Pentecost: Be Transformed

Well, today we are here on a very special occasion. We are here observing God's Holy Day of Pentecost.

Now, in ancient Israel, this feast occurred after the barley and wheat harvest in late spring, as we already had reference to. Maybe they had a few jumpy dogs into in the wheat fields. I don't doubt it. It was a joyous occasion. We don't much appreciate harvests, as we used to do.

Most people don't think about food, but those harvests meant life.

The harvest that is talked about related to the days of weeks in Pentecost, the firstfruits, this is all about life in a different sense. But in ancient Israel, this feast occurred after the barley and wheat harvest in late spring. It was the first of two major harvests, the two major harvest season in ancient times. This springtime feast was called firstfruits. Exodus 23.16 can be a verse reference there for you, the firstfruits of your labor.

And it's also related specifically to the wheat harvest, as we've heard. The feast of Pentecost or firstfruits teaches us many lessons. And how do you cover them all? In one, two sermons or more, that's a challenge. But there are some very important lessons, and we're going to focus on one in particular this morning. We know, for example, that the feast of Pentecost, firstfruits, teaches us that Jesus Christ came to build his church. I gave a message on that not long ago.

This festival pictures also the coming of the Holy Spirit and the establishment of God's church. The firstfruits are those who will be given salvation, everlasting life, when Jesus Christ returns to establish the kingdom of God on earth. And the meaning of the word firstfruits tells us that there's much more fruit to come. This is just the first batch, you might say. It's just the first fruit to come. And so Pentecost also tells us about a second much larger harvest, encompassing the salvation, as God's desire is, that the salvation of all humanity, that all human beings would repent and know salvation. They'd know him. And of course, that larger harvest that will be God is going to make available and let people know about will occur much later after the end of the thousand-year reign of Christ on earth and his kingdom. Saints helping prepare for that time and day. And that's pictured, that much larger harvest is pictured by the Feast of Tabernacles.

And Pentecost also teaches us that God still works miracles. God's still granting his Spirit, his Holy Spirit, to those called to be firstfruits of his spiritual harvest. Those gods called and placed in his church, the Body of Christ, empowering them with his Holy Spirit under Christ's leadership to carry out his work in this world. And we've rehearsed that recently as well.

Through the gift of his Holy Spirit, God gives us blessings we could not otherwise receive.

And only with God's Spirit in us can we have a close and ultimately eternal relationship with God our Father, as children of his family, his sons and daughters of our Father, siblings with Jesus Christ. Let's turn to Romans chapter 8 as we lay the groundwork here of the message. Romans 8 verse 9, 14 through 17. Romans 8 verse 9. Let's notice Paul's words in reference to God's Spirit.

Paul writes Romans 8 verse 9, But you are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. It's a life-giving Spirit, a spiritual life-giving Spirit. Now, if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not his. And that is a vital scripture to understand. Sometimes when God calls us, we may postpone making that commitment. And we may have reasons. Sometimes I've learned through the years, I've talked with people through the years, that they feel it's okay not to be baptized. They're getting okay. They're along okay.

But until you get baptized, what Scripture reveals and have the laying on hands by God's ministry, you are not given God's Holy Spirit. And it's God's Holy Spirit that unlocks for you that power and his essence in you that you can change and grow and become more like him. And of course, it's the down-painment of salvation. It's what will make you that true first fruit.

And so it's very vital to understand this, that in order to be a child of God, both now as we tend to see in begettle form and certainly full-born in Christ's return, we must have God's Spirit dwelling in us. Let's continue here in Romans 8 and verse 14, For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are the sons of God. For you did not receive the Spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption, also sonship is called, by which we cry out, Abba, Father. The Spirit himself, or rather, the King James actually has it correctly here, the Spirit itself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God. And if children, then heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with him, that we may also be glorified together. So Paul is reminding us that, yes, we do need his Holy Spirit. It's part of what Pentecost looks towards. And it also tells us that there's work to be done with that spirit. There's some effort to be put into it. There's going to be some suffering that goes along with allowing God's Spirit to transform our lives so that we no longer conform to our old dead self, but that we conform to God and Jesus Christ. And so it's because of God's Spirit, his power and essence that dwells in us that we are called children of God. And that is why we yearn, especially on days like this, on the Sabbath, we yearn to be home. Not just home-home, be it ever so humble. There's no place like it. But we yearn for that spiritual home. We yearn to be at one with Jesus Christ and our Father and our brothers and sisters, that only a few are here, but many, many others in different places across the face of this earth now, some in the grave, and some yet to be called. And so it's here that we yearn for, we understand that we must be yearning for Christ's return. We look forward to that time at Christ's return. Paul talks about, it's one of my favorite scriptures, 1 Corinthians 15, 54, when this corruptible has put on incorruption and this mortal has put on immortality. Let's also look at Romans 12, verse 1 through 2. Here, more specifically, Paul addresses what we need to be doing with the help of God's Holy Spirit.

Romans 12, verse 1 through 2, Paul urges us now not to postpone this, not to wait, but he urges us now to use God's Spirit. And of course, God's Spirit must be used along with the instruction, the inspiration of God's Scripture, God's Holy Word, the Bible. Together, we become convicted. We can become more quickly changed and renewed, renewing our way of thinking and being, and we can be transformed. And so Paul writes of this, Romans 12, verse 1, I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, active, busy, alive, a living sacrifice, wholly acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. Now think about that. As I've heard people say, there's a lot of crazy.

There's a lot of crazy out in the world. Have you noticed any of that?

Maybe you've noticed. Now it's unusual, Paul is saying, or not so unusual, I guess it'd be unusual the way of the world's thinking. The word to present our bodies a living sacrifice, wholly acceptable to God, pleasing to God, which is your reasonable service. That is logical. That makes good sense. It's of God. And what would the world say of that? You're crazy. There is no God. That's just ancient words. That's just an old patriarchal, man-centered worldview.

They're wrong. Verse 2. Paul continues on. He says, Do not and do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Transformation begins through God's Spirit from the inside out.

Sometimes we have to do a little work on the outside, learning how to do certain things which speeds along the change in our hearts and minds, all working together with God's word and His Spirit in our hearts and our minds. But be transformed by the renewing of your mind that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. And so Paul reminds us, now is the time. Now is always the time that we're no longer to be allowing ourselves to conform to the ways of this world, or to allow ourselves to just follow along with our own carnal nature, our selfishness, our lazy complacency wants to do. We have to fight. We have to resist. We have to be active in living faith to do as God would have us do.

And as that very first Pentecost of the church teaches us, that Pentecost in 31 A.D., what that event in Pentecost 31 A.D. helps to teach us, that God's Spirit certainly is transforming.

If you want examples of how what God can do through His Spirit, we can spend some good prayer and reading by reviewing the entire book of Acts. And so we don't have to wait. We don't have to wait, though, until Christ's return to experience the life-changing power, the life-changing essences in us of God's Holy Spirit. We don't have to wait until we're transformed and we put off mortality and put on immortality. We don't have to wait for that.

We're to be experiencing this transformation every day, every minute, that we have God's Spirit in us and with us. And so after we're baptized, we receive His Spirit in us through the lanyang of hands by God's ministry. And God expects us to use His Spirit. Part of the reason God has us go through the Holy Days every year is that these things come back to mind. If we don't do certain things, we are prone to forget. In fact, we know we will forget. God certainly knows that. He made us. He made these Holy Days so we would not forget the precious things, the life-saving things we need to know and do. And so God expects us to use His Spirit to help us rule over our carnal nature and to keep His commandments in ways that we would become a new creature. We would become a new man with Christ living in us and the strength of the Father and Christ in us. We're all there with us.

And so that's what God expects of His firstfruits, and that's what we are if God's Spirit is in us.

He expects His firstfruits to be using His Spirit, to be transforming themselves, to be more like God, to stop conforming to our old ways, to the ways of this world. And so my purpose today is to remind us of that transforming power of God's Holy Spirit. We need to remember what it is God has given us. God's Spirit is not a squeaky wheel that irritates us and reminds us that way of its presence. It is a quiet and powerful essence, God's essence in us, and we have to be reminded even to stir it up.

And so today we're going to be reminding ourselves of that transforming power of God's Spirit so that we can be encouraged to strengthen and build and maintain our relationship with God and to remain faithful in obedience and service to God and to one another. We are family. We are family through the Spirit of God in us. And so for that purpose, we'll be focusing on Acts chapter 3 and 4, primarily today. As you can, Peter and John, and that includes the healing of this lame man that occurred shortly after that first Pentecost. We're going to look there because this account reminds us in many ways that God works powerfully with his church, the people that comprise his church, with those who bear his Spirit and those who trust and yield to serving God and others. And so I've entitled today's sermon, this morning's sermon, this day of Pentecost, it's entitled Pentecost B. Transformed. Pentecost colon. B. Transformed. We're going to begin then, as you might guess, in the book of Acts. Let's turn to Acts chapter 2, and yes, we will read what happened on that first Pentecost. It's important we read that today of all days. We'll begin in Acts chapter 2, verse 1 through 4. Here's a description of God's granting of the Holy Spirit to the disciples.

Acts 2, verse 1. When the day of Pentecost, the same day we're observing now, back then, had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place, their harmony and unity for one purpose. And then suddenly there came a sound from heaven as if a rushing wind, a mighty wind. Maybe it sounded like a tornado of sorts, or hurricane-force winds, frightening, drawing all attention, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting.

And then there appeared to them divided tongues as of fire, and one sat upon each of them, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance. Now, of course, as we read on, there's always people bystanders. What's going on?

The most dangerous part of passing an accident when you're on the road are all the rubberneckers, the people looking. You've got kids, tell them to look out the window, tell me what's happening, and you just keep your eye going straight. Well, yeah, we had people here at this time. What was that? What was that? What's going on? It's all the hubbub. So a crowd of people from many nations gathered to see what was happening, and they were amazed to hear the speech of these disciples, the whole disciples in this own native tongue. We're told verses 6 through 11. And then Peter filled at the Holy Spirit. He was not drunk with wine, as some mockers out there accused him of. There are always people out there trying to tear down and ruin a good thing.

Peter was filled with the Holy Spirit, not wine. And so he told them. And then he declared that they were witnessing. What you were witnessing, he said, was the beginning of what Joel prophesied.

Verse 17. What Joel prophesied that God will ultimately pour out his Spirit in all flesh. And so he said, Joel 2, 17, In it shall come to pass, and last day says God, that I will pour out my Spirit in all flesh. Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your young men shall see visions, your old men shall see dream dreams. And so it goes. And of course, what we understand is this was just the first significant pouring out of God's Holy Spirit at that moment.

There would be a far greater pouring out of God's Spirit on many more people during that second harvest time in the future. And so Peter preached a sermon to the crowd. We recall how many believed and were convicted of their sin against God and Christ. Reading now verse 37. Now when they heard this, they heard his sermon as powerfully inspired, sermon inspired by God, his Holy Spirit. When they heard this, they were cut to the heart. They were in pain, psychological, spiritual pain for what they heard, overwhelmed with guilt. That sense of accountability, that sin causes us all to feel at times and should cause us to feel. They were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, men and brethren, what shall we do? Begging for the answer, the direction. And then Peter said to them, repent and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit for the promises to you and to your children and to all who are far off as many as the Lord our God will call. Of course, we know John 6 44, God the Father calls. He begins the process of conversion. And with many other words he testified and exhorted them saying, be saved from this perverse generation, and the generations remain perverse. And then those who gladly received his word were baptized. In that day about 3,000 souls were added to them. And so again, this was just the start, the very beginning. This is a founding of God's church and eventually all people will hear about God's promise of salvation. This was just the start, the beginning. That's what Pentecost tells us. Continuing on, verse 42, 42-47. And this is such a beautiful scene that's described for us, the way of life that immediately happened with the influence of God's Spirit in these wonderful people, these brothers and sisters of ours, of those who share God's Spirit. We find to describe this harmony in those very early days of God's church, verse 42 now. And they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship. They love to eat and talk. I don't know where that comes from.

I think we do, don't we? We surely do. And doctrine and fellowship in the breaking of bread and in prayers, that powerful, powerful tool. And then fear, this word is phobos, that dread and terror came upon every soul. And many wonders and signs were done through the apostles. People were astounded. They were, obviously, they knew something different was going on. These are not normal people. These are not things, well, let's put it this way, these are not things normal, typical people do. Now all who believed were together and had all things in common and sold their possessions and goods and divided them among all, as anyone had need. You know, we understand some people probably traveled. They didn't expect to take a long sojourn in Jerusalem.

So some others had wealth. They sold some of their property. They shared it with others. They wanted to keep this... Where have you ever been to the feast and you're not quite, you ever feasted tabernacle and you're not quite ready to go home? They wanted to keep extending this. This is such a good thing. This is such a good thing we look forward to. I pray that we look forward to this on the Sabbath we keep and just think what we get to look forward to in Christ's returns in the kingdom and on into eternity. Verse 46, so continuing daily with one accord, one accord, and in the temple, breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with glattness and simplicity of heart, praising God and having favor with all people. They are obviously letting their lights shine and the Lord added to the church daily those who are being saved. There are many attributes of God's church being expressed here, the unity, that sense of family, that sense of purpose, love, all were there. Now what follows in Acts 3 is an example of a wonder they would have called it a sign God did through the apostles. Now this particular miracle became widely known. Most scholars believe this was one of the key miracles that God used to help, how might we say it today? I don't want to say advertise, but to make known God's church and the power and presence of His Spirit and of Jesus Christ. So this miracle became widely known and spoken of in the early church and in fact in the whole of Jerusalem and surrounding areas and outwards from there. So what we find now is this healing of a lame man. This is the first recorded miracle done through the apostles after they had received God's Holy Spirit. And as such, it provides us an opportunity to begin to notice some changes, to discern some changes especially in this case in the Peter and John we knew before the day of Pentecost and the pouring of the outpouring of God's Holy Spirit. In the Peter and John we come to learn of here in the book of Acts. This becomes a pivotal point where we can do a little compare and contrast. Or if you want to put it this way, a before and after. A before and after the presence of God's Spirit in their lives. And this difference will suggest an example of that internal influence, that powerful influence of God's Spirit, His essence in our lives. So let's now continue reading Acts 3, verse 1 through 4. Now Peter and John went up together to the temple at the hour of prayer the ninth hour. And a certain man lain from his mother's womb. He was lame from his mother's womb.

A generic defect we don't know. Something happened while he was being carried. We don't know, but he was born this way. A certain man lame from his mother's womb was carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple, which is called beautiful, to ask alms from those who entered the temple. Who, seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple, he asked for alms. That was his career. That was his job. That's how he provided for himself and possibly others. Verse 4, in fixing his eyes on him with John, Peter said, look at us. Look at us. Both of us. And so here we find this very, it would have been a very well-known setting, a very popular place. People knew who this man was. They knew where this was at. So Peter and John are on temple mount at 3 p.m. in the afternoon. This would be the time, some would call it the evening, of course, this had been the time of the traditional evening prayer. And when sacrifice and incense were being offered up by the priest, the man at the gate is lame, born that way, and unable to walk since birth.

And as we're going to see in Acts 4, verse 22, he was at that time over 40 years old. That's pretty old in ancient times. And as we'll see, he was well known to many. In fact, he had many friends. Friends carried him to that gate every day to beg, and every day they returned him to his home. Now, some commentaries note that Peter and John, at this point already, are showing or displaying, demonstrating might be a better word, they're demonstrating a unity of purpose and even of behavior that up until this time, some might say was rather unusual for them. They didn't always have this sense of unity of purpose, we might say. But verse 1, Peter and John went up together in the temple. In verse 4 says, they're fixing their eyes on him with John. Peter said, look at us. They're in this together. They're in harmony together and doing the work of God. And of course, when I'm talking about what was their relationship like before, I'm sure it was very strong, but it was known for having differences. The Gospel account reveals that Peter, James, and John, and others, but Peter, James, and John especially, made up the inner circle of Jesus' ministry while he taught them and walked with them. But as James and John, you would call, who had also asked Jesus for the chief places in his kingdom. And do you remember how the 10 other disciples reacted? How dare you? They'd be quietly saying, no, I want that. I want that spot.

So it's rather contentious at times. You can read about that in Mark chapter 10, verses 37-41. Mark 10, 37-41. So again, that question about who would be the greatest in the kingdom was a sore sore point of contention for Peter, James, and John, and others. And it was then that Jesus warned his disciples about several times. And again, even on that night of his last Passover, Luke 22, 24, 27. You can read about that there, too. Luke 22, 24 through 27. But here, Acts 3 reveals this unity of purpose in Peter and John that does suggest the influence of God's Spirit in them. You know, one of the fruits of God's Spirit is peace. Irenae, E-I-R-E-N-E. Irenae, which means harmony and accord. It is one of the fruits of the Spirit, listed in Galatians 5, 22 through 23. And so, though Peter and John may have been at odds, and Scripture says they were at times prior to receiving God's Holy Spirit, here they display, they demonstrate a noticeable new unity and purpose and harmony working together that is surely influenced by God's Holy Spirit in him. Let's continue on verse 5. And so Peter said, look at us. Verse 5, so the lame man gave them his attention, expecting to receive something from them. Oh yeah, you're going to get something.

Expecting to receive something from them. Verse 6, and then Peter said, and this might have disappointed him just for a little bit, Peter said, silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have, I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk.

And he took him by the right hand and lifted him up, the lame man, and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength. Think about that. Now, he wasn't standing there shakily. You ever watch how a new colt or new calf gets on its feet for the first time? They're kind of shaking and wobbly. That's not what this is describing. That's not what happened here.

He took him by the hand, immediately his feet and ankle bones received. Verse 8, so he, leaping up, he stood and walked. Some of us would like to be able to do that right now, I know. And leaping up, he stood and walked and entered the temple with him, with them. He joined them.

And he's walking and leaping and praising God all at the same time. And all the people saw him walking and praising God. Do you notice the emphasis on what's going on? The walking, the leaping, and skipping, and rejoicing.

And all the people saw him walking and praising God in verse 10. And then they knew that it was he who sat begging alms at the beautiful gate of the temple, and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him. So again, here we see Paul gave this rather simple command in Jesus' name, and immediately this man was instantaneously healed. It's the power of God's Holy Spirit. It's the power of God's Spirit working in and through these men. And consider the magnitude of what God did through Peter, and with the power of the Spirit. This man had never walked before.

So not only, and if anyone is a doctor or a physical therapist or even a veterinarian, I think you get the point. It takes more than just healing a bone and sinew and tendons and muscle to make someone walk whole and strong. There is also this miracle that has to happen instantaneously within the very brain centers, within the sense of equilibrium. All of that had to be done instantaneously that this man just got up and jumped around as if he'd always done it all his life. Think about that today, in Pentecost and what God can do and is doing. God continues to heal people.

And so this miracle is also within the man's brain. He knew instantaneously how to walk and leap and balance himself in so much. And you also know any of you that had any kind of knee surgery or hip replacement or injuries to your feet and ankles. You know that it normally takes how long to be able to do these sort of things. Why are almost all of you nodding your heads out there?

We get it, don't we? Such a common ailment and yet so debilitating and yet how quickly he was healed. Now there are some critics, I've read a few critics, scholars that think these verses describing this leaping and walking and praising God a little overdone.

You know, they're making too big of a deal with this. That's essentially what they're saying.

They think it's excessive descriptions. I think the critics need to be quiet and think about what was actually going on. This man had a good cause to do all of that. He had been freed from shackles and chains, as it were.

Perhaps he felt like some of us after God has called us and we've been baptized and we begin to get a sense of what is going on in our lives. And again, I wonder if you can imagine the impact of God's healing miracle also upon the faith of Peter and John.

Think how they must have responded.

In fact, we find out here in a little bit, don't we?

And so this miracle draws people's attentions. And then further inspired by God's Holy Spirit, Peter spoke in verse 11. He says something to these people.

You know, as a layman who was held on to Peter and John, probably hugging them and hugging them and embracing them, all the people ran together to them in the porch, which is called Solomon's, greatly amazed in the temple area. So when Peter saw it, he responded to the people. He said, men of Israel, why do you marvel at this?

Or why look so intently at us, Peter and John, as though by our own power or godliness we had made this man walk? You see, like a true godly person, a man who understood who God is and who he is, Peter, and of course John along with him, gave full credit to God and to Christ. And so he said, verse 13, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God of our fathers, our fathers, glorified his servant Jesus, whom you delivered up and denied in the presence of Pilate when he was determined to let him go. Pilate wanted to let him go. We recall that reading the Bible. But you denied the Holy One and the just, and asked for a murderer to be granted to you, and killed the prince of life, whom God raised from the dead, of which we are witnesses. They are preaching the gospel. This is part of the gospel message. Verse 16, And his name, through faith in his name, has made this man strong, whom you see and know. Yes, the faith which comes through him has given him this perfect soundness, perfect soundness, in the presence of you all. And so Peter makes clear, doesn't he, that Jesus Christ had healed the lame when he was on earth, and Jesus Christ was still healing them, still healing them through his disciples. Same power. And Peter then shifts to address their sin against God and Christ. And as we continue to read Peter's words, verses 17-26, we need to ask, how was it possible for Peter to speak with such clear, decisive, and reasonable manner, in such an effective way, to move this huge crowd of people? That's not the Peter we remember from the accounts in the Gospels. Verse 17, he says, Yet now, brethren, I know that you did not do it in ignorance, you did not knowingly kill the prince of life, you did not do it in ignorance, as did also your rulers.

But those things which God foretold by the mouth of all his prophets, that the Christ would suffer, he has thus fulfilled. Repent therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out. Is part of Christ still building his church in its beginning stages? Your sins may be blotted out, so at the times of refresh, you may come for the presence of the Lord, and that he may send Jesus Christ to his preach to you before, whom heaven must receive until the time of restoration of all things, which God has spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began.

For Moses truly said to the fathers, the Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from your brethren. Him you shall hear in all things whatever he says to you, and it shall be that every soul who will not hear that prophet shall be utterly destroyed from among the people.

And yes, in all the prophets from Samuel and those who follow, Peter says, as many of us spoke and have also foretold these days, you are the sons of the prophets and of the covenant which God made with our fathers, saying to Abraham, in your seed all the families of the earth shall be blessed.

To you first, God, having raised up his servant Jesus, sent him to bless you and turning away every one of you from your iniquities. It's a powerful sermon. The second one by what the book of Acts records. Remember in the Gospel is Peter who tried to talk Jesus into not being killed. That was that Peter. It does not sound like the same man here, does it? No. And so Peter was preaching this second powerful life-changing sermon. And in it, he revealed this proficient knowledge of Scripture, this great skill of speech of the tongue.

And he directly addressed their sins against God for murdering Jesus Christ.

And though he acknowledges their ignorance of what they did, he does not excuse their sin.

There's still sin they did that they needed to repent of. And so he gives, along with this terrible accusation and pointing out their sin, he also gives them solution. He gives them the answer of what they can do. And isn't that what we so much enjoy and praise God and thank God for for he lets us know our sins too, but he also gives us the solution. And so he exhorted them to repent, to seek God's forgiveness through Christ Jesus. But those who refuse to repent will perish.

It's a masterful sermon inspired of God.

And the other thing you might think about, what makes this so not a human-contrived sermon?

How much did Peter love Jesus Christ? How much did Peter suffer from Christ's enemies? How much did Peter see Christ suffer at the hands of the enemies, right? What would have been the normal thing a human being might say when he was able to face his enemies and say, I told you so. Peter never says that, by the way. Wouldn't the normal human reaction have been to condemn, to be filled with hatred, say cruel things about them? But none of that happened.

We see Peter venting no personal bitterness, no hatred against them for what they did to Jesus, whom he loved and knew so well. How is Peter able to express love and mercy and point them to God?

Because of God's Holy Spirit in him. Yet the power of the Spirit, God's Spirit, God's essence in him.

And it takes us back to something Jesus also taught them. Luke chapter 12. Hold your place. We're going to come back. Luke 12 verse 11 through 12. Luke 11 through 12.

Jesus had taught his disciples not to worry about what they would say.

Sometimes we might have that worry.

But Jesus had taught them, of course we're disciples, he teaches us. Don't worry. Luke 12 verse 11. Now when they bring you, because this is what's going to happen next, Jesus told Peter and all his disciples, now when they bring you to the synagogues and magistrates and authorities, do not worry about how or what you should answer or what you should say. For the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say.

And that's exactly what is being demonstrated here in this second sermon that Peter preached.

And as we continue now on in Acts 4, we learn that the sermon lasted long enough for the authorities to hear about it and for the authorities to quickly decide what do we need to do, and then to try to do something. And so we learn that Peter then Acts 4, as we begin verse 1, he must have spoken at length for some time. He was not cowardly in just speaking and quickly disappearing. No, not now. Because now we see it's evening time when the Jewish authorities finally arrived to deal with him. Verse 1, now as they, and this would be Peter and John, now as they spoke to the people, the priests, the captain of the temple, and the Sadducees came upon them, being greatly disturbed that they taught the people and preached in Jesus the resurrection from the dead. That's the gospel. And they laid hands on them and put them in custody until the next day, for it was already evening. However, many of those who heard the word believed, and the number of men came to be about 5,000. And so they arrested Peter and John because they apparently, the authorities feared that they're causing trouble. They're always fearful of a riot. They're always fearful of the people. Seems like King Saul had a thing of fear about the people, too. It's a common thing with ungodly leaders. Yet before reading on, we should also note how Peter's preaching of God's word, coupled with the power of God's Holy Spirit, led nearly 5,000 people to believe in God's gospel, Christ's gospel. Now again, we need to recall that these men didn't come, these 5,000 and others just did not come to believe it on their own.

John 644, as I mentioned before, John 644 says, no man can come to me unless the Father who sent me, Jesus said, draws him, and I will raise him up to the last day. These people in the crowd, all these numbers of people seeking baptism and laying on of hands, they were called of God the Father. Let's also look at Romans 10. Hold here. I just want to...this little segue. You can turn with me if you want. Romans 10 verse 14 tells us...I'm getting used to this Bible. Romans 10 14 tells us...as Romans 10 14 tells us, hearing the word of God, whether it's spoken or read, it is necessary for the people to know and to call upon God. So yes, God has to start the process, but the people must hear the word of truth preached. They must hear it taught. And so, Paul says, how then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? How so they believe in him of whom they have not heard? And how so they hear without a preacher? Through the power of God's Holy Spirit, God gave Peter and John, and he even gives you and me in the capacities we have to be witnesses, to preach God's Word, his truth, to be heard.

And through us, through his Word and others, God is calling other people as well.

And so Peter, at this point, had just the right words to preach that day. And he did the next day, too. Let's continue on Acts 4, verse 5.

And it came to pass on the next day that the rulers, elders, and scribes, as well as Annas the high priest, Caiaphas, John, Alexander, and as many as were of the family of the high priest, were gathered together Jerusalem. Aren't these names familiar to you?

Yeah, these are the same ones that had confronted Christ. The same people that condemned him. Peter and John knew who they were. They knew they had reason to fear them, but they did not fear them. They were not filled with the Spirit of fear. They were filled with the Holy Spirit, that Spirit of courage and boldness and power.

Verse 7, when they had set them down in the midst, they asked Peter, John, by what power?

Oh, if they only would listen. By what power or by what name have you done this?

And then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, he said to them, rulers of the people and elders of Israel, if we this day are judged for a good deed done to a helpless man, by what means he has been made well, we'll let it be known to you all 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 stands here before you whole. This is the stone which was rejected by you builders, which has become the chief cornerstone, and nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved. It's the authority, the name, the authority of Jesus Christ. Now again, how does Peter speak with such boldness? It's very clear now, it says it's because God's Spirit was in him. God's Spirit was in him.

And of course, this is quite contrasted, in contrast with what Peter had done before.

Matthew 26, we might recall, Peter had once before spoken boldly when he had said he would never deny the Christ, but then after Christ was arrested, what happened to Peter's boldness? Right. Matthew 26, 69, let's actually say he began to deny. Verse 69, now Peter sat outside in the courtyard, and a servant girl came to him saying, you are also with Jesus of Galilee, but he denied it before them all. I don't know him.

I don't know anything you're saying. He denied with an oath, I do not know the man. Verse 73, a little later, those who stood by came up, said to Peter, yeah, you're one of them. Your speech, you Galilean, betrays you.

Still, Matthew 26, verse 74, and then he began to curse and swear, saying, I do not know the man.

Immediately, a rooster crowed, and Peter remembered the word of Jesus, who had said to him, before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times, and he went out and went a bit early.

Clearly, Peter has come a long way. He's come a long way in a little over 50 days, much more confident and bolder after he had received God's Spirit. In Luke 21, verse 12-15, it reveals that Jesus foresaw this type of situation that Peter and John now faced. And again, they would receive the help of God's Holy Spirit.

And again, I'm drawing attention to these things because we face terrible times. We're going to face situations we really don't want to be in, where we're being confronted for our faith, where we're being confronted, possibly attacked, for standing firmly in the pillar and rock of truth, which the Church of God must be doing. Luke 21, verse 12, here's what Jesus foresaw, this sort of situation. But before all these things, they will lay their hands on you. We've read something similar before.

They'll persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues and prisons. You'll be brought before kings for my namesake, but it will turn out for you as an occasion for testimony. God purposely allowed Peter and John, as he would over and over again, other disciples, even to this day.

He allows us to be put in terrible situations we might not want to be in, but perhaps that's exactly where God wants to be if he allows it. It's our opportunity with God's Spirit, his help to speak truth. That's what Peter was doing. Verse 14, therefore, settle in your hearts not to meditate beforehand on what you will answer, for I will give you a mouth and wisdom. You need both, which all your adversaries will not be able to contradict or resist. That should be very encouraging. See, we have the same Holy Spirit in us, but we're not going to know the words to say if we're not studying God's Word, too.

We've got to be doing both. So Peter and John has stand to the Jewish leaders, and so should we one day. Now back to Acts 14, 13. Acts 14, 13. How are these leaders, many of the same people that condemned Christ, how are they going to respond this time? Verse 13, now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John and perceived that they were uneducated, an untrained man, they're not scarletly trained, they marveled, and they realized that they had been with Jesus.

And then seeing the man who had been healed standing with them, yeah, how do you ignore that? They could say nothing against them. But when they had commanded them to go aside out of the Council, they confirmed among themselves, saying, What shall we do to these men? For indeed that a notable miracle, they recognized it, a notable miracle has been done through them is evident to all who dwell in Jerusalem.

And we cannot deny it. You don't need a doctor of theology to recognize what was going on here. But so that it spreads no further among the people that has severely threatened them, that from now on they speak to no man in his name. They wanted to squash the truth. They wanted to put a muzzle on it. They wanted to silence it. It has always been so. It continues to be so today. They could not understand or would not understand what Jesus was still doing. Even now through the disciples, they, however, would never squelch the power of God's Holy Spirit.

That should be a great comfort to us all. So then, verse 18, so they called them, called them back in and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John answered and said to them, so powerful here, whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you more than to God, you judge.

For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard. They refused to be silenced by men. Brethren, we have to refuse to be silenced by men. Now there's a right way in time of handling these things. God's Spirit will help us know that. But we have to be prepared. In verse 21, so when they had further threatened them, they let them go, finding no way of punishing them because of the people, since they all glorified God, for what had been done.

The people were right. For the man was over 40 years old, on whom this miracle of healing had been performed. So Peter and John's bold and faithful, preaching their behavior, their refusal to kowtow to the powerful human authorities, but to follow Christ and God instead, inspired them to keep on their mission.

It should inspire us today, as we remember Pentecost, to remember our responsibility as members of God's church, our responsibility as firstfruits who have in us God's Holy Spirit.

We must always listen to and obey God first and foremost. Now let's read the remainder of the account of this momentous occasion. Verse 23. How did they respond? Were they running around doing high-fives?

Probably not. No drop-the-mic moment. Nothing like that.

They got back together, so we're going to read in a very beautiful and meaningful way. Verse 23. 31. And being let go, they went to their own companions.

They went back to the church. They went back to their brothers and sisters in Christ, and reported all that the chief priests and elders had said to them. So when they heard that, they raised their voice to God, and with one accord, and said, and I'll notice their humility and fervency of this prayer, they said this prayer, Lord, you are God. You made heaven and earth and the sea and all that is in them.

Who by the mouth of your servant David have said, why did the nations rage and the people plot vain things? The kings of the earth took their stand, and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord and against His Christ. They had just lived one of those moments, and they'll live more of them.

Many ways we're living those moments ourselves and maybe more directly in time to come.

If not ourselves, maybe our children or grandchildren.

We need to be preparing ourselves in them.

Verse 27, continuing the prayer, Now, Lord, look on their threats and grant to your servants that with all boldness we may speak your word. We need that prayer in our lives. And by stretching out your hand to heal and that signs and wonders may be done through the name of your holy servant Jesus.

And now notice this powerful conclusion. Verse 31, And when they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken. The whole building shook, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness.

And so we've taken time to read this account of what happened when Peter and John, through the inspiration, power of Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit in them through Jesus Christ, healed this man. In one inspiring testimony, this is to the transformative power of God's Holy Spirit. God's Spirit works within human beings as long as they allow God to work with them and in them and through them. And that's what these men were willing to do and others like them.

And I know that's what we are doing.

We have been doing, but we need to keep doing. And we may find ourselves needing to be doing them even more fervently in ways we never thought of, in ways that God has thought of, but he hasn't been revealed to us perhaps yet. And so these were men, and we know they were women as well, the body of Christ, the church, who believed God, they had repented of sin, they had been baptized, and they had received the gift of God's Holy Spirit.

We received God's Holy Spirit through the laying on of hands.

And so today, we have seen how God's Spirit wondrously changed the lives of Peter and John and had a huge impact on so many others, inspiring others to yield to God's call.

And so think of it, brethren. Think of it. God our Father has made available this very same essence and powers to us and others called to be firstfruits in this age.

What we're reading is what is in us. And maybe God is not allowing us to do certain miracles. It's a different time in age. This was the time when the church was just beginning.

These miracles are very part of what that was about then.

But every day, there are miracles that happen we probably don't even know.

This healing in the announcement bulletin about Danny Kirby, he's got little bird-boned legs. They're very fragile. And the doctor told his sister Mary, a member of the Ruston Church, that it takes six months for his leg to heal. It's very painful. And they took the x-ray on Friday, and the doctor was shocked. And the nurses were shocked, Mary said, because the leg was healed.

And when they took the bandage off, Danny said, put my bandage back on. Put my bandage on. And they had to tell him, Danny, you don't need the bandage anymore.

Now, I believe that was a miracle of God.

I really do.

And that poor man, Danny, her brother, was very grateful. And as part of the prayer request, they were thanking everyone for their prayers, and especially thankful to God.

You know, one day after Christ has established his kingdom on earth, God will offer the same Holy Spirit, this power to transform, this power to stop conforming to the world in our own carnality. He's going to offer that to all humanity.

And we, in every human being, have every reason to praise and revere God.

And what better day to do it than today, on the day of Pentecost, when we look back and remember these things. And to think, looking forward then, as well as Pentecost points, that one day all people will know what you and I know, and probably more, because there's always more to learn about God.

And so I encourage us, brethren, to think about these things today, and always, let's hold true and faithful to our God and Father, to our God and Father, and to Jesus Christ, his Son, our Savior.

And let's allow God to work with us through his Holy Spirit and the instruction of his Word.

Let's allow our hearts and minds and our lives to be transformed, now, and then fully, and gloriously so, at the return of Jesus Christ. It's a wonderful time.

Let us not be fearful. Let us be bold, like those earliest of disciples. Let's be bold in God's Spirit and with faith in Jesus Christ, and always, let us thank God for his precious gift.

This Holy Spirit.

You all have a wonderful, wonderful Pentecost.