WED. - Signs of CHARACTER in the Church - 4

Turn in your Bibles to Acts 3 -

We are NOT going to rehearse EVERY thing said and noted last week -

IF - you were NOT here, or did NOT hear the message from last week -

PLEASE, go back and listen to last week’s message online -

It will help bring you up to speed and make sense accordingly!

Last Week - we DID notice what took place IMMEDIATELY after this powerful MIRACLE -

There Was a POWERFUL Display on the part of Peter’s Character -

Instead of intercepting the GLORY, himself, for what was accomplished -

Instead of giving this ELATED, healed man a chance to speak to this ensuing crowd -

Peter instinctively indicated the GLORY belonged EXCLUSIVELY to God - and began to preach YET AGAIN!

And anytime, that something is done within the confines of church, & in its ministry -

ALL GLORY SHOULD GO TO GOD, & GOD ALONE -

Romans 11:36 - “For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen.”

Last Week - We Witnessed, The Truth Reasoned -

Tonight - Notice, The TRUTH Reflected.

This Message of REPENTANCE Was POWERFUL! - Acts 3:16 - “And his name through faith in his name hath made this man strong, whom ye see and know: yea, the faith which is by him hath given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all.”

According to Peter’s message, upon the heels of this OBVIOUS physical healing to this impotent man -

It truly was a miracle from God above!

The mere fact that Peter extended his hand, towards this impotent -

Did NOT mean that there was GREAT POWER, to the extent of complete healing, coursed through Peter’s hand!

Rather, it was the simple faith placed in the RISEN Lod Jesus Christ that resulted in a miracle!

God was STILL trying to get the message across that He is active in, and through, His Church!

You see, AGAIN - here was the usage of a TRUE miracle taking place -

Not for the credit towards mankind -

But for the conviction, upon the onlookers, that it is GOD that is at work - especially as an outward sign to these Jews!

Is God STILL Performing Miracles Today?

God is the ONLY One who is in the miracle performing business, in spite of these fake faith-healers of today!

We DOES heal, but not in the way that modern man likes to make others THINK, He does!

It is COMPLETELY & solely of God!

Lest, we overlook the true omnipotence of Almighty God - the faith this man placed in the powerful name of the Lord Jesus Christ healed him completely of his impotence - THAT’S POWERFUL!

The real reason behind the miracles performed for a limited time in the first century church -

LEST YOU FORGET - Was to be a sign to these unbelieving Jews.

They had ALREADY rejected the Lord Jesus Christ, just a SHORT time previously -

John 1:11 “He came unto his own, and his own received him not.”

And in a show of mercy towards His Own, God was trying to get the attention of the Jews - to accept Him as their Messiah & Saviour!

Later, as we know - come Acts 10 - the opportunity came to the Gentiles -

By none other that the Apostle Peter!

And, as the challenge was made by evangelist Henry Varley, that wrought conviction in the heart of one Dwight L Moody, the same could be evidenced in the life of the Apostle Peter -

“The world has yet to see what God can do through a man who is totally yielded to Him.”

D.L. Moody accepted the challenge, alongside the Apostle Peter, and you can too!

ONCE - the Word of God was completed, and the Canon of Scripture was sealed as the COMPLETE Revelation of ALL that God wanted man to know -

These diverse miracles ceased!

Paul mentions the truth of such a statement in 1 Corinthians 13:8 “Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.”

The prophecies that the Apostle Paul was speaking of is similiar to that used in Acts 2:17 -

That kind of prophesying is indicative of going out and preaching the Gospel!

The prophesying in 1 Corinthians 13 - speaks of the foretelling like the prophets in the Old Testament that would cease.

We have the completed Word of God - there is nothing more that is needed!

This Message of Repentance Was Powerful!

Understand - This Message Was Prophetical. - Acts 3:17–18 - “And now, brethren, I wot that through ignorance ye did it, as did also your rulers. But those things, which God before had shewed by the mouth of all his prophets, that Christ should suffer, he hath so fulfilled.”

The way that you mistreated the Son of God, “I Wot (PERCEIVE) That It Was Through Ignorance! - turn to John 3.

Bible Commentator John Phillips Explains - The Jews, though having the teachings of those like Gamaliel, were ignorant of the TRUE meaning found in the Scriptures.

There is ONE main account, found in the Gospel of John, that illustrates this point -

Notice John 3:1 - “There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews:”

The Pharisees were an influential religious sect within Judaism in the time of Christ, who were known for their personal piety, acceptance of the oral traditions added to the law, along with various rituals.

And Nicodemus was very high ranking in this particular party that made up the Great Sanhedrin Council.

John 3:2 - “The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him.”

John 3:3 - “Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

John 3:4 - “Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb, and be born?”

NICODEMUS COMPLETELY MISSED WHAT CHRIST WAS SAYING!

John 3:5 - “Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.”

WELL - WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? — Look to the next verse for the explanation!

John 3:6 - “That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.”

In other words, in order to enter into the kingdom of God - ye MUST be born again:

Not just physically, but be in the words of little Bobby in the Christmas drama - “THEN JESUS CAME” - “I must be born over again!”

John 3:7 - “Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.”

John 3:8 - “The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.”

John 3:9 - “Nicodemus answered and said unto him, How can these things be?”

Once again - this CHIEF RULER in the Pharisee sect, was totally befuddled by such a statement!

John 3:10 - “Jesus answered and said unto him, Art thou a master of Israel, and knowest not these things?”

Christ was pulling the net of conviction upon Nicodemus -

For surely, a master - a teacher and an instructor of religious piety should know these things!

John 3:11 - “Verily, verily, I say unto thee, We speak that we do know, and testify that we have seen; and ye receive not our witness.”

And we still continue to see the same thing go on all around us today!

There are those who will stand in the pulpit - and across the television and internet screens -

That will stand in ABSOLUTE PIETY & RESOLVE -

Who will attempt to speak as if they truly understand what they are attempting to teach and preach!

OH! - They have acquired the necessary head knowledge, and that is the mere extent of their consecration!

For the knowledge has NEVER truly made its way to the heart!

For had it done so - THE MESSAGE WOULD NOT BE REJECTED!

And that is how Christ knocked the wind out of Nicodemus’ sails!

This is EXACTLY What Peter Was Doing to These Jews - By Way of A POWERFUL AND PROPHETICAL MESSAGE!

Acts 3:17 “And now, brethren, I wot (PERCEIVE) that through ignorance (JUST LIKE NICODEMUS) ye did it, as did also your rulers.”

Acts 3:18 - “But those things, which God before had shewed by the mouth of all his prophets, that Christ should suffer, he hath so fulfilled.”

AND SLAM! GOES THE COFFIN LID - NAILED SHUT!

These Jews Were the Culprits to the Fulfilled Prophecies, concerning the sufferings of the Lord Jesus Christ!

That is the EXACT same reaction that everyone who attends a good Bible-believing Baptist Church, while sitting under Holy Spirit-filled preaching OUGHT to experience - HOLY SPIRIT CONVICTION!

Hebrews 4:12 - “For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”

Therefore, There is ONLY ONE TRUE REACTION to this Stated Truth!

The Truth Reasoned.

The Truth Reflected.

Lastly, The TRUTH of REPENTANCE. - Acts 3:19 - “Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord;”

The Command Was Understood By Those in Attendance.

The Message Was Clear, the Case Was Laid Out Methodically, & the Evidence Was Levied Against Them by the Prophets of Old - even the Lord Jesus Christ!

Why don’t you just go ahead, and repent -

Have a change of mind, from whence you had previously this man named Jesus!

Repentance is NOT just being sorry about something -

That simply leads to regret and remorse, but not true repentance!

Those feelings will eventually pass away!

AGAIN - there is a change of mind that leads one to true repentance!

Warren Wiersbe so colorfully illustrates the principle of repentance -

“Kind of like the little girl asked to explain repentance,

She said it is being sorry enough for sin to just QUIT IT!”

I LIKE THAT!

Why don’t you simply be converted, turn from your former ways, and turn towards the one true God!

In doing so - your turning from your sin, and turning to God is the ONLY MEANS of pardon!

That phrase be blotted out brings to light - in today’s mindset -

When you go to Walmart, Bass Pro Shop, or Tractor Supply - and you charge up that Credit Card -

You are charged an exorbitant amount -

And when the debt is FINALLY PAID in FULL -

The debt is then cancelled, wholly removing it from the account!

When we come to God today, as Peter’s Message, Affects Every Hearer -

When convicted by the Word of God, the Holy Spirit of God - we have a responsibility to make a decision!

The choice is to accept the TERMS OF PAYMENT ALREADY PREARRANGED BEFORE THE AGES OF TIME!

The debt was created before our very birth!

We struggle to pay a debt that we can NEVER repay - in this faint little space called time!

YET - as the prophets foretold in Isaiah 53:3–6 - “He is despised and rejected of men; A man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: And we hid as it were our faces from him; He was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he hath borne our griefs, And carried our sorrows: Yet we did esteem him stricken, Smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities: The chastisement of our peace was upon him; And with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned every one to his own way; And the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.”

Then in Matthew 16:21 - “From that time forth began Jesus to shew unto his disciples, how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day.”

Thus - IF the Jewish Nation Would Seek God Through Repentance & Faith -

The ENTIRE Nation would Experience Times of Refreshing - Acts 3:19 - “Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord;”

In short, the invitation was being given yet a SECOND TIME -

The Jewish People Had Rejected Him Once Before - Matthew 23:37 - “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!”

HOW SAD, for we later read...

Matthew 21:9 - “And the multitudes that went before, and that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna to the Son of David: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest.”

ONLY TO BE FOLLOWED UP BY - IN LESS THAN A WEEK -

Matthew 27:22 - “Pilate saith unto them, What shall I do then with Jesus which is called Christ? They all say unto him, Let him be crucified.”

Peter was actually calling for repentance, the 2nd time, on a national level -

Had they ALL repented and believed, the Messiah would have returned and established the promised kingdom!

The sad & sobering fact remains - ONLY A FEW AMONG SO MANY REPENTED & BELIEVED!

Therefore, the message would soon move from the Jews to the Gentiles!

WHAT A MESSAGE!

Peter would go on, in the remaining verses of Acts 3 -

Reiterating and confirming what was established aforetime through the prophets of old!

Acts 3:26 - “Unto you first God, having raised up his Son Jesus, sent him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from his iniquities.”

WHAT CHARACTER, on Display, From Just ONE MAN in This Jerusalem Church!

I leave you with this same challenge made to Dwight L Moody -

“The world has yet to see what God can do through a man who is totally yielded to Him.”