Strong, sound and refreshed
Acts 3:11/16
11. Now as the lame man who was healed held on to Peter and John, all the people ran together to them in the porch which is called Solomon’s, greatly amazed.
12 ¶ so when Peter saw it, he responded to the people: "Men of Israel, why do you marvel at this? Or why look so intently at us, as though by our own power or godliness we had made this man walk?
13. "The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God of our fathers, glorified His Servant Jesus, whom you delivered up and denied in the presence of Pilate, when he was determined to let Him go.
14. "But you denied the Holy One and the Just, and asked for a murderer to be granted to you,
15. "And killed the Prince of life, whom God raised from the dead, of which we are witnesses.
16. "And His name, through faith in His name, has made this man strong, whom you see and know. Yes, the faith which comes through Him has given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all.
Purpose is to give Jesus the glory for strength, soundness and our refreshing.
Introduction: This is the story of the lame man who sat at the gate beautiful asking alms as people entered into the temple.
As Peter and John went up to the temple to pray he sat there asking for help.
6. Then Peter said, "Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you: 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 ankle bones received strength.
The people who witnessed this thought that Peter and John had done this great miracle. Peter who witnessed the resurrection of Christ is now witnessing the power of the risen Christ.
Everything we come through is a witness for believing in the name of Jesus. One of the first noted miracles after the resurrection, down in the name of Jesus:
I purpose three things that your faith in Jesus name will accomplish.
1. Strong
2. Sound
3. Refresh
In Mark 16:
14 ¶ Afterward he appeared unto the eleven as they sat at meat, and upbraided them with their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they believed not them which had seen him after he was risen.
15. And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.
16. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.
17. And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues;
18. They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.
I. Strong
We are made strong in his name. Through faith this man was made strong.
Strong- solidify, establish, confirm, receive strength
Peter says here take my hand- and the beggar reached out in Jesus name. It was As though Christ was there in person but working through a man of faith.
Eph. 6:10
10 ¶ finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. (Both physical and spiritual available)
Here is a man no doubt like all Jews believed in God; But not enough to be made whole. Peter introduces him to faith in Jesus Christ, Gods son.
Faith can renew your mind spiritually. To heal, your body in the Greek means strong. Peter says I give you what I have, Peter couldn’t heal him but he simply produced some faith that could.
Acts 4:10
10. "let it be known to you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, by Him this man stands here before you whole.
Here is a beggarly, crippled man receiving healing and salvation. "Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved."
James 5:14-16
14. is any sick among you? Let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord:
15. And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he has committed sins, they shall be forgiven him.
16. Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.
Body Soul and Spirit
II. It brings me to Soundness:
Faith gives soundness.
2 Tim 1:7 For God has not given us a, spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind:
1. Body needs to be well
2. The Spirit needs to be well. (mind)
3. Spiritual soundness (soundness of word, and spiritual and faith)
4. This man got it all right at the same time.
16. b. Yes, the faith which comes through Him has given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all.
Double mind man is unstable in all his ways-
Some are tossed around by every wave of doctrine and sleight of men.
But this man has been made sound.
Mt 13:58. And he did not many mighty works there because of their unbelief.
This man believed in the name of Jesus has been made whole.
The 2 areas of unsound mind:
1. Unbelief- doubt and insecurity
2. Fear-afraid to believe
Fear is a deadly enemy.
The name of Jesus will cast out fear and doubt and give you spiritual sanity.
The lame man came leaping as others witnessed his miracle.
Acts 26:18
18 ‘to open their eyes, in order to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in Me.
III. Refreshing
Acts 3:19. Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord;
Refreshing comes from the lord. Through the ages of his word god has promised times of refreshing.
Isa 28:12 to whom he said, this is the rest wherewith ye may cause the weary to rest; and this is the refreshing: yet they would not hear.
The Holy Ghost is promised to those that repent. Perilous times will come and there will be a great falling away but God is still God. He promises times of refreshing upon the faithful. Promised we would over come the world, the flesh and the dominion of Satan and he would refresh our lives.
Refreshing means revival- relief, the recovery of breath.
To the church wait till I catch my breath:
Let Jesus make strong, sound, and refreshed
