Act 2:37-47 NASB - "37 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?" 38 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. 39 "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."
40 And with many other words he solemnly testified and kept
on exhorting them, saying, "Be saved from this perverse generation!"
41 So then, those who had received his word were baptized; and that day there
were added about three thousand souls. 42 They were continually devoting
themselves to the apostles' teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of
bread and to prayer.
43 Everyone kept feeling a sense of awe; and many wonders
and signs were taking place through the apostles. 44 And all those who had
believed were together and had all things in common; 45 and they began selling
their property and possessions and were sharing them with all, as anyone might
have need. 46 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, 47 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."
How should we respond to the good news about the Messiah
Jesus? We need to be deeply convicted of
our moral transgressions, see our need of the Messiah Jesus saving us from just
divine condemnation, and turn to the Messiah Jesus to be our personal prophet,
priest, and king. We must decide that
Jesus is God come in the flesh to save us, is our ultimate revelation of divine
truth, our one hope of having our sins forgiven through HIS sacrifice on the
cross, and the one to guide us in every decision of our lives. This is what it means to believe. Baptism is the sign of the covenant that separates
us from the unbelieving world culture and to the kingdom of the King
Messiah.
The conversions that took place here formed a dynamic and
passionate community of faith. They
excited about the message but also enjoyed the revelation of power brought
about by kingdom signs and wonders.
There also was a real love and compassion among them. The greatest sign of the reality of the
resurrection of Messiah Jesus was the love demonstrated towards those in need.
In the midst of this fellowship, people came to faith
regularly as a simple by product of the community that was growing in truth,
striving to show love, and was filled with the Holy Spirit. This revelation of the community of heaven
on earth became a bright beacon in the middle of a dark generation.
Application:
How deep is your faith in Messiah Jesus? Do you see him as your personal, prophet, and
king? How could you strive to show
community and love to other Christians in your fellowship? Do you
think a church today could be an Acts 2 church?
Prayer
Lord, help me to really accept you as the ultimate prophet,
perfect priest, and compassionate king. Bring
your people together into harmony and mutual care. Show us how to live lifestyles of truth and
grace before the watching world. Amen
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