Scripture

“Now Peter and John were going up to the temple at the hour of prayer, the ninth hour. And a man lame from birth was being carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple that is called the Beautiful Gate to ask alms of those entering the temple. Seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple, he asked to receive alms. And Peter directed his gaze at him, as did John, and said, ‘Look at us.’ And he fixed his attention on them, expecting to receive something from them.

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!’ And he took him by the right hand and raised him up, and immediately his feet and ankles were made strong. And leaping up, he stood and began to walk, and entered the temple with them, walking and leaping and praising God. And all the people saw him walking and praising God, 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.” -Acts 3:1-10 (ESV)

Worship

I want to highlight the lyrics from the worship song we opened this day with:

“‘Cause I see You taking ground / Oh, I see You press ahead / And Your power is dangerous to the enemy’s camp / You still do miracles / You will do what You said / For You’re the same God now as You’ve always been / Your Spirit breaking out;
Your Kingdom moving in / Your victory claims the ground that the enemy had / You still do miracles / And You will do what You said / For You’re the same God now as You’ve always been.” – “That’s the Power” by Hillsong Worship

Ordinary People, Extraordinary Power

Ordinary, unschooled men who had spent time with Jesus and trusted in God’s authority and miracles broke out, salvations came by the thousands, and bound men were set free! That’s the radical life of Christ in you! It’s time we move in this reality with the assurance that Jesus breaks ground ahead of us.

I have written on this passage of Scripture before, but instead of our focus being on the crippled beggar, I want to zero in on Peter’s words: “‘Look at us! … In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk’ (Acts 3:4, 6).”

Peter and John gave the man exactly what he needed because they knew exactly what they had to give him: the manifested power of Jesus. We have come to rely on the wealth and provision of the Church to solve the needs of mankind. We invite others to come to the Church for benevolence, food, and, sometimes, good counsel for living. But do people come in their destitution to receive the power in the name of Jesus from your lips? Does His name have the ability to break strongholds of poverty? Yes. Does His name have the power to resurrect dead things to life, something gold and silver never could? Yes. So why have we gotten so comfortable directing people to our wealth and resources rather than the power of Jesus?

I received word this weekend that the blind man who was healed from his blindness in South Asia on our trip last spring brought nine more families to the local church that was started after our time there. We didn’t empty our pockets for this man; we brought him the power of Jesus. And because of the power of Jesus being evidenced in one life, a whole village is encountering Him. They are turning to Jesus as entire families because of the power of Jesus!

“… and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.” -Acts 3:10b

The question we must beg to ask is how did Peter and John go from an understanding of their salvation to the demonstrative manifestation of the power of God through them? What catalyzed such faith? How was it that this very Scripture evidenced the resurrected Christ through these simple apostles: “Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles (Acts 2:43)”?

Let’s go back to a critical moment when Jesus prophesied what we would look like and what we would do: “‘But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth (Acts 1:8).’”

Peter and John knew they did not need to have physical resources to manifest the power of God for healing and deliverance. They just needed to move in His power. They needed to let it flow from their lips to the man in need. In confidence that Christ would come through, they commanded the man to fix his eyes on them: “‘Look at us!’” If Jesus promised that they would receive power, then there was no need to doubt, question, or resist. It was time to respond to that promise!

Are you confident to say to the one who is stuck (emotionally, mentally, physically or spiritually), “Look at me”? Are you confident to say to the one who is blind (emotionally, mentally, physically or spiritually), “Look at me”? They have nowhere else to look and nowhere else to receive the power of Jesus when God intersects them with you. That is your moment to show them the life of Christ that has been deposited in you for their awe and wonder! Church, we have to stop sending them elsewhere or telling them to look here or there. It’s time we say to the lost and destitute and dying, “Look at me because I am going to bring you Jesus!”

Our Present Responsibility

“In one moment, on the day of Pentecost, the Church stopped being a ragtag prayer huddle in an obscure upper room. Suddenly from Heaven, they became a global force supervised by an invisible person who was at once enveloping the world with conviction and serving as commander in chief of the armed forces of the Body of Christ on Earth. And doing it with all the power God the Father had given to Jesus.” -Mario Murillo, “Vessels of Fire and Glory”

“And you killed the Author of life, whom God raised from the dead. To this we are witnesses. And his name—by faith in his name—has made this man strong whom you see and know, and the faith that is through Jesus has given the man this perfect health in the presence of you all.” -Acts 3:15-16 (ESV)

The pressure is off for us as believers in Christ to “perform” this power; but the pressure is on to conform to it! We don’t get a pass on this life of Christ that lives in us for the sake of the world! We can’t afford to say, “Come to my church,” and hope people will encounter Jesus. That’s your calling and your assignment. You get to bring them a powerful encounter with the Lover of their souls!

“Live with a holy sense of urgency, as if today could be your last. Jonathan Edwards, a pastor God used to fuel a Great Awakening in the church, wrote in his resolutions that he would recite every day, ‘Resolved, To think much, on all occasions, of my own dying, and of the common circumstances which attend death.’ … You and I need to remember that our homes and our health and our bank accounts and our vehicles and our jobs and our comforts in this life guarantee us nothing in this world. One day (and it could be today) they’re all going to be gone, so we need to remind ourselves to live today for what lasts forever.” -David Platt, “Something Needs to Change: A Call to Make Your Life Count in a World of Urgent Need”

The Power of Jesus’ Name

There is power in the name of Jesus to set captives free and open prison doors. There is power in the name of Jesus to heal the sick and comfort the brokenhearted. There is power in the name of Jesus to manifest His wonders and miracles through sons and daughters who have availed themselves to the love of God and the ministry of Jesus. I beseech you, in this hour of urgency, to live for Christ and let His power and His life overflow through you.

“The same Peter who denied Jesus now spoke with boldness and led thousands into repentance and salvation through Jesus. It is impossible to be Spirit-filled and live apathetically. There is an overflow that will come as you allow the Holy Spirit to consume you. Your ‘dry season’ is over. Jesus says that you shall live in overflow … This is the life God has for you, a life of overflow. God wants to fill you with His Holy Spirit to spark wildfires everywhere you go!” -Jessi Green, “Wildfires”

Brothers and sisters, let His power flow through the very name of Jesus on your lips. These are your greatest days and, like the crippled man or the crowds, you, too, will watch with awe and wonder at what God is about to do!