The Word “Pentecost” means 50th. It was a festival to be celebrated 50 days after the Passover. It was a celebration for the first fruits of the harvest, celebrating God’s provision.
This Pentecost would be different. The disciples were about to celebrate God’s provision, the first fruits of the harvest, but this wasn’t fruits and vegetables, this harvest would be for the souls of people. God was about to provide them with power which would empower them to harvest the first fruits and start the first church.
How does someone know if they have truly had a real revival or a fresh filling of God’s Spirit? Their focus will be on the souls of people (Acts 1:8).
Every real revival you’ve either read about or experienced in your own heart automatically flows from the inside to the outside resulting in lost people getting saved. The revived person/people are more alert, more aware, more concerned about the souls of humanity. It gives the person an assurance that Jesus Christ is the answer to life and not just any life but your life.
THE DISCIPLES CONFIDENCE v. 14-35 Let’s break these verses up into 3 different sections. 1. Confidence in the strategy v. 14-15. God empowers us in His harvest. This confidence produces a boldness to speak up. It’s not just, they need to hear it but I need to tell it. It’s not send someone else but send me. A person who is not trying to get others saved is not spirit-filled (Acts 4:31, Acts 1:8). 2. Confidence in the scripture v. 16-21. People need to have an invitation to church. People need to hear our story about our journey but we should never forget the power rests in the scripture (Romans 1:16, Acts 4:31). 3. Confidence in the Savior v. 22-35. Peter quotes from the book of Joel, “Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved” then he talks about Jesus, Jesus and more Jesus. There is only one way for people to be saved and it’s through Jesus Christ.
THE PEOPLE’S CONVERSION v. 36-41 Lately I’ve been asking people two things that’s stopping them in their tracks and making them think. Have you surrendered your life to Christ? How long did it last? I follow it up by saying you know that’s a contradiction according to the scripture (Acts 2:42a). What happened enabled them to continue steadfastly. They received real salvation. Real salvation deals with you belief (v. 36). Christ-the Jews knew this word, they had been waiting on this Messiah for 2000 years. Real salvation deals with your brokenness (v. 37). The Holy Spirit does this (John 16:8). Real salvation deals with your behavior (v. 38-39). Repent is a very important word. Luke 24-“Go preach repentance and the remission of sins” The angels rejoice when one sinner repents. Peter-“It’s God’s will that none perish but all come to repentance. Repent means to think differently-a change of mind, to reconsider. Real repentance touches your attitude, affection and action. Real salvation deals with believers (v. 40). Testify-to testify or witness. It doesn’t mean to find a pulpit and give a sermon. “Be saved”-to save or deliver or preserve. When someone is witnessing it’s like he’s throwing drowning people a life preserver. What’s so shocking is those who are drowning in sin, being sucked into eternity to a place called hell often say no, don’t want it or not now.
