Bible Study - Thrive - Purpose Restored (3) - Acts 3:14-26 - September 15, 2024

 

Thrive – Purpose Restored (3) – Acts 3:14-26 – September 15, 2024

Through faith in JESUS, we can be forgiven and restored to the purpose for which GOD created us.

Our focus scripture is Acts 3:14-26.

Placing our faith in JESUS is a huge step of faith and trust. Will we be able to hold out? What will others think about us? Can we trust JESUS to save us from Hell?

Just know this, when a person places his/her faith in JESUS, a Spiritual conception takes place quicker than the twinkle of the eye through the miracle of being Spiritually, “Born-again.” A person is eternally bonded to GOD and JESUS for all eternity through Spiritual birth. We may journey through the muck and mire of life but our faith in JESUS, guarantees all who are redeemed by HIS shed blood are eternally secure.

Satan is our accuser, and his desire is to defeat us but always keep in mind 1 John 4: ⁴ You are from God, little children, and you have conquered them, because the one (JESUS) who is in you is greater than the one (Satan) who is in the world.

Let’s read Acts 3:1-26:

Healing of a Lame Man

3:1 Now Peter and John were going up to the temple for the time of prayer at three in the afternoon.^[a] 

Peter and John were going to the temple to pray at three in the afternoon, when they encountered an opportunity. How often do we have plans, and circumstances change our focus based upon what we may encounter along our planned journey?

Peter and John had such an encounter. Let’s explore!!!

The Jews, in general, prayed three times a day – morning, mid-day, and evening.

“Copied from Chabad.org - Jewish Law makes it our duty to pray three times daily: in the morning, in the afternoon and at nightfall. These prayers are called morning prayer (shacharit), afternoon prayer (minchah) and evening prayer (arvith or maariv).

Our Sages tell us that the custom of praying three times a day was originally introduced by our Patriarchs, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Abraham introduced prayer in the morning, Isaac—in the afternoon, and Jacob added one at night.¹”

We read in 1 Thessalonians 5: ¹⁵ See that none of you repays evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to all. ¹⁶ Rejoice always, ¹⁷ pray constantly, ¹⁸ give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. ¹⁹ Do not quench the Spirit, ²⁰ do not despise prophesying, ²¹ but test everything; hold fast what is good, ²² abstain from every form of evil.

²³ May the God of peace himself sanctify you wholly; and may your spirit and soul and body be kept sound and blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. ²⁴ He who calls you is faithful, and he will do it.

Our part, as “born-again” people is to trust, obey and go as called and led by the Holy Spirit. As we go, GOD gives us opportunities to serve.

Recently my wife and I were in a store and a lady seemed to be frantically searching her purse for something. We stopped and asked her if we could help her? She said she had lost her credit card. We paused and prayed with her and as we finished praying, she had a card in her hand. I asked her, “What is that?” “She said it is my missing card. It was in my purse.” We rejoiced in answered prayer.

Back to our scripture:

² A man who was lame from birth was being carried there. He was placed each day at the temple gate called Beautiful, so that he could beg from those entering the temple. ³ When he saw Peter and John about to enter the temple, he asked for money. ⁴ Peter, along with John, looked straight at him and said, “Look at us.” ⁵ So he turned to them, expecting to get something from them. ⁶ But Peter said, “I don’t have silver or gold, but what I do have, I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, get up and walk!” 

Peter instructed the lame man who had been lame man from birth to look at him. Why? Because this man’s life was about to be dramatically changed from being lame to being fully restored. He would not need to beg for money any longer. A new way of life would be given to him, and an opportunity would be opened for all who would witness this forthcoming miracle to receive JESUS as their Savior and be Spirit-born.

Peter said, “I don’t have silver or gold” but what he did have was more valuable than all the silver and/or gold in the world. Silver or gold could not meet the needs of this poor soul, lame since birth, but JESUS could.

Peter said, “get up and walk” is the clarion sound which comes only from faith in GOD and faith in JESUS.

As Spirit-born Christians, what do we have? We have the exact same JESUS in us as the Apostle Peter and the other disciples had in them.

Some may say, “but they had a special calling.” True! And those who have been Spirit-born also have the Holy Spirit in them WHO, in turn, are gifted with Spiritual Gifts to be used by that person to minister to others. What is your Spiritual Gift and are you using it or them to Glorify GOD and JESUS?

There are various Spiritual Gifts and we who have been born by the Spirit of GOD are to use our Spiritual Gift or Gifts as directed by the indwelling Holy Spirit.

Often, we look for the dramatic but a cup of water, a word of encouragement, a smile, or a helping hand ministers to others. Often, small steps, as led by the Holy Spirit, lead those desiring to minister to others to larger steps. Reading on ---

⁷ Then, taking him by the right hand he raised him up, and at once his feet and ankles became strong. ⁸ So he jumped up and started to walk, and he entered the temple with them—walking, leaping, and praising God. ⁹ All the people saw him walking and praising God, ¹⁰ and they recognized that he was the one who used to sit and beg at the Beautiful Gate of the temple. So, they were filled with awe and astonishment at what had happened to him.

As we approach the second coming of JESUS, I believe we will witness the outpouring of the Holy Spirit to prepare us, who know the truth, to reach out to the people of earth to help prepare them for HIS coming. We, who have been born-again, through faith in JESUS, will witness within ourselves and other brothers and sisters in JESUS, the witness of the manifestation of the Holy Spirit. This manifestation is not for show but for drawing people to a saving knowledge of faith in JESUS, The Promised Messiah.

Healing this man in the name of JESUS, who had been lame from birth, was a dramatic witness to those in the temple area. The crucifixion of JESUS was still in the minds of those in the temple area. JESUS had been resurrected from the physically dead, physically ascended into Heaven and now sits at the right-hand of GOD, HIS FATHER.

Just think, if Peter had money to give to this lame man, it is likely that there would not have been a miracle. We must trust GOD as HE leads us to ministry. Go teach GOD’S Word, make disciples, and respond to the opportunity or opportunities GOD reveals to us as we walk with JESUS.

Preaching in Solomon’s Colonnade

¹¹ While he^[b] was holding on to Peter and John, all the people, utterly astonished, ran toward them in what is called Solomon’s Colonnade. ¹² When Peter saw this, he addressed the people: “Fellow Israelites, why are you amazed at this? Why do you stare at us, as though we had made him walk by our own power or godliness? ¹³ The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God of our ancestors, has glorified his servant Jesus, whom you handed over and denied before Pilate, though he had decided to release him. ¹⁴ You denied the Holy and Righteous One and asked to have a murderer released to you. ¹⁵ You killed the source^[c] of life, whom God raised from the dead; we are witnesses of this. ¹⁶ By faith in his name, his name has made this man strong, whom you see and know. So, the faith that comes through Jesus has given him this perfect health in front of all of you.

¹⁷ “And now, brothers and sisters, I know that you acted in ignorance, just as your leaders also did. ¹⁸ In this way God fulfilled what he had predicted through all the prophets—that his Messiah would suffer. ¹⁹ Therefore repent and turn back, so that your sins may be wiped out, ²⁰ that seasons of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that he may send Jesus, who has been appointed for you as the Messiah. ²¹ Heaven must receive him until the time of the restoration of all things, which God spoke about through his holy prophets from the beginning. ²² Moses said:^[d] The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your brothers. You must listen to everything he tells you. ²³ And everyone who does not listen to that prophet will be completely cut off from the people.^[e]

The Apostle Peter was led to preach the Gospel of salvation to those who had witnessed the miracle of the healing and restoration of this man lame since birth. Repent and turn back.

Repent – Means you were heading in the wrong direction, so Stop and turn around. Place your faith in the very ONE you either witnessed or heard about being crucified for claiming to be “the King of the Jews.”

GOD gives every person the opportunity to repent and ask HIM for forgiveness for his/her sins through faith in JESUS THE CHRIST.

In John 19: ¹⁹ Pilate also wrote a title and put it on the cross; it read, “Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews.” ²⁰ Many of the Jews read this title, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city; and it was written in Hebrew, in Latin, and in Greek. ²¹ The chief priests of the Jews then said to Pilate, “Do not write, ‘The King of the Jews,’ but, ‘This man said, I am King of the Jews.’” ²² Pilate answered, “What I have written I have written.” I believe that was Pilate’s statement of faith in JESUS.

²⁴ “In addition, all the prophets who have spoken, from Samuel and those after him, have also foretold these days. ²⁵ You are the sons^[f] of the prophets and of the covenant that God made with your ancestors, saying to Abraham, And all the families of the earth will be blessed through your offspring.^[g] 26 God raised up his servant^[h] and sent him first to you to bless you by turning each of you from your evil ways.”

Why did GOD choose those who will know the truth of salvation through faith in JESUS and experience the miracle of Spiritual Birth? It was to bless us with eternal life through faith in JESUS and for each of us to share the Good News of Salvation through faith in JESUS to all to whom the Holy Spirit leads us. 

Just a cup of cold water quinches the thirst of all who need salvation.

Is JESUS calling you to turn around and let HIM direct your path and trust HIM as you walk with HIM?

Blessings!!!