Acts 3

Strength of Healing

Prayer

Funeral this weekend.. Healing still exists.

Acts 3:1 (ESV)

3 Now Peter and John were going up to the temple at the hour of prayer, the ninth hour.

They went up to the temple… it was on a mountain.. a hill

Three times of prayer in Jewish custom 9am noon and 3pm 6 am is hour one so the 9th hour would be 3pm.

So this might have been the perfect hour for forgiveness, grace and a miracle.

Psalm 55:17 (ESV)

17 Evening and morning and at noon     I utter my complaint and moan,     and he hears my voice.

James 5:17-18 (ESV)

17 Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth. 18 Then he prayed again, and heaven gave rain, and the earth bore its fruit.

Grace

Acts 3:2-4 (ESV)

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.

He had no use of his legs, its says from Birth he was carried and laid at the gate for over 40 years

Acts 4:22 (ESV)

22 For the man on whom this sign of healing was performed was more than forty years old.

He could not go up to the temple.. he could not keep the “Law” no hope of salvation…

There are a lot of people who are lame in our world today who deserve our grace and not our judgement.

Alms… Begging for mercy.. pity.. There were no ministries to give money for someone in this guys situation, no govt help.. so he relied on people everday for 40 years

Why don’t we give sometimes.. we question how the money might be used or that they should work harder for themselves.. Winter relief stories.. man kids took everything.

The Power of God

Acts 3:4-6 (ESV)

. 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!”

Peter and John where in Jesus inner circle the had not only been taught but shown amazing miracles in the three years with Jesus. All the way to rising from the dead.

Moses..600k people no food..

Numbers 11:23 (ESV)

23 And the Lord said to Moses, “Is the Lord's hand shortened? Now you shall see whether my word will come true for you or not.”

How short are Gods hands for you?

Job 11:7 (ESV)

7 “Can you find out the deep things of God?     Can you find out the limit of the Almighty?

The other thing that’s notable. is that the disciples allowed their schedule to be interrupted for one person.

They just had thousands come to their church. How many people needed them now. These where the big dogs in charge of all the big things.. and they paused for this man.

Healing requires our full attention

Peter directed his gaze at him, as did John, and said, “Look at us.

Amy and I talkiing

Matthew 6:34 The Message

34 “Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don’t get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes.

Peter and John could have been miid conversation.. the lame man was probably eyeing the crowd to figure out who to ask next..

We are so easily distracted.

Healing does not expect you to give what you do not have

But Peter said, “I have no silver and gold

The story is old of Thomas Aquinas walking with the Pope

around the Vatican around the 12th century. As they walked the Pope pointed out the gold, silver, & ornate buildings & said, “You see, Thomas, the church can no longer say, Silver & gold have I none!” To which Thomas replied, “I do see, but I see something further. She also cannot say, Rise up & walk!”

Healing requires the Power of God

what I do have I give to you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk!

We have a lot of ministries here at MACC that serve our community.

Crofton 1, crofton 2

People come in and need help financially and we give to them. What if we didn’t. What if we just said sorry but we do have to offer you is prayer and the work of God and the Power of God.

I guess we need to ask ourselves what is more powerful?

Money or God? Even in our personal lives.

What do we look to first to solve our problems?

Suburban… this week

Facebook post

Why is it that we believe more in the power of money than the power of God?

These disciples had just help sell their possessions to start the church. I remember Lew and the elders years ago in order to buy the property for the macc sacrificing their possessions so they could by this property for it to be used by the glory of God.. and to this day it has been a blessing that has brought people to Christ. Why because they believed the power of God was more powerful than the power of money/their desires/wants. We need to be sure our perspective on this is in the right place.. God’s power.

God uses you to help others up

Acts 3:6b-8 (ESV)

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.

Four wheeling.. Ford vs.. chevy.. Toyota

Toyota pic

Take credit for what was done but my truck is doing the work

What is unique in this story is that it is the Power of Christ that John and peter are able to raise this man up but God chooses to use their physical bodies to do it

God desires to use you.

Interesting that Luke tells this story because he was a Doctor and he knew if there were any medical procedures that could of fixed this man but their where not..Luke followed the science.. This was truly a miracle and Luke says so.

Ephesians 2:10 (ESV)

10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

Healing needs a response

Acts 3:16 (ESV)

16 And his name—by faith in his name—has made this man strong whom you see and know, and the faith that is through Jesus has given the man this perfect health in the presence of you all.

Acts 3:8 (ESV)

8 And leaping up, he stood and began to walk, and entered the temple with them, walking and leaping and praising God.

Faith in Christ

Galatians 3:5 (ESV)

God does the healing in his way

Paul healed many people

the crippled man in Lystra (Acts 14:10) and many people in Ephesus (Acts 19:12) and the demonized girl in Philippi (Acts 16:18) and Eutychus when he was taken up dead after falling out of a window (Acts 20:9–10). But Paul could not heal himself from the thorn in the flesh (2 Corinthians 12:8–9) or from the ailment that he had when he preached in Galatia (Galatians 4:13–14). And evidently he could not heal Timothy from his stomach ailments (1 Timothy 5:23) or Epaphroditus from his life threatening sickness (Philippians 2:26–27) or Trophimus whom he "left ill at Miletus" (2 Timothy 4:20).

George Muller .. Great Faith in God

God blessed us abundantly as He taught us to trust in Him alone. When we were down to our last few shillings, we told Him about our needs and depended on Him to provide. He never failed us.

Leap for christ

Isaiah 35:6 (ESV)

then shall the lame man leap like a deer,     and the tongue of the mute sing for joy. For waters break forth in the wilderness,     and streams in the desert;

baptism

Stand Upright

Galatians 5:1 (ESV)

For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.

To walk

Colossians 1:9-10

English Standard Version

9 And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, 10 so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him: bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God;

Pray be obeditent to his word

To be part of the Church

Romans 15:1-2 (ESV)

15 We who are strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves. 2 Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, to build him up.

Praise God

Psalm 95:6-7 (ESV)

6 Oh come, let us worship and bow down;     let us kneel before the Lord, our Maker! 7 For he is our God,     and we are the people of his pasture,     and the sheep of his hand.

Healing leads to others seeing the Power of God

Acts 3:9-11 (ESV)

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.

11 While he clung to Peter and John, all the people, utterly astounded, ran together to them in the portico called Solomon's.

3pm was the most popular hour for people to be at temple and pray

Lets not miss the point that God allowed this man to suffer for 40 years so that just at the right time Peter and John walked by to show up with the power of God and others saw the Glory of God

The man’s response was not God why did you take so long but instead..thank you God!!

He clung to the ones who knew could lead him closer to God..

Some of us need healing from sin today, some physical ailments others perhaps we need healing trusting the power of money or this world more than trusting the power of God

The question today ii want to ask you is .. do you have the power to change someone’s life?

Well yes and no?

Can you Pray?

Can you have faith?

Do you live life in the power of God?

Do you shout Gods praises when he shows up in your life..

Then yes God can use you to change someone’s life.

Pray for people..

Healing..

James 5:14

English Standard Version

14 Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord.

Acts 3:1-11 (ESV)

3 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.

11 While he clung to Peter and John, all the people, utterly astounded, ran together to them in the portico called Solomon's.