Soul Harvest
Acts 2:37-41.
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?” 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. “For the promise is for and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself.”And with many other words, he bore witness and continued to exhort them, saying, “Save yourselves from this crooked generation.”So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls.
Dear Ambassadors of the Risen King,
Any honest person listening to Peter would have come to the realization that a response was needed, one way or another.
Conviction (v. 37).Peter’s message caused the people to acknowledge their need for action. It is not enough to acknowledge guilt. One must take action to remedy that guilt and the cause of it. They asked for direction, how they may deal with the reality of Jesus, whom God had confirmed as “Lord and Christ” (v. 36).
Call (v. 38-40). Peter invited them all to repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus. Repentance is a turning away from sin and rebellion against God. Baptism was symbolic of one abandoning and being washed clean of sinful ways and yielding in allegiance to a new faith. The faith they were called to was faith in Jesus. Peter proclaimed this faith available to the whole world (v. 39). He also told them that they would receive the Holy Spirit, just as the apostles had.
Commitment (v. 41). The response to Peter’s appeal was that three thousand submitted to baptism that day. The journey to the “end of the earth” (1:8) had begun. Considering that the entire Roman world where there was a Jewish presence was represented, and the possibility that there were people from each of the places who submitted to baptism, it is possible that they would go back home and proclaim the good news to their fellow countrymen. God’s plan is still the same – to bring the gospel to the ends of the earth. Each of us who believe must be involved in this mission. Are you?
Your Loving Pastor Chris.