Acts 2
COMMENTARY:
: 1 And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. (3661 “accord” [homothumadon] means in one mind, with one passion, in unison, by common consent, or unanimously.)
DEVOTION: Harmony is hard to find today in most churches. There is much discord in the churches today. There is usually someone who likes to say they are the devil’s advocate at board or business meetings.
One way to understand what the first group of individuals that gathered in the upper room for prayer is to think of a choir. I was never able to sing in a choir because I don’t have the voice that would work together with other voices. The only ones that I work together with are those who can sing off key.
A good choir sings together in harmony. It sounds great. Everyone is singing their part of the chords. This is what was happening in the upper room. They were united to pray for the moving of the Holy Spirit in their life. Jesus told them to wait for the coming of the Holy Spirit. They were waiting.
Once the Holy Spirit came there was a united message that was presented to the people who had come to Jerusalem for the feast. Peter made the message plain.
Everyone needed to have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. The sacrifices of the Temple were no longer needed as Jesus was the perfect sacrifice for sins.
The Holy Spirit gave the disciples the ability to speak in the known languages of those present. Each nationality heard the message of salvation in their language. They were without excuse. No one could say that they didn’t understand the message. They had to make an individual choice to listen and change or to walk away.
That is the same choice every person today has regarding the message of salvation. Everyone is given an opportunity to become a believer. If they reject the message they will face eternity in the lake of fire. If they accept the message which three thousand did on the day of Pentecost they will spend eternity in heaven.
CHALLENGE: The church is supposed to be united in their message and their actions. There doesn’t need to be any discord in the church. Everyone has to sing in unity regarding the truth of the Word of God and the message of salvation.
: 21 And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved. (1941 “call on” [epikaleomai] means to call on a deity for assistance or protection, to appeal too, to ask for help, aid, to invoke, or be people of.)
DEVOTION: Basic to our understanding of the Word of God is the fact that everyone, except Christ, that is born into this world is heading to the lake of fire for eternity. We are born dead in trespasses and sins. We are the walking dead as far as our relationship to the LORD Jesus Christ is concerned. “All have sinned and come short of the glory of God” is what the Scripture states. We can’t measure up to the standard God has set for HIS children. When born we are part of the family of the devil. Repentance is necessary for there to be a change in direction for our life.
Christ entered the world to provide a way to come to life in the eyes of God. HE died on the cross for our sins, so that, we can move from a state of deadness to life. Without HIM we have no relationship with the Father.
The message of Pentecost and today is that if an individual realizes his/her sin and confesses that sin to Jesus they can be born again or saved. Once this change happens in the life of an individual they can walk with the LORD. They can receive the indwelling of the Holy Spirit in their life, so that, they can know what needs to change in their daily life.
Our goal once we become a believer is to please the LORD. The Holy Spirit through the Word of God or Bible and prayer can show us how to live different. We will never be perfect or sinless in this life but we can learn to sin less with HIS help.
Have you trusted the LORD Jesus Christ to be your Savior? Have you called upon the name of the LORD to be saved?
CHALLENGE: Each of us has to make that choice. No one can make it for us. It is a personal commitment to turn from sin and walk in a new direction. What direction are you walking in today?
: 42 And they continued stedfastly in the apostles’ doctrine, and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers. (4342 “stedfastly” [proskartereo] means to be earnest towards, to persevere, be constantly diligent, to attend assiduously all the exercises, to adhere closely to, wait on continually or attend continually upon.)
DEVOTION: On the day of Pentecost the church had its beginning. The Old Covenant was over. The moral law of God was still in effect but the ceremonial law was ended.
There were three thousand saved after Peter’s first message. These individuals were earnest towards four characteristics of this new group called the church. In the Old Testament those who wanted to be followers of the TRUE God had to join the Jews. In the New Testament during the Church age, all nations had to join the church. The church is made up of all individuals who are willing to repent and follow the LORD.
The four characteristics of a Biblical church include the four things mentioned in this verse.
First was the apostles’ doctrine or teaching. There was good expository preaching from Peter at the first sermon and it continued after the day of Pentecost. They only had the Old Testament but it spoke volumes concerning Christ and his kingdom. We are to still use the Old Testament in our teaching of the TRUTHS of God.
Secondly, they wanted to have fellowship. Our fellowship today is around a meal. They had a meal but so much more. They sold all their earthly possessions and shared with the church the money from the sales. They went house to house with their services. They were given to hospitality. Are we given to hospitality today?
The third characteristic of the church was the breaking of bread. We know that this was the obedience to Christ’s command to the disciples at the last supper. They were to break bread together until HE returned. We celebrate the Lord’s Supper at least once a month but they did it daily. One of the purposes of the LORD’S Supper is to examine our lives to evaluate our closeness to the LORD.
Finally, they gathered and prayed together. Prayer was important to the early church. They gathered daily and prayed. We gather weekly in many churches to pray and that is usually the least attended service in our churches. Are we Biblical churches if our prayer meetings are so poorly attended? Now we need to compare the church we presently attend with this first church. How does it match? Are we earnestly working toward these four characteristics in our churches?
Remember the early church had people joining DAILY. How often do we have people joining our churches? Is our present church diligent in their practices of these four essential? Do we care?
CHALLENGE: Encourage your pastor by asking who you can visit this month for the LORD. If each one reaches one – imagine what could happen in the local church.
: 46 And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart. (20 “gladness” [agalliasis] means joy, exultation, extremely joyful, to rejoice greatly, exulting delight, transcendent gladness, or felicity.)
DEVOTION: The hundred and twenty were with one accord in the upper room before the Holy Spirit filled them with the ability to speak in the known languages of those present on the day of Pentecost.
Now there were over three thousand believers who were with one accord going to the Temple to witness to their fellow Jews. They were sharing meals together in the houses of those who had become believers. No one was hungry. They ate together with much rejoicing in the LORD.
There was also a singleness of heart that kept the people enjoying one another. There was no conflict until there was a need for the widows of the Greeks that needed to be fed and then we had the first group of deacons.
Our church times of fellowship around a meal together should show the same type of spirit as was there on the first day of the church. There should be an atmosphere of joy and gladness when the body of believers gathered to eat together. Fellowship is important for the growth of the church and the growth of the individual believer.
There should be no clicks in the church. There should be a sharing of friendship with the whole group. This will cause the church to move out into the community with a testimony of unity. Word gets out into the community if the church is getting along together or if it is fighting with one another.
Our testimony in the community is important to the LORD. HIS desire is for us is that we should reach all those who are in our community for the LORD.
CHALLENGE: Our unity will cause that to happen.
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