Repentance and Renewal: The Refreshing Power of Christ

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. Now it is generally agreed that a better translation is this: repent ye therefore and be converted that your sins may be blotted out and so the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord. [00:00:21]

Peter says no you mustn't do that it isn't the miracle per se that matters we as the apostles don't matter but what is really significant he says is this what has produced the miracle and indeed what has produced us don't look at us we are the result of something else don't look at the man he's the result of the same thing. [00:04:50]

He tells them that this which they're looking at and they themselves but the result of the power which is still being manifested by that Jesus of Nazareth whom they dismissed and rejected but a few weeks before crying away with him crucifying him crucify him even the Roman Governor Pontius Pilate was anxious to set him at Liberty but they wouldn't. [00:05:19]

He preached to them the person of the Lord Jesus Christ that he is the Son of God he preached to them the whole of his place in connection with God's Great purpose of redemption he told them how we come into the world how we been born he told them about his teaching and his mighty manifestation of his power in the Miracles that he worked. [00:06:48]

He says the explanation is this this this Jesus having gone back to heaven sent down his holy spirit upon us he's filled us with power we didn't do this it isn't our own power or Holiness that has enabled us to heal this men it is the power of the holy spirit that this risen Jesus sent down upon us he has done it through the spirit through us. [00:09:39]

He says this is a new age you he says uh the children yay and all the prophets from Samuel and those that follow after as many as have spoken have likewise foretold of these days these are the days of the Messiah said Peter this is a new age there is a new Liberty God's Plan of Salvation is working in a new power as all the prophets had prophesied. [00:09:57]

He says repent ye therefore and be converted that your sins may be blotted out that so times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord now there are some who think that that's a reference to the second coming of Our Lord I disagree entirely as many authorities do disagree because our Lord Peter goes on to talk about the second coming after that in a separate way. [00:12:11]

Salvation is exactly comparable to a man recovering from the effects of heat or if you prefer it a man who is on the point of Suffocation being revived by fresh air seasons of refreshing now it's not a bit surprising of course that the Apostle should put it like that there are many images and illustrations used in the scriptures in order to convey to us some impression of the blessings of Salvation. [00:13:24]

He says you know if you only repent if you only believe this message you are going to experience the most glorious refreshing you are going to be like men who were almost finished under some oppressive heat when suddenly the fresh air is let in why does he use this illustration well you see he just passed through Pentecost and what was Pentecost well you remember the story. [00:14:05]

The coming of the Lord Jesus Christ into this world has brought a breath of Hope Oh that's why the introductions to the gospels are all so lyrical the people that sat in darkness have seen a great light the people shut in in the confined space in that awful room have suddenly felt a slight breeze that's it or it's like a traveler going through a trackless desert seeing nothing but sand and sand and sand. [00:38:26]

Repent ye therefore and be converted that your sins may be blotted out you see it works like this when a man rarely understands life and is enlightened and delivered from this terrible ignorance he realizes that he's only one real problem and that is his relationship to God this is the thing that oppresses this is the thing that kills that though you feel your moral and good and clean it's nothing in the sight of God. [00:42:42]

He says look here repent and you'll be refreshed seasons of refreshing from the presence of the Lord well now as you know this is a a comparison that is used in other places in the scripture I read to you that portion out to the third chapter of John's gospel at the beginning because our Lord used the same illustration exactly in dealing with Nicodemus. [00:15:52]