Acts 3:1-11
Look at us – Look to Him
How
would you describe as a Hopeless situation?
A)A situation in which we
are helpless to change or improve in anyway.
B)That is the situation that
we come upon in Acts 3 – A man who has been lame from birth{ 3:2
1) A man who is over 40 yrs
old {4:22
C)A man that Peter himself identified as being
helpless. { 4:9
This
man was helpless to fix himself – Doctors couldn’t fix him – family couldn’t
fix him
A)His daily routine was to
be carried to the gate of the temple everyday – sit and beg for alms
B)Not a lot of hope in that
Picture.
1)Epipitamy of simple
seeking to exist and get by.
C) Hopeless until the name
of Jesus is brought into the picture.
We
left off in Chapter 2 having seen the birth of the Church on the day of
Pentecost –
A)Peter’s first sermon – 3,000 saved - a little nervous I will get better
B) Church living communally
– necessity – sharing
C)Unified
– Devoted to 4 things
Acts 2:42 “And they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine
and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers.”
D)Wonder – Joy – Contagious
– people getting saved every day.
Acts
3 Gives us the setting for this miracle.
V.1
Now Peter and John went up together to the temple at the hour of prayer, the ninth
hour.{ 3pm
A)Here we find the apostles
continuing in the normal routine of Judaism – Temple 3 times a day to pray
B)Why? Christianity was not meant to replace Judaism it was meant to fulfill
it!
1)They were aware that the
new faith and the old discipline could walk hand in hand
C)So they continued with the
same disciplines in going to the temple and prayer – new meaning
1)Religion was
replaced by relationship – Practice with a person.
The Jewish day began
at 6 o’clock in the morning and ended at 6 o’clock in the evening.
A)For the devout Jew there
were three special hours of prayer—9 a.m., 12 midday and 3 p.m.
B)3pm special hour – Hour of
the Lord’s death.
He cried – It
is finished – Veil was torn in two!
V.2 Completes
the setting: “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;”
A)Now this man picked a
great place to beg for several reasons.
B)It was called the
Beautiful gate for a reason – It was very pretty –
1)Josephus
tells us “the gate was fifty cubits high and forty cubits wide, was overlaid
with Corinthian bronze, and was such a work of art that it “far
exceeded in value those plated with silver set in gold.”
C) Because it was a
beautiful setting – many people entered thru that gate – most popular.
D)Begging at the entrance to
the temple – was also smart because – Jewish system
1)People sought to earn
God’s favor by their performance
E)What
better place to solicit alms – than from people going to meet with God – be
excepted
1) “God did you see what I
gave that guy out there!”
F)Daily he was placed there!
Fixture – He was seen every day - { No
longer noticed
Now came the Divine
encounter – RD V.3-6
….Alms and got legs J
Notice:
Peter didn’t look away – that is what we do at times person in need – look
away.
A)V.4 Fixing their eyes on
the man – NLT looking intently. NIV Looked straight – ESV directed his gaze
B)Principle: Before we can be used to meet a need we need to see the
need.
1)Can’t ignore the needs
around us – His eyes and His heart.
C) Interesting – They might
have passed by this man many times – over the previous weeks
1)Jesus might have passed by
this man
D)This day would be
different. {Sensitive to Spirit
Peter’s
response: LOOK AT US
A)Why did Peter want eye
contact?
B)Picture this man – in his
40’s and for yrs maybe 20 plus years he has been dropped off every day –gate
C)Maybe first went –
desperation – looked at pp
1)Help me – please
But
after yrs of rejection: Yrs of being ignored
A)Yrs of feeling shame –
this is the only way he can exist
B)Yrs of feeling like a pain
to the people who have to bring him there every day – and then take him home
C)I
would think this guy was dejected – head down
1)Routine – easier not to
look – because then he didn’t see the pp ignoring him
D)Didn’t see them turn their
head the other way.
E)He was a broken man in
more ways than one.
So
that might have been part of the reason why Peter wanted eye contact – the guy
was looking down
A)But I think it was more
than that -
B)Peter
says LOOK AT US! - Do we look
like guys with money – { Pull pockets out of his pants
1)Text supports that – Peter
says Silver and gold we don’t have.
C)Peter is saying: Look at
US!!!! – We have nothing to offer you –
1)Last 3 yrs – no pay Check
– lousy fishermen
D)Look at us – We don’t
possess anything in and of ourselves – to help you.
Application
for us: We live in a world of broken pp
A)Broken by abuse/
addiction/ Divorce/ Bankruptcy
Broken by – pp taking
advantage = broken trust
B)World filled with
hopelessness { Can’t trust govt
1)Guy flys a plane into a
building
2)Suicide rate of young
tripled in past 2 decades
LOOK
AT US! – Look around –
A)What do we have to help
this world. { Hospital
B)We don’t have enough money
–
1)Not smart enough –
talented enough
C)We don’t have anything of
any substance to offer to a hurting world
D)When I look at the needs
in this world – NC – Vista – I get overwhelmed - - look at me – US
E)Look at us – We are in
trouble: LOOK TO HIM!
LOOK
2 HIM – My heart is filled with Hope!
A) Psalm 3:3
“But You, O
Lord, are a shield for me,
My glory and
the One who lifts up my head.”
B)Notice v.6 again - "Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do
have {He did have something – He wasn’t empty- neither are we – We have
something – infinite worth/ Infinite
power/
"Silver
and gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you: In
the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk."
V.7 And he took
him by the right hand and lifted him up, and
immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength.
8 So he,
leaping up, stood and walked and entered the temple with them — walking,
leaping, and praising God.
Picture
this scene The poor man knew he could not walk, so he did not budge.
A)But
Peter, doing a typically Peter thing, grabbed him by the right hand and began
to hoist him up.
B)At
that moment (the Greek says, “instantly”)
everything came together.
C)Remember
Luke –is a Doctor-He uses – some medical terms here. –
1) The word translated feet
is only used by Luke, and occurs nowhere else. It indicates his discrimination
between different parts of the human heel.
D) The phrase ankle-bones is again a
medical phrase to be found nowhere else.
1) The word “leaping up” describes the coming
suddenly into socket of something that was out of place,
E)SoThis
then is a very careful medical description of what happened in connection with
this man.”
1)Instantly
– strength entered his joints – everything that was out of place – was put back
F)In that moment – strength
to walk
Power
in the name of Jesus!
A)Not magical name – name
didn’t have special powers
B)The name spoke of the
Person –Who Jesus was
C)Early Church was Anchored
into Jesus!
1)Believed Rez Lord – God in
human flesh
D)Savior/ Cross – Way truth and life…no man!
1)Great Physician
They
were also walking – moving forward in the reality that Jesus was still with
them!
A)His spirit indwelling them
– empowering them
B)What they had to give to
the world was Jesus!
1)Acts 2:21 – Call upon His
name –saved
C)See Later – Acts 4:18/5:40
– Don’t speak of His name!
1)They couldn’t – They were
all about Jesus
D)Everything else in life
was a distant 2nd to Him
CAN
WE SAY THAT?
A)Jesus just a part of your
life – or is He at the center?
B)Does your life revolve
around Him?
1)Guys that is how we like
Peter move in the miraculous
C)We
live in a broken world – with broken pp all around us- what we can give them is
Jesus
D)It is true that not
everyone that gets prayed for gets healed physically –{ others that day.
But
for everyone who believes in Jesus as their Savior – Everyone who surrenders
A)There is an immediate
Change that occurs
B)Immediate Cleansing – Sins
forgiven/ forgotten.
C)Immediate Change in
destiny – Hell to heaven
1)Immediate change in
standing with God –
Enemy to friend – Stranger
to family
2)Darkness to light –
D) 2 Corinthians 5:17 “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation;
old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.”
That
Change is immediate: - We need to believe that! 1st Personally – our
lives
A)Not only do
Peter and John provide principles for us, but the lame man is a picture of
us.
B)You see,
like the crippled man, we too were lame from birth. Adam, our father in the
flesh, fell.
1)And so great was his fall that all of his
descendants were born lame.
C)Unable to walk with God, or after the things of God, we
sat outside the temple—
1)alienated from God because of our sin—and begged
enough silver or gold to get us by for one more day.
And then something happened.
A)Heard a
message about Jesus – friend / Church/ Crusade -
B)When we
least expected it, Jesus grabbed us by the hand and said, “Stand up and walk. I’m calling you into the kingdom.
1) I’m taking you to heaven.”
C)In that moment – we were
immediately transformed!
1) We need to walk in the
power – transformed – set free – we don’t believe
it.
We
continue to give into our flesh –
A)We continue to live in
condemnation – because we don’t believe we have really been cleansed.
B)Do you think this guy went
back to the gate the next day to beg. – No way – Transformed – healed
1)So he lived like it
C)Jesus transforms – makes
new – change on the inside that affects the outside.
Church
we need to believe that is what Jesus does and walk in that
A)That is what we have to
offer to broken pp living in a broken world.
B)A message of
transformation – Instant –
1)Might take a while to see
the affects on the outside
But what takes place inside
is immediate.
Peter
says – I don’t have any money – but what I do I have I give to you – In the name
of Jesus – rise walk
A)Church – we do have
something to impart to this needy world – we have Jesus
B)We have the Message of the
gospel – There is power in the name of Jesus to instantly transform!
1)We need to believe it –
Share Jesus
C)Give pp Jesus – What I
have I give to you! – We have answer – Jesus changes lives.
D)We need to look for broken
pp – seize opportunities – Believing power of gospel
In
the tiny compartment of a passenger train sat a young lieutenant in uniform.
Next to him sat his commanding officer, a crusty old general.
Across from him sat a beautiful young lady.
Next to her was her grandmother.
HRS
passed – Lieutenant & young lady attraction
Tunnel
– dark – Kiss / followed by a slap
As the train emerged from the tunnel, the four
travelers looked at one another with a variety of expressions.
The
young lady was delighted that the lieutenant would kiss her at that moment, but
puzzled as to why her grandmother would slap him.
The grandmother was angry that the lieutenant had the audacity to
kiss her granddaughter, but grateful to the general who slapped the young man in line.
The
general was proud of his lieutenant for kissing the young lady, but confused
and smarting from the slap of the young girl.
The
lieutenant was hardly able to contain the laughter within him, as he alone knew
what had actually transpired in the tunnel.
Under
the cover of darkness, he had seized the moment to kiss the girl and smack the general.
Seize the
moment, folks!
Watch for the moment of the miraculous when the Lord will use you in this dark
tunnel of time to slap the Enemy in the face, as you heal a hurting world.
Finish up by noting the
reaction of the People.
RD v.9-11
People
heard this guy walking and leaping and praising God – they ran to see what was
going on.
A)All formalism was gone –
B)They said isn’t that the
guy – the man … lame
1)They didn’t even know his
name – that is how insignifant he was
C)Now they were filled with
3 things
#1
V.10 Wonder = awe and Reverence – presence of God was near.
#2
V.10 Amazement = ecstatic – it literally means to
stand outside yourself – they saw God working and they were blown away by it.
They were floored
#3
V.11 Greatly Amazed – actually astounded
A)Little boy walking into
the magic kingdom for the first time.
B)Parents birth of their
first Child.
C)New Christians –
What about us? Filled with
wonder any more?
A)What kills wonder? 3 things
#1
Cynicism: I wasn’t born yesterday –
Can’t trust pp – Hear story – explain it away – not God
#2
Skepticism: I can’t trust what I am
seeing!
A)There has to be an
explanation – right
B)Why was Jesus so into
Children
1)And Why did he say –
Become like little Children
C)Little kids believe in a
big God – God who can do anything- they pray for big things – Cancer
D)As adults we know too much
– we know how things work – we know the obstacles
E)We need to get back to
being Childlike again!
#3
Fatalism:
A)Fatalism says – there
might be a God –but He has left everything to fate
B)We are left here to figure
it out – Fate – God doesn’t step in – things will run their course.
C)There are many Christians
who are fatalistic in their actions – they don’t pray anymore –
1)Just waiting for God to do
what He is going to do
Let things run their course
D)Lousy way to live!
Hosea 6:3 God’s going forth is as certain as the dawn;
The sun coming up is pretty
certain!
A)Not worried about that –
B)Worriers = Every worry –
sun going up
C)God’s workings are that
certain!
D)He is working all around
us – He is working in us
E)He invites us to be a part
of it!