We can probably safely assume that Peter must have made a big impression on Luke, because in chapter two he recorded Peter's first message, and in chapter three he records Peter's second message.
In Acts chapter three, we see three things we want to consider, such as:
I. THEIR ENTRANCE
Look at verses 1-6. We read, “Now Peter and John went up together into the temple at the hour of prayer, being the ninth hour. 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; Who seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple asked an alms. 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. 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.”
In these verses we see a marvelous miracle. Look how it took place, first let’s look at-
A. THE PAIR
The Bible tells us it took place when Peter and John went up together into the temple at the hour of prayer.
Most likely, this never would have happened had they not been going to the temple to pray.
Illus: Only God knows the things that have never happened because Christians did not go to church.
• Perhaps some never would had taken an over-dose and taken their life if they had only went to church.
• Perhaps some never would have become backslidden, and drifted back into sin had they gone to church.
• Perhaps some would have received encouragement in their marriage, and that divorce never would have taken place had they gone to church.
• Perhaps a young person would have met a very special person in their life, that would have led to a good marriage if they had only gone to church.
And most likely, this marvelous miracle never would have occurred had not these men gone to the temple at the hour of prayer. HOWEVER, THEY DID GO!
LOOK WHAT HAPPENED ON THE WAY!
Peter and John did not have anything in common, but they are worshipping together. You could not find two men who were any more different from each other than Peter and John.
Illus: For one thing, Peter was loud, and John could hardly be heard. But notice this ODD PAIR, we read, "Now Peter and John went up together into the temple at the hour of prayer... "
People do not have to be exactly alike to be able to worship together. In fact, a church should be a mixture of all kinds of people.
The people of God's church are not held together by their differences, but by our common love for the Lord Jesus.
Notice that these two different personalities, "...went up together into the temple” to pray.
They were not going there to express their differences, but to express their love for the Lord.
As they are going, we see THE PAIR, but let us now look at-
B. THE PLEA
Look at verses 1-3, we read, “Now Peter and John went up together into the temple at the hour of prayer, being the ninth hour. 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; Who seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple asked an alms.”
As they are walking together, a man who had been lame from birth, and who was carried daily to the gate of the temple, was on the road side begging. But the beggar was no dummy. He knew that if anyone would be compassionate toward him, it would be people who went to the temple.
But notice, he could tell Peter and John were not just ordinary people on the street. He singled them out as worshippers. Look at verse 3, we read, “Who seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple asked an alms.”
People today ought to be able to tell we are worshippers of the Lord, but that is not always the case.
Illus: A rather pompous-looking deacon stood before a Sunday School class of young boys one day, stressing the importance of living the Christian life. He very proudly asked the boys of his class, “Why do you think people call me a Christian? " There was a long silence, then one little boy who was known for speaking his mind said, “It could be because they don't know you like we do."
There are many ways we Christians are recognized.
• One way is by attending church. You are going to have a hard time convincing people that you are a Christian, when the Saints are at church worshipping the Lord, and you are home worshiping someone on television.
• Another way we identify ourselves as Christians is by our service. A lot of folks go to church and they are not saved, but you will not find that many serving Him that is not saved.
Illus: During World War II, a church in France was destroyed. When the rubble was being cleared, they noticed that a statue of Christ was damaged. It was in excellent condition, except both hands were missing. When the church was rebuilt, a sculptor noticed the missing hands, and told the church officials, "Let me carve a new statue of Christ, with hands." The officials met and talked about the proposition, but decided they would rather keep the old statue of Christ, with the hands broken off. When they were asked why they would want to keep that statue, a spokesman for the church said, "Our broken statue will remind us that Christ touches the hearts of men, but He has no hands to minister to the needy, or feed the hungry, or enrich the poor, except our hands. "
The cripple man recognized Peter and John were Christians as they served the Lord. Look at what he does. “Who seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple ASKED AN ALMS.”
We looked at THE PAIR, and THE PLEA, now look at-
C. THE PROBLEM
The cripple man certainly caught their attention. Look at verses 4-6. We read, “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. 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.”
The crippled man asked Peter and John for something they did not have. God has blessed some men with an abundance of money, and they can give and keep on giving because of their abundance.
We often hear of movie stars giving away thousands of dollars, and find it hard to comprehend how anyone could give so much. IT IS BECAUSE THEY HAVE SO MUCH!
Illus: On a television program dealing with taxes, it was asked who had paid more taxes than anyone else in the United States? The answer that was given at that time was, "Elvis Pressley." He had so much money, he did not even use the tax loop-holes he could have taken.
Whether or not a Christian has material goods, he does have what Peter and John had.
Look at verse 6, we read, “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.”
The lost people of the world today have the same problem that crippled man had. They need Jesus. We have Him. We can solve their problem by sharing the good news of the gospel.
We looked at THE PAIR, THE PLEA, and THE PROBLEM. Now let us look at -
II. THEIR EXPERIENCE
Look at verses 7-12. We read, “And he took him by the right hand, and lifted him up: and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength. And he leaping up stood, and walked, and entered with them into the temple, walking, and leaping, and praising God. And all the people saw him walking and praising God: And 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. 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. And when Peter saw it, he answered unto the people, Ye men of Israel, why marvel ye at this? or why look ye so earnestly on us, as though by our own power or holiness we had made this man to walk?”
This had to be one of the most exciting days in the life of Peter and John. Look at-
A. THE EXCITEMENT
In verse 7, we read, “And he took him by the right hand,(cripple man) and lifted him up: and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength.”
This was TRULY A MIRACLE!
Sometimes we see men, who claim to be faith-healers, pray for a sick person, and there is no change in that person's condition. They cop-out by saying that all miracles do not take place immediately.
Illus: One Christian lady and her daughter are both crippled. But they say that God has healed them, but that their healing has not yet come. What is sad about this is, that twenty-five years later it still has not come.
But when the Lord healed this man, the Bible tells us “…immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength.”
The cripple man is a picture of a lost sinner. He is hopeless and helpless. But when the Lord touched him, he was made whole immediately.
Once he was made whole, the Bible tells us in verses 8-10, “And he leaping up stood, and walked, and entered with them into the temple, walking, and leaping, and praising God. And all the people saw him walking and praising God: And 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.”
When the Lord saves us, the lost world should be able to see a difference in our life the same way they could see a difference in the life of the cripple man.
When God’s does a work in a man’s life their should be some evidence. Let’s look at-
B. THE EVIDENCE
Look at verse 9. We read, “And all the people saw him walking and praising God.”
Some folks say Christianity is a personal and private matter. It certainly is personal, but it certainly is not to be private. When God healed the crippled man of our text, he did not care to keep it private.
Illus: Suppose this man would only walk and leap when no one was looking. Then how would men know to give praise to God for what He had done. The Bible says, "And all the people saw him walking and praising God”.
That was a great miracle, but when God saves a man, it is the GREATEST MIRACLE that can happen to anyone.
Illus: If God heals a man when he is forty, and he lives to be sixty-five, that miracle was only good for twenty-five years. But when God heals a man spiritually, he walks for eternity.
C. THE EXCITEMENT
Look at verses 10-11. We read, “And 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. 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.”
The people knew this man before the Lord touched him, and after the Lord touched him, they knew he was the same man, but yet he was not the same man. "And they knew that it was he... "
God's Word tells us that when they saw what the Lord had done, “…they were filled with wonder and amazement at that which had happened unto him…all the people ran together unto them in the porch that is called Solomon's, greatly wondering.”
We need to do as Peter and John did. People who come to Christ can be made whole. The Lord made the lame man whole, and did not use any tax money, expensive medication, etc., and the work was done “immediately.”
The lost world was absolutely dumb-founded. They could not explain what happened. Let’s look at-
III. THE EXPLANATION
Look at verse 12, we read, “And when Peter saw it, he answered unto the people, Ye men of Israel, why marvel ye at this? or why look ye so earnestly on us, as though by our own power or holiness we had made this man to walk?”
Notice, when God did this, Peter wanted to make sure the credit went to the right place. God may have used him, but Peter knew that God did the work.
No man has any right to rob God of the glory that belongs to Him!
Did you know that God can do great things through our lives, and still men will criticize us.
Look at-
A. THE CRITICISM
Evil men always choose to do evil, and Peter reminds them of it.
In verses 13-16, we read, “The God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob, the God of our fathers, hath glorified his Son Jesus; whom ye delivered up, and denied him in the presence of Pilate, when he was determined to let him go. But ye denied the Holy One and the Just, and desired a murderer to be granted unto you; And killed the Prince of life, whom God hath raised from the dead; whereof we are witnesses. And his name through faith in his name hath made this man strong, whom ye see and know: yea, the faith which is by him hath given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all.”
Peter is saying in these verses, “Look at that man leaping for joy, this is what men will do, who believe that Christ came and died for our sins!”
But before that can happen, he charges them. Look at-
B. THE CHARGE
He charges them with being sinners that need to repent of their sins. It was through their ignorance they did this.
This is why the Lord Jesus prayed on the cross, “Forgive them, for they know not what they do.”
Look at verse 17-26, we read, “And now, brethren, I wot that through ignorance ye did it, as did also your rulers. But those things, which God before had showed by the mouth of all his prophets, that Christ should suffer, he hath so fulfilled. 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; And he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you: Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began. For Moses truly said unto the fathers, A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; him shall ye hear in all things whatsoever he shall say unto you. And it shall come to pass, that every soul, which will not hear that prophet, shall be destroyed from among the people. Yea, and all the prophets from Samuel and those that follow after, as many as have spoken, have likewise foretold of these days. Ye are the children of the prophets, and of the covenant which God made with our fathers, saying unto Abraham, And in thy seed shall all the kindreds of the earth be blessed. Unto you first God, having raised up his Son Jesus, sent him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from his iniquities.”
But now, seeing this mighty miracle that is unquestionable, if they will believe on the Lord Jesus, He will save them from their iniquities.
Conclusion:
I. THEIR ENTRANCE
II. THE EXPERIENCE
III. THE EXPLANATION
