Acts 3. | Thru the Bible Devo. The Book of Acts.

Hello and welcome Mercy Church family to week three of our new devotional journey through the Bible.

The first book of the Bible we are studying is the Book of Acts, and today we are on chapter three.

I want to begin this week's study by talking about the instructions Jesus gave the disciples towards the end of his ministry to prepare them for when he was gone.

We have already studied the instructions about waiting on the Holy Spirit, and the disciples did just as he instructed, and boy were they glad that they did, because the Holy Spirit came upon them in power and fire in last week's chapter.

He was everything they had been waiting for.

Jesus had ascended into heaven.

The Holy Spirit has come to dwell and fill and empower the disciples.

Now, what?

What other instructions did Jesus give the disciples for when he was gone?

Have you ever had this happen to you?

God has given you specific instructions about a certain task and you complete it just as he has asked, only to have no clue what to do next.

This is where the Holy Spirit comes in.

Just like the disciples, the Holy Spirit gives us power and anoints us to do God's work, but he also guides us and shows us where to go and reveals the truth to us.

John 14, 25 says All this I've spoken while still with you, but the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I've said to you.

This past fall we did a series called Seven on the gifts that the Holy Spirit gives to the individual.

In the series we talked about the spirit of wisdom, understanding, knowledge and counsel.

It explains it extremely well how the Holy Spirit guides us in the truth.

John 16, verse 13,.

John 16:13

I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now.

When the spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears, he will speak and he will declare to you the things that are to come.

He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you.

All that the Father has is mine.

Therefore, I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you.

You know there were a lot of things that Jesus said that went straight over the disciples' heads.

In Luke 18, verse 31,.

Luke 18:31

Jesus says this.

Then he took the twelve aside and said to them Behold, we are going to Jerusalem, and all the things that are written by the prophets concerning the Son of man will be accomplished, for he will be delivered to the Gentiles and will be mocked and insulted and spit upon, they will scourge him and kill him, and the third day he will rise again.

But they understood none of these things.

This saying was hidden from them and they did not know the things which were spoken.

The disciples didn't understand a good portion of Jesus' words completely Until the Holy Spirit came.

Mark 9, starting at verse 2,.

After six days, jesus took Peter, james and John with him and led them up to a high mountain where they were all alone.

There he was transfigured before them.

His clothes became dazzling white, wider than anyone in the world could bleach them.

And there appeared before them Elijah and Moses, who were talking with Jesus.

Peter said to Jesus Rabbi, it is good for us to be here.

Let us put up three shelters one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.

He did not know what to say.

They were so frightened.

Then a cloud appeared and covered them in.

A voice from the cloud said this is my Son, whom I love.

Listen to him.

Suddenly, when they looked around, they no longer saw anyone with them except Jesus.

As they were coming down the mountain, jesus gave them orders not to tell anyone what they had seen until the Son of man had risen from the dead.

They kept the matter to themselves, discussing what rising from the dead means.

Chance and I had the opportunity to go to Israel in 2019 for 10 days.

We learned so much each day that we finished the day thinking our brains were going to explode.

We couldn't even put more in.

There was so much to learn.

At a certain point in the day, our brains just became overloaded.

Could you imagine, as a disciple sitting at the feet of God Himself?

Not only is he talking about things you know, but even more things that are to come, and you couldn't even begin to understand on your own.

And he was speaking in riddles.

Talk about mind blown.

Throughout the Gospels over and over.

The disciples did not understand.

Many of the followers of Jesus left because they could not understand John 2, let's begin in 18.

The Jews then responded to him what sign can you show us to prove your authority to do all this?

Jesus answered them destroy this temple and I will raise it up again in three days.

They replied it has taken 46 years to build this temple and you're going to raise it in three days.

But the temple he had spoken of was his body.

After he was raised from the dead, his disciples recalled what he had said.

Then they believed the scripture in the words that Jesus had spoken.

This is because our fleshly minds and bodies cannot understand spiritual things Until the Holy Spirit comes to dwell within us.

We just can't get it.

God has to put in a new, clean spirit into us.

God's spirit gives us the understanding to our new spirit.

1 Corinthians, 2, 6,.

Yet among the mature we do impart wisdom, although it is not wisdom of this age or the rulers of this age who are doomed to pass away, but we impart a secret and hidden wisdom of God, which God decreed before the ages for our glory.

None of the rulers of this age understood this, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.

But, as it is written, what no eye has seen, nor ear has heard, nor heart of man imagined.

But God has prepared for those who love him these things God had revealed to us through his spirit.

For the spirit searches everything, even the depths of God.

For who knows a person's thoughts except the spirit of that person which is in him?

So also, no one comprehends the thoughts of God except the spirit of God.

Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the spirit who's from God that we might understand the things freely given us by God.

And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom, but taught by the spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual.

The natural person does not accept the things of the spirit of God, for they are folly to him and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned.

The spiritual person judges all things, but is himself to be judged by no one.

For who has understood the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?

But we have the mind of Christ.

There was so much that went straight over the disciples' heads when the Holy Spirit came upon the people.

He provided fresh revelation over the words of Jesus.

He brought all those words to remembrance and, what's more, gave them a new understanding.

I'm not sure if you understand the disciples' situation.

Jesus has trained them for three years, given them knowledge, and then ascended into heaven.

He left them to fulfill their callings on their own, but he didn't really.

The disciples waited on the Holy Spirit, who is to be their guide for the rest of their lives.

However, the Holy Spirit works differently than just walking up to Jesus and asking him a question.

Right, when you get to the spot, when you don't know what's next in your own life, what do you do?

Just like the disciples go to prayer in the Word of God.

The disciples spent 10 days between Jesus' ascension and the day of Pentecost in prayer, and then the Holy Spirit came upon them.

What did Jesus tell them to do when he was gone?

So, just like the disciple would have had to.

Let's go back to Jesus' words.

Simply put, jesus' words are his instructions to us.

If we don't read his word or know his word, how are we to know what we are supposed to do?

Matthew 28.16 says Now the 11 disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them, and when they saw him, they worshipped him.

But some doubted, and Jesus came and said to them All authority in heaven and on earth have been given to me.

Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.

And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.

To summarize, jesus says I have died and was resurrected.

I have defeated death and now have the power over all things.

Now go and tell the world, baptizing them in all three persons, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, and teach them to observe all that I have commanded you.

So what does he command in his disciples?

Matthew 417 says From that time, jesus began to preach and to say Repent for the kingdom of heaven as a hand.

And verse 19, he says Come, follow me.

Jesus said, and I will send you out to fish for people.

Matthew 16.24, he said Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.

John 8.31, he says If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples.

John 13.34, a new commandment I give to you that you love one another.

Just as I have loved you, you are also to love one another.

By this, all people will know that you are my disciples if you have love for one another.

John 14.15, he says If you love me, you will keep my commandments.

John 14.15, he says these are just a few of them.

Not only were the disciples supposed to tell people about Jesus, but they were also supposed to teach them how to follow Jesus, just like Jesus taught them.

Helping people find they are bringing the gospel to them, sharing it with them and teaching them how to follow by observing all of Jesus' commands.

It was a condition of their discipleship.

Let's see what Jesus' instructions are at the end of the Gospel of Mark, mark 16, beginning in verse 14,.

Afterward, he appeared to the eleven themselves as they were reclining at the table, and he rebuked them for their unbelief and hardness of heart because they had not believed those who saw him after he had risen.

And he said to them Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation.

Whoever believes in his baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.

And these signs will accompany those who believe in my name they will cast out demons, they will speak in new tongues, they will pick up serpents with their hands and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not hurt them.

They will lay their hands on the sick and they will recover.

So when the Lord Jesus, after he had spoken to them, was taken into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God, and they went out and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the message by accompanying signs.

Not only were the disciples supposed to go out into all the world, but they are being commissioned and sent out, and they aren't sent out alone.

God goes with them and gives them power and protection and miracles.

Now let's look at Luke 24, verse 36.

Luke 24:36

As they were talking about these things, jesus himself stood among them and said Peace to you.

But they were startled and frightened and thought they saw a spirit.

And he said to them why are you troubled and why do doubts arise in your hearts?

See my hands and my feet, that is, I myself.

Touch me and see, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones, as you see that I have.

And when he had said this, he showed him his hands and his feet.

And while they still disbelieved for joy and were marveling, he said to them have you anything here to eat?

They gave him a piece of broiled fish and he took it and he ate before them.

Then he said to them these are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me and the law of Moses and the prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.

Then he opened their minds to understand the scriptures and said to them Thus it is written that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that the repentance for the forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning in Jerusalem.

You are witnesses of these things and, behold, I'm sending the promise of my father upon you.

But stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.

And he led them out as far as Bethany and, lifting up his hands, he blessed them.

While he blessed them, he parted from them and was carried up into heaven.

And they worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy and were continually in the temple blessing God.

Jesus gave his followers many instructions, but their mission was clear.

They were to go out and share the gospel, to be witnesses of what they had seen and tell the world and to train them up in the way they should go Discipleship Acts 1.8.

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and Judea and Samaria and to the ends of the earth.

This is called the Great Commission.

All of us are called to share the gospel, not just the 12 disciples, not just the pastors, every person who follows Jesus.

If these instructions were just for the 12, then the Holy Spirit would not have come upon all the people he did on the day of Pentecost.

The disciples would have been the only ones empowered by the Spirit.

Acts 2.

Starting at the top, when the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place.

Suddenly, a sound like the blowing of violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting.

They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them.

All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.

We know in addition to the 12 disciples, there were around 120 people that were filled with the Spirit in that upper room on the day of Pentecost.

Then, later that day, jump down to verse 38.

Peter replied Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ, for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off, for all who call on the Lord will be saved.

With many other words, he warned them and he pleaded with them save yourself from this corrupt generation.

Those who accepted his message were baptized and about 3,000 were added to their number that day.

Now, at this point in Acts, there is 3,120 plus the disciples, filled with the Spirit so that they can go out and share the Gospel.

The Holy Spirit came upon them with tongues of fire.

Besides power, a boldness enters us.

When the Holy Spirit fills us, we have God inside of us.

The Spirit, the fire, creates a boldness in us.

This is the anointing, this is the spirit of might.

It gives us strength and courage to do what is needed to fulfill the Lord's instructions.

Jesus said if you're my disciple, you will take up your cross and follow me.

You will tell people about me, you will share the Gospel and my Holy Spirit will be upon you and you will teach the people to obey me.

As we continue to walk through the Book of Acts, we will see the disciples walking out his instructions.

This marks the end of day one, part 2, the Anointing.

As we progress further into the Book of Acts.

I would like to talk about the anointing of the Holy Spirit.

To make this easy, god's anointing allows us to have spiritual connection with God.

Think of it like spiritual receptivity.

We live as spirits and souls that see the world through physical bodies.

Our physical bodies cannot experience spiritual things.

We can't see them or hear them or feel them.

But because we have a new spirit in us, and God's spirit too, we can now communicate with God.

There are four words used in the Bible for the anointing.

Shafak, this Hebrew word, means to pour out, to gush, to spill forth.

Joel 2.28,.

And afterwardI will pour out my spirit on all people.

Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams and your young men will see visions.

The anointing could be oil or blood or your heart.

The second term used for the anointing in the Bible is mashach.

This Hebrew word means to smear on, to consecrate, to declare, make sacred, set apart, dedicate by a vow.

Psalm 89.20,.

I have found David, my servant, and my holy oil have I anointed him.

The term Messiah comes from the word mashach.

Jesus is called the Messiah, jesus, the anointed one, in Hebrew.

The third word for anointing is creo.

This is a Greek word that means to rub in, to touch with a hand, to make holy, to empower, to shield with oil.

Hebrews 1.19,.

You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness.

Therefore, your God has set you above your companions by anointing you with the oil of joy.

The term Christ comes from the word creo.

Jesus is named Jesus Christ.

That is not his last name.

It means Jesus, the anointed one.

In Greek, the last word we are going to study today that means anointing from the Bible is the Hebrew word dasheen, which means to anoint, to make fat, to become prosperous.

It indicates that oil is poured out so abundantly that the person being anointed becomes fat with it, fat with prosperity and rejoicing.

I don't know about you, but I would like to have so much spirit poured out on me that I become fat with prosperity and rejoicing.

Note that I'm not just talking here about finances.

I'm talking about prosperity in all areas of your life.

Psalm 23.5 says you prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.

You anoint my head with oil.

My cup runs over.

When we think about the word anoint in the church, most often we think of anointing with oil.

Why do we anoint with oil?

We do it just as the word creo suggests to consecrate, to set apart, to make something holy, to dedicate something to God.

God actually tells the Israelites to anoint with oil.

Let's look at Exodus 29.

Exodus, 29.1, 7 through 9.

This is what you shall do to consecrate Aaron and his sons so that they may serve me as priests.

Let's jump down to verse 7.

Then you shall take the anointing oil and pour it on his head and anoint him.

You shall bring his sons and put tunics on them and you shall wrap them with sashes Aaron and his sons, and put the ornamental caps on them, and the priests' office shall be theirs by perpetual statute.

So you shall ordain Aaron and his sons.

So we anoint with oil because God has told us to.

He even gave us instructions on the process.

Here they are anointing the priests with oil to set them apart, to make holy, to consecrate them for God, for God's service, for his worship.

When we moved into this building we anointed the church with oil.

We are setting it apart, consecrating it as holy, dedicating it to the Lord.

I want to be clear nothing in our own actions, nothing by our own human devices causes God's anointing of the Holy Spirit.

It is the same with anointing with oil.

We anoint it with oil, then God does his part by anointing it with his spirit in return.

Let's scroll down to verse 44 of the same chapter.

So I will consecrate the tent of the meeting and the altar and will consecrate Aaron and his sons to serve me as priests.

Anointing something with oil on man's part is symbolic of God's anointing with the Holy Spirit.

Oil is a good visual for the Holy Spirit.

You can't see oil most of the time, but when it's poured out upon something you can feel it and it coats everything it touches and it's hard to get off.

So when man follows the process, god sets out an anoint, something as holy, and sets it apart for the Lord.

The Lord does the same and anoints it with his spirit.

So in the Old Testament the Holy Spirit didn't live inside the believer.

It isn't until Jesus ascended into heaven that the Holy Spirit came to dwell within the believer.

But today, thanks to the new covenant, the Holy Spirit lives inside each of us and so does his anointing.

How much do you know about sheep?

Do you know?

A shepherd anoints his sheep with oil.

When a shepherd smears oil on a sheep, he anoints his head, his eyes and his nose to protect him from flies and his body to protect him from other elements.

In fact, psalm 23 is actually all about sheep keeping and how the Lord keeps us.

Today he does a lot of it through his Holy Spirit.

Psalm 23,.

The Lord is my shepherd.

I lack nothing.

He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he refreshes my soul, he guides me along the right paths for his namesake.

And even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me, your rod and your staff.

They comfort me.

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.

You anoint my head with oil.

My cup overflows.

Surely, your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

God anoints us.

Second Corinthians 1, verse 21,.

2 Corinthians 1:21

Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ.

He anointed us, set his seal of ownership on us and put his spirit in our hearts as a deposit guaranteeing what is to come.

He consecrates us and sets us apart as his own.

1 John 2, verse 20,.

1 John 2:20

But you have an anointing from the Holy One.

You have been set apart, specially gifted and prepared by the Holy Spirit, and all of you know the truth.

Because he teaches us, illuminates our minds and guards us from error.

Let's jump down to verse 27.

As for you, the anointing, the special gift, the preparation which you receive from him remains permanently in you and you have no need for anyone to teach you.

But just as his anointing teaches you, gives you insight, through the presence of his Holy Spirit, about all things and is true and is not a lie, and just as his anointing has taught you, you must remain in him, being rooted in him, knit to him.

What a perfect picture of the individual anointing and what the Holy Spirit within us does for us as individuals.

God takes care of us and that is exactly what he does with the personal anointing.

I would like to simplify the anointing of the Holy Spirit by categorizing it into two types to give us more understanding.

When the Holy Spirit anoints us, he gives us each our own personal anointing and a corporate anointing.

The personal anointing we just talked about.

It's for our own personal protection, our own edification.

This is the seal of our salvation.

The personal anointing is a gift to us, a helper that allows us to do things that we cannot do on our own.

The Holy Spirit gives us the anointing to empower us, to guide us, to protect us, to help us through this life.

Life is hard.

We might not make it on our own, but the Holy Spirit gives us power to continue through the toughest situations.

The personal anointing guides us and helps us and gives us the power to finish our race, to hold on to our faith.

It helps us grow and mature and experience the fullness of Christ.

Ephesians 4, verse 12,.

Ephesians 4:12

And he did this to fully equip and perfect the saints, god's people, for works of service, to build at the body of Christ, the church, until we all reach oneness in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God, growing spiritually to become a mature believer, reaching to the measure of the fullness of Christ, manifesting his spiritual completeness and exercising our spiritual gifts in unity.

The personal anointing helps us become mature believers.

This marks the end of day two, part three dwelling place.

Before we go any further, I want to give you a little summary of how the Holy Spirit came to dwell with NS and its significance.

God created mankind to have a relationship with him.

He spent a lot of time in fellowship with Adam and Eve.

Genesis 3, verse eight.

Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden.

When Adam and Eve sinned, not only were they kicked out of paradise and punished with death and work and childbirth, but they were cut off from God's presence.

Isaiah 59, 2,.

But your iniquities have separated you from your God and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he will not hear.

I want you to understand that God is always present, always existing everywhere, all at the same time.

Proverbs 15, 3 says the eyes of the Lord are in every place, keeping watch on the evil and the good.

His presence is laced throughout the entire universe.

There is nowhere you could go or hide that.

He is not.

He sees and hears and experiences and knows everything, even our thoughts.

David describes it like this in Psalm 139.

Let's start at the beginning.

Oh Lord, you have searched me and known me.

You know when I sit down and when I rise up.

You discern my thoughts from afar.

You search on my path and my lying down and are acquainted with all my ways, even before a word is on my tongue.

Behold, oh Lord, you know it all together.

You hem me in behind and before and lay your hand upon me.

Such knowledge is too wonderful for me.

It is high.

I cannot attain it.

Where shall I go from your spirit or where shall I flee from your presence?

If I ascend to heaven, you are there.

If I make my bed and shul, you are there.

If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there, your hand shall lead me and your right hand shall hold me.

If I say, surely the darkness shall cover me and the light about me be night.

Even the darkness is not too dark.

For you, the night is bright as the day, for darkness is as light with you, for you formed my inward parts and you knitted me together in my mother's womb.

I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.

Wonderful are your works.

My soul knows it very well.

My frame was not hidden from you when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth.

Your eyes saw my unformed substance and your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me when, as yet, there was none of them.

God is always there, always with us, always right there, next to us, and sin has separated us from God.

God is a spirit.

Adam and Eve had physical bodies, but they had fellowship with God by their spirit.

Sin has killed our spirit.

We are spiritually blind and can no longer experience him through our senses.

When Cain sinned, god punished him and he was distraught because he was no longer able to step foot in God's presence.

Genesis 4, verse 13,.

Genesis 4:13

Cain said to the Lord my punishment is greater than I can bear.

Behold, you have driven me out this day from the face of the land and from your face presence.

I will be hidden and I will be a fugitive and an aimless vagabond on the earth.

And whoever finds me will kill me.

And the Lord said to him Therefore, whoever kills Cain, a sevenfold vengeance that is, punishment seven times worse shall be taken on him by me.

And the Lord set a protective mark sign on Cain so that no one who found him would kill him.

So Cain went away from the manifested presence of the Lord and lived in the land of Nod, wandering in exile east of Eden.

The word manifested presence means his presence that you can fill with your senses.

So it was 1600 plus years between Adam and Noah and then 400 plus years between the flood in Abraham and 400 years between Abraham and Moses.

This is a lot of generations without the presence of God.

Occasionally, throughout the centuries, god would make himself known to someone.

It wasn't until Moses asked for God's presence to remain with the Israelites that God's manifested presence stayed on the earth in a small way in comparison to him filling the entire universe.

Exodus 33, verse 12,.

Exodus 33:12

Moses said to the Lord you have been telling me, lead this people, but you have not let me know whom you will send me.

You have said I know you by name and you have found favor with me.

If you are pleased with me, teach me your way so that I may know you and continue to find favor with you.

Remember that this nation is your people.

The Lord replied my presence will go with you and I will give you rest.

Then Moses said to him If your presence does not go with us, do not send us out from here.

How will anyone know that you are pleased with me and your people unless you go with us.

What else will distinguish me and your people from all the other people on the face of the earth?

On the mountaintop?

God gave the Israelites a way for his presence to dwell within his people.

He gave them instructions to build the Ark of the Covenant.

The Ark of the Covenant was an ornate box on poles where a portion of the Holy Spirit would rest.

It was portable so they could take it with them to the Promised Land, and they had a system of tents called the Tabernacle, that they would set up for worship when they could make camp.

The Tabernacle would sit behind the veil in the Holy of Holies, the holiest of rooms, in the Tabernacle.

Exodus 40, verse 1,.

Exodus 40:1

The Lord said to Moses Set up the Tabernacle, the tent of the meeting, on the first day of the first month.

Place the Ark of the Covenant law in it and shield the Ark with the curtain.

Bring in the table and set out what belongs on it.

Then bring in the lamp stand and set up its lamps.

Place the gold altar of incense in front of the Ark of the Covenant law and put the curtain at the entrance to the Tabernacle.

Place the altar of the burnt offerings in front of the entrance to the Tabernacle, the tent of meeting, place, the basin between the tent of meeting and the altar and put water in it, set up the courtyard around it and put the curtain at the entrance to the courtyard.

Down to verse 16, moses did everything just as the Lord commanded him.

And when all the work was complete verse 34, then the cloud covered the tent of the meeting and the glory of the Lord filled the Tabernacle.

Moses could not enter the tent of the meeting because the cloud had settled on it and the glory of the Lord filled the Tabernacle and all the travels of the Israelites.

Whenever the cloud lifted from above the Tabernacle, they would set out.

But if the cloud did not lift, they did not set out until the day it lifted.

So the cloud of the Lord was over the Tabernacle by day and fire was in a cloud by night, in the sight of all the Israelites during all of their travels.

So the only place in all the world the Israelites could worship was where God was and his spirit was in the Tabernacle.

The Israelites carried his presence with them wherever they went for surprise over 400 years, until Solomon built God a temple 1 Kings 6, starting at the top and the 480th year after the Israelites came out of Egypt, in the fourth year of Solomon's reign over Israel, in the month of Ziv, the second month, he began to build the temple of the Lord.

The temple was glorious.

After it was finished, they placed the ark and the holy of holies within the temple.

I want to read you a snippet of Solomon's dedication prayer 1 Kings 8, 27.

But will God really dwell on the earth?

The heavens, even the highest heavens, cannot contain you, how much less this temple I have built.

Yet give attention to your servant's prayer and his plea for mercy.

Lord, my God, hear the cry and the prayer that your servant is praying in your presence this day.

May your eyes be open towards this temple, night and day.

This place of which you said my name shall be there so that you will hear the prayer of your servant praise towards this place.

Just like God's presence filled the Tabernacle, god's presence filled the temple.

In Chronicles 7, verse 1,.

As soon as Solomon finished his prayer, fire descended from heaven and burned up the burnt offerings and sacrifices, and the glory of the Lord filled the temple.

The priests cannot enter into the temple because the glory of the Lord had filled the Lord's temple when all the Israelites saw the fire coming down and the glory of the Lord resting on the temple, they bowed down their faces to the ground on the pavement, worshiped and gave thanks to the Lord because he is good, because his gracious love is eternal.

Then the king and all the people kept offering sacrifices in the presence of the Lord.

King Solomon offered a sacrifice of 22,000 oxen and 120,000 sheep, which is how the king and all the people dedicated God's temple.

The priests stood and waiting at their assigned places, along with the descendants of Levi who carried musical instruments used in service to the Lord that King David had made for giving thanks to the Lord because his gracious love is eternal.

Whenever David, accompanied by priests sounding trumpets, offered praise, while all of Israel stood in the assembly.

After the dedication of the temple, god gave Solomon conditions for his dwelling place Verse 12,.

Later, the Lord appeared to Solomon during the night and told him I have heard your prayer and have chosen this place for a sacrificial temple to me.

Whenever I close the sky so there is no rain, or whenever I command locusts to lay waste in the land, or whenever I send epidemics among my people, when my people humble themselves, the ones who are called by my name and pray, seek me and turn away from their evil practices.

I myself will listen from heaven, I will pardon their sins and I will restore their land.

Now, therefore, my eyes will remain open and my ears will remain listening to the prayers that are offered in this place.

Furthermore, I have chosen and have set apart for myself this temple, intending my name to reside there forever.

My eyes and my heart will reside there every day.

Now, as for you, if you commune with me, like your father did, doing everything that I have commanded you, including obeying my statutes and my legal decisions, then I will make your royal throne secure, just as I agreed to do for your father, David, when I said you are to not lack a man to rule over Israel.

But if you turn away and abandon my statutes and my commands that I have given you, and if you walk away to serve other gods and worship them, then I will tear them up by the roots from the ground that I have given them.

And as for this temple I have set apart for my name, I will throw it out of my sight and make it the butt of jokes and a means of ridicule among people worldwide.

Furthermore, even though this temple seems so exalted, everyone who passes by it will be astounded that they will ask why did the Lord do this to this land and to this temple?

They will answer because they abandoned the Lord of their ancestors, who brought them from the land of Egypt, adopted other gods, worshiped them and served them.

Therefore, the Lord has brought all of this disaster upon them.

God says if you turn for me, I will destroy this temple.

I want to fast forward another 400 years here, to the time of Ezekiel.

God gives Ezekiel a warning to the Israelites that if they do not turn from their sin, they will be punished.

The Israelites don't repent.

Ezekiel 7, verse 20,.

Ezekiel 7:20

As for his beautiful ornament, he set it up in majesty, but they made detestable images and loathsome idols.

Therefore, I'll give them something loathsome.

I'll give it as plunder into the control of strangers and as the spoils a war to the wicked who will invade the land to profane it.

I'll turn my face from them so that they'll defile my treasured place.

Robbers will enter and profane it, forge a chain, because the land is full of bloody judgment and the city is filled with violence.

Therefore, I'm bringing the worst of the nations who will take possession of their houses, I'll cause the pride of the mighty to cease and their sanctuaries will be profaned.

When the destruction comes, they will seek peace, but there will be none found.

Disaster upon disaster will come, followed by rumor upon rumor.

They'll seek an oracle from the prophet, but the law will be gone from the priests and counsel from the elders.

The king will mourn, the prince will be clothed with desolation and the hands of the people of the land will tremble.

I'll deal with them according to their behavior and I will judge them by how they've judged.

Then they'll learn that I am the Lord.

The presence of the Lord leaves the temple and Jerusalem and the Israelites.

Ezekiel 10, verse 18,.

Ezekiel 10:18

Then the glory of the Lord moved out from the entrance of the temple and hovered above the cherubim.

And as I watched, the cherubim flew with their wheels to the east gate of the Lord's temple, and the glory of God of Israel hovered above them.

When the Israelites did not heed Ezekiel's warning, the presence of God left the temple.

With the presence of the Lord absent from the temple, his protection was also lifted up.

God allowed and used Nebuchadnezzar to destroy the temple and Jerusalem and to take the sin-filled Israelites captive to fulfill his words.

2 Kings 25, verse 8,.

2 Kings 25:8

On the seventh day of the fifth month of the 19th year of King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylonia, nebusaradan, advisor to the king and commander of his army, entered Jerusalem.

He burned down the temple, the palace and the houses of all the important people in Jerusalem, and his soldiers tore down the city walls.

Then Nebusaradan took away to Babylonia the people who were left in the city, the remaining skilled workers and those who had deserted to the Babylonians.

But he left in Judah some of the poorest people who owned no property, and put them to work in the vineyards and the fields.

The Israelites were held captive by the Babylonians and some were able to return fifty years later to begin building a second temple.

Nehemiah, with the favor of God, gains favor with the king and is allowed to return and rebuild the city.

Can you imagine what it is like for them not to have the presence of the Lord available to them?

Nehemiah, zechariah, haggai and Zerobabel, and thanks to a decree from the emperor of Persia, the remnants of the house of Israel began to rebuild a modest temple.

1 Thessalonians 3, verse 10,.

1 Thessalonians 3:10

When the builders started to lay the foundation of the temple, the priests and their robes took their places with the trumpets in their hands, and the Levites of the clan of Asaph stood there with symbols.

They praised the Lord according to the instructions handed down from the time of King David.

They sang the Lord's praises, repeating and reframing the Lord is good and his love for Israel is eternal.

Everyone shouted with all their might praising the Lord because the work on the foundation of the temple had been started.

Many of the older priests, levites and the heads of clans had seen the first temple and as they watched the foundation of this temple being laid, they cried and wailed.

But the others who were there shouted for joy.

No one could distinguish between the joyful shouts and the crying, because the noise they made was so loud that it could be heard for miles.

The manifested glory of the Lord did not descend upon the second temple.

Whether the Spirit of the Lord rested in the Holy of Holies or not, we don't know.

The Ark of the Covenant was lost during the destruction by the Babylonians.

No one knows what happened to it.

When we went to Israel, our guide Moish assured me that the rabbi spirited away before the siege and it was believed to either be hidden deep under the temple or somewhere in the Mount of Olives.

Even Indiana Jones looked forward in the movie Raiders of the Lost Ark.

God gives us a glimpse of it again in a vision he gives to John Revelation 11, verse 19,.

Revelation 11:19

Then in heaven, the temple of God was opened and the Ark of His Covenant could be seen inside the temple.

Lightning flashed, thunder crashed and roared and there was an earthquake and a terrible hail storm.

Today, wherever the Ark is located, if it is even still on this earth, it is exactly where God intends it.

The second temple was made modest, but eventually was expanded and made glorious by Herod.

This is the same temple that Jesus worships and teaches at his time.

Luke 2, 41.

Every year, jesus' parents went to Jerusalem for the Passover Festival.

When Jesus was 12 years old, they attended the festival as usual.

After the celebration was over, they started home to Nazareth but realized that Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem.

His parents didn't miss Him at first because they assumed he was among the other travelers, but when he didn't show up that evening, they started looking for Him among the relatives and friends.

When they couldn't find Him, they went back to Jerusalem to search for Him there.

Three days later, they finally discovered Him in the temple, sitting among the religious leaders, listening to them and asking questions.

All who heard Him were amazed at His understanding and His answers.

His parents didn't know what to think, son.

His mother said why have you done this to us?

Your father and I have been frantic searching for you everywhere.

But why did you need to search?

He asked.

Didn't you know that I must be in my father's house?

God never intended to be housed in a box or in a building.

He did it because that is what Moses asked.

He did it to help the Israelites.

Our sin kept us separated and a piece of His presence was contained within it, so pure that the goodness of His glory would kill us if we walked into His presence.

The tabernacle, the temple, they were both a temporary fix until the time was right.

When Jesus died on the cross, he fixed our sin problem.

Let's look at what happens on the cross, matthew 2745.

Now, from the sixth hour noon, there was a darkness over the land until the ninth hour, three o'clock pm.

About the ninth hour, jesus cried out with a loud, agonized voice Eli, eli Lama, sabaq Thani, that is my God.

My God, why have you forsaken me?

When some of the bystanders there heard it, they began saying this man is calling for Elijah.

Immediately one of them ran and took a sponge and soaked it with sour wine and put it on a reed and gave him a drink.

But the rest said Let us see whether Elijah will come to save him from death.

Jesus cried out again with a loud, agonizing voice and gave up his spirit, voluntarily, sovereignly, dismissing and releasing his spirit from his body in submission to his father's plan.

And at once the veil of the Holy of Holies of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom.

The earth shook and the rocks were split apart.

The tombs were opened and many bodies of the saints, god's people who had fallen asleep in death, were raised to life and coming out of the tombs.

After his resurrection, they entered the Holy city, jerusalem, and appeared to many people Now, the Centurion and those who were with him keeping guard over Jesus.

When they saw the earthquake and the things that were happening, they were terribly frightened and filled with awe and said Truly this was the Son of God.

At the moment, jesus died on the cross.

There was an earthquake and the curtain to the Holy of Holies was torn because the Spirit of God left the temple and would never return again.

The Spirit of God chose a new temple and came to dwell within it.

Just 53 days later Acts 2,.

When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place.

Suddenly, a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting.

They saw what happened to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them.

They were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak at other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.

Chance and I got to visit the Temple Mount when we went to Israel.

The Temple Mount is what you see when you see a picture of Jerusalem.

It's the Temple Mount, with a building on top and a golden dome.

Let me give you a brief overview of the history of the Temple Mount.

Solomon built the Temple on Mount Moriah where Abraham sacrificed Isaac, and both temples rested in the same spot.

The Temple was torn down and destroyed by the Romans, and the Israelites were killed or taken as slaves or displaced around the world.

The Muslims came in after the Romans left and eventually built a temple on top of the Temple Mount where both temples had sat.

It is the golden dome.

You see A part of the temple still sits on the mount, with a few walls left.

You might be familiar with the Western Wall.

If you had ever seen a video of Jerusalem the Wall where the Jewish people go to pray you will see them standing in crowds, touching the wall, bowing, reading and praying at the wall.

The Western Wall, also known as the Wailing Wall, is the wall closest to where the Holy of Holies would have been, with the Ark of the Covenant and the presence of the Lord inside.

So next to the wall is the closest these Jews can get to God.

Last time I was there, I had a surreal moment.

There were all of these Jewish people praying and worshiping and crying their hearts out to God and that really choked me up.

I wanted to shake them, to cry out and say to them don't you know that he is not here?

He is risen.

This marks the end of day three, part four, spirit and in Truth.

You might be thinking wow, she is really long-winded.

Today.

We are in day four, part three of this study and we haven't even gotten to the passage.

I think it's very important that we understand the issues going on behind the scenes.

This is why I've set up the study into parts and keywords and concepts.

As we grow into maturity, it is essential that we build a greater understanding of the overall character and mission of God.

All of the story connects and it's so beautiful how it all comes together.

I want you to understand.

I want to begin with the Lady at the Well.

We talked about her last week, john four, starting in 19.

The woman said to him sir, I perceive that you are a prophet.

Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, but you say that in Jerusalem is the place where people ought to worship.

Jesus said to her woman believe me, the hour is coming when neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father.

You worship what you do not know.

We worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews.

But the hour is coming and is now here, when true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him.

God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.

For more than a thousand years, the Jewish people worshiped at the tabernacle or temple only.

It is where the spirit of God dwelt.

I keep thinking about how the Israelites still go to the temple today, to the wall to pray.

They make pilgrimages there.

They move there because a wall is the closest to God that they can get.

When we were there, they had just opened up some tunnels under the Temple Mount and we were able to go underneath.

These were the tunnels that David used to sneak into Jerusalem and capture it.

Areas of the tunnels take you deeper and closer to where the Holy of Holies sat, and people were in the tunnels praying and worshiping and trying to get physically closer to God, but yet so far away they were totally missing it.

It reminds me of the Israelites in the wilderness.

They carried around in the Ark of the Covenant in the little box, and they became so consumed with the power in the box that they forgot whose power it was.

They completely disregarded God himself, the spirit within the box.

They took the Ark into battle without seeking God.

They thought our special weapon will save the day.

They didn't consider God at all.

1 Samuel 4, 1.

Now the Israelites went out to fight against the Philistines.

The Israelites camped at Ebenezer and the Philistines at Afec.

The Philistines deployed their forces to meet Israel and as the battle spread, israel was defeated by the Philistines, who killed, about 4,000 of them on the battlefield.

When the soldiers returned to camp, the elder of Israel asked why did the lords bring defeat on us today?

Before the Philistines, let us bring the Ark of the Lord's Covenant from Shiloh so that he may go with us and save us from the hands of our enemies.

So the people sent men to Shiloh and they brought back the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord Almighty, who was enthroned between the cherubim and Eli's two sons, hophne and Phineas, were there with the Ark of the Covenant of God.

When the Ark of the Lord's Covenant came into the camp, all Israel raised such a great shout that the ground shook.

Hearing the uproar, the Philistines asked what is all this shouting in the Hebrew camp?

When they learned that the Ark of the Lord had come into the camp, the Philistines were afraid.

A God has come into the camp.

They said oh no, nothing like this has ever happened.

Before we're doomed, who will deliver us from the hand of these mighty gods?

They are the gods who struck the Egyptians with all kinds of plagues in the wilderness.

Be strong, philistines.

Be men or you will be subject to the Hebrews, as they have been to you.

Be men and fight.

So the Philistines fought and the Israelites were defeated.

Every man fled to his tent.

The slaughter was great, israel lost 30,000 foot soldiers, the Ark of God was captured and Eli's two sons, haphne and Phineas, died.

Over and over again.

Ezekiel warned the Israelites to repent or God would destroy the city of Jerusalem, but they never took him seriously.

Why?

Because they thought we have our lucky temple in the city, just like the Israelites thought we have our lucky art.

They took God's spirit in the temple and his spirit in the art for granted.

They thought the temple will always be here, so we will always be safe, even when the warnings came from God Himself.

His presence was the reason for the temple.

His presence was the reason for the art.

Without His presence, the ark is just a box.

Without His presence, the temple is just a building.

The Israelites refused to listen to Ezekiel.

They took God's favor and his temple for granted so much that they began to bring idols into the temple.

God gives Ezekiel a vision.

He takes him into the temple Ezekiel 8, verse 6,.

Ezekiel 8:6

And he said to me Son of man, do you see what they are doing, the utterly detestable things that Israelites are doing here, things that will drive me far from my sanctuary, but you will see that things are even more detestable.

Then he brought me to the entrance to the court.

I looked and I saw a hole in the wall.

He said to me, son of man, now dig into the wall.

So I dug into the wall and saw a doorway there.

And he said to me Go in and see the wicked and detestable things they are doing here.

So I went in and looked and I saw a portrait all over the walls, all kinds of crawling things and unclean animals and all the idols of Israel.

In front of them stood 70 elders of Israel and Jazaniah, son of Shaph-an, was standing among them.

Each had a censor in his hand and a fragrant cloud of instances was rising.

He said to me, son of man, have you seen what the elders of Israel are doing in the darkness, each at the shrine of his own idol?

They say the Lord does not see us, the Lord is forsaken the land.

Again, he said, you will see them doing things that are even more detestable.

Then he brought me to the entrance of the North Gate, at the house of the Lord, and I saw women sitting there mourning the God of Tamuz.

He said to me.

Do you see this, the Son of man?

You will see things that are even more detestable than this.

He then brought me into the inner court of the house of the Lord and there, at the entrance to the temple, between the portico and the altar, were about 25 men with their backs towards the temple of the Lord and their faces towards the east, and they were bowing down to the sun in the east.

Surprise, god destroyed the temple.

Jesus told the lady at the well that there is a time that is coming when true worship worshipers will worship in spirit and in truth.

The spirit of God now lives in us and our spirit worships him.

It doesn't matter where.

We don't have to go to a temple in a certain place or be a certain people.

For so long, salvation was for the Jews only and only in the temple.

Now it's available to all who want to worship in truth.

No longer is it just for people who go through the right motions.

In Judaism, you could do everything right, follow all the rules, make the right sacrifices, but your heart might not be right as long as you follow the process right.

God describes these people perfectly, isaiah 29-13.

And the Lord said Because this people draw near with their mouth and honor me with their lips, while their hearts are far from me and their fear of me is a commandment taught by men.

God wants true worshipers.

He wants people who worship in truth.

Psalm 145-18 says the Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call out to him in truth.

This means not just through their actions, but also with their heart.

First, samuel, 16, verse 7.

But the Lord said, samuel, do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him.

The Lord does not look at things, the people look at.

People look at the outwards appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.

Jesus drove the people out of the temple.

John 2, verse 13.

John 2:13

Now the Passover of Jews was approaching.

So Jesus went up to Jerusalem and the temple enclosure.

He found people who were selling oxen and sheep and doves and the money changers sitting at their tables.

He made a whip of cords and drove them out of the temple, with the sheep and the oxen, and he scattered the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables.

And then to those who sold the doves, he said Take these things away, stop making my father's house a place of commerce.

His disciples.

Remember that it is written in scriptures zeal, love, concern for your house and its honor will consume me.

Then the Jews retorted what sign attesting miracles?

Can you show us proof of your authority to do these things?

Jesus answered Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up.

Then the Jews replied it took 46 years to build this temple and you will raise it up in three days.

But Jesus was speaking of the temple, which was his body.

So, when he had risen from the dead, his disciples remembered what he had said and they believed and trusted and relied on the scripture and the words that Jesus had spoken.

Now, when he was in Jerusalem at the Passover feast, many believed in his name, identifying themselves with him after seeing his signs attesting miracles, which he was doing.

But Jesus, for his part, did not entrust himself to them because he knew all people and understood the superficiality and fickleness of human nature, and he did not need anyone to testify concerning man and human nature, for he himself knew what was in man, in their hearts and the very core of their being.

God is seeking true worshipers.

Romans 12, verse 1,.

Romans 12:1

Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God's mercy, to offer your body as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God.

This is your true and proper worship.

All people who genuinely worship God are considered true worshipers, not just the ones who go through the correct motions, who do the right things, regardless of the status of our heart.

God gives us a good example of true worshipers at the very beginning of the Bible, in the story of Cain and Abel.

Let's turn to Genesis 4, verse 2.

Genesis 4:2

Now Abel kept the flocks of sheep and goats, but Cain cultivated the ground.

And in the course of time Cain brought to the Lord an offering of the fruit of the ground.

But Abel brought an offering of the finest firstborn of his flock in the fat portions.

And the Lord had respect to regard for Abel and for his offering.

But for Cain and his offering he had no respect.

So Cain became extremely angry, indignant, and he looked annoyed and hostile.

And the Lord said to Cain why are you so angry and why do you look so annoyed?

If you do well, believing me and doing what is acceptable and pleasing to me, will you not be accepted?

And if you do not do well but ignore my instructions, sin crouches at your door.

Its desire is for you to overpower you, but you must master it.

We don't know exactly what was wrong with Cain's offering, but we do know that Cain had a heart problem.

Jesus says in John 14, 15, if you love me, you will keep my commandments.

The Lord pretty much said the exact same thing to Cain.

Why are you so angry and why do you look annoyed?

If you do well, believing me and doing what is acceptable and pleasing to me, will you not be accepted?

But if you do not do well, ignoring my instructions, sin crouches at your door.

Its desire is for you to overpower you, but you must master it.

John in 1, john 3, 12, says this we should not be like Cain, who was of the evil one and murdered his brother.

And why did he murder him?

Because his own deeds were evil and his brothers were righteous.

It was very simple Abel did what was right and his brother did not.

Hebrews 11 4.

By faith, abel offered to God a more acceptable sacrifice than Cain, through which it was testified of him that he was righteous, upright, in right standing with God.

And God testified by accepting his gifts.

And though he died, yet through this act of faith, he still speaks.

Cain's actions looked right in the flesh.

Cain offered a good offering, just like Abel, but it was Cain's heart that was the problem.

Jesus says this in Matthew 12, verse 33, either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree bad and its fruit bad, for the tree is recognized and judged by its fruit.

Matthew 12:33

You, brood of vipers, how can you speak good things when you are evil?

For the mouth speaks out of which fills the heart.

The good man, from his inner good treasure, brings out good things, and the evil man, from his inner evil treasure, brings out evil things.

Jesus says this in Matthew 12, verse 33, make a tree good and its fruit will be good, or make a tree bad and its fruit will be bad, for a tree is recognized by its fruit.

Matthew 12:33

You, brood of vipers, how can you, who are evil, say anything good?

For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.

The New King James version says Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks.

A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him.

If you think about it, many of the people in Jesus' time and in the times of Ezekiel would go to the temple every day, but that didn't mean what they were doing was right.

That doesn't mean that the worship that they were doing was what God has asked them to.

When Abraham formed a covenant with the Israelites, he asked that a sign of the covenant was to be circumcised.

The act of circumcision itself does not immediately make you right with God.

You are not right with God simply because you are circumcised or simply because you do all the right things, or simply because you go to a building, or simply because of your race.

The right things don't save you.

Romans 2, verse 12,.

Romans 2:12

For all who have sinned without the law will also perish without regard to the law, and all who have sinned under the law will be judged and condemned by the law.

For it is not those who merely hear the law as it is read aloud who are just or righteous before God, but it is those who actually obey the law who will be justified, pronounced free of the guilt of sin and declared acceptable to him.

When the Gentiles, who do not have the law since it was only given to the Jews, do instinctly the things the law requires, guided by their own conscience.

Their law to themselves, though they do not have the law, they show that the essential requirements of the law are written in their hearts and their conscience, their sense of right and wrong, their moral choices bearing witness and their thoughts, alternately accusing or perhaps defending them.

On that day when, as my gospel proclaims, god will judge the secrets, all the hidden thoughts and concealed sins of men through Christ Jesus.

And if you bear the name Jew and rely on the law for your salvation and boast in your special relationship to God, and if you claim to know his will and approve the things that are essential or have a sense of what is excellence, based on your instruction from the law, and if you are confident that you are a qualified guide to the blind, those untaught in theology, a light to those who are in darkness, and that you are a corrector of the foolish, a teacher of the spiritually childish, having the law and the embodiment of knowledge and of the truth, well then, you who teach others, do you not teach yourself?

You who preach against stealing, do you steal in ways that are discreet but just as sinful?

You who say that one must not commit adultery, do you commit adultery?

You who detest idols, do you rob pagan temples Of valuable idols and offerings.

You who boast in the law, do you repeatedly dishonor God by breaking the law?

For the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you.

As it is written in Scripture, circumcision, the sign of the covenant of Abraham, is indeed a value if you practice the law.

But if you habitually break the law, your circumcision has become uncircumcision.

It is meaningless in God's sight.

So if the uncircumcised man keeps the requirements of the law, will not his uncircumcision be regarded by God as circumcision?

Then he who is physically uncircumcised but keeps the spirit of the law will judge you who, even though you have the written code and circumcision, break the law.

For he is not a real Jew who is the one outwardly, nor is true circumcision something external and physical, but he who is a Jew who is one inwardly, and true circumcision is circumcision of the heart, by the spirit, not by fulfillment of the letter of the law.

His praise is not from men but from God.

I want to read this passage again in the New Living Translation you who call yourself Jews are relying on God's law and you boast about your special relationship with him.

You know what he wants.

You know what is right because you've been taught his law.

You are convinced that you are a guide for the blind and a light for people who are lost in darkness.

You think you can instruct the ignorant and teach children the ways of God, for you are certain that God's law gives you complete knowledge and truth.

Well then, if you teach others, why don't you teach yourself?

You tell others not to steal, but do you steal?

You say it is wrong to commit adultery, but do you commit adultery.

You condemn idolatry, but do you use items stolen from pagan temples?

You are so proud of knowing the law, but you dishonor God by breaking it.

No wonder the scriptures say that Gentiles blaspheme the name of God.

Because of you.

I am going to be incredibly real right now.

Is it the same for you as the band DC Talk would say?

Are you a Christian who honors God with their lips but denies Him with your lifestyle?

Are you the reason people don't want to come to church?

Do you give Jesus a bad name?

Do you talk the talk but don't walk the walk?

Do you say one thing but do another?

God knows, he knows the status of your heart.

He knows the words upon your lips, even before you say it.

I would like to pause for a moment right now.

If there is anything, anything in your life that is untrue, that is not of Him, I want you to search yourself.

David says it like this Psalm 139, 23,.

Search me, god, and know my heart, test me and know my anxious thoughts.

See if there is any offensive way in me and lead me in the way everlasting.

If God reveals something to you, something that hinders your full worship, something that taints your heart, it's as simple as throwing it out.

Ask for His guidance, pull it out by the root.

Then ask God for forgiveness and repent.

Repentance means to turn 180 degrees, turn in the exact opposite way and don't do it again.

Let's continue.

The Jewish ceremony of circumcision has value only if you obey God's law.

But if you don't obey God's law, you are no better than an uncircumcised Gentile.

And if Gentiles obey God's law, won't God declare them to be His own people?

In fact, uncircumcised Gentiles who keep God's law will condemn you, jews, who are circumcised and possess God's law but don't obey it.

For you are not a true Jew just because you were born of Jewish parents or because you have gone through the ceremony of circumcision, or because you have the tabernacle or because you go to the temple.

No, a true Jew is one whose heart is right with God, and true circumcision is not merely obeying the letter of the law.

Rather, it is a change of heart produced by the Spirit, and a person with a changed heart seeks praise from God, not from people.

Real, quick turn to Philippians 3, verse 2.

Philippians 3:2

Look out for the dogs, the Judaizers, the legalists.

Look out for the troublemakers.

Look out for the false circumcision, those who claim circumcision is necessary for salvation.

For we who are born again have been reborn from above, spiritually transformed, renewed, set apart for His purpose, and are the true circumcision who worship in the Spirit of God and glory and take pride and exult in Christ Jesus and place no confidence in what we have or who we are in the flesh.

Our worship is more than just going to church, more than doing what we are supposed to do.

Our worship is a worship that comes from the heart.

Hebrews says it like this chapter 10, 19,.

Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain that is, through His flesh, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near with the true heart, in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.

This marks the end of day four, part five the body.

On the day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit came upon true worshipers.

God placed a new spirit, a new heart within them and filled them with His Spirit.

All the disciples, people in the upper room and the three thousand that repented when they heard God speak, became the beginning of the early church Acts 2, 37.

Now they heard this and they were cut to the heart with remorse and anxiety.

And they said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, brothers, what are we to do?

And Peter said to them repent, change of your old way of thinking, turn from your old sinful ways, accept and follow Jesus as the Messiah and be baptized, each of you, in the name of Jesus Christ, because of the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

For the promise of the Holy Spirit is for you and your children and for all who are far away, including the Gentiles, as many as the Lord, our God, calls to himself.

And Peter solemnly testified and continued to admonish and urged them with many more words, saying be saved from this crooked and unjust generation.

So, then, those who accepted His message were baptized, and on that day, about three thousand souls were added to the body of believers.

They were continually and faithfully devoting themselves to the instructions of the apostle and to the fellowship, to eating meals together in prayers.

This is where the church was born Romans 12, 5.

So in Christ we, though many, form one body and each member belongs to all the others.

Each of us are the church and our members of the church body.

Ephesians 2, 20.

So, then, you are no longer strangers and aliens outside with the rights of citizenship, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, god's people and our members of God's household.

Having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ himself as the chief cornerstone, in whom the whole structure is joined together and it continues to increase, growing into a holy temple to the Lord, a sanctuary dedicated, set apart and sacred to the presence of the Lord in him and the fellowship with one another, you also are being built together into a dwelling place of God.

In the spirit, we are being built together into a dwelling place of God.

As we continue our reading in Acts, we will see God set up the church, individuals, the corporate body and the institution.

The church body is so important that not only does he spend a lot of time setting it up, but he gives each member a mission to go out and fill the church and also plants within them gifts, talents and abilities to help them fulfill this mission.

1 Corinthians 12, 12.

For just as the body is one and has many members and all the members of the body though many are one body, so it is with Christ, for in one spirit we were all baptized into one body, jews or Greeks, slaves or free, and all were made to drink of one spirit.

All of us are the church, individually and collectively.

We are called to be a part of the church body and to have a relationship with the church.

1 Corinthians 6, 17.

But he who is joined to the Lord becomes one spirit with him.

Flee from sexual immorality.

Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but sexual immorality, person sins against his own body.

Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God?

You are not your own, for you were bought with a price.

So glorify God in your body.

All of us are joined in spirit with him, individually, but corporately we are all one spirit with him and the same spirit resides within us all at the same time.

We saw the explosive force of the Holy Spirit as he filled the tabernacle and then the temple, and then, on the day of Pentecost, we saw the Holy Spirit come in fire to fill a new temple.

Us individually, yet collectively at the same time.

There is a reason the Holy Spirit came upon the people when they were meeting together and the Holy Spirit didn't come on the individual in their own prayer time, in their own homes.

The church is made up of individuals with one spirit connecting them all as one body, ephesians 4-1.

I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the spirit and the bond of peace.

There is one body and one spirit, just as you were called to one hope that belongs to your call.

One Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.

Many people think that because the Holy Spirit now dwells within us individually, we don't need the collective body.

They say I don't need to go to church, I can worship God and teach myself.

I am now the temple, I don't need a building.

1 Corinthians, 12, 27.

Now you, collectively, are Christ's body and individually, you are members of it, each with his own special purpose and function.

It is important for you to understand that the church is not a building.

It's a body, a collective body of believers.

Yes, most churches meet in buildings.

Unfortunately, we haven't figured out a way to do away with buildings yet.

Most churches meet at a certain place at a certain time, but the building doesn't matter anymore.

We saw how the building really mattered and still matters to the Jews, and sometimes the building matters more than the spirit located inside.

Now, god is what matters.

The spirit matters.

Sure, there are individual churches that meet in buildings and many people who don't know any better think that it's only important that they go to church.

We are not saved by simply attending Sunday services.

We are saved through the blood of Jesus and we accept his sacrifice by faith.

Our hearts and relationships with God is what important, not our performance.

The church is more than just a building.

The church is more than just attendance.

In present times, churches meet in buildings, but the people are what is important.

Our hearts and relationships matter, not the building or following the rules perfectly.

If, as believers, we move to a different building or to a house or met outside, it would not matter, because God would be with us wherever we go.

He lives inside of us.

From Acts on, throughout the New Testament, god builds up and establishes and blesses the churches over and over again, because the church is an essential part of our Christian walk.

God began his church on the day of Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit came upon the people.

A lot of people heard what was coming and came to see what was going on.

Peter preached the word of God and the Holy Spirit convicted them.

Over 3,000 people were added to the church that day.

God established his church, not man.

This was all the Lord's doing and the Christians met together studying the word and fellowshiping, as it says in Acts 2, and God added to their numbers daily.

I want to turn and look really quick about what Jesus says about the church, matthew 16.

Now, when Jesus went into the region of Caesarea, philippi, he asked the disciples who do people say that the Son of man is?

And they answered some say John the Baptist, others Elijah, and still others Jeremiah are just one of the prophets.

He said to them but who do you say that I am?

Simon Peter replied you are the Christ, the Messiah, the Anointed, the Son of the Living God.

Then Jesus answered him blessed, happy, spiritually secure, favored by God.

Are you Simon, son of Jonah?

Because flesh and blood, mortal man, did not reveal this to you.

My Father, who is in heaven, and I say that you, that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church and the gates of Hades, death will not overpower it by preventing the resurrection of Christ.

I will give you the keys, authority of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind, forbid, declare to be improper and unlawful on this earth, will have already been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose, permit, declare lawful on earth, will have already been loosed in heaven.

Then he gave his disciples strict orders not to tell anyone that he was the Christ.

The whole purpose of Jesus's mission is to build the church and when he leaves, he gives the great commission, which is to go out into all the world and preach the gospel and teach them to obey all that I have commanded.

The mission for all believers is the same Go out and preach the gospel, help them find me and teach them to obey all that I have commanded and teach them to follow me.

So not only does Jesus give the disciples the mission, but God placed his spirit within the believers.

He empowers them with the ability to carry out his mission.

Along with the spirit came fire, a boldness to share the word of God, a boldness to complete his mission.

David says it like this in Psalm 69.9,.

Zeal for your house has consumed me when Jesus cleared the temple of people who turned his house into a place of business.

Later, after the Holy Spirit came upon the disciples in association with this event, god gave them the scripture Zeal for your house has consumed me.

John 2.17,.

I was a bold child.

I would tell it exactly as it was and I loved, loved me some Jesus.

From a very young age I would spend hours on my swing singing worship songs to God.

To paint a better picture, my dad started up smoking.

I told him if he didn't stop smoking he was going to die.

He proceeded to tell me that he would stop immediately.

I told him, of course, that I didn't believe him.

My dad threw the pack of cigarettes out of the window of the car and never had another smoke.

Now that you understand my commitment to the honest truth, you will believe me when I told you that one time I told someone that if they didn't believe in Jesus they would go to hell.

As a four year old, I don't remember anything else about it, even who it was.

I just remember my boldness.

Of course.

I grew up and became more gentle, more sensitive to the people around me.

In 2019, when we went to Israel we had just made it to Jerusalem we were sitting in the Garden of Gethsemane having a time of prayer and worship.

I was worshiping and praying in the Spirit.

The Muslims have built a temple on the Temple Mount on top of where the Holy of Holies sat, and they have these loudspeakers all over the entire city.

They are so loud that they can be heard quite a ways away, on the Mount of Olives where the Garden of Gethsemane sits, maybe a mile away.

During our time of prayer and worship, the call for the Muslims to worship went off, and it is the singing and worship.

Through this loudspeaker, I'm telling you that I heard it in the Spirit or, better explained, I felt it with my Spirit.

The zeal for the house, for the city, for the holy places of the Lord consumed me.

I have never felt anything like it since, but it felt like my Spirit was rising up out of my body.

For a moment I tapped into the Lord's Spirit and his righteous anger against the desecration of his holiness.

My whole body reacted.

It was like nails on a chalkboard while touching an electric fence.

It was as if my whole body reverberated.

I could feel my outrage at the call to worship a God other than our one true God.

My feelings and God at the same time was like I'll see your outrage and I'll show you mine.

And I will tell you that my anger was a drop in the bucket in comparison, and he only revealed to me a small portion of his anger.

Hebrews 12-29 says our God is a consuming fire.

Back assuming.

Fire comes to live inside of each of us when we get filled with the Spirit.

You are one with God and Spirit and that fire sits in your belly and it creates a boldness in you.

Acts 4-31,.

And when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continue to speak the word of God with boldness.

I have seen two of my children, bo and Maddie, get filled with the Spirit over the last year or so, and that Spirit has created a hunger and a boldness in them that I would never expect here.

Recently they went around downtown Fort Collins sharing the word of God.

Bo has had Spirit filled prayer meetings in the movie theater after a movie with salvation and healings and is set on having a revival on his campus.

Maddie has been patiently planting seeds in her school.

Many of her friends ask her Bible questions all the time.

When an event happens, everyone, even the non-Christians, look to see how she reacts.

She stands her ground, even against the teachers.

The boldness of the Holy Spirit helps her stand firm.

Throughout Acts we will see the Holy Spirit light fires in the belly of the new believers and they go to the ends of the earth to build His church.

This marks the end of day 5.

Part 6, gifts.

In reality, we are called to build His church to help people find and follow Jesus.

We cannot do it on our own as individuals.

The church body is designed as a support system to help us navigate through this life Along with the mission.

The Holy Spirit gives us a boldness, but the anointing also comes with spiritual gifts.

Spiritual gifts are given specifically to build up the church.

Before we look at the anointing of the Holy Spirit in the New Testament after Jesus, I want to look at the anointing of the Holy Spirit and the gifts it gave to the people in the Old Testament.

Turn to Judges 14, verse 5.

Judges 14:5

Then Samson went down with his father and mother to Timna.

And they came to the vineyards of Timna and behold, a young lion came toward him, roaring, and the Spirit of the Lord rushed upon him and, although he had nothing in his hands, he tore the lion in pieces as one tears a young goat.

But he did not tell his father or mother what he had done.

The Spirit of the Lord came upon Samson and he tore the lion into pieces.

The Spirit of the Lord came upon Saul, 1 Samuel 10, verse 6.

1 Samuel 10:6

Then the Spirit of the Lord will rush upon you and you will prophesy with them and be turned into another man.

Now, when these signs meet, you do what your hands find to do, for God is with you.

Then go down before me to Gilgau, and behold, I'm coming down to you to offer burnt offerings and to sacrifice peace offerings.

Seven days you shall wait until I come to you and show you what you shall do.

When Saul turned his back to leave Samuel, god gave him another heart, and all these signs came to pass.

When they came to Givia, behold, a group of prophets met him and the Spirit of God rushed upon him and he prophesied among them.

And when all who knew him previously saw how he prophesied with the prophets, the people said to one another what has come over the Son of Kish?

Is Saul also among the prophets?

And a man of the place answered and who is their father?

Therefore, it became a proverb Is Saul also among the prophets?

Now let's look at Elijah, who performed more miracles through the anointing than almost anyone else.

Verse Kings 18, verse 46,.

The power of the Lord came on Elijah and, tucking his cloak into his belt, he ran ahead of Ahab all the way to Jezereel.

God gave Elijah the power to run faster than King Ahab's chariot for a good 16 miles.

Elijah performed many, many miracles.

Under the anointing of the Spirit.

He even raised the widow's son from the dead.

He multiplied the widow's food for months from just a handful of flour and a drop of oil.

He caused it to rain.

He called down rain and fire from heaven.

He was taken up in a whirlwind into heaven.

Elijah asked for a double portion of the Spirit that was on Elijah and he did exactly twice as many miracles by the Spirit as Elijah.

By the Spirit he healed poison water, parted waters, cursed an army with blindness and then restored the sight to the army.

He multiplied oil and raised the Shunamite son from the dead.

His bones even resurrected a man, second Kings 13,.

Then Elijah died and they buried him and the raiding bands from Moab invaded the land in the spring of the year.

So it was as they were burying a man that suddenly they spied a band of raiders and they put the man in the tomb of Elijah.

And when the man was let down and touched the bones of Elijah, he revived and stood on his feet.

If there was any doubt in your mind who was causing the miracles, elijah definitely had nothing to do with that miracle.

It was the anointing of the Spirit.

There are so many miracles that God did through his Spirit upon the people in the Old Testament.

By his Spirit, joseph became second to the king over all the land of Egypt.

By his Spirit, the Ark of the Covenant was crafted ornately according to his designs.

By his Spirit, so many men prophesied.

By his Spirit, moses and Joshua led the Israelites through the wilderness for forty years.

By his Spirit, joshua spoke to the sun and it stood still.

By his Spirit, gideon, from the weakest clan, led the people to defeat the Midianites.

By his Spirit, david killed a lion and a bear and a giant.

By his Spirit, the walls of Jericho came tumbling down.

Stanton killed a thousand men with the donkey's jawbone, saw a bird with anger.

Moses got water from a rock.

The prophets told us about the coming of the Messiah, and so many more.

Now I want us to quickly look at the anointing upon Jesus.

Jesus was a hundred percent God, but also a hundred percent man, a hundred percent human, just like us, because he was born in the flesh.

The Holy Spirit came upon Jesus, just like us Luke 3, verse 21,.

Luke 3:21

Now, when all the people were baptized, jesus was also baptized, and while he was praying, the visible heaven was opened and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form, like a dove and a voice came from heaven you are my son, my beloved.

In you I am well pleased and delighted.

The Holy Spirit came upon Jesus to do miracles and these miracles were more than anyone had ever seen.

For his first miracle, jesus turned water into wine.

Afterwards, john says this John 2,.

Let's begin in verse 11.

This is the first of his signs, attesting miracles.

Jesus did in Cana of Galilee and revealed his glory, displaying his deity and his great power openly.

And his disciples believed confidently in him as the Messiah.

They heared to, trusted in and relied on him.

What is the point of these miracles?

To prove God exists and that he is the one true God.

This is the first of his signs, his attesting miracles that revealed his glory.

As a result, the disciples believed in him as the Messiah.

Let's move down to verse 23.

Now, while Jesus was in Jerusalem at the Passover festival, many people saw the signs he was performing and believed in his name.

To take it a step further, the point at Jesus' miracles confirmed that Jesus is the Messiah.

These miracles prove, through the evidence of God's power, that the Father Himself sent Jesus.

After Jesus turns water into wine, then he goes to the well and what happens.

Jesus meets a woman there.

He says give me a drink.

She says who me, a Samaritan.

Jews and Samaritans don't hang out.

He says if you knew who I was, you would be asking me for a drink, a drink of living water.

Jesus goes on to tell her that she doesn't have one husband, but five husbands.

Through Jesus' supernatural knowledge of the woman's life.

Jesus proves to her that he is the Messiah.

And what did the woman do?

She went and told everyone she knew.

John 4, 39.

Many of the Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman's testimony.

He told me everything I ever did.

So when the Samaritans came to him they urged him to stay with them and he stayed two days and because of his words, many more became believers.

They said to the woman we no longer believe just because of what you said.

Now we've heard for ourselves and we know that this man really is the Savior of the world.

So what was the miracle?

At the meeting of the woman at the well, jesus told the woman's supernatural knowledge from the Holy Spirit.

Each miracle Jesus does is intentional.

What is the goal of Jesus' miracles?

Let's look at another scripture to figure it out John 4, again, verse 46.

Once he visited Cana in Galilee, where he had turned water into wine, and there was a certain royal official whose son lay sick at Capernaum.

When this man heard that Jesus had arrived in Galilee from Judea, he went to him and begged him to come and heal his son who was close to death.

Unless you people see signs and wonders, jesus told him, you will never believe.

The royal official said Sir, come down before my child dies, go.

Jesus replied and your son will live.

The man took Jesus at his word and departed.

While he was still on the way, his servants met him with the news that his boy was living.

When he inquired as to the time when his son got better, they said to him yesterday, at one in the afternoon, the fever left him.

Then the father realized that this was the exact time at which Jesus had said to him your son will live.

So he and his whole household believed.

This was the second sign Jesus performed after coming from Judea to Galilee.

The result of these miracles is that people believed.

The official and his household believed.

The result of turning water into wine is that his disciples believed.

The result of the meeting at the well is that the Samaritans believed.

Nicodemus says this.

Turn back to John 3, verse two.

Now there was a Pharisee, a man named Nicodemus, who was a member of the Jewish ruling council.

He came to Jesus at night and said Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God, for no one could perform the signs you are doing if God were not with him.

We know you are a teacher who comes from God, for no one could perform these signs if God were not with him.

Remember, jesus fed 5,000 people with five loaves and two fish.

After the miracle of loaves and fishes, people said John 6, verse 14.

John 6:14

After the people saw the sign Jesus performed, they began to say surely this is the prophet who has come into the world.

And as Jesus did more and more miracles, more and more believed, with each healing, with each miracle, with each sign, with each wonder, the Holy Spirit proved Jesus is exactly who he said he is and people began to believe in him and spread the word.

Jesus explains it like this John 5, verse 36.

John 5:36

But the testimony which I have is far greater than the testimony of John for the works that the Father has given me to finish, the very same works, that is, the miracles and proofs of my deity that I am now doing, testify about me by providing evidence that the Father has sent me.

I have come in my Father's name and with His power, and you do not receive me because your minds are closed.

Jesus said I have come in my Father's power.

Jesus did so many miracles that John put a caveat in his book.

Turn to the end of John, chapter 21, verse 24.

John 21:24

This is the same disciple who is testifying to these things and has recorded them, and we know without any doubt that his testimony is true.

And there are also many things which Jesus did which, if they were recorded one by one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that would be written.

Peter says in last week's reading, when he is talking to the Israelites on the day of Pentecost, acts 2, verse 22,.

Acts 2:22

Fellow Israelites, listen to this.

Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs which God did among you through him, as you yourselves know, jesus tells his disciples that they will do more miracles than him.

John 14, verse 12,.

John 14:12

Very truly, I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father and I will do whatever you ask in my name so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.

You ask me for anything in my name and I will do it.

And Mark says this in his gospel, chapter 16, verse 14,.

Later, jesus appeared to the eleven as they were eating.

He rebuked them for their lack of faith and their stubborn refusal to believe those who had seen him after he had risen.

He said to them go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.

Whoever believes in his baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.

And these signs will accompany those who believe In my name they will drive out demons, they will speak in new tongues, they will pick up snakes with their hands and they will drink deadly poison.

It will not hurt them at all.

They will place their hands on sick people and they will get well.

After the Lord Jesus had spoken to them, he was taken up into heaven and he sat at the right hand of God.

Then the disciples went out and preached everywhere, and the Lord worked with them and confirmed his word by the signs that accompanied it.

After Jesus ascends into heaven, the Holy Spirit anoints the people with gifts, signs, wonders and miracles.

Just like in Jesus' case, these miracles draw people to him.

Let's look at Acts 2.

Let's see how God uses the spiritual gifts on the people to draw people to himself.

Acts 2, verse 1,.

Acts 2:1

When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place and suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind and it filled the entire house where they were sitting and divided tongues as a fire appeared to them and rested on each of them, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.

Now there was dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men from every nation under heaven, and at this sound the multitude came together and they were bewildered because each one was hearing them speak in his own language.

Jesus gave his disciples the Great Commission.

He said Go out and preach the gospel.

Then he sent the Holy Spirit that came upon them at Pentecost.

Then he gave them spiritual gifts, like speaking in tongues to edify and build up the body.

In this case it attracted a huge crowd and 3,000 people were added to the body.

Now let's look at today's reading, acts 3, beginning at the top.

Now, peter and John were going up to the temple at the hour of prayer, the ninth hour, and a man, lame from birth, was being carried, whom they lay daily at the gate of the temple that is called the beautiful gate to ask alms of those entering the temple.

Seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple, he asked to receive alms and Peter directed his gaze at him, as to John, and said Look at us.

And he fixed his attention on them, expecting to receive something from them.

But Peter said I have no silver and gold, but what I do have I give to you in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth.

Rise up and walk.

Then he took him by the right hand and raised him up and immediately his feet and ankles were made strong and leaping up and he stood up and began to walk and entered the temple with them walking and leaping and praising God.

And all the people saw him walking and praising God and recognized him as the one who sat at the beautiful gate of the temple and asking for alms, and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what happened to him While he clung to Peter and John.

All the people, utterly astounded, ran together to them in the portico called Solomon's.

When God's anointing fills us, his spirit gives gifts to the build up the body.

He didn't just give these gifts to his disciples, he gave these gifts to all believers.

All of us have gifts to build the corporate body, and we will talk more about these spiritual gifts as we go.

This marks the end of day six, part seven, the rest of the passage.

Now I want to go over the full passage with you.

Let's begin at the top, acts three.

One day Peter and John were going to the temple at the time of prayer at three in the afternoon.

Now a man who was lame from birth was being carried to the temple gate called beautiful, where he was put every day 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 over gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth walk.

I want to point out to you what we just read.

When Jesus commissioned his disciples, he said in John 14, whoever believes in me will do greater works than I have done, because I am going to the Father.

And then he says this verse 13, and I will do whatever you ask in my name so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.

You may ask me for anything in my name and I will do it.

What does Peter say In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.

Let's keep reading Verse seven.

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 happened to him.

So the miracles stopped the people from their day to day lives and drew attention to God.

They were going to the temple, they were going to the market.

Seeing this miracle forced them to stop what they were doing and drew their attention to God.

Verse 11, while the man held on to Peter and John, all the people were astonished and came running to them in the place called Solomon's Colonnade.

They came running at the site.

This gives Peter another opening to share the good news of Jesus Christ.

Acts three is divided into two parts the healing of the man at the gate, beautiful and Peter's explanation of it.

Let's see what Peter has to say.

I'm going to switch to the amplified to get more details.

Verse 12, and Peter, seeing this, said to the people you, men of Israel, why are you amazed at this?

Why are you staring at us as though by our own power or godliness, we have made this man walk?

Peter wanted the people to know that the healing did not come from his own power.

Peter and his own power did not heal this man only through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ and the anointing of the spirit.

Verse 13, the God of Abraham, isaac and Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified his servant and son, jesus, doing him this honor, the one whom you have handed over and disowned and rejected before Pilate, when he had decided to release him.

But you disowned and denied the holy and righteous one and asked for the pardon of a murderer to be granted to you, but you killed the prince, the author, the originator, the source of life whom God raised bodily from the dead.

To this fact we are witnesses, for we have seen the risen Christ.

Peter says the exact same thing that he said to the people on the day of Pentecost.

Again, there must have been people in the crowd who were members of the guilty party, who pronounced judgment on Jesus and crucified him.

He tells the story of Jesus again, so they will know.

He says he is risen.

We saw it for ourselves.

We are witnesses.

He then continues, and on the basis of faith in his name.

It is the name of Jesus which has strengthened this man whom you see and know, and the faith which comes through him has given him the perfect health and complete wholeness in your presence.

Okay, I'm going to switch real quick.

Verse 16, again in the NIV, says this by faith in the name of Jesus, this man whom you see and know was made strong.

It is Jesus's name and the faith that comes through him that has completely healed him, as you can all see, because the lame man at the gate, beautiful, had faith in Jesus, he was made strong.

I would like to touch on faith for a moment.

In order to be healed, it is essential that the receiving party have faith.

Hebrews 11 1.

Faith is the confidence of things hoped for, the evidence of things unseen.

Now that we have our definition, jesus told his disciples this Matthew 21, verse 21.

Matthew 21:21

Jesus replied truly.

I tell you, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but you can also say to this mountain go, throw yourself into the sea and it will be done.

If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask in prayer.

Now let's look at what Jesus says in Mark, mark 11 22.

Jesus answered them have faith in God.

Truly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, be taken up and thrown into the sea and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will come to pass, it will be done for him.

Therefore, I tell you whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you've received it and it will be yours.

So back to Peter.

Peter's reason for the healing of the lame man is this he said by faith in the name of Jesus.

It is faith in the name of Jesus that healed him.

Remember what we read earlier in Mark 16.

Jesus said this again, verse 17,.

And these signs will accompany me, those who believe in my name.

They will drive out demons.

They will speak in new tongues, they will pick up snakes with their hands and they will drink deadly poison.

It will not hurt them at all.

They will place their hands on sick people and they will get well.

And these signs will accompany those who believe, those who have faith.

They will lay their hands on sick people and they will get well.

Let's keep reading Acts 3, verse 17,.

Acts 3:17

Now, brothers, I know you acted in ignorance, not fully aware of what you were doing, just as your rulers did also.

And so God has fulfilled what he foretold by the mouth of all the prophets that his Christ Messiah, anointed one would suffer.

We learned in week one that the people of Israel have certain expectations of their Messiah and that God even told them ahead of time that the Messiah would be a suffering servant and that he would bear the sins of them all.

Let's continue.

19.

So repent, change your inner self, your old way of thinking, regret past sins and return to God.

Seek his purpose for your life, so that your sins may be wiped away, blotted out, completely erased, so that the times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, restoring you like a cool wind on a hot day.

To sum up, peter says Jesus suffered, he came and died.

You put him to death.

He was the suffering servant.

He bore our sins.

Now repent, so you may be washed clean and receive times of refreshing.

Times of refreshing will come from the Lord and just like Peter's speech in Acts 2, he is saying repent.

He uses the word metanaeo, which means to turn 180 degrees.

He is telling the Israelites to turn from their sin.

Repentance is a change of mind and a sorrow of sin that leads to transformation.

He says turn away from your sin, turn away and turn to God.

So repent, change your inner self, your old way of thinking, regret past sins and return to God.

Seek his purpose for your life.

Faith is simply turning to God.

Due to your repentance, god will cleanse you of your sins and you will feel clean, refreshed, new.

Let's continue, verse 20,.

And that he may send to you Jesus, the Christ who has been appointed to you, whom heaven must keep until the time for the complete restoration of all things about which God promised in the mouth of his holy prophets from ancient times, jesus was lifted up into heaven and waits for his father's appointed time to restore his kingdom.

Ephesians 1.

Verse 9,.

God may know to us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ with regard to fulfillment of the times.

That is the end of history, the climax of the ages, to bring all things together in Christ, both things in heaven and things on the earth.

Jesus' job is done, it's complete.

He defeated sin and death and he already has the victory.

Verse 9, 28 says so.

Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him.

Remember, in Acts 1.7,.

The disciples asked Jesus, lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?

And he said to them it is not for you to know the time or the seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority.

Let's keep reading Acts 3.22.

Moses said the Lord, god, will raise up for your prophet.

Like me, from your countrymen, you shall listen to him and obey everything he tells you, and it will be that every person that does not listen to and heed that prophet will be utterly destroyed from among the people.

Moses in his time was a type of Messiah.

He was a deliverer of the people from bondage.

He was imperfect and not the perfect Messiah that is to come.

God is saying he will raise up a more perfect deliverer of the people, the Messiah, the anointed one.

Let's look at the passage, deuteronomy 18, verse 15.

Deuteronomy 18:15

The Lord, your God, will raise up for you a prophet like me, moses, from among you, from your countrymen, brothers, brethren.

You shall listen to him.

This is according to all that you asked of the Lord, your God, at Horrib, mount Sinai.

On the day of the assembly, saying Let me not hear the voice of the Lord, my God, again, nor see the great fire any more, so that I will not die, the Lord said to me they have spoken well.

I will raise up a prophet from among their countrymen, like you, and I will put my words in his mouth and he shall speak to them.

All that I command him.

It shall come about that whoever will not listen to my words, which he shall speak in my name, I myself will require it of him and there will be consequences.

It is very important to understand that Jesus is a prophet.

The prophet Moses is speaking of Jesus as this prophet, this prophet who is the Messiah.

Moses was speaking of this over 1300 years before Jesus was born.

Being a prophet is a requirement of the Messiah.

This passage is a messy anac prophecy.

The Israelites did not want to talk to God in the wilderness.

They freaked out when God's presence came upon the mountain.

The prophet here is a capital P.

All people must listen to what he has to say or there will be consequences Throughout Jesus's ministry.

Over and over again, people confirmed he was a prophet Matthew 13, verse 53.

Matthew 13:53

And when Jesus had finished these parables, he went away from there and, coming to his hometown, he taught them in their synagogue, so that they were astonished and said where did this man get this wisdom and these mighty works?

Is this not the carpenter's son?

Is not his mother called Mary, and are not his brothers James and Joseph and Simon and Judas, and are not all his sisters with us?

Where, then, did this man get all these things?

And they took offense at him, but Jesus said to them a prophet is not without honor excepted in his hometown and in his own household, and he did not do many mighty works there.

Because of their unbelief, many people recognize that, if anything, jesus was a prophet of God.

Matthew 16, 13.

Now, when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea, philippi, he asked his disciples who do people say the son of man is?

And they said some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah and others Jeremiah are one of the prophets.

The woman at the well says this after he tells her about her five husbands, john 419.

The woman said to him Sir, I perceive that you are a prophet.

When people saw his miracles, they questioned John 737.

On the last day of the feast, the great day, jesus stood up and cried out if anyone thirsts, let them come to me and drink.

Whoever believes in me, the scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.

Now, this he said about the spirit whom those who believed in him were to receive.

For as yet the spirit had not been given, but Jesus was not yet glorified.

When they heard these words, some of the people said this really is the prophet.

Others said this is the Christ.

The, some said is the Christ to come from Galilee?

Has not?

The scripture said that the Christ comes from the offspring of David and comes from Bethlehem, the village where David was.

So there was a division among the people over them.

Some of them wanted to arrest him, but no one laid hands on him.

During the triumphal entry into Jerusalem, as Jesus rode on a donkey and the people of Israel wave palm branches praising his name, the people said this Matthew 21, 8,.

Most of the crowds spread their cloaks on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road.

And the crowds that went before him and that followed him were shouting Hosanna to the son of David.

Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord Hosanna in the highest.

And when he entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred up saying who is this?

And the crowds said this is the prophet, jesus from Nazareth of Galilee.

What is a prophet?

A prophet is an intermediary between God and the people.

He speaks to God, then relays God's word, his messages, to his people.

Over and over again, jesus says that he is speaking God's words, not his own.

John 14,.

Starting at the top let not your hearts be troubled.

Believe in God.

Believe also in me In my father's house or many rooms.

If you were not so, would I have not told you that I go to prepare a place for you, and if I go to prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself that where I am, you may also be, and you know that way to where I'm going.

Thomas said Lord, we do not know where you are going.

How can we know the way?

And Jesus said to him I am the way and the truth and the light.

No one comes to the father except through me.

If you had known me, you would have known my father also.

From now on, you do know him and have seen him.

It is more difficult for the disciples to believe that one, jesus is the Messiah, and two, that Jesus is God.

Let's keep reading.

Philip said to him Lord, show us the father, and it is enough for us.

And Jesus said to him have I been with you so long and you still do not know me?

Philip, Whoever has seen me has seen the father.

How can you say show us the father?

Do you not believe that I am in the father and that the father is in me?

The words that I say to you?

I do not speak on my own authority, but the father who dwells in me does his works.

Believe me that I am in the father and that the father is in me, or else believe on account of the works themselves.

He tells them don't you get it.

I'm not an ordinary prophet.

John 1 1 says in the beginning was the word, and the word was with God and the word was God.

And if you move down to verse 14 and it says the word became flesh and made his dwelling among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only son who came from the father, let's continue.

John 14, 12.

Truly, truly, I say to you whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do, and greater works than these he will do, because I'm going to the father.

Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the father may be glorified in the son.

If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.

Let's jump down to verse 20.

In the day you will know that I am in my father, and you and me, and I and you.

Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me, and he who loves me will be loved by my father and I will love him and manifest myself to him.

Judas, not as scary, it said to him.

Lord, how is it that you will manifest yourself to us and not to the world?

Jesus answered him if anyone loves me, he will keep my word and my father will love him and we will come to him and make our home with him.

Whoever does not love me does not keep my words, and the word that you hear is not mine, but the fathers who sent me.

The words I speak are not mine, but the fathers John 8 23.

Jesus said to them you are from below, I am from above.

You are of this world, I am not of this world.

I told you that you would die in your sins, for unless you believe that I am he, you will die in your sins.

So they said to him who are you?

And Jesus said to them just what I've been telling you from the beginning.

I have much to say about you and much to judge, but he who sent me is true and I declare to the world what I've heard from him.

They did not understand that he was speaking to them about the father.

Jesus said to them when you have lifted up the Son of man, then you will know that I am he and that I do nothing on my own authority, but speak just as my father taught me, and he who sent me is with me.

He has not left me alone, for I always do the things that are pleasing to him.

As he was saying these things, many believed in him.

It was a lot easier for the people of Israel to accept that Jesus was a prophet over the Messiah, especially because they had such high expectations for the Messiah.

He had to look a certain way.

There had been a lot of prophets over the years.

They couldn't deny that Jesus had signs and wonders and wisdom and spoke the word of God.

But to ask them to accept Jesus as the Messiah was a whole other story.

John 6, 66.

After this, many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him.

So Jesus said to the 12, do you want to go away as well?

Simon Peter answered him Lord, to whom shall we go?

You have the words of eternal life and we have believed and have come to know that you are the Holy One of God.

Peter says Jesus has the words of eternal life.

Hebrews 10 wraps it up nicely, verse 1,.

Long ago, many times and in many ways, god spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days, he has spoken to us by his son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom he also created the world.

He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by word of his power.

Let's continue in Acts 3, verse 24.

Acts 3:24

Indeed, all the prophets who have spoken from Samuel and those who came after him also announced these days Samuel was the next prophet after Moses.

You are the sons, descendants of the prophets and heirs of the covenant with which God made with your fathers, saying to Abraham and in your seed, descendant, all the families of the earth shall be blessed.

It was for you, first of all, that God raised up his servant and son Jesus and sent him to be blessed by turning every one of you from your wicked ways.

It is for the Jews, first, that God raised up his servant and son Jesus on the cross for our sins.

Notice God told Abraham through your seed, all the families of the earth shall be blessed, not just the Jews.

We are going to see as we progress through Acts, that this salvation is no longer just for the Jews.

Throughout the Bible, though, god says to Abraham over and over that all the families of the earth will be blessed.

The Jews are first because of their covenant with God, but in the book of Acts, god sends the disciples to everyone else.

I'm going to stop here today.

If you're listening to the podcast and need prayer, please reach out to us on social media under Mercy Church Colorado, send us a private message or go to our website, wwwmercych.

I would like to close today in prayer.

Let's pray.

Dear God, we thank you for your word this week.

We ask that you give us wisdom and guidance and understanding and new revelation through your word, by your spirit this week.

Help us to understand what you are trying to reveal to us.

We thank you, lord, for the gift of Jesus Christ and the gift of the Holy Spirit within us, two gifts that we do not deserve and that we cannot live without.

Please continue to guide us and lead us into maturity in Jesus' name, amen.

Thank you for listening this week.

We love you, mercy Church family, and we hope you have a wonderful week.