“Amazed and perplexed, they asked one another, ‘What does this mean?’

“Some, however, made fun of them and said, ‘They have had too much wine.’

“Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice and addressed the crowd: ‘Fellow Jews and all of you who live in Jerusalem, let me explain this to you; listen carefully to what I say. These people are not drunk, as you suppose. It’s only nine in the morning! No, this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel: “In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams. Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy. I will show wonders in the heavens above and signs on the earth below, blood and fire and billows of smoke. The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord. And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”’” -Acts 2:12-21

God’s Ongoing Work Through His People

One of our Arise teams just returned from a country in South America last week and saw the Spirit moving like they had not seen before. In just three days, their team of 11 saw nearly 1,200 people say, “Yes,” to Jesus! Miracles ensued—blind eyes were open, a paralyzed arm received movement, and a woman testified to God healing her brain cancer. You have heard me say, “We are standing knee-deep in revival. What we have prayed for, for generations, has come!” This is why it is so important that we saturate our hearts in the book of Acts—it’s our blueprint, our calling, and the true identity of the ekklesia. Thank you for taking this journey with me this year through Acts!

Peter’s Journey of Transformation

I want us to focus our gaze on Peter because this chapter is such a testimony of transformation. Just weeks prior, Peter was fearful and timid. When given an opportunity to stand with Jesus, he bolted—the pressure became too much. Upon Jesus’ arrest, he gave a verbal denial to ever knowing Jesus (Luke 22:54-62). But in Peter’s failure, Jesus went out of His way to restore, reinstate, and re-commission Peter. He left the encounter on the beach with Jesus a healed man, who would become a herald for Jesus.

“One of the main points we can learn from Pentecost, then, is that God’s Spirit fuels God’s mission by empowering weak people. The Spirit creates the church and, in turn, the church proclaims the gospel to the world by the power of that same Spirit. The Spirit then adds more people to the church through the preached word (Acts 2:41).” -R. Albert Mohler, “Acts 1-12 For You”

The Spirit’s Work at Pentecost

At “nine in the morning”  on the day of Pentecost, before the morning time of prayer, Holy Spirit moved in power and wonder. People encountered the Living God, hearing His words to them in their own languages, while the Spirit filled the 120 with the promise of Himself and transformed Peter into God’s courageous man. This day, Peter took on the persona of his new name, the Rock, and showed us what the power of the Spirit can do with a surrendered vessel and a healed heart. Grace and mercy change us, as is evidenced by Peter.

A Moment for Gospel Proclamation

Some onlookers asked, “‘What does this mean (Acts 2:12)?’” I picture the same pondering Mary had when she beheld Jesus as she pondered things in her heart. Others were skeptical and critical. Peter seized the moment to defend the gospel and explain to the onlookers what was taking place. It was a moment God created for Peter, to bring redemption to his own heart and sonship. He was going to testify with conviction and see God’s power manifested in a whole new way through Peter. That’s what the Spirit does—He transforms us into bold, courageous lions for the sake of the gospel. And just like he saw Jesus do, Peter stood up and began to speak to the crowd. And just like he heard Jesus speak, he took the crowd back to the Word of God—to a prophecy spoken by Joel. The Scripture was being fulfilled and ignited before their very eyes. Peter began to preach what is considered the most important missionary sermon in Scripture. Today we will look at the first of three parts of this first apostolic sermon.

Understanding Joel’s Prophecy

Some onlookers asked, “‘What does this mean (Acts 2:12)?’” I picture the same pondering Mary had when she beheld Jesus as she pondered things in her heart. Others were skeptical and critical. Peter seized the moment to defend the gospel and explain to the onlookers what was taking place. It was a moment God created for Peter, to bring redemption to his own heart and sonship. He was going to testify with conviction and see God’s power manifested in a whole new way through Peter. That’s what the Spirit does—He transforms us into bold, courageous lions for the sake of the gospel. And just like he saw Jesus do, Peter stood up and began to speak to the crowd. And just like he heard Jesus speak, he took the crowd back to the Word of God—to a prophecy spoken by Joel. The Scripture was being fulfilled and ignited before their very eyes. Peter began to preach what is considered the most important missionary sermon in Scripture. Today we will look at the first of three parts of this first apostolic sermon.

“‘In the last days’ (v.17), a change that clearly connects the event of Pentecost with the eschatological promise of Jesus’ return. As in 1:6-11, where the promises of the Spirit, the witness, and the return of Jesus are interconnected, here also the Spirit’s presence is connected with the eschaton.” -Beverly Roberts Gaventa, “Acts”

Peter had the return of Jesus ever before him and, in light of that, the urgency of judgment for those who are not in Christ. This would compel them to go to both Jew and Gentile with the gospel. The “last days,” until Jesus returned, would encompass all of what this passage of Joel prophesied. It would not be one day but all the days for a Church who is willing to carry the fire of the Spirit.

A Call to Action

So we cry, “More, Lord! Let Your Church be open vessels so You can flow through us with power and wonder!”

If you are finding yourself in a place of woundedness, fear, and regret and need the healing power of Jesus, let Peter’s example show you what God is capable of! He saved a moment for Peter to arise boldly for Jesus, to lead in the same way that had been modeled to him. Don’t waste any more time on regret and fear; ask Jesus to come and set you free! That’s what He died for! It’s time to move forward in grace and mercy just like Peter did.

If you are finding yourself in a place where you just need Jesus to fall like rain on parched ground and manifest His life through you, pray this passage of Acts 2:12-21 over your life. May God bring forth all of those things in and through you for His name’s sake.

“The Holy Spirit is sent to empower the church to bear witness to Christ, to apply the work of Christ on the cross in terms of its redemptive significance to all who believe. The Father sends, the Son accomplishes, and the Spirit applies the work of Christ. On the day of Pentecost, the Spirit was poured out without measure, and the focus was on Christ.” -R. C. Sproul, Acts

May you and I live these last days in the fullness of the Spirit for the sake of the gospel, with our focus on Jesus until He returns!

And together we close this day with this prayer of worshipful desperation:

“The Spirit and the bride say, ‘Come!’ And let the one who hears say, ‘Come!’ Let the one who is thirsty come; and let the one who wishes take the free gift of the water of life. …

“He who testifies to these things says, ‘Yes, I am coming soon.’

“Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.

“The grace of the Lord Jesus be with God’s people. Amen.” -Revelation 22:17, 20-21

A Few Key Notes

• We are looking for women who will join us in Dallas to go and share the love of Christ and the gospel message with people who are longing for hope. At Dallas Harvest Day, we will teach you how to share the gospel and then go and evangelize together. Meet at La Victoria, 1605 N. Haskell Ave., Dallas, TX 75204, at 9 a.m. this Saturday, March 2. Tell us you’re coming by emailing [email protected].
• Join us for Training the Bride to War! This study will equip the Bride of Christ for this hour and train her hands to war. Sign up for this six-week study beginning April 2. Register here.
• We are hosting an Arise Missions Conference for women pastors, mission leaders, and women who want to begin a mission movement in their churches to mobilize and equip women to find their calling and role in the Great Commission. Join us on April 9 as we seek to build your faith and answer the why and how of missions. Register now to get the early bird ticket price!