Returning To God

Context:

Jesus was crucified, raised, appeared for over 40 days, ascended.

He sent the Holy Spirit to convict the world of sin and righteousness and judgement.

And as the church begins, we see a great miracle in Acts 3, and a sermon given by Peter within the Temple

1st Part: Guilt

2nd Part: Grace

Acts 3:13–15 (NASB95)

13 “The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified His servant Jesus, the one whom you delivered and disowned in the presence of Pilate, when he had decided to release Him.

14 “But you disowned the Holy and Righteous One and asked for a murderer to be granted to you,

15 but put to death the Prince of life, the one whom God raised from the dead, a fact to which we are witnesses.

Peter is speaking to everyone in the Temple

Scribes, Rabbis, Pharisees, Sadducees, authorities, teachers of the OT, temple leaders, roman guards, Jews from across the world who were gathered there

Evening worship / sacrifice… Devout Jews

Peter says “this man you crucified… He’s alive… We saw Him… and His miracles live on to verify His deity and His word”

And with great conviction he deems them guilty of murdering their long-awaited Messiah.

But as with any great sermon, Peter not only convicts them of sin… but proclaims the grace of God that has been offered that exceeds our comprehension!

Acts 3:17 (NASB95)

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

“And now brethren” … my fellow Jews

“I know that you acted in ignorance” … what a profound statement.

“I know you didn’t know, I know you didn’t SEE, I know you acted in ignorance!”

What did Jesus say on the cross? Luke 23:34 “34 But Jesus was saying, “Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing.” … They do not know what they are doing

You see this idea pop up all over the NT:

Acts 13:26–30 “26 “Brethren, sons of Abraham’s family, and those among you who fear God, to us the message of this salvation has been sent. 27 “For those who live in Jerusalem, and their rulers, recognizing neither Him nor the utterances of the prophets which are read every Sabbath, fulfilled these by condemning Him. 28 “And though they found no ground for putting Him to death, they asked Pilate that He be executed. 29 “When they had carried out all that was written concerning Him, they took Him down from the cross and laid Him in a tomb. 30 “But God raised Him from the dead;”

1 Corinthians 2:1–2 “1 And when I came to you, brethren, I did not come with superiority of speech or of wisdom, proclaiming to you the testimony of God. 2 For I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified.”

1 Corinthians 2:8 “8 the wisdom which none of the rulers of this age has understood; for if they had understood it they would not have crucified the Lord of glory;”

Peter gives them opportunity to repent… God gives them opportunity to repent.

5 blessings / motivations to repent and come to Christ

Sin will be forgiven

The Messiah will return

Judgement will be avoided

Promises will be realized

Sin will be forgiven

Acts 3:19 NASB95

19 “Therefore repent and return, so that your sins may be wiped away, in order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord;

Forgiven: blotted out / erased

The old Levitical system covered sins up, but had no power to remove them

David cried out: “Blot out my iniquity!” in Psalm 51… but no priest or sacrifice could do that

The Messiah will return

Acts 3:19–21 NASB95

19 “Therefore repent and return, so that your sins may be wiped away, in order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord; 20 and that He may send Jesus, the Christ appointed for you, 21 whom heaven must receive until the period of restoration of all things about which God spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets from ancient time.

Judgement will be avoided

Acts 3:22–24 NASB95

22 “Moses said, ‘The Lord God will raise up for you a prophet like me from your brethren; to Him you shall give heed to everything He says to you. 23 ‘And it will be that every soul that does not heed that prophet shall be utterly destroyed from among the people.’ 24 “And likewise, all the prophets who have spoken, from Samuel and his successors onward, also announced these days.

Promises will be realized

Acts 3:25–26 NASB95

25 “It is you who are the sons of the prophets and of the covenant which God made with your fathers, saying to Abraham, ‘And in your seed all the families of the earth shall be blessed.’ 26 “For you first, God raised up His Servant and sent Him to bless you by turning every one of you from your wicked ways.”

The Result?

Acts 4:1–4 NASB95

1 As they were speaking to the people, the priests and the captain of the temple guard and the Sadducees came up to them, 2 being greatly disturbed because they were teaching the people and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection from the dead. 3 And they laid hands on them and put them in jail until the next day, for it was already evening. 4 But many of those who had heard the message believed; and the number of the men came to be about five thousand.

3,000 now 5,000… thats a huge church

Conclusion: