The Beautiful Gate | Acts 3 | Al Pittman

father thank you a man give him praise and glory thank you Lord and Lord we need your presence today speak to our hearts we pray father as we get into this book of Acts this great book father in Chapter three that you would your word will go forth your promise that will not return to you void but will accomplish that what you sent it to do we thank you for this time give us hearts to receive your word manifest your presence in this place we ask it all in Jesus name and everyone said amen amen god bless you you may be seated amen was good to be back with you from Israel my wife and I Amen back here amen it was a great trip and as all the trips are magnificent and God has something to show also on each trip and this was exciting one of the memorable things is the baptism in the River Jordan and the River Jordan is over flooding is flooding right now I should say and the place we usually go to we didn't go to we went this other place where we baptized people and it was ice ice cold Ice Ice Baby amen it was ice ice cold and yet we got out there and pastor Shay and I and and God bless the folks who were baptized they came out and we're men going in that cold frigid water coming up but it was a wonderful experience a man and but good to be back with you today Acts chapter 3 I've been titled this message the beautiful gate amen we're gonna read just dive right into the word here we start at verse 1 and read down to verse 6 so read along with me please now Peter and John went up to together to the temple at the hour of prayer the ninth hour and a certain man lame from his mother's womb was carried whom they had laid whom they laid rather daily at the gate of the temple which is called beautiful to ask alms some financial donation from those who enter the who's seen Peter and John about to go into the temple ask for alms and fixing his eyes on him with John Peter said look at us so he gave them his attention expecting to receive something from them then Peter said silver and gold I do not have but what I do have I give you and the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk amen well we're gonna go through this line upon line precept upon precept here a little there a little the Lord said I will feed my people and we're gonna go through it in an expository fashion but pray they got to bless you through his word today but here in verses 1 to 6 they go up to the temple at the ninth hour and what is the ninth hour well at the temple in Jesus today and that day there were three times that people went up to the temple to pray one was at the 3rd hour which was actually 9 a 9 a.m. in the morning the sixth hour was another time to go up to pray which was noon and the ninth hour which is 3 p.m. in the afternoon and this is the 9th hour it was the ninth hour when they would actually offer the evening sacrifice it was the morning and evening sacrifice an innocent lamb would be slain blood of the Lamb would be would be poured out and the sacrifices of course in the Old Testament all pointed to what the FAK rifice of Jesus Christ and there in the temple at this time at the ninth hour they were sacrificing the evening sacrifice cutting the throat hate to be so graphic but cutting the throat of the that innocent lamb is a sacrifice and offering before the Lord and it's interesting that Jesus Christ when he breathed his last died around the ninth hour at the time than when they were offering the evening sacrifice in the temple the Lamb of God being offered for our sins on the cross and so the ninth hour is an interesting hour but here they are entering to the temple at this time on the at the ninth hour and a place called the gate beautiful what is the gate beautiful it is the eastern gate of the city of Jerusalem and at least right up to the temple it's the same gate that Jesus entered into on Palm Sunday and it's located directly across from the Mount of Olives we were just there last week and actually this time had a chance to go up to the eastern gate I've been there many times in Israel before and but I was never able to go up to right up to the wall to the eastern gate and so we were able to go up to the eastern gate who's that guy anyway there I am standing by the eastern gate there's the ancient gate and you know it was it's also the gate I might add that the Bible says when Jesus comes back Zechariah chapter 14 that he will touch down on the Mount of Olives it was split into going north and south he will come and enter through that same gate the eastern gate as according to Zechariah chapter 14 and then of course Ezekiel says he would enter that same gate Ezekiel 43 verses one to five says he will enter that same gate what gate the eastern gate and why that gate because that gate was aligned with the temple and so one of the things our guide what do you call him I know Ezra but Lissy got to a guy yeah okay yeah all right I thought it was some sophisticated word I forgot you know like our tour guide told us and I've heard this before but they know that where the golden dome is the the the Muslim golden mosque or Dome it's not really a mosque but it's a dome and but where it's located it's not where the temple was now some people think well all this you know they built they were too you know right on the site where the temple was no the temple was actually about 20 feet north were the mosque or the the golden dome is and the reason we know that is because if you stand on the Mount of Olives they said in ancient times that you could look from the Mount of Olives directly to the eastern gate and directly into the temple and and the golden dome sits over here and so the temple is is actually the actual holy of holies the temple itself is actually 20 feet away from where the the golden dome is in other words whoever designed the golden dome missed it amen whoever put the month when they put it there they missed it they put it in the wrong place and of course there is a at the eastern gate I might add there is a Muslim graveyard that is there in front of the eastern gate and the reason they put the the graveyard there it was actually the the eastern gate was actually walled up around 1540 or 1541 by order of Solomon excuse me the Magnificent he was a sultan a ruler in the Turkish Ottoman Ottoman Empire and he's a Muslim and they walled up the eastern gate because they understood the Christian prophecy and also the Jews were looking for their Messiah as well and so they walled it up and they put a Muslim graveyard in front of it that would keep the Messiah from coming because the Jews according to your law could not touch anything dead if it touched something dead your defiled and so they thought well I will fix the Messiah he won't be able to come because we'll put a grave guard in front of the eastern gate amen good in theory but it's not gonna work Amen I'm just it's not gonna work Jesus Christ is coming amen the Bible says in Isaiah chapter 43 verse 13 God says I work and who can reverse it Amen praise His Holy Name give him praise and glory amen so just a little history lesson on on the eastern gate it's very significant in prophecy and is the gate our Lord is going to enter into when he comes back to the earth but for this lame man it was also of course called the beautiful gate that leads right into the temple it was it was anything but a beautiful gate for him and here he is there in this place what I represented for him was hopelessness and he was considered an outcast in society someone who was expendable he's been lame from the womb somebody that the Society at that time even at that time would have considered to be worthless not of much value but the good news is that on this day on this day he will encounter the Lord of the out gasps you know their Lord is the lord of the outcast Micah chapter 4 verse 7 it's not on the screen but Micah chapter 4 verse 7 Lord God says I will make the lame a remnant and the outcasts a strong nation so the Lord will reign over them in mount zion from now on even forever thus saith the Lord hallelujah God is the god of the outcasts those who've been cast out by society who've been rendered expendable not a much value and yet Jesus came for us Peter commanded his attention by saying to the man look at us look at us can't the current gain his attention because despair had robbed him of all dignity so much so that he couldn't look other people in the eye when he was asking for alms as they were passing by he looked at Peter expecting something from Peter some type of big donation and what does Peter do he confronts his human crises with a spiritual remedy and when you think about it with every human crises loneliness whatever it is financial trouble whatever it might be with every human crisis there is a spiritual component there is a spiritual need he commands this man he commands his attention not so that the man might look to him but that the man might see Jesus and boy is this shouldn't that be the motivation for every ministry every pastor that stands in a pulpit or whatever - or every teacher of the word of God anyone running a ministry I don't care if it's a coffee shop or uh shoes greeters whatever it is that we're in that ministry so people might not see us but they'll see Jesus and there's a lot of people going to ministry to be seen by people and you know that they like to be admired by people and they want to be praised by people but Peter commands his attention not to look at me look how wonderful I am know that he might see Jesus and he addresses the man's human crisis again with a spiritual remedy he's a silver and gold I do not have or what I do have I give you Peter open the man's eyes to the fact that silver and gold cannot satisfy the soul I know sometimes we we wonder well Lord I'd like to try if I could win the lottery one time you just let me win the lottery one time Lord I won't ask you ever again and sometimes we think you know a silver and gold may be my solution my ribbon it will really make me happy but how many times we've read stories of those who are filthy rich we're miserable who've taken their own lives they have everything that we thought we needed the silver and gold cannot satisfy your soul Psalm 135 verses 1518 the Bible says the Lord God says that the idols of the nations are silver and gold the work of men's hands they have mouths but they do not speak eyes but they do not they have eyes they have but they do not see they have ears but they do not hear speaking about idols the idols that we buy with our silver and gold or idols in that day that was fashioned out of silver and gold nor is there any breath in their mouth and those who make them are like them so is everyone who trusts in them amen dead idols produce only produce dead people amen only God can satisfy the soul Psalm 107 verse 9 says for he satisfies the longing soul and fills the hungry soul with goodness aren't you glad about that God satisfies the longing soul and the hungry soul so Peters actions here really remind us of another thing and that is that God has equipped us to address the needs of our day did you know you were equipped by the Lord by the Holy Spirit if you've been born again you put your faith in Jesus Christ put your trust in him you've surrendered your life to Christ the Holy Spirit has come to live inside of you you are equipped to address the needs of our day sometimes we feel overwhelmed by the needs needs of our time but we can address the needs of our day just as Peter did here many times we often lament over the our personal limitations are in KUSI's when it comes to addressing the needs of our times and we want to oh if I had a degree I could do this I could do that or if I had the money I could do this I could do that if only if only if only lamenting over the things that we don't have but second Peter chapter 1 verses 2 & 3 tells us that we have everything we need in Jesus Christ for life and godliness how through the knowledge of Jesus Christ as we grow and abound in Christ we become more effective for the kingdom of God Peter wasn't lamenting the fact that he wasn't a financier the man said you know was begging for money he wasn't lamenting over the fact that he was he wasn't a physician the man was lame but he gave the man what he had what he had Jesus and see this is the answer we have for the world today sometimes we you know we will not reach out to other people or not let God use us to touch other people's lives we think oh you know we need to get them to the professional and that's wonderful thank God for the professional but the reality is that you are equipped in Jesus Christ for life and godliness amen and if you don't have anything else to give people you could always give them Jesus they've been given praise and glory a man thank God I thought of this that came to my mind last service had forgotten all about it but many many years ago I was driving home my wife and I think my wife was with me and and we were falling it was late at night in this car in front of us just all of a sudden veered off to the side and hit a light pole and I got out and I ran over to the guy he was bleeding from his nose in his ears he was a young man very young and I tried to talk to him and I couldn't I said all I have now is to give him Jesus I don't have anything else to give him I'm not a physician I'm not you know EMTs or anything but I gave him Jesus I prayed over him and he died so but in even in that even in a situation like a hopeless situation the last few most seconds of this man's life I had something to give him you know I couldn't bandaged his wounds or anything the EMTs came and they started working on him and stuff but he was gone I remember his sister contacting me later and wanted me wanted to know if there's any last words yet he was a young man going to school he's just fell asleep at the wheel we can give the world Jesus no situation is so hopeless that you cannot you have nothing to give well pastor I wish I could give something to give us Jesus give the world Jesus that's what they desperately need and this is what Peter is doing here within our text in verses 7 to 11 he says rise up and walk and in verse 7 he says and he took him by the right hand and lifted him up immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength so he leaping up stood and walking and and walked rather and entered the temple with them walking and leaping and praising God and all the people saw him walking and praising God then they knew that it was he who sat begging alms begging alms at the beautiful gate of the temple and they were filled with Wonder and amazement and what had happened to him man that's exactly what happened in your life salvation many of you amen you were that person that was you and another person I have another lifestyle and then when you came to know Jesus and walking and leaping praising God people like wait a minute let me double check is that him you know what is that her and I'm not fertile to some stories here and there of people who attend the fellowship here or bump into somebody they knew out in the world God when did you start going here you know it's like they're shocked you know I always say we're always all gonna be shocked about who's in heaven amen and when we talk about who isn't and then everybody can be shocked because you're there what what yeah let me check the door there's no title on the doors of heaven hell I don't know everything but they knew the man begging for arms and we know this guy is that him that's the guys like the same guy nice change transform by the power of Christ amen praise the Lord so verse the Bible tells us here in verse 11 he goes on and says now had the lame now as the lame man was who was healed held on to Peter and John all the people ran together to them in the porch which is called Solomon's greatly amazed Solomon's porch was an add-on to the temple possibly by Herod the Great the first temple Solomon's Temple did not have a Solomon's porch the second temple that was built after the 70 year captivity in Babylon was a nice structure but it wasn't that fancy surely wasn't what Solomon's Temple look like it wasn't that magnificent but when Herod wanted to endear the Jewish people to himself he thought well I'll refurbish the old temple and he did he did a fantastic job and so the temple in Jesus day was actually known as Herod's temple because he had refurbished the the temple there but when he refurbished it he added this Solomon's porch Solomon's porch was a roof colonnade portico that was attached to the east side of the temple it was on the east side and Jesus actually went there in John chapter 10 verse 23 you want to go back and check that John 10:23 but here we see I love here in verses 7 to 11 from 7 to 11 I see you're really a picture of discipleship what discipleship should look like and if three things I'm gonna give to you quickly number one is that Peter took the man by his right hand the right hand is the hand of favor you know that in Scripture many of you know that but he took him by his right hand and he lifted him up he gave he lifted him up he didn't give him a lift it up help them I should say he gave my hand up not a handout a man and he lifted him up gave him his right hand lifting him up by his right hand the same that's that's a part of discipleship you know reaching out to our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ the second thing is that he entered the temple with him the man entered the temple with some help with some assistance and the the fourth thing here or the third thing I should say I'm one you didn't way ahead knowing you have a fourth thing I'll just make himself up the third thing the third thing here is that the man held on to them in verse 11 he came into the temple and he held on so it's a picture of discipleship Hana extended his hand to them to him you know he entered helped them to enter into the temple and then he held on to them when he was in the temple what does that all have to do with discipleship was far too often the church has been guilty of dropping babies people who come to Jesus Christ they're brand new believers and we think oh well after the altar call we're done know that's when it begins jesus said make disciples amen we have to be intentional about discipleship oh that's what a church to do that you got a staff that does that know every believer here is the disciple another person they men would a disciple one another way to mediate care is our caring about each other they men give God praising glory a man it's discipleship go out and make disciples of all F not all ethnicities all people of the earth and so it takes time to be a disciple to to care about other people but too often in the church like I said we are guilty of dropping babies you know after they're born and nobody would do that with a baby you know we've just had a brand-new grandson born Zakai and he you know be foolish for me to go over there and expect him to be driving and working and got a job by now you know he's only been here a couple of weeks or whatever so you know but we just expect him to be doing all that figuring it out on his own no you have the nurse a baby at the care for them bring them all it's the same thing with discipleship there's somebody that God has placed in your life that you can reach a hand out to if somebody that God has placed in your in your life that you can assist in finding their way into the church you know I keep that in mind everybody's not churched I've been around the church for a long time everybody's not Church you know I don't know how to act I mean so you have a teach people you can't just have people coming in and act in any old kind of way you know but you have to teach people that as a part of discipleship you know and uh I'm getting way off here but I but sometimes I told me about it people and people know how to act Reverend you know they're not act Reverend because I've been to the movies amen when you go to the movies people that Reverend don't think if the babies crying they get up take the baby out call people paid their money to see the movie right and yet people come in a church and want to act irreverent and that rude and you have to you have to address that sometimes a man yeah you have to we should bear with those who are weak and young who are coming up in the Lord they need an a hand extend it to them and need somebody to help them into the church they need someone to stand with them when they're in the church it's discipleship the Bible says in Romans 15 one that we then who are strong ought to bear with the scruples of the weak and not to please ourselves not to take vengeance out on them not to slap upside the head when they make a mistake not to please yourself that word scruples in the original Greek it means infirmities or error arising from weakness of mine weakness of mine in trying to understand and comprehend the things of God we don't go man.you you know yet or whatever you know you don't beat up on them but that's that's scruples weakness of mind in trying to understand the God's truth but it is not I might add rebellion it is not irreverence you know let people come on in and just be reverently rebellious that they want to be no that's not we are not to accommodate irreverence in the Assembly of God's people amen but we should always bear and submit means to support those who are weak who are seeking to understand well let's move on here verse 12 the sixteen it says so when Peter saw it he stood looking at the situation he's got an opportunity that's being set right here before him all these people are gathering in people and when Peter saw it he responded to the people men of Israel why do you marvel at this and of course you know he's speaking to a primarily Jewish crowd because he's at the temple he says well why looks so intently at us as though by our own power or godliness we had made this man walk the God of Abraham and Isaac and Jacob the god of Our Fathers Laure fight his servant Jesus whom you delivered up and denied in the presence of Pilate when he was determined to let him go Pilate one to release Jesus when he cave to the to the crowd but you denied the holy 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 and which we are witnesses and his name through faith in his name has made this man strong whom you see and know you guys know this guy you know it's not a you know an imitation or somebody else it looks like him this is the person you know him and yes the faith which comes to him that it's new Jesus has given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all a man so Peter seizes the opportunity here he carpe diem he seizes the day to preach the gospel and I notice something here about Peter that he doesn't take credit for this miracle somebody else would have you know had this miracle and the crowd would have been gathering first thing we're gonna do is take it offering you know or start a ministry a healing ministry you know and going around you know yeah and attention is drawn to them and and all of that that it's their power the power they have in them and all of this and and it's by their strength their power their secret formula whatever this man was made well but Peter Denis didn't make up he didn't market this thing he said listen this thing didn't happen because we're so godly we did anything to make this thing happen this was totally of God and what he's talking about here is basically what he's saying you know something we all need to remember is that we cannot contribute anything to the effectiveness of the of God working through our lives we cannot contribute anything you're growing the church you can't grow the church God adds daily such as should be saved amen God grows the church it's not in my power or marketing and our churches to get into the marketing all this is nothing wrong in and being smart about how you advertise and all that but the reality is that some water some plant Paul said but only God gives the increase is by his power amen so it's not because oh we're so good such good people that God's grows the church no is by his sovereign power the Bible says in 2nd Corinthians chapter 6 verse after 4 verse 6 verse 7 I'll get it right he says but we have this treasure in earthen vessels that the excellence of the power may be of God and out of us amen the excellence of power the exercise of power God uses crackpots like pastor ala Pittman I'm just a vessel I'm a vessel of clay a crackpot believe me amen glass my wife and you know what but he uses vessels that are inadequate and puts his glory in him so that when God does something magnificent nobody can get the glory but God amen and so don't look at yourself and go when there's no way God can use me oh look at this I've got this flaw that's one it doesn't matter it's not about you it's about the power of God that is within you amen so Peter here he takes seizes the opportunity to preach the word and he's clearly speaking to a primarily Jewish audience obviously because he's at the temple and he uses the phrase the God of Our Fathers Abraham Isaac and Jacob the god of Our Fathers he's speaking to them in other words he's saying he's kind of putting him on the spot you know and he's basically saying you who are descendants of Abraham Isaac and Jacob the god of and you know the God and the God and who know the God of my father's you know you guys should have better than to kill the Messiah he's calling him out you killed the holy and just one evidence when he says holy and Jesse's evidence of christ's deity holy and just you killed the Prince of life you exchanged this life for murderer and a thief a man by the name of Barabbas we know according to the Gospels in John chapter 18 verse 40 at the trial of Jesus the people were offered Jesus a choice between Jesus or Barabbas now why is that well John tells us that there was a tradition among the Jews that around Passover they would release a prisoner from prison and so Pilate was trying to get Jesus off the hook and he said you know it's a part of your tradition to release a prisoner to you who do you want you want Jesus or Barabbas and they said not this man speaking of Jesus give us Barabbas they rejected Christ rejected the prince of life for a thief and a robber because that's exactly who Barabbas was we see people even doing that to this day rejecting Jesus for the one who came to kill and to steal and to destroy now in Jerusalem when we were there not boasting just hopefully whetting your appetite so you can maybe go with us next time but it was nearly neat because we were able to stand you and if you go with us we usually go to this place where you stand on a part of the courtyard of the praetorium the original praetorium courtyard what's the praetorium it was a place right off to the side of the temple not not in the temple but but in the bearings right the West the west northwest side of the the Temple Mount where the Romans would have guards and a station there because the Jews would get pretty rowdy around Passover and so it was a place where the roman guards but it's also a place where Herod had his Jerusalem residents I mean I heard but Pilate had his Jerusalem residence and we were able to go down below in this building because a lot of the the roads and things in Jesus time or you have to dig down because you know over time people built on top of the the original buildings that were there or whatever and so you have to go down and underneath underground you see a part of the crater the Praetorian court courtyard we stood on that on that which has been excavated not all of it but the portion of it it was really surreal to think that we're standing where Jesus probably stood we're standing in the courtyard where the Jesus heard them say not this man but Barabbas give us Barabbas and was this amazing amazing experience as it always is I've been there many times but it's always an amazing experience at that place Jesus was scourge by Pilate Pilate had Jesus skirts guarding - accorded skirts according to John 19 he was beaten and after which he came out again to the crowd and said behold the man the beaten up Jesus to which the people responded even more vehemently crucify him crucify ER and I thought wow they wouldn't even settle because of their bloodlust for beating up Jesus they wanted him dead I thought you know we here still hear them crying crucify them today the world doesn't want to beaten up Jesus they want him dead gone for good out of our lives out of our politics out of our schools out of our society we want Jesus dead crucify him crucify him and before we're so quick to blame them our voices were among those voices as well because all have sinned and come short of the glory of God a man yet despite mankind's efforts to kill the son or the Prince of life the son of God says hey God raised him from the dead God raised him from the dead I got another set of a picture I want to show you two and it is a picture of the sarcophagus of Herod the Great Herod the Great was the ruler who tried to kill Jesus when he was born remember that's a stone box they said contains his bones or contained his bones if they took him out I don't know but that's his coffin is a beautiful piece of artwork just this but stone that's the actual that's his sarcophagus right there and then there's an ossuary ossuary that I want to show you that is ossuary of the high priest Caiaphas who was Caiaphas well Herod the Great tried to kill him at birth Caiaphas tried to kill him at the end of his life because he's the one who turned Jesus over to Pilate to be crucified and there was a box containing his bones right there and he said why are you pointing this out to me because when we went to the garden tomb it was empty and the people that tried to kill him are dead amen now in this in this museum and it's not a secular Museum they're not trying to prove Jesus Christ as Lord or anything they're just showing you artifacts and artifacts of preaching the gospel and you don't even know it those who tried to kill it take it destroy his life from beginning and at the very end their bones are there in the tomb is empty hallelujah bless the Lord a man give him praising glory a man sometimes people looking right at the gospel and they still can't see it it's a memorial you think about it at this museum a memorial to Christ victory over the grave and over his enemies and verses 17 and 18 as we continue through the text is as yet when and the feeder continues with his message in dining the the Jewish this Jewish audience as he says you 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 should suffer he has thus fulfilled crisis fulfilled these things he's bringing him back to Scripture I love that he's not saying this is my opinion or whatever he's taking a right to scripture in regards to these things he indict them for their ignorance and why does he do that because they were looking for different Messiah not the Messiah of Scripture just like a lot of people today I'm looking for a different geez they come to church with different Jesus not the Jesus of scripture but one made up in their own mind and the Jewish mind back then and even today with many religious Jews the Messiah they're looking for is not a suffering Messiah the Messiah they're looking for is a actually a human figure a human leader a great leader in the spirit of King David they're looking for a great leader a human leader and which really you think about it opens the door wide open for the Antichrist to come on the scene and to deceive a lot of people so this is this is the idea even to this day they they were really lost sight of what Messiah would do when he comes back then they lost and have lost sight even today so they don't believe Jesus Christ is the Messiah because they don't say say well he didn't fulfill Scripture and the reason they say that's because he was crucified but they fail to understand the fool does the scripture and Peter says here Jesus fulfilled Scripture and that he came to suffer amen for our sins but again they're not looking for a suffering Messiah they're looking for somebody like King David you mean it's his disciples thought this way yeah James and John the two son the sons of Zebedee you know they came to Jesus that hey Jesus you know when you when you get into your kingdom because I got to kind of do it like this but they were kinda like on the they were kind of like doing it behind everybody's back hey Jesus when you get into your King can I sit on the right side and my brother sit on the left side you know where we want a front-row seat Jesus said are you able to drink the cup that I'm going to you know because they were looking for all the good stuff you're gonna be you're gonna be established at Kingdom Israel's former glory you're gonna overthrow the Roman government it's gonna be all good right yeah I want to sit on your own ass front-row seat to this and Jesus said surely you will drink the cup but wasn't a cup they were looking for because they were both martyred him but they were looking for a king David but they didn't they were ignorant of the scripture but the scripture said that the Messiah will come and he will suffer for our sins and so when Jesus was arrested and he was crucified guess what the disciples did they fled that's not the Messiah we were looking for but they failed to understand the scripture now Peter understands it now here after the resurrection he had to suffer for our sins it was essential in essential aspect of our atonement the Bible says in Isaiah chapter 53 verse 5 but he was wounded for our transgressions he was bruised for our iniquities the chastisement for our peace was upon him and by His stripes we are healed a lot of people use that in the context of you know healing I God heal by His stripes I'm healed I'm healed you know and yes God heals I'm not making light of that he heals he's done miraculous healings but it's sometimes there isn't healing and it's a whole nother discussion I want to get into but here's the point that I'm trying to make is that there in Isaiah chapter 53 the context always read scripture in context the context is not healing physical healing the context is salvation by His stripes by his wound by his beating by his scourging by him being nailed on the cross we have been peeled a man from our sins that's the context when Jesus started his ministry in Luke chapter 4 you remember I sent over a video introducing our speaker last week who did a great job Gino Geraci and but I sent you a video and I was an intern from Nazareth remember in Luke chapter 4 Jesus went to Nazareth it was his hometown you know homies are going to accept him right no prophets without honor in his own hometown he goes to the synagogue and he reads Isaiah chapter 61 verses 1 and 2 and he reads it as a prophecy about the Messiah the Spirit O Lord is upon me he came to bring good tidings good news and all it's about the Messiah and when they heard him read that he said and he closed the book I mean the scroll and said today this prophecy is fulfilled within the hearing of your ears whoa you're calling yourself the Messiah and he tried to throw him off a precipice a cliff we were at that spot where many believe maybe they were the spot they were trying to throw Jesus off and it was a it was just a cliff a precipice but the Bible says that they did we were gonna push him off and Jesus all of a sudden time stopped and Jesus walked through the crowd and no one touched him because it wasn't his time amen so he reads Isaiah chapter 61 verses 1 & 2 but he doesn't read all of verse 2 because the second half of verse 2 reads this way not only did he come to proclaiming the day the day of the salvation of the Lord but the second part of verse 2 in Isaiah 61 says and the day of vengeance of our God to comfort all who mourn why didn't he read that because he was coming in his first Advent as a sacrificial lamb amen to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord but when he comes in his second Advent watch out he's coming as a lion and he's gonna strike the nations with a rod of iron Revelation chapter 19 and 20 amen so he came as a lamb the first time it is what Peter say you know what scripture says that he must fulfill he came to be a suffering Savior but the second time he comes the second half of verse 2 of Isaiah chapter 61 he's gonna come judging the nations with a rod of iron amen so he's really rebuking him for being ignorant of the scriptures and not understanding that Messiah had to come and suffer for our sins to make atonement for us for us and verses 19 and 21 he says therefore here's a solution repent 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 amen you can have times of refreshing from the presence of the Lord or you can have the the impending judgment and fear in the presence of the Lord God sent his son not to judge the world jesus said I came to the world not to condemn the world but the world might be saved might have life through him he sent His Son he sent His Son that we might repent here's the solution repent you guys be converted converted the Greek word Epis trayful it means to love love and obedience to God to be born again isn't longer be estranged from God but to be ushered into a loving relationship with God is not religion it's a relationship and we can have a loving relationship with God because we have freed from condemnation why because our sins all of our sins past present future sins have been blotted out through the blood of Jesus Christ amen praise it all somebody ought to be praising God hallelujah thank God that phrase blotted out literally means obliterated wiped out expunged from the record say man they're gone to never be remembered again only then can we have a time of refreshing for our souls and verses 22 to 24 here he in verse 20 I should start at verse 21 I guess he says in verse 20 and that he may send Jesus Christ who was preached to you before whom heaven must receive so crisis ascended into heaven heaven must receive until the times of the restoration of all things which God has spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began the fulfillment of prophecy one of those five prophecies fulfilled not too long ago you know May 14th 1948 the rebirth of Israel all that God has prophesied through the prophets is going to be fulfilled and it's not in a whole lot of prophecies and acts I don't know of any and it needs to be fulfilled before Jesus Christ comes back so we could we could be gone any moments you know that amen and when everything's fulfilled when the father's time father says right he's going to come back amen and see where I left off here and heavens must receive okay in verse 22 let's go to verse 22 he says for Moses he invokes here Moses or he points out Moses testimony about the Messiah about Christ and then also he talks about it Abraham's promise and also the the words of the Samuel and the that's all validating Christ and speaking about Jesus Christ how he would suffer for our sins and Moses said that for Moses truly said to the fathers the Lord your God will raise up from you that is from your people a from you your people a prophet like me like Moses from your brethren you know Moses delivered the people from Egypt Jesus delivers us from sin like me from your brethren him you shall hear in all things whatever he says to you this is my beloved son Jesus said at Christ's baptism hear him verse 23 and it shall be that every soul who will not hear that prophet shall be utterly destroyed from among the people and he says yes all the prophets from Samuel and those who who follow as many as have spoken have also foretold these days what days the days of Christ the first advent of Christ you are sons of the prophets and of the Covenant which God made which our fathers saying with our fathers saying to Abraham and in your seed all the families of the earth shall be blessed where do you say that in Genesis chapter 22 verse 18 all the families of the earth will be blessed how are all the families of the earth blessed through faith in Jesus Christ as we put our faith in Christ and then he goes on here too to say in verse 26 to you first that is to the Jews God having raised up his servant Jesus sent him to bless you in turning away every one of you from your iniquities Peter says telling them this is the Lord's came to you first because John reminds us that the went to his own but his own received him not but he came to you first why big not because you're better than anybody else but because of God's promise to Abraham so Christ came to you first and then of course Paul tells us in Romans chapter 1 verse 16 for I'm not ashamed of the gospel of Christ for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes everyone for the Jews first and also for the Greek or that is for the Gentiles God's word salvation is for all but Christ went to the Jews first because of his God's promise to Abraham to proclaim the good news his own did not receive him but the many Jews many messianic churches are in Israel even to this day people who Jewish congregations that believe in Jesus Christ amen so there they're coming to Christ a man in a mighty way even Ethiopian Jews are coming to Christ and we support one of those churches over there now and they're coming to Jesus Christ amen by the thousands so we thank God amen well what's the application of our text is I wrap it up here you gotta let you go home a man can't keep you all day but here's here's a couple of thoughts before you leave application number one state is the simplest way it's not on the screen but this week try to slow down amen that's the miracle they do yeah I do too but if I say you try to slow down and I mean you know stop working and don't go to work or whatever my pastor told me to slow down and I can come in today no he didn't don't be throwing me under the bus amen but take time like Peter and John going to the temple you know sometimes we're so busy being religious that we miss what God sees amen I can't I can't talk to that person cuz they have a certain lifestyle I don't agree with or certain politics I don't agree with well they're the wrong color or whatever you know it takes slow down and listen because God will speak to your see what what Peter did that day was a sovereign work of the Holy Spirit it was not like oh that's how you heal people oh okay you know you know Simon the sorcerer made that mistake he tried to by the power of God amen and Peter rebuked him and you know rebuked him harshly and you know that you would dare think that you could buy purchase the power of God some people think they can purchase the power guy just end in 1995 and we'll give you the secrets to you know really so we can purchase the power of God knows I know it works know the power of God is in you and God will reveal that through you as you slow down this week and acknowledge those people that many times get overlooked take a moment make eye contact with the person serving your food take a moment to look somebody in the eye when they give you back your changes they thank you or God bless you how can I pray for you we've done that in restaurants we'll ask the waitress or waiter and I know it's not a political correct statement and I don't care I'm too old to care anymore but the wait person come and you know what just asking me how do we pray for you we've never I've haven't had anybody ever say I don't need you most people are like well you know it may be frivolous it may be some of us really serious you never know the person serving your food may be like this lame man at the gate beautiful slow down if you're too you know my wife's always telling me to slow down and she's right if you're too busy to care you're too busy amen the second thing is this and that is you can rise up and walk in the name of Jesus you can rise up and walk no matter what you may be facing this week no matter what your gate might look like so to speak if Jesus is there you could Jesus is there you can rise up and walk because it's not the gate it wasn't the gate beautiful because it was such the most beautiful gate in the world it was beautiful because of the presence of the Lord that's what makes you beautiful that's what makes me beautiful it makes us beautiful the church beautiful it's the presence of Jesus Christ the Bible says in Psalm 96 verse 6 it says honor and Majesty are before him that is before our God strength and beauty are in his sanctuary sanctuary is his presence if you want where you're at in your life your gate to be made beautiful welcome in the presence of the Lord you've been trying to figure it out on your own and get it done in your own strength stop say God I need you more than I need the next breath I breathe I need you there's duty in his sanctuary he can make whatever seems to be ugly beautiful by virtue of his presence alone that's why he's given us communion no communion is another way of the Lord saying as Peter said to this this lame man at the gate it's another way of the Lord saying to us every week every time every month that we celebrate communion God saying look at me remember Peter gained his attention said look at us grab his attention sometimes we come to church our heads down we can't look anybody in the eye we're like the lame man we're just there for armed so we can get a man but communion is there where the Lord says to us look at me you lift your head up you know why did he say that remember me remember why do you say remember me so that we be encouraged so that we could go on so we can know we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us don't look at your failures don't look at yourself don't look at other people the worst thing you do is compare yourself to somebody else you said look at me hey man remember me every time you protect remember me it's like just another way I'm saying look at me amen so that we can live as victors rather than victims in conclusion there is beauty at the gate if only we will look up and receive it father we thank you

Channel: CWCCS

Views: 2,212

Rating: 4.6666665 out of 5

Keywords: CWC, Calvary Worship Center, Al Pittman

Id: hj9YM7ZteB4

Length: 53min 44sec (3224 seconds)

Published: Sun Feb 16 2020