Acts 3:1-26, "Winsomely Visible, Beneficially Distinct, and Refreshingly Convicting"

If you read the headlines this week, you might have read stories about the Pope’s visit to South Sudan and Congo, where he made public statements on homosexuality and international relations. There was a story about the Church of England using gender neutral pronouns for God and blessing same-sex civil marriages. Poll results were released, revealing a rise in Christian nationalism in the U.S. A Christian College canceled a music group over concerns about the members’ sexuality. And a story about Westbrook churches getting involved in the housing crisis in Greater Portland. The relationship between the Christian church and the world around us involves every area of life and can get very complicated.

The church is a community on mission with Jesus, ministering the gospel in the power of the Holy Spirit. Being a missional community by definition means we go out into our city. What characteristics should define our relationship with the community around us? When we read the book of Acts, we see a community marked by three qualities in their public witness for Jesus Christ.

Winsomely Visible

I borrowed this phrase from Sam Huggard, who challenged New England church leaders to assess our gospel impact in terms of both our message and our actions toward our communities.

We saw last week that the early disciples of Jesus were daily devoted to the Temple. This next passage shows us the impact of that devotion. As they go up to the Temple, Peter and John have an every-day sort of meeting. They meet a man begging for his livelihood.

We are told several details about this meeting. It was the hour of prayer, at 3 PM. The man was lame from birth. God created him this way. The man had been carried every day to this place. He was known to everyone, but as part of the scenery. How easy would it have been to pass him by? This happens at the gate that is called Beautiful. This gate probably attracted the most traffic.

Luke uses visibility words all through the first half of this passage.

Acts 3:3 (ESV)

Seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple, he asked to receive alms.

He saw them as part of the crowd. He saw them as potential charitable contributors. But he did not see them for who they were. In verse 4,

Acts 3:4 (ESV)

And Peter directed his gaze at him, as did John, and said, “Look at us.”

Peter and John look pay attention to the man. It is important that he pay attention to them.

Acts 3:5 (ESV)

And he fixed his attention on them, expecting to receive something from them.

Now he’s paying attention to them. But still expecting money. Instead Peter gives him healing in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth. Afterward, he enters the Temple, a very public place, with the apostles, and the visible words continue.

Acts 3:9–10 (ESV)

And all the people saw him walking and praising God, and recognized him as the one who sat at the Beautiful Gate of the temple, asking for alms. And they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.

Verse 12 says they were staring at Peter and John in wonder. There are also words related to touch here: verse 7, Peter took him by the hand and raised him up; verse 11, the man clung to Peter and John. And all the people ran together to them in this public space called Solomon’s Portico. This is a very visible healing, by very winsome, attractive apostles. Not attractive because they are handsome men. Attractive because of the wonder, amazement, generosity, visible joy, and praise to God.

The early Christians were visible. They lived their koinonia, their shared life in Christ, in public. They were also winsome. People were drawn to the early Christians. We’ll see later that they feared them because of the incredible power of God in them. But they were still drawn to them.

There is a debate going on about whether or not Christians should be winsome in our visible witness. There seem to be some that think being winsome means sacrificing telling the truth. But I would point you to people such as Billy Graham, who preached clearly about the sins of his day, and was the most famous Christian of his day, and when meeting someone for the first time would say, “Hi, my name is Billy.” Or John Lennox, the Cambridge mathematician who has debated some of the most militant and hostile atheists of our day. He speaks very clear truth about God but has a respectful, gentle, un-self-conscious manner and is known as the “winsome apologist”. Or to Jesus, who spoke radical, powerful truth, and who was always surrounded by the helpless and hurting, who were drawn to His gentle and lowly heart. And in a minute we will see Peter speaking radical, pointed truth to this crowd in a way that convicts them in a refreshing way.

I am reminded of the days when several churches partnered for an outreach at Oxford Street Shelter. The police said it was always the quietest night of the week when the Christians were there. In what ways are we winsomely visible in our community? Where are the gathering places we can enter together to present the gospel in word and deed that would leave a pleasant taste in the mouth of the people there?

Beneficially Distinct

Peter offered this man healing in Jesus’ Name, benefiting his life. But the benefit is distinct in that it comes through faith in the Name of Jesus.

Everyone wants a better life. But our perceptions about what would benefit us or our loved ones don’t always work.

Luke highlights some surprising distinctions between human perceptions about what is beneficial and God’s reality, which we see coming through the apostles. And these are lessons for us in our own context.

Two surprises come in the first few verses. The man thinks he needs money. But in reality he needs God’s power. The man desires pity, “support me in my condition”. That is the best he can hope for. But God desires praise, so He wants to change his life.

There’s another distinction here. Peter makes it clear that it was not the piety or power of the apostles themselves that performs this miracle.

Acts 3:12 (ESV)

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?

Why is this distinction important? The religious people of Jerusalem focused on piety. Peter focuses on faith. Peter says, in fact, in their supposed piety, they had killed Jesus, who was God’s Messiah. The same Jesus,

Acts 3:16 (ESV)

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.

It wasn’t anyone’s piety, it is faith in Jesus Christ that changed this man. His faith in Jesus has made him strong and healed him.

Christians are distinct. We are distinct in what we value. The world around us values money, and see it as a means to power. Christians rely on God’s power for everything we need for life and godliness. We are distinct in our hope. The best some people hope for is pity, “support me in my condition”. Christians seek changed lives to God’s praise. We are distinct in our religion. The world’s religions are man’s attempt at piety. Christians know that our spiritual maturity comes from faith in Jesus Christ. These distinctions will always mean we are strangers and aliens here. We won’t entirely fit in.

But we still live our lives among fellow humans, so our distinctives are beneficial. Our reliance on God’s power means we don’t use money as a means of manipulation or control. We give freely as we receive all we need from God. Our hope in the power of God to change lives means we don’t settle for tolerance or pity. We accept everyone just as they are, but we go farther to seek their transformation in Christ. Our faith in the resurrected Jesus Christ may result in piety, but not the kind that judges or destroys others. Instead we seek the salvation of others. And then we do other things like heal the sick, educate the oppressed, care for the poor, orphans and widows, and our planet.

In what ways is our church beneficially distinct in our community? Where do we stand out to those around us for the good we are doing in Jesus’ name, in the power of God? By visiting prisoners and those in nursing homes, by coming alongside those ruined by substance use or rebuilding after incarceration to seek their transformation in Christ, we are beneficially distinct. Are there areas we could grow?

The final characteristic we see of the early Christians in their public witness comes in the final verses of Acts 3. Peter uses this opportunity to preach the gospel, both the bad and the good news.

Refreshingly Convicting

Peter says that the man was healed by faith in Jesus Christ. And to clarify, he says,

Acts 3:13 (ESV)

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.

Acts 3:14–15 (ESV)

But you denied the Holy and Righteous One, and asked for a murderer to be granted to you, and you killed the Author of life, whom God raised from the dead. To this we are witnesses.

Peter preaches the hard truth. “You killed the Author of life,” doesn’t get you invited to stylish dinner parties. This is convicting. But Peter offers grace in verse 17.

Acts 3:17 (ESV)

“And now, brothers, I know that you acted in ignorance, as did also your rulers.

Their evil could not outdo God’s loving plan of salvation.

Acts 3:18 (ESV)

But what God foretold by the mouth of all the prophets, that his Christ would suffer, he thus fulfilled.

So, what should people do when they are convicted of their sin against God?

Acts 3:19–21 (ESV)

Repent therefore, and turn back, that your sins may be blotted out, that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that he may send the Christ appointed for you, Jesus,

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.

God’s plan is to make Jesus a blessing to everyone. He can even use our evil to accomplish His plans. He has offered us a time of refreshing by sending Jesus. He is our prophet and teacher. If we listen to Him, we will be blessed. He is risen from the dead, and He leads us into life.

This is convicting, but so refreshing. How about us? Where are you and I preaching the gospel message of Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, blessing any sinner who will repent and learn from Him with restoration and eternal life? What do those outside the church hear from us? Do they hear a message that is convicting of sin, but also refreshing?

What if we start inside the church? Why are our kids leaving and not coming back? Local statistics say we as the church of Greater Portland is heavier on convicting than refreshing.

As we grow as a community on mission with Jesus, we have an example to look to in the early Christians. They were winsomely visible in their city. They were beneficially distinct. And the message they preached was refreshingly convicting. But we probably have examples right here in our midst too. When you see a brother or sister modeling this, ask if you can join them.

But ultimately, these three qualities are exactly who Jesus is. Follow Him.

Communion