Jump Start # 779

Acts 2:36 “Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.”

Today, the church family that I am a part of, is reading Acts 2. Preacher James Bales called Acts 2, “the hub of the Bible.” One finds fulfillment of Isaiah 2, Daniel 2 and Joel 2 in Acts 2. This chapter is where it begins—the first gospel sermon, the beginning of the N.T. church, and the answer to what a person must do to be right with God.

The sermon that Peter preached in Acts 2 was directed by God. It shows us how God wants preaching. There are several things to look at.

First, there is one central theme to the sermon, Jesus is the Christ. Peter shows this by the prophecies that pointed to that fact, the miracles that Jesus did, and the declaration of Jehovah. One clear, central thought. I’m sure there were many more things that audience needed to hear, but not then. Some sermons cram too much in. Some are confusing because it’s hard to find the theme. Some are like a road trip, we travel all over the map. Then there are some, like Peter’s sermon, that have one specific and central theme.

Secondly, the sermon was personal. God brought the audience into the lesson. This was not a generic rambling in which the audience could play spiritual dodge ball with the preacher. It was pointed. It begins by Peter saying, “Men of Israel, hear these words…” (22). Then Peter says, God preformed signs, wonders and miracles in YOUR midst, just as YOU know (22). Peter further states, “YOU crucified…” (23). He again said, “whom YOU crucified” (36). There was no doubt who Peter was preaching to. Such preaching is a bit too personal for many of us. We like to be kept guessing who the message is directed towards. Not this sermon from Peter. The audience knew. Peter knew.

Thirdly, the sermon caused a reaction from the audience. In the midst of Peter’s preaching, all the dots connected in their minds, and they asked out loud, “What shall we do?” (37) The passage tells us that they were cut to the heart. The words of Peter stung them. One wise preacher said, “Preaching ought to comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable.” The audience didn’t leave by saying, “Nice sermon, Peter.” Or, “I enjoyed that.” I wonder if too many are “enjoying” sermons instead of being cut to the heart. I wonder if “nice sermons” have become our way any more. Maybe the audiences do not see where they are? Maybe they are left feeling that they are nice people who worship a nice God who wants us to hear nice sermons? Maybe we’ve gotten away from cutting sermons. Sermons that hurt the soul and make us ask, “what shall we do?” I wonder if people are no longer asking questions at the end of our sermons? Have our sermons become more like college lectures where we give out neat facts and interesting tid-bits about the Bible, but the audience doesn’t realize that they need God? Preachers, including the one writing this, must think about these things.

Fourthly, Peter’s answer, God’s answer, to their question, was to repent and be baptized (38). Too few are saying that anymore. They’ve walked away from that, out grown that, and simply eliminated that from their language. The first sermon, God’s sermon, said it. Note, Peter did not say, “You don’t do anything.” There was something for them to do. Salvation is not one sided. It’s not only God. You have something you MUST do. Without your part, you can’t be saved. Without God’s part you can’t be saved. God did His part. That’s the point of Peter’s sermon. God sent Jesus. Jesus proved who He was. Jesus died and was raised according to Scripture. That’s God’s part. Our part is accepting that. Believing that. Repenting and being baptized. Preachers who leave off the repenting and being baptized, even the famous national preachers, are not saying what God wants. It’s that plain. If your preacher tells you that you don’t have to be baptized to be saved, you need to ask him why? Peter said you did. God said you did. The first sermon said you did. Who changed? It wasn’t God.

Fifthly, baptism removes sin. Baptism is parallel to what Peter tells us about Jesus. It is like a death. It is like a burial. It is like a resurrection. It is like a new life. It’s more than water. It’s more than getting wet. It’s not like swimming or taking a bath. It’s obeying God. It’s realizing, as Peter’s audience did, that they were in trouble. They needed to do something. The answer was to repent and be baptized. Their faith led them there. Their sins led them there. The preaching of Peter led them there. This is how Christians are made, plain and simple. Their faith leads them to change or repent and then they are baptized.

Listen to this: after the resurrection of Jesus, every person that was saved was first baptized. There is not one exception to that. Today, if I am a Christian, then I have been baptized, immersed, which the word means, for the forgiveness of my sins. Salvation comes AFTER baptism, not before. Peter told the audience to be baptized for the remission of sins. It’s the sins that stand between us and God. Faith, repentance and baptism is what unites us with God. If I have not been baptized, I have not removed the sins in my life and I am not a N.T. Christian. Yes, I may love the Lord. Yes, I may read the Bible every day. Yes, I may believe. But when asked what to do, Peter told them to repent and be baptized. You will notice that Lydia, Cornelius, Saul, the Corinthians, the eunuch, the Samaritans—all found in the book of Acts, were baptized to be saved. All of them. What about you?

This kind of preaching makes us uncomfortable, because it demands a response. Either, agree and do something or fight it. This kind of preaching pushes you. This kind of preaching moves you. This kind of preaching is God’s kind.

If you have questions about baptism or want more infor, contact me (Rogshouse@aol.com). Could it be that God is wanting even YOU to make a decision. What shall we do? What did they do? That’s the answer.

Roger