Acts Part 5: Peter Heals the Man at the Temple Gate

Acts 3 v 1-10

In this podcast we spend time in Acts 3, where Peter and John encounter the man who was unable to walk and who sat at the temple gate every day asking passers-by for money. He had been overlooked for years. In this passage, Peter stopped, paid attention to the man, and became expectant. He looked at the man not simply as a problem to avoid, but as someone God may want to meet. Even so, have you ever considered that if the man had been at the gate all his life had seen Peter passing before? Had even seen Jesus passing before? What does this mean? Why didn’t Jesus or Peter see him before? Or maybe they did, but there was a time for this man, who was deeply loved by God. And here we find his moment in Acts 3 – a moment to glorify God’s kingdom, to confront the leaders of Jerusalem because everyone knew this man was crippled and spent his life at the gates of the temple, whilst encouraging the infant Church and its leaders?

Acts is really the continuation of Jesus' ministry through His Spirit-filled church. Jesus had ascended, but His Kingdom continued to break into ordinary life through ordinary people who made themselves available to Him. And that has not changed. As we move through everyday life — conversations, workplaces, streets, homes, church gatherings — we can begin asking: "Lord, how do You want to bless this person? What might Your Kingdom coming look like here?"

Sometimes that may be very simple: encouragement, generosity, listening, prayer, practical help, noticing someone others overlook. Sometimes it may be something more dramatic. Acts encourages us to remain open to all of it. Not pressured to manufacture outcomes, but expectant that Jesus is still at work by His Spirit.

The invitation is not to become impressive Christians, but attentive and available people — willing to pause, discern, and respond as God leads, trusting that His Kingdom still comes "on earth as it is in heaven."

The podcast reflects honestly on healing and suffering. We believe Jesus still heals because Scripture presents the Kingdom continuing to break into the world through the risen Christ. Yet Acts and the wider New Testament are also honest about unanswered prayers, grief, delay, and mystery. We live in the tension between resurrection begun and restoration still coming. That means we pray boldly, but humbly. We trust deeply, but without pretending we have every answer. Delay is not the same as abandonment, and suffering does not have the final word because Jesus Himself entered suffering, carries us in it, and promises ultimate restoration.

Peter's invitation in Acts 3 was not simply about miracles, but about repentance and "times of refreshing" from the presence of the Lord. The greater miracle is restored relationship with God — weary hearts renewed, burdens lifted, and lives turned back toward Jesus. 

The church is blessed to be a blessing. The Kingdom breaks in not only through dramatic moments, but through ordinary people who become attentive to others, available to the Spirit, and willing to carry the presence of Jesus into weary places.

You can see past sermons on the Leominster Baptist Church website at  Leominster Baptist Church - YouTube and can contact us directly with your feedback or queries through the Contact Us link at the top of the episode description text.

Leominster Baptist Church can be found on Etnam Street in Leominster, Herefordshire. To find out more about us, visit our website leobc.co.uk. If you would like to speak to someone about anything that you have heard on our podcasts please give us a call and ask for a chat.

Transcript

SPEAKER_02 0:09

In this podcast, we spent time in Act 3, where Peter and John encountered the man at the temple gate, who'd been overlooked for years. Peter stopped, paid attention, and became expectant. He looked at the man not simply as a problem to avoid, but as someone God may want to meet. Even so, have you ever considered that if the man had been at the gate all of his life, had he seen Peter passing before? Had he seen Jesus passing before? Had they passed him by? And what does this mean? Why didn't Jesus or Peter see the man before? Or maybe they did. But there was a time for this man who was deeply loved by God. And here we find this moment in Acts 3. A moment to glorify God's kingdom, to confront the leaders of Jerusalem, because everyone knew this man was crippled and spent his life at the gates of the temple, whilst encouraging the infant church and its leaders. Acts is really the continuation of Jesus' ministry through his spirit-filled church. Jesus had ascended, but his kingdom continued to break into ordinary life through ordinary people who made themselves available to him. And that's not changed. I could say that sentence again, except this time I'd say that Jesus has ascended, that his kingdom continues to break into ordinary life, through ordinary people like you and me, who make ourselves available to him. This hasn't changed. He has not changed. Let's listen to Dean.

SPEAKER_00 2:05

Since Naomi's been in the group, we've had to work out. Obviously, we've got two children now to be managed, careful, parented, and so there's always a different perspective. Obviously, I so often get to participate in the worship, and that's that's a wonderful time. But on those times where I'm looking after the boys, I get that different perspective. Um, that perspective where you've got one eye on trying to praise God and another on where they are and what they're doing, and and how much water they're putting in their cup and how carefully they're trying to carry it without spilling it, and all these other things. I just wanted to speak to that just as I start. For those of you who do that, who come along and you're juggling as you do this, I know that you'd love to fully engage and just let loose and sing, please know that what you're doing is worship. Raising those children, looking after them, racing after them, running all over the place. That is as much worship as everyone in here, hands in the air, praising God. It is what we do, it's the everyday life that flows from who God has called us to be and what he's given us. And so I just got a bit of respect of that. I know Naomi does it every week, so don't give me any praise. Give her the praise, uh, and all those who do it every week because it is a sacrifice, but that is what worship always is. It is a sacrifice where you give of yourself for the good of someone else or for the glory of God, and both of those things come together. So I just thought I'd reiterate that as we start, and now I step out of that parent role into pastor role, uh, which isn't too dissimilar. Um, trying to keep people in order, make sure they're sitting still, paying attention, all these things. We are in the book of Acts, and we have been for the last few weeks. Um, Act 2, we've called it, uh, the first act being the gospels, what Jesus does, and Act Two being what Jesus continues to do. And last week we saw this sending out of the Spirit. The Holy Spirit has been poured out, and now He sends out His people. We saw that it it is this wonderful moment where God's people are filled afresh, where this relationship, this connection with God is established, and they are filled with power, and they're given this promise that Peter preaches the spirit will come, and all old and young, male and female, master and slave, all will have the presence of God in them. All of them will know the mind of God and be able to speak the mind of God into different situations. It is quite literally heaven on earth, the culture of heaven, the mind of heaven, the attitude of heaven, and it's that prayer that we pray in the Lord's Prayer: Lord, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. And the church, the people of God, is meant to be nothing less than that. And that is a lofty call to be the conduits of heaven on earth. It's the very first thing. Adam and Eve in the garden, they they stood between heaven and earth. They cared for the earth on behalf of God as kings and queens, rulers of this place. They offered up the fruits of this earth to God in praise as priests who stand on that little gap between heaven and earth. They were prophets who could speak the mind of God and his will into the world as they connected, and all those words are connections. Prophet, priest, king, queen, that there are these connections between there's heaven, there is earth, and the people of God are the place where those two intersect. What incredible thing. And today we're gonna see a bit more of how that works itself out in Acts chapter three. Uh so that's where we'll be turning if you want to read along with us. Acts chapter three. We'll read the whole chapter, because it's all connected, and then we'll dig into it together. So this is after the filling, after Peter's sermon. It says, One day, one day Peter and John were going up to the temple at the time of prayer at three in the afternoon. Now a man who was lame 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. 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 him them his attention, expecting to get something from them. Then Peter said, Silver or gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk. 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 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. Now, fellow Israelites, I know that you are acted in ignorance, as did your leaders, but this is how God fulfilled what he had foretold through all the prophets, saying that his Messiah would suffer. Repent then and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped away, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord, and that he may send the Messiah who has been appointed for you, even Jesus. Heaven must receive him until the time comes for God to restore everything, as he promised long ago through his holy prophets. For Moses said, The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your own people. You must listen to everything he tells you. Anyone who does not listen to him will be completely cut off from their people. Indeed, beginning with Samuel, all the prophets who have spoken have foretold these days, and you are heirs of the prophets and of the covenant God made with your fathers. He said to Abraham, Through your offspring, all peoples on earth will be blessed. When God raised up his servant, he sent him first to bless you by turning each of you from your wicked ways. There are moments when when heaven seems to touch earth. And maybe you've experienced some of these. Some of them are moments that we just experience. Maybe it's the rising of the sun and that still calmness where it just speaks of the glory of God, and it's like you could sense his presence there. Maybe it's a prayer that transformed a life, a turnaround. Maybe it's it's something that was broken and made whole again. Maybe it was the joy of seeing someone you hadn't seen for a long time. These little moments where it just feels like everything is right, where everything just seems to be going in the right direction. And sometimes it is subtle and gentle, and sometimes it's more powerful. Sometimes it's a prayer that is answered clearly. Sometimes it's an addiction that gets broken after years and years and years. Sometimes it's a peace where there should only be despair. Sometimes it's a body healed. Sometimes it's a relationship restored where you look and you say, That wouldn't have happened if something else hadn't intervened. If something beyond us hadn't stepped into this. And the Bible talks about these moments, not as spiritual fireworks that we stand up and go, ooh, ah. It talks about them in the with the word signs. They are signs that the future kingdom of God is breaking into our world. They are signs that heaven is not on the retreat, but on the advance and is breaking in. And Acts 3 is one of those moments. It is about more than simply a man walking, it's about a matter of the continuation of Jesus' ministry. As we saw last week, it's the nature of the church, it's the reality of where we stand. We saw Jesus' manifesto. He came to proclaim good news to the poor, freedom for prisoners, recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor. We said last week that was Jesus' mission, and he hands the baton on to us. And so we see in this one a moment where that takes place, where someone who is poor is proclaimed good news. Someone who is trapped in their circumstances is set free. Someone who isn't blind but but is physically disabled is then made whole. Someone who is oppressed, who is cut off from God's people and worship is set free, who comes to know the love and favor of God. It's no accident that he chooses this one. Luke chooses this one to come off. He says, Many signs of wonders are done in the people of God. Many signs that point to heaven breaking in happen, but he chooses this one to help us to see that this continues. And so we're going to dig into it today and explore a bit about what that looks like and how we can participate. Because there are some moments where heaven breaks in that we have no control over. They catch us by surprise. God simply works and he acts and does something, and we just stand and go, wow, this is incredible. And there are others that we participate with, that we work alongside, when we gather for praise, we hope that the goal of it is that something of heaven may enter our hearts. When we serve others, we're hoping that something of heaven may be communicated to those we serve. And here we see that something of heaven enters into this man's life. But it comes because the ministry of Jesus continues. And so the story starts in this place, Herod's Temple. We've got there the temple court. So there's the inner bit that no one really goes in, and then there's this outer bit, and then here is what they think is the gate beautiful. They're not sure, it's either this bit here or it's this bit here. So one of those. But it what it actually says, if you notice, is that they're carrying him to it. So he hasn't fully arrived. They're kind of on the way, and as they go, they they they notice this man and and speak to him. But that means that this man, he'd be been put on this gate on the outside bit, that he hasn't made it into here, he hasn't made it into here, that this is not just a man who is poor, not just a man who's unable to walk, this is a man who his whole life has been cut off from the presence of God. Unable to worship with God's people, unable to offer anything in God's presence, unable to give anything cut off from all of that life and all of that fullness and all that wholeness. He's on the outside. And it astounds me that the first miracle that God would choose to record the church performing clearly is this someone on the outside, someone who isn't part of the inner crowd encountering the glory of God. Because something happens when Jesus dies on the cross. It's a very brief thing mentioned in the Gospels, but Jesus dies on the cross. It says the ground shakes, and there's a curtain inside that temple. A curtain that said, God is behind here and you can't come in. God is here and you can't know him. God's power, his grace, his glory, his holiness is behind this. Don't you dare come close. And as Jesus dies on that cross, that curtain is torn in two. They say this curtain was probably the height of this building, maybe a bit more, the thickness of a man's hand, the sound of that noise, you think like ripping down. And the symbolism of that is that heaven is no longer somewhere we get into, heaven has broken out. God is no longer someone we arrived to, God has broken out. And the very first miracle he does is not in this bit, the Holy of Holies, where God's presence was known, not in this bit where the priests and the leaders would gather, not in this bit where people, men and women would come and gather and prepare their sacrifices, but out here, in the world outside, that is where heaven first breaks in. God is on the move, and that is the story of Acts, God on the move. Not just the church on the move, but the church on the move alongside God. Jesus has ascended, and we've said this before, but his ministry continues. In the Gospels, he heals the lame, he proclaims good news, and so in Acts, he does the same. This is the story of Jesus continuing his ministry through his people by the Holy Spirit. And so Acts 4 says this stretch out your hand to heal and perform signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus. The church is given this ministry, it's part of the restore sight to the blinds. The apostles, they're not replacing Christ, they're not taking his place, but they are participating with him. We don't just have a mission, we have a co-mission. So our mission isn't something we do by ourselves, we cooperate with God. And the whole idea of Acts is this not you go do it, and if you've got a good idea, try it out. The idea is God is on the move and you are allowed to cooperate with him. You're allowed to work with him, you're allowed to work alongside him, and as you do, heaven will break out in subtle ways and wonderful ways, in ways that you didn't imagine and in ways that you might be able to predict, but it is breaking out. And here we see that healing is a part of that. And I know we're going to dig into that a bit today, but I believe in healing first and foremost because of Scripture. When I read Acts, I cannot escape the sense that Luke intends to show us that the ministry of Jesus continues through his spirit-filled church. The spirit is poured out. And that promise, he says, we've just saw it in the last chapter, that promise isn't just for Jesus and the apostles. Last week we saw it's for you and your children and for all who are far off. Who's far are we far off? We distant from that time. Well, they've just explicitly said this promise of the Spirit being poured out is for you and all who are far off, for all whom call on the name of the Lord. And all called on the name of the Lord? Okay, so it's for you. And so I can't imagine Luke saying that and then following that straight up with this miracle and then going, no, no, no, sorry, sorry. I meant there was an expiry date. Sorry, the little footnote, and the sale offer ends, I don't know, 50 AD. It doesn't apply today. I believe Luke is writing this to show that this is meant to continue. That all who are far off have this promise. We are priests, we are prophets, we are kings and queens. We stand between heaven and earth because God has appointed us for that, and so we are now the conduit. We are the way in which heaven meets people here on earth, in the way that we speak, in the way that we act, the way we pray, and even through the miraculous, we are places where heaven breaks in as a sign that God is on the move. And I do struggle with the idea that the Holy Spirit would inspire Luke to write about the continuing ministry of Jesus and then quietly mean what, but only temporarily, not for all time. I know I said it was for those who are far off, but I didn't mean that far off, you're a bit too far. I believe it because Scripture seems to show it again and again. And I cannot help but God would be leading up us up the garden path if that wasn't the case. Like that cross, the temple torn, the power of God. I believe it because of scripture, but I also believe it because of experience. I gotta say, not every prayer I've ever prayed has been answered, but I've seen enough. I've seen enough and I've experienced enough to know there are things that I cannot explain. Moments where something has happened that was asked for and sought after, and then when it happened, I couldn't believe that it happened. That I believed could happen, and then when I and it happened, I said, I can't believe it. There's moments where it felt like God touched, where God did something. And I have my own healing story, and it's ridiculous and silly, so I won't share it because uh for me it was it's the most trivial, smallest thing, but for me it communicated a sign to my heart of God who was on the move, God who is working. Just out of interest. Has anyone experienced, just as a show of hands, anyone experienced either themselves or praying for someone, healing or sort of God breaking in? There we go. Oh good, about about half. That God is on the move. That simple idea that God is breaking through. Now I've seen lives changed, I've seen too many people sustained, I've seen too many hearts renewed, I've seen too many things that were broken, made whole, both physically, emotionally, and in relationships. Now I will say I've also stood beside grief. I've also prayed prayers that have gone unanswered, I've also questioned and wrestled, and we're going to come on to that. I've watched faithful people suffer and endure in suffering and carried questions that aren't resolved. And so we aren't saying that this is all the time, we aren't saying this is everywhere, but heaven does break in. There are moments where he breaks in, and I I if I frame it differently, I think everyone would put their hand up because you've all seen heaven break in in some way. Sometimes it's in the in the ordinary, just as a parent caring for a child. Sometimes it is in the miraculous. I want both. I don't want to raise up one over the other. You're not more spiritual if you've experienced one and less spiritual if you've experienced the other. You aren't closer to God if you've known one and further away if you've known another. No, that that isn't what we're saying. But we are saying both. Both are possible, and both are a reality for God's church because he is working among us and with us. Jesus wants to continue his ministry, and so he does that. In fact, there's a there's a big thing being built just outside Birmingham. It's called the Eternal Wall of Prayer. A huge structure. If you want to see the size of it, there's there's Jesus, the Redeemer, there's the Angel of the North. This is how big this is going to be. This huge structure with a million bricks in it, and each brick is going to represent an answered prayer. And so a man, um, my name is Robert Gamble, I know is his surname, because I thought that's a good name for someone who's talking about answered prayer. He he was um a chaplain to Leicester City, and he was carrying a cross in 2004 around Leicester, as you do, um, witnessing about Jesus. And he felt God speak to him and say, Build a wall. And for years he sat with this prayer, and it's come about now that they're building this structure, it's gone through government, they've broken ground, they're building it just on the M6, gonna be seen by 500,000 people a week. And as you go, you take your phone and you point it at the structure, and each brick will tell a story of someone who submitted an answer to prayer, somewhere where God has broken in. Now they're reviewing the prayers, they're making sure it's not just people sending in random stuff, there's a whole process behind it, making sure they're all legitimate and can be seen. But in 2008, this structure is gonna open in our country as a huge testimony to God who answers prayer, God who is working. So if you have an answer to prayer and you want to submit it, you can. You can go online, eternal wall of prayer, and you can submit your story, and it'll be part of this incredible testimony to a God who is at work, a God who answers prayer and works in people's lives, a God who is still breaking out. Incredible. Maybe we'll arrange a church trip there once it's built to go see. It's got a garden, it's got a 24-7-hour prayer room. Everyone's like those try-praying booklets. Everyone who visits there will get one of those tri-praying booklets when they visit to go away, a huge thing, and the government's all back behind it, and all things are it's all going ahead. They've just broken ground. So that this just this witness, God does still answer prayer. And sometimes we just need to remind ourselves of that. God still works, God is still working, and we need to realize Jesus is still wanting us to reach out. Now, what we see here though is a pattern that I think is helpful. What we see in this very first miracle is something that is useful for us to understand. So when they're walking along, it says that they go and and they notice something. Now, there's no striving here, there's no hype. This is their ordinary everyday life. They're off to the temple to say their prayers. But God delights to work through ordinary believers. I know this is Peter and John, and in our head they got quite high estimation, but these are still recently out of out-of-business fishermen. These are still not been to seminary, not been to college, have no letters after their name, Peter and John, some guys who saw Jesus risen from the dead, met him, and now are going to do this. So they are still ordinary, unskilled, trained people, not experts, not celebrities, not spiritual elites, but those who are filled with the Spirit and sent out. And they go as vessels, those who are ready to be used by God. Because Acts 3 doesn't begin with power, but it begins with attention. If you notice, it says they're walking along, they notice this man, and it says Peter looked straight at him. Simple words, so simple to overlook, but he pauses, he notices something. Now there may have been hundreds of these people there, people who are cut off and outside, people who are sick in some way, people who weren't able to get in asking for money, but Peter notices this one and he looks straight at him. Because the the the work of God starts not with power and displays of majesty, it starts with love. And love means noticing. The spirit filled church is one that stops and notices the need of others, the kingdom of God moves towards broken. But to do that, it has to see the brokenness, has to be aware of it, and has to stop its busyness and all its activity long enough to look. Not glance, not scan, but it's this idea of this intentional looking. Just as Jesus often does, he looked at the rich young ruler. He looked and saw Zacchaeus in the tree when no one else noticed. He noticed the woman who touched him when everyone else was hustling and bustling around him. He discerned something in those that he came across. He saw people. And here we see that ministry continuing, the ministry of seeing. That might be the first miracle in this passage. That this man was noticed. Every day passed by him, every day, crowds of people were ignoring him, and these people notice. He sees his condition. But I imagine he also sees something else. He sees the possibility. We're not called just to look at people and see need. The church is called to look at the pain of others, in the plight of others, the burden of others, but see underneath the possibility of God in them, the image of God in them. The spirit that wants to work in them. Often we just see the label, the surface, the history, the story, the failure, the weakness, the illness, the addiction, the pattern of behavior. But those who have the spirit in them are part of the kingdom see more. They see restoration. They see healing. They see freedom. They see beloved sons and daughters who get called home to their father. In Acts 3, before there's a miracle, there was attention. Someone who saw. Someone who's discerning. What is Jesus doing here? Trevor mentioned it. We don't come here today to do something for God. We we partner with God. We join with heaven. Our praises join with heaven, and our prayers should join with heaven too. He speaks into this man's life. This is this discernment. And this is, I think, is the foundation for the ministry of the miracles, but also the ministry of love. That discernment, you notice the person who lingers after everyone else leaves. You notice the colleague who goes silent. You notice those people who are around and you're prompted to ask a question. You're prompted to send a message. Sometimes the kingdom, as I say, breaks in and through the spectacular, but sometimes it just breaks in through noticing. The goal is not to be mystical detectives that they're so floaty and abstract that we find hidden meanings in everything. Sometimes it's there is a need here, and I know what Jesus can speak into it. There is a problem here and I know how Jesus will speak into it. And other times it's a bit more. I see a need here, and I feel like God wants to do something, but I'm not sure what yet. So imagine Peter pauses, looks at this man, he's asking for money, and Peter goes, Well, we could find some money, I'm sure. But it feels like there's something more. It feels like there might be more God wants to give you. And obviously at some point he discerns it because he doesn't even do what I would do, which would go, let me pray for you. God, if it's your will, would you heal this man? He discerns something more because he simply says, Get up and walk. In that moment, in that look, so much is going on as he looks. He sees the man's need, he sees the possibility, he discerns the spirit, wants to do something to the point where he's confident enough to say, get up and walk. But you notice it all starts not with, here's a great idea, we could make you walk. I would like to, I've got a great idea. If I do this and I'll get lots of attention, it would be wonderful if God would do a miracle. That's secondary. The primary thing is he's in step with the spirit, that he knows that this is God's will in this moment. This is where God wants to break in. So he says, silver or gold, I do not have, but what I do have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk. And the man does. He's helped up and he jumps and he leaps and he celebrates God breaking in. Notice the hip healing is physical, it's real and it's visible. And we should never be embarrassed about that. The Bible is never embarrassed about that. Jesus still heals, the Holy Spirit still moves. The kingdom comes and it comes to confront sickness and darkness and bondage and death and shame and isolation wherever it's found. Every healing miracle is a rebellion against the curse. Every act of love also is an act of rebellion against the curse. Jesus says, even giving a cup of water to someone in need, it's an act of rebellion against the curse. And so whether we'd class it as ordinary or spectacular, the Bible blankets covers all of it and just says, it's the kingdom of God breaking in. And so don't be, like I said, those who raise their hand, there's no hierarchy there. If you are acting in love, you're stepping in with the kingdom, and sometimes it's that. You notice the need, someone's thirsty, so you give them water. You would say, Well, there's no miracle in that. Yeah, there is. Heaven just broke in. You did something in the name of Jesus. The culture of heaven broke in, and that is spectacular. Or you may discern more. Or you may say, I feel God is wanting more for you. I'm compelled to pray more, to ask for more. And so you do. Both of these. Both of these are possible. And here in Acts we see that it starts, it starts with eyes that can see and hearts that can discern. Those that are prepared to say, Okay, heaven's breaking in. Today, God, would you show me where? Heaven is on the move. Okay, God, would you show me where? Today there may be a moment, as I said last week, to punch a hole in the darkness, to break a hole that the light of God might shine in. Would you show me where? Now, without that, we can miss on those opportunities. But with that, there are thousands of opportunities. Even now, you look around and you just ask, God, is there someone here? Is there a situation here? Is there someone here sat silently? Someone who's got their head down, someone who sits at the back, someone who doesn't come forward, someone who makes a quick escape. Is there is there someone here that you want to break into? Would you give me the words, the actions to do that? And it may be something that you'd consider spectacular or ordinary. God sees it all as a miracle of Him breaking in into this world, heaven on earth. Now I know for some that that's exciting, and for some that's that's you start to look and you start to sense it. And I hope we we grow in that as a church, that we continue to look for that and seek that and and long for that. Not because we want to do more spectacular, but I want to see more people, I want more people to be loved, I want more of God's kingdom, that's the goal. But there'll be others who sit here and say, Well, that's all great, and it's lovely that God does do that, but there are also times where He doesn't do that. What about the times where we do ask and we don't receive? Because I imagine most of us that that may be where we started. Maybe you heard this kind of teaching and you you tried it and then it didn't work, and so there's a jadedness, there's a hardness, there's a a hurt that lingers there. What do we do with that? What I love is that scripture doesn't over overshadow this. The book of Acts doesn't ignore this. In Acts, James dies. James, a leader in the church, dies and Peter is rescued. Both prayed for, both longed for, and we see both. Stephen is filled with the Spirit and yet he is stoned to death. Paul sees miracles and yet carries suffering. Trophimus, one character, is left sick and not healed. Timothy later, we hear about a recurring illness that comes into his life. And so the Bible itself doesn't say this is everywhere, all the time, at all moments. It says there are signs of it breaking in, and there is a longing that we have for when it will break in in the future. The question is not, does God heal? The question becomes, why does it seem partial? Why does it seem inconsistent? Why does it seem delayed or absent at times? There's a bit in here where it says they turn to God to get refreshing, and then it says heaven must receive Jesus until the time comes for God to restore everything. So the church is in a time where not everything is restored. There is a time where everything will be restored. Every prayer will be answered, every healing will come. And there is a time where everything will happen, and there is a time we see where it doesn't. And so this isn't saying it's all the time, it's saying that there is motion here, there is movement, there is a breaking in, but there is also this tension. A time where we long and we wait for, where we do cry out to God and our prayer isn't answered yet. If you notice, this man, where is he? He's at the temple. And we're told he's brought there every single day for the last for most of his life. I wonder if there was a time when he was a bit younger where a couple came to him and said, We're really sorry to disturb you, but we've lost our child. We don't know, he's about this high, 12 years old, we haven't seen him for a few days. His name's Jesus. And he goes, I don't know, and uh check inside, and this couple go in and they find their son and walk out. I wonder if there was a time where he was sat by that beautiful gate and he heard a commotion behind him, tables being flipped over, people being driven out and running from it. I wonder if a week or a few months, a month or so earlier, he'd seen a man being paraded past, carrying a cross. This man's been there all his life, and Jesus has been in that temple multiple times, but only now does he get a healing. This man has been a few meters from Jesus at various occasions, and only now does the healing come. God's delay doesn't mean his absence. The fact that God hasn't broken in yet doesn't mean that he won't. Doesn't mean that you're lost or forgotten. There is a mystery to this, a timing to this, and ultimately all things will be restored. We promise that that is our hope, that is our goal, that is our rock solid foundation. And so there's a tension here. I don't want this to lean too much to well, we'll just wait for them and do nothing. And at the same time, we don't want to push to, if you haven't experienced it, there must be something wrong from you but with you, because that's also wrong. There's this middle part where we seek and we long, we listen to what God is doing and we partner with him, but we don't try and twist his arm. We don't try to make him go faster than he's planning to go. We we work alongside him. And that's why that partnership is so key, because I'm working with God. And if the miracle isn't this, show me what the miracle should be. If the prayer isn't this, would you show me what the prayer should be? There is a time when you will restore everything, but if that's it isn't now, show me when it will be. There's a time where every disease will end and every grave will open and every tear will dry. Jesus raises Lazarus from the dead, but there was a time when Lazarus died again and he wasn't raised from the dead. All of this, these are signs. They're not the finished product, they're not fullness. This man he isn't around anymore. So while he could walk, one day he couldn't, and he was laid in a grave. All of these, they're signs that heaven is coming. And when it does, there is no more sickness or crying or weeping. There is no more curse, there's no more shadow, no more gloom. The kingdom will fully come. And so, because of this tension, we don't retreat into unbelief, and we don't rush forward in triumphalism. We sit in this place of humble courage, humbly and courageously praying. Humbly because it's not us, it is God. That's what Peter says. Don't think we did it, it wasn't our holiness, our godliness. God did this. But courageous because if God is leading this, then we have this possibility of seeing heaven breaking in in ordinary moments. Notice it isn't in a service, it isn't a healing service. Right, we're gonna give on together and you'll come and heal, and we'll heal you in a moment. It's as they go, it's as they pass by, it's as they in their equivalent, it's as they go to the shops. They pop out for the day, they notice this man, and heaven breaks in. So that's the places where we should be looking. It should be in these times. It shouldn't be now, it should be in the tea and coffee afterwards. Where you see something and you notice, and you just ask, God, does something want to break in here? There is this longing and that healthy posture. I think it starts with, I always surrender. Today, God, I surrender to you. Would you show me where heaven's gonna break in? Always listening. Spirit, are you working? The person in front of me, are you working? Humility, you show me what you're doing. And then that boldness. Pray for healing, pray for breakthrough, pray for freedom, pray for restoration. Pray these things because you are where God dwells. His you are the temple. The temple is not somewhere we get into, the temple is now in us. It's where God dwells, and if he dwells in you, then he's breaking out, he's working. We don't quo don't control God, we cooperate with him. And let me just say, I think some of the most beautiful people in the kingdom of God, perhaps the most beautiful people I've ever met, are those who continue to pray for others even though they haven't received the answer to their own prayer. Those who are willing to lay hands on the sick while grieving someone that they lost. Those who encourage others while still carrying disappointment, those who still ask God for a breakthrough even though they have their own ongoing pain. For me, that's astounding. And for me, that's that's as spectacular as anything, which I think is what Peter tries to emphasize as he goes on, because he says, look, this is wonderful, but here's something more wonderful. You can return to God, and your sins can be wiped out, and times of refreshing can come. Today, if you are burdened by the disappointment or the heart or the suffering of this world, then please know this that whatever situation you're in, it does not discount, it does not override. You are with God and there is refreshing for you. There is a comfort for you, there is a peace for you, there is a strengthening for you. Maybe today what God isn't bringing isn't isn't a miracle, but what he's giving is refreshing, cool water to lift your spirits, a breath of his spirit to strengthen you, to persevere. By patient endurance, we take hold of the things of God. It's kind of this idea, I remember what someone's saying, of drawing circles around things. That it's like you can draw a circle, but it takes a while to draw it. And so I might be praying for something, and it's like me drawing, and I get this far, and I get this far, but then I give up. But I want to keep going, I want to draw the circle. When the circle's complete, that's where heaven breaks in. Those who keep praying, keep praying, and keep praying until they find what God is bringing to them. The healing isn't the destination, it's a sign to the destination, it's a sign towards the Messiah who is in heaven, one day coming again to restore everything, as he promised long ago. And so Peter, as he ends his message, he says, These are the days that the prophet spoke about. Your heirs of this. This is yours. This belongs to you. Through your offspring, all earth people on earth will be blessed. And then he says, This is this God raised up his servant and he sent him to you to bless you. I guess the way we could frame all of this is that we we pray for healing. We also love the poor, we give generously, we also care for those who are sick and remain sick. We stand by those who are suffering. We do all that because we want to bless. The very first thing God's people were given to do was you be blessed and then go and bless others. That was what Abraham was the promise. Through you, all the nations will be blessed. I'm gonna bless you, and one day you will bless the entire world. You will bring blessing and goodness and life and light. And the church is in an air of that promise. You have been blessed. Have you turned to God and received the wiping out of your sins? How blessed are you? Have you experienced refreshing? The freshing of God, the grace, the mercy, the strength of God, you are blessed. Have you experienced something more? Something of heaven breaking in, whether ordinary or spectacular, then you have been blessed. And your commission now is to go and bless others. This is your promise. This is what God has called you to do. He's blessed you to be a blessing. This is the heartbeat of the kingdom. The church exists to be a light in the world. We are blessed to bless. We are healed in order to heal. We are restored in order to help restore. We are refreshed in order to refresh others. And God sent Jesus first to bless you by turning you from your ways, your ways that were dark, to turn you back. That's the first blessing. But it's not the last. It's the first thing God does. But our God is one who doesn't say, I'm satisfied with that. He wants more and more and more. So today, I guess, is about that hunger, that longing for God, to have a Christian life where I live not under the dripping tap of God's blessing, but I live under the waterfall of God's blessing, where I see all that He has poured out, and I make myself grateful and aware and attentive to it, but only so that it might flow from me into the lives of others. That changes the position of mission of us going out into the world. Because we think, well, evangelism, that's a scary word. And arguing with people, that doesn't feel like much fun. But I meant to bless. And I can bless someone with a word, I can bless someone by pointing them to Jesus and telling them who he is, telling them of his love. I can bless people by the way I care for them. I can bless people by the way I lay hands on them and pray for their healing. I can bless them by praying for situations that seem impossible to be turned around. And here's what will happen. And I've experienced this again and again. You go and pray for someone, or you find a situation, you say, I know you're not a Christian. I am, I believe God wants to work. Do you mind if I pray for you? And you pray and you give it all you've got and you pray the best prayer you've ever prayed, and then nothing happens. And do you know what happens? They say, Thank you so much for praying for me. They're still blessed. So the options are God answers and works and steps in and they're blessed, or he doesn't, and they go, I'm still blessed. Because you took the time to love me. You noticed what was going on, and you stood by me in this moment, and you say, I will keep praying. Because I believe that God might still want to do something, and if I have anything, I'll come and share it. But either way, the person is blessed, and that's the goal. Through your offspring, all peoples on earth will be blessed. That is our mission, that is our purpose, taking the kingdom into broken places and dark places. And now in Acts, we see that carries on. We saw it again, and it stuck with me last week. I brought it up at the deacons because, as I often say, I sometimes I say things and think, oh, that's quite a good point. And and it was that idea of the gates of hell. It just came back to me that the gates are defensive. That's it. I will build my church, and the gates of hell will not stand strong against it, that we are not on the back foot. It's not the darkness that we're we're shuttering down and hunkering away from. No, the curtain got torn. Heaven broke out, light is going, we are those who have a commission. And so we should be those looking, surrendered. God, this is what we're here for. Not just to get through this week, not just to survive through it, not just to bear down until next week when we come to nice Christian people and have a nice time. No, we're not just merely surviving week from week, we're going out. The sending bit, the moment you walk out those doors, is more important than when you walk in. The moment where you go out to be sultan light, where you go to see God, right? Where are you? Where are you at work? There might be someone sat at the gate out there, go, there's plenty of people sat in the pub across the road. Go out there, look for them, notice them, pay attention, see them, like Peter did. Look a bit closer. Ask God, what are you doing? Is there anything you want me to say, anything you want me to do, anything you want me to be? And then do it. As simple as it may seem, as ridiculous and extravagant as it may seem, do it as God leads and as He prompts, that you might be a blessing to the world. Notice the hurting. Pray boldly, trust deeply, hold that mystery humbly, because there are things that we don't know the answer to. But as you do, may Jesus be proclaimed clearly, and may you carry the presence of Jesus into those places. Every healing, as well as every act of mercy, every prayer whispered in faith, every burden that is lifted is a sign that Jesus is alive. It's a sign that He has come, He is in heaven, and one day will come again. And on that day every lame leg will run, every blind eye will see, every tear will be dry, every sorrow will end, and the brokenness of the world will finally give way to the reign of Jesus. But until then we stand in the middle of the world as a signpost, a signpost of a coming kingdom. Not perfect, but filled with the spirit of the risen Jesus. And through us, heaven is touching earth. This is who we are. Those who have been blessed. He's come to us, he rose from the grave and he has met us and he's given us this promise. Through you the nations will be blessed. Here we see one example. We will see many more as we go through Acts. Signs of God's kingdom. And so it's over to you to open your eyes and to see and to respond to God. Let me just pray as we close. Father, as we respond today, I think there are perhaps three things this passage speaks to us. And rather than rushing out of the moment, I just want us to make space for the Holy Spirit to minister to us, to bless us in this moment. Because this passage isn't something just to admire. It's a truth that Jesus is still healing, still restoring, still refreshing, still calling people home. And so we just take this time to open up before you, Lord, as a posture of availability. We don't see in here striving or performing. We simply say, Jesus, I'm available. We see here, Lord, Peter's words where he calls the people there to repent that times of refreshing may come from the Lord's. And we're aware today, Lord, there may be people who are weary or dry, people who feel distant from you, trying to carry life in their own strength, perhaps those whose heart has drifted. Necessarily outright rebellion, but just exhaustion or distraction or relying on themselves. We pray, Father, they would hear this invitation not to condemn, but an invitation to return, to come home again, to restore their walk with you, to repent and turn away that they might receive your refreshing, they might receive the breath of God again, the peace of God again, the nearness of Jesus again. For those who need that, Lord, we just pray, Jesus, I turn back towards you. Would you wash me? Would you renew me? Would you refresh me again? For some Father, there are those who are carrying pain today, physical pain, emotional pain, exhaustion, grief, or other wounds. And we want to say clearly, Lord, we believe you still heal. We believe, we don't believe that we control you. We don't, but we don't deny the mystery. But because the kingdom is broken through today, we pray boldly and humbly, not demanding, not pretending, but bringing our need to you, Jesus. We thank you, Lord, that here we see that that pain, whatever it might be, is not invisible to you. You are the Lord who sees, as Peter saw, even deeper. You're the Lord who cares. You're the Lord who draws near. You're the Lord who is able to heal and raise up. And so for those who need healing, whether physical, emotional, or spiritual, Lord, we pray for them. May that healing come. Holy Spirit, would you make it clear where you're wanting to work? Would you make it clear where you want to touch someone's life today? We thank you that every act of restoration is a sign that you are King, Lord. For those Lord who are called to carry their situation, would you bring strength? Would you bring grace? Would you bring your sustaining power? Would you bring hope for that day where everything will be restored? And lastly, Lord, it feels like there are maybe some who just need to recover our calling. We are blessed in order to bless. And so easy it is to put a full stop after that first blessed. We are blessed. And that's true. But it's not the full story. Some of us have spent so long surviving that we've forgotten that God wants to work through us. Not because we're perfect or godly, but because we are available. And so, Jesus, if you want to bless someone today, I say I'm available. And as we go from here in our works, in our home, in our in our area where we live, in our conversations, in moments of interruption, Lord, I'm available. Perhaps today, Holy Spirit, you want to shift us from being a passive spectator to a one who's cooperating with Jesus. Not because I have something impressive to do, but because I am a vessel for you to use. And so for those who need to make that their prayer, Lord, we say, make me a blessing. Open my eyes. Help me see people the way you do, and let your life flow through mine. Lord, as we respond now, help us not to shut our ears to you. Help us to lift our eyes to you. Help us to see you, the one who died and rose, that heaven may come. That we might be your witnesses, that we might walk in your power. Lead us, Lord. Lead us that as we respond to you, we might receive now refreshing. We might receive now healing. We might receive now your call to go and bless others.

SPEAKER_01 48:24

We hope that you've enjoyed listening to Dean's thoughts today. If anything that he has said has challenged you or raised questions that you'd like answers to, please don't hesitate to contact us and ask for a chat. You can find our details on our website which is leobc.co.uk, as well as on the information that we have posted with this podcast. Alternatively, if you live in our area, you're very welcome to join us on Sunday morning at 10 30 to hear things first hand. We'd love to see you there.