Anyone can Preach!
The Book of Acts • Sermon • Submitted
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· 8 viewsIn this message, we see a guy, Peter, who messed up SO many times in following Jesus. A guy who put his foot in his mouth more than once. Peter stands up and delivers a message through God’s power and the response is beyond what anyone could imagine!
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May 22nd 2022
Series: The Book of Acts
Sermon Title: Anyone can Preach!
Topic: Journey through the book of Acts.
Key Passages: Acts 2: 14-47
Sermon Blurb: In this message, we see a guy, Peter, who messed up SO many times in following Jesus. A guy who put his foot in his mouth more than once. Peter stands up and delivers a message through God’s power and the response is beyond what anyone could imagine!
Sermon:
Family Moment
Welcome back to week #4 in our series called simply The book of Acts!
We are on a journey through the book of Acts!
If you are new, or newer to Family Church, we are so happy you are here, and let me catch you up so you do not feel like an outsider.
Because no one likes feeling like an outsider!
Three weeks ago, we opened up the book of Acts with Dr. Luke telling us why he wrote the book of Acts.
And we gave an overview of where we are going.
Then two weeks ago we talked about the start of the church and how women had a great impact on that.
Then last week we talked about an event called “Pentecost” when the Holy Spirit or God’s Spirit came down and empowered this early church of 120 people to live out the ministry Jesus was calling them to.
And we ended that message with something I said is kind of funny.
And we have to pickup there again because then I will show you how our sermon title which is “Anyone can Preach” is true.
PAUSE
So grab your Bible and open it up to Acts chapter 2.
Acts 2: 14-47 14 Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice and addressed the crowd: “Fellow Jews and all of you who live in Jerusalem, let me explain this to you; listen carefully to what I say. 15 These people are not drunk, as you suppose. It’s only nine in the morning!
Let’s pause there because I want us all to keep in context with what comes next!!!!
So Peter stands up to explain what is going on.
Peter….not any of the other closest friends of Jesus.
Not even John so said he was Jesus favorite in his book!
Peter…..
And that is why this sermon is titled ANYONE can Preach!
I know there are plenty of you in this room who would say to me, “I could never preach or teach.”
Well……if Peter can….so can you!
Peter is the guy who was so impulsive that he chopped people’s ears off with swords…..
I will go out a limb today….and guess no one here has done that?
Anyone?????
Peter was the guy who denied being connected to Jesus in ANY way multiple times…
I am going to go out on a limb and guess most of us have not done that or if we did…we felt bad and didn’t do it again.
Peter was a guy who Jesus called Satan at one point!
I will go out a limb yet again….and guess no one here has been called Satan by Jesus…
Peter was corrected by Jesus on more than one occasion!
Do you see it church?
If God can work through someone like Peter….
God can work through you!
So write this down….
God can work through me!
Repeat
If you want to write your name in the blank instead of me….go for it!
PAUSE
To keep painting this picture of how Peter and the people are looked at by the community……
Look at what Peter says……Look at verse 15.
We are not drunk people!
The people think so LITTLE of Peter and the early church they think of them as nothing more than the village drunk.
PAUSE
AND GOD WORKS THROUGH PETER!!!
Hear me in this everyone here today.
It does NOT matter what the other kids at school say about you.
It does NOT matter what your co-workers say behind your back.
It does NOT matter how much your boss has yelled at you.
It does NOT matter how much your spouse has put you down.
It does NOT matter if your professor has said you’ll never pass this!
It does NOT matter what OTHERS say about us.
PAUSE
What matters is what God says about us.
What matters is what God has called us to do.
What matters is living our life for Jesus…..
Because when we do that…..the impossible happens!
And you are going to see that today!!!!
PAUSE
For you ADD people like me….let me give you one last thing to look up because it will be important soon….
Go back in the book of Acts and look at how big the church is again.
PAUSE
Let’s keep reading…..verse 16
16 No, this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel:
17 “‘In the last days, God says,
I will pour out my Spirit on all people.
Your sons and daughters will prophesy,
your young men will see visions,
your old men will dream dreams.
18 Even on my servants, both men and women,
I will pour out my Spirit in those days,
and they will prophesy.
19 I will show wonders in the heavens above
and signs on the earth below,
blood and fire and billows of smoke.
20 The sun will be turned to darkness
and the moon to blood
before the coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord.
21 And everyone who calls
on the name of the Lord will be saved.’
Stop reading there for now….
Let me show you how ALL of you can preach.
And I am hoping you will see how we live out what I am about to say as a church EVERY week!
PAUSE
Here is what I want you to see…..
What is Peter doing?
What did Peter literally just do…church….and no this is NOT a trick question?
What did he do church?
What Peter did is what you see us doing every week here.
Peter quotes the Bible!
Look in your notes…you can look it up now or later…but Joel 2:28-32
Peter quotes the Bible: Joel 2:28-32
Now let me share a part of my journey with preaching with you all.
When I was in seminary I was trained to preach there.
When I came out of seminary, I was also trained in the same manner there.
What I learned was largely what you see most churches do today... And this is not me bashing any church….This is me sharing some of my story to be clear…..
I was trained to grab a topic from culture….
or a topic from our church…
or a topic I think people need to hear…
or a topic a know people are struggling with…
I was trained to preach topically….
So you grab a topic….you spend 4 weeks or 8 weeks on it and then you move on to the next topic…..because…as I was taught….if you stay on the same thing too long….people will lose interest and leave your church.
PAUSE
Think about most church services you have been to…..I would be most of them are topical….today’s topic is this….next week’s will be different so come back!
PAUSE
That is the only way I preached early on in ministry.
Then….I think around 2 years into being a Sr. Pastor….. I was studying for a message….and God dropped a thought into my mind.
And the thought was this……
Adam…..whose words matter more…..yours or mine / God’s….
And honestly, I was a little caught off guard…..like well that is a super easy answer God….it would be your words…..
Then I felt God say….then why are you preaching like this….
PAUSE
And it was this gut punch to me!
That if I looked at my sermons…..there was very little Scripture…and a lot of Adam’s words…..
And that day…..I changed how I preach….
That is why you will hear us READ so much scripture….because God’s Word….the Bible is what is going to change your life!
That is why we give away the BEST study Bibles money can buy to help you understand your Bible!
That is why EVERY day we have one of our pastors come on our app and explain parts of our daily Bible reading plan!
That is why we as a church spent over 4 YEARS walking through the life of Jesus!
Because our goal as a church is to help you LEARN God’s word NOT Adam’s, or Keith’s, or Bob’s word….but GOD’S Word!!!!
PAUSE
We are trying to live out what the Bible shows!
Peter does what we do as a church….he quotes the Bible and then explains it…..
Look at verse 22….listen to him explain….like I just did as well!
22 “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.
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.
Peter…..
Peter….does what every one of you can do.
What I do weekly…..
He reads the Bible….or quotes the Bible…..
And then explains how it connects with the REAL life of the people listening!
PAUSE
Do you see it church?
Look at verse 22….Hey my fellow Israelites….
Just like I say hey Family Church!
Then he goes on to say here is who Jesus is and what Jesus did!
Here is how you all responded to Jesus.
And note he does not sugarcoat it.
He isn’t afraid of offending people.
Look at verse 23 in your Bibles….
He calls them WICKED MEN!
He accuses them of murder!
PAUSE
Let me say this in light of where our country is today.
Just because a person is offended by something does NOT mean what they are offended by is NOT true and right!
We live in this crazy culture right now…..
But remember we live NOT by culture but by the word of God!
We cannot be afraid to say things that are true but offensive in our culture…..
Today it is considered by some offensive to say things like:
You will go to hell if you choose sin over God.
That is what the Bible teaches, I am sorry if that is offensive to you, but God determines that not us.
God is pro-life and ALL Christians should be pro-life.
That is what the Bible teaches, I am sorry if that is offensive to you, but God determines that not us.
God created them male and female.
That is what the Bible teaches, I am sorry if that is offensive to you, but God determines that not us.
Murder, theft or looting, judging people by skin color is always WRONG.
That is what the Bible teaches, I am sorry if that is offensive to you, but God determines that not us.
PAUSE
Like Peter…..we are guided by the word of God….
We quote the word of God….
We explain to the people around us….offensive or not….
And as if to enforce this point….look what Peter does again…verse 25….
25 David said about him:
“‘I saw the Lord always before me.
Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.
26 Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices;
my body also will rest in hope,
27 because you will not abandon me to the realm of the dead,
you will not let your holy one see decay.
28 You have made known to me the paths of life;
you will fill me with joy in your presence.’
What did Peter do again…..
Peter quotes the Bible: Psalm 16: 8-11
And then just like we talked about a minute ago…..he brings it home to the people listening to his message….verse 29
29 “Fellow Israelites, I can tell you confidently that the patriarch David died and was buried, and his tomb is here to this day. 30 But he was a prophet and knew that God had promised him on oath that he would place one of his descendants on his throne.
31 Seeing what was to come, he spoke of the resurrection of the Messiah, that he was not abandoned to the realm of the dead, nor did his body see decay.
32 God has raised this Jesus to life, and we are all witnesses of it.
33 Exalted to the right hand of God, he has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit and has poured out what you now see and hear.
Stop there….
Peter says….
I know you were all amazed to hear us speaking all these different languages….and it does not make sense because we are ORDINARY people not linguistic scholars….
But this all happened because Jesus was raised from the dead!
And we all saw Jesus raise from the dead!
And then when Jesus ascended to heaven, which we saw in Acts chapter 1…..
Before he did that he told us he would send His Holy Spirit to us.
And this Holy Spirit, God’s Spirit, Jesus Spirit that was what was poured out on us and the Holy Spirit is what gave us the POWER to speak in your native languages!
That is literally what he is saying in verse 33……
PAUSE
Again…anyone can preach.
Anyone can open up their Bible and read it.
Anyone can then say here is how we see Jesus in this.
Anyone can say and this is how it applies to our lives.
We can ALL do this…..if we are not afraid….
PAUSE
But Peter is not done…..
34 For David did not ascend to heaven, and yet he said,
“‘The Lord said to my Lord:
“Sit at my right hand
35 until I make your enemies
a footstool for your feet.”’
That was another quote from the Bible
Peter quotes the Bible: Psalm 110:1
And again…then explains that to the people…
Verse 36…
36 “Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah.”
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?”
Pause there for a second…..
Peter was NOT afraid to speak for God.
Peter was NOT afraid to call people out for their sins.
Peter was NOT afraid to speak the truth when people did NOT want to hear it.
Peter KNEW his Bible.
Peter KNEW his God.
Peter was empowered by the Holy Spirit.
And because of that…..
People listened to him.
People listen to people who they can tell are CONVICTED by something greater than themselves.
That is why movements can TAKE OFF.
Because people want to be a part of something greater than themselves!
And when people STOP being scared and instead STAND TALL with conviction it can explode into a movement so fast!
But also understand…..just because it is a movement does not mean it is good…….there are plenty of movements that have been BAD….
And plenty that have been good….
When it comes to all things, movements, slogans, agendas…whatever……
Is we all need to MAKE SURE it is from God FIRST.
God will never call you to back a movement that goes against the teachings in the Bible….
Don’t trust people’s words alone….
Look at their actions before you jump in…
PAUSE
But these people are convicted that they are heading the wrong direction in life…..so Peter says….verse 38…..
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.”
40 With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, “Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.”
Again….he is NOT afraid to say you have to careful who you follow!
Careful who you let lead you!
Careful what movement you are behind!
Because in the context of this message….
The movement they were behind killed Jesus…
The movement he is calling them out of will mean they need to change the direction of their lives and turn and do the OPPOSITE of what they have been doing…..
And check this out…..verse 41…
41 Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day.
How many church…..
How big was the church before this sermon?
120 to 3,120….
This means in this ONE 3,000 people gave their lives to Jesus!
WOW!!!!
I cannot imagine being that good of a preacher!
I am excited when a few people give their life to Jesus when I preach!
But 3,000!!!!! In ONE DAY!!!!
Wow…..
PAUSE
And again… let me say this again…..
In Acts 1:8 we see the first call to growth for the early church….where Jesus calls them all to go witness for him in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and to the ends of the earth.
I told you as we walk through this book…..note EVERY time God talks about the church growth / size.
Acts 1:15 tells us the church started at 120.
Acts 2:41 tells us now it is 3,120.
This is important that we do NOT miss this…..because there are plenty of people who want their church to be like 100-200 people.
They want the church to be small so they know everyone.
They want to keep the church feeling comfortable to them.
And clearly, God has other plans…..
Because you and I know…..how you do church at 120….and 3,120 is VERY different!
Our church has changed a lot because we started with about 120 and now have over a thousand weekly….and things have changed…..and I think changed for the better…..
But change is hard…..
But if it is the change God wants…..while hard…..it is GOOD!
PAUSE
Peter was not a preacher.
Peter was not a pastor.
Peter was not an elder.
Peter was not a deacon.
Peter was not a priest.
Peter was not a scholar.
Peter was not a historian.
Peter was not a Bible expert.
Peter was a regular guy.
Peter was a fisherman.
Peter was an impulsive man.
Peter was a sinful man.
Peter was a husband.
Peter was like most of us in this room.
Peter was a broken person who LOVED God…..
What separates us from Peter was Peter opened himself up to God working through him without fear.
Let me pose a question to you….
What would my life look like if I tried to share God WITHOUT fear with everyone around me?
Really think about that.
How would your life look different?
If you were NOT worried about offending people for telling them that Jesus loves them and wants to be in a relationship with them…but that means some things in their life need to change…
What would your life look like if you didn’t fear losing your job more than people at your place of work potentially dying and being eternally separated from God…..
What would you life look like if you did all you could to be like Jesus at school?
PAUSE
And you might wonder…how can I…
How can I do that.
How did they do that…..
Well…..let me encourage you to keep coming back here week in and week out….because that is what you are going to learn in the weeks ahead!
We are going to see how they lived this out!
But let’s finish this chapter because we will see some of the answers your looking for right here! Verse 42….
The Fellowship of the Believers
42 They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.
How to live like an Acts 2 disciple of Jesus:
1. Devote myself to being in church and learning, coming early and staying late, eating donuts, and praying. (verse 42)
That is what we see clearly in verse 42…well maybe not the donuts but you get the idea!
Here is what you see in verse 43….
43 Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles.
How to live like an Acts 2 disciple of Jesus:
2. Choose to see God moving in my church. (verse 43)
There are so many people who go to church and just complain.
They choose NOT to see what God is doing because it isn’t what they want to happen.
We had over 70 people accept Jesus last year!
God is MOVING here!
CHOOSE to see God’s wonders!
CHOOSE to celebrate how God is moving through other people!
44 All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45 They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need.
How to live like an Acts 2 disciple of Jesus:
3. Be generous with my time, talent, and treasure. (verse 44-46)
Let me be clear this is not a call to be socialist.
This is not a call to own nothing.
This not a call to be poor.
This is a call to GET out of your house and hang out with your friends at church!
This is a call to share what God has blessed you with.
This is a call to sometimes sacrifice for the best of others.
Verse 46,
46 Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts,
The same thing we just wrote down.
They DIDN’T work and go home and watch Netflix and chill.
They hung out with their church friends.
They hung out at church.
They shared food and stories.
And because they did that….verse 47….
47 praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.
How to live like an Acts 2 disciple of Jesus:
4. Share the Good News of Jesus. (verse 47)
There you go….note there….church growth talked about by God now for the 3rd time and we are not even 3 chapters in!
Clearly, God expects His church to be a growing church….
PAUSE
Church…..I cannot wait for the day that everyone here is just so on fire for Jesus that we naturally want to be together MORE.
I cannot wait for the day that we are so on fire for Jesus that we naturally share Jesus with everyone we are with and EVERY DAY people come to know Jesus!
Anyone can Preach.
Let me give you your life application today…..and then let’s pray and ask God to help us live this out.
Life Application: Holy Spirit leads Jesus’ followers to proclaim Jesus is Lord and that salvation comes through Jesus alone. How are you doing following that leading? Share with another Christian.
Let’s Pray…..