A Man Who Had Been With Jesus

“A MAN WHO HAD BEEN WITH JESUS

INTRODUCTION:

I was torn between peaching a sermon on “Important Grand Parents” or a sermon relating to “911” But a week ago I was sitting with Mark Taylor after prayer meeting on Friday night a week ago we were talking about nothing in particular & I began to think aloud about Peter. I began sharing with Mark some thoughts that were just pouring into my mind as the Lord began to share them with me. I want to expound on some of those profound thoughts the Holy Spirit spoke to my heart there sitting with Mark.

Turn with me to Acts 3:1-10 & read with me...

“Now Peter & John went up together to the temple at the hour of prayer, the 9thhour. & a certain lame man 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; who, seeing Peter & John about to go into the temple, asked for alms. & fixing his eyes on him, w/John, Peter said, “Look at us!”So he gave them his attention, expecting to receive something from them. Then Peter said, ‘Silver and gold I don’t have, but what I do have I give to you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazereth, rise up & walk!’ And he took him by the right hand & lifted him up, & immediately his feet & ankle bones received strength. So he, leaping up, stood & walked & entered with them, walking & leaping & praising God. & all the people saw him walking & praising God! Then they knew that it was he who sat begging alms at the Beautiful Gate of the Temple; & they were filled with wonder & amazement at what had happened to him.”

This man didn’t really need MONEY! He didn’t really need a LECTURE! He didn really need a DOCTOR! He really didn’t need a POLITICIAN! He didn’t even need a SERMON!

WHAT HE REALLY DID NEED WAS "JESUS!" HE NEEDED A MAN WHO HAD BEEN WITH JESUS, WHO KNEW & UNDERSTOOD WHAT HIS "PURPOSE IN LIFE" WAS & THAT WAS TO GIVE WHAT HE HAD TO OTHERS! AND WHAT HE HAD TO GIVE TO OTHERS WAS JESUS!

The first thing out of the mouth of Peter that day was a word of “AUTHORITY, POWER, PASSION & COMPASSION!” He said to the lame man, “LOOK AT US!” He spoke with “AUTHORITY” that “COMMANDED ATTENTION!”

Folk, we need to be a PEOPLE OF POWER! A PEOPLE OF CONVICTION! A PEOPLE OF PASSION & COMPASSION FOR THE LOST SOULS OF THE WORLD WE LIVE & WORK IN!

BUT, WE’LL ONLY HAVE THAT POWER, THAT CONVICTION, THAT PASSION & THAT COMPASSION, IF WE’VE BEEN WITH JESUS!

We have to get beyond a “PASSIVE RELATIONSHIP” with Jesus & get into a “REAL RELATIONSHIP” with Jesus that brings us into the “REALM OF THE ALMIGHTY, THE REALM OF THE SUPERNATURAL! THE REALM OF JESUS CHRIST!"

We are called to be “CHILDREN OF THE LIVING GOD!” an “ARMY OF THE ALMIGHTY!” We needn’t be “MEALY MOUTHED GET BY WIMPY CHILDREN OF GOD!” THe enemy would have us be like that all the time!

Folk, the enemy is “SCARED TO DEATH” of the “POWER OF GOD” in the "HANDS & LIFE" of a Child of God who “KNOWS HIS OR HER PURPOSE!”

Patere was a man who had been with Jesus! He spoke in a POWER, AN AUTHORITY, A CONVICTION, A PASSION & COMPASSION BECAUSE HE HAD BEEN WITH JESUS!

FOLK, HERE ME WELL THIS MORNING! IF YOU CAN’T GIVE SOMEBODY JESUS THEN YOU NEED TO PRAY THROUGH THIS MORNING! I DON’T MEAN TO BE “HARSH” BUT I MEAN TO BE “REAL” WITH YOU THIS MORNING!

“IF SHARING JESUS ISN’T IN YOUR LIFESTYLE THEN YOU NEED TO CHANGE YOUR LIFESTYLE!”

Peter was a man who had been with Jesus! When the lame man spoke to him he spoke some of the most profound words ever spoken by a mortal man that day when he said to the lame man...

“LOOK AT US! (DO WE LOOK LIKE WE HAVE MONEY?) I HAVE NO SILVER OR GOLD BUT (SUCH AS I HAVE) I GIVE TO YOU! IN THE NAME OF JESUS STAND UP AND WALK!”

This church may not have lots of money, great programs (we will someday), grocery give away’s, the ability to pay people’s rent or utility bills, we may not have a ministerial staff but SUCH AS WE HAVE...!

WE HAVE “JESUS” IN OUR HEARTS & IN OUR LIVES! WE NEED NOT BE “ASHAMED” OF WHAT WE “DON’T HAVE” BUT SHOULD BE “PROUD & GLORIFYING OF WHAT WE DO HAVE!”

WE HAVE THE “ALMIGHTY LIVING GOD” WITHIN OUR PRESENCE! WE HAVE “JESUS CHRIST” LIVING IN OUR LIVES. SO WE MUST ALLOW HIM TO “MANIFEST” IN OUR MIDST & IN THE MIDST OF OTHERS!