The Spirit is at Work! - Acts

Acts is a difficult book to summarize because 1) it is a narrative and 2) a lot happens in it!!  After reading through it this time though, the work of the Spirit seems to be the most common, interwoven theme throughout.  If you've never read through Acts, I'd highly recommend that you give it a go because it is such a wonderful encouragement, not to mention a great picture of how followers of Jesus should live proclaiming the gospel.  To be honest, it is hard for me to only write one post about it... but here goes nothin'.

One major way that the Spirit works in the book of Acts is in proclaiming the gospel of Jesus to people. 

In chapter 2, the Holy Spirit empowers the apostles to speak in different languages to a large crowd of people from all over the world who were gathered because of Pentecost.  Every person who heard the gospel was able to listen in their own native tongue because of the Spirit's power. (we'll see the results of the gospel being proclaimed in this way under the next large header)

The book of Acts also ends with the gospel being proclaimed.  In Acts 21-28, Paul is arrested and his imprisonment gives him numerous opportunities to proclaim the gospel.  Here are a few:

• Jews in Jerusalem (Acts 22:1-21)
• Felix the governor (Acts 24:14-16, 24:24-26)
• King Agrippa, Bernice, and Festus the Governor (Acts 26:1-29)
• Jews in Rome (Acts 28:23-24)

Another important task that the Spirit accomplishes in Acts is saving the souls of men through the gospel of Jesus that is proclaimed - both Jews and Gentiles.

The result of the gospel being proclaimed to that large gathering of multi-ethnic people at Pentecost (in chapter 2 from above) is that many of them taste salvation.  Check it out:

Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” And Peter said to them, “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. For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself.” And with many other words he bore witness and continued to exhort them, saying, “Save yourselves from this crooked generation.” So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls.   (Acts 2:37-41) 

An amazing example of the Gentiles responding in faith to the gospel is in Acts 10 when Cornelius and his friends and family receive salvation after hearing the gospel from Peter.   This ties in closely with the next point because Peter is willing to go and meet Cornelius only because he is led there by a vision from God and the Spirit.  Here is Peter later explaining what happened: 

[Peter has just explained the vision from God...] "And behold, at that very moment three men arrived at the house in which we were, sent to me from Caesarea. And the Spirit told me to go with them, making no distinction. These six brothers also accompanied me, and we entered the man's house. And he told us how he had seen the angel stand in his house and say, ‘Send to Joppa and bring Simon who is called Peter; he will declare to you a message by which you will be saved, you and all your household.’ As I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell on them just as on us at the beginning"… When they heard these things they fell silent. And they glorified God, saying, “Then to the Gentiles also God has granted repentance that leads to life."  (Acts 11:11-15, 18)

One other way that the Spirit works is by guiding Chritians where He desires.

Recall Peter following the Spirit's leading in the example above with Cornelius?  There is no doubt that the Holy Spirit was not involved in that - He ordained the entire thing!!  

Here's another good example- Paul & Barnabus are set apart by the Spirit to proclaim the gospel (leads to a missionary journey):

While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said,“Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” Then after fasting and praying they laid their hands on them and sent them off.     (Acts 13:2-3)

Let me please end by saying that these examples only cover a fraction of the Spirit's work as shown in the book of Acts.  The entire book is full of such wonderful testimonies of God's good grace in sending Jesus to bear the burden of our sin in order to restore our relationship with God.  The apostles are continually preaching the message of belief in the risen Jesus and repentance from sin, and the Spirit is so faithful in drawing men to God through their proclamation of that gospel.

One of my biggest take-aways from the book of Acts is that I should be trusting the spirit to guide me and produce fruit as I proclaim the gospel.  Will you join me in believing this and in trying to live it out?