Walking, and leaping, and praising God!
Notes
Transcript
Handout
1 Now Peter and John were going up to the temple at the ninth hour, the hour of prayer.
2 And a man who had been lame from his mother’s womb was being carried, whom they used to set down daily at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, in order to beg alms of those who were entering the temple.
3 When he saw Peter and John about to go into the temple, he began asking to receive alms.
4 But when Peter, along with John, fixed his gaze on him, he said, “Look at us!”
5 And he began to give them his attention, expecting to receive something from them.
6 But Peter said, “I do not possess silver and gold, but what I do have I give to you: In the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene—walk!”
7 And seizing him by the right hand, he raised him up; and immediately his feet and his ankles were strengthened.
8 And leaping up, he stood upright and began to walk; and he entered the temple with them, walking and leaping and praising God.
9 And all the people saw him walking and praising God;
10 and they were recognizing him, that he was the one who used to sit at the Beautiful Gate of the temple to beg alms, and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.
Introduction:
Introduction:
In chapter 2, we witnessed the coming of the Holy Spirit, the preaching of Peter, and 3,000 new disciples added to the church.
The scene for chapter 3 is set in the first verse.
Acts 3:1
1 Now Peter and John were going up to the temple at the ninth hour, the hour of prayer.
Peter and John have spent many hours together. You often read about their names mentioned as being alone with Jesus.
Now, Christ is on His throne. His Spirit is with them. They are continuing to walk together and serve.
They go to the temple, not for sacrifice, but for public prayer.
The ninth hour- 3 PM. The Jewish culture was to pray three times a day.
17 Evening and morning and at noon, I will bring my complaint and moan, And He will hear my voice.
10 Now when Daniel knew that the written document was signed, he entered his house (now in his roof chamber he had windows open toward Jerusalem); and he continued kneeling on his knees three times a day, praying and giving thanks before his God, as he had been doing previously.
1. The history of the lame man.
1. The history of the lame man.
2 And a man who had been lame from his mother’s womb was being carried, whom they used to set down daily at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, in order to beg alms of those who were entering the temple.
Lame from his mother’s womb.- It was not his fault.
Being carried- He relied on others.
The gate of the temple- Called beautiful- to beg of those going in.
He never went in, but was just outside.
The only worship he witnessed was the going and coming of those entering and leaving.
This brings light to Jesus’ teaching about giving in secret rather than being seen in public. The poor often sat outside of the temple to catch the attention of those going to worship.
1 “Beware of doing your righteousness before men to be noticed by them; otherwise you have no reward with your Father who is in heaven.
2 “Therefore, when you give to the poor, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, so that they may be glorified by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full.
3 “But when you give to the poor, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing,
4 so that your giving will be in secret; and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you.
2. The day everything changed for the lame man.
2. The day everything changed for the lame man.
3 When he saw Peter and John about to go into the temple, he began asking to receive alms.
4 But when Peter, along with John, fixed his gaze on him, he said, “Look at us!”
5 And he began to give them his attention, expecting to receive something from them.
He saw Jewish men going to pray, and asked for help, as he did with everyone.
Peter fixed his gaze, and got the lame man’s attention.
The lame man was expecting something.
3. The reason everything changed for the lame man.
3. The reason everything changed for the lame man.
6 But Peter said, “I do not possess silver and gold, but what I do have I give to you: In the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene—walk!”
7 And seizing him by the right hand, he raised him up; and immediately his feet and his ankles were strengthened.
Peter did not possess silver and gold- Even though church had just received and offering. (In other words, the church helps people, but we are not a humanitarian charity. The elders of the church cannot just give everything away every time they are asked.)
44 And all those who had believed were together and had all things in common;
45 and they began selling their property and possessions and were dividing them up with all, as anyone might have need.
Peter did have access to the Holy Spirit, and the example of Jesus Christ.
Peter gave him a hand up, not a hand out. (If we only feed the bodies of people without feeding their souls, we have failed!)
4. The immediate and lasting effect of the Gospel.
4. The immediate and lasting effect of the Gospel.
8 And leaping up, he stood upright and began to walk; and he entered the temple with them, walking and leaping and praising God.
“Leaping, stood, began to walk”(First steps)
He entered the temple with them! (Christian’s helping feed the poor ought to lead to worship)
Walking, leaping, and praising God! (He caught on quick!)
Conclusion:
Conclusion:
1. The change in his life was obvious!
1. The change in his life was obvious!
9 And all the people saw him walking and praising God;
2. The man’s history gave power to his testimony!
2. The man’s history gave power to his testimony!
10 and they were recognizing him, that he was the one who used to sit at the Beautiful Gate of the temple to beg alms, and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.
3. His powerful testimony was a means of preaching the Gospel.
3. His powerful testimony was a means of preaching the Gospel.
11 And while he was clinging to Peter and John, all the people ran together to them at the portico called Solomon’s, full of wonder.
12 But when Peter saw this, he replied to the people, “Men of Israel, why do you marvel at this, or why do you gaze at us, as if by our own power or piety we had made him walk?
We will examine Peter’s sermon in a later message.
But I want emphasize today this simple statement:
Our alms giving should be connected with the Gospel.
We must look people in the eyes, get our hands dirty, pick them up, bring them with us, and be ready to proclaim Christ to all who come into our path.
