What Now?
Notes
Transcript
Pray
Give Honor
Text: Acts 3:1-11
1 Now Peter and John went up together into the temple at the hour of prayer, being the ninth hour. 2 And a certain man lame from his mother’s womb was carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, to ask alms of them that entered into the temple; 3 Who seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple asked an alms. 4 And Peter, fastening his eyes upon him with John, said, Look on us. 5 And he gave heed unto them, expecting to receive something of them. 6 Then Peter said, Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk. 7 And he took him by the right hand, and lifted him up: and immediately his feet and ancle bones received strength. 8 And he leaping up stood, and walked, and entered with them into the temple, walking, and leaping, and praising God. 9 And all the people saw him walking and praising God: 10 And they knew that it was he which sat for alms at the Beautiful gate of the temple: and they were filled with wonder and amazement at that which had happened unto him.
11 And as the lame man which was healed held Peter and John, all the people ran together unto them in the porch that is called Solomon’s, greatly wondering.
“What Now?”
INTRO:
Famous actor and comedian Kevin Hart was once asked, what drives him to do comedy. Kevin Hart responded, “Stand-Up comedy allows me to tell my story, and be transparent for legacy’s sake” He says “ I’m super strategic even in my titles, because I want them to tell my story.”
His first title was
“I’m a Grown, Little Man”
This told the story, about how he navigates life as being a fully grown man, yet sometimes still being treated as a child, because of his outward appearance”
His next title was,
“Seriously Funny”
“This told the story, about how he is serious about his work, and he is good at what he does.”
Kevin Hart, in his rise to success had rough patches. He lost his mother, he is still hurting from the dangers of his past, He goes through a divorce and so much more, but he finds positivity in his pain and titled the next comedy special,
“Laugh at my Pain”
Kevin Hart made it through the rough patches, but still has to fight, because people don’t like who he’s become since he overcame the Pain.
People said
“YOU’VE changed post-divorce” and
“You are not as good as you think you are”, So he strategically wrote
“Let me explain”
So that he could let others know, that he really does not care what people think about him, when most aren’t even on the same level.
So, after he reaches a new level of life, after
Overcoming not being taken seriously,
After, overcoming mistakes and mishaps,
After, overcoming the negativity of his past,
The question was asked.
What Now?
What do I do, in my new season?
How do I use, what I now have in my hands,
Its no secret that the Holy Spirit has been heavy in this place.
But the question becomes
What do we do now?
After the healing of my father, WHAT will we do now?
And that’s the question that’s being answered in this text.
What do we do now?
Peter and John have seen Jesus at his best, and have seen Jesus at his worst.
They’ve seen Jesus turn water to wine.
They’ve seen the lame walk
They’ve seen the blind see,
They’ve seen the sick be healed
But what’s next?
They’ve seen Jesus Transform from humanity to divinity on the mountain top.
They’ve seen Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane, Praying and sweating droplets of blood.
John had a front row seat at Jesus’s crucifixion.
They’ve spent days with Jesus after he’s risen from the dead.
But What now?
They’ve been prophesied to, about the coming of the Holy Spirit.
They’ve experienced the coming of the Holy Spirit
But the question becomes WHAT DO THEY DO NEXT?
They have authority now,
And
They have power now,
For the text declares in Acts 1:8
“But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you”
And is there anybody who’s grateful for the Holy Ghost?
IVE GOT POWER NOW
POWER TO LAY HANDS ON THE SICK AND THEY RECOVER
POWER TO MAKE A BLIND MAN SEE
POWER TO MAKE A DEAF MAN HEAR
POWER TO MAKE A LAME MAN WALK
POWER TO MAKE A MUTE MAN TALK
POWER TO HOLD MY TOUNGUE WHEN I WANT TO CURSE SOMEBODY OUT
POWER TO TURN THE OTHER CHEECK INSTEAD OF THROWING THESE HANDS.
IVE GOT POWER NOW.
TURN CORNER.
It would be a shame, to have all of this power and not use it.
For the text declares,
Not only will you receive power, when the Holy Spirit comes, but you shall also BE A WITNESS.
AND THE TRUTH OF THE MATTER IS,
A lot of the churches are not POWERLESS BUT ARE USELESS.
THEY DO HAVE POWER,
THEY JUST DON’T USE IT.
We’ve got to be careful, of being a POWERFUL CHURCH, AND YET USELESS
What good is it to have all of this power, and no ones life is changed.
The bible says that Peter and John went up together to the temple to pray, and they see a man, who is Lame from birth,
I see something in the beginning of this text,
The bible describes this man as being LAME FROM HIS MOTHERS WOMB.
And lame people are people who aren’t able to use their legs.
SO THE MAN HAD LEGS, BUT HE DOES NOT KNOW HOW TO WALK YET.
So He now has to sit on the outskirts of the temple, because he does not know how to use what he was born with.
And some of you are outsiders now, because you haven’t figured out how to use what you were born with,
Some of you all were born with entrepreneurship already in you.
Some of you all were born with preaching already in you
Some of you all were born with greatness already in you.
And you SEE it, you just can NOT figure out how to use it.
But God said “at any given moment, I’m about to activate what you have inside of you” and God is saying “I’m going to allow you, to USE YOUR LEGS”
The bible says they see a lame man, and this lame man is seated at the gate every day.
So each and every day, at the hour of prayer, he is placed in the same spot to ask for alms.
Every single day, at the hour of prayer, he is placed in the same spot to ask for alms.
He’s a lame man, he’s at the church, and he’s asking for money.
How many times do we see people at the church? With a eternal condition, BUT ask for a temporary fix.
He was so close to the church, yet so far from his miracle.
And the truth of the matter is, a lot of us have come to church just to get our temporary fix.
And, we leave church the same way we came
We dance, but we still got issues
We shout, but we still got issues
We preach, but we still got issues
We run, but we still go issues
THERE IS NO WAY, THAT ALL OF THAT PRAYER WENT ON, AND THE MAN NEVER GOT HEALED.
Some people say it is the lame man’s fault because if he had enough sense to ask for money, then he could’ve had enough sense to ask for healing.
But I can’t put it all on the blind man.
Because in that day, it was believed, For every alm you give to someone in need, there is a blessing that God has for you.
So no one was focused on that mans healing, they were just focused on GETTING THEIR BLESSING FROM GOD.
SO WHAT DO WE DO NOW?
WE
1. HAVE TO BE INTENTIONAL WITH THE SOULS
The bible says the man saw Peter and John and was about to ask for alms.
Peter tells the man
“Look at me”
Because the truth of the matter is, it’s not that people don’t want Jesus, it’s just that their focus is off.
When we walk the streets of the neighborhood, we’re not just walking to give out gift baskets and candy,
but we’re walking because we know that there is a need in this community,
We’re not walking just to get people to come to church, but We’re walking to get people to come to Jesus.
With black on black crime running rampid in this community, WE NEED PEOPLE TO COME TO JESUS
With social injustice at an all time high
WE NEED PEOPLE TO COME TO JESUS
With unemployment being the highest since the Great recession in 2009
We need people to come to Jesus
With children pick up guns and shoot up churches, schools, and grocery stores,
We NEED PEOPLE TO COME TO JESUS
Because at the name of Jesus
Sickness has to bow
At the name of Jesus
Black on black crime has to stop
At the name of Jesus
Covid has to cease
At the name of Jesus
Business are formed.
Some trust in horses, some trust in chariots but we will remember the name of the Lord. For the name of the Lord is a strong tower and the righteous run in and they are save.
Lift up your heads, oh ye gate and be ye lifted up the everlasting doors, and the king of glory shall come in, who is the king of Glory? The Lord God strong and mighty, the Lord God Mighty in battle.
Jesus is the answer.
1. You have to be intentional with the Souls
2. Realize when resources are insignificant
The text says that Peter says, Silver and Gold have I not, but such as I have I give unto the, “in the name of Jesus, rise up and walk”
Peter and John were not broke.
Peter and John just knew that funds wouldn’t help heal the man’s disease.
And a lot of churches uses their RESOURSES on someone who has an issue money cant fix.
Resources can’t fix depression
Resources can’t fix low self esteem
Resources cant fix the spirit of suicide.
Resources may bring people in, but resources won’t keep people in.
CLOSE.
And God says,
“This next wind of people aren’t coming for your resources, but they are coming for REVIVAL.
They are not coming because the music is good.
They are not coming to shout
They are not coming to get bills paid,
But they are coming because they heard
Cancer dries up over here
They are coming because they heard
Marriages are being fixed over here
They are coming because they heard
A man came in blind and now can see over here
They care coming because they heard
Suicide has been canceled over here.
Its time to use what we have.
The question is asked what do we do now?
We do what peter did.
We use what we have in our hand.
The bible says that Peter grabs him by the right had, and pulls him up.
We are going to take what we have in our hand now, and give it to someone else.
THAT’S THE REASON YOURE HERE NOW, BECAUSE
You ain’t always been a tongue talking believer.
You haven’t always been drinking communion juice.
Some of you all lit a lot more than candles.
But one day “you came to Jesus, just as you were, weary wounded and sad, but you’ve found in him a resting place”
Not only do you have to be
Intentional
Not only do you have to not rely on your resources,
But lastly
You have to keep the integrity of your ministry.
Because its in the next chapter,
Peter and John were arrested for healing the blind man, and when asked what they did it in they said they did it in the name of Jesus.
And they said we will let you go under one condition, you can preach, but you just cant do it in the name of Jesus.
And Peter said
That’s the only name under heaven that can save men.
So what ever you do, make sure you do it in the name of Jesus.
If you gone preach,
Preach in the name of Jesus.
If you gone heal,
Heal in the name of Jesus,
If you gone cast out demons
Do it in the name of Jesus.
If you gone sing
Sing in the name of Jesus
If you gone play,
Play in the name of Jesus.
Whatever it is,
Don’t do it in the name of yourself,
Don’t do it in the name of GFC,
Do it in the name of Jesus.