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Rediscovering Your First Love!

DAY TWENTY-SIX—“Remember therefore from where you have fallen.”

Posted on by Wayne Edwards

Inspiration—Being Filled with the Holy Spirit        Scripture Reading—Acts 2:1-47

The disciple Peter backslid from Christ and even denied knowing Him! But there came that time when Peter remembered what he had done, repented of his sins, and he returned to finish his calling. But, what…or perhaps a better question would be Who caused Peter to remember, repent, and return?  The Holy Spirit!

  1. Read Acts 2:1-47
    (Note: The Day of Pentecost was established by God as a major Feast Day on the Jewish calendar.  In Leviticus 23:15-16, God commanded the Jews to count seven full weeks—49 days—beginning on the second day of Passover, and on the 50th day, they were to present their offerings of new grain to the Lord, expressing their thanks unto Him for the blessings of their harvest.  Because all the Jews were already in Jerusalem on the Day of Pentecost, God chose this time to reveal the power of the Holy Spirt.)
  1. Notice two specific words in Acts 2:2-3 that have been misused and abused:
    • Verse 2—“And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as a rushing mighty wind.” Luke did not say the disciples heard a might wind—but the sound of a rushing, mighty wind!
    • Verse 3—“And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire.” Luke did not say the disciples saw “tongues of fire”.  But something like a flame of fire on top of their heads!
    • Because of the confusion of these two words, many people have never fully understood the purpose, the power, and the presence of the Holy Spirit. A serious misinterpretation of these two verses has kept many Christians from becoming truly devoted followers of Jesus Christ.
  1. To speak with other tongues means to:
    • Verse 6—“every man heard them (the disciples) speak in their own language.”
    • Luke did not say the disciples spoke in an “unknown” language, but in all the languages represented by the people in attendance at Pentecost—Vs 5—“Devout men of every nation under heaven!”
    • Verse 8—“And how hear we every man in our own tongue, wherein we were born?”
  1. What did some people think was happening to these 120 followers of Christ?
    • Verse 13—“These men are full of new wine!”
  1. How did Peter respond to this accusation that they were drunk?
    • Verse 14-36—Peter preached the first evangelistic sermon ever preached.
    • He preached our Lord’s incarnation—Verse 22—Jesus of Nazareth was a man—yet approved by God.
    • He preached our Lord’s crucifixion—Verse 23—albeit by God’s divine plan—Jesus was born to die—yet His death carried human responsibility—He died for our sins.
    • He preached our Lord’s resurrection—Verse 24 & 32—This was the crucial evidence of His deity, and therefore His power to forgive man of his sin.
    • He preached our Lord’s ascension—Verse 33—“having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost!”
    • He preached our Lord’s exaltation—Verse 33 & 36—“God had made this same Jesus, who ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ!”
  1. How did the people respond to Peter’s sermon?
    • Verse 37—Many who heard him were “cut to the heart” and they asked Peter how they could be forgiven of their sins—and especially the “sin” of rejecting Jesus as their Savior.
    • Peter’s answer was in three steps:
    • Repent of your sins (Confession, including repentance)
    • Identify yourself with the Lord Jesus (Baptism and Death to self)
    • Receive His forgiveness and the gift of the Holy Spirit (every true born-again believer is indwelt by the Holy Spirit, cleansed from his sins, empowered to accomplish god’s will, and set apart for God’s use)
    • Ephesians 2:10—“For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained, that we should walk in them!”
  1. Who is able to receive the gift of the Holy Spirit?
    • Verse 39—“For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call!”

Application—Repent

  1. Review the three steps above and put THE DATE they were accomplished in your life.
    • Repented of my sins
    • Identified with Jesus
    • Filled with the Holy Spirit
  1. What difference would it make if God removed the Holy Spirit from your life?

Application—Return

  1. Memorize Acts 1:8
  2. Read Luke 24:49-50 and Acts 1:4-10
  3. Thank God for the GIFT of His Holy Spirit and claim His power to overcome the control sin once had upon you.

RESTITUTION!

“And Zacchaeus stood, and said unto the Lord;
Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor;
and if I have taken anything from any man by false accusation,
I restore him fourfold.”
(Luke 19:8)

I invite you back tomorrow for DAY TWENTY-SEVEN of “REDISCOVERING YOUR FIRST LOVE!”