The Commencing.

The commencing.

Acts 2:1 -- 41. 10/15/03

The day of Pentecost was a day of beginnings. Of course, one of the most important things to commence that day was the preaching of the resurrection of Jesus and Peter led the way. Verse 14 tells us Peter standing, preached to the multitudes in Jerusalem the resurrected Jesus. That is going to be the subject of this study as we continue to look at the life of the apostle Peter.

Pentecost means 50. It was one of seven important religious feast on the Jewish calendar. It was called the feast of the harvest and the feast of the weeks.

Now today when the word Pentecost is mentioned, people say that was the day the believers were filled with the holy ghost. They say also that this was the day of the miraculous ability to speak other languages they could not speak before. Since there were a multitude of people in Jerusalem because of a religious feast, the other languages made it possible to hear about the resurrected Lord in their own language. If folks would read correctly this account in Acts of Pentecost, it would stop the present day tongue movement. A tongue movement like Pentecost would mean that missionaries would not have to spend years learning foreign languages.

The common thought on the day of Pentecost was that of amazement and perplexed. Those words mean doubt. The multitudes that observed the miracles asked, what does this mean? Others said these men are drunk with wine. It was in the midst of all this Peter stood up and with great boldness, “lifted up his voice,” and spoke to the multitude the message we are going to study.

The first point we want to note is THE EXPLAINING OF THE SITUATION.

Peter started his sermon by explaining the unusual goings on, and the meaning. He started it by defending the disciples. If a message is delivered by a man with poor character, it has little if any impact. So, Peter felt it important to defend their character. In verse 15, he says these men are not drunk as you have said for this is the morning. Of course the acquisition was an attack from the devil. But notice that this false acquisition did not stop the servants of God.

He spent some time in defending the disciples and also defining of the day. You do realize the world doesn’t understand divine movement and that was the way it was on the day of Pentecost.

The word of God explains God’s working so Peter went immediately to the word to explain what was taking place that day. He went to the book of Joel, and said Joel spoke of this and quoted the Scripture. Joel talked about that in the last days there would be a pouring out of God’s spirit and people would proclaim God’s word.

Now in Joel’s prophecy, and Peter statement we note there is a near fulfillment and a future fulfillment. The near fulfillment would be some 40 years after Pentecost Jerusalem would be destroyed by Titus and his army. The future fulfillment of course is the great tribulation when God’s wrath will be poured out on the earth. We now live in between those two. It is now the dispensation age of grace. Everyone who calls on the name of Jesus, repents of his sin can and will be saved by the grace of God.

We see not only the explanation of the situation but also THE EXALTING OF SAVIOR.

Peter first spoke of Jesus life here on the earth. “Ye men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as you yourselves also know.”

Jesus may not have been approved by many men but he was by God. Today it seems men seek other peoples approval but not to concerned about God’s approval. It isn’t other men that have the final say but God. If we live to obtain the approval of God as Jesus did, we find that we will not have much approval of the world.

After speaking about the life of Jesus, Peter goes to the death of Jesus. “Him being delivered by the determinant council and foreknowledge of God, you have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain.” The foreknowledge of God means that God was in control of the whole situation. Though the crucifixion would seem a tragedy it was essential for our salvation.

He moved from the life of Jesus here on the earth to the crucifixion and death to the resurrection of Jesus is. “Whom God has raised up, having loosed the pains of death; because it was not possible that he should be holden of it.”