We are here on the first Sunday after Easter, a day in which we celebrated the resurrection of Jesus, the turning point in the world.  As wonderful as it is to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus, the resurrection of Jesus only changes the world if you and I allow the resurrection to change us. If we see the resurrection of Jesus only as a historical event and not as a moment of personal transformation, then the power of the resurrection slips through our hands like so many grains of sand.

Jesus’ disciples faced the same circumstance.  What were Jesus’ disciples going to do with the historical fact that Jesus had been resurrected.  Jesus died and now was alive.  Were Jesus’ disciples going to be content to treat Jesus’ resurrection only as a historical fact and carry on with their life as good and pleasant people or would they make Jesus’ resurrection a moment of personal transformation turning them into a committed people of faith?  What choice then did the disciples make?

 To begin with, we would find that after the crucifixion of Jesus, the disciples acted as though everything was lost and everything and everyone was a threat to their mortal life.  In the Gospel of John, we would read that even after there had been reports that Jesus had risen from the dead, Jesus disciples stayed together, behind a locked door in fear of the Jewish leaders.  Jesus’ disciples were taking no chances.  They remained hidden, quiet, locked away, and cowering in fear.  In the Greek sense of fear, Jesus’ disciples were held in terror, perhaps believing the cross awaited them next.  John tells us, “19 On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jewish leaders, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” 20 After he said this, he [Jesus] showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord” (John 20:19-20).  Jesus’ appearance made true the reports of Jesus’ resurrection and the disciples were overjoyed. 

For the next 40 days, Jesus’ disciples spent time with Jesus, learned from him, ate with him, and received the Holy Spirit from Jesus because they believed in Jesus.  One day, Jesus said to his disciples, “8 You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8).  Then, as suddenly as Jesus appeared to the disciples that evening as the disciples held themselves behind a locked door after his resurrection, Jesus, bodily ascended into heaven.  The days of following Jesus in person were over. And Jesus’ last words to his disciples was to be his witnesses beginning in Jerusalem, starting at the best place to share the gospel among Jews of all nations and the most dangerous place to talk about Jesus.  The religious leaders that Jesus’ disciples feared were in Jerusalem, the place of Jesus’ crucifixion.  Jerusalem, Jesus said, was to be starting point for Jesus’ disciples.  How humanly fearful that must have been.  The disciples had to decide whether to commit to Jesus and live the transformed life Jesus called them to live or to go home and live as good and pleasant people.

Ten days after Jesus’ ascension into heaven, while Jesus’ disciples were in Jerusalem, they received the promised Holy Spirit.  At the moment the Holy Spirit was poured out onto Jesus disciples there were Jews in Jerusalem from across the known world. There were 9 Parthians, Medes [Med-ezs] and Elamites [Eel-a-mites]; residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia [Cap-a-do-see-ya], Pontus and Asia, 10 Phrygia [Friz-e-ya] and Pamphylia [Pamp-fil-ia], Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene [siren]; visitors from Rome 11 (both Jews and converts to Judaism); Cretans and Arabs” (Acts 2:9-10).  This was the moment of choice and decision for Jesus’ disciples.  What were they going to do having been commission by Jesus and empowered by the Holy Spirit?

We read earlier today that Peter stood before this crowd of people from across the world.  Peter who deserted Jesus when Jesus was arrested.  Peter who denied Jesus when a servant girl asked him if Peter was a disciple of Jesus.  But this time, Peter did not run and did not hide.  Instead, Peter spoke and said, “22 “Fellow Israelites, listen to this: Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs, which God did among you through him, as you yourselves know. 23 This man was handed over to you by God’s deliberate plan and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the cross. 24 But God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him…36 “Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah.” (Acts 2:22-24; 36).

This was Peter but not the same Peter we know in the gospel stories.  This Peter had been transformed into a flaming disciple, a burning witness.  This Peter had made his decision.  This Peter had committed himself fully to God and Jesus Christ.  This Peter spoke clearly and loudly to citizens from across the world telling them the plain truth about the person of Jesus and the behavior of those who killed Jesus.  Peter made clear that Jesus was the Messiah, that Jesus was put an end to death, and Peter’s listeners were guilt of being sinners against God.

From the witnesses across the world, came only one question to Peter and the other disciples, “Brothers, what shall we do?” (Acts 2:37b).

That question, “What shall we do?” is a universal and timeless question when presented with the testimony about Jesus.  “What shall we do?”  Shall I accept what has been said as a historical fact and live my life as a good and pleasant person or shall I accept the testimony as a moment of personal transformation?  That day, in Jerusalem, Peter said this is what you do, “38 Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:38).  And three thousand people from across the known world accepted the witness testimony of Peter and believed in Jesus as their Lord and Messiah.  These 3,000 people were not witnesses of Jesus.  They accepted Jesus on the testimony of Jesus’ witnesses.  What these people had was the fearless witness testimony of Pete that Jesus was the Lord and Messiah who died for their sins and was raised from the dead. That is the gospel message, the good news that the resurrected Jesus is the fulfillment of God’s promise of salvation.  Peter’s sermon that day represent what the earliest Christians believed.  These 3,000 people did not benefit from any of the gospels or letters of the New Testament.  No Bible studies, no choir music, no praise music, no priests, no pastors, no saints, no church as we might know it.  And yet these 3,000 people committed themselves to believing in Jesus as Lord and Messiah freeing them from the death of sin.  Simple.

Now we must ask, “What was the so what of this experience?”  Yes, there were 3,000 people who committed their lives to Jesus and the gospel message.  Were these new early believers transformed in any way by and through their commitment?

Luke gives us a little insight to that question.  After the baptisms of these 3,000 people Luke recorded, “42 They [the new disciples] devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. 43 Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. 44 All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45 They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. 46 Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, 47 praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved” (Acts 2:42-47).

 I think there is something important here that we often overlook.  The new disciples’ behaviors were changed by their commitment and belief in Jesus as Lord and Savior.  First came the commitment with the empowerment of the Holy Spirit and then came the change.  These new disciples committed themselves to Jesus and then:

• Devoted themselves to the Apostles’ teaching,
• Devoted themselves to being in fellowship with other believers.
• Devoted themselves to eating with other believers.
• Devoted themselves to prayer.
• Sold possession and property to make sure the physical needs of other believers were taken care of.
• Went to the Temple every day.
• Had sincere and glad hearts.
• Praised God.

First these disciples committed themselves to God through Jesus Christ.  These people got themselves right with God first and then expressed that rightness with other people.

Why am I emphasizing this pattern from Scripture of commitment to God first and an express a transformed life second.  I am doing so because I do not think this is how discipleship is approached in our churches today.  People are much more apt to come to a church and be invited to a church to participate in the outworking of a Christian life.  Unbelievers, seekers, and “I sort of believers,” come to church and in doing so they might become in their minds disciples of Jesus Christ because they:

• Listened to a sermon or two to see if the pastor makes convincing arguments or is entertaining to them or spiritually fed.  That is much different than being devoted to the Apostles’ teaching,
• Attend a potluck dinner after service if they don’t have something else to do.  That is much different from being devoted fellowship with other believers.
• Might attend a dinner at a believer’s home so long as it was convenient.  That is much different from being devoted to eating with other believers.
• Will sit quietly while someone else prays.  Different again from being devoted to prayer.
• Will put a couple of dollars in the collection plate.  Far different from selling one’s possession and property to make sure the physical needs of other believers were taken care of.
• Will not come to church every week. Christmas, Easter, and maybe once every six weeks or so is the norm.  That is way different from going to church every week, never mind every day.
• Might have gladness in their hearts but their life is not fundamentally changed in which their hearts love God and love other believers all the time with sincerity and they are glad every time they do so.
• And lastly, and sadly, they will not praise God.  Why not? Because they have no real relationship with God and do not know what it means to call Jesus Lord and Savior because they never committed themselves to Jesus.

Please understand, what I am saying might sound offensive.  I mean no offense.  I am simply stating facts.  I am trying to paint a picture about the way things are when we try in our own strength to live a transformed life with an eye toward someday making a commitment, I mean a genuine commitment to God.  When we approach our faith with transformed behavior first and then commitment to God, that is opposite the pattern of first disciples, two things happen. First, we fail at transforming our own lives no matter how hard we try because we are not strong enough to do so because we would lack the Holy Spirit.  Second, we will not make a genuine commitment to Christ.  We will feel like we sort of have made the commitment and hope that what we have done is enough to please God.  I know this pattern well.  I lived this pattern for many years until one day I surrendered to Jesus.  In some ways, it was like starting over in my walk of faith because this time I was not doing it in my own strength or for anyone other than my Lord and Savior.

          Peter’s words to his listeners were uncomfortable for them to hear but Peter’s words were sincere as he urged his listeners to stop everything they were doing and consider their relationship with God.  I am asking that this week, we all take Peter’s words most seriously and examine ourselves to see if our first priority has been to make a commitment to God through Jesus Christ that in doing so we would be forgiven and granted the gift of the Holy Spirit.  Let’s make sure we follow the Biblical pattern of commitment to God above everything else.  Amen and Amen.