The Pentecost Preacher and His Sermon

June 7, 1992

Acts 1:14 "Then Peter stood up ... and addressed the crowd"

If there was a human leader on that first great Day of Pentecost- and there was- there is no doubt that it was the big fisherman, Simon Peter. It was evident that day that Peter was very much the same person that he always had been— ready to speak at the drop of a hint— something to say on every subject whether he had something to say or not. Peter was very rarely at a loss for words.

But it was also evident that Peter was a different man from what he had always been, all at one and the same time. He spoke with firmness, and yet with compassion and love. He was not at all hesitant to tell the truth- "You crucified the Messiah!" was a part of his message. But Peter was also holding out in love the offer of eternal life, of forgiveness for sin, of union with God! Impetuous, fiery, very-human Peter was also very conspicuously a man of tenderness and compassion and love!

I. THE TWO GREAT EVENTS IN PETER'S PREPARATION FOR THIS SERMON

I would like to suggest that TWO VITAL THINGS HAD HAPPENED TO PETER, two things that were absolutely necessary for Peter to be able to do what he did on Pentecost.

THE FIRST THING might not seem to be connected with Pentecost. But I argue strongly that if this had not happened Peter would never have preached his sermon that day. THIS FIRST THING WAS A RATHER PAINFUL LESSON ON LOVE BY PETER'S LORD. Jesus took Peter aside, and talked kindly but firmly to him, and had him crying for mercy. This lesson is recorded in the 21st chapter of John; actually it is the reason John extended his gospel beyond the climax of Thomas's confession of faith in chapter 20.

You know that story [Narrative.] The lesson that day was, "Peter, I know that you do love Me; but if you want to prove that love, then feed My sheep!"

THE SECOND THING that happened to Peter was almost beyond description: IT WAS THE DELIGHTFUL, FRIGHTENING, ASSURING, HUMBLING, AWESOME OUTPOURING OF GOD'S SPIRIT, as recorded here in Acts 2. When Pentecost was fully come the Holy Spirit descended, and the disciples all knew that Jesus was at the Right Hand of the Glory on High; and at the same time they knew that Jesus was somehow present— that He was with them, or IN them by this magnificent Gift of the Spirit!

Peter was the one who got his sermon recorded. But he stood up "with the Eleven;" that is, they all were witnesses that Day. Peter was the preacher, but the entire CHURCH was the instrument of evangelism and worship by the power and purity of the Spirit of Jesus!

II. WAS PETER'S ['TWO-STEP'] EXAMPLE UNIQUE?

The answer to that is honestly both "Yes!" and "No!" Of course it Peter's life, his story is unique, for Jesus took Peter aside, and dealt with him in private, as He did to no other. It was Peter who had denied the Lord three times. It was Peter who had to answer to his Master; who had to face up to his shortcoming and failure.

The "private" lesson on love and loyalty was unique to Peter. But you can be sure that there were 120 individual, unique, stories in that Upper Room that first Pentecost! You can be sure that the Risen Savior had dealt with each one of those disciples just as if there was no other person in the world. You see, Peter was not the only one who had forsaken Jesus during His hour of trial and sorrow. The Bible tells us that they all forsook Jesus and fled!

Peter's story is familiar to us. But you can be certain that every one of these men and women had a meeting with the Lord! They were here in the Upper Room because Jesus had said, "Don't leave Jerusalem until you have received the Promise of the Father!"

EVERY CHRISTIAN HAS A SESSION WITH JESUS, SOONER OR LATER! Peter had to face the Lord and settle it not only that he was forgiven for his back-sliding, but that his LOVE was Christ-centered, not Peter-centered! Peter had to make sure that he was Christ-confident, not Peter-confident! Peter settled it that he was going to be Christ-obeying, not living by Peter's own self-will! And every one of us has to settle that, too, before the fullness of the Holy Spirit can be poured out into our lives! [That is what Romans 12:1, 2 is trying to explain to us! We come to see and know and enjoy God's will when we have made a complete living sacrifice of ourselves to God!]

These are exactly the same issues that Jesus must deal with in each of our lives before the fullness of the Holy Spirit is given to us! THE HOLY SPIRIT DOES NOT COME ON UNPREPARED, UNCARING, DISOBEDIENT HALF-HEARTED CHRISTIANS!

Before the Holy Spirit can come upon God's people with power and cleansing there has to be the settling of basic issues, and the most central of those issues is about LOVE!

Two great things had happened in Peter's life: one of them was when Peter settled it that he loved Jesus more than his own selfish way. The second was this great BAPTISM OF THE SPIRIT!

III. THE FULLNESS OF THE SPIRIT- THE PENTECOST "THING"

Was the awesome outpouring of the Holy Spirit unique? Once again, YES— and NO! It has never happened quite the same way ever again. THAT was the initial outpouring! THAT was the great BIRTHING of the Church in its present assignment.

It never has happened quite that way since. BUT it has happened again, and again. And it needs to keep on happening!

We tend to focus on the accompanying signs. God is still looking for people, individuals and churches, who love Jesus more than anything else, and who love each other— and who are willing to obey God and seek His Promise of the fullness of the Spirit, and stand up where they live and tell the world that Jesus is alive, and that He is still in the sin-forgiving, life-giving business!

"Repent, and be baptized," said Peter, with the power of God filling his whole being. "And you will receive this assurance, this awesome Holy Spirit— and you can join the Church!"

Prayer

Into Sacrament of Holy Communion