The Message

I ask my youth group for three things when they come to church:

1. Bring yourself
2. Bring your Bible
3. Bring a friend

I ask them this because that is how it all begins. It starts with you, you knowing the Bible, and then you take that Bible to your friend. That’s how Peter did it in Acts 2:38. Stay with me for a minute, because you have all heard this before.

Peter told all those people on the day of Pentecost about Jesus and what they did to Him. You know what they asked? They asked, “What do we need to do now?” And then Peter goes into the famous 2:38 verse. A verse we really don’t push enough. There is no prayer we say to save our souls, we don’t call out His name to save us from hell, and we sure don’t sprinkle water on ourselves. He told them they better turn their lives around, be immersed into water to be cleansed of all your wrongdoing, and the Holy Spirit will be in your lives.

What happened? They, those who were amazed and believed what he said, were immediately baptized for the remission of their sins. They didn’t say, “Peter, I believe. Let me wait until next week and then you can take me down to the river and I will be baptized to show others that it is a sign of faith….” The Lord was adding daily those who were being saved. Daily. That day. People who said I believe that Jesus is Lord and God and I am going to be baptized for the washing away of my sins were saved. Oh how we need to press how serious it is to be saved today and not tomorrow.