Last week, we: examined the first sermon of the church of Jesus Christ – the message of Peter to the gathered crowd at Pentecost. learned that under the power of the Holy Spirit, Peter spoke to a large collection of Jews, assembled in Jerusalem for a religious festival. learned that there is purpose in the early “Jewishness” of the Christian church, understanding that even here there are inklings to a bigger and more expansive application of the Good News of Jesus Christ.

Acts 2:36-47 “Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah.” When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to 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. The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.”

“With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, “Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.” Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day. They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. ”

“All the believers were together and had everything in common “All the believers were together and had everything in common. They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.”

Peter speaks not of his own intellect, power or influence, but through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. Any powerful gospel message is the result of the Spirit’s active presence in the speaker’s life. “… our gospel came to you not simply with words but also power, with the Holy Spirit and deep conviction.” (1 Thessalonians 1:5) Peter’s message is accompanied by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Just as the Spirit is active in the delivery of the message, the Spirit is just as active in the reception of the message. Though primed for the message by their familiarity with Judaism, the leap between what Judaism would hold central and what Peter is now presenting is quite a great one. There is a wonderful interplay of the Spirit working through Peter and within the audience presented to us in this text.

The gospel generates individual transformation. Those within earshot of Peter are “cut to the heart” by his message. Peter’s message leads the gathered crowd to experience a deep internal unsettling and sorrow. Why? The simple, yet profound phrase “Jesus, whom you crucified” is the tipping point for this reaction. How could they possibly be held responsible for Christ’s crucifixion?

On a grand scale, it is sin – all sin, any sin – that resulted in Christ’s crucifixion. It is our sin – theirs, yours and mine – that affixed Christ to the cross. The active presence of the Holy Spirit working through Peter and in the hearts of the crowd paves the way for the acceptance of such responsibility. The Spirit of God used Peter's words to evoke a state of mind in the listeners in which they were ready to respond to the Gospel in faith.

Understanding their role in Christ’s death – their undeniable guilt - motivates them to explore what ought to be done in light of this reality. “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”. Repentance, a spiritual about-face, is a central aspect of following Jesus originating in the work of the Holy Spirit in one’s life. A complete reorientation of one’s life – a full change in identity – into the name of Jesus is called for.

In repenting and submitting to baptism, a whole new reality is possible – one is now ushered into the community of the Holy Spirit. The roster of Christ-followers explodes from 132 to 3132 in the span of an afternoon and though some certainly returned to their homes throughout the Roman Empire, many chose to stay in Jerusalem.

The gospel generates unique community. They: gathered daily in the Temple courts to praise God. spent significant time in prayer and learning from the apostles, and bore witness to incredible signs and wonders performed by the Twelve. not only ate in each other’s homes, but they “broke bread”, an allusion to the Lord’s Supper, enjoying deep and meaningful fellowship with one another. exercised immense generosity, pooling their resources, selling off property in order to ensure that none among them went without basic necessities. were together – that is unified in belief and action; they shared life – and they held everything in common – that is they shared their possessions.

Jerusalem was fast becoming a “holy hub” of Christianity, yet there was something inherent within the message of Peter that forced the sights of the early church further abroad. The gospel also generates mission. Couched very beautifully in Peter’s message is this seeming off-hand comment: “the promise [of salvation] is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call”. The witness of the early church – her mission – extends forward in time, to the Jerusalem of tomorrow, for “you and your children”.

Not only must the gospel be shared to the next generation, but it is also important to share with “all who are far off”. The phrase “all who are far off” could refer to:” those distant in time. Jews who have been spread out following the Babylonian exile. those who are culturally and religiously far off, with the understanding that the promise of salvation is equally for the Gentile as it is for the Jew.

Have you heard the good news of Jesus Christ? Are you aware that salvation and new life are attainable, not by our own striving, but by simply accepting the offer of Jesus Christ with a repentant and open heart? If this is old hat to you, praise God that you have experienced the salvation He offers. If this is new to you, my encouragement is that you would seriously consider accepting the offer of Jesus that sits before you today.

Has the gospel of Jesus Christ caused an inner transformation in me? Has the gospel of Jesus Christ driven me into unique community with other people transformed by the power of Jesus? Has the gospel informed your/our mission? Do we recognize our call as an assembly of individuals transformed by the power of God to collectively bear witness to Jesus Christ in the places we live, work and play?