PETER

Standing in Unity
When they had entered, they went up to the upper room, where they were staying, Peter
and John and James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James
the son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot and Judas the son of James. All these with one
accord were devoting themselves to prayer, together with the women and Mary the mother
of Jesus, and his brothers. In those days Peter stood up among the brothers (the company
of persons was in all about 120) and said Acts 1:1215
Peter, standing with the eleven, lifted up his voice and addressed them Acts 2:14

Tonight we begin to look at Peters part in the birth of the early church. A most wonderful
truth is revealed in the details: Jesus promise was fulfilled. Peter had been transformed. No
longer competitive. No longer insecure. We finally see Peter being the rock Jesus had
always seen in him.
The boldness in Peters sermons doesnt seem too surprising because he had always been
that way. But the details reveal a subtle change that makes a world of difference.

I. While Peter stands out in the story, he is now among and with the others.
A. Because Peter has been humbled, hes now able to be friends and partners
with the disciples rather than rivals with them.
B. Rivalry is at the heart of our sinful instincts. For example, think of the rivalry
the devil set up between Adam and Eve and God (Genesis 3:5), Cain and
Abel (Genesis 4), Babels builders and God (Genesis 11:4), Abram and Lot
(Genesis 13), Sarah and Hagar (Genesis 16), Esau and Jacob (Genesis
25-26 and 32-33), Rachel and Leah (Genesis 29-30), Jacob and Laban
(Genesis 31), and Joseph and his brothers (Genesis 37-50). And thats just in
Genesis!
II. How does rivalry work?
You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and
quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask. James 4:2

A. When someone has something we want but we feel we cant get it, rivalry
sets in and we cut off real relationship (i.e. murder).
B. Desire in itself is good. But to avoid covetousness, we must look to God as
the Provider. Were able to receive inspiration from others without becoming
rivals only if were looking to God to fulfill the desires of our hearts.
C. Fearful, jealous rivalry had been at the heart of the disciples bickering during
Jesus ministry. Someone would do well and the others would stand back and
watch as Jesus praised him. But instead of being inspired, they would feel
afraid and jealous.
III. How does unity work?
Todd Millikan
February 21, 2015

The Coastlands
www.coastlands.org

His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the
knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, by which he has granted to
us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of
the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful
desire. For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and
virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness,
and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly
affection with love. For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from
being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For whoever lacks
these qualities is so nearsighted that he is blind, having forgotten that he was cleansed from
his former sins. 2 Peter 1:39

A. Unity (called brotherly affection and love in this passage) works when we
believe that God Himself is the source of all blessings and that He grants
them in response to our faith in His promises. Sinful desire is when we see
something else someone has (even if its a good thing like patience or joy)
and we begin to want it and try to get it on our own.
B. We make every effort to grow not because we can do it on our own, nor to
impress people or to earn favor with God, but because its a practical readout
of our faith in His promise. For example, if God promises that Hes going to
help me overcome a bad habit, then even if Ive failed a thousand times
before, Im going to make every effort because Im confident that with His help
Ill succeed!
C. When I see others making progress, if I think they did it themselves, I become
either jealous or dismissive. But if I understand that God wants to do the
same kind of work in me that I see in them, then I can be unified with my
friends as we seek God together.
D. If relationships are consistently difficult, we might be blinded by pride. We
might have forgotten the mess in which Jesus found us, the cost at which we
were rescued, and the miracles of Gods power that transformed our lives.
Weve rewritten our story as if we were the hero instead of Him. Beyond the
damage pride does in an individual heart, it also destroys unity because it
provokes rivalry (i.e. sinful desire).
IV. Because Peter has been humbled, hes now empowered in two significant ways:
A. By the Holy Spirit. Because hes been confronted with his own failure, hes not
tempted to look to himself any longer. Peter knows that if anything good is
going to happen, its got to be a miracle from God, not because hes so great.
Thats why (for the first time ever) hes drawn to pray together with his friends
(Acts 1:14).
B. By the unity he shares with his friends. Because hes no longer competing or
comparing, Peters strength is not just his own. Hes standing together with
the others and all their strengths and gifts are felt. Theyre empowering one
another. When weve experienced the strength found in Spirit-led unity, well
understand that every other form of strength is nothing in comparison.
Todd Millikan
February 21, 2015

The Coastlands
www.coastlands.org