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Golden Text:  “Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord” (Acts 3:19).

Introduction

The disciples of Jesus continued to follow the Jewish tradition. A prayer service accompanied each of the two daily sacrifices, one in the morning and the other in the afternoon. The ninth hour would have been 3:00 p.m. There was a man there who had been lame all of his life laid near the gate of the temple called Beautiful to ask alms of those who were entering the temple.  As Peter and John were about to enter the temple, the lame man asked for alms, but he received a life-changing experience that not only changed him physically but spiritually.

Lesson Outline:   I.  Preaching Jesus – Acts 3:11-16

Acts 3:11:  And as the lame man which was healed held Peter and John all the people ran together unto them in the porch that is called Solomon’s greatly wondering.  As John and Peter were about to enter the temple they came in contact with a man who had been lamed since birth. The man asked for alms.  Peter looked at the man and 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 an walk”.  The man was healed instantly, the people had known the man to be lame from birth saw him leaping and praising God saw him enter into the temple with Peter and John; they were astonished at the healing of the lame man.

Acts 3:12 – And when 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 had made this man to walk? When Peter saw the people running to the porch with amazement, he asked the crowd why were they so amazed by what they had seen and why were their attention directed to him and John as though they had healed the man by their own powers or holiness. Whenever God empowers anyone to be a vessel to show His powers through; they should always direct the praise and honor to God. Point the people to God and not themselves.  Peter immediately diverted the crowd’s focus off them to whom the honor and praise should go to.

Acts 3:13 –  The God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob, the God of our fathers, hath glorified his Son Jesus; whom ye delivered up, and denied him in the presence of Pilate, when he was determined to let him go. Peter took the opportunity to name the one true God as the real Physician of the lame man who had been healed. Peter reminded the crowd that God whom they professed to own had sent His Son, Jesus who they crucified was the reason the man was healed through faith in His name.

Acts 3:14 – But ye denied the Holy One and the Just, and desired a murderer to be granted unto you. Peter informed the crowd they were the one who denied the Holy One, the Savior of the world and asked for a murderer to be released rather than releasing Jesus when Pilate was willing to set Him free. Peter continued with the explanation that there is only One with the ability and purity to physically rebuild dead limbs. Peter caused the minds of the Jews to reflect on Jehovah and recognize His omnipotence and to connect Him to Jesus Christ the One they had granted to Pilate.

Acts: 3:15 – And killed the Prince of life, whom God hath raised from the dead; whereof we are witnesses. Peter informed the crowd that the death and resurrection of Jesus was God’s plan and that it had been foretold by the prophets. He was letting them know that Jesus was the prophesied Savior. Peter was admonishing the people to believe in the One God had sent to set them free.

Acts 3:16 – And his name through faith in his name hath made this man strong, whom ye see and know: yea, the faith which is by him hath given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all. Peter was informing the people through faith in the name of Jesus was this man healed. Without faith we can’t please God, without faith we can’t get our prayers answered. There is no other name we can use to get the attention of God and the power of God to receive healing and deliverance but through the name of Jesus.

Lesson Outline:  II.  Preaching Repentance – Acts 3:17-21

Acts 3:17 – And now, brethren, I wot that through ignorance ye did it, as did also your rulers. Peter describes both them and their rulers acted ignorantly in condemning Jesus. Much of the ignorance of the Jews and their rulers were the lack of knowledge about the many Messianic prophecies Jesus had already fulfilled like being born (For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, the everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace – Isaiah 9:6). The Jewish leaders were knowledgeable of the Old Testament but rejected the Person the prophets have foretold.

Acts 3:18 – But those things, which God before had shewed by the mouth of all his prophets, that Christ should suffer, he hath so fulfilled. Peter informs the crowd everything God had spoken through the prophets had been fulfilled.

Acts 3:19 – Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord. Although Peter had rebuked them sharply he admonishes them to repent and be converted. A conversion has to do with behavior while repentance is related to a change of mind. Repentance and conversion go hand and hand, if a professing believer is practicing sin they need to confess their sins to God; be converted and then repent.

Acts 3:20 – And he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you. “He will send Jesus” is indicating the Spirit of the living Christ will dwell in their hearts. This is why the Apostle Paul made the statement “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me” – Galatians 2:20. When Spirit of the Living God dwells in our heart, our behavior change, our thinking change, our character change to reflect whose servant we are.

Acts 3:21 – Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began. When Jesus finished His work on earth He returned to the Father. His first coming was to give salvation to all men, but  His second coming will be to judge those who rejected Him.