A Timely Sermon - Take Two

       Immediately after preaching the Gospel, the next recorded event in Acts is Peter healing the lame man begging outside the Temple gate. “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.’ And he took him by the right hand and lifted him up, and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength” (Acts 3:6-7). Just as Jesus instructed, his disciples preached the Word with signs and wonders following.
       Peter then launches into a second sermon on the plaza outside the actual Temple, a place called Solomon’s Porch. When you read the sermon, it definitely would not be called a “seeker-friendly” presentation.
        Not surprisingly, given Peter’s personality, he tells it like it is. “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” (Acts 3:13-15). Peter goes on to explain that it is in the name of Jesus that this man was healed. There’s power in the Name!
       Then Peter’s teaching softens, showing how truth and grace work together to present the full Gospel of Jesus’ finished work. “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 His prophets, that the Christ would suffer, He has thus fulfilled” (vs. 17-18). It is the nature of the mystery-plan that even though it was spoken on the earth, it was not fully revealed until this appointed time.
      “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 spoken by the mouth of all His holy prophets since the world began” (vs. 19-21).
        Again, we not only see the chronos times and kairos signs being preached, but Peter even goes so far in this second recorded sermon to talk about Christ returning at the appointed time. Peter tells them it is all in the Book.
        The Chronos Lesson: In Hebrews 10:25 we are told to make sure we come together to fellowship and encourage one another in the faith. This becomes even more important as the Day of Christ’s return draws near. Because of scoffers and the accelerated lawlessness, it’s easy to get our eyes off His Word and onto our earthly circumstances. Assembling together to encourage one another is important, particularly when it is centered on the true end-time doctrines. When we understand the times, we know what to do.
       We can make sure our priorities are right and that we’re focusing on being light and preaching the Gospel with signs and wonders following. “For I long to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritual gift, so that you may be established—that is, that I may be encouraged together with you by the mutual faith both of you and me” (Rom. 1:11-12). We need these times of refreshing whereby the presence of God is manifested among us.