REVELATION

Revelation

I was sitting in the Prayer Room at my church at about 2 am last night. We have just started  a whole week of continuous prayer, yes, 168 hours. That’s not just me of course, there are loads of volunteers. But sitting there in the quiet with just a little light music playing in the background I felt God speak to me.

I turned to the Book of Revelation in the Bible and started to read about the warning being given to the seven churches.

This is what I felt that God said to me:

Be careful who you listen to because there are many who come in my name who do not actually know me.

That was it really, but I read on in Revelation and I wrote down what came into my mind.

While Jesus was on this Earth He met many religious people who simply had no idea of the Truth, who simply didn’t want to know the Truth. Yes they knew it from an academic point of view but not from a personal one.

Within the Church of God there are a wide variety of people, from poor to rich, from low social status to high, but all are fully equal in God’s eyes. None should be treated differently because of their background or how much money they have (or don’t have).

Many of the people that Jesus met were just ordinary folk, fishermen of course, but also manual workers, the unemployed, homosexuals, the sick, the mentally ill, the disabled, the deformed, prostitutes, adulterers. But He also met with teachers, Rabbi’s, politicians, employers, rich people.

But He treated them all the same.

Through His death and resurrection God gave us the free gift of  salvation. He offers us forgiveness for all and any of our sins. Past, present and future. And of course He gave us the Holy Spirit so that we could know Him fully.

It was only through God’s grace that we can all know freedom and salvation. Grace means that no matter what we have done He will love us even though we have done nothing at all to deserve it.

All of this is available to anyone who decides to change their lives, turn away from their sin and ask Jesus to take control of their lives. It really is that simple.

If we do that God has promised that not only will He forgive our sins, He will also completely forget that we ever committed them in the first place.  There is no one who cannot know this freedom. No one is so bad that Jesus cannot change Him.

Yes I know that God wants us to change but it will be in His time working within us not ours. The addict who becomes a Christian in not usually likely to be free of drugs completely on the first day. It takes time to change. No one who has been tied up or down with sin will change overnight. Although of course we can never discount miracles. The point is that the change in us will not come when others want it, when they think we are holy enough or good enough. It will only happen when  God wants it to.

Only God knows our hearts and minds fully. He is aware of our failings and our sins. Remember that there is nothing you have done that God cannot forgive.

Just to remind us we need to go back to the stories of the seven churches in Revelation and realise that we are there. No church is perfect simply because no person is perfect. Therefore we should never judge others or we are likely to be judged ourselves.

Reason 4 the season

Most of us lead pretty ordinary lives. We go to work every day or we stay at home and work there. We come home each evening and probably sit and watch the TV and then we go to bed only to repeat the same pattern the next day.

Every now and again we hear that somehow or another God has broken through into our world. Perhaps someone becomes a Christian, perhaps something that can only be described as miraculous happens.

God did this with Mary. A young girl, probably only about 14 or 15. She was betrothed to a man called Joseph and they were planning the wedding.

And then God broke into her life.

An angel went to her and said, "Greetings, you who are highly favoured! The Lord is with you." 29:Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. 30:But the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favour with God. 31:You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus.  32:He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High.

God did the same with the shepherds who were sitting on the hillside outside of Jerusalem. All around them were hundreds of sheep. They were all pretty quiet now because it was dark. Only the occasional bleat could be heard from them.

These shepherds lived out here on the hills all of the time. They had no homes as we would understand the word. They just lived with their sheep and went wherever they went.

These were very special sheep though. The lambs were bred especially for sacrifice in the Temple in Jerusalem and so the shepherds had a special responsibility.

And yet they were outcasts in the eyes of their fellow Jews. By mixing with the sheep they were seen to be ritually unclean. They never attended the synagogue because they couldn’t leave their sheep. And of course they weren't quite up to polite social conversation. So they stayed up in the hills with their sheep, just doing their job.

And then God broke into their world.

An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.  But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Saviour has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.

Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, :"Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favour rests."

First of all an angel appeared, and then the sky was lit up with a great mass of angels all singing and praising God.

God broke into the routine of their world to tell them something vitally important, that a Saviour for the people had been born.

But these miracles of God breaking into this world are not just for Christmas.

The Apostle John had been a follower of Jesus before the crucifixion and resurrection. Now about 60 years later God broke through into his life again.

This is what we read in the Book of Revelation 1:10

On the Lord's Day I was in the Spirit, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet,

12:I turned round to see the voice that was speaking to me. And when I turned I saw seven golden lampstands, 13:and among the lampstands was someone "like a son of man", dressed in a robe reaching down to his feet and with a golden sash round his chest.

14:His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing fire. 15:His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of rushing waters. His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance. 17:When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. Then he placed his right hand on me and said: "Do not be afraid..

To Mary God said “Do not be afraid”

To the shepherds in the fields God said “Do not be afraid”

To the Apostle John he said “Do not be afraid”

God wants to break into our world today and He would say to us “Do not be afraid”

“Do not be afraid” of taking a step of faith into a new life.

“Do not be afraid”  of trusting Jesus. He tells us "Come to me, all you who are weary and  burdened, and I will give you rest.  29:Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  30:For

 my yoke is easy and my burden is light."

The “Do not be afraid” of the future. Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell. Matthew 10:28

Jesus says to all people today  Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me  Revelation 3:20

Don’t be afraid to take Him up on His offer.

The Church - Place of Refuge or Judgement

Cities of Refuge

Joshua 20:1-9:  Nu 35:9-34:  Dt 4:41-43; 19:1-14

¹ Then the Lord said to Joshua: ² "Tell the Israelites to designate the cities of refuge, as I instructed you through Moses, ³ so that anyone who kills a person accidentally and unintentionally may flee there and find protection from the avenger of blood.

⁴ "When he flees to one of these cities, he is to stand in the entrance of the city gate and state his case before the elders of that city. Then they are to admit him into their city and give him a place to live with them. ⁵ If the avenger of blood pursues him, they must not surrender the one accused, because he killed his neighbor unintentionally and without malice aforethought. ⁶ He is to stay in that city until he has stood trial before the assembly and until the death of the high priest who is serving at that time. Then he may go back to his own home in the town from which he fled."

⁷ So they set apart Kedesh in Galilee in the hill country of Naphtali, Shechem in the hill country of Ephraim, and Kiriath Arba (that is, Hebron) in the hill country of Judah. ⁸ On the east side of the Jordan of Jericho^[a] they designated Bezer in the desert on the plateau in the tribe of Reuben, Ramoth in Gilead in the tribe of Gad, and Golan in Bashan in the tribe of Manasseh. ⁹ Any of the Israelites or any alien living among them who killed someone accidentally could flee to these designated cities and not be killed by the avenger of blood prior to standing trial before the assembly.

The Cities of Refuge  - A place of safety.

Canaan has now been taken and subdued. The different  tribes have been given their inheritance and things are starting to slow down after the invasion. But there is still much work to be done by Joshua and the people in carrying out the commands of God. This chapter deals with a command given in Numbers 35:1-34. God told them to appoint six cities which were to be known as “cities of refuge.” These cities were to be available to someone who has killed someone by accident. They could run to one of these cities and find safety and help.


The reason for these cities

They were to serve as a place of refuge – God made no provision for law enforcement in His law. If a man was killed it was left to his family to mete out the punishment that was prescribed in God’s law.

So when a man accidentally killed someone he could run to one of these cities, and if it was shown that his act had indeed been an accident, then he could find refuge from the family of his victim.

These cities also point out some things  about the salvation we enjoy. Just as these are a place to which a man could run in time of trouble, so Jesus is our place of safety.

We are born sinners, it isn’t our fault we are born that way, but even though it isn’t our fault we are born that way, it is our fault that we stay that way.

Now since this is true we are in trouble. In the same way that there was a death sentence for all who took another life, there is also a death sentence for all born into the human race. But Jesus is our refuge!

The provision of the cities

A. They Were Provided By God

B. They Were Provided By Grace

So it is with our salvation:

1. God initiates it
2. God provides it

Implications for today’s Church

Since Jesus is our refuge and since we as the church are supposed to be the body of Christ, it only follows that the church should be a place of refuge.

Jesus welcomed all kinds of people. Many of these people put their trust in Christ even though the world had cast them aside.

·         the demon possessed

·         the physically disfigured

·         tax-collectors

·         the unclean (lepers)

·         prostitutes

·         children

·         religious hypocrites

·         uneducated fishermen

·         people from other countries

·         the disabled

·         non-Jews

·         religious leaders

·         adulterers

and people with every other sin we can imagine.

Jesus never condoned the behaviour of these people but He still reached out to them in love. I believe this is what Jesus wants the church to do as well. He told us to love one another as He has loved us. The church should be a place where there are no class distinctions.It should be a place where anyone is welcome. It should be a place where people can find grace no matter what they have done in their past.whether they be old your young, male or female, employed or unemployed, homeless, smelly, married or unmarried,  

The problem is that the church too often becomes a place of conflict, egos, and foolish (and I believe sinful) division instead of being a place of refuge. As a result, people are pushed away from the gospel.

How would you (how would our church) respond to someone who

·         was covered with tattoos or body piercings

·         who recently had an abortion

·         is a single mother

·         Is unmarried but living with a partner

·         Is a junkie

·         Is in a homosexual relationship

·         Doesn’t believe in God

·         Is a member of another religion. i.e. Muslim.

·         Was somewhat unhygienic on a personal level

·         Or even someone who has a different theological slant or experience than you do

If we are honest, we will admit that we might reject some of these people. They might very well face the rejection of the church rather than the warmth of God’s love. The question is: why do we reject such people? Is it because Jesus doesn’t love them? He does Is it because we are “too good” for such people? We are sinners just as they are.. Is it because a person’s past (or even present) disqualifies them from God’s grace? It doesn’t. Are we afraid of being compromised?. When you really think about it, such distinctions don’t make any sense.

One of the arguments put forward is that of unrepentance or premeditated sin. God still loves the adulterer who continues to commit adultery even after becoming a Christian. He still loves the junkie who continues to take drugs after being saved. He still loves the Christian who has problems with internet porn. He still loves the Christian who has problems with lust and masturbation.

The challenge for the church today is to stand for the truth while also standing as a place where sinful people can find a place of refuge. I believe God wants the church to be a place where people can find mercy instead of judgment. Where people will look past the surface and see a person the way Jesus sees them. The church should be a place where the truth is proclaimed in love rather than with hatred or ridicule.

I truly believe that when God established the Cities of Refuge He had more in mind than just providing a place for people who killed someone by accident to go for protection. I believe God’s intention was to affirm life, establish justice, to point to the true place of refuge at the foot of the cross of Jesus and to give the church a vivid picture of what He wanted us to be.

So where do we go from here?

1. First, we have to confront our own prejudices. Why do you dismiss or shy away from certain people? Why are you glad to see some people in worship but are troubled when others show up? Confront those feelings by asking, “How would Jesus treat these people?”

2. Take an objective look at your church. If you see areas where we are building walls instead of bridges, point these things out. We should want to be a place of refuge rather than a place of condemnation.

3. Re-evaluate your position on contemporary moral hot topics by examining them from the perspective of the value of human life. Remember as you discuss these topics with others that the person you debate is one of those lives that is valuable to God. We must always show respect even (especially) to those with whom we disagree.

4.. Look for opportunities to tell people about the One who forgives even though we don’t deserve it. Be a friend to a person who is hurting. Deliberately reach out to the people who you find on the fringe of life.

Finally, if you are reading this today and you are running from your past; if you  are feeling that life is pretty hopeless; let me tell you that there is someone who can help you. His name is Jesus. He has done something that will blow your mind. He has given His life as a payment for your sin. Because of His death on the cross, you can be forgiven for your past rebellion and sin. There is no such thing as a person who is perfect. There is no one who is superior. We are all sinful people who have been cleansed and made new by a marvellous grace. We ALL sin and fall short of the glory of God.

Jesus has given His life for your sin. He has risen from the grave to prove that His promise is true. Now He wants to help you begin again. He wants to make you new. He wants to lead you in a new direction. All you have to do is ask and then trust Him to do what He promises.

You can begin that relationship with God today. With confidence in God’s promise, confess your sin to God and ask for His forgiveness and new life. Tell Him that you believe that Jesus died for you and that you are willing to trust Him to make you new. Do your best to live the life that He wants.

If you mean that prayer you will become part of God’s family. When you encounter the hostile forces of life you’ll have a new place to turn for refuge. You can turn to the Lord, and hopefully to His people, who are called the church.

The need for encouragement

Encouragements To Go Forward

Acts 18:1-17

After this, Paul left Athens and went to Corinth. ²There he met a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus, who had recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla, because Claudius had ordered all the Jews to leave Rome. Paul went to see them, ³and because he was a tentmaker as they were, he stayed and worked with them.⁴Every Sabbath he reasoned in the synagogue, trying to persuade Jews and Greeks.

 ⁵When Silas and Timothy came from Macedonia, Paul devoted himself exclusively to preaching, testifying to the Jews that Jesus was the Christ.^{[a] 6}But when the Jews opposed Paul and became abusive, he shook out his clothes in protest and said to them, "Your blood be on your own heads! I am clear of my responsibility.

From now on I will go to the Gentiles."

 ⁷Then Paul left the synagogue and went next door to the house of Titius Justus, a worshiper of God. ⁸Crispus, the synagogue ruler, and his entire household believed in the Lord; and many of the Corinthians who heard him believed and were baptized.  ⁹One night the Lord spoke to Paul in a vision: "Do not be afraid; keep on speaking, do not be silent. ¹⁰For I am with you, and no one is going to attack and harm you, because I have many people in this city." ¹¹So Paul stayed for a year and a half, teaching them the word of God.  ¹²While Gallio was proconsul of Achaia, the Jews made a united attack on Paul and brought him into court. ¹³"This man," they charged, "is persuading the people to worship God in ways contrary to the law."  ¹⁴Just as Paul was about to speak, Gallio said to the Jews, "If you Jews were making a complaint about some misdemeanor or serious crime, it would be reasonable for me to listen to you. ¹⁵But since it involves questions about words and names and your own law—settle the matter yourselves. I will not be a judge of such things." ¹⁶So he had them ejected from the court.¹⁷Then they all turned on Sosthenes the synagogue ruler and beat him in front of the court. But Gallio showed no concern whatever. ¹⁸Paul stayed on in Corinth for some time. Then he left the brothers and sailed for Syria, accompanied by Priscilla and Aquila.


According to legend the devil once advertised all of his evil tools for sale at a public auction. When all of the prospective buyers arrived they noticed that there was one oddly shaped tool, which was labelled

“Not for sale.”

 When he was asked to explain why this was, the devil answered, “I can spare all of  my other tools, but I cannot spare this one. It is the most useful implement that I have. It is called Discouragement, and with it I can work my way into peoples hearts which would otherwise be  inaccessible. When I get this tool into a man’s heart, the way is open for me to plant anything there I may desire.”

If there is one thing that is constant it is that we all are subject to discouragement. There is no shortage of discouragements to hinder the work of God.

The Bible is full of men of God who at times became discouraged. And I know full well that you and I get discouraged from time to time.

Looking at our reading from Acts I think that there are three things that contributed to Paul’s discouragement in the ministry.

Firstly, The Enormous Strain of the Work.

Paul arrived in the largest and probably the most wicked city in Greece, the city of Corinth.  

Sitting high above the city of Corinth was the temple of Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of love. In those days  the city of Corinth was well known for it’s immorality. When Paul arrived he soon realised that there was so much work to be done and the enormity of the work was discouraging.

Secondly, The Small Success of the Work.

Now we are told that all that is asked of us as Christians is that we should be faithful and that the success is up to God. And that is true, but we all like to see growth and success in the work of the Lord that we may be involved with. And while Paul saw some success on his travels he has been basically chased out of every place he has been to. While he has seen some people get saved and come to the Lord he still sees the masses of people rejecting the truth

and that is discouraging.

Then finally,   The Isolation of the Work.

Paul is called to do a lot of the work alone or with just one or two at his side helping him. You would think more people would get involved and more people would be excited and more people would re-prioritise their lives to help.

But sad to say much of the time when you travel God’s path it is a lonely and isolated path and that is discouraging.

So we have to realise at the start that Satan is a discourager while God is an encourager. And does not bring discouragement to us.

However, Satan loves to discourage us, it’s something he has become very good at.Right at the beginning of all things in Genesis 3 we find Eve standing at the tree in the Garden of Eden and Satan in the form of the serpent saying

“did God REALLY say”.

Satan loves to try to take way our faith. He loves to discourage us by making us question what God has said. But I am grateful that even while the devil is active in discouraging us, God is at work to encourage us. While the devil is trying to drag us down, God is working to lift us up. While the devil aims at getting us to give up, God is working to encourage us to keep up the good fight.

And here we are given

“Three Encouragements to Keep Going.”

I. The Partnership Of Friends- verses 1-5a

One of the greatest encouragements given by God are Christian friends. It is always tougher if we have to bear things alone. Remember in our reading that Silas and Timothy are still in Macedonia.

So God knew that Paul needed someone to help him carry the burdens of the work. So what does God do? God stirs up a little trouble in Rome. God puts it on the heart of the Roman Emperor Claudius to expel all Jews from Rome.

As a result of that a man called Aquila and his wife Priscilla came from Rome  to Corinth. It seems that Aquila and Priscilla had a tent making business that they set up in Corinth.

Paul also just happened to be a tentmaker and so he began to work with Aquila and Priscilla in their business. This gave him the funds for his support so that he could go into the synagogue every Sabbath and reason with the Jews and Greeks and tell them about Jesus Christ. What a blessing Aquila and Priscilla were to Paul.

They became his best and closest friends.Then God sent Silas and Timothy from Macedonia to Corinth to reunite with Paul. So God  not only blessed Paul with two new friends but brought back to him two old friends as well. And their return must have greatly encouraged Paul for the scriptures say that every Sabbath Paul reasoned in the synagogue, trying to persuade the  Jews and the Greeks

I think as Christians we ought to stand for what is right even if we have to stand-alone. But I want to add, it is a whole lot easier to stand for what is right against the pressure of opposition if there are those who will support, strengthen and stand with us. Thank God for friends who God puts in our path and in our life who will encourage us in the work of the Lord.

I am sure that there have been many times in the past when you have felt very discouraged but a friend has come along at just the right time with just the right encouragement.

II. The Positive Results- verses 5b-8

In 1782 Charles Simeon was appointed as Minister of Trinity Church in England. He was a very evangelical preacher which caused a few problems in the Liberal Anglican Church in the 18^th century.

But the loneliness as a Christian that Simeon experienced as a college student was replaced by the active opposition of his new parishioners. The congregation didn’t like Simeon's biblical preaching and would have preferred the assistant Mr. Hammond, to become rector of the parish.

They showed their displeasure toward Simeon by not attending church and by locking the small doors of their personal pews (which most churches had at the time).

At times, they even locked the doors of the church to prevent Simeon from holding additional services. But Simeon kept going and remained Minister of the parish for 54 years, gradually winning over his parishioners and making a great impact that reached well beyond the city of Cambridge.

The question is what was it that kept Charles Simeon going forward in the middle of this most discouraging situation?

It was this.

While many did not want him, some did.

While many did not come, some did.

While many were unaffected by his ministry, many were.

While much was discouraging, he saw hope in the situation.

Here is what he wrote:

“In this state of things I saw no remedy but faith and patience. The passage of Scripture which subdued and controlled my mind was this, And the Lord's servant must not quarrel; instead, he must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful’

It must have been painful  to see the church, almost empty;

but I thought that if God would only give a double blessing to the congregation that did attend, there would on the whole be as much good done as if the congregation were doubled and the blessing limited to only half the amount. This comforted me many, many times, when, without such a reflection, I should have sunk under my burden.”

We can either dwell on the negative and be discouraged or we can encourage ourselves on the positive results. Look and see, even though many don’t grow an inch, some have grown. Many visitors did not come back, but some did. Many lost people still remain lost, but some trusted in Jesus as their Saviour. The church may remain basically the same but then again it may take off like wildfire. Don’t look at what God has not done but dwell on all that God has done.

III. The Promises Of God- verses 9-11

While it is true that friends encourage us and positive results encourage us, the greatest encouragement of all is the Lord himself.

The Lord speaks to Paul and tells him,

"Do not be afraid; keep on speaking, do not be silent. ¹⁰For I am with you, and no one is going to attack and harm you, because I have many people in this city."

God says, “keep on speaking, do not be silent.” Don’t stop, don’t quit, don’t give up, but speak.

Then the promise, “for I am with you”.

Aquila and Priscilla may not be there. Silas and Timothy may not be there. There may be no earthy presence there at all but don’t be afraid to speak up, for I am with you. Not just Paul 2000 years ago, God is with YOU now, today. Here is the promise of God’s presence. What an encouragement it is to have God on your side.

Another promise is made here as well,     “no one is going to attack and harm you”  there is divine protection. Not only will God be present but also he will be there to protect. And they tried to attack and harm Paul.. In verses 12-17 they try to come against Paul

“While Gallio was proconsul of Achaia, the Jews made a united attack on Paul and brought him into court. ¹³"This man," they charged, "is persuading the people to worship God in ways contrary to the law."” .

But it all came to nothing as the matter was dismissed.

There is a third promise here. Not just a promise of presence, and protection, but a promise of power.   

God says, “I have many people in this city.”

What did that mean?  

God had followers, believers, in the city. Some commentators think that God was even referring to angels. Friends are great encouragers and results are encouraging but when God comes to you and promises his presence, protection, and power, you have every reason to keep on going forward.

I know that there are those of you who are are going through difficult times and that hard decisions are having to be made. I know that many of you will be feeling discouraged and even angry.

But I would encourage you to look at this story of Paul in the Bible, as well as many others, which show us very clearly that good can come from bad if we allow God to take charge of the situation.

So thank God for the friends who stand with you. Thank God for Positive Results that give you hope. And thank God for his promises of presence, protection and power that keep us moving forward for him.

The untouchables

TITLE: He asked for alms and was given legs!
Acts 3:1-10

 ¹One day Peter and John were going up to the temple at the time of prayer—at three in the afternoon. ²Now a man crippled from birth was being carried to the temple gate called Beautiful, where he was put every day to beg from those going into the temple courts. ³When he saw Peter and John about to enter, he asked them for money. ⁴Peter looked straight at him, as did John. Then Peter said, "Look at us!" ⁵So the man gave them his attention, expecting to get something from them.  ⁶Then Peter said, "Silver or gold I do not have, but what I have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk." ⁷Taking him by the right hand, he helped him up, and instantly the man's feet and ankles became strong. ⁸He jumped to his feet and began to walk. Then he went with them into the temple courts, walking and jumping, and praising God. ⁹When all the people saw him walking and praising God, ¹⁰they 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.

All around us are many people who are hurting for one reason or another. Church is  or should be, the place for the lonely.

In His first preaching engagement Jesus quoted Isaiah when He said

"The Spirit of the Lord is on me,  because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor.   He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners  and recovery of sight for the blind,  to release the oppressed, ¹⁹to proclaim the year of the Lord's favour. Luke 4:8

But you know the problem with so many of our churches is that we often pass by the hurting people in our world. Acts 3 is an account of a disabled beggar who Peter and John met one day outside the temple in Jerusalem.

This beggar was a hurting man.

He had sat near the temple everyday of his life and no one really noticed him sitting there. From this story I think we can learn some valuable lessons about how to minister to those people around our churches who are hurting like this beggar.

¹One day Peter and John were going up to the temple at the time of prayer—at three in the afternoon. Acts 3:1

Let’s stop here for a moment and keep in mind that this is at the beginning of the church and so believers in Christ still went to the Temple to pray because there was nowhere else. .

In fact, Acts 2:46 says that the believers were meeting in the temple area on a daily basis.
Verse 2, Now a man crippled from birth was being carried to the temple gate called Beautiful, where he was put every day to beg from those going into the temple courts.

We need to understand that the giving of alms, giving money, to the poor, was an important part of the Jewish faith and so many Jews going to the temple would give to these beggars over and over again as a way of fulfilling their religious duty.

Verse 3 says, “When he saw Peter and John about to enter, he asked them for money. Peter looked straight at him, as did John. Then Peter, said, ‘Look at us!’ So the man gave them his attention, expecting to get something from them.”

Maybe it was the Holy Spirit that tugged at his heart, but he gave this man his full attention. The Bible says that Peter looked straight at the man.Now the Bible says the beggar expected to get something from Peter and John.

But Verse 6 records Peter’s words.

“"Silver or gold I do not have, but what I have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.".”

And verse 7 says,

“Taking him by the right hand, he helped him up, and instantly the man's feet and ankles became strong. ⁸He jumped to his feet and began to walk..”

Peter would take no credit for it. Jesus was working this miracle. It was Jesus alone who had the power to change lives.

Verse 8, “Then he went with them into the temple courts, walking and jumping, and praising God. ⁹When all the people saw him walking and praising God, ¹⁰they 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.”

 Notice four specific things Peter and John did in order to minister to this man that we as Christians and churches should do to minister to those in around us.

First, notice that

PETER AND JOHN GOT OUT INTO THE COMMUNITY AND MET LOST PEOPLE.

Maybe you could build a relationship with a waitress  or your hairdresser, or another  regular customer like yourself and then  get an opportunity  to tell them about Jesus?

Secondly,  

PETER AND JOHN WERE PERCEPTIVE AND RESPONDED TO THE MAN’S  HURT.

Peter responded in exactly the opposite way that most people respond to beggars..It’s likely that thousands of people were flocking to hear them preach each day, they were famous and yet they noticed one single little beggar.

Notice also that

PETER AND JOHN WERE WILLING TO TOUCH THE UNWANTED.  

Verse 7 says that Peter took this man by the right hand and helped him up.

Peter was the only one amongst thousands of people that day who was willing to touch the untouchable. I mean, would you be willing to reach down and touch a filthy homeless crippled beggar on the street.

This man was an irritant to society, harassing people as they entered to worship!

The single mother who has been  abandoned by her husband.

The widower whose wife committed suicide.

The drug addict, whose pusher still calls him everyday trying to hook him again.

The person who has HIV.

The teenager whose parents kicked her out after she told them she was pregnant.

Sadly, most churches are not willing to deal with the untouchable.

And if we as Christian churches say we really want to reach lost souls then we had better be willing to touch some “beggars.”

One last thing,

 PETER AND JOHN GAVE THE MAN WHAT HE TRULY NEEDED.

What he truly needed was Jesus!

And it does very little good to bring people to our churches if they aren’t a place where non-believers can encounter Christ.

The end