Tuesday 14 June, 2016
ACTS 2:37- 42
37 When the people heard this, it had a deep effect on them. They said to Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what should we do?” 38 Peter replied, “All of you must turn away from your sins and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then your sins will be forgiven. You will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 The promise is for you and your children. It is also for all who are far away. It is for all whom the Lord our God will choose.” 40 Peter said many other things to warn them. He begged them, “Save yourselves from these evil people.” 41 Those who accepted his message were baptized. About 3,000 people joined the believers that day. 42 The believers studied what the apostles taught. They shared their lives together. They ate and prayed together.
When I read this, I am reminded that Peter was a fisherman, an uneducated man as far as we know. In this scene, he is responding to the people who were ridiculing the apostles after they had been empowered by the Holy Spirit, claiming they were drunk on wine. He stood up, raised his voice, and spoke with incredible conviction.
He stated “The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.” He thought he was addressing the Jews primarily (v1), and yet there would have been other races there as well. Interesting that Peter was then instrumental in witnessing to the Gentiles later.
The passage for today describes the result of this unrehearsed speech. . . . the birth of the church.
I am drawn to the words that Peter not only warned, but pleaded with the people to repent. Such inspiring conviction.
Do I share this same conviction? To be honest, I think not.
Lord, help me to have this same conviction, and to continually ask for the empowerment of the Holy Spirit to speak with boldness. Amen
Written by Steve Fell
The response of the hearers of the message to say “what now shall we do?” Catches my attention in my reading of this passage today.
For years as a new Christian I read passage after passage in God’s Word and listened to numerous sermons with an intent of trying to build my knowledge and understanding of God and His Word. Occasionally, understanding and believing the right thing was helpful along the way, but as I look back, there was a gap in my attention to asking the same question that these hearers asked each time I was reading Scripture. “What do I do now?” “How do I apply this?” “What does this mean for me?”
If I had started really thinking about the application of every scripture in my life earlier on, I know that my Christan walk would have started maturing much earlier and I wouldn’t have experienced as many moments of failure.
Lord, as I walk forward, may I continue to ask “What now shall I do” each time I hear from you through your word or by your spirit. May I always grow in knowledge and understanding, but help me to be a man of action and application, not just a deep thinker.
Acts 2:37-42
When the people heard this it had a deep effect on them. What a powerful statement. Just days earlier they had rejected Jesus, the subject of Peter’s preaching, and orchestrated his death.
Now Peter stands and speaks to them, accusing them of killing the anointed One the Saviour of the world. Who wouldn’t be deeply effected? Truly, if you were sitting listening to someone and they made a strong case, a credible case and you realised you were now enjoined in the culpability you would be deeply effected. So deep was the impact that they didn’t shrug off Peter’s directions, they embraced his call to repentance.
This begs the question for me. When I am deeply effected, perhaps as a result of preaching or conversation or a time of worship or as I receive communion, what results? Do I take the next step and make the changes necessary, the changes that show I have taken on board the purpose of the message/effect was intended to give?
Have I allowed the deep effect to truly effect my life.
Father, help me to respond with repentance and faith toward You whenever You deeply effect me so that I may live for You with all my heart.