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Writings on Christianity

Acts 3 Sermon

Here’s the notes to my sermon on Acts 3 preached at Cross of Christ Fellowship in Naperville. You can find the audio here.

Acts 3 “A Sign and a Sermon”
Intro
: Miraculous Signs: 1 SHOW the Truth from God; 2. STRENGTHEN Believer’s Faith
         -Moses: Exodus (ch 4: Staff/hand/water; ch 7-12: 10 Plagues).
         -Jesus: miracles, healings: [John 2:11 ‘first of his signs’, Acts 2:22 ‘God attested to you by signs…’,
                     -Acts of Apostles: Pentecost; 2:43: ‘many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles.
-Today’s passage records a miraculous sign and a sermon given by Peter.
         -SIGN served the SERMON: to show truth about Jesus & to strengthen the faith of believers.
                     -AS we read the passage, we hear the truth afresh and our faith in Jesus is strengthened.
                                -I hope we will walk away with this conviction in our minds: It is good and right to embrace Jesus as Lord!
 *STRUCTURE= SIGN & A SERMON.

I. A SIGN (3:1-11)
CONTEXT
: Jesus ascended to heaven; H.S. poured out on Pentecost; 3k added to church; Church gathering under apostles.
         -Miraculous SIGNS are taking place to show truth of gospel and strengthen the church (2:43).
                     -Here Luke records for us a noteworthy and important example of a miraculous SIGN.
-Setting for SIGN (3:1-5)
         -v1
Apostles Peter and John went to temple (Christians still met there at this point), and it was 3 in afternoon (9th hour)
         -v2 Opportunity: “man lame from birth…laid daily at Beautiful Gate…ask alms
                     -This man was over 40 (4:22); Begging for money; Absolutely dependent on others for.
         -v3-4 Asked Peter and John for money and told to look at apostles: “Look at us
         -v5 Lame man looks, and ‘expects to receive something from them
                     -He is hopeful that something is coming, but does not yet know what is about to happen.
-MIRACLE (3:6-8)
         -v6 Peter has something better to give: a miraculous healing!
                     –NOTE: “In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth”: important detail, brought out in Peter’s sermon.
         -v7 Man is healed!
                     -Peter lifted him up and ‘immediately his feet and ankles were made strong’
                                
-AMAZING and WONDERFUL Miracle!
        
-v8 New Physical Ability and New Joy
                     -Imagine what it would have been like for that man!
                                 -His celebration probably would have been quite exuberant and unrestrained
                                             -New Setting:entered the temple with them
-CROWD RECOGNIZES THE MAN (3:9-11)
         -v9-10 Witnessed & Recognized by the crowd: his walking and praising God; “recognized him”: they knew who he was.
         -v10-11 RESPONSE: “filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him…utterly astounded
                     -We would be too. This was an extraordinary miracle!
                                 -New setting: inside the temple together, and crowd of people.
CONSIDER WITH ME: -This MIRACLE was a great example of compassionate and grace and kindness of God.
-This was ALSO a SIGN, that God gave: to show truth about Jesus and strengthen faith of believers.
         –4:16notable sign”; 4:22sign of healing
                     –Consider parallel in Matt 9:1-7 (especially 6).

II. A SERMON (3:12-26)
Peter takes advantage of the opportunity to proclaimed a Christ-centered sermon! The sign serves the sermon.
         –Summary: Jesus is the promised Messiah and you ought to repent and embrace him as Lord.
1. Jesus Healed this Man, Not Us (12-16)
         -v12
Misunderstanding addressed: we didn’t make walk!
         -v13-15 God has glorified Jesus: the same God of OT—‘God of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, of our fathers
                     -Resurrected & exalted Jesus: after being killed, he was resurrected (“God raised him”)
                                             -Apostles are “witnesses” of this fact.
                                                         -Jesus is in glorified and in heaven: ruling from his kingdom from his throne.
                     -“YOU” statements (his Jewish audience; some who were present at Jesus’ trial & execution)
                                 -“you delivered over” (13)
                                 -“you denied…denied and asked for a murder to granted
                                             -even after Pilate wanted to release Jesus
                                 -“you killed…”
                                             –CULPABILITY. Hearers have not embraced Jesus as Lord or accepted him as God would have them!

                     JESUS:
                                 -“his servant” (13): promised one from Isaiah [‘suffering servant’]
                                 -“Holy and Righteous One” (14): Jesus is without sin [Heb 4:15]; righteous [inside & out]
                                 -“Author of Life” (15): Amazing paradox & striking image [killing author of life];
          -v16 Jesus is the one who healed the lame man
                     -Peter had faith in Jesus, and it is ultimately Jesus who brought about miraculous healing.

2. THE TRUTH ABOUT JESUS DEMANDS A RESPONSE FROM LISTENERS (17-21)
Not a mere intellectual speech, but gospel demands response. Same today as you hear God’s Word!
         -v17:
Peter acknowledges their ignorance. (Their actions were still evil, but accompanied in ignorance)
                     -v18: Jesus’ death was “foretold” and “fulfilled” Scripture.
         -v19: The right RESPONSE to truth of Jesus is REPENTANCE
                     -REPENT=turn away from sins. (Turn toward embracing Jesus as Lord and placing faith in him)

*APPLICATION: We TOO must repent of not having Jesus as Lord.
Unbeliever: Rejected lordship of Jesus
         -It is a great evil to reject God’s Messiah, the true king. Repent and believe in Jesus!
Believer: Consider our ways where we do not live as thought Jesus in king and REPENT.
         -How does our life show we are not submitting to Jesus as Lord? Finances, future, speech, attitudes, marriage, work, obedience.
                     -There is no one bit of our life that does not rightly belong to the Lord Jesus. He deserves our full submission & trust.

GLORIOUS GOSPEL BENEFITS (19a):
          –19b Forgiveness of sins: “Sins blotted out
                     -imagery of papyrus paper w/ink and sponge washes all away.
                                                         *It is good to embrace Jesus as Lord because only he can take away our sins!
        
-v20a:
Another Benefit=REFRESHING: “times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord”
                    
-IMAGINE being outside and incredibly thirsty, then a big glass of cold water
                                 -Becoming a Christian and having relationship with God leads to this refreshment from God’s presence
                                             -Happens as we spend time reading and prayer
                                                         -Happens in worship service; after a moving sermon; genuine fellowship.
                                                              *It is good to embrace Jesus as Lord because only he can satisfy and refresh our souls!
        
-v20b-21: Return of Christ
                     -Jesus is returning, and it is vital that we are reconciled with him.
                                 -FUTURE EVENT: God will bring about “restoring of all things”: Shapes how we think about the future.
QUESTION: All of this sounds too good and wonderful to be true. How do we do know it is?
         -Jesus’ resurrection.
                     -Also: the SIGN. The miraculous healing of man in the name of Jesus shows what Peter says is true
                                 -Our faith can be strengthened as we remember this: SIGN serves the SERMON.
*Peter gives another reason: Scripture foretold Jesus: v 22-26…

3. Jesus is the One that Scripture Promised Would Come (22-26)
         -v22-23
Moses predicted ‘another prophet’ and Jesus is that prophet
                     –Deut 18:15-22.
                                 -Muslims believe this was Muhammad, but he was not ‘raised up among’ Israel (Deut 18:15/8)
         -v24 Prophets proclaimed these days
         -v25-26 Peter’s Jewish audience has promise of Abraham to consider
                     -This was fulfilled in Jesus
SUMMARY: Scriptures predicted Jesus and he is the one they promised would come.
                                             *It is good to embrace Jesus as Lord because he the one that God promised would come!

APPLICATION: Do you agree, that it is right embrace Jesus as Lord? Have you repented? Is Jesus your lord (king, God)?

GOSPEL
: Jesus really does bring about ‘sins blotted out,’ including these sins.
         -Remember the gospel
                     -Apply the gospel to area where you have taken lordship back
                                 -Keep ‘in step with the gospel’ by power of the Holy Spirit.
CLOSE: It is good and right to embrace Jesus as lord.

By Tom Schmidt

Christian, husband of Rach, Church Planter,musician,

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