The Proclamation Series

“THE PROCLAMATION” Acts 2:14-41

FBCF – 2/13/22

Jon Daniels

INTRO – Ads in Super Bowl tonight will cost $7 million for a 30-sec commercial. Companies will pay this because they know the power of advertising & the importance of getting their message out.

70s & 80s advertising:

- Perfume commercial: “If you want to capture someone’s attention, whisper.”

- Stock brokerage firm: “When EF Hutton talks, people listen.”

Continue “ChURch” series. 2 things about this message:

- Peter didn’t whisper!

- When Peter talked, the people listened!

EXPLANATION – Acts 2:14-41 – The Jewish people had 7 festivals or feasts that they celebrated each year. God appointed these feasts & commanded the Jews to keep them to constantly remind them of God’s provision for them. The festivals are also important to the entire story of redemption in the Bible b/c each one of them points to some aspect of the life, death, & resurrection of Jesus. The 7 feasts are:

- Passover – reminds us the redemption from sins that only Christ, the perfect Passover Lamb, provides.

- Feast of Unleavened Bread – Reminded Jews of their hasty exit from Egypt. NT leaven/yeast associated w/ evil. Just as Jews were to remove the leaven/yeast out of their bread, so we are to remove evil from our lives.

- Feast of Firstfruits – Beginning of the harvest. Signifies Jews’ thankfulness & dependence upon God. Reminds us of Christ’s resurrection b/c 1 Corinthians 15:20 tells us, “But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruit of those who have fallen asleep.”

- Feast of Weeks/Pentecost – “Pentecost” means “fiftieth” & this feast occurred 50 days after the Firstfruits feast to thank God for provision of the harvest. This feast reminds us of the fulfillment of Jesus’ promise to send another Helper who is the Holy Spirit (John 14:16), which happened here in Acts 2, 50 days after Jesus’ resurrection.

- Feast of Trumpets – Numbers 29:1 – This is to be “a day for you to blow the trumpets,” signifying the end of the agricultural season, & the entrance of the people into a sacred season to prepare for the Day of Atonement. This feast points us toward the Second Coming of Christ when everything will be over & sin will be dealt with.

- The Day of Atonement – Happened 10 days after trumpets. High priest went into the holy of holies to make an offering for the sins of the people. This corresponds w/ the time when God will turn His attention back to Israel & call the remnant to Himself out of the Great Tribulation.

- Feast of Tabernacles/Booths – Reminded the Jews of the time of their wandering before they came into the land of Canaan. Looks forward to the time when Jesus rules & reigns on earth & all of His people from every tribe, tongue, & nation will live or “tabernacle” w/ Him forever.

Right in the middle is Pentecost. Jews from many different nations gathered in Jerusalem for this festival. This is why there were so many people who spoke so many different languages in the city – some suggest that Pentecost attracted over 200,000 pilgrims to Jerusalem.

v. 7-11 – The crowd was “amazed & astonished” – “beside themselves w/ wonder” (NLT) when they heard the apostles & others speaking in their native languages – at least 15 language groups. And they didn’t just hear random words in their language – they heard them proclaiming “the mighty works of God” (v. 11).

v. 12-13 – “What does this mean?” What a great question! What a great opportunity to point to the life-changing work of God through the power of the Holy Spirit!

But, like in any group, there were the skeptics & scoffers, folks who want to deny the obvious work of God that’s happening right in front of them as the Church was born, the Gospel was about to be proclaimed, & EVERYTHING was about to change!

APPLICATION – The Church is called to know the Gospel, live the Gospel, & proclaim the Gospel.

“HEY!” – v. 14a – Use this word to get folks’ attention. Peter got the crowd's attention.

“But Peter, standing w/ the 11, lifted up his voice & addressed them…” NLT says, “Then Peter stepped forward…”

The man who stepped back & denied Jesus, is now the one stepping forward to proclaim Jesus! The one who lifted up his voice in fear, anger, & cursing is now the one lifting up his voice to preach the Gospel! TLB – “Then Peter…shouted to the crowd…”

- He’s not being timid – he’s boldly telling them!

- He’s not backing down – he’s bringing the thunder!

- He’s not shutting up – he’s sharing the truth!

“HERE’S WHAT’S HAPPENING” – v. 14b-21 –