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Introduction: Many people pray, read the Bible, go to church, and sometimes serve God but when it comes to issues of life, their faith level is way too low. We say we believe but really we do not expect a change in our lives.
God wants us to be people of faith, people who believe in him. God wants us to trust him for big things. There should be no doubt in us that God has explosive deliverances in store for us. If you believe that shout an Amen!
Acts 3:1 One day Peter and John were going up to the temple at the time of prayer—at three in the afternoon. Peter and John are found together often in scripture. They were partners in the fishing business before they got saved. Together they prepared the Last Supper in the upper room. They ran together to the empty tomb on that 1st Easter morning. In Acts 8 they are ministering together to the Samaritans.
However, they were quite different personalities. Peter was outgoing and always had something to say. But, John was contemplative, reflective, and tender. Some evidence in scripture seems to indicate these two did not always get along. Their personalities were so different that they often had friction. But now that Jesus has ascended and these men are filled with His Holy Spirit, they come together…and here they enter the temple together…not competing for greatness or focusing on each other’s faults, but striving to work together for God’s glory. If we can set aside our differences and work together for the glory of God I believe God can do explosive things through us.
Acts 3:2 Now a man who was lame from birth was being carried to the temple gate called Beautiful, where he was put every day to beg from those going into the temple courts.
Look at the man: Born crippled/congenital birth defect. For over 40 years he had never walked a day in his life. When other kids would play in the streets, he could only watch. Parents had to carry him as a little boy, teenager, and even as a man! He couldn’t work or get a job. He was moving about in a wheelchair…all he could do was to beg for a living. Now he’s in his 40s, parents are dead or out of picture, no family to care for him, so every day he’d lay by gate where people had to pass by, and he would beg hoping for a few coins in his little tin cup.
Now look at the contrast here of the Gate called Beautiful. Historians tell us this was the eastern gate of the temple, made of Corinthian brass, overlaid with gold and silver…the sun would rise over the eastern mountains. And this entrance to the temple was dazzlingly brilliant! The gate is worth a fortune…but laying at it is this man who is marred, disfigured, and outcast. This gate is wealth, this man is woe. Here is a big contrast of loveliness and lameness, good and bad.
Though man can make some things beautiful in the outside like the beautiful gate in this context or man can deck himself beautiful externally, there comes certain issues in man’s life when only God can make things beautiful. This man could have cut his hair, shave, dress up…but he still would have been lame. He needs God for that. Today you may be good for the outside world but God knows the burning issues of your life and he can give you deliverance in Jesus’ name.
Acts 3:3-10 3When he saw Peter and John about to enter, he asked them for money. 4Peter looked straight at him, as did John. Then Peter said, “Look at us!” 5So the man gave them his attention, expecting to get something from them. 6Then Peter said, “Silver or gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.” 7Taking him by the right hand, he helped him up, and instantly the man’s feet and ankles became strong. 8He jumped to his feet and began to walk. Then he went with them into the temple courts, walking and jumping, and praising God. (What a work of God and what a miracle. We will talk about this miracle a bit later today.) 9When all the people saw him walking and praising God, 10they recognized him as the same man who used to sit begging at the temple gate called Beautiful, and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.
Acts 3:11 Peter Speaks to the Onlookers
While the beggar held on to Peter and John, all the people were astonished and came running to them in the place called Solomon’s Colonnade. (The man who was healed could not keep quiet.)
Acts 4:14 But since they could see the man who had been healed standing there with them, there was nothing they could say. He was present everywhere with the apostles testifying his miracle.
I. God’s purpose for a miracle.
How many here has received a miracle from God? God Saved you, healed you, and delivered you. What is God’s purpose in doing that miracle for you? What happened here in this miracle?
1. Miracle is to be testified.
2. Testimony gathers others.
3. God’s word can be spoken.
When people are gathered God’s word can be spoken.
How many of you have a miracle? How many of you have a testimony, speak it out boldly and let people come to Jesus Christ.
It is also great to note that Peter and John gave credit to God for the miracle. Acts 3:12 When Peter saw this, he said to them: “Fellow Israelites, why does this surprise you? Why do you stare at us as if by our own power or godliness we had made this man walk?
After giving due credit to God for the miracle Peter is using this opportunity to preach to the crowd there. In this message we find a great Revelation of Jesus Christ from Apostle Peter.
Mark 3:13-15 13The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified his servant Jesus. You handed him over to be killed, and you disowned him before Pilate, though he had decided to let him go. 14You disowned the Holy and Righteous One and asked that a murderer be released to you. 15You killed the author of life, but God raised him from the dead. We are witnesses of this.
II. Peter’s revelation of Jesus Christ.
Mark 3:13 The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified his servant Jesus.
1. Jesus is the servant of God.
Jesus is the God of our fathers; God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Jesus Christ is the Lord of the people. He is God from the beginning. Jesus is the servant of God Almighty.
Isaiah 52:13 See, my servant will act wisely; he will be raised and lifted up and highly exalted. That is Jesus Christ.
2. Jesus Christ is glorified by God.
Acts 3:13 The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified his servant Jesus.
Philippians 2:9-11 9Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, 10that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
3. Jesus is the Holy and Righteous One.
Acts 3:14 You disowned the Holy and Righteous One and asked that a murderer be released to you. Jesus is God. He embodies holiness, Jesus Christ embodies righteousness. There is nobody more holy or more righteous in the universe than the Lord Jesus Christ.Jesus is the author of life.
Acts 3:15 You killed the author of life, but God raised him from the dead.
4. From him all life has come.
Genesis 1:1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
Genesis 1:27 So God created man in his own image.
John 1:4 In him was life…
John 14:6 I am the way, the truth, and the life.
John 10:10 I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.
Every physical and spiritual life comes from the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the author of life.
Acts 3:15 You killed the author of life, but God raised him from the dead.
5. God raised Jesus from the dead.
Acts 3:15 You killed the author of life, but God raised him from the dead.
1 Corinthians 6:14 By his power God raised the Lord from the dead, and he will raise us also.
III. The world’s response to Jesus:
1. Handed him over to be killed.
Acts 3:13 The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified his servant Jesus. You handed him over to be killed.
2. Disowned Jesus.
Acts 3:13 The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified his servant Jesus. You handed him over to be killed, and you disowned him before Pilate, though he had decided to let him go.
3. Traded Jesus for a murderer.
Acts 3:14 You disowned the Holy and Righteous One and asked that a murderer be released to you.
4. Killed the author of life.
Acts 3:15 You killed the author of life, but God raised him from the dead. We are witnesses of this.
The world rejected Jesus and put him to death. Every time we reject Jesus we are killing him, we are rejecting the author of life. Every time we sin we are rejecting Jesus, we are rejecting the one who rose from the grave. We reject the author of life.
Have you rejected Jesus with your deeds, actions, or intent in life? If you have ever rejected Jesus there is good news for you today. Mark 3:19 Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord.
We can categorize this as two types of repentance: Repentance for a person who is newly coming to Jesus Christ and repentance of believers. The Bible tells us first of all that all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. We do not measure up to God because of sin. The Bible says the wages of sin is death. That speaks of an eternity in hell but the Bible also says the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Jesus did it for you in your place.
The Bible says that whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. Dear friend, if you have never called upon the Lord to forgive your sins through the blood of Jesus. If you have never put your trust in what he did for you, I would invite you to do that right now. It is very simple. In your heart right where you are sitting, if you would just simply pray in your heart – God I know I am a sinner, I admit that. I believe that Jesus is God and that he died for me to take my place and I am trusting him for forgiveness of my sins. I ask you to please forgive my sins because of what Jesus did for me.
Now, most of you listening to me today know Jesus as your saviour. We are mostly like the crowd that Peter is speaking to. We have accepted the Lord and are keeping up the commands of God. But how many times we crucify Jesus and nail him to the cross by our deeds and sins that we commit. God is asking us to repent so that times of refreshing may come to us. Times of refreshing is coming.
The reason for the miracle.
Let’s see how the miracle really happened here. I want you to see what transaction happened when Peter and John ministered to him and sent him jumping and praising God and at the end of the day 2000 people came to Jesus because of it.
Acts 3:4-8 4Peter looked straight at him (fix the gaze upon), as did John. Then Peter said, “Look at us!” 5So the man gave them his attention, expecting to get something from them. 6Then Peter said, “Silver or gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.” 7Taking him by the right hand, he helped him up, and instantly the man’s feet and ankles became strong. 8He jumped to his feet and began to walk. Then he went with them into the temple courts, walking and jumping, and praising God.
What did not happen in this miracle? Acts 3:12 When Peter saw this, he said to them: “Fellow Israelites, why does this surprise you? Why do you stare at us as if by our own power or godliness we had made this man walk? This miracle was not magic, witchcraft or sorcery. It is not magical power or human power. Peter said, “I am not the reason for it.”
This man had been laid there every day for years. Christians met in this portico of Solomon every day. So we know that Peter passed him again and again and again and again. Likely Jesus in his time here passed him again and again but he was never healed. In Acts 3:4 Peter gazed him and according to v16 Jesus at that moment gave him the faith to heal. It was for this moment, this time, for this man came from Jesus.
What was the secret of the miracle? Faith in the name of Jesus.
Faith taps into the power in the name of Jesus does the miracle.
Acts 3:6 Then Peter said, “Silver or gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.”
Acts 3:16 RSV And his name, by faith in his name, has made this man strong whom you see and know; and the faith which is through Jesus has given the man this perfect health in the presence of all of you.
Now look at: Acts 3:16 RSV and the faith which is through Jesus has given the man ….
Jesus gives us faith. So, when we are faced with a situation God gives us the faith and when we use that faith and the name of Jesus healing happens. It cannot happen unless we use the authority of the name of Jesus given to us.
Come with me quickly to Acts 4:29-30 29Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness. 30Stretch out your hand to heal and perform miraculous signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus.
So when we pray, bind the evil, ask the sickness to go, God stretches out his hand and performs miraculous signs and wonders. Faith in the name of Jesus.
Conclusion:
Are you ready for a miracle? You have been suffering long enough, today is the moment for some of you here. Ask Jesus to give you the faith. Claim victory in the name of Jesus Christ.
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