Tell the story from Acts 3.
THESIS:
God wants to do something through you, if you¡¯ll develop these 5 habits:
1. Be open to God¡¯s direction as you go about your business. (V. 1)
Here¡¯s a couple of guys just on the way to prayer meeting. . . and God uses them for a great miracle.
Jesus left us with these words:
Matthew 28:19-20 ¡°Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age. Amen.¡±
I had a friend in KY who told me that he thought this verse meant everyone had to GO somewhere to share the good news about Jesus with someone ¨C he thought everyone should be foreign missionaries! I didn¡¯t tell him, but he¡¯s wrong. This verse really isn¡¯t translated from Greek properly. It should read like this:
¡°While you are going, make disciples of all nations. . .¡±
God wants to do the same for you! I¡¯m not necessarily saying he wants to heal a crippled person ¨C I mean he wants to use you to do great things for Him.
Somewhere, there is a person who has a need God wants you to meet:
¡õ That cashier at Wal-Mart might need to be encouraged and invited to church.
¡õ That guy who changes your oil might need to know what God has done in your life.
¡õ That friend who has the financial problems might need your assistance to make it through.
¡õ That one whose marriage is on the rocks might need your prayers to turn it around.
¡õ That family down the street who lost a family member might need a shoulder to cry on or an ear to listen.
Don¡¯t discount the little things God does to work miracles through your life every day if you are open to Him as you go about your business.
2. See the needs around you. (V. 2-5)
Stay tuned to the needs that exist all around you. It¡¯s not hard to hear and see if you¡¯re tuned in.
¡õ That sigh of a discouraged co-worker.
¡õ That person that lashes out at everyone (Hurting people hurt people.)
¡õ That one who is a little too quiet today.
¡õ That family member who is going through something not too many people know about.
¡õ That person at church who makes a prayer request.
You can look around and see hurts and needs, if you¡¯ll stay tuned in.
Jesus did that. . . the Bible says when he saw needs he was ¡°moved with compassion.¡± Literally, it means he had a gut-wrenching feeling of love and pity.
Matthew 9:36 ¡°But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd.¡±
Matthew 14:14 ¡°And when Jesus went out He saw a great multitude; and He was moved with compassion for them, and healed their sick.¡±
Mark 1:41 Then Jesus, moved with compassion, stretched out His hand and touched him, and said to him, "I am willing; be cleansed."
We are called to be like Jesus, and that means feeling like He felt, and acting like he acted!
3. Meet them with God¡¯s love & power. (V. 6-8)
Pay attention to what Peter could have said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I don¡¯t have any silver and gold. . . sorry man! Have a great day, God bless!¡±
Instead, Peter said, ¡°Silver and gold I do not have, But what I do have I give you.¡±
It¡¯s a great temptation to think that we don¡¯t have anything to offer. You know:
- When I have Bill Gates¡¯ money, I¡¯ll help someone.
- When I have President Bush¡¯s influence, I¡¯ll help people.
- When I have Pastor Darrell¡¯s training, I¡¯ll offer to listen to someone who¡¯s hurting.
- When I¡¯ve studied the Bible for a few more years, I¡¯ll start offering people it¡¯s answers.
- When I¡¯ve walked with God for a few more years, I¡¯ll tell people how he can change their lives.
- When I have all my personal life in order, I¡¯ll reach out to others.
God calls us to give WHAT WE HAVE. . .not what we will someday have. He has work for you to do RIGHT NOW!
4. Give the glory to God. (V. 9-12)
It¡¯s not a common thing to meet needs these days. . . people are too busy with their lives. So you¡¯ll have plenty of instances where someone will give you the praise. Saying, ¡°Thank you¡± is polite and fine, but they¡¯ve got to know ultimately who gets the credit.
There are plenty of pastors out there who are in it to build their own kingdom. . . I just read of a pastor who lives in a 1.4 million dollar house. I¡¯m sorry, but it seems to me that he¡¯s doing more than just building God¡¯s kingdom.
When it¡¯s all said and done, whose glory are you living for?
5. See meeting needs as opportunities to tell people the truth. (V. 13-26)
Often, meeting a need in someone¡¯s life will give you the chance to tell them and others what they need to hear. If Peter had just started preaching, he wouldn¡¯t have had nearly as much success. But God gave Him the ability to meet this need, he didn¡¯t stop there, but went on to tell them the ultimate NEED of their heart ¨C forgiveness.
The ultimate need of this man was not to be healed and be able to walk again. The ultimate need of him and many others there that day was to hear this:
a) They had murdered Jesus.
3:14-15 "But you denied the Holy One and the Just, and asked for a murderer to be granted to you, and killed the Prince of life, whom God raised from the dead, of which we are witnesses.¡±
b) They needed to have a change of mind and behavior.
3:19 "Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord.¡±
Keep your eyes open, because when you comfort that co-worker, or minister to that single mother, or reach out to that hurting family, you¡¯ll have a chance to tell them what they need to hear: That God¡¯s got something better for them than how they¡¯ve been living!
Some things you¡¯ve got to know ahead of time:
If you do this, you may be criticized. (Acts 4:1-3)
It was religious leaders who did the criticizing.
When you¡¯re small, they¡¯ll dismiss you.
When you¡¯re growing, they¡¯ll criticize you.
When you¡¯re large, they¡¯ll resent you.
So forget about THEM and get on with what God¡¯s called you to do!
It will cost you something. (Acts 4:1-3)
They spent time in jail!
The benefits far outweigh the cost. (4:4)
The lives changed by these 2 men following God: 5,000!
So what about you? Are you going to take action on these 5 steps? Write down on your paper 2-3 needs you can meet THIS WEEK!
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HANDOUT
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Living Acts Chapter 29
Chapter 3 - The Miracle on the way. . .1. Be __________ to God¡¯s direction as you go about your business. (V. 1)
Acts 3:1 ¡°Now Peter and John went up together to the temple at the hour of prayer, the ninth hour.¡±
They were just on their way to _______________ ________________.
2. See the ___________ around you. (V. 2-5)
Acts 3:2 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 from those who entered the temple;
3 who, seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple, asked for alms.
4 And fixing his eyes on him, with John, Peter said, "Look at us."
5 So he gave them his attention, expecting to receive something from them.
Ask yourself: ¡°Who do I know that is _____________? Who do I know that need to know I¡¯m _______________ for them?¡±
3. Meet them with God¡¯s ________ & ___________. (V. 6-8)
Acts 3:6 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.
8 So he, leaping up, stood and walked and entered the temple with them--walking, leaping, and praising God.
God calls us to give what we __________. . .not what we will _______________ have. He has work for you to do __________ _________!
4. Give the ____________ to God. (V. 9-12)
Acts 3:9 And all the people saw him walking and praising God.
10 Then they knew that it was he who sat begging alms at the Beautiful Gate of the temple; and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.
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...¡±
Giving God the glory means giving Him the ___________.
5. See meeting needs as __________________ to tell people the ___________. (V. 13-26)
Acts 3:14-15 "But you denied the Holy One and the Just, and asked for a murderer to be granted to you, and killed the Prince of life, whom God raised from the dead, of which we are witnesses.¡±
Acts 3:19 "Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord.¡±
Often, meeting a need in someone¡¯s life will give you the chance to tell them and others what they need to hear. Meeting an ______________ need will give you a chance to meet the _______________ need.
Some things you¡¯ve got to know ahead of time:
If you do this, you may be criticized. (Acts 4:1-3)
It was _________________ leaders who did the criticizing.
It will cost you something. (Acts 4:1-3)
They spent time in ____________!
The benefits far outweigh the cost. (4:4)
The lives changed by these 2 men following God: __________!
