Click DOWNLOAD for audio,TITLE for summary, On summary page click "here" for PPT

Peter’s sermon from Acts 2:14-42

Read the whole sermon Acts 2:14-42

Who is this Jesus?

We are in the book of Acts and today is Peter’s sermon from chapter 2

Gill gave an overview of the book of Acts and Chris covered Pentecost (Acts 2:1-13).

Jesus has ascended to heaven and the Holy Spirit has come

Peter tells us in the most famous sermon ever told. AND it was Peter’s best sermon!!

Why look at this sermon? Because we need to know more about Jesus. We need to hear how this church started. And we need to know and believe that these ordinary people had a life change.

The torch was lit that day

This is the torch of the Holy Spirit which is now handed to the new believers and consequently to us

So, the context for the sermon is the effects of the Holy spirit. We believe that this sermon was given in the temple courts. There were international crowds there at the temple and they are astonished. Amazed and perplexed. Because of what they experienced. They couldn't make sense of it. They thought it was crazy!  Now Peter begins to preach in power. He cannot hold back. The Holy spirit is making him bold and explain what has just happened.

His sermon is simple – anyone can understand him

And it was scriptural – he quoted form the prophets

And it was Christ centred.

This sermon has everything in it that we ever would need as a testimony of what Jesus has done for us. This sermon was about 4 minutes. And it had everything in it!

Read Acts 2:14-16; Peter first explains what it is not.  The people were not drunk,

Act 2:17-21; Peter quotes from the prophet Joel. Joel is telling of the time when Christ will return. But in this “between” time” – we all live. We are the same as those new believers. NB verse 21

This chart is a stunning picture of who Jesus is.

6 DOCTRINES ABOUT CHRIST

1. Incarnation; Jesus is God who became a man
2. Authentication; Who proved his divinity by performing miracles
3. Crucifixion Who died on the cross, bearing the penalty for our sins
4. Resurrection; Who was raised from the grave, conquering death
5. Ascension Who ascended to the right hand of the Father
6. Glorification Who is exalted as Lord over all creation

Read acts 2:25-28 Peter quotes Psalm 16:8-11

Peter took what they already knew and tied it up with new understanding.

1. Peter called David a prophet. The Jews believed that David had written this Psalm. So, the words are prophetic.
2. Peter quotes this psalm of David to show us that the Messiah’s resurrection was foretold in Scripture.
3. They saw David as God’s “anointed” king. They saw that God had promised an eternal kingship to David through his descendants
4. And he spoke about Jesus being from the line of David. He is saying “look he’s here!”

All Peter is doing is putting ALL the pieces of puzzle together and making the picture clear. And the picture is COMPLETE!

In his speech, Peter uses four points to argue that Jesus is the Messiah:

1. His personal witness,
2. The miraculous events of Pentecost,
3. Information about Jesus that the audience had, and,
4. Scriptural proof texts.

This audience – they were devout men. Pious. Religious. Devoted to scripture. They had served God all their lives, and they wanted to DO something. But no

Read Acts 2:21 And Acts 16:31

• Why was this sermon preached?

Remember that Peter reacted to the crowd.

Thousands came to investigate when there was all that noise coming from the temple area. When the Holy spirit came.

When all these various and strange languages were being spoken – people were more than curious!!

• What did it include?

That the speaking in tongues was a fulfilment of Old Testament prophecy

Then declared what Jesus was all about. Born, crucified, resurrected, ascended.

• How long did it take?

Not long. 4 minutes? But it was impressive!! And the people’s hearts were pierced. And they responded with “what shall we do?”

1. Repent; These men were sorry- ashamed. But peter wanted more. They had to change the way they believed. Then their behaviour would change
2. Be baptised; This is not so that you CAN be forgiven. Read verse 38. Baptism is an expression of faith. Be Baptised BECAUSE you have been forgiven. Then all guilt and sin are wiped away and we are able to live in the freedom.
3. Be saved; Peter is saying “Be saved from this generation – this perverse one!” The morals and ethics of the world can influence us to behave badly. But we also need to be delivered from fear; loneliness; depression; addictions and fighting. How are we saved? By looking to Jesus for everything

When that day dawned, a bunch of people powerless followers of Jesus the rabbi sat together praying and waiting. By the time the sun had set, thousands more carried the flame of God’s spirit in their hearts

In them a new life had begun. The church was born

And that flame and that torch? – the one that was passed by the Holy Spirit to the first believers? We hold that torch in our hands. We carry that flame to the world.