Well, good morning. So this morning we're continuing our study through the book of Acts, and we're using Dennis Johnson's book, Let's Study Acts, as our guide. And today we come to chapter seven in his book. Working on it. Oh, you know, it would help if I turned it on. There we go. A little technical difficulty to start. So we come to chapter seven, the glorified servant bestows blessing. And in this chapter of Dennis Johnson's book, he's gonna have us take a look at Acts chapter three, verses 11 through 26. So if you could please turn to Acts chapter three. In Acts chapter three, in this section of Acts, in this chapter of Acts, we learn last week of the healing of the lame man. As you may recall from last week's study, Peter and John were on their way to the temple. It was about the ninth hour, the hour of prayer. And as they were going to the temple, they came to a lame man, a man who was lame from birth. He was lying at the gate, beautiful. He was begging alms of all those who passed by, who were on their way into the temple. and seeing Peter and John, he asked them for alms, and in response to this man's request for alms, Peter and John stop, and they directed their gaze at this lame man, and Peter said to him in Acts chapter three, verse six, he says, 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. Then Peter took this man by the hand and raised him up. And immediately, immediately, his feet and his ankles were made strong. A miraculous healing accomplished by the power of the name of Jesus. And as this man stood, for the first time in his life, imagine that. We're told later, he was 40 years old. Think of it, all of his life he was lame, not able to stand. And here he stands and it's as though he cannot control his joy. And in verse 8 we read of him leaping up as he stood, he began to walk. And he entered the temple with them. And he was walking and leaping and praising God. He entered into the temple with Peter and John. Think of it, this man who day after day was laid at the gate, unable to go into that temple, not permitted to go into the temple to worship God because he was a lame man. This man, now that he was healed, he was able for that very first time in his life to enter that temple and to worship God. And as he does so, he cannot contain his joy. He cannot contain his thanksgiving. His response to his healing, he is walking and leaping and praising God, joyfully giving thanks and praise to God for this miraculous healing. Well, that's what we heard of last week. Now we come to chapter three, verses 11 through 26. And what we're told here in these verses, we're told what then takes place in this temple? What takes place following this man's healing as he's there in the temple? And as we look at these events and what takes place in the temple, we'll use Dennis Johnson's outline. First, we'll look at not our power or piety, but Jesus's name. And then secondly, we will look at your sinful ignorance, but God's sovereign grace. So first then, not our power or piety, but Jesus' name. So if you're there in Acts chapter three, if you would follow along as I read verses 11 through 16. Beginning in verse 11, we read this. While he clung to Peter and John, all the people, utterly astonished, ran together to them in the portico called Solomon's. And when Peter saw it, he addressed the people, men of Israel, why do you wonder at this? Why do you stare at us as though by our own power or piety we have made him walk? the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, 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. But you denied the Holy and Righteous One and asked for a murderer to be granted to you. And you killed the author of life, whom God raised from the dead. To this we are witnesses. And his name, by faith in his name, has made this man strong, whom you see and know. The faith that is through Jesus has given the man this perfect health in the presence of you all. As this man enters the temple, apparently he creates quite a scene. He's going about leaping and praising God, and as he's doing so, though, he is sticking close to Peter and John, so close that it's described as though he's clinging to them. And can you imagine the amazement of the people in the temple as they looked at this man? Many of the people in the temple, they recognize this man, for they walk past him day after day. They knew that he was that lame man that was at the gate begging for alms. They knew his ailment. They knew that he had been lame, unable to walk from birth. That he was a totally reliant man, reliant on family and friends to carry him there each day to the temple gate. To a position such that he could beg to ask alms for all that pass by, those going into the temple. And now, they see him in the temple. And he's standing, even leaping, fully healed. We're told that they're utterly astounded, full of amazement at what they're seeing. And in their minds, as they're looking at this man who had been lame from birth, they're wondering, they have this question in their mind, who's responsible for the healing of this man? So then, who is responsible? This is the unspoken question of all who gathered around Peter and John and this man. Who's responsible? Well, first we know it's not the man himself. He had been lamed, it was a physical problem from his birth. And although we do not know all the details, what type of medical condition that it was that he suffered from that caused him to be lame, we can conclude this from verse seven, that it was a condition that affected the strength of his feet and his ankles to such a degree that this man was not able to stand. And you can imagine, throughout this man's life, He had been powerless to change the fact that he was lame. And I'm sure that he tried. I'm sure that maybe he tried some exercises, or maybe he tried some type of treatment, or some type of special remedy that he was told of. But there was nothing, nothing that he could do to give him strength in his feet and in his ankles. He was unable to stand, unable to walk. It's a problem of being lame that was a fact. It was a problem that he had no ability to solve. So it was obvious that all who passed by, they knew who's responsible. It's not the man. Because they've seen him. He's fully dependent on others to move him about, to even carry him to the gate so that he could beg. So if it's not the man, then who is it? Well, is it Peter or John? Seeing this man clinging to Peter and John, it seems that some of the people thought that perhaps it was Peter and John who were responsible. They may have been wondering in their own minds, it's like, well, did these men have some kind of a special power? Some power in themselves that gave them the ability to give this man the healing so he could walk. Or maybe these men are really holy men. They're divine, and because of that, they had some ability to heal. Well, Peter clearly tells all the people, he says that they are not responsible for this healing. In verse 12, he says, men of Israel, why do you wonder at this? Why do you stare at us? As though by our own power or piety, we made him walk. They tell all those who are gathered around in amazement that this miraculous healing was not based on any power or any piety of their own. the source of this healing, the one that's responsible for the healing of this lame man. It's not them, it's another. This then brings us to Jesus. In response to their unspoken question, as they stood in amazement and wonder at the healing of this lame man, Peter turns these men's attention away from himself and John, and points to Jesus. Peter uses this miracle as an opportunity to preach Jesus to all who are gathered about them. And as Peter proclaims Jesus, he uses scripture and he uses Old Testament portraits that these men, these men of Israel, would be well acquainted with. He begins using the portrait of Jesus as a servant. And as he does so, Peter sets up sort of this contrast it seems. It's a contrast between God, the God of their fathers who glorified his servant, his servant Jesus, and these men of Israel. These men who rejected and denied Jesus. Notice Peter's words in verse 13. He says, 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. Perhaps this is a reference back to the servant, the servant that was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah, in Isaiah 52 and 53. If you recall in Isaiah 52 verse 13, we're told that the servant of God, his servant, will be exalted. I know sometimes we neglect to go back to that section in 52. Often I focus on 53 and I forget those words in 52, 13, where he says, behold, my servant shall act wisely. He shall be high and lifted up and shall be exalted. God shall glorify his servant. However, contrast this with the actions of men toward the servant. The ones that we're most familiar with in Isaiah 53, and I'll just use one verse as an example. Isaiah 53, verse 3, it says, He was despised and rejected by men. Jesus' servant. Jesus who is glorified by God, by their God, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God of Jacob, the God of their fathers glorified and exalted Jesus the servant. But this same Jesus was rejected. He was denied by the men of Israel. They did not believe that Jesus was the Messiah. They rejected him and they delivered him, turned him over to the Romans to Pilate to be killed. So we see the portrait of Jesus as the servant, but also then we see in verse 14, Peter uses another portrait, the portrait of Jesus as the holy and the righteous one. As he says to the men of Israel, but you denied the Holy and the Righteous One and asked for a murderer to be granted to you. Again, I believe that Peter is using Old Testament language here. Language that would be very familiar to these men. And perhaps I believe he may be thinking back specifically to our reference in Isaiah 43. In Isaiah 43, verse 15, we read this. I am the Lord, your Holy One, the creator of Israel, your King. The Lord, the Holy One, is the King. He is the King of Israel, the King of the Jews. And yet, when Pilate presented Jesus to the people, he proclaimed, behold your King. But the men of Israel, they denied that Jesus was their king and cried out, away with him, crucify him. Pilate had sought to release Jesus. For Pilate said, I find no guilt in him. Pilate knew that he was a righteous man. He was the righteous one. But the men of Israel, they rejected Jesus. And instead, they asked for a murderer, for Barabbas, a notorious sinner, to be released. So we see the portrait of Jesus as the holy and the righteous one. But he was denied and rejected by the men of Israel. But then we see then in the words of Peter and his preaching, we see Jesus presented as another portrait. He's presented as the author of life. Look with me at verse 16. Peter declares Jesus as the author of life. And he says, and you killed The author of life. Think of the irony here. Jesus who was sent by the Father, sent to give life, to give eternal life to all who would believe. The author of life is killed. Killed by sinful men. The very ones that Jesus was to come to, to offer eternal life. As Peter preaches Jesus and proclaims the portraits of Jesus, he presses their conscience regarding their actions. Dennis Johnson uses these words, he says, Peter's explanation of the healing of the lame man turns the searchlight on these hearers, revealing their guilt, their guilt for repudiating the Messiah who was promised and provided for them. In Peter's words, he boldly confronts them with their sin. They denied, they rejected, they killed Jesus, the servant of God, the holy and the righteous one, the author of life. And as Peter continues to preach Jesus, he proclaims to all of the men of Israel, all that were gathered around, that Jesus, the one whom they killed, God raised from the dead. Jesus has risen, to which Peter and John are witnesses. And then it seems that coming back to where he began, where he started, to answer the question that was unspoken. Their question, who is responsible for the healing of this lame man? By whose power was this man healed? Peter proclaims that it is Jesus, it is Jesus who is responsible for the healing. For it is by faith in Jesus, faith in his name, that the lame man received perfect health. In his book, Let's Study Acts, Dennis Johnson draws this interesting connection between the miraculous healing of the lame man and the resurrection of Jesus. He writes this, he says, God raised Jesus from the dead to make him the one who leads others to life. And from his resurrection, healing flows to others. Thus, the healing of the lame man is itself a sign of resurrection. For the same Greek verb that is used for Peter's action toward the lame man, where he raised him up, it's the same verb that's used for God raising up of Jesus. And it's not the apostles, but it's the risen Jesus who has given this complete, excuse me, healing to the man. So the healing of the layman, who is responsible? It's not by their power, it's not by their piety that this man is healed, but it is by the name of Jesus. But next we see a, it's almost like a shift in the tone of Peter's message. In those verses we just were reading, it seemed a very pointed message, indicting these men for their sin. And now we see somewhat of a shift. Almost as though it's this passionate invitation, a call to repentance. And that brings us now to our second main point from the chapter in Dennis Johnson's book. Your sinful ignorance, but God's sovereign grace. So if you're still there in Acts chapter three, please follow along as I read the remainder of Acts three. Picking up the reading in verse 17. And now, brothers, I know that you acted in ignorance, as did also your rulers. But what God foretold by the mouth of all the prophets, that as Christ would suffer, he thus fulfilled. Repent, therefore, and turn back, that your sins may be blotted out, that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that he may send the Christ appointed for you, Jesus, whom heaven must receive until the time for restoring all things about which God spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets long ago. 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. And it shall be that every soul who does not listen to that prophet shall be destroyed from the people. And all the prophets who have spoken from Samuel and those who came after him also proclaim these days. 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. God, having raised up his servant, sent him to you first to bless you by turning every one of you from your wickedness. So first then, there's sinful ignorance. Peter says, I know, I know you acted in ignorance. He's referring to the actions of these men of Israel, where they rejected Jesus, where they turned Jesus over to Pilate to be killed. Peter knows that these actions were done in ignorance, ignorance. Having a lack of knowledge, particularly of spiritual things, a moral blindness. These men, they were ignorant, even though God had foretold by the mouth of the prophets that the Messiah, the Christ, would come as a servant, a servant who would suffer and who would die for his people. These people of Israel, even their rulers, they had been told by God through the prophets of the servant. But we know that you will indeed hear but never understand. You will indeed see, but never perceive. These men were ignorant. They did not understand. They did not see that Jesus was the fulfillment of the prophecy. But although they were ignorant, they were still culpable. They were still responsible for their actions. What these men of Israel did their rejection of Jesus, their delivering of Jesus over to Pilate to be killed. These were sinful acts. And although they may have been done in ignorance, yet it was still sin. They were guilty of shedding the innocent blood of Jesus, the holy and the righteous one, the author of life. And they will be held accountable for their sinful actions. But what now? What must they do? Well, Peter tells them what they must do. In verse 19 he says, they must repent. They must turn now that they know the truth. Now that they have heard the gospel that was preached by Peter. Now that they have been told who Jesus truly is. They must repent, turn away from their past rejection of Jesus, and they must turn to Jesus, turn to him in faith, believing that Jesus is the fulfillment of the words of the prophet, that Jesus is the servant of God, that Jesus is the holy and the righteous one, that Jesus is the author of life. And with this call to repentance, Peter then adds and gives this promise This promise that their debt will be blotted out. By their rejection of Jesus, their denial of Jesus, these men were sinners. As sinners, they faced the consequence for their sin. And we know the wages of sin is death. They face death. It's a debt that must be paid. A debt that they owe to God. A debt recorded in the ledger book of God. A debt, more than just a physical death, it's an eternal death, an eternal punishment, suffering the wrath of God for all eternity. This is the debt that they must pay. But the good news is, the good news that Peter preached, It's the gospel. The gospel is that Jesus paid the debt. The suffering servant who bore our griefs and carried our sorrows. The holy and the righteous one who knew no sin, but became sin for us. The author of life who laid down his life to give us eternal life. Jesus suffered and died, absorbing the full wrath of God, so that all who believe in Him, for those who repent and by faith trust in Jesus, their sins are forgiven. The debt that they owe, it's been paid by Jesus, and as it were, it was blotted out of the record books, erased, never to be remembered again by God. The promise of the cancellation of the debt for sin. It's a promise given to all who hear Peter's voice. To the men of Israel who were present that day. But that promise is still offered to all even today. That promise is offered to anyone who will repent and believe in Jesus. You're called to repent, to turn to Jesus. And when you do so, you will receive this promise. The debt of your sins, it will be blotted out. But in addition to this blotting out of sin, there is this promise of blessing. It's a blessing of times of refreshing. To all who repent and believe in Jesus, they will experience what I thought of as a current refreshment in this life. They will experience the grace and the mercy of God through faith in Christ. To no longer be under that heavy yoke, the burden and the weight of laboring to keep the law, seeking to try to be justified by the law. There will be this time of refreshing given by Jesus, whose yoke is easy and whose burden is light. But also they will experience a future time of refreshing at the time of the restoration of all things. At the appointed time when Christ will return, at that time all things shall be restored. There will be a new heaven and a new earth. All things will be recreated in perfection without sin. And his people will be with Jesus in his presence forevermore. This hope, a hope of a future restoration, this promise seems to be pointing to the second coming of Jesus and the glory that awaits his people. So we have seen the call to repentance. We have seen the promise given. But Peter then closes this message. This message to the men of Israel. And he returns again to Old Testament prophecy. And he declares that Jesus is the fulfillment of the prophetic promises. Peter points to the promise of the prophet. The prophet who was spoken of by Moses. He was spoken of in Deuteronomy 18, 15, where we read of that promise. 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. It's a future prophet who would be like Moses. who would redeem the people to release them from their bondage of slavery to sin, just as Moses brought the people out of their bondage in Egypt. Who would lead the people of God to rest, just as Moses led the people through the desert wilderness to the promised land of rest. Who was a unique, who had a close relationship with God, just as Moses had that face-to-face relationship with God. who would be the mediator between God and man, just as Moses was that mediator between God and Israel, who would teach and instruct the people in the truth, just as Moses was the lawgiver who gave the people the commandments of God. A prophet like Moses, a prophet that the people were called to obey. Peter says to listen to him, whatever he tells you. God, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God of Jacob, God promised blessings, blessings to all who would obey, the blessings of forgiveness, the blessings of eternal life, to all that listen to the words of Jesus, the prophet like Moses. But be clear here. With the blessing that is described, Peter also tells his hearers that there is also a curse. There are consequences for disobedience. In verse 23, we read of how every soul who does not listen to that prophet, to Jesus, they shall be destroyed. A fearful warning to all who reject Jesus and do not heed his words. Peter then continues to speak of the covenant that God made with his fathers, with their fathers, specifically the promise, the promise made to Abraham, the promise of a seed. He says, in your offspring shall all the families of the earth be blessed. the seed of Abraham, the seed that would bring blessing. As John Gill writes, he will bring spiritual blessings, blessings of peace, of pardon, of righteousness, and eternal life. It's a promise, it's not only to the Jews, but it's a promise of spiritual blessing that would be to all people throughout the earth. Jesus, Jesus is the fulfillment of these prophetic promises. Jesus is the prophet that the Lord will raise up who is like Moses. Jesus is the offspring. He is the seed, the promised seed of Abraham, the one in whom all the families of the earth will be blessed. This is the gospel message. This is the gospel message that was preached by Peter to all the men of Israel. And in this message, Peter is urging them, urging all who hear his voice to repent, to turn from their wickedness and turn to Jesus in faith. to receive the promise, the promise that your sins will be blotted out, that you might receive times of refreshing, and then you might share in that future time of restoration when Christ returns. It's a gospel message that continues even to this day to all people to repent and believe in the name of Jesus. It's a promise that you're given if you do so. A promise of forgiveness of sin. A promise to have a personal relationship with Jesus even now. And then when he returns to have this hope of knowing that you will spend eternity with Jesus in a new heaven and a new earth. Well, may all who hear these words, who have not yet repented and believed in Jesus, may you today obey the call to repent and believe. Please join me now as we close. Dear God, we bow and we give you thanks for your amazing grace and mercy to sinners. We thank you that you did not leave us in our sin, but you sent us your son, the promised seed, the promised servant, the holy and the righteous one, the author of life, the one sent to give us eternal life. And we thank you for what Christ did, what he accomplished, And we thank you for how your spirit worked in our lives that we might have faith to believe, to remove the blindness that we had so that we might see, to open our minds to the truth so that we might understand, so that we might repent, that we might turn from our sin and turn to Christ in faith. So we pray this day and give you thanks for all the spiritual blessings we have through Christ, but we likewise also pray for this gospel. We pray, Lord, that you would use it in the lives of those who are yet still denying Christ. Work in their hearts that they might see Christ for who he is. Have them turn, repent, and put their faith in Christ alone, and be saved. We ask now that you'd continue with us this day. We ask this in Jesus' name. Amen.