彼得——五旬节的讲员
使徒行传二章14至21节
14彼得和十一个使徒站起，高声说：“犹太人和一切住在耶路撒冷的人哪，这件事你们当知道，也当侧耳听我的话。
15你们想这些人是醉了？其实不是醉了，因为时候刚到巳初。
16这正是先知约珥所说的：
17‘神说：在末后的日子，我要将我的灵浇灌凡有血气的。你们的儿女要说预言；你们的少年人要见异象；老年人要做异梦。
18在那些日子，我要将我的灵浇灌我的仆人和使女，他们就要说预言。
19在天上我要显出奇事；在地下我要显出神迹，有血，有火，有烟雾。
20日头要变为黑暗，月亮要变为血；这都在主大而明显的日子未到以前。
21到那时候，凡求告主名的，就必得救。’
信息分享
众使徒和其他信徒，怀着热切期待的心，整个星期一起祷告。他们知道将有甚么事情发生吗？他们只是紧紧握住基督的应许和命令：「要留在耶路撒冷，等候我应许赐下的圣灵。」圣灵终于在五旬节那天降临。
神容让圣灵以一种惊天动地的方式降临，以至吸引了大量群众的注意。群众围住门徒，想知道究竟发生了甚么事。
一如往常，又是彼得第一个出来，走在门徒面前，向大家解释发生的事。
彼得指出圣灵已经降临，他再向群众讲述基督，和基督正是被他们钉死。这是一篇满有力量的讲章，事实上，是两篇讲道——一篇为我们记录在此；一篇在第40节简单述及：「彼得还用许多话警告他们，并劝诫他们悔改信主。」神的恩典岂不是很奇妙吗？彼得，一个时常软弱的人，而且就在六周之前，他更矢口否认基督；但此刻他却被神使用，借着他传讲福音，使三千人得救。
这对我们是何等的激励！我们纵有软弱跌倒，但神却愿意使用我们，而且，祂更赐给我们圣灵的能力，使我们能为祂作见证。
我们愿意今天求主借着圣灵使用我们，领人来到基督面前吗？
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?