 The Apostles Comply. ◦ Jesus told the Apostles to remain in Jerusalem until they had received the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:4-5). ◦ The Apostles returned to Jerusalem following Jesus’ Ascension.  “They worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy” (Lk 24:52).  Acts 1:13. ◦ Had the Apostles not complied with the command of Jesus, God would not have been able to communicate as he wished to do.

 The Apostles Contain. ◦ The Apostles contained the Spirit.  Jesus promised baptism in the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:4-5).  “The Apostles “were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance” (Acts 2:4). ◦ Because the Apostles are baptized in the Holy Spirit:  No need to study language.  All truth: “When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come” (Jn 16:13-14).

 The Apostles Convey. ◦ They convey for they spoke in other tongues.  “They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance” (Acts 2:4).  The multitude heard the gospel “in his own native language” (Acts 2:8).

 The Apostles Convey Comprehensively. ◦ They convey that truth to people from every nation and of every language assembled at Pentecost (Acts 2:5-13). ◦ They were Jews and proselytes, but they were from different parts of the world with different languages & cultures.

 The Apostles Clarify. ◦ The Apostles explain what is taking place. ◦ The multitude believes that the Apostles are drunk.  Peter clarifies what is taking place: Acts 2:  As the Apostles clarify the events of Pentecost, they communicate to the multitude exactly what God is doing.

 The Apostles Certify the Christ. ◦ Peter, standing with the other Apostles, certifies the Christ; he teaches the multitude that Jesus Christ is Lord (Acts 2:22-36). ◦ As the Apostles held up the cross of Christ, they were communicating God’s Christ to the world.

How?

 Before you can communicate the Creator, you need to comply with his Word. ◦ God has called us to be salt and light (Matt 5:13-16). ◦ 1Pet 3:1-2.  Take time this week to examine your life. ◦ “Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves” (2 Cor 13:5).

 You must Contain the Creator’s Word. ◦ The Apostles needed the baptism of the Holy Spirit to communicate for the Creator. ◦ You have that truth in the Word the Apostles recorded. Therefore:  “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly” (Col 3:16).  Stay in the word.

 You must Convey the Creator. ◦ “I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified” (1 Cor 2:2).

 On Facebook: ◦ A lady asked a waiter if there were any churches of Christ in the area. He didn’t think so.  Her response?  “So, there are no real churches in this area?”

 He likes Joyce Meyer. ◦ She responded: “People like that are heretics. For one thing, she said that Jesus went to hell for three days after He died on the cross as punishment for our sins. That is wrong because Jesus clearly gave up His spirit to God before He died. Now if people like that are not teaching the Jesus of the Bible, then she is spewing false doctrine and paving your way straight to hell. You really need to be careful and test everything against what the Bible, not some person, actually says. All of our ears are itching to hear the spiritual equivalent of cotton candy. Apostate teaching is sweet, easy to digest, and just plain fun. But it will not nourish your soul or help you get into Heaven.”

 You must Convey the Creator Comprehensively. ◦ In other words, you share the message of the cross to whomever you can. ◦ The gospel is for every single soul under heaven.  “Make disciples of all nations” (Matt 28:19).  Jesus said “that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations” (Lk 24:47). ◦ The blood of Jesus makes us family.  “As many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus” (Gal 3:27-28).

 You must Clarify the Creator. ◦ Sometimes:  People do not understand “church language” -- you clarify.  People do not understand the Word of God -- you clarify. ◦ “They read from the book, from the Law of God, clearly, and they gave the sense, so that the people understood the reading” (Neh 8:8).

 You Certify the Christ. ◦ “When [the Samaritans] believed Philip as he preached good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women” (Acts 8:12). ◦ Philip and the Ethiopian eunuch.  The eunuch was reading from Isaiah, but he did not understand.  “Philip opened his mouth, and beginning with this Scripture [Isiah 53] he told him the good news about Jesus” (Acts 8:35). ◦ I fear that for far too long, we’ve preached doctrine without preaching Jesus.