Peter's Pentecost Sermon

Order of Service

• Call to Worship — Psalm 105:1-4
• Hymn
• Prayer of Invocation
• Confession of Faith — Luther's Shorter Catechism
• Scripture Reading — 2 Samuel 19:16-30
• Pastoral Prayer
• Offering
• Hymn
• Hymn
• Sermon
• Hymn — May the Mind of Christ My Savior
• Benediction — Numbers 6:24-26
• Doxology

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Sermon Title: Peter's Pentecost Sermon

Scripture: Acts 2:25-41

I. Receive the Promise by Knowing Christ

A. Peter establishes that David's words in the Psalm are not about David himself

1. David is dead and buried; his tomb is visible outside Jerusalem (Acts 2:29)
2. The Jews believed in the infallibility of Scripture — it does not contradict itself
3. Therefore David could not have been writing about himself in Psalm 16; he was writing about another

B. David's words point forward to the resurrection of Christ (Acts 2:27)

1. God promised David that one of his descendants would reign on his throne forever (Acts 2:30)
2. To reign forever one cannot remain dead
3. Jesus, the only descendant of David whose body did not see decay, is the clear fulfillment of this promise (Acts 2:31-32)

C. Christ has been exalted and has poured out the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:33)

1. Jesus ascended and was seated at the right hand of the Father
2. Jesus told his disciples it was good that he go away, so the Helper would come
3. The outpouring of the Spirit at Pentecost is visible proof of Christ's lordship and resurrection
4. We can know Christ even without seeing him, because his Spirit testifies to his resurrection and lordship

D. Our hope rests on the empty tomb (Acts 2:26)

1. David looked forward with gladness to the resurrection of his descendant
2. We look back on the empty tomb and rejoice with the same hope
3. As Jesus was raised, so too shall we be raised if we receive the promise

II. Receive the Promise by Being Baptized into Christ

A. The crowd's response and Peter's call (Acts 2:37-38)

1. Hearing Peter's sermon, they were cut to the heart and asked, "What shall we do?"
2. Peter's answer: repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins

B. The two aspects of baptism

1. The outward physical sign — sprinkling or pouring of water in the name of the Trinity — marks membership in the new covenant community and is a call to righteous living
2. The inward reality — the Holy Spirit present in the believer by faith — is what the outward sign points to
3. The outward sign becomes inward reality through repentance and faith, itself a gift of God

C. Baptism corresponds to circumcision in the Old Testament

1. Paul in Colossians teaches that Spirit-baptism unites us with Christ in his death and resurrection
2. The sign is applied to us by another, not by ourselves — we do not baptize ourselves

D. The promise extends to the children of believers (Acts 2:39)

1. Peter quotes the covenant promise given to Abraham: "for you and for your children"
2. In the Old Testament, the covenant sign was applied to the sons of covenant members; in the New Testament it is broadened to include both male and female children
3. Jesus taught that the kingdom of heaven belongs to little children
4. Presbyterian view distinguished from Roman Catholic: baptism by water points to regeneration but does not in itself effect regeneration — children must still personally cash the check by faith
5. The unbelief of those who receive the sign does not invalidate the promise of God (cf. Ishmael receiving circumcision)
6. Baptism is a serious covenant bond: faithfulness brings blessing; covenant-breaking brings greater judgment

E. The promise extends to those who are far off (Acts 2:39)

1. In the immediate context, Peter addresses Jews scattered across the nations gathered at Pentecost
2. As Acts unfolds, the promise goes to Samaritans and then to the Gentiles
3. The gospel goes indiscriminately to every nation, tribe, and tongue — no one nation holds special status before God
4. The vast majority of Christians today are the children of Christians, a fruit of the promise going forth across generations