Acts 2:1–47

Today we see in Acts 2 that after being filled with the Holy Spirit, Peter proclaims the gospel; more than three thousand people are saved, the church is born, and the kingdom of God begins to impact Jerusalem.

1. THE HOLY SPIRIT FILLS YOU TO TESTIFY AND WIN SOULS
   On the day of Pentecost, the disciples were together in one place when the Holy Spirit descended as Jesus promised (vv. 2-3). Verse 4 states that all the disciples were filled with the Holy Spirit. A large crowd of people gathered to see what all the commotion was about. Then, Peter proclaimed the gospel to the masses, and three thousand people were saved (vv. 14-40). Thus, the church was born in Jerusalem. In the same way, the reason the Holy Spirit comes upon us with power is so that we can testify to others and share our faith with non-believers, so that the light of Christ can shine on them. Are you sharing your faith with someone else? It may be that you are afraid, just like Peter who even denied Jesus at a difficult moment, but after he was filled with the Holy Spirit, he and the eleven preached and won souls.
2. FOUR PILLARS OF A SPIRIT-FILLED LIFE
   What was the life of these new believers like? Verses 42–47 give an idea of what the early church valued and practiced. Their culture and circumstances influenced the structures they employed. What is more relevant for us is what they valued and practiced as disciples of Jesus: devotion to God and His Word, fellowship with one another, radical generosity and sharing, and praying and worshiping together. These were four pillars in the early New Testament church and cannot be missing in our church in the 21st century. As a result of the Christ-centered spiritual values and practices in the early church, two powerful effects were produced. First, the church had a tremendous influence on those around them. Verse 47 says that the disciples “enjoyed the favor of all the people.” The followers of Jesus were impacting their city by embracing the life and teachings of Jesus. Second, God brought people into His kingdom. Verse 47 ends by declaring, “And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.” Through the courage, faith, good works, and trust of the disciples in the Holy Spirit, God added to the church daily. The kingdom was growing!
3. WITH THE POWER OF THE SPIRIT, TURN THE WORLD UPSIDE DOWN AROUND YOU
   As believers today, we too can have a powerful influence on the world around us. Again, our goal is not to copy and paste the exact structure of how the early church functioned into our current structures. Rather, we can learn how the first disciples related to God, each other, and the world and apply those underlying principles to our context. If we love God and obey His Word, walk in deep community with one another, give selflessly, and pray continually, we will once again change the world by the power of the Holy Spirit.

AS WE CONTINUALLY DEDICATE OURSELVES TO GOD AND TO ONE ANOTHER, GOD WILL DRAW PEOPLE INTO HIS KINGDOM.