Drop Me Off at the Church

Can I Get a Witness

Let the church say Amen!!! What is the church experience like for people now? Are we still glad to be in the service one more time? You could hear the long metered hymns from the old deacons and sisters in church hats testifying about the goodness of God. Can I get a witness? Do you remember when you could hear the foot stomping down the road and it made you speed up so you can be apart of the worship experience? Can I get a witness? When people would genuinely love to be around others now, but now people are at worship on the solo trip. The church experience for some is a chance to meet and greet people and miss God altogether. The church experience now is about warm and fuzzy, tolerable towards bad behavior and indignant toward the inspired. Again, when we all get together, what a time, but I am not so sure about what kind of time we are having in the church now. We've stopped testifying about the goodness of God and now brag about what "I" have done. The church experience has done more to run people out of church than draw people to the door. The church experience is more production and less spiritual presence. The church experience used to be refreshing, now people are personal timekeepers. The songs of Zion are sung with no feeling, and the worship leaders waffle in their dedication their craft. The church experience relies on religion rather than relationship. As we continue our trek towards Pentecost, the book of Acts written by Luke picks up where his Gospel leaves off, recording the early progress of the gospel as Jesus' disciples took it from Jerusalem throughout Judea, Samaria, and the rest of the Mediterranean world. The story begins with Christ's ascension and the events of Pentecost. As Gentiles begin responding to the gospel, the focus shifts to Paul and his missionary journeys. Acts forms a bridge between the four Gospels and the rest of the New Testament, showing how the apostles carried on Christ's work and providing a historical background for Romans through Revelation. The Acts of the Apostles is the second of two New Testament books written by Luke. Like his Gospel, Acts was a letter written to Luke's friend Theophilus, written sometime in A.D. 62-64. The scene shifts from the wonderful fulfillment of Joel 's prophecy concerning the Holy Spirit descent and the wonderful evidence and evangelistic sermon preached by Peter. After being filled and establishing the 1st century church, Peter and John travel to Jerusalem to the temple for the hour of prayer. Peter and John knew Jesus believed in communication with the Father, and it would be no different for them if they wanted to continue to see the exploits of the Holy Spirit. In Acts, actions often lead to an explanation about what God is doing; word and deed go together.

The Church Experience is the right place for "dropped off" people

Being filled with the Holy Spirit did not stop these two giants in the faith from attending the hour of prayer. Many argue that people pass up ministry on their way to church, but I would suggest that Mission is not always passed on your way to church, but most of your ministry and mission is brought to church with you. {You cannot pass up ministry when you don't know what real ministry looks like.} Peter and John were on their way to prayer for preparation to launch their worldwide ministry. The apostles continued to live as observant Jews, attending the set services of worship in the Jerusalem temple. The Beautiful gate, one of the twelve gates of Herod's Temple in Jerusalem, historians say this was the gate leading from the Court of the Gentiles into the Woman’s Court, called the Corinthian Gate. This gate's name suggests that Gentiles (non Jews) were only allowed so far into the Temple...The Court of the Gentiles (Outer Court) was open to Jews and Gentiles. This court was separated from the inner temple by a wall. This was the closest that a non-Jew could get to the Jewish sanctuary under the penalty of death.

Beautiful (horaios)--an opportune point of time, happening/coming at the right time, timely; being attractive, beautiful, fair, lovely, pleasant of persons and things

"The church was never meant for whole people, the church was meant for broken people to get healed..." Luke 14:12-14; Isaiah 61:1-3.

"Sometimes you experience the "drop off" because of your "ugly" situation, but the ugly situation is in the right place for a beautiful ending."

"People will drop you off in what seems to be an out of the way place, but your out of the way season sets you up to see the hand of God.

The drop off point brought a beautiful word that changes expectations

The man laid by the gate was used always asking others to support him, from dressing him, delivering him to the gate and back home. How often are people used to the transport of others? Who has carried you? The man was not lame of his own accord because he came out that way (John 9:1-3). The truth is the man's condition was pre-existing and this condition shaped how he viewed himself. "Do not allow the pre-existing condition create a "begging" reality.” {God covers your pre-existing condition with the pre-existent Christ.} The man, powerless to do anything else begged...Peter and John's arrival to prayer brought the beautiful feet (Romans 10:15) of the Gospel to the the man who laid in beautiful place with an ugly condition...he asks for the handout as he normally does, but Peter stops to tell the lame man to look at them, and in expectancy of receiving a handsome gift...Many times he begged and people never stopped to gaze at the man, but Peter and John ask the man to look at them through the eyes of faith...

fixed (epecho)--to be mindful or especially observant, hold toward, aim at.

expecting (prosodkao)--to give thought to something that is viewed as lying in the future, wait for, look for, expect the context indicates whether one does this in longing, in fear, or in a neutral state of mind.

receive (lambano)--to receive or accept an object or benefit for which the initiative rests with the giver, but the focus of attention in the transfer is upon the receiver.

Beggars ask for alms when they stop believing in God and themselves.

The man was at the right place and the right time with the right people, but still had the wrong expectation...he was looking to receive something

You will see a wonder by God’s hand

Peter and John were fishermen, and in no uncertain terms limited financially, but Peter responds with a curious answer that would create a problem. Peter offers a name and a hand...

"Peter did not give his best, but he gave what he had..."

have (echo)--to have or possess objects or property(in the technical sense of having control over the use of such objects).

name (onoma)--a person, with the possible implication of existence or relevance as individuals.

The hand of God reaches down...

You will worship and witness in response to the word and the wonder of God's hand.

When God works a wonder for you, the proper response is praise and worship through performance. He went from being carried and dropped walking, leaping and praising God for the wonder. People witnessed him begging in isolation, but saw him praising in public....

Do you have leaping testimony to share.....

I came to Jesus....

I heard the voice...

I was sinking.....