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.
–4:16 “notable sign”; 4:22 “sign 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.
