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ACN
May 1, 2020
Acts 2:22-41
Resurrection Freedom - Peter’s Pentecost Sermon
Rev’d Lynda Johnson
Today we’re starting in earnest our 6 week post Easter series looking at some of the speeches in
Acts to see what these apostles thought of the resurrection and what that belief meant for them.
As you read Acts, you can’t help but notice that there are a lot of speeches.
In fact in these 28
chapters there are 19 speeches from Christians.
Eight by Peter, one by Stephen, one from James
and nine by Paul.
John Stott tells us that approximately 20% of Luke’s text is devoted to
addresses by Peter and Paul, and if Stephen’s speech is added it rises to about 25%.
In this series, out of the 19, we’re looking at 6.
We heard the reading of the choosing of Matthias last week from Acts 1, although with Chris and I
being sick, there wasn’t a sermon on that.
But I do want to briefly point out a couple of things from
what Peter said that day, before we get into our passage today.
You may recall that the book of Acts is basically a continuation of the Gospel of Luke.
It’s Luke’s
Volume 2. And it’s important to remember that throughout this series.
This book continues the history of Jesus followers after he ascended.
So when they chose a replacement for Judas, it was likely just a couple of days after Jesus had
ascended.
It may have been that very night, it may have been a week later, but it was very close to
the time of the ascension.
And it’s interesting that we see a very obvious but natural growth towards leadership from Peter.
The eleven along with the women, and Jesus’ family, his mother and his brothers, all stayed
together.
They were a tight knit group.
There’s nothing like grief to bring people together, and there’s nothing like joy to bring people
together.
This crew had experienced all that in the previous few weeks.
But at this point I would think they would have been a bit shell shocked.
Grief, joy, but perhaps now ….. bewilderment.
He was dead, he’s alive, but now ……gone.
They would have been bewildered, and most likely afraid.
And Jesus had told them to wait, to wait for a gift.
And that gift will give them power to be
witnesses.
He said that, and then he was gone.
But along with the close-knit group there were others who regularly came together as well, and
they numbered about 120.
And it was in this crowd of 120, that Peter begins to emerge as the
natural leader.
They came together to pray, and Peter stood up among them and began to speak.
Firstly, he spoke about Scripture being fulfilled.
He said this of course referring to Judas and his
betrayal and he quoted Psalms 69 and 109.
Psalm 69 he relayed in reference to Judas betrayal
and subsequent suicide, and Ps 109 about the need to replace him.
Page 1 of 4
Scripture had to be fulfilled.
And wonderfully, Peter picks up exactly on Jesus’ words just prior to
his ascension.
We need someone who’s been with us from the very beginning right up to now.
Someone who can be a witness to his resurrection.
Somebody who had literally witnessed all of Jesus’ ministry and indeed his resurrection.
They needed to replace like for like.
Somebody who knew it all and who could fulfil what Jesus said they would all do, that they would
be his witnesses.
So it came down to Justus or Matthias, they prayed, they cast a lot, and it was Matthias.
And so he
was added to the eleven, to make 12.
The reason I’m pointing this out as we get into the series proper, is that I want you to understand
what it is to be a witness.
Because as we delve into each of these speeches, they all talk about the
resurrection, the truth of it, and what it means.
Jesus wanted the apostles to be witnesses to his resurrection.
The Gk word is martus.
The word that has come down to us is martyr.
To be a witness effectively means to be a martyr.
It is about someone who knows the truth, and is prepared to speak the truth whatever the cost.
Just prior to his ascension Jesus said to the disciples that they would receive power to be
witnesses.
Peter gets up in front of the 120 and says 'one of these men must become with us a witness to his
resurrection.'
Now our reading today, from Acts 2, is from the day of Pentecost.
We haven’t read about that great event today.
We’ll celebrate and read it in a few weeks time on June 5.
But following the enormity of the Pentecost event, our emerging leader, Peter, comes into his own.
His address that day was remarkable.
In fact, I reckon we should have him as preaching pastor here at ACN.
You know why?
Because he definitely subscribes to each of our Values.
His address that day was Christ-centred, it
was Bible-based, it was definitely Spirit-led and it was mission-shaped.
Come on board Peter!
We’ll have you.
So the first few verses of his address, which we didn’t read, reply to the accusations of the crowd
that they were drunk.
No he says, not drunk, and directs them to scripture, Bible-based,
specifically to the prophet Joel.
But then from v.22, where we started today, he focusses on history.
He tells this crowd their own story.
Fellow Israelites he says, and starts talking about Jesus.
He tells them the events of 6 weeks earlier, which they would all have been very well aware of,
and takes them then to their greatest king, David, saying David told us about this guy, and you
along with other wicked people, put him to death.
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