Erin First Assembly of God Erin, TN

Acts 2

We left the disciples last week praying together and handling church affairs. Jesus had given them directives on how to live for 3 1/2 years. When he ascended to heaven he left them with 2 final instructions. To make disciples and wait.  Today we will see both in action!!! Acts 2:1-47 ESV  Verses 1-13 1 When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. 2 And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. 3 And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested[a] on each one of them. 4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance. 5 Now there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men from every nation under heaven. 6 And at this sound the multitude came together, and they were bewildered, because each one was hearing them speak in his own language. 7 And they were amazed and astonished, saying, “Are not all these who are speaking Galileans?8 And how is it that we hear, each of us in his own native language? 9 Parthians and Medes and Elamites and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, 10 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, 11 both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabians—we hear them telling in our own tongues the mighty works of God.” 12 And all were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, “What does this mean?” 13 But others mocking said, “They are filled with new wine.” How were they obedient? * They waited together.  * They allowed the Spirit to do a work in them.  * This is what Paul wrote to Philippi in regard to the Spirit at work in them.  Philippians 1:3-6 ESV 3 I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, 4 always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy, 5 because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now. 6 And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ. * I’m also convinced that what the Lord began in you He will bring to completion.  * Trust me when I say this work is not complete you yet but it will be.  What are the results of that obedience? * Spoke in tongues. * The Spirit may work in you differently but will you allow Him to have His liberty in you.  * Each person from every nation understood them. * You may never know the effects of the work that takes place through you.  Verses 14-41 14 But Peter, standing with the eleven, lifted up his voice and addressed them: “Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and give ear to my words. 15 For these people are not drunk, as you suppose, since it is only the third hour of the day.[b] 16 But this is what was uttered through the prophet Joel: 17  “‘And in the last days it shall be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,     and your young men shall see visions,     and your old men shall dream dreams; 18  even on my male servants and female servants     in those days I will pour out my Spirit, and they shall prophesy. 19  And I will show wonders in the heavens above     and signs on the earth below,     blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke; 20  the sun shall be turned to darkness     and the moon to blood,     before the day of the Lord comes, the great and magnificent day. 21  And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.’ 22 “Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with mighty works and wonders and signs that God did through him in your midst, as you yourselves know— 23 this Jesus,[c] delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men.24 God raised him up, loosing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it. 25 For David says concerning him, “‘I saw the Lord always before me,     for he is at my right hand that I may not be shaken; 26  therefore my heart was glad, and my tongue rejoiced;     my flesh also will dwell in hope. 27  For you will not abandon my soul to Hades,     or let your Holy One see corruption. 28  You have made known to me the paths of life;     you will make me full of gladness with your presence.’ 29 “Brothers, I may say to you with confidence about the patriarch David that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. 30 Being therefore a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that he would set one of his descendants on his throne, 31 he foresaw and spoke about the resurrection of the Christ, that he was not abandoned to Hades, nor did his flesh see corruption. 32 This Jesus God raised up, and of that we all are witnesses. 33 Being therefore exalted at the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this that you yourselves are seeing and hearing. 34 For David did not ascend into the heavens, but he himself says, “‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at my right hand, 35      until I make your enemies your footstool.”’ 36 Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.” 37 Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” 38 And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself.” 40 And with many other words he bore witness and continued to exhort them, saying, “Save yourselves from this crooked generation.” 41 So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls. How did Peter obey? * He proclaimed the word of God. * There just happened to be at least 3,000 people that heard him.  * He would have proclaimed in the same way if there would’ve been 1,5, or 10.  What was the result of that obedience? * 3,000 people were added to eternity.  * This is no small thing, that people are add to eternity.  Verses 42-47 42 And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. 43 And awe[d] came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles.44 And all who believed were together and had all things in common. 45 And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. 46 And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, 47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved. How were they obedient? * They were discipling and receiving discipleship.  * It’s impossible to disciple if no one is willing to be discipled.  * It’s impossible to be discipled if you are unwilling to receive discipleship.  What were the results of their obedience? * The number of those who were welcomed into eternity grew daily.  * Discipleship grows eternity greater than compounding interest.  Conclusion How are you struggling to obey the Lord today? Will you commit to obey Him? How will you allow Him to work in you and through you? Support the show [https://together.churchtrac.com/]

Acts 1 pt2

Now that we know that the book of Acts was written to us, let’s listen with different ears. Ears that are tuned to hear what the Lord is speaking to us today.  Acts 1:1-26 ESV Verses 1-9 1 In the first book, O Theophilus, I have dealt with all that Jesus began to do and teach, 2 until the day when he was taken up, after he had given commands through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen. 3 He presented himself alive to them after his suffering by many proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God. 4 And while staying[a] with them he ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said, “you heard from me; 5 for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with[b] the Holy Spirit not many days from now.” 6 So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?”7 He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority.8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” 9 And when he had said these things, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight.  * Jesus desires to work through them.  * They desire that He do the work.  * He refocused them and commissioned them on the local, state, and country levels.  * Nothing has changed! * This is still the plan today! Matthew 28:18-20 ESV 18 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in[b] the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” Mark 16:15-16 ESV 15 And he said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation. 16 Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. Luke 24:46-49 ESV 46 and said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, 47 and that repentance for[c]the forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. 48 You are witnesses of these things. 49 And behold, I am sending the promise of my Father upon you. But stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.” John 20:21-22 ESV 21 Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.” 22 And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. Verses 10-11 10 And while they were gazing into heaven as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes, 11 and said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.” * Instead of sitting back watching they were being positioned to get started waiting.  * Conversation with a man at the chiropractor and his excitement about Mosaic’s direction.  Verses 12-26 12 Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a Sabbath day's journey away. 13 And when they had entered, they went up to the upper room, where they were staying, Peter and John and James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot and Judas the son of James. 14 All these with one accord were devoting themselves to prayer, together with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers.[c] 15 In those days Peter stood up among the brothers (the company of persons was in all about 120) and said,16 “Brothers, the Scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit spoke beforehand by the mouth of David concerning Judas, who became a guide to those who arrested Jesus. 17 For he was numbered among us and was allotted his share in this ministry.” 18 (Now this man acquired a field with the reward of his wickedness, and falling headlong[d] he burst open in the middle and all his bowels gushed out. 19 And it became known to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so that the field was called in their own language Akeldama, that is, Field of Blood.)20 “For it is written in the Book of Psalms, “‘May his camp become desolate,     and let there be no one to dwell in it’; and “‘Let another take his office.’ 21 So one of the men who have accompanied us during all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us,22 beginning from the baptism of John until the day when he was taken up from us—one of these men must become with us a witness to his resurrection.” 23 And they put forward two, Joseph called Barsabbas, who was also called Justus, and Matthias. 24 And they prayed and said, “You, Lord, who know the hearts of all, show which one of these two you have chosen 25 to take the place in this ministry and apostleship from which Judas turned aside to go to his own place.” 26 And they cast lots for them, and the lot fell on Matthias, and he was numbered with the eleven apostles. * There were things to be done while they waited. * They desired to position themselves for what the Lord wanted to do even though they didn’t know exactly what that was.  * They were willing to be moved. Support the show [https://together.churchtrac.com/]

Acts 1

Luke, the gospel writer, wrote 2 books, the gospel of Luke and Acts. In both of these books he states that they were written to a man named Theophilus. Even though we don’t know who Theophilus is, it is important to talk about the different theories about who he is.  First let’s look at both of these introductions to Luke and Acts.  Luke 1:1-4 ESV 1 Inasmuch as many have undertaken to compile a narrative of the things that have been accomplished among us, 2 just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word have delivered them to us, 3 it seemed good to me also, having followed all things closely for some time past, to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, 4 that you may have certainty concerning the things you have been taught. Acts 1:1-5 ESV 1 In the first book, O Theophilus, I have dealt with all that Jesus began to do and teach, 2 until the day when he was taken up, after he had given commands through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen. 3 He presented himself alive to them after his suffering by many proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God. 4 And while staying[a] with them he ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said, “you heard from me; 5 for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with[b] the Holy Spirit not many days from now.” * “Most excellent” is a term used to address someone in an official position.  * Paul used this term while defending his faith to Roman officials.  1. He was possibly a Roman official.  2. There was a man named Theophilus who was a leader in Antioch during Luke’s time, it could have been him. This would explain the desire to give an orderly account.  3. Theophilus ben Ananus was high priest in Jerusalem in A.D. 37-41. This would have the nephew of Caiaphus.  4. There was another high priest that served later named Mattathias ben Theophilus, who served in Jerusalem in A.D. 65-66. 5. Some think he was a lawyer that was defending Paul in Rome.  6. Some believe he was a wealthy supporter of Paul to whom he was giving account for Paul’s missions.  Luke stated his purpose for these writings in Luke 1:3-4. He desired that Theophilus would have certainty that what he was hearing was in fact true and trustworthy.  There is still one more theory that is most definitely true. I believe Luke was most likely writing to an individual but he was definitely writing to us today. He wanted us to know that the things we have heard were in fact true and trustworthy.  Have you ever met someone named Christian? That name comes from the original word Christos that means the anointed one. It was first used to describe the disciples in Acts who were followers of Jesus.  To understand this last theory we will need to look at the definition of the name Theophilus which means friend of God, lover of God, or loved by God.  * To be a friend and lover of God there are standards. * We must love as defined in 1 Corinthians 13 1 Corinthians 13:4-8a ESV 4 Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant 5 or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful;[b] 6 it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. 7 Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. 8 Love never ends. * Looking at my love towards Him, the standard of 1 Corinthians 13 are the same but I waiver based on desire, busyness, stress, and many other things.  * To be loved by God is all inclusive.  * God loves His creation and offers salvation and forgiveness to all who would come to Him.  * He cannot accept our sin but will separate it from us.  1 John 2:1-6 ESV 1 My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. 2 He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world. 3 And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments. 4 Whoever says “I know him” but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him, 5 but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in him: 6 whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked. Luke wrote his gospel and Acts to Theophilus who may have been a specific person but by definition it was written to all who are a friend or lover of God and to all who are loved by God.  He wrote this for the purpose of our certainty that Gods works are true. According to these writings God is still working in the same way today.  Support the show [https://together.churchtrac.com/]

Mother’s Day 2026

Things moms do better than anyone Grocery Shopping, Cooking, Cleaning, Reassurance, The death glare, Holidays, Pack, Cheerleader, Being crafty, Dealing with dad Leading up to Jesus crucifixion, He was brutally beaten, then sent to carry his cross up that hill. Unable to physically accomplish this task we read a simple verse that is often over looked.  Mark 15:21 ESV * There is only 2 places in scripture that Rufus is mentioned.  * There’s no direct connection in scripture that these are the same person.  * There at least 2 non biblical references that a man named Rufus was a strong spiritual leader in Rome.  * Marks gospel was written over 30 years after the crucifixion and was meant to appeal to Rome.  * Why is Rufus important today? This is one of His subtle ways to give direction to mothers.  Romans 16:13 ESV * It’s believed that Simon and his family came to Christ after the crucifixion.  * Rufus grew up hearing the eyewitness testimony of his father carrying the cross for Jesus. * Did Jesus have conversation with Simon as he carried the cross? * Did Simon experience guilt for carrying the cross? * What we know is that this day changed him and the direction of his whole family.  * It is believed that his family became strong leaders in the Christian faith.  * Today especially it is important to notice the impact that Simon’s family had on Paul.  * Rufus’s  mother was like a mother to Paul as well.  We don’t know where Paul’s biological mother was. She may have been a great mom, she may have been distant, she may have disowned him, she may have died, we just don’t know.  Rufus’s mom took him as her own. This Paul prior to conversion was a ruthless persecutor of the Christian faith. He was abusive and a murderer then turned to follow Christ. He became a leader and church planter who wrote at least half of the New Testament. This second mother took him in and cared for him like one of her own and Paul received her as a mother to him.  2 Timothy 1:3-7 ESV * Paul identifies that Timothy’s  faith was lead and encouraged by his mother figures.  * He is encouraged to remember that faith and lean in to it.  * So far everything what we have looked at has been subtle directives for mothers to teach, train, and invest into their family and others along the way. * We are subtly told to value and respect these mothers.  Paul writes to Titus on how to lead the church and gives clear and direct words for both men and women.  Men we have been able to coast this morning realizing it’s Mother’s Day and this message is geared towards mothers. However in addressing women Paul has to address the men as well. So the words here are for both men and women. Paul is direct so take a moment to prepare yourself to receive these words.  Titus 2:1-8 ESV  * Paul is speaking to both men and women.  * Verse 1 is for Titus to teach sound doctrine.  * Verse 2 is for men. There’s a lot said quickly and then gives time to process while speaking to women.  * Verses 3-5 are for the women. How to live, what to teach, and who to teach.  * Verse 6 he goes back to the men. Who to teach, what to teach, how to live.  Conclusion Ladies would you like to invest like Rufus’s mom? The call today isn’t restricted to the women.  Would you consider reaching out to someone else this week?  Buy them a cup of coffee and share your life with them. Then ask to meet up with them again next week.  Support the show [https://together.churchtrac.com/]

After Easter 2026 pt4

John 21:20-22 ESV * This takes place directly following Jesus’ restoration of Peter. * Jesus didn’t just restore him to right relationship but restored the call to tend His sheep.  * Peter turned and saw John.  * Peter gets beat up a lot because he seems to be singled out for his faults but he also turned to Jesus every time and stayed with Him.  * There was another time when Peter lost focus and the comparison is worth noting.  Matthew 14:22-33 ESV * When Peter lost focus on Jesus he began to fall away but turned to Jesus for help.  * Before judging, Peter was the only one who got out of the boat.  * Jesus walking on the water is a direct reflection to the psalmist in his distress.  * What did he do in an effort to recover? Psalm 77:10-20 ESV * When reflecting on God’s intervention in the past it allows us the faith that He will intervene again.  * God intervened for the Israelites and they crossed the Red Sea, the psalmist reflected on that for encouragement.  * Jesus intervened as the disciples rowed, Peter began to sink and directed his attention to the one walking on the water.  * The one who parted the waters in the Old Testament is the one who is walking on them in Matthew 14 and the one who is redirecting Peter in John 21 to follow Him.  John 21:23-25 ESV * What did Jesus do after He resurrected well there’s not enough paper. Why? He is still doing even today.  * David sharing.  * Why is He still working today? * Because by the blood of the Lamb and the word of our testimony the enemy is defeated.  Revelation 12:7-12 ESV * Every time Jesus intervenes it’s for the building of our faith and defeating the enemy.  * The testimonies of years past Have been strength and proof for those becoming believers.  * Your testimonies provide strength and proof for what’s ahead but also builds your faith.  * We know that the blood of Christ was shed for our forgiveness but that along with the word of our testimony is ammo that will crush satan.  The Blood, rebel redeemed 316  https://youtu.be/HteHAq_JvK8 Support the show [https://together.churchtrac.com/]