Acts 3

A review of the January 30, 2022 SSBC sermon from Acts 3

Acts 3:11, Now as the lame man who was healed held on to Peter and John, all the people ran together to them in the porch which is called Solomon’s, greatly amazed. 12 So when Peter saw it, he responded to the people: “Men of Israel, why do you marvel at this? Or why look so intently at us, as though by our own power or godliness we had made this man walk? 13 The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God of our fathers, glorified His Servant Jesus, whom you delivered up and denied in the presence of Pilate, when he was determined to let Him go. 14 But you denied the Holy One and the Just, and asked for a murderer to be granted to you, 15 and killed the Prince of life, whom God raised from the dead, of which we are witnesses. 16 And His name, through faith in His name, has made this man strong, whom you see and know. Yes, the faith which comes through Him has given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all.

17 “Yet now, brethren, I know that you did it in ignorance, as did also your rulers. 18 But those things which God foretold by the mouth of all His prophets, that the Christ would suffer, He has thus fulfilled. 19 Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, 20 and that He may send Jesus Christ, who was preached to you before, 21 whom heaven must receive until the times of restoration of all things, which God has spoken by the mouth of all His holy prophets since the world began. 

3:13, The God of the Old Testament, who foretold and anointed Jesus, was pleased to glorify Him by raising Him from the dead and bringing Him to a place of glory in Heaven.

3:13, It was men who delivered Jesus to be murdered when even Pilate was bent toward releasing Him but the crowds insisted, “Crucify Him!”  Do you hear your voice in that crowd?  He was contrary to Rome, to the priests, upsetting of worship services (purging the temple) and teaching strange doctrines.  “Trouble!”

3:14, If one is truly saved, they believe and confess that Jesus is God (“Holy One”) and that He is holy and just meaning in agreement that Jesus is sinless and always right in all He does – just.

3:14, Jesus was rejected while a murderer was accepted.  He who went about doing good (Acts 10:38) was replaced by one who went about doing evil.

3:15, Who killed Jesus?  I did!  FAITH is learning the facts and then accepting them.  Jesus was murdered by the state by demands from His own people.  Then FAITH agrees that Jesus was holy and just and thus unjustly killed.  The “I” of FAITH then sees the personal application of the “F” and “A”.  FAITH understands that it was my rebellion, sin, selfishness, and pride that sent Jesus to the cross.

3:15, God trumped the will of men.  I’m good doing life my way.  I don’t need Jesus in my life.  God trumped my will and raised Jesus from the dead – which was then and yet is an established historical fact.  After all, what year is it?  2022 from what?  The birth of Jesus.  And why Jesus?  What made Him so unique?  The cross?  Many, many over the centuries have died unjustly and many have died on crosses including two the day He died.  What is the defining statement about the Infant of Bethlehem?  He rose from the dead as NO other!  He stands markedly unique and history says so!

3:16, FAITH in Jesus is the power and the answer to man’s needs.  It is why we pray in the name of Jesus.

3:17, Those who rejected and crucified Jesus were ignorant to the depth and breadth of their act.  They did not grasp that this was the murder of God by God’s will in order to take the wrath of God due to men.  They were murders but ignorant of the greater issues taking place.  Again, back to FAITH – the “FAI” is coming to learn, agree and personalize that the death of Jesus was He paying the sin debt for others – for me!

3:18, What happened on the cross was foretold by God in passages such as Isaiah 53 and Psalm 22 and thus what happened on Calvary fully fulfilled God’s perfect will.  God’s will was precisely carried out.

3:19, This I said in that sermon, “This is a verse that should be in your repertoire.”

REPENT!   Therefore, based on God’s word and work – that God’s will was fulfilled and He accepted the sin payment made by Jesus which was declared when He, God, raised Him from the death – I should agree and turn from my will and embrace His will.

BE CONVERTED – the only way is by FAITH in the person and work of Jesus, v. 16.

Thus FAITH’s “T” –Trust – get out of your self-made salvation boat and walk “on water” to Jesus and “H” – Herald – cry out to Him in confession, asking forgiveness and pleading for acceptance.

Sins be blotted out – then God will cover you and see you as sinless.

That times of refreshing may come – a new life of joy, peace, love, and hope.  A life of worth and purpose.

3:20, And know that Jesus returns for those who are repentant and of FAITH.

3:21, Jesus, now in Heaven, waits in full submission to God’s perfect plan.