Have you ever felt like people look at Christians today and say, “Those folks are strange”? You’re not alone in feeling that. In fact, that’s exactly what they said in the first century. Peter himself wrote that others thought it strange that Christians didn’t run with them in the same wild ways (1 Peter 4:4). But the goal isn’t to be odd for the sake of being odd—it’s to be distinct. Different. Holy. And that’s where the tension comes in: how do people who seem strange to the world still reach the world?

That’s what I want to talk with you about today in this series we’ve called A Call for New Testament Christianity. If I’m going to be part of the New Testament church—not just in doctrine, but in mission—then I have to remember: I’ve got a culture to reach.

I know what the world says: “Don’t talk about religion or politics.” And I’m fine avoiding politics. But I can’t avoid talking about eternity. Heaven or hell isn’t a matter of opinion. It’s truth—and truth demands a response. People may be hardened by religion. They may have traditions, family ties, past wounds, or preconceived ideas that make it hard to hear the message of Christ. But that doesn’t mean I stop trying. In fact, that means I start right there.

If I’m going to pierce the hearts of a hardened culture like the apostles did in Acts 2, I need to follow their example. Let me show you how they did it—because the same approach still works today.

First: I must appeal to Scripture.

When Peter preached that powerful sermon on Pentecost, he didn’t tell stories. He didn’t rely on emotions. He quoted the Word. Joel. Psalms. He went straight to the inspired text. That’s how he reached a religious crowd—by using the Bible to explain Jesus.

But I can’t appeal to Scripture if I don’t know Scripture. Paul told Timothy to be diligent—to handle the Word accurately (2 Timothy 2:15). That’s what I must strive for. Whether I’m young in the faith or seasoned in study, there is no shortcut here. I’ve got to be in the Word—learning it, living it, and sharing it.

But it’s not just knowing the Word—it’s applying it. Peter took those Old Testament passages and showed exactly how they pointed to Jesus. That takes thought, context, and care. If I want to reach others, I have to let Scripture first reach me.

Second: I must exalt Jesus.

Acts 2 is not about the apostles. It’s not about religion in general. It’s not about tradition. It’s about Jesus. Verse after verse—Peter keeps bringing it back to this Jesus (Acts 2:23, 32, 36).

And I must do the same.

I exalt His humanity, because He understands me. He walked where I walk. He was tempted like I am—yet without sin (Hebrews 4:15). That means He gets my struggle. I’m not praying to someone distant. I’m calling on someone who’s walked in my shoes.

I exalt His mission, because He came to do the Father’s will—to save me (John 4:34). This wasn’t random. The cross was planned—God knew what it would take to redeem me, and He chose to do it anyway (Acts 2:23).

I exalt His suffering, because it was my sin that put Him on the cross. Peter didn’t sugarcoat it—he told them, “You crucified Him.” And I must hear those words too. I must be convicted, because until I see my sin for what it is, I’ll never grasp grace for what it means.

I exalt His resurrection, because that’s where my hope lives. Jesus is alive. He reigns. And because He lives, I can face tomorrow.

I exalt His lordship, because He isn’t just my Savior—He’s my King. I can’t call Him Lord and ignore what He says (Luke 6:46). To follow Him means I surrender to Him.

Third: I must make the message personal.

Peter didn’t preach in vague generalities. He made it personal. “You crucified Him,” he said (Acts 2:36). And they didn’t get angry—they were pierced. “What shall we do?” they cried (Acts 2:37). That’s what conviction sounds like.

Listen, people aren’t going to be moved by a message they think is about someone else. They need to hear—and I need to hear—that the gospel is for me. That Christ died for me. That I have sinned, that I need grace, and that He offers it freely if I’ll come to Him.

But before I can pierce hearts, I have to ask—has my own heart been pierced? Has the Word cut through my pride? Has Jesus changed not just my beliefs, but my behavior, my decisions, my identity? Because if my life doesn’t show that I’ve been changed by the gospel, no one will believe what I say about it.

So how does a church that looks “strange” to the world reach the world?

By staying rooted in Scripture.
By making everything about Jesus.
By living with hearts convicted and changed.
By speaking truth in love—with courage and clarity.

We’re not called to blend in. We’re called to stand out—not with arrogance or condemnation, but with the kind of conviction that loves people too much to stay silent. We’ve got a culture to reach. And the gospel is still powerful enough to reach it—if I’m bold enough to share it.

So let me ask you: has the gospel pierced your heart?

If not, let’s open the Word and talk about it. If it has, then I’m urging you—let it show in how you live, how you speak, and how you love. Because the same Jesus who changed the world on Pentecost is still changing lives today.

And that starts with you.

In the First Century, Christians were looked at as being strange. They were different than the world around them. Today is no different. While Christians are not seeking to be odd, we are seeking to be distinct. Join Neal Pollard as he looks at answering the question, “How can a distinct Church reach the culture in which it lives?”