Wonder & The Word

Introduction

Personal Introduction

Thank

We are continuing in our series through the book of called, Witnesses. Today we will be in chapter 3.

Thank you for last week - Lunch together

Sermon Notes - trying something new - bible app (webpage or bible app)

PRAY

Big Idea: The gospel will be proclaimed among all peoples through witnesses empowered by the Holy Spirit.

Breakdown of the Book - “All Peoples/Nations”

Chapters 1- 7 (Jerusalem)

Chapters 8 - 12 (Judea & Samaria)

Chapters 13 - 28 (Ends of the Earth) - Rome

Chapter 1

Promise of the Spirit to empower witnesses to proclaim the gospel across all nations

Jesus is taken up to heaven and the followers of Jesus are waiting for the promise

Chapter 2

Pentecost - we see the wind and fire that represented God’s glory filling the temple now being used to describe God filling of individual christians.

This begins a “TALE OF TWO TEMPLES”

The spirit of God that once only resided in the Temple now dwells inside each individual believer.

Luke’s description of the early church selling their possessions to support the poor is a practice described in the Old Testament () that was supposed to be managed by the Temple.

Luke is saying that the early church began to fulfill the function of the temple.

The new temple of Jesus’ community is now where people encounter God’s generosity and healing presence.

In chapters 3 - 7 we’ll see the gospel preached in Jersualem. At the end of chapter 6 the religious leaders condemn Stephen saying he speaks again the temple. This leads to his murder by stoning and the transition to the gospel being proclaimed in Judea and Samaria.

The Gospel begins in Jerusalem - starting at the temple

READ CHAPTER 3:1-10

PRAY

RETELL THE STORY

Setting

Ninth hour = 3 pm, 9 hours after the first hour of 6 am, there were morning and evening offerings

This was the same time just a few weeks earlier that Luke records Jesus saying, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit” before he died.

tells us that at the same time “the curtain in the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. The removed the separation between the people and God’s presence. Access to God was now through Jesus, not the temple sacrifice.

Yet, the followers of Jesus were still going to the temple

Beautiful Gate

This was the main and largest gate, made of the most expensive bronze

There is a wall surround the city of Jerusalem with 8 major gates. The only gate facing east toward the Kidron Valley and the Mount of Olives

This was the main and largest gate, made of the most expensive bronze, this is why is was also called the Golden Gate. - the rising sun hitting the bronze

In Hebrew it means the gate of Mercy

15 steps led up to the gate, beyond which neither women, crippled, nor the unclean could pass

The Lame Beggar

It was common for people who could not work to beg.

He was lame from birth - this was the only life he had ever know. He most likely sat with his back to the gate facing the people who would enter through the Gate of Mercy, but he himself had never entered. Never known mercy himself, beyond the spare change people would give.

He saw Peter and John - he asked for their leftovers. It seems to be a passing look. The shy eye contact of a beggar who remains invisible as people go about their life.

His hand was out but his eyes were turned away

The Interaction

Peter “directed his gaze” to the beggar. Peter told him to “Look at us...”

Now the beggar makes eye contact, expecting to receive money or “receive something”

This is when Peter tells him, “I don’t have money...” - this isn’t exactly what a beggar wants to hear. I assume there was the initial disappointment (no money) and confusion (why the focused attention).

“What I have I give to you, in the name of Jesus, rise up and walk!”

In faith, Peter reaches out his hand

Luke, being a physician is extremely precise in his language at this point

Cures were not normal, especially for illnesses / maligned bodies from birth. No cause from sickness or circumstances that can be undone. Just a broken body produced by a broken world.

One commentator, Campbell Morgan, says:

Perhaps only medical men can fully appreciate the meaning of these words; they are the peculiar, technical words of a medical man. The word translated feet is only used by Luke, and occurs nowhere else. It indicates his discrimination between different parts of the human heel. The phrase ankle-bones is again a medical phrase to be found nowhere else. The word “leaping up” describes the coming suddenly into socket of something that was out of place, the articulation of a joint. This then is a very careful medical description of what happened in connection with this man.

Now, for the first time in his entire life, the man walks - and entered the temple.

He’s walking, leaping, and praising God and people began to recognize him and everyone was filled with wonder and amazement.

CONNECTION WITH THE STORY

This was a historical event that actually happened. Yet we also know that it was recorded for us to teach us, correct us, and lead us into righteousness.

Two questions:

What do you hope to receive today by coming to church?

Who do you see?

WHAT DO YOU HOPE TO RECEIVE?

What brings you here to church today? What do you hope to receive?

Can you relate to someone who is broken in need of mercy but sometimes it feels like you just get the leftovers but never the promise?

You receive some temporary relief but you remain unseen. You receive help, but not healing. You receive a handout, but not help getting up.

The beggar comes asking for one thing yet receives something different.

I believe this can be true for many people who come to church?

Come looking for; blessing, favor, encouragement, positive message, a nugget to make me feel good this week.

Teach me something new, give me an encouraging word, help me make through another day, another week. This broken world is beating me down.

The beggar was “expecting to receive something” in the same way that many here this morning are expecting to receive something.

What I have to offer may not be what you came looking for this morning

But I promise you, it is better - let’s look at the second question and then we’ll come back to this.

WHO DO YOU SEE?

Others are here for a different reason.

Maybe you identify with Peter and ’m just coming to church to pray and worship God.

You have your plan, your schedule… prayer starts at a certain time in the same way that service starts at a certain time

Did you see anyone this morning?

I don’t simply mean did you happen to see other people hear - I mean did you see people - storylines written on the face.

Were you aware, ready and willing to pause, listen, minister

If you do see someone - what do you have to offer

Hope for the hurting

Joy for the downcast

Acceptance for the rejected

Love for the broken

READ ACTS 3:11-16

“WHAT I HAVE, I GIVE” (GIVE WHAT YOU RECEIVED)

EXPLANATION

EXPLANATION

God is powerful, not us

People who claim to have power and gifts by their own choosing are stealing glory from God. Gifts, Wonders, Miracles - are from God and for his glory. They are never from the power or holiness of the person.

Who is this powerful God?

God of Abraham

God of Isaac

God of Jacob

God of our Fathers

This God glorified his servant Jesus

JESUS

You delivered and denied

He is the HOLY & RIGHTEOUS ONE | You denied him, asking for a murderer instead

These phrases that were used to help identify the Messiah 700 years before Jesus, the God-Man, was clothed in humanity ().

He is the AUTHOR OF LIFE (contrast with murderer) | You killed him but God raised him from the dead

To this WE ARE WITNESSES

FAITH in Jesus brings healing and mercy

THE GOSPEL | (Gave what he also received)

“For I delivered (gave) to you as of first importance what I also received:

The Jesus died for our sins, in accordance with Scripture

he was buried

he was raised from the dead 3 days later

WHAT WE HAVE

Jesus, the risen king, the Messiah

The Spirit of God, now indwelling every follower of Jesus

READ ACTS 3:17-26

HOW TO RECEIVE SALVATION

“Faith in Jesus Name” (3:16)

Trust on/in Jesus

He is God, the Messiah, the one promised by God

He died for our sins

“Repent” (3:19)

Means a complete change, turning away from one thing and toward another

“Turn Back” (3:19)

What an amazing statement

Repentance is turning away from sin, AND BACK to God

Result...

“Times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord...”

“Restoring all things...”

Forgiveness, Healing, Mercy

Undeserved Favor

CONCLUSION

CAME LOOKING FOR ONE THING - FOUND ANOTHER

Came looking for encouragement - found everlasting life

Came looking for fulfilment and purpose / find forgiveness

Came looking for a blessing and found salvation

CAME TO WORSHIP - GIVE GIFT OF SALVATION

You have something to give to hurting and broken world.

Don’t remain silent

Don’t walk by

Story, look into the eyes of the hurting, reach out your hand and give them Jesus.