Pentecost (Feast of Weeks) was a yearly festival which was commanded to be observed 50 days after Passover. (Deut.16:8-10) The practical observance of it was to commemorate the completion of the wheat harvest. However, God planned all along for it to be the start of a great evangelistic effort that would culminate in the beginning of the local church. On that day, over 3000 souls were ....
1 CONVICTED (37) After hearing Peter's message, the listeners were pricked in their hearts.
“Katanussa: “to pain the heart”
In other words, the Holy Spirit spoke to the hearts of the listeners telling them they needed to be saved. We call this "conviction of sin". Until we are convicted or convinced of our sin, we'll see no need in accepting Jesus Christ as our Savior.
Conviction of sin also happens after we are saved. While we haven’t lost our salvation, our fellowship with God is strained.
Conviction produced ….
2 CONCERN (37)
These men and women wanted to know what they could do about their sinful state. Once we know we need to do something about our spiritual condition, the invitation to be saved is ours to accept or reject. For the lost, the clock is ticking and time is running out.
Not knowing what to do about the sin problem, Peter …
3 COMMANDED (38-40) Peter was quick and concise about how to remedy their lost condition. Repentance of our sins means asking God for forgiveness and asking Jesus into our heart as Savior.
Repentance is a change of heart which produces a change in our lives. That change is something only God can do.
Self-change is only a temporary condition. Salvation is eternal.
Peter also added the command to be baptized.
Baptism is not a condition to salvation, but rather a consequence of it. It is a sign to the world of the change which has been made in us and a way of identifying with Jesus Christ by following His example..
4 CONVERTED (41) Some 3000 people gladly heeded the call of the Holy Spirit and accepted the gift of eternal life through Jesus Christ.
As a result of their conversion from being dead in sin to alive in Christ, they immediately were baptized to show the world the change that had taken place in them.
Two words in the NT mean total immersion.
Bapto means a temporary dipping such as in Luke 16:24 (rich man in Hell); John 16:26 (Jesus dipping in the sop); Rev. 19:13 (Christ’s vesture dipped in blood).
Baptizo is used in every instance where someone is baptized into Christ. Water baptism is a visual of what happens when we are “baptized’ into Christ Jesus. Just as we are totally immersed in the Living Water, we are also totally immersed in the baptismal waters. The baptism into Christ is permanent and the water baptism illustrates that fact.
A practical example of baptizo is from the Greek physician Nicander, 200 B.C. In a recipe for making pickles, Nicander says the cucumber should first be 'dipped' (bapto) into boiling water and then 'baptized' (baptizo) in the vinegar solution. The first is temporary while the second produces a permanent change.
When used in the New Testament, this word more often refers to our union and identification with Christ than to our water baptism. There must be a union with him.
In other words, we need to be pickled in Christ!
5 CONSECRATED (42-47) New converts were consecrated to the Lord and united with one another in the Lord's church. They became part of God's family and banded together to further the work of His kingdom. They willingly gave up "things" to help others in need. Because of their sacrifices, God richly blessed them with more souls.
