From Beggar at the Temple to Beacon for Jesus

Some people just look familiar and you know you should know who they are but you can’t place them. Maybe you haven’t seen somebody in years and then you bump into that person and you think man that dude looks familiar. Then that person strikes up a conversation I remember that person from somewhere but I can’t remember where. Could be an old coach… I could be an old coworker… neighbor… from church… school… a classmate… graduated with.

Maybe you recognize a particular person but he or she lost weight, maybe died their hair, maybe last time you recognized them they were going through a rough circumstance but things have improved.

Life has a way of changing us… sometimes people can feel stuck in a situation and we can’t see any possibility of things ever changing.

Peter and John encountered a man who was stuck and everyone knew him. This man was a regular who stood at the temple entrance begging for money because he has never been able to walk.

Peter and John could have ignored this man out of guilt because they didn’t have any money but rather they gave this man what they did possess and it ended up being exactly what he needed.

Acts 3:1–11 (ESV)

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.

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

PRAY

Last week we saw this same Peter who failed Jesus, who denied Jesus out of fear but now, in the book of Acts, we see a different man… one who was bold, a man of faith, a man who believed in the power of Jesus… a man who was full of the Holy Spirit.

From the day of Pentecost, Peter was a different man. He explained the Pentecost encounter to the crowd which resulted in 3000 being added to the church. Peter and the apostles then taught this rapidly growing church and so the people grew in their love for Jesus and grew in sacrificial love for one another.

As we begin Acts 3, we see the church began to expand throughout Jerusalem and Judea all because of a familiar face. This well known, lifelong lame man who miraculously begins to walk and everything points to Jesus.

We see that the people and the religious authority could not explain this well known miracle. Peter and John got their attention. Through this miracle, they were able to point them to Jesus but first, Peter and John had to take notice.

The Holy Spirit will cause us take notice and respond.

Peter and John were heading to the temple for the 3pm prayer time when they noticed a man who could not walk begging for money.

Acts 3:1 CSB

1 Now Peter and John were going up to the temple for the time of prayer at three in the afternoon.

The Jews observed three times of prayer—morning (9:00 a.m.), afternoon (3:00 p.m.), and evening (sunset). At these times devout Jews and Gentiles who believed in God often would go to the temple to pray.

Peter and John were still living, for the most part, as obedient Jews, keeping the appointed times of prayer, even though their mission was significantly different.

As they were heading to the temple…

Acts 3:2–3 CSB

2 A man who was lame from birth was being carried there. He was placed each day at the temple gate called Beautiful, so that he could beg from those entering the temple. 3 When he saw Peter and John about to enter the temple, he asked for money.

Later on we discover that this man was about 40 years old. We know that he was a regular beggar at the temple gate called Beautiful which was the main gate into the temple area. We learn later on that the religious folks recognized this man as one of the regulars and many people would give since giving money to beggars was considered praiseworthy.

This lame man had himself placed where he could catch the almsgivers heading to and from these religious gatherings.

As he saw Peter and John about to enter the temple, the lame man called out to them and asked for some money.

This is what is known as a divine appointment.

Peter and John had made plans to attend a three o’clock prayer service. Perhaps they hoped to share their new faith with some old friends. Or maybe they wanted to connect with one of the other apostles. It might have been easy to brush off the lame beggar placed at the temple gate for a handout. But Peter and John recognized the sovereign nature of this encounter.

That’s when they had to take notice and respond, respond to a divine appointment.

It’s easy to brush off someone because we are busy… the person… the public…

Beggars were unable to work for a living, unable to receive medical help, and people tended to ignore their constant need.

Beggars had little hope of escaping this lowly way of life. For this lame man, begging was his only means of support and money could not fix his real need.

We run into people every day who are hopeless. We see so many people begging desperately who are hopelessly in need of God’s love and power. We are no different that this man, because of our sinful condition, we are all hopeless without Jesus.

We can only give what we possess.

Peter and John did not ignore this beggar in fact it says

Acts 3:4–6 NLT

4 Peter and John looked at him intently, and Peter said, “Look at us!” 5 The lame man looked at them eagerly, expecting some money. 6 But Peter said, “I don’t have any silver or gold for you. But I’ll give you what I have. In the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, get up and walk!”

Peter and John could have felt guilty because they didn’t have any money. Peter and John could have shamefully ignored this man and went into the temple for their religious prayer time.

Instead of making excuses and ignoring, they demanded his attention and gave him what they did possess… “I don’t have any silver or gold for you. But I’ll give you what I have.”

What do we have to give?

Peter and John gave what they possessed… Jesus Christ of Nazareth… the Great Physician… the real hope for the hopeless.

Too often we see prayer as somehow beneath a monetary gift. If only we could do more then just pray.

We can only give what we possess.

Peter and John were filled with the power of the Holy Spirit. They were prayed up, they were filled with God’s Word and filled with the Holy Spirit… they came with an incredible amount of faith believing that God was going to do something amazing.

Do we have that God-size expectation or man-size expectations?

That Holy Boldness… Are we so full of the love of God that it overflows because it cannot be contained within us? Are we filled with the Holy Spirit? Are we walking in the Holy Spirit? Is the Fruit of the Spirit the evidence of that constant infilling?

We cannot give what we do not possess.

The last thing this world needs is weak anemic prayers… let us pray the prayer of faith.

James 5:15 NIV

15 And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven.

Matthew 21:21–22 CSB

21 Jesus answered them, “Truly I tell you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what was done to the fig tree, but even if you tell this mountain, ‘Be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ it will be done. 22 And if you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.”

The Holy Spirit has empowered us to walk in God’s power and HIS authority but that can only happen if we are constantly be filled and refilled with the Holy Spirit every day. We must have daily communion with the Father, spending time in HIS Word so that we can bring a powerful, faith building, edifying word that is in season and out of season.

If we are filled with the Holy Spirit, don’t be afraid to be led by the Holy Spirit. That’s when we will see signs, wonders, and miracles.

We don’t want to have a form of Godliness but denying HIS power.

We can only give what we possess.

We must be ready to present Jesus as our only answer.

After 40 years, looking for answers, begging for money, relying on others, in one moment Jesus became his only answer.

It’s never Jesus and my generosity… my resources… my wisdom… my ability and talent. Jesus is always our only answer. God does not share HIS glory with any man.

Peter and John were quick to point this man to Jesus because they knew that Jesus was his only answer.

In just one moment everything changed because of the power of Jesus Christ. His situation was no longer helpless because of Jesus. This lame man could not do… Peter and John could not do… this man could not afford an earthly physician to do what needed to be done, irregardless of how much money he was given. His situation wasn’t going to change without the miracle worker, Jesus Christ of Nazareth working a miracle.

Acts 3:7–10 ESV

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.

Peter and John had to be led by the Holy Spirit… they had to have the boldness to address this man… they had to speak in faith that this man would be healed but… Jesus did all the work.

Jesus is able to do all the work because HE is the only answer. Yes, God uses us, God uses people, but God wants to do the miraculous so HE get’s all the glory.

But, we see that God used this moment to shake up some faith… to stir up some faith… in a way that the power of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, our risen Savior and King, our great physician, our chain breaker, our sin forgiver… was on full display where people had to make a decision. They had to answer the question, Is Jesus our only answer, and if yes, how do I respond?

Surrender to King Jesus and allow HIM to uses us for HIS glory, to further HIS Kingdom.

Take away

Be Holy Spirit led, take notice, and respond in faith.

We cannot give what we do not possess.

Be filled with the Love of Jesus, God’s Word, as we have that constant communion with the Father.

Do we believe that Jesus is the only answer to our biggest questions?