A C T S 3

We have moved forward to Chapter 3 in the study of the book Acts of the Apostles, which is in fact a  study of the first Christian Church. The birth of the Church was Peter’s stirring sermon at Pentecost, which resulted in three thousand people committing themselves to follow Jesus. In Chapter 2, Jesus had Ascended to heaven, and the Holy Spirit poured out on the Apostles who were gathered together. They were then committed to go into the world and make disciples by preaching the gospel, and given powers to heal.

   

The Jewish day began at 6-0a.m and ended at 6.op.m. the third hour was therefore 9-0am; the sixth was noon; and the ninth was 3-pm. For the devout Jew, there were three special hours for prayer, 9-12-3.  The Apostles had been trained to observe those hours, and kept on doing so. Peter and John went to observe it despite having a new faith, feeling it was necessary not to stop the custom they had followed, to avoid breaking Jewish law.                                     

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Peter and John were close friends and daily went to the Temple to pray, which was crowded by other Christians. They saw the beggar seated at the Temple gate, who took position there as people going to worship would give coins to indicate they had charitable minds, and the Pharisees would likely give shekels to him.

 

Places of worship still have beggars outside and inside. I recall watching an elderly looking woman wrapped in a black worn out shawl on a stool outside the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, receiving gifts as people waited to enter the Cathedral. I watched until the people had entered, and saw her stumble along the road to a side street, where she quickly jumped into a waiting Mercedes, casting the shawl away to reveal a woman well dressed .

 

Peter and John saw a  man who  had in fact been lame from birth,  the man was forty years of age, so had been that way for a long time. 

Peter and John stared at the man, and having walked to the Temple, must have seen other beggars  on the way, but they went to the man and told him to look at them; he probably thought he was going to get some money, but he got much more than he thought, he would get a miracle. Peter told the man he had no silver or gold, but in the name of Jesus Christ from Nazareth, get up and walk. He may not have known Jesus, but would have heard about him dying on the Cross.

 

Peter told him, what I have I give you, and the man trusted Peter. We saw how God’s sovereignty operates. The man did not understand, but God had begun a miracle. It was in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth. Get up and walk. Peter was using the authority given to him by Jesus. The man did as he was told and immediately walked away.

 

The miracles of God are always instant.  This story tells us, when we pray asking for something, we say in the name of Jesus. The joy of this man was he stood up, and leaping up walked away praising God.  Forty years lame, then jumping  about. God bestows joy on us, Jesus said, my joy I give unto you.

 

This was so evident in the successful Crusades of Billy Graham, joyful singing of joyful songs, before hearing the praise of God in words. The days of organ music in anthems and canticles, sung slowly in serious voices, should be reserved for solemn occasions, not for Christian praise.

I once attended a service in an evangelical Church in London one Sunday evening. There was time before the service began, and I saw something I had not seen before. The large congregation was full of noise as they greeted one another, some calling down  from the balcony to friends below. This would have caused an outrage in suburban churches, but there in that London Church they approached worship with reverence and awe.

 

The purpose was to greet and welcome each other, and if a person was downhearted by some problem, the fellowship was there to inspire them and make them feel worthy to go into meeting the Lord.   

 

We are brought to think of miracles by this chapter, such did happen. The enemies of Christianity deny such miracles did take place, but they showed the power of the Christian message, and in those Bible days,. people witnessed them seeing the results.  Much of what happens in medical terms, and in the wonders of modern technology, can be deemed to be the modern equivalent of miracles. An irony is that much of what we have the benefit of, is the product of Israel inventions, the chosen people of God, who has revealed the knowledge to men, and they are still making what looks to us miraculous, yet are taken by many people without further thought.

 

The chapter gives notes of early Christian preaching, where they spoke of the Crucifixion which they saw as a crime.as they were horrified that Jesus gave his life as a ransom for committed sins; even the Roman governor stated it should never have happened. The preachers could ask people to look what sin does, and would speak of the vindication by the Resurrection.

It is therefore extremely frustrating to hear from within the Church, rejection of a physical resurrection, and it does happen. A Minister of the Church criticised me for not stating an alternative suggestion. There is no Christianity if the resurrection story was not true, and the Church would have collapsed. The resurrection gives proof of God showing Jeus is Lord over life and death.

 

Verses 17-  26 contain all the notes of those early preaching days. There is a note of mercy combined with warning. The Jews have been bitterly spoken of as being responsible for the Crucifixion, but on deeper reflection, this has been corrected. We have the privilege of knowing he full light by the revelation of God. Peter insisted that all that happened had been foretold.  The Jews however cold not accept that the chosen One of God had to suffer, and Peter pointed out the Scriptures were studied they would see the prophecies.

 

Peter expected the Jews to  see the National privilege, and the fact that they were God’s chosen people, which demands a special duty to do not what they were inclined to do, but do what God likes. They were bound to ack knowledge they should show special service.

Peter healed a lame man at the Temple gate which showed the evidence of Apostolic gifts and attracted a big crowd to hear his sermon. His healing in the name of Jesus showed .his power and presence,  the sermon was within the Temple precincts.  The second sermon he gave led to so many turning to repent, believe, and be baptized was also within the precincts, and causing Jews to repent of their rejection of Jesus of Nazareth as the Messiah. He emphasised the truth of the death of Jesus and his resurrection, which is a continued theme through the book of Acts.

 

 

 

N       o t I c e

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N       o t I c e

With effect from Thursday 10  August all sermons marked

        www.ericroyden.com

will  be posted on Google. This means that they can be seen by any person, without being registered as ‘friend’.

They will also continue to be posted on Facebook for those now listed as ‘friends’, this will mean present readers may continue without any effect.

 

I regret that I will not be replying to messages, unless of some important matter  This has become necessary, despite having tried to avoid making a closure.  So many messages sent to me reveal, the sender has failed to realize, or accept, my purpose has been to be only proclaiming the gospel..

 

N       o t I c e

With effect from Thursday 10  August all sermons marked

        www.ericroyden.com

will  be posted on Google. This means that they can be seen by any person, without being registered as ‘friend’.

They will also continue to be posted on Facebook for those now listed as ‘friends’, this will mean present readers may continue without any effect.

 

I regret that I will not be replying to messages, unless of some important matter  This has become necessary, despite having tried to avoid making a closure.  So many messages sent to me reveal, the sender has failed to realize, or accept, my purpose has been to be only proclaiming the gospel..