Would you turn back to Acts 3? We will not be having services
this Wednesday night, the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, and the
football game where everybody gets together and plays football
will be at 10 o'clock Thursday morning, and it's tackle football
and no pads. Go for it. Verse 12, once again. And when Peter saw, he answered. I've entitled this morning's
message, The Answer. The Answer. I've had a lot of
nasty letters over the years, but my favorite is where one wrote me after I
had written an article and put it in a paper on, does the Bible
teach election? And the man wrote me and he said,
if they were handing out awards for answering questions nobody
was asking, you'd win. Well, this is Peter's answer. This is not mine. Now, if we would know what preaching
ought to be, we'd study the sermons of the apostles in the book of
Acts. I know this is what gospel preaching
ought to be. And this is Peter's answer to
some men who were looking for an answer. This is after this
miracle that had taken place. Let's read these first 11 verses
of Acts chapter 3. Now, Peter and John went up together
into the temple at the hour of prayer, being the ninth hour,
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 of them that entered into the temple. who, seeing
Peter and John about to go into the temple, asked in alms. And
Peter, fastening his eyes upon him with John, said, look on
us. And he gave heed unto them, expecting to receive something
of them. Then Peter said, silver and gold have I none, but such
as I have give I thee in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth. Rise up and walk. And he took
him by the right hand and lifted him up and immediately his feet
and ankle bones received strength. And he leaping up, now remember
this man had been lame from the womb and he was over 40 years
old. But what happened? He leaping
up stood and walked and entered with him into the temple walking
and leaping and praising God. And all the people saw him walking
and praising God. And they knew that it was he
would set for alms at the beautiful gate of the temple. They were
filled with wonder and amazement at that which had happened unto
him. And as the lame man, which was healed, hailed Peter and
John, all the people ran together unto them in the ports that is
called Solomon's, greatly wondering. And what were they wondering?
How did this take place? What has happened? and Peter
answering them. When Peter saw, he answered unto
the people, and the first thing he does is correct a mistaken
notion. Let's read. And Peter saw it,
he answered unto the people, ye men of Israel, why marvel
ye at this? Or why look ye so earnestly on
us? as though by our own power or
holiness, we made this man to walk. Why are you looking at
us? Men will always have a tendency
to do this, to make too much of the instrument. or to make
too much of the means. And this mistake would have put
the spotlight on Peter and John. Why are you looking at us as
though this was rewarded to us? This power of God is rewarded
to us because of our own power or our own holiness, our personal
holiness. God has looked at us and said,
these men are so good, they're so powerful, they're so holy
that I'm going to give them the ability to perform this miracle. The spotlight would have been
off the Lord Jesus Christ and on them. And any true preacher
would recoil from this. We know better than this. We
can't look at ourselves like this. And that's how Peter begins
this answer. Don't look on us as though this
is a result of our own power or our own personal holiness
or devotion and God is using us because of something in us. Don't even think that way. Verse 13, here's his answer. The God of Abraham and of Isaac
and of Jacob. The God of Abraham and Isaac
and Jacob. You know, when God identified
himself to Moses in Exodus chapter three, he identified himself
as the God of Abraham and of Isaac and of Jacob. Not just
God, not simply God, but the covenant God, the God of Abraham,
the God who appeared to Abraham, the God of the supernatural birth,
the God of Isaac, picturing the Lord Jesus Christ, what a type
of Christ He is, the God of Jacob. the one God loved, that sinful
man, Jacob. But God said, I love him. Jacob
have I loved, and Esau have I hated. The God of Abraham and Isaac
and Jacob is the one who has done this. And what has he done?
This God of the Old Testament scriptures, the living God, it
says, verse 13, the God of Abraham and Isaac and of Jacob, the God
of our fathers hath glorified his son, Jesus. Now this is how this took place.
The God of the Old Testament, the covenant God, has glorified
His Son, Jesus, the same one you crucified. Do you remember
when the Pharisees said of the Lord Jesus Christ, therefore
the Jews sought to kill Him because Not only has he broken the Sabbath,
but he also said that God was his father, making himself equal
with God. Because he said he was his son,
he's equal with God. And Peter lets him know, his
son Jesus, the one who's equal with God, that's the one who
has done this. God has glorified his son. You know, Peter was listening.
I love to think of all the apostles listening to that prayer our
Lord prayed in John chapter 17. He was listening. I'm sure they
were all astounded by the words that came out of his mouth as
they listened to that prayer. But he heard the Lord say, Father,
the hour has come. Glorify thy son, that thy son
also may glorify thee. And then he said, I have glorified
thee on the earth. I finished the work thou gavest
me to do. Now this is the one who healed
this man born lame, Peter says, the one who's equal to the father,
the son, the one who glorified the father. the One who finished
the work that you gave Him to do. Now this is so important. You can't preach Jesus Christ
the Lord and not preach Him who glorified the Father in finishing
the work the Father gave Him to do. Now what is the work the
Father gave Him to do? We don't have to guess. We find out on the opening page,
the opening chapter of the New Testament. Thou shalt call His
name Jesus, for He shall save His people from their sins. That's the work the Father gave
Him to do. To save His people. Now, it's important to say His
people. Not just to save in some generic
sense. He came to save His people. The
elect. those the Father gave Him before
time began. He came to save His people from
their sins. And that's what I need to be
saved from, from my sins. My sins are my great enemy. My
sins are the ones that will put me to hell. I need to be saved
from my sins. Now, I'll tell you one thing
all of His people have in common. They have this in common. We
need to be saved from our sins. That's what I need. Now, what
did He do? He did it. I have glorified thee
on the earth. I have finished the work thou
gavest me to do. You know what that means? When
He said it is finished, the salvation of all of His people was accomplished. I was saved from my sins. I'm
never going to have to deal with the consequences of my sins because
I don't have any They're gone, they're put away, and that is
what glorifies God. The salvation of chosen sinners
for the glory of Christ. That's what glorifies God. And
Peter's letting them know, this is who healed this man. God has
glorified His Son, Jesus. Whom you, verse 13, delivered
up and denied him in the presence
of Pilate. Now, while he finished the work
and he glorified God, you're still held responsible for killing
him. Now, what is it that God's got
against me and you? The murder of his son. Well, how can he hold me responsible
for that? I wasn't even alive when it happened. You would have. You believe that? You would have
been one of the ones putting him to death if God left you
to yourself. you would have. And that's what
he, Peter says to these people when he's answering them. He
says in verse 13, the God of Abraham and of Isaac and of Jacob,
the God of our fathers hath glorified his son, Jesus, whom you delivered
up and denied him in the presence of Pilate when he was determined
to let him go. But you denied the Holy one and
the just and desired a murderer to be granted unto you. and killed
the prince of life. Now, how is it that me or you
would have the ability to kill the prince of life? If he's the
prince, if he's the author of life, if he has life in himself,
how in the world could being you kill him? Because he laid
down his life voluntarily. That's why. He laid down his
life voluntarily. And this is what God holds me
and you responsible for though, the murder of his son. You believe that? Believe it
because the Bible says it. This is what God holds me and
you responsible for, the murder of his son. And I think this
is so glorious. Peter is speaking to the literal
murderers of Christ. These are the ones who sent away
with this man. Give us Barabbas. Nail him to
a cross. They hated this man. He's speaking
to the very murderers of the Lord Jesus Christ. And he says,
you denied him and you desired a murderer to be granted. You
killed the prince of life, verse 15, whom God has raised from
the dead, whereof we are all witnesses. Now, God raised this
one you killed from the dead. He lives. This one you killed, this one
you're responsible for his death, God raised him from the dead. whereof we are all witnesses. Now he is raised and now seated
at the right hand of the Father as the Lord's Christ. As the
Lord. The one seated at the right hand
of the Father. This one you killed, God raised
him from the dead and he's now Lord. Now I love to talk about
the Lordship of Jesus Christ. He is Lord to this extent. He
doesn't have any checks and balances. You know, when we put somebody
in authority, we want to have checks and balances because we
know it can go bad real easy if any man's in authority. You
know that saying, power corrupts? It does, it does, but not this
power. He has absolute authority as
Lord. This one you killed, He's the
Lord and you're in His hands and He can do with you whatever
He's pleased to do. He's in complete control. That's
what the Lordship of Christ means. God raised Him from the dead.
Why did God raise Him from the dead? I love to talk about this. Because He did what the Father
gave Him to do. He put away the sins. He worked
out a perfect righteousness for every believer. Everybody for
whom He died. God raised Him from the dead.
The justice of God demanded His resurrection. God raised this
one from the dead. Verse 16. We're witnesses of
this. Peter was speaking as an eyewitness. And you know the only way you
can preach the gospel is to preach as a witness. I'm preaching what
I know is so, that I've borne witness to. I'm preaching as
His witness. What I'm saying is the truth.
Verse 16, and His name, through faith in His name, hath
made this man strong, whom you see and know. Yea, the faith
which is by Him, hath given this man perfect soundness in the
presence of you all." Now, this name. Remember, they come wondering,
how was this man healed? He was lame from when we saw
him every day. We saw him late at the gate.
He was a poor beggar. And now he's up leaping and walking
and praising God. How was this man healed? They
were looking for an answer. Peter says through his name.
Look back in verse six of chapter three. Then Peter said, silver and gold
have I none. I'm not here to make your life
a little bit more comfortable, a little bit more tolerable.
Silver and gold have I none, the things that would make your
life a little bit easier, but such as I have, give I thee in
the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth. Rise up and walk. Jesus. What a name. This is the name of His Father.
Thou shalt call His name Jesus, for He shall save His people
from their sins. Savior. Savior. That's His name. The Savior. Jesus Christ. God's
anointed prophet. The Word of God. God's anointed
priest, the one who, if he represents you before the Father, you must
be saved. God's anointed king, the one
who rules and reigns, Jesus Christ of Nazareth, of Nazareth, the
one you crucified, Jesus of Nazareth. That's who made this man whole. I love the way he says this.
Notice in verse 16, and his name, through faith, in His name, really
believing that His name is all that it takes to make this man
whole and to make me whole. Through faith in His name, hath
made this man strong, whom ye see and know, yea, the faith
which is by Him. You know the reason Peter said
this? It's not redundant. He wants us to make sure. He
wants to make sure and know that for us to know that it wasn't
it wasn't faith that made this man whole. It's the faith that
was by him. He doesn't want us to make a
savior out of faith. Faith didn't die for our sins.
Christ did. Faith didn't work out a perfect righteousness for
us, Christ did. It wasn't faith that made this
man whole, it was Christ that made this man whole. And so,
notice his wording, Yea, the faith which is by Him hath given
this man, and here's what happens when God saves somebody, perfect
soundness. Now we just heard that song,
Near, so near to God, nearer I cannot be. Dear, so dear to
God, dearer I cannot be. That's what's called perfect
soundness. It's what is known in the Bible as justification. If Christ does something for
me or you, he gives us perfect soundness right now. Justification. I've never sinned. I have no sin. I'm perfect before
God. That's what Christ achieved on
Calvary's tree. He gave this man perfect soundness
in the presence of you all. Now this is how He saves. He
makes perfectly sound. For whom He did foreknow, then
He also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of His
Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren, Moreover,
whom he did predestinate, then he also called. And whom he called,
then he also justified. And whom he justified, then he
also, what's the next word? Glorified. Right now, every believer
is glorified. Somebody says, you don't look
glorified to me. Well, I realize that. I'm not going to argue
against that point. I don't much look glorified,
but that doesn't take away from the fact that I am. Every believer is perfect before
God. Now I'm going to put off this
flesh one of these days, and you're going to see how I'm glorified
then. Not till then, I realize that. But every believer is glorified
right now. Verse 17, and now brethren, I
walk that through ignorance, you did it. As also your rulers,
your religious leaders, I know you did this through ignorance. In all of man's supposed wisdom, here's the best word to describe
us. Ignorant. Ignorant. Ignorant of who God is. Ignorant
of His character. Ignorant of His holiness. Ignorant. Ignorant of ourselves. Ignorant
of our own sinfulness. Ignorant. Ignorant of our need
of Christ. Ignorant of the glory of the
gospel. Ignorant. People say, well, I'm
agnostic. I just don't know. I love the
Latin word for agnostic, ignoramus. And that is what the natural
man is. He's just ignorant. And Peter
says, I know that it was through ignorance you did this. You had
no idea that this was the creator you were putting to death. You
thought it was some man you just didn't like. You didn't know. I realize that. Now that's no
excuse. That doesn't make it okay. But
here's the state of the natural man. Ignorant. Ignorant of who
God is. Ignorant of who they are. Ignorant
of the glory of Jesus Christ. And now brethren, I want that
through ignorance you did it. It is also your rulers. Verse
18. But Those things which God before had showed by the mouth
of all of his prophets that Christ should suffer, he hath so fulfilled. What you did in your ignorance
is what God determined before for you to do. Look at Acts chapter
four, verse 27. For the truth against thy holy child, Jesus,
whom thou hast anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with
the Gentiles and the people of Israel were gathered together
for to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before
to be done. Now, please listen to this real
carefully. The cross is not God's response
to anything. The cross is God's eternal purpose
to glorify himself in the salvation of chosen sinners. That's why
there's a cross. Now you did what you did wickedly. There's no doubt about it. You
desired a murder instead of the Lord Jesus Christ. You were the
ones who called for his death. You were guilty of this without
question. And this is talking about all of us. But this was
God's eternal purpose. Christ is the Lamb slain from
the foundation of the world. The cross is the most glorious
thing God ever did. And it's always His purpose.
You did it. There's no doubt about it. And
you were ignorant in doing it. You were wicked in doing it.
But all you were doing was fulfilling God's eternal purpose. Now somebody is thinking, well,
if all I was doing was fulfilling God's eternal purpose, how can
I be held responsible for doing it then? Because, I don't know
how else to answer that, but you are. You are. God is in complete
control. And whatever He does is right.
And you and I really aren't in a position to call Him into question
and say, how can it be fair for God to do this? It's fair. If
God did it, it's right. He's in absolute control. And
all God was doing in you killing His Son, this was God's purpose
being done to glorify Himself. But those things, verse 18, which
God before had showed by the mouth of His prophets that Christ
should suffer, He has so fulfilled. Why should Christ suffer? Because
God purposed it. That's why He should suffer.
Why should He suffer? Because He was made sin and became
guilty before God. That's why He should so suffer.
And God fulfilled all this. Verse 19. Repent ye therefore,
and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out when the time
of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord. Repent.
Now what's that mean? Repent. If you listen to your
average preacher, you'll say you need to repent of your sins. Well, do you know that that phrase
is not found in the Bible? Repent of your sins. Now, without
question, we ought to have a change of mind about our sins. I'm not
saying that that is a meaningless concept because we ought to have
a change of mind about our sins, but that's not what repentance
is. Repentance is a change of mind about God. Repentance is
a change of mind about myself. Repentance is a change of mind
about how God saves sinners by Christ. Repentance is a change
of mind about how God puts away sin. Repent. Change your mind. You see, you're wrong. Change
your mind. That's what repentance is. That's
what the word means by definition. Repent, change your mind concerning
the direction you're going. Repent ye therefore and be converted. You're walking and turn. You're
walking away from Christ, walk toward him. You're walking away
from salvation by grace, turn and walk toward it. Repent and
be converted. I tell you what, when somebody
repents, they will turn. every single time. There's no
true repentance without a turning in the direction you're going.
Repent and be converted that your sins may be blotted out.
Now, does that mean that repentance is the cause of the blotting
out of sins? Well, you know it doesn't mean that. I hope you
know it. Christ is the cause of the blotting out of sins.
What he did on Calvary's tree, and listen to me real carefully,
if Christ died for you, if you've repented, and you look to Christ
only, all of your sins have been blotted out. They are no more. There's no record of them. They are gone. Don't you love
that word blotted out? Blotted out. I blotted out as
a thick cloud thine iniquities. This is true of everyone who
repents. And who turns, their sins have
been blotted out. And I can't give you any hope
that your sins are blotted out if you don't repent and if you
don't turn. But here's what happens with
everybody who does repent and who does turn, their sins have
been blotted out. And look what he says about this.
Repeat ye therefore and be converted that your sins may blotted out
when the time of refreshing shall come from the presence of the
Lord. What is more refreshing than having your sins blotted
out? What is more refreshing than
knowing you're never going to have to give an account for your
sins? Because there are no sins. He
blotted them out. What's more refreshing than that?
I certainly don't know of anything. What a refreshing thing it is
to be a child of God. Repent, therefore, and be converted,
that your sins may be blotted out. When the time of refreshing
shall come from the presence of the Lord, and He shall send
Jesus Christ. This is talking about His second
coming. He shall send Jesus Christ, which
before was preached unto you, whom the heaven, verse 21, must
receive. into the times of the restitution of all things. Now you think of the glory, that
heaven must receive Him. You think of the glory of His
ascension. I love to think of Him ascending back. He'd spent
eternity in heaven, being worshipped by angels. The equal with the
Father. And He comes to this earth. Oh,
the things that He experienced while He was here. But you think
of His ascending back and how the heavens must receive Him.
Think of the reception He got on His ascension. I can think
of the angels clapping and bowing at His feet and God the Father
embracing Him. Oh, heaven must receive Him because
of who He is and because of what He did. Whom the heaven must
receive into the time of restitution of all things. Things are a mess
here, aren't they? He's going to make it all right.
When He returns, everything is going to be made right. There's not going to be any more
sorrows. There's not going to be any more troubles. There's
not going to be any more tears. He'll wipe them all away, the
restitution of all things. When the Lord Jesus Christ returns,
everything is going to be made right. And He's going to do it. Everybody's going to have a new
history, a history that's nothing but good. This is talking about
his people, every one of them. He's going to the restoration
of all things which God has spoken by the mouth of all of all his
holy prophets since the world began. This has always been the
message of the scriptures. And then he quotes from Deuteronomy. For Moses truly said unto the
fathers, a prophet. shall the Lord God, the Lord
your God, raise up unto you of your brethren like unto me. Remember
how the Lord opened their understanding that they might understand the
scriptures. All of a sudden, Peter understands the Old Testament
scriptures. He understands when Moses said
this, this was a reference to the Lord Jesus Christ. His understanding
had been opened for Moses truly said unto the fathers, a prophet
shall the Lord your God raise up unto your brethren like unto
me. Him shall ye hear in all things whatsoever he shall say
unto you." What do you got to believe to be saved? All things. Whatever he says. That's a question I've heard
so many times over the years. What is the minimum amount of
knowledge you got to have? What is it you have to believe?
Everything. everything, all things whatsoever
he has said. Verse 23, and it shall come to
pass that every soul which will not hear that prophet shall be
destroyed from among the people. Now, if I will not hear, it's
because I will not hear. I'm not going to have that. I
don't agree with that. I don't believe that. I don't
like that. You'll be destroyed. And that's
God's word. You know, if you listen to me,
anybody who comes to Christ, he'll receive. Him that cometh to me I'll in
no wise cast out. If you come to Christ, He'll
receive you. If you call upon His name, He'll
save you. If you ask for mercy, He'll give
you mercy. If you deny Him, He'll deny you. If you reject His word, He's
going to reject you. If you reject His Word, if I
reject His Word, there's such willfulness in it, because He'll
save us if we'll come. He'll have mercy if we ask for
it. But to reject His Word, that
person will be destroyed from among the people. Verse 24, And
all the prophets from Samuel and those that follow after as
many as have spoken likewise have foretold of these days.
This is what the Old Testament scriptures have always taught.
And remember, in our preaching, our appeal is the scriptures.
That's it. I'm not using anything else.
This is what the Word of God has taught. What I've given this
morning, this is the message of the Old Testament Scriptures.
New Testament hadn't been written just yet, but it's also the message
of the New Testament Scriptures. It's what the Scriptures have
always said, verse 25, ye are the children of the prophets
and of the covenant which God made with our fathers. saying
unto Abraham, and in thy seed shall all the kindreds of the
earth be blessed. Unto you first God, having raised
up his son Jesus, send him to bless you in turning every one
of you away from your iniquities. Now, I love the way Peter's talking
to these people. Now, in one place in this message,
he calls them brethren. Brethren. Now he wasn't saying,
you're my brother in Christ. But he was saying this, you're
my brother in Adam. And I want you to hear this message. I'm a sinner just like you are.
I'm one beggar telling another beggar where he got bread. That's what preaching is. I'm
giving you this message. And the way he says it, You are
the children of the prophets and of the covenant which God
made with our fathers, saying unto Abraham, In thy seed, Christ,
shall all kindreds of the earth be blessed. This is the gospel
that in Christ, all kindreds of the earth, people out of every
tribe, kindred, tongue, and nation. Why not you? Why not you? What if I'm not elect? What if
you are? What if Christ didn't die for me? What if he did? That's
the way you come, not looking. This is to you. Unto you first,
verse 26, God, having raised up his son Jesus, sent him to
bless you in turning away every one of you from his iniquities. Now, every other time that word
iniquities is used in the scriptures, it's translated wickedness. Wickedness. depravity. Here's what I need. I need God to turn me. And this
is the blessing. God will turn you from your wickedness
and cause you to look to Christ only. And this is the blessing
that you and I need for God to turn me. I won't turn unless
He turns me. I hate saying that, but I know
it's so, and Jeremiah said it. He said, turn me, and I'll be
turned. The psalmist said in Psalm 80,
turn us again, O Lord God of hosts, cause thy face to shine,
and we'll be saved. Lord, turn me, don't leave me
to myself, don't leave me to an act of my own whatever, my
will, turn me. This is the great blessing, to
be turned away from my wickedness, to look to Christ only. to turn to God from idols, to
serve the living and true God, and to wait for His Son from
heaven, Jesus Christ, which has delivered us from the wrath to
come. Turn me to Christ. Verse one
of chapter four. And as they spake unto the people,
the priests and the captain of the temple and the Sadducees
came upon them, being grieved that they taught the people and
preached of Jesus, the resurrection from the dead. And they laid
hands on them and put them in hold into the next day, for it
was now even time. Now they were jailed for this
message. But look what happened. Verse
four. How be it many of them which heard the word believed,
And the number of the men was about 5,000. I don't know if
that means 2,000 were saved that day, added to the 3,000 the day
before, whether another 5,000 believed that day, and there
were now 8,000. I don't know. But this little group went from
120 to anywhere between 5 and 8,000 in a little less than 24
hours. But that message, that is the
message of the apostles. That is the answer. How was this
man made whole? The name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth. And the only way mere you will
be saved and be made whole is by the name of Jesus Christ of
Nazareth. Let's pray. Lord, in Christ's name, We ask that certain men lame
from the womb would be made whole, perfectly sound through the preaching
of thy gospel. Lord, we ask that you would enable
us first to believe thy gospel, to trust completely thy blessed
son, as all we need to make us perfect in your sight. Yea, Lord,
He's all we have and He's all we want. We don't want anything
else but simply to be found in Him. And Lord, we ask that you
would enable us to preach your gospel. Teach us what it means
to preach your gospel in this day. And Lord, we ask that we
might be allowed to see many to believe on the name of thy
Son. Lord, what a glorious, worthy
name, the name of thy blessed Son. I bless this message for
your glory and for our good. In Christ's name we pray, amen.