This morning I want to take you to Peter’s first sermon. He begins with the bad news. This is bad news that they all knew about because they were there to see it.

 

 Acts 2:22 (NIV) “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.

 

The bad news is that they had killed Jesus.

 

But Peter wasn’t finished with his sermon. The next two words were crucial;

 

Acts 2:24 But God…

 

But means the story was in over.

 

All through the Bible we read about these “but God” moments.

 

Genesis 50:20You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.

 

1 Samuel 23:14David stayed in the desert strongholds and in the hills of the Desert of Ziph. Day after day Saul searched for him, but God did not give David into his hands.

 

Psalm 49:15But God will redeem my life from the grave; he will surely take me to himself.

 

Psalm 73:26My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.

 

Isaiah 40:8The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God stands forever.

Jonah 2:6To the roots of the mountains I sank down; the earth beneath barred me in forever. But you brought my life up from the pit, O LORD my God.

 

Matthew 19:26Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.

 

Romans 5:8But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

 

Romans 6:23For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

 

1 Corinthians 1:27But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong.

 

Now the biggest “but God” moment of all.

 

Acts 2:24 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…32 This Jesus God raised up, and of that we all are witnesses.

 

On Easter Sunday we celebrate that the Jesus of the Bible that we so much love, and adore, and hang on his every words is alive.

 

Peter finished his little sermon and you know what happened next?

 

Acts 2:37 When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?”

38 Peter replied, “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. 39 The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.”

They wanted to move from information to encounter. They wanted to know what to do in order to get to know and experience this Jesus.

 

Let’s see what GOD can do!