Peter’s sermon in Acts is characterised by friendly appeal, and frank speaking.

He begins on a semi humorous note by remarking that the apostles can hardly be drunk at 9 in the morning!!

Peter draws attention to five aspects of Jesus life in the sermon. First the works and wonders, secondly his cruel death. Third, God raised Jesus up. Peter draws on Psalm 16:8-11. He points that everyone knows David is dead, and therefore the psalm must be a prophecy referring to someone else. Fourth, Peter refers to the ascension and exaltation of Jesus. Fifth, Peter comes to current events: pouring out of the promised Holy Spirit.

What were the results?

Immediate effect: consciences are stabbed awake; repentance, baptism and receiving the Holy Spirit and about 3,000 people are added to the group of disciples. (No signs are recorded this time).

Longer term effects: public and private worship, including teaching, fellowship, prayers and sharing food; signs and wonders.

Gordon Fee says in God’s empowering presence: The Holy Spirit in the Letters of Paul ‘Paul’s explicit words and his allusions to the work of the Spirit everywhere presupposes the Spirit as an empowering, experienced reality in the life of the church and the believer.’

Luke’s narrative portrays mission as the overflow of joy and energy given by the Holy Spirit: what Jesus predicts actually comes to pass.

He has shown the Spirit at work in the life of Jesus in his Gospel; and in Acts he shows the continuation of that work in the life of Jesus in the church. 56 references to the Holy Spirit in acts. The Holy Spirit who transforms lives and empowers mission. He refers frequently to filling with the spirit or pours out.

Way in which the spirit speaks. Stephen (6:10); Philip (8:29); Peter (10:19); church leaders (13:2); Paul and Timothy (16:6); Disciples (21:4); Agabus at Caesarea (21:11).

We have lost that feeling...Spirit has been domesticated Gordon Fee pleas for a ‘re-capturing of the Christian life as essentially the life of the spirit, dynamically experienced and eschatologically orientated – but fully integrated into the life of the church.’