𝗪𝗔𝗥𝗠 𝗨𝗣

• Have you ever had a little one help you with a task—or remember a time when your parents or guardian let you help as a kid? How did that go?

• Which country have you always wanted to go to? Why?

• Think of a difficult task you need to complete. What do you think would help you accomplish that task better?

𝗪𝗢𝗥𝗗

𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘢𝘮𝘢𝘻𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘱𝘭𝘦𝘹𝘦𝘥, 𝘴𝘢𝘺𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳, “𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘥𝘰𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘮𝘦𝘢𝘯?” 𝘉𝘶𝘵 𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘮𝘰𝘤𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘴𝘢𝘪𝘥, “𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘧𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘥 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘯𝘦𝘸 𝘸𝘪𝘯𝘦.” 𝘉𝘶𝘵 𝘗𝘦𝘵𝘦𝘳, 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘦𝘭𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯, 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘶𝘱 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘷𝘰𝘪𝘤𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘢𝘥𝘥𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮: “𝘔𝘦𝘯 𝘰𝘧 𝘑𝘶𝘥𝘦𝘢 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘥𝘸𝘦𝘭𝘭 𝘪𝘯 𝘑𝘦𝘳𝘶𝘴𝘢𝘭𝘦𝘮, 𝘭𝘦𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘣𝘦 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘵𝘰 𝘺𝘰𝘶, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘨𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘦𝘢𝘳 𝘵𝘰 𝘮𝘺 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘥𝘴.” . . . 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?” 𝗔𝗖𝗧𝗦 𝟮:𝟭𝟮–𝟭𝟰, 𝟯𝟳

God’s heart and mission from the very beginning is to send His image-bearers, humanity, to 𝘧𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘩 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘶𝘣𝘥𝘶𝘦 𝘪𝘵 (Genesis 1:28). However, when sin came into the world, the image of God in humans was marred, and He has been working to restore and redeem humanity while continuing in His mission for the nations. This is why the gospel is of first importance in our lives—it is the power of God for salvation of humanity and the restoration of the whole earth for His purpose and glory. Today, let’s see how God continues to work His purpose and mission in the Pentecost celebration in Acts 2.

𝟭. 𝗚𝗼𝗱 𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗻𝘀 𝗱𝗼𝗼𝗿𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗱𝗿𝗮𝘄 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗴𝗼𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗹.

𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘢𝘮𝘢𝘻𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘱𝘭𝘦𝘹𝘦𝘥, 𝘴𝘢𝘺𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳, “𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘥𝘰𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘮𝘦𝘢𝘯?” 𝘉𝘶𝘵 𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘮𝘰𝘤𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘴𝘢𝘪𝘥, “𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘧𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘥 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘯𝘦𝘸 𝘸𝘪𝘯𝘦.” 𝗔𝗖𝗧𝗦 𝟮:𝟭𝟮–𝟭𝟯

As men gathered in Jerusalem for the Pentecost, their ears were drawn to the miraculous outpouring of the Holy Spirit which enabled the disciples to speak in foreign tongues. The disciples spoke of the 𝘮𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘺 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘎𝘰𝘥 (Acts 2:11), which made the men curious. The disciples had a captive audience, ripe for the gospel to be sown into their hearts. Today, God may open doors for us in different ways—it may not be through miracles, but through sovereign acts in the lives of people or our acts of kindness that demonstrate God’s love. Through these opportunities, people can be open to God. God is always moving, drawing people to Him. We just need to recognize what He is doing and participate in them. How did you first hear the gospel? How do you think God made that happen?

𝟮. 𝗚𝗼𝗱 𝘂𝘀𝗲𝘀 𝗛𝗶𝘀 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗰𝗹𝗮𝗶𝗺 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗴𝗼𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗹.

𝘉𝘶𝘵 𝘗𝘦𝘵𝘦𝘳, 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘦𝘭𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯, 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘶𝘱 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘷𝘰𝘪𝘤𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘢𝘥𝘥𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮: “𝘔𝘦𝘯 𝘰𝘧 𝘑𝘶𝘥𝘦𝘢 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘥𝘸𝘦𝘭𝘭 𝘪𝘯 𝘑𝘦𝘳𝘶𝘴𝘢𝘭𝘦𝘮, 𝘭𝘦𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘣𝘦 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘵𝘰 𝘺𝘰𝘶, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘨𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘦𝘢𝘳 𝘵𝘰 𝘮𝘺 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘥𝘴.” . . . 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?" 𝗔𝗖𝗧𝗦 𝟮:𝟭𝟰, 𝟯𝟳

The miraculous outpouring was not just meant for Jesus’ disciples to speak in other tongues. The Holy Spirit enabled and empowered the disciples, especially Peter, to speak boldly and reach people they never could have on their own. Peter preached the gospel of Jesus Christ to anyone who would listen. He was by no means an eloquent speaker or a man held in high regard in their society. Despite his limitations in knowledge and power, the Spirit empowered him to preach and the men who heard him were 𝘤𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵. In the same way, we need to recognize the opportunities God gives us and step out in faith to proclaim Him to others. How has the Holy Spirit helped you reach people you never thought you could? What doors or opportunities have you seen God open for you?

By the empowerment of the Holy Spirit in His disciples, many people from different nations responded to the gospel. As we proclaim the gospel to the nations, our hope and faith is that we will see God’s mission and plan come into fruition. What happened during Pentecost is a foretaste of what will happen when God’s mission is fulfilled—where 𝘢 𝘨𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵 𝘮𝘶𝘭𝘵𝘪𝘵𝘶𝘥𝘦 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯, 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘳𝘪𝘣𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘱𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘶𝘢𝘨𝘦𝘴 will worship God together for eternity (Acts 2:6, 11, 41; Revelation 7:9–10).

𝗔𝗣𝗣𝗟𝗜𝗖𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡

• Are you ready to proclaim who God is in your life, even when you find yourself in

unexpected or uncomfortable situations? What gifts, passions, or life experiences might He be preparing you to use?

• Where in your life might God be calling you to step out and trust His power rather than your own ability? What open doors or opportunities around you can you maximize to make God known to others?

• What practical ways can you take part in God’s heart to reach the nations?

𝗣𝗥𝗔𝗬𝗘𝗥

• Thank God for letting us take part in His mission to fill the earth with His glory. Pray that you would rely on the Holy Spirit every day to obey His commands.

• Ask God to open your eyes to the different open doors and opportunities around you to preach the gospel. Pray that you would not hold back but be bold in proclaiming Jesus to others.

• Pray for missionaries from your local church who are serving in other nations. Ask God to continually provide for them, protect them, and give them opportunities to preach the gospel with clarity despite communication and cultural barriers.