And so of course Acts chapter number three we were in this last Thursday, but there was just the last
seven verses here. I really want to look at I didn't really time to get into it and of course there in Acts
we've got the great miracle in the temple there with the man leaping and walking and
Then everyone's kind of coming and checking out and seeing what's going on and Peter takes the opportunity to preach
Pick it up there in verse 17 and says and now brethren I want that through ignorance
He did it of course we just read it being the fact they crucified Christ
He's saying I know you did this through ignorance as did also your rulers
But those things which God hath excuse me
Which God before had showed by the mouth of all his prophets that Christ should suffer he hath so fulfilled
Verse 19 repent ye therefore and be converted
That your sins may be blotted out when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord and he shall send
Jesus Christ which was before preached unto you whom the heaven must receive until the times of the restitution of all things
Which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began
So there's these two phrases. I kind of want to look at here
the times of refreshing and the times of restitution of all things and really I believe these two things are talking about the same
pretty much the same thing the same time period that being the return of Christ a
Millennium and then ultimately when he delivers up the kingdom to the father
That would be the times of refreshing in the times of the restitution of all things
So I believe when he's using those terms there he's referring about, you know
To that which is to come okay
Now the other thing I want to deal with real quick is this might be kind of confusing for some people when they read this
Verse 19 when he tells them Peter says repent ye therefore and be converted that your sins may be blotted out when the times of
refreshing may
When the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord
So some people might read that and kind of think you know
Is he is he saying this is kind of like salvation some kind of a process like
You have to do these things so that when this comes then your sins will be blotted out, you know
Just a case there's any confusion. I'm pretty sure probably everybody here understands how you know, the the the wording of this
But really what he's explaining is that you know, we need to get saved now so that when that time comes
You're not gonna have your you know, your sins imputed unto you they're gonna be blotted out
Okay, and it's just kind of the use of that word when I'll just touch on this very quickly just in case anybody is confused about
Sometimes the wording there, but I'll just remind us you don't have to turn there but in Jude chapter number one
Of course, it's the only one verse 12. It says
These are spots in your feast of charity when they feast with you, right?
So when do they when they feast with them they are spots in their feast of charity, right?
Of course Jude is talking about false prophets. It's talking about unsaved reprobates
Okay
Now when he says they are spots in your feasts when they when they feast with you, obviously
They're still wicked people even when they're not feasting with them. Okay, it's just that when they come together
That's the state in which they are already found. They're already found to be these spots
And I'm just pointing it out to kind of help us understand
Acts chapter number three verse 19 when he's saying that you need to be converted so that when the times of refreshing come
You know your sins shall eat that your sins will be blotted out meaning they have already been blotted out
That's the state in which you're going to be found
Okay, so hopefully pretty sure probably everybody understood that the wording there
But just in case you know, I thought I'd take just a second kind of clear that up just in case
but going back to my original point about
The times of refreshing and the times of the restitution of all things
I believe again
These are the same thing and that these are both referring to the time that is yet to come
And if you'll notice there you can kind of get the sense of that just from again the phrasing when the times of refreshing
Shall come right that you would
Whom the heaven must receive until the times of the restitution all things
So it's not talking about the immediate here and now in Peter's day, but that which is to come
Okay, that's what I believe. He's describing here. And again, I believe this is just a general description of
The second coming the millennium the new earth
And he get the again the sense that this is something that's to come because of the wording it shall come
He shall send Jesus until these times. So he's this is future tense. Okay, and
And I don't believe he's you know
trying to get into some kind of dispensational thing where he's
You know
Trying to you know, say this is a certain era of time or whatever, you know, these dispensational ends are sometime but
Basically, you know, he's just kind of telling hey Jesus it has been here and he's coming back. So you need to get right
That's basically all he's saying here
And
Again, the worst the use of these words refreshing and restitution
When you think about it the refreshing and the renewing are just the restitution and the restoration
Those are just some of the same, you know
The same words that basically mean the same thing refreshing the times refreshing or when things are going to be restored
or there's going to be a restitution the times of
Excuse me of
Renewing is when you have this kind of a restoration
Okay, you have the times of refreshing at the times of restitution which are basically just a renewing and a restoration. Okay
So the refreshing that he talks about there the times of refreshing I believe he's referring to maybe more specifically the millennium
Okay, because you think about that word refreshing. What does it mean to be refreshed right? It kind of means to be renewed
you know if we get worn down if we're tired if we're
You know just physically, you know kind of out of it. We need to refresh ourselves from time to time, right?
Maybe we're been working hard or you know
We have to get out of the Sun for a few minutes or we have to take a day off or a vacation
You know, it's a very refreshing time, right? So that time of refreshing, you know
You could probably apply more to the millennium right because obviously when the time of refreshing when the millennium comes
There's going to be a great peace, right?
There's gonna be a lot of peace that we experience if you would go to 1st Corinthians chapter 15
1st Corinthians chapter number 15
And again refreshing is just this idea of being at rest, right
So that's why we're gonna break down the use of these terms the times of refreshing and the times of the restitution of all things
You know, what specifically is repeated referring to here?
Well, I believe is referring referring to generally broadly speaking the return of Christ
But you know if you want to kind of narrow it in
You know the times are refreshing might be more of a reference to the millennial reign of Christ
The time of the restitution of all things might be the end of that when we move into the new heaven and the new earth
Okay, so the time of refreshing, you know, it's just where we're
resting right there's gonna be a resting from our
You know the battle the struggle that we have against the flesh we're gonna have that new body, you know
It's gonna be a time of peace right and for example in Isaiah
He says in Isaiah chapter 28 verse 12 to whom he said
This is the rest where he cause the weary to rest and this is the refreshing that you yet
They would not hear and I'm just pointing that out that you know
This this this rest and this refreshing these are synonymous terms
Okay
So you could kind of see how that apply to the millennium
Right because that's gonna be a very refreshing time because of the fact that there's going to be a time of rest
Obviously, we'll still have our labors will be ruling and reigning with Christ
They'll still be work to be done. But you know, that's gonna be very refreshing work, you know
And we're gonna be doing it in the new body. We're gonna be to have the the new man
We're not gonna have we're gonna be resting from you know, the flesh
We're not gonna have to deal with that battle anymore
Okay, so you can kind of see how maybe he's applying that would apply a little bit more to that
That would be the millennium the the time of peace, right and then the restitution of all things
This could be more of a reference to when he actually delivers up the kingdom to the father
And you kind of get this idea because if you just look up that word restitution
That's basically what it means is to restore something to you know, what it once was we have somebody
Is stolen from they had to make restitution. They had to restore that to them, you know an exodus, you know
It's something be stolen from him. He shall make restitution unto the owner thereof
and certainly, you know sin has
Robbed, you know the earth and humanity and sense of that original paradise that God created in the beginning, right?
I mean, that's what we're gonna see restored at the end
That's gonna be the restitution of all things even the creation which you know grown if you know
Even until now that's going to eventually be
Delivered from it its bondage, you know that we are going to see the earth restored the new heaven and the new earth
It's gonna be a restitution of all things not just of our body which has taken place
Not just of the Saints but also all of creation itself will eventually be restored
You'll have the restitution of all things
So, you know, it's it's it's a great powerful truth that Peter is kind of pointing out here
And again, this is being this is something he's writing before the book of Revelation has even been penned obviously at this point
So he's you know, this is very prophetic, right?
the spirits come upon him and he's preaching and he's in and he's referring to things that are yet to come right and he's
Obviously he understands this is the case because he's already been told
You know that this this Jesus will come and so like man and like manner so you even as you have seen him go
Right. He was just told that so he knows Christ is coming back
He's been you know, he's understanding the scriptures because he's again
He's taught he's saying there at the end that God has spoken about these things of all his holy prophets since the world began
So this is something that's in the scripture
But he's making application here and and and we'll get a little bit more into that here what that means to the people
Specifically that he's preaching to but just kind of explaining these terms. Okay, in case you ever wonder what it is
What is the times of refreshing whatever? What are the times of the restitution of all things broadly speaking?
It's probably just from the you know, the return of Christ until he delivers it up the kingdom to the Father
You know, he could break it down a little bit refreshing
I think maybe referring more to the millennium and the restitution to the new heaven and the new earth when paradise are restored
Villager first Corinthians chapter 15 verse 24. This kind of gives us a glimpse of what that's like this restitution, right?
It says in verse 24 then come at the end when he shall have delivered up the kingdom
To God even the Father, right?
So at the end of millennium Christ is going to deliver up the kingdom to eat to the Father
When he shall have put down the rule and all authority and excuse me
He shall have put down all rule and all authority and power meaning when he has subdued the earth over his millennial reign
Again that speaks back to the refreshing, you know, we're not going to be as we are today
You know warring against principalities and powers and and rulers in high places, you know
The rulers of darkness and high places we're gonna that's going to be done away. Price is going to conquer
Okay, it's gonna be peace or else. Okay, so he's gonna put it down
that's the refreshing but then he's going to deliver it up the rest of that's the
restitution of all things
In verse 26 the last enemy that shall be destroyed is death for he hath put all things under his feet
But when he sayeth all things are put under him it is manifest that he is
Accepted which did put all things under him and when all things shall be subdued unto him
Then shall all the Son also himself be subject unto him that being the Father that put all things under him
That God may be all in all now if you would go to revelation chapter 21
verse 1 revelation 21 verse 1 so this you know the times of restitutions is a you know
We get very excited about the millennium and rightly
So, you know the time of refreshing which I believe is kind of referring to there at least making application
That's what I'm doing
you know that is all obviously a very exciting time and we know quite a bit more about that than we do about
When the new heaven a new earth and when God the Father actually comes down in the New Jerusalem
And makes us dwelling with man upon earth, you know, we don't know a lot about that
But that is you know, even more exciting than the millennium, right?
And these are good things to be reminded of is that you know
This is what's in store for the child of God, you know, sometimes Christians in this world
They can feel like they're being gypped somehow
Like God's just trying to rob them of a good time, right? Because he's telling them you hate don't go out
Enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season, you know, and then you see the world out there, you know
painting this picture the devil painting this picture of all everything that they're getting to enjoy quote unquote and
Sometimes you know Christians, especially if they get backslid in the flesh they can start to feel jaded, you know
But what we need to keep in mind is that we have things coming to us that are beyond
description we have a very you know
Just a glimpse of these things in Scripture
What it's gonna be like when God comes and makes his abode with man God the Father
Right and dwells in the New Jerusalem is on the earth and all things are restored
You know, that's a good thing to dwell on that's something you should be keeping in front of yourself
Keeping in front of your eyes
That should keep you, you know in service to God
Okay, even when maybe the excitement wanes, you know, this is something that couldn't in a sense, you know
Restore this speaking of restoration, right?
This could restore and renew your spirit when you think about the times of refreshing and the times of restitution
These things can renew us
You're there in Revelation 21 verse 1. Let's just look at it for a minute and I saw a new heaven and a new earth
for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away and there was no more sea and I saw John and I John saw the
Holy City new Jerusalem coming down from God out of heaven prepared as a bride adoring for her husband
and I heard a great voice out of heaven saying behold the tabernacle of God is with men and
He will dwell with them and they shall be his people and God himself shall be with them and be their God
And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes and there shall be no more death
Which is again the idea of restitution because that is the original creation death, you know was imputed because of sin
You know by one man, you know by one man sin death came into the world, right?
So you can see how this is a restoration of going back to when there is no more death
There should be none death neither sorrow nor crying neither
Shall there be any more pain for the former things are passed away, right? There's this renewing. There's this
Restoring and he's that set upon the throne said behold. I make all things new
And he said enemy right for these words are true and faithful
Okay, so I just want to take a minute. Maybe just kind of look at those terms break that down
You know kind of try to get understanding what Peter, you know, perhaps is referring to here
More specifically than just the return of Christ, you know, what is the time of refreshing? It's millennium
What is the time of restitution of all things when that is delivered up unto the Father? Okay
How do we apply that to ourselves? You know, what why take the time to explain that?
Well, you know, these are spiritual realities these are things that are this is true this is what's going to happen
This is what has been foretold. These are the things that are going to take place
you know, you know and
Therefore, you know seeing that all these things be dissolved what manner of men you ought to be, you know
This should affect our lives and here now how we live what our priorities are how we spend our time
We should do all of this
Live our life in a certain way in the in the in the in the view, you know of all this
So the fact that these are the things that are yet to come but there's this great inheritance that awaits us
You know, obviously that's not what Peter is really trying to get across here
Okay here in this is speaking to the Jews and he's really let them have it as we read earlier
He's he's basically saying you need to get saved because Jesus is coming back
He's not trying to break down into some deep end times
You know eschatology and the you know, the the teaching of last things he's not, you know putting on a Bible
You know class here. This is at Sunday school. He's preaching this because he's saying look
You know you crucified the Prince of Life you crucified Christ you did it through ignorance
You need to get right with God because this is who has been
prophesied and foretold in all of the scriptures
even going back to Moses verse 22 of Acts chapter 3 for Moses truly said to the fathers a
Prophet shall the Lord your God raise up under your brethren
Like unto me him shall you hear in all things whatsoever? He shall say unto you
So he's going back and reminding them of what was said in Deuteronomy 18
Right when there when he was saying he's going to raise up a prophet, right? He's saying this is Christ whom you crucified, right?
This is who?
that the scriptures are referring to
And
Verse 23 and it shall come to pass that every soul which shall not hear that prophet shall be destroyed from among the people
Whereas this is a quote from Deuteronomy 18
You don't have to need to turn there. But if you would go over to Hebrews 9 Hebrews chapter number 9
So he's quoting Moses back in Deuteronomy 18 and I'll just read to us in verse 15
where he says in Deuteronomy 18 15 the Lord thy God will raise up unto thee a
Prophet from the midst of thee of thy brethren like unto me
Unto him shall he hearken according to all that thou desirest of the Lord thy God and horrib
in the day of the assembly saying
Let me not hear again the voice of the Lord by God neither
Let me see his great fire anymore that I die not and the Lord said unto me
They have well spoken that which they have spoken
I will raise them up a prophet from among their brethren like unto thee and I will put my words in his mouth and he
Shall speak unto them all that I shall command him and it shall come to pass
Who will never who will not hearken unto my words him which which he shall speak in my name
I will require it of him and Peter he's quoting and says that him shall he destroy
That's what he got his means by he will require it of him
Now Moses when he's preaching this, you know, I don't know that he's necessarily
knows he's referring to
Christ to that exact prophet, but he's probably more immediately talking about the fact, you know
There's gonna be other people that lead you there's gonna be other prophets that come up
You know, if you read the context of Deuteronomy 18, there's they were to test the prophets those things
They say were to come to pass on and so forth
But all the same he's saying look if you don't listen to the Word of God
It's gonna be required of you, right?
And that was kind of the more immediate application of Moses's day here in Peter in Acts with Peter preaching it
He's saying if you deny Christ you're going to be destroyed
Right and that's the severity of people who the severity of rejecting the gospel
That's what waits for people's destruction, you know, he that hath the Son hath life. Yeah hath not the Son hath not life
Right he that believeth on him is not condemned, but he that believe not is condemned already
You know the wrath of God abideth on him, you know, if we reject Christ, it's not just you know
That's too bad. You know, that's destruction. That's what it means for people, you know
and again, this is you know, kind of re-preaching when I preach Thursday, but that's why there's such a
You know an emphasis on preaching the gospel in the Bible
This is why we emphasize preaching the gospel here and going out and reaching the lost because if people you know
Don't get saved if they don't hear about Christ. It's it's not just oh, they don't get to go to heaven
They're gonna go to hell. You know, there's this is destruction right him will will I destroy okay?
So Peter's preaching this to them and he's pointing out the fact that this is that prophet that Moses
You know Moses prophesied of this is that prophet that was going to be raised up from among the brethren, right?
And what he's saying what he's really showing them is that this is that mediator, right?
He's saying this is a mediator between you and God right between God you and God the Father. Okay, and
even when Deuteronomy
Even the people back in Moses's day recognized the need for a mediator and I'll just read to you again
He said in Deuteronomy 18 verse 15 the Lord thy God will Lord thy God will raise up unto thee a prophet from the midst
Of thee of thy brethren like unto me unto him
He shall hearken according to all that thou desirest of the Lord thy God in Horeb now remember in Horeb when they saw
The thunderings and the quaking and the fire and the thick darkness and the trumpet sounding long
They saw that great and terrible sight to send upon Mount Sinai and they heard that booming voice like a trumpet
What did they say? They said Moses you go talk to God lest we die, right?
They saw who God what God was like the holiness and power of God remember on Sinai. We're talking about God the Father
Okay, because remember on Sinai, you know, he had to hide
Moses in the cleft of the rock and only allow him to see his hind her parts because no man could see his face and live
Obviously that's a reference to God the Father, right?
so back then they're looking at the power and might and
You know God the Father of him and they're saying we need a mediator
we need somebody else to go talk to him for us Moses you go, right and
That's why he's saying according to all that thou desirest of the Lord thy God in Horeb
He says I'll raise up that prophet from the midst of thee, you know, according all that desires the Lord thy God
You know, he's gonna continually have that prophet, you know back then they were going to have the prophets the judges
But obviously it's a prophecy ultimately of Christ the ultimate mediator between God and man. Okay?
They saw it back then the need of a mediator and God doesn't I love verse 17 of Deuteronomy 18
I'll just read to you that God says yeah, you're right about that, right guys. I'm like, oh no, I'm not that bad
You know, I'm not there's nothing to worry about
He says and the Lord said unto me they have well spoken that which they have spoken
He's saying you're right, you know, I'm too much for you
I'm too intense right because so we see that man in Deuteronomy 18 is
Acknowledging the need for a mediator
We're saying God is confirming that and saying that is in fact the case
You need a mediator
Peter now is preaching this to them and saying Christ is that mediator between us and the Father just like back then in Moses's day
He promised that prophet and throughout all of all of prophets that prophet was prophesied. It's Christ. That's who it is
He is the fulfillment of this promise that there would be this mediator
Which leads me to my last point which is
Christ ministry. Okay. What was one at Christ had, you know, his ministry obviously had many different aspects to it
But a major part of it was his ministry of mediation. Christ was a mediator
Between God a man obviously Christ is God we understand that okay
But he was a mediator between man and God the Father, right?
You're there in Hebrews chapter 9 verse 6 and and we're gonna look at this minute this ministry of mediation a couple aspects of it
Okay, one we are reconciled by the mediation of Christ at salvation. Okay, that's one aspect of his ministry
Okay, when we say that Christ is a mediator, you know, he mediated our salvation
Okay, he mediated the you know, our the wrath of God because what is a mediator?
You know mediator is just somebody who acts between two parties, you know
He's just a kind of like a negotiator between two parties and it's typically referring to two parties that are at variance one with another
It's not two people are getting along you when people are getting along it can have a dialogue
You really don't need somebody else to step in and straighten things out, right?
You don't need a third party to step in and say hey, you know
Let's just calm down here and let's talk this through that's kind of what a mediator does, right?
We'll see that in certain legal circumstances today, you know, or people will bring in a third party and help us work through these issues
Right, that's what a mediator does it's when two parties that are odds with another that's what you know
He brings peace into that situation
So, you know Christ often being referred to as a mediator, you know between us and God
What does that tell you about our relationship with God that we're at odds one with another right because God is holy
You know and we have come short of the glory of God, you know that and we should never lose sight of that
you know that is where we started, you know, and again, this is a major part of
Christ's ministry and it start, you know, the ministry of mediation
Big aspect of that is the reconciliation that we received at salvation huge
You know restoration in that relationship between us and God. Okay
But it goes even beyond that. Okay
But let's look at Hebrews 9 verse 6
Now when these things were thus ordained the priests went always into the first tabernacle
Accomplishing the service of God
But in the second went the high priest alone once a year not without blood which he offered for himself
And for the heirs of the people the Holy Ghost this signifying that the way into the holiest
Of all was not yet made manifest while at the first tabernacle
While as the first tabernacle was yet standing, right?
So there was the significant was is that not we didn't have that access
Into the holiest of holies right to come before the throne of God
That's what was signified there that midway had not been made yet
Verse 9 which was a figure for the time then present in which we offered both which were offered both
Gifts and sacrifices that could not make him that did the service perfect as pertaining to the conscience
Which stood only in meats and drinks and diverse washings and carnal ordinances opposed on them until the time of Reformation
But Christ becoming in high priest of good things to come by a greater and more perfect
Tabernacle not made with hands that is to say not of this building neither by blood and cat goats and calves
But by his own blood he entered in once to the holy place
Having obtained eternal redemption for us, right? So this is again
Referring to the fact that you know part of a huge part of Christ ministry
Obviously was the fact that he was a mediator on our behalf
You know the the bulls and the goats, you know, they're blood all the diverse washings the car to learn says those
We're never going to make that way between us. There was gonna you know, kind of have
You know that was kind of like a ceasefire, you know, it's like a temporary, you know, peace
It was a demilitarized zone, you know with those offerings, right?
Christ was able to go in there and offer self offer himself and read, you know get eternal redemption for us
That's he obtained eternal redemption for us
For at the blood verse 13 of bulls and of goats and of ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean sanctify
To the purifying of the flesh how much more shall the blood of Christ through the eternal spirit
offer himself without spot to God purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God and
For this cause he is the mediator of the New Testament
So this is kind of what I believe Peter is pointing out in Acts chapter 3
When he's talking about the prophet that God would raise up and he and he's go and he's quoting, you know, Deuteronomy 18
What do we see in Deuteronomy 18?
That both the people and God are recognizing that there is a need for a mediator between man and God
Christ is that mediator
Okay, and it's and it's a huge aspect of his ministry, you know, it's one of the primary themes of his ministry
It's one we never want to lose sight of
Because it's a ministry that has been given unto us. Okay. It's a ministry that we have got to take to the world. Okay
2nd Corinthians 5 I'll just read you go to go to Hebrews 4 Hebrews chapter 4
The Bible says in 2nd Corinthians 5 18 all things are of God who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ
We've been you and I have been reconciled unto God
And knowing so yeah, you know I got saved but I mean think about what that means to have been reconciled unto God
It's not just you know
God's happy that you got saved. God is happy that we got saved obviously
You know the angels rejoice in heaven over one sinner that repenteth. We understand that but what's been done away in salvation
Is the fact that we are enmity with God, that's what takes place in salvation
that's what the you know, the mediation of Christ means to us is that
We are no longer enemies with God. Okay before we were
You know, we that we are literally at odds with God
That's why we need to have a mediator right not just a you know, a go-between or a messenger boy
we had to have somebody come and
Reconcile one party to the other because those two parties were at odds with one another that's what happened in salvation
you know is we we have been a
a
You know, basically just put at peace with God all things are of God who hath reconciled us to him by Jesus Christ
We've been reconciled but and has given unto us this ministry of reconciliation
That's kind of why I'm taking the point to park on this a little bit tonight
You know is the fact that you know this idea of the fact that we've been
This this peace has been mediated between us and God
That's something that has now been that responsibility has been given to us
In a sense we are now mediators between God and man
Not in the sense that we have laid down our lives not in the sense that we have gone into the holiest of Holies and
Obtained eternal redemption, you know through our blood. That's what Christ did but that ministry has been right has been given unto us
That's what it says in second Corinthians 5 that this ministry hath been given unto us Christ hath given unto us the ministry of reconciliation
To it that God was in Christ
Reconcile the world unto himself not imputing their trespasses unto them and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation
So it's the word of reconciliation that has been
Given unto us, you know Christ isn't going to come down here and preach the gospel folks
Does does every lost sinner this winner, excuse me lost sinner in this world have a mediator between them and God?
Yes, they do. It's called. It's Christ
You know, he gave his sins, you know, he gave his life for the sins of the whole world
He's a propitiation for not not for our sins only but for the sins of the whole world, right?
That's true. But you know that no one's gonna avail themselves of that unless they hear that I
Mean, what a shame
What a shame that there's people who could be reconciled to God
But won't be not because Christ didn't die for them because no one bothered to tell him
Just for the simple fact that nobody preached it to him. I
Mean think about that because again going back, you know, it's kind of I was trying to make the point earlier about you know
Him that that's not gonna hear God's prophet, you know, it will be required of him him will God destroy
You know when people don't get saved they go to hell, you know, and and we've been given this ministry of reconciliation
It's incredibly important what we do in preaching the gospel
It's we can't even begin to unfathom how important it truly is
You know and when we get to heaven and we had can fully understand the realities of hell and the glories of heaven
You know this ministry of reconciliation that has been committed unto us will mean so much the more well
We'll fully understand just how great a responsibility has been laid upon our shoulders
You know, and that's what Paul is trying to get across the second Corinthians 5
You know God has has reconciled us by us by Jesus to himself by Jesus Christ
Christ has done everything he needs to do for anyone to come to God
However, that responsibility of preaching the gospel has been laid squarely upon our shoulders
And if we don't do it, no one else is going to it's just a fact
You know, there's a lot of a lot of people that are going around preaching another gospel, which is not another
You know, but they're not getting anybody saved. In fact, they're making people to fold more the child of hell. They themselves are not even saved
So this is a major aspect of
Christ's ministry the ministry of mediation and him reconciling sinners unto a holy God
Okay, that's a major part of it. But also
Think about the fact that Christ even now right now is a mediator between you and God
Not in terms of salvation, right?
but as a as a kind of a go-betweens that we can go to the Father that we have we can go to the Father in
Christ's name and ask those things that we have need of
Go to Hebrew how do you go to Hebrews 4, right?
Bible says in 1st Timothy 2 we all know it for there's one meteor to when God a man the man Christ Jesus
Who gave himself a ransom for all to be testified in due time?
You know, there is that mediator and he's the mediator for everybody, you know, but not everybody is going to
Obviously take advantage of that
But you know, it should never be said that
It's because of the fact that we failed to preach the gospel, you know
That would be too that would be a very sad thing and obviously there's gonna be some degree of that
Minimize that in your life. Okay
Hebrews chapter 4 but the other the other aspect of Christ's mediation is the fact that we have access to the throne even right now
Okay
verse 14
Seeing then we have a great high priest that has passed in the heavens. Jesus the Son of God
Let us hold fast our profession for we have done a high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities
But was it all points tempted like as we are
Yet without sin let us therefore come boldly under the throne of grace that we may obtain
Mercy and find grace to help in time of need, you know
That's another aspect of that mediation right the fact that Christ is our mediator
Is that we have access to go to God's throne to find help and mercy and grace and time of need
You know, that's an access that you have. That's another you know
Benefit that's been just
Given unto us as God's children. I
Mean the fact that we've been reconciled unto God is more than we could ever dream or hope for
You know to have the enmity between us and a holy God to have been done away through Christ. I mean, what more could you ask?
You know and point this out because you know, this really helps us to start to understand
How gracious God really is the goodness of God?
It's it's more than then we know because not only did God
Reconcile us to himself and he's also given us access to the throne
Saying yeah, I'll save you and you can go to heaven, you know, and that's enough. No, he doesn't stop there
He says not only that but I will help you along the way
You know, it's great to have availed yourself to
You know the mediation that's available in salvation, but let's not forget
That we also have a mediator in heaven Christ who is able to you know, help us live the Christian life
We also have that same access to the throne. We have that we can go now we can go into that holy place
Right Christ has got in there for us that veil has been rent
Okay, we have access to that throne of grace. We can go there not just and not tiptoe in and hope we're not noticed
You know into the throne of grace, you know, that's what he says in Hebrews
He says let us come there for boldly under the throne
I mean we can just throw the door open and walk in and say it's your son. It's your daughter. I have need right
Just like my kids do so often when you know when I work at home
Sometimes they'll just throw the door open. So there's a do not disturb sign doesn't matter. They got access
I got a lock the door barricade it and even then they're you know, trying to get in I'm kidding
Well, you know that it's that idea we don't have to kind of walk in Oh God is okay
Yeah, you know, it's like no we come boldly before God that is what it means to have Christ as your mediator
That's that's the that's what Christ has bargained for us in that mediation not just in salvation
Praise God for that
That we don't have to face the wrath of God
But we also have you know access to that throne we can find mercy and grace and help do we avail ourselves of that?
do we avail ourselves of
The the the ministry of reconciliation that's been you know given to us. Do we bear that responsibility and
Do we take advantage of you know, the fact that we can go before the throne? Okay
Let's wrap it up here in Acts
acts
3 verse 24
Yeah
And all of the prophets from Samuel and those that follow after as many as have spoken likewise have foretold of these days
Ye are the children of the prophets and of the covenant which God made with our fathers saying in Abraham Abraham and
In thy scene shall all the kindreds of the earth be blessed, you know, and I've preached this several times
I'm really not going to go in tonight. There's plenty more opportunities going through the book of Acts to preach this but
Notice and in thy seed, right?
Not as of many but as of one which is Christ, right? It's not
You know, they're not we're not it's not the fact that they're the physical descendants of Abraham
It's the fact that Christ came through Abraham that all nations of the earth shall be blessed
Okay, and it's and it's all kindreds of the earth not with particular
Nationality that's gonna get blessed by God, right? And this is a even to this day
This is a misconception that a lot of so-called Jews have
right a lot of so-called Israelites that they're just
Well, of course, I'm going to heaven I'm God's chosen people, you know, I'm a Jew
Well makes you so special. I'm Jewish
you know, I wear a funny hat and
You know, I I you know celebrate
You know all the Jewish, you know customs and things like that, you know that that's what they're that's what they're basing it on
Sorry, I don't know a lot about Judaism
You know don't know everything they do but I know one thing I've had plenty of Jews close the door in my face and say
I'll say do you know you're gonna have it? Of course. I'm Jewish just like that
Yeah, I'm Jewish click
Good luck with that
Good luck, you know thinking that your
So-called ethnicity is gonna get you there right because it's all nations. All kindreds are blessed in Christ
No Christ no blessing why because he's at the mediator
You know if you're you know, no man cometh unto the Father but by me
so when you have a religion that's
wholeheartedly rejected Christ and blaspheme Christ and whether it's Judaism or
You know Hinduism or Islam you name it when you're rejecting the one mediator that you have between you and a holy God
You've blown your chance of going to heaven. You need to have that mediator
You know, there's no there is salvation nowhere else
Verse
26 unto you first have God having raised up his son. Jesus sent him to bless you
So what are you saying to them first? Obviously talking about the Jews of Peter's day, right which makes sense
Those were the people that were there that beheld Christ, you know, they were they saw these things
God gave him gave them a chance they rejected to him and he went to the Gentiles. Okay?
Unto you first God having raised up his son. Jesus
Sent him to bless you, right?
And again, this all goes back to this theme of the fact that Christ is a mediator
It's a blessing to have Christ as our mediator. I mean, that's it's kind of like
It's kind of it's that's putting it lightly almost, you know, I'm not trying to bang bang on Peter
He's a great preacher. But you know, he's saying yeah, he sent him to bless you. I mean, that's true
I mean that that sums it up nicely
But I mean that don't let those words be wasted don't let those words, you know fall
Lightly, you know on our ears, you know what it means the blessing that we really have in Christ
He certainly did bless us didn't he?
He certainly was sent to bless us more than
You know, we could ever hope to even begin to bless anybody else. That's the blessing that you have in Christ
Okay, and turning every one of you away from his iniquities. All right
So, you know Christ was sent to bless us right through that ministry of reconciliation through that
Mediation between us and a holy God, right?
That's a huge blessing but you know
His ministry is still ongoing to us right through the ministry of the Holy Spirit through the ministry of his word
You know, we we can still continue to serve God we can be empowered through God. We still have this great mediator working on our behalf
Even unto this day beyond even salvation, right? We have these other
you know benefits that we get from
Having a mediator such as Christ, you know, truly that's that again puts it lightly like God sent Christ to bless us
And if you're in Christ truly we have been blessed. Let's go ahead and have a word of prayer