Making It Personal

Dear Pastor, Preacher, or Bible Teacher –

Happy Monday to you! I pray that today you can re-charge a bit after a weekend spent serving God, His people, and a needy world.

Peter’s sermon on the Temple Mount in Acts 3 gives a few thoughts this week:

What I want you to notice about Peter’s preaching in Acts 3:12-26 is how personal he made his message. In this sermon at the temple courts (Acts 3:12-26), Peter used the words you or your at least 11 times. Here are some examples of how directly Peter spoke to them.

– Why do you marvel at this?

– Jesus, whom you delivered up and denied.

– You denied the Holy One and the Just.

– Whom you see and know.

– In the presence of you all.

– You did it ignorance.

– Your sins may be blotted out.

– His Servant Jesus, sent Him to bless you.

We need this kind of direct speaking! The preacher shouldn’t fill his sermon with vague speculations and meditations on distant theological concepts. We need to speak directly to our listeners, and never be afraid to say, “you.”

Our tone and our heart must communicate “you and me and all of us,” never acting as if we think we are so right with God and our listeners aren’t. But, at the same time, we can’t be afraid to bring the message home and make it personal.

Peter didn’t always have this boldness. Just a few weeks before this he denied even knowing who Jesus was! But filled with the Holy Spirit, Peter was bold enough to speak directly to the heart of those who heard him.

Let’s pray for the same boldness of the Holy Spirit to fill our heart and words as we preach God’s Word to the hungry sheep of God’s flock and a needy world.

In Jesus’ Name – David Guzik

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