Sharing Christ

Acts 2:25-41

25 For David says concerning him,
“‘I saw the Lord always before me,
    for he is at my right hand that I may not be shaken;
26 therefore my heart was glad, and my tongue rejoiced;
    my flesh also will dwell in hope.
27 For you will not abandon my soul to Hades,
    or let your Holy One see corruption.
28 You have made known to me the paths of life;
    you will make me full of gladness with your presence.’
29 “Brothers, I may say to you with confidence about the patriarch David that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. 30 Being therefore a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that he would set one of his descendants on his throne, 31 he foresaw and spoke about the resurrection of the Christ, that he was not abandoned to Hades, nor did his flesh see corruption. 32 This Jesus God raised up, and of that we all are witnesses. 33 Being therefore exalted at the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this that you yourselves are seeing and hearing. 34 For David did not ascend into the heavens, but he himself says,
“‘The Lord said to my Lord,
“Sit at my right hand,
35     until I make your enemies your footstool.”’
36 Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.”
37 Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” 38 And Peter said to them, “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 For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself.” 40 And with many other words he bore witness and continued to exhort them, saying, “Save yourselves from this crooked generation.” 41 So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls.

By Danny Sathyadass

“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. Acts 2:38

Notice the sequence of events here in Acts 2, which can be a model to help us spread the good news of Christ naturally, without any external pressure or compulsion. These steps could be done over a time frame as we relate to people of other faiths.

Prayer-(Acts 1:14) The disciples were in an attitude of prayer. May we do the same; without prayer we will be powerless. A oneness of spirit with God’s heart is essential.
Supernatural Event- (Acts 2:2-4) At the opportune time a supernatural event took place which got the attention of one and all. Similarly, God can demonstrate his supernatural power, maybe through answered prayer or possibly a miracle which will get the attention of people.

Declare the Wonders of God-(Acts 2:11) The 120 declared the wonders of God in different tongues. They could have shared what they had experienced, or maybe, it was about God’s deliverance in history. No one can object or deny when we share experiences of how God worked in and through us.

Validate Message-(Acts 2:16,25) Peter quoted Joel and David to back up his message to a Jewish audience. Likewise, Paul quoted Athenian poets when speaking at Athens (Acts 17:28). We have got to validate our message by focusing on points of agreement rather than argue about differences, of other faiths. 

Share Christ-(Acts 2: 22-25) Peter very clearly shares the story of Jesus and boldly asserts that they were witnesses of it (Acts 2:32).He briefly shares the life, death, burial and resurrection of Jesus which constitutes the gospel (1 Cor 15:1-3). He repeatedly asserts the fact that it was God’s initiative, to further connect with a Jewish audience (Read Acts 2:22-25 and note the number of times Peter refers to God) However, he draws their attention to Christ’s work which is the focal point of the gospel message.

Offer Hope- (Acts 2:38-39) When the people realized their need, Peter pleaded with them, to repent and find forgiveness. Similarly, when we see a yearning for help, we need to guide people to respond to Christ in humility and repentance so they could experience salvation and declare their allegiance to Him. Our responsibility is to share the good news, and when there is a yearning for change, we need to then lovingly offer the hope and joy of forgiveness, in Christ.  

*  This devotion was found at Bible.com titled “Acts Chapter Two” by Danny Sathyadass of City Light Global.