Acts 5:12-16

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12 And through the hands of the apostles many signs and wonders were done among the people. And they were all with one accord in Solomon’s Porch. 13 Yet none of the rest dared join them, but the people esteemed them highly. 14 And believers were increasingly added to the Lord, multitudes of both men and women, 15 so that they brought the sick out into the streets and laid them on beds and couches, that at least the shadow of Peter passing by might fall on some of them. 16 Also a multitude gathered from the surrounding cities to Jerusalem, bringing sick people and those who were tormented by unclean spirits, and they were all healed. ~ Acts 5:12-16

Today, we return to our study of Acts 5 where the very first church is being built by the Lord. Most think of a building when we hear the word "church" but the church is made up of people who have trusted the Lord Jesus Christ as their Savior and have entered into a personal relationship with God through Him. The word "church" means "people who have been called out of the world." Of course, having called us out of the world, the Lord has called us to Himself to be taught by Him His culture. As newborn believers, we are now learning to be defined by the Lord as He teaches us His culture through His Word, the Bible.

In v.12 of today's passage we read, "And through the hands of the apostles many signs and wonders were done among the people. And they were all with one accord in Solomon’s Porch."

As a result of having been given authority and power by the Lord Jesus Himself, the apostles did "many signs and wonders." These signs and wonders authenticated them so the people would trust the truth of the Gospel. As a result, the signs and wonders were provided by the Lord in order to convince and convict unbelievers of the truth about the Lord Jesus. 

The phrase, "they were all in one accord" means all those who saw the signs and wonders and believed the Gospel were unified. The emphasis here is on the unity they all experienced. This is what the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ produces among us, harmony. When we unite around the Gospel we will avoid the danger of separating over secondary and non-essential issues. 

The Lord Jesus still performs signs and wonders today, but their purpose isn't to authenticate any man or a group of men. No, they are provided by the Lord to authenticate the truth. There are no longer any apostles of the Lord Jesus today who need this authority. God has given us His word, the Bible, in order to walk in the truth. The Bible testifies to what God did through the early church. It is that testimony which testifies to the power of the Lord working through them. God has given us the Bible which contains the authenticity of the apostles and the message they delivered. Therefore, the Bible is sufficient to meet every need that every believer in Christ has in order to make God-informed decisions. 

In v.13-15 of today's passage we read, "13 Yet none of the rest dared join them, but the people esteemed them highly. 14 And believers were increasingly added to the Lord, multitudes of both men and women, 15 so that they brought the sick out into the streets and laid them on beds and couches, that at least the shadow of Peter passing by might fall on some of them."

The phrase "None of the rest," here refers to those who chose not to believe in the Lord Jesus that day. There will always be those who reject the free gift of salvation through Jesus Christ our Lord. I rejected it for years until the death of my dad which caused me to consider the more important things in life, the most important being where I would spend my eternity. Atheists, as they were trying to disprove God and the Bible have been known to come to faith in the Lord. C.S. Lewis, before he became a believer in Christ was an atheist. Through discussions with Christian friends such as J.R.R. Tolkien, he gradually became convinced of the rational and moral coherence of Christianity.

Even though there were unbelievers, the Lord added to the Church daily. These made it their habit of bringing the sick to the Apostle Peter who when his shadow came over them, they were healed. The point was not that Peter was the only one who healed the people, but that the focus of the narrative was on him. Peter's shadow provided a point of contact for those who were in need to demonstrate their faith in the Lord Jesus. Much like the woman who touched the hem of the Lord Jesus' garment. She wasn't healed due to some magical garment, she believed the Lord Jesus could heal her and He did.

This is the rationale behind pouring oil or putting oil on somebody who is sick. The Bible tells the elders of the church to lay hands on them. There's nothing magical about the elders hands or about oil. The laying on of hands, the pouring on of oil, releases our faith. And we do that in obedience to what God tells us to do.

In v.16 of today's passage we read, "Also a multitude gathered from the surrounding cities to Jerusalem, bringing sick people and those who were tormented by unclean spirits, and they were all healed."

Despite the opposition, the people came and they kept on coming. At this point, the ministry was limited to Jerusalem. This was still the beginning of the command of the Lord in Acts 1:8 to the Apostles, "But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth." Since the apostles were not going into the surrounding cities, the surrounding cities were coming to them in Jerusalem. Those brought to the apostles were sick and tormented by demons were all healed.

The Lord told those early followers they would be His witnesses in Jerusalem, in Judea, in Samaria, and then, into all of the world. This demonstrates just how powerful the message of the gospel is as it goes out into ever widening circles. When we became believers in the Lord Jesus, we all experienced this effect of coming to know Him for ourselves. It started with us getting saved, then we told our families, our friends, and then the circle widened ever so much more.

Once born again each believer has the potential to experience the power of God in such a way that we will be able to point others to the Gospel. We limit the power of God in and through us when we slip back into independence. As long as we are aware that we need the Lord, His power will be demonstrated in our lives. The problem we face with God's power is that it isn't always what we expect it to be. 

When we live our lives as if everything depends on us, we will miss the power of God. This is when the Lord has to raise our quality of faith to the level where we will stand only upon what He says. Our victory was won at the cross and that victory is that the Lord Jesus has overcome sin and death on our behalf. He enables us to overcome by strengthening us with the power of His Spirit within us. This happens when we are convinced a little bit more each day that He is the source of any victory we enjoy. The normal Christian life is lived when we tap into God's divine ability. The surrendered life is realized when we daily die to self-life. When we are willing to die to our own agendas, God’s power is unleashed in and through our lives.

Back in v.14 we read, "And believers were increasingly added to the Lord, multitudes of both men and women." Before we are added to the Church, we are added to the Lord. When we get this out of place, that is where we go wrong. No, it is daily coming to the Lord, daily listening and praying to the Lord. It is daily coming to the Lord that is the key. This is what enables us to be useful to the Lord. This is what enables us to be effective at sharing the gospel with the lost.

Acts 5:7-11

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7 Now it was about three hours later when his wife came in, not knowing what had happened. 8 And Peter answered her, “Tell me whether you sold the land for so much?” She said, “Yes, for so much.” 9 Then Peter said to her, “How is it that you have agreed together to test the Spirit of the Lord? Look, the feet of those who have buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out.” 10 Then immediately she fell down at his feet and breathed her last. And the young men came in and found her dead, and carrying her out, buried her by her husband. 11 So great fear came upon all the church and upon all who heard these things. ~ Acts 5:7-11

Today, we return to our study of Acts 5 where a man named Ananias and his wife Sapphire has pretended to be something they were not. In context, the people in the early church responded to the great power and grace of God with unbelievable generosity. It is the grace of God that perfects our freedom in Christ by helping us to overcome the restricting power of the flesh, the one true obstacle to our freedom. God's grace both amazes and offends. It amazes the part of us where hopelessness has set in, the place of brokenness. It offends the part of us that is religious, the part where we can't bring ourselves to believe in the total freedom Christ earned for us on His cross.

When Ananias and Sapphire sold some land, they made it appear that they gave all of the money from the sale to the Apostles which is not what happened. This was the first case of dealing with sin in the early church. Just after Ananias presented the money to the Apostles, Peter confronted him and then all of a sudden he died. The word "great" is used three times in Acts 5 describing God's, great power, His great grace, and the people's great fear. 

In v.7 of today's passage we read, "Now it was about three hours later when his wife came in, not knowing what had happened." 

The wife of Ananias had not been present with her husband when he presented their gift to the Apostles. In fact, three hours after her husband died she returned to discover that he had already been buried. When she returned, she had a conversation with the one who had denied knowing the Lord Jesus just two months before, Peter. This object of the grace of God engaged Sapphire in a conversation in hopes that she would embrace the brokenness that awaited her.

What we do with our brokenness is the key to our existence. When we dig in our heels and protect at all cost the deceit that is the root cause of our gifted brokenness, we prevent an incredible work from being done in our souls. God's grace is most amazing, it is a grace that is indiscriminately compassionate. It works without asking anything of us. It's not cheap but it's free! God's grace is sufficient even though we try with all our might to find someone that it cannot cover, even ourselves.

In v.8 of today's passage we read, "And Peter answered her, 'Tell me whether you sold the land for so much?' She said, 'Yes, for so much.'"

The wife of Ananias was complicit in the lie concerning the money obtained from the sale of their land. The issue was they pretended to give all of the money to the Apostles for the sale of their property. The money was still there where it had been left as a witness to the deceit of Ananias. The arrival of Sapphira was like its own discourse to open the matter up for a resolution. As such, Peter answered by asking his question. The evidence was either openly present, or the amount was asked by Peter. Either way, the amount was made known and Peter inquired why they lied. The question from Peter was not, "Is this the amount you and your husband decided to present to us?" Rather, it was whether the land was sold for the amount presented. As such, her answer was deceitful. Sapphire's deceit sealed her from the work of God through her brokenness.

In v.9 of today's passage we read, "Then Peter said to her, 'How is it that you have agreed together to test the Spirit of the Lord? Look, the feet of those who have buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out.'"

The words "agreed together" can be translated "symphony." This one Greek word originally described a harmony of voices. Peter questioned why Sapphire and Ananias had together in harmony tested the Spirit of the Lord. When we resist God's definition of our lives we actively give ourselves to the father of lies. Peter knew of which he had spoken. He had given himself to the devil himself when he denied knowing the Lord Jesus three times. His failure had served him well. In 1 Peter 4:17 we read, "Judgment must begin at the house of God."  This is where judgment must begin if we are to have an effective testimony for the Lord. This is crucial because the eternal destiny of many depends upon it.

In v.10-11 of today's passage we read, "10 Then immediately she fell down at his feet and breathed her last. And the young men came in and found her dead, and carrying her out, buried her by her husband. 11 So great fear came upon all the church and upon all who heard these things."

The very place where the money had been left by Ananias, at the apostles’ feet was the very same place where Sapphire collapsed. The spot where the money testified against her was the same spot where she laid dead. Sapphire became an immediate object lesson to any who would dare to be deceitful. Oh, we will never be sinless this side of heaven, but deceit is in a category all by itself. In this tragic story of Ananias and Sapphire, they had neglected to respond to the Lord out of their brokenness. It appears they never embraced their brokenness. It appears they never embraced God. They were pretenders. 

As a result, Ananias and Sapphire provided a stern example of what feeding the flesh renders in our lives. Although their example was not the norm, we do well to learn that the enemy is out to kill, steal and destroy us. Our Father in heaven sent His Son to this world not to condemn us. No, He sent Him to save us from our sin which had already broken and condemned us. Those who do not believe in the Lord Jesus as their Savior have already been judged guilty, because they have not believed in the One and Only Begotten Son of God. That which we truly believe in at the end of the day will define us. Once we believe in Him, we are declared by Him as co-heirs with Him.

Acts 5:1-6

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1 But a man named Ananias, with his wife Sapphira, sold a piece of property, 2 and with his wife's knowledge he kept back for himself some of the proceeds and brought only a part of it and laid it at the apostles' feet. 3 But Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back for yourself part of the proceeds of the land? 4 While it remained unsold, did it not remain your own? And after it was sold, was it not at your disposal? Why is it that you have contrived this deed in your heart? You have not lied to man but to God.” 5 When Ananias heard these words, he fell down and breathed his last. And great fear came upon all who heard of it. 6 The young men rose and wrapped him up and carried him out and buried him. ~ Acts 5:1-6 

Today, we transition into our study of Acts 5 where the stage has been set in the previous chapter where the Spirit of the living God was having His way in the hearts of people. Generosity was abounding. And, uniquely, no one had brought attention to their godly behavior. This is the sign that these first century believers in the Lord Jesus were authentic. There was no sign of the flesh or the self-life. This is the tactic of the enemy of our souls. He doesn't try to get us to follow Him directly, he tries to get us to follow him indirectly by getting us to follow ourselves.

In v.1-2 of today's passage we read, "1 But a man named Ananias, with his wife Sapphira, sold a piece of property, 2 and with his wife's knowledge he kept back for himself some of the proceeds and brought only a part of it and laid it at the apostles' feet."

In the context of everything good shows up the devastating effects of sin. The exposed sin of hypocrisy. Interestingly, it was the first recorded sinful event in the life of the first century church. In addition, it was the first public discipline of sin in the church. When we have truly been redeemed, we are not eager to hide our sin. But, this couple was more concerned with the praise of others than they were of God. Their sin was not that they didn’t give all the money they had made from the sell of their property, their sin was they lied about it.

Ananias and Sapphire committed a secret sin, and, of course, a secret sin on earth is an open scandal in heaven. They desired the praise of men instead of the praise of God. They craved spiritual status that others before them had received. They wanted to be thought of as something they weren't. They served appearance more than honesty which is essential for the development of deep relationships. When we are determined to be defined by the God of grace, we will deny the self-life. We will reject the self-protective defense of dishonesty.

Ananias and Sapphire pretended to give all the money they had made from the sell of their property. Their lie was simply the vehicle that their greed used to feed itself. They tried to create the impression they were something they were not. When we feed the flesh or the self-life we play right into the playbook of the devil who is out to destroy us. It is only in the context of the truth that true freedom is experienced. The Lord exposed the sin of Ananias and Sapphire that day so that the devil would not be able to get a foothold among these first century believers.

In James 5:16 we read, "Make this your common practice: Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you can live together whole and healed. The prayer of a person living right with God is something powerful to be reckoned with."

In v.3-4 of today's passage we read, "3 But Peter said, 'Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back for yourself part of the proceeds of the land? 4 While it remained unsold, did it not remain your own? And after it was sold, was it not at your disposal? Why is it that you have contrived this deed in your heart? You have not lied to man but to God.'"

Immediately the Lord granted Peter the spiritual perception to see the sinful pretense of Ananias and Sapphire. Peter put his finger on the pulse of the problem: Satan had filled his heart to lie to the Holy Spirit. When we are prizing the truth we will be honest about the truth. The enemy will always seek to undermine the truth in our lives. He will always lead us to be defined by the lie rather than the truth. And, once we give ourselves to the lies, we will give safe haven to the fake and phony. In this context trust will not grow and the lack of trust undermines community.

It was then that Peter confronted Ananias with his deceitfulness, telling him that what he had done was to lie to God. The biggest challenge we face in this context isn’t speaking the truth; it is speaking the truth in love. Ananias and Sapphire didn’t have to give all of the money they collected from the sell of their land. They were guilty of spiritual hypocrisy which is most corrupting in the church, so corrupting that God dealt with it rather swiftly. 

In v.5-6 of today's passage we read, "5 When Ananias heard these words, he fell down and breathed his last. And great fear came upon all who heard of it. 6 The young men rose and wrapped him up and carried him out and buried him."

In his description of this event, Luke used a rare word which is found for the first of three times in the book of Acts. It is translated: "he breathed his last." Ananias' breath was extinguished. The question is by whom. I believe since Ananias played with fire he got burnt by the devil. The response of those who observed it was staggering. In that moment great fear came upon all who heard of it. The reason the death of Ananias was allowed by God or caused by God was to instill in the minds of the people the terrifying nature of just how seriously dangerous it is to be defined by the devil. 

Truth is critical in all aspects of life especially in community. We believe wrongly that there is power in hiding our sin but to the contrary there is great power in honesty and humility. Without truth there is no honesty, there is no humility. And, we all struggle with being honest. No one is perfect, but we are foolish to value hypocrisy because it will be used of the enemy to harm us. The word translated "hypocrite" in biblical days meant "actor." First-century actors wore masks. A hypocrite is one who puts on a mask or a false face. Hypocrisy is dangerous because it turns people away from the truth. It was the Lord Jesus who said, "You shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free."

Acts 4:31-37

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31 And when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness. 32 Now the full number of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and no one said that any of the things that belonged to him was his own, but they had everything in common. 33 And with great power the apostles were giving their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all. 34 There was not a needy person among them, for as many as were owners of lands or houses sold them and brought the proceeds of what was sold 35 and laid it at the apostles' feet, and it was distributed to each as any had need. 36 Thus Joseph, who was also called by the apostles Barnabas (which means son of encouragement), a Levite, a native of Cyprus, 37 sold a field that belonged to him and brought the money and laid it at the apostles' feet. ~ Acts 4:31-37

Today, we conclude our study of Acts 4 where the Lord Jesus is building His Church one believing heart at a time. Many believe that it is man who builds the church with all of his fancy ideas regarding entertainment. Many say, "I led so many people to the Lord this year," but the Scriptures are clear, it is the Lord Jesus who builds His Church and sometimes He uses us in the process. The Lord builds His Church as His children pray, preach the Gospel and teach His Word. Along with this, the Holy Spirit convicts sinners of their sin and He woos them to trust the Lord Jesus as their Savior. At this point in the narrative the Lord has now added 5,000 new believers to the group. Unless the Lord build the house those who build it do so in vain. Only the works of God endure forever. The command of the Lord Jesus to seek God’s kingdom first is a must if we are to enjoy true fellowship with Him and other believers. 

In v.31 of today's passage we read, "And when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness."

We must never be formulaic when it comes to the things of God, but there are certain givens when we desire to build community. The first step in developing community is prayer. With the prayer of the previous verses complete, here we have a description of what happened next. As a result of the prayer "the place in which they were gathered together was shaken." There may have been a mild earthquake which may have hit the area at that exact moment, whatever occurred, such an event was taken by the assembled believers as a clear indication that the Lord was behind it.

Prayer prepared these believers in Christ for the filling which came. Following prayer, in order to create community we must value the Word of God. Luke told us that these believers spoke the Word of God with boldness. This event reveals the purpose and the power of the Word of God. The Bible contains God's definitions of all things. If God pronounces something good, we must consider it accordingly. If He describes it as something that is bad, we must not be defined by it. When we are being defined by God it means that we are obeying His Word. 

In v.32-35 of today's passage we read, "32 Now the full number of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and no one said that any of the things that belonged to him was his own, but they had everything in common. 33 And with great power the apostles were giving their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all. 34 There was not a needy person among them, for as many as were owners of lands or houses sold them and brought the proceeds of what was sold 35 and laid it at the apostles' feet, and it was distributed to each as any had need."

With the believers committed to prayer and the value of God's Word, they were filled with the Spirit. This resulted in the disciples experiencing great unity which produced one purpose. God made us all trichotomous beings meaning we are made up of three parts: body, soul and spirit. The soul is different from the spirit. The soul is the conscious part of our lives, it is where we consciously live. It consists of the what we think, what we choose, and how we feel. The soul is the realm of experience. These early believers were like one living organism resulting in oneness of heart. This is why there were no unmet felt needs among them. When we are generous we are being most like God who is Himself most generous. Recently, I asked Him why He is so good to me. His response was the same as it has always been. He said, "My Son." The Lord Jesus earned our favor when He endured the penalty of our sin as He hung on the cross. We become His rival when we begin to believe that we earn God's favor or maintain it in any way.

It is one thing to have oneness of spirit, but it is another to have oneness in soul. It is quite possible to come to the meeting of the church, to sing the same worship songs and listen to the same message, and relate to God individually, but to have no sense of belonging to one another. It is possible to come week after week, year after year, and never know the people with whom we worship. When that happens there is no unity of soul. We may belong to God, but we may not belong to each other. This is what is often lacking in the Church today, and what the early church so wonderfully possessed.

It was out of this unity and oneness that these early believers loved one another. They loved one another because they each knew the love of God for themselves as demonstrated on the cross. It was out of this wonderful context that the word of God was preached with power. This was due to the grace of God that was in abundance among them. God's grace always produces a great amount of gratitude among the people with their possessions. This is so due to the fact that the died to solve all of our real problems. In the cross and the resurrection of the Lord Jesus there is the indisputable evidence that God has favored us. 

After the people sold their lands and houses they took the money and laid the money at the feet of the apostles. In that day when royal subjects visited a King an offering was delivered. The laying of the offering at the king's feet represented that which is under the authority of the person. The giving of their money was a way for them to own the authority of God over them.

In v.36-37 of today's passage we read, "36 Thus Joseph, who was also called by the apostles Barnabas (which means son of encouragement), a Levite, a native of Cyprus, 37 sold a field that belonged to him and brought the money and laid it at the apostles' feet."

While his momma called him Joseph, his friends called him Barnabas. Joseph means "He shall add." "Barnabas" means "Son of encouragement." The meaning of his two names reveals a great truth which is: "Loved people love people." Barnabas, this "native of Cyprus," came to know the love of God for himself which in turn caused him to love others. Barnabas' generosity was the result of him coming to understand the intense sacrificial love of God showed for him at the cross. We can't love others until we have experienced true love for ourselves and the Lord Jesus is the Only One to have true love. Having experienced God's love for himself, Barnabas was poised and known for loving others.

Acts 4:23-30

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23 And being let go, they went to their own companions and reported all that the chief priests and elders had said to them. 24 So when they heard that, they raised their voice to God with one accord and said: "Lord, You are God, who made heaven and earth and the sea, and all that is in them, 25 who by the mouth of Your servant David have said: 'Why did the nations rage, and the people plot vain things? 26 The kings of the earth took their stand, and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord and against His Christ.' 27 For truly against Your holy Servant Jesus, whom You anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the people of Israel, were gathered together 28 to do whatever Your hand and Your purpose determined before to be done. 29 Now, Lord, look on their threats, and grant to Your servants that with all boldness they may speak Your word, 30 by stretching out Your hand to heal, and that signs and wonders may be done through the name of Your holy Servant Jesus." ~ Acts 4:23-30

Today, we return to our study of Acts 4 where the insecurities of the fake religious leaders is becoming more and more evident while the confidence of the Apostles is soaring. The contrast provided here clarifies what is real and what isn't. When we see something by itself, we may not really understand it for what it is, but when it’s compared to something distinctly different, the comparison makes the truth about the identity of both more clear. Our faith in the risen Lord Jesus causes us to surrender our rights to Him. "More of Him, less of me" is the motto that raises to the forefront. In short, where sin makes enemies, faith in the God of the Bible makes brothers. 

In v.23 of today's passage we read, "And being let go, they went to their own companions and reported all that the chief priests and elders had said to them."

The Apostles did not go out to organize a revolutionary committee to overthrow the religious leaders of first century Israel. They did not even try to arouse a popular march or demonstration which provides the clearest evidence that they were on the side of the truth and that they had popular support. The people were behind them, and the high priests were afraid because the people supported the Apostles. But the Apostles did not rely for even one minute upon political or popular pressure. They trusted wholly upon the sovereign power of the Lord Jesus. 

In v.24-26 of today's passage we read, "24 So when they heard that, they raised their voice to God with one accord and said: 'Lord, You are God, who made heaven and earth and the sea, and all that is in them, 25 who by the mouth of Your servant David have said: 'Why did the nations rage, and the people plot vain things? 26 The kings of the earth took their stand, and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord and against His Christ.'"

It was at this point in the narrative that the Apostles did the most important thing we all do in a given moment of each day: They prayed. Prayer is our declaration of dependence upon God. The object of our prayer is much more important than the prayer itself. When we pray, it must not be so that we can get what we want from God. Otherwise, we petition God for our will. Rather, prayer is a way to connect with Him and align our hearts with His heart. This alignment prepares us to receive His will for our lives. 

When I was a kid one of the more popular TV shows was entitled, Father Knows Best. It was a simple format that showed a mom and a dad with three kids, going through life together, but focusing in on the father who would usually end up solving everybody's problems. This show portrayed fathers according to the ideal of Fatherhood, the model that worked best, the one that God designed for all men to do. When we depend upon our Heavenly Father we can trust Him to do the very best for us given our circumstances. And, if we do not exercise patience we will conclude the wrong this about Him. I've learned down through the years that if I give Him enough time He always makes sense out of His will for me.

The persecution of Peter and John produced a much greater sense of unity among all of the believers. The believers, upon Peter and John's return raised their voices to God in one accord. With great power, the Apostles gave testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus and God's abundant grace was evident upon them. These first century believers clung tightly to one another and to the Lord Jesus as they sought Him in prayer.  Their persecution inevitably produced unity among the believers forcing them to come together and to hold onto one another tightly.

In their prayer the believers honed in on the reason all things come to pass. It is by the sovereign plan of God that the narrative comes out as it does. This is underscored in the phrase "the God who made heaven and earth and the sea, and all that is in them." This is good theology and we do well to be so immersed in the Bible that we arrive upon the absolute best understanding of God and His ways because this is where our best identity is found. It is when our theology fails that we rage and plot vain things.

In v.27-28 of today's passage we read, "27 For truly against Your holy Servant Jesus, whom You anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the people of Israel, were gathered together 28 to do whatever Your hand and Your purpose determined before to be done."

Evidence of their good theology these early believers in the Lord Jesus remind us why they had the courage they displayed that day. They understood the crucifixion from an eternal perspective. They understood that Herod, Pilate, the Gentiles and the Jews carried out God’s predestined plan. It was not that they were individually predestined to carry out God’s plan but that the Lord Jesus would be crucified and that had been settled in eternity past. If God had predestined certain ones to crucify the Lord Jesus, He would be guilty of sin. No, He knew that it would come down to this in advance and His Son still agreed to come and rescue us.

In v.29-30 of today's passage we read, "29 Now, Lord, look on their threats, and grant to Your servants that with all boldness they may speak Your word, 30 by stretching out Your hand to heal, and that signs and wonders may be done through the name of Your holy Servant Jesus."

The Apostles did not presume upon the Lord. They were diligent to seek His face and to pray accordingly. It is obvious that the Old Testament Scriptures informed this prayer. The stretching forth of the hand is an anthropomorphism where the hand accomplishes certain things. In many Old Testament passages like Psalm 138:7 it is declared that God will stretch out His hand against the wrath of His enemies and provide salvation for His people. In times of struggle or need, this phrase serves as a reminder to reach out to the God of the Bible for strength, courage and protection. It is also the hand of the Lord that is stretched forth to heal, and also to perform signs and wonders. Thus, our Source for all things is the Lord. 

The words, "through the name of Your holy Servant Jesus" are most important. Praying in the name of the Lord Jesus means we approach God based on His merit, His authority and His will, not our own. Prayer is simply communing with the Lord to the point that we end up praying for His will to be done in our lives. Prayer is like a man in a rowboat pulling on a rope tied securely to the shore. He is not pulling land toward him, he is pulling himself towards the land. We read in Psalm 37:4, "Delight yourselves in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart."

Acts 4:18-22

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18 So they called them and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus. 19 But Peter and John answered and said to them, "Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you more than to God, you judge. 20 For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard." 21 So when they had further threatened them, they let them go, finding no way of punishing them, because of the people, since they all glorified God for what had been done. 22 For the man was over forty years old on whom this miracle of healing had been performed. ~ Acts 4:18-22

Today, we return to our study of Acts 4 where the Apostles Peter and John have been confined overnight for healing a man who had been lame for 40 years and for preaching the resurrection of the Christ. Threatened, the Jewish religious leaders were trying to find a way to nullify the Apostles and their message. It was their insecurities that caused the religious leaders to deal with the Apostles as they did. Insecurity is a feeling of inadequacy, self-doubt, and uncertainty that gives way to all types of anxieties. Quite frankly, their insecurity came from their lack of the truth. It is when we find our value buried in the Lord that we are freed to be the witnesses we know we desire to be.

In v.18 of today's passage we read, "So they called them and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus."

The word translated "commanded" is a strict prohibition. Literally the religious leaders said to Peter and John that they were to absolutely never speak or teach in the name of the Lord Jesus. Insecure people look to silence others while secure people long for opposing views to be aired resulting in the truth prevailing. As leaders, we will fail and we will learn from our failures. The question is to whom do we look for the corrections. God's truth is the answer and His truth will always keep us from capsizing in a world of torrential waters.

In v.19-20 of today's passage we read, "19 But Peter and John answered and said to them, 'Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you more than to God, you judge. 20 For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.'"

The key phrase in these two verses is: "in the sight of God." Peter and John had been severely threatened but it did not make any difference, they were going to obey God. They had come to know the truth and the truth was setting them free. It was the resurrection of the Lord Jesus that caused Peter and John to be galvanized in their conviction as they were defined by the Lord. And, we will know that we are being defined by God when we obey Him. As we more frequently allow God to be our "Audience of One," we will discover that His definition of our lives is the best. 

In v.21-22 of today's passage we read, "21 So when they had further threatened them, they let them go, finding no way of punishing them, because of the people, since they all glorified God for what had been done. 22 For the man was over forty years old on whom this miracle of healing had been performed."

After Peter and John had clearly stated their intentions to continue to speak about the Lord Jesus, it became more evident that the threatening command from the religious leaders found no footing in them. The religious leaders had no choice but to release them. In fact, they found themselves in a bind because everyone saw that the lame man had been healed and his healing authenticated their message. The message from God was evident to all but the hardened hearts of the religious leaders prevented them from being defined by God. C.S. Lewis once said, "Miracles are a retelling in small letters of the very same story which is written across the whole world in letters too large for some of us to see."

It is the truth that sets us free. The key to being set free by God’s truth is abiding in His word. It’s not enough to know the truth. The enemy knows the truth, but it doesn’t set him free. God’s truth sets us free when we obey Him. It is the truth of the gospel that ultimately sets us free. While the truth of the law first frees us to look for the Savior, it is the gospel that tells us that Jesus Christ is our Savior. The demands of the law were placed upon the Lord Jesus. At the cross He endured God’s wrath on our behalf. The Lord Jesus is the truth. It is through Him that we have entered into a personal relationship with God who now leads us in His truth.

Max Lucado once said, "In order to lead the orchestra we must turn our back on the crowd." Peter and John were leading the orchestra that day at the Temple in Jerusalem.They were able to do it because they lived with eternity's values in view. It was  C.T. Studd who said, "If Jesus Christ is God and He died for me, no sacrifice can be too great for me to make for him." In Proverbs 11:3 we read, "The integrity of the upright guides them, but the crookedness of the treacherous destroys them." Their integrity had its roots firmly in the truth. As we are being defined by the truth, the truth will set us free. Sadly, for all to see that day in Jerusalem, there was made evident the difference between the integrity of the Apostles and the disingenuousness of the Jewish religious leaders. The difference between the two was seen in one being defined by the self and the other being defined by the Savior.

Acts 4:13-17

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13 Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated and untrained men, they marveled. And they realized that they had been with Jesus. 14 And seeing the man who had been healed standing with them, they could say nothing against it. 15 But when they had commanded them to go aside out of the council, they conferred among themselves, 16 saying, "What shall we do to these men? For, indeed, that a notable miracle has been done through them is evident to all who dwell in Jerusalem, and we cannot deny it. 17 But so that it spreads no further among the people, let us severely threaten them, that from now on they speak to no man in this name." ~ Acts 4:13-17

Today, we continue our study of Acts 4 where the Apostle Peter and the Apostle John have been jailed for healing a lame man and preaching the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. During their confinement, Peter and John were interrogated by the frustrated religious leaders of Israel. These "men of the cloth" were not only frustrated with the changed lives of those first century followers of Christ, they were frustrated with God. And, without even knowing it they were frustrated with themselves. If they had only come to the end of themselves they would not have been so self-aware and thus insecure. They were frustrated because they weren't living the lives they were created to live. 

In v.13 of today's passage we read, "Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated and untrained men, they marveled. And they realized that they had been with Jesus."

The religious leaders were stunned by the "boldness" of Peter and John who were all of a sudden like seasoned professionals. This word translated "boldness" reveals the confidence shown by these two who were cowards when the Lord Jesus was crucified just days before. These men who had heard all of the teaching of the Lord Jesus and they had seen all of His miracles had recoiled from their faith in Him when He was crucified. Then, He was raised from the dead. They were eyewitnesses to the most important event in the history of mankind. It is no wonder they were full of confidence that day at the Temple. 

The word translated "perceived" means to understand. Despite their eloquence and confidence of speech, the council had become fully aware that "these uneducated men" had done something that was miraculous. This didn't add up in the minds of the religious leaders which was where their problem was; they rejected in their minds all of the evidence given. Unlike them, Peter and John had not had any formal rabbinic training. And yet, their message was based upon Scripture and was spoken in the proper context. This led the religious leaders to conclude that Peter and John were idiots which is what the word "untrained" literally means. That's what we do when we are losing an argument, we turn to belittling name-calling.

The words, "And they realized they had been with Jesus" tells us everything we need to know about the disciples. It was when the religious leaders saw the boldness of Peter and John that they concluded they had been with the Lord. It was their confidence or their authority with which they spoke that arrested the attention of the people who chose to believe in the Lord Jesus that day. When we come to the end of ourselves and we enter into a personal relationship with God, we begin to see life differently. The key is that we remain in His truth daily. When this is the case, we will reflect Him through our lives. The source of our boldness and confidence will never be found in us, only in Him.

In v.14 of today's passage we read, "And seeing the man who had been healed standing with them, they could say nothing against it."

The phrase "say nothing against" is a compound word including the idea "opposite to" and the idea "to say." This word literally means "to contradict." The apostles made the claim that the man was healed through the Lord Jesus. The once lame man stood in front of all, healed. And, the religious leaders could not contradict their claim. How gracious of God to continue to give the hard-hearted religious leaders another piece of evidence that the Lord Jesus is the Messiah. The religious leaders had all their lives resisted the will of God for themselves otherwise they would have been led to His Son. It is hard at times to rest in the will of God because His ways are so different than ours. It was Watchman Nee who once said, "Good is not always God’s will, but God’s will is always good."

In v.15-17 of today's passage we read, "15 But when they had commanded them to go aside out of the council, they conferred among themselves, 16 saying, 'What shall we do to these men? For, indeed, that a notable miracle has been done through them is evident to all who dwell in Jerusalem, and we cannot deny it. 17 But so that it spreads no further among the people, let us severely threaten them, that from now on they speak to no man in this name.'"

The religious leaders had a private discussion to determine how to stop the apostles from speaking about the Lord Jesus. They demonstrated here that their problem was caused by their self-righteousness which caused them to resist humility before God. When they refused to confer with the Lord, their lives missed the call of their Messiah. There is no mention of prayer in this closed door meeting. To be sure, these religious leaders were fearful because thousands had chosen to follow the Lord Jesus as their Messiah. Their fear triumphed over their faith and they were left insecure with themselves at the helm of their lives.

The Jewish religious leaders knew that if the resurrection of the Lord Jesus had been validated by the healing of the lame man, it would have meant that they were complicit in His crucifixion. This is why they made the decision to "severely threaten them" not to speak of the Lord Jesus anymore. If the religious leaders had concluded the Lord Jesus had done this miracle, then they would have had to accept that He was the Messiah. But this, they could not and would not do. The bottom line was they weren’t about to humble themselves before God and thus believe. 

The religious leaders totally ignored the obvious. The resurrection of Christ was the central message, even more than the healing that had taken place right before their eyes. Stubborn unbelief is wicked and dangerous. It is wicked because it always requires more proof. As a result, this disposition keeps us from coming to the Lord Jesus Christ, and it keeps us from repenting from the self-life. Stubborn unbelief is also dangerous because it blinds us from the truth, and it will condemn us before the Judgment of God if we fail to repent of ourselves and believe on the Lord Jesus.

The disciples, as we will see, did not go silent about the Lord Jesus. How could they? They had believing hearts due to the fact that they had seen Him raised from the dead. This is why His resurrection is the central theme in every sermon in the book of Acts. Miracles serve to authenticate the message that the Lord Jesus is the Messiah. But, there must be faith, the willingness to believe, for the miracle to be effective. Faith is vulnerable and it strikes a death blow to our pride and the self-life. This is why God makes such a big deal of our faith in Him.

Acts 4:5-12

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5 And it came to pass, on the next day, that their rulers, elders, and scribes, 6 as well as Annas the high priest, Caiaphas, John, and Alexander, and as many as were of the family of the high priest, were gathered together at Jerusalem. 7 And when they had set them in the midst, they asked, “By what power or by what name have you done this?” 8 Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers of the people and elders of Israel: 9 If we this day are judged for a good deed done to a helpless man, by what means he has been made well, 10 let it be known to you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, by Him this man stands here before you whole. 11 This is the ‘stone which was rejected by you builders, which has become the chief cornerstone.’ 12 Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” ~ Acts 4:5-12

Today, we continue our study of Acts 4 where the followers of the Lord Jesus Christ are in Jerusalem preaching the gospel to the people gathered at the Temple. When Peter, in his sermon, got to the part that the Lord Jesus was raised from the dead, the religious leaders of Israel became so enraged they apprehended both Peter and John and put them in confinement. But, their confinement did not confine the gospel which was convincing people of their sin and leading them to faith in the greatest news ever to be delivered to lost mankind.

In v.5-7 of today's passage we read, "5 And it came to pass, on the next day, that their rulers, elders, and scribes, 6 as well as Annas the high priest, Caiaphas, John, and Alexander, and as many as were of the family of the high priest, were gathered together at Jerusalem. 7 And when they had set them in the midst, they asked, 'By what power or by what name have you done this?'"

With the coming of the new day, the religious leaders of Israel gathered together to consider what to do with Peter and John whom they had incarcerated. Most people in the world today do not respond well to being told that the only path to heaven is the Lord Jesus Christ. But, how many people do we know that were beat to a pulp and then crucified and then buried in a tomb and then to be raised from the death. The problem that the religious leaders of Israel had was not the disciples who had become courageous at sharing the gospel, their problem was the living Christ.

The religious leaders had Peter and John brought before them and then they asked them, "By what power or by what name have you done this?" The verb translated "they asked" reveals this was an intense interrogation being conducted and all of the religious leaders asked the same question again and again. The power of which the religious leaders inquired reveals the change in the boldness of these men who were just a few weeks before were timidly hiding. There had been an obvious change in these men and the religious leaders wanted to get to the bottom of it. 

Then they asked by what name they were healing and preaching the gospel. A name is to be taken synonymously with the authority which is essentially behind the power demonstrated. The name is the legal authority for the action. To add to this, the order of the words, "have you done this," reveals the contempt the religious leaders had for the Apostles. The religious leaders thought they had a Jesus problem but what they had was a self problem. They were so arrogant they could not reason correctly. They were so narrow-minded they could look at a keyhole with both eyes.

In v.8-12 of today's passage we read, "8 Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, 'Rulers of the people and elders of Israel: 9 If we this day are judged for a good deed done to a helpless man, by what means he has been made well, 10 let it be known to you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, by Him this man stands here before you whole. 11 This is the ‘stone which was rejected by you builders, which has become the chief cornerstone.' 12 Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved."

The question Peter was waiting for came. So, Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, informed the religious leaders of the exchanged life that he had undergone. The exchanged life is when we give to the Lord Jesus our broken lives and He in turn imparts to us His life through the Holy Spirit. This is partly why the Lord gave us the Holy Spirit. When the Spirit came into our heart, His business was to take a risen Lord's life and give it to us, to empower us, to do whatever He calls us to do. This is what the Lord Jesus had said to the disciples way back in Acts 1:8 which reads, "But when the Holy Spirit comes to you, you will receive power. You will be my witnesses—in Jerusalem, in all of Judea, in Samaria, and in every part of the world."

Once born again, each believer has the potential to experience the power of God in such a way that we will be able to point others to the Lord Jesus. Ironically, it is the power of God that enables us to see the beauty in our brokenness. We limit the power of God in and through us when we slip back into shirking brokenness which is a gift that leads us into a deeper walk with the Lord. The problem we face with God's power is that it always leads us to less of us and more of Him. When we live our lives as if everything depends upon us, we reveal that we don't get the power of God. This is when the Lord has to raise our quality of faith to the level where we will stand only upon what He says. God's power grants us the ability to live the normal Christian life which leads us further into the surrendered life. And, it is out of that posture we conclude, "there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved."

Acts 4:1-4

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1 Now as they spoke to the people, the priests, the captain of the temple, and the Sadducees came upon them, 2 being greatly disturbed that they taught the people and preached in Jesus the resurrection from the dead. 3 And they laid hands on them, and put them in custody until the next day, for it was already evening. 4 However, many of those who heard the word believed; and the number of the men came to be about five thousand. ~ Acts 4:1-4

Today, we transition into Acts 4 where the followers of the Lord Jesus were assembled at the Temple in Jerusalem. There was a crowd of Jewish worshippers there who witnessed the healing of  a lame man. This man had been at the gate begging for money much much of his life. He had been lame from his birth which was forty years when he was healed. The people who saw the miracle performed by Peter were amazed. So, like a good evangelist, Peter took advantage of the opportunity to preach another sermon to the people. Many believed that day as a result of hearing the salvation story of how God from the beginning of the nation of Israel had a desire to save all mankind.

In v.1-2 of today's passage we read, "1 Now as they spoke to the people, the priests, the captain of the temple, and the Sadducees came upon them, 2 being greatly disturbed that they taught the people and preached in Jesus the resurrection from the dead."

The Apostle spoke to the people who had gathered at the Temple about the resurrection. I find it quite instructive that they did not proclaim the overthrow of the Roman government. Even though it was a hot topic in that day the Apostles did not propagate the violent overthrow of the establishment. There is not a word of protest raised against the widespread practice of slavery throughout the world at that time. Half of the Roman empire at that time were slaves. That means that every other person in the world ruled by Rome was a slave. But, the Apostles said nothing about the abolition of slavery. There is nothing said about the burdens of excessive taxation which the Romans had placed upon the people. No, the message they preached about the resurrection of Christ. This message was so threatening that the religious leaders of Israel were greatly disturbed. For this, Peter and John were thrown into jail before they could even finish their message. And yet, because of this message, five thousand became believers in the Lord Jesus Christ that day.

The preaching of the death, burial and resurrection of Christ always disturbs people because it disturbs the status quo. Most people do not want to hear the bad news, all they want is the good news. But, the good news is so much better with the bad news as its back drop. I had a friend in college who would always say, "You shall know the truth and the truth shall make you mad." The religious leaders of Israel tried to ignore Peter's message of truth hoping it would go away. The word translated "greatly disturbed" in v.2 means "profoundly agitated." The religious leaders had long paid their dues to be the official teachers of Israel. They had meticulously achieved each step along the way. They, for years, worked hard at memorizing every letter of the Old Testament. Then, along  came these unlearned pilgrims from Galilee who drew great crowds when they spoke. The religious leaders had tried to earn the respect of the people to listen to them but they listened carefully to these uneducated Galileans. This was highly disturbing to the religious leaders who knew nothing of grace. The words of the Apostles were an open repudiation of the religious establishment in Jerusalem. As a result, they were enraged.

In v.3 of today's passage we read, "And they laid hands on them, and put them in custody until the next day, for it was already evening."

The Apostle had been preaching about three hours before the religious leaders of Israel had heard enough. When the Apostles started preaching the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ they could not believe it. They had to think to themselves the Lord Jesus would not die even though they had watched Him do so just a short time before this. So, in their rage, they grabbed the Apostles and they put them in jail. This is the effect of the gospel upon those who have rejected it, it greatly disturbs them. 

The religious leaders of Israel had confined the Apostles but in doing so they thought they were confining the message. I mean, if these once-cowards who claim to be the disciples of the Lord Jesus kept on speaking with the authority that they possessed, they thought the people might figure out the power within the message. They couldn't have that to be the case. And for the Apostles, they were demonstrating that embracing persecution for the sake of the gospel is Christianity 101.

In v.4 of today's passage we read, "However, many of those who heard the word believed; and the number of the men came to be about five thousand." 

While the Apostles Peter and John had been bound, the gospel of the Lord Jesus ran wild in the hearts of the people. In fact, five thousand men believed that evening despite all of the efforts of the religious leaders of Israel to stop it. Truth always wins in the end. These were people who were awakened to God by the Holy Spirit through Peter's message full of the truth. And, it was more than the enemy of men’s souls could tolerate. This is more than false religion can tolerate, and so the persecution began. And, as we will see, it was the persecution of the early church that made it grow so fast. Persecution is good in the sense that it purifies. It shows us what is really real and what is deserving of our investments. The threat of death keeps false believers away. When we live according to God's culture we will face persecution. In the end, we are either being defined by the truth or we are running from it.

After the people heard the word, they believed. Not everyone hears and thus not everyone believes. All hear but not all hear the word with a believing heart. This explains why there will be many to whom the Lord Jesus will say, "Depart from me for I never knew you." The word "knew" here is an experiential knowledge, a relational knowledge. Those who choose to believe on the Lord Jesus enter into a relationship with Him. This knowledge of us by the Lord is conditioned upon our faith in Him. And those who will not believe on the Lord Jesus will not be on God's list to spend eternity with Him in heaven. Our acceptability before the Lord has always been based upon our faith in the finished work of the Lord Jesus on the cross because He is the only One perfect enough to earn the favor of God for us. 

Acts 3:17-26

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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. 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, 20 and that He may send Jesus Christ, who was preached to you before, 21 whom heaven must receive until the times of restoration of all things, which God has spoken by the mouth of all His holy prophets since the world began. 22 For Moses truly said to the fathers, ‘The Lord your God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from your brethren. Him you shall hear in all things, whatever He says to you. 23 And it shall be that every soul who will not hear that Prophet shall be utterly destroyed from among the people.’ 24 Yes, and all the prophets, from Samuel and those who follow, as many as have spoken, have also foretold these days. 25 You are sons of the prophets, and of the covenant which God made with our fathers, saying to Abraham, ‘And in your seed all the families of the earth shall be blessed.’ 26 To you first, God, having raised up His Servant Jesus, sent Him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from your iniquities.” ~ Acts 3:17-26

Today, we conclude our study of Acts 3 where the Lord Jesus is      working in and through His followers in a powerful way. With the conclusion of this chapter comes the conclusion of Peter's second recorded sermon after the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. People were being attracted to the Lord through the miracles He is performing through those first century believers. Not only are the people attracted to the message of the gospel, they are repenting of dependency upon themselves and they are believing in the Lord Jesus as their Savior. This is the crux of our every call from the Lord, to be useful and dispensable clay pots for His glory. There is no greater joy than to bring honor to the One who laid down His life for us.

In v.17 of today's passage we read, "Yet now, brethren, I know that you did it in ignorance, as did also your rulers."

Previously, Peter informed the gathered crowd of Jewish folks at the outer courts of the Temple in Jerusalem that they were responsible for the murder of the Lord Jesus. It was then that Peter highlighted the fact that they acted out of their ignorance of the identity of the Lord Jesus when they yelled out to Pilate to "crucify Him." The word the Apostle Peter used here translated "ignorance" means "blindly blundering along in darkness." This describes not only those Jews gathered there that day listening to Peter's sermon, it describes everyone who has walked the face of this earth since the Fall. God graciously sent His Son to the earth who said while hanging on His cross, "Father forgive them for they do not know what they are doing." 

Anytime we try to run our own lives, we merely demonstrate our ignorance. We do not know what we are doing. It is our pride that leads us to even think that we could make it through this life and beyond without a personal relationship with the Lord. In Ecclesiastes 3:11 we discover that when He made us God placed eternity in our hearts. We all know the endless search in our hearts for meaning and purpose. Augustine said, "Thou has made us for Thyself, and our hearts are restless until they learn to rest in Thee." We long for God, the problem is sin has marred our understanding of what is really real so we find ourselves longing for everything other than Him. Within all of us is a longing for home, there is a call deep within each of us for more than this life can provide. This itch is part of God's plan and is useful to directing us back to Him.

In v.18-24 of today's passage we read, "18 But those things which God foretold by the mouth of all His prophets, that the Christ would suffer, He has thus fulfilled. 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, 20 and that He may send Jesus Christ, who was preached to you before, 21 whom heaven must receive until the times of restoration of all things, which God has spoken by the mouth of all His holy prophets since the world began. 22 For Moses truly said to the fathers, ‘The Lord your God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from your brethren. Him you shall hear in all things, whatever He says to you. 23 And it shall be that every soul who will not hear that Prophet shall be utterly destroyed from among the people.’ 24 Yes, and all the prophets, from Samuel and those who follow, as many as have spoken, have also foretold these days."

Here, Peter pulls back the curtain of eternity allowing these people to see the plan of God to redeem mankind from our sin. Our sin placed the Lord Jesus on the cross and we are all guilty of placing Him there. But, God in His grace, has told us over and over throughout the years that His Son would one day come to deal a death blow to sin and death on our behalf. What is required of us is to be humble enough to believe that His death on the cross procured our salvation. And, by the way, for thousands of years the unfolding story of the gospel of Jesus Christ was predicted throughout the Old Testament.

So, the first step toward salvation is repentance. There must come a time in our lives when we recognize our need to turn away from the self life that took over when sin came into this world. The self life is living life with ourselves at the center of our existence. The second step involved in our salvation is that we must come to a change in our evaluation of the Lord Jesus Christ. God is willing to treat any sinner as His Son only if we see our need for the Savior and we trust in Him. In this sermon Peter said, "our sins will be blotted out." This one Greek word translated "blotted out" means "erased." Forgiveness is for anyone who runs to God for refuge through His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.

Christianity rests upon facts. In this second sermon of Peter, he provided a series of bullet proof facts that we cannot deny. Facts that were attested by witnesses and can be easily corroborated today. Facts like the death of the Lord Jesus on the cross. Then came His resurrection. He was seen up to 12 times after His resurrection in a 40 day period and the fact is no-one refuted these appearances. This is what turned the disciples on a dime from being cowards to dying horrific deaths for their faith in the Living One. Christianity is not a religion of ideas, it rests upon the witnesses who can and have attested to its veracity even in a court of law. This is the way we prove Christianity to be true by declaring certain facts and bringing in certain witnesses to establish them. This is exactly the basis upon which the Christian faith has always rested.

In v.25-26 of today's passage we read, "25 You are sons of the prophets, and of the covenant which God made with our fathers, saying to Abraham, 'And in your seed all the families of the earth shall be blessed.' 26 To you first, God, having raised up His Servant Jesus, sent Him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from your iniquities."

Peter's final point took his hearers all the way back to father Abraham to whom God promised to bless all of the people of the earth with His blessing of salvation through His Son the Lord Jesus Christ. Sadly, in the first century the Jews had come to believe that God only lived the Jews. This is what the self-life does to us, it makes us self-centered and selfish. Through the cross of His Son God has appealed to us. The covenant He made with Abraham was a covenant of faith. It was our sin that separated us from God. It is the Law of Moses that highlights and magnifies our sin, but it is only the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ that can cleanse our sin away. God has promised if we believe in His Son as our Savior we will be forgiven and secured in our salvation.

Acts 3:11-16

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11 Now as the lame man who was healed held on to Peter and John, all the people ran together to them in the porch which is called Solomon’s, greatly amazed. 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, 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 3:11-16

Today, we return to our study of Acts 3 where Peter and John while on their trek to the Temple in Jerusalem to pray are solicited by a man who had been lame for forty years. He was just outside the Temple at the Gate called Beautiful. It was there that Peter told the man who was begging for money about the Lord Jesus. It was then that the man was healed of his inability to walk and was last seen leaping and walking and entering into the temple with Peter and John.

In v.11 of today's passage we read, "Now as the lame man who was healed held on to Peter and John, all the people ran together to them in the porch which is called Solomon’s, greatly amazed."

Since the crowd drew in on the man and Peter and John, Luke highlights the excitement of the once lame man. At this point he didn't want to be separated from Peter and John. And so, in order for that to not occur, he literally held very tightly onto them. When there is a moment like this, a moment of awe and wonder, people desire to see why the attention of others are so captivated. To prove the veracity of this story everyone there that day scurried to be able to see the healed man at "Solomon's porch" which was a covered colonnade just outside the eastern entrance of the Temple.

There, the people were "greatly amazed" which means they were beyond astonishment to a sense of bewilderment. Most of them were fully aware of the beggar. He was there everyday. Ironically, the name "Solomon" is derived from the Hebrew word meaning "wholeness." The place describes the once lame man appropriately as one who was healed and made whole in the name of the Lord Jesus.

In v.12-16 of today's passage we read, "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, 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.'"

Just then Peter seized the opportunity to address the crowd and explain the marvel of what God had done for the once lame man. As the healed man had fixed his eyes on Peter and John before, now, the people had fixed theirs upon them. This is why Peter directed their attention to the One who healed the once lame man. He asked them, "Or why look so intently at us, as though by our own power or godliness we had made this man walk? " Peter wanted the people to know that he and John lacked the power to heal the man and that it was the Lord Jesus who healed him. Peter's usage of the word "godliness" indicates he was fully aware that he and John were not the ones the people should credit with this miracle.

By introducing the patriarchs, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, Peter clearly establishes that the same God who had been faithful to Israel all of those years was the One whom the Lord Jesus represented. Peter identified the Lord Jesus as "The Servant of the Lord" which is a reference to the Messiah mentioned in Isaiah 53 where the rejection of the Servant was prophesied by the prophet Isaiah. Peter reminded the people that it was they who fulfilled this prophecy. 

In this second message to the people of Jerusalem, Peter gave the people the bad news before sharing the gospel with them. We do not appreciate the enormity of what the Lord Jesus did on the cross until we have been reminded of the seriousness of our sin. Before we can find joy in the good news, we must see the seriousness of our rebellion against God. Our rebellion separated us from God with absolutely no hope in sight. Our rebellion activated the devilish nature of sin in our existence and it is out to destroy us at all cost. Many view sin as merely a mistake or a weakness. However, in the eyes of God, sin is the most destructive thing there is in this world. It is critical that all of mankind comprehend the weight and the destructive power of sin, because without a real understanding of sin, we cannot truly understand salvation, grace, or the crucifixion of the Lord Jesus.

This is why Peter said in v.14-15 wrote, "14 But you denied the Holy One and the Just, and asked for a murderer to be granted to you, 15 and killed the Prince of life, whom God raised from the dead, of which we are witnesses."

In v.16 of today's passage we read, "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."

Now that Peter has enabled the people to see the seriousness of their wicked choices, he now gives the good news. Like John 3:16, Acts 3:16 directs our attention to the most important and the most welcoming thought. God made a way for sinful man to be redeemed. The once lame man who stood before them was a demonstration of God's reaction to our rebellion and guilt. As the man had been restored and made whole by God's power, so the people of Israel could be restored to a personal relationship with God. It is in response to what God has done for us by sending His Son to the cross where He judged our sin in His body on the tree, it is when we conclude that He paid our penalty and when we place our faith in Him that we are made whole.

Throughout the Bible, we are reminded that we are saved by faith in the Lord. It is the object of our faith that saves us, not the quality or the quantity of our faith. Martin Luther once aptly said, "We are saved by faith alone, but the faith that saves is never alone." It is quite clear in the Scriptures that it is not our obedience that saves us, but biblical faith will produce obedience or good works. Our good works are signs that we have been "born again." Faith in anything makes us vulnerable. Our need of faith exposes the fact that we are not in full control of our lives. It isn't blind faith because God has given us enough evidence of His existence that it could fuel the faith of all for eternity. The reason we struggle with faith is that it exposes us for the fallen people we are but it invites us to be real. Faith in the God of the Bible is risky but it is through this vein that we connect with Him. Vulnerability is being honest about what is happening on the inside. This is where healing happens. This is what connects us to the Lord. This is why faith has always been the determining factor of our rightness with God. 

Acts 3:1-10

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1 Now Peter and John went up together to the temple at the hour of prayer, the ninth hour. 2 And a certain man lame from his mother’s womb was carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, to ask alms from those who entered the temple; 3 who, seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple, asked for alms. 4 And fixing his eyes on him, with John, Peter said, "Look at us." 5 So he gave them his attention, expecting to receive something from them. 6 Then Peter said, "Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk." 7 And he took him by the right hand and lifted him up, and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength. 8 So he, leaping up, stood and walked and entered the temple with them—walking, leaping, and praising God. 9 And all the people saw him walking and praising God. 10 Then they knew that it was he who sat begging alms at the Beautiful Gate of the temple; and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him. ~ Acts 3:1-10

Today, we begin our study of Acts 3 where the early Church has received the promised Holy Spirit and the Lord was adding to their numbers daily. In today's passage you will notice the same pattern that we had in Acts 2 where the believers spoke of the wonderful works of God in languages they did not understand. Then, the people gathered to hear Peter preach, and then, many were saved. The same pattern is found here in Acts 3, there is a miracle, the people gather to hear Peter preach, and people were saved. God provided miracles in order to convince people of the truth which led to their salvation.

In v.1 of today's passage we read, "Now Peter and John went up together to the temple at the hour of prayer, the ninth hour."

Peter and John went to the Temple daily to pray. It was 3:00 in the afternoon which was the time of Israel’s evening sacrifice. This was also the hour that the Lord Jesus died on the cross. An amazing transformation had taken place in Peter and John as they are now found to be men of prayer. In the past they struggled to stay awake long enough, but now they are prayer warriors going to the Temple everyday to pray. And, they discovered the more they prayed, the more they received strength, courage and wisdom. As a result, they were no longer men of fear who avoided the Temple because of those who killed the Lord Jesus. 

In v.2-4 of today's passage we read, "2 And a certain man lame from his mother’s womb was carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, to ask alms from those who entered the temple; 3 who, seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple, asked for alms. 4 And fixing his eyes on him, with John, Peter said, "Look at us."

The lame man was positioned at the gate called Beautiful. The Jewish historian Josephus tells us the gate called Beautiful was bigger than all the rest. It was 75 feet high and 60 feet wide. It was made of Corinthian brass, overlaid with gold. It took 20 men to close it. And that’s where the life-long lame man sat begging for money. He asked for mercy in the form of cash, but he was given grace in the form of healing and salvation. This was the scene that brings us to the next event after Pentecost.

This man had been unable to walk for forty years. Who knows how many of those years he had been carried to this gate. His life had been all of his life defined by his disability. That day this lame man was in the spot that he was known to be. He was there everyday begging for money. Many passed him by, including believers in the Lord Jesus, before entering and leaving the Temple. But this time, instead of turning their eyesight away from the beggar, Peter and John went to him and engaged him in conversation. 

There were two things that made Peter stop that day to engage the lame man. First, he had compassion on him. Peter, having come into a deeper relationship with the Lord Jesus had developed a heart for this man. This is what spending time in God's presence in prayer does to us. As we give our hearts to the Lord, He gives His heart to us. Out of compassion for the man Peter helped him in a way that he needed most. Money would only solve his problem temporarily. The lame man needed to be healed of his beggar’s way of thinking. Peter knew that only the Lord Jesus could do for this man what he really needed. This highlights the second reason Peter stopped that day to help the lame man: Peter had faith in the name of the Lord Jesus. The man had asked for money, but Peter ended up giving him much more than he expected. Peter followed the example of the Lord Jesus: He healed him in the name of the Lord Jesus. 

This man, all of his life, had been kept outside the presence of God. He was spiritually isolated as he begged just outside of the Temple. According to Leviticus 21 the lame were prohibited from entering the Temple. When he asked for money from John and Peter, Peter said to him, "Look at us." This was exactly what the Lord Jesus often said to those who asked for healing. He always captivated their attention first because in order to heal them they had to demonstrate faith in Him. So, Peter focused the lame man's gaze upon the Lord. He did this to create a sense of expectation. This technique always quickens faith. The man desired money but something much more significant was given to him. The faith of this man was awakened by Peter's words. This is very necessary in order to receive anything from God. We must expect something from Him in order to receive from Him.

In v.5-7 of today's passage we read, "So he gave them his attention, expecting to receive something from them. 6 Then Peter said, 'Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk.' 7 And he took him by the right hand and lifted him up, and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength."

The lame man expected money while Peter and John expected the man's healing. Peter thought well beyond the man's temporal need, he anticipated the man's eternity. It was then that the man's feet and ankles had enough strength in them to stand. This man had never stood before but now he stood. This was nothing less than divine intervention in his life. This is the ultimate in ministry, to get people to the place where they are postured to encounter their Creator.

The minute Peter had this man's attention, he did two things which are most important: First, he admitted his bankruptcy in the material realm when he said, "Silver and gold have I none." And then, Peter demonstrated his amazing faith in the adequacy of the Lord when he said, "In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk." And, in that moment, as this man was looking at Peter and John, and heard these words, at the mention of the name of the Lord Jesus something remarkable happened. Strength came flowing into his ankles, and Peter, sensing it, took him by the right hand and lifted him up. The man rose and began to leap and shout and jump around, trying out this new-found strength in his legs and feet which he had never known before because he was lame from birth. No wonder it had an amazing effect upon the people who looked on at the Temple.

In v.8-10 of today's passage we read, "8 So he, leaping up, stood and walked and entered the temple with them—walking, leaping, and praising God. 9 And all the people saw him walking and praising God. 10 Then they knew that it was he who sat begging alms at the Beautiful Gate of the temple; and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him."

Both, the lame man and Peter had to act on their faith. The moment faith was born in the heart of the lame man he subsequently praised God. This man's whole world turned on a dime. As the people saw this miracle they were convinced that God had healed the lame man. If the lame man had not been lame this story would not be in this passage. How many of us are known to ask God to take a given abnormality from us not recognizing that most often our abnormalities provide a platform for God to reveal Himself to us and through us.

There is a lot of seeing in this passage: The lame man "saw Peter and John," Peter "looked intently at him" and said "look at us." Once we have been "born again" we will see those in need as God sees them, in need of Him. At the end of the day, the real issue is who do we see. That day, the lame man came to see the Lord Jesus as his Savior for himself which resulted in the bystanders seeing God for they ended up giving the Lord His deserved praise. That day a 700 year old prophecy was fulfilled before all to see. That 700 year old prophecy is found in Isaiah 35:6 which reads, “Then the lame shall leap like a deer.”