Acts 2:37-47
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The Proper Response to Jesus Centered Preaching
The Proper Response to Jesus Centered Preaching
The Holy Spirit Pricks the Hearts of Sinners
Now when they heard this, they were pierced to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brethren, what shall we do?”
Repentance Brings the Holy Spirit
Peter said to them, “Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
Burgeler broke unto an old womans house and tried to rob her. She grabbed her Bible and Started Acts 2:38 Repent, Acts 2:38 Repent. The robber fell to the floor and surrendered. She called the police and found the man laying on the floor unrestrained...but unwilling to move. When the cops asked him how an unarmed woman held him at bay...He replied...”Unarmed? This woman screamed at me saying she had an Axe and 2 38’s
Fortunately we do not have to strong arm people into the gospel. The Holy Spirit is the one who pricks the heart and draws people in.
Notice the pattern here...REPENT...Then be baptized, Then you receive the Spirit. Repentance always comes first.
What does repent mean? “To change one’s mind.” To turn away from.
To decide...I’m going to follow Jesus instead of Satan.
To decide...I’m going to obey rather than rebel.
Who Gets to Receive The Promise of the Spirit?
“For the promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off, as many as the Lord our God will call to Himself.”
The promise of salvation is for ever who will believe.
“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.
Jesus died for the entire world. But unfortunately the entire world will not respond. Some people will choose to reject His call. Don’t be one of those people.
Be Saved!
And with many other words he solemnly testified and kept on exhorting them, saying, “Be saved from this perverse generation!”
Many other words...remember last week when I said that this was a truncated sermon transcription. Luke didn’t write everything down.
Last week we saw that Peter preached the life of Christ, the Death of Christ, the Resurreciton of Christ. He had a vast amount of material to preach from becuase he walked with Jesus for 3 years. Lots of material to discuss. Lots of miracles to proclaim. Lots of Truth to be spoken.
And the bottom line is this...Be saved. Be saved. Be saved.
The Proper Response to Jesus Centered Preaching
So then, those who had received his word were baptized; and that day there were added about three thousand souls.
People are saved and baptised.
The difference between then and now? People wanting their ears tickled.
For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires,
and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths.
That is where we are right now in the world. The attraction to sin is strong. And people would rather court the Devil than follow God.
The Aftermath of Salvation
They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.
There were 4 elements to the early church
Devoting themselves to the apostles teaching.
Fellowship.
Break of Bread.
Prayer.
Word
Warmth
Plates
Prayers
I believe this is why people turn aside and turn away.
Everyone kept feeling a sense of awe; and many wonders and signs were taking place through the apostles.
The sense of Awe and Wonder.
The word awe is actually fear.
You know how it feels to stand before a judge. For most sane people there is this feeling of hesitation, of nervousness, of respect, of fear, maybe a little apprehension. What do we call him...Your Honor. This earthly judge invokes a healthy amount of fear and trembling.
What do you think it will be like when we stand face to face with THE JUDGE?
So this awe (fear) is the feeling that I imagine I will feel when I meet God face to face. And honestly, that reverence has been lost in todays church age. Sometimes I fell like I a not as reverent as I should be when I come in here. But this place is supposed to be holy. Reverent. Respected. It is a place of worship.
And the early church had that. They were in tune with the Spirit of God.
I believe we have lost someo of that and need to turn back and try to capture that feeling of awe and wonder and reverence and respect.
And all those who had believed were together and had all things in common;
and they began selling their property and possessions and were sharing them with all, as anyone might have need.
They supported one another. Some people use this verse to support socialist communism.
These people were being persecuted for their faith. Ostrasized, Kicked out of their homes. Discard by their families and to follow Jesus meant they were going to lose everything. So the church supported the church.
They bore one anothers burdens and helped each other live.
Day by day continuing with one mind in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they were taking their meals together with gladness and sincerity of heart,
praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord was adding to their number day by day those who were being saved.
So here they are putting the four elements together in practical terms.
Day by day, one mind, in the temple. Word
Breaking bread together taking meals together. Fellowship and Meals. Warmth & Plate
Praising God - Praying and Praising. Prayers
And the Lord was adding to their number day by day those who were being saved.
