Peter the Evangelical

Introduction

I’m going to say what many would say is a controversial if not a bad word:

Evangelical

Are you an evangelical? If so, what do you mean by that term? What makes you an evangelical?

What does it mean to be an evangelical?

Historian David Bebbington also provides a helpful summary of evangelical distinctives, identifying four primary characteristics of evangelicalism:

CONVERSIONISM the belief that lives need to be transformed through a “born-again” experience and a life long process of following Jesus

BIBLICISM a high regard for and obedience to the Bible as the ultimate authority ACTIVISM the expression and demonstration of the gospel in missionary and social reform efforts

CRUCICENTRISM a stress on the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross as making possible the redemption of humanity

These distinctives and theological convictions define us — not political, social or cultural trends. In fact, many evangelicals rarely use the term “evangelical” to describe themselves, focusing simply on the core convictions of the triune God, the Bible, faith, Jesus, salvation, evangelism and discipleship.

The survey defined evangelicals as people who strongly agreed with the following four statements:

The Bible is the highest authority for what I believe.

It is very important for me personally to encourage non-Christians to trust Jesus Christ as their Savior.

Jesus Christ’s death on the cross is the only sacrifice that could remove the penalty of my sin.

Only those who trust in Jesus Christ alone as their Savior receive God’s free gift of eternal salvation.

Peter is addressing Jews

Men of Judea, Men of Israel, Brothers.

This is a “What happened on this day in history”

today is Pentecost Sunday

Evangelicals have lives radically changed by the Spirit. (14)

Acts 2:14–42 (ESV)

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.

Peter . . . give ear to my words.

Remember, some people were mocking the believers

The last time Peter spoke to the public in Jerusalem it was to declare that he didn’t know Jesus.

Now Peter is publicly declaring who Jesus is and what he has done in Peter’s life.

Is the servant girl in the crowd?

Are some of the guards who looked cruelly at Peter to scare him into denying Jesus now listening to Peter declare allegiance to Jesus?

Peter, whose mouth often gets him into trouble is now giving a sermon that will explode the church with 3,000 new believers.

What happened to Peter? He had only recently been such a mess.

The Spirit in your life can turn your mess into a ministry.

He can take an outspoken Peter can cause him to speak out about Jesus!

That actually IS the gospel - taking the mess of our sin and transforming us such that we have a story to tell — a ministry.

Evangelicals have lives radically changed by the Spirit.(and they tell someone about it)!

How might God want to use your pain can become a platform for the gospel?

Do you have a story to tell?

Evangelicals believe the Bible is truth. (15-35)

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:

(Quotes from Joel 2, Ps 16, Ps 110)

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.’

The authority of what Peter is saying is because of the OT.

Peter is willing to make changes to his life because he understands the Bible is truth and so he reorients his life around it.

When was the last time your time with the Bible affected you in a way that you changed - started doing something, stopped doing something, etc.?

Evangelicals boldly speak Jesus.(36)

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.

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.

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.”

This had to have been offensive

There are three reasons we don’t boldly speak about Jesus- We are ashamed or we are uninformed, or we are unaffected.

ASHAMED

1 Corinthians 1:23 (ESV)

23 but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles,

Being bold doesn’t mean we need to be rude or mean or untactful.

It DOES mean we don’t stay silent simply due to fear of man.

Luke 9:26 (ESV)

26 For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words, of him will the Son of Man be ashamed when he comes in his glory and the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.

UNINFORMED

Are you gospel fluent?

UNAFFECTED

He knew they were in the last days according to Joel.

ILLUST - Americans blind to Hitler killing the Jews - going on their normal daily routines while Jews went to the furnace.

Evangelicals want people around them to believe in Jesus.

There is an urgency in Peter’s message .

Charles Spurgeon: “Every Christian is either a missionary or an imposter.”

Keith Green: “This generation of Christians is responsible for this generation of souls on the earth!”

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?”

The truth of the gospel and the work of the spirit affects the heart.

The Christian life is not an addition to your schedule or simply behavior modification, it’s a heart transplant!

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.”

Either everyone in your circles - work, family, neighbors are already believers or we need to reach them. - have you even thought about it?

41 So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls.

3000 souls!

how many know of one person who you want to see know Jesus?

do you believe the Spirit can turn your mess into a ministry to reach even 1/3000 of those that the Spirit reached on this day 2000 years ago?

Has the Spirit weakened?

Matthew 9:37–38 (ESV)

37 Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; 38 therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.”

William Booth: “Not called!’ did you say? ‘Not heard the call,’ I think you should say. Put your ear down to the Bible, and hear Him bid you go and pull sinners out of the fire of sin. Put your ear down to the burdened, agonized heart of humanity, and listen to its pitiful wail for help. Go stand by the gates of hell, and hear the damned entreat you to go to their father’s house and bid their brothers and sisters and servants and masters not come there. Then look Christ in the face — whose mercy you have professed to obey — and tell Him whether you will join heart and soul and body and circumstances in the march to publish His mercy to the world.”