Acts 2 Lesson

FOLLOWING GOD'S PLAN

God has a plan for each of us.

It is up to us to be humble enough and obedient enough to follow it. 

The Prophet Jeremiah wrote about this in the following scripture:

• “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” - Jeremiah 29:11.

As we read Acts Chapter 2, we need to pay attention to God’s plan and how He prepared the Apostles to follow it. 

It is the same for us. 

If we read the Bible and apply what we learn, God’s plan for us will unfold, and He will prepare us for the important work that we are called to do:

Today's lesson will be broken into four parts:

1. God prepared the Apostles,
2. God does things on His own timeline,
3. God knows best,
4. God will prepare us if we let Him.

GOD PREPARED THE APOSTLES

Acts Chapter 2 begins on the day of Pentecost. 

Pentecost is the Greek name for Shavuot, the spring harvest festival of the Israelites.  

It was during Pentecost that the Holy Spirit first descended upon the apostles, just as Jesus told them it would.  

• “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.” – Acts 1:8.

When the Holy Spirit descended upon them, it prepared them for the important work that they were about to do.

Luke writes:

• “And suddenly there came from Heaven a noise like a violent rushing wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting.  And there appeared to them tongues as of fire distributing themselves, and they rested on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit was giving them utterance.” – Acts 2:2-4.

GOD DOES THINGS ON HIS TIMELINE

There are two things that we will point out about God’s plan for the Apostles:

1. God’s plan had a timeline,
2. God’s plan had a sequence for them to follow.

Sometimes we get impatient and want to do things according to our timeframe, not God’s.  

That type of thinking is foolish and rarely works out well for us.  

A better approach is to allow things to work out on God’s timeline, not ours. 

When we submit to His plan, not ours, we no longer need to worry about the way that things are going to turn out.  

Instead, we can take comfort in knowing that everything will work out just as God planned. 

The Apostle Paul wrote about this in his letter to the Romans:

• “And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.” - Romans 8:28.

GOD KNOWS BEST!

God knows everything.

He even knows the number of hairs on our heads! 

As our Creator, who are we to question His plan for us? 

That is not our place. 

Our role is to submit to His will, wherever that takes us, and to follow it. 

Luke and the Prophet Isaiah wrote about this in the following two Bible verses:

1. “Now I say to you, My friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body, and after that have nothing more that they can do.  But I will warn you whom to fear: fear the One who, after He has killed someone, has the power to throw that person into hell; yes, I tell you, fear Him!  Are five sparrows not sold for two assaria? And yet not one of them has gone unnoticed in the sight of God.  But even the hairs of your head are all counted. Do not fear; you are more valuable than a great number of sparrows.” – Luke 12:4-7,
2. “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,” declares the Lord.  “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.” – Isaiah 55:8-9.

GOD WILL PREPARE US ALSO

Just like the apostles, God is preparing us for the important work that lies ahead.  

When we submit to His plan for us, He will slowly shape us into exactly the people that He wants us to be.  

Of course, we can reject His plan and ignore the help that He provides, but that would be foolish!

God gives all of us the free will to accept his plan for us or to reject it.

If we are smart, we will stick to His plan, and follow it boldly, knowing, and trusting, that God will provide everything that we need to accomplish it. 

CONCLUSION

God has a plan for us, and He wants us to follow it!   

Just as He had a plan for the Apostles, He has a plan for us. 

It is our job to learn what that plan is and then follow it. 

We do this by regularly studying the Bible and then acting on our faith and applying what we have learned. 

As Christians, we need to remember that God does things on His timeline, not ours. 

We also need to remember that God knows everything and that His plan is the only plan that will get us to Heaven.

If we feel distant from God, it is not because He has forgotten about us, it is because we have forgotten about Him.

We need to remember God in our lives daily, learn His will, and then apply it. 

We will end today’s lesson with the following reminder from the Book of James:

• “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.” - James 4:8.