Peter's Being Weird

We’re looking at a story tonight where Peter and the other followers of Jesus suddenly start talking in ways that most people can’t understand them but some can.

In Acts 1, the followers are told by Jesus that they have a mission but they need to wait on the Holy Spirit to receive the power for the mission. Tonight we see the what the Holy Spirit can do!

We’ve got to have the Spirit to do the mission that Jesus is sending us on, we need his leadership and power. We see in what Peter does in Acts 2 what can happen when we’re Spirit led!

The Holy Spirit empowers us to share the Gospel with others.

Pray!

The Spirit shows up

Jesus sends the Holy Spirit to every believer when they put their faith in Jesus.

I remember I was doing the yard work one time and I’m pretty sure I was weed eating and the weed eater I had was a really finicky thing. It always took a while to get it to start and then I really had to work at it to get it to keep running…

So I’m weed eating and it cuts off. I try to get it started back and I can’t get it going. I’m ripping the cord and breaking a sweat. I’m getting mad and muttering things. Hopefully I didn’t cuss, hopefully the kids weren’t watching! Then finally I thought of something I hadn’t checked. I held it up to look at the gas tank and she was dry.

Without that gas inside it to give it power, it couldn’t do anything!

We’ve got to have the Spirit inside us to give us the power to do the mission Jesus has given us. Thankfully He fulfilled his promise to send it.

read verses 1-13 & review

This is the first time that humanity receive the gift of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, where the Spirit permanently takes up residence inside believers.

There were times in the OT where the Spirit rested on someone to do something special for God, but it was always a temporary thing.

Now, believers receive the Holy Spirit when we first place our faith in Jesus.

Ephesians 1:13 ESV

In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit,

We need to look at these verses in light of what Jesus told them in chapter 1.

This was a Jewish festival that called Jews to travel to Jerusalem.

Jesus told them to wait in Jerusalem for the Spirit, the spirit arrives.

Jesus told them they’d be his witnesses… and there are people here from “every nation” to hear the Gospel!

They speak in tongues… about the mighty works of God.

If you want to have a conversation about tongues, I’m fine with doing that later. But not our aim tonight!

If you have placed your faith in God, you have his Holy Spirit with you. You have the guidance and power to do wonderful things for God that He will lead you to do! Take the opportunity to glorify his name and point people to Him the way Peter does here!

Peter explains what’s happened

He points to God’s Word and explains what is happening through it.

This is like a flash back in a movie. Something happens and you’re not really sure what it is and then there’s a cut and all the characters are a little younger and you see something happen that explains the current event you were just seeing. That’s what we’ve got here. He helps them make sense of what’s happening with the Scripture.

read verses 14-21 & review

God’s prophecies and promises will come to pass.

Isaiah 55:11 ESV

so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.

God’s Word gives us what we need.

2 Timothy 3:16 ESV

All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness,

We look to God’s Word, we point others to God’s Word, to make sense of and understand what’s happening in our world.

Take an opportunity to point to God’s Word. Something is happening in the world, there’s a war in Europe. Man the Bible says there will be wars for a little while but a time is coming when there will be peace!

You take people to the Bible, the you take them to Jesus. That’s what Peter does.

Peter presents the Gospel

This is the mission. Provide a witness for Jesus. Peter saw his opportunity and took it.

What do shooters do? Be a shooter!

read verses 22-41 & review

Peter

the foot-in-his-mouth apostle…

in the power and leadership of the Holy Spirit, does something really awesome here…

Takes the situation

Shows where God predicted it in Scripture

Reminds them about Jesus

points to Jesus from the Scriptures

then says the Holy Spirit falling on us that you have just witnessed is proof that Jesus rose from the dead, so believe in Him!!!

ALL of Scripture is pointing to the resurrection of Jesus!

Peter gives us a great film study session on presenting the Gospel. He was ready and the Spirit led him and something awesome happened. He jumped on the opportunity.

2 Timothy 4:2 ESV

preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching.

Christian, you have a mission to be a witness for Jesus. You have the Holy Spirit. You have God’s Word. You have all you need. Be faithful to this mission, be ready for the opportunities God gives you.

Three things in closing:

If you have not believed in Jesus and called on Him for the forgiveness of your sins, do so tonight!

The Bible tells us that after we do that, we should be baptized to let everyone know that we are living for Jesus…

If you have put your faith in Jesus to be saved from the punishment for your sins and to receive life in Him, you have a mission. Go be a witness for Him every where you go with everyone you see!

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