One of the most remarkable things about the Book of Acts is the complete transition that the original disciples go through. Fifty days prior to the Day of Pentecost, they were a bunch of bewildered believers whose leader had been executed. They hid for their very lives and hoped to get out of Jerusalem safely. They were the biggest bunch of losers on the planet. All that they probably wished for was to get back home and put all of this “Jesus the Christ” stuff out of their lives forever.
And then the First Easter occurred which changed them completely, to be quickly followed by this amazing Day of Pentecost. These losers are now the biggest winners on the planet because they have hit the spiritual jackpot. They are filled with the power and presence of the Holy Spirit. They speak in other languages and rush out from the Upper room into the busy streets of Jerusalem to begin their own ministries for Christ.
And the biggest loser of all, Simon Peter the Fisherman, who recently had been scared out of his senses by the accusations of a young maid which caused him to curse and deny being associated with Jesus, was now on point duty for the group and fearlessly preaching a courageous message. He was no longer just a fisherman, he had become The Sermonator! His life was not about catching fish anymore, but now it was about preaching the gospel and catching/fishing for the souls of people, just as Christ had prophesied three years ago.
It’s also important to note that the first work, the first act of ministry of Christ’s Church comes through a sermon. Throughout the centuries, the sermon has been the human vehicle for getting God’s Word out to the world. Peter begins a Christian process that will have a dynamic impact on the lives of billions of people across the ages. Without sermons, the Church would never have been known throughout the Roman Empire. Without preachers like Peter and Paul, people would never have known about salvation from Christ. Even our own Reformed denomination without the fiery sermons of Luther, the doctrinal preaching of Calvin, and the uncompromising messages of John Knox, would never have started or continued.
These days, it’s quite easy to debunk preachers and belittle sermons. Some say its old fashioned, irrelevant, and a poor way to communicate God’s truth. Some people complain that preachers preach too long, go off on tangents, and talk about obscure theological points that no one ever thinks about these days. Sermons were good for Paul and Silas, Peter and the rest of Christ’s gang, but this is the 21st century, so you can email me, IM me, text me, tweet me, facebook me, and even skype me, but for goodness sake minister, don’t ever preach to me!
And yet, God will continue to use this archaic, old-fashioned, and unsophisticated method to touch the hearts of millions of people throughout this planet today. In African mission huts and American mega churches, the Gospel will be preached. In small adobe churches of South America and medieval cathedrals across Europe, Christ will be proclaimed. In the illegal house churches of China and on street corners in busy metropolitan areas, God’s word will be actively expressed through sermons. Don’t ever underestimate the spoken power of Christ’s church on Earth. The world may want preachers and sermons to go away, but men and women across this planet will forever speak the truth of the gospel and of salvation through Jesus Christ alone, even though their hearts will be pounding and their voices shaking.
So what does Peter preach? How does it relate to his listeners? And what kind of message can we glean from this sermon today?
Firstly, Peter begins by refuting the claims that he and the disciples are drunk. “Don’t be absurd,” he more or less tells them. “It’s only nine in the morning. We are not drunk with the spirit of alcohol; we are filled with the Holy Spirit.”
And then Peter relates what he has just said with an 800 year old prophecy. The prophecy was first spoken by the ancient prophet Joel, who exclusively preached to the people and region around Jerusalem. The prophecy was first proclaimed when the land of Judah was plagued by locusts, sickness, and famine. The people believed that they had offended God by breaking his covenant with them, and so they were being punished for their sins. Joel’s role was to call them back to God through a time of repentance, which would lead to a new covenant with God and a fresh start for everyone.
The citizens of Jerusalem were very familiar with this prophecy, so Peter is claiming its fulfillment in what happened on that Day of Pentecost. He is saying to the crowd that the Holy Spirit can be poured out upon them too, and that they will prophesy, dream dreams and cast visions. This will happen if they will open their hearts and minds to what Peter has to preach, as well as receiving what the Spirit has to give.
When we first began to talk about renovating this church building that we all love dearly, we were all fearful about the process. We’d never done anything like this before and there were times when it felt as though the whole project would fall through because the burden seem greater than we could carry. But as time went on, we began to realize that this was God’s work for our generation, and that no matter how overwhelming it felt to us, God was and is more than able to carry us through this renovation, reconstruction, and renewal.
I don’t know about you, but each Sunday my heart soars as more parts of this project are completed. Through God’s favor, we are rebuilding this place and more people are coming to see what’s going on. As we add walls and rooms, we also grow in God’s Word and Spirit. As we reconstruct the entrance, we are also rebuilding our faith. It’s not only the pouring out of the concrete that is changing us, it’s the outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon us. I talk to you constantly about the old Greek word ‘epiklesis’ which is the sanctifying of the church through the gracious presence of the Holy Spirit. Well, look all around you inside and outside of this sanctuary – you’re seeing epiklesis in action – you’re witnessing a sanctifying by the Holy Spirit before your very eyes!
As Peter ends the first part of his sermon, he quotes Joel’s words, “Everyone who calls on the Name of the Lord will be saved.” This touches upon one of the biggest questions that people all over the world express: “Do we all go to heaven when we die?” Surely if this is a prophecy which has been fulfilled at the first Christian Pentecost, then it must mean that everyone is saved.
But if we play close attention to the words, we will realize that salvation only comes to those who know the Name of the Lord. You cannot call out that Name without knowing who to call. Or as that other courageous preacher in Acts once wrote in his letter to the Romans:
How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can they preach unless they are sent?
How can they hear without someone preaching to them? And what is the Name of the Lord? Simon Peter, the Big Fisherman and Great Sermonator, will explain it to us next week. To paraphrase the words of the Governor of California: “He’ll be back!”
Links
Biography on Saint Peter
History of Book of Joel
What is a sermon?
Home Study and Personal Reflections
1. What made Peter stand up in front of the people in Jerusalem and preach?
2. Why are sermons used by God to convey His message to people?
3. What is the best sermon that you have ever heard? How does it affect your life today?
4. What vision do you have for your life? What dreams are being realized at the church?
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