Acts 3:1-10
We’re going to pick up where Pastor Brandon left off last week. He highlighted last week the New
Testament church devotion was:
1. Devoted to the apostles teaching
2. Devoted to the fellowship
3. Devoted to prayer
This week were going to see how this devotion leads to belief in Christ through physical healing.
Summary – Peter and John – temple for prayer, lame man healed, praise and wonderment
Today we’ll see Peter and John enter the temple on their way to daily prayer. As they come to the
temple gate a 40+ year old lame man who has been lame from birth asks them for money. Peter and
John turn to the man, demand his attention, and in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth the lame is man
is totally healed. Those who see the man walking and leaping are amazed this is the same man who
they’ve seen begging at the temple gates for years.
Acts 3:1-10 (ESV)
Daily Prayer
1. In verse 1 we see Peter and John going up to the temple at the hour of prayer, the ninth hour, 3
in the afternoon. Last week Brandon covered the previous paragraph where Acts 2:46 says:
46 And day by day, attending the temple together In accordance with attending the temple daily Peter and John are heading into the temple.
A few verses before that Acts 2:42 says:
42 And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the
breaking of bread and the prayers.
c. It was their daily habit to go up to the temple to pray – And likely they would see their
fellow followers of Christ there as well.
d. Why go to the temple? Why not just pray together in their homes? Those in the Temple
didn’t believe in Jesus so why would believers in Christ go to the temple daily together?
e. I’m glad you asked, because I’m curious about that myself.
i. Although their fellow Israelites were not believers in Christ, they were believers
in the same God, the God of Israel. And those in the temple were intentionally
going with the purpose to pray to and worship the same God.
ii. It would give these Christ followers the opportunity to share Christ with their
fellow Israelites. These Christ followers knew the truth about Christ and out of
Christ’s love for them wanted them to understand and believe in Christ.
iii. You have to have contact with and talk to people in order to share Christ.
iv. Sometimes I think we withdraw or hold back with praying with fellow believers
or other denominations not because we’re not in agreement or believers in
what Christ did for us, but because we have some doctrinal differences. These
Christ followers had some pretty big doctrinal differences with their fellow
Israelites, but they were praying alongside of them daily in the temple.
1. We can and should pray with fellow believers of different
denominations. When we have community prayers events, go pray with
them!
2. We can and should pray with unbelievers – what a great way to
introduce them to Christ by letting them listen to you speaking with
God! Just like our kids when they are small, they learn so much from
our adult conversations and prayers at mealtime. They learn about God
and our relationship with Him just by listening in on our conversations.
3. The other thing we need to learn here is to pray together daily! Let me
encourage you this week, every day pray with a friend. It could be the
same friend or different friends every day but every day this week either
meet with them in person or call them, either way pray with someone
every day. And get in the habit of praying with someone every day.
Healing through Jesus Christ
1. Lame man background:
a. He was lame from birth (Acts 3:2) – He had never walked or even knew how to walk
because his feet and ankles did not work.
b. He was more than 40 years old! See Acts 4:22 22 For the man on whom this sign of
healing was performed was more than forty years old.
c. He was totally reliant on others
i. Travel – they carried him – It doesn’t say who carried him, but whoever it was
committed to him and willingly did so every day.
ii. Unable to work, he begged for money and goods such as food and clothing.
d. He was known for sitting at the temple gate daily and begging – Acts 3:9. He knew a lot
of people and they knew him.
2. Peter and John
a. This lame man asks Peter and John for alms and gets their attention
i. I’ve never had to beg, but I’ve watched people beg. They are constantly looking
in the crowd for someone they think has something and will give them something. They develop a sense of people’s wealth by how they dress and observe the demeaner on their faces, if they look pleasant, they’ll call out to
them. Peter and John were most likely not dress to impress, but he called out to them anyway as he continued looking beyond them for someone he thought did have wealth to give away.
ii. The lame did get Peter and John’s attention and in turn they had to get his attention by insisting that he look at them. What do you think the man saw in their face and eyes? I think he saw tenderness, love, the love of Christ and faith in Him! And the lame man did not want to look away.
1. When we address unbelievers how do we look at them?
a. Do we do so with fear and judgement?
b. Or do we do so in such a way that they see caring eyes and a
loving heart toward them.
c. In spite of contempt toward Christ followers from temple
authorities, Peter and John looked at this man with compassion
and they knew what they were about to give him was the best
gift of all, the gift of eternal salvation.
3. Lame Man Healed
a. Acts 3:5-6
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!”
b. The lame man was expecting money – but Peter and John had no silver or gold
i. They understood Jesus loved them and sacrificed His life of His own free will for
them. In turn, they gave their belongings, love and care to meet each other’s
needs.
ii. They had something much greater than silver and gold, they had Jesus Christ.
And Jesus Christ has the power to heal physically and spiritually!
iii. Acts 3:6b “In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk!”
1. Notice they didn’t say in the name of Peter and John, rise up and walk!
That would have been an utter failure. We do not personally have any
power; the power comes from Jesus Christ.
2. For the first part of my professional career, I worked for large computer
companies. When I called a potential supplier and introduce myself as
Drew Granzow, the response was who? But when I introduced myself as
Drew Granzow with Dell Corporation, that would get their attention. It
wasn’t me but rather Dell that would get their attention and suddenly I
would be treated with immediate respect. Why? Because Dell
represented financial power and opportunity for them, and I was simply
the vehicle into Dell. Any interest in me had only to do with the name of
Dell and what it represented.
3. Jesus Christ is God, who is all powerful and it is through His power this
lame man was healed. Not Peter or John or you or me. It is never about
us, but always about Christ. We are simply His humble representatives.
iv. This was not the first time a lame man was healed by Jesus. Matthew, Mark and
Luke all tell the story of 4 men who carried their friend to Jesus and because of
the crowds they had lower their paralytic friend down from the roof to get to
Jesus. What was Jesus’s response:
v. Mark 2:5 5 And when Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Son, your
sins are forgiven.”
1. Jesus observed their faith (Mark 2:5a)
2. Forgave the paralytic’s sins (Mark 2:5b)
a. When the scribes and Pharisees heard Jesus say “Son, your sins
are forgiven” (Mark 2:5b) they were enraged, Jesus was
committing the crime of blasphemy because only God had the
power to forgive sins.
3. They also knew only God could heal this man, so to prove to the crowd,
that He, Jesus, was God, He healed the paralytic man Mark 2:11 – “I say
to you, rise, pick up your bed, and go home.”
vi. This lame man saw Peter and John’s faith in Christ. He believed because Peter
and John believed. Is your faith in Christ visible enough that others see it in
you and will believe in Christ? Or do you put a veil on your faith and hide it
except around other believers? We need to let our faith shine for all to see!
4. Notice how completely healed this man was:
a. Acts 3:7-8
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.
b. Immediately his feet and ankles were made strong
i. Luke’s details tell us it was his feet and ankles that caused his lameness
ii. And they were “immediately” made strong
c. This man in his 40’s had never walked. It takes time to learn how to walk – have you
ever seen an infant walk just out of womb? Have you ever seen someone with knee or
hip replacement jump out of bed walking and leaping right after surgery? Nope. But
this man who didn’t even know how to walk was immediately walking and leaping – He
was made whole and able to walk and leap in an instant!
d. That is exactly how it is in that instant that we believe in Christ. We are totally healed
from sin, and we are able to walk and leap spiritually! We may have a lot to learn, and
we will have a lifetime of a growing relationship with our Lord, but we are totally healed
in the moment of belief.
5. Praising God
a. Acts 3:9
9 And all the people saw him walking and praising God
b. The lame man knew exactly who healed him – God. And He was walking and leaping
and praising God! We need to walk and leap and praise God for the salvation He
provides to us through Jesus Christ!
6. Crowd “filled with wonder and amazement”
a. Acts 3:10
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.
b. I’ve had the pleasure of seeing people as they come to belief in Christ. It fills you with
wonder and amazement to see in that instant someone who was sinned filled to
suddenly to be without sin in God’s eyes – all their sins have been removed and places
on the cross. The excitement, burdens lifted, and the joy new believers exhibit is
something to behold! When we have baptisms, like we will next Sunday, it fills my heart with joy, not only for that person’s testimony, but it gives me the chance to reflect on what Christ did for me.
Be On Mission (conclusion)
Madison, WI Beggar Story
Several years ago, I was traveling alone, trailering my boat from here to visit my parents in Wisconsin.
They live almost to the tip of the peninsula above Green Bay, it’s a beautiful place. We had a family
reunion of sorts planned where my siblings and their families were all going to be there. I was going a
week early and my oldest son, who lives in Austin, TX, was coming early as well to hang out together and
with my parents. I was listening to an audio book that held my attention, and forgot I needed to stop for
gas. I suddenly noticed the control panel flashing red, I needed gas, and I needed it now. I looked up
saw an exit with sign that said gas and pulled off somewhere in Madison, WI. As I headed down the city
street, I noticed I was in a pretty run-down neighborhood. After a few blocks I realized I may have been
the only white guy there and stuck out like a sore thumb riding in a suburban trailering a boat with
Colorado plates. If it wasn’t for being so low on gas I would have turned back on the highway. I found
the gas station which matched the run-down neighborhood, it needed to be cleaned badly and several of
lights were out, some were flickering and the ones that were one didn’t provide much light, it was kind
of a scary place.
Needless to say, I was bit concerned, so asked I the Lord for protection as I stepped out. I saw what
looked like a couple of men standing outside the station and another man on the other side. With poor
lighting I couldn’t make out their faces. Once the gas started to flow the lone man headed my way. I
thought, oh great, I wonder what he wants. Lord, keep me safe. He appeared to be about my age and
he asked politely if he could ask me something. I was a bit of a captive audience as I held the gas pump
handle waiting for my 38-gallon tank to fill up. Sure, I said. He told me he was from Minneapolis/St. Paul
visiting his son, who had suddenly fell ill and was in the hospital. His son’s girlfriend had kicked he and
his wife out his son’s house. His son asked him to take his grandson to their home in the Twin Cities for a
couple of weeks until he was able to care for him again. The man and his wife had round trip bus tickets
and enough money for his grandson’s bus ticket but had no money for a taxi to get to the bus depot and
ask if I could help. I asked how much he needed and said $20. I asked if they needed money for food, he
said no, they had made some sandwiches for the trip. I believed his story and said I wanted to give him a
book that meant a lot to me and opened my back door and pulled out a Gideon bible. His worried look
relaxed considerably when I told him what it was. He then smiled and asked if I was Christian, I smiled
back and said yes. He said so am I! Then I asked if I could pray for him, he said yes, and put his hand on
my shoulder, I placed my hand on his shoulder. I prayed for him, his son, his grandson, his son’s
girlfriend, his wife and safe travels and has I was about to say amen, he started praying. He thanked God
for answering his prayer, he prayed a blessing on me and few more things and said amen. We embraced
like long lost brothers, I guess indeed we were, brothers in Christ. I asked where his wife and grandson
were, he said they were in the gas station convenience store, he wanted to keep them safe. I asked how
far the bus station was and could I give them a ride. He said no, his wife would feel better with a taxi.
He hugged me one more time and headed toward the store. I finished filling up my tank and got in the
suburban marveling at how God had used me to answer that man’s prayer. I had not planned on
stopping there for gas, in fact I had planned on stopping much earlier, but got too enthralled with the
audio book I was listening to. I had no plans to meet this man’s need, but God did.
As Peter and John entered the temple that afternoon, they were on the way to corporate prayer. They
had no plans to meet this lame man’s needs, if they had I think Luke, who is quite detailed in his writing, would have said so. They were on their way to afternoon prayers as they were every day. But they were
on mission, and suddenly the Spirit quietly prompted them to stop and pay attention to this man. And a
moment later without either Peter or John speaking to each other the words flowed from Peter “Look at
us” and then “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” (Acts 3:6). We too need to be on mission as we go to work, as we get gas, as
we shop, as we gather at events, as we travel, be ready to share Christ, show your faith and love on
those around you.
What an amazing story! Key takeaways:
1. Daily Prayer – find someone every day this week and pray with them – make praying with
someone a daily a habit
2. Your faith is contagious, be on mission and ready to share your faith with someone at any time –
be looking for those opportunities to share.
3. Reflect and be in wonder and amazement at the miracle of salvation you have through Jesus
Christ
4. If you’re not a believer in Jesus Christ, what are you waiting for? He loves you dearly and is
waiting for you. Come to Him today.
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