Abounding Grace

Pastor Ed Taylor: You know, there's always that question, "Well, Pastor Ed, why don't we see what was happening in the book of Acts? Why aren't we seeing what happened in the book of Acts?" There may be a lot of answers to that question, but I'll tell you what, one of the answers is there's too much sin in the house.

When there's sin and compromise, you don't experience the power of God very much. I mean, God loves you. He speaks loving-kindness over you, but that loving-kindness from God is a call to repentance, and a call to return, and a call to reevaluate. You want to see the power of the book of Acts? Submit yourself to the Lord.

Guest (Male): Welcome to Abounding Grace. Pastor Ed Taylor is our teacher and he'll join us in just a second. Today, we open the book of Acts to chapter three and begin a look at a story of a man the Lord heals. The Lord gives this man far more than he could have ever imagined. It's very encouraging to remind ourselves that our God seeks to do far more in and through our lives than we could have ever dreamed possible. The reminder is necessary because life beats us down sometimes to the point where we settle for far less. Here's Pastor Ed.

Pastor Ed Taylor: Take your Bibles and open them, would you, to Acts chapter three. We're going to pick up right there in verse one where we left off. I've titled our Bible study "Interruptions or Divine Appointments." That's the question to ask in life. Is this really an interruption, or can I view it as a divine appointment from God that He is leading my life?

Now, when we're studying through with the early church, we're often reminded of the commitment they made to follow Jesus. But I don't want you to think that the commitment that the early church made in following Jesus is any different than the commitment that you have made, that you now are a new creation in Christ. Old things have passed away, behold, all things have become new. It's an all-or-nothing decision with Jesus. He said it best. He said we're either for Him or against Him. There's really no middle ground. It's either all your life or none of your life.

We've learned that there's a high cost in following Christ. The early church understood this. The apostles knew it. The leadership knew it. And even in the first century, the watching, unbelieving world knew it. But this call to wholehearted commitment seems to have been lost in many in the church today. I wonder if the Lord's already speaking to you, bringing you back to a call of wholehearted commitment. There are a lot of people around today that we might describe as partial Christians or maybe sort of Christians. We use a phrase to describe that. We call that cultural Christianity. Or in another generation, they would just refer to that as being religious.

Not really having a relationship with God, not really listening, not really following, but going through the outward motions. "Well, I go to church. I was born a Christian. I was born in a Christian family." We have this cultural emphasis, although our culture's quickly changing. But many today, you see things in their life. They claim to be a Christian, they say they're walking with the Lord, but you see things in their life that make you believe that maybe not so much. There are inconsistencies and outright hypocrisy. There are contradictions. I think in all of our lives there are those difficulties and stumblings, but for some more than others.

One of the problems that we face as believers in our society is that there are many behaviors in our world that are popular among unbelievers. There's just a lot of stuff going on in our world that's super popular that people are into, and unfortunately, believers are still into them. It sends mixed messages to those that are close to you. Let me give you an example of things that I'm talking about. Things like gambling, getting drunk, partying, using illegal drugs, lying, stealing, gossip, full-blown pornography, partial pornography, lust. You can go on listing over and over again the things that have infiltrated believers' lives.

Not like it caught you by surprise. You're just like, "You know what? I don't think I need to live a life of holiness and honoring God." It has done great damage to the church. Those that study such things will tell us that the statistics of these behaviors are just as high or even higher among those who profess to follow Christ. And like James said, this ought not to be. It is damaging the witness of the church and it's diluting the effectiveness of the church. Don't think of it just as the church. Think of it as you. You're the church.

These behaviors are ruining you, ruining your marriage, ruining your kids, ruining your testimony, ruining the light that's to shine through you, hardening your heart toward the things of God. And you're like, "Well, come on, man. Another pastor into things just kind of so harsh, so judgmental." No, that's not it. I know there's resistance now, but that's not it. It's not another pastor. It is the Word of God. It is what God's Word says as clear as it possibly can be. And still, some of you are like, "Well, then prove it to me." I'm glad you asked. Turn over to First Corinthians chapter one.

First Corinthians chapter one. Here we have a few years later from the book of Acts, the church in Corinth. Listen to what the Holy Spirit says through our beloved brother Paul. First Corinthians chapter six, verse seven: "Now therefore, it is already an utter failure for you that you go to law against one another. Why do you not rather accept wrong? Why do you not rather let yourselves be defrauded? No, you yourselves do wrong and defraud, and you do these things to your brethren! Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived."

"Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God." And then he makes this contrast. He says, "But such were some of you." This is what you used to do. You're delivered from this. You're new now. To the Corinthians, to us here today, those listening in on the radio or live online, you used to be like this. There's a distinction between those that follow Christ and those that don't.

There's a distinction for those that are committed to Christ and those that aren't. There's a distinction between those that are born again and those that aren't. A clear distinction. It's not a pontificating pastor. It's God's Word. Notice what he says: "Such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus by the Spirit of our God." These things are not okay. They're not to be named among us. They're harming you and hurting you.

You know, there's always that question, "Well, Pastor Ed, why don't we see what was happening in the book of Acts? What is it? Why aren't we seeing what happened in the book of Acts?" There may be a lot of answers to that question, but I'll tell you what, one of the answers is there's too much sin in the house. And when there's sin and compromise, you don't experience the power of God very much. I mean, God loves you. He speaks loving-kindness over you, but that loving-kindness from God is a call to repentance, and a call to return, and a call to reevaluate.

You want to see the power of the book of Acts? Submit yourself to the Lord. Repent. Do you know the Bible says in First John chapter one, verse nine, it says to believers, "If we will confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us and cleanse us from all unrighteousness." There are those times in our lives where we need to confess our sins even as believers, coming back to simplicity. You don't want to be a "sort of, kind of" Christian. You want to be a born-again, unashamed follower of Christ in a dark, difficult world.

And I suggest to you today, I know it's a strong phrase, but much of what is considered Christianity today in America and even around the world wouldn't qualify as true conversion in the early church. It's just not what God's desire is for us. Do you know God wants so much more for you than often you even want for yourself? He wants to use you so greater. He wants to deliver you. He wants you to enjoy the fullness of relationship many times far more than you want for yourself. And what's the hindrance and holdback but pride, and arrogance, and hard-heartedness?

Or like the children of Israel, God was always saying, "You're stubborn and stiff-necked." And so some of you by now are going, "Okay, Ed, so we're starting Acts chapter three like this, huh?" Well, yeah, we are. So I want you to understand as we open up Acts chapter three, and as we continue to look back on chapters one and two, and we look forward if God will allow, to the end of the book of Acts, I want you to know that the early believers, they were not some foolish, radical, out-of-touch group.

They weren't a group of people like the world might want to say, "Oh, you're too far, you're too radical." No, they were normal. What you're reading in the book of Acts is normal. They had a singular purpose. They loved Jesus and lived for Him. Singular. They weren't into the distractions. Now, they were normal humans like you and me, so they're going to have faults and failures like all of us. Of course, they're going to have distractions. Why would he even write to the Corinthians if the Corinthians didn't have issues?

So it's not like we're issueless, but I mean when you're looking at and reading through the book of Acts, just because we're separated by 2,000 years, they have the same Holy Spirit. And I mean if you think about this for a second, they didn't have the technology that we have today. They didn't have the New Testament. What they had was a love for Jesus and a desire to obey Him. And so my constant plea, and I beg you week after week, if you're only here for one week, then I want to beg you the one week you're here, if you would just read your Bible and do it, you would see spiritual growth.

If you would just read the Bible and do it. If you would just take it and act upon what you read. You don't need a pastor to tell you what to do. You don't need a prophet. "Oh, I'm a prophet." You don't need to follow a prophetess. You just need to follow Jesus. He will lead you and guide you. You know, when you were born again, it was just you and Jesus. And then things get complicated, don't they? It was simple. "I'll go anywhere, do anything for You, Lord, because You bought me with Your own precious blood, forgave me, rescued me, took me out of the miry clay, put my feet on a solid rock."

And then over time, that doesn't seem to be so exciting, so significant. But it is significant to think back on the goodness of God. And the timing of this message is so beautiful because I was reminded, I had forgotten, but I was reminded today that today is my spiritual birthday. I'm 32 years old now in the Lord. Isn't that great? At that age, I can't go to senior saints. 32 in the Lord. And that's really when time begins, isn't it, when you follow Jesus? And I can look back now and say, "Okay, Lord, You've been so good to me. Now I have served You so many more years than I served this world and my own flesh."

Because He's been faithful, even when I've been faithless. So we open up to Acts chapter three and it's like, "Okay, these are people just like me. God wants to use me in the same way. He wants us to be a light in a dark world." Look, that's what the world needs. The world needs—like if the world's really angry, the world doesn't need more anger, especially from believers. And if the world's super frustrated, then the world doesn't need more frustration from the church. If we are who we say we are, we're going to walk with confidence, courage, and hope in a hopeless world.

We're going to share with people that there is hope in their situation. We're going to share with them that if we really believe this, we're just pilgrims passing through, then we'll be able to look someone in the eye and go, "You know, this isn't all there is. The best is yet to come. Jesus is going to fulfill His Word in His return, and He wants you to know Him personally. There's more than the difficulties in your life right now. There's more than what you're facing right now, more than the circumstances that have weighed heavy. You have a Savior who conquered sin and death."

That's the message the world needs to hear. It needs to hear it regularly. And if we're not the church, then who will share that message? That just seems to be what God has been doing among us in the book of Acts. As much as possible as a leader, as a fellow believer, I'm just going to keep asking and begging you, don't fake it. Just be a real believer. Commit yourself to Him. Step out in faith, and you'll see great and wonderful things that God has done. Notice now in verse one, chapter three. With all that in mind, coming out of Acts two.

The simplicity of worshipping together, singing together, breaking bread together, we learned all that. "Now Peter and John went up together to the temple at the hour of prayer, the ninth hour. And a certain man lame from his mother's womb was carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, to ask alms from those who entered the temple; who, seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple, asked for alms." The early church was predominantly Jewish at this time, and they're continuing through their religious activity.

I don't mean that in the negative sense, but they're going to the place where the most people were so they can also express their worship in a new way. No longer were they interested in the evening sacrifices, which is about this time, the time of the ninth hour. The Jews, by the way, prayed three times a day. They would pray at 9:00 AM, noon, and 3:00 PM. That was their customary times. The 3:00 PM, which is this time, was the time of the evening sacrifice.

So they were continuing to go up into the temple area, be around people, but no longer are they believing in the old system, but now they have a vibrant faith in Jesus Christ that has spilled over to many, just like on the Day of Pentecost. So they're going up into the area. This was their normal regular routine. And I love here as you see just two words here, "Peter and John." I don't want you to miss that, because Peter and John, as what we learn of in the scriptures, couldn't be more different people.

Peter, he's the kind of guy that was always active and in action. He would say things before he thought about it. He would do things before he thought about it. Sometimes it got him in trouble, sometimes it got him into places that were amazing. I mean, when Jesus says, "Come to me on the water," what does Peter do? Man, throws his legs over the boat and I'm going to go out. And he's the only one that was ever recorded apart from Jesus that walked on water.

He always gets remembered for his failures, but I don't want you to remember him for his failures, just like we don't remember you for your failures. We remember you for what great things God has done in your life. And so here he is. He's a man of action. He's a man that, let's go, go, go, let's do and let's act. But John, John was more of a contemplative. He was more of, you know, let's just wait. You think about when it comes to ears, you have Peter pulling out his sword and cutting an ear off, but John's ear was on the breast of Jesus because he was the one that Jesus loved, remember?

And he would spend his time—he would be exiled to the Island of Patmos and what does he do? He starts writing. He would be like the poet, writing the book of Revelation, writing First John, Second John, Third John, the Gospel of John. Beautiful what the Lord has done. Why is this important? Because you are who you are by the grace of God. I know there's so much pressure in our culture today to want to be like somebody else. But God doesn't want you to be like somebody else. He wants you to be you, being conformed into the image of Christ.

He is happy with you. Oh yeah, you have faults and failures, we all do, but God is happy with you. He's encouraged by you. He's given you certain personality traits and giftings so that you might be used together. And I don't want you to be surprised that you might be teamed up in ministry with someone that is so completely different from you. Because opposites attract, well God likes to use opposites as well, to be able to use you for great things. So these guys are going up together. They're partners. And as they're coming up, they come up together at the hour of prayer, and there was this certain man.

I like that, "a certain man." Why does it say certain man? Because there's one guy that's going to get attention here among the many others. And this man is lame. We find out later he was lame from birth. 40 years he's been lame, unable to walk. This 40-year-old lame man would be a common sight in Jerusalem because there were a lot of lame people begging. This was their job. And they would be laid in different places. This man was probably well known among the disciples because he had this prime spot at the gate Beautiful that he was laid there daily.

And as Peter and John are coming in, going to a prayer meeting, going to pray, going to seek God, what happens? The guy asks them for money, which he asks everybody. "Can you help? Can you help? Can you help?" Fixing his eyes on him, with John, Peter said, "Look at us." And so he gave them his attention, expecting to receive something from them. Then Peter said, "Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk." Now this is such a stunning amazing thing that Peter's doing here.

It's going to get better as God operates through Peter, but right here is amazing. He could have continued on on his way to the prayer meeting. He could have walked by him like many times. There are some people that suggest, and I agree even though the Bible doesn't explicitly say, many suggest that Jesus would have walked by him through His ministry. This would be a common sight as the disciples and Jesus would go up into the temple and would walk through. If that's true, that means this: If Jesus continued to walk by him, Jesus sovereignly chose not to heal him.

Which is important, because there are those today that would suggest that it is the believer's right to be healed, and the reason why you're not healed is you lack faith, you don't give enough, but you're the problem. That's falsehood. God is sovereign in who He chooses to heal temporarily. Right? Because a physical healing on earth is a temporary healing because the Bible says that the wages of sin is death. So all of us will face death. That's the reality of it. All of us will face death because of sin.

And yet along the way, God does heal, and we believe it, and we pray for it, we anoint with oil, and we want it, but not always. And so if someone ever comes to you and goes, "Well, you know, this is your divine right, you just name it, claim it, you don't have enough faith, you should give more, it's all your fault," I want you to return that with a simple question. Says, "You know, I don't really believe what you're saying here, so let me ask you a question." "Okay, ask." "Did Jesus—ask him this question—did Jesus heal everyone He came in contact with?" So I'm going to quiz you, pop quiz, yes or no? No.

And then they'll say, "Well, prove it to me." Okay, you take them to the Gospel of John, the time where Jesus comes in, remember to the pools of Bethesda? Remember He comes in, and He comes there and the Bible says, describes that area as being filled with sick people around the pool. Waiting for the water movement there, and then they believe the water movement there, there was some special thing in the water and there was healing that took place there. Jesus comes in, and He heals how many people? One.

And He leaves everyone else as He walks away, sovereignly. You see, because the promise from the Bible is eternal healing. It's "by His stripes we are healed" from the sickness of sin. You are delivered from sin to eternally live with God. And by His stripes, by the sovereign power of God in the blood that was shed for you, you can receive temporary healing. I think of somebody like Lazarus. I mean talk about a healing, he was brought back from the dead to only die again. Because real true healing is promised to every real true believer for all of eternity. Your last breath on earth will be your first breath in the presence of Jesus Christ. To be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord. Isn't that great? God is so good to give us hope and strength.

Guest (Male): Well thanks for studying the Word with us here at Abounding Grace with Pastor Ed Taylor. Are you interested in hearing this study again? If so, drop by aboundinggraceradio.com or oneplace.com. And another way to listen to Pastor Ed's teachings is through the Calvary Church app. You know, there's a tragic and growing crisis facing the church concerning the ministry of counseling. An increasing number of churches and church leaders are forsaking God's way of counseling and turning to man's ways.

*How to Counsel God's Way* by Bob Hoekstra calls God's people to return to Jesus as our wonderful counselor. Whether you're in a position to give counsel or wanting to receive it, this book can be very helpful and a valuable addition to your library. When you give a donation of $25 or more to Abounding Grace, you're invited to request a copy of *How to Counsel God's Way*. Give us a call, 877-30-GRACE. That's 877-30-GRACE. Abounding Grace is brought to you by Calvary Church, Colorado, here in Aurora.