Pentecost - Part 3

You will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit

Over the last two weeks, we've been remembering that after Jesus rose from the dead, and just before he ascended into Heaven, he told his disciples to wait for the Holy Spirit to come. They spent the next ten days praying together. And then, at the festival called Pentecost, the Spirit came, and the church started to speak in tongues, and the neighbours were amazed and perplexed. Peter stood up to explain what was happening, and his explanation turned into an impromptu sermon. The sermon ended with these words:

Acts 2v36
"Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ."

Yes! Jesus was indeed the Messiah promised by the prophets of old! And they'd killed him, with help from the Romans. Really, we all killed Him; Jesus died to pay for my sin, and for yours. If we hadn't sinned, He wouldn't have died. They realised that they'd rejected God's Anointed One.

Acts 2v37
When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, "Brothers, what shall we do?"

And there comes a time in our lives when we realise that we've rejected God, turned our back on Him, tried to live our own way, ignored His amazing grace. And we ask "what shall we do?" Peter had the answer:

Acts 2v38-39
Peter replied, "Repent and be baptised, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off - for all whom the Lord our God will call."

Sounds simple, doesn't it?

• Repent: Change the way you think. Stop trying to work things out for yourself, and listen to God. Let the Bible teach you what's right and what's wrong. Let God take the decisions in your life. Live for Him and not for yourself
• Be baptised: Make an open, public, declaration that you're no longer your own; you belong to Jesus Christ.

That's not so easy. If you've spent your life thinking that you know best, if you've been glad to be independent, then it's hard to put yourself second, and Jesus first. But Jesus is The Lord, He is our Redeemer, He has purchased us with His blood. You can go your own way, or you can go His way. What will you choose?

But if you will repent and be baptised, then you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Was this promise only for the people of those days? Or is it for some believers but not for others? No! The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off�for all whom the Lord our God will call. Do you hear God's call? Do you know that God is what you really want? If you'll turn from your desire to be in control, and trust God, and put your life in Jesus's hands, and be baptised, then you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Acts 2v41
With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, "Save yourselves from this corrupt generation."
Those who accepted his message were baptised, and about three thousand were added to their number that day.

And others did not accept the message, and were not baptised, and did not receive God's Holy Spirit.

How about you?