Acts 3:1-10 Have You Been Long Suffering? REVIEW: Jesus has been crucified, buried & resurrected (Atonement!) Ascended into heaven Last instructions - wait for the promise of the Father. And being assembled together with them, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, which, He said, you have heard from Me; for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now. Acts 1:4, 5, NKJV. They had already received the Holy Spirit (20:22) But now they receive power for their commission! Thus On the Jewish feast of Pentecost (explain) Now, filled with this new power Peter and the others are totally changed and fully equipped Let s see how different they are READ Acts 3:1-12 PRAY! Next Sunday we will take a close look at the specific ingredients of Peter s message. But for now Peter and John are often found together in Scripture. They were partners in the fishing business. They prepared the last Passover for Jesus. They ran to the tomb on the first Easter Sunday morning (John 20:3-4) Page 1 of 9
NOW that they were filled with the Holy Spirit, the apostles were no longer competing for greatness, but were at last working faithfully together to build the church (Ps. 133). Peter and John were both commissioned by Jesus & recognized by the early Christians as APOSTLES special ambassadors of Jesus. Acts 2:43 told us, many signs and wonders were done through the apostles. Acts 3 tells us of a specific example, (one of the many). There are at least 3 reasons why Luke found it important to share the story of this miracle. 1. To give example of what is mentioned in Acts 2:43. 2. To give an opportunity to convey to us another sermon of Peter. a. (What should evangelism look like?) 3. To show why these earliest Christians were persecuted, because that is what this miracle leads to. V:1 The hour of Prayer = Jewish practice 3 PM Realize that the first Christians were deeply Jewish They often met in the synagogues and prayed in the Temple *Anti-Semitism is NOT biblical But notice that they were NOT attending the evening SACRIFICE (Christ is now our perfect & final ) Page 2 of 9
But they still attended the hour of prayer Perhaps seeking opportunity for evangelism And this they did Perhaps Christians gave special attention to the 3PM prayer time because that was the exact moment that Jesus cried out from the cross (The 9 th hour) It is finished! And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit. John 19:30, NKJV. (Remembering the moment redemption was complete!) V:2 Understand that here lays a man with a serious and legitimate disability IMAGINE From birth! He couldn t work a real job He depended on others for transportation o V:2b was carried whom they laid Where do you go when you need to depend upon the generosity of others to survive? o Many options busy streets & markets One of the best places to beg = a place of worship The gate to the Temple! Called Beautiful! It might be very hard to and ignore this man s begging and then go worship God Imagine Just outside of our church a crippled man begging Could you ignore? Alms V:2 Charity big part of Jewish worship Page 3 of 9
V:3-4 Is this how you deal with beggars? I realize there are so many factors to consider when it comes to modern street beggars (Pan handlers) So many scams harden your heart Fact: there are legitimate people in need. o Cp. What about the homeless in Boise? o Discuss? Mission living vs. tent city? Discuss guilt driven giving as opposed to responsibility driven giving Address how scams harden your heart How I wish I could handle like Peter & John! Keep in mind there were likely many beggars at this site and the Apostles walked right past them o That s why we need the Holy Spirit! I really belief that Peter & John were being led by the Spirit! You can t do this every time / every day Be open to the Holy Spirit s leading in these things. o When you see a street beggar pray! BTW If this beggar was lame from birth do you think Jesus ever passed him by at this gate? So DON T be GUILT driven. BE SPIRIT LED! V:4-5 The moment of truth Look at us as opposed to looking the other way Page 4 of 9
Discuss the importance of evaluating the situation before passing judgment. Sometimes spending time in conversation V:6 Always give them Jesus! Because Peter & John were given special commission & special power they could do this And as you go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand. Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons. Freely you have received, freely give. Matthew 10:7, 8, NKJV. V:7-8 What boldness! What power! How Glorious! Where is that power today? STORY Thomas Aquinas was with the pope of his day and they were walking along. And the pope, very proud of his treasury, shows Thomas Aquinas this treasury and he says, "Look dear Thomas. No longer can we say silver and gold have I not." And Thomas Aquinas grabs him by the arm and he says, "Neither can we say rise up and walk." There is a sad possibility for every church in every generation to take pride in the wrong power And then be rendered powerless / impotent concerning the power & presence of God God help us! That s why I preach Eph 4 & 1Cor 12-14 The gifts of the Holy Spirit are for today! Page 5 of 9
But God wants to work through all of us! And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry Ephesians 4:11, 12a, NKJV. It s so important to seek the Lord for your gifts and calling that the church might be the church! Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I do not want you to be ignorant: 1 Corinthians 12:1, NKJV. Pursue love, and desire spiritual gifts, but especially that you may prophesy. 1 Corinthians 14:1, NKJV. The spiritual gift Peter & John employed here was THE GIFT OF FAITH for to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit, to another FAITH by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healings by the same Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills. 1 Corinthians 12:8-11, NKJV. This wasn t something Peter did on a whim or as a promotional event; he did it under the specific prompting of the Holy Spirit. God gave Peter the supernatural ability to trust Him for something completely out of the ordinary. V:8 The result of spiritual gifts! Praise to God! I m NOT suggesting you start pulling people out of wheel chairs Page 6 of 9
Start seeking God s gifts & callings. Learn to be led by the Holy Spirit Be sensitive when He wants you to stop & pray! Simple example: restaurant prayer story Being sensitive to God s voice will lead to people getting saved (as we will see) As soon as he was healed, the formerly lame man did 3 good things. 1. He attached himself to the apostles (entered the temple with them)... 2. He immediately started to use what God had given him (walking, leaping). 3. Finally, he began to praise and worship God What has God done for you? What has been your response? What gift has He given you? Are you using it? BTW This story is in perfect harmony with what the scriptures foretold it would be like when the Messiah comes Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, And the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. Then the lame shall leap like a deer, And the tongue of the dumb sing. For waters shall burst forth in the wilderness, And streams in the desert. Isaiah 35:5, 6, NKJV. BTW This is the effect Jesus desires to accomplish in your life Page 7 of 9
This is the effect He wants you to have on others V:9-10 Note: They knew! There was no denying This man was more than 40 years old (Acts 4:22), and had been crippled since birth. He was a familiar sight at this temple gate (3:10). Therefore, Jesus must have passed him by many times without healing him. (God s timing ) Have YOU been a long time in a bad condition? Don t give up hope Wait for God s timing! Is it a sinful habit? A bad marriage? An unbearable illness? Stuck in tough financial situation? Awful job condition? There is hope! It isn t over yet! 2 kinds of People God is calling out today 1. Those who are saved but not serving 2. Those who have been shelved because of Prayer for those who feel stuck in long term END Page 8 of 9
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