Lesson3-Day 3 The Sign of Languages: Empowering Us for Witness
All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them. Acts 2:4
Why the sign of languages? The Jews gathered in Jerusalem didn't need the gospel preached in other languages to understand the message. There is a twofold message in this miracle of languages.
First, Peter in Acts 2:14-18 pointed to the fact that every believer was praising and prophesying with a special anointing. The univeral anointing of the Spirit indicated the witness of the church was for all believers, not some.
Second, Peter rightly concluded it meant "everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved" (Acts 2:21). The context shows he meant languages, cultures, ethnicity, geography, gender and age are not barriers to the gospel. The Jewish believers were to multiply disciples and churches among all nations and tribes.
Pentecost occured on the 50th day after the Passover celebration. The feast was designated the "day of first fruits". It marked the day the people were to bring their offering of first fruits to the Lord. There were 3000 "first fruits."
It is evident to me that not only is it urgent that I be a Spirit-filled follower of Christ. It is also something I must be intentional in action to that end. Likewise the church.
posted by Bill @ 8:46 AM
1 Comments:
Hey Bro!
What do you think? Is our body going to accept such gifts as were demonstrated to all the believers throughout Acts , or dimiss them as only revelent to the church of Acts. How do you think our leadership will deal with this potential use of the gifts that we have seen in every Holy Spirit revival since that time. Hopefully the warning of watch what you pray for will prove to be irrelevent in our body as we seek revival through God the Holy Spirit.
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