Wow! Three-thousand converts in one swell-foop! That HAS
to be the most successful sermon ever.
You Bible scholars know that fully one-third of the book of
Acts is comprised of some twenty-eight speeches or sermons,
mostly by Peter and Paul. They do not all follow the same
pattern but, for the most part, there is a certain rhythm that
they share in common: they talk about the life and ministry of
Jesus, his cruel murder, then miraculous resurrection, his
exaltation at the right hand of God as Messiah and Lord, and
finally, the wonderful opportunity of the forgiveness of sins
through faith in him. Peter's Pentecost sermon follows that
outline.
And it had a powerful impact. As Peter concluded, the
crowd, which had been "cut to the heart" by his words, cried out,
asking, "What should we do?" Peter told them to repent and be
baptized in the name of Jesus so that their sins could be
forgiven and they could receive the Holy Spirit.
"What should we do?" Sounds like an obvious question
following a sermon, but one wonders. As one writer has it,
"We've heard the scripture. We've heard the word preached. But
nothing happens until those of us who polish the pews with our
posteriors ask that question. Until we do, what we have is not a
message, but a massage." Hmm.
"Repent and be baptized, everyone of you, in the name of
Jesus Christ..." Peter offers no helpful hints on living a more
fulfilling life, no useful projects to work on, no feel-good
platitudes; rather, he calls people to change.
A Sunday School teacher once asked a class what was meant by
the word "repentance." A little boy put up his hand and said,
"It is being sorry for your sins." A little girl also raised her
hand and said, "It is being sorry enough to quit."
There was a cartoon wandering around several years ago in
which little George Washington is standing with an axe in his
hand. Before him lying on the ground is the famous cherry tree.
He has already made his smug admission that he did it - after
all, he "cannot tell a lie." But his father is standing there
exasperated saying, "All right, so you admit it! You always
admit it! The question is, when are you going to stop doing it."
It was intriguing to see the NY Times poll this weekend that
says over 80% of Americans - more than four out of five of us -think our nation is on the wrong track, the highest number ever
recorded since the sampling was begun. It is up from 69% a year
ago and 35% in early 2002. According to the paper, "Although the
public mood has been darkening since the early days of the war in
Iraq, it has taken a new turn for the worse in the last few
months, as the economy has seemed to slip into recession. There
is now nearly a national consensus that the country faces
significant problems." (1) It is in that atmosphere that we are
watching what many are calling the most important political
campaign in years, and under the circumstances, it is no wonder
that people have gravitated toward candidates who reflect
"change" rather than "experience."
As to personal behavior, the news regularly leers at the
Paris Hiltons and Brittany Spears who are remarkable for nothing
more than their lurid conduct. If it is any consolation,
previous generations were not exempt - I remember Tallullah
Bankhead once famously proclaiming that her life was "as pure as
the driven slush." But that was in the days before Tabloid TV
and 24/7 cable news channels. No wonder we want change.
Truth be told, systemic change starts with individual
change, that good churchy word "repentance." As the old adage
has it, when I point a finger at someone else, three fingers are
pointing back toward me.
Psychiatrist Tom Harris, who wrote that enormously
successful book, I'm OK, You're OK, (2) says that there are three
reasons why people change. First, people change when it is more
painful to remain as they are than to change. Perhaps you are in
a job that makes you miserable. You cannot imagine being in that
job for the rest of your life. So, you make a change. Why?
Because it is more painful to stay where you are than to change.
A second reason for change, according to Dr. Harris, is
finding ourself at the point of despair. Perhaps we suddenly
come to the realization that we are about to lose our marriage,
our family, our health. At that point we may change. You have
heard people say, "I had to reach rock bottom, before I could
take hold of my life."
Harris adds a third motive for change. He calls it the
"Eureka Stage." That is, some people change because they
discover - much to their surprise - that there is something
better that they have been missing. Of course, this is precisely
the message of the Gospel. There is a richer, fuller life in
Jesus Christ that is available to all who will receive it.
Those who heard Peter preach that day knew that they had
found something that would make their lives more joyous, more
purposeful, more liveable. "Eureka!" This was it.
Repentance, of course, is only a first step, according to
Peter. "Be baptized, everyone of you." Think not of simply a
ceremony that involves some water. Think instead of what baptism
does - it introduces someone officially into the life of the
church. Peter's instruction about baptism says we cannot handle
this repentance stuff on our own - we need the help of the family
of faith. Then we can experience forgiveness, then we can
experience the power of the Holy Spirit in our lives.
Powerful words from Peter on Pentecost. "Brothers, what can
we do?"
Repent, be baptized, receive power. And, as the text has
it, "and about three thousand were added to their number that
day." The most successful sermon ever.
And we are invited to join them. Is there something in your
life that needs changed? Let the change begin today, here and
now, as your Lord welcomes you to his table.
Amen.
1. David Leonhart and Marjorie Connelly, "81% in Poll Say Nation Is Headed on Wrong
Track," NY Times, 4/4/08
2. London: Cape, 1970
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