By John A. Huffman, Jr.
Fourth, let's look at the preaching of Pentecost, of a people receiving God's power.
We hear a lot of talk today in political circles about staying on message." It's important that we, as followers of Jesus, have a Pentecostal power that enables us to stay on message.
There are four types of preaching, all of which are very important. Each of these should be part of the normal fare of biblical preaching.
One is kerugma. This literally means the herald's announcement. It is a clear, plain statement of the facts of the Christian message about which there can be no argument and no denial. Second is what is called didache. This literally means teaching. It explains the meanings and significance of the facts which have been proclaimed. Third, there is what is called paraklesis, which means exhortation. This is that call to men and women of the duties, obligations which are to be the ethical outcroppings of lives which have been touched by the kerugma and didache. Fourth, there is what is called homilia, which means the treatment of any subject or department of life in the light of the Christian message.
Every church, if it's faithful to Jesus Christ and the scriptures, has in its life all four kinds of preaching and teaching. In fact, I personally believe that every sermon, even though it may be concentrating in one area in particular, should have a little bit of each of the other. For example, as we're teaching through the Book of Acts, this would be considered didache. At the same time, as we're learning about the early church, there will be the ongoing, recurrent theme of the proclamation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, calling men and women to repentance. We will see an ethical exhortation to apply this in one's daily life. And we will see that there is no area of life that is not impacted by the Gospel. Ours in a holistic faith, and the Lordship of Jesus Christ involves every area of our life.
Acts 2:14-41 is the record of a sermon that Peter preached on that day of Pentecost. His main thrust was kerugma. It would be as if Billy Graham was standing up and preaching on the theme "Four Steps to Peace with God" or Bill Bright of Campus Crusade was standing up and declaring "The Four Spiritual Laws."
Peter gets up and addresses the crowd, declaring that these men and women are not drunk. It's only nine in the morning. What's happening before your eyes, he is saying, is the fulfillment of what the prophet Joel and others predicted. Then he zeros in on the person and work of Jesus Christ. He declares,
"Men of Israel, listen to this: Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs, which God did among you through Him, as you yourselves know. This man was handed over to you by God's set purpose and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men, put Him to death by nailing Him to the cross. But God raised Him from the dead, freeing Him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on Him." (
Acts 2:22-24)
