Was It The Wine?
Acts 2:14-14
14 Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice and addressed the crowd: “Fellow Jews and all of you who live in Jerusalem, let me explain this to you; listen carefully to what I say. 15 These people are not drunk, as you suppose. It’s only nine in the morning! 16 No, this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel:
17 “‘In the last days, God says,
I will pour out my Spirit on all people.
Your sons and daughters will prophesy,
your young men will see visions,
your old men will dream dreams.
18 Even on my servants, both men and women,
I will pour out my Spirit in those days,
and they will prophesy.
19 I will show wonders in the heavens above
and signs on the earth below,
blood and fire and billows of smoke.
20 The sun will be turned to darkness
and the moon to blood
before the coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord.
21 And everyone who calls
on the name of the Lord will be saved.’
22 “Fellow Israelites, listen to this: Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs, which God did among you through him, as you yourselves know. 23 This man was handed over to you by God’s deliberate plan and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men,put him to death by nailing him to the cross. 24 But God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him. 25 David said about him:
“‘I saw the Lord always before me.
Because he is at my right hand,
I will not be shaken.
26 Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices;
my body also will rest in hope,
27 because you will not abandon me to the realm of the dead,
you will not let your holy one see decay.
28 You have made known to me the paths of life;
you will fill me with joy in your presence.’
29 “Fellow Israelites, I can tell you confidently that the patriarch David died and was buried, and his tomb is here to this day. 30 But he was a prophet and knew that God had promised him on oath that he would place one of his descendants on his throne. 31 Seeing what was to come, he spoke of the resurrection of the Messiah, that he was not abandoned to the realm of the dead, nor did his body see decay. 32 God has raised this Jesus to life, and we are all witnesses of it. 33 Exalted to the right hand of God, he has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit and has poured out what you now see and hear. 34 For David did not ascend to heaven, and yet he said,
“‘The Lord said to my Lord:
“Sit at my right hand
35 until I make your enemies
a footstool for your feet.”’
36 “Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah.”
37 When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?”
38 Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.”
40 With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, “Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.” 41 Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day.
This Sunday’s service can be viewed on our Facebook page @ Sunday, August 20, 2023
Hello New Day!
I am grateful for you all, and your kindness and encouragement as I have been at New Day this past month. I continue to pray for you, and for us to follow God wholeheartedly, seeking Him together in this time of transition. Please continue to pray for the church leadership, and for continued unity.
This coming Sunday, we continue in the story of Acts. I sincerely hope for several things each week as we learn together in worship:
1) That we will grow together in our understanding of God's Word.
2) That we will connect to the story, as it happened to our early brothers and sisters in Christ, and find ourselves in the story.
3) That we allow for the Holy Spirit to fill us, empower us and direct us as we do life together, and share the love of Jesus, with people who don't know Him yet.
This Sunday we will be learning from Acts 2:14-41, and how the early followers of Jesus were filled with the Holy Spirit, sharing in Spirit and in truth about Jesus, His purpose, and the hope of the Resurrection. This passage begins with Peter explaining to the crowd that nobody was drunk on wine! It was the Holy Spirit, filling the disciples with joy, and miraculous tongues proclaiming the glory of God. The result is awesome- God moves in the hearts and minds of the crowd, and more people join the party- joyfully finding new life, fellowship and a new identity as followers of Jesus. This is still for us and others today. Jesus is still in the business of changing lives. This is the best news ever.
I am looking forward to sharing His Word with you, and seeing you all Sunday!
May God bless you this day.
In Christ,
Pastor Kari
This weekend, we also have the opportunity to hear from the von Steinbergs family about their summer experiencing God in Nicaragua!
