Peter's Sermon

Random Question

Would you rather fight one horse sized duck, or 100 duck sized horses?

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I. Pentecost was No Mistake - Acts 2:14-21

Recap from last week

What were the believers doing?

Speaking in tongues

Q: Anyone remember what the crowd thought of the believers?

“glug, glug, glug” “No way this is God. You guys are drunk as a skunk!”

A. Peter’s Defense - vs. 14-15

Q: Who stands up first (vs. 14)?

If we know anything about impulsive Peter, he wouldn’t have this. No way he would keep his mouth shut as the crowd disbelieves this amazing miracle of God. So he stands up, and says “listen up people!”

Acts 2:15 KJV 1900

15 For these are not drunken, as ye suppose, seeing it is but the third hour of the day.

“First thing’s first, these people aren’t drunk, it’s only 9am!” It almost sounds like Peter is slipping a bit of humor in there, “We know better than to drink this early in the morning, that’s for later?”

Q: Is he saying that they do usually drink later?

I don’t think so. Peter is using humor here to show how rediculous their claims are.

B. Joel’s Prophecy - vs. 16-21

Acts 2:16 KJV 1900

16 But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel;

Q: What is Peter referring to when he says, “But this”?

The believers speaking in tongues.

Peter is saying here, (Slap noise), “HEY EVERYBODY! These people aren’t drunk, this is actually God at work. And you should open your eyes because God planned for this to happen all along.”

Prophecy is from Joel 2:28-31

Q: What does vs. 17 say will happen?

(When they answer, ask them if it happened at Pentecost)

Q: How about vs. 18?

Q: Does vs. 19-20 happen at Pentecost?

Is this a problem?

No! It’s just a partially fulfilled prophecy. This has happened before. Jesus taught in a synagogue in Luke 4:18-19

Have everyone turn to Isaiah 61:1-2

Luke 4:18–19 KJV 1900

18 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, 19 To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.

Q: What’s missing?

The day of vengance! Yeah!

Q: Is this a problem?

No! Part of the prophecy was meant for then, and part for later.

But here’s Peter’s point in Acts 2

Acts 2:21 KJV 1900

21 And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.

Q: Is this verse true? Can anybody be saved?

Now they can because Jesus rose from the dead and sent the Spirit at Pentecost.

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II. You Crucified Your Messiah - Acts 2:22-32

A. The Crowd’s Guilt - vs. 22-23

Anyone can be saved.

Q: What’s the first phrase of vs. 23?

“Ye men of Israel”

Peter turns the sights right on the crowd, “YOU!”

You need to be saved.

Q: What is Peter telling them in vs. 23?

You saw Jesus with your own eyes. He did miracles right in front of you, and you were amazed!

Q: But what did they do even though they knew Him (vs. 23)?

Crucified and slain him

Acts 2:23 KJV 1900

23 Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain:

Illustration: Imagine being there and hearing that. That kid that steps up to the bully, “It’s all your fault!” Ooooh you’re in trouble Peter!

This crowd literally killed Jesus!

Q: Do you think they’d kill Peter too?

In a heartbeat they would! These were bloodthirsty religious bulldogs, they could’ve easily had Peter killed. The fact he says this stuff is crazy bold!

But there’s something in vs. 23 I want us to notice...

Two elements at play here, seemingly contradict each other but they actually don’t. The foreknowledge and plan of God, and the accountability of men.

Q: Was the cross the Jews fault? Or God’s plan?

The only answer is, yes!

Somehow, with God involved, two parralel roads come together. God takes what is awful and horrible, planned by men, and totally flips it around into the miracle of miracles!

Q: Was God in control of Jesus’ death?

Yes, He had a good purpose in it.

Q: Does that mean the Jews weren’t guilty then?

“God had a good purpose in it, it was meant to happen so I guess it wasn’t my fault then.”

Illustration: You can just as well say, “I guess I was just predestined to kick you in the face!”

Our guilt for sin isn’t erased because “Well, it happened so it had to have been God’s will.” Just because God’s in control doesn’t mean we have a free “sin licsence”,

Q: If you’re in court for a bank robbery, how well would this argument go? “Your honor, I plead guilty, I did rob that bank. But doesn’t that mean it’s God’s will?”

Your actions are your own actions,God holds us accountable for them. And somehow He uses all the bonehead things I do to bring His good purpose.

B. The Resurrection - vs. 24-28

They crucified Jesus, but God canceled the pains of death and brought Him back to life.

This is where Peter turns to a hugely important part of his message.

Q: What’s the cross-reference on vs. 25?

i. Psalm 16

David wrote Psalm 16 as a praise to God for the hope he found in Him during times of trial.

“I forsaw the Lord always before my face, for he is on my right hand” God is always with me wheverver I go, “that I should not be moved: Therefore did my heart rejoice, and my tongue was glad; moreover also my flesh shall rest in hope.”

Q: What does David mean in saying, “my flesh shall rest in hope.”?

There is hope for him after death, death is not the end. We would agree and say abig amen to that, but look at vs. 27

Acts 2:27 KJV 1900

27 Because thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.

Acts 2:28 KJV 1900

28 Thou hast made known to me the ways of life; thou shalt make me full of joy with thy countenance.

Q: Does anything strike you as strange in this verse?

(see corruption)

Q: What does that mean?

His body won’t decay

Q: Did David die?

Yes

Q: Did he eventually decay?

Yes

Q: So who could this be talking about?

The only person this could ever be is Jesus. It couldn’t be you are me, what happens when people like us die?

We go 6 feet under and decay, unless the rapture happens, this is everyone’s fate.

Q: Quiz question. Why did death come in to the world?

Sin/ the curse.

We’re all under this curse of sin;

We get colds for the bajillionth time

Prime in the 20’s fades away

If Oliver hit my leg really hard with a baseball bat, what would happen? My bone would break!

All this pain and decay

Sin came into the world made the unholy decision to disobey God take take the fruit. Since then, every human born is unholy, you could say we’re unholy ones.

Q: Looking back to vs. 27, who won’t suffer corruption?

The Holy one

Only Jesus has lived a perfect life, He is the Holy One that David had written about.

C. Application of Psalm 16 - vs. 29-32

“Men and brethren, let me freely speak unto you of the patriarch David”

Ill: Haven’t you spoken freely enough? vs. 23 “you wicked people killed Jesus!”

But he goes on to say, “that he is both dead and buried,”

Q: Is that true?

Yes! David died just like anyone else.

“and his sepulchre is with us unto this day.”

Everybody knows this! You asked someone where David’s tomb was, they’d look at you funny, “You must not be from around here, it’s right in the south end near Siloam.” Some of you girls are planning on being in Israel this March, hopefully you can go see the tomb.

Acts 2:30 KJV 1900

30 Therefore being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him, that of the fruit of his loins, according to the flesh, he would raise up Christ to sit on his throne;

Q: What’s the oath made to David?

God’s promise to David. All the way back in 2 Samuel, God made a promise to David that from his seed, his descendants, there would one day be a king who will sit on the throne forever. His kingdom will be everlasting Kingdom blessed by God. Check out the verse,

2 Samuel 7:12–13 KJV 1900

12 And when thy days be fulfilled, and thou shalt sleep with thy fathers, I will set up thy seed after thee, which shall proceed out of thy bowels, and I will establish his kingdom. 13 He shall build an house for my name, and I will stablish the throne of his kingdom for ever.

This is the promise of the Messiah. Now look at vs. 30 again,

Q: Who is the Messiah?

It’s Jesus, He is from David’s line and was come to free the world from the bondage of sin.

Q: When Jesus died, did His body suffer corruption?

No! And that’s what Peter is telling everyone.

Acts 2:31 NKJV

31 he, foreseeing this, spoke concerning the resurrection of the Christ, that His soul was not left in Hades, nor did His flesh see corruption.

Jesus rose from the dead, and vs. 32 He ascended into heaven.

Whether you noticed it or not, Peter just machine gun fired 3 reasons why Jesus is Messiah,

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He’s from David’s lineage

He did not stay dead

And we saw Him alive

“Hello, how don’t you get it! It all happened right before your eyes!”

“Remember the man you killed a month ago? Yeah, He’s your Messiah. You killed the Son of God.”

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III. Jesus is Lord and Christ, Receive Him - Acts 2:33-36

A. The Messiah is Exalted - vs. 33-35

Q: If Jesus rose from the dead and the apostles witnessed it, where is Jesus now (vs. 33)?

He’s at the right hand of God. There’s no better seat than that in all of heaven. It’s the place of all authority and power.

And He used that authority to send the Holy Spirit.

See what Peter’s doing here?

“Hey! Guys! This whole thing with tongues you think is drunk people. Yeah, it’s actually Jesus, the Messiah (which you killed) who’s sending the Holy Spirit from heaven to believers. Jesus is exalted way up.”

Acts 2:34–35 NKJV

34 “For David did not ascend into the heavens, but he says himself: ‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at My right hand, 35 Till I make Your enemies Your footstool.” ’

Q: How do these verses picture that Jesus is exalted?

Sit at my right hand

Enemies as footstool

Illustration: Wouldn’t you love this? I know you guys are thinking along the same line as me. You get to tell your enemy bow down to me, you’re my footstool. Nova Scotia gets to tell us that in softball until next year.

For Peter to boldly say that Jesus exalted at the Father’s right hand, he is saying that Christ is the supreme One of the whole universe, He is Lord. The Jews had Jesus condemned to the cross for this statement, and now these Jews hear it again, from the mouth of Petecost. Jesus was exalted to the highest place heaven affords.

Q: If Jesus is the Messiah, if He is Lord, then who’s in control of my life?

Q: Am I my own person?

I am not my own, I am His servant and child.

B. You Crucified Him - vs. 36

Q: What does Peter call Jesus here in vs. 36?

Lord and Christ

“You killed the most important person in the universe!” Murder is bad enough, but these people killed the Son of God! They killed their own Lord and Messiah!

Q: Can you think of a crime worse than that?

It can’t get any worse than that. If you have a guilty-ometer, these people have the most guilt in the whole history of the world.

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IV. Hope in the Lord - Acts 2:37-40

A. Conviction - vs. 37

Acts 2:37 KJV 1900

37 Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?

Verse 37 is where it all comes down. The crowd hear the word, and their consciences were pricked, they knew they were guilty. The picture here is of stabbing (emotionally), the truth pierced these people to the very core of their being. Sometimes we feel like the preacher is speaking directly about us in the pulpit, “How do you know what I did this week?!” That’s the Spirit’s conviction at work. Peter doesn’t even try to hide the fact, he knew what they did, and he told them!

“Men and brethren, what shall we do?”

Here’s the big question for us today.

Q: Can sinners so bad be forgiven of so much?

Q: Someone tell me what Peter says in vs. 38

Repent

Be baptized

Receive the gift of the Holy Spirit

B. Solution - vs. 38-40

Even the most guiltyest of sinners can be changed and redeemed by the grace of God.

Q: As Christians, is there any point that we are too far gone?

I know how it feels. You stumbled in that bad habit again, and all this shame comes rushing over you. The guilt on that sin just feels like it’s never going to leave you, you feel weighed down and defeated. You watched that pornography again, you gossiped again, you blew up at your mom again; and man that guilt just comes rushing in. That’s a good thing; the Spirit makes us feel this guilt so we turn to Him.

Q: But does God want us to stay defeated?

Q: What would the Devil want us to do?

Sulk up and pity ourselves to death. “Woe is me!”

But with the Gospel we find hope. The Gospel comes in our lives in such a powerful way. Jesus comes in, not denying the fact we are sinful. God will never say sin is okay; that pornography isn’t a big deal, or that anger is just natural. Jesus comes in, “Even though you’ve done all that and you deserve so much judgment, I’m coming in to give you hope. I’ll die on a cross so that you in exchange can have life. And I’ll send down my Holy Spirit to live in you, so that you can live in victory over your sin.

Acts 2:39 KJV 1900

39 For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.

With the Gospel, we don’t need to stay in that rut, God gives you a way out! He sent the Holy Spirit on earth, first here at Pentecost, so that we would have hope to live a godly life!

Q: How does Luke finish off this section (vs. 40)?

He had so much more to tell them, but what’s point of all this?

“Save yourselves from this untoward generation.”

This is our hope, we are saved through the grace and power of the gospel.

Life Application

Nobody is too far gone for God’s help

If Jesus is Lord and Christ, then my life is not my own