The Book of Acts (June 23, 2024)

Acts 3:1–10 ~ “1 Now Peter and John were going up to the temple at the hour of prayer, the ninth hour. 2 And a man lame from birth was being carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple that is called the Beautiful Gate to ask alms of those entering the temple. 3 Seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple, he asked to receive alms. 4 And Peter directed his gaze at him, as did John, and said, “Look at us.” 5 And he fixed his attention on them, expecting to receive something from them. 6 But Peter said, “I have no silver and gold, but what I do have I give to you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk!” 7 And he took him by the right hand and raised him up, and immediately his feet and ankles were made strong. 8 And leaping up, he stood and began to walk, and entered the temple with them, walking and leaping and praising God. 9 And all the people saw him walking and praising God, 10 and recognized him as the one who sat at the Beautiful Gate of the temple, asking for alms. And they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.”

So many times, you and I have heard the following statement, in some way shape or fashion: “If you will send me $X, I will pray for you, send you this anointed item, and so on and on.”

It seems that, after a quick assessment of much that happens in our world, culture and even in the church world; gospel preaching causes us to wonder whether we have fallen into a getting faith syndrome. Too many times, people are trying to see what the church can do for them, instead of what we can do for the church. DO NOT MISUNDERSTAND ME! I realize we come to the House of God with our burdens, anxiety, needs and so on with the GREAT EXPECTATION that God is going to do something, change something in our lives; HOWEVER, we must realize that is secondary to what we should be doing. We should be coming to Worship God, regardless of what we get next. He has saved us from eternal damnation and a life of sin – isn’t that enough?

I see so many articles, emails and posting on social media and such that are entitled like the following:

• Learn How to Get Things From God
• How to Get What You Ask For
• How to Receive When You Believe
• Make Your Faith Work for You
• Faith That Moves God

You get the picture. But we must realize that first, we are not the only ones that have a need before God and second, God sent us His Son for our salvation. Healing, broken chains and other steps are secondary. We need to WANT more souls saved! Now to that end, we must also understand our faith is not for sale! Money cannot buy healing, broken chains, etc. – only our faith in God!

Back to our verses in Acts 3:1-10; this is the NEW church’s first recorded miracle. God was now ready to reach another great harvest of souls. It was now time to attract the attention of the people, so He reached down and healed a single man, a man whom everyone knew, and filled the man so full of the Holy Spirit that he just went wild with excitement and joy. Such a miracle and behavior naturally attracted the attention of the public.

Note: the miracle was more than just a miracle. It was a sign, a demonstration of two things.

• Jesus is alive. His power is just as active upon earth today as it was when He walked upon earth.
• Jesus is now working through His followers. Through them, He is reaching out to save and heal the world. His followers are now His instruments, His emissaries, His ambassadors, His representatives, His messengers, His witnesses to a world lost in suffering and death, sin and shame.

In this first recorded miracle of the church, God is demonstrating His power, and bearing witness through His followers. In so doing, He has given us some of the greatest lessons on witnessing to be found anyplace.

You and I are disciples of Christ.

These verses show us that Jesus is now working through His disciples. This is one thing Jesus wants people to know. His presence and His power are still at work, still available to men. His great love and concern for the world is still being manifested through the lives of His disciples. In fact, Jesus has …

• no feet but our feet
• no hands but our hands
• no voice but our voice

If we do not go and do and speak the work of God, His work does not get done. Note these significant lessons.

• Jesus works through those who are faithful in prayer.
• Jesus works through those who look and see the desperate need of the suffering, both those who suffer in spirit and body. How many years had this man been sitting there begging? He had been a cripple for over forty years. Imagine! Forty years or more, a cripple from birth, never having walked a single step. Had he been carried and placed at the temple’s entrance to beg …
  • for ten years?
  • for twenty years?
  • for thirty years?

We are not told, but no doubt he had been a beggar for years upon years. Everyone knew him (v. 10). Picture the man …

• a helpless cripple
• unable to work
• being ignored
• with no one to take him in and help
• without family
• poor
• having to fend for himself
• never fitting in, never being accepted

He was not even looking up at Peter and John when he asked for alms (v. 4). Years of having people look the other way had taught him he was different and did not fit in. From the first, even as a small child, he had probably grown into a shy, withdrawn, embarrassed person, a person unable to look people in the eye.

The point is this: the man was hurting within as well as without. He was a living picture of so many in the world, then and now …

• persons who are wounded and suffering so much (both within and without) from the neglect of men—from an unconcerned and selfish and hoarding world—from a world that will not let go and share what it has with those who do not have.

But even more critical …

• persons who are suffering so much from the neglect of God’s people, the very people who profess to know the love and care of God for all, and yet who act just as unconcerned and selfish and hoard just as much as the world.

The needs exist and abound. They are all around us. Jesus can work only through the people who see the desperate needs of hurting men.

• Jesus works through those who fasten their eyes upon the need. It is not enough just to see the desperate needs of the world—just to see a person hurting and suffering. A person must stop and fasten his eyes upon the need. The word for “fastening his eyes” (atenisas) means fixed attention; an earnest, intense gaze, continuous, steadfast attention. It is seeing the need and focusing upon it. It is continuing to focus one’s …
  • sight,
  • concern,
  • attention,

… upon meeting the need until it is met.

Peter looked and saw the man in need and would not look away. He could have looked away and just passed by the man. Most people did, but not Peter. He was now indwelt by the Spirit of God, and he was on earth to meet the needs of the world for the Lord. Therefore, he fastened his attention upon the man, being full of concern and compassion.

The great need of the hour is to see the needs of the world and to fix our attention upon them.

• Jesus works through those who reach out to meet the need.
  • It is not enough to see the needs of the world.
  • It is not enough to fasten one’s attention upon the needs of the world.

Just seeing and being concerned over the needs of the world does not meet the needs. Peter acted; in fact, he did something dramatic. The need existed; it was there. He knew the Lord cared, and he was the representative of the Lord. It was up to him to show the Lord’s care.

Note the words: “Look on us.” The words were authoritative and arresting. They stirred an expectancy within the man to receive something.

The words of Peter demonstrated that …

• he had a sure confidence that he himself belonged to God; he was God’s representative
• he had a plan to help the man
• he had an expectancy, a genuine faith that God would help him to meet the need
• he had a willingness to act, to reach out by faith and meet the need

All this is essential if we are to reach out in the power of God to meet the needs of the world. In fact, the needs of the world will be met …

• only as we are confident that we ourselves belong to God, that we are His representatives upon earth
• only as we think and plan how to meet the need
• only as we are expectant, believing God will meet the need through us
• only as we are willing to act, step out by faith to meet the need

John 4:35 ~ “Do you not say, ‘There are yet four months, then comes the harvest’? Look, I tell you, lift up your eyes, and see that the fields are white for harvest.”

Acts 20:35 ~ “In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ ””

Romans 15:1 ~ “We who are strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves.”

Galatians 6:2 ~ “Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.”

Look at verses 6-8 again.

Jesus is alive; His presence and power are still active upon the earth. This is the most important thing God wants people to know. His Son, Jesus Christ, is alive. He is not dead, having passed from the scene of world history. He is alive and exalted to the right hand of the Father forever. His presence and power are still active upon the earth and will continue to be active in the lives of His true followers until He returns. His power is still available to men. He still loves and is still greatly concerned for the world and for every person in the world. But note these significant facts that must be understood.

• Jesus’ presence and power are not found in silver and gold. Peter had …
  • no silver or gold
  • no money or material goods
  • no food or clothing
  • no housing or shelter
  • no social or community services.

Therefore, Peter could not give those things to the man. But note: it was such things that the man wanted and expected, and it was what the man seemed to need in the eyes of the world.

1 Samuel 16:7 ~ “But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.””

However, it was not what the man needed. It was not the basic need of the man. The man needed to be changed both within and without. If he was changed physically and spiritually, he would be able to walk and be motivated to work.

When God looked at the man, He saw the man’s spiritual need and his physical need. Therefore, God’s concern was to cure and change the man completely. God was out to take care of the whole man, and the answer to changing the whole man was not found in silver and gold.

• Jesus’ presence and power are found in Jesus’ name – ALONE!
• Jesus’ presence and power are still at work, working miracles and meeting the needs of people. Note this:
  • Peter reached down to take the man by the right hand and lift him up. (What faith!)
  • The man let him. (What trust!)
  • Jesus healed him. (What power!)

How much we need to trust Jesus – His presence and power! How much we need to quit questioning and arguing over whether we still have the right to call upon Jesus’ name, over whether or not we can still trust His presence and power! It is time to trust Jesus, to believe Him, His love and care for the suffering and lost souls of the world. It is time to go forth in the full presence and power of the Lord who is alive, whose presence and power are still available for the earth!

Matthew 17:20 ~ “He said to them, “Because of your little faith. For truly, I say to you, if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you.””

The man was completely changed, his whole being, attitude, and life. He was no longer shy and reserved, embarrassed and ashamed about not fitting in and being accepted. He was saved and healed, inside and out; his whole personality was changed, and he wanted all to know it. He was …

• standing
• walking
• leaping
• praising God

The results were twofold. The people knew the man had been truly healed. They had seen the man for years sitting as a cripple and begging for help. There could be no question about the miracle. They were filled with wonder and amazement at the change, “at that which had happened unto him.” And they were attracted, wondering and wanting to see what had caused such a miracle.