WE HAVE SOMEONE TO TALK ABOUT
Acts 3:11-26
S: Courage
Th: Walk with Spiritual Courage
Pr: WE MUST COURAGEOUSLY SPEAK ABOUT JESUS.
?: Why?
KW: Facts
TS: We will find in our study of Acts 3:11-26 three facts that show why we must courageously speak about Jesus.
The _____ fact is…
I. HE WAS REJECTED
II. HE IS ALIVE
III. HE EXTENDS GRACE
Version: ESV
RMBC 14 Sep 03 AM
INTRODUCTION:
ILL Notebook: Remember (I can’t remember who she was)
A young pastor about to deliver his first sermon asked a retired minister for advice on how to capture the congregation’s attention.
“Start with an opening line that’s certain to grab them,” the older man said. “Try this for example: ‘Some of the best years of my life were spent in the arms of a woman who was not my wife.’” He smiled at the younger man’s shocked expression before adding, “She was my mother.”
The next Sunday the young pastor nervously clutched the pulpit in front of the congregation. Finally he said, “Some of the best years of my life were spent in the arms of a woman who was not my wife.”
He was pleased at the instant reaction – then became panic-stricken. “But for the life of me, I can’t remember who she was!”
Obviously, there are things that we must remember.
And finishing that story correctly is one of them.
What are things that you cannot forget?
This week, we once again remembered the horrific events that took place two years ago on September 11.
That is a day that we will never forget.
The scenes of the planes going into the Twin Towers will forever be etched in our minds.
There may be some other events that you cannot forget either.
They were time stopping moments.
Perhaps you scored the winning touchdown or the winning goal.
Perhaps it was when the one you loved asked you to marry him.
Perhaps it was holding that newborn baby in your arms for the first time.
These are times that you cannot forget.
TRANSITION:
Well, we have entered into the second week of our emphasis on discipleship.
Our theme this year encourages us to be a disciple of Jesus.
To do so, we follow the example of His disciples as we observe them in the book of Acts.
This means, then, that…
1. We are to walk with spiritual courage.
Last week, we were to remember that believers courageously make a difference for Jesus.
We studied how Peter and John offered help to a lame man that others ignored.
Peter offered these memorable words:
“I have no silver and gold, but what I do have I give to you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk!”
And the man was helped up and walked.
The text tells us that he was walking and leaping and praising God.
He knew that God was the One that had changed him.
In the same way…
2. We must not forget what has changed us.
If, today, you are a believer in the Lord Jesus, you have been changed.
Since Jesus has come into your heart, you have had a drastic turnabout when it comes to your eternal destination.
You were on a one-way path to eternal destruction.
But now, you possess life that will never end.
And as a result, your priorities and your desires have changed.
You are led by the Holy Spirit who gives you courage to do that which you could not before.
We need to remember that!
Because Jesus has changed us, we must tell others about the change.
It is too good to keep to ourselves.
3. WE MUST COURAGEOUSLY SPEAK ABOUT JESUS.
And there is good reason.
For…
4. We will find in our study of Acts 3:11-26 three facts that show why we must courageously speak about Jesus.
Let’s be introduced to our text:
[11] While he clung to Peter and John, all the people ran together to them in the portico called Solomon’s, astounded. [12] And when Peter saw it he addressed the people: “Men of Israel, why do you wonder at this, or why do you stare at us, as though by our own power or piety we have made him walk?”
The text tells us that the former lame man had a strong hold on Peter and John.
It was like a huge bear hug.
And the people are bug-eyed.
What was he doing standing up?
Something very strange has happened.
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.
OUR STUDY:
I. The first fact is HE WAS REJECTED (13-15).
[13] “The God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, the God of our fathers, glorified his servant Jesus, whom you delivered over and denied in the presence of Pilate, when he had decided to release him. [14] But you denied the Holy and Righteous One, and asked for a murderer to be granted to you, [15] and you killed the Author of life…”
The first point Peter makes is that Jesus is directly connected to the Old Testament.
The God of these people, the God of Abraham, the God of their fathers, had sent Jesus to them.
But the people had rejected him.
Peter holds nothing back.
For…
1. 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.
And in the same way…
2. We need to understand the magnitude of what has occurred.
Peter speaks in terms that his Jewish audience would not mistake.
He referred to Jesus as the Holy and Righteous One.
He referred to Jesus as the Author of Life.
These were descriptions of the Messiah.
The conclusion would strike at their very hearts.
It was unmistakable.
They had killed their own Messiah.
They had screamed, “Crucify Him!”
They had called for Barabbas to be free, a wicked and violent murderer, instead of Jesus.
It was such an incredible evil.
And for Peter’s audience, he would not allow them to walk away without understanding the gravity of theor own situation.
They had rejected the beloved of God.
II. The second fact is HE IS ALIVE (15-16).
[15] “…and you killed the Author of life, whom God raised from the dead. To this we are witnesses. [16] And his name — by faith in his name — has made this man strong whom you see and know, and the faith that is through Jesus has given the man this perfect health in the presence of you all.”
They may have rejected Jesus…
They may have sent Him to the cross…
But they were not ultimately successful in their goal.
1. Death was unable to hold Jesus.
God sent Him and God raised Him.
The cross was man’s last word.
The empty tomb, though, was God’s.
And as Peter and John stood with the healed beggar, it was proof that Jesus was alive.
The audience learned that…
2. Jesus is active and making people whole.
Peter testified that this man responded in faith.
When he exercised faith, the power of the risen Lord filled his body with health and strength.
This was a demonstration of God’s power.
This was a demonstration that Jesus was alive and well and working for the wholeness of mankind.
For this certain man, it was a physical wholeness, but that was not all.
It was a spiritual wholeness as well.
This points us to…
III. The third fact is HE EXTENDS GRACE (17-26).
[17] “And now, brothers, I know that you acted in ignorance, as did also your rulers. [18] But what God foretold by the mouth of all the prophets, that his Christ would suffer, he thus fulfilled. [19] Repent therefore, and turn again, that your sins may be blotted out, [20] that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that he may send the Christ appointed for you, Jesus, [21] whom heaven must receive until the time for restoring all the things about which God spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets long ago. [22] Moses said, ‘The Lord God will raise up for you a prophet like me from your brothers. You shall listen to him in whatever he tells you. [23] And it shall be that every soul who does not listen to that prophet shall be destroyed from the people.’ [24] And all the prophets who have spoken, from Samuel and those who came after him, also proclaimed these days. [25] You are the sons of the prophets and of the covenant that God made with your fathers, saying to Abraham, ‘And in your offspring shall all the families of the earth be blessed.’ [26] God, having raised up his servant, sent him to you first, to bless you by turning every one of you from your wickedness.”
First, let us note that…
1. Ignorance has its limits.
As hard as Peter has been on his audience, he recognizes that the rejection of Jesus had not been a deliberate act.
It was a blundering act of ignorant minds.
They did not realize what they were doing.
But ignorance has its limits.
It does not excuse you.
Jesus had made it clear over and over again about 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 exonerated.
But there is good news…
2. We can be right with God through Jesus.
Divine generosity is available.
When we realize the error, confess our sin, and turn to God, we are made right.
Peter calls for repentance, the turning away from one direction and going another.
When we repent, it is more than just the recognition of sin.
It means feeling sorry enough to quit.
ILL Notebook: Grace (friend’s grace)
Bill White witnessed an unusual accountability partnership at his church.
In an effort to break his habit of using profanity, Paul started meeting with another guy from church, and they set up an aggressive plan to quit this sin. Each Sunday, Paul would report to William how many times he cussed during the week, and he’d put $5 in the offering plate for each incident. The first week cost Paul $100. Although following weeks improved somewhat, he wasn’t having the success he wanted and was losing a lot of hard-earned cash.
After the fourth week, William told Paul he had unilaterally changed the deal for the coming week, but he wouldn’t tell Paul how. Paul wanted to know, but all William would say was, "Trust me. It will cost you both less and more."
The following Sunday before worship, Paul was looking a bit down, obviously having failed again. William put a hand on his shoulder and said, "Paul, this will cost you both less and more. It’s called grace." At that he took out a check made out to the church, dated and signed by William. Only the amount was blank. "Your sin still costs, but for you it’s free. Just fill in the numbers. And next week there will be more grace."
That first week of grace cost William $55, but the second only cost him $20. There was no third week. It cost Paul too much to fill in those checks, so he quit sinning.
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.
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.
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.
You see…
3. God has promised blessing, and it has come.
Peter gives the evidence of the united testimony of Scripture.
Throughout history, the message has been the same.
Through His Messiah, God is going to completely restore this world to full health, to full wholeness.
The message came from Moses, who told of the Prophet that would point the way.
The message came from Samuel, who told of the importance of the kingdom.
The message came from Abraham, who was told of the blessing.
Through him, all mankind would be blessed.
Each of these spoke of Jesus.
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.
APPLICATION:
ILL Notebook: Help (2 by 4s)
One time, there were a couple of not so smart guys in a pickup truck that drove into a lumberyard. One of them walked in the office and said, "We need some four-by-twos."
The clerk said, "You mean two-by-fours, don’t you?"
The man said, "I’ll go check," and went back to the truck and called his boss.
He returned a minute later and said, "Yeah, I meant two-by-fours."
"Alright. How long do you need them?" asked the clerk.
The customer paused for a minute and said, "I’d better go check."
After awhile, the customer returned to the office and said, "A long time. We’re gonna build a house."
Well, some people need more help than others.
But spiritually, we all need help!
1. We are like the lame man – helpless and broken – “without a leg to stand on.”
Every one of us suffers from helplessness and brokenness.
We look for satisfaction in possessions, sex, relationships or money.
But none of them give wholeness.
Only Jesus can do that.
Only Jesus.
As believers, we cannot fail in communicating that.
We must not fail.
2. We know the solution to the world’s situation – we cannot be silent.
The solution is Jesus.
He can’t be contained.
He is still in power.
And He is coming again.
Will you courageously declare Jesus?
BENEDICTION: [Counselors are…]
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.
Now to him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy—to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen.
