SILVER AND GOLD HAVE I NONE

“Church On The Move”

Acts 3:1-10

The TEMPTATION TO STAY!!!

Acts 2:42-47 = Unity and cohesiveness

Togetherness meant peace and wholeness.

It meant they were able to pray for abundance instead of maintenance.

It meant miracles, signs, and wonders…it meant they could live in awe of God instead of wondering if He was even there.

It meant they had what they NEEDED.

It meant fellowship with one another

It meant GLAD and GENEROUS HEARTS

It meant PRAISING GOD

For just a minute imagine that type of unity and peace.

Imagine being surrounded by people that were willing to give up their own comfort, to meet your needs.

I’ll be honest, that probably isn’t the hardest thing to imagine. I think that is pretty doable, and most of us have experienced that type of Godly unity.

BUT, imagine this…

Imagine being with people, and in places that were absolutely saturated with the presence of God…

When I think about that type of presence I think about Isaiah in Isaiah 6

Isaiah 6:1–5 ESV

In the year that King Uzziah died I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and the train of his robe filled the temple. Above him stood the seraphim. Each had six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. And one called to another and said: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!” And the foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who called, and the house was filled with smoke. And I said: “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!”

I think about Isaiah in that environment. I think about him being in the temple with such a powerful presence of the Lord that he was broken. This was Isaiah the prophet. Certainly not your average run of the mill sinner, but in that environment, in the presence of the most high, he saw his lack.

He knew his brokenness!!!

The believers of the early church were living in that same blessing. In that unity as the Body of Christ, as the agency Jesus established to be His witnesses, in their togetherness they were experiencing Psalm 133

Psalm 133 ESV

A Song of Ascents. Of David. Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity! It is like the precious oil on the head, running down on the beard, on the beard of Aaron, running down on the collar of his robes! It is like the dew of Hermon, which falls on the mountains of Zion! For there the Lord has commanded the blessing, life forevermore.

IMAGINE ALL OF THAT AND STILL CHOOSING TO KEEP MOVING!!!

TO MOVE OUTSIDE THE PROVERBIAL WALLS OF THE ESTABLISHED BODY OF CHRIST!!!

TO MOVE INTO THE STREETS OF JERUSALEM WHERE THE PEOPLE THAT KILLED JESUS WERE!!!

How incredibly difficult would it be to be living, NOT JUST ATTENDING, BUT LIVING in that blessing and still CHOOSE to go and be around the very people that had killed The Savior!

But that’s exactly what the Church On The Move Looks Like and what the Church On The Move DOES!!!!

We take the blessing, encouragement, and edification from being together in His presence…WE TAKE THOSE FULL FUEL TANKS, and we allow it to propel us into the difficult places.

We take the blessing, encouragement, and edification and we seek to multiply it in other people.

Notice I didn’t say ADD it to others, I SAID MULTIPLY!!!

So, this morning we are going to move forward with the Church On The Move in the book of Acts…

Acts 3:1–10 ESV

Now Peter and John were going up to the temple at the hour of prayer, the ninth hour. 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. Seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple, he asked to receive alms. And Peter directed his gaze at him, as did John, and said, “Look at us.” And he fixed his attention on them, expecting to receive something from them. 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!” And he took him by the right hand and raised him up, and immediately his feet and ankles were made strong. And leaping up, he stood and began to walk, and entered the temple with them, walking and leaping and praising God. And all the people saw him walking and praising God, 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.

It almost seems natural to look at Acts 3 and read it as a continuation from Acts 2:47.

What we need to recognize and continue to understand is that Acts 2:42-47 in the normative model for the church from the Day of Pentecost through today, and until the Rapture of the Church.

Acts chapter 3 is part of the history of things that happened in those first days and years of the church. In Acts 2:43 where Luke records that awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles, he was looking at what happened in Acts 3 and 4 and 5 and even through today.

Acts 3:1 begins recording the daily life of the believer. Peter and John were going to the Temple for the usual hour of prayer. I am certain that Peter and John weren’t the only believers going to this community event at this very time.

Acts 2:46 says, “and day by day attending the temple together…”

In verse 44 is says “ALL WHO BELIEVED”

Did they NEED to continue attending the temple?

Certainly not for “religious” reasons.

This particular hours of prayer, the ninth hour, or 15:00 was the time for one of the daily sacrifices. We go back to Matthew 5:17 and we know that Jesus came to FULFILL the Law. Specifically, He came to fulill the need for daily, monthly, or yearly sacrifices.

No longer did the people need to meet once a day for wave offering or a peace offering or in this case the second half of the daily Tamid, specifically the Hour of Confession.

Exodus 29:38-46

38 “Now this is what you shall offer on the altar: two lambs a year old day by day regularly. 39 One lamb you shall offer in the morning, and the other lamb you shall offer at twilight. 40 And with the first lamb a tenth measure of fine flour mingled with a fourth of a hin of beaten oil, and a fourth of a hin of wine for a drink offering. 41 The other lamb you shall offer at twilight, and shall offer with it a grain offering and its drink offering, as in the morning, for a pleasing aroma, a food offering to the Lord. 42 It shall be a regular burnt offering throughout your generations at the entrance of the tent of meeting before the Lord, where I will meet with you, to speak to you there. 43 There I will meet with the people of Israel, and it shall be sanctified by my glory. 44 I will consecrate the tent of meeting and the altar. Aaron also and his sons I will consecrate to serve me as priests. 45 I will dwell among the people of Israel and will be their God. 46 And they shall know that I am the Lord their God, who brought them out of the land of Egypt that I might dwell among them. I am the Lord their God.

They didn’t need to go to the temple to stay connected in relationship with God.

They didn’t need to go to the Temple to “meet with God and be sanctified by Him.” (Ex. 29:42-44)

They were the Temple of God. They knew that the Veil had been torn and Jesus was the Final Lamb to be slaughtered for ALL people.

THEY KNEW THAT GOD RESIDED IN THEM THROUGH THE HOLY SPIRIT!

So why did they go to the temple daily?

Did they go to stay connected to their culture?

Did they go to pray?

Did they go to be around other people?

Did they go to Worship?

Did they go to WITNESS?

YES!!!

Yes

Yes

Yes and

YES!!!

Were they following the religious pattern of the Old Testament?

No!!!

Were they bringing the new pattern into the Temple?

Absolutely!!!

In Exodus 29 God said,

I will meet with you there

I will dwell with you there

I will consecrate you there

You will know that I am the Lord God that brought you out of Egypt (BONDAGE) THERE!

Look at this story in Acts 3 and tell me that mission wasn’t being accomplished!!!

So, Peter and John are following the Deuteronic law, (by the mouth of 2 witnesses) they are following the pattern of Jesus (sending them out 2 by 2) and they are going together to the Temple…

I got pretty excited when I dug into the specifics of the 9th hour of prayer. I got pretty excited about Exodus 29.

Just to add some more to it if we read Matthew 27:46-50 we would read that it was at the ninth hour that Jesus cried out, “WHY HAVE YOU FORSAKEN ME.”

IT WAS AT THE NINTH HOUR THAT JESUS YIELDED UP HIS SPIRIT.

IT WAS AT THE NINTH HOUR THAT HE SAID “IT IS FINISHED”

The next verse says, Acts 3:2 that there was a guy that had been carried to this spot to beg for money for years. It says that he was lame from birth.

He was broken,

He wasn’t even allowed to go into the temple because his affliction was looked down upon as a sin that had been committed by someone in his past.

HE WAS PHYSICALLY, EMOTIONALLY, AND SPIRITUALLY BOUND!

HE CAME BECAUSE HE NEEDED MONEY

BUT WHAT HE REALLY NEEDED WAS

He needed consecration

He needed to meet with God

He needed healing

He needed SALVATION

Unfortunately, his faith only allowed for him to count on some level of provision.

He had allowed his circumstances to condition him to count on what he could see, hear, and feel. He knew that one of the 3 meritorious acts of the Jewish faith was giving alms.

He knew that as people came to meet with God, they would feel at least some type of guilt to give to his need.

Unfortunately, I think there’s a lot of people in churches around the world this morning that are in a similar place.

They have shown up for the same ole same ole. They are conditioned to 4 songs a couple prayers, 3 points, a poem, and closing prayer.

They have resigned themselves to receive the same thing they did yesterday, or last week, or almost every other church service in their lives.

They have been beat down by the world. They have been discouraged to a point where they can’t lift their eyes to the hills and remember where their strength comes from.

Maybe that’s you this morning.

Let me ENCOURAGE YOU!!! THERE IS MORE!!!

John 16:33 ESV

I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”

Look how things changed for this man at the gate beautiful!

The man looks at Peter and John asking for Alms…. No big deal, same ole thing different group of people.

But even as He is looking at them, he is scanning beyond them. He has done this for years, and he can tell generally who will give and who will outright ignore him.

So, he asks Peter and John, likely continuing to scan the crowd, BUT SOMETHING IS DIFFERENT!

Peter says, “LOOK AT ME”

Let’s be honest for just a minute.

When you are in Conway, or Little Rock or some other bigger city where the panhandlers have their cardboard signs, HOW MANY OF YOU ARE MAKING EYE CONTACT?

NO!!! You are playing with the radio, checking your phone, digging in the glove box…YOU ARE DOING ANYTHING AND EVERYTHING TO AVOID EYE CONTACT!

But Peter says, LOOK AT ME!

He is beginning the process of building hope.

He is making sure this man’s attention is where it needs to be for what is about to happen.

Acts 3:5 says that at least part of that was accomplished. The man looked at them “EXPECTING TO RECEIVE SOMETHING.”

BUT THE LET DOWN!!!

It almost seems cruel!

It’s like making eye contact with the beggar at the onramp to 40 in Conway and smiling as the light is about to turn green.

For a spilt second he thinks he is about to get something, BUT NO!!

Peter utters those famous words… SILVER AND GOLD HAVE I NONE…

Imagine the letdown. I would think that at least for a split second this man at least thought about crying out to the next person for alms.

For at least a split second he thought about scanning the crowd for another almsgiver.

But Peter didn’t give him enough time. Peter followed directly with “BUT WHAT I DO HAVE I GIVE TO YOU IN THE NAME OF JESUS CHRIST OF NAZARETH, RISE UP AND WALK.”

Plug for Unencumbered for Eternity

Did Peter and John have Silver and Gold? I would say absolutely not…not at that moment anyway.

We know that the disciples were selling their stuff and bring the proceeds to be redistributed. We know that that process continued at least through chapter 5. We know that in chapter 6 they were distributing food to the widows, etc…

So at some point they had money available.

I tend to believe that like most of us today, that money went out as fast as it came in

Regardless at that moment they had nothing. The BENEFIT??? They were more focused on the spiritual than the natural.

If they had a coin in their pocket they could have easily dropped a piece of silver and moved on.

BUT THEY WEREN’T anchored to the natural.

STORY FROM WICHITA FALLS!!! 10 Bucks and a prayer!!!

Because the apostles were living on little, they had nothing to give at that moment. This enabled them to think outside the moneybag and think in a spiritual context. When we can live unencumbered for eternity we can see into the spiritual needs of people instead of the superficial surface needs.

The old commentator Cornelius a Lapide tells how Thomas Aquinas once called on Pope Innocent II while he was counting a large sum of money. “You see, Thomas,” said the Pope, “the church can no longer say, ‘Silver and gold have I none.’: ” “True, holy Father,” said Thomas, “and neither can she now say, ‘Arise and walk.’ ” What about us? What is our experience with Christ? The Spirit-filled church imparts what it has.[1]

As a church and as THE CHURCH, this is where we need to get, we need to be where we can recognize we are blessed naturally, BUT WE HAVE SO MUCH TO GIVE SUPERNATURALLY AND SPIRITUALLY!!!

FOR YEARS THIS man had learned to be comfortable in his condition. He had people to carry him and he likely received plenty of money in alms. His friends thought they were helping him, but they were really holding him back.

His faith was limited to the goodness of people that passed by him.

Now this moment comes when Peter says rise up and walk

BUT PETER DOESN’T LEAVE HIM TO DO IT ALONE!!!

This is where it is so important for us to surround ourselves with people that build our faith

Mark 2 a man was carried to Jesus. Instead of just giving up, his friends took him to the roof and lowered him to Jesus. They saw beyond the superficial to the very physical need. This man was likely also a beggar. He likely sat at a prominent place in his community. His friends were wise enough to know that if he was healed, he could provide for himself, but even in this case, Jesus knew better what he needed.

This man at the gate beautiful was begging for money, BUT PETER AND JOHN KNEW HE NEEDED SOMETHING BETTER!!

Here is the beauty I see in this story!!!

This man thought he needed some money. What he needed more was the ability to walk. BUT, what he needed more than that was to know Jesus.

This is where the church needs to be able to be sensitive to the direction of the Holy Spirit. We hear people asking for physical needs, but we need to be able to respond to their spiritual needs.

The one key we can never forget is that EVERYONE has a birth defect. EVERYONE is born into a sinful condition.

For some it is obvious, but there are others that just seem to be “GOOD” people.

Unfortunately, there will be “GOOD” people that go to hell.

THE ONLY WAY TO HEAVEN IS THROUGH JESUS!!!

This pericope leads to another opportunity for Peter to preach the gospel. It leads to an opportunity for Peter to express the same truth Jesus shared in John 14:6.

In Acts 4:12, Peter says…

Acts 4:12 ESV

And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”

So this morning the most important question I can ask is, “Have you accepted Jesus to be your Lord and Savior?”

Is He your EVERYTHING?

He is the only way to the Father and the only way to Heaven!

BOWED HEADS AND CLOSED EYEs