The Christian Course

Chapter Acts 1:1-11 Luke describes the ascension of the Lord Jesus.
Acts 2:3. He says after His resurrection He was seen forty days of His apostles
Acts 2:5. baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence
Acts 2:8. power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you to witness.
Acts 2:12. finds them returning from “the mount called Olivet” to an upper room in Jerusalem
Acts 2:14. Then “These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication”
Acts 2:15-26 Peter explains the need to replace Judas as prophesied by David in the Psalms.
Matthias is chosen by the Lord

Chapter 2:
Acts 2:1. the day of Pentecost
Acts 2:3. cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them.
Acts 2:4. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit
Acts 2:4-6. Divinely assisted communication
Acts 2:7-13. The crowd’s response “amazed and marvelled, Others mocked”
Acts 2:4-36. Peter speaks on the prophecies pointing to Jesus as “Lord and Christ”
Joel (the outpouring of the Spirit, wonders & signs)
Acts 2:23. “you have crucified and slain”
Acts 3:15 “you killed the prince of life”
Stephen Acts 7:52 “you have been the betrayers and murderers”
Jesus did wonders and signs and you crucified Him
David in the Psalms reveals the resurrection, and we are witnesses
You are seeing the result of the Holy Spirit’s actions here and now
Acts 2:36 “God has made Jesus Lord & Christ”

How did they take this charge?
Acts 2:37. “pricked in their heart” “Where do we go from here?”

Acts 2:38. REPENT! John the Baptist, Jesus, Peter, Paul
A change of heart, mind and behaviour
(John 10:1) “not by the door” “climbeth up some other way”
(Acts 17:30) Paul to Athenians “UNKNOWN GOD – winked, all men every where to repent”
(Acts 26:20) Paul to Agrippa “I teach repentance”
Acts 2:40. “Many other words”
(Acts 20:21) repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ
(Heb 6:1) the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God
Believe is what you do, faith is what you then have.
(Acts 19:4) Paul says of John the Baptist:
“He baptized with the baptism of repentance and told the people to believe in Christ Jesus”
(Acts 16:31) Paul seeing the repentant Philippian Jailer fall down before him to ask “what must I do to be saved?” Paul answered “believe”
(Mark 1:15) Jesus preaches “repent and believe”
Having repented and believed sins are gone and the Holy Spirit is received

Acts 2:38. “be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ”
Public identification with the Lord Jesus
No-one should joint the company of believers without first being baptized
It is not a matter of learning all about it, but of simple obedience. It is what God wants!

Acts 2:41. “received his word”
Acts 2:41. “were baptized”
Acts 2:41. “same day”
Acts 2:41. “added unto them”
Acts 2:41. “about three thousand souls”
~60 days ago – some might have been spreading palm branches and clothing before Him
~50 days ago – some might have been saying crucify Him
Now they are joining a body of believers!

Acts 2:42. “they continued stedfastly in the apostles’ doctrine”
How much they would need to leave behind!
How much they would need to learn!
Leaving behind Jewish “baggage” learned from the Rabbis (Pharisees or Sadducees, Scribes, Lawyers)
(Mark 7:7) Pharisees “teaching for doctrines the commandments of men”,
(Mark 7:9) “reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition”
(Acts 23:8) Sadducees denying resurrection, angels, spirits
~60 days ago – some could have been spreading palm branches and clothing before Him
~50 days ago – some could have been saying crucify Him
Now they are joining a body of believers to follow, fellowship with and worship Him!

(1 Peter 2:2) But THESE! “desiring the milk of the word” Hungry for knowledge!
Their mission “to learn and follow the verbal teaching of the apostles.”
and like the Bereans they searched what scripture they could

Acts 2:42. Fellowship! “(1 Cor 1:9) “called unto the fellowship of His Son””
(1 John 1:3) Family fellowship! God is our Father! Adopted sibling believers, harmony
“you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ”