Authority

Ryan Tice

Tone-Setting • Sermon • Submitted 4 years ago

Acts 3:1–10

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Intro:

Good morning Parkside!!! Can you believe it we are just one week away from re-opening the church. How exciting is that. I can’t wait to see everyone. If you feel that it is not safe to come, please by all means stay home. There is no judgement or condemnation in staying home. In fact, we will continue to post our services on Facebook and on our website at parksideassembly.com. If you are planning on attending and want to wear a mask, you are more than welcome to, however, masks will not be required. Please bring your own mask if you wish to wear one. Parkside Kids and the Nursery will be available. Again we are re-opening on June 14th at 11am, thats next Sunday, can’t wait to see you there.

If you are looking for ways to give, you can give online at parksideassembly.com under the give tab. You can also Text-To-Give by simply texting the word give to (989)308-3353, or if you’re old school you can mail your giving in or bring it with you on June 14th.

Well hey I’m so glad you are able to join us online this morning. We are in week 3 of our series “Tone-Setting.” Week one we explored what it meant to be called by looking at Moses. We discovered that we are all called to ministry. Last week we talked about the Day of Pentecost. We witnessed the apostles baptism in the Holy Spirit. I discussed the importance and benefit for each of to be baptized by the Holy Spirit. This morning we will be exploring authority. Would you turn in you Bibles to Acts 3:1-10. So here we are. Jesus has been crucified, buried, and resurrected. He appears to the disciples and tells them to stay in Jerusalem and wait for the promised Holy Spirit, then Jesus ascends into Heaven. After that we witness the coming of the Holy Spirit and the apostles baptism. Peter then preaches a message of repentance to many people of many different languages and 3,000 of them give their lives to Christ. And in a nut shell you are up to speed.

Acts 3:1–10 NIV

One day Peter and John were going up to the temple at the time of prayer—at three in the afternoon. Now a man who was lame 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. When he saw Peter and John about to enter, he asked them for money. Peter looked straight at him, as did John. Then Peter said, “Look at us!” So the man gave them his attention, expecting to get something from them. Then Peter said, “Silver or gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.” Taking him by the right hand, he helped him up, and instantly the man’s feet and ankles became strong. He jumped to his feet and began to walk. Then he went with them into the temple courts, walking and jumping, and praising God. When all the people saw him walking and praising God, they recognized him as the same man who used to sit begging at the temple gate called Beautiful, and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.

What an amazing account we have here in Acts 3. This morning I want to highlight the authority Peter uses. In verse 6 Peter says in the name of Jesus walk. Notice that Peter must recognize that even the very name of Jesus carries authority.

Think about this for a moment, how does a person receive authority? When the President signs a bill it becomes law. Where does the President get this authority? Does he just have the authority because he says so? Of course not, and if you don’t believe me, just try signing a bill yourself and see if it becomes law. Authority has to be granted. In the case of the President, we the people, granted him authority by electing him into office. The same is true in our text this morning. Jesus’ name has authority because God has granted Jesus authority. The 3 1/2 years the disciples spent with Jesus brought them to the realization that God had granted Jesus authority. True authority cannot be self-proclaimed. It cannot be purchased. And it cannot not be imitated, true authority is granted. For you and I to be Tone-Setters we need authority. One might ask Peter proclaimed the name of Jesus as authority, can we do the same yes and no. But wait a minute why couldn’t we? The answer is simple, in order to proclaim Jesus as authority you must come under his authority.

Being Disciples

In order to be a disciple of Jesus you must submit to Him. Submit means to yield oneself to the authority or will of another. To be Tone-Setters, to be disciples of Jesus we must yield ourselves to the authority of Jesus. This morning I want to go deeper than just the cliche’ term of submitting. Look at our definition of submit, the definition is to yield oneself. Oneself is not partial or some of, Oneself is your entire being. We are called to submit our entire beings to Jesus, to completely surrender. In light of this complete surrender we realize that it’s more than just surrendering one or two days a week, it’s a complete surrender all the time. Sure we will fail at times. You see being a disciple goes beyond coming to church on Sunday to ask for forgiveness of last weeks sins or worse yet to ask for forgiveness for the upcoming weeks contemplated sins. That’s not Christianity, that's not a relationship, that is pure hypocritical religion. Being a disciple of Jesus, being a tone-setter, is not for the faint of heart, or just to be able to check a box on your moral compass. It’s surrendering, daily, your entire being to the authority of Jesus. What does that look like? Devotion. Being devoted to knowing God, to knowing Jesus. Being devoted to God’s Word. Being devoted to loving people and co-laboring with God in reaching the lost. Make no mistake about it, Peter even though his mouth got him in trouble on some occasions, was devoted. We find Peter here in Acts 3 being devoted. He and John were going to to the temple to pray. Being devoted means to have a lifestyle of prayer. Someone might say Pastor you are asking a lot. Allow me for a moment to be blunt and straight to the point. Number 1 I’m not asking, I’m pointing you in the right direction. It’s God asking you for that devotion. Number 2 your devotion shouldn’t be viewed through the lens of duty, but through the lens of desire and gratefulness and selflessness. We should be overjoyed that we can be wholly devoted. Now allow me for a moment to give you my opinion. It has become apparent to me that human beings have no issue with being devoted. Take a look around media, people are very devoted for social justice and safety and health. People are looking for a cause to believe in. There is no greater cause to be devoted to than to love people as ourselves and to love God with all of our hearts. In order to love people you will have to be devoted to God. And here’s why. People will anger you, irritate you, use you, stab you in the back, let you down and that’s just the beginning. The Bible says in 1 John 4:8 that God is love. In order to love people we must receive love from the source, God is the source. If Jesus can forget our sins after being beaten and crucified for those same sins, then we can have confidence that God loves us. Has someone ever offended you and then a month later you remember and those feelings of hurt and return in full force as if the incident was happening all over again. The Bible says that Jesus remembers our sins no more. We serve an awesome God full of mercy and grace and forgiveness and love. If we want to be a true disciple of Jesus we have to completely submit and surrender to the His authority.

Commissioned

Let’s look back at our text. Peter and John are going to the temple to pray. Notice that they are disciplined. Notice that their discipline comes from a deep heart desire to have a relationship with Jesus. So they come to the temple to pray. Here they find a man begging. For most of us we understand there situation. Most of have seen folks begging on street corners. Think for a moment the last time you saw someone begging on a corner. What action did you take? This is not a theological question, its very simple. Two options for the most part exist. You could either help the beggar or ignore the beggar. Peter and John have the same options in front of them. The scripture tells us that the lame man asked for money. It also informs us that Peter said they didn’t have any silver or gold. But Peter offers something to the lame man that's unexpected. Peter says what I do have is Jesus. I have the most loving God to offer you. Peter is essentially offering this man if he accepts a life changing experience. We have the same ability today. Did you know that you have the ability to offer a life changing experience to other people? Isn’t that amazing that God has given us an ability to see lives changed. God has commissioned each one of us to do just that. As a disciple we have been appointed, sent out, commissioned to share the good news and make disciples. The Bible does not say to go make people believe in Jesus. Even the demons believe there is a God and tremble. God is specifically telling us to make disciples. There is a reason why God tells us that. Disciples are disciplined, dedicated, and devoted. In our text Peter and John going to pray. Disciples pray. Peter and John not having sympathy on the lame man, but they take action. Disciples take action. Disciples love other people. Disciples pray for their enemies. Disciples lead. Disciples know whose authority they are operating under. Disciples are Tone-Setters.

Peter and John tell this man to walk in the name of Jesus. Peter and John know and are confident they can do nothing outside of the authority God has given them. How do they know what that authority is? They know that authority out of the relationship they have with Jesus.

Friends look around. The culture around us is in chaos right now. This is no time to play church. To just check a box to make yourself feel like a good person. This is the time the world needs us to true disciples of Jesus. The world needs us to be dedicated to our relationship with Jesus. The world needs us to be people that are committed to prayer. The world needs us to love them. The world needs us to operate under the authority of Jesus. Will you decide and commit today to become a disciple? Will today be the day you commit to being a tone-setter? This is the mission and vision of Parkside. We are dedicated to cultivating disciples. Lets be that church. Lets be that church that loves people. Lets be that church that operates under the authority of Jesus. Let’s be that church that is dedicated to prayer and having a relationship with Jesus. I promise you that if we all commit we will see miracles.

Lets Pray together. Will you agree with me as I pray.

I hope you were blessed this morning. It’s so exciting to be a disciple of Jesus. I am overjoyed that next Sunday we will be together. Next Sunday June 14th is the re-opening of Parkside. I can’t wait to see you. God Bless you and have a great week.