ACTS: THE GOSPEL TO THE WORLD SERIES (TALK 4/13: THE APOSTLES IN THE TEMPLE)

SMALL GROUP DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

CONNECT: How can you help continue to shape St Bart’s as church devoted to learning, loving, worshipping, and telling? (Feel free to pick one!)

WARM-UP 1. How do you react when you come across people asking for money? Do you give or turn away? 2. If you could solve a problem or heal an ailment for one person in your life who would it be and what

would you do? What is your greatest hope for that person?

READ Acts 3:1-10 3. What do you think life would have been like for the man to go up to the temple everyday and beg? 4. What does Peter and John’s reaction to the crippled man tell us about the God they worship? 5. What does the response of the crippled man tell us about who, he thinks, has healed him? How is his

response a great example of thankfulness and faithfulness?

READ Acts 3:11-26

6. How would you summarise Peter’s sermon? What do you think is his main point? 7. How many times does Peter make reference to the resurrection? Why is it so important to mention? 8. Is Peter trying to offend his audience in vv.13-15? Is this how the Gospel should be preached today? 9. Why is Peter’s call to repentance so important? What is the effect of turning to Jesus? 10.How does the Old Testament foretell Jesus' coming, and how does Jesus fulfil God’s promises in the

Old Testament? What does v.20 tell us about God’s promises? 11. If you had the opportunity to share the Gospel with a friend, which aspect of Peter’s speech here might

you use and which aspects might you leave out?

READ Acts 4:1-4

12.Why do the Sadducees and the priests react differently to the crowd at this point? 13.Should we expect opposition to the Gospel? Should this stop us from sharing the Gospel? 14.When you hear that, despite all of the opposition, “many who heard the message believed”, how does

that fill you with a great hope for sharing the Gospel today?

APPLY: What might it look like for your ‘one person’ to turn to Jesus? Pray each day this week (at a set time) for that to become a reality.

PRAY: Dear God, thank you that you are a healing and restoring God. Forgive me for rejecting you and help me to live for Jesus. Thank you that you bless the world through Jesus. Help me bless others. Amen!For sermons and additional resources, visit STBARTS.COM.AU "

ACTS: THE GOSPEL TO THE WORLD SERIES (TALK 4/13: THE APOSTLES IN THE TEMPLE)

GOING DEEPER RESOURCES On Your Front Line this Week

• Have you asked the person you’re praying for what they think about Jesus?

For Families

• ‘Bible Theatre: Peter and John won’t stop teaching about Jesus’ by LifeKids https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rQTFNyctPVU ‘Acts 3’ by Riley Taylor https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gyjJ2pNIN4M /“;x;[/x

Audio and Video

• ‘Amazing power of kindness’ by Sinclair Ferguson https://resources.thegospelcoalition.org/library/amazing-power-of-kindness

• ‘Repentance’ by Martin Lloyd-Joneshttps://mlj-sermons-mp3-tagged.s3.amazonaws.com/Acts/2022D.mp3

• ‘Restoration’ by Jamie Childhttp://www.st-helens.org.uk/resources/media-library/src/talk/53538/title/restoration

• ‘You killed the Author of Life Whom God Raised’ by Wayne Schuller http://www.holytrinitydoncaster.org.au/resources/sermons/?sermon_id=319

• ‘Does God Heal Today?’ By Stephen Fosterhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KEA5NxT508c

• ‘Lecture 9: The Healing by the Beautiful Gate’ by R.C.Sproul https://www.ligonier.org/learn/series/book_of_acts/healing-at-the-gate-beautiful/?

Other Helpful Books, Articles, and Courses

• ‘6. A Lame Excuse for Preaching the Gospel’ by Bob Deffinbaugh https://bible.org/seriespage/6-lame-excuse-preaching-gospel-acts-31-26

• ‘Gateway: Beautiful Miracle / Powerful Healing’ by Robert J Morgan https://www.robertjmorgan.com/devotional/gateway-beautiful-miracle-powerful-message/

For sermons and additional resources, visit STBARTS.COM.AU "

Talk 4/13 (ACTS Series): 17 February 2019 “Apostles in the Temple”

by the Rev’d Dr Daniel Rouhead Bible Passage: Acts 3:1-4:4

INTRODUCTION: HEALING IN THE TEMPLE

Today we continue our series on the first nine chapters of the Book of Acts. In week one we saw the pouring out of the Holy Spirit on Jesus’ followers and the birth of the church. Last week, we heard about the activities of the early church: they studied the apostles’ teaching, they worshipped together, they prayed together, they fellowshipped together, and they told others about Jesus. As a result, the church was growing on a daily basis. Today, we see the early church in action. At the end of Acts 2, we heard that the believers were “enjoying the favour of all the people” (2:47). In Chapter 3, we see Peter and John heal a man who had never been able to walk...this miracle is a powerful opportunity to point people towards Jesus, but the very public nature of this event will bring these leaders up against the religious establishment. We read from verse 1, “One day Peter and John were going up to the temple at the time of prayer - at three in the afternoon”. We know that the early church continued to meet together in the temple courts every day (2:46). Despite their faith in the gospel, the Jewish background of most of the believers meant that meeting in the temple was entirely natural. And, up to this point, there is no record of opposition to their regular presence in the temple. Peter and John encounter a man as he was being carried to his daily begging post. We may wonder why he didn’t encounter Jesus in the Temple...why he wasn’t already healed...but this question is unanswerable. The man sees Peter and John and sees an opportunity to ask for money before he has even reached his usual place. I find verse 3 striking: “Peter looked straight at him, as did John. Then Peter said, “Look at us”. If you have encountered beggars in the street, most likely overseas, you will know how confronting it can be. One way of dealing with the discomfort is to avoid making eye contact and walk quickly by. We might do the same to a charity worker seeking donations in a shopping centre. But, in this story, Peter and John look directly at the man...they really see him...and, in doing so, they see his needs. As we concentrate on the reaction to the miraculous healing, we need to remember that we need to really see the people around us...to really know them...if we are to share the gospel effectively. As we read about the response to the man’s healing, we need to imagine the scene in all its fulness. The man started to walk, and jump, and praise God. The people around him were filled with wonder and amazement...in fact, they were astonished, and more and more people came running to see what had happened. In the midst of this noise and movement, Peter speaks to the onlookers, not about the man, not about himself or John, but about Jesus. As he tells them that Jesus was rejected and crucified, and that he was the fulfillment of God’s promises, we see how people respond to the gospel.

1. JESUS REJECTED \\ VERSES 11-16

When Peter begins his address, he addresses what seems to be their number one question. They were astonished...the Message paraphrases verse 10 as: “they rubbed their eyes, astonished, scarcely believing what they were seeing”. By what power had Peter and John healed the man? Peter puts it this way: “Fellow Israelites, why does this surprise you? Why do you stare at us as if by our own power or godliness we had made this man walk?” Peter points immediately to Jesus and, much more than this, he accuses them, the ones gathered in front of him, of rejecting Jesus and playing a role in his arrest, trial, conviction and crucifixion – “The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified his servant Jesus. You handed him over to be killed, and you disowned him before Pilate, though he had decided to let him go. You disowned the Holy and Righteous One and asked that a murderer be released to you” (2:13-14). Peter declares that that the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob has glorified his servant Jesus through this healing. The title servant is an allusion to Messiah as the servant of the Lord featured in the servant songs of Isaiah. In particular, it points to the Messiah's suffering servant role in Isaiah 53. Boldly...Peter is always direct and to the point...Peter alleges that the people handed Jesus over and disowned him by rejecting Pilate's judgment that he was innocent. Disowning the Holy and Righteous One – the truly innocent one - they asked that a murderer be released to them. Peter is not subtle or gentle with his listeners – he is brutally honest about their rejection of the Messiah. Then, Peter reveals the good news: “You killed the author of life, but God raised him from the dead. We are witnesses of this” (2:15). Jesus’ death was not the end of the story. Those who had rejected Jesus had not won. Death itself had not won. On the cross, Jesus defeated sin...and, by his resurrection, Jesus defeated death. Peter links Jesus to the healing of this man: “By faith in the name of Jesus, this man whom you see and know was made strong. It is Jesus’ name and the faith that comes through him that has completely healed him, as you can all see” (2:16). Faith is the manner and Jesus' name is the cause of the man's restoration. There is no room for relying on manipulative, magical technique. All Jesus asks us to bring is humble dependence lived out in prayer and faith. Just like this story, we can be presented opportunities to share the good news. It may be in the midst of great joy or sadness, but the key elements in using these opportunities to be disciple makers are identifying God’s presence in the situation and pointing to Jesus as the Lord of all, and saviour of all. Then we can be bold sharers of the good news like Peter.

2. JESUS FORETOLD \\ VERSES 17-18, 21-25

Even though Jesus had been rejected, there was sufficient evidence from the prophets that Jesus was the Messiah. From verses 17-18: “Now, fellow Israelites, I know that you acted in ignorance, as did your leaders. But this is how God fulfilled what he had foretold through all the prophets, saying that his Messiah would suffer”. Not even this

human decision – to crucify Jesus - was outside God's plan, as it was foretold through all the prophets. T Moses prophesied that God would raise up a prophet like himself, whom the people would be responsible to hear and obey. Peter quotes from Deuteronomy: ‘The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your own people; you must listen to everything he tells you. Anyone who does not listen to him will be completely cut off from their people” (2:22-23). If they didn't hear and obey the promised Messiah, they would forfeit their right to be part of the people of God. Peter continues, now referring to Genesis: “Indeed, beginning with Samuel, all the prophets who have spoken have foretold these days. And you are heirs of the prophets and of the covenant God made with your fathers. He said to Abraham, ‘Through your offspring all peoples on earth will be blessed’” (2:24-25). All the prophets from Samuel onward "proclaimed" these days, the days of fulfillment of God’s promise of salvation. These listeners most likely had some level of familiarity with the scriptures and the prophets Peter is referring to. He is using their knowledge to proclaim Jesus as Messiah and Lord of all, giving them an opportunity to respond. Today, as we seek to be disciple makers on our frontlines, we will encounter people who don’t know about Jesus, who he is and what he did...who don’t know about the unfolding story of salvation revealed in the bible. Our evangelism efforts will sometimes be about answering questions, but more often giving information about Jesus through small group or one-on-one discipleship programs like Jesus Explained.

3. PEOPLE RESPOND \\ VERSES 19-20, 26, 4:1-4

Even though the people listening to Peter had rejected Jesus, even though they hadn’t recognized Jesus as the promised Messiah, the fulfillment of the law and the prophets, Peter gives them an opportunity to respond to Jesus: “Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord, and that he may send the Messiah, who has been appointed for you—even Jesus”. The people could not earn salvation by themselves, but they were also not beyond God’s salvation in Christ Jesus. It was definitely not too late for them to repent and turn to God, accepting all that Jesus had accomplished through his death and resurrection, calling on him as their Lord and Saviour. How did people respond? There were people who were excited...who were filled with amazement and wonder...who were confused...who were questioning...who were doubting. The healing of the man they all knew gave Peter an opportunity to minister to all of them. Peter invites them to repent and turn back to God. In verse 26, Peter says, “When God raised up his servant, he sent him first to you to bless you by turning each of you from your wicked ways”. Before the gathered crowd had an opportunity to respond, Peter’s preaching is interrupted by the sudden, dramatic appearance of hostile officials: “the priests and the captain of the temple guard and the Sadducees” (4:1). The Sadducees, the priestly and lay aristocracy, had ruled the Jews in religious and political matters on behalf of

foreign occupiers for some time. In matters of doctrine, they considered themselves traditional, holding only to the written Torah and rejecting the oral Torah, the sayings of the fathers which had been passed down through the generations, which the Pharisees accepted. One doctrine they did not find in the written Torah was resurrection from the dead. “They were greatly disturbed because the apostles were teaching the people, proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection of the dead” (4:2). They did not believe that anyone but the priests should be instructing the people in spiritual matters. Anyone making messianic claims was at best mistaken and at worst a political revolutionary posing a threat to their comfortable position. Opposition to the early church had begun “They seized Peter and John and, because it was evening, they put them in jail until the next day” (4:3). Jesus had told the disciples that his followers would “receive a hundred times as much in this present age: homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields—along with persecutions—and in the age to come eternal life”. Opposition begins with religious authorities and would extend to political authorities. Despite the interruption and their arrest, this does not prevent people from repenting and turning to Jesus. “But many who heard the message believed; so the number of men who believed grew to about five thousand”. What happens here will be repeated in the future. Religious and political opposition to the gospel will not stop its spread nor growth of the church. We may encounter opposition when we try to share the good news at our front lines. There may be official policies restricting religious activity...we will encounter apathy and cynicism...we will encounter those who have been hurt by their past church involvement...some will be outright hostile to the gospel. Stories like this one should help us to persevere in the work of disciple making with the knowledge that Jesus has sent us and we are guided and empowered by the Holy Spirit.

CONCLUSION The passage begins with great excitement, wonder and amazement, with some astonishment, at the healing of a man who has never walked. We see God’s compassion and kindness at work through the ministry of Peter and John...we see Jesus is Lord over sickness as this man walks, leaps and praises God in the temple. However, the passage seems to end on a downer with the arrest of Peter and John. Opposition to the gospel has started and will only intensify. The good news is that Jesus promised to be with his disciples until the end of time, and the spread of the gospel cannot be stopped by religious or political opposition. How are you feeling about being a disciple maker? Excited, confident, uncertain, scared, maybe even hopeless. My hope and prayer is this passage and the ones that will follow will inspire us to share the good news in our contexts, always pointing to Jesus as Lord of all! Let us pray.....