Getting lifted up
This week is on Acts 3:7-16:
These verses are a story from the Acts of the Apostles, which is a collection of stories of things the first people in the church did after Jesus was resurrected. It's like an appetizer menu of what would become the worldwide church. Every Christian should read it, especially when wondering "What do I do now that I'm saved from hell?"
In this story, Peter and John encounter a well-known beggar, only instead of giving him money to stay broken, they heal him with the power Jesus gave them. That healing gives them the attention of everyone, which lets them share the gospel. It's what modern Christians would probably call "power evangelism." God's power turns heads.
What happened here was truly miraculous, but nobody tried to claim credit for it for themselves. The miracle wasn't because of their prayer and fasting, or their slavish attention to doctrinal excellence, or their holiness and exceptionally righteous behavior. The miracle was because of God's power, which God uses for God's glory. Peter and John were just the delivery boys and they knew it. There was no self-congratulatory "I did this!" or "Behold our winning ministry and superior denomination!" There was nothing to take credit for. It was all God's show.
Peter and John break down that man-worshiping attitude. "Why do you stare at us as if by our own power or godliness we had made this man walk?" The guys in the van dropping off my tasty stewed pork chops are not going to be able to tell me the recipe. The actor is not Shakespeare. The ambassador is not the king.
But if you didn't know who these people represented, you could easily get confused. If the only time you ever got good food was from guys in a van, you'd assume they made it themselves. If you didn't know how to read and you saw your first play, you'd assume those strangely dressed people were the most eloquent and expressive people in the world. If you needed to make a deal with a far-off country, and the guy in the mansion seemed to have the authority to make that deal, you'd assume he was the king, not the king's servant. And the same goes with God's miraculous power when seen by those who don't know who God is or who haven't learned who man is.
When we hear about great Christians, or meet them, we often marvel at their gifts. But those gifts aren't to glorify them any more than the pizza you ordered is supposed to glorify the delivery boy. Those gifts are supposed to glorify their maker, their creator, the one who gave them to the people we marvel at. A worthless beggar got healed, not to glorify Peter and John, or attest to their righteousness, but to glorify God. "By faith in the name of Jesus, this man whom you see and know was made strong. It is Jesus' name and the faith that comes through him that has completely healed him, as you can all see."
It's interesting that it's a worthless beggar who got healed. Now he's anything but worthless, because he's the runway model for God's glory. As he struts around with his new legs, everyone is seeing God's power and compassion. It's the same for us when we perform miracles or do any kind of ministry. Without God's power, love, salvation, etc, we're as worthless as that beggar. Just like he used that beggar to glorify himself and reach out to us, he uses us to glorify himself and reach out to others. It's a greater honor than we deserve.
It's useful to read a story like this and think about it. We can learn that:
Taking him by the right hand, he helped him up, and instantly the man’s feet and ankles became strong. He jumped to his feet and began to walk. Then he went with them into the temple courts, walking and jumping, and praising God. When all the people saw him walking and praising God, 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.
While the man held on to Peter and John, all the people were astonished and came running to them in the place called Solomon’s Colonnade. When Peter saw this, he said to them: “Fellow Israelites, why does this surprise you? Why do you stare at us as if by our own power or godliness we had made this man walk? The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified his servant Jesus. You handed him over to be killed, and you disowned him before Pilate, though he had decided to let him go. You disowned the Holy and Righteous One and asked that a murderer be released to you. You killed the author of life, but God raised him from the dead. We are witnesses of this. By faith in the name of Jesus, this man whom you see and know was made strong. It is Jesus’ name and the faith that comes through him that has completely healed him, as you can all see.
These verses are a story from the Acts of the Apostles, which is a collection of stories of things the first people in the church did after Jesus was resurrected. It's like an appetizer menu of what would become the worldwide church. Every Christian should read it, especially when wondering "What do I do now that I'm saved from hell?"
In this story, Peter and John encounter a well-known beggar, only instead of giving him money to stay broken, they heal him with the power Jesus gave them. That healing gives them the attention of everyone, which lets them share the gospel. It's what modern Christians would probably call "power evangelism." God's power turns heads.
What happened here was truly miraculous, but nobody tried to claim credit for it for themselves. The miracle wasn't because of their prayer and fasting, or their slavish attention to doctrinal excellence, or their holiness and exceptionally righteous behavior. The miracle was because of God's power, which God uses for God's glory. Peter and John were just the delivery boys and they knew it. There was no self-congratulatory "I did this!" or "Behold our winning ministry and superior denomination!" There was nothing to take credit for. It was all God's show.
Peter and John break down that man-worshiping attitude. "Why do you stare at us as if by our own power or godliness we had made this man walk?" The guys in the van dropping off my tasty stewed pork chops are not going to be able to tell me the recipe. The actor is not Shakespeare. The ambassador is not the king.
But if you didn't know who these people represented, you could easily get confused. If the only time you ever got good food was from guys in a van, you'd assume they made it themselves. If you didn't know how to read and you saw your first play, you'd assume those strangely dressed people were the most eloquent and expressive people in the world. If you needed to make a deal with a far-off country, and the guy in the mansion seemed to have the authority to make that deal, you'd assume he was the king, not the king's servant. And the same goes with God's miraculous power when seen by those who don't know who God is or who haven't learned who man is.
When we hear about great Christians, or meet them, we often marvel at their gifts. But those gifts aren't to glorify them any more than the pizza you ordered is supposed to glorify the delivery boy. Those gifts are supposed to glorify their maker, their creator, the one who gave them to the people we marvel at. A worthless beggar got healed, not to glorify Peter and John, or attest to their righteousness, but to glorify God. "By faith in the name of Jesus, this man whom you see and know was made strong. It is Jesus' name and the faith that comes through him that has completely healed him, as you can all see."
It's interesting that it's a worthless beggar who got healed. Now he's anything but worthless, because he's the runway model for God's glory. As he struts around with his new legs, everyone is seeing God's power and compassion. It's the same for us when we perform miracles or do any kind of ministry. Without God's power, love, salvation, etc, we're as worthless as that beggar. Just like he used that beggar to glorify himself and reach out to us, he uses us to glorify himself and reach out to others. It's a greater honor than we deserve.
It's useful to read a story like this and think about it. We can learn that:
- miracles happen
- we don't earn miracles
- we don't earn miracle-working power
- God can redeem any hopeless and broken thing
- sometimes that thing is us
- God is great
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