Friday, December 14, 2007
Christianity's First Sermon
Have you ever probed the teachings of Christianity only to become confused at the diversity of thought and doctrine? Have you wondered why there are so many different kinds of churches? Who is right and how can anyone be sure? This line of questioning is especially important with regards to salvation; how can an honest and sincere believer be sure they are bound for heaven?
Allow me to propose a very logical, simple and sure way to settle these questions: Do your own investigation. Go back to the original documents. Find out what Jesus and His disciples taught. Read what the founding fathers of Christianity had to say.
Providentially, the account of the first Christian meeting ever held was documented in great detail and went something like this: The audience was engaged. Thousands of people were attempting to get a better view of the phenomenon everyone was talking about – people were praying, acting drunk and speaking in languages they had never learned. Simon Bar Jonah was addressing the crowd and explaining how Jesus Christ, the man who had recently been crucified, was really their Messiah. Simon, who most people would later call St. Peter, was giving the very first sermon ever preached in a Christian meeting. This was the “Day of Pentecost.” This was the day God chose to pour out His Spirit. Jesus had instructed His followers to go to Jerusalem and wait for “power from on high.” (Luke 24:49) These people were experiencing the grand opening of the Christian church.
For people who are interested in getting “to the bottom of things” or back to the original Gospel, the above story is a gold mine. It is preserved in the historical book of Acts (chapter two). St. Luke, a physician, transcribed the original message that was preached by St. Peter on the day the church was started. The crux of Peter’s sermon came when his deeply convicted audience asked what they should do to be saved. Peter gave profound and concise instructions on how to be saved. He had already explained God’s role in salvation, but then he clearly outlined what someone should do if they want to be saved (born again). In addition, he promised them that God would respond to their obedience in a spectacular fashion by filling them with His Spirit.
These are the original instructions for salvation which St. Peter outlined in the first Christian sermon ever preached:
“Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.” (Acts 2:38-39)
The first altar call was truly spectacular. After that first sermon, preached by St. Peter on the day that the church was born, 3000 people responded and were baptized in Jesus’ name. In the coming days thousands more would obey and be filled with the Holy Spirit, evidenced by speaking in “other tongues.” Two thousand years later, after much politics, many doctrinal statements and revisions, there are many people who prefer the original salvation message - a message that has not been tampered with or complicated. Many people still baptize in Jesus’ name and receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit, just like Peter and the disciples did. It’s original, and it is powerful!
Allow me to propose a very logical, simple and sure way to settle these questions: Do your own investigation. Go back to the original documents. Find out what Jesus and His disciples taught. Read what the founding fathers of Christianity had to say.
Providentially, the account of the first Christian meeting ever held was documented in great detail and went something like this: The audience was engaged. Thousands of people were attempting to get a better view of the phenomenon everyone was talking about – people were praying, acting drunk and speaking in languages they had never learned. Simon Bar Jonah was addressing the crowd and explaining how Jesus Christ, the man who had recently been crucified, was really their Messiah. Simon, who most people would later call St. Peter, was giving the very first sermon ever preached in a Christian meeting. This was the “Day of Pentecost.” This was the day God chose to pour out His Spirit. Jesus had instructed His followers to go to Jerusalem and wait for “power from on high.” (Luke 24:49) These people were experiencing the grand opening of the Christian church.
For people who are interested in getting “to the bottom of things” or back to the original Gospel, the above story is a gold mine. It is preserved in the historical book of Acts (chapter two). St. Luke, a physician, transcribed the original message that was preached by St. Peter on the day the church was started. The crux of Peter’s sermon came when his deeply convicted audience asked what they should do to be saved. Peter gave profound and concise instructions on how to be saved. He had already explained God’s role in salvation, but then he clearly outlined what someone should do if they want to be saved (born again). In addition, he promised them that God would respond to their obedience in a spectacular fashion by filling them with His Spirit.
These are the original instructions for salvation which St. Peter outlined in the first Christian sermon ever preached:
“Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.” (Acts 2:38-39)
The first altar call was truly spectacular. After that first sermon, preached by St. Peter on the day that the church was born, 3000 people responded and were baptized in Jesus’ name. In the coming days thousands more would obey and be filled with the Holy Spirit, evidenced by speaking in “other tongues.” Two thousand years later, after much politics, many doctrinal statements and revisions, there are many people who prefer the original salvation message - a message that has not been tampered with or complicated. Many people still baptize in Jesus’ name and receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit, just like Peter and the disciples did. It’s original, and it is powerful!
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