Feeling Conviction From God's Word

The passage of Scripture that we will use today is a record of one of, if not the most responded to messages of all time. Peter preaches and the response is overwhelming. And in it all, God gets the glory as the Holy Spirit moves among the people and convicts them of their sinful ways.

God's word does that. If God's word is being preached in truth, His Holy Spirit will cause people to realize the error of their ways and will bring them to their knees as they confess those sins and turn their lives over to the Lord.

Sin is rampant in our world today. But instead of the confession and repentance that is needed to be forgiven of those sins, people try to justify their sins by trying to convince themselves and others that what they are doing is okay, that it’s not that bad. Instead of conviction, the world is convincing, or trying to convince, themselves and others that THEIR sin isn't so bad.

What we need to realize is that the primary way that God speaks is by convicting us of our sin. You see, God loves us too much to allow us to rush into sin without calling us to repent and return to Him. Let's pray as we get into His Word. PRAYER

For our Facebook families, we will be using Acts 2:32-41.

Some people get bogged down with seeking to hear God's voice and discovering His will for every little mundane decision. God usually speaks to us about His concerns and priorities. He speaks so that we will know what is on His heart. He invites us to join Him in His work. God's primary concern for people is that they be in a right relationship with Him.

If you are a Christian, then God's primary focus is not on what company you work for, or what neighborhood you live in. His focus is on seeing you acknowledge that you are a sinner, turn from your sin, and place your faith in Christ. That is God's primary concern. Here is how Peter stated it in his sermon on the day of Pentecost.

Acts 2:32-36 – “God has raised this Jesus; we are all witnesses of this. 33 Therefore, since he has been exalted to the right hand of God and has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit, he has poured out what you both see and hear.

********34 For it was not David who ascended into the heavens, but he himself says:

The Lord declared to my Lord, ‘Sit at my right hand 35 until I make your enemies your footstool.’36 “Therefore let all the house of Israel know with certainty that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah.”

God is telling us through Peter that Jesus was crucified and resurrected for our salvation. As Acts 2 begins, the Holy Spirit comes upon the 120 followers of Jesus in the upper room. That is what led to Peter's sermon, one he preached to the multitude of Jewish people who filled the streets of Jerusalem for the Feast of Pentecost. Peter's message focused on the resurrection and the exaltation of Jesus.

In his sermon, Peter cited Psalm 110:1 and David's prophecy of the Messiah.

Psalm 110:1 – “This is the declaration of the Lord to my Lord: “Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies your footstool.”

This was one of the favorite passages of Scripture for the early church. It reminded the people that Jesus is the Messiah, the Lord and Savior of all who place their trust in Him. The highlight of Peter's sermon was verse 36.

Acts 2:36 – “Therefore let all the house of Israel know with certainty that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah.”

Peter spoke these words with certainty and authority and emphasized that it was they who crucified Jesus. They may not have hammered the nails into Jesus's hands and feet, but they were guilty by their sin and rebellion against God and their rejection of the Messiah.

Peter was telling them that it was his listeners who were enemies of God. And I have said it before that when we sin, we are enemies of God in that sin. But notice that when God speaks to you, He will draw attention to the sin in your life and your disobedience to His word. God will point out anything in your life that is disrupting your fellowship with Him.

Isn’t it amazing and wonderful how the Holy Spirit works at convicting us? That is the Holy Spirit's role to reveal and apply God's truth to your life. This is one of the ways to be sure that the word that is preached, taught, or read comes from God. It all is centered on Jesus Christ, especially His death and resurrection.