Christian Living

For the Love of the Word Peter and the Word

by Andrew Adams
11/02/15
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The Word

Imagine you're sitting in a crowded room filled with 70+ sweaty men. No fan. Scratch that. No electricity. Just a hand moved up and down at a quick pace. Just you, your impromptu fan, 70+ slightly smelly dudes, and your Bible. The Word.

Pick an apostle. This was their lot. Jesus died, resurrected, and then instructed them to wait. And they listened. They had seen the resurrected Savior. He had restored Peter and cleared up any uncertainties for Thomas. They were on an emotional high after experiencing the lowest of lows. The harvest was ready...but Jesus said wait.

A Smelly Room

So they gathered in the upper room. No agenda. Simply wait. And, as any good Jew would do, they prayed and read the Word. And the Word came alive!

And they found Jesus in the Word over and over again. Jesus had just opened their minds to this in Luke 24:44. Now it almost becomes a game: who can find Jesus in the Word?!

Peter shouts, "Psalm 2:7-9"

A few minutes later Andrew shouts, "Psalm 16:8-10"

James shouts, "Psalm 110:1"

John cries out, "He's everywhere!"

The apostles are excited. The jubilee dies down and Peter reads Joel 2:28-30. The upper room breaks into praise and worship.

It's still hot, sweaty, and smelly but Jesus said wait. The Word is alive. And so they wait, happily praying and reading the Word.

Why Wait?

Again we turn to the Word. In Luke 24:44-49, right after Jesus reveals the Scriptures to them, He tells them to wait in the city until they are clothed with power.

They've already been told that the Harvest is plentiful and that Jesus is the only way to the Father, but they can't spread the Gospel in their own power, just like Jesus. They had to be filled with the Holy Spirit. And, after a few weeks in the upper room, they were suddenly filled and Peter began to lay the foundation of the church.

Drunk Apostles

Peter begins this sermon with the Word. The people in Jerusalem assume that these suddenly multilingual men are drunk but Peter assures them that they aren't drunk but that they are witnessing the fulfillment of Joel 2:28-30!

They aren't drunk, they are full of the Holy Spirit!

Religious Sinners

That got their attention. Seeing an opportunity and full of a new boldness, Peter addresses this potential harvest. Being good, religious men, they know about Jesus, His followers, and the rumors of His resurrection. But they don't know what Jesus revealed to the apostles. They know the Word of God but they missed the Messiah it promised.

So Peter meets them where they are and shows them 2 scriptures, penned by the beloved King David, pointing to the Messiah. First, Psalm 16:8-10. Then Psalm 110:1. And their hearts are stirred! Peter begins to see the power of the Word. His heart is moved for the people to truly find God and He leads them to repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus. And the church explodes out of the gates on the foundation of the Word.

What to do with the Word

1. Read the Word.
   Simple but powerful. Schedule it. Look forward to it. Love it.


2. Creative study.
   Find what works for you. Paint it. Draw it. Listen to it. I just started picking a verse from a daily devotion, writing it out, reading commentaries (usually David Guzik or Matthew Henry on the Blue Letter Bible app) about it, and adding any thoughts or revelation.


3. Share it.
   Share the Word with your family, your friends, your neighbors. Post on Facebook. Spread the Seed (see this post for more Seed info!) to everyone!