The First United Methodist Church in San Diego, California, United States Daily Devotional for Monday, 29 May 2017 through Sunday, 4 June 2017 - Sermon theme: "Called Out" - Text to read: Acts 2:1-21

The First United Methodist Church in San Diego, California, United States Daily Devotional for Monday, 29 May 2017 through Sunday, 4 June 2017 - Sermon theme: "Called Out" - Text to read: Acts 2:1-21
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Scripture Text: Acts 2:1 The festival of Shavu‘ot arrived, and the believers all gathered together in one place. ² Suddenly there came a sound from the sky like the roar of a violent wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. ³ Then they saw what looked like tongues of fire, which separated and came to rest on each one of them. ⁴ They were all filled with the Ruach HaKodesh and began to talk in different languages, as the Spirit enabled them to speak.⁵ Now there were staying in Yerushalayim religious Jews from every nation under heaven. ⁶ When they heard this sound, a crowd gathered; they were confused, because each one heard the believers speaking in his own language. ⁷ Totally amazed, they asked, “How is this possible? Aren’t all these people who are speaking from the Galil? ⁸ How is it that we hear them speaking in our native languages? ⁹ We are Parthians, Medes, Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia, Y’hudah, Cappadocia, Pontus, Asia, ¹⁰ Phrygia, Pamphylia, Egypt, the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome; ¹¹ Jews by birth and proselytes; Jews from Crete and from Arabia. . . ! How is it that we hear them speaking in our own languages about the great things God has done?” ¹² Amazed and confused, they all went on asking each other, “What can this mean?” ¹³ But others made fun of them and said, “They’ve just had too much wine!”
¹⁴ Then Kefa stood up with the Eleven and raised his voice to address them: “You Judeans, and all of you staying here in Yerushalayim! Let me tell you what this means! Listen carefully to me!
¹⁵ “These people ar en’t drunk, as you suppose — it’s only nine in the morning. ¹⁶ No, this is what was spoken about through the prophet Yo’el:

¹⁷ ‘Adonai says:
“In the Last Days,
I will pour out from my Spirit upon everyone.
Your sons and daughters will prophesy,
your young men will see visions,
your old men will dream dreams.
¹⁸ Even on my slaves, both men and women,
will I pour out from my Spirit in those days;
and they will prophesy.
¹⁹ I will perform miracles in the sky above
and signs on the earth below —
blood, fire and thick smoke.
²⁰ The sun will become dark
and the moon blood
before the great and fearful Day of Adonai comes.
²¹ And then, whoever calls on the name of Adonai will be saved.”’[Acts 2:21 Joel 3:1–5(2:28–32)]

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John Wesley's Notes-Commentary: Acts 2:1-21

The Book of Acts
Chapter 2 Verses:

2:1	At the pentecost of Sinai, in the Old Testament, and the pentecost of Jerusalem, in the New, where the two grand manifestations of God, the legal and the evangelical; the one from the mountain, and the other from heaven; the terrible, and the merciful one. They were all with one accord in one place - So here was a conjunction of company, minds, and place; the whole hundred and twenty being present.
2:2	And suddenly there came a sound from heaven - So will the Son of man come to judgment. And it filled all the house - That is, all that part of the temple where they were sitting.
2:3	And there appeared distinct tongues, as of fire - That is, small flames of fire. This is all which the phrase, tongues of fire, means in the language of the seventy. Yet it might intimate God's touching their tongues as it were (together with their hearts) with Divine fire: his giving them such words as were active and penetrating, even as flaming fire.
2:4	And they began to speak with other tongues - The miracle was not in the ears of the hearers, (as some have unaccountably supposed,) but in the mouth of the speakers. And this family praising God together, with the tongues of all the world, was an earnest that the whole world should in due time praise God in their various tongues. As the Spirit gave them utterance - Moses, the type of the law, was of a slow tongue; but the Gospel speaks with a fiery and flaming one.
2:5	And there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews - Gathered from all parts by the peculiar providence of God.
2:6	The multitude came together, and were confounded - The motions of their minds were swift and various.
2:9	Judea - The dialect of which greatly differed from that of Galilee. Asia - The country strictly so called.
2:10	Roman sojourners - Born at Rome, but now living at Jerusalem.These seem to have come to Jerusalem after those who are above mentioned. All of them were partly Jews by birth, and partly proselytes.
2:11	Cretans - One island seems to be mentioned for all. The wonderful works of God - Probably those which related to the miracles, death, resurrection, and ascension of Christ, together with the effusion of his Spirit, as a fulfilment of his promises, and the glorious dispensations of Gospel grace.
2:12	They were all amazed - All the devout men.
2:13	But others mocking - The world begins with mocking, thence proceeds to cavilling, Acts 4:7 ; to threats, 4:17; to imprisoning, Acts 5:18 ; blows, 5:40; to slaughter, Acts 7:58 . These mockers appear to have been some of thenatives of Judea, and inhabitants of Jerusalem, (who understood only the dialect of the country,) by the apostle's immediately directing his discourse to them in the next verse. They are full of sweet wine - So the Greek word properly signifies. There was no new wine so early in the year as pentecost. Thus natural men are wont to ascribe supernatural things to mere natural causes; and many times as impudently and unskilfully as in the present case.
2:14	Then Peter standing up - All the gestures, all the words of Peter, show the utmost sobriety; lifted up his voice - With cheerfulness and boldness; and said to them - This discourse has three parts; each of which, Acts 2:14 ,22,29, begins with the same appellation, men: only to the last part he prefixes with more familiarity the additional word brethren. Men of Judea - That is, ye that are born in Judea. St. Peter spoke in Hebrew,which they all understood.
2:15	It is but the third hour of the day - That is, nine in the morning. And on the solemn festivals the Jews rarely ate or drank any thing till noon.
2:16	But this is that which was spoken of by the prophet - But there is another and better way of accounting for this. >Joel 2:28
2:17	The times of the Messiah are frequently called the last days, the Gospel being the last dispensation of Divine grace.I will pour out of my Spirit - Not on the day of pentecost only, upon all flesh - On persons of every age, sex, and rank. And your young men shall see visions - In young men the outward sense, are most vigorous, and the bodily strength is entire, whereby they are best qualified to sustain the shock which usually attends the visions of God. In old men the internal senses are most vigorous, suited to divine dreams. Not that the old are wholly excluded from the former, nor the young from the latter.
2:18	And upon my servants - On those who are literally in a state of servitude.
2:19	And I will show prodigies in heaven above, and signs on earth beneath - Great revelations of grace are usually attended with great judgments on those who reject it. In heaven - Treated of, Acts 2:20 .On earth - Described in this verse. Such signs were those mentioned, Acts 2:22 , before the passion of Christ; which are so mentioned as to include also those at the very time of the passion and resurrection, at the destruction of Jerusalem, and at the end of the world. Terrible indeed were those prodigies in particular which precededthe destruction of Jerusalem: such as the flaming sword hanging over the city, and the fiery comet pointing down upon it for a year; the light that shone upon the temple and the altar in the night, as if it had been noon - day; the opening of the great and heavy gate of the temple without hands; the voice heard from the most holy place, Let us depart hence; the admonition of Jesus the son of Ananus, crying for seven years together, Wo, wo, wo; the vision of contending armies in the air, and of entrenchments thrown up against a city there represented; the terrible thunders and lightnings, and dreadful earthquakes, which every one considered as portending some great evil: all which, through the singular providence of God, are particularly recorded by Josephus.Blood - War and slaughter. Fire - Burnings of houses and towns, involving all in clouds of smoke.
2:20	The moon shall be turned into blood - A bloody colour: before the day of the Lord - Eminently the last day; though not excluding any other day or season, wherein the Lord shall manifest his glory, in taking vengeance of his adversaries.
2:21	But - whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord - This expression implies the whole of religion, and particularly prayer uttered in faith; shall be saved - From all those plagues; from sin and hell.

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Daily Devotional

Sunday, May 28, 2017

Sermon theme: "Called Out"
Text to read: Acts 1:1-11

• Pray for all those who have never heard of Jesus.

Saturday, June 3, 2017

Sermon theme: "Called Out"

Text to read: Acts 2:1-21

• Where in your life do you need to think or feel more “globally?”
  

Friday, June 2, 2017
Sermon theme: "Called Out"
Text to read: Acts 2:1-21

• What is the core message of Acts 2:1-21.
  Why is that important
  to you?

Thursday, June 1, 2017
Sermon theme: "Called Out"

Text to read: Acts 2:1-21

• What difference does the Holy Spirit make in all this?

Wednesday, May 31, 2017
Sermon theme: "Called Out"
Text to read: Acts 2:1-21

• Is the miracle in this text in the speaking or the hearing?

Tuesday, May 30, 2017
Sermon theme: "Called Out"
Text to read: Acts 2:1-21
Read Acts 2:1-21.

• What is “global” here?
  Why is it important?

Monday, May 29, 2017
Sermon theme: "Called Out"
Text to read: Acts 2:1-21

• How would you define a “global citizen?”

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First United Methodist 2111 Camino del Rio South
San Diego, California 92108, United States
(619) 297-4366
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