Cut to The Heart

Acts 2:22-24

“Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with mighty works and wonders and signs that God did through him in your midst, as you yourselves know— this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men. God raised him up, loosing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it.

Acts 2:32-33

This Jesus God raised up, and of that we all are witnesses. Being therefore exalted at the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this that you yourselves are seeing and hearing.

Acts 2:36

Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.

Acts 2:37

Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?”

cut to the heart - being pierced or pricked sharply—of something penetrating beneath the surface.

They were stung in the heart.

John 16:8

He will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment

convict - bringing someone face-to-face with the truth, showing them what they have failed to see.

Acts 2:41

So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls.

Two truths the Holy Spirit used to reach their hearts:

1. They Were Cut by the Truth About Jesus

Peter doesn’t ask everybody to stop thinking; he asks them to finally start thinking.

The Holy Spirit interrupts our assumptions, and suddenly, there is a cutting, a stinging, something that stops us in our tracks and makes us ask:

“What if this is actually true?”

2. They Were Cut by the Death of Jesus

Acts 2:36-37

Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.

Jesus went to the cross because of human sin.

Peter understood that personally.

Luke 22:60-62

Peter said, “Man, I do not know what you are talking about.” And immediately, while he was still speaking, the rooster crowed. And the Lord turned and looked at Peter. And Peter remembered the saying of the Lord, how he had said to him, “Before the rooster crows today, you will deny me three times.” And he went out and wept bitterly.

Peter in that moment realized that he had wounded someone who loved him.

After the gospel reaches our hearts, we realize our sin has grieved and rejected the God who gave His life for us because He loves us.

Zechariah 12:10

when they look on me, on him whom they have pierced, they shall mourn for him, as one mourns for an only child, and weep bitterly over him, as one weeps over a firstborn.

They look at the One who was pierced, and they are pierced by the realization that He was pierced for them.

Four results of being cut to the heart:

1. The Cut Leads Us Into Forgiveness

The same cross that convicts us also comforts us.

The cross tells us two things at the same time:

Our sin is more serious than we ever imagined and God’s love is deeper than we ever dared to hope.

Romans 5:8

God shows His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

My sin led Him there, but His love held Him there.

The cut isn’t meant to drive you into hiding,

It is meant to lead you into forgiveness.

2. The Cut Produces Repentance

Forgiveness frees us from the penalty of sin. Repentance begins freeing us from the power of sin.

2 Corinthians 7:10

Godly sorrow produces repentance.

Repentance - to turn away from sin.

Worldly sorrow is motivated, really by fear and it focuses mainly on me:

“What is this going to cost me?”

Godly sorrow is a sorrow rooted in seeing what your sin cost Jesus and how deeply He loves you.

2 Corinthians 5:14–15

The love of Christ controls us … that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for Him who for their sake died and was raised.

Titus 2:11–12

For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age.

The gospel doesn’t merely tell you to stop sinning,

It gives you Someone better to love.

The crowd in Acts 2 was cut to the heart…but they weren’t cut so they could remain wounded…

They were cut so they could repent, receive forgiveness, and be transformed by grace.

3. The Cut Reorients Our Obedience

Romans 10:9

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.

If Jesus is Lord, then we don’t get to keep final authority.

4. The Cut Calls For a Response Today

Acts 2:41

Those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls.