The Instant Mega Church Acts 2:41
“41) So then, those who had received his word were baptized; and that day there were added about three thousand souls.” Acts 2:41
The response to Peter’s message on the day of Pentecost was unfathomable. 3,000 people responded to the gospel, received his word and were baptized. The crowd that rushed together was huge.
This is on par with Jesus feeding the 4,000 and the 5,000, with the exception that this crowd was multinational. They came from many countries and spoke many native languages. Let that sink in for a moment. The multitudes that Jesus fed were localized gatherings. They were regional gatherings. Following this festival at Pentecost, the gospel was about to be carried in many directions and to many places. This had explosive potential.
Another pattern also emerges, baptism in the New Testament was always for believers. They received or believed in the Gospel first and then were baptized. Assuming that each of the 12 apostles assisted with the baptizing, they each had to baptize 250 people. This may have taken several days! It captured the focus of the festival.
This was a God-sized movement. In Acts 2:33, Peter said that Jesus “poured forth” the Holy Spirit. What an apt description of the giving of the Holy Spirit. When water or wine is “poured out” it spreads or disperses quickly. The only way it can be contained is if it is poured into cups, glasses, jars or other containers. On the day of Pentecost, people became the containers. They were “filled” to overflowing with the Holy Spirit.
It is impossible to calculate how many of the 3,000 disperses back to their own towns after the festival and how many remained in Jerusalem. It appears that some lingered longer in Jerusalem than others. The rigid daily temple service was now matched by very alive daily activities for believers. They lacked formal structure and organization, but as we will see in the next few verses, they overflowed with activity, a sense of awe, enthusiasm and excitement.
This was an organic movement from its inception. It was alive. The church is often compared in the Bible to a living building, a body or even a flock of sheep. It is important to observe that Jesus did not start another static organization, He breathed His Spirit into a living organism.
There are no equivalent books to Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy in the New Testament. Moses was a micro-manager with detailed instruction on everything, including marriage relationships during the wife’s monthly cycle and how to use a spade to cover up one’s daily bio duties. The Law was extensive, rigid, detailed and controlling. The Law literally sucked the life and energy out of people.
By contrast, what Jesus started on the Day of Pentecost was very alive, liberating and fluid. Let me stress again, the church was a living organism and not a static organization. It was holy, morally pure and had doctrine, but it was not weighed down with detailed and extensive policies and procedures. Unlike the Law which imparted death, the Spirit imparted life. (Read 2 Corinthians 3:12-18)
Daily Bible Commentary By Terry Baxter: Cofounder of GoServ Global
