Sermon on Acts 3

Acts 3:1-26

Intro

-Last week we learned about how the early church functioned...

-we saw how the church fellowship was like.

-Acts 2:43 says "Then fear came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles."

-Now Luke there did not tell us what those miracles were.

-Today we will see one of those miracles described. And we will see the second sermon of Peters.

-You may ask "with all the miracles that were done through the apostles, why did Luke record this one?

-We can see two reasons:

1) It was on this occasion that we see Peters second sermon.

2) Because the miracle and sermon was the cause for the first persecution of the church.

Read Acts 3:1-10(explained as read)

-vs1--Peter and John went to the temple for the time of prayer.  

-vs2--They meet a man who had not been able to walk his entire life.

-vs4--Peter and John went up to this man and said "Look at us"

     -This would have been exactly what this man wanted.

     -What do I mean?

 -I can imagine this man much like the men and women begging on our streets here.

 -They sit day after day hoping for something that will help them.

 -Most people who pass and do not want to help-usually walk by pretending not to see them.

 -this is probably what most people did.

 -So when peter says "Look at us", the man would have naturally raised his eyes expecting to receive some money.

-vs6a--Now peter says, "I have no money"

-Can you imagine the lame mans head drop from his expectation and excitement shattered.

-Some of you may say," What do mean he had no money?  He was a minister of God!"

-Shouldn't he have walked up in a bright white tunic and jewel studded sandals?

-example: TBN Preacher

-Peter was not after money!  In fact he was obeying what Jesus had showed him to do.

-Read Matt 10:8-10

-vs6b--Peter then gave this man something better than Gold or Silver.

-Not that Peter gave as we will see but that God gave.

-vs7--Notice the wonderful detail of doctor Luke's description of this man being healed.

-vs8--This man went wild!  But a good wild...It says he went "walking, leaping, and praising God"

-vs10--Now the people had seen this man many times at the beautiful gate begging.

-Alot of them would have bee like those that pretended not to see him , but had.

-So when they saw him leaping the result naturally was wonder and amazement.

-This is one of the purposes of this miracle-to arouse the wonder and awe of the people present.

-A miracle can really gather a crowd.

-The second purpose of a miracle is a sign pointing towards Jesus.

-We see this purpose fulfilled in this next section of Peter's sermon.

Read Acts 3:11-26 

-Peter's main point in this sermon was to point people towards Jesus.

-vs11-12--This miracle did not happen to show how great peter and John were.

-They didn't do it...God did it!

-After peter corrects this error of who should receive the glory, he begins his sermon.

-There are four things that peter wanted his listeners to know.

1. He wanted to point them to Jesus Christ as Savior.
• In his first sermon we saw how it was Christ centered.
• This is the same here
• He didn't focus on the miracle.
• He didn't focus on the man who was healed
• He focused on Jesus!
• Also in this sermon Peter does not quote many texts and explain them one by one like his first sermon, although he does quote scripture at the end.
• Although he does not quote as many texts it does not mean his sermon was not biblical
• His sermon was still very biblical!
• Peters use of the word "servant"(greek: pais #3816, also translated "Son") in verse 13 is important.
• Although this may not seem that important to us, it would have given a very vivid picture to his jewish listeners.
• Peter here is linking Jesus to a passage in the Old Testament
• Is 52:13-53:12-The sin-bearing Servant
• We won't read this whole text, but lets look at a few verses.--53:5,11-12
• Peter was teaching them that Jesus was the Messiah of the Old Testament.
• He also taught Jesus correctly as both Jesus the Man(vs6)--"Jesus of Nazareth", and Jesus the Son of God(vs14-15)
• Christianity is all about Jesus!
• To be a Christian you must have a relationship with the biblical Jesus we see here in Peter's sermon
2. He confronted them with there sin.
• In Peter's first sermon he did speak of sin, but not as directly as this one.
• He gives this point more emphasis in this one.
• vs 13-15-read
• Once again Peter here is being fearless.
• He is in the City with the people who cried out "Crucify Him, Crucify Him!" to Jesus.
• And now Peter is saying.."You killed Jesus...it was you!"
• If I was to say to a jewish person today that is was the Jewish leaders that handed Jesus over to pilot to be killed..they would fight me!
• This is a very sensitive issue now like it would have been then.
• Probably a little worse then.
• Could you imagine during that time to go up to someone and saying," I heard that there were these jews that handed over Jesus to Pilot and others cried out Crucify Him"  Then the other replying" Yeah that was me"...wow!
• The truth is- we are all guilty of Jesus' death!
• You may say, "What?!  I didn't kill Jesus! I was not there!"
• But the truth is this, that even though you were not there, it was our sins that took Him to the Cross.
• If there was no sin He never would have needed to die on the Cross.
3. He appeals for repentance.
• Peter was not simply wanting to condemn those there for there sin, but he wanted then to repent of there sin and believe in Jesus.
• vs17 peter says, "Yet now, brethren, I know that you did it in ignorance, as did also your rulers."
• This is sometimes a verse we may read past, but it is important.
• He starts by calling them brothers.
• He didn't treat them as enemies but as brothers.
• Peter earlier in vs14 said "you denied" Jesus
• Peter knew all to well there sin in this way, after all he had denied Jesus 3 times.
• Notice that he said, "Yet now, brethren, I know..."(vs17)
• Peter was not simply trying to make them feel sorry for what they did...he wanted them to repent as he himself had repented.
• vs 19 says" Repent therefore and be Converted.."
• The word in the greek for converted(#1994 epistrepho) gives the idea of us fleeing to God
• This helps us to understand what true repentance is like.
• It is not simply being sorry for a sin.
• True repentance is feeling sorry enough that we quit, and to quit means turning away from sin and turning to Jesus.
4. He gives reasons to repent and believe.
•                 -      Peter now concludes his sermon with reasons why we should respond with repentance.

1. The first reason he gives we find in vs 19,"...that your sins may be blotted out,"
• So that you would be forgiven!
• Forgiveness is what people need!
• And the only place you can find true forgiveness is in Christ.
• Many people today carry a great burden of guilt from there lives.
• Maybe this is true of some of you here today
• Maybe there is things you have done in your past that you carry so much guilt for
• You feel like you can't share it with anyone because they may judge or reject you.
• This is what we learn from the World.
• The world can not forgive your sin, it can only judge you for it or pretend to overlook it.
• But there is hope...God can forgive you!
• This is what Peter was saying.
• That only God can forgive our sins and lift the great load of guilt.
• This is a great reason to repent and believe in Jesus as Savior today.
2. The second reason is "so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord"(vs19)
• There are many times in our Christian life that we feel stale or dry.
• These time can be brought on by many different things-bad weather, bad health, sin, ect.
• So what Peter is giving as a reason is that in Christ these times don't last forever, but that there will be times of refreshing.
• These times are great!  They are times when your passion is like a fire in your chest.
• It is in those times you find it easy to say,"It is good to be a Christian!"
• If you want these times of refreshing then repent and turn away from sin and follow close to Jesus.
3. We see the final reason in vs 26.
• After Peter shows that all that happened to Jesus was fulfilling the prophesies in Deut. 18:15,18,19 and Gen. 22:18, he says vs 26
• vs 26-read
• What does Peter mean by " To you first.."
• Who?
• To the Jews?  Yes that is true, but it is deeper than that.
• Peter was preaching to those who were apart of  Jesus' death.
• The message of the gospel came to those that cried out for Jesus to be crucified.
• It was like God saying," I know what you have done, and I love you anyways, for it was for people like you that Jesus died."
• Regardless of what you have done in your past or the guilt you carry, God proclaims His Son to you.
• And the reason the gospel is proclaimed to you today is because it was for you that Jesus died.
• For you and me!
• 
  
• -So, Repent and believe in Jesus Christ today