(I take no credit for original points in this sermon. Sermon has been adapted with my inspiration of flow and point structure as guided by the Holy Spirit)
TITLE: STRAIGHT NO CHASER
SCRIPTURE: ACTS 3:11-19
Straight No Chaser is way of ordering at a bar that tells the bartender you want your drink with nothing added to it. You don’t want anything to water it down. Just give it to you straight. You just want it strong, nothing to dilute it. You want to feel the full effects. You all are looking at me strange, it is something I read about in a magazine. When it comes to the Preached Word, that is how I want to hear it – Straight No Chaser. I am so tired of these:
• Make me feel good sermons
• Living your best life now sermons
• God is about to bless you sermons
• Spin around ten times and run out and touch your mail box sermons
• Life Coach sermons
We are witnessing what appears to be a great return to the local church. The problem is in the area of sticking to it! People are flocking to the ENTERTAINING – HIGH PRODUCTION – HIGH QUALITY BANDS – DYNAMIC WORSHIP LEADERS . Partnered with the delivery of a weak Word! Every month we witness another mega-ministry Pastor or Leader resigning or in the media for questionable lifestyle. We see people in the Church every week flocking to Church but make no Lifestyle changes. Can’t see Christ:
• In their Walk
• In their Talk
• In their Thinking
• In their Love of lack of it
• Walk down isle of Church and make a decision
• Just not quite sure what decision they are making
I want to jump right into the text this morning and examine probably what is considered the second greatest sermon delivered by Peter. Peter did not play around as he delivered this Gospel message. It was what I would consider Straight No Chaser.
• He was telling it like it is
• He preached to the point with love and understanding
• He touched on eternal destiny
• He delivered in a unique fashion
The setting for the sermon itself was rather unique. Most of us would have missed out on the opportunity to deliver the Word because of the audience. Preaching today is too much entertainment and noise.
• If we don’t have the right congregation we don’t want to preach
• We spend too much time preaching for Amen, the Response
• We spend too much time trying to preach in effort to get congregation emotional
• We spend too much time preaching trying to get another invitation somewhere
This event found in our text took place on Solomon’s Porch where a man who was once lame was now walking, dancing, and praising God. Text said he was holding on to Peter and John. People around were amazed and astonished as they watched this man that had been healed at the hands of the Apostles through the name of Jesus. Peter would take the rest of the chapter to preach the Word to the crowd. Can I tell you he knew it was not a Shouting Crowd – not an Amen Crowd – He would Preach harder than the crowd would respond.
So, as the crowd gathers, Peter gets the boldness he needs to seize the opportunity. And he tells the crowd, ‘Don’t stare at us!” He wanted to make sure they understood that they were not the heroes.
• They were not to be put on the pedestal
• They were not to be treated like gods
• Instead, he redirects their gaze
• He is about to give clear testimony about the power source behind this miracle
• And he just doesn’t tell them about Jesus
• No, he is bolder than that
• He tells them what they did to Jesus
The first thing Peter does in his discourse is – CONFRONT THE RELIGIOUS LEADERS WITH THEIR SIN. Can I footnote here and tell you the most difficult people to confront and correct are the Preachers. Preachers, we should be accountable with each other and correct when it is necessary. Look at the text, the congregation did not correct the Religious Leaders, Peter did that. He begins his message by asking them why they were astounded at this miracle?
• Reminded them they had delivered up God’s Son, Jesus
• Reminded them they had denied Jesus, the holy and just One
• Reminded them they desired a murderer (Barabbas) instead of innocent Jesus to be freed
• And finally, Reminded them that they had killed Jesus
You want to talk about preaching an unconventional message! Here was the same crowd that had just demanded the crucifixion of Jesus just weeks before!
• You would think Peter would shy away
• You would think Peter would dance around the real issue
• Most that rejected Jesus were the notable religious leaders and faithful synagogue goers
• They were the well respected, upper crust of the nation of Israel
That did not bother Peter at all. He understood the bigger picture. When all is said and done and when we stand before God, the question we will have to answer is not how good we were on this earth - —because the Bible tells us “ALL HAVE SINNED AND FALLEN SHORT OF THE GLORY OF GOD.” In the end, the question will not be –
• What was your Title?
• Were you a Pastor – Bishop – Apostle – Prelate?
• Were you the Moderator or President of a Ministry or Auxiliary?
• What Denomination were you affiliated?
• The Question will Be - “What did you do with my Son, Jesus Christ?”
Those religious leaders in Peter’s time may have made numerous errors in their day, but Peter was trying to help them to see that their biggest error was their rejection of Christ.
• He refers to Jesus as “the Holy One and Just”
• These were designations for the long-prophesied Messiah every Jew would recognize
• Peter called Jesus “the Prince of life”
This word “PRINCE” here is translated “AUTHOR” in other places in the New Testament, and if you look at what Peter’s saying, that’s what he means. As the “Author of life,” that is, The Creator, Peter is affirming Jesus’s DEITY—that He was God in the flesh; God the Son. This is why we read in HEBREWS 12: 2 “LOOKING UNTO JESUS THE AUTHOR AND FINISHER OF OUR FAITH; WHO FOR THE JOY THAT WAS SET BEFORE HIM ENDURED THE CROSS, DESPISING THE SHAME, AND IS SET DOWN AT THE RIGHT HAND OF THE THRONE OF GOD.” Peter’s pointed remarks were unmistakably clear: They had killed their own Messiah; they had screamed, “Crucify Him!”; they had called for a wicked murderer to be freed, not the Holy Messiah; they had committed a grievous sin.
Peter wasn’t trying to convince them of what bad sinners they were. That is not what preaching is all about. I don’t know about you, but I get tired of going to Church and hearing the Preacher beat us up in the pews. We don’t come to Church to get beat up and told all the things we don’t do.
• We get beat up on the job
• We get beat up by the cares of this life
• We get beat up in our finances
• We get beat up by our frienemies
• We should not get beat up in the Worship Experience
Peter was delivering a tough message but – He was not saying they were bad sinners - but rather focus on the magnitude of the one in that would rob them of God’s blessing:
• The sin of rejecting Jesus Christ and His gift of salvation
• Jesus was indeed God in the flesh
• And as God, He lived a sinless life
• He obeyed the Law and God’s commandments perfectly
• But this perfect, sinless One died to pay the penalty of our sins in our place
The message of rejection is personal. Peter tells this Jerusalem audience what their part has been in this shameful business. He points his accusing finger at them and said –
• You handed Jesus over to the Gentiles
• You refused to acknowledge Jesus
• You killed Jesus
• You demanded that a murderer be given freedom over Jesus
• You see, Peter could not let them off the hook
• They needed to understand how big this was
Unless these Jews acknowledged Jesus as their Messiah and recognized that He was God and that He had died for their sins, they could not have their sins forgiven or have God’s blessing, no matter how religious or holy or obedient or righteous they thought they were. They needed the One whom they had rejected in order to be saved!
• They could dress up in all the Liturgical Robes
• They can attach titles of Bishop – Apostle – Prophet
• They could be on TBN – Word Network – Church Channel – Daystar
• If you don’t acknowledge Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior, you are on your way to Hell
And the same is true of you and me. None of us can be made right with God by:
• Religion
• By our Church
• By our Religious Works
• By our Obedience
• By our Good Deeds
• Jesus said, “I AM THE WAY THE TRUTH AND THE LIFE; NO MAN COMETH UNTO THE FATHER BUT BY ME”
My question for you today is, “WHAT HAVE YOU DONE WITH JESUS, THE SON OF GOD?” It matters not what good things you have done in your life. The only thing that matters is “What have you done with Jesus?” The next thing I see in this text as we deal with Straight No Chaser is that – PETER POINTED THEM TO JESUS AS THEIR ANSWER – Peter pointed in VS. 16 to the man who had healed and pointed out that it was by faith in the risen Jesus that this man had been made whole.
Peter recognized in VS. 17 that their act was not a malicious act of sheer wickedness - but was done out of ignorance. Their rejection of Jesus was a blundering act of ignorant minds. Even Jesus on the cross said in ST. LUKE 23:34 “FATHER FORGIVE THEM, FOR THEY KNOW NOT WHAT THEY DO.”
• Even on the cross Jesus recognized the people acted out of Ignorance
• Ignorance is not a bad Word
• Ignorance means you just don’t know any better
• In midst of being Crucified – Spat on – Ridiculed – Denied by Disciples
• Jesus was able to say – Father Forgive Them, They Ignant!
Can I tell you sometimes we hold on to that like a “Get out of jail free card” but – IGNORANCE HAS ITS LIMITS – it doesn’t excuse you. In His earthly ministry, Jesus had made it clear over and over again who He was. But his audiences, especially the Jewish leadership, would not believe Him. Though there had been ignorance, and even though the Scriptures had predicted the ignorance and rejection, they could not be absolved of guilt. I am reminded of a conversation that Jesus had with Philip in ST. JOHN 14:9 “JESUS SAITH UNTO HIM, HAVE I BEEN SO LONG TIME WITH YOU, AND YET HAST THOU NOT KNOWN ME, PHILIP? HE THAT HATH SEEN ME HATH SEEN THE FATHER; AND HOW SAYEST THOU THEN, SHOW US THE FATHER?” Jesus was telling Philip and the other disciples to get it together because Ignorance has its limits. That is pretty straight talk – Straight No Chaser.
I am so glad that Peter leaves them with some good news. Notice that Peter now tells them in this serious sermon - WHAT TO DO TO BE RIGHT WITH GOD AND EXPERIENCE HIS BLESSINGS. VS. 19 – “REPENT YE THEREFORE, AND BE CONVERTED, THAT YOUR SINS MAY BE BLOTTED OUT, WHEN THE TIMES OF REFRESHING SHALL COME FROM THE PRESENCE OF THE LORD.” Their ultimate sin was rejecting Jesus as their Messiah and Savior. Peter didn’t mince words and was a “straight-shooter” by frankly telling them to do two things to have their sins blotted out —“REPENT” and “BE CONVERTED.”
• Repent and Convert
• We have the wrong understanding of Repent
• Repent means to change your mind
• Changing your mind is not good enough
• You can want to do something wrong, Repent of it and still do the wrong thing
• Nowhere in the Bible does it stay to “Repent and Be Saved”
• We must “Repent and be Converted”
• It is the Repenting and Conversion that is able to Keep Us
When you read the context here in Acts 3, it’s clear that Peter is telling them to change their minds about how they viewed Jesus. The biggest problem with those who crucified Jesus was not how wicked and sinful they were—for they were the most religious and righteous people on earth at that time—but that they rejected Jesus as their Messiah and as God.
• Peter wasn’t telling them to repent of all their sins or to turn from a life of sin
• They didn’t need to change their mind about sin
• They already hated sin to the point of absurd legalistic interpretations of the Law to avoid even a hint of sin
• No, their problem was that in all their religiosity and piety, they had rejected their Messiah and thus had rejected their God
I am so glad today that – Jesus extends Grace - but we must remember that it was costly.
• Our sin can be wiped out
• We can know the refreshment of a new life
• But we must repent and be converted
• We must turn to God and turn away from our sin
Again, we must appreciate the courage of Peter. It is easy in one sense to talk about SIN and GRACE, but it can be terrifying to personalize it – yes, Straight No Chaser! But each of us must recognize that we, in effect, disown Jesus -
• By refusing fellowship with His body
• We reject Jesus by having sexual activity outside the bonds of marriage
• We kill Jesus every time we gossip
• We must turn away from our wickedness and flee to the righteousness of God
Peter’s audience had rejected Jesus.
• Their guilt was great
• But the good news for them and good news for us is the same
• You can’t outrun the grace of God
• We need help
• Jesus gives it
We have a responsibility to speak the Word – Straight No Chaser –
• Courageously speak about Jesus - He was rejected; He suffered; He bore sin on our behalf – it’s worth talking about
• Courageously speak about Jesus - He is alive; the cross is not the end of the story; he defeated the power of death – it’s worth talking about
• Courageously speak about Jesus - He extends grace; we can know freedom from sin; we can know refreshing wholeness – it’s worth talking about
Peter’s sermon must have left the people with a question. Any good sermon ought to lead to the same question – “WHAT SHALL WE DO?” Now Peter is going to apply the sermon by telling them what they ought to do.
• Peter’s sermon is an example of good gospel preaching
• Before anyone can understand the good news of salvation through Jesus
• They must be faced with the bad news of their sin and guilt
--Give me the Word – Straight No Chaser
--You don’t need to butter me up tell me what God is getting ready to do – Straight No Chaser
--You don’t need to shout me happy – Straight No Chaser
--You don’t need to lie to me and tell me God is going to give me a Mercedes – Straight No Chaser
--You don’t need to lie to me and tell me money cometh to me now – Straight No Chaser
--What do I need to do for eternal life – Straight No Chaser
--How can I strengthen my relationship with the Lord – Straight No Chaser
--How do I get rid of these bad habits – Straight No Chaser
--How do I love my enemies – Straight No Chaser
--How do I get fired up and motivated to attend Sunday School –Prayer Service – Bible Study – Straight No Chaser
--JESUS IS ALL THAT YOU NEED – Straight No Chaser
--To the LOST - He is the WAY
--To the DEAD - He is the LIFE
--If you have BEEN LIED ON - He is the TRUTH
--To the HUNGRY - He is the BREAD OF LIFE & the MANNA FROM HEAVEN
--To the THIRSTY - He is the LIVING WATER
--To the ASTRONOMER - He is the BRIGHT AND MORNING STAR
--To the ANIMAL LOVER - He is the LION OF THE TRIBE OF JUDAH
--To the WIERY TRAVELER - He is the GOOD SAMARITAN
--To the MACHINIST - He is the WHEEL IN THE MIDDLE OF THE WHEEL
--To the Burned Out-Wore-Out - HEAVY LADEN - He is the BURDEN-BEARER
--To the BUILDER - He is the CHIEF CORNER STONE
--To the WORLD LOST IN SIN - He is the SAVIOR
--To the LONELY - He the FRIEND THAT STICKS CLOSER THAN A BROTHER
--If you are in TROUBLE - HE’S A LAWYER IN A COURTROOM
--To the one that is SICK - HE’S A DOCTOR IN A SICK ROOM
--If you don’t know what you need, He is the Alpha-The Omega-The Beginning and The End and Everything in between that we need. He is what you need, when you need Him and how you need Him
--He is the KING’S KING, AND HE IS THE LORD OF LORD
--Like my momma & daddy always say - HE’S ALRIGHT
