Confused Because They Understood

In one paragraph

The pastor preached through Acts 2 as part of the church's ongoing series in Acts, covering the day of Pentecost, Peter's sermon to the crowd, and the life of the early church that followed. He did not shy away from the parts of the chapter that can make conservative Christians uncomfortable, and he made clear from the start that he was not going to hedge or treat Acts as a book that does not...

Read together

1. Acts 1:4 Jesus commanding the disciples not to leave Jerusalem until the Father sends the promised gift
2. Acts 2:1-47 the primary text of the sermon, covering Pentecost, Peter's sermon, and the growth of the early church
3. Joel 2:28-32 Peter quotes Joel to explain the outpouring of the Spirit, sons and daughters prophesying, and everyone who calls on the name of the Lord being saved
4. Psalm 16:8-11 quoted as David speaking prophetically about the Messiah, that God would not leave his holy one in the grave
5. Psalm 110:1 Peter quotes David saying the Lord told his Lord to sit at his right hand, applying it to Jesus as Messiah
6. Psalm 51 David's prayer asking God not to remove the Holy Spirit from him after his sin
7. Luke 24 the road to Emmaus, where Jesus explained everything in the Old Testament that referred to him

Talk about it

1. The pastor said that preparing for a great move of the Spirit is a time to obey, be together, pray, study God's Word, and recognize leaders. Which of those disciplines feels hardest for you personally right now, and why?
2. Peter told the crowd in Jerusalem that they all knew what Jesus had done, and that some of them had been calling for his crucifixion. He was looking right at them when he said it. What does it mean to you that the gospel was first proclaimed to the very people who had rejected Jesus?
3. The pastor pointed out that the crowd was confused because they understood, meaning they heard the mighty works of God in their own language. When has God made something clear to you in a way you were not expecting?
4. The early believers devoted themselves to four things: the apostles' teaching, fellowship, sharing meals including the Lord's Supper, and prayer. Which of those four does this church do well, and which do you think we most need to grow in?
5. The sermon closed with the observation that God added to the fellowship each day as believers praised Him, shared meals with joy and generosity, and enjoyed the goodwill of all the people. What does that kind of community look like in practical terms for us here, and what gets in the way of it?