Why Do You Wonder At This? (Unabridged)

Pastoral Prayer

If you were listening to our songs this morning, so much has been said

Father, You alone are Holy and Your name alone is worthy to be praised. There is none morally upright before You. You don’t need to find a moral standard outside of your very nature for goodness. The love between Father, Son and Holy Spirit is a Holy love; a love so set apart that your creatures barely comprehend the beauty of it even in our deepest dreams. Your Son loved us with a Holy love from a Holy life on a predestined pursuit of death. A death that brought new life to undeserving creatures. A Holy Death. A death that we still do not understand but trust in for our salvation.

God we confess that our faith and doctrine doesn’t mean much unless it is accompanied by a Holy life. Too often do we remember the cross and the sins our savior bore without pursuing a change in our holiness to look like that man, the Son of God, Jesus Christ. We assume that our sanctification was complete at the cross when for some of us it really has barely begun. Teach us holiness so we can know You and be known by You.

So often, since we don’t know You from our pursuit of holiness, we’re timid to call others to repentance from their sin of lust, disobedience, rebellion, cruelty, anger, and overindulged passions. Since we reject your standards of holiness, we leave sin to run its course in the lives of our brothers and sisters. Our children. Forgive us Lord. Let us return to be restored to holiness.

We thank you for the life Jesus set before us. That we can see His life as a Holy life. That we can see His gifts, sacrifices, abstinence from worldly things, and desire for mankind as a holiness for us to follow. We thank you for faithful church brothers and sisters to rebuke us and love us enough to cause us to turn from our wickedness. God, please continue to give them holy boldness so we know how to be bold in our relationship with others.

Our anxieties increase with upcoming elections in our country. If these candidates lives’ are a reflection of our country, then we are in great trouble. We pray that our leaders would repent and turn to the gospel instead of their own ideas for salvation and holiness. Turn those of us who would call ourselves Christians into servants who would seek to make those around us pursue holiness as if we were washing their feet at our expense.

May we worship you with devotion. May we worship you with reverence and the Holiness you deserve this day and every day.

Amen

(After Pastoral Prayer) Announcements

Reliance Women “Devoted Study”

If you are interested, please scan the qr code in your bulletin or on the screen. The book cost is $17.00 and we’re purchasing them in bulk. We need your registration sent in by tomorrow. This is a study that will look at over 30 women in Scripture who have inspired generations of faithful saints.

Reliance Men

Meeting Wednesday mornings at the church from 6-7 am. This week they are looking at the doctrine of predestination a little more, and then shifting gears and talking about the Trinity. It’s super easy stuff. Honestly, this is a great opportunity to grow in your bible reading, faith, and community at the church.

Missions Fair

Finally, today is our Missions Fair at the church. After the service, you should go get a cookie, and go meet some of our ministry partners. I get asked a lot, “how do I serve at the church? What can I do?” Guys, ministry is simple. If you want to serve, go and partner with some of these groups and organizations and then rope other people to come serve too. Go commit to a year faithfully serving with one of our partners. They would love to talk with you.

Jess Morris is going to come up for our Scripture reading.

Scripture Reading

Acts 3:11–26 ESV

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.”

Thank you for reading this morning, Jessa.

Would you pray again with me this morning?

Prayer

Heavenly Father,

We wonder at the work of your Son Jesus Christ. He was first promised to us after our fall into Sin after we were first created. He was spoken of by prophets, priests, and kings as the one who would remove the heart of stone within us and replace it with a heart of flesh. That he would redeem His people from the slavery of sin, and from Your just wrath to us as unholy and unrighteous people. Thank you for Jesus Christ.

As I preach Your Word this morning Lord, please remind me that I’m your child. That you love me and that you your love is greater than my need to prove my worth to people in this room. Your worth is what matters, Lord. Use me as you choose. Embolden me to preach Your Word faithfully so that I am also changed by it right now.

In Jesus name, Amen.

Introduction

Unspoken Rules

I’m going to break some unspoken rules this morning. I love God’s Word. I also love you. I love God’s Word so much and I love you so much that I want you to love God’s Word too. Here is my appeal. This morning I am going to preach from my sermon notes, and from my bible. I am asking you to listen to the Word of God proclaimed to you this morning and follow along in your bible. If we’re being honest with one another, our phones are distracting in a moment like this. Thinking we are disciplined with our phone is like chasing a dog off of a leash. We may think the dog is disciplined, but much of the time it ends up leading us where it wants to go rather than where we want it to go. I’m asking you to put a leash on your thoughts, and consider using a paper, tangible, book that forces you into a deep focus, undistracted. To help with that, I’m not going to have all of our Scripture passages on the screen this morning, unless we touch on something quickly outside of the what Jessa read for us a minute ago.

If you need a bible, please raise you hand and I’ll ask our elders and deacons to stand and get you one this morning. I have extra bibles available by the welcome table in the back. Please keep it if you don’t have one already.

Last Sunday

Last Sunday, Pastor Jacob taught us about the life that believers live together.

Acts 2:42–43 ESV

42 And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. 43 And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles.

The Christian life is a devoted life. Devoted not to personal preference of size, music, accessory ministries, but to the apostle’s teaching, fellowship, breaking of bread (or hospitality), and prayers. At this time in the book of Acts, miracles were being done through the apostles, bewildering those who saw them happen.

Setting the scene

Our passage this morning needs some context added to it. There’s a miracle story that proceeds it which is debated by the crowds and council all the way into chapter 4 of the book of Acts. I’d like you to turn with me in your bibles just a few verses earlier beginning at Acts 3:1. I’ll make some comments as we read.

Acts 3:1-10

Acts 3:1–2 ESV

1 Now Peter and John were going up to the temple at the hour of prayer, the ninth hour. 2 And a man lame from birth was being carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple that is called the Beautiful Gate to ask alms of those entering the temple.

The believers are still reaching its Jewish neighbors. Even with the church in its infancy, John and Peter are going to the temple during the regular prayer times probably to engage with people they love about Jesus Christ being the Messiah. Approaching the “beautiful gate” is a lame man. The gate is called the Nicanor Gate, but is called beautiful because it’s ornate and intricate. People pass by that gate to get to the temple for that reason alone. Adorning the front of the beautiful gate is a broken man. A beautiful gate marred by an un-beautiful broken man. But his friends care for him and bring him there every day to beg for alms, which is a great spot to receive them since faithful Jews saw it as honorable to give alms to the poor.

Look at how much gazing and staring happens in the next verses.

Acts 3:3–5 ESV

3 Seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple, he asked to receive alms. 4 And Peter directed his gaze at him, as did John, and said, “Look at us.” 5 And he fixed his attention on them, expecting to receive something from them.

It feels like a staring match. The lame man sees Peter and John as potential investors for his needs. Peter gazes, or stares, at him. John is staring now too. Then Peter says, “look at us.” He’s probably thinking, “I am! I’m looking at you!” Hopes high, and expectant, Peter gives him alms, but not silver and gold.

Acts 3:6–8 ESV

6 But Peter said, “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!” 7 And he took him by the right hand and raised him up, and immediately his feet and ankles were made strong. 8 And leaping up, he stood and began to walk, and entered the temple with them, walking and leaping and praising God.

One can’t help but see Luke, the author of the book of Acts, appeal to Isaiah 35 here. This passage has been understood by the Jews to concern the coming of the Messiah and the future Kingdom.

Isaiah 35:3–6 ESV

3 Strengthen the weak hands, and make firm the feeble knees. 4 Say to those who have an anxious heart, “Be strong; fear not! Behold, your God will come with vengeance, with the recompense of God. He will come and save you.” 5 Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped; 6 then shall the lame man leap like a deer, and the tongue of the mute sing for joy. For waters break forth in the wilderness, and streams in the desert;

This miracle points to the work of the Messiah. The man is now following Peter and John, like with his legs, and the people are astounded.

Acts 3:9–10 ESV

9 And all the people saw him walking and praising God, 10 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.

This story doesn’t prohibit meeting material needs or advocate for only giving spiritual help instead of physical help to people. Peter gives in such a way to show that the community of Christ is to engage the larger community by showing compassion in visible ways that help and maybe even develop peoples capabilities. A man walking for the first time ever is greater service than the alms he asks for. It’s like receiving a new life, which is what the gospel is entirely about.

Acts 3:11 ESV

11 While he clung to Peter and John, all the people, utterly astounded, ran together to them in the portico called Solomon’s.

The stage is set, and Peter is, as always it seems, ready with his words.

We are about to hear Peter’s second sermon. His first sermon was in our previous chapter, Acts 2. Peter’s message will give a defense of his actions, a declaration that this was done in Jesus’s name, and will cause a response from the crowd as they deliberate over the facts. We’ll consider what this sermon means for us today.

A Defense

Acts 3:12-18

Acts 3:12

If the Israelites had been paying attention to recent events they wouldn’t be surprised or stand there gazing at the apostles for what just happened.

Peter is quick to seize the moment. He shifts the attention from himself and explains that he and John don’t have the power or piety alone didn’t heal this man.

Piety

Piety is a kind of dutiful devotion to God and religious observances and principles. Today, piety gets a bad rap which is unfortunate. Our terms change over time, but now we probably call it something like Spiritual Disciplines, Spiritual formation practices, or something. I just prefer to call it holiness. A pursuit of chasing after God and turning away from the world. Unfortunately for Christians, we now call any kind of standard of holiness such as turning off provocative, grotesque, or violent television or movies, limiting our time on Social Media sites, or spending 15 minutes of time in prayer or bible reading in the morning “legalism.” It’s not legalism. It’s pursuing holiness. It’s repenting from worldliness and embracing Godliness.

But Peter here, acknowledges that it isn’t power or piety that healed this man. He goes on a discourse to proclaim just who healed this man, and it wasn’t him and it wasn’t John.

Acts 3:13

Associates with the Israelites

He traces a recent history of events that firmly plants himself in association with the Israelites he is talking with. He says, “The God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, the God of our fathers.” Not just “you guys,” but “we” are the object of God’s promises. God is at work in another new way for His people.

His Servant Jesus

Did you notice that Jesus is seen as a “servant” here? The passage says, “the God of our fathers, glorified His servant.”

Shouldn’t it read, “the servant glorified the God of our fathers?”

Servants are expected to perform one function: to bring glory to their host.

If you are a business owner and have employees of any kind, you know what I’m talking about. If an employee driving a company truck hits a pedestrian does that bring glory or shame to the owners? Serving the company owner is the point. If you are a waiter who strikes that incredible balance of caring for your guests but not overextending your welcome at their table do you bring glory or shame to your guests, manager, and reputation of the restaurant? Glory of course! That’s the expectation for the job.

Being a servant, Jesus is supposed to glorify His father, but Peter is referring to a prophecy he and the Israelites have been praying for. It’s in Isaiah 52-53.

Isaiah 52:13 ESV

13 Behold, my servant shall act wisely; he shall be high and lifted up, and shall be exalted.

How does is God’s servant lifted up? On a cross of crucifixion.

Isaiah 52:14–15 ESV

14 As many were astonished at you— his appearance was so marred, beyond human semblance, and his form beyond that of the children of mankind— 15 so shall he sprinkle many nations. Kings shall shut their mouths because of him, for that which has not been told them they see, and that which they have not heard they understand.

They didn’t understand. They didn’t know what they’d done. They didn’t recognize the pattern of the suffering servant of God being glorified after His suffering.

Isaiah 53:10–12 ESV

10 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. 11 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. 12 Therefore I will divide him a portion with the many, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong, because he poured out his soul to death and was numbered with the transgressors; yet he bore the sin of many, and makes intercession for the transgressors.

God, sending His Son as the redeemer of the world, the promised Messiah, the suffering servant, reverses the expected pattern and glorifies Him.

The Crowds Rejected Him

The Israelites, not knowing or seeing this in Scripture, denied him as the glorified servant and handed the servant over to Pilate to do the dirty work for them. To kill him. Even though the Jewish leaders approved of His death, the Jewish crowds approved with wild applause. Peter was among them even then, and did nothing. This is not the same Peter.

Acts 3:14-15

Murderer/ Author of Life

Peter defends that what made it possible for this man to be healed didn’t come from his power, or his piety it came from the power and piety of the suffering servant. It came from the Son of God, the Holy and Righteous One that they exchanged for the unholy, son of man, the murderous Barabbas.

“You Killed…God raised…We are witnesses…” Only one called the Author of life can actually restore life. Restore the sight of blind men, and cause the legs of men broken from birth to leap and walk and praise God.

So many exchanges happen in these verses. It’s maybe best to call them substitutions. A Holt and Righteous One exchanged for a murderer. The Author of life exchanged for an orchestrator of death. Literally a life giver exchanged with a death bringer. An innocent man exchanged for a guilty man. Do you know what the name Barabbas means? The prefix of his name, Bar, means Son. Abba, meaning father. His name literally means son of the father. We have the Son of THE Father Jesus Christ, the author of life substituting the penalty given to Barabbas a murderous man loved by the crowds over the one who came to save them from sin and death and the wrath of God. A son of the father exchanged for The Son of The Father.

Penal Substitutionary Atonement. This is a doctrine that really matters here. Penal is where we get the word penalty or punishment. Substitutionary, meaning something exchanged for another. Atonement, meaning a sacrifice for sin that averts condemnation and restores people to God. At the cross Jesus fulfilled the punishment reserved for Barabbas.

The defense Peter gives are those four charges against the Jews. They handed Jesus over to be killed, disowned Him before Pilate, asked for a murderer instead of the Author of life, and then caused the death of the Author of life. They overwhelmingly sought and heartily approved His death.

This is our condition as well. Regardless of how well we relegate death to the corners of our culture, we are in a culture of death. I heard a prayer request from someone very well meaning who asked for prayer for a relative who was entering hospice. It’s easier for us to say they’re entering hospice. It’s harder for us to say “they’re dying.”

We kill unborn babies for our convenience, sacrifices on the altar of American success stories and we rename it “reproductive rights.” We delude ourselves to think that everything is ok and it’s not.

Though it was the Jews and the Jewish leaders, you and I would have done no differently today if Jesus was here. Even his disciples fled at the cross. Truly, all of humanity crucified Christ.

A Declaration

Acts 3:16

Jesus’s name.

Faith in His name made the man strong. They all see him. They all recognize him. faith that is through Jesus gave him perfect health in front of everyone there.

The lame man glorifying God shows that kind of response something like this should bring. The man just has to stand there with a smile on his face to bring testimony to the name of Jesus.

The mere act of this miracle is a declaration that Jesus Christ is the suffering servant, the Holy and Righteous One, the Author of life. The Messiah promised in the prophets.

What is the response to visible divine work through Jesus?

A changed life. A genuinely changed life that lasts more than two weeks after rededicating your life to Christ at a conference or summer camp. A changed life as drastic as not being able to walk for all of your life to instantly be transformed so you leap up and praise God. A changed life doesn’t stay the same. A desire for holiness is born in that person.

2 Corinthians 5:16–21 ESV

16 From now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we once regarded Christ according to the flesh, we regard him thus no longer. 17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. 18 All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; 19 that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. 20 Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. 21 For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

Do you live like this? Do we still regard one another according to the flesh or know Christ only in our fleshly ways? Do you seek out the line of demarcation for what is and isn’t sin and stand as close to it as we like? After all, God will just forgive us if we accidently step over so it’s really no big deal. Or, being a new creation, do we appeal to others concerning the work of Christ. Are we people who recognize it’s God who puts us back on the path of righteousness when we sin, as we try to stay on that narrow path?

If you are one of God’s chosen people, your life will fundamentally change. Your life won’t look like the world, in fact it will reject the world as if you were a carnivore but now you can’t stand the taste of flesh between your teeth because you’ve changed into a vegetarian. It’s that drastic. Not all of our sanctification occurs overnight or even in this lifetime, but the change is obvious in how you live your life. You will pursue holiness not because it saves you. You will pursue holiness because you were sinful or broken since birth, and faith in Christ has changed your entire existence. You can’t help but pursue it because you are not the same thing.

Ignorance

Acts 3:17-18

Peter associates with the Jews

Peter wants this change for his brothers. He wants this change for the Jews. He even wants this change for the Jewish leaders! No one should be exempt from this. Everyone should leap up and praise God because of Christ’s work on the cross.

He knows their plight. He just rubbed their faces in the sin they committed against the Son of God who would reconcile them to the Father. They killed him.

Acting in Ignorance

The Jews and their leaders who goaded them acted in ignorance. Even with all the Scriptures they’ve memorized and all of the laws to keep them holy for the coming of the Messiah they didn’t know who He was when He came. They didn’t know. They honestly didn’t know and it was by design.

Human Responsibility and Divine Design

See here is THE example in Scripture of how human responsibility and divine design work side by side. Being ignorant and committing sin in that ignorance doesn’t absolve someone of that sin. The penalty for sin and responsibility to repent for the sinner are still present. Peter knows this and we’ll look at it next.

But God knew this would happen! He ordained this from the beginning! That His Son Jesus would suffer and die at the hands of men thus fulfilling what He spoke through His prophets.

Isaiah 53:1–3 ESV

1 Who has believed what he has heard from us? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed? 2 For he grew up before him like a young plant, and like a root out of dry ground; he had no form or majesty that we should look at him, and no beauty that we should desire him. 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.

If you continue reading this passage there is no escaping God’s divine hand at work in the crucifixion of His Son. There is no way to escape human responsibility either. They operate side-by-side here. It’s good to know that in dire circumstances, God was never caught off guard. He’s imminently involved in His creation.

The crowd didn’t esteem Jesus. God exalted Him, but the crowd hid their faces from him and despised him.

What can they do?

Our Own Ignorance

Staying ignorant can’t provide them an ultimate excuse.

On one hand, staying ignorant keeps us from the real problems of this world. We create our own echo chambers of voices we like, or self- affirmations that move us, or TED talks, or whatever an algorithm dictates to us so that when the reality of our sin hits us we believe ourselves to be righteous when we say, “I didn’t know.” But not knowing doesn’t fix man’s responsibility for it.

This is why the Israelites were given sacrifice for unintentional sins in Leviticus 4 and reiterated in Numbers 15.

Leviticus 5:17 ESV

17 “If anyone sins, doing any of the things that by the Lord’s commandments ought not to be done, though he did not know it, then realizes his guilt, he shall bear his iniquity.

Ignorance did not excuse sin; sins the Israelites committed in ignorance still required an atoning sacrifice.

Ignorance doesn’t excuse us of sin either. We can claim that “we didn’t know” as much as we want to, but when we walk so close to the edge of a cliff to look at the view below without considering the consequences of a fall from that great height then we have neglected the stewardship of our bodies and our souls for some momentary curiosity or temporary satisfaction.

It’s worse when we claim not to have known when we were told over and over for a majority of our lives.

But God, speaking through Peter is gracious to the Jews. He is gracious to us.

Acts 3:18 ESV

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

A Deliberation

What must they do? What must we do? When presented with the defense of how the man was healed, how he was changed by the power of Christ, the declaration that faith in Jesus Christ saved this man, the crowd must now deliberate Peter’s admonition.

Acts 3:19-21

Repent

We must repent and turn back. It’s two ways of saying the same thing. We need to make a change in our direction and to change our understanding of where we actually are. We are sinners in need of a redeemer to save us from God’s righteous wrath against our sin.

Where Peter highlights faith in verse 16, he now tells his listeners to repent. It’s the only right response to faith in Jesus Christ. It looks like rejecting the world, and pursuing holiness.

The Blessings of Faith and Repentance

We’re told our sins will be blotted out.

Did you know that they used to wash ink off of the papyri to reuse it? The ink didn’t soak into the paper. They would clean the paper to reuse it or remove the writing on it. This is an obliteration of our sin that won’t leave a trace once the Lord is done with it.

We’re told that repentance leads to times of refreshing.

It’s the same language as sabbath rest for animals, relief from trouble, drying out a wound or cooling something down by blowing.

We’re told that heaven holds Jesus until the appointed time where He will restore everything He promised by the mouths of the prophets.

Peter is urging his listeners to repent so they can be a part of God’s program of restoration from start to finish. Jesus will exercise judgment on behalf of righteousness. He will complete what God has outlined. Nothing about God’s plan has changed.

If you want to see what God has promised His people go read Isaiah 65-66. He will rejoice with his people but he will come like fire to render his anger toward unrighteousness.

Acts 3:22-25

Passages like Isaiah 65-66 were spoken of by the prophets. People who spoke for God! Peter quotes Deuteronomy 18:15.

Deuteronomy 18:15 ESV

15 “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—

and Deuteronomy 18:19

Deuteronomy 18:19 ESV

19 And whoever will not listen to my words that he shall speak in my name, I myself will require it of him.

Peter says, you now know from Moses that God would raise a prophet for you and to listen to Him. That whoever doesn’t listen is cut off. Destroyed. All of the prophets proclaimed that these days would come.

Then he reminds them of their heritage

Acts 3:25 ESV

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.’

No Excuse now

Effectively, Peter has left the crowd with no excuse. Whatever ignorance they had when the killed the Messiah is left null. These remarks warn of total judgment for failing to respond to the person and work of Jesus who is like the prophet Moses. Those who fail to respond will have no place among God’s people.

He identifies with them. His audience is comprised of descendents of the prophets and covenant people. He knows the conflict in their hearts and knows that even in their ignorant part in killing Jesus Christ if they believe Him to be the Son of God through faith and repent from their sin they will be forgiven and changed just like the man who was healed before them. Complete and utterly changed. Not just metaphorically, but actually.

We have the Word of God in our hands. There is no excuse for us either. God forbid one of us gets to claim ignorance of who Jesus Christ is after working through this text together this morning. He’s the Son of God.

Conclusion

Acts 3:26

Blessing comes through the servant. The blessing the servant brings is to turn every one of them from their wickedness. To repent.

What happens when the church stops repenting of its sin? When we stop pursuing holiness? It’s like the cliché story of a frog boiling in a pot. We assume that since everyone is in the water with us and we look like them, we’re probably fine. I look like everyone else in Christian culture, or my church, or my youth group so I think I’m a Christian. I’m pursuing to look like them so I think I’m a Christian.

We must stop looking to one another to see what a faithful Christian looks like and start looking to the Word of God to see what a faithful Christian looks like. When we read His Word, we see that like the man broken from birth we are sinners from birth. It takes not the power or piety of men to save us, but the power of Jesus Christ to transform our lives completely. The only acceptable response to true believers who place their faith in Him is to repent from the world, even the American Christian subculture if needed, and pursue holiness.

Pray

Benediction

Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 7:1.

2 Corinthians 7:1 ESV

1 Since we have these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and spirit, bringing holiness to completion in the fear of God.

and a few verses later

2 Corinthians 7:10 ESV

10 For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death.

God loves you. He wants you to turn to Him and be changed forever. Consider your life as a man deformed from birth. Are you changed? Are you pursuing holiness? If not, maybe you haven’t known God. Seek Him and know Him.

You are dismissed.