FAITH IN ACTION, \”TRUSTING GOD WHILE WAITING\”
Acts 3:11-22
GOD\’S AMAZING GRACE
V:11. \”While the beggar held on to Peter and John, all the people were astonished and came running to them in the place called Solomon\’s Colonnade. \”
A. You can always expect the unexpected from the Lord.
1. A man had been lame from birth, about 40 years.
2. His only means of support was to beg for money from those going into
the temple.
3. He lived off the generosity of those who worshipped the Lord.
4. He had the support of friends or relatives who brought him to the temple
each day.
B. On this particular day, he was at the right place at the right time.
1. Even though he did not have the function of his legs, he used
the voice God gave him to ask for help.
2. He was not lazy, he was disable
C. He saw Peter and John going into the temple and ask for help.
1. He expected a donation, but he got the unexpected, complete healing
of his legs, ankles and feet.
2. God blesses those who come to Him for help.
3. God blesses those who are persistence in their prayers.
4. Just because your prayers have not been answered, does not mean they
want be answered.
5. You can be sure that God hears your prayers, but He answers them in His time.
GIVE GOD CREDIT FOR THE SUCCESS IN MINISTRY
V:12-13. \” When Peter saw this, he said to them: \”Men of Israel, why does this surprise you? Why do you stare at us as if 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, has glorified his servant Jesus. You handed him over to be killed, and you disowned him before Pilate, though he had decided to let him go.\”
A. Never take credit for what God has done through you.
1.We are instruments of God power.
2. God uses our troubles to show His power.
3. God uses us to put His power in action.
B. When good things happen to us, we can use them as opportunities to give
God praise.
1. We can use what God has done to us as a testimony to proclaim Jesus
as our Lord and Savior.
2. Some one is always watching what happens in your life.
3. Someone can be drawn to Jesus by your testimony.
C. The people of the community witness the healing of the lame man.
1. They were amazed at how he was healed.
2. They may have been confused as to how uneducated men were able to
heal the lame man.
3. They may have thought Peter and John was responsible for the miracle.
D. Peter used their confusion to proclaim the power of God.
1. The first thing Peter did was proclaim their God, the God of Abraham, Isaac and
Jacob.
2. Second Peter introduced them to Jesus as a servant of God.
3. The third thing Peter did was to proclaim the glory of Jesus
through His death at the hands of the community.
4. Peter made the community responsible for the death of Jesus,
because the Roman government declared Him innocent.
5. No one in the community spoke up for Jesus doing his trial.
6. When we keep our mouth closed, we support the majority
opinion.
OWN UP TO YOUR MISTAKES
V:14 You disowned the Holy and Righteous One and asked that a murderer be released to you.\”
A. You should never agree with the popular opinion if you don\’t have supporting
evidence.
1. The community had the evidence that Jesus was Holy and righteous because
of His good works.
2. They had the evidence that Jesus was sent from the Father because they witness
all His miracles and they heard Him preach the Word of God.
B. The community had no evidence that Jesus was sinful.
1. The accusers of Jesus couldn\’t find to men who would agree with the same lie.
2. They knew Barabbas was a murderer, yet they released him and killed Jesus.
3. Peter laid the blame of Jesus death on the very ones who were amazed at
the healing of the lame man.
4. Peter identifies Jesus with attributes of God the Father; Holy and Righteous.
GOD USES YOUR BAD TO HIS GLORY
V:15. \”You killed the author of life, but God raised him from the dead. We are witnesses of this. \”
A. When you condemn a person without evidence, you may not know how much
damage you are doing.
1. God allows bad thing to happen to good people for the benefit of the body of
Christ.
2. We are responsible for the bad we do, but God can make it work for good.
B. Peter introduces Jesus life under the guidance of the Father,
1. Jesus is introduced as the creator.
2. You, the community killed Him, but God raised Him from the dead.
3. You condemned Him but God redeemed Him
C. Peter presents himself and the other disciples as eye witnesses
to the death and resurrection of Christ.
1. Christ was raise by the power of the Father.
2. While we were not living at the time of Christ death,
but we can trust the word of the eye witnesses.
3. Jesus appeared to over 500 people after His resurrection. 1 Cor 15:6
D. No one can come to Jesus, unless the Father draws him. John 6:35
1, Peter connected the dots so that Israel could be enlighten
to who Jesus was.
2. You got to remember that the Jews knew Jesus as the son of a
carpenter.
a. They knew Jesus as Mary\’s boy.
c. They knew Him as a teacher.
d. They witness him healing their family members, yet refused to
see Him as the Son of God.
e. They knew the human side of Jesus, but not the spiritual side.
3. Peter proclaimed Jesus as the only Holy and Righteous One.
1. He presents Jesus as the creator of life.
2. Peter presents Jesus as more than man, because He was resurrected by
Father in their time.
3. Peter presents Jesus with all power to heal.
FAITH IN JESUS ANSWERS PRAYERS
V:16. \” By faith in the name of Jesus, this man whom you see and know was made strong. It is Jesus\’ name and the faith that comes through him that has given this complete healing to him, as you can all see.\”
A. Under the Law the Jews knew \”faith\” as it related to keeping God\’s commands.
1. Here Peter introduces \”faith\” as it relates to belief in the power of Jesus.
2. Peter equates Jesus with God the Father through the power of healing.
B. By faith in the \”name of Jesus\” a lame man was made to walk.
1. There is power in the \”name of Jesus\”.
2. There is healing in the \”name of Jesus\”
3. There is resurrection in the \” name of Jesus\”
4. Under the Law the Jews worshipped God.
5. We are taught to worship Jesus under Grace.
6. Jesus and the Father are one,
7. The lame man was broken under the Law but made complete under Grace.
YOUR IGNORANCE MAY GLORIFY GOD
V:17-18. \”Now, brothers, I know that you acted in ignorance, as did your leaders.
18 But this is how God fulfilled what he had foretold through all the prophets, saying that his Christ would suffer. \”
A. God introduces \”ignorance\” as a lack of knowledge about Jesus.
1. He uses ignorance to draw us to Jesus,
2. In this case, the drawing card was the healing of the lame man,
which was 40 years in the making.
B. This \”ignorance\” was part of God\’s plan of redemption.
1. The prophets had spoke of Jesus suffering.
2. It was the ignorance of man that led Jesus to the cross,
fulfilling the prophecy. Isa 53:10
STEPS TO SALVATION
V:19-20. \” Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord,
20 and that he may send the Christ, who has been appointed for you — even Jesus. \”
A. Peter introduces the steps of Salvation.
1, Repent
2. Turn to God
3. The atonement of sins
4. Regeneration
B. The Messiah had been long preached to the Jews as their salvation by the prophets.
1. The Jews were anticipating the coming of their promised Messiah.
2. Because of their ignorance they didn\’t know Him when He showed up.
3. Peter proclaims Jesus as the appointed Messiah.
4. The same Jesus they crucified is the Messiah that saves them.
THE SECOND COMING OF JESUS
V:21. : He must remain in heaven until the time comes for God to restore everything, as
he promised long ago through his holy prophets. \”
A. Peter proclaim, the coming of the Messiah, His death and resurrection and
His second coming.
1. The Pharisees, a ruling Jewish sect believed in the resurrection.
2. Herod, the Roman tetrarch, believed in the resurrection (Matt 14:2).
2. Peter confirmed the Jewish belief by proclaiming the resurrection of Jesus.
B. The healing of the lame man got the Jewish community attention which
Peter used to preach Jesus as their appointed savior.
1. The hearts and minds of those who accepted Jesus as their Messiah
by faith were prepared for the second coming of Jesus.
2. God keeps His promises in His time.
3. We were all drawn to Christ in the Father\’s time.
4. We should all be anticipating the glorious return of our Lord and
Savior, Jesus Christ.
PRAISE GOD FOR LOVING US
Rev. M. Mitchell
Asst Pastor of Greater Macedonia Baptist Church
5510 West Sam Houston Toll Way North
Houston, Texas 77041
For more lessons follow me on facebook or visit my
blogs, revmmitchell.com and goodnewsrevmitc.blogspot.com
