An Acts 2 Church - Evangelistic

An Acts 2 Church - Evangelistic The first local church began with over 100 believers gathering to pray. Three thousand unexpected visitors got saved. The church did not look back. More people were saved every day. The church in Acts 2 shows us that God wants His church to be evangelistic. The church began with Spirit-anointed proclamation. As the believers spoke in tongues, they were declaring the wonders of God in languages others there understood. Verse six says, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard them speaking in his own language. In verse 11, they said, we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues! To unbelievers, tongues are usually a sign of their unbelief. However, God occasionally uses tongues to proclaim the gospel. God's concern is always for the salvation of the lost. When Peter stood up before the crowd, he spoke as the Spirit enabled Him. Verse 14 uses a Greek verb found only three times in the New Testament. It means "to speak forth" but is used for wise men, prophets, and oracles speaking under an anointing. In verse 4 it is used of speaking in tongues as the Spirit enabled them. In verse 14 it is used of Peter's preaching. This was not a prepared sermon but a prophetic word as the Holy Spirit enabled Peter. Peter began by quoting the prophet Joel. He then quotes David from Psalm 16. As he concludes, he quotes David again from Psalm 110. The Biblical pattern is to proclaim the gospel from God's word under the Spirit's anointing. The church began with a clear call to repentance. Peter had preached Jesus. He ends this short sermon in verse 36, saying, Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ. Jesus had been crucified. He died for our sins as our substitute. Jesus is now risen. He is victorious, alive forevermore. This proves that He is Lord. Jesus deserves our submission and surrender. This also proves that He is Christ. Jesus is the promise fulfilled. He is the Savior to rely on. The Holy Spirit convicted the hearers. They were cut to the heart, convicted of their sin and their need of salvation. They became earnest seekers saying, What shall we do? Peter replied, Repent. Choose to turn from your sin. Confess your sin and forsake it. Choose to turn to faith in Jesus. Choose to trust in Him alone for forgiveness. Then in verse 40 Peter adds, Save yourselves from this corrupt generation. The verb is more literally "Be saved." Peter emphasizes the urgency of their need and their dependency on the grace and power of God to save them. Peter said more: Repent and be baptized. Baptism is a public confession of one's repentance and faith. That same day 3000 were baptized and added to their number. The pattern of the early church was simple. The Gospel was proclaimed from God's word. The people repented and received salvation. Then the new believer was immediately baptized. A key point of Acts 2 is that the church is intended to produce many converts. The purpose of Pentecost was given in Acts 1:8: But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. We are not filled with the Spirit for pleasure and excitement but to receive power to be witnesses for Jesus at home and to all the world. The promise quoted from Joel ends and everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. Salvation is made available to all who will call on the Lord. This age of the Spirit is a time of salvation through Jesus Christ. Where the Spirit is moving, people will be saved. Acts 2 describes the beginning of the harvest in verse 41: Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day. They repented putting faith in Jesus and were saved. The numbers were great, 3000 at one time. The Holy Spirit is not limited to reaching just a few. And this harvest continued. The chapter ends with these words: And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved. The Lord added them. Salvation is His work. The evangelistic growth of the church is to be ongoing. The work of evangelism is to be daily, not just on Sunday at church. The church should continually see people being saved and added to our numbers. God wants each of us to be Spirit-filled and to proclaim His good news. God wants us to give a clear call to repentance as we tell others about Jesus. God wants us to receive and to baptize the new believers. God wants us to see many receive Christ as Savior in a great and continuing harvest. Are you part of what God wants His church to be? Are you a part of God's church through faith in Jesus? Let us seek God to be all He wants us to be.