彼得——五旬節的講員
使徒行傳二章14至21節
14彼得和十一個使徒站起，高聲說：“猶太人和一切住在耶路撒冷的人哪，這件事你們當知道，也當側耳聽我的話。
15你們想這些人是醉了？其實不是醉了，因為時候剛到巳初。
16這正是先知約珥所說的：
17‘神說：在末後的日子，我要將我的靈澆灌凡有血氣的。你們的兒女要說預言；你們的少年人要見異象；老年人要做異夢。
18在那些日子，我要將我的靈澆灌我的僕人和使女，他們就要說預言。
19在天上我要顯出奇事；在地下我要顯出神蹟，有血，有火，有煙霧。
20日頭要變為黑暗，月亮要變為血；這都在主大而明顯的日子未到以前。
21到那時候，凡求告主名的，就必得救。’
信息分享
眾使徒和其他信徒，懷著熱切期待的心，整個星期一起禱告。他們知道將有甚麼事情發生嗎？他們只是緊緊握住基督的應許和命令：「要留在耶路撒冷，等候我應許賜下的聖靈。」聖靈終於在五旬節那天降臨。
神容讓聖靈以一種驚天動地的方式降臨，以至吸引了大量群眾的注意。群眾圍住門徒，想知道究竟發生了甚麼事。
一如往常，又是彼得第一個出來，走在門徒面前，向大家解釋發生的事。
彼得指出聖靈已經降臨，他再向群眾講述基督，和基督正是被他們釘死。這是一篇滿有力量的講章，事實上，是兩篇講道——一篇為我們記錄在此；一篇在第40節簡單述及：「彼得還用許多話警告他們，並勸誡他們悔改信主。」神的恩典豈不是很奇妙嗎？彼得，一個時常軟弱的人，而且就在六週之前，他更矢口否認基督；但此刻他卻被神使用，藉著他傳講福音，使三千人得救。
這對我們是何等的激勵！我們縱有軟弱跌倒，但神卻願意使用我們，而且，祂更賜給我們聖靈的能力，使我們能為祂作見證。
我們願意今天求主藉著聖靈使用我們，領人來到基督面前嗎？
PETER, THE PREACHER AT PENTECOST
Acts 2: 14-21
14 But Peter, standing up with the eleven, raised his voice and said to them, “Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and heed my words.
15 For these are not drunk, as you suppose, since it is only the third hour of the day.
16 But this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel:
17 ‘And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God,
That I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh;
Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,
Your young men shall see visions,
Your old men shall dream dreams.
18 And on My menservants and on My maidservants. I will pour out My Spirit in those days; And they shall prophesy.
19 I will show wonders in heaven above. And signs in the earth beneath: Blood and fire and vapor of smoke.
20 The sun shall be turned into darkness, And the moon into blood, Before the coming of the great and awesome day of the LORD.
21 And it shall come to pass. That whoever calls on the name of the LORD. Shall be saved.’[b]
Message
The apostles and others had prayed for a whole week, in a spirit of expectancy and anticipation. Did they know what was going to happen? They had Christ's promise and command, “stay in Jerusalem. I promise you the Holy Spirit is coming.” He came on Pentecost Sunday.
God allowed the Spirit to come in a way that attracted enormous attention. A huge crowd gathered, wanting to know what it was all about.
As usual, it was Peter who walked to the front of the small group of believers and began to explain.
Peter identified the coming of the Holy Spirit, then he identified Christ, and he identified the people in front of him as those who had crucified that same Christ. It was a powerful sermon, actually two sermons - the one which was reported for us and one which was simply described in verse 40 as “with many other words Peter warned them and pleaded them.” Isn't the grace of God wonderful? Peter, a man who had often failed and who six weeks before had said he had never known Christ, now is taken up by God and used for the salvation of 3000 people.
What an encouragement to us! In spite of our failures, God is willing to use us and has given us His Holy Spirit to empower our words and testimonies.
Could we ask the Lord today for the Holy Spirit to use us as we touch someone for Christ?