Acts 3:1-11

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THE POWER OF HIS NAME

TEXT: Acts 3:1-11

1 Now Peter and John went up together into the temple at the hour of prayer, being the ninth hour. 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 of them that entered into the temple; 3 Who seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple asked an alms. 4 And Peter, fastening his eyes upon him with John, said, Look on us. 5 And he gave heed unto them, expecting to receive something of them. 6 Then Peter said, Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk. 7 And he took him by the right hand, and lifted him up: and immediately his feet and ancle bones received strength. 8 And he leaping up stood, and walked, and entered with them into the temple, walking, and leaping, and praising God. 9 And all the people saw him walking and praising God: 10And they knew that it was he which sat for alms at the Beautiful gate of the temple: and they were filled with wonder and amazement at that which had happened unto him. 11 And as the lame man which was healed held Peter and John, all the people ran together unto them in the porch that is called Solomon’s, greatly wondering

INTRODUCTION

Our text provides us with is a perfect picture of salvation.

Perhaps as well as any other story in the Bible it paints the picture of our condition without God,

our inability to save ourselves,

the true way of salvation,

and what happens to a person after salvation.

Also, this passage is a beautiful demonstration of the power of Jesus.

Peter and John did not have silver or gold to give this poor beggar.

What they did have was Jesus Christ and His power to save and heal.

Peter said, “...In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk.” (Acts 3:6)

And rise up and walk is just what he did!

In fact Not only did he rise up and walk.

Verse 8 says he was “...walking, and leaping, and praising God”!

So Let’s look at these verses and let's see what they teach us about salvation:

I. NUMBER ONE, NOTE THAT THIS LAME BEGGAR WAS IN A DESPERATE CONDITION.

1. First of all, he was born lame.

Verse 2 says he was “...a certain man lame from his mother’s womb...”

He was born with a terrible handicap--

-he COULD NOT WALK.

he didn’t become this way through life.

Our text says he was BORN that way; he was

“...lame from his mother’s womb...”

In the same way, you and I were born with a handicap.

And like the lame beggar, it is a terrible handicap.

That handicap is called SIN.

Psalm 51:5 says “Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me.”

Psalm 58:3 tells us “The wicked are estranged from the womb: they go astray as soon as they be born, speaking lies.”

2. Not only was he born lame...

note secondly that he was powerless to help himself.

Note verse 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”

This man had to be carried to the gate of the temple.

There was not one thing he could do to help himself.

He could not be healed by: self-effort, sincerity, good intentions, religious zeal, or giving (to doctors, or buying cures, medicine, or so on)

Like the beggar,

we too are powerless to save ourselves from the handicap of sin.

No amount of self-effort, sincerity, good intentions, tithing, or religious zeal can help us save ourselves

Our condition is too desperate.

We are literally helpless to do anything to save ourselves from our sins and make ourselves righteous before God.