The Book of Acts, comes in like a Lion.
Rushing mighty Wind. Tongues of Fire. Holy Spirit Fills. Other tongues proclaim wonderous works of God in every language under heaven. One sermon from a fisherman, and 3,000 souls are saved.
Today, we see a lame man leaping, and
thousands more get saved.
It’s easy to get addicted to the
excitement. But we won’t do that; because we don’t want to miss the real story,
the real Power, behind the scenes, in the quiet time, the off season.
In the book of Acts, and in the acts of
our lives, we must remain faithful, in season and out.
2 Tim. 4:2. Preach the word! Be ready in
season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all
longsuffering and teaching.
Acts 3:1
Now Peter and John went up together to the temple at the hour of prayer, the
ninth hour.
Peter and John are friends, old fishing
buddies. Now they’re in ministry together, and are on their way to the temple
to pray at the hour of prayer (3:00 p.m.).
The ninth hour; perhaps because that was
the hour Jesus cried from the cross, Into Thy hands I commit My Spirit. Or,
perhaps they were simply following the Jewish custom of praying the 3rd,
the 6th and the 9th hours. (9 a.m.; noon; 3 p.m.).
Notice, they took prayer serious enough to
have it hardwired into their schedule.
They are the prototype, for the Church, our
example.
Do we take prayer serious enough to pause
our day to pray?
Do we have appointments with God set so
firm in our schedule that the rest of life must revolve around them?
That’s how it was when we were kids. Twice
on Sunday, once on Wednesday, when the Church doors were open, we were there.
It was an anchor to tie the rest of our lives to. Thank you, mom and dad.
So, Peter and John are on their way to Church…
2 And a certain man lame from his mother’s womb was carried,
whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, to
ask alms from those who entered the temple;
From birth he was lame, so, his job was
that of a beggar.
Don’t despise the guys with signs on the
corner—at least they’re doing something. That’s not an easy job. Don’t assume
to know their story.
At least he had a beautiful spot.
This gate was 75’ high, on the east side
of the temple, toward the Mount of Olives; where Jesus probably walked through,
often. It was brass, but had such artistic excellence, it was considered more beautiful
than the gates made of silver and gold.
3 who, seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple, asked
for alms.
He wasn’t paying them much attention; as a
beggar, you don’t, it softens the sting of repeated rejection.
But it’s his job, so he asks them for
alms.
4 And fixing his eyes on
him, with John, Peter said, “Look at us.”
It’s likely that Peter and John, and Jesus
and the rest of the disciples, may have passed this very same beggar multiple
times over the past few years.
But this time they see him, afresh,
through eyes of faith.
So, they delay their trip to the temple. They
pause going to Church, to be the Church, to have Church.
Alexander MacLaren (Scottish Baptist
Minister): “Purposed devotion is well delayed, when postponed to lighten misery.”
Never be too busy with ministry to
minister.
Peter commanded the man’s attention. Look
at us.
This was a peculiar request; most would
simply drop a coin in his cup without so much as a word or a glance.
But you cannot receive anything from God
with lukewarm, apathy. So, the Lord uses Peter’s words like a splash of cold
water.
Wake up! Look at us.
5 So he gave them his attention, expecting to receive something
from them.
It worked, he perked up, slapped from his
dreary slumber of hopelessness.
Expectancy is the right attitude for
receiving.
He was paying attention, expecting
something.
Only, what he expected was alms, money,
silver, gold.
6 Then Peter said, “Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do
have I give you:
Peter boldly proclaims, what most are afraid
to admit. I’ve got no money.
Have you heard the story about the pope
and the monk?
After showing all the treasures of the
church to the monk, the pope looked up with a smile and said, “We’re no longer able to say, 'Silver and gold have I none.” The monk, looked down without a smile and said,
“And we’re no longer able to say, ‘In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth,
rise up and walk.”
Peter and John, the forerunners of the
Christian Church, show up for Church, with no money.
This sets a standard.
Church is not about money. But it is about
giving.
For God so loved, He gave.
Silver and gold have I none; but what I’ve
got, I give.
What Peter has to give is no inferior
second prize. He states this triumphantly. What I have, is way more awesome than
money, and that, I give to you.
Like Jesus to the woman at the well. If
you only knew the water that I have to give, you’d be asking Me, for a drink.
John 4:10.
If you have Jesus, what you have to give
is more valuable than all the silver, all the gold, in all the world.
All God’s gifts are meant to be regifted.
And as we do, He gives more, we can never diminish His abundance supply. Mom
always said, “You can’t outgive God.”
The more we try the more we experience the
joy of the Lord and the better blessing of giving, than of receiving.
So, what is it that Peter has to give?
In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk.”
Peter doesn’t timidly ask a question.
“Excuse me, um,
this might sound weird, but do you mind if I pray for you? I think maybe God
might uh, you know, want to umm, help you, with your legs and stuff…”
No,
he doesn’t ask for anything, he gives a command. In the name of, the authority
of, Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk!
Get up!
Jesus repeatedly told us He only said and
did what He heard and saw from the Father.
Peter is doing the same. We can and should
do that too.
This kind of boldness and confidence and faith
doesn’t reside in man, but in God.
Faith without works is dead. James 2. So,
Peter doesn’t stop with words…
7 And he took him by the right hand and lifted him up,
and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength.
Not that it matters but the writer Luke
was a doctor and the original text is medical jargon, doctor speak, for the
feet and ankle and bones.
As Peter grabbed the man’s hand and
pulled, God grabbed the man’s legs and healed, immediately.
8 So he, leaping up, stood and walked and entered the
temple with them—walking, leaping, and praising God.
What began with the lame being lifted
up, ended with him leaping up.
So, now it’s worth repeating; if you have
Jesus, what you have to give is more valuable than all the silver, all the
gold, in all the world.
If you don’t believe it, just ask that
lame man leaping.
Okay, now, with that little detour done,
they resume their trip to the temple, only with the addition of a smiling, joyful,
human jumping bean.
9 And all the people saw him walking and praising God.
This is a picture of the purpose for
signs, wonders, miracles, healings. Praising God.
To bring glory to God. It was then, and
still is today.
God is the same, yesterday today and
forever; Hebrews 13:8.
10 Then they knew that it was he who sat begging alms at the
Beautiful Gate of the temple; and they were filled with wonder and amazement at
what had happened to him.
The goodness of God leads to repentance;
Romans 2:4.
God’s goodness in this miracle leads to
the repentance of thousands.
Acts 4:4; many believed and the number of
the men grew to about 5,000.
11 Now as the lame man who was healed held on to Peter and John,
all the people ran together to them in the porch which is called Solomon’s,
greatly amazed.
Solomon’s porch, also on the east side of
the temple, a large covered porch; a great shaded gathering place.
Word of the miracle spread and a crowd
gathered quickly.
12 So when Peter saw it, he responded to the people: “Men of
Israel, why do you marvel at this? Or why look so intently at us, as though by
our own power or godliness we had made this man walk?
So, when Peter saw it, he might’ve thought,
awesome another chance to preach!
But first he needs to set the record
straight. He’s quick to say, don’t look at us, we didn’t do it. It wasn’t our
goodness, good looks, godliness, or power.
This was done to set the stage to
introduce the True Power and Godliness that works miracles among men.
This must always be done, so we
don’t fall to the temptation of taking credit for what God has done.
Recently there was a movie in theatres
called, Jesus Revolution. The film follows; Chuck Smith, (founder of Calvary
Chapel that has grown to over 2,000 churches); teenage Greg Laurie (present day
pastor); and Christian hippie Lonnie Frisbee, as they take part in the Jesus
movement in California during the late 1960s.
Well, Chuck Smith, (went Home in 2013) had
something like this miracle happen in one of his Church services (not in the movie). A couple of
ladies, pushed a man in a wheelchair to the front for prayer. Well, when Chuck
looked at the man, suddenly he knew, just knew, God would heal him. So, he
told him, told him, not asked him, just told him, something like Peter, “In the
name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, get up!” Then he took him by the hand and
pulled him up, and the man was healed, completely healed!
The ladies who brought him, were beside
themselves. Come to find out, they brought him up front to ask for prayer, for
a cold.
God had other plans.
Well, the next night, there was another
service, and guess what, word spread, a crowd gathered. And surprise, surprise,
there were a couple guys in wheelchairs in the front row.
Chuck’s son, asked, “Dad, are you going to
pull them out of the wheelchair too?”
Dad said something like Peter said. “No.
God gave me a gift of faith last night. I could never do that, on my own power
or godliness.”
With that said, remember what we learned
about the Holy Spirit when we started Acts 2?
We looked at the gifts of the Holy Spirit
in, 1 Corinthians 12:8-11, 28, Romans 12:6-8, and Ephesians 4:11.
We’re told that the gifts are given by the
Holy Spirit individually as He wills.
God is the same, yesterday, today, and
forever (Hebrews 13:8). All of His gifts are still in operation today. These
gifts reside in God, not man. However, as per the very definition of a gift,
they are given, as the Spirit wills.
Of His gifts, three apply to our text
today: Faith, Healings, Miracles.
These three seem to go hand in hand in many ways. They often come in like a lion, attract a lot of attention; a sure-fire way to draw a crowd.
It’s easy to get addicted to the
excitement.
However, we won’t do that, we won’t miss the real story, the real Power, behind the scenes, in the quiet time, the off season. Because we're told repeatedly that the gifts are given by the same Spirit, same Lord, same God, the obvious emphasis on the Giver, not the gift. 1 Cor. 12:8-11.
And, after that we’re told of, a more excellent way. The gifts are pointless, useless, without this more excellent way… the Way of Love. 1 Cor. 12:31.
The miraculous draws crowds to preach and
see explosive growth; but the staying Power is gentle, and quiet… God’s
abiding, unending, never failing, Love. 1 Cor. 13.
God is love. 1 John 4:8,16.
Let’s be busy about our Father’s business
of Love, and leave the gift giving up to Him.
Let’s pray.
Father, thank You for Your exceedingly great
and precious promises. For the greatest Gift of all, Your Son, Jesus Christ,
our Lord.
We are in awe of Your miracles, and signs,
and wonders, and welcome each and every one, for Your goodness, leads to repentance.
However, we don’t seek them, we seek You; we keep our eyes, and hearts, focused
on You.
Help us remain faithful, in season, and
out, ever preaching, with our lives, Your great Love.
We love You, forever.
Amen.
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