Peters First Sermon And Best

Reading: Acts chapter 2 verses 12-37.

• If you want to embarrass a preacher:

• Just ask him how the first sermon he ever preached went.

• Most of can remember it well, because it was not a very enjoyable experience!!!

• Often during a preachers first sermon he is very, very nervous.

• Often you get very tongue-tied.

• Often you feels that you are the wrong person in the wrong place.

Quote: Revd W A Spooner, the English scholar who died in 1930,

• He was reputed to have had a dreadful habit;

• Of confusing his message in the process of giving it:

(a).

• At a wedding he told the groom, 'It is kistomary to cuss the bride.'

• Calling on the dean of Christ Church he asked the secretary; 'Is the bean dizzy?"

(b).

• Giving the eulogy at a clergyman's funeral, he praised his departed colleague as;

• “A shoving leopard to his flock.”

(c). In a sermon he warned his congregation

• “There is no peace in a home where a dinner swells'.

• Meaning, of courses 'where a sinner dwells”'

(d). Speaking to a group of farmers:

• Spooner intended to greet them as “sons of toil,”

• But what came out was. "I see before me tons of soil.”

ill:

• Preacher who asked his wife: “Should I have put more fire into my sermon”,

• Wife replied: “You should have put more of your sermon in the fire”.

ill:

• Welsh Preacher worked himself into a frenzy while preaching on Psalm 42:

• “As the deer pants for the water, so my soul thirsts after you”.

• As he continued he cried:

• “Yes, brothers & sisters, it’s your pants that he wants!”.

In Acts chapter 2, Peter gave his first sermon:

• However, I believe this sermon was his best,

• And certainly his most influential.

• It ignited a flame that would spread across the whole world,

• With the message of Christ

(1). The Context of Peter's Sermon:

(1). Waiting for the Spirit (ch 1 vs 8):

• The disciples were told by Jesus to "Go into all........." but first to "wait in Jerusalem".

• The reason they were to wait, was to receive the gift of the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:8)

• Because Jesus had now ascended back to the Father in heaven (Acts 1:9).

• The disciples would need another helper here with them on earth.

• In the Old Testament the Holy Spirit came upon people for a while, then left.

• But now, it's different when he comes upon a person he will stay with that person ever.

In Acts chapter 2 verse 5 that promise was fulfilled:

• The disciples (120 new Christians) were filled with the Holy Spirit,

• And they started praising God in different languages that they had not learnt.

• Worth noting: In verses 6 & 8 the word "Tongue" is used by some translations,

• It is Greek word "Dialektos" which refers to a known language of a country.

(2). Worshipping the Lord (verse 11).

• What the 120 new Christians were doing; they were not preaching the gospel,

• They were "Declaring the wonders of God". That is praising God.

• And this caused a reaction from the crowds;

• Who heard the noise and were drawn towards them,

• Verse 5 says they were "Bewildered", Verse 7: "Utterly amazed",

• Verse 12 "Amazed & perplexed".

(3). Witnessing to the people (verse 14).

• Peter who was filled with the Holy Spirit;

• Then turned this situation into an evangelistic opportunity:

• In the book of Acts whenever someone is filled with the Holy Spirit;

• It is always leads on to evangelism!

• Worship may have been the bait that attracted the crowds attention,

• But it was the gospel that contained the hook that brought folks to Christ!

(2). Analysis of Peter's Sermon:

ill:

• An elderly man stopped at a hearing aid centre and asked about prices.

• “We have them from £25,000 down to £1.50,” the salesman said.

• “What’s the £25,000 one like?”

• “Well it translates three languages.”

• “And what about the one for $1.50?”

• “It’s this button attached to a string,” said the salesman, pushing it across the counter.

• “How does it work?” replied the customer.

• “It doesn’t” replied the salesman;

• “But if you put the button in your ear and the string in your pocket,

• You’ll be surprised how loud people will talk.”

• Peter did not need to shout to be an effective communicator.

• Let’s look at some basic principles in communicating.

(a). His sermon is Down to Earth.

(1ST). PETER'S SERMON IS SIMPLE!

• As a preacher there is no merit in trying to be deep and complicated.