The First Church Crusade

           

Campbell Morgan wrote “that there was a time in my evangelistic work when I was always afraid if a man of position and culture came into the inquiry room. But the Lord gave me one of the wonderful illustrations of the absurdity of my fear. I was conducting special services in a town when there came into the room an old rag-picker. God had shown him his sins; I felt at home when I knelt by that man and spoke to him of the blood that cleanses from all sin.

At that same moment someone touched me on the shoulder and said, ‘will you speak to this man.’ I turned and there kneeling next to me was the mayor of the city. Six weeks before, the mayor had sentenced this rag-picker to a month’s hard labor. He had been out for two weeks and here they were kneeling side by side. I found that when God calls to save and when he calls to serve, he is no respecter of persons.

Nobody ever faced a more formidable task in preaching his first sermon than the Apostle Peter did on the day of Pentecost. One of the greatest fears that people have is the fear of speaking in public. The fear is even greater if a person knows that he would be speaking to a hostile audience; some people in Peter’s audience had 50 days earlier cried out to Pilate to "Crucify, Crucify!" (Luke 23:21-23).

Some of them must have heard about the way Peter had denied his master. Add to that the fact that the audience was at least three thousand people and he had no public address system. And, he had no time to prepare his sermon. In spite of all this, Peter preached one of the greatest sermons in all of Church history. The results, “about three thousand were added to their number that day” (Acts 2:41).

Good sermons need good introduction to reel in the hearers, but in the case of Peter's sermon, God had provided a supernatural introduction. The phenomena that transpired just before his sermon, made the crowd pose a question “what does this mean?”  This sets the stage for Peter's explanation and in the next few verses we have a wonderful message delivered by the apostle.

Twice Peter appealed to his audience to listen carefully to his words (2:14, 22). No matter how dynamic or dull the speaker may be, the audience has a responsibility to listen carefully. Even the Lord Jesus, exhorted his audiences to take heed how they listened. He said “therefore take heed how you hear. For whoever has, to him more will be given” (Luke 8:18, Mark 4:24-25).

Jesus warned his listeners to actively listen and to prepare their hearts and minds. It is dangerous to hear God’s word in a too-passive way; without engaging the word with the mind, the heart and the will. When you hear the word of God and receive it with gladness, you will be given more desire to hear, more understanding of what you hear and more possession of the blessings you hear about.

The source of the Peter’s message was the word of God. Peter selected texts from different portions of the Bible. He knew the words of prophets, “is not my word like a fire?” says the Lord, “And like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces?” (Jer. 23:29). He knew that God’s word would not return unto Him void, but that it shall accomplish that which He pleases (Isa. 55:11).

Jesus said “the kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground and sleep by night and rise by day. The seed sprout and grow, he himself does not know how. For the earth yields crops by itself: first the blade, then the head, after that the full grain in the head. But when the grain ripens, immediately he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come” (mark 4:26-29).

How exactly the seed grows is a mystery to the farmer. Just like a seed, the word of God has a hidden and mysterious power; It is alive and works its life into those who hears it. Just as a field’s crop may be unnoticed when first planted, but can’t be missed when mature, so it is with the Kingdom of God. It has small beginnings but when God develops the work it cannot be missed.

Jesus takes something as small and insignificant and makes it rise up to something glorious. Therefore, we should never despise the day of small things (Zech. 4:10). A farmer is a partner with God, he does what he can do- plant the seed; and God does what only he can do-grow the seed (1 Cor. 3:6). So it is with the Kingdom of God: we work in partnership with God, yet the real work is left up to Him.

Peter chose his texts from prophecy; he quoted Joel 2: 28-32, Psalm 16:8-11 and Psalm 110:1. He saw in prophecy a remarkable description of the wonderful occurrences that preceded and those that took place on the day of Pentecost. Prophet Joel had spoken of the Pentecostal out-pouring of the Holy Spirit more than 800 years before it happened.

Only by the Spirit of God, who knew all things from the beginning, could he have been predicted this day so accurately. He not only foretold that the Holy Spirit will be poured out, but that all classes of people shall be influenced. The Holy Spirit would not confine his special presence and power to priests and prophets, but he would fill all people: young men, old men, servants and handmaidens with His power.

Peter also regarded prophecy as his greatest source of proof that Jesus was the Son of God.  He quoted Psalm 16 because it foretold the resurrection and Psalm 110 because it foretold the ascension of Jesus. The disciples had witnessed these events. The events proved God true. Peter could therefore testify with the utmost confidence that Jesus Christ was the Saviour.

Peter lifted his voice and delivered the message. He had an audience of over three thousands listening. This may seem to be a natural thing for a man who wanted to address several thousand people. It was that, but it was more. He was earnest and wanted his message to be heard with convincing effect. He wanted to speak with all the enthusiasm at his command.

He believed that the Holy Spirit, who was manifestly present, would make the message effective, but he desired to be as perfect an instrument in His hand as it was possible for him to be. Dependence upon the Holy Spirit is no excuse for a weak, indifferent manner of delivery. The preacher work is that of combat, in which he wrestles with souls and compels them to obedience.

Peter first responded to the mocking which preceded his sermon. He respectfully explained to them that it is not what they think. He said “these people are not drunk, as you suppose. It’s only nine in the morning!” Even those who are drunkards were not inebriated that early in the morning. That was especially true on a festival day such as Pentecost.

Peter would later write “do not fear their threats; do not be frightened ...always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect” (1 Pet. 3:14-15). Paul said " hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it has been taught, so that he can encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it" ( Titus 1:9).

Having responded to the false accusation, Peter proceeded to explain what had perplexed them. He related the things they saw to ancient predictions. He explained that this was not as strange as they thought; it is what was spoken by their own prophet Joel. What he predicted had now started to come true. God had begun to pour out his Spirit on all people, just as he said he would.

When Peter quoted Joel, he changed one part of the quotation. Where Joel said, “afterwards”( Joel 2:28), Peter says, “in the last days”(Acts 2:17). The “Last Days” began at the close of Christ's ministry on earth and will end with his Second Coming to the earth. Pentecost inaugurated the last days and marked the start of the final chapter of human history.

Peter told them that what Joel had predicted over 800 years earlier had come to fulfilment. What started on the day of Pentecost has been going on for 2000 years and will not be complete until Jesus returns to the earth. In Joel 2 and Acts 2 we see God’s great purpose to empower all believers with the Holy Spirit (Rom. 8:9) so that they can take the gospel to the ends of the earth (Acts 1:8).

Numbers 11 records a remarkable story from the days when the Israelites wandered in the wilderness. Because they continually complained to Moses, he told the Lord he could not lead them anymore. God told Moses to call seventy elders to come to the Tent of Meeting where he (God) would take the Spirit that was upon Moses and put that same Spirit upon them. Then they could help Moses lead the people.

When the Spirit came upon those laymen, they began to prophesy. They publicly praised the name of the Lord. All seventy men began to praise the Lord together. Two of the elders (Eldad and Medad) remained in the camp and did not go to the Tent of Meeting. But the Spirit came upon them and they began prophesying in the camp.

A young man ran to tell Moses what was happening. Joshua urged Moses to stop them!” (v. 28). If Moses did not take a firm hand, ordinary people would start prophesying. Instead of telling the two men to stop, Moses said to Joshua, “are you jealous for my sake? I wish that all the LORD’s people were prophets and that the LORD would put his Spirit on them!” (v. 29)

What Moses wished for, what Joel predicted, what Peter explained, is now available to every believer. Joel 2 contains a promise from God “I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh. Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days” (Joel 2:28-29). The Holy Spirit does not discriminate. God is no respecter of persons.

God pours out his Spirit on his people and they are never the same again. This is how he ignites kingdom life in them. The Holy Spirit is given to the Church to empower it to preach the gospel. The apostles were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly.  As the believers are filled with the Spirit, they begin to share Christ openly.