How did the apostles respond to the accusation that they were drunk?


Questions and Answers

Q. When did the baptism of the Holy Spirit take place?
A. Acts 2:1 = Seven weeks after Jesus’ resurrection.
๐Ÿ‘‰This is forty days plus 9 days after Jesus ascended into Heaven.

Q. What happened?
A. Acts 2:2-4

  1. A sound from Heaven like a mighty roaring windstorm in the skies above them
  2. Which came right into the house they were meeting in
  3. Flames or tongues of fire appeared and settled on each of them
  4. All present were filled with the Holy Spirit
  5. They began speaking in other languages as the Holy Spirit gave them the ability.

Q. Who heard?
A. Acts 2:6-12. Godly Israelites visiting Jerusalem from all nations.

Q. What did some say?
A. Acts 2:13. They assumed the apostles were drunk.
๐Ÿ‘‰ When God is doing something, let your guard down and enjoy the ride. Otherwise, you will misjudge the event. The difference between the skeptics and the believers is faith. Watch by faith. Nod your head up and down! Decide to believe. We believe with our heads: it is an act fo the will to believe. Practice believing with your mind. Your heart will follow eventually.

Q. How did the apostles respond to the accusation that they were drunk?
A. Acts 2:14-40. Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, got up and preached, denying the accusation first of all.
๐Ÿ‘‰Study and meditate on Peter’s sermon. Pray for boldness; that the Holy Spirit would help you to stand up to accusers and defend God as Peter did. I have had boldness before, but I was led by my flesh and ended up sinning and hurting others personally. When God is in it, people have conviction of sin. Preach without judging. Lasso your flesh each day and drag it to the cross. Put on humility and let Jesus get the job done through your squeaky clean vessel!
๐Ÿ‘‰We live in cynical times where such discontent as never seen before in history spreads ugly thoughts and accusations, first at the Christians of this country, as if to point an accusing finger at God for the messes we make. Wouldn’t it be nice to see more bold believers preaching the gospel to these miserable and frightened folks and offering them some rest by it?

God is on His throne; everything is as it should be. The cynics will always see us as drunk and/ or living in a dream world. Nothing has changed since Peter’s sermon was uttered here in Acts. Aren’t you relieved that God is right?

Q. What else can I learn from Peter’s sermon?
A. Acts 2:16. Everything happening in all parts of the earth happen according to God’s plan of salvation. All of it is under the control of our awesome God, who has a reason for everything that happens.

Q. Everything?
A. Yes. Nothing is outside of God’s control. Consider this list of mighty trials and know that God is in total control:

  1. Earthquakes
  2. Tornadoes
  3. Hurricanes
  4. Famine
  5. Pestilence
  6. Fires
  7. Birth defects
  8. Evil running rampant
  9. Terrorism
  10. Politics
  11. Volcanic eruptions
  12. Orphans
  13. Dysfunction in families
  14. False religion
  15. Hypocrisy
  16. Dictators
  17. Prejudice
  18. Abandoned children
  19. AIDS/HIV
  20. Cancer
  21. Abortions
  22. Tragedy
  23. War
  24. Nuclear weapons
  25. Space
  26. World powers
  27. Accidents
  28. Recession
  29. Deceivers
  30. Mental illness
  31. Alzheimers
  32. Our pets
  33. Creation
  34. Ecology
  35. Economies
  36. Auto repairs
  37. Technology
  38. Life spans
  39. Suffering
  40. Draught
  41. Starvation
  42. Idolatry
  43. (Insert your pet peeves here)
  44. Ghetto life
  45. Poverty
  46. Class systems

Here’s some homework for you. Make your own list of things that bother you about life; things that you tend to worry about. Now declare God’s ultimate control and sovereignty in each thing you wrote down.
Each one is a care you need to cast onto Jesus. He can handle your list! When things come up, entrust them to God’s care.
Be a prayer warrior on behalf of these things.
Applying an ounce of faith to each thing in prayer will change our world and your perspective from one of cynicism to one of joy. Remember, Paul wrote Philippians while chained to a big Roman guard in a cell that was like a sewer. He wrote of his greatest joy while in that cell. His perspective was absolutely right. How much more joy he had when a free man!

Q. What other lessons are in Peter’s Sermon?
A. Acts 2:16. Always look to the bible for your answers. Everything happens in God’s perfect command. Events should produce a sense of hope for us, not hopelessness.

Q. I have heard that miracles and wonders ceased with the apostles’ passing. Is this true?
A. Acts 2:16-21. No, Miracles and wonders began at the beginning of time, continued with Jesus and will not end until God decides it them to end.
๐Ÿ‘‰We tend to believe only those things which are documented and known far and wide. If Joel prophesied miracles and wonders to be and Peter declared this time to include them, then I’ll have to assume they are still here and never stopped. We don’t have every incident of God’s intervention onpaper. Even Jesus’ miracles and wonders were not all recorded by far.
But God has moved. Consider that God works best in broken vessels. He moves easily in a tiny portion of our faith.

Q. What is the proper perspective to have at all times?
A. Acts 2:17-21. We are living in the days Joel prophesied about. If every believer would take up the call of Joel, we would all be living in a world of God’s daily interventions and He would bless us with all kinds of blessings.

This world would turn to God and at least in any list, out of the 46 issues I mentioned, salvation would affect 9 natural disasters, 47 sociological problems, leaving us all problem-free. Even with those statistics, people will choose sin over God, so here we are!
Focus on the task.
Be a Joel believer and care about those things God has asked you to care about. Leave the running of the world ultimately in His hands.

Q.What does Joel say we should be doing?
A. Acts 2:17-21

  1. We get filled with the Holy Spirit
  2. We prophesy
  3. Young men see the future
  4. Old men dream God’s dreams
  5. We see God’s wonders in Heaven
  6. We see God’s signs on earth
  7. We see the Lord arrive
  8. We tell others to call on the Lord and get saved.

Q. How does God endorse the believers’ message?
A. Acts 2:22. God does miracles and wonders and signs through us, as He did in Jesus.

Q. So chaos in the world simply follows God’s prearranged plan?
A. Acts 2:23. Yes, Non-believers do what God plans for themto do in order to fulfill God’s purposes for all men.

Q. What should this knowledge give me?
A. Acts 2:26. Joy, rest and hope.

Q. Hope?
A. Acts 2:26-27. Yes, when we die, it is not the end, but the beginning of life.

Q. How did God show man this truth?
A. Acts 2:27-28. By raising Jesus from the dead.

Q. And evil still lurks on earth, though we now know we’ll all be raised from the dead?
A. Acts 2:34-35. Yes, God is on His throne with Jesus at His right hand, waiting for the time to deal with His enemies, once for all.
๐Ÿ‘‰ God is in control, Hallelujah!

Q. And God made Jesus both Lord and Messiah at the proper time?
A. Acts 2:36. Yes.

Q. If I learn to speak about the Good News as Peter did, what will happen to those listening?
A. Acts 2:37

  1. They will be convinced deeply!
  2. They will identify with you as a fellow human being and trust you to lead them to God. Hallelujah!

Q. What does it take for people to believe my message of the Good News?
A. Acts 2:40. Your 100 percent believing this Good News is true, so that you preach it with conviction.

Q. Is it enough to hear the truth about who God is and what Jesus accomplished on our behalf?
A. Acts 2:41. No, You have to believe it.

Q. Okay, I’m nodding my head in agreement. Is that it?
A. Acts 2:41. No, this knowledge will bring radical change to your life. You have become part of the church.

Q. What is the church’s role?
A. Acts 2:42

  1. To join believers together
  2. There believers devote themselves to learning the Word of God
  3. Fellowship with the believers (encouraging one another, counsel one another and pray for one another)
  4. Have communion with each other
  5. Pray with each other.
    ๐Ÿ‘‰ Notice this behavior is social. Christians should never isolate themselves on purpose. Find a healthy, dynamic fellowship that will encourage you. The fellowship of believers needs your encouragement too.

Q. What is evident that one is saved?
A. Acts 2:43. A deep sense of awe comes over him. This awe never departs! The heart is changed forever and even in one strays, that first encounter with God is never forgotten, leading him home again.

Q. How often do believers get together?
A. Acts 2:44. Constantly and consistently. Being with believers brings refreshment and revives faith. I love knowing others God has also touched!

Q. What cemented the faith of those first believers?
A. Acts 2:43. Miraculous signs and wonders performed by the apostles.
๐Ÿ‘‰ This is another reason to stay in fellowship; God tends to perform signs and wonders in churches! They always build faith.

Q. What also happens in church?
A. Acts 2:44-45. Love for one another develops so that even rich folks share with poor folks.

Q. Where did these early believers meet?
A. Acts 2:46. At the Temple (which fell in 60 AD).

Q. Where did they have communion?
A. Acts 2:46. At their homes.

Q. Were there hungry believers?
A. Acts 2:46. Yes, the rich shared their meals with the poor.

Q. What was the attitude of the rich believers toward the poor?
A. Acts 2:46-47. They shared with great joy and generosity, praising God and enjoying the goodwill of all the people.

Q. Is this why the church grew so quickly?
A. Acts 2:47. Yes.
๐Ÿ‘‰Who wouldn’t want to be part of a church filled with non-judgmental, loving, joyous Christians? Way to go, first churches!

Q. Who grows a church?
A. Acts 2:47. Jesus does.

โœ๏ธ๐ŸŸคMrs. Kalaiselvi Balakrishnan in Jesus Christ ๐ŸŸคโœ๏ธ