CBN.com - We have watched Peter the Apostle go from quivering reed on the night before the Crucifixion of Jesus Christ to stout-hearted, fearless preacher of the fiery gospel seven weeks later after the outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon the church at Pentecost.
Peter, once terrified and afraid for His life, was transformed and courageous before a noisy mob on the streets of Jerusalem. He preached one of the most powerful and lucid sermons of Christendom on that notable day, laying out for the Jews and all the visitors the majestic truths of the gospel that speak forth powerfully today and on into the final days (Acts 2:14-47
Then Peter stepped forward with the eleven other apostles and shouted to the crowd, "Listen carefully, all of you, fellow Jews and residents of Jerusalem! Make no mistake about this. These people are not drunk, as some of you are assuming. Nine o'clock in the morning is much too early for that. No, what you see was predicted long ago by the prophet Joel: `In the last days,' God says, `I will pour out my Spirit upon all people.Your sons and daughters will prophesy. Your young men will see visions, and your old men will dream dreams. In those days I will pour out my Spirit even on my servants—men and women alike— and they will prophesy. And I will cause wonders in the heavens above and signs on the earth below— blood and fire and clouds of smoke. The sun will become dark, and the moon will turn blood red before that great and glorious day of the LORD arrives. But everyone who calls on the name of the LORD will be saved.'* "People of Israel, listen! God publicly endorsed Jesus the Nazarene* by doing powerful miracles, wonders, and signs through him, as you well know. But God knew what would happen, and his prearranged plan was carried out when Jesus was betrayed. With the help of lawless Gentiles, you nailed him to a cross and killed him. But God released him from the horrors of death and raised him back to life, for death could not keep him in its grip. King David said this about him:`I see that the LORD is always with me. I will not be shaken, for he is right beside me. No wonder my heart is glad, and my tongue shouts his praises! My body rests in hope. For you will not leave my soul among the dead* or allow your Holy One to rot in the grave. You have shown me the way of life, and you will fill me with the joy of your presence.'* "Dear brothers, think about this! You can be sure that the patriarch David wasn't referring to himself, for he died and was buried, and his tomb is still here among us. But he was a prophet, and he knew God had promised with an oath that one of David's own descendants would sit on his throne. David was looking into the future and speaking of the Messiah's resurrection. He was saying that God would not leave him among the dead or allow his body to rot in the grave. "God raised Jesus from the dead, and we are all witnesses of this. Now he is exalted to the place of highest honor in heaven, at God's right hand. And the Father, as he had promised, gave him the Holy Spirit to pour out upon us, just as you see and hear today. For David himself never ascended into heaven, yet he said,`The LORD said to my Lord, "Sit in the place of honor at my right hand until I humble your enemies, making them a footstool under your feet."'* "So let everyone in Israel know for certain that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, to be both Lord and Messiah!" Peter's words pierced their hearts, and they said to him and to the other apostles, "Brothers, what should we do?" Peter replied, "Each of you must repent of your sins and turn to God, and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. Then you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. This promise is to you, and to your children, and even to the Gentiles*—all who have been called by the Lord our God." Then Peter continued preaching for a long time, strongly urging all his listeners, "Save yourselves from this crooked generation!" Those who believed what Peter said were baptized and added to the church that day—about 3,000 in all. All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching, and to fellowship, and to sharing in meals (including the Lord's Supper*), and to prayer. A deep sense of awe came over them all, and the apostles performed many miraculous signs and wonders. And all the believers met together in one place and shared everything they had. They sold their property and possessions and shared the money with those in need. They worshiped together at the Temple each day, met in homes for the Lord's Supper, and shared their meals with great joy and generosity*— all the while praising God and enjoying the goodwill of all the people. And each day the Lord added to their fellowship those who were being saved.
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Read the papers and youll see with considerable trembling the spiritual conflicts were facing in todays world, just as the saints faced in Peters time. Peter and young John (they may even have called him Johnny; not likely, but who knows?) are shown in chapter four of Acts getting into trouble with the "rulers, elders, and scribes," who wanted to silence them in their talk about Jesus and the resurrection and had seized them. But, of course, the widely differing duo talked at every opportunity and apparently had a great impact. Luke the author and physician chose to record at the time that "many of those who heard the word believed, and the number of the men [this will rile the gender-agitated folks] came to be about 5,000" (Acts 4:4
But many of the people who heard their message believed it, so the number of believers now totaled about 5,000 men, not counting women and children.*
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Its amazing to read the strength of the apostles replies to questioning by the high-level religious leaders after the Lord used Peter and John to heal a crippled man publicly. Nonetheless, they got deeper and deeper into trouble with the "rulers, elders, and scribes" who wanted to silence them in their talk about Jesus and the resurrection, which sounds heartbreakingly familiar to todays coverage of the courts and groups like the ACLU in America.
The rulers, elders, and scribes commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus. And the apostles replied immediately, "Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you more than to God, you judge. For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard" (Acts 4:19-20
But Peter and John replied, "Do you think God wants us to obey you rather than him? We cannot stop telling about everything we have seen and heard."
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Where had the coward gone? Here was a mature man of faith and power, an unfailing rock. Beloved, here is what the church must have for the trying days ahead. It is what it will receive when the great revival that many have foreseen comes great and fearless preaching accompanied by signs and wonders, even the public healing of lame men, women, and children. Let it come, heavenly Father.
