Some Wiggle Room?
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This a continuation of the same sermon
Is Peter going soft? a paragraph back, it was “You killed the author of life”
Now it almost sounds like he’s giving them an out…an excuse
It was all in ignorance…you didn’t know what you were doing…you didn’t really mean it...
Though a shorter passage, we’ll not get to the bottom of all the issues raise
We will get the major points, giving all of us something to chew on as we meditate on Scripture—we ARE meditating, right?
A Call to Repentance
A Call to Repentance
First and arguably most important portion of this is repentance—but wait—isn’t there some exemption here?
We’ve already discussed the evil nature of denial and killing of Christ
Yes, it was done in ignorance
But even sin in ignorance required confession and sacrifice according to the OT Law
And the priest shall make atonement before the Lord for the person who makes a mistake, when he sins unintentionally, to make atonement for him, and he shall be forgiven.
We’ll see that principle applied to Gentile ignorance with Paul on Mars Hill in
For as I passed along and observed the objects of your worship, I found also an altar with this inscription: ‘To the unknown god.’ What therefore you worship as unknown, this I proclaim to you.
…and...
The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent,
Whether the sin was in ignorance or in outright disregard of God, the penalty was the same, the requirement was the same—confession and repentance—and the end was the same, forgiveness
Confessed sins will be blotted out
Good term would be obliterate!
Word picture of ink of that day being wiped off the parchment, leaving no trace; unlike today’s inks which etch the paper for a permanent mark
A Call to Recognition
A Call to Recognition
A lot of information here
Biggest issue: it was the plan of the sovereign God from all time
Second, it was all foretold by the prophets
1st, Moses
The first clue in Genesis—yes, it goes that far back
I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.”
We get another hint with the covenant with Abraham
Genesis 22:18 (ESV)
and in your offspring shall all the nations of the earth be blessed, because you have obeyed my voice.”
Note that this promise is to all the nations
“The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your brothers—it is to him you shall listen—
That deals specifically with the Jewish nations
There was the matter of the suffering of Christ
Without reading the entire chapter…the 53rd of Isaiah, often called the “suffering servant” chapter…not inappropriate as we’re coming up on what’s called Holy Week, or Passion Week
Probably no greater passage than that from Isaiah 53 3
He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
Yet it was the will of the Lord to crush him; he has put him to grief; when his soul makes an offering for guilt, he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days; the will of the Lord shall prosper in his hand.
Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied; by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant, make many to be accounted righteous, and he shall bear their iniquities.
If these folks thought back through all they knew…all they had been taught…the should have been able to connect the dots from Genesis, through the prophets, right up to Jesus…and the message should have been clear
Jesus had been sent to them, they had denied Him, Killed Him and were now confronted by their need to repent, or else be destroyed from the nation, missing the...
A Call to Restoration
A Call to Restoration
Any blessing is coming because Christ was taken to Heaven
We are clearly looking forward to the second coming of Jesus
English Standard Version Chapter 3
until the time for restoring all the things
What things will these be?
Things about which God spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets long ago
Looking for a blessing for all the earth
This because of the covenant with Abraham
Most scholars see within this the restoration of the Jewish people
We look to Paul in Romans
Lest you be wise in your own sight, I do not want you to be unaware of this mystery, brothers: a partial hardening has come upon Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in.
That is largely the summary of Romans 11
The Jews, in their rejection, will be cut off, the Gentiles grafted in
When the full number of Gentiles is recieved the Jewish nation will be grafted back in
The time is not completed until, as David wrote
The Lord says to my Lord: “Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool.”
That is a LOT of information, so...
WITFM?
WITFM?
We cannot over-stress the need for repentance
Within the “all have sinned” of Scripture, are all sins, even those unintentional ones
There is the adage that “ignorance of the law is no excuse” in the law we call this a law of “strict liability”
If we don’t realize the law is there, or we do not realize we are violation it
…my kid frog-catchers, unintentional speeders
All of us do those things which are “just” a matter of our human nature slipping out
Again, looking to Paul’s guidance
Romans 7:15–17 (ESV)
.... For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. Now if I do what I do not want, I agree with the law, that it is good. So now it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me.
We need to recognize the grandeur of God’s plan
(We’ll get the short version of the entire history when we get to Stephen’s speech)
He made a promise to Abraham—all the nations of the world would be blessed)
Built a great nation, even when it was under captivity
Delivered His people from captivity, gave them their own nation
Sent His Son as their Savior…and we know how that ended.
The church began, mostly Jewish believers who came to faith
Then the Gentiles as word spread around the world
…and Jews will be grafted back in
…might that reflect the growing population of Messianic Jews?
We look forward to the restoration of all things
Those who are saved are looking forward to an eternal kingdom…new heaven and earth
…between now and then, a millennial kingdom with Christ reigning on earth
Response
Response
That wasn’t in the outline—NOPE
What do we do with all this information?
We should be different—not like the rest of the world around us, sucked into the mold of the culture
Not conformed but transformed
We should have answers
We should always be
1 Peter 3:15 (ESV)
....prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in [us]....;
How many people we know who are not at peace with God?
A good indicator: Not at peace with themselves
We have a tract that deals with that…pick one up
We can start a conversation…we have a tract for that as well
If you don’t feel comfortable sharing the Gospel from either memory or a Bible (or app)
Avail yourselves of the tracts…keep a couple handy
We have Gospels of John…full plan of salvation explained
You need not know how to explain the details of the faith…though the more you know, the easier basics become
But we must be able to explain the hope that is in us
Peter and John had the hope, shared the hope, then preached the hope to a great crowd…and it snowballed from there
What might your sharing of this hope do for the cause of Christ?