Sermon Tone Analysis

MARCH 9, 2022

STUDY NOTES

ACTS 3:11-13

BIBLE TEACHER: CLIFTON JONES

TWO NEW MEN

INTRODUCTION

People were amazed as they watched the lame man who had been physically healed, Act 3:10 And they knew that it was he which sat for alms at the Beautiful gate of the temple: and they were filled with wonder and amazement at that which had happened unto him.

They wondered, what has happened to this man?

He was showing them and telling them what happened

He was a new man, he had a new body, a new mind, a new heart, a new will, he had a "new life"

They were looking at a man who had been physically and spiritually healed, he was praising God,

Act 3:9 And all the people saw him walking and praising God:

They were amazed that he was walking, they were amazed at the manner-in which he was praising God

There is no doubt that he was having a "Pentecostal Fit," he was definitely "In the Spirit"

The people who watched him were "filled" with amazement for more than one reason

The man they were looking at had been healed and was now "filled" with the Spirit

Sunday, we looked at the parallel between his physical healing and his spiritual healing

He was a new man physically and he was a new man spiritually

As the crowd watched him, they could easily see the evidence of his physical healing

From what they heard they could see the evidence of an emotional, psychological, and spiritual change

There was no question about it, he was a "New Man"

When you were saved, God worked a miracle in you, can others see a change in you?

Our daily life should praise God for all that He has already done in us and will do through us

Act 3:11 And as the lame man which was healed held Peter and John, all the people ran together unto them in the porch that is called Solomon's, greatly wondering.

The lame man that was healed was a "New Man" with new desires in life

The man who was healed was not going to let Peter and John get away from him

He was clinging to them, sticking like glue to them, and they did not reject him

Many people today are willing to give an offering to those in need, but will not come near them

They do not want a personal touch with those who are down and out and in personal need

But when Christians are involved in a hands-on ministry, they will attract the attention of the world

A crowd gathered around Peter, John, and the healed man, which was an opportunity for Peter to preach

Peter knew that the miracle of healing had provided an opportunity for him to preach to the people

Peter knew that there stood before him a "Divine Appointment" and he did not fail

A selfish path of life will not see a divine appointment, a Spirit-Filled life will seize them

Peter was ready to fulfill his calling, Peter was a fisherman and Jesus had told him, Mat 4:19 And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.

The place for Peter to fish that day was the Temple in Jerusalem where Jesus had preached to the Jews

There is an interesting parallel between the experience of Jesus and Peter's experience in the Temple

Jesus had walked and taught in the temple, Joh 10:23 And Jesus walked in the temple in Solomon's porch.

A crowd gathered and asked Jesus a question, Joh 10:24 Then came the Jews round about him, and said unto him, How long dost thou make us to doubt?

If thou be the Christ, tell us plainly.

Jesus said that what they had already seen would answer their question, Joh 10:25 Jesus answered them, I told you, and ye believed not: the works that I do in my Father's name, they bear witness of me.

The miracles of Jesus revealed the truth of Jesus and confirmed the message of Jesus

The miracle of the healing of the lame man revealed the truth of Jesus and confirmed Peter's message

Jesus told the Jews the truth of who He was, Joh 10:30 I and my Father are one.

The Jews immediately rejected the truth of what Jesus said, Joh 10:31 Then the Jews took up stones again to stone him.

The Temple was built to worship God, God Himself stood before them and they sought to kill Him

Jesus told them that they had every good reason to believe Him, Joh 10:32 Jesus answered them, Many good works have I shewed you from my Father; for which of those works do ye stone me?

That which they must believe is that Jesus is the Son of God, Joh 10:36 Say ye of him, whom the Father hath sanctified, and sent into the world, Thou blasphemest; because I said, I am the Son of God?

Peter will preach the same message to the Jews, telling them that Jesus is alive, and He is the Son of God

And the miracle they have witnessed is another good reason to believe that Jesus is the Son of God

Act 3:12 And when Peter saw it, he answered unto the people, Ye men of Israel, why marvel ye at this? or why look ye so earnestly on us, as though by our own power or holiness we had made this man to walk?

Peter was a "New Man," he was no longer the man who would deny Jesus

Peter was now filled with the Spirit and ready to proclaim Jesus as the Promised Messiah, the Savior

In our study of Luke, we have already talked about divine opportunities, when God opens the door

Throughout our study of Luke, we will consider the same thought many times, we will see it many times

It is a most important point for us today because God still makes appointments for us

God opens doors for us, and we often fail to see the opportunity to share Jesus with those who need Him

Many times, we recognize the opportunity, yet we fail to fulfill our duty as a Christian witness

Sometimes, it is later when we recognize that we failed to walk through the door that God had opened

We need to learn from personal experience what God can and will do "through us," Eph 3:20 Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,

As we study Acts, pray that "we" will "all" learn to take advantage of God's "Divine Appointments"

Peter saw his, "and when Peter saw it," what did Peter see?

He saw the people standing before him

We are not told what the people were saying or asking, but it had to be similar to--Act 2:12 And they were all amazed, and were in doubt, saying one to another, What meaneth this?

Peter answered their question with a sermon, he is going to do the same thing again with another sermon

We must realize that Peter was prepared for the opportunity that was before him, we must be prepared

Our opportunity may not be a crowd, it may be a single individual, God cares about every soul

In Acts 8 we will see that God sent Peter to present Jesus to one man (Acts 8:26-40)

We need to understand what Peter faced when the people gathered before him, what their thinking was

Too often today the focus of people is like that of the crowd that gathered because of the healed man

Satan wants to place the attention upon man instead of God, Satan does a good job of that today

Peter asked, "You men of Israel, why marvel you at this, or why look you so earnestly on us?

The crowd was Jewish, they were God's covenant people who were looking for the Messiah

Peter specifically traces the lineage of the Jewish nation in the next verse

They were the men of the covenant, the scriptures, the prophets, and of the Messiah, Heb 1:1 God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, Heb 1:2 Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;

Peter will once again present the truth of the Messiah to the Jews

"Why marvel you at this?"

They were amazed because they knew that the lame man had been healed

They would not have been so amazed if Jesus had been standing before them

They knew of the miraculous power of Jesus and had recently seen him heal in the temple, Mat 21:14

And the blind and the lame came to him in the temple; and he healed them.

But they did not see Jesus, they knew that He had died on the cross, so they looked at Peter and John

Peter questioned them, "Why look you so earnestly on us?"

The crowd gathered and their attention focused more on Peter and John than the healed man

They were more interested in the "healers" than the "healed," and Peter used that point

What an opportunity it was for Peter and John to be praised, to bring glory unto self

Here we have a good lesson for us to learn, "to God be the Glory"

How tempting it can be for us to take credit for what God has done in our life

It is easy for our old nature to desire credit and praise, to seek self-glory

What an opportunity Peter had for that to happen, but Peter knew of the "woes" of Jesus, Luk 6:26

Woe unto you, when all men shall speak well of you! for so did their fathers to the false prophets.

"Woe" to those who seek the popularity and praise of man, instead of seeking to glorify God

Peter's desire was that which was proclaimed by the psalmist, Psa 115:1 Not unto us, O LORD, not unto us, but unto thy name give glory, for thy mercy, and for thy truth's sake.

Peter refused the opportunity of glorifying self and immediately turned their attention upon Jesus

"As though by our own power or holiness we had made this man to walk?"

Peter's words identify with the thinking of the people, only a "holy" person had such power to heal

Just as Nicodemus had said to Jesus, Joh 3:2 The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him.

It appeared to them that no one else there could have performed the miracle of healing but Peter and John

Which added to their amazement, these two men were fishermen from Galilee

How could they have such power, how could they perform such a miracle?