6 September 2024

In an age when preaching has been downgraded, alternatives have been sought to fill ‘the sermon slot’ and ministers are no longer more highly educated than the general population and less well educated than some, it is refreshing to see that in the early church, preaching was  an effective vehicle for the work of God.

It was also a dangerous occupation for his ministers! Perhaps the minister needs to recover this frisson of danger in her preaching in order that the sermon may become a more powerful instrument of God’s grace? Certainly the preaching of Peter and Paul in Acts has the power to arrest attention, change hearts and build up the Church.

Consider an example – the first sermon which Peter preaches on the day of Pentecost. It’s the first of many powerful sermons preached in the Church throughout the past two thousand years.  He begins with an opening illustration and a text.

The illustration is of immediate significance to his listeners. Are the disciples drunk with wine or the Spirit? And the text? It’s from the prophet Joel. ‘I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh and your sons and daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions and your old men shall dream dreams.’

The heart of the sermon is simple enough – the life, death and resurrection of Jesus. And it gains authority from some more references  from Scripture. This time, it’s the book of Psalms. The sermon ends with a call to repentance and baptism.

This is not without its benefits. Two in particular – the forgiveness of sins and the gift of the Holy Spirit. They are not exclusive gifts for adults for ‘the promise is for you, for your children and for all who are far away, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to him.’ At  the end of this sermon, three thousand people were convinced.

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