Summary of Acts 2:
§ The Holy Spirit filled each of the people gathered in the
place and came to rest upon them.
§ Peter then replies to the people outside who were amazed to
hear each of the people inside the place were speaking their languages from
Egypt, Lypia, Rome and lots more different areas.
§ Around 3000 people accepted this message that very day and
devoted themselves to the apostle’s teachings and fellowship together as
believers from then on.
Lessons to learn from Acts 2:
1.Waiting for God’s Promises never goes wasted.
We see in Acts 1:8 that
the disciples will receive the Holy Spirit, as a helper for them to fulfill
God’s plan for them and be witnesses to the ends of the earth through what
Jesus says. The disciples wait exactly as Jesus said, according to Acts 1:4,
gathering together in prayer and waiting.
This is a promise as
seen in Acts 2:16, from God through the prophet Joel, and it arrives nearly
400-800 years after the promise. The disciples also do not know when the Holy
Spirit will come on them, or how, and they don’t have Jesus with them in person
to ask about it either. They are in a situation where their faith in Him is
going to have to be enough to wait and obey His word in order to receive the
blessing.
In our lives too, we
have to wait, no matter how long it takes. But when we wait for Him and and trust
in His promise to be fulfilled in our lives, our wait will never be in vain or
something insignificant. Because our reward will be greater when we receive it
from Him.
So do not grow weary
when it seems like your prayers and wishes are not answered immediately. Some
might, while some might not. We just have to trust in God’s timing.
2.There is change through the Holy Spirit.
An example of what is
meant by “change” can be seen through the disciple Peter. We see a moment in
Peter, where he is afraid, and he says he doesn't know Jesus three times in
Matthew 26:69-75. We see fear overtaking courage in the faith he has.
But after he receives
the Holy Spirit, we see him boldly standing in front of more than 3000 people,
proclaiming that Jesus Christ is Lord and everyone must turn away from their
sinful ways and return to God. He speaks the word of salvation regardless of
the fear he has, that he might be arrested or someone might know that he was
too a follower of Jesus.
We too when we receive
the Holy Spirit will receive a refreshened strength and joy in Jesus; To go
spread His Word, and His love to everyone boldly no matter the consequences.
In the beginning as said
in Matthew 26:74, we see Peter choosing his life in fear of whether he might be
killed. But after the anointing of Holy Spirit, we see him choosing Christ over everything else. And we will see him
continuing to choose Christ from that point on no matter what.
3.How do we receive the Holy Spirit?
There are two things
Peter mentions to receive the Holy Spirit as mentioned in Acts 2:38.
§ To accept Jesus and repent from your sins.
The Holy Spirit is someone very Holy, and you cannot welcome
him with an impure heart. And we see that Jesus has died for our sins on the
cross. Therefore, as His children we must be free of sin and pure hearted to
receive the Holy Spirit. We must receive forgiveness in His name. We should not
sin, but rather be obedient to His words and teachings.
§ Save
ourselves from the corrupt generation.
We
see in 1 Peter 2:9, that we are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy
nation, God’s special possession, that we may declare the praises of him who
called us out of darkness into his wonderful light.” Meaning that we are not of
the world but God’s. And we have to make sure to stay that way, and not mingle
with the evil, and things that everyone around us on earth do like entertaining
ourselves by watching screens for hours or encouraging what people around us do
that might upset God.
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