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. Acts 2:37-38 (ESV)
The message that Peter preached in Acts 2 was packed with great importance...
1. We are living in the last days, which started when Jesus came to earth as a man and will end when He comes back to earth on the clouds.
2. Many people proved that Jesus was the Son of God...
- David's prophecy foretold about Jesus experiencing God's presence continually and being raised from dead after being crucified.
- Peter's testimony showed that even after failing so many times, Jesus continued to accept him and work through him.
- Everyone who was gathered in Acts 1 that saw the ascension to heaven.
What must we do?
1. YOU HAVE TO RECOGNIZE WHAT YOU HAVE DONE. [FAILURE TO PLEASE GOD] Any time we break one of the ten commandments, we have sinned and sin causes separation from God. But it doesn't have to stay that way...
2. YOU HAVE TO REPENT FROM WHAT YOU HAVE DONE. [FLIP THE OTHER DIRECTION] We can confess our sins to God and repent of them, which means to run towards God instead of running towards sin... it means that we see sin the same way that God sees it... as the reason that Jesus died upon the cross.
3. YOU HAVE TO REMOVE WHAT YOU HAVE DONE. [FORGIVENESS FROM GOD REMOVES THE SIN] You can't remove sin by your power, but you can remove it by coming to God with the right attitude and asking Him to forgive you.
4. YOU HAVE TO REPLACE WHO HAS BEEN IN CONTROL. [FOLLOW THE HOLY SPIRIT] Then when you get a clean slate, you need to change who's in control of your life because if it's still you, you will keep getting into trouble. So let the Holy Spirit lead you and you will find joy unspeakable and life more fulfilling as God works in you, around you, and through you.
