Introduction:
A. One day an Amish family visited a mall in the big city, something they had never done before.
1. The family split up into smaller groups and moved about the mall, being amazed by almost everything they saw.
2. The father and one of his sons were especially amazed by the two shiny, silver walls that could move apart and back together again.
3. The boy asked his father, “What is that, Father?”
a. The father responded, “Son, I don’t know, I have never seen anything like that in my life.”
4. While the boy and his father were watching the shiny, silver walls, an old lady in a wheel chair rolled up to the moving walls and pressed a button.
a. The walls opened and the lady rolled between them into a small room.
b. The walls closed and the boy and his father watched small circles of lights with numbers above the walls light up.
c. They continued to watch the circles light up in the reverse direction.
d. The walls opened up and they were amazed when a beautiful, young woman stepped out.
5. The father said to his son, “Quick, son, go get your mother.”
B. Don’t you wish there was an elevator that could cause whatever kind of transformation we wanted?
1. We could step in as we are, the doors would close, and then when the doors reopened we could step out as we want to be.
2. Transformation is something that most of us are looking for in many areas of our lives, including physically, relationally, occupationally, financially, emotionally and spiritually.
3. We all have seen those advertisements with the before and after pictures – that I’m sure they are always true and accurate, right?
4. We are suckers when a product is advertised as “new and improved” – wow, I better buy it now because it is new and improved!
C. The question that I want us to explore today is the question: Can People Really Change?
1. Can people change or can’t they?
2. Are people stuck the way they are, or can they be remolded?
3. Is it possible to become “new and improved?”
D. For the past several months we have been examining the life of the apostle Peter.
1. During this series, I think we have gotten to know Peter quite well.
2. We have witnessed Peter’s strengths and weaknesses, and have seen his personality and tendencies.
3. When Jesus initially introduced himself to Peter, Peter told Jesus to get away from him because he was a sinful man, but Jesus invited him to be a disciple anyhow.
4. When Jesus came walking on the water, we witnessed Peter boldly request the opportunity to do the same, and Jesus granted his request and Peter walked on the water for a few steps and then he sank, but Jesus grabbed him by the hand and helped him get back into the boat.
5. When Jesus announced that He was going to Jerusalem to be crucified, Peter told Him that was not going to happen, and Jesus referred to Peter as Satan. “Get behind me, Satan!”
6. When Jesus announced that all of the disciples would abandon Him, Peter quickly said that all the others might, but he never would – then Jesus said to Peter that he would deny Jesus three times that very night – and Peter did that very thing.
7. After Peter’s denial, Jesus was crucified, then was resurrected and appeared to His disciples.
8. In our last sermon, we saw Peter sitting around a charcoal fire with Jesus and some of the disciples having some breakfast, while Jesus asked Peter three times if Peter loved Him.
a. Although he was hurt by Jesus’ questions, Peter answered each of them, “Lord, you know that I love you.”
b. Jesus replied to each of Peter’s responses with a command: “First, Feed my lambs. Second, Take care of my sheep. And third, “Feed my sheep.”
c. Then Jesus commanded Peter: “Follow me!”
E. Let’s spend a minute being reminded of the timing of these events.
1. Jesus was crucified and resurrected on the day before and after the Sabbath of the Passover.
2. Following the resurrection Jesus made appearances to His disciples for 40 days, and then they watched as Jesus ascended into the heavens, promising to return the same way some day.
3. One of the parts of the story of Peter’s life that we want to discuss today occurred on the Day of Pentecost, which took place 50 days after Passover.
4. And so there was a 10 day period (about a week and one half) between the time the disciples last saw Jesus and when the promised Holy Spirit came upon them.
5. Let’s take a look at the new and improved Peter and discover what made the difference.
I. The Story
A. Let’s pick up Peter’s story in Acts 1: 3 He presented himself alive to them after his suffering by many proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God. 4 And while staying with them he ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said, “you heard from me; 5 for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”
6 So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” 7 He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority. 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” 9 And when he had said these things, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. 10 And while they were gazing into heaven as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes, 11 and said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.” (Acts 1:3-11)
1. And so the disciples, including Peter, returned to Jerusalem and continued to meet together, devoting themselves to prayer and waiting as Jesus had instructed them.
B. And then on one of those 10 days between the Ascension and Pentecost, Peter took the lead, the Bible says: 15 In those days Peter stood up among the brothers (the company of persons was in all about 120) and said, 16 “Brothers, the Scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit spoke beforehand by the mouth of David concerning Judas, who became a guide to those who arrested Jesus. 17 For he was numbered among us and was allotted his share in this ministry.” … 20 “For it is written in the Book of Psalms, “‘May his camp become desolate, and let there be no one to dwell in it’; and “‘Let another take his office.’ 21 So one of the men who have accompanied us during all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, 22 beginning from the baptism of John until the day when he was taken up from us—one of these men must become with us a witness to his resurrection.” (Acts 1:15-17, 20-22)
1. What do you notice that is different about Peter at this point?
a. Did you notice the spiritual understanding and perspective that he has?
b. Did you notice also his grasp of Scripture?
2. Even though Peter took the lead, he certainly wasn’t being domineering.
a. Peter allowed the group of disciples to propose two men that might take Judas’ place.
b. Peter didn’t choose which man it would be, but they prayed for God to reveal which man should have the position, and then they cast lots and the lot fell on Matthias.
3. We don’t know on which day of the 10 days of waiting in Jerusalem that this event took place, but it happened one of the days and Matthias became one of the 12 and joined them in waiting.
C. When the Day of Pentecost arrived, Peter and the apostles had no idea that that would be the day.
1. Pentecost was the Greek name given to the Jewish harvest festival of Shavuot Sha-vu-oat), or the Feast of Weeks, that celebrated the grain harvest.
2. Historically speaking, this festival was celebrated 50 days after the Exodus (the first Passover), on which God gave the Ten Commandments at Mount Sinai.
3. Pentecost was one of the three Jewish feasts that required all Jewish men to come to Jerusalem (the other two feasts were Passover and Tabernacles).
4. That is why there were so many people from around the world in Jerusalem on Pentecost when the Holy Spirit came on the apostles and why the speaking of so many languages was necessary.
D. Let’s see how the Bible describes what happened that day: 1 When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. 2 And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. 3 And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them. 4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.
5 Now there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men from every nation under heaven. 6 And at this sound the multitude came together, and they were bewildered, because each one was hearing them speak in his own language. 7 And they were amazed and astonished, saying, “Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? 8 And how is it that we hear, each of us in his own native language? 9 Parthians and Medes and Elamites and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, 10 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, 11 both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabians—we hear them telling in our own tongues the mighty works of God.” 12 And all were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, “What does this mean?” 13 But others mocking said, “They are filled with new wine.”
14 But Peter, standing with the eleven, lifted up his voice and addressed them: “Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and give ear to my words. 15 For these people are not drunk, as you suppose, since it is only the third hour of the day. 16 But this is what was uttered through the prophet Joel…” (Acts 2:1-16)
1. We don’t have time to go over all that Peter said in his sermon that day, but it is obvious that this is new and improved Peter.
2. After the crucifixion, but before Pentecost, Peter and the other disciples were scared to death to be associated with Jesus or to tell others about Jesus.
a. Doing so was a good way to get into serious trouble.
b. As a result, when they met together, they did so secretly and behind locked doors.
3. But in contrast to that, after they received the Holy Spirit in such a powerful way, they were emboldened to publically proclaim the Gospel message.
4. From that moment on, people did not just hear the good news of Jesus, but they were drawn to Him by witnessing the radical transformation this message had in the lives of the disciples.
5. So Peter preached the message, using Scripture to reveal that Jesus was the Messiah.
a. He concluded his message with the accusation that the people in his audience had been a part of crucifying the Lord and Christ of God.
6. The people were cut to the heart and wanted to know what they should do.
a. Peter told them to repent and be baptized for the forgiveness of their sins and to receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
b. Three thousand of them believed and were baptized – you talk about church growth!
7. The final verses of Acts 2 reveal that these new believers continued meeting with the apostles who continued to minister day by day in the temple and in people’s homes, and everyday God continued to add to their numbers those who were being saved.
E. When we turn the page to Acts chapter 3, we see Peter and John going to the temple to pray and man who had been crippled since birth, begged them for a donation.
1. Peter decided to give him something better than money, and so Peter healed the man who immediately jumped to his feet and walked and jumped with Peter and John praising God.
2. When the crowd recognized that this man had been the crippled beggar they were filled with amazement and wondered what had happened.
3. So Peter decided to explain to the crowd what had happened and so Peter told them the good news about Jesus and encouraged them to repent and turn to Jesus.
4. Meanwhile, the Jewish spiritual leaders were watching and listening, and they were greatly disturbed by what Peter and John were doing, so they arrested Peter and John and held them in jail over night.
5. The next day, the Jewish leaders questioned Peter and John, and listen to Peter’s response to them: 8 Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers of the people and elders, 9 if we are being examined today concerning a good deed done to a crippled man, by what means this man has been healed, 10 let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead—by him this man is standing before you well. 11 This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone. 12 And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” (Acts 4:8-12).
a. This is clearly a new and improved Peter!
b. This is the kind of rock that Jesus had in mind when He named Peter the rock.
6. Look at the response of the Jewish leaders: 13 Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated, common men, they were astonished. And they recognized that they had been with Jesus. (Acts 4:13)
a. The Jewish leaders didn’t know what to do – They couldn’t deny the miracle.
b. So they commanded Peter and John to stop teaching in the name of Jesus.
c. To which Peter and John replied: 19 “Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God, you must judge, 20 for we cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard.” (Acts 4:19-20)
d. The Jewish leaders made further threats and released them.
7. Peter and John went back to the other disciples and reported all that had happened and all the disciples prayed asking God to consider the threats against them and to enable them to speak God’s Word with boldness and to perform miraculous signs in Jesus name.
8. The Bible says the result was: 31 And when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness. (Acts 4:31)
F. In Acts chapter 5, we see that Peter and the apostles were again arrested and imprisoned by the Jewish leaders.
1. During the night an angel of God released them from prison and told them to go preach in the temple.
2. The next day, when the Jewish leaders discovered the prison cell was empty, they then found the apostles preaching in the temple, and they brought them in again for questioning, saying, “We strictly charged you not to teach in his name.”
3. But Peter and the apostles said, “We must obey God rather than men.”
4. The Jewish leaders were enraged and wanted to kill them, but Gamaliel stopped them.
5. So the Jewish leaders had the apostles beaten, told them to stop preaching, and let them go.
6. Did that stop Peter and the apostles? Not a chance, the Bible says: 41 Then they left the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the name. 42 And every day, in the temple and from house to house, they did not cease teaching and preaching that the Christ is Jesus. (Acts 5:41-42)
II. The Application
A. And so, can people really change? Could Peter change?
1. Clearly, the answer is yes to both questions.
2. This was a new and improved Peter.
a. Peter had moved from confusion to understanding.
b. Peter had moved from fear to confidence.
c. Peter had moved from discouragement to determination.
B. What was it that had transformed Peter and the other apostles?
1. Part of the transformation came because of their faith in the resurrection of Jesus.
2. But I would say that most of the transformation came from the power of the Holy Spirit that was now in them.
C. We might be tempted to say, “Okay, that was them, and they were apostles, but what does that have to do with us?
1. The good news is that the same Holy Spirit who came to live in them now also lives in us.
D. While Jesus was still here ministering to His disciples, He taught about the Holy Spirit who would later come and dwell inside followers of Jesus.
1. Let’s look at some of the things Jesus taught about the Holy Spirit.
2. In John 7, Jesus said: “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. 38 Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’” 39 Now this he said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were to receive, for as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified. (John 7:37-39)
a. The Spirit is like living water that flows in us and from us – isn’t that powerful!?
3. In John 14, Jesus said: 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, 17 even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you…25 “These things I have spoken to you while I am still with you. 26 But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.” (John 14:16-17, 25-26)
a. We learn from those verses that the Spirit is our Helper, that He is with us and is in us forever, and that He will help us to know the truth.
4. In John 16, Jesus continued teaching about the Spirit, saying: 7 Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you. 8 And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment:… 13 When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. 14 He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you.” (John 16:7-8, 13-14)
a. We learn that the Spirit could not come unless Jesus went, but when the Spirit comes He will guide us into all truth, convict us of sin, and will glorify Jesus.
E. The apostle Paul also often discussed the way the Holy Spirit works in our lives.
1. In 1 Corinthians, Paul clearly taught that we are the temple of the Holy Spirit: 16 Do you not know that you are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in you? (1 Cor. 3:16)… 19 Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, 20 for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body (1 Cor. 6:19-20).
2. In 2 Corinthians 3, Paul taught us about the transformation that comes through the Spirit: And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit. (2 Cor. 3:18)
3. In Romans 8, Paul taught about the way the Spirit intercedes for us: Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. (Romans 8:26)
4. In Galatians 5, Paul encourages us to walk in the Spirit, live by the Spirit and to allow the Spirit to produce His fruit in us: 16 But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh… 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. 24 And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit. (Gal. 5:16, 22-25)
5. And finally, Paul warned us not to grieve the Holy Spirit: And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. (Ephesians 4:30)
F. And so the Holy Spirit lives in us to teach us, empower us, and transform us, but the Spirit will not act against our will.
1. Just like power steering and power brakes on our cars are there to assist us and to make steering and braking easier, so the Holy Spirit is there to make our Christian walk and growth possible.
2. But just like the power steering and power brakes only work when we start the process of turning and braking, the Spirit waits for us to make the first moves to think and do the right things.
3. The Holy Spirit will not take over our lives and make us do the good we don’t want to do, or keep us from doing the bad we want to do.
4. The Holy Spirit is sensitive and can be grieved or frustrated.
5. When a Christian is not walking according to the Spirit and is living in disobedience day after day, the Holy Spirit within them is grieved and they become hardened to the Spirit’s efforts to guide them and convict them.
6. We need to keep in mind that the Holy Spirit is in us and is with us always.
a. The Spirit goes where we go, and hears what we hear, and sees what we see.
7. We can override the Spirit’s authority and power, and can do our own thing, (usually the wrong thing), but when we do, transformation into the likeness of Christ is inhibited and prevented.
8. But on the other hand, when we walk in the Spirit, follow the lead of the Spirit, and keep in step with the Spirit, then we will grow in the likeness of Christ and we will be useful servants in God’s kingdom.
G. This is the daily challenge for all of us, including myself.
1. Sadly, I often don’t follow the Spirit’s lead; I often grieve and frustrate the Spirit of God in me.
2. But then there are those sweet times when I clearly and completely walk in the Spirit and God does His amazing transformation work in me and through me.
3. Every day, and throughout the day, our challenge is to become new and improved through the Holy Spirit.
4. I’m thankful that Peter allowed the Spirit to bring transformation in his life. I hope we will too!
5. We are about to sing one of my favorite invitation songs which declares the truth that: His power can make us what we ought to be, but we must let Him have His way with us.
