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Lesson 6

Healing Power of Christ

Acts 3:1-26

Over the years I cannot even number the opportunities that I have missed to share Christ with those who needed Him in their lives. I remember one young man who committed suicide. I had known him from my days at DuPont and then worked with him at another industrial plant. I never shared with him the good news about Jesus. When we talked the conversation was about business. I think of all the times I have passed people even within the walls of the church and had no idea was going on in their lives. Those are chances that will never come my way again. I have been guilty of deliberately ignoring people with whom I did not want to get involved? The question I must face is what if someone had treated me that way and I had never heard the gospel? Where would I be today?

We have to realize how crucial the answer to those last two questions is for each and every one of us.  Knowing this to be true, how then can we be so unaware of the spiritual needs that are all around us? We might ask, when have we missed those times when God may have brought someone into our presence and we did not respond with the good news? How many times have we passed someone in the hallway and not even seen them or acknowledge them in any way? There is hardly a Sunday that goes by that God does not bring someone new into our midst. How are they treated? Do we even know that they are there? In what ways do we take the time to make them welcome without being prompted? How often do our guests get away without someone at least introducing themselves and saying how glad we are they are there? Why does this happen? In our workplace, schools, clubs, sports venues and churches how do we ignore certain people not wanting to get involved in their problems? They may be the very ones who respond to the gospel if we took time to share?

In verse one it is written that Peter and John were going up to the temple for one of the times of prayer. These occurred at 9 AM, 3 PM and sunset.

1. What does this show us about the attitude of the early church towards Judaism?
2. How did the apostles picture themselves at this point?

As they were getting ready to go into the Temple they came upon a man who had been placed at the gate called Beautiful in order to beg. (Acts 3:2)

1. Why was he set in that particular place
2. Where was his spot located in relationship to the Temple? He was in the Court of the Gentiles. The gate to which we referred was located at the entrance to the Court of Women?
3. What does this say about how Judaism would have viewed him?

He began to ask Peter and John for alms. (Acts 3:3) In the next verse Peter and John stopped and responded to the man. (Acts 3:4)

1. Why did they pay attention to this particular beggar?
2. If there were other beggars in the area what did they see in this man that was missing in the others?
3. Why did they speak as they did?
4. In what way may they have sensed that he needed more than a few coins?
5. What was this whole episode about anyway?
6. How was this event somewhat like the one we find in John 9:1-41

Like the narrative in John 9 this event was not about the apostles, even though a healing took place, nor the man, although God loved and showed great compassion toward him, but for the glory of Jesus Christ.  The apostles saw beyond the asking of alms to the deeper need this man had. They met that need by first showing that God truly had power over the physical limitations he had.

Even though Peter reached down and pulled him up. It took real faith to believe that with that helping hand he could stand on legs that had not supported him his whole life. (Acts 3:6-7) Those truly healed like this man receive something far more important than the regaining of physical strength.

1. What did the man truly need to happen in his life?
2. What evidence is there that he received what he needed?
3. What was the result of his display of a new found faith?
4. How did his actions and words affect those who saw what was taken place?

This man experienced a whole new relationship with the Father as was evident by the walking and jumping and lifting of praises to God. Immediately the people in the court of Gentiles recognized him and understood some marvelous had happened. (Acts 3:8-10)

1. What doors did the healing open for the apostles?
2. In what ways could this opportunity been squandered?
3. How did the apostles handle the situation?
4. Who was to get the glory?
5. Why did the man continue clinging to Peter and John?
6. How could have his action been misunderstood by the people?

The apostles began to share what they knew was the truth. They remembered that it is only by Christ that man is made whole. We are only the messengers of that fact. Peter seized the chance and immediately launched into his second sermon. He very quickly dispelled any idea that the people might have that he and John had the power to heal anyone. He pointed out that the God of the living Patriarchs, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (See Matthew 22:32) is He who has glorified His Son Jesus Christ. Once again they are confronted with the fact that they had a part in rejecting and killing the One through whom this healing had taken place. (Acts 3:13-26)

As in his previous sermon who brings the people to the point of making a decision.

1. How did he accomplish this?
2. What evidence did he give to bring them to making a decision to follow Christ?
3. How did his approach differ from the way we sometimes try to witness to the lost?
4. Why is it so difficult for us to follow this way of presenting the evidence of Christ?

He laid out very clearly for the people who Christ was.

1. The prophets had prophesized about His suffering.
2. Moses spoke of the prophet who would be like him and must be heard.
3. God even told Abraham that it would be through his seed that the whole world would be blessed.

The consequences of his sermon will be seen in the next chapter.

It is important that you become more sensitive to the Holy Spirit when He brings before you one who may have a hidden need life the cripple in our story. You will notice that one of the critical pieces that must never be missing from your witnessing is an understanding that Jesus is the fulfillment of all Scripture from Genesis to Revelation. Therefore it is important that you spend time in God’s word every day.

God will provide opportunities for us to share who He is to a world that is lost and dying. He often will bring those hurting individuals right into our midst. Each and every Sunday there are probably those come through the doors of Bethany Place that you do not know. One of the easiest ways to begin practicing the lessons that we have learned from what we have studied today is to look around for those guests and go to them and genuinely tell them how glad you are that they are there. Who knows but just that one word of encouragement may be what they need for that day. We can go even one step further and get their name and telephone number and call them during the week. We have no idea what this would do for the church.