Acts 2:22-24 – Men of Israel, listen to these words: Jesus the Nazarene, a Man attested to you by God with miracles and wonders and signs which God performed through Him in your midst, just as you yourselves know— this Man, delivered over by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God, you nailed to a cross by the hands of godless men and put Him to death. But God raised Him from the dead, putting an end to the agony of death, since it was impossible for Him to be held in its power.
One of the great proofs of the resurrection is the dramatic change we see in the Apostle Peter. He had been seen as a coward after the arrest of Jesus, when confronted by a young girl he couldn’t muster the courage to admit he knew Him. Several days later Peter is preaching about Jesus with courage in front of many of the people responsible for His death. What could change someone so drastically and so suddenly? The only explanation is Pentecost, Peter had been filled with the power of God that was bigger than his fears and filled his mouth with words to tell his story. All of us who know Jesus have a story to tell, its the authenticity of my story and your story inspired by the Spirit that changes our world. Here is how Max Lucado describes this.
“Not everyone can evangelize like Billy Graham, write like Charles Spurgeon, or care for the poor like Mother Teresa. But don’t you think we each can talk about our “only God” moments?
There was an occasion when Jesus healed a deranged man. The fellow had made his home in a cemetery and cut himself with rocks. When Jesus delivered him from the affliction, the man wanted to go with Jesus. Christ, however, gave this instruction: “Go home to your friends, and tell them what great things the Lord has done for you, and how He has had compassion on you” (Mark 5:19 NKJV)….Do you feel ill-equipped to do so? That’s okay. You have God’s Spirit to help you. God’s plan is reduced to one strategy: ordinary folks telling the extraordinary story of Jesus with the extraordinary power of the Holy Spirit.”
This is how Christianity was born and why it has continued all throughout the world these last 2000 years. Our world is in trouble today and there is only one solution to our world’s problems. What is that answer? It’s the story of Jesus empowered by the Spirit spoken to your world through your lips. This is our world’s only hope.
