Seizing The Opportunity Series

SEIZING THE OPPORTUNITY

Text: Acts 3:12-26

Introduction

1. Illustration: “There is a big difference in seeing an opportunity and seizing an opportunity” – Jim Moore

2. Last week we talked about expecting opportunities to share the Gospel. Today we are going to talk about how to seize those opportunities.

3. Peter, in his sermon in the Temple, gives us some good examples of how to seize our opportunities.

a. Talk About Jesus

b. Treat Them as Friends

c. Share Scripture

4. Read Acts 3:12-26

Proposition: You don’t have to be a Bible scholar, theologian, or pastor to share the Gospel with people.

Transition: The most important thing we can do is…

I. Talk About Jesus (12-16).

A. Glory to His Servant Jesus

1. After the healing of the lamed man, Peter sees an open door to share the Gospel.

2. In v. 12 Luke tells us, “Peter saw his opportunity and addressed the crowd. “People of Israel,” he said, “what is so surprising about this? And why stare at us as though we had made this man walk by our own power or godliness?”

a. Peter saw an opportunity to tell the people about the power of Jesus name.

b. He asks them “what so surprising about this?” Perhaps this is a question we should ask ourselves? When God answers our prayers, we act surprised, but Jesus made it clear if we ask anything in his name, he will do it.

c. We should expect God to move and answer our prayers, just Peter was telling them to expect it.

d. But the most important part of the beginning of Peter’s sermon is that he places the attention and credit where it belongs - on Jesus!

e. This is a remarkable thing about the preaching of the early church is that it was always centered on Jesus.

f. Here Peter makes it clear that this man’s healing had nothing to do with his own power or godliness but rather on the power of Jesus name.

3. Peter states that the glory doesn’t belong to him or John, but rather to Jesus. He said, “For it is the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob—the God of all our ancestors—who has brought glory to his servant Jesus by doing this. This is the same Jesus whom you handed over and rejected before Pilate, despite Pilate’s decision to release him.”

a. He states that it was the God of their ancestors that used this miracle to give glory to his “servant” Jesus.

b. This reminds us of the reference from Isaiah 53 as the Messiah as the suffering servant. Jesus is that suffering servant.

c. Then Peter begins to focus on the Jews own guilt in the crucifixion of Jesus.

d. He points out the fact that they had turned Jesus over to Pilate and the Romans to be crucified.

e. He also stresses that Pilate wanted to let Jesus go, but they insisted that Jesus be killed.

4. Peter continues to stress the part the Jewish people had in Jesus’ death. In v. 14-15 he says, “You rejected this holy, righteous one and instead demanded the release of a murderer. You killed the author of life, but God raised him from the dead. And we are witnesses of this fact!”

a. The people had demanded that a murderer named Barabbas be released instead of Jesus.

b. They chose a murderer rather than the righteous one - Jesus!

c. Peter continues to stress Jesus as a sinless, suffering servant. Again, he stresses their guilt in Jesus’ death saying that they “killed the author of life.”

d. The word author means “originator or source.” He is saying that they took the life of the one who gives it.

e. But they Peter transitions from what the Jews did to what God did. He raised Jesus from the dead.

f. Peter says, “we are witnesses of this fact.” They saw, met, and ate with Jesus after his resurrection. They knew beyond a doubt that Jesus was alive.

5. Once again, Peter takes the focus off himself and puts it on Jesus. He says, “Through faith in the name of Jesus, this man was healed—and you know how crippled he was before. Faith in Jesus’ name has healed him before your very eyes.”

a. Peter makes it clear it was faith in the name of Jesus that healed the lamed man.

b. He says, “Faith in Jesus’ name has healed him before your very eyes.”

c. It was this demonstration of the power of Jesus that he wanted them to focus.

d. This teaches us to focus on Jesus when we share our faith with others.

B. Tell The Story of Jesus

1. Illustration: Fanny Crosby in her great hymn “Tell Me the Story of Jesus,” said, “Tell me the story of Jesus. Write on my heart every word. Tell me the story most precious, sweetest that ever was heard.”