Acts & The Life of Paul | Lecture 6 : BC302-Acts-20260824

Yes, welcome back everyone. We'll continue. So, we were talking about the uh features or the way the early church was. So what are some things that you understood? How was the early church? >> Yes. They were committed to the teaching of God's word. Then what else? Fellowship. Yes. Then communion. Yeah. And prayer. So in today's uh churches, some of you are going to be pastors. No. So we have to make sure that this is how we guide our church. So church is not just a gathering. Every Sunday we come and uh meet together and pray. Yeah. All that is good. But there is there is a way of establishing the church in disciplehip and the apostles were doing that. We can learn from the early church. Okay. Let's uh continue there. We also can say uh one more feature is supernatural. So the leadership or the apostles were walking in the manifestation of miracles. So that also is a is a feature. The supernatural is a part of the early church. Then what happened? Uh the fear of God was spread across the people in that city. Then uh verse 44. Now all who believed were together and had all things in common. So this gives us a picture of caring, sharing for one another. So this is again one more thing from a church community uh that we can expect a loving church community that is very supportive. Verse 45 is somewhat extreme. It says they sold their possessions and goods and divided them among all as anyone had need. Can you imagine if somebody is having a need, I sell what I have to get the money to meet the need of that person. What generosity they had, togetherness, sharing, caring. Now extreme generosity. Why do you think they they needed to support like this? Why? This is too much selling what I have to now what we do if I have I'll give you I will not go and sell my position and give you but the early church is doing like this. So one thing we can understand is remember we said that people had come from all the regions to Jerusalem during Pentecost. Now they became believers. So many people would have stayed back in Jerusalem. Their houses are far away. They don't have family members. So because the condition of many believers was like this, the apostles would have encouraged to share and be very very generous. So those who had they were even willing to sell so that they can support the many families who uh are um trying to settle down in Jerusalem. Now we should not misunderstand this as we are being called to um you know generosity where where uh we should not at all consider ourselves or our families that that's not what the scripture means because as we go on Paul will write and he will write to believers everyone should work hard you know you should not be uh dependent on others uh and we should not exploit others. So the same believers and apostles will write like this to instruct the church. So there is a balance. We are not talking about exploitation. And today believers cannot use this and and say that see in the book of acts people are giving extremely. So now today in our church also they should give like this. That's not the point. The point is the circumstance was such that there was a need and therefore the apostles encouraged it. But apostles also write about hard work, personal responsibility, generating income, not depending becoming a burden on others. So there is a balance. We should not misinterpret this one scripture uh and put pressure on people in our churches to give, give, give. It's not correct. Right? So, uh I I hope you you understood what I'm trying to say. Okay, great. So, let's move on. It was a generous community. Now, verse 46 says, "Continuing daily with one accord in the temple and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart. It's a picture of fellowship. It's a picture of practicing what we have already heard, communion, prayer, because it says one accord and then breaking bread. Can you see that it's a large church committed to these things and at the same time it's very very um uh full of life. It's thriving. It's dynamic. Daily these people have the passion to meet once a week only is tough enough for us. But these people are meeting every day. They are full of fire and they want to catch up. They want to spend time in worship, prayer. Uh they need they are hungry for the word of God. So it's such a beautiful community hungering after God and they are meeting everywhere wherever it's possible. Come a place is there in the temple let's go or place is there in different people's homes let's go and uh that's how they are meeting in you we could even say small groups life group looks like sounds like life group no so they came together in smaller groups but they were passionate about God spending time with one another and sometimes people ask the question uh can we have communion at Is it okay? Not okay. >> Yeah. See it says breaking bread from house to house. So there is nothing wrong. We can have communion at home as well. And uh that's how they fellowshipped. They were very sincere. It says simplicity of heart. They they uh ate their food with gladness. Sometimes life groups are uh uh built around food. I'm sure all of you agree. Snacks and food. People come together after a tiring day and then they have some uh refreshment and then they spend time sharing God's word and uh praying for one another. So this community is also like that and uh they were thriving. So let's move ahead. They were uh praising God and having favor with all the people. And when they were in this way, what happened? The church was growing consistently. And verse 47 ends by saying, "And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved." Meaning now we stopped at 3,120, but that's not the final number. I don't know who was in the church administrative office. No, they have to write down the contact details of new people. So list is growing, Excel sheet is becoming larger and larger. Daily new people are joining the church and uh that that's how God was working. So whatever is taking place now do you recall in the introductory class we said that till chapter 8 uh we are discussing up to 8 years uh of of the growth of the church in Jerusalem. So this is the the first eight years the church of Jerusalem is growing. Okay. So uh let me pause here a bit. We didn't have time for discussions or questions in the last class. Anything you want to share based on what you have heard till now? If yes, we can have a small discussion. Are you blessed by something? >> Okay, great. >> I see. I had one question. >> Yes, please. Reita. >> So, um this is this is uh happening over a period of 1 to 8 years, right? >> Yes. Correct. >> From acts 1-7. So it is not like they were baptized uh immediately after the apostles were baptized up uh in the upper room after the 120 were baptized right. >> Uh so see that one thing uh 3,000 people is in one day only one physical day >> the 120 and the 3,000 both >> yes that is one day >> okay >> because it gives us the timing. So we we saw that um uh 9:00 a.m. remember >> we talked about the third hour. >> So it is in the morning the baptism in the Holy Spirit happened others witnessed this but the end of the day there were 3,120 people in the church. >> Okay. Okay. >> Yes. >> Sounds good. Thank you. >> Yes. Any other comments? sign. Tongues as a sign. Okay. See, tongues as a sign is the word sign is what? Sign is something that draws your attention towards God. So when we speak in human languages, people are thrilled about it. So let me give you one example. I may have shared it earlier. uh in our Bible college uh before COVID we had uh some students from Africa. So during supernatural l we used to face each other and make a circle and pray in the spirit for for whatever 10 minutes 20 minutes before we start prophesying. So when we were all praying uh there was one brother from Congo and uh an Indian standing next to him and he he was so shocked. We could see him he was like just looking and all. Then after the session was uh uh completed the praying in tongues he said you know what this man is speaking in my African language. You tell me who knows African year. Nobody knows. But he was so uh he was full of faith after that because he was like how can God give African language to uh Indians. So he literally heard his his language and he was telling us some of the words uh that were being spoken. So when such a thing happens Omesh it builds faith in us because it shows us there is a god and uh for him he knows all things. He knows all languages. So can you see it's a sign a sign will draw our attention towards god. So especially for unbelievers if somebody speaks your language and they don't know it obviously you will ask them how tell me more I want to know God so that is the meaning tongues as a sign and it is normally in human languages understood okay great yes any other questions or clarifications I used to uh think why was I not there you know I should have been in the early church but you see in every church every generation god is a god of revival so it's not that he will not pour out a revival today but we have to press Listen those 120 people prayed. No, they prayed. Are we praying? So God poured out his spirit in their generation. When we pray, he will pour out his spirit in our generation because promise is there. Right? So uh let us believe God for a mighty work of the spirit. Let's continue if there are no more uh points. We are now going to Acts chapter 3. So we will start to read from uh verse 1 to verse 10. There is an incident that is taking place. So who would like to read it? One day Peter and John were going up to the temple at the time of prayer. At 3:00 in afternoon now a man crippled from birth was being carried to the temple gate called beautiful where he was put everyday 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 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. >> Okay. Yes, we have read till um verse 10. So um this is uh around the same time. Now we we can ask is it few months later weeks later it's hard to tell but we are just saying from uh chapter 1 to like chapter uh 8 8 years are passing by. So it could have been at any moment. So church is thriving and at the same time Peter and John being Jews themselves having that kind of a background they are continuing to go to the temple for prayer. So they're not following uh Judaism but it is their practice to go there to worship. So they go and uh they go at the 9th hour. Now um which translation did you read it from Vijay NIV? Huh? There it says what time? 9th hour equals >> 3 p.m. No >> 3 in the afternoon. >> 3:00 in the afternoon. Okay. So for the Jews, they had a uh schedule where they needed to go and uh spend time with with God in worship. So we saw earlier in acts 2 the third hour of the day that is 9:00 a.m. 6th hour of the day would refer to 12:00 noon. Then we have the um 9inth hour of the day referring to 300 p.m. So what time they are going to the temple now? 3 p.m. So they have this schedule then only they have to go to the temple for prayer. So they go uh as per the the um Jewish schedule and they want to spend time in prayer. So when they are going to the temple, it's talking about a man lame from his mother's womb. He sat at the gate of the temple and that gate is called beautiful. And there he was asking for arms to all those who are entering the temple. Later on we will read that his age was 40 years. So he was lame from his mother's womb and he is 40 years old. That tells us 40 years he didn't walk and people are carrying him and bringing him to the temple gate. This gate it is called as beautiful and I have a u image I don't think the people in class can see because you don't have your phones you can see it later. Yes. So you can probably um look at it and you can see the temple is built and uh one had to go into the temple. So outside of uh the gate beautiful is an area where people would still uh gather and meet and you can see that here with the pillars there is an area it's called as Solomon's porch and uh as people enter from the outside of the the court they come in come to the temple gate Here they have to go past this gate and this is the gate which is called as gate beautiful. And why was it called as the gate beautiful? Because it is known to have uh been made with Corinthian brass and it was a magnificent structure and it is situated on the east side looking towards Kiddran. So because of these things the gate is called as beautiful. So don't misunderstand the gate for uh a gate of the city. It is not. It is a temple gate and it is right at the entrance of the temple. So here somewhere here he's sitting and he is begging for arms. Okay. So now that we have an idea, we'll discuss more. So he is sitting there and uh he's begging as usual. 40 years means we don't know how many years of the 40 he's sitting at the temple and begging. So do you think Jesus would have seen him? 100% Jesus also used to go to the temple. No. Do you agree with me? Yeah. So Jesus has also seen him. He has also seen Jesus. He's at the entrance. But today was a special day in his life. Now we don't know why at the time when Jesus was alive, this man did not receive his miracle. Now that's a question, right? Comes to our minds. But Jesus said, "I do only what I see the father do." So do you remember he went to the pool of Betsa and uh the man who was lying down paralyzed and uh uh Jesus goes to him and he raises him up. That man was not even looking for a miracle. He was only waiting for the angel to shake the waters and go in in for his healing. But nothing, no expectation from Jesus. And yet he received his miracle. How come this man who was sitting near the gate beautiful didn't receive the miracle? We don't know. Maybe the father didn't tell Jesus to minister to him because there was another timetable for this man. Right? So he would have definitely met Jesus. But for whatever reason, the miracle did not happen at that time. Now, when Peter and John are going to the temple at 300 p.m., he's asking them for money. Arms is begging. So, at that point, it's as if the Holy Spirit moved Peter. And uh uh we call one of the gifts of the spirit as the gift of faith. The gift of faith was operating in Peter. So when this man looked at uh Peter, verse four says the man was fixing his eyes on him with John. Peter said man was looking at them. Peter is also saying look at us. So eye to eye they're locked. Now he is looking at them with some expectation. They Peter is looking at him with some expectation. Okay. So it's a it's a like a dramatic moment. Look at us. And this man is paying attention. Verse 5 says he's paying attention expecting to receive something. How much do you think he his expectation would have been? >> Very little. Yeah, we can say that. So we all have different currencies. People from other countries are also uh here. Uh maybe in our Indian calculation he must have thought if they give 10 rupees it'll be nice. 100 rupees, 1,000 rupees, who knows somebody can give more than that also. Very generous. maybe 10,000 rupees. Okay. Uh but it's fine. I'll take something. But so unfortunate what our Peter is saying here in verse six. Peter is saying silver and gold I don't have. Immediately the beggar would have been like then why did you say look at us when you don't have money right? Silver and gold I don't have disappointing. So what am I going to get from this man? So this lame man is thinking all this but Peter says but what I have I do have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk. Wow. That is bold. That is very bold because everybody knows this man is lame from birth and people are watching Peter and Peter is saying rise up and walk. Okay. Now what will happen if he doesn't walk? People will make fun of Peter. So he's risking his reputation. But remember I told us a gift of the spirit is operating in him. That is the gift of faith. So Peter is not afraid of anyone. And he believes this is going to happen. And he tells him, you know, in the name of Jesus, Jesus Christ of Nazareth, very specific, rise up and walk. And we can see that Peter is supporting him a little bit. In verse 7, it says he took the right hand, lifted him up, and immediately immediately remember even the woman who had the flow of blood immediately it stopped for him this lame man immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength. So Peter is operating in one is gift of faith and uh it's faith only where he's taking one step. You know sometimes God asks us to do something. So for Peter it was give your hand lift him up. So Peter does that. But when he is doing it supernaturally strength is coming into his uh feet, his uh ankle bones and in a moment the miracle has happened in front of everybody in that place. So word verse 8 says leaping up stood and walked and entered the temple with them walking leaping and praising God. It's a scene for us to imagine. Uh there's also I guess some uh videos on the internet where where you can uh watch the acts of the apostles. Uh one particular video that I used to know is it's based it was um made from the NKJV version of the book of acts itself and there you can see the man gets up and uh he's so amazed like 40 years if we didn't walk and today we are standing up. How do you think that joy would feel? Too much. You can't contain. So in in that video, you can see him uh trying to like just walk a little bit. He's not falling. Then uh he tries to run. He's not falling. So then finally, he's jumping. He's hugging everyone. You can't control him. Is he's running all over the place and people are clapping. People are smiling. So a a supernatural work of God is done in the eyes of all the people and it's so amazing. So a miracle took place there and this man was praising God and the people verse 9 says all the people saw him walking and praising God. They observed uh and uh they knew that something had happened. So people were filled with amazement at this uh supernatural work of God. Now one commentator has uh mentioned this in his comments. He says Peter said silver and gold I don't have but what I have. So what did he have? What did he have? >> Power of the Holy Spirit. And with that he ministered the miracle. So in the early church they would say we don't have money but we have supernatural power. But in our times is it the same or is it the opposite or is it something different? You know it'll be so sad if we look at people and say silver and gold we have but power of the spirit is lacking. Then how will we minister? It's a it's a sad thing to have silver and gold and not have power. Right? But the early church it's in a good place right now. We don't have resources but we have the power of the Holy Spirit in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth. Rise up and walk. So today also I'm not saying we should we should also not have money but steward the resources that God gives us but more importantly the supernatural power of God is required in the church. The church will be a sad place if there is no power. If people come and go back the same, if people carry their burdens day to day and nobody's there to help them. You know, people are sick, people are depressed, people have no direction. Can you imagine what is the point? The church is not doing its work. But the early church is a great testimony. They were filled with the power of the spirit. So though they were lacking in resources, they were a powerful church. Amen. So that is a big lesson which we can learn. So now let's continue. So the man has experienced uh a miracle. Um and uh we read in verse 11 that he held on to Peter and John and all the people ran together to them in the porch which is called Solomon's greatly amazed. You saw in the image know one corner is Solomon's porch. So uh people were uh going there and looking at him. So now our uh uh Peter he can't keep quiet again. He has to speak to explain what has happened. It's a good thing because he's making use of every opportunity wherever people are gathering and they have questions immediately he wants to speak about Jesus. So it's a it's a good thing. So he speaks. So from verse 12 um as we move on maybe we can read till verse 16 and then I'll quickly explain it and then we can read the remaining portion. When Peter saw this, he said to them, "Men of Israel, why does this surprise you? Why do you stare at us as if by our own power of godliness we had made this man walk? The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified his servant Jesus. You handed him over to be killed, and you disowned him before. Though he had decided to let him go, you disowned the holiest and righteous one, and asked that a murderer be released to you. You killed the a of life, but God raised him from the dead. We are witnesses of this by faith in the name of Jesus. This man whom you see and know was made strong. It is Jesus name and the faith that comes through him that has given this complete healing to him as you can all see. >> Yes. So uh at this point when people are wondering Peter preaches Christ and uh can you see what Peter says in verse 12? He says, "Why look so intently at us?" Just before he told the lame man, "Look at me." Now he's saying, "Don't look at me. What is going on? What do you think is going on? I'm confused. Should we look at him or not look at him? Okay. So let's explain it like this. In the first situation, uh he wants to minister the power of God. That's why he says, "Look at me." Now people may misunderstand Peter as some miracle worker or they may start treating him like Superman. Peter doesn't want all that. He doesn't want any attention. He doesn't want any glory. See we have to learn from the uh apostles. They don't want to take even one small uh iota of of recognition or fame or glory. That's why he's saying why are you looking at me? I didn't do this. And he's preaching Christ. He says um how how did this man walk? And he goes on to say that um God glorified his servant Jesus and you know we we delivered him up to death. Uh and he moves on to say that in his name verse 16 and his name through faith in his name has made this man strong whom you see and know. So this is a lesson. Whenever God does a mighty work through us, we should never take the glory. We should always give God the glory. That's what Peter is doing. He's saying, I will tell you how this man is healed in the name of Jesus. Faith in the name of Jesus has made him well. Right? So you give you put your trust in Jesus. That's the message that Peter is sharing. Now in what we read verse 15 also is so interesting. It says killed the prince of life whom God raised from the dead of which we are witnesses. It sounds funny. How can we kill the prince of life? He is the prince of life. Can we kill him? No. No attempt to kill the one who gives life will prosper. So he's talking about Jesus and he's saying he's the very prince of life. No wonder he's no longer dead. He's alive and faith in his name. So one more point is the healing came. How did the healing come this time? Yeah. Faith in the name of Jesus. And uh how did Peter minister the miracle to the lame man? Gift of faith. Can we also say issuing a command in the name of Jesus? Rise up and walk. So we observe all these steps and today if we want to see people healed and we can preach about the power in the name of Jesus if they put their uh faith in the name of Jesus is it possible for people to be healed? Absolutely. Yeah. So many keys are there in what we are reading now. So faith in the name of Jesus made him well and it's not an ordinary miracle. So now uh Peter is continuing to preach about Jesus. Uh maybe we can read the rest of the portion here 17 to 26. Yet now, brethren, I know that you did it in ignor ignorance, as did your 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 he has thus fulfilled. 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 the all things which God has spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began. For Moses truly said to the fathers, "The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from your brethren. Him you shall hear in all things. Whatever he says to you, and it shall be that every soul who will not hear that prophet shall be utterly destroyed from among the people." Yes. And all the prophets from Samuel and those who follow as many as have spoken have also foretold this these days. You are sons of the prophets and of the covenant which God made with your fathers saying to Abraham and in your seed all the families of the earth shall be blessed. to you first. God having raised up his servant Jesus sent him to bless you in turning away everyone of you from your iniquities. >> Okay. Yes. Thank you. So uh now he is uh continuing to talk to the people and he says you know he said things like uh murdering the prince of life which may have sounded somewhat uh as if you know God God will punish them but his message is not to condemn the people his message is to draw them to repentance. So now he is he is uh coming to them in a in a very gentle way and he's saying yet brethren I know that you did it in ignorance as did also your rulers. So don't worry now it has happened but what should we do next? Then he's reminding them don't you know that the forefathers the prophets have all prophesied of the coming Messiah. So based on that try to understand that this is the messiah and his message in verse 19 is to repent right so that times of refreshing may come. So repent and be converted. Converted means what? Change the religion. No no that's not the meaning here. It simply means to put your faith in Jesus Christ. It has nothing to do there is no comment here on on religion. It's a change of heart and following after Christ. So that's what he's calling the people to. So when we repent and we commit our lives back to God, what will happen? Times of refreshing. Times of refreshing nothing but outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Now whenever we have been in that presence of the the outpouring of the Holy Spirit we have felt refreshed spirit soul body uh there there is healing there is reviving uh there there is new hope promises so many things happen right so times of refreshing will come the outpouring of the Holy Spirit will come but for that what is the starting point repent and believe in Jesus so this is how he is preaching And he's also pointing to the fact that um Jesus will return again. Right? So he in verse 21 he's talking about um restoration. So we can understand that there will come a time like in the future where uh everything is restored back. Okay, we won't go into the details otherwise we'll be here for a very long time. I'm just moving very fast. And uh he also reminds them, don't you know that God has promised that he will send us a prophet like Moses? Moses was a great prophet who was a blessing to the children of Israel. But uh now uh it is through Christ that God brings that salvation, that restoration, and that refreshing. So he's trying to tell them don't worry even if by mistake we crucified Christ let us now put our trust in him then we will receive the refreshing uh restoration and uh God will work in us and finally he's talking about the promise of Abraham where he says that God promised that the seed of uh Abraham through that all the families will be blessed. And God is going to do it. Right? So, uh can we understand that God is a God who keeps covenant? See, he made a promise to Abraham in the book of Genesis. But has he forgotten it? No. He's a covenant keeping God. He is a promisekeeping God. So these are all things which he uh Peter is reminding the onlookers so that they can also put their trust in Jesus Christ. So this is briefly I went through the passage but I encourage all of us to go back and read the sermon notes. It's there in detail. Okay, this one particular passage. So what we will do is we will stop right here and uh next class if you can go through acts three acts four and five read and come please for the classes then it becomes easy for you also and uh we'll maybe ask some questions about acts three and then get into acts four. Okay. All right. Thank you everyone. Thank you for uh joining class and I really hope that uh this is helpful. >> Thank you ma'am. >> Thank you. God bless you. >> Same to you ma'am. >> Thank you. Thank you. >> Thank you pastor. >> Thank you. Thanks. >> Thank you ma'am. >> Thank you Shabam. Thank you everyone.