ACTS: ALIGNING WITH GOD'S SOVEREIGN WORK OF DISCIPLING

VI. God's Starting The Church's Outreach To The World

(Acts 3:1-16)

I. Introduction

A. The book of Acts explains "the orderly and sovereignly directed progress of the kingdom message from Jews to Gentiles, and from Jerusalem to Rome," Bible Knowledge Commentary, New Testament, p. 351.

B. Accordingly, we can learn much about aligning our ministry efforts with God's sovereign work from studying the Early Church era as presented in the book of Acts.

C. Acts 3:1-16 records how God began to cause the Church to reach the world, the fulfillment of the Great Commission in Matthew 28:19-20 to "go" and disciple all nations. We view it for our insight and application:

II. God's Starting The Church's Outreach To The World, Acts 3:1-16.

A. Though the Early Church of Acts 2 had an effective witness with surrounding fellow Hebrews so that God was adding daily to the Church those who were being saved (Acts 2:47b), this fledgling group of believers had yet to fulfill Christ's Great Commission of going into all the world to disciple the nations, Matthew 28:19-20.

B. For this reason, the event in Acts 3:1-16 of Peter and John's healing of the lame man in the temple and the great results of that event mark a turning point in the history of the Early Church, and reveals God's work of beginning to extend the Church's functions outward to reach the world for Christ (as follows):

1. Peter and John began this key event by walking together, Acts 3:1a. Walking together signaled that they agreed with each other (Amos 3:3) and hence that they were in spiritual fellowship with one another, an important requirement for a good testimony before the world according to Jesus in John 13:34-35.

2. Peter and John headed to the temple at the hour of prayer, the ninth hour which was 3 p. m., the time of the daily evening temple sacrifice, Acts 3:1c; Ryrie Study Bible, KJV, 1978, ftn. to Acts 3:1. As such, these believers were in fellowship with the Lord.

3. Peter and John went to the temple where other Hebrews headed at the time of the evening sacrifice and prayer to the temple, meaning Peter and John were going to contact people in the world. (Acts 3:1b)

4. Having contacted people in the world, Peter and John faced a human need, Acts 3:2-3:

a. A man who had been lame from birth was daily carried to the Beautiful gate of the temple where he could ask people who were entering the temple for money for his livelihood, Acts 3:2.

b. Seeing Peter and John about to enter the temple, the lame man naturally asked them for money, Acts 3:3.

5. Peter and John addressed this need in God's gifting, Acts 3:4-8:

a. The two Christians had no wealth to donate to the lame man, so Peter directed the man to look on him and John to see that they were not dressed like the wealthy, that they had no money to give him, Acts 3:4-5.

b. Peter then stated that he had no silver or gold to give the lame man, but such as he did have he was about to give him, and Peter then exercised his God-given gift as an apostle (cf. Ephesians 4:11a) to heal people (cf. Acts 5:15-16; 20:9-10) by telling him in the name of Jesus of Nazareth to rise up and walk, Acts 3:6.

c. Taking the lame man by his right hand, Peter lifted him up, and the lame man's feet and ankle bones received strength to where he could leap up, walk, and enter the temple with Peter and John, walking, leaping, and praising God, Acts 3:7-8!

6. Having gained the interest of a crowd, Peter gave the glory to God and testified of Christ, Acts 3:9-13a.

7. Peter's testimony was relevant to the crowd, clarifying that this healing came from Christ whom they had condemned to be crucified, implying that repentance and faith was in order for the crowd, Acts 3:13b-16.

Lesson: God began to extend the Church's outreach to the world as believers fellowshipped with one another and with the Lord, as they were in contact with people in the lost world, as they met what human need they encountered in the world that they could meet in God's equipping, as they testified of Christ to those whose interest they had gained and as they made their message relevant to their hearers so they knew what God wanted them to do.

Application: (1) May we focus on our walk with the Lord and our fellowship with other believers of like faith as the first requirement necessary to being used of the Lord to reach the lost for Christ. (2) May we also interact with people in the world that God might bring us into contact with human need that He equips us to address. (3) When that need becomes obvious, may we address it in the spiritual gifting of the Lord, and as the Lord continues to open doors of communication with the lost, may we make the message clear and relevant to our hearers so that they clearly understand what God wants them to do.