How To Preach The Gospel

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Sermon Notes

Peter explains a stunning miracle

  1. A man born lame healed in a moment

    1. A physical and neurological impossibility

    2. An act of creation (muscles, synapses)

  2. Everyone was astonished

    1. They knew this man: he was a fixture outside the temple

    2. They were astounded: how could this have happened

  3. And this question provides Peter with the opening he needs.

    1. Signs and wonders in the book of Acts prepare the way for Gospel preaching and community transformation.

    2. Jesus is up to more:

      1. Remember, this story started with a man asking for money, but Jesus was up to more.

      2. He wanted healing and restoration for the man, but Jesus was up to more.

      3. He wanted thousands of people to hear the Gospel and be given an opportunity to respond, but Jesus was up to more (but that’s a story for another day).

    3. Signs and wonders still empower and validate Gospel preaching.

      1. I’m convinced that this is going to be crucial to ministry in a post-Christian context.

      2. We have not because we ask not (James 4)


  1. How to preach the Gospel: the second of Peter’s great sermons in the book of Acts


11 While the man held on to Peter and John, all the people were astonished and came running to them in the place called Solomon’s Colonnade. 12 When Peter saw this, he said to them: “Fellow Israelites, why does this surprise you? Why do you stare at us as if by our own power or godliness we had made this man walk? 13 The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified his servant Jesus. You handed him over to be killed, and you disowned him before Pilate, though he had decided to let him go. 14 You disowned the Holy and Righteous One and asked that a murderer be released to you. 15 You killed the author of life, but God raised him from the dead. We are witnesses of this. 16 By faith in the name of Jesus, this man whom you see and know was made strong. It is Jesus’ name and the faith that comes through him that has completely healed him, as you can all see.


17 “Now, fellow Israelites, I know that you acted in ignorance, as did your leaders. 18 But this is how God fulfilled what he had foretold through all the prophets, saying that his Messiah would suffer. 19 Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord, 20 and that he may send the Messiah, who has been appointed for you—even Jesus. 21 Heaven must receive him until the time comes for God to restore everything, as he promised long ago through his holy prophets. 22 For Moses said, ‘The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your own people; you must listen to everything he tells you. 23 Anyone who does not listen to him will be completely cut off from their people.’


24 “Indeed, beginning with Samuel, all the prophets who have spoken have foretold these days. 25 And you are heirs of the prophets and of the covenant God made with your fathers. He said to Abraham, ‘Through your offspring all peoples on earth will be blessed.’ 26 When God raised up his servant, he sent him first to you to bless you by turning each of you from your wicked ways.” (Acts 3:11-26)


  1. This is not just for preachers but for each of us: it is absolutely vital that every Christian develop a habit of preaching the Gospel to yourself.

    1. We tend to think that the Gospel is the entryway to the Christian faith, that we believe the Gospel and then we’re in.

    2. The truth is the Gospel is the Christian faith. It is the entryway, it is the road, and it is the destination. 

    3. It is Christianity 101, but we never progress beyond Christianity 101.

  2. The four elements of Gospel preaching.

    1. A vision of Jesus: as the crucified servant as the reigning king

      1. The cross is an essential part of this Gospel message: it is how Jesus won the victory.

        1. Peter calls him the God’s “servant”

          1. Very intentional language out of the book of Isaiah, where the servant of the Lord is wounded for our transgressions.

          2. Isaiah 53, the suffering servant.

        2. He also calls him the Holy and Righteous One, a reference to the day of atonement and the lamb who takes away the sin of the community

      2. Not just his death but his life both his earthly life before where he announced and demonstrated the Kingdom. His life now as the resurrected and glorified sovereign of heaven and earth.

        1. Peter here calls him the “prince (author) of life)

          1. Prince not as ruler

          2. But as originator (principle)

        2. “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me” is the heartbeat of the Gospel.

          1. A new world order

          2. The only explanation for the miracle (the curse of sin and death has been given an expiration date.


“Wrong will be right, when Aslan comes in sight,

At the sound of his roar, sorrows will be no more,

When he bares his teeth, winter meets its death,

And when he shakes his mane, we shall have spring again.” -C.S. Lewis


  1. Jesus is the Gospel.

  1. A conviction of sin

    1. In their case, something very specific: they crucified Jesus.

      1. In other words, they failed to understand the message of the Scripture.

      2. They found themselves on the wrong side of the story, on the wrong side of their own prophecies, aligned against Jesus and against the work of God.

    2. He would not say the same to us, but the Gospel nevertheless confronts in us the many ways that we miss the work of God, that we fall short of his kingdom and righteousness, that we settle for less than what he created us for (this is the definition of sin).

      1. The willful disobediences

      2. The coping mechanisms that blind us to the ways God is at work.

    3. We don’t like to talk about sin, but we can’t receive the Gospel without identifying the ways we are out of alignment with God’s kingdom.

      1. Our participation in the Gospel begins at the end of ourselves

      2. When we realize that we can’t do this on our own, so we stop trying to.

      3. When we realize that we have nothing but need and then realize that’s all we need.

  2. An affirmation of identity.

    1. I grew up in a Christian context that emphasized the conviction of sin part (which isn’t necessarily a bad thing) but never really helped me to understand why sin was a problem.

    2. It’s out of alignment with who God made us to be.

      1. For them, Peter tells them that they are heirs of the prophets and covenant.

        1. He calls them to remember who they are.

        2. He tells them to act like it.

      2. For us:

        1. Well, it starts with, “You are made in the image of God.” 

        2. Then, it moves on to, “God sees you and knows you and is holding you together (in other words, he didn’t just create you and then leave you alone).” 

        3. Then, He considers you worthwhile enough to send his son to rescue you. Jesus thought you were worth dying for.” 

        4. Then, “He considers you worthy of citizenship and ambassadorship in his kingdom.”

        5. Let’s act like it.

  3. An opportunity to repent

    1. A joyful turning around and living differently

    2. Living in the new kingdom, the new world over which Jesus reigns.

    3. Being who we are.

    4. Living free

      1. Something we take seriously here

      2. We know it’s a process, a journey of learning, but every journey has significant moments. Maybe this is one of those for you.


  1. Where did Peter learn all of this stuff? Yes, from the Holy Spirit speaking through him in the moment, but also from Jesus himself (see John 21).

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