Acts 2 is an amazing sermon, and not for the obvious reasons.

Obvious reasons? Oh, there are tons.

The question was answered. Every crowd has a question. Everyone is thinking of it, but no one has articulated it. There were two questions. First, what the heck is going on in your prayer meeting? Then Peter seized the other question that had been rattling around in hearts for six weeks: who was this Jesus we killed?

The answer grasped the will. Peter didn’t give information, he appealed to the emotions and to the will. He romanced them with the prophecy of Joel, and endeared them to the current experience of the Spirit. Then he defined Jesus with the punch line: God came, and you killed him, so deal with it.

Peter also used a little humor. He reasoned. He was agile like a boxer. In all, the sermon was a ten out of ten. It became the model for all Christian preaching.

But what made this message amazing was the lack of time Peter had to prepare it. Pentecost happened, people asked questions, and suddenly Peter was standing in front of the microphone to explain. This proves how much Jesus has to say and how much the Holy Spirit can help us to say it.

Application
Peter’s sermon is evidence that most of good preaching comes from God and not from us. The most important preparation Peter had done for the message was 3 years with Jesus followed with 10 days of prayer. When the moment came, the message flowed. Preaching is not the fruit of an intellectual pursuit. Preaching is the overflow of a journey through a leader.

Prayer
Father, preach through me this Sunday. It’s been a little rusty getting this one out of the scabbard. Please speak through me. Amen.