GLADLY RECEIVING THE WORD

Acts 2:37-47
37 Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the
apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?
38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the
remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.
39 For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our
God shall call.
40 And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, Save yourselves from this untoward
generation.
41 Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them
about three thousand souls.
42 And they continued stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in
prayers.
43 And fear came upon every soul: and many wonders and signs were done by the apostles.
44 And all that believed were together, and had all things common;
45 And sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need.
46 And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat
their meat with gladness and singleness of heart,
47 Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should
be saved.

Ps 119:2-3 Blessed are they that keep his testimonies, and that seek him with the whole heart. They also do
no iniquity: they walk in his ways.

I. WHAT IS THE ATTITUDE THAT WE SHOULD HAVE TOWARD GOD AND HIS WORD?
A. Gladness for His goodness.
1. Ps 100:1-5 Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all ye lands. Serve the LORD with gladness : come
before his presence with singing. Know ye that the LORD he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not
we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. Enter into his gates with thanksgiving,
and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name. For the LORD is good; his
mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.

B. Willing to obey and serve.

1. Isa 6:8-9 Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?
Then said I, Here am I; send me. And he said, Go, and tell this people, Hear ye indeed, but understand
not; and see ye indeed, but perceive not.

C. Have a hunger for the truth.

1. 1 Peter 2:2-3 As newborn babes , desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby: If
so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious.

2. Matt 5:6 Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.

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 D. Recognize the value of the truth.
1. Deut 6:4-9 Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD: And thou shalt love the LORD thy
God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. And these words, which I
command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children,
and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when
thou liest down, and when thou risest up. And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they
shall be as frontlets between thine eyes. And thou shalt write them upon the posts of thy house, and on
thy gates.

2. Matt 13:44-46 Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; the which when a
man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field.
Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls: Who, when he had
found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it.

E. Love the truth.

1. 2 Thess 2:8-12 And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit
of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: Even him, whose coming is after the
working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, And with all deceivableness of
unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth , that they might be
saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: That they
all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

2. Ps 1:1-6 Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way
of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his
law doth he meditate day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that
bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall
prosper. The ungodly are not so: but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away. Therefore the
ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous. For the LORD
knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish.

F. Be zealous of the truth.

1. Prov 4:23 Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.

2. Acts 17:10-12 And the brethren immediately sent away Paul and Silas by night unto Berea : who
coming thither went into the synagogue of the Jews. These were more noble than those in Thessalonica,
in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether
those things were so. Therefore many of them believed; also of honourable women which were
Greeks, and of men, not a few.

G. Receive it as the word of God, not of men.

1. 1 Thess 2:13 For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word
of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God,
which effectually worketh also in you that believe.

II. THAT WHICH WE GLADLY RECEIVE, WE GLADLY AND RAPIDLY OBEY.

A. Exactly as commanded.
1. Acts 2:41 Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added
unto them about three thousand souls.

2. Acts 22:16 And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on
the name of the Lord.
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 3. Acts 16:30-33 [The Philippian jailer.] And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be
saved? And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house. And
they spake unto him the word of the Lord, and to all that were in his house. And he took them the same
hour of the night, and washed their stripes; and was baptized, he and all his, straightway.

B. With great joy.

1. Acts 8:5-13 Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria, and preached Christ unto them. And the
people with one accord gave heed unto those things which Philip spake, hearing and seeing the miracles
which he did. For unclean spirits, crying with loud voice, came out of many that were possessed with
them: and many taken with palsies, and that were lame, were healed. And there was great joy in that
city. But when they believed Philip preaching the things concerning the kingdom of God, and the name
of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women. Then Simon himself believed also: and when
he was baptized, he continued with Philip, and wondered, beholding the miracles and signs which were
done.

2. Acts 8:34-40 And the eunuch answered Philip, and said, I pray thee, of whom speaketh the prophet
this? of himself, or of some other man? Then Philip opened his mouth, and began at the same scripture,
and preached unto him Jesus. And as they went on their way, they came unto a certain water: and the
eunuch said, See, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized? And Philip said, If thou believest
with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of
God. And he commanded the chariot to stand still: and they went down both into the water, both Philip
and the eunuch; and he baptized him. And when they were come up out of the water, the Spirit of the
Lord caught away Philip, that the eunuch saw him no more: and he went on his way rejoicing. But
Philip was found at Azotus: and passing through he preached in all the cities, till he came to Caesarea.

C. Recognizing the Authority who speaks.

1. Matt 28:18-20 And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven
and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the
Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you:
and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

III. TRUTH SO GREAT DEMANDS FAITHFULNESS.

A. Ever watchful.
1. Luke 12:37-40 Blessed are those servants, whom the lord when he cometh shall find watching:
verily I say unto you, that he shall gird himself, and make them to sit down to meat, and will come forth
and serve them. And if he shall come in the second watch, or come in the third watch, and find them so,
blessed are those servants. And this know, that if the goodman of the house had known what hour the
thief would come, he would have watched, and not have suffered his house to be broken through. Be ye
therefore ready also: for the Son of man cometh at an hour when ye think not.

B. Repentant over any sin in our lives.

1. Rev 3:3 Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If
therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will
come upon thee.

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C. Continuing in the faith.
1. Heb 2:1-4 Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest
at any time we should let them slip. For if the word spoken by angels was stedfast, and every
transgression and disobedience received a just recompence of reward; How shall we escape, if we
neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us
by them that heard him; God also bearing them witness, both with signs and wonders, and with divers
miracles, and gifts of the Holy Ghost, according to his own will?

2. Rev 22:7 Behold, I come quickly: blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book.

3. Rev 22:12-14 And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according
as his work shall be. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last. Blessed
are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through
the gates into the city.