Sermon by Pastor Brent Kompelien

April 14, 2024

INTRO

1. Good morning! I’m excited to continue our series in the book of Acts entitled “To the Ends of the Earth.”

2. ILLUST — A unique event occurred this last week that was an incredible reminder of God’s purpose and good design in creation, and that God is in control: on Monday, there was a total solar eclipse. (SLIDE 2) Did anyone get to see it?

1. A talked with a few people who drove south to be able to see the totality, which is the full blocking of the sun by the moon that is only visible from a very small area of only 115 miles wide in what is called the umbra. This is what the umbra looked like from space. (SLIDE 3)

2. The fact that a total solar eclipse happens at all is incredible and it is evidence of God’s power and his goodness. Here’s why: the moon is 400 times smaller than the sun. How can it block out the sun from our view? It is because God placed the moon exactly 400 times closer to earth. Isn’t that amazing! That’s no accident, friends. It is God’s design. And it is a reminder that God is in control, he is at the center, he is sovereign and powerful, and his purposes are good. (SLIDE 4, title)

3. Our passage this morning also has God as the center, the one in control. We are going to read an account of a miracle, the healing of a man who was lame from birth, and see how Peter takes this incredible moment to explain the unique and exclusive work of Christ for our salvation.

4. Open with me to Acts 3. This account of the healing of a beggar and the ensuing arrest and trial of Peter and John is the first of three confrontations with the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem. Remember, Jesus said in Acts 1:8 that his disciples would be witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. Acts 3-7 are the accounts of the witnessing in Jerusalem, and in each successive encounter with the Jewish leaders, we are going to see the intensity ratchet up.

5. I’m going to read the entire story straight through because I want you to see some important details:

1. First, I want you to notice how this account begins and ends with prayer.

2. Second, there is a key phrase that is going to come up again and again: “in the name of Jesus”. In other words, who is the main character? Who is in control? Who is working in the lives of people? Jesus!

3. Third, at multiple points in the story, Peter explains the gospel and calls the people of Jerusalem to repentance and faith.

6. Keep an eye on those details. Let’s read, and you’ll see what I mean. READ 3:1-4:31.

Background:

1. Did you notice the phrase “in the name of Jesus” come up multiple times? In the ancient world, it was common to speak or act in the “name” of a king or a deity. When you spoke in their name, you invoked the authority and power of that person, like when a herald would bring an edict to a town and read aloud in the public marketplace what a king has decreed. The edict would say, “in the name of king such and such,” which would give it authority and be backed by his kingly power.

2. Invoking a “name” was a significant thing in the Old Testament, and when it came to the name of the Living God, this was something not to be taken lightly. There is power and authority in the name of God, and his name is not to be abused or treated trivially. This is why one of the Ten Commandments is this: “You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God, for the LORD will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name” (Exodus 20:7).

3. ILLUST — This is not merely foul language, although it includes that. It is the irreverent misappropriation of the holiness of the name of God. It is a twisting of the authority and power of the name of God for selfish or worldly or evil purposes. Instead, there should be reverence and authority in the use of God’s name.

4. And here’s what I want you to see: Our passage this morning invokes a name, and we see the same kind of authority and holiness and sovereign power that belongs to the name of the Living God now revealed in God incarnate, the Holy and Righteous One, the author of life, the risen Lord and Savior, and his name is Jesus!

ORG SENT — For the early believers, this first opportunity to be witnesses brings with it an encounter with the name of Jesus and a challenge as to whether the people of Jerusalem believe that Jesus really is who he says he is. There are four parts to this story, each with the theme of “the name of Jesus”: (SLIDE 5)

1. First, we see a man healed in the name of Jesus (3:1-10).

2. Second, we see Peter call people to faith in the name of Jesus (3:11-26).

3. Third, we see Peter proclaim that salvation comes only in the name of Jesus (4:1-22).

4. Fourth, we see the believers pray for boldness and for God to advance the mission in the name of Jesus (4:23-31).

MAIN 1 — Healed in Jesus’ Name (3:1-10). (SLIDE 6)

1. Here we are confronted with the first miracle of the book of Acts, the first “sign and wonder performed by the apostles” that we heard about in Acts 2:43.

2. What is a miracle exactly? ILLUST — Theologian Craig Keener wrote a fascinating book called Miracles Today with first-hand accounts of supernatural works of God, and he simply calls a miracle (SLIDE 7) “special divine action”. Of course God is always at work, but sometimes God does something special. And in the Bible, these are moments when God chooses to show his divine power or to reveal something about himself or his plans in an unexpected way.

1. I want to say two quick things about miracles that are clear from Scripture:

1. First, miracles are real and they really happen. Yet they always happen by God’s initiative and they happen by his gracious gift, not because we deserve them.

2. Second, we shouldn’t be miracle hunters or miracle doubters. We shouldn’t get wrapped around the axle looking for miracles, nor should we write off stories about God’s supernatural intervention or miraculous work in people’s lives.

3. Here’s what we know for certain: God is working in miraculous and amazing ways in this world, and we know this first-hand because we’ve experienced one of the most amazing “special divine actions” of all: That spiritually dead people, like you and me, have been forgiven and regenerated by the Spirit of God to be born again through Christ Jesus to receive eternal life with a resurrection body in the coming new heavens and new earth!

3. You see, this is why the healing of a beggar becomes such a lightning rod for the people in Jerusalem at this moment in the early church:

1. (SLIDE 8) This account provides a pattern of God’s miraculous work through the gospel of Jesus Christ. (SLIDE 9, whole list)

1. First, this man asks for mere material things.

2. Instead, Peter gives him something greater: healing in the name of Jesus!

3. This results in praise and amazement as this man enters the Temple jumping and praising the Lord, and others see God’s miraculous work and gaze in wonder!

2. Friends, this is exactly what happens in the gospel:

1. Dead in our sin, we have our focus on mere worldly things.

2. Yet when we were beggars, we received the greatest gift: forgiveness and healing in the name of Jesus.

3. We now live a life of praise, worshipping God for the wonderful and amazing gift we’ve received, and others gaze on in amazement at what God has done!

4. This is where Peter stands up to explain this reality to the crowds at the Temple.

MAIN 2 — Faith in Jesus’ Name (3:11-26). (SLIDE 10)

1. As people came running to see this miracle, Peter stands up to speak. And the core of Peter’s message is this: Jesus is the exalted servant who fulfills God’s promises and now is the only way to be forgiven and healed.

2. I just love how he starts. He says, “It’s not about us!” (SLIDE 11) Look again at verse 12. READ 3:12-16.

1. Did you notice how Peter uses such powerful language to elevate Jesus? (SLIDE 12) He is the Holy and Righteous One, the author of life, the risen Savior and Lord.

2. In other words, Peter is saying that the center of our faith (SLIDE 13), the One who is the supreme revelation of God himself and has the authority and power of the name above every name, is Jesus.

3. And so, we must have “faith in the name of Jesus…” Let me give you a simple way to define this:

1. (SLIDE 14) Faith = trusting in who God is, what God has done, and what God can do. You could say it like this: “By faith I know that God is…God has…God can…”

4. There are a myriad of ways we can illustrate and apply thus. But listen friends: In the gospel, through faith in Jesus Christ, God is revealed to you, God has redeemed you, and God can completely restore you!

3. As Peter gives this call to repent and trust in Jesus by faith, he and John are arrested and brought before the Sanhedrin for questioning. And they speak boldly about Jesus.

MAIN 3 — Salvation in Jesus’ Name (4:1-22). (SLIDE 15)

1. The Sadducees arrest Peter and John.

1. The Sadducees were a sect that didn’t believe in the resurrection. They didn’t care about the finer points of the law and piety like the Pharisees. Rather, they wanted political power. KEY: The High Priest came from the party of the Sadducees. So they felt threatened by Peter and John.

2. Pick it up in verse 7. READ 4:7-17

3. What is a “sign”? (4:16)

1. Again, theologian Craig Keener is helpful here. He says that a “sign” in the Bible is simply (SLIDE 16) “a supernatural event that get your attention.” In the Bible, signs often result in positive responses or negative responses, in acceptance or rejection.

2. KEY: Not everything is a “sign”!

1. ILLUST — Some years ago, I was eating dinner at my in-laws’ house, and I cut into my baked potato, and this is what I found: (SLIDE 17) (PICTURE)

1. Listen carefully: Biblically speaking, supernatural signs are not the way God typically guides his people day-by-day. Rather, God provides guidance by the Spirit through His Word and through His Spirit-filled people as we exhort and encourage one another.

3. IMPORTANT — (SLIDE 18) Signs in the Bible are non-typical, miraculous, and rare. They mark important revelations from God and serve to advance the knowledge of God’s redemptive plan in history.

1. In this case in Acts 3 and 4: This sign confirmed that Jesus is the Messiah and that there is power in his name. What is happening here in Acts 3-4 proved what Peter proclaims in verse 12: “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.”

2. And yet, signs divide. (SLIDE 19) Some believe, others doubt. Some accept, others reject. For those who trust in Christ alone for salvation, you may be confronted by others who think they are doing right by trying to stand in the way of the gospel.

4. Just look at what happens next: READ 4:18-20.

1. APPLY: May we have the courage to do what is right in God’s eyes, no matter what threats or pressures we face in this world. If we are faced with this kind of choice, to choose Jesus Christ or to be pressured by others into compromise, may we do what these early believers did: They took their stand for Christ, and they cried out to the Lord in desperate prayer. Let’s conclude with the last section.

MAIN 4 — Mission in Jesus’ Name (4:23-31). (SLIDE 20)

1. Upon the release of Peter and John, the believers gathered together to pray. They begin by acknowledging God’s sovereignty, his power over all creation, and they quote Psalm 2, which is a Messianic Psalm about how the nations will rise up against God’s anointed one.

2. Remember, this whole passage is about the power of Jesus to save, the power of his name and his authority and his fulfillment of everything God promised. This is what these early believers realized, and it is what we need to realize today:

1. His name is invincible (SLIDE 21) — You can’t stop the advance of the gospel. We’re going to see in the book of Acts, no matter how hard these Jewish leaders try, they can’t stop the spread of the gospel to the ends of the earth.

2. His name divides (SLIDE 22) — Not everyone responds positively. Some accept, others reject. Many will come to faith, others will oppose and persecute the church.

3. Because of this, these early believers’ prayer is important for us to see and understand as we encounter opposition and persecution today:

1. They don’t pray for judgment on those who are persecuting them, and they don’t pray to avoid persecution. RATHER, they pray this in verses 29-30: “enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness” and “stretch out your hand to heal and perform signs and wonders through the name of your hold servant Jesus.”

2. When faced with opposition, when their faith is challenged, or when the exclusivity of Christ is at stake, this is the heart of their prayer: (SLIDE 23, list)

1. Give us boldness to speak your word

2. Do your miraculous work in people

3. Through the name of Jesus

3. May we pray likewise, and may we see the kinds of “special divine action” as God does his miraculous work through his church through the power of Jesus’ name. Let’s pray.