'He Commanded Us to Preach'

Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons: But in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him. The word which God sent unto the children of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ: (he is Lord of all:) That word, I say, ye know, which was published throughout all Judaea, and began from Galilee, after the baptism which John preached; How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him. And we are witnesses of all things which he did both in the land of the Jews, and in Jerusalem; whom they slew and hanged on a tree: Him God raised up the third day, and shewed him openly; Not to all the people, but unto witnesses chosen before of God, even to us, who did eat and drink with him after he rose from the dead. And he commanded us to preach unto the people, and to testify that it is he which was ordained of God to be the Judge of quick and dead. To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins. While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word. - Acts 10:34-44

    Peter was in Cresarea preaching the gospel to Cornelius and his friends. Inverse 42 he declares why he was there: 'He commanded us to preach unto the people.' Before the Lord Jesus ascended back into heaven he left his church, his apostles and all after them who would serve him with a specific responsibility: 'He commanded us to preach unto the people.' That is the singular responsibility of every local church and of every servant of God (Matt. 28:18-20; Mark 16:15-16; Luke 24:46-48; John 20:21-23; Acts 1:8).

    As we have already seen, the apostle Peter had many faults and failures. He was, like all other gospel preachers, only a man. Yet he was faithful to the charge and responsibility God gave him. It mattered not where the Lord sent him, he went forth preaching the gospel. It mattered not who his hearers were, he preached the gospel to them. It mattered not what the results might be, Peter was a preacher, so he preached the gospel wherever God's providence opened the door. He was happy to preach to thousands in the temple, to the powerful Sanhedrin, or in the home of a Roman soldier who had gathered a few friends to hear the good news. What an example he sets before us!

    The church of God must never lose sight of the purpose for her existence in this world (l Tim. 3:15). The church is to be a sounding board for the gospel (1 Thess. 1:8), no more and no less. The church of this age has lost sight of her mission. That is why she is so weak and pathetic. The church of the living God is not a social club, an entertainment centre, or a political force. The church of God is, by divine commission, a preaching centre! The ministry of the church is preaching!

    As preaching is the business of the church collectively, so preaching is the business of God's preachers specifically (2 Tim. 4: 1-5). God's servants are not called to be counsellors, psychologists, social workers, or promoters of religion. God's servants are watchmen to warn of impending danger. They are preachers, men with a message from God for his people. It is the responsibility of every man who is called by God to preach the gospel to disentangle himself from the affairs of this world, and to give himself relentlessly to the business of preaching the gospel (1Tim. 4:12-16; 2 Tim. 2:4).

    All who are sent by God to preach the gospel preach the same thing. In the sermon described in our text Peter declared that he was preaching by divine commission, and God the Holy Spirit shows us what every God-sent preacher preaches. Peter is here set before us as an example, or pattern, of all true gospel preachers in three things.

    1. He was sent by God. God himself put Peter into the ministry. God alone determined what he preached, where he preached and when he preached.

    2. He preached with divine authority. 'Every true minister must speak because he is commanded to speak; he must speak what he is commanded to speak; and he must be prepared to fall back upon the authority of the Word of God continually,' said C. H. Spurgeon. The preacher's doctrine must be the doctrine of God, plainly revealed in Holy Scripture (Isa. 8:20).

    3. His message was always the same in its essence. Peter preached the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ (cf. 2:14-40; 3:12-26; 4:8-12). Jesus Christ himself is the theme of Holy Scripture and the theme of every sermon that is of God (Luke 24:44-47; John 1:45).

    The mission of the church is preaching. The work of the preacher is preaching. But what is to be preached? What kind of preaching is both honouring to God and useful to the souls of men and women facing the prospect of eternity? For the answer to those questions we need only to look into the Word of God and read the sermons of those apostles who preached with the inspiration and power of God the Holy Spirit. Acts 10:34-44 sets before us an example of apostolic preaching. By this standard all preaching, all preachers and all churches must be judged to determine whether they follow the pattern of the New Testament.

    1. Apostolic preaching is the declaration of the sovereignty and the freeness of divine grace (10:34-35)

    The grace of God is both sovereign and free. God is not gracious to sinners because of who they are, what they do, or what they have. God does not accept or reject any because of anything in them (John 1:11-13). He alone has determined to whom he will be gracious (Rom. 9:15-18). Verse 35 describes the character of God's elect, not the cause of his saving grace. All who are born of God fear him, work righteousness and are accepted by him through the merits of Christ, the sinner's substitute.

    2. New Testament preaching is the proclamation of peace and reconciliation to God through Jesus Christ (10:36)

    The gospel is 'the word of reconciliation' (2 Cor. 5:16-21). All people are by nature God's enemies. We must be reconciled to God and brought to terms of peace with him, or perish under his wrath. The only way peace can be obtained is by Jesus Christ. He obtained peace by his blood for all God's elect (Eph. 2:14-15; Col. 2:14-15). He offers peace to sinners in the gospel (Matt. 11:28-30). When he comes to sinners in saving power, the Prince of peace brings peace (Rom. 5:1; Col. 1:20-21).

    3. All who preach the gospel declare the absolute lordship and universal reign of Christ

    'He is Lord of all' (10:36). God the Father has turned the universe over to the rule of his Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, as the God-man mediator (John 17:2;Rom.14:9). As the reward of his finished work of redemption, the Lord Jesus Christ, as a man, possesses universal dominion (Isa. 53: 10-12) and exercises that dominion for the saving of his people. He is Lord of all men, all providence, all creation and all events. The only way sinners can be saved is by bowing to his dominion as Lord (Luke 14:25-33). That is what faith is.

    4. To preach the gospel is to expound to sinners the meaning and significance of our Saviour's death (10:37-41)

    W. A. Criswell wrote, 'When a man preaches the historical facts of Jesus, he is preaching Jesus. When he affirms the historical facts of the Christian faith, he is preaching the Christian faith. When he believes the historical facts of the Christian faith, he is believing the faith itself.' That is the deadly error of this age! Preaching is not the declaration of facts, but of a person. We exercise faith in a person, not in facts. To preach the gospel is to declare the meaning of Christ's work. Peter explained to Cornelius the meaning of all the facts he had heard about Jesus of Nazareth, and affirmed his personal knowledge of the risen Christ (1 John 1:1-3).

    5. Gospel preaching involves the declaration of impending judgement (10:42)

    'Hear the Word of God,' wrote Matthew Poole, 'and be persuaded of this, that Christ, whose gospel and word you hear, will judge you according unto it' (See John 5:26-27; Acts 17:31; 2 Cor. 5:10-11; 2 Tim. 4:1). In that great day, all who are saved will be justly saved through the merits of Christ, and all who are damned will be justly damned because of their own sin (Rev. 22: 11).

    6. To preach the gospel is to declare the complete remission of sins through Jesus Christ for all who believe (10:43)

    God delights in mercy. Therefore he pardons iniquity (Micah 7:18). And he does so justly, through the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ (1 John 1:9).

    These six things characterize the message of all true churches and preachers, and form the essence of every believer's testimony to men. But all our preaching and witnessing is vain unless God the Holy Spirit makes the word of grace effectual (10:44).