Acts 2

Acts 2:1-13 –Holy Spirit at Pentecost

The meaning of Pentecost is the number 50 and the Pentecost Festival is 50 days after the annual Passover.  On that first Pentecost day the Holy Spirit came to all believers in the form of 2 outward signs:  1. A sound like blowing of a violent wind and 2. What seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them.  Then each began to speak in a language that everyone understood in their own language. 

Who is the Holy Spirit?  The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Jesus (Rom. 8:9).  Jesus gave the disciples His very breath of life and their part was simply to receive Him.  The Holy Spirit is a person who comes to dwell within the Christian.  He pours out God’s love, counsels, directs and guides the believer (Acts 13:2, 16:7).  He teaches, gives understanding and pours out emotions of love, joy, and peace (John 14:26-27).  He empowers for a task, comforts in bereavement and trouble (2 Cor. 12:9; John 14:16).  When a person chooses to believe in Jesus as Lord, he receives the Holy Spirit.  He is then sealed by the Holy Spirit until the day of redemption, the resurrection of the body (Eph. 1:13-14).  The Holy Spirit is the third person of the Trinity and is God in every way.  Jesus calls Him the Comforter.  The Holy Spirit empowers, purifies, and unifies all believers. 

The Holy Spirit came to people before Pentecost, but only for a limited period of time for special work.  At Pentecost the Holy Spirit came to all who believed.  Now the Holy Spirit come when you first accept Jesus and become a believer. 

This was not the first time the Holy Spirit came in such a miraculous way.  In Genesis 11 the Holy Spirit came and confused the peoples’ language so they were not able to understand each other.  In Acts 2 it was the opposite.  The Holy Spirit rested on them in their own language so they would understand each other.  This shows the power of the Holy Spirit and that He can do anything.  I think this gave the disciples much confidence for their mission to come.

The miracle of the people speaking in different languages was a special miracle to demonstrate God’s purpose in taking the gospel to all the nations.  It enabled the church to be launched in all of these places when these men returned to their homes.  God’s good news is for all the nations.  Jesus purchased for God with His blood men from every tribe and every nation.

Jesus sent us His Holy Spirit whose power is beyond human abilities and guides us toward God.  The Spirit helps us understand the Word, know the heart of God, empowers us for ministry, comforts us, makes us holy and seals us in Christ guarantying us that we are His.  We grieve the Holy Spirit when we sin and ignore the truth He shows us.  The deepest longing of the Spirit is to glorify Jesus Christ.  What is your deepest longing?

When you are filled with the Holy Spirit, you are emptied of self and now submit to God.  Now God is in control of your life.  Now you know your suffering has a purpose.  We can’t rely on our own righteousness, but on His perfect righteousness.

Principle:  God gives the Holy Spirit to all who believe in Jesus.

Acts 2:14-41 – Peter’s Sermon

Peter was impulsive, ambitious, fearful and experienced brokenness.  Before Jesus’ arrest he was afraid and denied that he knew Jesus.  Now Peter was a changed man.  He began to preach in a bold way preaching unity of faith as he stood up with the 11 disciples and addressed the crowd proclaiming the gospel and the resurrection.  There’s strength in numbers.  By standing together this made them stronger and more courageous.   When we stand together against evil and stand up for God’s truth, we too are stronger.

All the apostles stood together with Peter as Peter spoke to the crowd about “the last days” as described by the prophet Joel.  He said we are now in the last days before Jesus returns.  He will pour out His spirit on all believers – they will prophesy, see visions and dreams, he will show wonders in the heavens above and signs on the earth below.  Before the coming of the great and glorious “day of the Lord”, the sun will turn to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord (17-20). 

The phrase "the day of the Lord," refers to the end of time, when Jesus returns at Armageddon to bring justice to the world and defeat evil once and for all.

Peter didn’t know how soon God’s judgments would take place nor do we.  He is saying that these things would proceed the “day of the Lord”.  The prophecy had begun with the evidence by the outpouring of the Holy Spirit and the rest will come to pass in God’s timing. 

We see God’s great mercy in Acts 2:21.  He offers to those who deserve His judgment a means of escape.  “And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”  

Peter described the life of Jesus on earth as a man accredited by God to do miraculous wonders and signs.  He described the death of Jesus as being handed over to the people by God’s set purpose and foreknowledge and put to death by nailing Him to the cross.  He described Jesus’ resurrection as God raising Him freeing Him from the agony of death because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on Him. 

He held the crowd responsible because they rejected and betrayed Jesus.  He said “you nailed Him to the cross by the hands of lawless men and put Him to death.”  God used evil men to accomplish His purpose, but those evil men were responsible for their crime and can’t blame God for their sin.  The real point of the sermon – God sent His messiah, but Israel rejected Him.

Peter told them God raised Jesus to life and they were witnesses of the fact.  Now He sits on right hand of God and God will make His enemies His footstool for His feet.

When the people heard all Peter had to say, they asked, “What shall we do”, because they had guilt and sorrow for what they had done.  The Holy Spirit stabbed them with conviction of their terrible sin.  Peter said to repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins.  There was only 1 relief and that was to repent.  They were to change their lives and turn to God and accept the Holy Spirit.  They were convicted by the Holy Spirit and about 3,000 accepted his message, believed, and were baptized. 

Peter was not only speaking to the crowd, but speaking to us.  Repentance is not an option for salvation.  To repent is to change direction in your life.  It’s turning away from a sinful and a godless way life.  Repentance and faith go hand in hand.  Salvation is a personal choice.  Everyone must decide for themselves.

There are 3 steps to repentance.

            Conviction of sin

            Sorry for the sin

            Conversion – turn away from sin and turn to God.

Being baptized is the dipping or immersing in water.  It doesn’t provide forgiveness of sin.  Only repentance brings forgiveness.  Baptism is an outward sign and application of a new life in Jesus Christ.  It identifies us with Christ and is a witness to others.

Principle:  Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.

Have you repented?

Are you filled with the Holy Spirit?

How are you allowing the Holy Spirit to use you to bring others to Jesus?

Acts 2:42-47 – Unity of Believers

All those that believed devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching.  They met daily together in the temple, they sold possession and gave to anyone who had a need, they ate in each other’s homes and praised God.  They prayed and broke bread together which today is called Holy Communion or the Lord Supper.

These believers were Spirit filled and participated in a devoted community to Christ.  This is the example of a healthy church.  No church is perfect this side of heaven.  But God will use us to glorify Himself as we continually devote ourselves to Him through His Word and as we devote ourselves to the fellowship of His people and to His work in the world. 

Are you maturing in the Christian life as the early believers did?

How does devotion to Him compare to your job, hobby, family, etc.?

Principle:  A healthy church is marked by continual devotion to His work and to His people.

Join me here next week for our next study of the book of Acts.  --  I encourage you to trust in Jesus.

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Acts 1

Acts 1:1-11 – Jesus Prepares the Disciples

After Jesus resurrection and before He ascended to heaven He taught His disciples and prepared them for their work to come.  He offered many convincing proof that He was alive.  He talked with them instructing them through the Holy Spirit.  He appeared to them and others over a 40 day period.  (The number 40 is used several times in scripture - 40 days, 40 years, etc.)  He explained the scriptures to them and opened their minds so they could understand.  He told them not to leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift God promised - the Holy Spirit.  They would then be baptized with the Holy Spirit” (verse 5).  Then, when the Holy Spirit comes they are to be His witnesses in Jerusalem and to the ends of the earth. (Acts 1:1-4, Luke 24:25-27, 36-53)

Why did Jesus spend 40 days with the disciples?  The main reason was to tell them they should wait on the Holy Spirit to come to them.  Then the Holy Spirit would empower them to be witnesses throughout the world.  I also think He spent this time with them so there would be no doubt that He was resurrected just as He had promised He would do and so they would be eye witnesses that He was alive.  This grew their faith.

Before He ascended they had Jesus to teach and guide them, but since He would no longer be there with them physically they needed the Holy Spirit to be their guide.  By being “baptized with the Holy Spirit”, the Holy Spirit would be “in” them and they would remain connected to Him. 

How are you being prepared to do the work of Jesus?

The Holy Spirit is “with” us all – even non-believers.  He’s convicting non-believers of their sins and to believe in Christ.  The Holy Spirit is “in” you when you accept Jesus and become a believer.  Being “baptized with the Holy Spirit” happens only once – at the time of conversion.  Baptism is an outward sign that you totally identify with Christ.   As believers we still need to be continually and repeatedly “filled with the Holy Spirit” as we mature as Christians, as we allow God to be in control letting Him work in our lives, and as we listen and obey yielding to Him.  We need the power of the Holy Spirit to live holy lives.  We need the Spirit’s power for witnessing and speaking boldly and clearly to others about the gospel.

Verse 8 tells the disciples were to be Christ’s witnesses.  Every Christian is a witness.  The word “witness” occurs 39 times in Acts.  Since this is God’s command and we can’t escape being a witness.  We are all a witness of some sort.  The question is “what kind of witness” are you?

What difference does the Holy Spirit make in one’s life?  He comforts and strengthens us in difficult times.  He shows us how to pray.  He intercedes for us when we can’t seem to find the words to pray.  He guides us and gives us wisdom.  We are not controlled by the sinful nature anymore (Romans 8:9).  He gives us the His seal of ownership guarantying our eternal life (2 Corinthians 1:22).  He also produces in us the fruit of the Spirit found in Galatians 5:22-23.

It was necessary for Jesus to leave the apostles so the Holy Spirit could come and give them power and so they could be witnesses to the ends of the earth.  Jesus couldn’t be everywhere at the same time because He was limited in His physical body, but the Holy Spirit is not limited.

The apostles were ordinary men and were charged with an impossible task, but they were never asked to do it on their own and neither are we.  They were called just as we Christians are called. We have the Holy Spirit who empowers and encourages us.  We are sealed as His and He will never leave us.  Our God is unstoppable. 

Principles: 

God provides evidence for believing and serving Him.

When God gives a person a command, He always gives His power to perform it.

After Jesus command and promise to the apostles, He ascended into heaven.  He promised He would return in the same way.   An interesting fact is that the Lord’s return to earth is so important that one in every twenty verses in the New Testament refers directly to it.  Now the duty of all Christians is to look daily for Him to come and to live as we want Him to find us.

Acts 1:12-26 – Jesus Re-Establishes the 12 Apostles

Judas bought a field with the reward he received for betraying Jesus.  There he tried to hang himself, but apparently he failed and fell and was killed by the impact.  His body burst open and all his intestines spilled out.  The people called this field “field of blood”. 

Since Judas was no longer part of the ministry, they needed to replace him.  The disciples met together along with the women, Mary the mother of Jesus and his brothers.  The first thing they did was to pray.  Then they discussed it before making a decision and settled it by voting.  This shows they were in unity and willing to work together.  Our churches today should take a lesson from this.

This teaches us that we should gather together with fellow Christian and pray before selecting our leaders.  Titus 3:9-11 and 1 & 2 Timothy tell us to choose leaders who are kind, holy, honest, and teach God’s message accurately.  Even Jesus prayed when he chose His disciples – Luke 6:12-13. 

Do you pray as to who you should vote for in government elections? 

Do you look at the candidate’s loyalty to the people and not to personal or party priorities?

Are they for unity and not division of the country?

Do they hold to Biblical standards instead of their own personal gain or what is popular?

We are living in a time where there seems to be no unity.  Everyone seems to be for themselves.  Some of our government officials, those we elected into office are not looking to unite our country, but to divide it.  They vote on party lines, not what is best for everyone.  It’s all about power and making a name for themselves.  The words they use about others are mean, hurtful, hateful, and down-right evil.  They lie and some are caught in their lies, but still get away with it.  Satan is loving this!  We need to wake up and see what is really going on.  Satan is behind all the lies and deceptions.  He knows he’s running out of time and he’s working very hard to divide and conquer. 

Principle:  Prayer is important part of waiting for God to reveal the next step of obedience.

God wants us to know that our Christian faith is credible.  It’s not based on religious speculations, but on the historical resurrection of Jesus from the dead.  We know this is true because these 12 apostles said so as well as many others.  They didn’t profit from being witnesses, but laid down their lives for the sake of the truth.  Don’t ignore the evidence.  Don’t be like Judas and follow selfish desires that lead to destruction.  Accept and follow Jesus as your Savior and Lord.  He is waiting.

Have you come to know Jesus personally?

Has He changed your heart from being self-seeking to being subject to Him?

Are you welcoming the Holy Spirit into your life?

Will you ask God for a “filling of the Holy Spirit”? 

What might change in your life if you were filled with His Spirit?

 

Join me here next week for our study of Acts 2.  --  I encourage you to trust in Jesus.

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Introduction to Acts of the Apostles

Now that summer is over, it’s time for Bible Study Fellowship to begin.  I am looking forward to seeing what God has for us as we begin the study of the Acts of the Apostles.  For me this will be the second time for this study.  The first was in 2011 for which I also have posts.  Each time I study I find God has something new for me to learn as I know you will, too.  I hope you continue following my weekly posts.  Keep in mind that I’m not a Bible scholar, but a Bible follower sharing with you what God has taught me through His Word.

Acts was written by Luke who also wrote the book of Luke.  Luke was a medical doctor and the only New Testament writer who was identified as a non-Jew.  Luke was a Greek who had a close fellowship with the Jews.  He wrote both books addressing the same person, Theophilus.  He wrote these books so Theophilus would know for certain about Jesus.  Luke wanted to give him a firm foundation based on the eyewitness testimony given by men who weren’t gaining anything personal.  He shows us how the Gospel was not only for the Jews but included the Gentiles.  (A Gentile is anyone who is not a Jew.)

In the book of Acts we are taught about the start of the church and how the church spread from Jerusalem to Rome.  We see how the Jews rejected the Jesus and His Gospel.  We see how God sent the apostles to the Gentiles who accepted the Gospel.  We learn a lot about Peter and Paul.  Peter was central in starting the church and Paul was a very important missionary.   We see how these two men worked together with many others to do the Lord’s work.  We also see how the early church was treated because of the Gospel. 

The book shows that God is not respecter of persons.  He cares about individuals from every walk of life and background.  The main theme of the book is that the Gospel in not just for Jews, but for all people.  It is to God’s glory to save all men and women.  God does not discriminate.

The message in Acts is centered on the resurrection of Jesus, which authenticates Jesus is alive and is the Christ.  The apostles were given miraculous power which authenticated them as God’s witness to Jesus and His resurrection.

Prayer is prominent in Acts.  Luke records specific prayers in Acts 1:24-25; 4:24-26; 7:59-60.  The book shows that praise is normal and part of the true Christian life.  We see people filled with the Holy Spirit. 

 

The purpose of Acts

To emphasize the power of Holy Spirit and His work to forgive all who believe

To show God’s sovereignty

To show the importance of prayer and teaching God’s Word

To show the mission to all people and how to evangelize

To show the life and organization of the church

Acts is considered one of the most important books of the Bible.  Acts 1:8 is the heart of the study and the Holy Spirit is the main Character.

 “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witness in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” – Acts 1:8

Who is the Holy Spirit?  The Holy Spirit is the Third Member of the Holy Trinity.  He is the aspect of God that lives and empowers and inspires man.  The Holy Spirit has a work among those who are not yet believers, but also a great and significant work in those who believe.

Principle:  The growth of the Church rests on the living resurrected Christ.

Two great truths in this study:

Christianity is a faith rooted in history and is God’s revelation of Himself in the person of Jesus Christ.

God is at work in history through His church and Jesus is the historical foundation of our faith.  Jesus began the work and His church continues it.

Are you committed to God’s work through His church?

Are you a servant of Jesus Christ and fully committed and obedient to His cause?

Join me here next week as we begin our study of the book of Acts.  --  I encourage you to trust in Jesus.

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Temptation (1 Corinthians 10:13)

Temptations are thoughts, ideas and circumstances that test our trust in God.  Jesus’ temptations came from the devil himself (Matthew 4:1-10).  The devil used similar tactics with Adam and Eve (Genesis    3).  Satan’s tactics failed with Jesus, but not with Adam and Eve.  We can experience temptations from the devil, but we can also experience them from wrong emotions and desires (James 1:14).  The devil’s purpose of temptation is to spoil a person’s trust in God.  But God allows it to prove a Christian’s trust in Him is genuine.  He doesn’t send hardships upon us, but He permits them.  They are opportunities for us to see what is really inside of us – faith or doubt.  When refusing to give in to these temptations, a Christian becomes stronger in his relationship with God.

“No temptation has seized you except what is common to man.  And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear.  But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.” - 1 Corinthians 10:13

Paul is talking about specific temptations of sexual immorality and grumbling in the preceding verses.  These are common to all of us.  But he says “no temptation”, which covers all temptation. 

We all know that temptations are very common to every believer.  No one is exempt from the temptations from evil.  We all suffer or will suffer from someone gossiping about us or from lies told about us.  We suffer from worrying about our teenager, when we’re in financial difficulty, or when there is illness of someone we love.  We all have had some kind of grief during our lifetime.  All our troubles are ordinary, because we all go through these types of things.  That’s life.

BUT, God is faithful.  Remember He is in control.  We belong to Him and He is always there to help us through.  We all have limits.  Some can bear the pressure of a trial better than others.  We all have a breaking point.  God will not allow us to be tempted beyond what we are able to handle.  He knows our weaknesses, our motives, and our fears.  He knows our level of spiritual maturity or immaturity at any particular moment in our lives.  He knows how much pressure we can take.  He stretches us in these difficult situations and causes us to grow in our faith.

However, we have responsibilities during these temptations.  We are to look for our escape route.  We are to avoid certain situations that would increase our temptation.  “Do not be misled:  bad company corrupts good character.” – 1 Corinthians 15:33.  We are to pray, “Lead us not into temptation” – Matthew 6:13.

Sometimes we get ourselves into temptations.  So be careful of the company you keep and the places you go.  Be discerning as to what is right and wrong.  See how Joseph avoided temptation in Genesis 39:6-23.  He did that by recognizing sin, taking responsibility and running from it.

If we find ourselves in a temptation, there is a way out and God will always provide the resources to help us get out of the temptation.  He will give us the answers we need.   God never tempts us, but He does test us.  Every temptation is a test.  God will constantly test us and the decisions we make.  He designs our spiritual growth in every temptation.  God controls our temptation and will personally provide a way of escape.

The way out is: walk by the Holy Spirit, live in the Word, flee from temptation, pray faithfully, watch your attitudes, live by faith, seek fellowship with other believers, have the right values and priorities, be responsible, and keep your eyes on Jesus.

There are many stories of God’s people who have fallen into sin, but finished well.  The story of Job is a perfect example how God allowed Satan to test Job way beyond the point we would consider reasonable.  But Job kept his faith and God provided him the means to succeed.  He may have doubted God at times, but he never gave up on God.

There is comfort and encouragement in knowing we are not alone and that others have faced similar or even wore temptations, but endured because of God’s strength and faithfulness.

Principles:

We all experience common temptations.

All temptations are under God’s control.

God always provides an escape from temptations.

Have a blessed day and thanks for visiting my site.  Hope to see you here again.  --  I encourage you to trust in Jesus.

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