First Sermon of the Church
Peter Addresses the Crowd
"Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, lifted up his voice, and addressed the crowd: “Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and listen carefully to my words. These men are not drunk as you suppose. It is only the third hour of the day! ...
Men of Israel, listen to this message: Jesus of Nazareth was a man certified by God to you by miracles, wonders, and signs, which God did among you through Him, as you yourselves know. He was delivered up by God’s set plan and foreknowledge, and you, by the hands of the lawless, put Him to death by nailing Him to the cross. But God raised Him from the dead, releasing Him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for Him to be held in its clutches.
David says about Him:
‘I saw the Lord always before me;
because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.
Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices;
my body also will dwell in hope,
because You will not abandon my soul to Hades,
nor will You let Your Holy One see decay.
You have made known to me the paths of life;
You will fill me with joy in Your presence.’
Brothers, I can tell you with confidence that the patriarch David died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. But he was a prophet and knew that God had promised him on oath that He would place one of his descendants on his throne. Foreseeing this, David spoke about the resurrection of the Christ, that He was not abandoned to Hades, nor did His body see decay. God has raised this Jesus to life, to which we are all witnesses.
Exalted, then, to the right hand of God, He has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit and has poured out what you now see and hear. For David did not ascend into heaven, but he himself says:
‘The Lord said to my Lord,
“Sit at My right hand until I make Your enemies a footstool for Your feet.”’
Therefore let all Israel know with certainty that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ!” Acts 2:14-15, 22-36
Following their "baptism" of the Holy Spirit, as Promised, Peter full of the power of the Living God, stood up and performed the first official act of the church. He preached the first sermon. It might have been no more than three minutes long.
But the people there who heard him, got convicted and Peter continued to teach to them some more. And the chutch grew by leaps and bounds that very first day.
Three Thousand Believe
"When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and asked Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?”
Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. This promise belongs to you and your children and to all who are far off—to all whom the Lord our God will call to Himself.”
With many other words he testified, and he urged them, “Be saved from this corrupt generation.” Those who embraced his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to the believers that day." Acts 2:37-41
Quite impressive for a simple, possibly unschooled person whose only credentials to teach the Scriptures was having sat at the feet of Jesus daily for about three and a half years. And of course through the power of God's Spirit inside of Him.
He was a changed man, no longer scared, no longer biting more than he can chew, no longer speaking of his own but that as the Spirit leads and no longer a fisherman but now a fisher of men.
"Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, lifted up his voice, and addressed the crowd: “Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and listen carefully to my words. These men are not drunk as you suppose. It is only the third hour of the day! ...
Men of Israel, listen to this message: Jesus of Nazareth was a man certified by God to you by miracles, wonders, and signs, which God did among you through Him, as you yourselves know. He was delivered up by God’s set plan and foreknowledge, and you, by the hands of the lawless, put Him to death by nailing Him to the cross. But God raised Him from the dead, releasing Him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for Him to be held in its clutches.
David says about Him:
‘I saw the Lord always before me;
because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.
Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices;
my body also will dwell in hope,
because You will not abandon my soul to Hades,
nor will You let Your Holy One see decay.
You have made known to me the paths of life;
You will fill me with joy in Your presence.’
Brothers, I can tell you with confidence that the patriarch David died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. But he was a prophet and knew that God had promised him on oath that He would place one of his descendants on his throne. Foreseeing this, David spoke about the resurrection of the Christ, that He was not abandoned to Hades, nor did His body see decay. God has raised this Jesus to life, to which we are all witnesses.
Exalted, then, to the right hand of God, He has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit and has poured out what you now see and hear. For David did not ascend into heaven, but he himself says:
‘The Lord said to my Lord,
“Sit at My right hand until I make Your enemies a footstool for Your feet.”’
Therefore let all Israel know with certainty that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ!” Acts 2:14-15, 22-36
Following their "baptism" of the Holy Spirit, as Promised, Peter full of the power of the Living God, stood up and performed the first official act of the church. He preached the first sermon. It might have been no more than three minutes long.
But the people there who heard him, got convicted and Peter continued to teach to them some more. And the chutch grew by leaps and bounds that very first day.
Three Thousand Believe
"When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and asked Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?”
Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. This promise belongs to you and your children and to all who are far off—to all whom the Lord our God will call to Himself.”
With many other words he testified, and he urged them, “Be saved from this corrupt generation.” Those who embraced his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to the believers that day." Acts 2:37-41
Quite impressive for a simple, possibly unschooled person whose only credentials to teach the Scriptures was having sat at the feet of Jesus daily for about three and a half years. And of course through the power of God's Spirit inside of Him.
He was a changed man, no longer scared, no longer biting more than he can chew, no longer speaking of his own but that as the Spirit leads and no longer a fisherman but now a fisher of men.
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