the Vine

The 3,000 people who responded to the gospel call in Acts 2 did not keep this gospel call at arms length. That would have been easier. It would have been easier to not have to be cut to the heart, to not get carried away, to not respond. But instead, these 3,000 internalized this gospel call and responded with their whole lives.

It wasn't that they found a new set of religious activities. It wasn't that they had found a religion that gave meaning to their old lives. No, they found new life.

So they lived a new life.

Maybe if Peter hadn't walked with Jesus and instead grew up in 21st century, New England Protestantism, his call at the end of the gospel message would have been different. But he did walk with Jesus. He knew this was more than a new, pious perspective on how to achieve inner peace. This is reality. Jesus is the Son of God, crucified because of us, raised to again from the dead, seated at the right hand of God the Father, and poured out His Spirit on all who believe.

And the people that day in Jerusalem were "cut to the heart" with the truth of that message. They were left with one question: "What should we do?"

Maybe if Peter hadn't walked with Jesus and instead grew up in 21st century, New England Protestantism, his call at the end of the gospel message would have been different. But he did walk with Jesus. He knew this was more than a new, pious perspective on how to achieve inner peace. This is reality. Jesus is the Son of God, crucified because of us, raised to again from the dead, seated at the right hand of God the Father, and poured out His Spirit on all who believe.

And the people that day in Jerusalem were "cut to the heart" with the truth of that message. They were left with one question: "What should we do?"

In a day when churches have fallen into a type of "chronological snobbery" where the relevancy of such ancient practices as preaching are called into question, Peter's sermon, the first sermon of the church, reminds us what the soul of preaching ought always to be.

In a day when churches have fallen into a type of "chronological snobbery" where the relevancy of such ancient practices as preaching are called into question, Peter's sermon, the first sermon of the church, reminds us what the soul of preaching ought always to be.

Now that we have a basic understanding of the identity and history of the Holy Spirit, what happened on the day of Pentecost there in the upper room? The key to understanding this lies in Genesis 11 and the story of the Tower of Babel. Pentecost was the reversal of Babel.

As we read we begin to understand: we still need Pentecost because we still have Babel.

Now that we have a basic understanding of the identity and history of the Holy Spirit, what happened on the day of Pentecost there in the upper room? The key to understanding this lies in Genesis 11 and the story of the Tower of Babel. Pentecost was the reversal of Babel. 

As we read we begin to understand: we still need Pentecost because we still have Babel.

"If you don't know history, then you don't know anything. You are a leaf that doesn't know it is part of a tree." - Michael Crichton

When we read the disciples' first encounter of the Holy Spirit in Act 2 we might be tempted to think that this is the first time the Spirit shows up. We would be mistaken.

Today on the podcast, Chris takes us through a brief history of the Holy Spirit to show His actions and the images used to describe the Spirit from the very beginning up until today.

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"If you don't know history, then you don't know anything. You are a leaf that doesn't know it is part of a tree." - Michael Crichton

When we read the disciples' first encounter of the Holy Spirit in Act 2 we might be tempted to think that this is the first time the Spirit shows up. We would be mistaken. 

Today on the podcast, Chris takes us through a brief history of the Holy Spirit to show His actions and the images used to describe the Spirit from the very beginning up until today.

When they gathered together because of Jesus and devoted themselves to prayer, their eyes were no longer fixed on their differences. They didn’t feel they had the luxury of time in which to debate theological points. They knew Jesus had spoken, had told them that they would be witnesses to him, had commanded them to wait for the promise from the Father. So they did. 

Uncommon, radical unity was not formed for some idealistic principle, or some pragmatic need. Uncommon, radical unity was formed around devotion to Jesus, expectation of the promise, and waiting in prayer. So must it be found in our day.