The Early Church’s Message

On the day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit came and filled all the believers who were present in the Upper Room. The group then went to the temple courts where Peter stood up with the Eleven. He raised his voice and addressed the crowd: “Fellow Jews and all of you who live in Jerusalem, let me explain this to you; listen carefully to what I say” (Acts 2:14). He declared that what was happening was the fulfillment of Joel’s prophecy regarding the outpouring of the Spirit in the last days. Then he said, “Men of Israel, listen to this: Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs, which God did among you through him, as you yourselves know. This man was handed over to you by God’s deliberate plan and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the cross. But God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him” (Acts 2:22-24).

After he made several references to the patriarch David’s statements about Messiah, Peter concluded with this pointed application, “’Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah.’ When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, ‘Brothers, what shall we do?’ Peter replied, ‘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. The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.’ With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, ‘Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.’ Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day” (Acts 2:36-41).

This passage is a very important one because it sets forth what the early church’s message was and what people needed to do to be saved and become part of the church. Let’s go back and look at the points that Peter made to them. First of all, there was the call to repent. People needed to repent of their sins and for their part in the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. While they had been part of the conspiracy of the Jewish leadership to have him crucified, Scripture makes it clear that his death on the cross was all part of God’s plan of salvation. Our sins, the New Testament states, were part of the reason that Jesus died on the cross (see 1 John 4:10). Since everyone has sinned, everyone needs to repent.

Secondly, through his address he affirmed who Jesus was—the Christ or Messiah and what he did—die on the cross. He also emphasized the fact of Jesus’ resurrection from the dead. These things were all part of what his followers believed and they shared their faith to others in witness. Christians believe this and much more about the person of Jesus Christ. We are saved by believing in our hearts and confessing with our mouths (see Romans 10:9-10).

Thirdly, Peter called upon them to be baptized. John the Baptist, the forerunner to Messiah, had begun his ministry by challenging the people of Israel to repent of their sins and be baptized (see Mark 1:4). To this message the Church would add faith in Jesus’ death and resurrection. Baptism is the outward sign of what has spiritually occurred in our hearts. We also identify with him and with all others who have accepted him as Saviour and Lord. This is the bottom line, so to speak, of what you need to do in order to be saved and join the church. Repent of sins, believe the Gospel, and be baptized. Have you done this?

Prelude to Pentecost

Luke begins his second book, Acts, by describing the words and actions of Jesus before his ascension back to heaven (see Acts 1:1-11). In these eleven verses there are many things that a teacher or preacher could expound upon. For the purpose of this message, I would like to point out three or four things.

First of all, there is the important matter of Christ's resurrection. Luke states that "after his suffering," he convinced them that he was alive. Jesus did this by the following: a) "He showed himself to them" (v.3). Jesus appeared before them personally. He was literally present and visible. b) "He gave many convincing proofs" (v.3). Among the things he did was to show them his hands and his feet. The nail marks from the crucifixion were clearly evident to them. He invited them to "touch me and see" (Luke 24:39). He went on to say, "A ghost does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have." c) Jesus "appeared to them over a period of forty days" (Acts 1:3). These numerous meetings further underscore that this was not one or two appearances that they might have just imagined his presence. d) On one occasion, he ate with them (Acts 1:4); "Do you have anything here to eat?" he asked. "They gave him a piece of broiled fish and he took it and ate it in their presence" (Luke 24:41-43). This is something that a ghost does not do! The fact that the disciples needed to be convinced is further proof of the resurrection. To a man they all came to believe it, even "doubting Thomas," and testified publicly that Jesus rose from the grave. All but John were eventually martyred for their beliefs and faith.

Secondly, Jesus instructed them again about the coming of the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:4, 5, & 8). Before his crucifixion, Jesus had given them a lengthy lesson about the Holy Spirit (see John 14-16). No doubt they did not comprehend everything about the Spirit's new role the first time they heard it. What he emphasized here before he ascended was that they should "wait in Jerusalem for the gift my Father promised." In ten days this occurred with the filling of the believers by the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. The point is that before the disciples began to carry out Christ's great commission to take the gospel into all the world they would need to be empowered by the Spirit. This is still necessary for Christians today.

Thirdly, Jesus told them, "You will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth" (Acts 1:8). According to prophecy, the Gospel was to go forth first from Jerusalem (Isaiah 2:3, Luke 24:47). Then after being proclaimed, in the surrounding area, the message was to go to "all nations" (Matthew 28:19). This command remains in effect for Christ's disciples today. Our Jerusalem is wherever we live. Judea and Samaria represents our state and country and the "ends of the earth" simply means the whole world. We can and should personally witness wherever we are. We can carry out the missionary mandate by supporting others who are willing to leave their homes and carry the message abroad. Support involves our prayers and financial contributions.

In conclusion we notice that shortly before he left, Jesus disciples still were not clear about "the Kingdom." This is evident from their question, "Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom of Israel" (Acts 1:6). Note that Jesus did not delay his return to further instruct them about this. Christ's disciples need not have a complete and perfect knowledge of the Bible before they can be used by him for service.

Determining the Will of God

God has a plan for our lives (see Romans 12:1-2, Ephesians 5:15-17 & 1 Thessalonians 4:1-3). In this message I will share how it is possible to determine the will of God for your life.

1. Through the use of Scriptures. A lot of things are covered in the Bible that are part of God's revealed and general will for his people. You do not have to think about things that are specifically covered in the Scriptures. The Bible makes it clear what things we should not do and other things that we ought to do. In addition to these matters, God frequently speaks to us through his Word. An example is the Apostle Peter seeing in two passages from the Psalms that another individual should be selected to replace Judas (Acts 1:20-21). Many times God will make something clear to you through a passage or verse of Scripture--even if the original context is not related. So be sure to spend time in the Word.

2. The casting of lots was a method used to discern the will of God in Old Testament times. The early Church cast lots and the lot fell to Mathias and he was added to the eleven apostles (Acts 1:26). This could be a bit chancy--I would suggest that we use our God-given intelligence to research all of the possibilities and then seek wise advice or counsel before making a decision. Have faith God will guide you.

3. The leading of the Spirit. Since Pentecost the Holy Spirit indwells all believers (Acts 2:4, 1 Corinthians 12:13). Jesus indicated to his disciples that one of the things that the Spirit would do for them is to "guide you into all truth" (John 16:13). Christians should look for the leading of the Spirit which can be ascertained through the presence of peace in our lives or the absence thereof. The Spirit will give you an inner sense or conviction of what you should do.

4. Through Prayer. Speak to God, your heavenly Father, using prayer and ask him to show you what it is that he wants for your life. If you are faced with difficult decisions, speak to him as you would a parent and talk it out with him. When you pray things should crystallize or become clearer. Be sure not to do all the talking--allow time to listen for his voice. This is what I refer to as "two-way prayer." Asking others to pray for you or to pray with you is also beneficial.

5. Open and closed doors. When you are faced with several possibilities, after prayer and counsel, select one that seems best and move forward. If God closes the door, look for another one that is open and attempt to go through it. Frequently when God closes one door he will open another but you have to take initiative and move (see Acts 16:6-10; Colossians 4:3).

Doing these things will help you discover God's will for your life--including big or small matters.