When God Shows Up
Acts 3:1-10
* If this afternoon you were sitting in your house, the doorbell rings, you answer the door, and when you open the door – you discover Jehovah God has come calling; what would you do? How would respond? What would change in your day &/or week? It is true that God is with you every day. He sees, He hears, and He knows. Also, nothing is hidden from Him. But what if He came, in bodily form, to visit with you today; what would be different?
* Put yourself in the shoes of Peter and John. They had witnessed Jesus’ rise from the earth to heaven. They followed His words by returning to the upper room and praying for 10 days in Jerusalem when the most amazing thing happened. God showed UP! It was unusual enough to gain the attention of thousands, was loud enough for the entire community to hear and come running, and was powerful enough that 3000 people were saved. And it didn’t stop there! Now, because of God showing up chapter 2:42 tells us that people were being saved DAILY!!
* Against this backdrop we pick up on the story today to discover the answer to this question, “What God show up, what follows?” (Let’s read the text)
* Have you ever gone to a party where things were not going particularly well? It was kind of boring, dull, and even lifeless until; “HE” shows up. When the guy with the charismatic gets there, things change. Now, things change.
* At the risk of being perceived wrongly, this is what happens when God shows up in a manifest way, things change. They change perceptions, prayers, purpose, and even people. Walk with me through this text & see these.
1. Perceptions are corrected – This is true because ‘perception is reality.’ When we perceive something is of ‘no concern’ to us then we ignore the issue. How much responsibility do I perceive that I have for the hurting, the lost, the down and out, or the needy? How about you? Most of us most of the time have a blinded perception that we are responsible only for mine, ours, and our own while missing the true intent of our Lord God. When He shows up, our perceptions are corrected. Consider 2 ways;
a. Seeing - Now return to Peter, John, and the Gate called ‘Beautiful’ where our cripple man is ‘placed.’ Interestingly, this was probably NOT the first time these men have passed the cripple. Scripture tells us that he was placed there ‘every day’ to beg from people going in to pray. We also know he was a regular at the gate because, after he was healed, people recognized him from the gate. So, why is it that Peter & John saw this man at this time? I submit that God, through His Holy Spirit, had shown up in their lives, touching & filling them to the place they now responded as HE WOULD HAVE. They saw the need as something for which, under God, “THEY” were responsible. Truth: Until we see needs, eternal & societal, as our responsibility, we won’t respond. When God shows up, we see & do.
b. Sharing – People tend to get ‘real’ nervous when the preacher begins to talk about ‘sharing with others.’ Most have visions (or nightmares) of the church being called to do like the church in Acts 2 did. Or worse yet, of being given the same instructions that Jesus gave to the rich young ruler. God may tell you that, but if He does, He will not send His message through a preacher, He’ll deliver that message personally. God expects us to share what we have (that is, what He’s given to us) with others. This is not complex. What is it that God has given you to share with someone else? For some, it will be what it wasn’t for Peter and John. I know people who possess the spiritual gift of giving and God has GIVEN them money to share. For others, it’s other things. But for every child of God we should be able to share the greatest thing which has ever happened to us. Jesus. If you do not consider Jesus to be the best thing that has ever happened to you, then perhaps you need to re-check if it has EVER happened to you. By the way, it is difficult to share what you don’t have. Think about it. When God shows up, you want to share it.
2. Prayers are consistent – We discover this duo going up to the temple to pray at the appointed time because they now understood the great power, intimacy, and even pleasure found in talking with the Father. During the time of Jesus’ ministry they had watched Him take time to pray, they had heard Him teach about prayer, and from the Pentecost experience had learned (first-hand) the results of faithful, consistent praying. So, they didn’t want to miss an opportunity to talk with the Father. Whatever was on their schedule now became secondary to the call to prayer. One sign of God showing up in our life is a renewed priority to praying. And it is in praying that we discern the 2 necessities in life;
a. The Presence of God – Apart from prayer, quite likely, we will never experience the manifest presence of Jehovah God. The 120 believers prayed for 10 days and the presence of God fell in an unusual way. When God’s manifest presence comes, the world’s manifest power goes out. God’s presence brings peace, the world’s power bring pandemonium. God’s presence brings joy, the world brings jealousy. God’s presence brings love, the world bring lust. God’s presence changes things. When God’s Spirit fell at Pentecost, the people who were already in ‘one accord’ now had hearts aglow & tongue aflame. The results were that many people heard and responded to God’s offer of salvation. When the Spirit fell in Acts 4, the building shook. When God fills your life & heart, it shakes up all parts of your life & heart! Which leads us to -
b. The Power of God – Have you ever taken stock of the power of God through prayer? Abraham prayed for Abimelech, Isaac prayed for Rebekah, Solomon prayed for His people, Elijah prayed for fire, and on & on it goes.
* The results are in; healed, a child, God’s presence, fire, God’s power displayed. Consider the truth about the power of God. We are told that when we are FILLED with His Spirit, we will have HIS POWER. (Acts 1:8) When God shows up, His supernatural power become natural. Just like water in the freezer becomes ice so within the presence of God the power of God becomes the norm. Has God shown up in your life?
3. Purposes are clear – It is amazing the number of people who walk along in life with no sense of direction or purpose. When my purpose becomes clear then I become focused on how to get where I want to go. Steven Covey says, “Begin with the end in mind.” When God shows up, He causes our divine purpose to become very clear AND He gives us all we need to fulfill that and/or those purposes.
a. Our Asset – Make no mistake, the greatest asset we have is the “Name of Jesus” which is the power which Peter invoked in the midst of this need. Today, there is still power in HIS NAME. We are saved, secured, and sanctified by the name of Jesus. Demons flee, Devils run, and darkness disappears at the name of Jesus. One day, at the name of Jesus every knee will bow and tongue confess the glory of God the Father. The name of Jesus still remains our greatest asset. This is in contrast to what the world teaches us today. We are told that our ‘money, houses, cars, lands, and other holdings’ are assets, yet the Bible indicates that these very things the world calls assets can become liabilities. When we give them a more important place than God Himself, they become liabilities. In these cases, we break the first & second of the Ten Commandments. (And the Ten Commandments have not been rescinded). I don’t have money, but…
b. Our Assignment – From our days of education we understand the term ‘assignment.’ An assignment is a task we are given for our benefit and growth. Personally, I had a different opinion about assignments when I was in High School and College, I thought assignments were the teacher’s or the professor’s revenge for the days they had to spend in school. Such is NOT the case. Candidly, many people traverse this life not really sensing any specific assignment except to survive. However, God has not called us to survive; He calls us to “THRIVE.” How do we do this? I submit it is by discovering God’s assignment for us and doing what He wants us to do. If we know Christ, then our charge is to understand what we may not have and what we do possess. “I may not have the things of this world, but I do have the greatest gift in the entire world to give you, I give you Jesus.” One thought which must burn deeply within us; when Peter said, “what I have, I give you” he reached out and gave the cripple his hand.” When God shows up in our life our purpose becomes clear, we are to give a hand to those who need it, and many people need a hand.
4. People are changed – When God shows up, He has a way of correcting our perceptions which leads us to the place that our prayers become more consistent, our purposes clear, which results in ‘changing people’s lives.’ As an aside, God begins by changing OUR LIVES. Before the Holy Spirit’s falling at Pentecost, Peter is only heard moderating the business meeting in the upper room. Now, he has confidence, authority, and even divine power to do what God has called Him to do, He is a changed man! No longer is he weeping over his denial, no longer is he ashamed of his actions, no longer is he afraid for his life; now, he is energized. This is how God energizes His people. The cold heart is set on fire, the calloused heart is cut by the sword of the spirit, and the cluttered heart is clean! This is revival! This is what sets us free! God’s people are changed when God shows up! In fact, if God’s people are not changed, then quite likely, they never had a fresh encounter with God. Do you know how that change in God’s people is seen? It’s seem by the changes in the lives of others. Go back to the gate Beautiful, see the picture, & learn at least 2 lessons. Recognizing the hopelessness & helplessness of the cripple, Peter & John offered help that only can come from God. It happens for all.
a. They are strengthened – Peter offered the blind man his ‘right’ hand. For me, this is significant because the right hand always symbolizes the ‘hand of strength.’ Peter didn’t ask the man to do it all by himself, Peter offered a hand. People are looking for you and I to offer a hand. A Senior Adult sits behind their locked door afraid, a young girl feel alone & trapped because mom & dad just divorced, a teenage boy feel trapped because of the bullying he is receiving at school, and the list goes on & on. We are God’s hands, God’s heart, and God’s helper to reach out with our spiritual right hand (which is Him) to offer strength to the hurting. When we reach out in the name of Jesus, feet & ankles are strengthened. You may say, “That’s impossible!” And I respond, “Nothing is impossible with God.”
b. They are saved – You know what is interesting to me? While the healed man did ‘hold on’ to Peter & John in appreciation and admiration, it wasn’t Peter & John he was praising! When we do God’s work in God’s way with God’s power, God responds & people know it’s Him and they believe. How else could this man have been free from being a paraplegic? How else can a soul be saved from a place called hell? How can lives be changed from the inside out? How can there be a difference in society? It is only possible when God shows Up causing HIS people to be joyfully obedient to His word. This results of a miracle taking place as people are strengthened & saved by HIS power.
