There is no other name, no other way to be saved, no other Saviour than Jesus Christ. The inescapable conclusion is we must bow to Jesus as Saviour and Lord, but many will suppress the truth and receive God’s judgement. We have no other option but to testify to the truth, trusting that Jesus will build His church as He is proclaimed to the world.

After the healing of the lame man, Peter preaches the gospel to the excited crowd. He charges them with killing Jesus, calls them to repent and challenges them to close with Jesus. Similarly, we present Jesus to others by declaring that we're sinners before God and we're called to turn to Jesus for salvation. 

Peter heals a man in the name of Jesus. This shows us that the risen Jesus has the power to save. The fact that Jesus saves should both encourage us and spur us on to share Him with others.

The blueprint of the local church is the Word, fellowship and worship. The first local church devoted themselves to this blueprint. It is through these means that the Lord Jesus continues to build His church. 

At Pentecost, Peter preaches the first church's first sermon. The Holy Spirit blesses the preaching of the gospel and adds 3,000 souls to the church. We can draw confidence from the fact that we proclaim the same risen Jesus. Also, we are encouraged that the Holy Spirit works powerfully to build up God's people and rescue the lost through the preaching of God's Word.

The coming of the Holy Spirit is in fulfilment of the Father's promise and the Son's gift at His glorification. Through the Holy Spirit, we experience Jesus' presence, the assurance that Jesus has paid for our sin through His sacrifice and receive Jesus' assistance in our witness to others. In this way, every Christian is connected to the events of Pentecost.

Acts 1:12-26 takes place after Jesus' ascension. The apostles are called to stay in Jerusalem and wait for the promised Holy Spirit. However, this waiting isn't unproductive. Peter strengthens the group by calling them to trust in God's sovereignty and to fulfil Scripture by appointing a replacement apostle for Judas. This episode teaches us that whatever period of staying or waiting we may experience in life, there is always opportunity to both trust and obey God.

We're prone to being sidetracked in all sorts of ways in life. The same is true with the mission we've received to share the good news of Jesus. Instead of scolding, Jesus gives two assuring words to put us back on track: 'witness' and 'return.' 

The launch of the most significant religious movement in history is without fanfare. Yet, this launch gives insight into how Jesus built, continues to build and will build His Church: by God's Word and by God's Spirit.