What does a time of refreshing look like in someone’s life? It’s a time when things get better. They find encouragement. They take on a new attitude. New hope flows into their life. And it begins to feel like anything is possible.
Peter and John were walking to the temple in Jerusalem for prayer. And they came upon a man who couldn’t walk since birth. He was brought to this place to beg for money. He waited many years. Went through many sorrows. But one day, his day came.
Peter and John looked at the man, and he asked them for money. Instead, they took him by the hand and said, “In the name of Jesus Christ, walk.” They helped him up immediately, and he began walking, jumping, and praising God.
A time of refreshing has come for this man. And he knows it through and through. For this message today, we will look at how Christians can help guide people toward times of refreshing. It can be a physical healing, like this event, but it can often be something else. It can be victory over depression. It can be choosing life after losing a loved one. It can be stepping out of a defeated mindset. It can be letting go of a relationship that didn’t work out.
But remember, not everyone is ready. So be it, move on to the next person. God will lead you toward those who are at the point of being ready to embrace change.
This brings us to our scripture for today, Acts 3:11-22.
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.”
Why does God bring seasons of refreshing? For the person, of course. Because he loves us. But, he also does it as a witness to all the people they know, that the living God is real.
It caused quite a stir when I gave my life to Christ in my hometown in 2012. So many knew me as a troublemaker, the town wanderer. Many lives were impacted by the reality that I kept claiming it was Jesus who changed my life. I never knew how many people really accepted Christ by seeing my story; but I hope some did.
People come running to the area when they see the lame man walking. It reminds me of when something on social media goes viral. Someone posts something on X or Pinterest, Youtube, Facebook, and it takes off. Word spreads, a post that had a few hundred views suddenly has a 100,000, even a million. The healing of this man goes viral in the area. Peter knows exactly what to do: Opportunity from God.
Verse 12: When Peter saw this, he said to them: “Fellow Israelites, why does this surprise you? Why do you stare at us as if by our own power or godliness we had made this man walk?”
The work of God often surprises us: We see someone change suddenly through Jesus and we are shocked. I remember when I got saved and sober, some told me, you did this, you need to take credit for it, and I kept saying no, I didn’t, it was the Lord. Not me!
Surprise is a natural reaction to the work of God. When I get an update on someone in the church and God has brought some new healing, their eyes are better, their wrist has no pain, they’re out of the hospital and feeling better, it’s amazing. We say: “Wow!”
Yet the crowd here assumes it must’ve been Peter and John who did it. But it wasn’t them. It wasn’t even because they were godly people. It was because Jesus had done something through them.
God made this man walk. But, he works through people. Always remember that. Too often I think we assume well if God wants it to happen it will. OK, but he works through people. And never forget the scripture where God said, I looked for someone to stand in the gap for me, but no one was found (Ezekiel 22:29-31). The result? Judah was taken into captivity. God chooses to use people, and if no person is available, it can be a serious problem. Then again, as it says in Esther, if you don’t stand up now, God may raise up someone else to do it for you (Esther 4:14).
God wants to use you.
Next, verse 13: “The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified his servant Jesus.”
Peter instantly points the crowds to Jesus. And he connects the God of their ancestors, to the God of the present moment, who had really sent Jesus.
Next, Peter goes into the gospel: “13b You handed him over to be killed, and you disowned him before Pilate, though he had decided to let him go. 14 You disowned the Holy and Righteous One and asked that a murderer be released to you. 15 You killed the author of life, but God raised him from the dead. We are witnesses of this.”
Such a fascinating paradox, that times of refreshing come through the death of the Author of Life. But how often is that the case in our own lives? It took serious difficulties and problems for us to grow. It took devastating events for us to be humbled, for pride to finally be driven out, and then, suddenly, we were able to hear the voice of God, and want Him, because we’d been lowered low enough to realize our need for God.
Often a rock bottom, a dark destruction can lead to a humility, a reset inside us, that gives us another chance at life. Refreshing.
Jesus died for us. And God raised him from the dead. So he is our living savior, forever.
Jesus had to die, he had to be raised. It’s the same with us. We have to die to ourselves through sufferings, and then God raises us up again, and refreshes us. And ultimately, all of us will experience physical death and then be raised to life one day.
A disciple of Jesus desires for others to experience times of refreshing. So watch for those whom God has humbled, because they are often ready.
Peter continues: “16 By faith in the name of Jesus, this man whom you see and know was made strong. It is Jesus’ name and the faith that comes through him that has completely healed him, as you can all see.”
Power in the name of Jesus Christ. We receive the power through our faith, which is given by Jesus to us. Who needs refreshing this morning? Who needs to be made strong? Trust in Jesus name. Act in that trust.
Do you really believe it’s real? Then act on it. As we believe in Jesus Christ more and more, that relationship overrides everything else, it overthrows lies we’ve believed, overthrows deceptions, overthrows addictions, overthrows everything that tries to hold us back. A growing faith in Jesus name, the Jesus who gives to us strength, the real Jesus.
Next, verses 17-18: “Now, fellow Israelites, I know that you acted in ignorance, as did your leaders. But this is how God fulfilled what he had foretold through all the prophets, saying that his Messiah would suffer.”
We once too acted in ignorance. We lived in sin. We chose to believe worldly things. We chose pleasures of life. We chose control. We chose to chase what we wanted. We chose an empty, hollow way. But, now we know better.
God forgives it all. Isn’t that amazing? And if you’re still caught in something, still missing the core of who Jesus is in your life, he can set you free from that too.
So we may choose by faith in His name, to truly and deeply believe. By that faith, we know the road we walk will include sufferings, for Jesus our example suffered. So we too shall suffer.
Share in suffering for Jesus. Taste it with Him. We must all taste some of the sufferings of Jesus. Know that, when you’re going through some sorrow because of your love for Jesus, a great reward awaits you.
Verse 19: “Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord…”
Times of refreshing often come on the other side of repentance. Peter calls the people gathered around this miracle to repent of their sins, and turn to God.
Then their sins would be forgiven, if they would repent and trust in Jesus. And then, times of refreshing come, with the reception of Christ into our hearts.
We wander without Jesus. We go from here to there, empty and confused, accumulating trauma and pain, we hurt others and get hurt in return. We try to play god of our own life and we end up in the wrong place at the wrong time and in the wrong situation. But God keeps waiting, with an open hand saying: Return to me while there’s still time. Don’t go the way of death, choose life in me.
Times of refreshing can come for us… but there is often a barrier we must get through first.
It could be..
-seeking healing for a past trauma
-making amends to someone we harmed
-repenting of a sin we’ve kept hidden for too long
-forgiving someone who hurt us terribly
-doing that thing we know God wants us to do
-asking Jesus to soften our hardened heart
-letting go of control
On the other side of that difficult thing, and most of us know it, deep down we know what God wants us to do. It’s a bit difficult, but, on the other side is a season of refreshing.
And when we let down our guard, and really let Jesus in… we find in verse 20…
“…and that he may send the Messiah, who has been appointed for you—even Jesus.”
Call upon the name of Jesus. Let him into the center of your heart.
Make this your prayer today: “Jesus, come be with me, I need you now!”
And we know Jesus is with us. But, we know He also reigns in heaven right now.
Verse 21 says “Heaven must receive him until the time comes for God to restore everything, as he promised long ago through his holy prophets.”
Healing, times of refreshing come. But, actual and total restoration we still wait for. Heaven received Jesus, after his resurrection. He is King there now. And we wait patiently for his return. We know when he does, our complete restoration will come. Not just seasons of refreshing, but a total restoration of our spirit, soul, and physical body. We long for that day. Because we will be one with Jesus on that day. It’s a promise. Believe. Hallelujah.
Lastly, verse 22: For Moses said, ‘The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your own people; you must listen to everything he tells you.”
Final word today, a disciple of Jesus listens to everything he tells us. Whether it’s a tough word or an encouraging word.
Everything he tells us. Jesus said, my words bring God’s life giving spirit. And as we hear his words, we believe them. We believe Him. More and more, the Spirit flows. And so by faith we find seasons of refreshing. Live streams of living water bubbling up from within us.
John 7:38, “He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.”
If we truly and deeply believe in Jesus, living water flows from within us. This is a season of refreshing for us, when those streams of living water flow from within us, representative of the Holy Spirit.
But note the dual purpose of the streams of living water: they are not only for us but also, to flow to others through us. Just like Peter and John, when they spoke life over the man who couldn’t walk and he was healed, and got up dancing, and shouting and praising God!
A true disciple of Jesus is looking for those opportunities, to be a spring of living water to those who have been humbled by the sorrows of life and are ready for something new. Point them to Jesus. Walk with them through their sorrows. You can’t do it for them. But you can point them to the one who can make them new.
