Unhindered - Cornerstone?
•a healing (Acts 3:1–10)
•Peter’s Sermon (Acts 3:11–26)
•Arrested (Acts 4:1–22)
•Praying with Friends Acts 4:23–31)
•Summary

5 Common literary themes by New Testament writers:
-the Miracle Story
-the Sermon
-the Conflict
-the Prayer
-the Summary

Acts 3:1–10 (ESV)
Now Peter and John were going up to the temple at the hour of prayer, the ninth hour. And a man lame from birth was being carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple that is called the Beautiful Gate to ask alms of those entering the temple. Seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple, he asked to receive alms. And Peter directed his gaze at him, as did John, and said, “Look at us.” And he fixed his attention on them, expecting to receive something from them. But Peter said, “I have no silver and gold, but what I do have I give to you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk!” And he took him by the right hand and raised him up, and immediately his feet and ankles were made strong. And leaping up, he stood and began to walk, and entered the temple with them, walking and leaping and praising God. And all the people saw him walking and praising God, and recognized him as the one who sat at the Beautiful Gate of the temple, asking for alms. And they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.
1) Location: at the temple.
Our story began as new movement of Messianic Judaism
This miraculous moment takes place not inside the temple, but at the gate outside.
Do you remember what happened at Pentecost?
The presence of God, where Heaven meets Earth, is no longer confined to the temple. It is moving out with the followers of Jesus.
Luke is showing us both the power of the Spirit and helping us see that we are the new temple of God.

2) Peter simply invokes the name of Jesus
Acts: 3:6 But Peter said, “I have no silver and gold, but what I do have I give to you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk!”

“I don’t have any of that …but I do have the name of Jesus.” ~Peter

Peter:
“In the name of Jesus...” he’s calling on the very essence Jesus.

-THE SERMON
Peter: “Don’t look at us like we did this … this was done by Jesus.”

Peter clearly sees the Old Testament as a story that is constantly pointing forward to something…and that something is Jesus.

THE RESISTANCE
Acts 4:1–10 (ESV)
And as they were speaking to the people, the priests and the captain of the temple and the Sadducees came upon them, greatly annoyed because they were teaching the people and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection from the dead.And they arrested them and put them in custody until the next day, for it was already evening. But many of those who had heard the word believed, and the number of the men came to about five thousand.

On the next day their rulers and elders and scribes gathered together in Jerusalem, with Annas the high priest and Caiaphas and John and Alexander, and all who were of the high-priestly family. And when they had set them in the midst, they inquired, “By what power or by what name did you do this?” Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers of the people and elders,if we are being examined today concerning a good deed done to a crippled man, by what means this man has been

healed, let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead—by him this man is standing before you well.This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone. And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”

Psalm 118: the stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone.
This building metaphor represents the essence of the early teaching of this movement we now call Christianity.

▪Jesus is the stone.
▪The Jews are the builders.
▪The rejection is His death.
▪the cornerstone is His resurrection.

The stone that the builders rejected (by killing Him) has become the cornerstone (by God raising Him from death).

Acts 4:12 And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”

The cornerstone of what we believe is the resurrection of Jesus.
CHARA = salvation “to save”- “made whole.”

THE PRAYER
Acts 4:29–31 (ESV)
And now, Lord, look upon their threats and grant to your servants to continue to speak your word with all boldness, while you stretch out your hand to heal, and signs and wonders are performed through the name of your holy servant Jesus.” And when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness.

They asked for boldness and more confidence to keep going.

They asked for God to keep showing up and doing amazing things.

How? - In the name of Jesus.

…the beggar?
Do you need healing? Do you need to be made whole? You will only find it in the name of Jesus.

… the onlooker?
Are you amazed yet confused by this whole thing? The answers you’re searching for are only found in Jesus.

…the religious leader?
Do you pretend to have it all figured out? Is it possible that you have rejected the cornerstone?

…the disciple?
Are you the one who needs to ask God for boldness? Remember that this is not about you … it’s about Jesus.