I invite you to turn this morning in your Bibles to Acts chapter 3. Acts chapter 3, as we are continuing our study in the book of Acts. And this morning come to chapter 3. Tonight we'll be back in Revelation chapter 18. But Acts chapter 3 this morning, that's found on page 1159 in the Pew Bible. This is the word of the Lord. We'll pick up at verse one of chapter three and read the chapter. Now, Peter and John were going up to the temple at the hour of prayer, the ninth hour. And a man lame from birth was being carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple that is called Beautiful Gate to ask alms of those entering the temple. Seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple, he asked to receive alms. And Peter directed his gaze at him, as did John, and said, look at us. And he fixed his attention on them, expecting to receive something from them. But Peter said, I have no silver or gold, but what I do have, I give to you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk. And he took him by the right hand and raised him up. And immediately his feet and ankles were made strong. And leaping up, he stood and began to walk and entered the temple with them. walking and leaping and praising God and all the people saw him walking and praising God and recognized him as the one who sat at the beautiful gate of the temple asking for alms and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him while he clung to Peter and John all the people utterly astounded 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 or 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 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 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 and the faith that is through Jesus has given the man this perfect health in the presence of you all 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 his christ would suffer he thus fulfilled repent therefore and turn again 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 the 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 father, 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. And there ends the reading of God's Word. What we have before us this morning in Acts chapter 3 is the ministry of the gospel as it was going forward and developed in what chapter 1 told us in the book of Acts, that this gospel would begin in Jerusalem and go to Judea and Samaria and to the ends of the earth. You're seeing this program now begin. You're seeing this program really take off at this point as we are right in the temple. It's important to understand though before we begin to look at this that this is the same ministry as jesus gave in the gospels that we studied when we went through mark now we see this ministry of the spirit it is the same ministry that is being shown to us today in acts chapter 3 is the same ministry that you are receiving it's the same ministry that's really important to understand and see what's happening before us this morning in acts chapter 3 all of uh all of this is really pushing us to a very important verse here in verse 19 which i i stopped and pondered and kept pondering and couldn't get over this past week in my study in verse 19 such an important verse that where it says that they Peter calls them to repent and be converted, that our sins are blotted out, and the time of refreshing would come upon us from the presence of the Lord. That's such a glorious verse, isn't it? That the time of refreshing would come. Time of refreshing. We're going to look at that. It's such a wonderful verse in the midst of all this. I want you to see that that is the Lord's answer to us in the mess that we are in, in the struggles that we face, in the hardships that continue to go on of living in this world. How are we to be refreshed in this mess? Acts chapter 3 is the answer to that in the story of the deliverance of this lame man. Everything about this you'll see is this deliverance is done in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. It's a deliverance in the name. You'll notice that the lame man was healed in his name. He was saved through faith in his name and that by this name, the season of refreshment was given. So that's how we're gonna look at this today in the name of the Lord, especially here in this first part, how this lame man was healed in his name. I've really been enjoying Acts so far. Chapter 2 was a wonderful section, so foundational for understanding the ministry of the Spirit and the demonstration of the Spirit and power as it began here with the apostles. And it was all about, chapter 2, the preaching of Jesus, you'll remember. That was what Pentecost was about. The Holy Spirit had been poured out through the preaching and through the pouring out of the Spirit as the preaching of Jesus was done, many people were being saved and many people were being brought into the kingdom. The day of Joel was being fulfilled. The day of Joel was at hand that anyone who heard and called on the name of the Lord would be saved. That's the beauty of what was quoted from Joel 2 in Acts chapter 2. Last time we considered that the Lord was adding to the church through all of this. 3,000 people in that first sermon he added to the church and then last time we considered the priorities of the church didn't we in verses 42 through 47 of the priorities that they gave themselves to the teaching of the apostles the doctrine to the fellowship they fellowship they they enjoyed their new family they loved one another they cared for one another they gave themselves to the doctrine to the fellowship to the breaking of bread and prayer we looked at well now acts begins to show us the struggle because as we enter chapter four we're already going to look at the persecution here in the early church the struggle to take the gospel to the ends of the earth this wasn't easy think about that uh the lord's done a lot of work in this great kingdom reign to bring the gospel all the way here to you right now from that little room in Jerusalem. Think about it. Now in fulfillment, where the gospel has traveled and what it has conquered and what it has done, it is absolutely remarkable when you think about it. And Acts is showing us how this happened. Acts is showing us how the ministry of the Spirit was at work and what it looked like. And here we are, lo and behold, in Jerusalem. There were big problems to overcome in Jerusalem, weren't there? Big problems. These were the hometown folk. These were those that had the bad, sour attitude to the ministry. These were the most difficult. Because the hometown folk don't listen sometimes very well. And as the Gospel would first, as it was always said, go to the hometown folk in Jerusalem, when they rejected it, he would go elsewhere. He would bring in the Gentiles. And so we learn a lot here as now we are in Jerusalem and what is happening here with this first initial healing of this lame man. So let's look at this beginning at verse 1 here in chapter 3. Now Peter and John were going up to the temple at the hour of prayer, the ninth hour, and a man lame from birth was being carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple that is called the beautiful gate, to ask alms for those entering the temple. This is where it really takes off now. And in the first few verses, we have them heading to the temple at the hour of prayer. You'll notice these early Christians still would gather at the temple. They had nothing to do with the old sacrificial system, but they had a lot to do with prayer. Prayer was very important. And this is one thing we see in Acts, that they would gather together frequently for prayer. I guess as a side note, I should say that's something we should take all the more seriously too. But I want you to notice here that they have come up to the temple at the hour of prayer. Remember the Jews? We studied this back in Exodus. They had appointed times where they would come up even for prayer. And here we know, even at this particular time, they would come up three times and they would, up to the temple, and they would pray. So here they are, they have met at the temple, these Christians, to pray. And lo and behold, as Peter and John make their way there, there was a lame man there, it says, from his mother's womb. So it says there, right at the beginning, so much so that he couldn't walk, that his friends had to carry him up there, and they would set him in this temple gate called Beautiful, the Beautiful Gate. History tells us this was the gate of Nicanor made of Corinthian bronze. It was a commonplace people passed and knew about. They positioned him, his friends would position him here, leaving him here as he would beg for alms, as he would ask for help. Interesting, isn't it? To think about for a minute. it's really kind of a sad scene isn't it it's really kind of a sad scene this was the place of of prayer the place of worship here every time all these worshipers would come up to the temple they would come in they would go through their worship practices they would do what they were called to do and they would always pass by this lame man standing there sitting there not standing always passed by they just kept passing by him there he was coin coin please any help do you feel the offense of this scenario you could read right over it couldn't you help this isn't the guy you walk up to and say get a job he can't get up no leg power whatsoever no one took him in his friends would have to set him out there all the time building had giant what we call coffers right money bin obviously the religious authorities didn't care that in their own gate was a man sitting there begging i don't know if you've ever thought about it but um in my time of ministry there have always been certain needy folk very needy folk with physical problems they have always seemed to become kind of fixtures in the church they're always around the church i see this commonly and i've i've given a lot of thought to this that i think they're kind of um the lord places and sends these people as kind of tests to us test to the body do we care about them really come on into worship and uh here was this uh this beggar sitting out there by the gate it's a remarkable moment it's a remarkable moment it's familiar to us it's it's the kind of situation here that at least is is familiar to us in light of Jesus's ministry, isn't it? In other words, this feels a little bit like deja vu, doesn't it, to you? We've been here, haven't we? Haven't we studied this before? Studied this quite a bit before, haven't we? It sounds a little bit like Mark 2 and the paralytic that his friends brought. In some ways, this is all being recaptured again, isn't it? And it's a crucial point to the story in acts it's a crucial point to the whole mission of acts that in other words we're seeing jesus all over again makes sense acts began by saying that this book is all about what jesus is continuing to do his continuing ministry the holy spirit has now come whose purpose is to bear witness of him through remember what it said last time also with signs and wonders work through the apostles well that was verse 43 last time now we've got that so so so here we are we have this same ministry being shown to us the disciples by the spirit's power this man is out there begging and he sees peter and john i'm gonna ask them expecting to receive something from them We read that Peter laid his eyes and John laid his eyes on him and then he said to the man, look at us. He had given him his attention expecting to receive money. Then comes this beautiful line. It's such a beautiful line. It's such a beautiful thing he says in verse 6. But Peter said, 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 and he took him by the right hand and raised him up and immediately his feet and his ankles were made strong and leaping up he stood and began to walk and entered the temple with them walking and leaping and praising god wow what a moment huh it's easy to read right over it not realize that the very same power that was exhibited in the ministry of jesus when he walked on earth is now being exhibited again isn't it it's not over it's the same power what we typically do at this point and i i was interested to see what the the commentaries do with this and what people say and the reform commentaries typically at this point uh stop and try to explain why miracles are not for today and i think that wrecks the whole flow of this wrecks the whole flow of this what jesus was doing was unleashing his power through the apostles by the ministry of the spirit it was to show that his ministry was continuing it was again to say that we need to take heart that the same power demonstrated when he was walking on earth, when he walked up the people and he said, get up, take up your mat and walk and son, forgiven are your sins. Same power is now happening again. Being demonstrated. Same power. Even though he's absent. There was a purpose Jesus did all those miracles, wasn't there? Oh sure. We need to think about that. That Jesus would love and desires to heal people but we know that the ultimate goal of that are all of the infirmities and sicknesses of his people in the resurrection you're not going to accomplish that right now well there was a purpose then jesus was doing miracles right there was a purpose that jesus did them he he did them to fulfill in one way what the the prophets had spoken about what jesus would come to do when the Lord would took the scroll of the prophet Isaiah and say the spirit of the Lord is upon me because he's anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives, recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor. He cared very much about the poor and the oppressed and his purpose in doing miracles was upon them to illustrate something that people don't take very seriously the heart of all problems the heart of all problems peter's aim of the sermon you'll see this unfold here he is about to preach and say here as he as he preaches this poor beggar here is going to to be delivered and respond but there is an important thing that's being shown to us through the the deliverance of this man that just as he received jesus so we should hear him and receive him because we're no different we're no different his goal was to fit them into and bring them into the poor lame man's story the problem was none of them identified with the story what do i mean i'm not the guy down pegging on the corner i am i mean this is just the beggar by the door this is the guy down at washington park this is the handicapped lady this is the man bound up in the bed over at the home this is the woman who has problems with her mind right it's not me this is not me this is this is this is what we do why then is this so important what what is peter doing why is the miracle being used the miracle was a way to draw them into the story what do i mean by that think about it with me for a minute what was this all about what is recorded here is that the miracle had the intended effect that peter wanted it to have what was the intended effect of the miracle well if i stood up here today and healed someone what would you all do oh don't answer don't answer don't answer i heard someone try all the people saw him and what did they do they saw him leaping they saw him praising god and they knew it was him who sat at the gate begging for alms they were filled with what wonder and amazement it goes on that they looked at him holding on to peter and john that while they're thinking this man has really had something happen here and they all ran notice this now they're sprinting to the porch greatly amazed oh this is this is somewhat worked right now hasn't it why are they amazed well because a miracle is a power demonstrated outside the normal course of the natural events that we know that would make people interested enough to run because a power has been shown that now has caught our attention a power has been shown that now has really caught our attention and now you're going to come up to worship to see something for one reason why why do people get interested in all this stuff why are people interested in miracles tell me you can answer that we'll get somewhere. I'll tell you why. Because all of us want to believe that the good fortune and power that was given to somebody else could be ours. That's why. We're all narcissists. We're all inherently about us. I read about a poor lady who won the lottery and she just keeps winning it. This is a true story. She just keeps winning the lottery. She's won like five times now. She has become an instant celebrity. Lo and behold, an instant celebrity. Everyone's gathering around her. Why? Well, do people care about her? They don't give a rip about her. They're gathering around her for one reason. What's the secret? What's the secret? I want to know the secret. How are you able to continue to keep winning? I mean, that could be me. That's the thought. That's human nature. that that is human nature here's the arena of mystery here's a here's the arena of good fortune here's the extraordinary here's the power of something outside the course of things you can gain people that way the good fortune that has happened to this man is of undeniable proof and power and he's jumping now come on why does everyone gather around the good fortune of one because maybe I can find my way into that story oh now now we're getting somewhere why do you want to be in that story because you all and people have not achieved the happiness they want right of course what why would you be looking for all that maybe I can get the same ticket maybe i get the same pathway of luck we want to be in the story we want to identify with that story that's why when people lose everything they flee like roaches we want to understand how there is something more to this life we want to know what is the key to happiness now at this point peter is showing us how and why miracles were used he has a great purpose in the miracles as the lord had the purpose uh the spirit does and here he sees that they are all in amazement as if lo and behold this power was in them or by their piety i love that it says that there that by their piety it's always been a problem in the church that we're going to get this through the servant you see it's all there it's all there it's it's it's right there of what we're after and why people attach themselves to certain things so what does he do what do you think peter should do at this point i i would think he would say look this can be yours too right that's what everyone wanted him to say and when peter saw him he addressed the people men of israel why do you wonder at this or why do you stare at us as though by our own power or piety we made him walk our own little group of holiness our own little deposits of holiness we did this 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 pilot when he decided to release him you notice the strong language here that is given you denied the holy and righteous one and asked for a murder to be granted to you and you killed the author of life whoa whom god raised from the dead to this we're all witnesses we saw what you did what just happened well why do you think this what do you think this healing says to you what do you think's being shown to you it's saying something far different than you think you're interested in his story aren't you you you want to be in his story are you interested in the story of now the lame think about are you interested now in the story of a lame man whom you passed by every day and disregarded and scorned and shunned and treated with contempt are you interested in his story now now that he's raised see okay let's talk about that story let's talk about that story let me tell you the story the god of abraham the god of isaac and the god of jacob raised jesus because you killed him whoa that's the story that's what you're looking at you think this is about us this is about god's power and raising his son because you killed him i don't know that we could take the apostles preaching today it might empty the church i'm floored you know why he had to raise his son because you murdered him. You killed the author of life. And you asked for a murderer to be released. You denied the holy and the righteous one. You know what he just did? He turned the whole narrative on them. Story. In other words, they missed what they just saw. A man got up. A man got up. whose legs were dead wow wow that was amazing that was amazing that was amazing a man got up we've never seen anything like that really you killed somebody and god raised him people come to worship all the time to try to find a power that'll excite them that'll energize them a power that will do what these people want right that's why worship becomes a show and people can get into that because then they can hold on narcissistically and take from it what they want peter just said this man's story whom you're amazed over is telling another story another man had to get up out of the grave god raised his son because you killed him you see what he just did he took the story of this man the healing of this man the story of deliverance and healing and happiness that everyone's searching for and rooted it in another story do you get the point we're always trying to find an escape find a way to escape the real story of our lives that god is calling us to listen to and pass by that story and bypass that story to find another story to find happiness. But we can't find it. We can't find it. Let me give you a perfect example. This last week was the greatest mass shooting, they say, in modern American history. We didn't even get out of hardly church Sunday and as people were rocking out at a concert, they're shot up. After something like this happens, it was just a marvel to me to watch the media try to find a narrative for this, the event, right? In other words, I mean, I found myself coming home, we read this story, why would somebody do that? There's the question. Well, we all want to fit the event into a story. We all want to fit the event into a narrative, meaning I want to find some way of explaining it that's going to make me feel better, right? That's why the media is so obsessed with figuring this out. They've got to figure this out. If we can pitch it on Antifa, if we can pitch it on ISIS, or at the end of the day, if we can't, Trump haters, whatever. If we can pitch it somewhere, it removes it from us, right? And the last result, we'll just call them crazy. That's the last result. so so what we do then when this happens is we immediately shine the spotlight on all the goodness of the human spirit at that moment how everyone came together and everyone did what was good but the truth we've not heard yet have we no the truth we've not heard yet from society What's the truth? There's no other explanation for this other than the depraved nature of the human heart. You see, if the playing field is even that way, guess what that says to me? I could have been up on Mandalay Bay, 32nd floor shooting. No. Could you? What do you think of yourself? Could sin so blind you that you could do that? Do you think so? You see, this is what we want to do. And society then will try to regulate the problem talking. The gun control debate comes out after this. And nobody's talking about it. It's an issue of violence and hatred in the heart, is it? How do you regulate that? That's the story everyone refuses to identify with. Isn't it? They want any way out of it that they can. Now, I see it right here. I see it right here. What did the healing of this man say? Something's really wrong. Something's really wrong. He had to get up because sin has done something terrible. And that belongs to a much larger story that you're all involved with. That event in which you killed Jesus, that's what this is all about. God had to show His power in raising him up. You need to get up too. What? You need to get up too. In other words, the same deadness exemplified in this man's legs is the same deadness in your hearts. You can't pin the shooter on ISIS. you can't pin the death of jesus on the jews can't do that or certain no you were all there you see this is the aim in all preaching um brothers and sisters this is the aim in all preaching it is to be honest with god's assessment of us and and if we refuse to listen to what's being said in the preaching um that in jesus's death it was my sins that caused it then we refuse to see what's being offered to us as the solution and the true way of happiness that we all want do you know what made this man well faith faith in jesus through faith in his name has made this man strong whom you see and know yes it's the faith that comes through him gave him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all i know you did this in ignorance i know you did this but god foretold all of it would happen through the prophets and i love what's said now it's so he turns it to such a gospel gospel message of hope and true happiness being offered it's as if peter said this is the worst assessment of you i could ever give but i've got the best news now ever to give you best news see what happened to this man guess how he got well through faith in jesus it connects you to him you saw him sitting there and begging he wasn't singled out for any other special reason only one he couldn't get up by himself so in his heart god's showing you what had to happen and it's through the gift of faith believing as he trusted in jesus as he heard the message and believed that jesus was raised he was raised he was raised and you need that you see you should look at him today you should look at every blind beggar and every needy person that's ever set in front of you and say i'm no better i'm no better than that man on the 32nd floor his physical condition here is all indicative of the spiritual problem and that through faith i can have the same power too to get up and find happiness and this is where peter takes this doesn't he give the beautiful call right now repent we look at that as punitive that is a wonderful statement being made to you repent in other words turn back that your sins may be blotted out he'll blot them all out agree in your minds that that your sins have caused this that you're the shooter turn back from the course that you've chosen in life and become like Him, a beggar. And call out to the Lord for healing. And guess what He'll do? He's got something wonderful to give you. In the name of Jesus, He'll blot out all your sins. That is so wonderful. Peter's not presenting the Gospel as if God is saying, well, well, I know you've done so many bad things. you're a tough one you've done so many bad things in the course of your life you're the tough one i don't know about you he is looking at every one of you today as he did that day and he's saying believe and god will wipe them all out why would anyone not come what a great incentive he now gives doesn't he the miracle here is regeneration well when you see that in someone's life you see life being given and somebody raised who is dead in trespasses and sins you should want to identify with that story so the beautiful incentive and encouragement is given here this morning he makes a splendid promise in the midst of all this and i i love this this is where we're going to close with look at verse verse 20 actually verse 19 again repent and turn again that your sins may be blotted out that the times of refreshing may come from the presence of the lord and that he may send the christ appointed for you jesus whoa what a what a verse huh that's not talking just about the future when the lord jesus christ will return on the clouds of heaven this is a wonderful promise what you just say repent and believe and the very refreshment that you're looking for he will give from the presence of the lord as he sends jesus to you are you weary tonight i'm going to talk about babylon you know how it describes babylon in revelation 18 as a prison you ever feel like you're in a prison and all this ever feel constricted and trapped you weary you weary i will give you refreshment in the midst of all this i'll give you what you're looking for i'll refresh your hearts and this is what people want what they're in desperate search of they're not going to find it apart from jesus this is what the entire church was receiving at that moment refreshment a season of refreshment listen carefully to what he's saying to you this is not chris gordon's ministry this is the same ministry that jesus gave when he was here it's the same ministry that came through the apostles in the same power is now being given to you that's the message isn't that beautiful it comes with the same authority and the same power to raise you that's why there's a reminder to these people this is the fulfillment to the promises of abraham and the covenant of grace jesus is the prophet promised to moses hear him if you won't hear him you're going to be destroyed hear him he was sent into the verse 26 to bless you he was sent to bless you that he would turn all of you away from your iniquities the lord has been so good to us i hope you see that today that's that's the goal here hear him receive him believe him turn to him and enjoy the the season of refreshment that he's promised you before you are ultra ultimately refreshed in the new heavens and the new earth where righteousness shall dwell forever and you'll have new legs to jump around forever let's pray heavenly father Thank you for such an encouraging word today and for thinking about the narrative and the story that we need to listen to to find life in. Thank you for confronting us where we need to be. It's our sins that have caused this mess and that through life in Jesus and faith in His name, as that man was healed, we can be healed and that all of our sins can be blotted out. Give us the season of refreshment in the Escondido URC. We humbly pray that, that all of your people by faith would enjoy this and enjoy the blessing that you intend to give us through Jesus of forgiveness. Thank you for your grace to us. In Jesus' name we pray, amen.