Part 3 - Trinity Fellowship - Raton, New Mexico

PREACHIN’ ON THE PORCH

THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES- PART 3

5/29/05

Trinity Fellowship

Raton, NM

Acts 3:1-4:4

Ephesians 5:17-21

1 Corinthians 15:24-28

THE HEALING

(V1) PETER AND JOHN, THE ROCK AND THE BELOVED, WERE GOING TO THE TEMPLE TO PRAY. THEY WERE GOING TO CHURCH! IT WAS THE DESIGNATED TIME, AND THEY WANTED TO BE WITH OTHERS IN PRAYER.

(V2-3) THE LAME MAN HAD BEEN THIS WAY SINCE THE DAY HE WAS BORN. HE DIDN’T KNOW WHAT ELSE TO DO. IT WAS HIS HABIT TO COME AND BEG FOR MONEY. IT’S THE ONLY WAY HE HAD TO MAKE A LIVING.

(V4-5) WHEN HE CALLED OUT TO PETER AND JOHN, HE DIDN’T SEE ANYTHING DIFFERENT ABOUT THEM ON THE SURFACE…THEY WERE JUST WALKING BY, AND WERE JUST TWO MORE “DONORS” FOR HIS CAUSE.

(V6) “LOOK AT US.” THEY COULD’VE REMAINED INVISIBLE, JUST GIVEN HIM SOME MONEY, AND MOVED ON. INSTEAD, THEY REQUIRED HIM LOOK CLOSELY AT THEM. TO SEE PAST THE SURFACE.

HOW MANY OF US CAN BEAR THE CLOSE SCRUTINY OF OTHERS?

TO EFFECTIVELY WITNESS TO OTHERS, OUR LIVES HAVE TO BE ABLE TO HOLD UP TO SCRUTINY. NOT THAT WE TRY FOR THE APPROVAL OF MAN, BUT GOD’S RIGHTEOUSNESS NEEDS TO BE EVIDENT IN OUR LIVES.

(V6) “SILVER AND GOLD I DON’T HAVE…” MONEY ISN’T GOING TO SOLVE EVERYONE’S PROBLEMS. GIVING MORE AND MORE OFFERINGS MAY MAKE YOU FEEL GOOD, BUT IF IT’S NOT PRAYERFULLY GIVEN, GOD’S REAL POWER CAN’T GO FORTH INTO PEOPLE’S LIVES.

WE SOMETIMES FORGET THAT WE HAVE SOMETHING MORE RICH AND POWERFUL THAN MONEY TO GIVE…THE VERY NAME OF JESUS CHRIST OF NAZERETH.

(V7-8) WHAT WE HAVE IS POWERFUL. HOW DILUTED AND POWERLESS HAS YOUR FAITH BECOME? WHEN’S THE LAST TIME WE’VE SPOKEN THE VERY NAME OF JESUS INTO SOMEONE’S LIFE?

OR DID WE JUST GET THE CHECKBOOK OUT AGAIN?

DON’T GET ME WRONG…JESUS WAS ALL ABOUT FEEDING AND CLOTHING THE POOR. BUT HE WAS ALSO ALL ABOUT GETTING STRAIGHT TO THE HEART OF THE MATTER AND ADDRESSING IT BOLDLY.

WE’RE LOOKING HERE AT THE BIRTH OF THE CHURCH! NOT THE CHURCH OF FOUR WALLS, AND CARPET AND PEWS AND A PULPIT AND BAPTISTRY THAT COMES TO MOST OUR MINDS WHEN WE SAY THE WORD, “CHURCH.” BUT THE CHURCH THAT JESUS INHABITS NOW AS HIS BODY…US! HIS HANDS AND FEET.

PETER AND JOHN NOT ONLY SPEAK THE NAME OF LIFE INTO THE LAME MAN’S LIFE, THEY TOOK HIM BY HIS RIGHT HAND (ALL HIS LIFE, PEOPLE CAME TO PICK HIM UP; THIS WAS THE FIRST TIME ANYONE TOOK HIM BY THE HAND AND ACTDUALLY EXPECTED HIM TO WALK!) THEY HAVE A REAL ANTICIPATION AND EXPECTATION THAT THE NAME OF JESUS IS GOING TO HAVE AN EFFECT.

(V8-11) WHEN PEOPLE HAVE BEEN TRULY TOUCHED BY THE POWER OF GOD THROUGH THE BODY OF CHRIST (IE. THE CHURCH), THEY BEGIN TO LET YOU KNOW ABOUT IT. THE PEOPLE AROUND THEM SEE A DIFFERENCE.

NOW THEY WALK ON INTO THE TEMPLE, TO A PLACE CALLED “SOLOMON’S PORCH.” IT WAS A SIGNIFICANT PLACE; NO ACCIDENT THEY WERE THERE. IT WAS WHERE JESUS OFTEN STOOD WHEN HE HAD TAUGHT IN THE TEMPLE. AGAIN, PETER AND JOHN WERE UNDERSCORING THE POWER OF JESUS.

“THEY KNEW THE MAN…” HE WAS THE ONE THEY ALL SAY DAILY, ON THEIR WAY INTO THE TEMPLE…”AND THEY WERE AMAZED AND IN AWE.”

PETER AND JOHN DIDN’T JUST HELP HIM GET THROUGH THE NEXT DAY. THEY HELPED HIM GET THROUGH HIS LIFE!

(V12-16) WE DON’T TAKE CREDIT FOR OURSELVES! IT’S NOT OUR ABILITY OR POWER THAT CHANGES PEOPLE’S LIVES. IF YOU’RE HERE TO GAIN SOMETHING BY MY LIFE AND STRENGTH, STOP IT. WORSE YET, IF YOU’RE HERE BECAUSE YOU FEEL YOU CAN GIVE POWER AND STRENGTH, GET OFF YOUR PEDESTAL. YOU HAVE NO STRENGTH. YOU ONLY HAVE THE POWER OF JESUS CHRIST THROUGH HIS NAME. “ HIS NAME…THROUGH FAITH IN HIS NAME…HAS MADE THIS MAN STRONG…HAS GIVEN HIM PERFECT SOUNDNESS.”

(V17-18) WE ACT IN IGNORANCE HALF THE TIME. AND GOD HAS TO COME UP BEHIND AND CLEAN UP AFTER US. IF YOU’RE COMING TO CHURCH BECAUSE YOU LIKE THE SERMONS, OR YOU LIKE THE MUSICYOU’RE YOUR LIKE THIS OR LIKE THAT, THEN GO HOME! YOU’RE HERE FOR THE WRONG REASON! WHY? BECAUSE I MESS UP SOMETIMES! LOOK AT THE PERSON TO YOUR RIGHT. SAY, “YOU MESS UP SOMETIMES.” NOW LOOK AT THE PERSON ON YOUR LEFT, SAY, “YOU MESS UP SOMETIMES.” NOW, THAT LEAVES ON LY THE ONE IN THE MIDDLES, WHICH IS YOU.

EXCEPT TWO OTHER PEOPLE JUST ALSO TOLD YOU THAT YOU MESS UP TOO.

SOMEBODY ASKED ME THIS WEEK, “WHAT’S DIFFERENT ABOUT YOUR CHURCH THAN THE OTHER CHURCHES IN RATON?” I SAID, “NOTHING. NOT A THING DIFFERENT.” “THEN, WHY SHOULD SOMEONE GO THERE?” I SAID “I DON’T KNOW.” HE SAID, “YOU SURE DON’T SOUND LIKE SOMEONE TRYING TO GROW THEIR CHURCH.” I SAID, “I’M NOT TRYING TO GROW THIS CHURCH. THAT’S GOD’S BUSINESS, NOT MINE. MY JOB IS TO PREACH JESUS AND HIM CRUCIFIED AND RESURRECTED, AND THE POWER OF HIS NAME AND HIS WORD. BEYOND THAT, IT’S GOD’S PROBLEM.”

I WENT ON TO TELL HIM MY CHURCH IS NO DIFFERENT THAN OTHER CHURCHES, BECAUSE INDIVIDUALLY WE WERE ALL AT ONE TIME WEAK, WANDERING AND PATHETIC PEOPLE, STRUGGLING TO FIGURE OUT WHY WE WERE IN THIS WORLD AT ALL. NOW WE ARE A PEOPLE UNITED, NOT IN A BUILDING, NOT IN A DENOMINATION, BUT IN THE BLOOD OF A SAVIOR WHO DIED AND THEN DEFEATED OUR DEATH FOR US.

AND THAT’S THE ONLY THING WE HAVE IN COMMON TODAY WITH EACH OTHER, AND WITH THE OTHER BIBLE BELIEVING CHURCHES IN THIS WORLD.

(V19-21) SO WHAT ARE WE TO SUGGEST THAT PEOPLE DO? WE’RE TO SHOW PEOPLE THE POWER OF JESUS IN OUR LIVES (“LOOK AT ME.”) WE’RE TO OFFER HIM THAT POWER FOR THEIR LIVES (“IN THE NAME JESUS CHRIST, RISE UP AND WALK”); WE’RE TO MAKE SURE WE DON’T TAKE THE CREDIT FOR IT; AND WHEN OTHERS BECOME AMAZED AND FLABBERGASTED, WE’RE TO TAKE ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY FOR THEM TO ALSO BECOME PART OF THIS AMAZING JOURNEY

IN ESSENECE, WE’RE TO ASK THEM “YOU WANT SOME OF THIS?”

“REPENT…BE CONVERTED” (TURN AROUND COMPLETELY)…

WHY?

”THAT YOUR SINS WILL BE BLOTTED OUT”

“THAT TIMES OF REFRESHING MAY COME” (LIKE THE HEALED MAN)

“THAT JESUS CHRIST MAY COME AGAIN.”

(read 1 CORINTHIANS 15:22-28)

JESUS HAS A JOB THAT HE’S DOING. WHEN HE SAID “IT IS FINISHED,” THAT WAS JUST THE WORK OF THE CROSS. JESUS IS STILL WORKING TO DELIVER A CLEAN AND RIGHTEOUS PEOPLE TO GOD’S KINGDOM. WHAT’S BEING SAID HERE IS THAT EACH ONE WHO IS ADDED TO THE KINGDOM, EACH ONE WHO REPENTS, EACH ONE WHO ACCEPTS JESUS’S SALVATION AND REDEMPTION AND THE POWER OF HIS HOLY SPIRIT…EACH ONE OF THESE BRINGS JESUS CLOSER TO THE DAY WHEN THE FATHER SAYS TO HIM, “THAT’S IT! NO MORE WILL RESPOND. GO RESTORE MY PEOPLE TO ME…GO AND BRING MY PEOPLE HOME!”

(V 22-26) REMEMBER, AGAIN PETER AND JOHN ARE PREACHING TO JEWS… THEY KNOW THEIR BIBLE…THEIR HISTORY…THEIR PROPHETS…THEY USE THIS KNOWLEDGE TO TRY AND OPEN THEIR EYES THAT WHO THE PROPHETS WERE TALKING ABOUT WAS JESUS. “IF YOU ACCEPT HIM, THE EARTH WILL BE TOTALLY BLESSED…IF YOU DON’T ACCEPT HIM YOUR SOUL WILL BE UTTERLY DESTROYED.”

(4:1-4) THEY KEPT PREACHING JESUS ON THE PORCH UNTIL THE PRIESTS GOT ALARMED, AND HAD THEM ARRESTED AND HELD OVER. BUT WHAT THEY HAD TO SAY IN SUCH A SHORT TIME WAS POWERFUL..

THEY COULD’VE JUST TOSSED THIS LAME MAN A FEW COINS…FED HIM FOR ANOTHER DAY… AND PROBABLY RECEIVED A SMALL BLESSING FROM IT. BUT LOOK WHAT GOD DID INSTEAD: (4) “THE NUMBER OF THE CHURCH INCREASED TO FIVE THOUSAND THAT DAY.”

WE READ BEFORE THAT AFTER PETER’S FIRST SERMON, THREE THOUSAND WERE SAVED. THEN, AT THE END OF CHAPTER TWO, “ THE LORD ADDED TO THEIR NUMBER DAILY.” NOW WE SEE THAT THOUSANDS MORE RESPONDED TO THE NAME AND WORD OF JESUS CHRIST OF NAZERETH.

IT’S POWER STUFF, FOLKS. AND IT DOESN’T COME FROM YOU OR ME. IT COMES FROM JESUS, THROUGH HIS HOLY SPIRIT. BECAUSE THAT’S STILL HIS JOB!

WE NEED TO QUIT TAKING THE JOB SO LIGHTLY. QUIT JUST TOSSING A FEW DOLLAR BILLS AT THE PROBLEM. “BLESS YOU, BROTHER (AND MAY GOD BLESS ME, IN TURN!)”

GOD WANTS TO TURN OUR THINKING AND ACTIONS INSIDE OUT, CHURCH. IT’S TIME TO QUIT BEING “SECRET AGENT CHRISTIANS.”

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