Read this morning in Acts 4. There Peter and John stand before the same crowd that executed Jesus and boldly declare the Gospel of Christ. Listen to some of the facts Peter declares.
- Jesus healed the lame beggar
- You killed Jesus
- God raised Jesus from the dead
- Jesus is the only way of salvation
- You rejected Jesus
What boldness! Just a two months before Peter coward beside a courtyard fire and cursed to show he knew nothing of Jesus Christ. Now he speaks with such boldness that all in the room realize he had indeed been with the Savior.
Yes, Peter evidenced change when Jesus thrice said, "Feed my sheep."
Yes, Peter took the reins of the followers and lead with characteristic zeal.
Yes, Peter's sermon led 3,000 to Christ.
However, I think here is the crucial moment of change. He's not turning. He takes a bold stand for Christ.
He almost reminds me of a talented baseball player who steps into the majors only to be sent back to the minors. He corrects his faults and is called back up to the majors. Then, oops, sent back down to the minors again. With this stand before the Sadducees, Peter forever is called back into the majors.
As I read through the passage I felt like cheering for the poor, type-A personality fisherman who got it right just as much as he got it wrong, but finally stepped out from the crowd, stood up for Christ, and began a phenomenal ministry for the Lord.
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