V. B. S.

The A. B. C. of Christian life principles:

A – ADMIT

(Rom 3:10 – 12, 23; 6:23; 1 Jn 1:8, 10; 9; Acts 3:19)

1. Admit to God that you are a sinner since all are basically sinners in this world as in Rom 3:10 to 12, As it is written: "There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God.  All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one.  In Rom 3:23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, Also in 1John 1:8 If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.  And in 1 John 1:10 If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives.   The result of sin is as in Rom 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. 
2. We must repent truly from all your sinful ways and turn away totally from all your sin.   As in Acts 3:19 Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord,
3. We cannot afford to hide our sin to God as in Prov 28:13 He who conceals his sins does not prosper, but whoever confesses and renounces them finds mercy.
4. We have to confess all our sins to God as in 1 John 1:9 “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”
5. We have to decide sincerely to stop and renounce all our sin as in Prov 28:13 He who conceals his sins does not prosper, but whoever confesses and renounces them finds mercy.

B – BELIEVE

(Rom 5:8; Acts 4:12; 16:31; Jn. 3:16 – 18; 14:6; 1 Pet. 3:18)

1. Believe that Jesus is God’s son and that God the Father sent Jesus his son to save people from their sins because God the Father loved us all as in John 3:16 to 18,  "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.  For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.  Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son.
2. Lord Jesus Christ loved us as in Rom 5:8  But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
3. The Holy Spirit love us so much and he gives us the real love in our hearts to love God and mankind as in Rom 5:5 And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.
4. We can go to God only through Jesus Christ as in John 14:6 Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.  Because for Salvation there is no other name given on this earth as in Acts 4:12 Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved."  Also apostle Paul said in Acts 16:31 They replied, "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved--you and your household."
5. Only Jesus Christ can help us to come back to God as in 1 Pet 3:18 For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive by the Spirit,

C – COMMIT

(Rom 10:9-10; 10:13; Matt. 16:24; Luke 9:23)

1. Commit your life to Jesus Christ and trust him to be your savior and Lord but confessing all your sin is also very much needed above mere believing the Lord Jesus Christ in our heart for our deliverance as in Rom 10:9 That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.  In Rom 10:10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.  Also in 1 John 1:9 “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” 
2. When we call on the name of the Lord and come to Jesus Christ whenever you are in problem since he will give answer to you as in Rom 10:13 for, "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved."  Also in Mat 11:28  "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.
3. Taking the yoke of God and learning from God is also very important to have a peaceful soul as in Mat 11:29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
4. After believing Jesus Christ we have to take the immersion Baptism to have the total salvation as in Mark 16:16 Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.
5. Our Lord Jesus Christ gave us some guidelines to follow him in Mat 16:24 Then Jesus said to his disciples, "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.  And also in Luke 9:23 Then he said to them all: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.   These three rules we can see now.

There are three important RULES we must keep to becoming a COMMITTED Christian:

1. Deny yourselves – [when we want to do our own will we cannot fulfill God’s will.  We cannot do both at a time.  So the only way we can please God is by yielding totally to His divine will.]
2. Carrying the cross daily. – [The cross is made of two lines one vertical and another horizontal line.  The vertical line speaks about our relationship with God and the horizontal one speaks about our relationship with all human beings in this world.  We have to maintain both the relationships.  Also carrying the cross means carrying extra load and pain for the Lord Jesus Christ, the church and his Kingdom, to do and fulfill the will of God in this life and in this world as Jesus Christ did the will of God by totally submitting to the God the Father, even to the point of Dying on the cross which was a symbol of shame.] 
3. Following Jesus Christ daily is a life long commitment to do sincerely.  So remember all these four principles to do this properly.
• Follow as a disciple following his Guru.
• Follow him as a slave follows his master’s orders.
• Follow him as a learning student follows his teacher.
• Follow Jesus by totally disciplining ourselves with all self-control.

 

V. B. S. DAY 1

Bible Portion: - [Jesus was born as per the promise of God since God loved us]

Matt. 1:18 – 2:21 “This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit.  Because Joseph her husband was a righteous man and did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.  But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.  She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins. "All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: "The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel" --which means, "God with us." When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife.  But he had no union with her until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.  After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, "Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him."  When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him.  When he had called together all the people's chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Christ was to be born.   "In Bethlehem in Judea," they replied, "for this is what the prophet has written: "'But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for out of you will come a ruler who will be the shepherd of my people Israel.'" Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared.  He sent them to Bethlehem and said, "Go and make a careful search for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him."  After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen in the east went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was.  When they saw the star, they were overjoyed.  On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh.  And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route.

• The promise of God in the Gen 3:15 And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel."
• Prophet Isaiah Said in Isa 7:14 Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.
• A Promise given seven centuries earlier in Micah 5:2  "But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times."

 

V. B. S. DAY 2

Bible Portion: – [Jesus will provide all your needs since he loves you very much]

Mark 6:30 – 44: The apostles gathered around Jesus and reported to him all they had done and taught.  Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them, "Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.  So they went away by themselves in a boat to a solitary place.  But many who saw them leaving recognized them and ran on foot from all the towns and got there ahead of them.  When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So he began teaching them many things.  By this time it was late in the day, so his disciples came to him. "This is a remote place," they said, "and it's already very late.  Send the people away so they can go to the surrounding countryside and villages and buy themselves something to eat."But he answered, "You give them something to eat." They said to him, "That would take eight months of a man's wages! Are we to go and spend that much on bread and give it to them to eat?  "How many loaves do you have?" he asked. "Go and see." When they found out, they said, "Five--and two fish."Then Jesus directed them to have all the people sit down in groups on the green grass.  So they sat down in groups of hundreds and fifties.  Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to his disciples to set before the people. He also divided the two fish among them all.  They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces of bread and fish.  The number of the men who had eaten was five thousand.

Do not worry about any thing your food, cloths to wear and the future.   God is our provider and he will take care of us:

[Mat. 6:25 to 34: - "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes?  Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?  Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?  "And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin.  Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these.  If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear? For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.  But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.  Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

Do not burry your talents but use them daily for the glory of God to build His kingdom:

Mat 25:15 to 30: - “To one he gave five talents of money, to another two talents, and to another one talent, each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey.  The man who had received the five talents went at once and put his money to work and gained five more.   So also, the one with the two talents gained two more.  But the man who had received the one talent went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master's money.  "After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them.  The man who had received the five talents brought the other five. 'Master,' he said, 'you entrusted me with five talents. See, I have gained five more.  His master replied, 'Well-done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness! "The man with the two talents also came. 'Master,' he said, 'you entrusted me with two talents; see, I have gained two more.'  "His master replied, 'Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!'  "Then the man who had received the one talent came. 'Master,' he said, 'I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed.   So I was afraid and went out and hid your talent in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.'  "His master replied, 'You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed? Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest.  "'Take the talent from him and give it to the one who has the ten talents.  For everyone who has will be given more, and he will have abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him.  And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.'

§        Friends, let us not bury our talents that we may not be put into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth

§        Some how take time daily to use the entire God given talents and gifts so that the Kingdom of God can be established through our efforts.

The Christian Principles to learn:

v     Never directly or indirectly ask anyone for any help, provision or money except God.

v     Always be aware of what you have and make use of it. If not used, it will be taken away.

v     Look towards God for a miracle always; since nothing is too hard for God.

v     Give thanks for whatever you have and discipline yourself in eating.

v     Do not waste anything what you feel not needed may the need of some one.

v     Give all the extra things to some one in need happily this will make God happy about you.

v     Giving is the only Key to receive some thing from God.

v     When we have a merciful heart we will also get mercy from God.

v     We have to thing about others also “as you love yourself love your neighbor”

v     We have to use all God given talents in life [Mat 25:14 to 30]

 

V. B. S. DAY 3

Bible Portion:  “God will protect us always since He has great power over the nature as we see here.”

Mark 4:35 to 41: - “That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, "Let us go over to the other side."  Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat. There were also other boats with him.  A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped.  Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, "Teacher, don't you care if we drown?  He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, "Quiet! Be still!" Then the wind died down and it was completely calm.  He said to his disciples, "Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith? They were terrified and asked each other, "Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!"

THE POWER OF GOD.

• God has a great control over the nature.   He can do any miracle to protect us since God loves us very much.  If you are not getting any answer from God when you pray, Please cheek your life Sin is building a barrier between you and God.  All the human beings have the authority to call God.  But our own sins divide us from God as in Isa. 59:1-2 Surely the arm of the LORD is not too short to save, nor his ear too dull to hear.  But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear.

 

• Jesus Loved the sinners so much as in Rom 5:8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.  Jesus died for us on the cross for our sins.   Then he has poured that love through the Holy Spirit in our hearts as in Rom 5:5 And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.  All can come to Jesus that is why he called every one to come to him as in Mat 11:28  "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.  Everyone can go to God only through Jesus Christ our Lord as in Acts 4:12 Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved." 

• Without faith we cannot get any thing from God and we cannot please God also as in Heb 11:6 And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.  If we want to have more faith on God we have to hear his words more since Faith comes from hearing the word of God as in Rom 10:17 Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ.

V. B. S. DAY 4   “Nicodemus came to the lord Jesus Christ in the night, asked “How to be Born-again?”

Bible Portion:

John 3:1-21: – “Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a member of the Jewish ruling council.  He came to Jesus at night and said, "Rabbi, we know you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the miraculous signs you are doing if God were not with him."  In reply Jesus declared, "I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again. "How can a man be born when he is old?" Nicodemus asked. "Surely he cannot enter a second time into his mother's womb to be born!" Jesus answered, "I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit.  Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit.  You should not be surprised at my saying, 'You must be born again.  The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.  "How can this be?" Nicodemus asked.  "You are Israel's teacher," said Jesus, "and do you not understand these things?  I tell you the truth, we speak of what we know, and we testify to what we have seen, but still you people do not accept our testimony.  I have spoken to you of earthly things and you do not believe; how then will you believe if I speak of heavenly things? No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven--the Son of Man.  Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.  "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.  For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.  Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son.  This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil.  Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed.  But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God."

JESUS TEACHES ABOUT HOW TO BE BORN-AGAIN: Jn. 3:1 – 21;

BORN-AGAIN:

Apostle Peter said in Acts 2:38 "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.

1.      WE MUST REPENT FROM ALL OUR SINFUL WAYS AND CONFESS ALL OUR SIN TO THE LORD JESUS CHRIST.

·        Mat 3:1 In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the Desert of Judea

·        Mat 3:2 and saying, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near."

·        Mat 3:6 Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River. 

·        Prov. 28:13 He who covers his sins will not prosper, But whoever confesses and forsakes them will have mercy. – [Repent for the kingdom of heaven is near.  So, let us make use of this grace period in our life, before this open door is shut let us turn to God and confess all our sin to Jesus Christ without hiding them from him.]     

2.      AFTER REPENTENCE WE MUST TAKE THE IMMERSION WATER BAPTISM FOR THE FORGIVENESS OF OUR SIN:

v     After sincerely repenting for all our sinful ways and confessing all our sin to God, then to take baptism as in Mat 3:6 Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River.

v     To fulfill our righteousness & To obey commandments of God.  As in Mat 3:13 to 15, Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John.  But John tried to deter him, saying, "I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me? Jesus replied, "Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness." Then John consented.

v     To have an open heaven. Mat 3:16 As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and lighting on him.

v     To make God happy.  Mat 3:17 And a voice from heaven said, "This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased."

v     To have complete salvation we are taking this after believing the Lord Jesus Christ as in Mark 16:16 whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.

v     When we acknowledge the goodness of God and say God’s ways are right as in Luke 7:29  (All the people, even the tax collectors, when they heard Jesus' words, acknowledged that God's way was right, because they had been baptized by John.

v     We have to hear the messages and believe the Lord Jesus Christ as our savior and take baptism as in Acts 8:12 But when they believed Philip as he preached the good news of the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women.

v     Open your mouth and ask for water baptism? Yes as in Acts 8:36 Now as they went down the road, they came to some water. And the eunuch said, "See, here is water. What hinders me from being baptized?"

v     If we believe Jesus Christ with all our heart that he is the savior we can as in Acts 8:37 Then Philip said, "If you believe with all your heart, you may." And he answered and said, "I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God."

v     We bury our sinful nature by taking water baptism and unite ourselves with the death of Jesus Christ as in Rom 6:3 & 4, Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death?  Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

v     God’s grace gives us a new glorious life and gives us the assurance of getting resurrected as in Rom 6:5 For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection,

v     Taking baptism gives us the remission of sins as in Acts 2:38 Then Peter said to them, "Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

v     By taking water baptism we get privilege of wearing Christ as in Gal 3:27 For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.

v     Water baptism is immersion and the word came from a Greek word meaning to dip or to immerse as in John 3:23 Now John also was baptizing at Aenon near Salim, because there was plenty of water, and people were constantly coming to be baptized.

3.      WAITING, ASKING IN FAITH & RECEIVEING THE HOLY SPIRIT IS A GREAT BLESSING IN FOLLOWING THE LORD JESUS CHRIST:

  

v     Holy Spirit is a counselor who will stay with us as in John 14:16  "And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever;

v     Holy Spirit will remind us about what Jesus taught us as in John 14:26 But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.

v     Holy Spirit will testify about Jesus as in John 15:26  "When the Counselor comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father, he will testify about me.

v     Holy Spirit will convict the world in regard to sin as in John 16:8 When he comes, he will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment:

v     Holy Spirit will guide us in to all truths as in John 16:13 But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come.

v     Holy Spirit helps us to witness Jesus as in Acts 1:8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."

v     We belong to Christ only if we have the Holy Spirit as in Rom 8:9 You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ.

v     We cannot get resurrected unless we have the Holy Spirit as in Rom 8:11 And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit, who lives in you.

v     Holy Spirit helps us to pray as in Rom 8:26 In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express.

How to receive the Holy Spirit?

In Luke 11:9 to 13: - "So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.  "For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.  "If a son asks for bread from any father among you, will he give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent instead of a fish?  "Or if he asks for an egg, will he offer him a scorpion?  "If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!"

Q. Why did the men love darkness?

A. Men loved darkness because their deeds were evil.  Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed.] (John 3:19 to 20.)

How to get deliverance now from all sin and darkness?

1. Through our Lord Jesus Christ as in John 8:36  "Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.  Also in Col 1:13 & 14, He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins. Through the blood of Jesus Christ as in I John 1:7 … and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.
2. Through the word of the Lord as in John 8:32  "And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free."
3. Through the Holy Spirit as in 2 Cor 3:17 Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.

V. B. S. DAY 5

Bible Portion: Acts 2:1-47 “THE WORK OF THE HOLY SPIRIT IN THE BELIEVERS LIFE AND IN THE CHURCH”

THE HOLY SPIRIT CAME UPON ALL THE DECIPLES WHO WERE WAITING FOR THAT ANOINTING OF GOD:

1. Acts 2:1-7.   

• Waiting and receiving the Holy Spirit.

2. Acts 2:8-13

§         Many outsiders, different Jewish people who knew other languages were present there at that time from different nations and they all got attracted by hearing the different languages from the Galileans who do not know them, so they all got surprised by this tongues.  When apostle Peter gave explanation to that three thousand people put their faith on God and took water baptism on that day and added to the church as in Acts 2:41 Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day.

§         Apostle Paul says in 1 Cor 14:22 Tongues, then, are a sign, not for believers but for unbelievers; prophecy, however, is for believers, not for unbelievers.

3.  Acts 2:14-40

§         Peter’s reply.

4.  Acts 2:41

§         Response to Apostle Peter’s message they believed the message and truly repented and took water baptism immediately and added to the church as in Acts 2:41 Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day.

5.  Acts 2:42 “They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.

v     They devoted themselves to the apostles Teaching:. - Apostle Paul says to Timothy in 2 Tim 4:2 Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage--with great patience and careful instruction.  Because in the last days people will go away from the apostles teachings as in 2 Tim 4:3 & 4, “For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.  They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.  Also in Heb 13:17 Obey your leaders and submit to their authority. They keep watch over you as men who must give an account. Obey them so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no advantage to you. 

v     They devoted themselves to the Fellowship: -  1 John 4:8 whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.  And in 1 John 4:20 If anyone says, "I love God," yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen.  Also in 1 John 1:7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, The only recorded prayer of Jesus gives more importance to the unity of believers as in John 17:21  "that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me.  The King David says in Psa 133:1 Behold, how good and how pleasant it is For brethren to dwell together in unity… For there the LORD bestows his blessing, even life forevermore.]

v     They devoted themselves to take Part in the communion (Breaking of bread.): - John 6:53 to 58,  “Jesus said to them, "I tell you the truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you.  Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.  For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink.  Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in him.  Just as the living Father sent me and I live because of the Father, so the one who feeds on me will live because of me.  This is the bread that came down from heaven. Your forefathers ate manna and died, but he who feeds on this bread will live forever." Also Taking the communion to remember Jesus Christ as in I Cor. 11:23 to 31]

v     They devoted themselves to the Prayer.  - John 16:23 & 24, In that day you will no longer ask me anything. I tell you the truth, my Father will give you whatever you ask in my name.  Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete.

6.  Acts 2:43:  Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles.

§        Fear of God (Pro. 1:7);

§        Wonders and miracles took place. (Acts 4:29 to 31) That will give more boldness to preach the word of God.

7. Acts 2:44 – 45:

• People live a selfless and giving life as in Acts 2:44 & 45, All the believers were together and had everything in common.  Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. – [One of the signs of the last day is Selfishness as in 2 Tim 3:1 – 5; also in Acts 4:32.]

• Giving has four major parts.  – [2 Cor 9:7 Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.]

1. We give to God:  what the bible says as Tithe and Offerings, when we give to God from what we have already received from God as the tithe in all we got from him this is measurable and by faith we give offerings to God also for our future blessings, whatever we feel happily in our hearts, to get God’s blessings in the coming days. We give to God to have the heavens gate open for us, to get surplus blessings of God as in Mal 3:8 to 12,  "Will a man rob God? Yet you rob me. "But you ask, 'How do we rob you?' "In tithes and offerings.  You are under a curse--the whole nation of you--because you are robbing me.  Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this," says the LORD Almighty, "and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it.  I will prevent pests from devouring your crops, and the vines in your fields will not cast their fruit," says the LORD Almighty.  Then all the nations will call you blessed, for yours will be a delightful land," says the LORD Almighty.  Through this only the church is expanding its works in many parts of this world in the unreached areas.

2. We give to the servants of God:  what ever we can give happily so that they can also happily stay in the full time service of God without any problem. - [2 Cor 9:1 & 2, There is no need for me to write to you about this service to the saints.  For I know your eagerness to help, and I have been boasting about it to the Macedonians, telling them that since last year you in Achaia were ready to give; and your enthusiasm has stirred most of them to action.]

3. We give to any believers who are having the need.  – [1 John 4:20 If anyone says, "I love God," yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen.  So we have to give to all our believers.]

4. We give to any one who is in great need and who is poor. – [Psa 41:1 Blessed is he who considers the poor; The LORD will deliver him in time of trouble.]

8.  Acts 2:46 “Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts,

• People met together daily in the Church. – [Heb 10:25 not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.]
• They ate together. With gladness of heart. – The Joy of the Lord is our strength. (Neh. 8:10)

9.  Acts 2:47a.

§         People praised God as in Acts 2:47a, Praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people

§         They enjoyed the favor of all people.

10.  The Lord added to the Church daily, (Acts 2:47b)

• Those who were being saved as in Acts 2:47b, “And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.
• Mat 16:18  "And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.
• Eph 5:23 For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church; and He is the Savior of the body.
• Rom 12:5 so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.
• Col 3:15 Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace.   And be thankful.

Yours in His Service,
Rev. T. Marcus Devasahayam