Untitled Sermon (13)
Book of Acts • Sermon • Submitted
0 ratings
· 6 viewsNotes
Transcript
Sermon Tone Analysis
A
D
F
J
S
Emotion
A
C
T
Language
O
C
E
A
E
Social
This morning we are picking back up in our study of the book of Acts.
If you’re new to MCF, it would be good for you to know that we practice a form of preaching called “Expository Preaching”. What that means is we believe the Bible is best taught by taking books of the Bible and then studying them from beginning to end, chapter by chapter, verse by verse, in order to understand what the Bible means in our lives today.
With that said, we are currently doing that through the NT book of Acts. A book written by a disciple named Luke for two primary reasons:
First, to give us a history of how the church started.
Second, to give us a template for how Jesus wants us to accomplish the mission of taking the gospel to the entire world.
To date, we have covered the first 8 chapters in this study, so if you haven’t been with us, I would encourage you to go online to mcf.life where you can listen to messages leading up to today.
Today however, we are diving back into chapter 9, where for the last few weeks we have been focused on a man named Saul.
You may recall, Saul was a man, who in the beginning days of the church, was greatly opposed to the church and had persecuted and killed many Christians.
However, that all ended one day when Saul had what you might call a “come to Jesus meeting”. A supernatural encounter with Jesus that would change his life forever. An encounter that not only lead him to faith in Jesus, but would open the door for Saul to become one of the greatest proponents for Christianity in church history.
And as we’ve learned, Saul’s conversion to faith in Jesus, to some degree serves as a model.
A model of spiritual transformation: A transformation that literally turns Saul into a different person. Luke writes:
21 And all who heard him were amazed and said, “Is not this the man who made havoc in Jerusalem of those who called upon this name? And has he not come here for this purpose, to bring them bound before the chief priests?”
Acts 9:
The Apostle Paul writes:
17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.
A model of reconciliation and restoration: Of how Jesus forgives and restores even the worst of sinners. Paul again writes:
A model of reconciliation. Of how Jesus forgives
15 The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost. 16 But I received mercy for this reason, that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display his perfect patience as an example to those who were to believe in him for eternal life.
15 The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost.
A model spiritual growth & discipleship: Of how Jesus not only transforms us, but continues to grow and develop us for future ministry and impact. We saw this especially with Saul. Luke writes:
22 But Saul increased all the more in strength, and confounded the Jews who lived in Damascus by proving that Jesus was the Christ.
A model of evangelism: Of how through our growth, God begins to use us to reach more people. Luke writes:
28 So he went in and out among them at Jerusalem, preaching boldly in the name of the Lord.
And finally a model of promised persecution: Of how Jesus’s warning that people will hate us because of him begins to play out. Luke writes:
29 And he spoke and disputed against the Hellenists. But they were seeking to kill him.
So, in many ways Saul demonstrates the process of Salvation. Of how God can save anyone, even the person others have written off, and turn them into world changers for His kingdom and His purposes.
Acts 9:
And as a result, what we’ve learned is that what was true for Saul, should and will be true for anybody that puts their faith in Jesus.
The fact is, when you put your faith in Jesus, it should result in a spiritual transformation that produces a noticeable change in your life. A change that causes people to say, “Is that even the same person?”
In addition to that, it should lead to a consistent pattern of spiritual growth in your life as the old you continues to die and the new is born. Paul writes:
17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.
On top of that, your faith should begin to have an impact on those around you, as you being to share your faith and lead others to Jesus.
And finally, because of your impact and influence, you will begin to experience the reactions of others to your faith. Because when you put your faith in Jesus, not everybody is going to be excited about it as you are. Some will be indifferent, some angry, and some will be skeptical of the new you. But you can be sure you’ll experience some sort of reaction.
So, that’s where we’ve been for the past few weeks. But today Luke is going to navigate away from Saul to another individual. An individual that was well known in the church. An individual who
So, that’s where we’ve been for the past few weeks, and in the weeks to come, we will be talking more about Saul. But today Luke is going to shift gears and navigate away from Saul to another important NT character. An individual that was well known in the early church. A man who new Jesus well and spent a lot of time with Him. His name is Peter.
If you’re not familiar with the Apostle Peter, Peter was one of the original 12 disciples, and out of the 12 was one of the closest to Jesus. We know this because often times when Jesus would break away to pray, he would take 2-3 other disciples with him, and Peter was typically a part of this smaller group.
In addition to that, it was Peter who Jesus said the church would be found
That being said, if anybody wanted to know WWJD, what would Jesus do, Peter would be a good one too ask.
Which means, anything that Peter might say or do would be significant and would more than likely set the standard for what the church would believe and how people would live out their faith.
For example, if you recall from last week, when Saul went to Jerusalem to join the church there, he was met with skepticism. In fact, the church in Jerusalem didn’t want anything to do with him. But over time, he earned their trust
That being the case, for the next four chapters, Luke is going to bring a lot of attention to Peter. Because it will be through Peter and his ministry that Luke begins to highlight some key components for the Church and the Christian life, specifically when it comes to evangelism.
And when I say evangelism, I’m talking about the spreading of the gospel through public preaching or personal witness. An act that Jesus called his disciples to in the . Listen again to what Jesus told them:
8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
Jesus says the mission is evangelism. It’s to take the gospel to every person that lives on the planet. And contrary to popular opinion, when Jesus told his disciples to do that, he wasn’t just talking to those 12 men. He wasn’t just talking to 1st century Christians. And he wasn’t just talking to pastors and church leaders. When He gave that command, he was talking to anybody that would ever become one of his disciples. He was talking to all Christians. He was talking to you and me. We’ve all been assigned to reach the entire world with the gospel.
And so for the next few chapters, Luke is going focus on what that looks like as he focuses on three separate stories surrounding Peter. Three stories that emphasize evangelism.
The first story is about a man named Aeneas. The Second story about a girl named Dorcas. And the third story about a man named Cornelius.
And with each story Luke is going to give us greater insight into what it means and what is involved in reaching people with the gospel.
And so in order to set up where Luke is taking us, I want to begin by framing the next few messages around a central question. A question that we need to be willing to ask and answer if we truly want to accomplish the mission Jesus has given us. And the question is simply this: “What Would It Take?”
That’s a great question, and a question we tend to ask when it comes to a lot of things in life, right?
For example, when an NFL team begins its season, it’s a question they ask. And the question goes like this, “What would it take for us to win the Super Bowl this year?” In other words, what would we need to do in order for that to become a reality? I know you Chiefs fans have often asked yourselves that question.
So, what do they need to do? What would it take? Well, it probably involves several components. To begin with, it probably starts with getting the right players. Players who are committed to the team. Players who are committed to winning. Players who are committed to their position. Players who are committed to one another.
It would also take a commitment to continuous improvement. Because you can’t win a Super Bowl if you’re not committed to getting better week to week.
In addition to that, it takes a degree of confidence. Because you can’t win a Super Bowl if you don’t think you can win it. And the list goes on.
The same is true if you you want to learn a certain skill.
For example, if you wanted to learn a foreign language, you would have to be willing to ask yourself, “What would it take for me to learn Spanish?” And to be honest, it would require a lot.
To begin with, it would require a commitment to actually do it. Its’ one thing to say you want to learn Spanish and quite another to actually do it. I know personally, I’ve often said, “I want to learn Spanish?” But I’ve never made a commitment to actually do it. So guess what, no hablo espanaol.
In addition to that, it would take a commitment of time. Spanish isn’t something you’re going to learn over night. To learn Spanish you’d have to be willing to put in the time it takes to learn it. And that could involve weeks, months, and maybe even years.
And again, the list goes on of things you would need to do in order to learn Spanish.
And the truth is, there are a number of other examples we could use where a person has to be willing to ask, “What would it take?”
So, going back to what Jesus has asked us to do, we have to be willing to ask ourselves, “What would it take? What would it take to reach the entire world with the gospel of Jesus Christ?”
Wow, that’s a daunting question, isn’t it? Because how does a person do that? How do we do that? How do we take the gospel to the entire world? What does it take?
What I’d like to suggest to you, is like all things, it starts with some basic steps. Some basic components. It starts by breaking it down in to some manageable pieces that we can begin to chew on and move forward with.
And so to help us begin to answer the big question, “What would it take?”, over the next few weeks, I want to narrow the that question down to some manageable bites. Bites that I think we can handle.
So, what are those manageable bites? We’ll get to the first one in a moment, but before we do, I want to read through our first story and find out how Peter is going about accomplishing the gospel mission. Beginning in verse 32, listen to what Luke tells us:
32 Now as Peter went here and there among them all, he came down also to the saints who lived at Lydda. 33 There he found a man named Aeneas, bedridden for eight years, who was paralyzed. 34 And Peter said to him, “Aeneas, Jesus Christ heals you; rise and make your bed.” And immediately he rose. 35 And all the residents of Lydda and Sharon saw him, and they turned to the Lord.
:32-
Wow, I think we’d all agree that out of the gate, that’s an amazing story, right?
And what is true of most
In other words, Peter is going to model for us what it takes or what is necessary in order to reach people with the gospel.
So, what does it take? What does it take to reach people with the gospel of Jesus Christ?
So, let me ask you this, “What is it that makes this story so amazing?”
Well I think we’d probably all agree what makes this story amazing is that a miracle took place, right? That a man who was paralyzed, a man who hadn’t gotten out of his bed for eight years, all of a sudden is healed by Peter. That’s amazing!
And you would be right in thinking that. A healing miracle is amazing.
But to be honest, that’s not what sticks out to me in this story. I mean don’t get me wrong, somebody being miraculously healed is amazing. But what’s more amazing to me is what happens after the miracle. So, let me read it again, and this time, let’s pay attention to what happens after the healing miracle. Luke writes:
32 Now as Peter went here and there among them all, he came down also to the saints who lived at Lydda. 33 There he found a man named Aeneas, bedridden for eight years, who was paralyzed. 34 And Peter said to him, “Aeneas, Jesus Christ heals you; rise and make your bed.” And immediately he rose. 35 And all the residents of Lydda and Sharon saw him, and they turned to the Lord.
Acts 9:32-
Notice what Luke says. He says after Peter arrives in the city of Lydda. And after Peter heal finds and heals Aeneas. After that, Luke says every resident of Lydda and Sharon heard about it, and every one of them turned to the Lord. In other words, every person that lived in those communities, every person, put their faith in Jesus.
Now, I don’t know about you, but I think that’s pretty amazing. In fact, I think that’s miraculous. That through the evangelistic actions of Peter, not just a few people, not just a small group of people, but every person living in the region came to faith in Jesus. That to me is the miracle.
Which leads us to the manageable bite I want to present to us this morning. Because if we’re going to reach the world with the gospel, we have to start small. And to do that, we have to start where we live and where we have influence. That’s what Peter did. So here’s my question for you, “Before we focus on taking the gospel to the entire world, as a church, what would it take for us to lead every person in Marshall County to Jesus?”
that what stands out the most about the story is the miraculous healing of Aeneas. Because after all, that’s not something we see everyday, right? Because from what Luke tells us, this was a man who was paralyzed. A man who hadn’t gotten out of his bed in eight years. A man
That’s a great question.
In other words, what would it take for us to do what Peter did? To walk into the the place we live in with the gospel, and when we walk out to have presented and potentially led every person to faith in Jesus? What would it take for that to happen?
Because that’s what Jesus
Now when I ask that question, some of you might be thinking, “Pastor, I’m not sure that’s possible. Every person? Pastor, I’m not even sure that’s something God expects us to do?”
Well, if you think that, you’d be wrong. Because it is possible, we just read about a community where it happened. And it is something God expects, because Paul writes:
3 This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, 4 who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.
Paul says God wants every person to be saved. That his desire is for all to come to saving faith. What that means then is, God’s desire is that every person living in Marshall County would come to know His Son Jesus. It’s something He wants.
So, if that’s the case, “What would it take for that to happen?”
3 This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, 4 who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.
1 First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, 2 for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. 3 This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, 4 who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.
Based on our passage and the actions of Peter, I’d like to suggest it would take at least three basic steps:
Here’s the first one:
1 Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons, 2 through the insincerity of liars whose consciences are seared,
It would take a proactive commitment to share your faith.
It would take a proactive commitment to reach the community you live in.
. And in doing so, Luke is going to address a key question that Christians need to be willing to ask if they really want to accom And the question is, “What would it take?”.
Luke writes:
32 Now as Peter went here and there among them all, he came down also to the saints who lived at Lydda.
Notice what Luke tells us. He says, “As Peter went here and there among them all...”
The idea here is that Peter is “traveling about”. In other words, he’s not sitting still. He’s not just sitting at home watching Netflix. He’s not sitting around looking at his Smartphone. He’s not just focusing on what’s important to him. Peter is on a mission. And the mission is to interact and reach people who need to know Jesus. Wherever he goes, wherever he is, it’s something he’s committed to doing.
In addition to that, as he went here and there, he specifically went to the city of Lydda. So a good question might be, “Why that city? Why Lydda?”
He went there because in the 1st century, Lydda and the Sharon plain connected with what was called the coastal highway. A major roadway that went South from Gaza to Egypt and would have been a major trade route. Which means Lydda is a city of commerce and local trade, and ideal and strategic place to share the gospel.
For you and I, this is the local Walmart. This is the downtown sector. It’s where the people are. So, Peter goes there to share his faith.
So, how does this apply to us? It applies in this way.
#1 - If you want to lead people to Jesus, you have to be proactively committed to doing it. In other words, reaching people for Jesus has to go beyond a half hearted desire. Like Peter, you have to be committed to actively sharing your faith.
It goes back to my example of learning Spanish. You can desire to learn Spanish all day long. But until you make an actual commitment. Until you pick up the book, download the Rosette Stone app, or sign up to take the Spanish class, you’re never going to learn Spanish. To learn Spanish you have to make a proactive commitment to learn it.
It’s the same with sharing your faith. It takes a proactive commitment on your part for it to happen. An intentional effort.
#2 - You have to be willing to share it in the marketplace. In other words, it’s not just something that you do at church or on a Sunday morning. Sharing your faith is something you do Monday-Saturday in the places you live, work, and do life.
It’s the same with sharing your faith. It takes a proactive commitment on your part for it to happen. An intentional effort.
Unfortunately though, a lot of Christians fall short when it comes to sharing their faith outside of the church walls.
Yes, the desire is there. Yes, they have good intentions. But they haven’t made a proactive commitment to do it. They haven’t taken the necessary steps for it to become a reality.
Why do they fall short? I would say probably probably for a number of reasons.
So, why haven’t they made the commitment? What holds them back?
It could be their afraid to share their faith. I mean what would people think if I started talking about Jesus? They might think I’m a Jesus Freak.
I would say probably a number of things. It could be their afraid to share their faith. I mean what would people think?
It could be they lack confidence. What if I say something stupid? What if I can’t answer their questions?
And while those are common reasons people fail to share their faith, I would say most Christians fail to share their faith because their simply not committed to doing it. Why aren’t they committed to it? They’re not committed to it because for the most part, they don’t think it’s their responsibility.
In fact, a recent poll from Barna shows that in 1993 89% of Christians believed it was the responsibility of every Christian to share their faith. However, in the last 25 years, that number has dropped 25 points to 64%. Today only 64% of Christians believe they have a responsibility to share their faith.
And of Millennials, 47% say it is wrong to share your faith.
Now, when I say that, some of you might be thinking, “Well I can tell you right now Pastor Brad that I’m one of the 64%. I understand I have an obligation to share my faith and I’m committed to it.”
That’s great! But could I challenge you to maybe test that this morning? To maybe ask yourself a few questions that would verify or confirm your claim?
Questions like:
But what I would challenge you to do is test your level of commitment. To maybe ask yourself a few questions when it comes to sharing your faith. Questions like:
Well, let’s test that then. And if I’m wrong, then I owe you an apology. But let me ask you a few questions about your commitment to sharing your faith:
Question #1 - When was the last time you shared your faith or attempted to lead somebody to faith in Jesus? When was that? Yesterday, last week, a month ago, a year ago?
Question #2 - When was the last time you said to yourself, “You know what, today is the day I’m going to talk to my co-worker about my faith. Today is the day I’m going to tell my friend about Jesus. Today is the day I’m going to perform an act of kindness and show my neighbor the love of Christ?” When was the last time you did that?
Question #3 - When was the last time you prayed for an unsaved person by name to come to Christ? Like you really prayed for them. Cried out to God for them.
And maybe even prayed God would give you an opportunity to share your faith with them.
Question #4 - When was the last time you personally brought a nonbeliever to church with you? The last time you went out of your way to invite somebody that needs Jesus to church?
So based on those questions, how committed are you?
But before we get to our passage and begin to explore what Luke is going to highlight, I want to take a few moments and lay some groundwork to help us get our minds around where Luke is taking us. And to do that I want to
You see at the end of the day, you’re either committed to sharing your faith or your not. You’re either looking for opportunities to share your faith, or your not. It’s either important to you or it’s not. You either think it’s your responsibility or you don’t.
Yes, you understand it’s important. Yes, you have good intentions to share your faith. But if you’re honest, it’s really not on your radar. It’s not something you’re proactively committed to doing. Because if you were, you’d be doing it.
And the reason this is so important, is because if you aren’t committed to sharing your faith, then how are your unsaved friends, co-workers, and family members ever going to hear about Jesus?
The Apostle Paul puts it like this:
13 For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
14 How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? 15 And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!”
Paul says the only way people hear about Jesus is if somebody is willing to make an intentional effort to tell them.
Ropmans 10:13-15
Here’s the bottom line church. If we want to reach every person in Marshall County with the Gospel, it begins with everyone of us being committed to sharing our faith.
I mean just think about it. What if every one of us made a commitment this week to talk to one person about Jesus, and maybe invite them to church. Can you imagine what might happen?
I’ll tell you what would could happen. You might find the person you shared your faith with wants to know more. You may find they are receptive. Because I’m going to tell you right now, we live in a world where people are looking for hope. Looking for answers. And that’s what Jesus offers. He offers hope. But the only way people find out about the hope Jesus offers is if somebody like you tells them about it.
This leads us to a second step. In order to lead every person to Jesus in Marshall County:
2. It would take a willingness to minister to the most broken people in our community.
Yes, you have the desire too. Yes, you have good intentions to share your faith. But if you’re honest, you’re not proactively committed to it.
As Peter enters Lydda, listen to what Luke says he does:
It would take a willingness to find and minister to the most broken people in that community.
33 There he found a man named Aeneas, bedridden for eight years, who was paralyzed.
What I want you to notice is when Peter arrived in Lydda, he didn’t go looking for the most influential person in the community first, instead he looked for the most broken person he could find. How do we know this was his intention?
Because Luke says he “found” a man named Aeneas. The Greek word here is “heurisko”. It’s the idea of intentionally searching for something.
What that means then is that Peter is intentionally looking for a certain type of person. And it ends up being a man named Aeneas. A man who was utterly broken. A man who had been paralyzed for 8 years. A man that society had discarded and written off as hopeless. That’s who Peter is looking for.
So, a good question might be, “Why is Peter looking for somebody like Aeneas and not the most influential person in the community?”
It’s really simple. The reason Peter is looking for a person like Aeneas, is because he knows the the greatest impact for Jesus will come when the most broken person in this city is transformed by the power of Jesus.
You see, that’s what we often fail to understand. We actually think the opposite. We think, “If the most influential person in town got saved, everybody else would get saved.”
That’s why some Christians get all excited when some celebrity in Hollyweird comes out of the closet and professes to be a Christian. In that moment they think, “Now that Justin Beiber knows Jesus, now that Chris Pratt knows Jesus, imagine the songs that will be written. Imagine the movies that will be made. Imagine the impact and influence their going to have.”
And while that’s great, here’s the challenge that comes with that. When that happens, all the attention is on who? It’s on the celebrity, right? It’s on how amazing they are now. How brave they are. And how awesome it is that the church now has a Christian Celebrity they can utilize and worship.
But what’s interesting, is it typically doesn’t have the impact we thought it might. Why? Because the focus was on them, and not on Jesus.
And the truth is, in a lot of cases, the
And let’s just be honest, for most of those celebrities, their lifestyle doesn’t change. They don’t end up doing Christian movies. And
And please hear me, I’m not saying we shouldn’t get excited when a celebrity comes to faith. We should celebrate that. What I’m saying is, what we should be excited about, and what the focus should be on, is what Jesus has done.
The Apostle Paul puts it like this:
26 For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. 27 But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; 28 God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, 29 so that no human being might boast in the presence of God.
1 Cor
Paul says its through the weak and the lowly that God’s glory shines.
And that’s why Peter finds a person like Aeneas, because he knows if God transforms the most broken person, Jesus will get all the glory.
In addition to that, he know if Jesus transforms the most broken, it will have the greatest impact and prove to be the greatest testimony of Jesus’s power.
I mean think about it. If
Think of it like this. If you weren’t a Christian, what would get your attention and impact you more. News that Chris Pratt was a Christian or news that your friends, who has been paralyzed for 8 years, is walking now and claiming that Jesus healed him.
I’d hope the latter gets your attention.
You see, what Peter understands, is if he’s going to reach this city, he needs to show people just how powerful Jesus is. He needs to show people what Jesus is capable of. He needs to show people that Jesus can take the most broken person in the city and transform their life. And if he can do that for them, imagine what he can do for you.
And the fact is, if we want to reach every person in Marshall County with the gospel, we have to become a church for the broken. A church for people that society has cast aside. A church for people who others have deemed as hopeless. Why? Two reasons:
Number 1, because that’s the business God is in. He’s all about healing the brokenness that sin has caused. That’s why Jesus gave his life. So that people like you and me, who have been broken by sin could be healed. The Apostle Peter writes:
21 For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps. 22 He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth. 23 When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly. 24 He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed. 25 For you were straying like sheep, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.
24 He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed.
Number 2, When broken people get healed, Jesus gets all the glory.
That’s what Paul was talking about.
28 God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, 29 so that no human being might boast in the presence of God.
Number 2, When really broken people get mended, Jesus gets all the glory.
1 Cor 1:2
Number 3, When broken people get healed, it points people too true hope.
Number 3, When really broken people
Listen to what Luke says happened after Aeneas was healed:
“And immediately he rose. And all the residents of Lydda and Sharon saw him, and they turned to the Lord.” (ESV)
Why did all the residents of Lydda and Sharon turn to the Lord? They turned to the Lord because something they never thought possible had happened. A man who had been paralyzed for 8 years was now walking. Somebody who appeared to be broken beyond repair had been healed. And if this Jesus could do that for Aeneas, maybe Jesus could heal the brokenness of their life as well. Maybe there’s hope after all.
The facts is, broken people are looking for that kind of hope. Broken people are looking for somebody to heal their brokenness. And that’s why we need to be a church for the broken. Because we serve a God who heals broken people, and when Jesus heals what others have deemed as unrepairable, that’s where real hope is found and revival begins.
Think of it like this. Imagine you have just been diagnosed with terminal cancer. And the cancer is so far advanced that your doctor tells you its hopeless. He tells you hat you maybe have three months to live.
But then somebody tells you about a doctor who has the ability to cure cancer. In fact, 100% of the patients who go to this doctor are healed of cancer. Let me ask you something, “Would you seek that doctor out?”
Of course you would. And what if that doctor actually was able to cure you. What kind of affect do you think that would have not only on you but others? Do you think it would give others hope? Do you think it would result in others seeking out that doctor? You bet it would.
And to be honest, I do feel like more and more we are becoming a church for the broken.
And the same is true for a church. When a church becomes a place for the broken. And when broken people start to get healed by the power of Jesus, word gets out, and revival begins to take place.
That’s what happened in Lydda, and to be honest, it can happen in any city if the church becomes a place for broken people to meet Jesus.
This leads us to the third basic step. In order to lead every person to Jesus in Marshall County:
3. It would take a Christ centered confidence to see the miraculous.
I know this because almost on a weekly basis I run into people who tell me
It would take a Christ centered confidence to do something miraculous.
As Peter prays for Aeneas, listen to what he prays:
34 And Peter said to him, “Aeneas, Jesus Christ heals you; rise and make your bed.” And immediately he rose.
Acts 9:
What I want you to notice, is it’s not Peter who heals this man, but Jesus. How do we know? We know because Peter says, “Aeneas, Jesus Christ heals you; rise and make your bed.”
You see, what Luke is reminding us of is that Jesus is the one performing the healing, and that Peter is simply the vessel that Jesus is working through.
And the reason this is so important to understand, is because when we read a story like this, it’s easy to become doubtful that God could work through us like this. Because after all, this is the Apostle Peter we are talking about here. The guy who Jesus specifically selected as a disciple. The guy who hung out with Jesus for 3 years. The guy that Jesus put in charge when he left. The guy who Jesus spoke to and said:
Peter is seeking out individuals who need the healing power of Jesus in their life.
Peter recognizes he is a vessel through which Jesus works.
And interestingly enough, Luke is going to begin with a couple of stories that on the surface may feel hard for the average Christian to relate with. Largely because, what Peter does in these first two stories is of a supernatural nature. Miraculous works that for many today, might seem improbable, impossible, and hard to idenity with.
And so for the next 4 chapters, Luke is going to bring a lot of attention to Peter. Because it will be through Peter and his ministry that Luke begins to highlight the heart of Jesus.
And as a result, it would be easy to read these stories and think God doesn’t work this way anymore, or that God couldn’t or wouldn’t work through us in the same way. Because after all, this is the Apostle Peter we are talking about here. The guy who Jesus specifically selected as a disciple. The guy who hung out with Jesus for 3 years. The guy that Jesus put in charge when he left. The guy who Jesus spoke to and said:
19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”
because after all, it is the Apostle Peter we are reading about. The guy that spent 3 years walking with Jesus. The guy that Jesus spoke to and said:
18 And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
So, of course Peter’s working miracles. That shouldn’t surprise us. That’s what Peter does.
But pastor, I’m not Peter. I’m just an average Christian. There’s no way that God would or could work through me like that. And that is where you would be wrong.
Because in this story, Peter isn’t the focus and Peter isn’t the one healing, Jesus is. And the fact is, Jesus can work through you just like he did Peter.
How do I know that? I know because Peter is no different than you or me.
Yeah, but pastor, isn’t Peter the head of the church? No, Jesus is.
Yeah, but pastor, isn’t Peter a super saint? No, he was a just human being with a lot of faults. In fact, the Bible goes out of its way to show us just how faulted Peter was.
For example:
In , we learn of Peter’s impulsiveness and ignorance as he rebukes Jesus and tries to prevent him from going to the cross.
In we learn of Peter’s struggle with unforgiveness as he asks Jesus how many times he must forgive a brother.
In we learn of Peter’s struggle with arrogance and pride as he claims how much better he is than the other disciples.
In we learn Peter has a mouth on him as he cusses, swears, and denies his association with Jesus.
You see, Peter isn’t any different than you or me. He was a faluted human being.
He was a work in progress. And guess what, those are the kind of people Jesus uses. People who know they don’t have it all figured out. People who understand without Jesus they are nothing. In fact, Jesus can’t use a person until they recognize that that. Again that’s what Paul was talking about when he wrote:
26 For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. 27 But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong;
Those are the kind of people He uses. That’s why Peter says, “Aeneas, Jesus Christ heals you...” Because Peter understands it’s not him, it’s Jesus.
Peter understood it wasn’t him, it was Jesus.
And if we’re going to reach every person with the gospel in Marshall County, we have to understand that as well. That it isn’t anything we can do, but only what Jesus can do. And to do that we have to function in a Christ centered confidence. We have to believe that its Christ working in us, working through us, that truly brings healing into people’s lives.
The Apostle Paul puts it like this:
28 Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ. 29 For this I toil, struggling with all his energy that he powerfully works within me.
You see, the challenge for a lot of Christians, is they don’t think they’re good enough for God to use. They don’t think God could work through somebody like them. But the truth is, that’s exactly the kind of person Jesus wants to work through. Somebody who recognizes how deficient they are and how dependent they must be on Him. Somebody like you.
So no, you’re not Peter. You’re Nick. You’re Phil. You’re Barb. You’re Jill. You’re Kevin. You’re Caleb. You’re Jacey. You’re Bryan. You’re the person God has put in this church, at this time, to reach this community. You’re the one that Jesus wants to work in and through.
Here’s the bottom line church. If we’re going to reach every person with the gospel in Marshall County, we have to believe that Jesus can and will work through us. Because if we can function in that kind of confidence, then the miraculous will happen.
So, what would it take to lead every person in Marshall County to faith in Jesus?
It’s going to take each of us being committed to sharing our faith.
It’s going to take to take a willingness to reach broken people.
It’s going to take a Christ centered confidence to see the miraculous.
The question then is, are we willing to do what it takes? My prayer is that we would be, but for it to become a reality, it doesn’t begin with us, it begins with you. It begins with each of us being willing to ask ourselves, “What would it take for me to reach ever person in Marshall County?”
So, as we close this morning, I’d like to challenge you with three “What would it take for me” questions:
To be honest, it starts on an individual level as each of us consider’s this question, “Am I willing to do what it takes?”
As we close this morning, I have three questions we need to be willing to ask ourselves if we want to become that kind of church:
Question #1 - In order to reach our county for Jesus, what’s it going to take for me to be more committed to sharing your faith?
In other words, what do you need to do in order to share your faith more? Maybe you need to make it more of a priority. Maybe you need to start seeing it as your responsibility. Maybe you need to start looking for opportunities to share your faith. Maybe you need to start your day by praying, “God, give me an opportunity to tell somebody about you today.”
Question #1 - What would it take for me to be more committed to sharing your faith?
Question #2 - In order to reach Marshall county for Jesus, what’s it going to take for me to reach an Aeneas? The person others have written off and deemed hopeless. The one everybody says is broken and beyond repair.
Last week I was talking with someone that attends our church. And they were telling me what blew them away about MCF, is when they first started attending they ran into an old classmate. Somebody they thought they’d never see in a church. Somebody that a lot of people had written off and dismissed. But here they were. And they couldn’t believe the change in this person. And they said it was at that point they knew something supernatural
Maybe what it’s going to take is you realizing Jesus came for broken people. That church isn’t just for people who have it all together, but for people who need a doctor. And maybe it’s time for you to start leading broken people to the one who can heal them. Maybe it’s time to talk to that co-worker whose lost in drug addiction. Maybe it’s time to talk to that single mom that others have discarded. Maybe it’s time to engage that person others avoid. Maybe it’s time to become the bridge that links a broken person with the one who can restore their life. Maybe it’s time to show this community that Jesus can heal somebody that nobody thought could be healed. And maybe, just maybe, as a result, more people will follow.
You know it’s interesting, but one of the
To be honest,
Second, am I willing got engage them?
Question #3 - In order to reach Marshall county for Jesus, what’s it going to take for you to believe that Jesus can work in and through you. At what point are you going to accept that God can work through someone like you?
A couple days ago I got a text from somebody that I know God is working in and through. And in the text they were questioning whether God could work through them or not because they didn’t feel holy enough. And so I reminded them that nobody is holy enough. That we’re are all broken vessels. I reminded them that it’s our faults that remind us of how much we need Jesus. And I reminded him that if we thought we were good enough, that God could never use us.
Some of you need to be reminded of that today. You need to stop focusing on what you aren’t, and start focusing on what you are.
So, what are you?
According to ”
10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.
According to :
9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.
According to :
20 Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.
According to
9 For we are God’s fellow workers. You are God’s field, God’s building.
The fact of the matter is, if you’ve put your faith in Jesus, you are the one He wants to work through. You are the Peter of your day. You are the one Jesus wants to work through in order to bring hope and healing into a lost a dying world.
But for that to happen, you have to stop focusing on what you’re not, and start focusing on who you are in Christ.
And I’m telling you right now church, if each of us are willing to to what it takes,
Let’s Pray
One of the misconceptions many Christians have concerning Peter is that church was built upon Peter and that he is the direct extension of Christ and his power. This is idea is based on where Jesus makes the statement:
18 And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
And if you were to read that passage by itself, you could definitely see why some could come to the conclusion.
Acts 9:32-
32 Now as Peter went here and there among them all, he came down also to the saints who lived at Lydda. 33 There he found a man named Aeneas, bedridden for eight years, who was paralyzed. 34 And Peter said to him, “Aeneas, Jesus Christ heals you; rise and make your bed.” And immediately he rose. 35 And all the residents of Lydda and Sharon saw him, and they turned to the Lord.
32 Now as Peter went here and there among them all, he came down also to the saints who lived at Lydda.
It would take a willingness to find and minister to the most broken people in that community.
33 There he found a man named Aeneas, bedridden for eight years, who was paralyzed.
Acts 9:33
It would take a Christ centered confidence to raise up broken people.
Peter is proactively going to places that need to hear the gospel.
Peter is seeking out individuals who need the healing power of Jesus in their life.
Peter recognizes he is a vessel through which Jesus works.