Call Upon the Lord | Acts 2:14–21 | Dwell in the Word
Watch This Episode on Acts 2:14-21
In this Dwell in the Word episode, Pastor Mark Groen continues through Acts 2 with verses 14–21—the beginning of Peter’s sermon at Pentecost. Quoting from the prophet Joel, Peter explains that the coming of the Holy Spirit marks a new era of redemptive history where the gospel is for all people. No matter your background, age, gender, or status, the call to salvation is the same: Call on the name of the Lord and you will be saved. This passage is a powerful reminder of God’s mercy and the mission of the church to proclaim the gospel everywhere.
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Welcome to Dwell in the Word. Today is Monday, November 1, and I’m struggling with the reality that we’ve already buzzed through October. Being a Monday, we are reading another prayer from Lifting Up Our Hearts. Let us pray: Grant, Almighty God, that as you have been pleased not only to adopt us as your children but also to unite us to yourself by the bond of marriage and to give us a pledge of this sacred union in your only begotten Son, grant that we may continue in the faith of your gospel and so honestly keep the pledge given to you that you may show yourself to us as a husband and father, and that we may to the end find in you that merciful kindness needful to retain us in the holy fear of your name until we shall at length enjoy fellowship with you in your celestial kingdom. Through Christ our Lord, we pray. Amen.
We are continuing through the book of Acts. Last Friday, we read about the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, and now we begin Peter’s sermon. We’re reading from Acts 2:14–21. Hear the word of the Lord: 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. For these people are not drunk, as you suppose, since it is only the third hour of the day. But this is what was uttered through the prophet Joel: ‘And in the last days it shall be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh, and your sons and daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams. Even on my male servants and female servants in those days I will pour out my Spirit, and they shall prophesy. And I will show wonders in the heavens above and signs on the earth below, blood and fire and vapor of smoke. The sun shall be turned to darkness and the moon to blood, before the day of the Lord comes, the great and magnificent day. And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.’”
This is the beginning of Peter’s sermon, addressing the crowd’s reaction to the apostles speaking in other languages. Some mocked, saying they were drunk, but Peter refutes this, noting it’s only the third hour of the day—too early for drunkenness. Instead, he explains that this fulfills the prophet Joel’s words, quoting: “In the last days, it shall be, God declares, I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh.” This doesn’t mean every individual receives the Holy Spirit but that all people, regardless of ethnicity or background, can receive the Spirit. It’s no longer just for the Hebrew people; the gospel is now for the whole world, with the curse of Babel undone as the word of the Lord goes out in all languages.
Peter highlights that sons and daughters will prophesy, young men will see visions, old men will dream dreams, and even male and female servants will receive the Spirit. This shows that gender, age, or social status—rich or poor—doesn’t matter. What matters is being in Christ. Peter continues with Joel’s prophecy of cosmic signs—wonders in the heavens, blood, fire, and smoke, the sun darkened, the moon to blood—indicating an upheaval where the gospel’s spread turns the world upside down. We won’t delve into the full ramifications of the “great and magnificent day of the Lord” today, but focus on what Peter is conveying.
The key is verse 21: “It shall come to pass that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.” Salvation comes not by merit or works but by faith, by calling on the Lord, trusting in Christ alone. This is vital for us. Have we called on the name of the Lord? Do we trust Christ as our only salvation? In these last days, with the Spirit poured out, we know we have the Spirit because we have called on Him.
The application is clear: because we have called on the Lord, we should proclaim His name and the gospel. The Spirit has come to all flesh, so it doesn’t matter who you are—young, old, male, female, rich, poor. The criterion for salvation is to call on the Lord. We must proclaim the gospel so all may hear and believe this good news. Let us pray: Gracious God, we praise and thank you for pouring out your Spirit on all flesh. We are blessed to be called into your kingdom from various nationalities as your people. Regardless of ethnicity or social standing, we are equal at the foot of the cross, grateful for this grace in the Lord Jesus.
On this Monday, we pray for the churches in our community. We thank you for the fellowship with other believers and the faithful proclamation of the gospel in our community. Bless the pastors serving these congregations with endurance, strength, and wisdom to rightly divide your word. As we step into another day and begin another week, we trust that your word and Spirit will go forth with us. Grant us a desire to share your word as you bless us with opportunities to do so. We pray this in the name of our Lord Jesus. Amen.
I hope you have a great beginning to your week and an even better start to November. Have a great day.
Looking to explore more about Pentecost and the power of the Holy Spirit?
Visit our Pentecost page to find sermons, devotions, and answers to common questions. You can also trace the story backward to Christ’s reign and promise of the Spirit on our Ascension page. And if you’re enjoying these devotionals, browse more episodes on our Dwell in the Word page.
