Sermon Tone Analysis

Acts - 8

Acts 3:11-26

Introduction

In his book Good to Great, leadership author Jim Collins describes what he calls The Level 5 Leader.

This is the epitome of great leadership.

The primary character quality of a Level 5 Leader is humility.

While other leaders commit two grave errors - take credit and pass blame - the Level 5 Leader flips those.

In humility, they simultaneously take the blame for problems and pass on credit for success to their team.

There is no clambering to be the one in the spotlight.

There is no ego-driven power plays.

Just humble men and women who strive to lead well…by not focusing attention onto themselves, but passing on all the credit to others.

In Acts 3, an incredible miracle has just occurred.

The Apostles Peter and John are walking into the Jewish temple in Jerusalem when they pass a beggar.

This man has been lame from birth and has been begging here for over 40 years.

They lock eyes with him and Peter says in 3:6 - “I have no silver or gold, but what I do have I give to you.

In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk!”

As Peter reaches down to help the man stand, the man responding in faith to the promise of healing, Jesus does an amazing thing…He creates new muscle, new tendons, strengthens bone…and this man can now walk.

And not only does he walk, he leaps around and praises God for the miraculous healing.

The crowd recognizes this leaping, praising man as the one who they had passed everyday for the last 40 years, lame and begging.

They are astounded at what has just happened.

And just as Peter did in Acts 2 at the miracle of Pentecost, Peter leverages the opportunity to preach about Jesus.

And as he does, Peter proves himself to be a Level 5 Leader.

He does not take any of the credit.

In fact, he diverts attention away from himself, and even away from the healed man, as quickly as possible, so he can point the spotlight in the only place it should be…directly onto Jesus.

Acts 3:11-26 - 11 While he clung to Peter and John, all the people, utterly astounded, ran together to them in the portico called Solomon's.

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? 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, 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.

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 back, 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.”

This is yet another great sermon from Peter.

We already saw his thoroughly biblical sermon in Acts 2. Now, he preaches a Christ-centered and Christ-exalting sermon.

His primary concern is that the crowd understand who Jesus is and what Jesus offers to them.

Even though Peter is the focal point of the crowd, he does not want the credit or the attention.

He doesn’t even point attention at the healed man (could have asked him to give his testimony).

He just wants them to know Jesus.

TS - Though he does quote from Exodus 18 and Genesis 12, Peter’s primary text is the miracle itself.

He uses the event that has just occurred as the springboard to preach to them all they need to know about Jesus.

This miracle communicates 4 Truths to the crowd:

EXAMPLE OF REJECTION (V.

11-15)

This is where Peter must start.

v. 12 - Why do you wonder at this?

Why are you marveling?

While there is a right awe that must accompany witnessing a miracle like this, they should not be all that surprised.

God has been doing stuff like this for centuries.

Jesus Himself had performed miracles exactly like this not a year or two ago.

If miracles are the Heavenly validation that all this is true, they really should not be overreacting like they are right now.

Jesus had performed countless miracles, many more fantastical than this one, for the last three years.

The fact that they are so overwhelmed by this miracle shows the reality of their rejection of Jesus.

They had dismissed Him.

They had denied Him.

You know who is not in total shock about this miracle?

Peter and John.

They act like this is nothing new.

Why?

Because it’s not!

They had accepted Jesus.

They had walked with Jesus.

They had seen miracles like this countless times.

But for those who had rejected, they don’t know what to do with it.

So their reaction is an example of their rejection.

Peter then goes on to directly confront their rejection of Jesus.

Don’t look at us like we had anything to do with this.

God did this.

v. 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.

This is the first of many times during this sermon that Peter will set them up.

This is a crowd of Jews.

Abraham is their father.

Moses is their authority.

And how does Peter describe God?

The same way that God identified Himself to Moses in Exodus 3 at the burning bush.

That God, the one, true God, the God of Israel…glorified Jesus.

The God that you claim you surrender to, that you worship, is the God who has exalted Jesus over all things.

And what did you do to that Jesus?

You denied Him.

That word for denied means to refuse to acknowledge, to disregard, to disown.

That is what they had done for Jesus.

They disowned Him.

They wanted nothing to do with Him.

So much so, that when Pilate, the Judean Governor, had decided to release Jesus after they had arranged His arrest, they delivered Him over.

They demanded He stay in prison.

Pilate, a pagan Gentile, sees Jesus’ innocence and wants to set Him free.

The Jews, God’s covenant people, condemn.

This is what the Gospel of John was referring to in John 1:11 - He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him.

And not only did they do that, they accepted a murderer in Jesus’ place.

v. 14 - But you denied the Holy and Righteous One, and asked for a murderer to be granted to you… This is referring to Barabbas.

Pilate had sensed that the growing Jewish crowd that day was thirsty for blood.

So he offered them an option, a custom he practiced each year at Passover.

Pilate released one of their criminals from prison every year.

So which one do you want?

Jesus, whom I have declared to be innocent, or Barabbas, a known murderer and insurrectionist?

The crowd that day cried out for Barabbas to be released and for Jesus to be crucified.