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Acts 2:37 ~ When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, "Brothers, what shall we do?" Acts 2:37 - I love this verse. People read this verse and say things like, (yeah that was then, it would never happen today). God is the same yesterday, today and forever. I have had the privilege to see people respond to the Gospel this way. There have been times when we cannot even finish telling them the Gospel and they are begging us to tell them what to do. Now Peter responded differently than I have by saying, "Repent and be baptized, 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." (Acts 2:38). Next time it happens if the Lord shall bring it to my memory I may follow Peter's example and say the same thing. Verse 41 says, "Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls." I like how the KJV says this verse, (they GLADLY received his word.) Imagine everyone being baptized together on the day of their conversion. I find it interesting that on this day of Pentecost the disciples were breaking bread and about 3,000 were saved. On the day Moses broke the stones tables of the Ten Commandments about 3,000 were killed. "The Levites did as Moses commanded, and that day about three thousand of the people died". (Exodus 32:28) Father God, I know I am so unworthy but I would love to witness something like this where people repent and be baptized on the spot. Please give me more opportunities to share Your precious Word with unbelievers and watch You transform their lives. You have transform my life and I am so grateful.

120 of the followers of Jesus had gathered to wait and pray for the power Jesus had promised [Acts 1:15]. The Spirit was poured out, and they were all filled with Him. They supernaturally spoke the languages of the people that were gathered for the Jewish Feast of Pentecost. Peter preached the first sermon of the newly born church of Jesus Christ. Thousands of people were convicted of their sin. Preaching the truth about Jesus Christ in Acts 2, Peter left thousands of convicted listeners asking the same question: “What shall we do now?” The apostle’s response is simple: “Repent, and . . . be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins” [Acts 2:38]. As a result, 3,000 people were added to the new church that day [Acts 2:41]. Is this the message of most churches today? Does it seem strange that Peter said “repent” instead of “believe”? Actually, Scripture often uses these concepts interchangeably. You see, repentance and faith are really two sides of the same coin: Both are essential for salvation, and each is dependent upon the other. In terms of salvation, you cannot separate faith and repentance—both happen simultaneously. In order to be saved, you must place faith in Christ for the forgiveness of sins, and that faith decision requires a change of mind (repentance) about your way of life. Yet many people mistakenly believe they must change their way of living long before they can make a faith decision for the Savior. The truth is, repentance does not mean that we must completely change our ways and “clean ourselves up” so we can receive Christ as Lord. If anyone is holding off on a decision for Christ until they think they are “ready” or “worthy,” they’re waiting in vain. Jesus is ready to receive everyone right now. Only as a child of God will any of us find the power—His power—to truly become the person we were created to be. Our assignment is to share this truth. It is also interesting to me to note that this is Peter’s first public occasion in preaching! This is the same Peter who had PUBLICLY DENIED even knowing Jesus [John 18]! Preaching today should be no different than that first sermon. It should be given in the power of the Spirit. It should convict of sin. It should cause the hearers to ask what God wants them to do. The disciples told the people to repent and be baptized. In other words, have a complete change of mind and attitude, and give yourself to a new master, Jesus the Messiah. Baptism was not only a declaration that you were beginning a new direction in life, but it also declared you were submitting yourself to a new master. In the power of the Holy Spirit, Peter preached a message that he did not fully understand. He declared that the promise was for all who are far off, for all whom the Lord our God will call. He interpreted it as meaning for the scattered Jews since his audience was Jew in Jerusalem to celebrate Pentecost. God would have to speak to him, which is recorded later in this book of Acts, to help him understand more fully what he had preached [Acts 10:27, 34, 45]. Peter's message bore fruit and it was not because of Peter's great wisdom or oratory skills ["unschooled, ordinary" according to Acts 4:13]. It was fruitful because the Spirit was in Him and was given the freedom to work through Him. Here is a lesson for each of us and our ministry: If our service to Jesus is going to bear fruit, we must be courageous; we must empowered with the Holy Spirit; we must tell others about Jesus! . We can also see a number of characteristics of any healthy Christian's life today. Notice that there is the devotion to learning about Jesus, fellowship with other believers, communion, and prayer. And recognize that it would be centuries before Christian churches were built. They shared meals with glad and sincere hearts. They spent time praising God. They had a good reputation as they walked in the fruits of the Spirit. Then we have that beautiful last line in verse 47. The Lord added daily to their group. Everyday people came to saving faith in Jesus. I didn't read about any witnessing program. It was simply the living examples of these new converts, their joy, and their example that drew others. Surely when people asked them, they told of how Jesus was transforming them personally. But notice Who added? The Lord did! It was not human effort. Perhaps if we have all these wonderful elements of that early church, we too will see the Lord add to our numbers those who are being saved. Are we demonstrating all those elements of that early church? What can we do to add them to our spiritual life? I think that every Christian “preaches a sermon” everyday by our example….is it Christ that others see in us? I am reminded, “Let us consider how to provoke one another to love and good deeds” [Hebrews 10:24]. http://www.freegiftforlife.com http://www.freegiftforlife.com/me/DonO

120 of the followers of Jesus had gathered to wait and pray for the power Jesus had promised [Acts 1:15]. The Spirit was poured out, and they were all filled with Him. They supernaturally spoke the languages of the people that were gathered for the Jewish Feast of Pentecost. Peter preached the first sermon of the newly born church of Jesus Christ. Thousands of people were convicted of their sin. Preaching the truth about Jesus Christ in Acts 2, Peter left thousands of convicted listeners asking the same question: “What shall we do now?” The apostle’s response is simple: “Repent, and . . . be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins” [Acts 2:38]. As a result, 3,000 people were added to the new church that day [Acts 2:41]. Is this the message of most churches today? Does it seem strange that Peter said “repent” instead of “believe”? Actually, Scripture often uses these concepts interchangeably. You see, repentance and faith are really two sides of the same coin: Both are essential for salvation, and each is dependent upon the other. In terms of salvation, you cannot separate faith and repentance—both happen simultaneously. In order to be saved, you must place faith in Christ for the forgiveness of sins, and that faith decision requires a change of mind (repentance) about your way of life. Yet many people mistakenly believe they must change their way of living long before they can make a faith decision for the Savior. The truth is, repentance does not mean that we must completely change our ways and “clean ourselves up” so we can receive Christ as Lord. If anyone is holding off on a decision for Christ until they think they are “ready” or “worthy,” they’re waiting in vain. Jesus is ready to receive everyone right now. Only as a child of God will any of us find the power—His power—to truly become the person we were created to be. Our assignment is to share this truth. It is also interesting to me to note that this is Peter’s first public occasion in preaching! This is the same Peter who had PUBLICLY DENIED even knowing Jesus [John 18]! Preaching today should be no different than that first sermon. It should be given in the power of the Spirit. It should convict of sin. It should cause the hearers to ask what God wants them to do. The disciples told the people to repent and be baptized. In other words, have a complete change of mind and attitude, and give yourself to a new master, Jesus the Messiah. Baptism was not only a declaration that you were beginning a new direction in life, but it also declared you were submitting yourself to a new master. In the power of the Holy Spirit, Peter preached a message that he did not fully understand. He declared that the promise was for all who are far off, for all whom the Lord our God will call. He interpreted it as meaning for the scattered Jews since his audience was Jew in Jerusalem to celebrate Pentecost. God would have to speak to him, which is recorded later in this book of Acts, to help him understand more fully what he had preached [Acts 10:27, 34, 45]. Peter's message bore fruit and it was not because of Peter's great wisdom or oratory skills ["unschooled, ordinary" according to Acts 4:13]. It was fruitful because the Spirit was in Him and was given the freedom to work through Him. Here is a lesson for each of us and our ministry: If our service to Jesus is going to bear fruit, we must be courageous; we must empowered with the Holy Spirit; we must tell others about Jesus! . We can also see a number of characteristics of any healthy Christian's life today. Notice that there is the devotion to learning about Jesus, fellowship with other believers, communion, and prayer. And recognize that it would be centuries before Christian churches were built. They shared meals with glad and sincere hearts. They spent time praising God. They had a good reputation as they walked in the fruits of the Spirit. Then we have that beautiful last line in verse 47. The Lord added daily to their group. Everyday people came to saving faith in Jesus. I didn't read about any witnessing program. It was simply the living examples of these new converts, their joy, and their example that drew others. Surely when people asked them, they told of how Jesus was transforming them personally. But notice Who added? The Lord did! It was not human effort. Perhaps if we have all these wonderful elements of that early church, we too will see the Lord add to our numbers those who are being saved. Are we demonstrating all those elements of that early church? What can we do to add them to our spiritual life? I think that every Christian “preaches a sermon” everyday by our example….is it Christ that others see in us? I am reminded, “Let us consider how to provoke one another to love and good deeds” [Hebrews 10:24].