From Repentance to Fellowship, to Repentance Again
Acts 2:34 -3:26 – September 04, 2022
Review:
Acts 2:34-36. It does not matter what you have done in crucifying Jesus, what matters is what God has done in resurrecting Him, making Him both Lord and Messiah.
Acts 2:37. What shall we do? is their plea to avoid the wrath of the crucified, risen, and exalted Messiah. They have been convicted of their sin in their own hearts and now want to know what they need to do, what they must do.
Acts 2:38-39. Peter begins with repentance for without repentance, the baptism means nothing.
Acts 2:40. The word translated as pleaded or exhorted is – 3870 parakaleo, can be translated. to exhort, to plead, to urge, to strongly urge, to admonish, to encourage, to implore, to appeal, and even to beg.
Acts 2:41. All of this happened on the day of Pentecost or 50 days after Passover.
What was next for the new believers then? What is next for new believers today?
Acts 2:42. Fellowship … why fellowship with one another?
Acts 2:43. We certainly do not have that today, other than this, we tell the very real stories of the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles.
Acts 2:44-45. This was not some experiment in communal living or communism. It was voluntary, temporary, beset with financial problems. There is no indication this continued very long at all.
Acts 2:46-47. They shared their lives with one another.
Now we turn to chapter three which begins simply with “One Day”
Acts 3:1-3. Peter and John were going at the hour of prayer, not at the hour of sacrifice which preceded the hour of prayer. For them and all Christians all sacrifice was fulfilled by the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross.
Acts 3:4-6. I don’t know what the beggar thought when Peter said, Look at us! But I bet he was hoping and expecting money. Then the declaration Peter had no money – sadness. Then confusion as the command In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.
The man could not believe it so Peter took him by the right hand …
Acts 3:7-10. People knew a miracle had occurred, the man had been born lame and crippled. But now he was walking and jumping AND praising God.
Acts 3:11-12. And here Peter begins his second sermon.The people were amazed or astonished, they knew a miracle had occurred.
Acts 3:13-15. Unlike what we might hear today from many evangelists or pastors, Peter makes sure this miracle was all about Jesus, the servant Jesus and not about himself. Not only does Peter make a point of their sin, their involvement in the death of Jesus, the Holy one, a term used over 40 times in the Old Testament to refer to God.
Acts 3:16. Maybe they did not see the resurrected Christ, but they could see now, with their own eyes, the power of Jesus’ name.
Acts 3:17-18. You and your leaders sinned in ignorance not realizing that Jesus had to suffer to fulfill scripture. Still, you sinned in this disowning Jesus (verses 13 and 14) ….
Acts 3:19-21. Salvation always begins with repentance, acknowledgement of one’s own sins.
Acts 3:22-26. Peter concluded by quoted Moses from Deuteronomy 18:15-19. Notice here in verse 19 he showed the path to salvation, but here in verse 23, he says Anyone who does not listen to him will be completely cut off from their people,
Bottom Line: We will find out in the next chapter this message Peter preached led to their number increasing to five thousand. It is no wonder for their were many witnesses of Jesus after His resurrection and here, in the temple, was evidence of His power in the healing of the lame beggar. Heaven or hell, the same choices we have today.