What are you waiting for?
What’s stopping you from being what God called you to be? What are you waiting for, before you commit yourself to the service of God in obedience to His word and by faith in His power? There is only one thing we need to wait for, One person. The Holy Spirit. When we have believed the Gospel and received forgiveness and reconciliation with God we receive the Holy Spirit of God, but we if we want to be witnesses (as we’re instructed to be) we need His power. We should not let anything else delay us, nothing else should stop us from obeying Jesus’ Word to repent and be baptised, and become witness for Him and His powerful Gospel.
Scripture
Acts 10:39-48 ESV And we are witnesses of all that he did both in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They put him to death by hanging him on a tree, 40 but God raised him on the third day and made him to appear, 41 not to all the people but to us who had been chosen by God as witnesses, who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. 42 And he commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one appointed by God to be judge of the living and the dead. 43 To him all the prophets bear witness that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.” 44 While Peter was still saying these things, the Holy Spirit fell on all who heard the word. 45 And the believers from among the circumcised who had come with Peter were amazed, because the gift of the Holy Spirit was poured out even on the Gentiles. 46 For they were hearing them speaking in tongues and extolling God. Then Peter declared, 47 “Can anyone withhold water for baptizing these people, who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?” 48 And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked him to remain for some days.
Bible Study Questions
God uses the Gospel to make us witnesses by the Holy Spirit
The Gospel is simple, but more powerful than we can comprehend. It is truth, and it’s information that has the power to free us from sin, death and the wrath of God. The disciples (including Peter) had heard and seen the Gospel. Jesus died before their eyes, they saw Him raised to life and they ate and drank with Him for 40 days thereafter. But they had to wait for God to give them something, someone. What had they waited for?
Acts 10:39-48 ESV And we are witnesses of all that he did both in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They put him to death by hanging him on a tree, 40 but God raised him on the third day and made him to appear, 41 not to all the people but to us who had been chosen by God as witnesses, who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead.
Acts 1:8 ESV But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
The Gospel is according to the Bible, not man
The Gospel isn’t a made up story, or something that people have constructed. It is God’s plan to save us and glorify Him. How do we know ithat It’s been his plan from the beginning?.
Acts 10:43 ESV To him all the prophets bear witness that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.”
1 Corinthians 15:3-5 ESV For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, 5 and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve.
Who received the Holy Spirit and when?
Which people, assembled in Cornelius’ house, had the Holy Spirit poured out on them? Who was filled with the Holy Spirit of God?
Acts 10:44 ESV While Peter was still saying these things, the Holy Spirit fell on all who heard the word.
Ephesians 1:13 ESV In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit,
Romans 10:17-21 ESV So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ. 18 But I ask, have they not heard? Indeed they have, for “Their voice has gone out to all the earth, and their words to the ends of the world.” 19 But I ask, did Israel not understand? First Moses says, “I will make you jealous of those who are not a nation; with a foolish nation I will make you angry.” 20 Then Isaiah is so bold as to say, “I have been found by those who did not seek me; I have shown myself to those who did not ask for me.” 21 But of Israel he says, “All day long I have held out my hands to a disobedient and contrary people.”
The Gift given to those who believed
The moment that the people heard and believed the Gospel, they received the gift of the Holy Spirit. How did the believers know that this had happened?
Acts 10:45 ESV And the believers from among the circumcised who had come with Peter were amazed, because the gift of the Holy Spirit was poured out even on the Gentiles. 46 For they were hearing them speaking in tongues and extolling God.
Acts 19:6 ESV And when Paul had laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they began speaking in tongues and prophesying.
Joel 2:28-29 ESV “And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions. 29 Even on the male and female servants in those days I will pour out my Spirit.
What are you waiting for?
Immediately that there was evidence of God’s saving power in those who heard the Gospel, Peter in his joyful amazement realised that something new and radical had to follow. There had been barriers to the gentiles hearing the Gospel from the Jewish believers, but what had happened to those barriers?
Acts 10:47a ESV “Can anyone withhold water for baptizing these people,
Acts 2:37-41 ESV 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?” 38 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. 39 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.” 40 And with many other words he bore witness and continued to exhort them, saying, “Save yourselves from this crooked generation.” 41 So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls.
The evident work of the Holy Spirit
It is a wonderful and powerful experience to see and hear God at work in those who believe. But do all people who are saved speak in tongues? The disciples did when they were baptised with the Holy Spirit. Cornelius did when he was saved and baptised with the Holy Spirit. What’ more important than the type of gift God gives us?
Acts 10:47b ESV who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?”
Acts 1:4-5 ESV And while staying with them he ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said, “you heard from me; 5 for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”
Acts 2:4 ESV And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.
1 Corinthians 12:7-11 ESV To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. 8 For to one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, 10 to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the ability to distinguish between spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. 11 All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills.
The sign of Baptism
Baptism is an act of worship, it’s declaring the wonderful love and power of God in our lives. It’s also an act that brings community together, how do we see the baptism of Cornelius doing that?
Acts 10:48 ESV And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked him to remain for some days.