“And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.” (Acts 2:21)
By God’s grace through Christ, anyone can be part of God’s “everyone.” Including you. Including me.
On the first Christian Pentecost, everyone in the room was given God’s Spirit. People of many nations and backgrounds received a gift: They heard the wonders of God declared in their own languages through the Holy Spirit. If you were in the room, the gift was yours.
You may remember an iconic moment in TV history from many years ago. Oprah Winfrey announced that everyone in her studio audience was being given a box. Smiling women walked into the room carrying small gift-wrapped boxes stacked on trays.
After every audience member had a box in hand, Oprah invited them to unwrap the boxes. Each woman opened the box and pulled out a shiny new car key. As excited screams began to fill the room, Oprah walked around, pointing to audience members, announcing:
“You get a car! You get a car! You get a car! Everybody gets a car!”
Everyone. Everyone in the room got a car.
On the first Christian Pentecost, everyone in the room received God’s gift: the message of eternal life through Christ, a message delivered by the Holy Spirit.
It’s a different scene today than the first Christian Pentecost. No loud wind. No flames above our heads. No spontaneous languages. But it’s the same Spirit, the same Savior, and the same promise:
“And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”
By God’s grace, you’re part of His “everyone.”
For more, here’s the full weekend sermon:
Pastor Chris Kennedy 