Refreshed Part 5 - We Need a Refreshing

We Need a Refreshing

Acts 3:19 NKJV

19 Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord,

In January, North Korea resumes missile tests.

In February, Russia invades Ukraine and war begins.

In March, parental rights in education bill that simply disallowed educators to teach kindergarten through 3rd grade students about sex and transgenderism was misnamed and protested throughout the country. China begins draconian lockdowns in an effort to wipe COVID from their country including locking people in their homes and putting iron bars over housing units and apartment buildings so that people cannot leave. Many have run out of food causing clashes with police and COVID teams. The lockdown also shut down the main two shipping ports in China causing fears of shortages.

In April, inflation grips the US with rising prices on almost every good and service especially noticed in the price of gas and diesel fuel. Elon Musk tries to buy Twitter and many in the US go crazy over the thought that they can no longer control free speech which our country was founded on. A mass shooting on the New York subway left 29 people injured.

In May, nuclear weapons testing resumes in North Korea. The US redeploys troops to Somalia and threatens to defend Taiwan if China makes a move against the nation. A baby formula shortage reaches crisis proportions in the US with some states reporting 50% of the types of baby formula is not available in the state. Mass shootings at a Buffalo supermarket in a Texas elementary school leave 31 dead. Inflation drives gasoline and diesel prices to record highs as supply chain shortages begin to show up in stores.

We need a refreshing.

Matthew 24:3–6 NKJV

3 Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?” 4 And Jesus answered and said to them: “Take heed that no one deceives you. 5 For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many. 6 And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.

Matthew 24:6–12 NKJV

6 And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. 7 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. 8 All these are the beginning of sorrows. 9 “Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name’s sake. 10 And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another. 11 Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many. 12 And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold.

Notice what Jesus said in verse 6:

See that you are not troubled!

Let’s go back to our theme verse:

Acts 3:19 NKJV

19 Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord,

If you remember the setting, this is where Peter and John had just healed the crippled man who sat at the gate of the temple.You remember the story...

Acts 3:12–14 NKJV

12 So when Peter saw it, he responded to the people: “Men of Israel, why do you marvel at this? Or why look so intently at us, as though by our own power or godliness we had made this man walk? 13 The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God of our fathers, glorified His Servant Jesus, whom you delivered up and denied in the presence of Pilate, when he was determined to let Him go. 14 But you denied the Holy One and the Just, and asked for a murderer to be granted to you,

Acts 3:15–16 NKJV

15 and killed the Prince of life, whom God raised from the dead, of which we are witnesses. 16 And His name, through faith in His name, has made this man strong, whom you see and know. Yes, the faith which comes through Him has given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all.

Acts 3:17–18 NKJV

17 “Yet now, brethren, I know that you did it in ignorance, as did also your rulers. 18 But those things which God foretold by the mouth of all His prophets, that the Christ would suffer, He has thus fulfilled.

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.

Acts 3:19 Amplified Bible

19 So repent [change your inner self—your old way of thinking, regret past sins] and return [to God—seek His purpose for your life], so that your sins may be wiped away [blotted out, completely erased], so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord [restoring you like a cool wind on a hot day];

This was Peter’s second sermon.

Let’s look at the last part of that scripture again.

so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord [restoring you like a cool wind on a hot day];

It’s interesting that Peter uses the illustration of wind in that word picture of refreshing. If you remember peter’s first sermon, it happened on the day of Pentecost and if you’ve forgotten what happened on the day of Pentecost let’s take a look:

Acts 2:1–8 NKJV

1 When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. 2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. 4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. 5 And there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men, from every nation under heaven. 6 And when this sound occurred, the multitude came together, and were confused, because everyone heard them speak in his own language. 7 Then they were all amazed and marveled, saying to one another, “Look, are not all these who speak Galileans? 8 And how is it that we hear, each in our own language in which we were born?

The wind of refreshing blew through the upper room on the day of Pentecost. Peter had needed that refreshing. He had denied that he knew Jesus.Three times with cursing and swearing he had declared that he didn’t even know him at all.

But after Jesus resurrection he was intent on refreshing and restoring Peter.

Mark 16:5–7 NKJV

5 And entering the tomb, they saw a young man clothed in a long white robe sitting on the right side; and they were alarmed. 6 But he said to them, “Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He is risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid Him. 7 But go, tell His disciples—and Peter—that He is going before you into Galilee; there you will see Him, as He said to you.”

John 21:15–20 NKJV

15 So when they had eaten breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me more than these?” He said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.” He said to him, “Feed My lambs.” 16 He said to him again a second time, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?” He said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.” He said to him, “Tend My sheep.” 17 He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?” Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, “Do you love Me?” And he said to Him, “Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You.” Jesus said to him, “Feed My sheep. 18 Most assuredly, I say to you, when you were younger, you girded yourself and walked where you wished; but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will gird you and carry you where you do not wish.” 19 This He spoke, signifying by what death he would glorify God. And when He had spoken this, He said to him, “Follow Me.” 20 Then Peter, turning around, saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following, who also had leaned on His breast at the supper, and said, “Lord, who is the one who betrays You?”

Then, on the day of Pentecost, in the room with 119 others, Peter was filled with the Holy Spirit and God chose him to preach the first Holy Spirit anointed sermon.

Acts 2:14–21 NKJV

14 But Peter, standing up with the eleven, raised his voice and said to them, “Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and heed my words. 15 For these are not drunk, as you suppose, since it is only the third hour of the day. 16 But this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel: 17 ‘And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God, That I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh; Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, Your young men shall see visions, Your old men shall dream dreams. 18 And on My menservants and on My maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days; And they shall prophesy. 19 I will show wonders in heaven above And signs in the earth beneath: Blood and fire and vapor of smoke. 20 The sun shall be turned into darkness, And the moon into blood, Before the coming of the great and awesome day of the Lord. 21 And it shall come to pass That whoever calls on the name of the Lord Shall be saved.’

God wants to pour out a spirit of refreshing upon his people. God wants to pour out the Holy Spirit afresh and anew on all those who are tired, who are weary, Who are defeated and downtrodden.

Acts 2:21 (AMP)

21 And it shall be that whoever shall call upon the name of the Lord [invoking, adoring, and worshiping the Lord—Christ] shall be saved [rescued spiritually].

The refreshing God wants to give us is not for the purpose of escape but for the purpose of renewed strength.

During Isaiah’s lifetime, the dispirited nation of Israel suffered a period of great distress politically as oppressive Assyrian powers invaded and conquered their lands. Isaiah chapters 40–48 contain promises of redemption and deliverance from the suffering. That section of the book starts with the words “Comfort, comfort my people, says your God” (Isaiah 40:1). Israel had nearly given up hope, thinking God had abandoned them, yet Isaiah drives his point home in Isaiah 40:27–31, “Why do you say, O Jacob, and speak, O Israel, ‘My way is hidden from the Lord, and my right is disregarded by my God’? Have you not known? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable. He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength. Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint” (ESV).

Isaiah 40:31 NKJV

31 But those who wait on the Lord Shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint.

Isaiah 40:31 AMP

31 But those who wait for the Lord [who expect, look for, and hope in Him] shall change and renew their strength and power; they shall lift their wings and mount up [close to God] as eagles [mount up to the sun]; they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint or become tired.