Bible Study -Voice (2) - Does it bring Conviction - Acts 2:32-41 - January 29, 2023

 

Bible Study – Voice (2) – Does It Bring Conviction – January 29, 2023

This lesson two (2) in our series entitled, “How to Discern the Voice of GOD.”

Our focus scripture is Acts 2:32-41.

The voice of GOD seeks to convict us when we stray from the truth.

Background – Acts 2:1-31:

Pentecost (Fifty days after Passover – Feasts of Harvests – First Fruits.)

GOD is awesome. What a wonderful way to fulfill prophecy and demonstrate the coming of the promised Holy Spirit. Salvation is confirmed by the filling and sealing of every Spirit-born believer with the Holy Spirit.

Truth is the Hallmark of being and growing as a Spirit-born person. It is the Holy Spirit WHO confirms truth and exposes error. As a Spirit-born person, when you listen to a presenter of GOD’S Word and your feel like something is wrong, pay attention. Check what is being said with scripture to either confirm or deny what you are hearing.

JESUS had instructed HIS disciples and followers what was to come following HIS bodily ascension into Heaven to take HIS seat at the righthand of GOD. John 14:26 - ²⁶ But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and remind you of everything I have told you.

JESUS told HIS disciples and followers to go to Jerusalem and wait as Doctor Luke wrote in Acts 1: ⁴ While he (JESUS) was^[a] with them, he commanded them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait for the Father’s promise. “Which,” he said, “you have heard me speak about; ⁵ for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit in a few days.”

So, how many people had gathered in Jerusalem and were waiting for the coming of the Holy Spirit?

We read in ACTS 1:15 - ¹⁵ In those days Peter stood up among the brothers and sisters^[c]—the number of people who were together was about a hundred twenty— But there were many more people who had come to Jerusalem during this time of festivals.

We read in Acts 1:15 that the Apostle Peter stood up and preached to fellow Christians and later to the Jews and others. Why Peter?

Peter, who denied JESUS three times, was preaching the first message of salvation through faith in JESUS, the CHRIST. WOW!!!

Why Peter? There could be for several reasons - Peter had denied JESUS three times but he repented and was forgiven by JESUS. Did GOD choose Peter to confirm to him that he was vital to the spread the Good News of salvation, through faith in JESUS? Once a person is Spiritually born into GOD’S Family, he or she is never Spiritually unborn.

A Spirit-born person can lose the rewards he or she would have received if he or she had not gone astray. GOD restores HIS Children when they repent and gives them opportunity, which I believe we see in Peter being given the opportunity to preach the Gospel of salvation through faith in JESUS.

We read in Matthew 16:19: ¹⁹ I (JESUS) will give you (Peter) the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will have been bound^[a] in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will have been loosed^[b] in heaven.”

This same message is preached and shared today by Spirit-born Pastors, Bible teachers and believers.

What do keys do? They open a door. If a door is locked it means something of value is on the inside of the door.

What did the Apostle Peter have and what do we as Spirit-born people have that is of great value to others? Salvation through faith in JESUS! Upon the solid rock of JESUS GOD has established this fact and every Spirit-born person has the keys to unlock that door for others. Also, to bind and unbind using the keys to GOD’S Kingdom as Ambassadors of GOD’S Kingdom.

The Apostle Peter will use the keys to unlock the door to the Kingdom of GOD and we get to know what took place ----

When Peter spoke, he spoke with the power of the Holy Spirit, WHO was ready to confirm salvation to every person who placed their faith in JESUS. They all heard the Gospel of truth in their own language.

How fitting it is that GOD/JESUS sent the Holy Spirit to earth to indwell all Spirit-born believers. To guarantee and assure each Spirit-born person of his or her salvation.

Let’s read Acts 2:1 When the day of Pentecost had arrived, they were all together in one place. ² Suddenly a sound like that of a violent rushing wind came from heaven, and it filled the whole house where they were staying. ³ They saw tongues like flames of fire that separated and rested on each one of them. ⁴ Then they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in different tongues (languages),^[a] as the Spirit enabled them.

These were known languages spoken to make known that Messiah JESUS had come and paid, in full, the penalty for sin for all who would place their faith in HIM!

⁵ Now there were Jews staying in Jerusalem, devout people (likely non-Jew converts) from every nation under heaven. ⁶ When this sound occurred, a crowd came together and was confused because each one heard them speaking in his own language. ⁷ They were astounded and amazed, saying,^[b] “Look, aren’t all these who are speaking Galileans? ⁸ How is it that each of us can hear them in our own native language? ⁹ Parthians, Medes, Elamites; those who live in Mesopotamia, in Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, ¹⁰ Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome (both Jews and converts), ¹¹ Cretans and Arabs—we hear them declaring the magnificent acts of God in our own tongues.” ¹² They were all astounded and perplexed, saying to one another, “What does this mean?” ¹³ But some sneered and said, “They’re drunk on new wine.”

This was ground zero when GOD sent the Holy Spirit to indwell and equip every person who receives salvation. Spirit-born people were no longer under the law but GOD’S grace and empowered by GOD.

This event marked the coming of the Holy Spirit, WHO JESUS promised would be sent to indwell all Spirit-born people to confirm their salvation and empower, teach, enlighten, confirm, guarantee, gift, seal, indwell and so much more in every Spirit-born person. Now that is powerful and is just as true today as the Day of Pentecost.

So, why don’t we witness the power of the Holy Spirit today or do we? Do we look for the work of the Holy Spirit? Would we welcome the Holy Spirit to manifest Himself in our lives to minister to others?

Often, it is ignorance or fear that we will be led to something that looks foolish. Seek the fulness of the Holy Spirit in your lives and move from being hearers of the Word to being doers of the Word.

In the world around those who know the truth is a desperate need of hope, the light of JESUS, encouragement, salvation and so much more. Who has the answer? We who know JESUS is the eternal answer.

FATHER, open our eyes to the opportunities waiting for us each day to share the joy of our salvation. When we see where GOD is working, that is our invitation for us to join HIM. Help us to recognize and discern YOUR voice from mind clutter and notions.

I have heard some people say, “if they encountered the Holy Spirit speaking, they would run”. Well, GOD does not want a person to run from but to receive what that person needs to confirm salvation and to equip him or her for service. It is the Holy Spirit WHO gives balance to a Spirit-born person’s life to be fully used by GOD.

The Apostle Peter, who denied JESUS three times was prompted by the Holy Spirit to preach and for him to witness the power of the Holy Spirit in himself and others. Yes, our FATHER knows the issues we have in our lives that need to be dealt with and it is the Holy Spirit WHO builds right relationship and trust with GOD.

Acts 2:14-31 - Peter’s Sermon

¹⁴ Peter stood up with the Eleven (12), raised his voice, and proclaimed to them, “Fellow Jews and all you residents of Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and pay attention to my words. ¹⁵ For these people are not drunk, as you suppose, since it’s only nine in the morning.^[c] 16 On the contrary, this is what was spoken through the prophet Joel:

¹⁷ And it will be in the last days, says God,
that I will pour out my Spirit on all people;

then your sons and your daughters will prophesy,
your young men will see visions,
and your old men will dream dreams.

 

[Folks we are still in the last days and getting ever closer to the return of JESUS.]

¹⁸ I will even pour out my Spirit
on my servants in those days, both men and women
and they will prophesy.
¹⁹ I will display wonders in the heaven above
and signs on the earth below:
blood and fire and a cloud of smoke.
²⁰ The sun will be turned to darkness
and the moon to blood
before the great and glorious day of the Lord comes.
²¹ Then everyone who calls
on the name of the Lord will be saved.^[d]

²² “Fellow Israelites, listen to these words: This Jesus of Nazareth was a man attested to you by God with miracles, wonders, and signs that God did among you through him, just as you yourselves know. ²³ Though he was delivered up according to God’s determined plan and foreknowledge, you used^[e] lawless people to nail him to a cross and kill him. ²⁴ God raised him up, ending the pains of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by death. ²⁵ For David says of him:

I saw the Lord ever before me;
because he is at my right hand,
I will not be shaken.
²⁶ Therefore my heart is glad
and my tongue rejoices.
Moreover, my flesh will rest in hope,
²⁷ because you will not abandon me in Hades
or allow your holy one to see decay.
²⁸ You have revealed the paths of life to me;
you will fill me with gladness
in your presence.^[f]

²⁹ “Brothers and sisters, I can confidently speak to you about the patriarch David: He is both dead and buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. ³⁰ Since he was a prophet, he knew that God had sworn an oath to him to seat one of his descendants^[g] on his throne. ³¹ Seeing what was to come, he spoke concerning the resurrection of the Messiah: He^[h] was not abandoned in Hades, and his flesh did not experience decay.^[i]

We read in Matthew 1 the genealogy of JESUS and see that King David was in the ancestral line of JESUS through HIS mother Mary. JESUS was 100% human and died physically. GOD raised JESUS from the physically dead to be eternally alive as proof that JESUS paid the penalty for sin, death and eternal separation from GOD, in full.

Eternal life is restored through faith in JESUS. Eternal life is GOD’S gift to all who place their faith in JESUS through the miracle of a person being born-again in his or her spirit. When the human spirit is united with GOD’S Spirit/the Holy Spirit, the human spirit is transformed to Spirit because the shed blood of JESUS removed the sin barrier. The resurrection of JESUS is proof that JESUS paid, in full, the penalty for original sin of Adam and Eve. JESUS is the second Adam.

Let’s read Acts 2:32-36:

³² “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.’^[j]

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

Call to Repentance

Let’s read Acts 2:37-38:

³⁷ When they heard this, they were pierced to the heart and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what should we do?”

³⁸ Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, each of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 

Let’s read Acts 2:39-41:

³⁹ For the promise is for you and for your children, and for all who are far off, as many as the Lord our God will call.” ⁴⁰ With many other words he testified and strongly urged them, saying, “Be saved from this corrupt^[k] generation!” ⁴¹ So those who accepted his message were baptized, and that day about three thousand people were added to them. (Considerably more than the 120 they began with.)

The Holy Spirit confronts every person with the choice whether or not he or she will accept JESUS as his or her Savior. We who know the truth can also deliver that opportunity for salvation or to return to JESUS.

The message of salvation through faith in JESUS has not changed AND WILL NOT CHANGE. The Gospel is eternal and salvation is eternal.

Salvation is confirmed by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit and is every Spirit-born person’s assurance of his or her salvation. Once a person receives salvation, he or she is called to grow in CHRIST and to work in GOD’S vineyard as taught and led by the Holy Spirit until GOD calls him or her to Heaven. Blessings!!!