THE OPERATION OF THE CHURCH
Acts 3:1-15
There are several points we can focus on as we view the
text.
1.
The work of the Church begins outside the four walls of
the church.
2.
It is the members of the church that does the work through
power of the Holy Spirit.
3.
The outside work draws people into the Church (to Christ).
4.
The Church begins when two are more are gathered in the
Jesus Name. (Does not have to be
in a building)
5.
Teaching is done inside the Church.
THE SITUATION
V:1-2. Now Peter and John were going up to the temple at the
ninth hour, the hour of prayer. 2 And a man who had been lame from his mother's
womb was being carried along, whom they used to set down every day at the gate
of the temple which is called Beautiful, in order to beg alms of those who were
entering the temple.
A. God presents to us opportunities to evangelize.
1. All we have to
do is look and see, then act.
2. The man, lame
from birth was laid at the gate of the temple.
a. No one
took him into the temple.
b. They
dropped him off to beg.
3. The man never
walked. Never had a chance to play outside.
4. The man was
treated like an adjective.
a. Man is the
noun
b. Lame is the
adjective that describes his disability, his imperfection.
c. The lame man
was a child of God.
d. He had a
mind. He could think.
e. He had the
use of his hands.
f. He was
neglected by the public because of His disability.
5. He was taken
outside the church and no one prayed for him.
a. The Chief
Priest, the scribes and elders of the Church passed
by this man
daily.
b. Those that
passed by had the Word of God.
c. Those that
passed by did not call on the Lord for help for
this man.
d. Those that
passed by did not understand the power of prayer.
e. They had
examples of healings in the Old Testament which they
taught from.
F. Daily, those
that passed by the man, missed an opportunity to
proclaim the
Word of God
OPPOTUNITY TO BE LIKE JESUS
V:3-6. When he saw
Peter and John about to go into the temple, he began asking to receive alms. 4
But Peter, along with John, fixed his gaze on him and said, "Look at
us!" 5 And he began to give them his attention, expecting to receive
something from them. 6 But Peter said, "I do not possess silver and gold,
but what I do have I give to you: In the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene —
walk!"
A. The man had been trained to beg.
1. The man was
expected to beg for his existence.
2. The man did
what he was expected to do.
3. God expect us to use what He has given us.
B. What the man needed was a hand up not a hand out.
1. The man needed
prayer.
2. He needed to
know Jesus.
3. He needed to be
evangelized.
4. The man needed
some one to see the potential in him.
5. The man needed
some one to look at him and not his disability.
6. The man needed
someone to intercede for him to Jesus.
C. Money will feed a man for a day, but the Word of God will
feed him
for life.
1. Peter and John
didn't see the man as lame, they saw him in recovery.
2. Peter and John
didn't see the man as defeated, they saw his victory.
D. Sometimes people need more than prayer.
1. The man not
only needed prayer, but he needed help to strengthen him.
2. The man needed
someone to show him that he was more than lame.
3. The man needed
someone to take time with him.
4. The man needed
the touch of love.
5. The man needed
someone to love him enough to lead him to Jesus.
C. Every prayer ought to be in the name of Jesus.
1. All power over
heaven and earth has been given to Him.
2. There is
nothing to hard for Jesus.
FAITH AND WORKS
7 And seizing him by
the right hand, he raised him up; and immediately his feet and his ankles were
strengthened. 8 With a leap he stood upright and began to walk; and he entered
the temple with them, walking and leaping and praising God.
A. When we pray, we have to pray as if the prayer is already
answered.
1. You got act on
your prayers.
2. Peter and John
was going to Church, but they stopped to be the Church.
3. They were
going to pray, but they stopped to put prayer in action.
B. Those who are lost need our time.
1. You got to be
there during the recovery.
2. The power of
God works through the faithful.
3. Can't you see
the power of God going through Peter and
John,
strengthen the man ankles and feet?
4. God's power is
activated by our prayers of love.
Think about
James 5:16
James
5:16
Therefore
confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may
be
healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.
C. Since God has blessed us, there ought to be some
excitement in our lives.
1. The previous
lame man was walking, leaping an praising God.
2. The man didn't
go back to where he came from, he went forward to
a new life
with Christ.
3. Any man in
Christ is a new creation
4. They had
previously kept the man outside the Church, but he
went in the church with the preacher.
YOUR TESTIMONY INSPIRES OTHERS
9 And all the people saw him walking and praising God; 10
and they were taking note of him as being the one who used to sit at the
Beautiful Gate of the temple to beg alms, and they were filled with wonder and
amazement at what had happened to him.
A. The man came into the temple walking, leaping and
praising God.
1. When you get
excited other people are watching.
2. People know
your previous state.
3. People will want
to know what is the cause of your change.
B. Church should start in your heart before you get to Church.
1. When you are
getting ready for a party, you get dressed for the
party.
2. When you are
getting ready for a Jesus party, you ought dress you
heart for
praise and worship.
3. The man didn't
wait for a new message, he came in the Church
as the message.
4. The man didn't
wait for the choir to sing, he came in Church as the choir.
5. Ask yourself, how
do you do Church
LOOK AROUND AND SEE GOD'S AMAZING GRACE
V:11. While he was
clinging to Peter and John, all the people ran together to them at the
so-called portico of Solomon, full of amazement. 12 But when Peter saw this, he
replied to the people, "Men of Israel, why are you amazed at this, or why
do you gaze at us, as if by our own power or piety we had made him walk? 13
"The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God of our fathers, has
glorified His servant Jesus, the one whom you delivered and disowned in the
presence of Pilate, when he had decided to release Him. 14 "But you
disowned the Holy and Righteous One and asked for a murderer to be granted to
you, 15 but put to death the Prince of life, the one whom God raised from the
dead, a fact to which we are witnesses.
A. We ought to claim every prayer answered to be the work of
Jesus.
1. God uses our
troubles to bring Him glory.
2. The reason for
our troubles is draw others to Christ.
3. The reason for
our troubles is to make us realize that God is real.
B. It is important that we claim no glory for what God has
done.
1. Whatever God
has brought us through, someone else is going
through
something similar.
2. You are not the
only one with troubles, and you are not the only one
getting
blessed in your troubles.
2. Our proclaiming
the goodness of God is encouragement to
others.
3. Jesus died on
the cross that we might have peace, joy and love.
4. Jesus suffered
like a criminal, so that we might be held in God's
glory.
THANK GOD FOR HIS CHURCH
Rev. M. Mitchell
Asst Pastor Of Greater Macedonia
Baptist Church
For more lessons follow me on facebook and visit
my blogs, revmmitchell.com and goodnewsrevmitc.blogspot.com
No comments:
Post a Comment