FROM A LAME SINNER TO A LEAPING SAINT !!
Text: Acts 3:1-11
Intro: This morning I want to take a look at this passage in the book of Acts and try to share a thought that the Lord gave me as I studied yesterday. Now if you have studied the book of acts and the beginning of the Church you will know that here in Acts 3 we find the first miracle performed by the Apostles since the Lord Jesus’ ascension and the filling of the Holy Spirit. I want concentrate on these first few verses and if you will watch with me you and I can see a wonderful picture of the Salvation of a man, here in this account of the Lame man being healed.
I. Lame from birth.
This man here in Acts represents a sinner, and in fact all humanity. We find in our scripture that this poor man was lame or crippled from the time that he was born into this world. He has lived all his life in this condition, now we do not know how old that he is, but simply he is a man. I pictured in my mind that he was a man, possibly in his thirties or forties, and he had lived all his life as a lame person, and was carried everyday and laid at the gate that he might beg for alms from those that passed by.
So this man was lame from his birth.
Now there is a false teaching that has spread far and wide that many people have embraced. This teaching declares the ‘Fatherhood’ of God and the ‘Brotherhood’ of Man.
There is a shred of truth to this teaching. Most heresy is based upon a fragment of truth. The truth of this teaching is that mankind is part of a brotherhood. They are all kin through the relation of Sin. The Bible tells us that we are all in Adam.
1 Corinthians 15:21-22 For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. 22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.
So in this sense there is a brotherhood of Man, this is contrary to the universalistic teaching. They state that all men are brothers are that God is the Father of all.
This does not quite line up with what the Lord Jesus Christ preached. He preached that all men were sinners and that their Father was Satan, not God.
John 8:42-47 Jesus said unto them, If God were your Father, ye would love me: for I proceeded forth and came from God; neither came I of myself, but he sent me. 43 Why do ye not understand my speech? even because ye cannot hear my word. 44 Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it. 45 And because I tell you the truth, ye believe me not. 46 Which of you convinceth me of sin? And if I say the truth, why do ye not believe me? 47 He that is of God heareth God’s words: ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God.
This teaching is obviously contrary to the Word of God. God is undoubtedly the Father, but only of the born again. My point to this is to say that this man was born into the world with a problem, he was lame, just as is every other person is born into the world with a problem, they are spiritually crippled, they are sinners in the eyes of a Holy and Just God.
Listen to the way that Isaiah described a sinner: Isaiah 1:6 From the sole of the foot even unto the head there is no soundness in it; but wounds, and bruises, and putrifying sores: they have not been closed, neither bound up, neither mollified with ointment.
II. Laid and begged.
There were two things that this man did every day of his life. He lay on the ground on his small mat outside the gate of the temple and he begged for alms. These two things speak volumes about sinful man’s true state.
First this man simply lay in whatever spot that he was carried to. He was unable to carry himself anywhere. This man could not even do as all the other Jews did in Jesus day, and that was to go at prayer time and enter the temple and pray and worship God.
This is where sinful man is he cannot approach of come nigh to God. He has no way to get to God. This is why Jesus came and died on the cross, He fulfilled the law and the veil was torn and now man can be cleansed and God can be approached.
As well, this lame man had to rely on the generosity of those around him to survive. This is exactly the way that a sinner is.
Titus 3:5 Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;
Romans 15:9 And that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy; as it is written, For this cause I will confess to thee among the Gentiles, and sing unto thy name.
Here is a true portrait of man totally helpless, just as the little child in the book of Ezekiel 16:4-8.
III. Lifted by faith.
Can you get this all pictured in you mind. Here is Peter and John passing by on the way to the temple and this man calls out begging for alms and he catches their attention. Note verse 3-4.
So John and Peter stop and survey the man and this lame man is very attentive to these two men, for he is hoping that they will give him some money as they hurry on to the temple. Note verse 5.
Now come the words that Peter tells this man. Silver and gold have I none, but what I do have I will give it to you. Peter said I may not have any money to share with you, but I can share with you my Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Note verse 6.
Now the correlation that I want to make here is that this man put his trust in Peter and John as he reached out his hands and they helped him up to his feet. Note verse 7. This is exactly the way that a person enters the Family of God. He puts his faith in the Gospel story of the Lord Jesus. Trusting Jesus to take his sin away and save him from Hell.
A skeptical doctor said to a Christian patient, ‘I could never understand this saving faith. I believe in God and I suppose I believe in Jesus Christ. I am not conscious of any doubt. I believe that Jesus Christ was the Son of God, and I believe the Bible, yet I am not saved. What is the matter with me?’
‘Well!’ said the patient, ‘a week ago I believed in you as a very skilful doctor. I believe that if I come to you when I am sick you can help me. In other words I trusted you. For two days I have been taking some mysterious stuff out of a bottle. I don’t know what it is. I don’t understand it, but I trust you. Now, when you turn to the Lord Jesus and say, “Lord Jesus, Christianity seems to be full of mysteries - I don’t understand them, but I believe Thee to be trustworthy and I trust Thee and commit myself to Thee,” that is faith.’
Very simple, is it not? The faith of the patient did not heal him; it was the remedy that healed him. But faith took the remedy.
Let me make an interesting note here about what happens in this chapter and the next. Peter and John point this man to the Lord Jesus the one that can help him and after this man is healed the Jews cause an uproar, insomuch that Peter in chapter 4 finds himself addressing the Sanhedrin court to defend himself. Now look at how Peter describes what happened to this man in Acts 4:9. Peter said that this man was made whole. This is a very interesting word used here. In the Greek language that word that Peter used to describe this man being healed is the same word for a man being saved. As a matter of fact the exact same word is translated saved in Acts 4:12.
What a blessing that this man was Lifted by Faith!
IV. Leapt and Praised God
After He is stood up watch what the Bible says. Immediately his feet and ankles were strengthened. He stood up and them walked and them began leaping and praising God.
At first he stood there and said man they will hold me up, they will and it is ok. And then this grown man took the first steps of his life, and as he walk, he probably said man this is great, this feels good and it got to feeling so good that he took off running and jumping and praising God in the temple.
Isaiah 35:6 Then shall the lame man leap as an hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing: for in the wilderness shall waters break out, and streams in the desert.
Romans 15:9-13 And that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy; as it is written, For this cause I will confess to thee among the Gentiles, and sing unto thy name. 10 And again he saith, Rejoice, ye Gentiles, with his people. 11 And again, Praise the Lord, all ye Gentiles; and laud him, all ye people. 12 And again, Esaias saith, There shall be a root of Jesse, and he that shall rise to reign over the Gentiles; in him shall the Gentiles trust. 13 Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.
What a blessing it is to see a person get saved and come to the House of God and just be bubbling over with thanksgiving and worship and praise for the God who saved them, the one who showed them compassion, love, grace and mercy.
Now don’t let that bother you, cause there is will be plenty of shouting when we get to heaven, as a matter of fact every time a sinner here on Earth gets saved they have a shouting time in Heaven. Luke 15:10 Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.
A Christian brother from the country and considered a bit old fashioned, visited a great city Church. As the eloquent minister drove home some great truth the country man jumped up and shouted, “Praise the Lord.” After an usher touched him on the arm and whispered, “Be quiet. You can’t ‘praise the Lord’ in this church.”
Conclusion: This man here in Acts 3 went from a Lame Sinner to a Leaping Saint. What a blessing to see a difference in the lives of people when the Lord gets a hold of them.
