Acts 3:11-26 Peter Preaches in the Temple = January 9

Peter Preaches in the Temple
Acts 3:11-26

What refreshes you the most? A cool shower? A swim? A glass of lemonade? A massage? Air conditioning?

Text Graphic

• God is ... What do we learn about God in this passage?
• We are ... What do we learn about people in this passage?
• How did Peter disclaim credit for the healing of the lame man? Why? Why is it important for us that the apostles did not need their own power or exceptional godliness to heal the beggar of Acts 3:12?
• How natural do you find it to give God the glory for good things in your life?
• List all the facts about Jesus which Peter mentions here in Acts 3:13-16, 22. How does this profile of Jesus compare with the one in Acts 2:22-24?
• What does it mean that Jesus is God's servant in Acts 3:13?
• What does Peter say about the people? How would you feel being accused: "You killed..." in Acts 3:15
• In what sense is Jesus the "author of life" Acts 3:15?
• Restate verse Acts 3:16 in your own words.
• From Peter's second recorded sermon, how would you sum up what it means to become a Christian? What parts of Peter's sermon could you include in explaining the gospel to unbelievers?
• Why did the miracles of Jesus and his apostles cause trouble for them? How did those miracles confer credibility on them?
• Despite what Peter says about the people in Acts 3:13-15, how does he give the people hope in Acts 3:24-26? How are "blessings" and "turning" related.
• How did Peter explain that all that had happened to Jesus was a part of God's plan in Acts 3:17-26?
• In what sense were the Jews made a "chosen people"? How did they come to understand that status?
• I will ... What has the Holy Spirit revealed to us in this passage? How can I apply it to my life this week?
• When is it proper to come on strong against a person's sin, like Peter did in Acts 3:13-15? In coming to Christ, did you need to be hit over the head with your sin first?
• What does Peter's use of the Old Testament indicate about its benefits to your faith in Christ? How can you start to increase your knowledge of it?
• How has repentance and turning to God brought "times of refreshing" in Acts 3:19 to you? How can that be used as a means of encouraging others to come to Christ?
• The "completely" healed man was a powerful testimony to the power of God and the truth of Peter's words. How have you seen the power of God demonstrated in your life and in the lives of others?
• What does Jesus as "the author of life" in Acts 3:15 mean to you?
• You can ... Who do you know who needs to hear this? Feel free to share with others by social media links at the bottom of this.

WE CAN MISS A STEP —I read this account of how a conversion started when a lady was talking with a younger woman after a gospel meeting. Then the lady just said to the minister, "Boy, this girl is really hard." And, sure enough, the girl seemed really shut down. The minister said, "do you want to have a relationship with Jesus?" When she said yes, he asked her why. She responded, "Because part of me is missing, and I know it's God. But if you only knew how many times I have tried to follow Christ, and nothing happens." Well, the preacher pondered for a moment  before asking. "Have you ever expressed how you are really sorry for your sin to Jesus and you're ready to change?"

You see, the girl thought she really wanted to know Jesus in a popular way, but could never seem to get the relationship with God off the ground. "Repent and be baptized" — the real meaning of turning to God in baptism is life-changing. Christ was not truly her new identity. She had said yes to the story of Jesus - but missed an important ingredient in turning to God - saying no to sin. That's what we proclaim when being immersed into Christ - our new identity.

Acts 3:19 can be part of the roadmap to belonging to Jesus Christ. In Peter’s first sermon he says, “repent and be baptized”. Here Peter says, "Repent, then, and turn to God so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord." Now, when you turn to Jesus, you're turning from the sins that He died for...that's repentance. You can't hold Jesus in one hand and the junk that killed Him in the other. You can't turn to the West to watch the sunset without turning your back on the East. You can't face two directions at the same time.

When you start to name the sins of your life - even of the past couple weeks - you realize you need a Savior. Then you visit the Cross of Jesus as your identity (reliving the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ) and be saved for a purpose and rescued from that sin.

Unfortunately, repentance and Christian immersion can be the missing page in a Gospel presentation. We skip over the cancer of sin lightly and we go right to the cure before the person has faced their disease. It could be that the reason that a commitment to Christ has never gotten off the ground is because they never really repented of their sins and turned to the One who died for them.

There's no real power in your life as a Christian in name until you let your heart be broken over your sin. When the girl heard the steps she had missed, the tears suddenly started coming. She in humility said, "God, I'm sick of the junk." That's when confession began - and, in her case, life-change.

Could it be that the genuine faith that some have been looking for begins with really being sorry for the sin that is breaking God's heart? It is, after all, sin that killed His one and only son on the cross. I'm not sure a Savior can mean all that much to us until we see the seriousness of the sin He died to save us from. You want Jesus. You believe in Jesus, then immersion with a view of repentance may be what you're missing. Faithful obedience is saying, "Lord, I'm so sorry for the sinning I have done, I'm sick of the junk, I'm ready to change and turn to You, Jesus, to forgive me and change me." I want to be raised up out of the water to live a new life.

=============
SERMON: There's a change in my life since you came along!
TEXT: Acts 3:19
INTRODUCTION: The Biblical definition of repentance is "to change one's mind." The Bible also tells us that true repentance will result in a change of actions (Luke 3:8-14; Acts 3:19). Cf. Acts 26:20. The full biblical definition of repentance is a change of mind that results in a change of action. In terms of the kingdom, it involves...

• 1) A change in one's allegiance. Kingdom citizens submit their own will to the will of the King. Cf. Mt. 6:10, 24; 7:21; Rom. 6:12-18. The King deserves our loyalty, obedience, honor and praise.
• 2) A change in one's expectations. If all one lives for is TODAY, tomorrow will grow very unappealing. If there is no hope for the future, there is no power for TODAY. Cf. Acts 1:9-11; John 14:1 -6; 2 Thessalonians 1:7-9. The King deserves our anticipation.
• 3) A change in one's values. Our culture values success, appearance, image, wealth and independence. The values of Kingdom citizens adopt the King's values and make decisions and choices that reflect His values. The King deserves our cooperation.
• 4) A change in one's priorities. Priorities reflect personal allegiance, expectations and values. It also determines how I will spend my time and money. Kingdom citizens prioritize their time and money to benefit the King and His Kingdom. Cf. Matthew 6:24-34, especially vs.33. Unless the King occupies FIRST place in our life, He occupies NO place. The King deserves our full attention.
• 5) A change in one's long mission. Those with no mission in life are aimless and unproductive. James calls them, "double minded." The King wants His followers to be servants. Cf. John 13:15; Mt. 20:27-28; 25:21. Kingdom citizens humble themselves to serve those in the Kingdom.

CONCLUSION: Can you say, "There's a change in my life since the King came along?" Repentance will turn your life around like nothing else will.
- Mark N. Posey


=============

https://www.youtube.com/c/edmondchurchofchrist

Solomon's Porch An area on the east side of the temple. It was covered by a roof. 

Abraham, Isaac, Jacob Three of the most important Jewish leaders during the time of the Old Testament. 

father(s) Important ancestors of the Jews; the leaders of the twelve Jewish family groups. 

murderer Barabbas, the man the Jews asked Pilate to let go free instead of Jesus (Lk. 23:18). prophets People that spoke for God. Some of them wrote books that are part of the Old Testament. Christ The "anointed one" (Messiah) or chosen one of God. 

'The Lord ... people' Quote from Deuteronomy 18:15, 19. 

Abraham The most respected ancestor of the Jews. 

descendants All the people born in a person's family after that person dies. 

'Every ... descendants' Quote from Gen. 22:18; 26:24.