October 4

Day 204: Know, Feel, Do

Now reading in the early part of Acts, I continue amazed at how Peter "suddenly" changes. He goes from blustery, ignorant fisherman to eloquent preacher and apologist for the faith.

Chapter 2 has Peter standing up and giving the Church's first recorded sermon. No week to prepare. No books on his shelf or research assistants. He had been well trained. But had no seminary diploma on his wall.

But he had his eyes. And his memory. He speaks clearly about the Jesus he knew first-hand, how he and many others were eye-witnesses to the resurrection, and the ascension of Jesus back to the Father.

But like any effective sermon, Peter's outline is: "Know, Feel, Do."

Peter first tells them who Jesus is and what He has done. How the promises of the Old Testament were fulfilled in Jesus. Peter then showed his listeners their need. They were guilty before God. They were all complicit.

"This Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men."

Peter is telling them that they too had seen Jesus. And had desired to see Him dead. While the word "lawless" referred to the Roman crucifiers, it was in fact the Jews themselves who had been the lawless ones.

They all heard Peter's words, and they were "cut to the heart," asking, "What shall we do?" They felt their guilt, and the shame of their prior actions.

Peter then gave them a way to respond that would solve their sin problem. He tells them to "Repent and be baptized."

Confess (acknowledge) and repent (turn away from) their sin against Jesus. Now be identified with this same Jesus they had previously wanted dead and gone.

Peter then says, "Save yourselves from this crooked generation." Meaning, be different from your former selves; belong now to Jesus.

We gather this morning, like other local churches around the world, to know Who Jesus is and what He had done. We come to feel the weight of our need, and to repent of our rebellions against Him. We come to realize again that we have been sanctified, set apart from our own crooked generation.

To recommit our devotion to the One who lived, died, and lives again. To know, feel and do what Jesus commands and provides.

May that be our intention, and the outcome of our time together this morning.

-Mike Rydman, Lead Pastor, Radiant Church | Juneau