Read Acts 3

                                                     Guilt and Repentance

In Peter’s sermons he uses bits and pieces of OT prophecy, but the overarching message is that the whole of the Old Testament is seen to bear witness to Jesus as Messiah and the setting up of the church.  Along with this, Paul gives four descriptive names of Jesus in verses 14 and 15.  What are they?

_____________________________     ______________________________

_____________________________     ______________________________

Imagine what it would have been like to have someone standing there telling you that you are guilty of denying the Holy One and that you are responsible for requesting one who is a murderer, and calling for the death of the Prince of Life –Jesus.   Do you think those who actually lobbied for crucifying Jesus were more or less guilty than yourself?  Why do you think that? _______________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________        

 I know we often hear things like this in Christians circles, but it is worth really reflecting upon.  

It was not only those Jews back then who sinned greatly.  We should take a look at ourselves…

·         when we deny the truth, we deny the Holy One

·         when we ask for, and seek the very things which have brought harm to us and our communities, we seek the murderer rather that the Giver of Life.

·         when we quench the Spirit, we seek to put down that Life which God has raised up.

These are great and serious offenses.  Perhaps we have at times behaved in ignorance.  And perhaps not.  Either way, there is an appropriate response—repent and be converted!  We are invited to repent, rather than simply be destroyed, and then, we are offered something wonderful in verse 19: ______________________________________________________________

If a person chooses not to repent, what outcome should they expect? (verse 23) ______________________________________________________________

Ultimately, what is the “blessing bestowed upon men”? __________________

_________________________________________________________________

Have you received this blessing? 

If not, do you know how to receive it? 

Do you need to seek out someone to talk to, or some scripture to read? If so, do it!  

If you have received this blessing, are you enjoying it?

Are you sharing it with others?

Read and Pray:  Matthew 1:21, Romans 2:1-4, 2 Timothy:24-26, Psalm 103:11-18

Read Acts 3:11-26

                                           find a “launching pad”

                Peter and John have had an experience with a lame man which has caused quite a stir and a gathering of people.  I love the way Peter takes the opportunity to explain the larger meaning behind the particular healing.

                What kind of opportunities might you have to impart truth as Peter did?  Assuming you have had, or will have the opportunity to testify to the truth of Jesus as Savior and Lord, how might your message differ from, or be similar to Peter’s? 

            I have been mulling this over as I do not live in the midst of a community of people steeped in Old Testament scripture and knowledge –which happened to be Peter’s “launching pad” for his sermon.  His audience had scriptural knowledge, some knowledge of Jesus and His teachings, and close contact or connections with the events surrounding Jesus’ life.

 What is the worldview of people I may speak to?   What would my “launching pad” look like? ___________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________

Now look at the core of his message:

1.        Shift the focus from myself to God (v.12)

2.        Touch on our collective history, and our guilt  (v.13-15)

3.        Explain what others receive from faith (v. 16)

4.        Emphasize grace and don’t be judgmental (v.17-18)

5.        Offer the way of change (v.19)

6.        Point out the benefits of repentance (v.19)

7.        Express God’s love and desire to communicate with people (v.22)

8.        Don’t be shy about the terrible consequences of rejecting truth ((v.23)

9.        Blessings come in order to continue blessing others (v.25)

10.     Jesus is interested in helping turn us from our sin (26)

Truth is true for all people, in all places, at all times.  Look again at the ten points above.  Do they seem bound by time, place or culture, or are they relevant any time, any place, in any culture?  The heart of the message is consistent, the “launching pad” may vary from audience to audience; it’s not a simple formula when one takes into account varied histories, experiences, and beliefs.  There is some work involved—we need to understand the people with whom we speak in order to be effective.[1]  I pray God grants us the diligence and the grace to do so.

  Read and Pray:  Romans 1:16-21, Romans 10:14-17, 1 John 4:1-11  

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[1] Dyke, Drew, Generation Ex-Christian, (Moody Publishers, 2010)  A great resource!

Read Acts 3:1-10

                                          personal  encounters

                Why is the historical account in these verses important?  _________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________

Just as we saw themes which carry from the Old Testament to the New Testament, one can easily see themes which carry from the life of Jesus to the lives of His disciples.  His wondrous acts did not terminate upon His departure from walking the earth in the flesh.  Those works continued in and through His Spirit operating in multiple other people. 

Something that I find particularly interesting in this passage is that the importance of face to face, eye to eye contact was recorded here.  Why do you think this was important enough to record?

__________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________

                Can this, or does this speak in any way to you about your interactions with others?  If so, how?  __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________

Often, it may be pretty easy to simply go through the motions of mechanical charity:  give the money, sign your name, send the gift, give the hand-out.   I do not mean to in any way diminish the importance of these activities.  But we should also be honest with ourselves:  this demands nothing of our selves beyond what we have attached to our material goods. 

On the other hand, to enter into a personal encounter can be another matter entirely.  A personal encounter creates a connection that may then invite an invasion into my little world, my neat and tidy control of my own life.  A personal connection links me to another human being that may disable my apathy and my freedom to some extent.  And yet, personal connection is the very essence of love.

I am challenged to fix my eyes on some of the needy people in my life, and invite them to look at me—to share a personal encounter.  I am challenged to offer to them some of the goodness that God has offered me.  I am challenged to love, not just as an idea, but as a practical reality.

Read and Pray:  Luke 5:16-26, 2 Corinthians 5:17-21, 1 John 4:19-21

Read Acts 2:41-47

                                                   resulting  responses

                One of the things I love about scripture is that it is true and speaks on so many different levels:  history, philosophy, logic, sociology, education, economics, health, ethics, law, theology…

                How unfortunate that reading the Bible is sometimes regarded as a duty, simply to be performed, rather than writing to be engaged which has power to transform!   The early Christians had Old Testament scriptures, and eyewitness testimonies with which they engaged.  We have that record here in Acts.  Though our starting places may be different, are the results?

1.  What behaviors result in one who truly receives the gospel? _____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________

2.  What attitudes result with a true understanding the gospel?  _____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________

3.  What are some resulting responses of those observing from the outside?  _____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________

Going through Acts  is a wonderful challenge to reflect upon our own beliefs and traditions, and their impact on the world around us.

4.  In what ways does your current faith community reflect the devotion and commitment of the early Christians of Acts? _______________________________________ ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________

5.  In what ways would you personally like to grow to be more like the early Christians Luke has written about?  _________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________

Read and Pray:  1 Corinthians 2:9-12, 2 Corinthians 3:16-4:2, 1 John 5:6-13

Read Acts 2:14-40

                                                     sermon  notes 

In your own words, summarize the following:

1.  What do you think is/are the main point(s) of the sermons highlights in verses of 14-21? ______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

2.  What do you think is/are the main point(s) of the sermon highlights of verses 22-36? ______________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________

3.  What is/are the main point(s) of the last part of Peter’s sermon summarized in verses 37-41? ______________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________

When we break the message down to its core meaning, it is pretty simple:  all are welcome to receive God’s goodness, all have sinned and done what is contrary to the love of God, we are called to respond to the truth, and in so doing, we will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

What is the response Peter calls for? 

R_____________ and be b__________________

Find and give a definition for each of these:

R______________ :  _____________________________________________

B_______________: _____________________________________________

Have you ever wondered how these two are related to one another, and to faith?  Can a person have faith without repentance, or repentance without faith?  I believe faith and repentance are two sides of the same coin.  Baptism is like the edge of the coin that is touched by both sides and displays the depth that is present.  It is not simply a ritual, it is a very real expression and confirmation of a new reality ushered in by new life in the Spirit of God.

            Repentance, baptism, faith—these are not simply words to write about in our notes from sermons, they are realities to be lived.  Are you living them?

Read and Pray:  Mark 1:1-6, Matthew 20:17-23, 28:18-20 

Read Acts Chapter 2

Beyond history

It is fascinating to me how many parallels we find between the Old and New Testaments.  In the book Sitting at the Rabbi Jesus, authors Ann Spangler and Lois Tverberg point a few of these out:

“…the rabbis noted that the Israelites reached Mount Sinai fifty days after they left Egypt…On Sinai, God had given his people the covenant of the Torah meaning “law” or “instruction”.  On Pentecost he gave his Spirit to seal a new covenant of the forgiveness of sin.  Like the Torah, the Spirit reveals God’s truth, instructs us, and convicts us of sin.”

“Many centuries before, on Passover, God had redeemed

Them from Egypt.  Fifty days after their departure, God enacted his covenant on Mount Sinai to form Israel into a nation.  The death and resurrection of Christ on Passover brought redemption to all who believe in him.  And fifty days later, God poured out his Spirit to seal a new covenant for the forgiveness of sins.  Believers were commissioned to make disciples of all nations and empowered by the same Spirit who spoke through the prophets of long ago.  Just as Passover and Firstfruits illuminated the meaning of Jesus’ death and resurrection, Shavout [Hebrew for Pentecost], communicated what God was accomplishing on the birthday of the church.”

Though these parallels are fascinating, the significance goes beyond history:  What does the gift of the Holy Spirit mean to us in our own lives?  It is apparent that in the first century it was much more than speaking in tongues and it went far beyond any exclusive group.  It overcame barriers of communication, barriers of physical differences and disabilities, barriers of socio-economic status.  The Spirit of God set the believers free from their own sin of self-preservation, and shifted their focus toward generous expression of God’s love.

            Is your church emphasis on spiritual gifts?  Evangelism? Caring for the poor?  The early church embraced all three.  Consider how you can be a part of an early church type of holistic approach where the Spirit of God overcomes a wide variety of barriers.

Read and Pray:  1 Corinthians 12, Isaiah 61:1-3

                                    finding  parallels

Look up these passages, and jot down your thoughts about each.

Old Testament	New Testament	Present Application
Exodus 12:1-13:16	John 1:29	Luke 22:14-20
Exodus 19-20	Acts 2:1-4	Romans 8:5-15
Isaiah 60:1-3	Luke 2:1-20,  John 1:1-14	Matthew 5:14-16
Exodus 24:12-18	Matthew 4:1-11	Acts 1:3
Leviticus 23:9-14	1 Corinthians 15:20-23	2 Corinthians 9:6-11
Leviticus 23:15-22	Acts 2:1	Ephesians 5:15-21
Jeremiah 31:33	Luke 2:1-7, 34-35	2 Corinthians 3:2-8
Joel 2:28	Luke 24:44-49	Acts 2:1-4