ACTS CHAPTER 3

MAIN THINGS

Today I was challenged by Peter’s trust in the power that was in Him and God’s display of the miraculous through Peter. He messed up so many times with Jesus and was always the loudmouth. That didn’t shake him, he kept moving forward with the power of the Holy Spirit in him. I was also very impressed that Peter did not bring any attention to himself after the miracle. That would have been so tempting. I had to really check my heart to see how I would respond if God did a miracle through me. Also, any time I read a miracle it puts me back in awe of the power and awesomeness of God. He truly does control all things and can change anything in a moment. WOW! What an awesome God we serve!

QUESTIONS & THOUGHTS

v. 1-4 – Peter and John were going back to spend time together with other Christians. They were interrupted by this beggar, but they saw it as an opportunity rather than an annoyance. How do you handle divine interruptions? Do you stop and see God’s hand in the situation or do you get annoyed and keep walking?

v. 5-10 – Peter recognized what he possessed, and it was the full power of God. He didn’t try to meet this man’s temporal needs through money, but met his greatest needs by the power of the Holy Spirit. I love that God healed this man independent of a ritual or a progression of prayers and possibly not even in direct response to his faith, but just in the name of Jesus he was given power to walk instantly. This was done to the glory of God and He received all praise from the event. Do you believe that God could use you to do the same if it were His will?

v. 11-16 – Peter doesn’t draw any attention to himself because of the event. That would be so hard. I would probably want everyone to see and I would start signing autographs and pitching some marketing campaign to companies. He went straight from the event to the gospel to help lead others to Christ. He knew of his incapability to do such a thing, and the power of God in the situation. How do you respond when God uses you to do something great? When people come to know Christ do you give God all the glory or your illustrations and the way you talk? Trusting in Christ and giving God all the glory, and I do mean all, is extremely hard, but in the moment of seeing a crippled beggar walk and see people come to know Christ it will be so worth it.

vv. 17-18 – Peter shares the message of the cross in a pretty fierce, but again loving and convicting way. He meets them from their perspective again by showing that it was their same God who empowered and raised Jesus from the dead.

vv. 19 – Repentance is such a key issue. We need to always share while highlighting repentance, turning to God and away from self. Putting Jesus as King in our life and not just savior, is the key message of the Spirit-filled life and the gospel itself. In the time of repentance our sins are wiped out and the Lord refreshes us with His spirit. What do you need to repent of to allow the Spirit to refresh you and give you freedom?

vv. 20-23 – Jesus will come back and it will be a great and terrifying day for the whole world. For believers it will be great joy as we see the bridegroom come to take us home, but for unbelievers they will be brought to judgment and eternally condemned. This has really been the message from the beginning, but has just now been revealed through Peter to these Jewish people. It is also said here that God will restore everything. God is working to restore all things to Himself, yet allowing man to choose wickedness and turn away. What do you think of when you think of God restoring the world?

vv. 24-26 – God sent Jesus first of all to the Jews and the message of Christ after His death and resurrection back to the Jews because God cared for His people and longed for them to come to Him. Since the beginning though the Israelites have turned toward other things to serve and worship rather than God. Why do you think God still cares for them and loves them enough to first take the gospel to them?