Peter s Powerful Sermon Part 2 The Necessity

Peter’s Powerful Sermon – Part 2 The Necessity of Repentance Acts 3: 19 – 26 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 Christ, who has been appointed for you – even Jesus. (Acts 3: 19 -20)

Introduction • Throughout redemptive history, God’s spokesmen have called sinners to repentance – Old Testament prophets – New Testament • John the Baptist • Jesus • Apostles • Peter calls his hearers to repentance – Rejected their Messiah – In rebellion against God – Peters offers them hope

Overview • Promised results if they repent – God will forgive their sins (v. 19 a) – The kingdom will come (v. 19 b) – Messiah will return (vv. 20 -21) – Judgment will be avoided (vv. 22 -24) – Blessing will be realized (vv. 25 -26)

God Will Forgive Their Sin (v. 19 a) “Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, ” (Acts 3: 19 a) • David’s cry – “Hide they face from my sins, and blot out all my iniquities. ” (Psalms 51: 9) • Only one way to receive God’s forgiveness – through faith in His son Jesus Christ – Peter proclaimed that on multiple occasions • Wiped out (Gr. Exaleipho) – wiping away of ink from a document – More than crossing out believer’s sin – God wipes them away completely

God Will Forgive Their Sin (v. 19 a) • Forgiveness produces joy and relief from guilt • Hymn “It is Well with My Soul” My sin, O, the bliss of this glorious thought My sin not in part but in whole Is nailed to the cross and I bear it no more, Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul

The Kingdom Will Come (v. 19 b) “that times of refreshing my come from the Lord, ” (Acts 3: 19 b) • Repentance brings not only individual blessing by collective blessing also – Times of refreshing refers to the millennial kingdom – Millennial kingdom will be a time of much needed refreshing for Israel • Ezekiel 34: 26 – “showers of blessing” • Isaiah 44: 3 – God “will pour water on him that is thirsty” • Lack of repentance was delaying the coming of the kingdom – Responsibility was on their shoulders

Messiah Will Return (vv. 20 -21) “and that he may send the Christ, who has been appointed for you – even Jesus. He must remain in heaven until the time comes for God to restore everything, as he promised long ago through his holy prophets. ” (Acts 3: 20 -21) • There can be no kingdom without the King – If they repent, God will “send the Christ, who has been appointed for you – even Jesus” – Millennial kingdom follows the nation’s repentance • Until that time, Jesus “must remain in heaven” • Not new truths – they were spoken long ago through the prophets – Joel 2: 25 refers to the Messiah’s earthly kingdom as a time of restoration – time for God to restore everything

Judgment Will Be Avoided (vv. 22 -24) “For Moses said, ‘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 among his people. ’ Indeed, all the prophets from Samuel on, as many as have spoken, have foretold these days. ” (Acts 3: 22 -24) • God spoke through Moses – “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. ” (Deut. 18: 15) – Prophet like Moses – the Messiah • Moses warned of the consequences of rejecting the Messiah – “Anyone who does not listen to him will be completely cut off from among his people. ” – Loss of covenant blessings • People continued their ancestors – refused to heed the prophets – Israel’s problem was moral not intellectual; lacked repentance not information

Blessings Will Be Realized (vv. 25 -26) “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. ’ When God raised up his servant, he sent him first to you to bless you by turning each of you from your wicked ways. ” (Acts 3: 25 -26) • Peter closes on a hopeful note – They were still heirs of the prophets and of the covenant – heirs of all the promised covenant blessings • God’s covenant with Abraham was fulfilled in Jesus Christ – He is the offspring of Abraham in whom all peoples on earth will be blessed • That blessing was still available – “He (God) sent him (Jesus) first to you to bless you by turning each of you from your wicked ways” – The leaders made their decision when they killed Jesus – These people now faced their decision

Conclusion • All the rich blessings and covenant promises were available – To obtain them, Peter’s hearers must turn from their wicked ways • Repentance was the key that unlocked everything