■  Observations

     A. “Beautiful Gate”... “ripe” (Dr. Rick Strelan)...Festival of Tabernacles?...late Sep/early Oct

     B. Peter has no “gold or silver”...lacked the obligatory offering...what does this mean?  

     C. Strategic in every way

     D. Two principles of God’s work (Tim Keller)

2. Peter Boldly Preaches...

Acts 3:11-26 ¹¹ While he clung to Peter and John, all the people ran together to them in the portico called Solomon’s Portico, utterly astonished. ¹² When Peter saw it, he addressed the people, “You Israelites,^b why do you wonder at this, or why do you stare at us, as though by our own power or piety we had made him walk? ¹³ The God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, the God of our ancestors has glorified his servant^c Jesus, whom you handed over and rejected in the presence of Pilate, though he had decided to release him. ¹⁴ But you rejected the Holy and Righteous One and asked to have a murderer given to you, ¹⁵ and you killed the Author of life, whom God raised from the dead. To this we are witnesses. ¹⁶ And by faith in his name, his name itself has made this man strong, whom you see and know; and the faith that is through Jesus^d has given him this perfect health in the presence of all of you.

¹⁷ “And now, friends,^e I know that you acted in ignorance, as did also your rulers. ¹⁸ In this way God fulfilled what he had foretold through all the prophets, that his Messiah^f would suffer. ¹⁹ Repent therefore, and turn to God so that your sins may be wiped out, ²⁰ so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that he may send the Messiah^g appointed for you, that is, Jesus, ²¹ who must remain in heaven until the time of universal restoration that God announced long ago through his holy prophets. ²² Moses said, ‘The Lord your God will raise up for you from your own people^h a prophet like me. You must listen to whatever he tells you. ²³ And it will be that everyone who does not listen to that prophet will be utterly rooted out of the people.’ ²⁴ And all the prophets, as many as have spoken, from Samuel and those after him, also predicted these days. ²⁵ You are the descendants of the prophets and of the covenant that God gave to your ancestors, saying to Abraham, ‘And in your descendants all the families of the earth shall be blessed.’ ²⁶ When God raised up his servant,ⁱ he sent him first to you, to bless you by turning each of you from your wicked ways.”

■           5 W’s and a H

A. Who: Peter, John, healed cripple...all the people...there for the Feast of Tabernacles

B. What: Utterly astonished...Peter preaching...signs of the Messianic Age...Jim said this last week...

C. Where: Temple...Solomon’s Portico...see Acts 5:12 and Jn 10:23...a large gathering place

D. When: Immediately following the healing...Peter preaches in Solomon’s Portico

 E. Why: Peter takes an opportunity... “When Peter saw it...” (3:12)...Messianic age has dawned

F. How: Spirit led him to be bold? Spirit led him to be smart!

■           Observations

A. One more principle of God’s Work (Tim Keller)

B. Peter’s sermon...outline...Jesus is God’s servant...you killed...God raised...repent...

C. “Times of refreshing”

D. Names of Jesus                     

■           3. Peter (and John) Boldly and Brilliantly Witness

Acts 4:1-22 While Peter and John^a were speaking to the people, the priests, the captain of the temple, and the Sadducees came to them, ² much annoyed because they were teaching the people and proclaiming that in Jesus there is the resurrection of the dead. ³ So they arrested them and put them in custody until the next day, for it was already evening. ⁴ But many of those who heard the word believed; and they numbered about five thousand.

⁵ The next day their rulers, elders, and scribes assembled in Jerusalem, ⁶ with Annas the high priest, Caiaphas, John,^b and Alexander, and all who were of the high-priestly family. ⁷ When they had made the prisoners^c stand in their midst, they inquired, “By what power or by what name did you do this?” ⁸ Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers of the people and elders, ⁹ if we are questioned today because of a good deed done to someone who was sick and are asked how this man has been healed, ¹⁰ let it be known to all of you, and to all the people of Israel, that this man is standing before you in good health by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth,^d whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead. ¹¹ This Jesus^e is ‘the stone that was rejected by you, the builders; it has become the cornerstone.’¹² There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among mortals by which we must be saved.”

¹³ Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John and realized that they were uneducated and ordinary men, they were amazed and recognized them as companions of Jesus. ¹⁴ When they saw the man who had been cured standing beside them, they had nothing to say in opposition. ¹⁵ So they ordered them to leave the council while they discussed the matter with one another. ¹⁶ They said, “What will we do with them? For it is obvious to all who live in Jerusalem that a notable sign has been done through them; we cannot deny it. ¹⁷ But to keep it from spreading further among the people, let us warn them to speak no more to anyone in this name.” ¹⁸ So they called them and ordered them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. ¹⁹ But Peter and John answered them, “Whether it is right in God’s sight to listen to you rather than to God, you must judge; ²⁰ for we cannot keep from speaking about what we have seen and heard.” ²¹ After threatening them again, they let them go, finding no way to punish them because of the people, for all of them praised God for what had happened. ²² For the man on whom this sign of healing had been performed was more than forty years old.

5 W’s and a H

A. Who: Peter, John, the people...Sadducees, captain of the Temple, priests...Council...Caiaphas

B. What: Astonished...Peter witnessing...filled with the Spirit... “annoyed” (vs. 2)...5000 believed?

C. Where: Solomon’s Portico...jail...stand before the Council

 D. When: same evening...overnight (in jail)...daytime (before Council)...Feast of Tabernacles 

E. Why: First resistance against Church from religious leadership...God’s Messiah

F. How: The resistance to Jesus as Messiah looks similar to when Jesus was alive!

2. Observations

A. Acts 4:11 “The stone that the builders rejected...” Ps. 118:22...Hallel Psalms...Psalms 112-118...             

B. John 7 Feast of Tabernacles, John 10 Solomon’s Portico, John 11 Caiaphas’ role

C. The Spirit works boldly and brilliantly: you can’t have one without the other

D. “Filled with the Spirit”...two results...Praise and obedience...not obeying never came to mind!

4. Peter and Believers Pray for More Boldness  

Acts 4:23-31 ²³ After they were released, they went to their friends and reported what the chief priests and the elders had said to them. ²⁴ When they heard it, they raised their voices together to God and said, “Sovereign Lord, who made the heaven and the earth, the sea, and everything in them, ²⁵ it is you who said by the Holy Spirit through our ancestor David, your servant:  

‘Why did the Gentiles rage, and the peoples imagine vain things?²⁶ The kings of the earth took their stand, and the rulers have gathered together against the Lord and against his Messiah.’ⁱ

²⁷ For in this city, in fact, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, gathered together against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed, ²⁸ to do whatever your hand and your plan had predestined to take place. ²⁹ And now, Lord, look at their threats, and grant to your servants to speak your word with all boldness, ³⁰ while you stretch out your hand to heal, and signs and wonders are performed through the name of your holy servant Jesus.” ³¹ When they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God with boldness.

4. 5 W’s and a H

  A. Who: Peter and John... “friends” = “their own”...men and women?

  B. What: Released...shared... “raised their voices”...shaken...filled with the Spirit

  C. Where: “Upper room” (1:13), “one place” (2:1), “temple” or “home” (2:46)...other options?

  D. When: Following their meeting with the Council that day...Feast of Tabernacles 

  E. Why: Sovereign Lord is at work through the rejected Messiah...Church parallel to Jesus

 F. How: God is using Spirit-filled people to continue Jesus’ ministry                      

■             Observations

A. Praise and Persecution go hand in hand (Tim Keller)

B. Predestination speaks of God’s sovereignty (4:28)

D. Disciples together to pray vs. Enemies together to plot in vain

D. God’s sovereignty...Acts 4:24, 25, 28 and 3:24...you’re guilty but God has always been in control

■             Final Thoughts

A. How are we to witness?

1. Strategically: Feast of Tabernacles... “When Peter saw it...”

2. Publically: They were unashamed of their Savior

3. Relevantly: Connected to culture...temple...feasts...Scripture references

4. Counter-culturally: Connected to culture but not submitted to it...Jesus was divisive

5. Prayerfully: “We don’t need a change in circumstances but a change in heart” (Keller)

6. Naturally: “Live the life that Jesus would live if he were living your life right now.” (Tarman)

B. Sovereignty of God...God’s in control...He wins in the end!...so do we!

               1. One illustration: The world is a sinking ship...we, the church, are the lifeboat0