The Pentecost Story, Part 4

Save yourselves

Acts 2v40-41

24^th June 2016

This is the last in our series on Acts Chapter 2. We've seen how the Holy Spirit came upon the 120 people who still believed in Jesus after His crucifixion, and they began to speak in tongues. We've seen how Peter stood up and preached to the crowd outside, explaining that Jesus was the Messiah. And we've seen how many in the crowd responded, asking Peter and the other believers how they, too, could be saved. 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."

Luke tells us that:

Acts 2v40
With many other words he [Peter] warned them; and he pleaded with them, "Save yourselves from this corrupt generation."

Are you appalled by the generation in which we live? Do the corruption, and the attempts to redefine morality, and the terrible decisions made by governments, and the filth on the television and the internet appal you? Then save yourself - refuse to be a part of it. Don't be part of this wicked country of ours, be part of the holy people of God. Repent, and be baptised, and receive the gift of the Holy Spirit - be part of God's holy people, and save yourself.

And save yourself from the degradation, and the falsehood, and the mistakes people - often well-meaning people - are making, because they refuse to repent and be baptised. They refuse to do things according to the word of God, as if humans know better than the God who created them. Save yourself, live a better way, live as one of God's people, within the holy church of God.

Luke continues:

Acts 2v41
Those who accepted his message were baptised, and about three thousand were added to their number that day.

Notice that were was no period of weeks or months while they got their doctrine sorted out. There was no training; they believed, and they got baptised the same day. The theological instruction happened after baptism, not before.

We started with a hundred and twenty powerless people, praying in a upper room, probably with the door locked, wondering how they could possibly make a difference, finding it hard to believe Jesus's words when He told them they would take His message to the ends of the earth, and the world would be transformed by the power of the cross. Then Peter stood up and preached one sermon, and three thousand people were born again. Three thousand people joined God's holy people, and were baptised as Christians.

The power that gave them faith and new life didn't come from Peter. It didn't happen because he was an eloquent preacher, or a great person, or a holy man. The power to save came from the Holy Spirit.

The difference between a church that's filled with the Holy Spirit and a church that isn't, is the difference between the church on Pentecost morning and the church at Pentecost evening. The difference is the power of the Holy Spirit, which is available to all who repent and are baptised.