The Book Of Acts | Pt. 12 - Two Broke Preachers Going To Church | Pastor Jackson Lahmeyer

Acts 3:1
Broke preachers on their way to the Temple to pray = ordinary custom
God is a God of the ordinary, everyday activities of life
3 in afternoon = 9th hour = Jesus cried out, "It is finished"
One of the amazing things about a church is how people from so many backgrounds can join together
Peter & John are natural irritants
Peter & John have polar opposite personalities
Peter speaks before he thinks
John is thoughtful and deep
Peter is always getting in trouble while John is the beloved disciple
Yet these two are together on their way to church to pray
Only the power of God can bring polar opposites together like here today
Many of us are natural irritants
Yet, when we come to church we are the same = MESSED UP
Everyone in here is needing something: grace, restoration
We are all lame or crippled in some area
You can take your mask off at church
There is none righteous no not one
We are all here because we are all in need just like that lame man 2000 years ago
Acts 3:2
Born w/a birth defect
Born lame
No fault of his own
We have this in common with him
We all have a birth defect that is no doing of our own
We were born in sin
We are born with feet ready to run from God
You cannot live above sin while in this flesh
Everytime I desire to do good = evil is present
Wretched man that I AM
But like that lame man I am so glad I made it to church
I love coming to Church; encounter God at church, baptized at church, married at church, raised my kids at church
Church is the perfect place for messed up people like me
The beggar is at the gate called Beautiful
Josephus said - fine Corinthian Brass, 75ft high and double doors
Everyday this beggar came to this spot hoping church people would give him some money
Acts 3:3-5
So this beggar must have gotten excited since Peter didn't ignore him
Acts 3:6-8
Many preachers believe the worst thing they could say is "silver and gold, I have none"
What's worse than that is not being able to say "in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk"
Spiritual Power is GREATER than material resources
Story of Pope & monk
Peter grabs him by the hand = holy boldness not carnal brashness
Story of Chuck Smith (Jesus revolution)
Man in wheelchair he grabs
Next night many wheelchairs show up
"Never presume unless God leads"
Theological Problem
In Acts 4 we learn this man was 40 years old plus we know he went there everyday and was crippled from birth
This presents a problem with some views in our circle
It is almost certain during 3.5 years of Jesus ministry he went through the Gate called Beautiful and it is certain that Jesus saw this crippled man and ignored him
Why did Jesus pass this man by and not heal him?
Other crippled man at pool of Siloam
John 5:1-9
He’s asked do you want to get well? He totally misses it
It’s amazing that people come to church consistently but have no real desire to get well because getting well would require some change
It’s like when I go to the dentist to get my teeth cleaned: floss
Some people listen to me preach every week but have no interest in actually changing no matter how well I preach
We love the idea of God changing our circumstances but not the idea of God actually changing us
Now notice that I skipped verse 4 because it’s miss
Verse 4 is missing in all modern translation
Here’s why:
KJV was translated with 12th century scrolls
Modern translations are off scrolls back to the 2nd & 3rd century
Early scrolls do not have verse 4
Later scrolls do though
It seems that verse 4 is an explanation of verse 3
So let me read to you now verses 3-5
John 5:3-5
Odds are a scribe added verse 4 as an explanation for verses 3 & 5 which did take place over the centuries
But forget the debate: get the picture
First person in would get healed
Man on a mat had a disadvantage
First one in would win
But 5. 5 columns. Grace
John said Jesus came with truth and grace
Grace comes to the one who is last and says your first
This man had reasons why he couldn’t experience breakthrough
Everything he said was true and factual
But faith goes beyond the facts
Jesus skips the excuses and gives a command
I’ve learned something: breakthrough begins where excuses come to an end
Jesus tells the man to get up
So we know Jesus healed lamed people but why did he pass the one at the gate called beautiful
God heals, but sometimes God heals later
We condemn people and say if you had more faith then you'd be healed
God has a timing for his healing
Timing is just as important as His will
Purpose and reason for this man's healing being delayed
Acts 3:9-10 says, "they recognized him as the same man who used to sit begging at the temple gate called Beautiful, and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him."
Acts 4:4 says, "But many who heard the message believed; so the number of men who believed grew to about five thousand."