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well good morning welcome to the house of the Lord and just one announcement and that is in regards to the emails and telephone numbers in the back this is the fourth fourth Sunday it'll be the last Sunday that will keep the keep those out so if you don't mind making sure that if you've changed your email or your telephone number that we have a record of it and if it is accurate then please just initial that you've seen it looked at it because we making up a new one in the coming in the coming days so please make sure that you get to that today either this this morning or this evening well let's turn in our Bibles please to Psalm as a call to worship Psalm 133 Psalm 133 it's something we ought not to take for granted and that is a sense of unity and how the Lord loves that so let's let's read together Psalm 133 a song of his sent of David behold how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity it is like the precious oil upon the head running down on the beard the beard of Aaron running down on the edge of its garments it is like the dew of Hermon descending upon the mountains of Zion for there the LORD commanded the blessing life evermore amen well I please turn with me in your hymn books to him number 132 132 and I'll ask you to stand please [Music] well let's go to God in prayer and ask his blessing to be upon our meeting time together and worship together in prayer so it's prayer our gracious and our loving Heavenly Father we come into your holy presence now this morning through your son your precious son the Lord Jesus Christ how great for our Father for such a savior as the person of Christ the one who left his throne him in heaven and came to this earth to to die not for his sins but rather for our sins how we praise you that we are in the beloved those who are in Christ this day we come here this morning father to worship you to behold the great God that you are we praise You Father that you are the God of heaven and earth there is nothing in this in this world that is not beyond your control over over which your sovereign care your sovereign protection your sovereign will is exercised and how we praise you for that Lord we praise you that you are in the heavens and you do whatever whatever you deem and determine is is right and perfect now we praise you Father for the fact that you have gathered us together as a local church that you have planted your church both here in Chilliwack and throughout the valley and across this nation around the world father as as as gospel bearers those through through whom the Lord Jesus Christ has promised to to presence himself and see the see the nation's brought to the Lord Jesus Christ through that church and so Lord we pray for the success of the church we pray for the success of the gospel the Lord you'd be pleased to continue to to cause your word to go forth both from this pulpit and from pulpits all around this world that's you be praised and you'd be honored you'd be glorified particularly through the salvation of individuals Lord we rejoice in our salvation we rejoice that we are that we have been called out of this world of darkness where we were born in our sin we were born in that miry clay and father you reach down and you touched us you caused us to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and for that we are truly grateful we pray that this day out of our mouths would come praise and adoration through the worship of singing through the worship of our prayers through the word the Word of God is it's open pray that all these things father Mike might resound back to you as praise and worship for that good work that you have done in our hearts how we praise you Father that you have called us as your sheep and that you have promised to look after us as the good shepherd would look after sheep so father you promised look after us and guide us and keep us in truth we know that all around us are errors errors in doctrine there's in in in practice and father we pray that you would that you would had just sin caused us to know truth and to pursue truth and to love truth we pray Lord we would love one another as well the Lord you would be pleased to to bless this congregation those who perhaps cannot be with us because of illness or sickness those who perhaps are here but are not feeling well we pray Lord that you would be pleased to to bless them in in body and spirit as well caused them father to know that strength that does come from on high given the circumstances they find themselves in this day we pray Lord they would feel that touch that touch of God upon their lives that you would be pleased to heal them in the in the in the inner man and the outer man as well and we pray Lord your blessing to be upon those who may be in amongst us who who are not safe to know nothing of saving grace this day we pray lo that the Lord Jesus Christ might be so portrayed so preached from this Pope of this day that that the loveliness of Christ the the the beauty of Christ that great love that the Lord Jesus Christ would have that it would be preached well and preached so that it truly would be attractive to those who are outside of Christ and Lord we know that salvation is of the Lord and so we just commit these things into your hands and pray though that you'd be pleased to move in all the hearts here this day the hearts and minds of your people and those outside of Christ that Lord you'd be pleased to to bless your word from this Pope of this day bless our brother camp a supporter we pray Jude strengthen him father that cause him to know that that might have spirit and blessing Lord as he as he be holds your word Lord we ask your blessing be upon Mike as well Mike her Patrick and in SeaTac we pray your blessing upon him as he brings your word to that congregation we pray though that they might know truth this day that they might truly be worshiping along with us they are in that congregation that you would bless Mike with unction and Helpmann high to to lay hold of you and to open up your word for the edification and the of your people there in that congregation where we ask your blessing to be upon upon our nation in regards to the those who govern over us Lord we pray that you would be pleased to - that's a to stop the hand of those who who would seek to who would seek to disrupt the the unity and the the peacefulness of the church Lori pray that we praise you that we are able to meet unmolested and unharmed in and undisturbed by the authorities we pray Lord to that end that you would be pleased to cause cause our church and cause churches across our land to be able to meet together and and to to enjoy that that peace and and that ability to meet to be able to sing our worship to you with it with strong voices father not have not under hushed tones as they do in other countries in in persecuting countries where even for singing hymns of praise and worship they are they are they are persecuted Lord we do pray for the persecuted church that you would bless them this day cause them to find their hope in you we pray Lord that in your wrath you would remember mercy upon the churches of the Lord Jesus Christ who who find difficult circumstances to meet under Lord we pray that would not always be this way but in the meantime we pray that you would just put a hedge of protection cause those authorities to - to - to look past and to look around look over the people of God as they meet together and we do pray Lord that that they would be able to meet in peace this day hedge those those those churches in and cause them to to be kept safe this day for for prisoners Lord we pray your blessing upon them as some of them are in in confinement in prison cells and not able to meet with other believers and in isolation we pray though that you administer to them this day caused them to know the Spirit of the Living God that is able to minister to - their spirits this day we pray they might rejoice even in those prison cells even as they are being persecuted for Christ's sake that they would know lord have a truth that there was a God in heaven who is caring for them that he is there he is their Good Shepherd and he will put he will care for them if you will protect them and he will give aid and comfort and help as it is required so Lord we ask your blessing once again to be upon this worship service we thank you rejoice for that great love that the Lord Jesus Christ has for his people and we pray Lord that you would be worshiped and glorified here in this place this days in Christ's precious name we pray amen well let's turn our hymn books please to another to another hymn hymn number 195 Alison did my Savior bleed 195 I'll ask you to stand [Music] please turn with me in your Bibles to Luke chapter three Luke chapter three will read the first twenty verses Luke chapter 3 ba a verse one now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar Pontius Pilate being governor of Judea Herod being Tetrarch of Galilee his brother Philip Tetrarch of IDA Rhea and the Reta and the region of track coitus and Lysanias Tetrarch of Albany while Anna's and Caiaphas were high priests the Word of God came to John John the son of the Zacharias in the wilderness and he went into all the region around the Jordan preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins as it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet saying the voice of one crying in the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord make his paths straight every Valley shall be filled in every mountain and Hill brought low the crooked places shall be made straight and the rough ways smooth and all all flesh shall see the salvation of God then he said to the multitudes that came out to be baptized by him brood of vipers who warned you to flee let him give to him who has none and he who has who let him do likewise then tax collectors also came to be baptized and said to him teacher what shall we do and he said to them collect no more than what is appointed for you likewise the soldiers asked him saying and what shall we do so he said to them do not intimidate anyone or accuse falsely and be content with your wages now as the people were in expectation and all reasoned in their hearts about there he was the Christ or not John answered saying to all indeed that excuse me indeed baptized you that sir I indeed baptize you with water but one mightier not then I is coming whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire his winnowing fan is in his hand and he will thoroughly clean clean out his threshing floor and gather the wheat into his barn but the chaff he will burn unquenchable fire and with many other exhortation x' he preached to the people but Herod the Tetrarch being rebuked by him concerning Herodias his brother Philips wife and for all the evils which Herod had done also added this above all that he shut John up in prison amen well just a couple of couple of comments in regards to the to the text those 20 20 verses certainly we see that the opening verse is the first three or four verses those were not those were not people who were God did not put in place people who would be welcoming to the kingdom of God certainly not however even in that political wickedness those politically wicked people that are in that opening chapter we can see that certainly the plan of God is never was never sorted never did God look down upon that and say well boy what am I going to do God place those individuals in those positions of influence and power and they were not they certainly were not interested in the kingdom of God but far greater is the fact that the plan of God is is far greater the plan of God God is ultimately not sorted by wicked men and we can certainly look at that today as well because certainly we can look on the horizon we can look at all around us and see evil men have always existed evil men will all will always exist but the kingdom of God will continue to march forward now I think there's great encouragement that we saw that back and that we're not in a criminal type job obviously I ought to assume but in that station in life let our ethic be a Christian ethic may we be the best workers in that position may we be on it the most honest workers in that position may we demonstrate the Christian ethic in the place that God has placed us in all the various walks of life and and I think in that God truly is our God is honored God is pleased and God is well willing to to add his blessing to - to his church and to his people well let's let's pray and ask God's blessing out to be upon the preached word is we're about to about to hear the word of God opened up let's pray our gracious that our loving Heavenly Father again we truly do thank you Lord for our salvation we see that that the salvation that was preached here in Luke 3 is still a salvation that has pre preached today in 2017 that it does not change it is not affected by culture is not affected by the day and age in which we live there rather it is repentance through your son the Lord Jesus Christ their coming to an acknowledgment that that we are sinners before a holy God and we need we need those sins forgiven we know we need those transgressions are forgiven and so how we praise you Father for your son the Lord Jesus Christ how grateful we are we are for such a savior as Christ we pray that price might be might be made much of now in the net is in this next hour we pray that you would be well pleased to add your blessing to the preached word give unction give help give aid to the preacher as well as the hearer the Lord we truly might hear from you and hear from your word and be worshippers of you this day we ask your blessing now for it's in Jesus precious name we pray amen well please turn with me your hymn books to the last hymn hymn number 87 hymn number 87 holy holy holy and please stand [Music] [Music] [Music] good morning everyone you can turn in your Bibles to Acts chapter three Acts chapter three I'll read the entire chapter and then we're going to look specifically at verses 11 through 15 the proclamation of Jesus Christ by the Apostle Peter before these men of Israel this is Acts chapter 3 beginning in verse 1 now Peter and John went up together to the temple at the beautiful gate of the temple and they were filled with Wonder and amazement at what had happened to him now as the lame man who was healed held on to Peter and John all the people ran together to them in the porch which is called Solomon's greatly amazed so when Peter saw it he responded to the people men of Israel why do you marvel at this or why look so intently at us as though by our own power or godliness we had made this man walk the God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob the god of Our Fathers glorified his servant Jesus whom you delivered up and denied in the presence of Pilate when he was determined to let him go but you denied the Holy One and the just and asked for a murderer to be granted to you and killed the Prince of life whom God raised from the dead of which we are witnesses and his name through faith in his name has made this man strong whom you see and know yes the faith which comes through him has given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all yet now brethren I know that you did it in ignorance as did also your rulers but those things which God foretold by the mouth of all of his prophets that the Christ would suffer he has thus fulfilled repent therefore and be converted that your sins may be blotted out so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord and that he may send Jesus Christ who was preached to you before whom heaven must receive until the times of restoration of all things which God has spoke can by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began for Moses truly said to the fathers the Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from your brethren him you shall hear in all things whatever he says to you and it shall be that every soul who will not hear the Rafat shall be utterly destroyed from among the people and all the prophets from Samuel and those who follow as many as have spoken have also foretold these days you are sons of the prophets and of the Covenant which God made with our fathers saying to Abraham and in your seed all the families excuse me of the earth shall be blessed to you first God having raised up his servant Jesus sent him to bless you in turning away every one of you from your iniquities amen let us pray Heavenly Father we thank you for your word we rejoice in this act of worship the preaching of that word we do pray now that you would be with us we pray that you would help us in this act of worship we pray Lord God that in it you would be glorified that by virtue of it Lord God Jesus Christ would be exalted upon the praises of these gathered Saints and we do pray Lord God and all that we do this morning in this evening that Father Son and Holy Spirit would be honored and praised and glorified and Lord God that you would bless your people that we might go into this upcoming week the seeking to conduct ourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of grace rejoicing that we're saved by grace alone through faith alone in Christ Jesus alone we pray in his precious name Amen well if we ask the question what what happened after the Gospel accounts what happened after the accounts the narrative accounts that we have in Matthew Mark Luke and John well we come to the book of Acts and we have the answer to that question we have what happened after Christ came into this world after he went about doing good after he was obedient to his father's law at every jot and tiddle after he died upon Calvary's cross for the redemption of his people after he rose again and ascended we have the mighty acts of the risen Christ through the sent Spirit empowering his people to proclaim his riches his Excellency's the glories of his gospel and here in Acts chapter 3 we have an example of that and you know this comes in fact the entirety of the book of Acts comes as fulfillment to the words of the Lord Jesus Christ in those gospel narratives remember if we review the Gospel accounts we see there among many other glorious things Jesus Christ promising that he would build his church he promises the the progressive unstoppable growth of his church his kingdom through the proclamation of the gospel we see him promising that upon his death upon his resurrection upon his ascension he would send forth his spirit to his apostles to his disciples that that spirit in the hour of persecution and trial would give his mouthpieces words to speak before men of Israel before Gentiles before kings and in rulers and all those sorts of things and we see the promise of Peter and John healing a lame man at Solomon's porch at the temple and then we see that this is the opportunity that Peter uses to proclaim Jesus Christ to these men of Israel gathered that are marveling at this miracle this healing being performed what we want to do is we want to look at verses 11 through 15 under three considerations and those are simply these the occasion for preaching Christ the correcting prologue and then the preaching of Christ so first the occasion for teaching Christ now just pause for a moment as as believers 2,000 years removed from this occasion when our Christ was preached hopefully as you'll see in the very same manner that you hear Christ preached today pastor Butler a pastor Kirkpatrick and myself preached no new God and no new Christ and no new gospel but we preached the self same message proclaimed 2,000 years ago by this man Peter you see we are the the the beneficiaries of this Proclamation a band of brothers empowered by the Spirit 2,000 years ago to preach Christ and time has passed God's providential guidances worked the world such that 2,000 years later we have been the recipients of this glorious gospel we have their being the recipients of this apostolic message and it is in this gospel of Christ that we stand in that we have our life well the occasion for preaching notice first that the occasion was the healing of a man lame from birth we won't read it all again but in verses 1 through 10 we have the occasion for Peters apostolic preaching a Peter and John are in the temple this lame man who has been lame from from birth from his mother's womb is there asking for alms and in verse 6 we have the response of the Apostle Peter then Peter said silver and gold I do not have but what I do have I give you in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk a beautiful thing that we have there in this in this healing this man woke up lame from his mother's womb that's all that he ever knew he could cast his eyes upon all of those walking freely around Solomon's porch in and out of the temple and all of those sorts of things but this man unable to go into the into the temple but rather set outside at this gate that is called beautiful is laid out is paralyzed is lame and he's asking for alms and he thought perhaps that that warning like so many other morning's that he did this self same thing that he would get some riches he would get some silver and gold he gets something much more glorious doesn't Lee doesn't he yes he's healed from his lameness and he can walk he can jump he can bounce around praising God but he has his sins forgiven him he is no longer a son of disobedience he's no longer a child of Wrath just as the others but rather as one who is bouncing around leaping yes being healed from lameness but much more gloriously being healed from the the deadness of sin raised from death to life in Christ Jesus the Lord and we have here this occasion of healing is owned by God is owned by the risen Christ to send forth his spirit through the ministrations of the Apostle Peter to preach the riches and the excellencies of Christ Jesus the Lord we reflect upon miracles and signs and wonders and healings we should remark that we ought never to push aside the fact that those things are performed and they are worked by a God who is marked by condescending love and mercy and grace it is God who heals the Great Physician is the one who makes lay men to walk and that's what we have here but we ought never to stop as well note in a minute when we get to the correcting prologue we ought never to stop at the miracle and marvel in the miracle alone as if miracles are an end unto themselves the utility of miracles again not setting aside the love and the mercy of God and making a lame man walk the utility of miracles are such in the ministrations of Jesus and of his apostles that he sends that they are a means or occasions to bring forth the proclamation and the vindication of the word you can turn with me to Mark's Gospel for a moment just to just to see this in mark chapter 16 in fact the very the final words of Mark's Gospel we have something that touches with striking relevance to our passage in Acts chapter 3 notice in mark 16 at verse 19 so then after the Lord had spoken to them he was received up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God and they went out and preached everywhere the Lord working with them and confirming the word through the accompanying signs amen the utility of God's mighty workings the signs and the wonders and these miracles are such that they confirm the word proclaim and they established the veracity of the apostolic mission and so we have this occasion this glorious occasion where God and love and mercy heals this lame man at the gate that is called beautiful and as we'll see in a moment this is the occasion used by Peter by God ultimately through Peter to preach the riches of Christ now just notice secondly some more specifically under the occasion for preaching the occasion is the response to this healing by witnesses notice in verse 11 now as the lame man who was healed held on to Peter and John all the people ran together to them in the porch which is called Solomon's greatly amazed it's in that you know just as an aside here isn't that beautiful language there now as the lay man who was healed held on to Peter and John didn't want to didn't want to let go of this blessed occasion didn't want to let go of Peter and John I don't believe we are to assume here that in some sort of immaturity of faith he's latching on to them as the ones who themselves were the workers of the miracle but rather we have this man he doesn't want to depart this blessed day in this blessed occasion he's holding on to these men who were the instruments of God's condescending mercy and love but notice that the occasion is specifically this language here all the people ran together to them in the porch which is called Solomon's greatly amazed there were witnesses to this healing there were those gathered together outside this gate that is called beautiful there were those within eyeshot of this miracle being performed and they are greatly amazed and that is a good response generally speaking to be amazed at such a thing this lame man not just lame for a week or lame for a month or lame for a year but from his mother's womb this man was lame and they knew him Peter says later on you knew this one who's been made well by the power of God they knew him all his life to be lame they see this man as the text says here leaping walking leaping and praising God what a what an amazing transformation so generally speaking being greatly amazed at such a thing is a good response hopefully if we were to see such a thing in our own day we ought to be greatly amazed that one beforehand lame is now walking and leaping and and praising God but this is the occasion as we now find in verse 12 that that Peter uses to preach Christ so secondly then the correcting prologue and what I what I mean by that is Peter uses some introductory words here in order to correct the the perversion or the wrong the the sinful wrong focus of those who are greatly amazed Peter in verse 12 or we find Luke narrating here in verse 12 the response of Peter so when Peter saw it he responded to the people men of Israel why do you marvel at this or why look so intently at us as though by our own power or godliness we had made this man walk peter directs their attention away from the miracle itself and away from the instrumentality of the miracle he he issues some some correcting words here in order to align them unto the proper consideration the god of the miracle the God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob the one who sent his servant Jesus to give himself for guilty sinners you see they were greatly amazed but they're stopping at the miracle they were not to stop at the miracle why do you marvel at this Peter says but they were too beyond the miracle tool and upon the triune God and find him as the one in whom we are to be amazed and that's what Peter said when we read here when Peter responds men of Israel why do you well in fact just for a moment here I know we've done this before when we've looked at the the Apostle Peter but there there is much to rejoice in when we read here Peter speaking men of Israel remember it was only you know it was only you know within the last fifty days well perhaps it might be more than that if we if we allow the summary at the end of chapter two to insert a measure of time but if we're if we're considering here the fact that it was only a it was not too long ago that this Peter wouldn't even be speaking boldly before men of Israel but he couldn't even speak boldly before the patio patio interrogations of a of a servant girl but rather cowered in in a in a temporary faithlessness and unbelief before those interrogations of of just a servant girl and now here he stands bold men of Israel and he gives them a corrective before moving on to the proclamation of the gospel of Jesus Christ what we are to do as Christians now is we are it's a marvel in the Grace and the power of God in making one previously a coward strong in faith to proclaim the riches of Christ we look at the pages of Scripture here and we're not to marvel in Peter as one and in fact he uses that's the hid that own language himself here in a sense our own power or godliness we're not to marvel at Peter but to marvel at the god of Peter who takes him from one cowering before Patio interrogations and brings him to a place where before men of Israel he's proclaiming boldly the gospel of saving grace our God is great our God is glorious and He grants to those who are his boldness to lay hold of the hope of our calling without wavering so he says here Peter responds men of Israel why do you marvel at this when we read Peter saying why do you marvel this I don't think we're supposed to believe that Peter is saying come on you guys know that God can do these sorts of things why are you marveling at it that's not why he's saying why do you marvel at this I believe what Peter is saying is here what he is saying here is why are you stopping at this miracle and marv marveling at this sign and wonder that's why he goes on in in verse 13 to speak of the God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob and the glory of his servant Jesus a Peter here knows the peculiarities of his audience and their tendency to seek after signs was one of the marks of a Jewish unbelief the Jews seek after signs and the Greeks seek after wisdom do you think about the the Ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ in that occasion in John 6 where he multiplies the bread and the unbelieving audience cries out give us this bread always there they're asking to be fed with physical bread they marvel at this sign this Christ multiplying the bread and they say give us this bread always and that's when Christ uses that as the occasion to preach himself and he says I am the bread of life which comes down from heaven you see the Jews in that occasion then the unbelievers depart from this Christ they cannot take this saying of this sovereign Christ who is the bread of life that that he is the one who draws or that the father is the one who draws sinners to Christ that it is Christ who is the bread of life and he the Apostle Peter here bumps up against some of that same wicked unbelief they want signs they want wonders they do not want the God of signs and wonders and they do not want the Christ to whom those things point and so pi peter says why do you marvel at this he also says here or why look so intently at us as though by our own power or godliness we had made this man walk they were not to render praise toward Peter and John Peter knew full well that this miracle that this healing did not come through his own power or godliness it's not the the character of the man it's not the nature of the man it's not something inherently beautiful in the instrument of the healing but rather in the God who uses that instrument for his own glory and for the good of his people if you can turn to acts 15 for a moment with me we see this with respect that the the language of God using his human instruments those human instruments not having their own inherent power or godliness that is the foundation of the healing but rather God and his sovereign and divine power notice in acts 15 and verse 12 then all the multitude kept silent and listened to Barnabas and Paul declaring how many miracles and wonders God had worked through them among the Gentiles you see that there the language is very simple and it's quick but it is telling how many miracles and wonders God had worked through them among the Gentiles so back to acts 3 here Peter is of course right when he says and when he corrects why looked so intently at us as though by our own power or godliness we had made this man walk in brethren I don't think it's a it's an unwholesome stretch to draw a conclusion that in our own Christian walk and as we go about our Christianity in an age of celebrity preachers in an age of media and an age of the Internet we are not to glory in and wonder at and marvel and look so intently at those people who have either propped up themselves or have been propped up by Christians to be celebrity personas in the realm of Christendom today believe we are tonight I believe we are to look the Bible commands us that we are to look not at these because they do not have power or godliness that are the foundation by which miracles are are brought about or any of those sorts of things as if the character of the man is to be praised as if the man himself is to be praised as if we are to look intently Fonda over the man but rather we are to look to the god of the man the Christ of the man the language of the Apostle Paul in 2nd Corinthians 4 is simple and it is telling and it is applicable here we do not preach ourselves but Christ Jesus the Lord and ourselves your bond servants for Jesus sake for it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness who has shone in our hearts and it's the power of God it's the the glory of God that Peter is wanting to direct their attention to don't marvel at this now Peter Peter isn't it's not that Peter thought the miracle to be base or ordinary or not worthy of remark why marvel at this is if we are not to stop upon the miracle for a moment and see the beauty of the miracle see the glory and the majesty or the reality that this lame man has been made to walk you see the point is is that we are to move to the god of the miracle and that's exactly what Peter does next notice with the preaching of Christ so he's given these correcting words they are not to marvel at the miracle they are not to stop upon the instruments of the miracle and now he moves to the god of the miracle and the gospel of Jesus Christ we want to notice first under the preaching of Christ the identification of Christian Proclamation with the one true God notice his response here the God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob the god of Our Fathers glorified his servant Jesus you see the Apostles are not setting forth a new God Peter isn't coming before these and and preaching some new God but rather he after issuing those correcting words he's telling them that the god of this miracle the god of this lame man is the God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob the god of Our Fathers but not only that remember Peter says in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth get up and walk it is this God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob who in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ has wrought this miracle through the Apostle Peter but the Apostles are not setting forth a new God they are proclaiming that self same God who promised to send forth the Christ born of a woman born under the law to redeem those who were under the law turn with me in your Bibles back to the book of Exodus we see here of course you preaching something to those who no doubt already know this but a rehearsal of such text and such ideas and such truths are good for Christians to do as we go through this preaching exercise on this point that the Apostles are not setting forth a new God notice that they are proclaiming the god of burning bush revelation in Exodus 3 and in verse 5 then he said do not draw near this place take your sandals off your feet for the place where you stand is holy ground moreover he said I am the God of your father the God of Abraham the god of Isaac and the God of Jacob and Moses hid his face for he was afraid to look upon God now just for a moment pause we're going to read something forward in the verse in the passage here in a moment but think of the weight of this now on the part of the Apostle Peter these that are stopping at the miracle these that are unbelievers these that have crucified the Lord Jesus Christ and would persecute the messengers of the Lord Jesus Christ Peter is using this reality this identifier that the God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob to strike a measure of wholesome fear that they might Revere that they might be found in awe before this one who has healed through Peter in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ notice the language Moses hid his face for he was afraid to look upon God you see these in Peter's time who are rejecting the Apostolic message who are by virtue of that rejecting the risen and exalted Christ who of course have already put to death the Prince of life they are to be hit struck to the heart by the reality that this one that Peter preaches and who has sent Peter is the God before whom Moses hid his face for he was afraid to look upon God if you flip the page or perhaps depending on your Bible on the same page notice in verse 13 then Moses said to God indeed when I come to the children of Israel and say to them the god of your father's has sent me to you and they say to me what is his name what shall I say to them and God said to Moses I am Who I am and he said thus you shall say to the children of Israel I am has sent me to you moreover God said to Moses thus you shall say to the children of Israel the Lord God of your father's the God of Abraham the god of Isaac and the God of Jacob has sent me to you this is my name forever and this is my memorial to all generations so back to acts 3 for a moment Peter uses this identifier and they are choice words this identification is marked by choice words true words spoken by the Apostle Peter that this unbelieving audience might know that the God who healed this man the God of his servant Jesus whom you crucified is the God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob before whom Moses hid his eyes because of his majesty and his glory the apostles are not setting forth a new God but rather the one and only living and true God the god of burning bush revelation and the god of exodus redemption the identifier before God gives the Decalogue the Ten Commandments there in the wilderness to Israel in Exodus 20 chapter 2 he identifies himself as the God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob who brought Israel out of bondage and Egypt and this is of course chosen by the Apostle Peter as well to communicate that this God is the God who is marked by a covenantal faithfulness and that's what we see here when we get to this reality secondly under the preaching of Christ the Apostles are not setting forth a new message the language is this the God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob the god of Our Fathers glorified his servant Jesus that's not just language that generally is identifying Jesus Christ as a servant of this God generally speaking one who is serving a master but this identifier glorified his servant Jesus is pointing back to the Old Testament and is rich with Old Testament promise and prophecy and plan in truth the apostles are not setting forth a new message but rather are proclaiming the fulfillment of the promised message of the message of promise and in purpose at all of the holy prophets as he would say later spoke concerning this Jesus Christ the glue of his gospel and the majesty of his reign the apostles are not preaching a new message but that message of old fulfilled you can turn with me if you're able to a lot of Bible turning but hopefully this is helpful to you turn to the book of Isaiah in chapter 42 you see when we go through the Bible so we preach it's helpful hopefully for you to see the consent of all the parts the scope of the whole which is to give all glory to God it's hopefully helpful as well if you're ever without your Bible you need to find you need to call forth the text that you heard in church we go through the Bible you read it with your own eyes you hear it from the pulpit and it's helpful as well to call forth in those times of trial and weak faith the word of our God to have it written upon our hearts but notice in this connection the servant of God his servant Jesus Isaiah 42 and verse 1 behold my servant whom I uphold my elect one in whom my soul delights I have put my spirit upon him he will bring forth justice to the Gentiles he will not cry out nor raise his voice nor cause his voice to be heard in the street the Old Covenant promise that God would send forth his servant upon whom the Spirit would be bringing forth justice to the Gentiles if you fast forward to verse 49 excuse me chapter 49 notices well the language here in chapter 49 and in verse 6 remember Peter isn't just generally throwing out this language of servant and oh wow that worked out good because in the Old Testament this promised Jesus it's referred to it that's great how that worked out no he's using choice words to proclaim that this Jesus is the promised servant of Isaiah notice Isaiah 49 and verse 6 indeed he says it is too small a thing that you should be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob and to restore the preserved ones of Israel I will also give you as a light to the Gentiles that you should be my salvation to the ends of the earth you see what's going on in Peters Proclamation here then this audience conversant in the Old Testament this audience that knows the Old Testament Peter is using the God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob which would have landed striking them in the heart immediately and adding to that that glorious language glorified his servant Jesus their minds would be turning and they would be coming to the conclusion ok this Peter is telling us that the Christ whom we crucified is the isaiah 49:6 servant of yahweh the the the nails are the daggers are cutting to the heart phrase after phrase in peter's proclamation to bring home the indictment to bring home the message that they have put to death the prince of life notices well in isaiah 52:13 we'll move on in a moment but you know this language that precedes ft3 and sets it up is read in connection with it if Isaiah 52 verse 13 behold my servant shall deal prudently he shall be exalted and extolled and be very hi just as many were astonished at you so his village was marred more than any man and his form more than the sons of men so shall he sprinkle many nations Kings shall shut their mouths at him for what had not been told them they shall see so what they had not heard they shall consider imagine those their hearing the Apostle Peter and if they knew their Old Testaments really well and they knew Isaiah 52 32 15 13 through 15 specifically the language Kings shall shut their mouths at him you see the words of Peter here are to be brought with a wholesome severity against this audience that crucified the Lord of glory and that may continue in a disobedient rebellion against this Christ and against his sent messengers he's making them he's preaching to them that they might understand that this Jesus is this servant before whom Kings will shut their mouths so we have the fact that the Apostles are not setting forth a new God but proclaiming the God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob we have the reality that the apostles are not setting forth a new message but rather preaching with respect to the fulfillment of Old Testament revelation this Jesus is the servant whom Yahweh would glorify notice the language if you go back to acts 3 now because we're not considering the entirety of the sermon but were we to do so in Acts chapter in Acts chapter 3 it's exactly what Peter goes on to say he goes on to expand upon what we're noting here that the Apostles are not setting forth a new message now make no mistake the the Incarnation was a new thing Christ had not yet been you know throughout the Old Testament Christ had not come in the flesh he had not been born of a woman and born under the law so in one sense we ought to remark that the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ is a novel thing because he had not yet prior to that point come in the fullness of the times God sent forth his son born of a woman born under the law to redeem those who were under the law but the message from the outset of creation the message from the outset of God's revelation to man after the fall was concerning this hero born of woman who rushed the serpent with his heel the seed of the woman and so we see in Acts chapter 3 this language expanded upon by the Apostle Peter noticed this notice the language in verse 17 and verse 18 of Acts 3 but those things which God foretold by the mouth of all his prophets that the Christ would suffer he has thus fulfilled and goes on to write the with regards to the the Old Testament revelation verse 21 whom heaven must receive until the times of restoration of all things which God has spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began do you see that we do not have a disjointed Bible or a disconnected Bible the Old Testament God dealing with man in a different way and then the New Testament God and occupy a ting some sort of a new way by which men are to find everlasting life no salvation has always a never been through faith in Jesus Christ salvation has always a never been by grace alone through faith alone in Christ Jesus alone these Old Testament Saints before whom the prophets spoke were saved by that faith looking forward to the coming Messiah this side of that Messiah having come were saved by faith in that Messiah who has come Peter stresses the God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob in this language of glorifying his servant Jesus in order to draw the Jews in their minds back to reflecting upon this reality that the God who healed this man more nearly in time as the God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob and He healed through the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth by the instrumentality of Peter and this servant Jesus whom they crucified in is the Lord of glory which we move on to next then as we notice under the preaching of Christ the incrimination of the audience for their guilt in crucifying Christ notice beginning in verse 13 we have excuse me yeah at verse 13 the God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob the god of Our Fathers glorified his servant Jesus whom you delivered up and denied in the presence of Pilate Peter first off notes their wicked determination to crucify Christ this is a hopefully a helpful companion to pastor Butler's preaching in the in the book of Matthew in the crucifixion account a Peter here is using his knowledge of that event that only took place not too long ago fresh in the minds of this audience and he's reminding them with this cutting language noting their wicked determination to crucify Christ when when he says whom you delivered up and denied in the presence of Pilate when he was determined to let him go you see the the wickedness is compounded here not only did they determine not only did they have an ungodly resolute determination to put to death an innocent man but to put to death an innocent man when Pilate was determined to let him go now you'll remember that Pilate is no Christian and he is just as complicit just as morally and legally culpable for the crucifixion of Christ but it was such that he said three times I find no fault in this man it was such that he was trying to to you know go about the crucifixions that were set for that day the wicked robbers Barnabas perhaps in the center and these nevertheless continued to cry out crucify him crucify him give us Barabbas and anyway the wickedness the sin is compounded here when we see not only were they determined to deliver him up and deny him but rather as well he was in the face of Pilate determined to let Christ go the wickedness the sin of them putting to death the Prince of life is compounded and brethren we always ought to make a note that it's the the wickedness is marked by or this wickedness comes in the face of what we just talked about revelation upon revelation in the Old Testament that the servant would be sent forth this servant of Yahweh to give his life for guilty sinners if we if we have some sort of notion while the Old Testament didn't say anything about a coming Christ that would die and rise again the third day it just didn't say that what does Christ say on the day of his resurrection to those slow of faith and slow in hearts to believe all that the prophets had spoken he says ought not the Christ to have been crucified and to be raised again the third day did not all of the Old Testament Scriptures I'm paraphrasing Christ but the law the prophets and the Psalms all spoke concerning me this crucifixion of his servant Jesus this crucifixion of the servant of the God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob comes as a shocking crime the old the old the old church fathers would would use language like oh right 'fl murder Oh unheard-of injustice that you Israel would put to death the one who held you in esteem you see what the crime is you see why Peter here is bringing to bear well there's another reason why but this is one of them why Peter here brings to bear that he brings to bear this incrimination upon them he wants to note their wicked determination to crucify Jesus because they did it in the face of revelation upon revelation that went this Christ who would come this hero born of woman who would come would give his life for guilty sinners that he would be put to death that he would bear the sins of many and bring them to everlasting glory the sin is so great because they do it in the face of so much revelation a Peter notes their wicked determination to crucify Jesus he also notes their rejection of the promised divine Messiah in favor of a notorious murderer the language continues and it is not good it is not good that is for those who have put to death the Lord of glory for his audience notice the language after we read that they denied Christ in the presence of Pilate when he was determined to let him go verse 14 but you denied the Holy One and the just and asked for a murderer to be granted to you you see why the fathers would say Oh frightful murder Oh unheard-of injustice you denied the Holy One and the just and asked for a murderer to be granted to you frightful murder unheard-of injustice you've heard this language before what are we considering when we read here that they denied the Holy One and the just you know this isn't just though it is this isn't just a contrast between Jesus and Barabbas the the murderer whom they called to be let go to be granted to them this isn't just a contrast between Jesus and Barabbas Jesus is a holy one and just and Barabbas is a murderer that they wanted granted to them it is a it no doubt there is a contrast there but it's not simply a contrast yes it is a contrast between Christ and Barabbas but it is a title of deity you see the frightful murder here you denied the Holy One and the just turn with me back to the Book of Isaiah for a moment we won't know - Isaiah 6 though or we won't read from Isaiah 6 though were we to read from Isaiah 6 we would see there the angels are Isaiah in the year that King Uzziah died he's caught up in this vision where he sees the Lord high and lifted up and the Train of his robe filling the temple he sees the Angels flying and he sees them with two wings flying with two wings covering their feet with two wings covering their eyes and what are they doing they're hiding themselves from the glory of the Majesty the triune majesty of heaven and earth they're crying out holy holy holy we read in John's Gospel that these things Isaiah wrote when he saw Christ's glory and spoke of him the turn to Isaiah 43 for a moment so we see there this language of Holy One isn't just a an ethical contrast between Christ and Barabbas though it is but it is much more than that notice in Isaiah 43 and verse 15 I am the Lord your Holy One the creator of Israel your king notice Isaiah 45 and verse 11 Isaiah 45 and verse 11 thus says the Lord the Holy One of Israel and his maker ask me of things to come concerning my son's and concerning the work of my hands you command me notice as well Isaiah 47 for Isaiah 47 and verse 4 as for our Redeemer the Lord of Hosts is his name the Holy One of Israel we could we could read more but brethren you get the point here Peter in his proclamation in Ind item for their wicked determination to put to death Jesus Christ is highlighting you denied God you denied the Holy One and the just and asked for a murderer to be granted to you no doubt that this is also a statement that he is sinless according to his humanity he is of course the Holy One holy harmless and undefiled but it is primarily an ascription concerning his eyes a Anik deity Isaiah proclaiming that this one and God in fact through Isaiah proclaiming that this is the holy one and if you noticed when we were reading that the Holy One of Israel the indictment against this audience from the Apostle Peter comes with more daggers wholesome daggers to the heart because that Holy One of Israel who is the upholder of all things who is the maker of all things who is the sovereign governor over all things Isaiah writes that this is the one who brings blessings and redemption to his people wholesome daggers cutting to the heart of this audience who put to death the Lord of glory perhaps a couple verses that might be even more nearer in view though all of that theology is wrapped up in the phrase of Peter notice in Acts chapter 2 Acts chapter 2 because the Apostle Peter is here proclaiming the death and resurrection of Christ as the content of the gospel because the apostolic proclamation at large contains that Gospel message one who has died for the sins of his people and one who rose again the third day for the sins of his people notice this connection to the language of the Holy One in Peter Peter and acts 2 as speaking concerning the resurrection of Christ and in verse 25 notice what we find therefore David says concerning him and then quoting the Psalms specifically Psalm 16 I foresaw the Lord always before my face for he is at my right hand that I may not be shaken therefore my heart rejoiced and my tongue was glad moreover my flesh also will rest in hope for you will not leave my soul in Hades nor will you allow your Holy One to see corruption you see in peter's sermon he's going to say in a few words here god raised this jesus from the dead whom you crucified so he's drawing a connection this one is this one is deity this one is God and this one is the one who would be sent to redeem his people who would not see corruption but would be raised again the third day for the salvation of his people and notice we also have just very quickly the language in acts 3 with respect to the Jost he is the Holy One and the just again this isn't just an ethical statement though we ought to draw the conclusion that it is an ethical statement Jesus Christ the just one the righteous one he is without sin he is without sin of course according to his deity he is without sin according to his humanity and that in our stead that we might have a righteousness not our own that avails with God but this is language again rich with Old Testament this is language rich with the stuff of isaiah 53:11 and jeremiah 23 6 that this Christ would be our righteousness the Lord our righteousness well lastly under this under the incrimination of the audience for the guilt in crucifying Christ we notice the denial of this one in favor of a vile criminal it's amazing but you denied the Holy One and the just and asked for a murderer to be granted to you brethren it's times like this where we are to be brought to the point of a rightful marveling a rightful amazement in what Christ went through and what he did for the redemption of his people indoors spitting zand beatings and rejections and denials and blasphemies and attacks all manner of mockeries and laughing yes he's upon or before he's crucified he is hearing these crying out for his own crucifixion and asking for a murderer to be granted to them frightful murder unheard-of injustice that these to whom the Christ was promised would reject the Christ and ask for a murderer to be granted to him the glory of the cross so many points in the proclamation of the Apostles in the book of Acts were brought to affirm with the Apostle Paul God forbid that I should glory save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ Oh unheard-of injustice Oh frightful murder that they would deny the Holy One in the just and asked for a murderer to be given to them lastly I want you to notice here before we make a couple closing remarks lastly under the preaching of Christ we see the vindication of Christ and the veracity of the gospel notice the language here verse fifteen and killed the Prince of life whom God raised from the dead of which we are witnesses we see the vindication of Christ here they killed the Prince of life but you see they were not the conquerors they were not the victors yes perhaps they thought that they were silencing and putting to death one who was a blaspheming carpenter though of course he spoke no blasphemy no guile no venom from his tongue but only ever spoke Verity and truth and good things but perhaps they thought themselves the conquerors and the victors because they put to death this one and silenced this one that spoke to them of righteousness and Kingdom that spoke to them the truth that corrected their perversities that identified himself rightly as the promised messiah they thought themselves victorious but you see the victory of our Christianity the victory of the gospel as seen in these words here upon the heels of a perfect atoning work we have these words whom God raised from the dead brethren those words there let's just count them here one two three four five six those six words in the English ought to warm our Christian hearts and fill our hearts with joy you know our religion is folly our religion is empty and vain if this is not true whom God raised from the dead we are of all men the most pitiable but you see God did raised Jesus from the dead the third day just as he promised this one who was put upon Calvary's cross instead of the murderer instead of the vile criminal was not conquered but rather according to the determined purpose and foreknowledge of God and delivered by wicked hands he bore the sins of many upon gaagaa 'this cross and he was raised again the third day this is the stuff of our salvation and it is the stuff of the vindication of Jesus Christ as the Messiah whom God raised from the dead a note of which we are witnesses the veracity of the gospel this wasn't something that a core occurred in a in a closet or a cave before a single individual that now is claiming and pressing a religion upon unwitting people a multitude of witnesses the the 12 over 500 brethren at once he says here of whom of which we are witnesses there is no cunningly devised fables she anity but rather the stuff of beautiful truth this jesus was raised from the dead this one who gave his life for guilty sinners is raised from the dead and we are not without hope in this world our religion is not empty in vain but rather it is rich with Resurrection truth our Jesus gave himself for guilty sinners and he rose again the third day he was vindicated and our religion comes with certain veracity that while veracity means certain truth in kids you if you're a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ you can look you you can look into the eyes of those mocking you and laughing why would you follow this Christ and why would you bother being a Christian and you can look with the confidence of biblical revelation and say our Christ was raised from the dead we do not follow cunningly devised fables but rather the Word of the Living God revelation from on high that this Christ came into this world as promised throughout the pages of old of the Old Testament he came in the fullness of the times he gave himself for me here at Christian it's raised again the third day power and in great victory if you're here this morning in your outside of Christ there are two people you stand with in the biblical narrative if we take acts 3 for an example here there's two people that you stand with actually there's one of two people one of two parties that you stand with you stand with those who would align themselves with the unbelieving Jews who put to death the prince of life you assume to yourselves more than you ought to use the words of Calvin when you don't find yourselves in that party of vile people who cried out my God my car out who cried out crucify him crucify him we we assumed to ourselves too much pride and not enough humility if we think oh we would never do that we would never do that ashamed I hear my mocking voice call out among the scoffers you're either with those who scoffed and mocked and put to death the prince of life or you're with the Prince of life that company that band of brothers who believed in the risen King you're here this morning in your outside of Christ know that you are guilty for having violated the laws of a holy God you have sinned all have sinned the Bible says with Verity upon Verity truth upon truth all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God there is this Christ this holy and just one this Prince of life this servant Jesus who gave himself for sinners that all who look to him in faith might not perish but have everlasting life why cast off so glorious a truth why laugh and put off so glorious a reality why set it off decade or a year or month or even day to be considered in the future but rather now is the acceptable hour look to that holy in just one look to that prince of life find in him your all-in-all your salvation your king your Redeemer and you will sing with the rest of us Saints leaving these two doors this morning saved by grace through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ hallelujah what a savior let us pray Heavenly Father we thank you for your time our time here in worship we rejoice in having the opportunity to worship Father Son and spirit and we thank you that we can reflect upon the glories of Jesus Christ the Redeemer we pray Lord God that you would help us to rest upon saving an amazing grace alone and knowing that we're saved by so great a God through so great a Christ and the perfection of his saving work might you go with us into the rest of this day bring us back this evening that we might do this all again rejoicing in you worshiping you giving honor and praise to the risen Christ we pray that you would go with us now in the name of Jesus Christ the Lord amen let's stand and sing the doxology if you'll stand with me it's Roman numeral 16 and your hymnbooks and we'll stand and sing together [Music] [Music] now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy to God our Savior who alone is wise be glory and Majesty Dominion and power both now and forever amen please be seated we'll have a brief time of prayer and then you're dismissed