Acts 2:38-41 - 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.

In Acts 2:38-41, we witness the incredible response to Peter's powerful sermon on the Day of Pentecost. After boldly proclaiming the truth about Jesus Christ and convicting the crowd of their sin, Peter offers them a way to respond and be saved. He tells them to repent - to turn from their sinful ways and turn towards God. He also instructs them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of their sins. Peter makes it clear that this promise of forgiveness and the gift of the Holy Spirit is available to all who God calls - to the crowd listening that day, to their children, and to all who are far off. He urges them to save themselves from the perverse generation they are living in. The response is remarkable - about three thousand people receive Peter's message, repent, and are baptized that very day. This passage shows us the power of the gospel message to save, the importance of repentance and baptism in response to faith, and the incredible way God can work in people's hearts to draw them to Himself. It is a reminder that the same promise Peter spoke of is still available to us today, and that we too can experience forgiveness and new life in Christ if we will repent and believe.

The events recorded in Acts 2:38-41 are a powerful reminder of the transformative power of the gospel message. When the truth about Jesus is proclaimed and the Holy Spirit is at work, lives can be radically changed in an instant. The crowd listening to Peter's sermon were cut to the heart as they realized the gravity of their sin and their need for a Savior. And in that moment of conviction, Peter offered them hope - the promise of forgiveness and new life in Christ. What strikes me about this passage is the simplicity of Peter's invitation and the immediacy of the crowd's response. He didn't lay out a complicated theological treatise or a 10-step program for self-improvement. He simply called them to repent, be baptized in Jesus' name, and receive the Holy Spirit. And they responded in faith, thousands of them, without hesitation. They recognized their need and they ran to the One who could meet it. I believe this passage has much to teach us about evangelism and discipleship today. For one, it reminds us of the power of clear, direct, Spirit-led gospel proclamation. We don't need to sugarcoat the message or make it more palatable - we simply need to speak the truth in love and trust God to work. Secondly, it highlights the importance of calling people to a decisive response of faith. Repentance and baptism are more than just religious rituals - they are tangible ways we express our surrender to Jesus as Lord. Finally, it showcases the incredible community that is formed when people believe the gospel. 3,000 new believers were added to the church that day! When we are united by grace and the Spirit, beautiful things happen. As believers, we have experienced the same cleansing, forgiveness and new life that the crowd did on Pentecost. And we are called to now go and share that good news with the world around us. May we, like Peter, be filled with the Holy Spirit's power and boldly testify to the reality of Jesus. And may we rejoice as we see men, women and children from every nation repent, believe and be baptized into the family of God. The promise is still true - everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved!

Heavenly Father, Thank You for the gift of salvation that is available to all who repent and believe in Your Son Jesus Christ. Thank You for the power of Your Word and Spirit to convict hearts and draw people to Yourself. Lord, we pray for a fresh outpouring of Your Spirit in our day, that many would hear the gospel and respond in faith just as the crowd did on Pentecost. Give us boldness to proclaim the good news and call people to repentance. Help us to be a church that faithfully disciples new believers and showcases the beauty of Spirit-filled community. May countless men, women and children in every nation come to saving faith in Christ. Draw them out of darkness and into Your marvelous light. Wash them clean and fill them with Your Spirit. And use their testimonies of transformation to impact many more. Thank You that the promise of Acts 2:39 is still true today - that everyone who calls on Your name will be saved. May millions upon millions more receive Your free gift of grace. We pray this in the mighty name of Jesus, amen.