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Acts

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Spirit Filled Prophecy

Acts 2:17-21

The Holy Spirit had come upon all the apostles, and they were speaking about God's wonderful power in many different and identifiable languages (Acts 2:4; Acts 2:7-11).  Their excitement and the gathering crowd attracted still more people to ask what was going on (Acts 2:12).  Peter was the spokesman: he simply quoted from the Old Testament writings of Joel (Joel 2:28-32).  The coming of the Holy Spirit to every believer had been predicted almost 800 years previously.

The Spirit Reveals Who Jesus Is

Acts 2:22-24

That Pentecost morning in Jerusalem saw quite a stir for three reasons.  Firstly, the Holy Spirit had been given to the apostles and the once-petrified men (John 20:19) were now unafraid to speak to the gathering crowd.  Secondly, the apostles spoke in many identifiable languages about what God had done through Jesus (Acts 2:6-12).  Thirdly, the Holy Spirit empowered Peter to tell the crowd, who had demanded Jesus' death (Luke 23:23), that He was now alive; those who put Him to death (Acts 2:22-23) were afraid of retribution (Acts 2:37).

The Son's Confidence in the Father

Acts 2:25-28

Religious Jews value the Old Testament Scriptures: the Psalms are their hymnbook.  Although we do not know any of the original melodies, the words express inner thoughts and emotions of human beings who trust God.  Today's verses come after Peter had started to explain that Jesus' crucifixion was not a mistake (Acts 2:22-24).  God the Son trusted His Father to bring Him through death, as these words from Psalm 16:8-11 describe.  Even though King David wrote the Psalm to reflect his own relationship with God, the Holy Spirit showed Peter how it perfectly described Christ's confident love-bon

Dead Prophets or Living Saviour

Acts 2:29-32

However great a person may be, everyone has a great weakness: they all die.  We may honour the memory of dead prophets, but we cannot have any relationship with them.  Great people have another weakness; they cannot see the future.  They may guess; but cannot see.  David was both a king and a prophet (speaking to the people about what God had said to him) and he died; but in these verses Peter says that David also saw Jesus and what would happen to Him, His death and resurrection, in the future.

Victorious Church

Acts 2:33-35

The true church has rarely been admired or loved by the world.  Jesus was hated, and promised that His people would be persecuted (John 15:18-20).  However, the Bible tells us that He wins in the end, and will be universally honoured as the all-powerful King (Revelation 11:15-18).  Such verses in Revelation are totally consistent with what David wrote, through the Holy Spirit's inspiration, some 1000 years before Christ.

Conviction of Sin and a Call to Action

Acts 2:36-39

The Pentecost crowd had first gathered because of an unusual sound (Acts 2:6).  Then the cosmopolitan pilgrims in Jerusalem heard the apostles telling them about God's wonderful power; but each nationality heard in their own language (Acts 2:8).  Peter explained that it was what Joel had prophesied (Acts 2:9-21), and went on to talk about Jesus.  Quoting the Old Testament Scriptures, Peter convinced them that Jesus was the Messiah and God's appointed ruler over everything (Acts 2:22-35).

Urgent Plea To Take Action

Acts 2:40-41

These verses are Luke's comments, based on eye-witness accounts, of Peter's evangelistic talk before the Pentecost crowds (Acts 2:14-39).  Those verses summarise the content of his message.  It was all about Jesus – the rejected King who was crucified but came back to life and holds the whole world to account.  The Holy Spirit empowered the apostle to speak the truth, and He convicted many who heard the message (John 16:8-9).  That inner conviction was so powerful that they felt ‘cut to the heart’ (Acts 2:37).  They suddenly knew that they had been so wrong in their assessment of J

Devoted to Learning the Truth

Acts 2:42

On Pentecost Sunday, about three thousand people repented and were baptised (Acts 2:41).  The church was born.  The Holy Spirit had filled the apostles and the new believers.  What happened next?  Firstly, there was so much to learn about Jesus, what He had done and what He said about the nature of God's kingdom.  The apostles were there to tell them. They had been personally appointed by Jesus and authorised to teach the truth (1 Thessalonians 4:1-2); as they did, the Holy Spirit instructed them so that the apostles’ teaching was just as if Jesus was speaking.

Devoted to Doing the Truth

Acts 2:43-47

The Holy Spirit filled the new believers who repented of their sin.  They were baptised on that Pentecost Sunday and they became the talk of the city.  In just seven weeks since Christ's crucifixion, thousands of people had been transformed from Jesus-haters to Jesus-lovers (Luke 23:21-25).  The power of God was present to do the same kind of wonderful actions which Jesus had done (Luke 5:17).  Jesus was not there physically, but His Spirit now filled thousands of people: the presence of Christ was massively multiplied (John 16:7).

Proclaiming Jesus As Lord

Acts 3:1-6

The narrative in these verses speaks for itself.  After Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit was poured out on the apostles and then on each believer who repented and trusted Jesus, the believers were bold to speak about Jesus.  In addition to smaller groups meeting in homes, many met together for prayers (three times a day – 9am, 12 noon and 3pm) in the temple, following the pattern of Jewish worship.

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