What is Christianity About?
A Sermon on Acts 2:32
Originally preached April 14, 1963
Scripture
32This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses.
Sermon Description
The message that the apostle Peter preached on the day of Pentecost was the message of salvation in Jesus Christ, the crucified Messiah. He did not try to preach what he thought his audience wanted to hear, but he proclaimed Christ Jesus as Savior who died for the sins of the world. In this sermon on Acts 2:32 titled “What is Christianity About?” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones shows how Peter, like the other apostles, preached the need of repentance and faith in the Lord Jesus as the only way of salvation and reconciliation with God. The message was authenticated by the facts of the resurrection. The very same Jesus who rose from the dead commissioned the disciples to take the gospel to every corner of the earth. This is the message that all are faced with because to reject it is to reject God’s only Son and the only Savior of the world. To reject this message is to be damned forever under the wrath of God. This is why it is so necessary to believe and be saved from the great day of God’s wrath. It is this message that is the only hope for sinners, and that is why it is so important that the church take the gospel to all people.
Sermon Breakdown
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The sermon text is Acts 2:32 - "This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses."
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The sermon was preached by Peter on the day of Pentecost.
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It is important to study this sermon because it is the first sermon preached by the Christian church. It tells us what the message of Christianity really is.
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There is confusion today about what Christianity really is. This sermon provides clarity.
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The sermon does not speculate about God's nature or try to please the audience. Peter preaches with boldness, assurance and certainty.
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The sermon content focuses on facts, reports of facts, Old Testament quotations and exposition of those quotations.
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The sermon does not start with modern secular man and try to conform to his knowledge and mentality.
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The sermon proclaims the truth and does not speculate.
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The sermon expounds the Old Testament and reports the facts of the Gospels and Acts.
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The sermon blends the Old Testament and the New Testament, showing how they support each other.
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The message of the sermon is that God has revealed Himself to man through the patriarchs, Moses and the prophets.
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God created the nation of Israel to speak to the world. He gave revelations of Himself to the prophets.
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The prophets did not arrive at a notion of God through their own wisdom. God spoke and they reported what He said.
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God revealed His being, character, glory, holiness, justice, righteousness and love. He also revealed the truth about man's sin and condemnation.
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God promised to send a deliverer to redeem mankind. This was prophesied throughout the Old Testament.
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The sermon proclaims that this deliverer has come. The prophecies have been fulfilled in Jesus of Nazareth.
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The resurrection of Jesus proves that He is the promised Messiah. Peter expounds Psalm 16 as a prophecy of the resurrection.
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The resurrection convinced the disciples that Jesus is the Son of God. They were witnesses to the resurrection.
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If the resurrection is rejected, there is no reason to believe anything else about Jesus. The Gospels come from the apostles who witnessed the resurrection.
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Jesus was crucified by wicked men according to the predetermined plan of God. He is God's Christ and the way of salvation.
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Jesus is now seated at the right hand of God as Lord of the universe. All authority and judgment has been given to Him.
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Jesus will return to judge the world and divide people into heaven or hell. There is only one way to be saved - to call upon the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.
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Peter calls the people to repent, believe the facts about Jesus and call upon His name to be saved. 3000 people were saved.
Sermon Q&A
What Was Peter's First Sermon About on the Day of Pentecost?
Based on Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones' sermon, I'll answer this important question about the first apostolic sermon in church history.
What was the central message of Peter's sermon on the day of Pentecost?
According to Dr. Lloyd-Jones, Peter's sermon on Pentecost (Acts 2) was not speculative philosophy about God but a bold proclamation of facts. The central message was that Jesus of Nazareth, whom they had crucified, had been raised from the dead by God, proving He was both Lord and Christ (Messiah). Peter proclaimed that Jesus was the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies about the coming deliverer.
Why does Dr. Lloyd-Jones consider Peter's Pentecost sermon so important?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones emphasizes its importance because: - It was the first sermon preached under the auspices of the Christian church - It establishes what the authentic message of Christianity actually is - It shows how the early church presented the gospel before there was confusion about Christian doctrine - It demonstrates what message led to 3,000 people being added to the church in one day
How did Peter prove that Jesus was the Messiah in his sermon?
Peter proved Jesus was the Messiah by: 1. Connecting Jesus' resurrection to Old Testament prophecies, particularly Psalm 16 2. Explaining that David wasn't writing about himself (since David died, was buried, and his body corrupted) 3. Showing that Jesus fulfilled the prophecy as "the Holy One" who would not see corruption 4. Pointing to their eyewitness testimony of the physical resurrection 5. Explaining that the outpouring of the Holy Spirit was evidence Jesus had ascended to God's right hand
What was absent from Peter's sermon that Dr. Lloyd-Jones finds significant?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones notes that Peter's sermon lacked: - Philosophical speculation about the nature of God - Attempts to make the message conform to the audience's preferences - Efforts to present God in abstract terms (like "depth" or "ground of being") - Any sense of uncertainty or dialogue approach - Any attempt to "demythologize" the supernatural elements
How did Peter's audience respond to his sermon?
When Peter proclaimed that they had crucified the Lord and Christ: 1. "They were pricked in their heart" - they were deeply convicted 2. They asked, "Men and brethren, what shall we do?" 3. They responded to Peter's call to "repent and be baptized" 4. Three thousand were added to the church that day
Dr. Lloyd-Jones emphasizes that this response came from straightforward proclamation of Christ's death and resurrection, not from philosophical arguments tailored to their culture.
Other Sermons
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones (1899-1981) was a Welsh evangelical minister who preached and taught in the Reformed tradition. His principal ministry was at Westminster Chapel, in central London, from 1939-1968, where he delivered multi-year expositions on books of the bible such as Romans, Ephesians and the Gospel of John. In addition to the MLJ Trust’s collection of 1,600 of these sermons in audio format, most of these great sermon series are available in book form (including a 14 volume collection of the Romans sermons), as are other series such as "Spiritual Depression", "Studies in the Sermon on the Mount" and "Great Biblical Doctrines". He is considered by many evangelical leaders today to be an authority on biblical truth and the sufficiency of Scripture.