Sermons

When someone says, "I need a little R and R," they usually mean "Rest and Relaxation." That is certainly a good idea and the Lord delights to give rest to those He loves. But, there is another R and R that the apprentice of Jesus should consider, "Repentance and Refreshment." We don't normally put those words together but Peter did and we'll see why...and hopefully we'll have continued appreciation for how this works this morning...and throughout the week!

When we read Acts, it is often hard to remember that we are reading the on-going work of Jesus through His people in the power of the Holy Spirit. We can get preoccupied with the descriptive and miss the prescriptive. We can become enamored with the miracles and miss the meaning.

As we resume our study of Acts at the beginning of this new year, it is appropriate and helpful to think about what those early days of the church were like. The apostles had witnessed the resurrection and exaltation of Jesus Christ. They had received the supernatural gift of the promised Holy Spirit. They were joined by 3000 others who repented and believed after the first "Christian sermon." A new community was forming; not against Judaism but out from it. What did they do? Is this more than historical narrative? Should what they did have any impact on what we do? Let's take a look...

With all the needs in our own community, why should we send people and money to other places in the world? The Day of Pentecost holds some answers for us — at least by way of application. Are you involved in missions? Should this be on "your radar?" How can you make an impact in the world from where you live? Consider some truths from Peter's sermon on that amazing Festival Day.

"A prime mark of the Christian mind is that it cultivates the eternal perspective...it is supernaturally oriented. — Harry Blamires

"The true Bible-believing Christian is the one who lives in practice in this supernatural world. — Francis Schaeffer

For 40 days after the resurrection, Jesus continued to teach His disciples/apostles about the Kingdom of God. God's intentions were far bigger than the 11 originally imagined. In fact, the task was a "God-sized" task that required God's activity and provision. The assurances of Jesus in this paragraph give us hope.