One of the best ways to become good at something is to study those who were good before you.
As a college baseball player, I wanted to be the best hitter possible, so I studied good hitters. I spent countless hours watching the swings of professional hitters. I watched their hand placement, their legs, their load, their hip placement at the point of contact, and their follow-through. Then, I would video my own swing and strive to emulate every small detail of their swing.
I believe the same principle should apply to our evangelism. If we want to be good preachers, we need to studygood preachers. If we want to communicate the gospel well, we need to look at others who communicated the gospel well. If we want to lead others to Jesus, it would serve us best to study what the early church did in leading others to Jesus.
So, for the next few weeks, we will do just that. We will examine how the early church talked about Jesus so that we can hopefully become better at talking about Jesus.
Now, if I can, I want to be honest and transparent with you for a moment. No one needs this series more than I do. My heart has become calloused and hard toward the call to share the gospel with the lost… and I’m tired of it. I’m tired of the complacency I’ve fallen into when it comes to sharing my faith. I’m tired of feeling like a wall has built up in my vocal cords, preventing me from talking about the most fantastic news in the world.
So, this series is for me more than anyone else in this room today. This series is for your pastor who has grown comfortable with not sharing the gospel. This series is for your pastor who has seemingly lost his zeal for seeing the lost come to know Christ. This series is for your pastor who has grown indifferent to the reality that there are people around him each and every day who do not know Jesus.
The aim of this series is to wake up my sleeping heart, giving me a fresh longing to see the lost come to know Christ through my own gospel proclamation. And, maybe, just maybe, if you’re like me, you need this series to pry your mouths open, too. Perhaps the Holy Spirit will stir up our stagnant hearts to shout from the rooftops the goodness of the Lord!
Romans 10:9-10 says, “If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.”
In these two verses, we find belief and confession go hand in hand. When it comes to salvation, you cannot have one without the other. All who are saved will cling to the truth of the resurrection with their heart and declare their allegiance to Jesus with their tongue. And to declare your allegiance to Jesus with your tongue is to live out your allegiance with your life.
So, it’s essential for us to understand that there are two camps of people in here today: those who have done this and those who have not, those who believe and those who do not, those who have embraced Jesus and those who have rejected Jesus, those who confess him as Lord and those who confess him as fool.
In our passage today, we will find Peter drawing his audience to face this reality head-on. His audience has witnessed the crucifixion and is aware of the resurrection. But they haven’t embraced the fact that God raised him from the dead. They haven’t declared him their Lord and Savior.
At the start of chapter 1, Jesus had ascended and returned to the Father's right hand. The early church, which consisted of 120 people, had just replaced Judas with Matthias. Now, at the start of chapter 2, we find the Holy Spirit falling on the early church on the day of Pentecost. A loud sound like a mighty rushing wind came down from heaven, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. Filled with the Holy Spirit, they began to speak in tongues, meaning they spoke in languages other people could understand.
***Pentecost was a pilgrimage feast, which meant Jewish men were commanded to travel to Jerusalem to worship God. It was primarily a celebration of their harvest, where God’s people would bring the first fruits of their harvest as a thanksgiving offering to God. This is why, as we see in verses 5-11, there were devout men from every nation under heaven dwelling in Jerusalem at this time.
When this diverse and large crowd of people heard the loud commotion, they came together and were amazed at how the church spoke in their native language. They said, “[7] Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? [8] And how is it that we hear, each of us, in his own native language? [11]…We hear them telling in our own tongues the mighty works of God.”
Please don’t miss how the first visible fruit of the Holy Spirit’s presence within the early church was the church proclaiming God's mighty works. I believe this tells us two things: (1) evangelism is a church wide call that has been a part of the church, and (2) the aim of our evangelism is God’s glory.
Right from the start, with no training and only the Holy Spirit, the church begins to proclaim God's mighty works. And they’re effective! Sure, Peter will stand up and preach in a moment. But, before Peter ever preaches, the church declares the mighty works of God, and they have their audience's ear!
You don’t have to have a degree in theology to effectively declare God's mighty works, and you don’t have to have a degree in cultural engagement to effectively engage the culture! The Holy Spirit will bridge gaps we cannot bridge. There are divisions in this world that we cannot overcome on our own effort: language barriers, racial barriers, social barriers, etc. But these barriers are not barriers to God. The Holy Spirit opens doors we cannot open, and he closes doors we cannot close. He equips us to do things we cannot do, He calls us to people we cannot reach, and he accomplishes things we cannot accomplish. And he will always lead us to seek the glory of God over the glory of self. The more full of the Holy Spirit we become, the greater God will become in our speech.
PRAYER: Holy Spirit, lead us to those who need to hear of your mighty works. Holy Spirit, help us to speak of your mighty works in power.
The early church shouted God's goodness in languages they didn’t know, which led to everyone being amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, “What does this mean?” But, as we see in verse 13, others were also mocking them by saying, “They are filled with new wine.”
Many were amazed; some were not. Many inquired, some mocked. So, a Holy Spirit-filled life will undoubtedly lead to some of the world mocking you. As you tell the world of God’s goodness, some will call you foolish. Some respond in belief, while others will react with unbelief. And the temptation will be to allow the fear of striking out to keep you from playing the game. The temptation is to allow the possibility of being mocked to keep you from sharing your faith.
As I’ve assessed my heart some this week, I think this could be an underlying contributor to why I’ve grown silent in my preaching of the gospel. I’ve grown afraid of mockery. I’ve grown to love my own reputation more than I love the reputation of Jesus. I’m more consumed with the glory of Ryan than the glory of Ryan’s Savior and Lord. Therefore, I do not share with others the glory of Jesus.
But this isn’t the case for Peter. The man who once denied Jesus three times is now facing opposition head-on. Peter stands up instead of sitting down. Alongside the apostles, he stands up and addresses the large crowd. He says,
“[14] But Peter, standing with the eleven, lifted up his voice and addressed them: “Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and give ear to my words. [15] For these people are not drunk, as you suppose, since it is only the third hour of the day. [16] But this is what was uttered through the prophet Joel:
[17] “‘And in the last days it shall be, God declares,
that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh,
and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,
and your young men shall see visions,
and your old men shall dream dreams;
[18] even on my male servants and female servants
in those days I will pour out my Spirit, and they shall prophesy.
[19] And I will show wonders in the heavens above
and signs on the earth below,
blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke;
[20] the sun shall be turned to darkness
and the moon to blood,
before the day of the Lord comes, the great and magnificent day.
[21] And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.’
[22] “Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with mighty works and wonders and signs that God did through him in your midst, as you yourselves know—[23] this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men. [24] God raised him up, loosing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it. [25] For David says concerning him,
“‘I saw the Lord always before me,
for he is at my right hand that I may not be shaken;
[26] therefore my heart was glad, and my tongue rejoiced;
my flesh also will dwell in hope.
[27] For you will not abandon my soul to Hades,
or let your Holy One see corruption.
[28] You have made known to me the paths of life;
you will make me full of gladness with your presence.’
[29] “Brothers, I may say to you with confidence about the patriarch David that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. [30] Being therefore a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that he would set one of his descendants on his throne, [31] he foresaw and spoke about the resurrection of the Christ, that he was not abandoned to Hades, nor did his flesh see corruption. [32] This Jesus God raised up, and of that we all are witnesses. [33] Being therefore exalted at the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this that you yourselves are seeing and hearing. [34] For David did not ascend into the heavens, but he himself says,
“‘The Lord said to my Lord,
“Sit at my right hand,
[35] until I make your enemies your footstool.”’
[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.”
[37] Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” [38] And Peter said to them, “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] For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself.” [40] And with many other words he bore witness and continued to exhort them, saying, “Save yourselves from this crooked generation.” [41] So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls.”
You could safely argue that this is one of the most powerful messages ever preached. It’s the instrument God chose to use to explode the early church, going from 120 to 3,000 members in one day. As you closely look at the bones of this message, you will begin to realize that its power resides in the Scripture it quotes. After all, God's word—not man's word— is as sharp as a double-edged sword. The power of evangelism comes from God’s word, not human eloquence. In simpler terms, telling others about Jesus gets its power from the Bible, not our fancy words.
Human charm and clever speech can cultivate a large following, but they cannot awaken a dead heart to life. What awakens a heart to life is not the persuasiveness of the messenger, but the authority of the message, the living and breathing Word of life. It is not polished speech that saves, but the proclaimed Word of God that pierces the heart. So, as a preacher, the further I drift from the Bible, the duller my words will become. But the closer I get to the Bible, the sharper my words will become. As someone seeking to share your faith with others, the further you drift from the Bible, the duller your words will become. But the closer you get to the Bible, the sharper they will become.
In addressing the crowd, Peter quotes three different Old Testament Scriptures to drive home the point he’s seeking to make.
He quoted Joel 2:28-32 to explain the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. In doing so, he’s combating the accusation that they’re drunk. He’s saying that the actions of the church weren’t a byproduct of early alcoholic consumption; they were a fulfillment of God’s promise. They weren’t drunk with wine; they were filled with the Spirit, just as the Scriptures promised.
He quoted Psalm 16:8-11 to show that the Messiah would not see decay. In simpler terms, the resurrection was always going to come. Here, Peter is arguing that David’s words couldn’t simply be about himself. David died and was buried, and his body decayed. Therefore, David had to be prophesying about a greater Holy One who would one day come and not be abandoned to the grave. Peter is saying that Jesus is the fulfillment of Psalm 16. He is pointing to the cross, highlighting it as a moment foreknown by God. And he is pointing past it to the resurrection, highlighting it as a moment foreknown by God. He wanted his audience to know that the Scriptures foretold Jesus’ death and resurrection.
Then he stacked an extra layer on Psalm 16 by quoting Psalm 110:1 to declare Jesus’ exaltation and authority. Jesus is the risen Lord and Savior seated at the Father's right hand. Jesus is the Lord that the LORD said, “Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool.” So, Jesus’ death and resurrection are essential. But, so, too, is his ascension. Jesus is reigning and ruling at the right hand of the Father right now at this very moment.
So, if the power of evangelism comes from God’s Word, we should rightly conclude that as we share our faith, it is good to have our Bibles open. We don’t want to convince people of our opinions; we want to convince them of what the Bible says about Jesus. The Bible is the source of truth; therefore, it is the source of the message we proclaim.
But let’s be reasonable for a moment. It takes time to reach a place where you can sit down with someone with an open Bible to explain the Bible. Most evangelistic conversations are impromptu. They occur in our break room at work or next to the treadmill at the gym. So, the best evangelists have the Scriptures written on their hearts. The best evangelists spend time studying, meditating, and memorizing the Scriptures. When we’re cut, we want to bleed Scripture. We want the word of God to be written so much on our hearts that it effortlessly oozes out of us at all times. If and when the Holy Spirit opens up a door for us to proclaim the gospel, we want to be ready to proclaim the gospel. So, may we work to get to a place where a lack of preparation is never the reason for a lack of proclamation. May we work to get to a place where a lack of evangelism doesn’t stem from a lack of knowledge.
The best evangelists are the best students. They are those who simply want to know Jesus deeply and personally and who want to share that with others. Therefore, behind every minute spent sharing the gospel are countless hours spent in communion with God, abiding in him.
Notice the centrality of Jesus in Peter’s testimony. His message is biblically sound and Christ-centered. As he speaks about Scripture, he points to Jesus. Faithful exposition of the Bible means seeing Jesus in the Bible. Peter didn’t preach to the crowd that the Psalms were about them, that they would rise above their enemies and reign victorious. He preached to the crowd that the one they crucified on the cross is the one who would rise from the dead, ascend to the right hand of the Father, and reign victorious over all. Jesus is the fulfillment of the Scriptures. He is the one by whom all of the prophecies ring true. Therefore, if our conversations surrounding Scripture don’t center around Jesus, we’ve missed the point of the Scriptures we’re discussing.
At the heart of our evangelism is a desire to introduce people to the truth about Jesus… for the glory of Jesus. We want to introduce people to who Jesus is, what he did, why it matters, and the call to repent and believe. His life, death, resurrection, and ascension are all essential components of the gospel. And as Peter shines the light on these things, he exposes the crowd as guilty sinners. In verse 36, he says, “Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.” And when the crowd heard this, “they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, ‘Brothers, what shall we do?’”
As we tell others about Jesus, we have to be willing to address sin. When we address sin, we want to create a space where people are welcomed to repentance. We want to cultivate a church culture that welcomes repentance, the turning from sin, and we have to understand that repentance is a public activity. With repentance comes private conviction of sin, which is followed by public confession of sin and public baptism for the forgiveness of our sins.
Evangelism is not a tool to make you look better. It is a humble declaration of God’s goodness. It is an open invitation for sinners like you to come to the risen Savior and experience forgiveness of sin.