Petros

July 9, 2023

Preacher: Andrew Love

Series: Simon Peter

Passage: Acts 4:1-13

Service Type: Sunday Morning

Introduction

Do you have high hopes as a Christian?
- Have you given up?
- Where are you this morning
Simon Peter had many ups & downs
- He may have said he was a poor disciple
- He often put his foot in things - in front of Jesus and the other disciples
- He was impulsive
- He denied the Lord
Yet the Lord Jesus restored him
- Jesus restores His children
In the Book of Acts - we see a transformed person
- Gone from fearful to bold
- He has gone before powerful people - like Caiaphas
- He states there is no other name (except Jesus Christ) that can save
- No longer doubting and sinking - believing and trusting
- No longer full of questions - he has a clear understanding of truth
- No longer a proud but a humble man
- No longer impulsive but governed by the Holy Spirit
- Not without failing - we will see this next week
- Now mature
Now living up to his name - Peter / petros / rock
- He had gone through the school of suffering
- He had been imbued with the Holy Spirit
Overview:
- His Boldness
- His Beliefs
- His Blessings

Can be explained through Pentecost
- It would be wrong to say he had no boldness before
- It would be wrong to say he had no understanding before
Luke 24:44-45 – Jesus had already opened their understanding
- There was tremendous joy amongst the disciples (Luke 24:52-53)
- They understood the word of God
- Yes, they were waiting for the fullness of the Holy Spirit
At Pentecost
- The disciples were all filled with the Holy Spirit
  - They began to speak in foreign languages - of the people who were present
  - They were declaring the wonderful works of God
- Then mockery - people said they were drunk
  - Peter tells the people they are not drunk - Acts 2:15
  - Instead this is what Joel prophesied (Acts 2:16-21, Joel 2:28-32)
- He charges the people with the murder of Jesus (Acts 4:10)
  - He did not use the 'third person'
  - He preaches Jesus
- He continues to preach everyday in the temple
  - At the miracle of healing the lame man - Acts 3:12-15
  - Very pointed preaching
  - He is longing that they would be saved
Chapter 4
- He comes before the authorities / religious court
- Look at his boldness - v8-10,12
- They are amazed by his boldness - seeing he is an untrained and uneducated man (v13)
  - They realise he had been with Jesus
  - His boldness had come from Jesus
  - We need to pray that we would spend more time with Jesus and be bolder
  - What do international people say about us when they visit - example

Look at the content of his sermons in Acts
- Out of 56 verses, 33 verses speak of Jesus Christ
He starts preaching with their 'hook' but then quickly gets to Jesus Christ
- He compares to David
  * He from Ps 110 that Jesus is greater than David
- He preaches the cross and resurrection of Jesus
  - He speaks about his Old Testament prophecy and his own experience
  - We must preach a Jesus rooted in history (not just theoretical)
- He preached about the judgment of God
  - Have you faced up to this Jesus?
  - Have you seen how sinful you are?
  - Have you realised your sins took Him to the cross?
  - Have you confessed and repented of your sins?
- He preached about the Holy Spirit
  - He preached that Jesus wanted salvation for the Jews - Acts 23:26
  - He asks for a response - Acts 23:19
- He preaches the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ
Preaching today
- Do we need to address the issues of the day?
  - Sometimes
- There is nothing more relevant that the salvation of your soul, than of heaven and hell
  - We need to preach Jesus Christ
  - We are not to fix the worldly problems - government, poverty, etc
- Peter preached the Bible

He lived in the Spirit
- He saw the lame man and performed a miracle
- We do not have the power of miracles
  - Do we seek to stop and help with the gospel of Jesus Christ?
He lived in Faith
- Acts 5:27-29 – He trusted in faith no matter what
- Example of overseas preachers
- Acts 5:31-32 – They spoke of Jesus exalted
- Acts 5:41-42 – The preached daily about Jesus

Peter was blessed by God in many ways
- Many converts
  - 3'000 people saved in one day
  - 5'000 people men (excepting women and children) that were saved on another occasion
- A praying Church - many people prayed for Peter on many occasions
- The main leader of the church in Jerusalem (along with James)
  - His character was moulded for this
- To first take the gospel wholesale to the Gentiles (Acts 10)
- To perform miracles (Acts 9)
He does not mention these in his letters
- These were not the real blessings
- The real blessing was that he knew Jesus Christ as his Lord and Saviour
  - 1 Peter 1:3-5 – A living hope
  - 1 Peter 2:7 – He is precious
  - 2 Peter 1:1 – A previous faith
What matters more to you - the blessings Jesus gives you or Jesus Himself
- May it be loving and serving Him
Peter had become the man that God had intended him to be
- May we spend time with Jesus, be filled with the Holy Spirit and become rocks, be pillars of the church of Jesus Christ