How many times have you asked the question; “How is that possible?” I have asked this many times when surprised by life’s twists and turns.  Imagine someone you have known since childhood going away to school to learn to teach children then comes back and does what he was trained to do and does it well. That’s not so surprising.  Even I did that.

But then this same person you have known all your life suddenly makes a change in his life upon hearing God’s Holy Spirit say; “Now, I want you to preach my Word and help others find and follow Me.”  He answers the call of God. Studies to deliver what God has given him to say.  Then you listen with others as he stands to preach his first sermon.  You listen to hear and watch the reaction of others in the congregation.  Everyone who knew him before were in awe.  Is this the same man? How does he do that—speak in ways that help me know and understand God?  Where is he getting these words that give me a fresh perspective of God?  I forgot who was standing there as I heard God’s Words through him.

Blessed are we who learn it’s not about the man—it’s about God in the man.  It’s about God’s Holy Spirit doing His work through men and women all over the world to point the Way to God through Jesus, His Son so others will know, believe gain eternal life with Him.

Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”  Matthew 19:26

Acts 3, The Message

 ^1-5 One day at three o’clock in the afternoon, Peter and John were on their way into the Temple for prayer meeting. At the same time there was a man crippled from birth being carried up. Every day he was set down at the Temple gate, the one named Beautiful, to beg from those going into the Temple. When he saw Peter and John about to enter the Temple, he asked for a handout. Peter, with John at his side, looked him straight in the eye and said, “Look here.” He looked up, expecting to get something from them.

^6-8 Peter said, “I don’t have a nickel to my name, but what I do have, I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk!” He grabbed him by the right hand and pulled him up. In an instant his feet and ankles became firm. He jumped to his feet and walked.

^8-10 The man went into the Temple with them, walking back and forth, dancing and praising God. Everybody there saw him walking around and praising God. They recognized him as the one who sat begging at the Temple’s Gate Beautiful and rubbed their eyes, astonished, scarcely believing what they were seeing.

¹¹ The man threw his arms around Peter and John, ecstatic. All the people ran up to where they were at Solomon’s Porch to see it for themselves.

Turn to Face God

^12-16 When Peter saw he had a congregation, he addressed the people:

“Oh, Israelites, why does this take you by such complete surprise, and why stare at us as if our power or piety made him walk? The God of Abraham and Isaac and Jacob, the God of our ancestors, has glorified his Son Jesus. The very One that Pilate called innocent, you repudiated. You repudiated the Holy One, the Just One, and asked for a murderer in his place. You no sooner killed the Author of Life than God raised him from the dead—and we’re the witnesses. Faith in Jesus’ name put this man, whose condition you know so well, on his feet—yes, faith and nothing but faith put this man healed and whole right before your eyes.

^17-18 “And now, friends, I know you had no idea what you were doing when you killed Jesus, and neither did your leaders. But God, who through the preaching of all the prophets had said all along that his Messiah would be killed, knew exactly what you were doing and used it to fulfill his plans.

^19-23 “Now it’s time to change your ways! Turn to face God so he can wipe away your sins, pour out showers of blessing to refresh you, and send you the Messiah he prepared for you, namely, Jesus. For the time being he must remain out of sight in heaven until everything is restored to order again just the way God, through the preaching of his holy prophets of old, said it would be. Moses, for instance, said, ‘Your God will raise up for you a prophet just like me from your family. Listen to every word he speaks to you. Every last living soul who refuses to listen to that prophet will be wiped out from the people.’

^24-26 “All the prophets from Samuel on down said the same thing, said most emphatically that these days would come. These prophets, along with the covenant God made with your ancestors, are your family tree. God’s covenant-word to Abraham provides the text: ‘By your offspring all the families of the earth will be blessed.’ But you are first in line: God, having raised up his Son, sent him to bless you as you turn, one by one, from your evil ways.”

WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?

Peter, along with John, went to the Temple to pray and worship God.  Given a specific time of 3pm, it seems this is a new appointed habit to connect with God.  Peter, who before Jesus thought life only happened if Peter made it happen, is a changed man, a man driven by God’s Holy Spirit within him.  Peter now sees what he ignored before, he hears what he never listened to before, and now he stops to notice a beggar sitting on the steps leading to the Temple. 

The Beggar.  Imagine this crippled man from birth, watching longingly as others freely walk up the steps to the Temple, something that was impossible for him to enjoy. The man, paralyzed, would never get to pray in the Temple.  It was impossible for him to reverently meet with God in prayer, hear God speak to His heart, or to thank God in worship.  It was impossible because of his current condition. 

Peter and John.  But then God showed up and made the impossible—possible!  Peter, now filled with God’s Holy Spirit stops and tells the beggar to look up into Peter’s eyes.  Peter, along with John do not give the beggar what he needs to survive one more day; but Peter, in the Name of Jesus, prays for the paralyzed man needs most—Jesus and His healing that will last forever!  The can now walk into the Temple with Peter and John!  But he doesn’t walk, he jumps, dances, and runs to the Temple to meet God!  (Are tears of joy sneaking down your cheeks?  This stirs my heart every time I read it!)

How is this possible?  God is within Peter and John as they pray in Jesus Name.   God doesn’t stop there!  This healing enabled the once paralyzed man to jump for joy and dance with gratitude while praising God for his new life!  Onlookers HAD to notice as they watched a man dressed in rags envelope the riches of God’s healing in Jesus Name!  What happened?  How is this possible?  “They recognized him as the one who sat begging at the Temple’s Gate Beautiful and rubbed their eyes, astonished, scarcely believing what they were seeing.”  And then what do humans who don’t know do?  Those who saw it run to Peter and John, who they thought of as “rock stars” of healing!  (This is a danger in all churches who hold up humans as the source of miracles!)

God used this miracle of the possible as another opportunity to tell His Story of Jesus, His Son!  That’s how God works!   When the crowd gathered to praise Peter and John, He immediately turned the praise to God. “Oh, Israelites, why does this take you by such complete surprise, and why stare at us as if our power or piety made him walk?” God is glorified, Jesus’ message of salvation is preached.  All in a good day’s work of God working through His servants, Peter and John.

“They went to the Temple to pray.”  Prayer is the open admission that without Christ we can do nothing. And prayer is the turning away from ourselves to God in the confidence that he will provide the help we need.  Prayer is asking God what He wants.  Prayer is where God’s power in us begins.

“I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.” –Jesus, (John 15:5)

Suppose you are totally paralyzed and could do nothing for yourself but talk. And suppose a strong and reliable Friend promised to live with you and do whatever you needed done. How could you glorify, thank, offer praise for this friend if a stranger came to see you?  Would you glorify his generosity and strength by trying to get out of bed and carry him? No! You would say, “Friend, please come lift me up, and would you put a pillow behind me so I can look at my guest? And would you please put my glasses on for me?”

And so your visitor would learn from your requests that you are helpless and that your friend is strong and kind. You glorify your friend by needing him, and by asking him for help, and counting on him.

In John 15:5, Jesus says, “Apart from me you can do nothing.” So in a way, we really are paralyzed. Without Christ, we are capable of no Christ-exalting good. But John 15:5 also says that God intends for us to do much Christ-exalting good, namely bear fruit: “Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit.” So, as our strong and reliable friend — “I have called you friends” (John 15:15) — he promises to do for us, and through us, what we can’t do for ourselves. 

How then do we glorify him? Jesus gives the answer in John 15:7: “If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.” We pray! We ask God to do for us through Christ what we can’t do for ourselves — bear fruit.

What are these fruits?  The fruits we bear are the character traits of God growing and flourishing in believers of Jesus!  Some of these traits are listed by Paul in his Galatians letter; “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. Galatians 5:22-23

“Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.” Galatians 5:25

When we walk in step with God’s Holy Spirit, the impossible becomes possible, in Jesus Name for His Glory!

Lord,

Thank you for taking ordinary men and women and working through us to accomplish your will and plan so that no one perish but have eternal life!

In Jesus Name, For Your Glory, Amen