The Promise in Action

Introduction

Earlier this week, we watched in anticipation to look at a rodent to tell us what the next six weeks are going to look like. Are we going to have six more weeks of the cold or six more weeks of progressively better weather.

I over heard a few of the teachers this week discussing the pros and cons and what they liked, I posted this on my facebook page.

If the Pastor sees his shadow, there will be six more weeks of his sermon series

so, as someone asked. There was no shadow for me and we continue in our series looking at the beginning of a movement of the Holy Spirit in the lives of the early church.

Today’s glimpse into their world we will be looking at Chapter 3 and discover some fascinating actions.

When we started this series, I gave you an overview of the book.

The central theological focus of Acts is the fulfillment of Jesus' declaration to his disciples: "You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses" (Acts 1:8). As Luke narrates the resulting growth of the NT church, several key themes come to light as we look at this movement:

First,

1. Acts highlights the preaching of Christ's death and resurrection, alternating between the ministry of the word of God and its effects on the church:

• 6:7: The word of God spread, and the number of disciples multiplied.

• 9:31: The church was being built up and thriving.

• 12:24: The word of God was growing and multiplying.

• 16:5: The church was growing stronger in its faith and adding members every day.

• 19:20: The word of the Lord was growing and expanding mightily.

Secondly

2. Acts emphasizes the movement of the Holy Spirit. who is divine, in the salvation of sinners (another Acts emphasis) and the rise of the church, in fulfillment of OT promises. From the instruction of the apostles and their empowerment for ministry (1:2, 5, 8), to the coming of the Spirit on the Day of Pentecost (ch. 2), to Paul's application to his listeners of what the Holy Spirit spoke through Isaiah (28:25), Acts recounts how God by his Spirit impacts a needy world and in so doing rescues many from spiritual blindness and destruction.

Thirdly,

3. Acts makes clear that the disciple of Jesus can expect suffering­ not every disciple, and not every day, but many disciples much of the time. In Jerusalem apostles are arrested and beaten (5:40). Stephen is martyred (ch,. 7). At his conversion Paul is told how he will suffer for Jesus' name (9:16). Paul applies this to the church in general (14:22). He realizes that being faithful to Jesus may bring prison and death, but he is ready (21:13). Acts explains how and why this readiness arose-and still exists today among believers who preserve intact the full force of gospel proclamation.

Fourthly,

Christian Identity is about being Sent

4. Acts reminds us that the core of Christian identity, from the beginning, has been mission (a Latin-based word meaning "sending").

In the contemporary West, Acts has drawn attention from scholars as an important historical source. Pentecostal movements have viewed portions of it as a blueprint for their own Christian experience.

Contemporary interests should not be allowed to obscure the call in Acts for all believers to be engaged in both living the gospel and spreading its benefits "to the end of the earth" (1:8), starting with the. saving, transforming message of Christ crucified, risen, and reigning by his Spirit and word..

Finally,

It’s about the movement of the Trinity

5. Yet there is danger in overlooking that the language in Acts is not primarily about the church, people (not even God's people), or what they should do, in mission or otherwise. It is about "God," "Lord," "Jesus," and "Spirit" (together over 400 occurrences; the word "Paul" occurs just 128 times). A faithful theology of Acts will be first of all a· theology centering on the triune God.

Let me give a short plug here for our district.

Coming in a few weeks is a

Theological Symposium that is being sponsored by our national office.

Let’s watch the clip

VIDEO

https://vimeo.com/664419795

For some of you, may I encourage you if you have the time, this is an online course that you can participate in if you want to discover more about the trinity.

If you would like more information, please drop me a line or check out the EFCC website for more information. It’s coming in a few weeks on Feb 24 & 25

With that in mind, turn with me if you would to Acts Chapter 3 and I will begin reading in verse one

Acts 3:1–10 ESV

1 Now Peter and John were going up to the temple at the hour of prayer, the ninth hour. 2 And a man lame from birth was being carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple that is called the Beautiful Gate to ask alms of those entering the temple. 3 Seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple, he asked to receive alms. 4 And Peter directed his gaze at him, as did John, and said, “Look at us.” 5 And he fixed his attention on them, expecting to receive something from them. 6 But Peter said, “I have no silver and gold, but what I do have I give to you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk!” 7 And he took him by the right hand and raised him up, and immediately his feet and ankles were made strong. 8 And leaping up, he stood and began to walk, and entered the temple with them, walking and leaping and praising God. 9 And all the people saw him walking and praising God, 10 and recognized him as the one who sat at the Beautiful Gate of the temple, asking for alms. And they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.

Let’s Pray

The Beggar is healed

I was reading over this passage earlier in the week and for a brief moment, I thought I would be creative and come dressed as a beggar to tell this portion of the sermon.

It’s a good thing that this town doesn’t have a costume shop as you may have had to endure a small amount of theatrical mishaps.

But I want you to think about this beggar for a few moments.

When you spend some time looking over scripture sometimes there are more questions than answers, so I have a few questions:

First of, Who is he… Why doesn’t scripture tell us his name or what happened to him after he was healed?

When we study the New Testament church, why isn’t there the reference of Fred Goatroper (That is the name I am going to give him), the beggar that was healed by Peter and John.

There is some debate to the actual time that Acts was written by Luke, but one thing is for sure that several years had passed since the event and Luke was doing research on the story and I can well imagine that this event on the early life of the church had been told time and time again.

I’m sure, Fred’s healing made the top story of their time. People would be reminding each other as they reflected back to the time,

Remember that day Fred was healed.

So why wasn’t he mentioned other than this passage?

I have a second question

Who brought him to the gate?

As we learn in scripture, Fred was an adult and had been lame from birth.

Fred, not being able to walk would in those days be a, at the least, an inconvenience for the Family, and most likely society. He was a burden to the people.

Do you know people in your life that may feel like Fred a burden to the people around them.

I wonder if the family lived in Jerusalem or did Fred grow up in a smaller town and had seen the gate as they would make their family pilgrimage to the temple.

As a lame man, he was not able to provide for himself, most men would have learned the trade of their father, maybe this trade required the ability to stand and he was unable to learn that trade.

Being unemployed in those days, Fred was most likely homeless and his only source of income would be to be at the temple gate and have to beg for money.

But he would have to get there. He needed people in his life.

Who were those people? Are we the people for those who feel a burden to others?

How do you respond to a beggar in today’s world?

A few years ago I was blessed to be able to attend a major Christian Event held yearly in Edmonton in January, called Breakforth Canada. Around 8000 Christians would gather for a weekend to worship, listen to speakers, have seminars and worship with others.

This event was held at the large conference center in the heart of Edmonton and there were street beggars that were out in full force asking for money.

How would you respond to a beggar in today’s world?

How are we to show God’s love in compassion to those who are in need?

Fred was a beggar, he needed to be at the gate in order to survive in his world.

Fred had friends.

He wasn’t allowed to live at the gate, most likely the temple guards would have pushed him away at night. We know that because scripture tells us that this coming to the gate was a daily event.

I wonder, did his friends have compassion on him, were they the same friends that did this day after day.

Have you every had to beg?

The closet I have ever come to beg was during an athletic event where we collected pins, or should I say, my children were used to collect pins.

I found out where that “Head office” of the event was and were all the big shots came and went and had the boys ask everyone,

“Do you have any pins”

Really, they were begging. I could have bought some, but the ones given, even if a repeat, could be used to trade with others.

But Fred wasn’t begging for pins, he was begging for life essentials.

He was looking for Cash

As Fred sat there day in and day out, did he notice the same people coming and going.

Was he in on the local gossip of the day.

Fred was sitting at the same place day after day.

Noticing the same people coming and going and most likely which ones to ask, because they would give.

Why the Gate?

I did a bit of research into the actual gate, and because the actual reference can point to a few gates, most believe

It would be this gate

the “Golden Gate” or “Beautiful Gate,” located at the eastern wall of Old Jerusalem. Also called the “Gate of Mercy” or “Gate of Eternal Life.”

It would be the place where the most people, who by note of interest,

Would be coming with money to offer their tithe or alms.

Location, Location, Location. Fred picked the best spot to receive the greatest return on his time.

To understand this, let’s look back a few pages in Acts that were missed last Sunday,

Acts 2:44–47 ESV

44 And all who believed were together and had all things in common. 45 And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. 46 And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, 47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.

This is one of my favourite passages to turn to when people tell me

“if only the church would be like the 1st Century Church everything would be alright.”

I respond by saying great, sell what you have and let’s give it to those in need.

This brings us back to the concept of prescriptive vs descriptive views on scripture.

Prescriptive scripture passages directs us how we are to live according to God’s Word. We look on these passages as direction for our lives, our calling from God.

Descriptive scripture passages describe events and the working of God on their lives. From those passages we can take principles to live by.

Let me respond to this passages.

Giving is a principle outlined in scripture that is commanded by God There are prescriptive texts in which we will be exploring in a couple of weeks,

how and how much are determined by descriptive passages like this one found in Acts. The principle taken from this text is that we are to give. I’m looking forward to discovering God’s Word on this subject in a couple of weeks.

But what we do know is this portion of scripture set the scene for what came in Chapter 3

Back to that passage.

There sits Fred, and he sees Peter and John coming towards him.

Maybe by sitting at the gate, he has heard the rumour that the new followers of the way are quite willing to give up money.

It was the new way of life for these believers.

We don’t know why Fred reached out to these two men, but we do know from hearing the scripture,

Fred didn’t get what he expected, he got so much more.

When we come to God, expect so much more.....

If you truly read the text, you see Fred was asking everyone as they came.

I can image the scene, it’s a busy morning, like church, the hour is drawing close to 10:00 am and people are filling in past the gate on their way to the hour of prayer.

I should have hired a person to sit in the parking lot of church, dressed in rags, asking for money. That would have really got us thinking.

Fred sees all the people and is asking everyone, It’s like the gate entrance to Disneyland all are moving quickly, and he asks everyone hoping to land someone who will give.

Notice Peter and John’s response.

Acts 3:4 ESV

4 And Peter directed his gaze at him, as did John, and said, “Look at us.”

Look at us.

I can imagine Fred saw so many people that when he was spoken to he turned with excitement.

Expecting something.

What about us.

When we come to God in the rush of our lives, we call out and ask, we spend time listing the things that we need, do we expect God to Answer?

Can we in our prayer life be like that of Fred the Beggar,

We have forgotten the God in whom we are asking and just fire off our requests in hope of a response?

When we come to God, expect so much more.....

When God Gets our attention, do we turn expecting a response or are we or should we be turning to him, regardless of our exceptions.

Back to Fred,

He turns to the two men, expecting something great.

Most people just drop their alms in the bucket, as people are walking by Fred and he is calling out as he cannot walk to them, he now is called to their attention.

I wonder how long Peter and John gazed at him.

I wonder if the gaze was bringing back the time Jesus approached the beggar in John 9:

john 9:8 “8 The neighbors and those who had seen him before as a beggar were saying, “Is this not the man who used to sit and beg?””

Jesus in that moment was passing by the needy and it wasn’t until the people asked Him a question that He stopped and healed this man from birth.

I wonder if the gaze

was a moment in time having been filled with the Spirit

that these two men stopped and took notice of the man.

How many times do we, stop to take notice of the people around us.

I have found that sometimes I am in a rush to do the things that I have planned for the day, and I am missing out on the things God has planned for me that day.

The skill of taking notice.

A small town practice is if you hear a car horn and you are walking, wave. To do anything else would be rude. We expect to be noticed.

Fred was noticed and the gaze turned to a command.

Look at us.

Peter was not wanting to draw attention to himself, rather he wanted to give something that is far lasting than God or Silver.

He wanted Fred to notice the gift as well

Peter was able to offer the healing power of Jesus Christ working in his life.

If you take a moment and read the end of verse six and the beginning of verse seven, there may be a pause for Fred.

Acts 3:6–7 (ESV)

6 In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk!”

A command,

But they may have been a Pause

A Pause was the time between hearing the news of God’s grace and seeing the action of God’s Grace.

Fred, a man who has lived with the inability to walk all of his life was just told he should stand up and walk because the God of miracles was to perform one again in his presence.

Notice when he was healed.

Did you catch it.

It wasn’t at this point that he was walking and leaping, I think, Fred was still wondering what is happening, and quite possibly still waiting for the money.

You see the healing came in the action.

God’s Grace of healing came the moment he stood. He moved.

He was told to stand up and walk, yet the ankles were not healed until he was raised up by Peter.

When Fred felt the strength in his ankles, a strength he had never experience before, He realized at the moment,

That the God of Creation, The Name of Jesus of Nazareth had brought about the grace of God in the healing of his Legs.

How do we respond to the grace of God in our lives.

Those moments where God enters into our lives in a miraculous way, whether it is through the healing of our bodies,

the long awaited answered pray,

and even the grace to live with the unanswered prayer,

What is our response?

What should our response be?

We all know what Fred’s Response was.

Acts 3:8 ESV

8 And leaping up, he stood and began to walk, and entered the temple with them, walking and leaping and praising God.

And there we see Fred,

Entering Church for the very first time just experiencing God’s Grace upon his life and the joy spills out in scene most of us would be embarrased to have that person around.

When we truly experience the Grace of God in our lives, it drives us to experience pure joy in our lives.

Not all of us may be walking and leaping, but we truly can be giving God the Glory.

So I had a question earlier in the message, Why wasn’t Fred Goatroper mentioned again,

Well I believe it is quite simple.

The story wasn’t about Him.

It wasn’t about the lame beggar who was now leaping but the power of God.

It was about God working miracles in the lives of the people.

This month our church ministry celebrates 50 years of ministry here in the Nicola Valley.

We could spend hours talking about the many things that have happened. We could talk about the many people that brought life to this ministry,

But all is nothing in comparison to the Good News that Christ has been lifted high and it gives us great joy to walk and leap and praise God for all the things he has done in this church over the past 50 years

I had the pleasure of being asked to have a verse to place on the poster telling about the anniversary, and I was drawn to this verse.

Ephesians 3:20–21 ESV

20 Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

We have all been broken beggars saved by God’s Grace and we can walk and leap and praise God for what He has done in our lives.

It’s all about him.

In Summary

In summary as the worship team makes there way up to the stage to lead us in a response of Worship.

This passage can be summarized by this.

God’s promise was delivered and a beggar is healed.

We have come to God and have been healed. If you haven’t given your life over to Christ, you are living your life asking all for the things of this world to satisfy you.

When we come to God, expect so much more.....

Come to God today. Give you life to him. It is far more than you will ever receive and you will be walking and leaping with joy.

To God be the Glory

Response to Worship

Benediction

Come back next week and hear Pastor Josh speak on Chapter 4 dealing with God Sovereignty.

2 Corinthians 13:14 ESV

14 The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.

Go in peace and maybe a little bit of walking and leaping while praising God