Power of the Holy Spirit Displayed for God’s Glory

Introduction

Acts 3:1–26 CSB

Now Peter and John were going up to the temple for the time of prayer at three in the afternoon. 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. When he saw Peter and John about to enter the temple, he asked for money. Peter, along with John, looked straight at him and said, “Look at us.” So he turned to them, expecting to get something from them. But Peter said, “I don’t have silver or gold, but what I do have, I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, get up and walk!” Then, taking him by the right hand he raised him up, and at once his feet and ankles became strong. So he jumped up and started to walk, and he entered the temple with them—walking, leaping, and praising God. All the people saw him walking and praising God, and they recognized that he was the one who used to sit and beg at the Beautiful Gate of the temple. So they were filled with awe and astonishment at what had happened to him. While he was holding on to Peter and John, all the people, utterly astonished, ran toward them in what is called Solomon’s Colonnade. When Peter saw this, he addressed the people: “Fellow Israelites, why are you amazed at this? Why do you stare at us, as though we had made him walk by our own power or godliness? The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God of our ancestors, has glorified his servant Jesus, whom you handed over and denied before Pilate, though he had decided to release him. You denied the Holy and Righteous One and asked to have a murderer released to you. You killed the source of life, whom God raised from the dead; we are witnesses of this. By faith in his name, his name has made this man strong, whom you see and know. So the faith that comes through Jesus has given him this perfect health in front of all of you. “And now, brothers and sisters, I know that you acted in ignorance, just as your leaders also did. In this way God fulfilled what he had predicted through all the prophets—that his Messiah would suffer. Therefore repent and turn back, so that your sins may be wiped out, that seasons of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that he may send Jesus, who has been appointed for you as the Messiah. Heaven must receive him until the time of the restoration of all things, which God spoke about through his holy prophets from the beginning. Moses said: The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your brothers. You must listen to everything he tells you. And everyone who does not listen to that prophet will be completely cut off from the people. “In addition, all the prophets who have spoken, from Samuel and those after him, have also foretold these days. You are the sons of the prophets and of the covenant that God made with your ancestors, saying to Abraham, And all the families of the earth will be blessed through your offspring. God raised up his servant and sent him first to you to bless you by turning each of you from your evil ways.”

Pray

The Healing

The Healing in this passage is an active work of the Holy Spirit. Healing is a gift of the spirit. No, one does not have to be a healer to show that one has the Holy Spirit.

As we read this, if we are not careful, we will think that the healing is the point of the passage, And it is not.

Peter and John were going up to the temple at the hour of prayer. This is a time when Jews would go to the temple for prayer (makes since). Lots of people moving in and out.

There they come upon a man who was crippled from birth. Literally in Greek crippled from his mother’s womb. The only work he could do was alms gathering or begging, which was a job in the Jewish society. He was a professional beggar. Some of you have family like that lol.

He was at one of the gates so that people going in could see him and give him money. Seeing him Peter commands Look at us. Which the beggar would oblige thinking he was going to receive some wages. Peter then in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth commanded a person to walk.

Not just someone who was down but someone who hadn’t walked at all. A muscle will experience apathy after just a couple of weeks, and have to be strengthened. This is the whole life, yet here it strong enough to walk and praise God on And leap on.

Isaiah 35:6 LEB

Then the lame shall leap like the deer, and the tongue of the dumb shall sing for joy, for waters shall break forth in the wilderness and streams in the desert.

Says that in the Messianic Age the lame will leap like a deer. This is an amazing event. Praise God for the Holy Spirits amazing work of Healing. Something that can still happen, But it’s not the point of the passage.

The Message

Why do you wonder at this? Peter ask he is very clear they did not do this on their own power.

The God you serve – God you worship – God of your fathers

Sent his son. Who you denied and put to death, was Raise from the dead. It is in the name of Jesus the Messiah that this work is done. Not that Jesus is a magic word, but that in the name of means we represent Him and use his authority.

This is a work of The Holy Spirit through Peter.

Peter will say I know you acted in ignorance It was what God foretold by the mouth of all the prophets that his anointed one would suffer and die. So Repent. This is a great example, that it was by their own free will they sinned and killed Jesus and it was also God’s predestined plan. Working together in perfect unity even if we can’t understand it.

Take heart there is hope. God has sent Christ to bless you. Turning from you wickedness. And it is the message of Jesus Christ that is the point of this passage.

Look at it in outline form:

Action leads to awe or questions

Which leads to the witness of God and his Glory through Jesus Christ

Which involves

conviction of Sin

Repentance through faith

Hope for the Future

Hear the Message of Christ

What is Great about this message is, it is the same for you. God is still working in my life/ in your life. Action still happens. And it will continue to happen. It may not be a physical miracle but God moves in so many different ways. That action leads to questions about Christ. Might be right now. God could be moving in your heart, and you could be questioning. Which means I am here to tell you that Jesus Christ Died for your sins and if you accept him as your lord and savior he will come into your life and forgive you and justify you, make you right before God. So that you to may have hope.

Why do you need Forgiveness? Because you are a sinner. There is no one who can hold perfect to the law of God. It is only through Jesus Christ that you can be saved from the punishment of those sins. And through Jesus Christ there is Hope.

As The Holy Spirit comes upon you as: Guide, As a companion, Empowered, Reveler

Doesn’t mean that things will always be smooth and you will always get what you want, But that in the storm you can have peace.

And then the same message applies to you, when you again witness

Action of God

God moves through his people. Are you the Peter God wants to use. If you keep saying we should do this, or someone should do something about that. Maybe it should be I should do this. Or I should do something about that.

That action leads to questions.

Which leads to Witnessing about God and his Glory through Jesus Christ. Which involves Conviction of Sin, and repentance through faith which provides Hope for the future.

Next Steps

So Either you are not saved and this message is for you as a witness of Jesus Christ.

Or you are a True Christian and this message is for you as a message of encouragement to Go

But it all starts with action. Will you act today?

Pray