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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