Wed Oct 15

Listen up, little ones

Especially for the littles in your household.

Listen for the words Spirit and pour.

Reading

Acts 2:14-39—The promise is for you (and your children)

Optional Reading

Joel 2:28-32

Keys for kids

Also for the littles. Young households might choose, after Keys for Kids, to go directly to praise and prayer.

Peter defended the early Christians as not being drunk.
Instead, as promised by Joel, they were filled with the Spirit.
God’s promise in Joel was fulfilled at Pentecost.

Questions

(Some read the ?s before the notes/ ask them after.)

Why did the mockers think these Christians were drunk?
What instead of drunkenness was going on?
What is the promise? And who is it to?

Notes

(See Saturday for authors.)

On the day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit came as promised in the prophecy of Joel. The ability of the early Christians to explain Jesus in languages they had never studied to Jews who had assembled in Jerusalem from every nation (v.5) was mocked as drunkenness. No, Peter said, not drunkenness, this is what God promised through Joel.

The promised Holy Spirit came for all—all people, all nations. It came for men and women, young and old, even slaves. The Spirit came to reveal the Lord—Jesus the resurrected, ascended, and reigning Messiah. Joel speaks (and Peter quotes) of signs and wonders. These signs and wonders seem to reflect a national disaster rather than a natural disaster. They point to both glorious promises of salvation and serious warnings of severe judgment.

The promised Holy Spirit came to bring salvation—the remission of sins. Just as a remittance is a payment, in Christ, the sins of those who repent and believe are paid for—by Christ himself on the cross. And, as God had promised and done in the Old Testament, the promise included the children of believers. But in a glorious expansion of God’s kingdom, the promise also included non-Jews—those far off from the visible people of God. People like me. People like you. And your children. All whom God will call.

Swedish Method questions

See the Sunday notes for meaning of the symbols.

Praise

Psalm 65a, 134a

Prayer

Rejoice in the promised Holy Spirit bringing salvation to you (and your children).
Pray for change in you from last Lord’s Day’s sermons.
Pray for a member of our church, for your family, and for a non-Christian friend/family member.