Are You A Little Drummer Boy? Series

ARE YOU A “LITTLE DRUMMER BOY”?

ACTS 3:1-10 ONE DAY PETER AND JOHN WERE GOING UP TO THE TEMPLE AT THE TIME OF PRAYER--AT THREE IN THE AFTERNOON. 2 NOW A MAN CRIPPLED FROM BIRTH WAS BEING CARRIED TO THE TEMPLE GATE CALLED BEAUTIFUL, WHERE HE WAS PUT EVERY DAY TO BEG FROM THOSE GOING INTO THE TEMPLE COURTS. 3 WHEN HE SAW PETER AND JOHN ABOUT TO ENTER, HE ASKED THEM FOR MONEY. 4 PETER LOOKED STRAIGHT AT HIM, AS DID JOHN. THEN PETER SAID, "LOOK AT US!" 5 SO THE MAN GAVE THEM HIS ATTENTION, EXPECTING TO GET SOMETHING FROM THEM. 6 THEN PETER SAID, "SILVER OR GOLD I DO NOT HAVE, BUT WHAT I HAVE I GIVE YOU. IN THE NAME OF JESUS CHRIST OF NAZARETH, WALK." 7 TAKING HIM BY THE RIGHT HAND, HE HELPED HIM UP, AND INSTANTLY THE MAN’S FEET AND ANKLES BECAME STRONG. 8 HE JUMPED TO HIS FEET AND BEGAN TO WALK. THEN HE WENT WITH THEM INTO THE TEMPLE COURTS, WALKING AND JUMPING, AND PRAISING GOD.

9 WHEN ALL THE PEOPLE SAW HIM WALKING AND PRAISING GOD, 10 THEY RECOGNIZED HIM AS THE SAME MAN WHO USED TO SIT BEGGING AT THE TEMPLE GATE CALLED BEAUTIFUL, AND THEY WERE FILLED WITH WONDER AND AMAZEMENT AT WHAT HAD HAPPENED TO HIM.

INTRODUCTION: THE FIRST TWO VERSES OF “THE LITTLE DRUMMER BOY” GO LIKE THIS:

COME THEY TOLD ME, PA RUM PUM PUM PUM

A NEW BORN KING TO SEE, PA RUM PUM PUM PUM

OUR FINEST GIFTS WE BRING, PA RUM PUM PUM PUM

TO LAY BEFORE THE KING, PA RUM PUM PUM PUM,

RUM PUM PUM PUM, RUM PUM PUM PUM,

SO TO HONOR HIM, PA RUM PUM PUM PUM,

WHEN WE COME.

LITTLE BABY, PA RUM PUM PUM PUM

I AM A POOR BOY TOO, PA RUM PUM PUM PUM

I HAVE NO GIFT TO BRING, PA RUM PUM PUM PUM

THAT’S FIT TO GIVE THE KING, PA RUM PUM PUM PUM,

RUM PUM PUM PUM, RUM PUM PUM PUM,

SHALL I PLAY FOR YOU, PA RUM PUM PUM PUM,

ON MY DRUM?

WHAT WE FIND HERE IN THESE VERSES IS THAT THE LITTLE DRUMMER BOY DID NOT HAVE A PRECIOUS AND EXPENSIVE GIFT TO BRING THE BABY JESUS. ALL HE COULD DO IS PLAY HIS DRUM. SOMETHING “INSIGNIFICANT” IN HIS MIND, YET, …

MARY NODDED, PA RUM PUM PUM PUM

THE OX AND LAMB KEPT TIME, PA RUM PUM PUM PUM

I PLAYED MY DRUM FOR HIM, PA RUM PUM PUM PUM

I PLAYED MY BEST FOR HIM, PA RUM PUM PUM PUM,

RUM PUM PUM PUM, RUM PUM PUM PUM,

THEN HE SMILED AT ME, PA RUM PUM PUM PUM

ME AND MY DRUM.

THE “INSIGNIFICANT” GIFT WAS PRIZED BY THOSE WHO RECEIVED IT FAR MORE THAN THE LITTLE DRUMMER BOY WHO GAVE IT.

THIS PASSAGE BEFORE US TODAY LOOKS AT THE RESULT OF AN UNEXPECTED GIFT GIVEN TO SOMEONE WHO WAS, QUITE FRANKLY, LOOKING FOR SOMETHING ELSE!

THIS MORNING, I WOULD LIKE YOU TO SEE:

I. THE CIRCUMSTANCES OF THE MEETING

A. PETER AND JOHN WERE GOING TO PRAY.

B. DURING THIS TIME, FOLLOWERS OF CHRIST HAD NOT YET SEPARATED FROM JUDAISM, AND AS WE HAVE ALREADY LOOKED AT, THE CHURCH WAS DEVOTED TO PRAYER.

C. PETER AND JOHN WERE OBSERVING ONE OF SEVERAL TIMES OF PRAYER.

D. WHAT THEY DID NOT KNOW YET WAS THAT THIS WOULD BE A DIVINE APPOINTMENT

1. THEY WERE BUSY DOING THE WORK OF GOD

2. PRAYER WAS A REQUIRED ACTIVITY FOR FOLLOWERS OF CHRIST

WE NEED TO BE CAREFUL THAT WE DO NOT BECOME TOO OCCUPIED IN DONG THE WORK OF GOD THAT WE MISS DOING THE WILL OF GOD

E. HOW OFTEN DO WE GET OURSELVES CAUGHT UP IN THE LOGISTICS OF OUR WALK WITH CHRIST, AND MISS THE OPPORTUNITIES GOD PUTS RIGHT IN FRONT OF US.

F. DAVID PLATT WRITES IN HIS BOOK, RADICAL, YOU AND I CAN CHOOSE TO CONTINUE WITH BUSINESS AS USUAL IN THE CHRISTIAN LIFE AND IN THE CHURCH AS A WHOLE, ENJOYING SUCCESS BASED ON THE STANDARDS DEFINED BY THE CULTURE AROUND US. OR WE CAN TAKE AN HONEST LOOK AT THE JESUS OF THE BIBLE AND DARE TO ASK WHAT THE CONSEQUENCES MIGHT BE IF WE REALLY BELIEVED HIM AND REALLY OBEYED HIM.”

G. THIS WAS A SITUATION THAT WOULD PIT THE DISCIPLES OF CHRIST WITH THE TENSION OF DOING THE WORK OF GOD WITH DOING THE WILL OF GOD.

WE NEED TO ASK OURSELVES IF WE WOULD DO THE SAME, WERE WE IN A SIMILAR SITUATION!

II. THE CONDITION OF THE NEED

A. WHAT WE HAVE HERE IS A CLASSIC SITUATION.

B. THERE IS A BEGGAR

1. HE HAS FRIENDS WHO BRING HIM TO THE TEMPLE DURING THE TIMES OF PRAYER