THE HOUR OF MIRACLE
The Leap of Faith
My scriptural text in taking from Acts 3:1-11. Let’s read. In the story we just read there are five things outstanding. They are:
1. The messengers – The apostles Peter and John.
2. The man – A certain lame man.
3. The mess – Lame from his mother’s womb and a beggar.
4. The message – Rise up and walk in Jesus name.
5. The mass – The people amazed and wondered.
We will be looking at these five aspects in this sermon today. Please fasten your seat to ride with me.
1. The Messengers
Peter and John went together into the temple. There was a working together of Peter and John. They were of one accord.
Wherever the early Christians were working together or of one accord miracle occur. The word together or one accord was used 32 times in Acts of the Apostles and in most of these occurrences we see that there was always a release of power and miracles.
In Acts 2:1-4 they were together and of one accord and the Holy Spirit fell on them.
In Acts 4:32-33 they were of one accord and had all things in common. With great power they gave witness of the resurrection. Sign and wonders occurred in their ministry.
Acts 5:12 - And by the hands of the apostles were many signs and wonders wrought among the people; (and they were all with one accord in Solomon’s porch.
According to Roman calendar and timing, the DAY in the New Testament is divided into four main segments.
Third hour, 6 to 9 a.m. Sixth hour, 9 to 12 midday.
Ninth hour, 12 to 3 p.m. Twelfth hour, 3 to 6 p.m.
The messengers were going to the temple at the hour of prayer to draw spiritual strength for the spiritual assignment committed into their hands. They gave themselves continually to prayer, and to the ministry of the word (Acts 6:4). The messenger must receive the message from the master. In order to receive the message he must constantly be in touch with the master, the giver of the message.
2. The man
Acts 3:2 - 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;
When the bible uses the word a certain man that means his name was of no significance. He was regarded as nobody. He was someone of no reputation. There was not much happening in his life that was worthy of note. Nobody could reckon with him. Every body that saw him passes him by.
3. The Mess
“lame from his mother’s womb was carried”
I want you to pay close attention to the phrases used in the bible. The bible said he was a certain main, lame from his mother’s womb and was carried. You can see why he is regarded as a certain man. He was lame from birth. He had never walked in his life before his encounter with the Lord. There was nothing much happening in his life.
What is that lameness in your life? What ever difficulties you face in life the Lord will help you to overcome them.
The bible went further to say that he was carried. He was at the mercy of others. When ever he wanted to move he had to depend on people to move him. He only moves when people are available to carry him. If for any reason there was no body available or willing to carry him, he will be stranded. He will be at a spot.
Do you know that many people are like that today? They live a stranded life. They live at the mercy of other people.
“whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful”
The man was carried and laid at the temple gate. Can you imagine that? He was close to the glory of God but he never experienced it. He was left at the gate. He did not have the privilege to enter into the temple. Many people come to the church but they are never in the church. The man did not know what was going on in the temple but he was close to the temple. Do you know that some people can be called “Mr. almost made it”? Beloved it is said that nearly cannot kill a bird. The lame man could tell you all the people that passed him by into the temple to pray and worship God. He could hear the praises in the temple but he was not a part of it. Have you been to a football match but you could not get in to watch it. You can hear the shout but you are not a part of it. You can hear the scream but you are not a part of it. When people laugh you laugh without knowing why they are laughing. When they shout you shout without knowing why they are shouting. The people that helped The worst thing that can happen to you is to be so close to making it but never made it, so close to getting a job but did not get it. You can be going to church without going to Jesus. You can be close to the Pastor without being close to God.
They laid the man daily at the gate called beautiful. Can you imagine the contrast between his life and the gate? He was laid at the beautiful gate but his life was ugly. He was laid at a great gate but his life was tiny. He was laid at a good spot but his life was a bad spot. There was no beauty in his life. There was no greatness in his life. You may be surrounded by beauty but yet you may not be a partaker of it.
Greatness is not determined by your environment. It is determined by what is inside of you. Those who are made by their environment are like this lame man. They depend upon what the environment provides. It is you that will make your environment. God said have dominion over the earth. You are to dominate your environment.
“to ask alms of them that entered into the temple”
He depends on people. He only eats when people give him money or food to eat. He cannot eat at his own choice. He begs. Beggars they say have no choice. It is what he is given that he will take. When you live with someone, you will not be staying at your own pleasure, you have to stay at the person’s pleasure. If the person is watching CNN you have to watch it with him. You cannot detect what you will watch.
4. The Message
a. Ask
3 Who seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple asked an alms.
In Matthew 7:7 – Jesus said “Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you”:
Asking results in giving, seeking results in finding and knocking results in opening. There is nothing wrong to ask. It is good to ask. Today you will ask God to extend his hand of miracle to you.
Hosea 14:2a Take with you words, and turn to the LORD:
As you turn to the Lord today you will never be disappointed. You must ask from the Lord, what you want him to do for you.
b. Focus
The second step in receiving a miracle is to Look (i.e. Focus).
Acts 3:4-5 - And Peter, fastening his eyes upon him with John, said, Look on us. And he gave heed unto them, expecting to receive something of them.
Where you look is important to where you are going. You must look at the right direction in order to make the right progress.
• In Matthew 14:28-33 Peter walked on water when he was looking on to Jesus but as he stopped looking unto Jesus and started looking at the boisterous waves he began to sink.
Hebrews 12:2 Looking unto Jesus the author and perfecter of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.
Your focus must be on God through the man of God. The man of God is your contact to God in receiving your miracle. He is the prophet of God. He has the prophetic word that can change your situation.
2 Chronicles 20:20b - ….. Believe in the LORD your God, so shall you be established; believe his prophets, so shall you prosper.
Peter said look on us. Why? Peter did not want any distractions from the passer by. You must totally focus your attention on the man of God so that as the prophetic word that will locate you comes you will not miss it.
c. Listen
5 And he gave heed unto them, expecting to receive something of them.
The man gave heed to them. He listened and assimilated what they said. He heard and received what they said. Do you know that some people have ears but they cannot hear? They have eyes but they cannot see. They have mouth but they cannot speak. They hear but they never act on what they hear.
d. Expect
The man did not only hear but he was expecting to receive something. Expectation is the atmosphere for miracle. It is the confident belief that something is going to happen. You may not always get what you want but you will always get what you expect! Expecting a positive outcome ignites the desire and ambition to act on what you heard.
Hebrews 11:1 - 1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for
In other words faith is the substance of things expected. This was why Jesus said in Matthew 9:29b …., According to your faith be it unto you.
Be it unto you according to your expectation. Your expectation is tied to your faith. Your expectation and faith brings an end to the calamities and sorrows of your life.
Proverbs 23:18 - For surely there is an end; and thine expectation shall not be cut off.
The bible said surely there is an end to your problem. There is an end to your crying and sorrow. Your expectation for miracle shall not be cut short. Your expectation to your healing, to your deliverance, to your break through, to your prosperity shall not be cut short. Tell your neighbor expect to receive something today. Expect to receive your deliverance. Expect to receive your miracle. Expect to receive your healing. Expect! Expect!! Expect!!!
e. Action
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.
Many people use this passage to say that Peter and John were poor. Peter only acknowledged that at that present time he didn’t have money with him to give. It does not mean that they are poor or that they do not have money at their homes or somewhere else. However this is not the center of the message.
It was not what the man was expecting that he received. He was expecting to receive alms as usual. So Peter and John have to correct his expectation. Many people limit themselves by what they expect. They always believe that something must be done in a particular way. They are the “as usual people”. I know some people came to church expecting thing to go as usual. Peter and John had a surprise for the man. Beloved God have a surprise package for you. The doors of heaven are opened for your miracle, deliverance and healing. God is going to break forth your direction in an amazing and mind-boggling way that will confound your critics.
Peter commanded the man to rise up in the name of Jesus. I am saying to you today in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up.
In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ of Nazareth, be healed. In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ of Nazareth, be delivered. In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ of Nazareth, receive your miracle, receive your breakthrough, and receive your sight. Be healed in Jesus name. Receive it right now. Receive it! Receive it!! Receive it in Jesus name!!!
Acts 3:7 - And he took him by the right hand, and lifted him up: and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength.
When Peter gave the command nothing physically happened immediately but spiritually some power had been released for his miracle. The bible said, Peter took him by the hand and lifted him up. Peter did not stop at speaking he went further to action. He supported the man’s faith with his action. He jolted him up on his feet.
Immediately! Somebody say immediately. Not latter. Immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength. The strength for your miracle is coming to you right now. There is a shift in your location. There is a shift in your situation. Receive it in Jesus name.
f. Determination
Acts 3:8 - And he leaping up stood, and walked, and entered with them into the temple, walking, and leaping, and praising God.
He leaped up stood and walked. He was determined to walk. He first leaped up. Then he stood. He took a step. He took another step. Finally he began to walk. When people are saying it is too late for you, God is saying it is never too late. When people are thinking it is over with you, you can’t make it, God is saying take one more step to your deliverance. All you need to do is to take one more step. I mean take one more step to your miracle, to you healing in Jesus name. Be determined that the best is for you.
He entered into the temple with them, not carried. He entered of his own accord. He entered with them. He was no longer a liability. He was no longer a burden. I see you entering into the abundance of God. Stop being a spectator. Be a participator. Be involved. Don’t let people tell you the story. You should be the story today. Once I was blind but now I can see, deaf but now I can hear, dumb but now I can speak. Your story will change for good today.
I want you to see the progress of his determination. Look at verses 8 and 9.
Acts 3:8 - 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:
The man first leaped, then stood, walked and entered into the temple. As he entered into the temple the glory of God came upon him. The glory of God is the glory of praise. God will put a new song in your mouth today. He began to praise God. Look at verse 9, the bible said people saw him walking and praising God. People did not see him leaping, but they saw him only walking and praising God. There was no more leaping in his life. The man made remarkable progress. Miracle, healing and deliverance are progressive. You will make progress in your life. You will not be stagnant. You will advance in life. What ever was hindering your progress will cease in Jesus name.
5. The Mass
Acts 3:10 - And they knew that it was he who 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 who was healed held Peter and John, all the people ran together unto them in the porch that is called Solomon’s, greatly wondering.
The people saw the man that was lame walking and they were amazed. He became the center of attraction and commotion. They were in wonder. They saw the Glory of God in his life. God put testimony in his mouth. His life became good news.
Job 42:10 - And the LORD turned the captivity of Job, when he prayed for his friends: also the LORD gave Job twice as much as he had before.
Psalms 126:1-3 - When the LORD turned again the captivity of Zion, we were like them that dream.
Then was our mouth filled with laughter, and our tongue with singing: then said they among the nations, The LORD has done great things for them.
The LORD has done great things for us; and we are glad.
Psalms 118:23 - This is the LORD’S doing; it is marvellous in our eyes.
When people see you they will say, what happened? When did things suddenly change for you? Where did he contact the change? They will tell them that it is at the church. Receive your miracle today. Receive your healing. Receive your deliverance.
Let us pray
