Times of Refreshing [Acts 3:1-19]

Introduction and Background It is one of those first huge miracles of the Church after the day of Pentecost, after the Holy Spirit was given. Peter has just received the Holy Spirit. He goes out and he preaches, and in his first sermon, 3,000 people get saved. The Bible says, "And the number that was added to the Church that day was about 3, 000." So here comes Peter and John, full of the Holy Spirit, empowered. Now all the things Jesus had said in His earthly ministry to them turned out to be actually true, that He would be crucified, that He would be raised from the dead, and that He would send the Holy Spirit on the Church. So now they have this absolute confidence that Jesus is the Christ, that everything He says is true, and so everything He said that is coming must be true as well. Its 3 pm, and on the way to the temple something awesome happens, which ultimately results in thousands getting saved. It was a day, just a day like any other day. His brothers had gotten him out of bed and gotten him dressed. And on their way to work they carried him to his usually spot at the temple gate. It was just a day, the sky wasn't any bluer, the birds didn't sing any louder, the sun didn't shine any brighter.. it was just a day. And yet before it was finished it would be unlike any other day in his life. And he looked down at the useless limbs stretched out on the blanket in front of him. They were his, but they weren't even a part of him, he had never felt them, never moved them. Never ran as a boy, never walked as a man. And today was just a day, no better and no worse than all the other days that had made up the life of this poor crippled beggar. But without his knowledge and without his consent today would become the day he would never forget. And today would take him from being a beggar destined for an obscure life and obscure death, and would propel him into immortality. Who was he we don't know. The scriptures reveal nothing about his life up to this day, and nothing about his life after this day. The Man [Acts 3:1-7] 1) He was not whole [Acts 3:2: now a man crippled from birth here was a man with a problem, he was a cripple]. Born crippled/congenital birth defect, he was over 40 years of age and had never walked a day in his life. Parents had to carry him as a toddler/little boy/teenager/man! Couldnt work/get job/rehab/have a wheelchair all he could do was to beg for a living. His physical condition is an illustration of our spiritual condition. [Born that way] And we are born spiritually crippled by sin [Ps. 51: 5 Behold, I was shaped in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me]. This man reminds us of the fact that sin cripples all it touches. Let sin get into your home and it will cripple it/church/individual. Oh the wretches of living a life of sin unforgiven! He couldnt walk/work/worship [Levitical law forbade him to enter into the temple as a lame man! So he sits outside at the door of it]. 2) He was honest in his evaluation. [Acts 3:2: now a man crippled from birth was being carried to the temple gate called beautiful, where he was put every day to beg from those going into the temple courts]. This man didn't fool himself; he knew he was a cripple. Hed come to grips with that a long time ago. And it was a rough time to be handicapped. The contrast of v.2Gate beautifulhistorians tell us this was the eastern gate, made of Corinthian brass, overlaid w/ gold and silverthe sun would rise over the eastern mountains. And this entrance to the temple was dazzlingly brilliant! And worth a fortunebut laying at it is this man who is marred, disfigured, distorted, outcast. This gate is wealth, this man is woe. 3) The man was expectant. [Acts 3:5: so the man gave them his attention, expecting to get something from them]. Sometimes our expectations of the things of this world let us down, and we need to
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refocus on the person of Jesus Christ. I dont care how good of a businessman you are, your business can fail in an economy like this. I dont care how nice a person you a re, you can have failed relationships, loose your miracle, loose eternity. So, we need to refocus our expecting eyes on the One who can deliver, and God can always and will always deliver for us...because its easy to get off track. The reason its so eas y to get off track is because there is so much in this world that is trying to get our attention. There are so many road signs and so much in this world through the Internet and through relationships and just through the bling of this world, thats always trying to get out attention, and we get off track. 4) He believed. [Acts 3:6-7 then peter said, "silver or gold I do not have, but what I have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk." 7 taking him by the right hand, he helped him up, and instantly the man's feet and ankles became strong]. 5) He was made whole. [Acts 3:7b and instantly the man's feet and ankles became strong] . One minute half a man, the next minute whole. One minute crippled the next minute healed. Just as his handicap had been beyond dispute so was his healing. Not even the Sanhedrin and high priest could doubt or disbelieve what they witnessed. How do you argue with success? Here was a man who had been crippled by a cruel quirk of nature, and yet now he was whole, just as if his handicap had never been. Although we have a spiritual handicap we can be made whole. King David had committed adultery, murder and treason and yet in [Psalms 51:7 David writes- cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow]. Every sin, every evil thought, word, or deed, every hurt, every scorn, shall be gone; it won't even be history, because history is recorded. King David said it best in [Psalms 103:12 as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.] 6) He was full of praise. [Acts 3:8: he jumped to his feet and began to walk. Then he went with them into the temple courts, walking and jumping, and praising God ]. I like this; nobody had to tell him to go to the temple. Nobody told him he should thank God but he knew he had to. His very first act was one of praise and thanksgiving. He was on fire and he wanted to share it with everyone he met. He didn't consider if it would offend them, he didn't wonder if it would drive them away, he wanted to tell them what happened in the name of Jesus. The Miracle [Acts 3:11-16] This miracle could not be reasonably denied v. 11 Every day they walked past him, a nuisance, prob. resenting himand now hes running, leaping, praising Godthey couldnt argue w/ that! This miracle could not be humanly explained v. 12 dont look at us, we didnt do it! So, this miracle could not be lightly dismissed v. 13-16 Jesus healed this manthe Jesus you denied, whose blood is on your hands! You cant get away from HimHe is your Messiah, and you must face it! It always comes back to thatlife brings us round and round again to the same point of decision, w ill we accept Jesus or not? The Message [Acts 3:19] Peter could have given him money, but he still would have been the same man! Peter gave him something much better, a new beginning!

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God, in His omnipotence, knew what we needed physically and He created it for our enjoyment. But if God had quit there, if thats all there was to life, we would still be walking around wondering why we still felt so discouraged and depressed. Many have gone to the grave having had everything this physical life could offer. Many have lived a life of self-gratification only to find out in the end that physical refreshing in its self lacked the ability to give them what they really needed. It is true that we need physical refreshing but God makes it very clear in this third chapter of Acts that we also need what I call a spiritual refreshing. Listen to Acts 3:19 "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". Look what Philippians 4:8 says. It says, "And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable." He says focus on what is "right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise." Are you distracted? I get so distracted sometimes on worthless things, and it just zaps all my energy, and it takes all my time away, and I find myself at the end of the day...what have I been thinking all day? There are so many better things I could have been focusing on. There are so many better things I could have given my attention to, but because I didnt, this cost me a whole day of distraction. Proverbs says, "Look straight ahead, and fix your eyes on what lies before you." He said, "Mark out a straight path for your feet; stay on the safe path. Dont get sidetracked; keep your feet from following evil." Now, you know your feet wont follow evil if you dont give it your attention, but as soon as you focus on things that are wrong and evil, you know what? Youre headed that wa y. Its just a matter of time. As you are led astray by focusing on the wrong things, burdens and the weight of it all get on your shoulders. I know the mistakes Ive made in the past...I carry them around like big stones. Its like, "Oh my! How much longer am I going to have to carry this?" As soon as you decide to turn from that stuff, and as soon as you decide to refocus on the Lord Jesus, you can lay those things down. But the weight of carrying all that around...and so, the writer of Hebrews says something incredible I want to read to you. This is our instruction for this morning. It says, "Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely." Let us lay aside every weight and sin which clings. I get this picture...well, I dont always know what sin looks like, but I see it like big leeches or something hanging on my body, and theyre just sucking the life out of me, and the spiritual life, and youre thinking, "Oh my! Im carrying this stuff around." And the writer of Hebrews says, "Lay it aside. Set it down. Get rid of it." He said, "And let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith." Again, he says, "Lay that stuff down and look to Jesus." Just like Peter and John said, "Look on us," God is saying, "Look on Me. Im the Author of your freedom. Let those things go." He said, "Lay aside every weight." When we get to heaven one day, were going to see the ma ssive omnipotence, all-powerfulness of God, and were going to see His riches and His total loving concern for us, and were going to wonder why we didnt go to Him more in prayer. Were going to wonder why we didnt focus more on Him on earth. Were going to say, "God, why did I ignore You for so long, as Im standing before you and see how easy it would have been for You to answer my prayer, for You to deliver me from this weight, and give me a clear conscience and a freedom and a liberty?" But we dont d o it because we are distracted. In Acts, chapter 3, he says, "And now, brothers, I know that you acted in ignorance, as did also your rulers. But what God foretold by the mouth of all the prophets, that His Christ would suffer, He thus fulfilled. Repent therefore, and turn again, that your sins may be blotted out." You see, God is saying, "Look, I want to take the burdens of your life off of you, and I want to take the burden of sin off of you." The Scripture says He carried our sins on the Cross for us.

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Action Points I. Refreshing Comes Through Fellowship (Romans 15:30-33) 30Now I beg you, brethren, through the Lord Jesus Christ, and through the love of the Spirit, that you strive together with me in prayers to God for me, 31that I may be delivered from those in Judea who do not believe, and that my service for Jerusalem may be acceptable to the saints, 32that I may come to you with joy by the will of God, and may be refreshed together with you. 33Now the God of peace be with you all. Amen. II. Refreshing Comes Through Giving (I Cor. 16:15-18) 15I urge you, brethren-you know the household of Stephanas, that it is the firstfruits of Achaia, and that they have devoted themselves to the ministry of the saints-16that you also submit to such, and to everyone who works and labors with us. 17I am glad about the coming of Stephanas, Fortunatus, and Achaicus, for what was lacking on your part they supplied. 18For they refreshed my spirit and yours. Therefore acknowledge such men. III. Refreshing Comes Through Witnessing (Philemon 1:1-7) 1Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother, To Philemon our beloved friend and fellow laborer, 2to the beloved Apphia, Archippus our fellow soldier, and to the church in your house: 3 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 4I thank my God, making mention of you always in my prayers, 5hearing of your love and faith which you have toward the Lord Jesus and toward all the saints, 6that the sharing of your faith may become effective by the acknowledgment of every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus. 7For we have great joy and consolation in your love, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed by you, brother. IV. Refreshing Comes Through Ministry (Philemon 1:17-20) Paul speaking about Onesimus 17If then you count me as a partner, receive him as you would me. 18But if he has wronged you or owes anything, put that on my account. 19I, Paul, am writing with my own hand. I will repay - not to mention to you that you owe me even your own self besides. 20Yes, brother, let me have joy from you in the Lord; refresh my heart in the Lord. V. Refreshing Comes Through Exhortation (encouragement; building up) (II Cor. 7:13-16) 13Therefore we have been comforted in your comfort. And we rejoiced exceedingly more for the joy of Titus, because his spirit has been refreshed by you all. 14For if in anything I have boasted to him about you, I am not ashamed. But as we spoke all things to you in truth, even so our boasting to Titus was found true. 15And his affections are greater for you as he remembers the obedience of you all, how with fear and trembling you received him. 16Therefore I rejoice that I have confidence in you in everything. VI. Refreshing Comes Through Reconciliation (Romans 5:10-11) 10For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. 11And not only that, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation. So this morning, some of you have been struggling with that. "Man, Ive been giving my attention to these worthless things, and its just taking all of my energy, and its eating up my spiritual strength, and t here is this sense of guilt and condemnation, and I want to get free." Today, you get free. This is a day you move from those things back to the things of God.

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