Intro to Acts 2:14-21

 

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 7/19/2017 12:55 PM

My Worship Time                                                                              Focus:  Intro to Acts 2:14-21

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                 Reference:  Acts 2:14-21

            Message of the verses:  “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 men 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.’”

            We have been talking about Biblical preaching as seen in the verses above.  John MacArthur writes:  “The content of biblical preaching can be summed up in two Greek words:  kerugma and didache.  Kerugma derives from the verb kerusso, which means ‘to proclaim,’ or ‘to announce a proclamation.’  At least five elements make up the New Testament kerugma.  First, it presented Jesus as the fulfillment of the Old Testament prophecy.  Second, it described Him as God in human flesh.  Third, it focused on His life and work, especially His death and resurrection.  Fourth, it spoke of His second coming.  Finally it declared that salvation was only through faith in Him, and that those who rejected Him as Lord and Savior would be eternally damned.

            “In addition to kerugma, or proclamation, true biblical preaching must also contain didache, or teaching.  Didache, from which the English word ‘didactic’ derives, refers to the doctrinal content within the preaching of the kerugma.  The epistles are largely composed of this theology of salvation that provides the depth and breadth and height of preaching.  True preaching is proclaiming the great truths and undergirding them with the richness of the supernatural profound wisdom revealed throughout Scripture, particularly the New Testament.  There is no such thing as genuine biblical preaching that is devoid of doctrinal content.”

            Now as we go through the book of Acts we will see that frequently it will record that men were persuaded to believe and then be redeemed by the preaching that the Apostles did.  This of course began with Peter’s sermon in Acts chapter two, and then there are many other examples of this going on throughout the book of Acts.  In the last half of Acts we see this comes from Paul’s preaching and even while he was in prison in Rome Paul kept up his ministry of preaching and also persuading men:

23 When they had set a day for Paul, they came to him at his lodging in large numbers; and he was explaining to them by solemnly testifying about the kingdom of God and trying to persuade them concerning Jesus, from both the Law of Moses and from the Prophets, from morning until evening. 24 Some were being persuaded by the things spoken, but others would not believe (Acts 28:23-24).”

            John MacArthur writes “The use of the term ‘persuaded’ suggest the apostolic preaching had both a logical flow and doctorial content.  And Paul affirmed that saving faith comes by hearing a message about Christ (Rom. 10:17).

            “Before launching into the main body of his sermon, Peter discusses what is immediately on the people’s minds—the phenomena of Pentecost.  He begins by giving a refutation of the scurrilous charge of drunkenness.  Then he offers and explanation of Pentecost based on Old Testament prophecy.”

Answer to yesterday’s Bible question:  “Jesus” (Mark 10:18).

Today’s Bible question:  “Of what country was Shalmanneser king?”

Answer in our next SD.

7/19/2017 1:21 PM