SCRIPTURE: Acts 2
OBSERVATION/APPLICATION:
Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off–for all whom the Lord our God will call. [Acts 2:38-39]
The good news is that the message is for everyone, for sons and daughters, young and old men, women and men, for adults and for children.
This is a gift of grace, undeserved favour!
That the message is declared in a variety of languages, to those gathered from every nation under heaven, reinforces the extent of God’s overflowing grace.
God is not stingy with His love.
Even though not everyone accepts it, He spreads the message generously, like the Sower casting the seed, knowing that it will fall on different kinds of soil [Matthew 13].
Jesus told His disciples that their assignment was to tell everyone about Him.
This is what Peter and the others do.
Jesus told them that they would be empowered by the Spirit to do this.
And here they are enabled to speak the wonders of God and the testimony about Jesus in languages they have never learned.
This is my job as well… and the job of the church.
Often the Acts 2 church is set up as an example of how church should be, and many churches have used this as a checklist.
But the fact is that this happened because of the Holy Spirit, not because the disciples organized a great church.
They didn’t need an evangelism committee because the Lord added to their numbers.
They received the gift of the Holy Spirit, they allowed the Spirit to work in and through them, and they opened their mouths.
Why do I hesitate to talk about Jesus?
Why do I hold back from boasting in the Lord?
Are there no ‘wonders of God’ that I can speak about?
The Spirit is bubbling inside of me, waiting to be released.
But if I keep my mouth shut…
The gift is for you, for me, for everyone.
If I am not experiencing it, then I need to open my heart, repent anew, and seek the Spirit of power.
I need to admit my need for God, for Jesus, for the Spirit.
And I need to make myself available to Him, so that He can use my mouth, my mind, my hands, my life, to get the message out.
He is ready to work through me! Am I willing?
PRAYER:
Lord, You are ready to use me to bring others to life through repentance and faith. I repent of my resistance. Here I am, fill me and use me!
A few thoughts:-)
All the disciples were together in unity. We do not hear of who’s the greatest, or other disagreements. Oh what a wonder when the people of God can be one in Christ Jesus rather than working cross currents on their ‘corner’ of the gospel. Even those who were baptized – they were together and had everything in common – praising God and enjoying the favour of the people. WoW!
God’s Word is central. Peter spoke that Word as a testimony to the people and all people understand him because they heard it in their own tongues. The babbling was over His Spirit unified all His people and they understood the Gospel. SpiritPower! GodPower.
Peter was enabled by the Spirit to do. You and I are enable to do. God has given His people what they need to do the Great Commission. I just need to do it. I just need to be an instrument of His peace. I need to rely upon Him and not rely upon my own powers. He has equipped me.
1. Make me a channel of your peace:
Where there is hatred, let me bring you love;
Where there is injury, your healing pow’r,
And where there’s doubt, true faith in you.
2. Make me a channel of your peace:
Where there’s despair in life let me bring hope;
Where there is darkness, – only light,
And where there’s sadness, ever joy.
3. O Spirit, grant that I may never seek
So much to be consolded as to console,
To be understood as to understand,
To be loved as to love with all my soul – .
4. Make me a channel of your peace.
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
In giving to all that we receive,
And in dying that we’re born to eternal life.