Times of Refreshing and the Restoration of All Things
Times of Refreshing and the Restoration of All Things
Acts 3:17-21
Worship begins and ends with "Glory to God!"
What I want to do in preparation is to put in your head and in your heart three clear, Bible-based reasons for why we should sing, "Glory to God!" I want there to be truth in your minds that makes you feel about Worship—"Yes, that's what we ought to say! That's what we ought do! Yes, God is worthy of that! Sing it , Sing it!" And we will rise up and join them with "Glory to God" at the end.
We will take the next five verses in the book of Acts (3:17-21) as the basis of three great reasons for singing "Glory to God".
Reason #1. GOD FULFILLS HIS HOPE-GIVING PROMISES IN SPITE OF AND THROUGH THE OPPOSITION OF IGNORANT PEOPLE.
Acts 3:17-18 - "And now, therefore, brethren, I know that you acted in ignorance, as did also your rulers. But what God foretold by the mouth of all the prophets, that his Christ should suffer, he thus fulfilled."
What highlights the glory of God in these verses is that the people who opposed Jesus and betrayed him and slandered him and mocked him and crucified him were all ignorant of God's purposes, and what was really happening. Yet verse 18 says that it is precisely through the opposition of this ignorance that God fulfilled all his promises that Christ should suffer for sinners and bear the sins of many.
This means that when God decrees to fulfill some good purpose for us, no amount of opposition from ignorance or godlessness can stop him. He will simply make all opposition and all ignorance serve his purpose.
That's reason #1 for why we should be full of praise this evening, and sing "Glory to God": God fulfills his hope-giving promises in spite of and through the opposition of ignorant people.
Reason #2. GOD WIPES AWAY ALL THE SINS OF PEOPLE WHO REPENT AND TURN TO CHRIST.
Verse 19: "Repent therefore, and turn again, that your sins may be blotted out."
The reason God fulfilled what the prophets spoke about the suffering of the Messiah was so that the suffering of Jesus was the triumph over all guilt. The prophet said, "He was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that made us whole, and with his stripes we are healed."
So if you repent toward God this evening and turn to trust this crucified and risen Messiah, Jesus, all your sins will be wiped away. It's a beautiful word—this word for the wiping away of sin, it is the same one used in Revelation for the wiping away of every tear.
That's the second reason for singing "Glory to God" this evening. God wipes away all the sins of all who repent and turn to Christ.
Reason #3. GOD WILL ONE DAY ESTABLISH THE KINGDOM OF CHRIST UPON THIS EARTH.
Notice as I read these final verses three wonderful things about this future kingdom—our future.
Acts 3:19b-21 - "19b) . . . that times of refreshing might come from the presence of the Lord (#1, our future will be an age of refreshment; we really will mount up with wings like eagles), 20) and that he (God) may send the Christ appointed for you, Jesus (#2, our future will be with Jesus; finally we will see and know him face to face), 21) whom heaven must receive until the time for establishing all that God spoke by the mouth of holy prophets from of old (#3, literally it reads: "until the times for the restoration of all things." So our future will be in a new world like the garden of Eden. Things will be restored. Not just like it. But like it and better! All pain, all tragedy, all catastrophe, all frustration, all futility will be gone)."
So that's reason #3 for singing to God Worship. Let me sum them all up and send us into future Worship with hearts full of truth. And it may be that what the truth and the music does for you is make you hungry for prayer about some need in your life. Summary: THREE REASONS TO SOAR IN WORSHP AS WE GIVE GLORY TO GOD.
Reason #1. God fulfills his hope-giving promises in spite of and through the opposition of ignorant people.
Reason #2. God wipes away all the sins of people who repent and turn to Christ.
Reason #3. God will one day establish the Kingdom of Christ on the earth.
It will be a time of refreshing. It will be a time with Jesus face to face. It will be a time when everything will be restored to beauty and goodness and truth to the glory of God.