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August 14 - Acts 2 · A Chapter a Day Bible Reading

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  Hello, friends. It's Sean here.
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  It's Thursday, it's the 14th of August, and it's great to have
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  your company as you and I are going to continue reading
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  through this remarkable story from the book of Acts, the Acts
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  of the Apostles. That's the way cooler title and
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  just act. And today is the day where we
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  hear one of the most effective sermons ever preached.
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  And if you have preached and you reflect on Peter's sermon that
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  he preaches here in Acts chapter 2, and you think, boy, I wish
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  when I preached 3000 people would just turn their backs on
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  their lives and follow Jesus. Yes, this has to be the greatest
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  example of preaching in the world where they start thinking
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  he's drunk and they end up giving their lives to Jesus.
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  I think that's fantastic. So, friends, let us read
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  together this story of the Holy Spirit coming to His disciples,
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  to His apostles, and beginning this work of growing the church
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  captured here in Acts chapter 2. On the day of Pentecost, all the
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  believers were meeting together in one place.
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  Suddenly there was a sound from heaven like the roaring of a
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  mighty windstorm, and it filled the house where they were
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  sitting. Then what looked like flames or
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  tongues of fire appeared and settled on each of them, and
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  everyone present was filled with the Holy Spirit and began
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  speaking in other languages as the Holy Spirit gave them this
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  ability. At that time there were devout
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  Jews from every nation living in Jerusalem.
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  When they heard the loud noise, everyone came running and they
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  were bewildered to hear their own languages being spoken by
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  the believers. They were completely amazed.
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  How can this be? They exclaimed.
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  These people are all from Galilee and yet we hear them
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  speaking in our own native languages.
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  Here we are Parthians, Medes, Alamites, people from
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  Mesopotamia, Judea, Cappadocia, Pontius, the province of Asia,
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  Phrygia, Pamphylia, Egypt and the areas of Libya around
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  Cyrene, visitors from Rome, both Jews and converts to Judaism,
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  Cretans and Arabs. And we all hear these people
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  speaking in our own languages about the wonderful things God
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  has done. They stood there amazed and
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  perplexed. What can this mean?
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  They asked each other. But others in the crowd
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  ridiculed them, saying they're just drunk, that's all.
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  Then Peter stepped forward with the 11 other apostles and
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  shouted to the crowd. Listen carefully, all of you,
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  fellow Jews and residents of Jerusalem.
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  Make no mistake about this. These people are not drunk as
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  some of you are assuming. 9:00 in the morning is much too early
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  for that. No, what you see was predicted
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  long ago by the prophet Joel. In the last days, God says, I
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  will pour out my spirit upon all people.
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  Your sons and daughters will prophecy, Your young men will
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  see visions, and your old men will dream dreams.
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  In those days I will pour out my spirit even on my servants, men
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  and women alike, and they will prophecy.
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  And I will cause wonders in the heavens above and signs on the
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  earth below, blood and fire and clouds of smoke.
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  The sun will become dark and the moon will turn blood red before
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  that great and glorious day of the Lord arrives.
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  But everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.
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  People of Israel, listen. God publicly endorsed Jesus the
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  Nazarene by doing powerful miracles, wonders, and signs
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  through him, as you well know. But God knew what would happen,
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  and his prearranged plan was carried out.
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  When Jesus was betrayed with the help of lawless Gentiles, you
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  nailed him to a cross and killed him.
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  But God released him from the horrors of death and raised him
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  back to life, for death could not keep him in its grip.
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  King David said this about him. I see that the Lord is always
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  with me. I will not be shaken, for He is
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  right beside me. No wonder my heart is glad and
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  my tongue shouts his praises. My body rests in hope, for you
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  will not leave my soul among the dead or allow your Holy 1 to rot
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  in the grave. You have shown me the way of
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  life, and you will fill me with the joy of your presence.
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  Dear brothers, think about this. You can be sure that the
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  Patriarch David wasn't referring to himself, for he died and was
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  buried, and his tomb is still here among us.
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  But he was a prophet, and he knew God had promised with an
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  oath that one of David's own descendants would sit on his
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  throne. David was looking into the
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  future and Speaking of the Messiah's resurrection.
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  He was saying that God would not leave him among the dead or
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  allow his body to rot in the grave.
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  God raised Jesus from the dead, and we are all witnesses of this
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  now. He is exalted to the place of
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  highest honour in heaven at God's right hand.
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  And the Father, as he had promised, gave him the Holy
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  Spirit to pour out upon us, just as you see and hear to day.
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  For David himself never ascended into heaven, yet he said, the
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  Lord said to my Lord, sit in the place of honour at my right
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  hand, until I humble your enemies, making them a footstool
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  under your feet. So let everyone in Israel know
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  for certain that God has made this Jesus whom you crucified to
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  be both Lord and Messiah. Peter's words pierced their
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  hearts and they said to him and to the other apostles, Brothers,
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  what should we do? Peter replied, Each of you must
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  repent of your sins and turn to God and be baptised in the name
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  of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins.
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  Then you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
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  This promise is to you, to your children, and to those far away,
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  all who have been called by the Lord our God.
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  Then Peter continued preaching for a long time, strongly urging
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  all his listeners. Save yourself from this crooked
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  generation. All who believed what Peter said
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  were baptised and added to the church that day, about 3000 in
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  all, all the believers devoted themselves to the apostles
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  teaching, and to fellowship, and to sharing in meals, including
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  the Lord's Supper, and to prayer.
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  A deep sense of awe came over them all, and the apostles
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  performed many miraculous signs and wonders.
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  And all the believers met together in one place and shared
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  everything they had. They sold their property and
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  possessions and shared the money with those in need.
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  They worshipped together at the temple each day, met in homes
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  for the Lord's Supper, and shared their meals with great
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  joy and generosity, all the while praising God and enjoying
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  the goodwill of all the people. And each day the Lord added to
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  their fellowship those who were being saved.
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  Our Holy Spirit, as you used Peter that day so powerfully to
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  share your message, to transform these thousands of people to
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  turn to you and to follow you and invite you into their lives.
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  Ah, Spirit, I pray that you would use us as well, that you
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  would embolden and empower us so that we would step competently
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  into these places that you would have us go, so that your good
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  news could be known, so that your love could be shared and
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  your blessing felt. May we be your companionship to
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  others, your words of comfort to others, and a signpost pointing
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  to you for others. And each day, as you prepare us
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  for your work, continue your transforming work in us so that
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  the fruits of your Spirit can become more and more abundant in
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  each of our lives. And that when people know us and
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  see the way we choose to live, they would be amazed by the way
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  that you are working in us so that we can truly point people
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  to you. We thank you for taking up
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  residence in US so intimately, our majestic God, wonderful
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  Saviour, powerful Spirit. And we pray this in your Triune
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  name, Amen.