t walking with God. When they hear that Jesus will soon return, it scares them and causes them inner pain and discomfort because they know they’re not right with God. That unsettled feeling in the pit of their stomachs—-that pain—is a signal to let them know things are not well in their souls. Otherwise, they’d be rejoicing!
We live in an age when people want to be comforted and told everything is going to be all right. The truth is, some things are not going to be all right unless a change is made. We must love people enough to be graciously honest with them, regardless of how painful it is for them to hear the truth. Especially regarding people’s salvation, we must speak the truth and not be fearful of their response. If we are not forthright with unbelievers regarding their spiritual condition, they could spend an eternity separated from God in eternal punishment.
It’s good to preach positive, uplifting messages. In fact, this is something we need to do in a world where there is so much hurt, depression, difficulty, and disappointment. Certainly, we need to be a source of encouragement to fellow church members and other people who feel put down by life. But when unbelievers are in our midst, we are obligated to make sure they understand that sin separates them from God. As much as we may like them and enjoy their company, the unsaved are not all right with God. It may be painful for them to hear the reality of their situation, but we must not merely toss “painkillers” at them to numb them and keep them ignorant of the truth. We must open their eyes to the root of the problem in their lives—their spiritually lost condition.
Especially when we are talking about reaching unbelievers or the subject of sin, we must address the root. All the motivational and “how-to” sermons in the world cannot cure a sinner’s heart. The sin nature cannot be changed by a pat on the back or a hug. We must come to grips with our responsibility to allow the Holy Spirit to help us be lovingly candid with unsaved people about their spiritual status. If they are lost, there is only one remedy: repentance and faith in Jesus Christ. It may be difficult at first for them to hear the truth, but it’s good for them to experience that kind of pain. It will make them inwardly aware that things are not right between them and God.
In Acts 2:37, we see how God used the apostle Peter to address unbelievers on the Day of Pentecost. With a no-nonsense, unapologetic, and direct approach. Peter preached the Gospel with power. He didn’t attack his listeners, and neither should we attack those we are trying to reach. There is never a reason to attack or to speak disparagingly to our audience. Even if people are dead in sin, they were made in the image of God, and they deserve to be spoken to with dignity and respect. Peter was respectful, yet he was honest as he went straight to the root of his listeners’ problem, preaching a message that made them so extremely uncomfortable and inwardly pained that they cried out to learn how to be saved!
Let’s look at the effect Peter’s message had on his listeners and see what we can learn from this New Testament example. In verse 36, Peter says, “ …Let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah.” Acts 2:37 tells us, “Now when they (that is the unsaved crowd) heard this, they were pricked in their hearts—or “cut to the heart” (in the NIV)—and they said to Peter and the other apostles; “Brothers, what shall we do?” They felt convicted because they were guilty. They were pierced in their hearts because they realized they were objects of God’s wrath. They longed to be free from condemnation. Notice that they don’t wait for Peter to offer an invitation. They ask him how they should respond to his message.
Jesus’ words about the work of the Holy Spirit are on display. In John 16:8-11 Jesus said; “When he comes, (the Holy Spirit), he will convict the world about sin, righteousness, and judgment. About sin, because they do not believe in me; about righteousness, because I am going to the Father and you will no longer see me; and about judgment, because the ruler of this world has been judged.”
Peter’s sermon shows us how the Spirit of God takes the gospel and works in people’s hearts. As you exalt Jesus through your witness, pray for the Spirit to bring conviction and repentance to your `hearers.
This is a good or “right kind of pain.” The Holy Spirit “pricked their hearts” The Greek word that is translated here is katanusso, a compound of the words kata and nusso.
The word kata means down. However, used in the word pricked, or cut– it gives the idea of something that is deep or something that is deep down. The second part of the word is nusso, which means to prick, to puncture, to stub, to sting, to stun, to stab, or to pierce or cut.
The only other time the word katanusso is found in the New Testament is in John 19:34 where John writes about Jesus: But one of the soldiers pierced Jesus’ side with a spear, bringing a sudden flow of blood and water.” The word “pierced or cut” in this verse is from this same root word nusso. It tells how the soldiers with a spear pierced, punctured, stabbed, and sliced open Jesus ‘ side. It was a deep puncture of His side that pierced even His lungs.
This same root word, nusso, that describes such a deep puncturing is used in Acts 2:37, our verse here, where it is translated as pricked or cut. This alone tells us that the unsaved people in the crowd that day were deeply affected by Peter’s words. In fact, it means that his words had the spiritual effect of puncturing their hearts and that they felt sliced wide open by his message. Thus one translation has it; “they were moved to the depths of their hearts.”
However, when the words kata and nusso are compounded to become katanusso, the new word is even more profound, for it describes not just a piercing but an extremely deep piercing that would produce pain and discomfort.
This word emphatically means that Peter’s listeners were deeply disturbed when they heard his message. That message gave them such an intense stab to their hearts that it penetrated their conscience, sliced open their souls, punctured their hearts, and cut them so deeply on the inside that they cried out for help. The message stung their hearts and minds as they became aware of their sin. Suddenly, their souls felt an ache, and their hearts were filled with anguish. Only the Holy Spirit can bring that kind of deep conviction.
When Peter stood before that crowd on the Day of Pentecost, he was standing before sinners in dire need of repentance. They needed the truth that would change them, not a painkiller that would make them feel good while failing to remedy their problem. The root of the problem had to be identified so it could be dealt with and eliminated. For those unbelievers to have a supernatural change of nature, it would require REPENTANCE, so Peter presented the truth boldly, plainly, and with no apologies. S
WHAT DO PEOPLE THINK ABOUT
WHEN THEY ARE ASKED TO REPENT
In a recent survey, people who regularly attend church were asked to articulate what the word repentance meant to them. The survey resulted in an intriguing and interesting assortment of answers. The majority of those who participated in the survey stated that they believed the word repentance meant one or more of the following:
To feel sorry about something one did or failed to do.
To feel remorseful about some act and to ask for forgiveness for it.
To walk forward in a church service to formally ask Jesus into one’s heart.
Although these answers are interesting, none of them is correct! It’s somewhat surprising that this survey was given to people who regularly attend church yet who could not accurately articulate what it means to repent. Many of you may know what the correct answer would be because I have talked about it a lot over the years,
But others may have responded like those in the survey, because they are rather traditional answers when we think of repenting of our sins.
The word “repent” is a very important New Testament word. It is used in Matthew 3:2; Mark 1:4; and Luke 3:3, where we are told that John the Baptist preached, “…Repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” Matt. 3:2. John’s ministry was literally launched with that one word “repent,” because according to his preaching, it is the only way to enter into the Kingdom of Heaven. Jesus, too, in his public ministry, told people to repent. In Matt. 4:17.He knew that this was the only way to enter into the Kingdom of God.
Now in Acts 2:38, we read that Peter launched his preaching ministry by also telling the people that they needed to repent. He knew, too, that real repentance was very different from remorse. Yet feelings of remorse for a past action were one of the most frequent definitions given by people who participated in the survey. It is true that when a person is convicted of sin, they often do break down and weep because of past sin. But just being sorry for sin is not repentance.
The Greek word for “remorse in the New Testament is metamelomai, which is very different from the Greek word for “repent,” the word metanoeo. Metamelomi expresses sorrow, mourning, or grief. It seldom refers to someone moved to change; rather, it gives a picture of a person consumed with remorse, guilt, or regret.
For example, the word metamelomai is used in the gospels to describe the remorse, guilt, and regret that seized the heart and mind of Judas Iscariot after he betrayed Jesus. What Judas experienced was not true repentance, which brings personal change and transformation. Because the Greek word metamelomai is used to describe the emotions that captured him, it tells us that Judas was inundated with distressed, regretful emotions. Such sorrow should not be confused with repentance, for there are many who undergo a flood of regret and sorrow for something they have done, yet they don’t truly repent.
Personal change and transformation that leads to action —-NOT remorse, regret, and sorrow—-are the true proof of repentance.
When Michigan played Wisconsin in basketball early in the season in 1989, Michigan’s Rumeal Robinson stepped to the foul line for two shots late in the fourth quarter. His team trailed by one point, so Rumeal could regain the lead for Michigan. He missed both shots, allowing Wisconsin to upset favored Michigan. Rameal felt awful about costing his team the game, but his sorrow didn’t stop at the emotional level. After each practice for the rest of the season. Rumeal shot 100 extra foul shots. Thus, Rumeal was ready when he stepped to the foul line to shoot two shots with three seconds left in overtime in the national championship game. He made both shots, which won Michigan the national championship. Rumeal’s repentance had been genuine, and sorrow motivated him to work so that he would never make that mistake again. As Paul wrote in 2 Cor. 7:10, “Godly sorrow leads to repentance.”
This word repent used in the New Testament when Jesus, John the Baptist and Peter used the word, means a change of mind, —a turning around—repentance or conversion. Metanoeo is the call to turn or to change one’s attitudes and ways, and leads to action. In the New Testament, it demands a complete, radical, and total change. A change or turn around in the way one is thinking, believing, or living. The word repent in the New Testament gives the image of a person changing from top to bottom—a total transformation wholly affecting every part of a person’s life.
Once again, this is a compound word. Meta, in this context, refers to a turn or a change. The word nous is the word for the mind, intellect, will, frame of thinking, opinion, or general view of life. When the words meta and nous are compounded, as in the word “repent,” it portrays a decision to completely change the way one thinks, lives, or behaves. It is a change of direction, a new course, and a completely altered view of life and behavior. Real repentance, then, is a mental choice to leave a life of sin, flesh, and selfishness, and to turn toward God with all of one’s heart and mind in order to follow Jesus. A prime example is when Paul mentions in I Thess. 1:9, that they turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God.”
Repentance is not the mere acceptance of a new philosophy or new idea. It is a conversion to truth so deep that it results in a total life change. It leads to action. It is the Holy Spirit that brings about this new, born-again experience, but it begins with a willingness to change completely. Without that transformation, one is not truly saved. Then the Holy Spirit continues to point out things that need to change in your life, as you grow in your walk with the Lord. When He opens your eyes to those things that are displeasing to Him, you must be willing to repent—and make an intelligent, intellectual decision to adjust your thinking and behavior to conform to God’s ways. It’s a conscious choice. What is the Holy Spirit saying to you, and how should you respond today?
Can you say to Him—“It is well with my soul ?”