Each of you must turn from your sins and turn to God, and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. Then you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. Acts 2:38 NLT
The following is another worship profile from the Praise and Worship Study Bible published by Tyndale House. I recommend this Bible for all who want to learn more about Biblical praise and worship.
Skillful author, faithful friend, servant of the Good News of Jesus Christ, and physician. These are the facts we know about Luke from the accounts and letters of the New Testament. Most scholars also believe that Luke penned the book of Acts as well as the Gospel that bears his name. Using such information, we are able to piece together a portrait of a man whose gift to the church was his portrait of the life of Jesus Christ and of the early church that joyfully sprang up to celebrate Christ's work.
Luke the Worshiper
Luke was a Gentile and a physician, making his home in Syrian Antioch. He may also have been a brother of Titus, another of Paul's invaluable co-workers. The "we" references found in Acts 16, 20, and 27 most likely refer to Luke's participation in Paul's missionary journeys. Luke may have been one of Paul's earliest Gentile converts.
Luke is also mentioned in Acts 28:16, Romans 16:21, 2 Timothy 4:11, and Philemon 24. He was clearly a participant in the rigorous challenges of Paul's missionary journeys. As an important witness to Christian missionary activity, Luke chronicled the spread of Christian worship from Jerusalem, where it was largely a Jewish practice, to the boundaries of the first-century civilized world, where it took on characteristics of many other cultures and people groups.
Learning from Luke
Luke reminds us that Christian worship begins with the gift of the Holy Spirit and particularly emphasized the leading of the Spirit in the work of the church (Luke 4:1; 11:13; Acts 2:1-21; 4:8, 31; 8:15-19). Luke painted compelling portraits of the worshiping church. He recorded beautiful songs of praise from the lips of Zechariah, Simeon, and Mary. He described the glorious chant of the angels and they greeted the shepherds. He showed the communal spirit of the first Christians as they prayed, broke bread, and shared possessions.
Luke reminds us that the demands on the Christian worshiper may be difficult. The cost of discipleship may involve physical discomfort or financial sacrifice. Luke shows Christians sharing their possessions and sending love offerings to the hurting "mother church" in Jerusalem.
Luke's inclusion of women, Samaritans, and Gentiles in his narratives shows how the church had to expand its boundaries beyond its comfort zone. It clearly illustrates the universal character of Christian worship. It is not for one people or gender but for all.
Following the Example
In many church traditions today, worship is structured around the events of the Christian calendar. One of these events is Pentecost, which celebrates the promised coming of the Holy Spirit. The work of the Holy Spirit is a major theme in Luke's writings. In Acts 1:2, Luke noted that the instructions of Christ were given through the Holy Spirit to the apostles. In chapter 2, the promised coming of the Holy Spirit inaugurates the outpouring of Christian worship throughout the world. As you study the book of Acts, take careful note of the Holy Spirit's activity and the church's grateful response to God's sovereignty.