Acts 3:11-26 – Peter explains to the astonished crowd why the miracle happened….We look at boring church services; claiming ‘God told me’; how to read the Old Testament; Repentance and Refreshing; and the Beautiful Blessing.
Also available as audio only on the ASK podcast here
‘In the Beginning’ and ‘The Beautiful Gate’
Some Sermon Notes and Quotes
Should church ever be boring? Should it be exciting? So how do we get the balance? Surely it is this. When God is at work amongst us it is never boring….it may not always be adrenaline bumping excitement – but it is never bland, never dull, never OTT – as in the story told in this weeks passage.
- Why are you surprised? V.11-12
Peter does not take any of the credit for himself. He points immediately to Jesus. Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms. 11 If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God. If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen.(1 Peter 4:1-0-11)
Now we need to be careful – just as sometimes when we claim God’s work as our own – Herod ch. 12 v.21-24. So sometimes we claim that our work is Gods. We justify what we do by saying God did it – when it was just us. So in the excitement sense – using music or words to manipulate people. Or we say things like God told me – when what we really mean is that I thought it was right, I really felt it was the right thing to do. And we may be right – and we may indeed have been guided that way – but we need to be very wary of claiming that God told us when it is not from his word – because we are really saying it cannot be contradicted. Does God guide? Yes. Does he give us direct, infallible guidance…not often…other than through his word.
- You Killed the Author of Life – v.13-16
He mentions The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob – stressing continuity. They wanted to protect Judaism – Peter says this is Judaism…this is the faith of Abraham.
Here is another point as regards guidance. Don’t do the individual proof text thing.
The point here is that you need to grasp the Bible as a whole narrative. Not just individual passages, books or verse. That’s what I quote lots of verses from all over the bible – not to back up what is being said but because it is all interconnected…
But this is a radically Christ centred view of the OT. He says that the OT is all about Jesus – Luke 25 He said to them, ‘How foolish you are, and how slow to believe all that the prophets have spoken! 26 Did not the Messiah have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?’ 27 And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.
Look what he calls him – Gods servant. This reflects the servant passages of Isaiah.
Peter is so bold. You killed the author of life. Today you would be accused of anti-semtisim if you said that. You killed the Holy and Righteous One – another OT title. He is contrasting Jesus’s innocence and their guilt. The people chose a murderer – a killer over the author of life.
- Time to Repent – v. 17-20
Repent – turn to God – believe. Thomas Watson said that repentance and belief were the twin wings of the same bird.
Lets think about what repentance is….Shorter Catechism. “q.87 – What is repentance that leads to life? Repentance that leads to life is a saving grace by which a sinner has a true sense of his sin and realisation of the mercy of God in Christ and then with grief and hatred of his sin turns from it to God fully intending and striving after new obedience”
Recognition of the offence that sin is to God. V. 19 – you need your sins to be wiped out. You acted in ignorance. He was not excusing them. But they did not know what they were doing. How? They knew they were killing an innocent man – they did not know he was the author of life. Many who reject Jesus today do not know what they are doing. 1 Corinthians 2:8 “None of the rulers of this age understood it, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glor”
It is possible to crucify Jesus and be forgiven. Think of the soldier at the foot of the cross. “Truly this was the Son of God” (Matthew 27:54)
Repentance is turning away from sin and towards God.
Question of the Week – Why bother with the Old Testament?
- The Beautiful Blessing – v.21-26 – the promise of the return of Jesus.
v.21 – Jesus is in heaven.
The restoration of all things. Restoration of an old painting. Or house. Or your body – go to a spa and feel restored. Or a holiday. To the Jews to the physical descendents of Abraham.
15 The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your fellow Israelites. You must listen to him” Deuteronomy 18:15
v.24 beginning with Samuel ‘ “The Lord declares to you that the Lord himself will establish a house for you: 12 when your days are over and you rest with your ancestors, I will raise up your offspring to succeed you, your own flesh and blood, and I will establish his kingdom. 13 He is the one who will build a house for my Name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom for ever. 2 Samuel 7:11-13
God wants to bless. But we can refuse his blessing. How sad that there is so much blessing….and we reject so much of it. How will you respond?