Dag's Place

Faith of a mustard seed

2010-05-08T00:36:00.000-04:00

Before you read this I want you to stand up and then sit back down. It disturbs me that many times people limit God. They may not think they do, but they do. It is not intentional but still they limit God. As Christians you would think that we would not, yet many times we do. We do it every time we come up with an excuse why believing in something or praying will fail. We do it every time we say we pray for a better job, more money, better health, and the list goes on. Yet we come up with excuses of why we can not have the better job, wanting more money is greedy, we don’t have time to exercise or it’s too hard to quit smoking. Every time we say these things we limit God. What we are really saying to God is we want to believe in you but we just can’t because. It is in this because that we limit God, we prevent him from being there for us, and we prevent him from showing his love for us. We then sit and wallow in our failure, trying to figure out why God failed, why our prayers did not get answer, why we are not walking the life God promised. Well, God did not fail us, we failed God. We did not do our part. Now many of you are wondering, “our part”? We prayed, we went to church, and we read the Bible daily, what more can we do? To that I say “mustard seed.”

In Luke 17 Jesus teaches his disciples about believing, and he makes a point that many in the Western church miss:

Luke 17:6 And the Lord said, If you had faith as a grain of mustard seed, you might say to this sycamine tree, Be rooted up and be planted in the sea! And it would obey you.

In many of the churches here in the west we read this verse and immediately say the “…size of a mustard seed.” In fact a recent teaching I attended by a very well-noted Minister even taught on this and passed out little pouches of mustard seed to make this point. To this day I carry it in my wallet. But that is not what Jesus said if you were to look up this verse in some other translations. Example:

Analytical-Literal Translation: But the Lord said, "If you* have faith like a grain of mustard [or, mustard seed], you could say to this mulberry tree, 'Be uprooted and be planted in the sea,' and it would [have] obeyed you*.

Or if you were to go to the Greek you would see the same thing, and for the most part all translation say it the same way.
…if you have as a grain of mustard seed…

Never does Jesus say “size of”. No, what he is saying is if you have the faith that a grain of mustard has. Folks what we missed is the orientalism here, we missed that Jesus is not talking the size of the mustard seed but its faith. That if you had the same amount of faith in God that a mustard seed has in God. A mustard seed when planted does not say, “hey, I can not grow here there is no water, there is not enough sun, the dirt is not good enough”. No it just starts to grow, it puts its faith in God to provide enough water and light for it so it does it part and grows. It does not question about what if’s, it looks at its blue prints of growing and starts to follow them, sending its root down into the soil and its leaves up into the air. Note I did say it did have a plan, but it knew when to stop and leave the rest to God.

However the sad truth is that for most Christians we have more faith in our chairs then we do in God. When you start to read this I asked you to stand up out of your chair and then sit back down, I could use the same orientalism here for the faith of the chairs. Think about it, here I am over 300 pounds sitting on this chair yet, it doesn’t go off running, it does not scoot over somewhere, it stays right there, and knows that it will support me. The fact is we have more faith in the chairs then we have in God, how many of you when you sat down even gave it a thought that the chair would hold you up? Yet when you pray for something many times you have already come up with excuses for failure, you don’t believe thus you fail to receive what God wants you to have, not because God failed but because you failed to believe.

In Star Wars: Empire Strikes Back there is a scene with Luke and Yoda in the swamp. Luke is training to become a Jedi, and during the training his X-Wing fighter sinks into the swamp. Luke seeing his only hope of leaving the planet sink, gets upset and begins to complain to Yoda about this. Yoda uses this opportunity an important lesson about “the Force” a lesson that could be applied to us and believing. In the scene Yoda tells Luke to use the force to lift the fighter out of the swamp, if you listen to the scene you hear Luke complain that the fighter is too big, (already limiting the Force) then this exchange takes place, the key that I think is very important.

Luke: Alright I will try.
Yoda: No try, do or do not, never try

As the scene progresses Luke fails to get the X-Wing out of the swamp and walks off, Yoda steps up and with the force lifts the X-Wing out of the swamp and sets it down in front of Luke, who turns to Yoda and says
Luke: I don’t believe it.
Yoda: That is why you failed

The lesson we need to take from this is, like the force we have to believe in God, not try, but do, just as we believe in the chair that we are sitting on. We have to believe in God. Let’s look at some examples of the believing that Jesus is talking about this faith of a mustard seed.

Matt 8:5-13
And when Jesus had entered into Capernaum, a centurion came to him, beseeching Him,
and saying, Lord, my son lies at home paralyzed and grievously tormented.
And Jesus says to him, I will come and heal him.
The centurion answered and said, Lord, I am not worthy that You should come under my roof; but only speak the word, and my boy will be healed.
For I am a man under authority, having soldiers under me. And I say to this one, Go! And he goes; and to another, Come! And he comes; and to my servant, Do this! And he does it.
When Jesus heard, He marvelled and said to those who followed, Truly I say to you, I have not found such great faith, no, not in Israel.
And I say to you that many shall come from the east and the west, and shall sit down with Abraham and Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of Heaven.
But the sons of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
And Jesus said to the centurion, Go. And as you have believed, so let it be to you. And his boy was healed in that hour.

Here a Centurion shows that faith of a mustard seed, he does not question Jesus, he puts his trust in God that what Jesus says will happen. For the Centurion, all he had to do was come to Jesus and make the request, he knew Jesus would heal his son. He did his part and knew all that Jesus had to do was say the words. What believing he had, what faith!

In Matt 15:22
And behold, a woman of Canaan coming out of these borders cried to Him, saying, Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David! My daughter is grievously vexed with a demon.
But He did not answer her a word. And His disciples came and begged Him, saying, Send her away, for she cries after us.
But He answered and said, I am not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
Then she came and worshiped Him, saying, Lord, help me!
But He answered and said, It is not good to take the children's bread and to throw it to dogs.
And she said, True, O Lord; but even the little dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters' tables.
Then Jesus answered and said to her, O woman, great is your faith! So be it to you even as you wish. And her daughter was healed from that very hour.

Here again you see that faith of a mustard seed. She knew what she wanted she did not limit God. She did not come up with excuses for why she should not have desire.

2 Kings 4:8-37
And the day came when Elisha passed over to Shunem. And a great woman was there. And she laid hold on him to eat bread. And it happened, as often as he passed by, he turned in there to eat bread.
And she said to her husband, Behold now, I see that this is a holy man of God who passes by us continually.
Please, let us make a little room on the wall. And let us set a bed for him there, and a table, and a stool, and a lampstand. And when he comes to us, he shall turn in there.
And the day came when he came in there, and he turned into the room and lay there.
And he said to Gehazi his servant, Call this Shunammite. And he called her, and she stood before him.
And he said to him, Say now to her, Behold, you have been thoughtful for us with all this care. What is to be done for you? Would you be spoken for to the king or to the commander of the army? And she answered, I dwell among my own people.
And he said, What then is to be done for her? And Gehazi answered, Truly, she has no child, and her husband is old.
And he said, Call her! And he called her, and she stood in the door.
And he said, At this time, according to the time of life, you shall embrace a son. And she said, No, my lord, O man of God, do not lie to your handmaid.
And the woman conceived and bore a son at that time that Elisha had said to her, according to the time of life.
And the boy grew, and the day came that he went out to his father to the reapers.
And he said to his father, My head, my head! And he said to a lad, Carry him to his mother.
And he carried him and brought him to his mother. And he sat on her knees until noon and died.
And she went up and laid him on the bed of the man of God, and shut the door on him and went out.
And she called to her husband and said, Please send me one of the young men and one of the asses so that I may run to the man of God and come again.
And he said, Why will you go to him today? It is neither new moon nor sabbath. And she said, It is well.
And she saddled an ass and said to her servant, Drive and go forward! Do not hold back your riding for me unless I tell you.
And she went and came to the man of God, to Mount Carmel. And it happened when the man of God saw her afar off, he said to Gehazi his servant, Behold, the Shunammite.
Please run now to meet her, and say to her, Is it well with you? Is it well with your husband? Is it well with the boy? And she answered, Well!
And she came to the man of God to the hill, and she caught him by the feet. And Gehazi came near to push her away. And the man of God said, Let her alone, for her soul is troubled within her. And Jehovah has hidden it from me and has not told me.
And she said, Did I desire a son from my lord? Did I not say, Do not deceive me?
Then he said to Gehazi, Bind up your loins and take my staff in your hand, and go. If you meet any man, do not greet him. And if any greet you, do not answer him again. And lay my staff on the face of the child.
And the mother of the child said, As Jehovah lives, and as your soul lives, I will not leave you. And he arose and followed her.
And Gehazi passed on before them and laid the staff on the face of the child. But there was no voice nor hearing. And he turned back to meet him and told him, saying, The boy has not awakened.
And Elisha had come to the house. And behold, the boy was dead, and laid out on his bed.
And he went in and shut the door on the two of them, and prayed to Jehovah.
And he went up and lay on the boy, and put his mouth on his mouth and his eyes on his eyes, and his hands on his hands. And he stretched himself on the boy. And the flesh of the boy became warm.
And he returned and walked in the house to and fro. And he went up and stretched himself on him. And the boy sneezed seven times, and the boy opened his eyes.
And he called Gehazi and said, Call this Shunammite. And he called her, and she came in to him. And he said, Take up your son!
And she went in and fell at his feet and bowed to the ground, and took up her son, and went out.

Here again what faith we have as an example. No doubt, no question, just know that it is going to be well. She does her part, goes and finds the man of God and God will do the rest. She has no question in her heart though she is in trouble she knows it will be well.

In Genesis is perhaps one of the greatest examples of the faith of a mustard seed, with Abraham and Isaac

Gen 22:1-13
And it happened after these things that God tested Abraham, and said to him, Abraham! And he said, Behold me.
And He said, Take now your son, your only one, Isaac, whom you love. And go into the land of Moriah, and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will name to you.
And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and saddled his ass, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son. And he split the wood for the burnt offering, and rose up and went to the place of which God had told him.
Then on the third day, Abraham lifted up his eyes and saw the place afar off.
And Abraham said to his young men, You stay here with the ass. And I and the boy will go on to this way and worship, and come again to you.
And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on Isaac his son. And he took the fire in his hand, and a knife. And they both went together.
And Isaac spoke to Abraham his father and said, My father. And he said, Here am I, my son. And he said, Behold the fire and the wood. But where is the lamb for a burnt offering?
And Abraham said, My son, God will provide Himself a lamb for a burnt offering. So they both went together.
And they came to the place which God had told him of. And Abraham built an altar there and laid the wood in order. And he bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar, on the wood.
And Abraham stretched out his hand and took the knife to slay his son.
And the Angel of Jehovah called to him from the heavens and said, Abraham! Abraham! And he said, Here am I.
And He said, Do not lay your hand on the lad, nor do anything to him. For now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only one, from Me.
And Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked. And, behold, a ram behind him was entangled in a thicket by its horns. And Abraham went and took the ram and offered it up for a burnt offering instead of his son.

Note the faith Abraham had, he even told Isaac, “…God will provide Himself a lamb for a burnt offering…” No doubt, no question. Abraham did his part and he knew God would do his part.

Now I am not saying God will give you a million dollars because you really believe and you pray for it. If anything from these examples you should see the keys to believing, to having the faith of a mustard seed.

Key 1: Who would it Glorify? I often tell people when they come to me about some miracle some statue performed or some street minister perform, I always asked who was glorified? If anyone but God was glorified it is not of God

Key 2: You have to do your part. You want more money, perhaps you have to look for another job, ask for a raise, request the promotion, perhaps go back to school. There is a joke about the man whose house was in a flood zone. The water was rising and when it was up his front yard a big swamp buggy pulls up to offer him a ride to safety, the man refuses saying God will provide. The water rises to his front door and a boat comes by. The man again refuses the ride to safety, saying again that God will provide. The man is on his roof and the water is up to his neck. A helicopter comes to the rescue and again the man refuses. The man drowns and dies. He goes to heaven and there he asks God why did he not provide, why did he let him die? God tells the man that he did his part; he sent a swamp buggy, a boat, and a helicopter but you did not do your part and get in.

Key 3: You can not limit God. As I started of with this; I said most Christians limit God. They come up with reasons why they will fail, why their prayers will go unanswered, and then blame God for failing them. I said God did not fail they failed by limiting God. They decided that it can not happen, God will not provide, God will not be there so they give up, or they decide that there is only one way God will do something and that’s it. I remember a son of a good friend of mine who at the time was a gardener like me. This was 20 years ago. His son was playing on the big lawn Yazoo mower, an eight foot wide mower that you steer by sitting on a jump seat behind the mower shifting your weight to steer. Well, the boy was not paying attention and fell off the mower. The mower jumped back and swung around and chopped off his lower left leg. His father was devastated mainly because he felt that his son would never be able to walk again. To this day I remember his son’s words to his father as he was being loaded into the ambulance. He told his father not to worry, he believed in God and that he will walk again. I have known that boy for over 20 years and I will tell you he did walk again, he goes skiing, rock climbing, and in fact, unless he was wearing a pair of shorts you would never know he had an artificial lower leg. Again the faith of a mustard seed, no doubt, no worry. He knew what he had to do and did it and trusted God would do the rest.

Finally we can wrap this up with the words of Jesus from Luke:

Luke 12:22-33
And He said to His disciples, Therefore I say to you, Be not anxious as to your life, what you shall eat; nor for the body, what you shall put on.
Life is more than food, and the body is more than clothing.
Consider the ravens: for they neither sow nor reap, having neither storehouse nor barn, and God feeds them. How much more are you better than the birds?
And which of you by being anxious can add one cubit to his stature?
If then you are not able to do even the least, why are you anxious about the rest?
Consider the lilies, how they grow; they do not toil, they do not spin. And yet I say to you that Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.
If then God so clothes the grass (which today is in the field, and tomorrow is cast into the oven) how much more will He clothe you, O little-faiths?
And do not seek what you shall eat, nor what you shall drink, and stop being in anxiety.
For all these things the nations of the world seek after, and your Father knows that you have need of these things.
But rather seek the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added to you.
Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom.
Sell what you have and give alms. Make for yourselves purses which do not become old, an unfailing treasure in Heaven, where no thief comes nor moth corrupts.

Now Jesus is not say just to believe in God and God will take care of you, let’s look at what Jesus says.

First he gives some instruction:

Luke 12:29-31
And do not seek what you shall eat, nor what you shall drink, and stop being in anxiety.
For all these things the nations of the world seek after, and your Father knows that you have need of these things.
But rather seek the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added to you.

Then Jesus tells you want you must do, and again we in the western church miss it.

Luke 12:33
Sell what you have and give alms. Make for yourselves purses which do not become old, an unfailing treasure in Heaven, where no thief comes nor moth corrupts.

Now before someone says that we have to sell everything we have and have no property that is not what is being said exactly, if we were to take the translation from the Greek

Sell what you possess and give donations to the poor; provide yourselves with purses and handbags that do not grow old, an unfailing and inexhaustible treasure in the heavens, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys.

The word “sell” literality translates to barter or trade and “what you possess” is the Greek word “humōn” which is you or yourself we get the word “human” from it. What Jesus is saying here is to trade yourself, your skill, your work, “give to the poor” literality means to provide compassion towards the poor. In other words, what Jesus is saying is this:

God know what your needs are, so make him first in your life, and go trade your skills your labor, and provide compassion to the poor and God will see that you have all your needs provided for.

Think about it, for a second, make God first in your life, Work at your Job, provide compassion to the poor, note I am not saying to provide all your money to the poor, to provide something to the poor, you time, extra funds, something you don’t need, and God will take care of the rest. You do your part and God will do his part. You have the faith of a mustard seed and do your part and God will do his part. When you start to worry, when you start to think about what if, when you doubt, then you fail to do your part, God can not do his part.

Yet many people limit God, they don’t believe and when their prayers go unanswered, when they fail to live up to what God promise they blame God yet as Yoda told Luke in the swamp “That is why you fail” Do your part and know God will do his part. Don’t try to Believe, Do Believe.

In closing Luke 12:34
For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Pentecoost

2010-04-18T21:09:00.004-04:00

Ever watch Star Wars: A New Hope, in the end when Luke Skywalker fires his missiles into the vent destroying the Death Star. I want you to think about that moment, here you are watching this movie and here is the climax and the movie ends. Just ends, no afterwards, no celebration, no nothing, movie over every body go home.

That is what it is starting to be like for many Churches, they start their year in the fall usually after Labor Day. Set out with plans of what they are going to do over the year, then start moving toward Christmas then to Lent and Easter. Then it’s that’s it movie over come back next year after your summer break.

These peoples are faithful just their faith stop at the Death and the Resurrection of Christ Jesus. It goes no further then the Cross just stops right there. That’s it, “He is risen and will come again…” they miss the whole next part of the story in some case even forget or ignore the next part of the story. In doing so they miss some important stuff, like the story is not over, there is more to come, like the day of Pentecost. The official birth of the Christian church, the day God gave all of mankind the chance to be his children, the day God pour out his spirit onto us. On that day we who believe, became sons of God. But many modern churches just let that day go right on by, don’t believe me drive around home many Churches have anything out about Pentecost, how many hold special services, other then your Catholic churches, and some others most don’t have anything out there and even with the Catholic churches most don’t make any special mention of Pentecost. But why is this day so important, what really happen this day. I know may of you read it, some even study this day but do you really understand what happen that day, what did God do that day that makes it for the early church one of the most important days, at a time before Easter, or Christmas this was the day that all the church looked forward to this was the day they all celebrated.

Open with me to Acts 2:1-5
And in the fulfilling of the day of Pentecost, they were all with one mind in the same place. And suddenly a sound came out of the heaven, as being borne along by a violent wind! And it filled all the house where they were sitting. And tongues as of fire appeared to them, being distributed, and it sat on each one of them. And they were all filled of the Holy Spirit, and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave ability to them to speak. And Jews were living in Jerusalem, devout men from every nation of those under the heaven heard them. “LITV”

So lets see you have 12 disciples all gathered together, some house does not say where but we can guess it was some house either on an open public square or near a very public place because “devout men from every nation … heard them”. We should also notice that these very same men who a few weeks earlier were hiding in fear these same men who abandon Jesus on the Cross. Peter who himself denied Jesus, now stood together and now being filled with the Holy Spirit spoke, to all those who could hear. Man what I would give to see that, to hear what these men were saying.

But this sound occurring, the multitude came together and were confounded, because they each heard them speaking in his own dialect And all were amazed and marveled, saying to one another, Behold, are not all these, those speaking, Galileans? And how do we hear each in our own dialect in which we were born, “LITV”

They were confounded, these devout men were confounded, not by what was being said but because they heard them speaking in his own language. A old teacher and friend used to say “When God wants to make a point, he makes sure you know it.”
Here you see it, those speaking were Galileans and yet all of those around them heard in his own language.

Now before we go into this lets look at some here, 2000 years ago in the Roman Empire, the official language was Latin, most people spoke, read and wrote Greek for trade and commerce. Yet rarely did anyone ever learn to read and speak more then their native language and Greek. And here you have these Galileans speaking many different languages. Let’s count them though and I want you to note something here. 12 Galileans are speaking:

1) Parthians - Arsacid, Pahlavi
2) Medes - Medic
3) Elamites - Elamite
4) Mesopotamia - Akkadian, Eblaite, Phoenician, Semitic, and Sumerian
5) Judea - Hebrew
6) Cappadocia - Cappadocia (A Greek Dialec)
7) Asia (Minor) - Syriac, Armenian, Aramaic
8) Pontus - Pontic (A Greek Dialec)
9) Phrygia - Phrygian
10) Pamphylia - Pamphylia (related to Greek)
11) Egypt - Egyptian (more likely Demotic or Coptic)
12) Romans – Latin possible Greek but lets say Latin
13) Cyrene, Libya - A Greek colony of Libya thus most likely Greek
14) Cretans - Cretan (A Greek Dialec)
15) Arabians – Persian

15 groups of people and perhaps as many as 22 or more languages, think about it 12 Galileans speaking on this day to all these diverse people each in their native language. God want to get his message heard don’t you think.

And what were these 12 Galileans speaking
Acts 2:11 …speaking the great deeds of God “LITV”

They were speaking the great works and deeds of God, here they are telling the whole known world that pay attention there is something going on here and God the Creator, the maker of Heaven and Earth, He’s about to do something. And reading in verses 12 you see those who heard this were amazed, puzzled wonder what is going on here. What is this all about? Some even try to explain that these were just drunk with too much wine? Amazing how there is always some who try to explain God away, who refuse to see God’s handy work and want to explain it as something anything else.

Acts 2:12-13 And all were amazed and puzzled, saying to one another, What would this wish to be? But ridiculing, others said, They are full of sweet wine. “LITV”

Let’s read further:

Acts 2:14-19 But standing up with the Eleven, Peter lifted up his voice and spoke out to them, Men, Jews, and all those living in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and listen to my words: For these are not drunk, as you imagine, for it is the third hour of the day. But this is that which has been spoken by the prophet Joel, "And it shall be" in the last days, God says, "I will pour from My Spirit on all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy;" "and your young men shall see visions," "and your old men shall dream dreams; and also I will pour out My Spirit on My slaves and slave women in those days," and they shall prophesy. "And I will give wonders in the heaven above," and miraculous signs "on the earth below, blood and fire and vapor of smoke. “LITV”

Now before I go further, for those are reading ahead, let me explain something that we miss in the English Version of the Bible
In Greek, and Hebrew there are Pauses, a pause is this will happen, pause, then next this will happen. An example would be if I were to do a story about History of the United States, I might say, After Jackson defeated the British in New Orleans he was elected President ‘Pause’ Yet soon the country was tested again in civil war. My story is more about the American conflicts and not about the expansions of the 19th century then the pause would tell those either listening or reading that there is more details here but not important for my story. In the Greek these are written out with the Greek letter omega ὁ all by it’s self. So let’s keep this in mind please I get in enough trouble by myself I don’t need people saying I am preaching the end of the world.

Acts 2:20-22 omega ὁ The sun will be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the" "coming of the great and glorious" "day of the Lord. And it shall be that everyone who shall call on the name of the Lord will be saved." Joel 2:28-32“LITV”

Now here it is Peter who just a few weeks ago was hiding from these very people, who feared for his very life. Now here he is standing up and speaking forth God’s own promise. Here Peter is just like Jesus did so many time explaining in plain language what God was doing. He laid it all out there for everyone to see, this is what God is up to saying folks pay attention pay real close attention.

And for the update for some of you who have heard this before, this next bit is from the Message version of the Bible. (George)

Acts 2:23-37 this Jesus, following the deliberate and well-thought-out plan of God, was betrayed by men who took the law into their own hands, and was handed over to you. And you pinned him to a cross and killed him. But God untied the death ropes and raised him up. Death was no match for him. David said it all: I saw God before me for all time. Nothing can shake me; he's right by my side. I'm glad from the inside out, ecstatic; I've pitched my tent in the land of hope. I know you'll never dump me in Hades; I'll never even smell the stench of death. You've got my feet on the life-path, with your face shining sun-joy all around. "Dear friends, let me be completely frank with you. Our ancestor David is dead and buried--his tomb is in plain sight today. But being also a prophet and knowing that God had solemnly sworn that a descendant of his would rule his kingdom, seeing far ahead, he talked of the resurrection of the Messiah--'no trip to Hades, no stench of death.' This Jesus, God raised up. And every one of us here is a witness to it. Then, raised to the heights at the right hand of God and receiving the promise of the Holy Spirit from the Father, he poured out the Spirit he had just received. That is what you see and hear. For David himself did not ascend to heaven, but he did say, God said to my Master, "Sit at my right hand Until I make your enemies a stool for resting your feet All Israel, then, know this: There's no longer room for doubt--God made him Master and Messiah, this Jesus whom you killed on a cross. Cut to the quick, those who were there listening asked Peter and the other apostles, "Brothers! Brothers! So now what do we do?" MSG

Peter just lay out what God’s plan was, he just in a few minutes explain what God was doing and then those listening ask a this simple question. What do we do? These men just heard all this, they listen as Peter laid at their feet everything that God did, every thing David saw and these men these simple people came to realized the truth, right then right there they realized how they played a part in history, and now were asking what to do next.

But instead of me answering this question how about we let a person far more wiser then me answer the question

Acts 2:38-40 Peter said, "Change your life. Turn to God and be baptized, each of you, in the name of Jesus Christ, so your sins are forgiven. Receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise is targeted to you and your children, but also to all who are far away--whomever, in fact, our Master God invites. He went on in this vein for a long time, urging them over and over, "Get out while you can; get out of this sick and stupid culture!" MSG

Turn to God and be baptized, not turn to the world, don’t go over there and talk about what you think, don’t hold committee meetings and councils about these issue. Don’t say you know all this is true but hey I am one person I can do anything by myself. No very clearly Peter says, turn to God so your sins are forgiven. God who just given his only begotten Son to be sacrifice for you sins, God then raised him up, turn to him and be baptized. After everything was done God wanted you to be his child, after all this God had a plan a plan to open up his Holy Spirit to anyone who would answer God’s invite.

After all that what more is there
Receive the gift of the Holy Spirit
Not only for those there but notice for them and their children but also to all who are far away all over the world in fact look careful another one of those hidden gems let look at the literal translation for this on

Acts 2:39 as many as the Lord our God shall call

Don’t you just love it, as many as God himself shall call, not Peter, not a pope, not some committee, or some out reach mission. God will call, I make a point here because of this so many time I hear Christian outreach either talk about how many they convert to God, or even worse in my opinion how many they turn to God, they pass their pamphlets that do more harm then good. Yet here you see here very clearly. God will do the calling, who are we to question who God calls, God calls them that’s it. As some of you may have heard me say before “It’s our job to bare witness, it’s God just to do the rest” Many times in talking to unbeliever, many of which are atheists, the most common thing I hear is how Christians are always trying to convert or push God onto them. People here it is very clear, as well as else where God will do the calling, we are just to bare witness, we are just to speak about what we know. No where is it written we are to force, convert or guilt anyone into believing, just bare witness. If they listen find, if not the find God Bless them too.

Ok enough on this, back to Peter, he goes on telling them to get out of this sick and stupid culture. Again you see something here, God called the Israelites to be a culture set apart from the world, live in it yes but don’t be apart of it. And now here you see Peter saying the same thing as Christian we are to have our own culture set apart from the world. Live in it but do be apart of it. Much like the ancient Israelites we are to be an example how to live your life for God. As we finish out

Acts 2:41-47 Then truly the ones gladly welcoming His Word were baptized. And about three thousand souls were added that day.
And they were continuing steadfastly in the doctrine of the apostles, and in fellowship, and in the breaking of bread, and in prayers. And fear came to every soul, and many wonders and miraculous signs took place through the apostles. And all the believers were together and had all things common.
And they sold possessions and goods and distributed them to all, according as anyone had need. And continuing steadfastly with one mind day by day in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they shared food in gladness and simplicity of heart,
praising God, and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the assembly, the ones being saved from day to day.“LITV”

They bared witness, they fellowship one with another, broke bread, prayed and worship God, and those who saw this heard God’s calling and came. And on this day, some 2000 years ago, ended one part of the story and started a new chapter, and the story is not over yet for we all here have heard God’s calling and seen with our eyes God’s great work. Therefore we bare witness to all those who are in the world. That this day that we are of God, we are his children by adoption, we are part of his family. We should fellowship with the family, serve those in need whoever they are as a family, not judging a person on their past but on what they are doing now, not looking back but looking forward in faith. Knowing and understanding that we are not of the world, and although we live here in the world our home is there with our Heavenly Father and one day soon we will go home.