Today for our study we'll continue
with the message that Peter preached in Acts chapter 3. And I'm taking
the title for the message from verse 22. Acts 3, 22. For Moses truly said unto the
fathers, a prophet, a prophet shall the Lord your God raise
up. a prophet raised up by God. It says over here in verse 26
in Acts chapter 3, unto you first God having raised up his son
Jesus the Lord Jesus Christ sent him on a mission to be a blessing
to his people. Remember the messenger from heaven
said, call his name Jesus. He shall save his people from
their sins. and make sure you know this,
he did so. This is a faithful saying and
worthy of all acceptation that the Lord Jesus Christ came to
save sinners. Truly the Lord Jesus Christ is
a fulfillment of all the Old Testament scripture as it's plainly
stated in this sermon by Peter in verse 18. Let's look at verse
18 one more time. But those things which God before
has showed by the mouth of all his prophets, that Christ should
suffer. He suffered as a sin offering.
He suffered as God's lamb to substitute, to put away our sin. He has fulfilled those things.
Did he fulfill the promise of the Lord? WOMAN'S SEED CRUSHING
SATAN'S DIMENSION? ABSOLUTELY SO. ALL THE OLD TESTAMENT
PROPHETS, FROM MOSES ALL THE WAY DOWN TO THE LAST ONE, JOHN
THE BAPTIST, DECLARED THAT SALVATION IS OF THE LORD. YOU REMEMBER
THE LORD TOLD THOSE PHARISEES, HE SAID, YOU DO SEARCH THE SCRIPTURES,
BUT YOU MISS THE MESSAGE. They said, well, we believe Moses.
Remember what the Lord said? Had you believed Moses, you would
have believed me because Moses wrote about the Lord Jesus Christ. Moses all the way through, all
of his writings. declares unto us the gospel of
the Lord Jesus Christ. Likewise, verse 24, yea, all
the prophets from Samuel and those that follow after. Now
hold your place there and find Acts chapter 10. Let me show
you this. where this is repeated again.
Acts chapter 10 verse 42 says, He commanded us to preach unto
the people and to testify that it was He which was ordained
of God to be the judge of the living and the dead. To Him give
all the prophets witness that through His name, whosoever believeth
in Him shall receive the remission of all our sin. So all the prophets from Moses,
Samuel, David, all the way down to the last Old Testament prophet,
what was John's message? We're talking about John the
Baptist. What was his message? Remember what he said when he
saw the Lord Jesus Christ coming that day on the banks of Jordan?
He said, there he is. That's the lamb, that's the prophet.
That's the lamb of God. Behold the lamb of God that taketh
away our sin. All the prophets of God pointed
sinners to the Lord Jesus Christ alone for all of salvation. Now, if you wanna turn to this,
you can. If not, I'll just read it to you. But Ephesians chapter
two. Look at verse 19, Ephesians 2,
19. Now, therefore, you are no more
strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints
and the household of God, and you're built upon the foundation,
the foundation of the apostles and prophets. What is that foundation? Jesus Christ himself being the
chief cornerstone in whom all the building fitly framed together
groweth unto a holy temple in the Lord in whom you also are
building together for habitation of God through the Spirit." So
all the apostles, all the prophets, all preached, there's one foundation.
That foundation is the Lord Jesus Christ. Neither is there salvation
in any other. This is exactly what Peter does
in this sermon, taking the attention away from the man who was healed
by the power of God and preaching Jesus Christ. Look back at verse
13. Immediately he says we didn't
heal this man by our power or by our righteousness our holiness
God had made this man to walk verse 13 acts 3 the God of Abraham
Isaac and Jacob the God of our fathers have glorified his son
Jesus whom you Delivered up whom you denied in the president pilot
when he is determined to let him go you denied the only one
the only one who is a just God and Savior, do you desire the
murder to be granted unto you? You killed the Prince of Life,
God raised him from the dead." So immediately he focuses their
attention upon the Lord Jesus Christ. All of God's preachers,
past and present today, preach Christ and Him crucified, determined,
like Paul, determined to know nothing among you, but Jesus
Christ and Him crucified. All preachers of the past and
present today, all of God's servants, preach the Lord Jesus Christ,
His person and work, and we point sinners unto Him. We can say
with Paul, we preach not ourselves. but Christ Jesus the Lord, and
ourselves your servant for his sake." Now, if you'll notice,
not now, don't look at it now, but on the front of the bulletin,
that scripture verse has been on the front of the bulletin
for the last 25 years. We preach Christ, we do not preach
ourselves. Now, having lifted up the Lord
Jesus Christ by the way of preaching, back to Peter's sermon, Verse
19, Peter said to these people, therefore repent ye therefore,
repent and be converted, that is change your mind and turn
from your sin, that you may know your sins have been blotted out
when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence
of the Lord, you shall know that you have the complete forgiveness
of sin. Now, Peter's message to these
lost sinners has not changed from his last message where he
said, turn back to Acts chapter 2, Verse 36, again he lifts up
the Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore let all the house of
Israel know assuredly that God had made that same Jesus whom
you crucified, both Lord and Christ. Acts 2.37, when they
heard this, they were pricked in their heart and said unto
Peter and the rest of the apostles, men and brethren, what shall
we do? And Peter said, well, you know, there's nothing you
can do. Well, that would be true as far as accomplishing salvation,
but there is something that every sinner must do by the grace of
God. Our Lord said, except you repent,
you'll perish. He said unto the people, he said
unto them, repent. and then confess the Lord in
believer's baptism, every one of you, in the name of Jesus
Christ, because our sins have been remitted, and you shall
receive the gift, singular, of the Holy Spirit, where the promise
is unto you and your children, to all that are far off, even
as many as the Lord our God shall call. So Peter commanded the
people to believe and to repent, or it says here, repent and be
converted. Or we could say repent and believe
the gospel. We know from the testimony of
scripture that both repentance toward God and faith in the Lord
Jesus Christ are the sovereign gifts of God. The sovereign gifts
of God. We know faith FOR BY GRACE ARE
YOU SAVED THROUGH FAITH, AND THAT NOT OF YOURSELF, IT IS WHAT? THE GIFT OF GOD, NOT OF WORK,
LET ANY MAN SHOULD BOAST. BUT WE ALSO KNOW THAT REPENTANCE
IS ALSO THE GIFT OF GOD. IF YOU'LL FIND ACTS CHAPTER 5,
VERSE 29, Peter and the other apostles
answered and said, Acts 5.29, we ought to obey God rather than
men. The God of our fathers raised
up Jesus, whom you slew and hanged on a tree. He always reminds
them of Christ crucified. Him as God exalted with his right
hand to be Prince and Savior. Remember, he's a Prince of life.
He's God our Savior, the only just God and Savior for to give
repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sin. Now, another place where
this is declared, find Acts chapter 11. about repentance like faith
is the gift of God, the gift of God. When Peter was sent to
the house of Cornelius to preach the gospel, verse 18, and were
granted faith and repentance, REPENTANCE TOWARD GOD AND FAITH
IN THE LORD JESUS CHRIST. IT SAYS HERE IN VERSE 18, WHEN
THEY HEARD THESE THINGS, THEY HELD THEIR PEACE AND GLORIFIED
GOD, SAYING, THEN HATH GOD ALSO TO THE GENTILES GRANTED REPENTANCE
UNTO LIFE. NOW, THAT IS THE GIFT OF GOD. SO WE CAN SAY WITHOUT DOUBT THAT
FAITH, WHAT? IS THE GIFT OF GOD. the grant
of God. We can also say that repentance
is the sovereign gift of God. Now repentance, what does it
mean? It means a change. It's a change that we cannot
make ourselves, just as a leopard cannot change his spot, just
as a black man cannot change his skin. Repentance is a change
by the grace of God. It's a change in our thinking.
IN OUR THOUGHTS ABOUT WHO GOD IS, ABOUT SIN, ABOUT SALVATION,
AND ABOUT THE LORD JESUS CHRIST. HE CHANGES OUR WRONG, FAULT THOUGHTS
ABOUT GOD AND GIVES US RIGHT, TRUE, AND SCRIPTURAL THOUGHTS
ABOUT WHO THE LORD JESUS CHRIST REALLY IS. HE'S NOT WHO WE THINK
HE IS. GOD IS WHO HE IS AS HE'S REVEALED
IN THE WORD OF GOD. AND WHEN GOD GRANTS REPENTANCE,
HE CHANGES OUR THOUGHTS, OUR MIND, OUR THINKING. WE NO LONGER THINK THAT SALVATION
DEPENDS UPON ME. NOW, IF YOU THINK SALVATION DEPENDS
UPON SOMETHING YOU HAVE DONE, YOU'VE NOT BEEN GRANTED REPENTANCE,
BECAUSE WHEN YOU'RE GIVEN TRUE REPENTANCE, YOU'VE ACKNOWLEDGED
READILY, QUICKLY, AND OPENLY that salvation's of the Lord.
So, I'd like to change in our thoughts about God, about sin,
who we are, about salvation, what the Lord Jesus Christ accomplished
for us, and really and truly, it's not the wrath of God that
brings a man to repentance. NOW THEY CAN HAVE OVER IN TOWN
AND SHOW THESE MOVIES ON THE FLAMING FIRES OF ETERNAL TORMENT
AND TRY TO SCARE PEOPLE INTO MAKING A PROFESSION. AND I'M
SURE THEY CAN GET SOME FOLKS DOWN THERE OFF TO MAKE A PROFESSION.
BUT IT'S NOT THE WRATH OF GOD THAT BRINGS US TO REPENTANCE. THE SCRIPTURES PLAINLY SAID IT'S
THE GOODNESS OF GOD. THE GOODNESS OF GOD, HIS GRACE,
HIS MERCY, HIS LOVE TO POOR SINNERS. that brings us to repentance,
the goodness of God, the grace of God, the mercy of God. Both
faith and repentance quickly acknowledge, readily open, and
confess that Jesus Christ is all of our salvation. Both faith
and repentance, which comes first? I think that's a question that
can be answered this way. They both come at the same time. When God grants repentance toward
God, he also gives faith. Pastor Mahan used to describe
it this way, illustrate it this way. Faith and repentance is
like a piece of paper. It has two sides. THEY BOTH COME
AT THE SAME TIME. AND THE INTERESTING THING ABOUT
BOTH FAITH AND REPENTANCE AS GIVEN OF GOD, BOTH ACKNOWLEDGE
SALVATIONS OF THE LORD. LET ME QUOTE THIS SCRIPTURE TO
YOU. TITUS 1-1, PAUL A SERVANT OF
GOD AND AN APOSTLE OF JESUS CHRIST ACCORDING TO THE FAITH OF GOD'S
ELECT AND THE ACKNOWLEDGING OF THE TRUTH. DID YOU GET THAT?
SAVING FAITH LOVES THE TRUTH. believe the truth, has heard
the truth, faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of truth.
Likewise, repentance, this is 2 Timothy 2.25, in meekness,
instructing those that oppose themselves, if God, peradventure,
will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth. Now you see how both faith and
both repentance openly, readily confessed at salvations of the
Lord. Now, make sure you get this. Neither repentance nor faith
put away sin. Nor does baptism put away sin. Now, if righteousness comes by
something we can do, then Christ is dead in vain. Galatians 2.21. Neither faith nor repentance
put away sin. My faith, my repentance did not
die for my sin. Christ did. He put away sin by
the sacrifice of Himself. So, repentant, as given of God,
granted of God, always looks to the Lord Jesus Christ, who
put away my sin. And faith receives Him. Doesn't
accomplish salvation. Faith receives the Lord Jesus
Christ, who did. He appeared once in the end of
the age to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself. We are
redeemed not with corruptible things, Peter writes in 1 Peter,
WE'RE REDEEMED NOT WITH CORRUPTIBLE THINGS, BUT WITH THE PRECIOUS
BLOOD OF THE LORD JESUS CHRIST. FOR HE OBTAINED ETERNAL REDEMPTION
FOR US WITH HIS OWN BLOOD. REPENT YE THEREFORE AND BE CONVERTED. TURN TO GOD FROM YOUR IDOLS AND
KNOW THIS, IF YOU DO, IF YOU HAVE REPENTANCE, KNOW THIS, YOUR
SINS HAVE BEEN BLOTTED OUT. Now, it's not saying and it's
not teaching that our repentance blots out sin. Now, what a terrible
thing that would be. Have you repented enough? How
many times have you sinned against God? Well, every day, every way. He blotted out our sin. Now,
let me give you the scripture on this. David prayed this, Christ
has blotted out our sin. david prayed this in psalm 51
hide thy face from my sin and blot out all mine iniquity now
david a man after god's own heart we know a man who was given faith
to look to the lord jesus christ he prays unto god and he doesn't
say lord give me repentance that i may blot out my sin he didn't
say that did he prayed lord BLOT OUT MINE INIQUITIES. NOW, HOLD
YOUR PLACE THERE. I WANT YOU TO TURN AND READ THIS
WITH ME. TURN TO ISAIAH 44. YOU CAN FIND THAT QUICKLY. ISAIAH
44, VERSE 21. GOD SAID, I'VE SEPARATED YOUR
SIN FROM YOU AS FAR AS THE EAST IS FROM THE WEST. YOU REMEMBER?
PSALM 103. GOD SAID, I'VE CAST YOUR SIN
BEHIND MY BACK. And then he said, I remember
your iniquities, your sin, your transgression, no more. Now,
Isaiah 44, you got it? You with me? Verse 21. Remember
these things, O Jacob and Israel, for thou art my servant, I have
formed thee, thou art my servant, O Israel, thou shalt not be forgotten
of me. I have blotted out as a thick
cloud thy transgression, and as a cloud thy sins now, Returned
to me. What is he saying there repent?
Acknowledging I blotted out your sin. I have redeemed thee verse
23 single heavens for the Lord hath done it Shout you lower
parts of the earth Break forth in the singing you mountains.
Oh forth and every tree therein for the Lord hath redeemed Jacob
and glorified himself in Israel now clearly YOU CAN ANSWER THAT
QUESTION, RIGHT? HOW IS MY SIN DEALT WITH BEFORE
GOD? AS A BELIEVER, THE LORD JESUS
CHRIST, HIS BLOOD CLEANSES US, CLEANSES, CLEANSES, CLEANSES. HE HAS CLEANSED US, HE IS CLEANSING
US FROM ALL OUR SIN. NOW, LOOK BACK TO THE TEXT. ACTS 3, THAT YOU MAY KNOW, that
your sins have been blotted out by the blood atonement of the
Lord Jesus Christ, when these times of refreshing shall come
from the presence of the Lord." Now, what are times of refreshing? Well, it's a time of love. It's
a time of regeneration. NOTHING MORE REFRESHING AND SATISFYING
AND OF GREAT COMFORT TO BELIEVERS THAN TO KNOW THAT OUR SINS HAVE
BEEN FULLY DEALT WITH AND PAID FOR BY THE LORD JESUS CHRIST. WHEN THESE TIMES OF REFRESHING
SHALL COME THROUGH THE PREACHING OF THE GOSPEL, BY GOD THE HOLY
SPIRIT TAKING HIS WORD AND BLESSING IT TO OUR HEART, ISN'T THAT A
REFRESHING? Isn't that comforting to your
heart? Knowing that your sin has been dealt with already,
that there is therefore now no condemnation to those who are
in the Lord Jesus Christ. Don't turn with this one, but
let me just read it to you in Isaiah 40. Comfort ye, comfort
ye, my people. sayeth your God, speaking comfortably
to Jerusalem, crying to her that her warfare is accomplished,
that her iniquity is pardoned, for she hath received of the
Lord's hand double for all her sin." Now, what brings you to
comfort? Well, the full atonement of Christ,
dealing with my sin and completely putting them away. So much so,
Now, how powerful is the blood atonement of Christ? It's not
weak, it's not anemic, it's powerful and prevailing so much so that
God said, your sin and your iniquity, I'll remember no more. Now, if that doesn't refresh
your heart and give you comfort in Christ, I don't know what
will. The blood of Jesus Christ, as
I said a moment ago, cleanses us from all our sin. Now back to the text, look at
verse 20. And he shall send, when these
times of refreshing will come from the presence of the Lord,
EVERYTHING THAT COMES FROM THE PRESENCE OF THE LORD UNTO HIS
PEOPLE IS REFRESHING, AND HE SHALL SEND JESUS CHRIST, WHICH
BEFORE WAS PREACHED UNTO YOU. NOW, I DON'T THINK THIS IS TALKING
ABOUT THE SECOND COMING, ALTHOUGH WE KNOW THE LORD JESUS CHRIST
IS COMING AGAIN, BUT WHENEVER WE TAKE THE WORD OF GOD, AND
WHENEVER WE PREACH THE GOSPEL OF THE LORD JESUS CHRIST, THIS
IS A TIME OF REFRESHING, AND THIS IS HOW THE LORD JESUS CHRIST
IS SENT TO US right now in the preaching of the gospel of the
Lord Jesus Christ. The Lord HAS BEEN PREACHED FROM
GENERATION TO GENERATION. WHAT A BLESSING FROM THE GRACE
OF GOD TO HEAR THE GOSPEL AND TO BELIEVE IT. AND THIS IS HOW
THE LORD COMES TO HIS ELECT THROUGH THE PREACHING AND THE MINISTRY
OF THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST. THAT'S ONE OF THE MAIN PURPOSES
THAT GOD HAS ESTABLISHED HIS CHURCH IN THIS WORLD. He teaches
us the gospel and then he sends us out. You remember what he
told the wild Gadarene when he was healed, that demoniac that
no one could tame, no one could heal, when the Lord met him and
healed him and made him a new creature in Christ, made him
perfectly whole. You remember what he said to
him? Go home to your family and tell how great things the Lord
had done for you. And that's what we do. Preaching
is simply one beggar telling another beggar where he found
bread. And that's what I try to do every
day. I try to lift up the Lord Jesus Christ and I feed upon
him myself. It's a time of refreshing for
me, and I trust it's a time of refreshing for you. Verse 21,
whom the heavens must receive. The heavens must receive him.
Now, Harry's talking about not only his resurrection from the
dead, but remember he lived 40 days among men in Acts chapter
1. When he lived 40 days as a resurrected
Lord among men on that particular day, he walked out and the disciples
stood there and watched the God-man Mediator Ascend to glory and
right now the God-man our Savior the Lord Jesus Christ is literally
physically Sitting on the throne of God wherever that is. He's
on it. He occupies it when the time
The heavens shall and must receive him when he by himself purged
our sin. He sat down on the right hand
of the throne of God. He sat down because the work
was done complete to the complete satisfaction of God Almighty,
whom the heavens must receive. Why must the heavens receive
him? Because he completed the work of salvation. You remember
he prayed, Lord, glorify thou me with thine own self with the
glory which I had with thee before the world was for I finished
the work you gave me to do. Whom the heavens must receive
until the time of restitution of all things must receive him. For Christ has not entered into
the holy places made with hand, which are figures of the true,
but into heaven itself now to appear in the presence of God
for us, whom the heavens must receive. UNTIL THE TIME OF RESTITUTION. HE MUST REIGN UNTIL HIS ENEMIES
BE MADE HIS FOOTSTOOL, TO EVERY ENEMY SURRENDERED AND SUBMITS
UNTO THE ABSOLUTE AUTHORITY OF GOD UNTIL ON WHOM, EXCUSE ME,
VERSE 21, WHOM THE HEAVENS MUST RECEIVE UNTIL THE TIME OF RESTITUTION
OF ALL THINGS WHICH GOD HAS SPOKEN BY THE MOUTH OF ALL HIS HOLY
PROPHETS SINCE THE WORLD BEGAN. I'm thinking specifically what
David says, the prophet of God, when the Lord said to my Lord,
sit thou at my right hand until I make every enemy your footstool. The heavens must receive him
until every enemy is conquered and all things that he has spoken
brought to pass. Our Lord said the gospel shall
be preached in all the world and then come at the end, which
God has spoken. by the mouth of his holy prophets."
Now, you think about that statement. God has spoken by the mouth of
his prophets. I'm thinking of this scripture
in Hebrews 1. Don't turn, let me just read it to you. God,
who in sundry times and daubers manner, spake in time past unto
the fathers by the prophets, hath in these last days spoken
unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things,
by whom also he made the world. God spoken to the fathers by
the prophet, he hath in these last days spoken unto us through
the prophet, the Lord Jesus Christ. Now, verse 22 and following. For Moses
truly said, a prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you
of your brethren like unto me. Now Moses was a mediator between
the people and God, right? And the Lord Jesus Christ likewise
is a mediator. Him shall you hear in all things
whatsoever he shall say unto you. He shall hear him in all
things whatsoever he shall say unto you, and it shall come to
pass that every soul which will not hear that prophet shall be
destroyed from among the people." The Lord Jesus Christ is God's
prophet sent to declare unto us the way of salvation. Jesus
Christ himself said, I am the way. The truth, the life, Christ
himself is the truth concerning God's salvation. The Lord Jesus
Christ was likened to Moses as a mediator. The law of God was
given by Moses, but it never removed sin. Moses never removed
sin. The Lord Jesus Christ came and
fulfilled the law of Moses and put away sin by the sacrifice
of himself. Moses was the mediator between
the people and God, but Moses never reconciled any unto God. We read in scripture, God was
in Christ reconciling the world unto himself. Now hold your place
there and find John chapter 1. Now here's the message of God's
prophet. He said, John chapter one, this
is the gospel of John chapter one, verse 15. Now from all the
prophets, from Moses to Samuel, from Samuel to David to John
the Baptist, and here's the message, verse 15, John chapter one, John
bear witness of him. what they did point sinners to
Christ and cried saying this was he of whom I spake he that
cometh after me is preferred before me for he was before me
of his fullness have all we received grace for grace for the law was
given by Moses but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ no
man has seen God at any time the only begotten Son which is
in the bosom of the Father he hath declared him now turn to
John 3 And this is John again, verse
30, John 3. He must increase, I must decrease. The law was given by Moses, grace
and truth came by Jesus Christ. He that cometh from above is
above all. He that is of the earth is earthy.
And speaketh of the earth, he that cometh from heaven is above
all. John 3, 32. And what he has seen and heard,
that he testifieth, no man receiveth his testimony. He that receiveth
his testimony hath set to his seal that God is true, for whom
God hath sent, speaketh the words of God. For God giveth not the
Spirit by measure unto him. Now this is John the Baptist's
testimony concerning the Lord Jesus Christ. He speaks the word
of God, the words of God. And he hath not the Spirit by
measure, but unlimited. For the Father loveth the Son,
and giveth all things into his hand. He that believeth on the
Son hath everlasting life. And he that believeth not the
Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God. The wrath of God
abides on him. And that shall come to pass,
verse 23, THAT EVERY SOUL WHICH WILL NOT HEAR THAT PROPHET SHALL
BE DESTROYED FROM AMONG THE PEOPLE. THOSE THAT ARE BLESSED TO HEAR
SHALL HAVE ALL SALVATION. THOSE WHO REFUSE TO HEAR AND
WILL NOT HEAR REFUSE TO BELIEVE THE GOSPEL SHALL BE EVERLASTINGLY
CONDEMNED, WITHOUT HOPE AND WITHOUT GOD FOREVER. OUR LORD SAYS THIS
IN JOHN CHAPTER 5, LET ME JUST READ IT TO YOU, VERILY, VERILY,
I SAY UNTO YOU, HE THAT HEARETH MY WORD AND BELIEVETH ON HIM
THAT SENT ME HATH GOT IT, EVERLASTING LIFE, AND SHALL NOT COME INTO
CONDEMNATION, BUT IS PASSED FROM DEATH UNTO LIFE. My friend, may
God give us grace to hear that prophet, that message. May all
the prophets from Samuel and those that follow after, as many
as have spoken have likewise foretold of these days, his coming
His incarnation, His person, His work. Verse 25, you are the
children of the prophets and of the covenant which God had
made with our fathers saying unto Abraham, and in thy seed
shall all the kindreds of the earth be blessed. Now that special
son that Abraham has was Isaac, right? God said in Isaac, shall
all the seed of God's elect be blessed. And we know that as
referring to the Lord Jesus Christ. I want you to turn with me to
the book of Galatians. Give me just a minute here, we're
almost through. Turn to the book of Galatians
chapter three. Galatians chapter 3 verse 6 even
as Abraham believed God and it was accounted to him for righteousness
knowing Know ye that they which are of faith are the same as
the children of Abraham the scripture foreseeing that God would justify
the heathen through faith preached before the gospel unto Abraham
saying in thee shall all nations be blessed. Goes all the way
back to Genesis chapter 12 verse 3. You see the reference there.
So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham. Now stay right here in the book
of Galatians. Look at verse 16. Chapter 3 verse
16. Now to Abraham and his seed where
the promise is made, he saith not, and to seed as of many,
but as of one, and to thy seed, which is Christ. That's the covenant
promise. Again, in the same chapter, Galatians
3, verse 26, for you're all children of God by faith in Christ. As many as of you as have been
baptized into Christ and put on Christ, There is neither Jew
nor Greek, neither bond nor free, neither male nor female. You're
all one in Christ. And if you be Christ, then are
you Abraham's seed and heirs according to that covenant promise. So every believer is a true son
of Abraham being blessed in Isaac, And that's the picture of our
blessed Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. Verse 26 in our text,
Acts 3, unto you, first God, having raised up his son, Jesus
Christ, sent him to bless you in turning every one of you from
his iniquity. Peter closes his sermon where
he started. He started with Christ. And he
finishes having raised up his son, Jesus Christ. God raised
him from the dead because the Lord Jesus Christ justified us
with his blood, delivered for our offenses and raised again
for our justification. The gospel is sent by the Lord
Jesus Christ to bless us, to cause us to turn from self unto
the Lord Jesus Christ. In turning you, blessing you
to turn you That's a blessing. Paul writes this way in 1 Thessalonians,
how you turn to God from your idols to serve the living and
true God, and to wait for his son from heaven, whom he raised
from the dead, even Jesus, who was delivered for our offenses,
he delivered us from the wrath to come. Unto you first, God,
having raised up his son, gospel sent to the jew first and then
to the gentile he sent him to bless you in turning you from
your sin and turning to christ david prayed turn us oh god and
cause thy face to shine upon us, and we shall be saved. And
then Paul put it this way, for God, who commanded the light
to shine out of darkness, has shined in our hearts to give
the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face
of the Lord Jesus Christ. Now, may God be pleased to send
the gospel unto us, to bless us, to grant us repentance and
faith, to cause us to turn from self and to look to the Lord
Jesus Christ, looking unto Him who is the author and finisher
of our faith.