Power Preaching

The old saying, “you can’t judge a book by its cover.” is rarely applied to the church. The world takes what is on the surface and judges the church. This is not a new phenomenon. As we continue in our series on the book of Acts, we pick up where we left off last week. In Acts 2:1-13, the Holy Spirit arrives and fills the believers who were gathered in Jerusalem. They began to speak in various tongues (languages) so that everyone in the crowd heard them in their native or heart language. This astounded the crowd. Then they realized that the believers were praising God. Their conclusion: They must be drunk.

What pieces of data did the crowd put together to get their conclusion. They are speaking in a way that everyone understands them in different languages. Definitely a side affect of alcohol. They are praising God . . . Always happens when I’m drunk. Its 9 am and culturally unacceptable to be drunk at this hour . . .

So lets see 2+5 must equal Donkey.

1 Corinthians 2:14 ESV

The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned.

It is not out of malice that the world does not understand the church. It is much deeper. Misunderstanding can turn to malice. The motivations of a believer are driven by the Holy Spirit. A person who doesn’t know God, cannot understand the things of the Spirit. When we see what you don’t understand, we tend to interpret with terms that we can make sense out of. This is the problem with miracles.

In today’s message we are going to see how Peter deals with the accusation of the crowd and puts spiritual things in to terms that the crowd understands. This is an essential part of what we do as ambassadors of Christ as Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 5:20.

2 Corinthians 5:20 ESV

Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.

So, when the world doesn’t understand us . . . judges us . . . persecutes us . . . our job doesn’t change. We are allowing God, through the power of the Holy Spirit, to proclaim the name of Jesus so that people might be saved. Let’s look at Acts 2:14 and see how Peter does this.

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Acts 2:14–41 ESV

But Peter, standing with the eleven, lifted up his voice and addressed them: “Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and give ear to my words. For these people are not drunk, as you suppose, since it is only the third hour of the day. But this is what was uttered through the prophet Joel: “ ‘And in the last days it shall be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams; even on my male servants and female servants in those days I will pour out my Spirit, and they shall prophesy. And I will show wonders in the heavens above and signs on the earth below, blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke; the sun shall be turned to darkness and the moon to blood, before the day of the Lord comes, the great and magnificent day. And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.’ “Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with mighty works and wonders and signs that God did through him in your midst, as you yourselves know— this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men. God raised him up, loosing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it. For David says concerning him, “ ‘I saw the Lord always before me, for he is at my right hand that I may not be shaken; therefore my heart was glad, and my tongue rejoiced; my flesh also will dwell in hope. For you will not abandon my soul to Hades, or let your Holy One see corruption. You have made known to me the paths of life; you will make me full of gladness with your presence.’ “Brothers, I may say to you with confidence about the patriarch David that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. Being therefore a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that he would set one of his descendants on his throne, he foresaw and spoke about the resurrection of the Christ, that he was not abandoned to Hades, nor did his flesh see corruption. This Jesus God raised up, and of that we all are witnesses. Being therefore exalted at the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this that you yourselves are seeing and hearing. For David did not ascend into the heavens, but he himself says, “ ‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool.” ’ Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.” Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” And Peter said to them, “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. For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself.” And with many other words he bore witness and continued to exhort them, saying, “Save yourselves from this crooked generation.” So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls.

Peter begins by making a simple statement of proof that they are not drunk but he doesn’t leave it at that. He quotes from the prophet Joel. Let’s look at that:

Acts 2:16–21 ESV

16 But this is what was uttered through the prophet Joel: 17 “ ‘And in the last days it shall be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams; 18 even on my male servants and female servants in those days I will pour out my Spirit, and they shall prophesy. 19 And I will show wonders in the heavens above and signs on the earth below, blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke; 20 the sun shall be turned to darkness and the moon to blood, before the day of the Lord comes, the great and magnificent day. 21 And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.’

What is the key? Whoever calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

Peter connects the message to what they know. They are Jews, in town for the feast. They know the prophet Joel and they know he prophesies about the messiah. Peter has their attention.

Look at Peter’s point:

Acts 2:22–24 ESV

22 “Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with mighty works and wonders and signs that God did through him in your midst, as you yourselves know— 23 this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men. 24 God raised him up, loosing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it.

Then Peter uses two passages written by David to show again . . . that the Messiah would not see death and that he would be seated at the right hand of God.

Then Peter declares the power behind his message:

Acts 2:32–36 ESV

32 This Jesus God raised up, and of that we all are witnesses. 33 Being therefore exalted at the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this that you yourselves are seeing and hearing. 34 For David did not ascend into the heavens, but he himself says, “ ‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at my right hand, 35 until I make your enemies your footstool.” ’ 36 Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.”

What was their response?

What shall we do? They were lost. If they killed their own Messiah and were his enemies, what hope was their for him?

Peter tells them:

Acts 2:38–39 ESV

38 And Peter said to them, “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 For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself.”

Peter tells them to call on the Lord. But who is the Lord. According to Joel, and David, and now Peter . . . It is Jesus!

How well did Peter’s sermon do?

Acts 2:40–41 ESV

40 And with many other words he bore witness and continued to exhort them, saying, “Save yourselves from this crooked generation.” 41 So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls.

What should we do?

Repent: Turn from our own way of doing things.

Be Baptized: Proclaim your allegiance to Jesus publicly

Live in the power of the Holy Spirit: Learn, be a part of the church, be changed.

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