The Story Continues (Acts 3:1-16)

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:00

All right. Well, good morning, Vintage Church. Good morning. If you're new this morning or you're visiting, just want to extend a warm welcome. My name's Timothy Stewart, one of the pastors here at Vintage Church. And um, you know, I said it in my prayer earlier, but um I think sometimes on the Sunday after Easter, we all need the reminder the tomb is still empty. Amen? And I think a lot of pastors need to hear that, especially on the Sunday after um Easter, because um in many circles, um pastors will refer to the Easter after or the Sunday after Easter as the Easter hangover. The Easter hangover. Why? Because there's usually a significant drop in attendance, energy, and et cetera, and it just feels like a little letdown. And I think it's a reminder for us this morning that the tomb is still empty. And it's interesting, you know, I was doing some research this last week, and it says that, you know, usually on Easter, there's about a 60%, sometimes even a hundred percent increase in attendance on Easter Sundays. And yet many churches will return to the baseline attendance and energy and et cetera, um, usually just a couple weeks after Easter. And, you know, as I was thinking about that and talking with some pastor friends this week, um, it reminded me of another phenomenon, uh, the January gym phenomenon. Did you know that gyms, you know, we all know this, but they usually see a 20 to 30 percent spike in new memberships in January. Um, 12% of all annual gym signups happen in January alone. And yet by February, 80% of New Year's resolutions have failed, and some six to eight weeks after going to the gym, they stop, and 50% of new gym members will quit within six months. So I was thinking about that, and I just asked the question why? Why do people stop going to the gym? Why do people stop going to church after Easter? And a few uh quick observations before we get into the main text this morning. I am going somewhere. Um, I think it's an emotional spike. It's an emotional spike. There's no system, um, there's a lot of good intentions, but no habits. Um, I'm sure a lot of people who came last week, maybe for the first time in a long time, were like, that was so good. We should come back. And then they're not here this morning because can we just be honest? Life takes over. Right? Weekends are busy, things come up. Maybe there's no relational connection. Maybe they don't have a community, no one invited them. They invited them last week, but not this week. There's no connection, they don't return. And then there's just no defined plan or pathway. It was great for last Sunday, but this week it's kind of like I don't know what I'm doing. And so you drift and default to old patterns. Um, so like when you're going to the gym, if you don't have a plan, it's easy to quit. Um, if there's no pathway as a church to give newcomers, people that have not been a church for a long time, they can it's easy to drift. And yet, as we get into um Acts chapter three this morning, last week at Easter, I said the story continues in Acts chapter three. And that's really what we're unpacking this morning is that the story continues after Pentecost. And I think here in Acts chapter C, what we're gonna see is that when the resurrection actually changes people, they keep coming, they keep going because they have been filled with the power of the Spirit, and they are living on mission in community, and they never look back. And this morning, as I was getting ready for um service and just worshiping, I have a certain playlist that I listened to, and like a certain song just kind of snuck in, and I have no idea how it did. And um, I haven't listened to this song in a while for obvious reasons. It's called Fire Fall Down. If you don't know, our house burned in uh November of last year, and so um I haven't been singing that song that much. It's a great song though, and um, but it started and I was just listening to it and it caught me off guard, and I really was captivated by it. And it says this, if you know the song, it says, Listen, because I know that you're alive, you came to fix my broken life, and I will sing to glorify your holy name, Jesus Christ. And I guess this morning I want to ask you, do you know that Jesus is alive and the tomb is still empty? And it continues, you bought my life with the blood that you shed on the cross. We sang about that this morning. When you died for the sins of men and you let out a cry, crucified, now alive in me. Do you believe that this morning? That the tomb is still empty, and that the same power that raised Christ from the dead to you, Christian, lives in you. And then it continues and it says, These hands are yours. Do you believe that this morning? That these hands are yours. It says, Teach them to serve as you please. As you please, and I'll reach out desperate to see all the greatness of God, may my soul rest assured in you. And then it has this bridge, and it says, I'll never be the same. No, I'll never be the same. And I think when we look at Acts chapter three this morning, you're going to see that Peter and John, and really the whole world, will never be the same because the tomb is still empty. And if you remember, if you were here last week, I gave like a bonus scripture, and you may or may not remember that, but I want to read it to you this morning because I think it's gonna kind of help us give some context and some perspective on Acts chapter 3. So this is kind of building up before we read our text this morning. But in 2 Corinthians chapter 5, verses 14 to 21, I want to read this to you. It says, For the love of Christ controls us. So this is the Apostle Paul looking back and thinking of the gospel, thinking of the empty tomb, and he's saying, Listen, we just witnessed the greatest love story of all time in real life. And I have encountered love incarnate in Christ, and it's now compelling us, it's now controlling us, because we've concluded this that one has died for all, therefore all have died, and he died for all. Listen, this is really key this morning, that those who live might no longer live for themselves. So if you've never had that conclusion, that logical conclusion, that because of the gospel, I no longer live for myself, but I live for the one who died for me, then I would invite you to the text this morning. He says this, that we might live, no longer live for themselves, but for him who for their sake died and was raised. Listen, from now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh. And that's going to be really important that you kind of put in your pocket this morning as we read Acts chapter 3. When Peter and John are launched into their ministry and mission in their everyday life, it's so important that they no longer see the world according to the flesh, according to the world, according to the culture. No longer do they see the world as they normally did. Everything has changed. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. If you are in Christ this morning, you are a new creation. Amen. The old has passed away, and behold, the new has come. And for many of us, we think of that in terms of our sin and our shame and our guilt, and all of that is true. But it's also in how we view our everyday life. So many of us we we think about it through the lens of self rather than the lens of being sent out by the resurrected Christ. Everything is changed. And it's immediately in the context here in this particular verse, he says, the old has passed away, behold, the new has gone, or the new has come. And listen, all this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation. So even in the context of this particular passage, it's not in terms of our, you know, our sin and our shame and our guilt. It's actually in the terms of mission and ministry. Everything has changed, and it has changed for certain, as we will see in Acts chapter 3 when we read about Peter and John and their encounter with the layman at the gate, beautiful. And so he says this that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. Therefore, we are anyone want to just say that with me? One more time. For Christ. Listen, God making his appeal through only the pastor. Is that what it says? Through us, we implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake, he made him to be sin who knew no sin. Thank you, Jesus. So that in him, in Jesus, we might become the righteousness of God. Did you know that this morning? That if you are in Christ, you are the righteousness of God. Working together with him, we appeal to you not to receive the grace of God in vain. And that's what we're going to be talking about this morning, that Peter and John and the disciples, and I hope this morning all of the disciples in the room here will not receive the work of God, the gospel, the grace of God in vain, but that we will see that we are called to work together with the risen Christ, the Messiah, to heal the world, to bring redemption and renewal and restoration to the world because of the resurrection. And so this morning we're going to read a story about Peter and John after the resurrection, after Pentecost. And we're going to see that what happens in the resurrection and what happened at Pentecost, something dramatically changed. The resurrected king is now enthroned and exalted and glorified. And now he has poured out the Holy Spirit, and everything changes. And truly, their lives will never be the same. And so in Acts chapter 3, the story continues. And again, it's not the beginning of the story. We got to catch that. It's not the beginning of the story, it's actually a continuation of another story, of Jesus' story, the same story that Jesus picked up when he was in Nazareth at the synagogue, and he rolled out the Isaiah scroll, and he read from Isaiah chapter 61. And he read, it's recorded in Luke chapter 4, verses 18 and 19. And this is what Jesus said in the synagogue in Nazareth. He says, The Spirit of the Lord is upon me because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. Amen. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor. And then he rolled up the scroll. And what's happening here in Acts chapter 3 is the continuation of that mission. It's the continuation of that story. Jesus is exalted, but now he is at work in and through his people, the church. You see, Acts 3 again is a continuation of Jesus' story. Remember at the beginning of Acts when Luke said that he obviously wrote Luke and he's writing Acts, and he says this at the beginning of Acts, he says, I have dealt with all that Jesus began to do and teach in the gospel of Luke, implying that what he's going to be talking about here in the book of Acts is what Jesus is going to continue to do and teach. But Jesus isn't on the earth, but the Spirit is in the church, in God's people. And so Jesus is at work in his church. And we'll see that in Acts chapter three. That he is alive. Amen? In us by the power of the Holy Spirit. It's like Pentecost was almost this nuclear bomb. And what we see in Acts chapter 3 is the shock waves continuing in and through the church. It will eventually go through Jerusalem, and then it will go through Judea, and then it will go through Samaria and to the ends of the earth. And honestly, we're still feeling the shock waves of Pentecost even today here in Lodi, California. This is what I love about the gospel and Christianity, because Christianity is not a dead religion. It's not a behavior modification program. It's not recovery, it's resurrection. It's new life, it's resurrection life. The tomb is empty and Jesus is alive. And so if you would, if you're willing and you're able, would you please stand with me this morning as we read the scripture together in Acts chapter 3? We'll start in verse 1 and we will read to verse 16 this morning. This is the word of the Lord. Now Peter and John were going up to the temple at the hour of prayer, the ninth hour. And a man lame from birth was being carried, whom they lay daily at the gate of the temple that is called the beautiful gate, to ask alms of those entering the temple. Seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple, he asked to receive alms. And Peter directed his gaze at him, as did John, and said, Look at us. And he fixed his attention on them, expecting to receive something from them. But Peter said, I have no silver and gold, but what I do have, I give to you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk. And he took him by the right hand and raised him up, and immediately his feet and ankles were made strong, and leaping up he stood and began to walk, and entered the temple with them, walking and leaping and praising God. And all the people saw him walking and praising God, and recognized him as the one who sat at the beautiful gate of the temple, asking for alms, and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him. While he clung to Peter and John, all the people, utterly astounded, ran together to them in the portico called Solomon's. And when Peter saw it, he addressed the people. And you killed the author of life, whom God raised from the dead. To this we are witnesses. And his name, by faith in his name, has made this man strong, whom you see and know. And the faith that is through Jesus has given the man this perfect health in the presence of you all. Would you pray with me this morning? Jesus, you are alive. You are the reigning, ruling, and resurrected King. All authority in heaven and earth belong to you. I pray this morning that you would give us a spirit of wisdom and revelation to know Jesus better, to know you better. And as we know you better, we would know our own self better. We would know our own calling and purpose better. For we live in light of the resurrection. We are the church of Jesus Christ. So may we be filled with the Spirit, sent out to do your will, to be about our Father's business, to the glory of the one name Jesus that is above all other names. Jesus, would you meet us in this place? Put a fire in our bones and our belly that we might be the church in this hour. We pray this in Jesus' name. And all God's people said, Amen. In Jewish practice, they had three hours of prayer. Um, the third hour, it was around 9 a.m. That would be the morning sacrifice, and it was a time where you would go to the temple and it would be a form of dedication of the day. And then they had a second hour of prayer around the sixth hour, which is around noon. Um and at this time it would be more a pause for prayer and kind of like a personal devotion rhythm where you'd pause and recognize it's noon, and then you would pray and remember, you know, for the Jewish um people, they would remember the Torah, they'd remember maybe a psalm. And then at the ninth hour, which was around three o'clock, um, this was considered the evening prayer. And it was actually one of the most attended prayer times in the temple in Jerusalem. And if you're thinking, where have I heard this before? The ninth hour. Well, this is the same time, three o'clock, that Jesus Christ was crucified and died on Good Friday. Interesting that he is the Lamb of God, sacrificed and slain. And when he utters it is finished, it is at the ninth hour that Jesus Christ of Nazareth gives up the ghost, satisfies the wrath of God. The temple veil splits in half, and there's this great earthquake. And then some 50 days later, or a little bit more, around the same time, you have here Luke documenting Peter and John walking into the temple at the ninth hour, and chaos, a really good chaos, ensues because the same power that was at work on the cross and in that empty tomb is now at work in Peter and John, and something truly amazing happens. Think about it. This is really the continuation of Easter weekend. We have to see it like that. Jesus is alive. Luke wants us to see this clearly. The Lamb of God was slain, sin and death was defeated. As we learned on Good Friday, there is real victory, true victory over sin and over suffering and over Satan himself. And so now Peter and John, having been filled with the Spirit of Christ, the Holy Spirit, having been filled with boldness and courage, Peter and John are now walking in the newness of this reality. They're walking as new creation. They're no longer viewing the world according to the flesh. They're walking in the spirit. They see the world different. Jesus is alive. And everything changes because of that. So here, what do we have? We have a lame man who was born lame. And he sits at the beautiful gate, the gate beautiful. And not only is he incapable of walking, but because of his disease, because of his ailment, he's also incapable of walking into the temple. So he would have been shunned and rejected by the religious of his day. He was unable to walk and he was unable to worship. This man was sitting so close to the worship of God, to the praise of God, and yet he couldn't get through the door. He was so close, but he was broken. He was rejected. And think about that. He was laid daily at the gate to ask alms, meaning his friends or someone would bring him every day to the temple at the ninth hour, which was the most attended hour of prayer. And they would bring him to the threshold of the temple, and there he would, at the gate beautiful, ask for money and some spare change. What a picture of the impotence of religion. He was put at the doorway of religion and nothing changed. He was broken, and there was nothing that religion and ritual could do about it. All the sacrifices of the animals could do nothing, but something changed at this ninth hour. Because the one true sacrifice, Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God, had been slain, and everything has changed. And so he sees Peter and John about to go to prayer in the temple. And little side note, I think it's awesome that Peter and John are continuing these rhythms of prayer. I think it's a good instruction for us. Do we have rhythms of prayer? But here's the story: Peter and John are going to the temple to pray at the ninth hour, about three o'clock in the afternoon. This guy asks for spare change. And I love, I just love Peter and John's response. They're like, look at us. Look at us. Look at me. Look at us. They both said it. Look at us. They were living in a new reality. Their world had changed. Jesus was alive. Their whole entire world had been turned upside down. Jesus was alive, and nothing would ever be the same as we read in 2 Corinthians. They were now ambassadors of the risen Christ. They were ministers of reconciliation and healing in the world. You see, it was on Easter Sunday that the world began to be renewed and healed. And they were agents of this resurrection power. And so they say to this man, in this new boldness, in this new courage coming from the Holy Spirit, look at us.

SPEAKER_01 25:45

Could you say that to the blind man? Could you say that to the blind man?

SPEAKER_00 25:55

Look at me. What about your coworker? Who's struggling in his marriage? Or maybe the barista who just looks depressed and discouraged, no hope in this life, and continues to try to find some sense of happiness weekend after weekend. Could you say to them, Look at me? What about your spouse when they're discouraged and need something from the Lord? And it just feels like out of your wheels. And could you say to your spouse, what about your children? Could you say to them, Look at us, look at me? And this morning, if that makes you a little uncomfortable, and you realize in this moment that there's something missing perhaps in your relationship with God. Maybe it's fear, maybe it's timidity, maybe it's a sense of, I don't know what I would say, I don't know what I could give. Then I think this morning we need to go back to the empty tomb. The tomb is still empty and Jesus is alive. So again, let me ask you this question: Have you experienced the power of the resurrection? Does the Holy Spirit live in you? Or did you just say a prayer and try to be a better person? That's not Christianity. Christianity is one of power, one of the Holy Spirit making us alive because Jesus is alive. Remember, Jesus said to wait to his disciples, to wait in Jerusalem until they would receive power from on high. He wants us to be clothed with power from on high. And so here we see Peter and John walking about in their everyday life because they believe that Christianity wasn't about an event, it was about everyday life. They were carrying the power and spirit of Jesus. And so they're acting in this new boldness and this new faith because of the empty tomb. They said, look at us. And I love this because the blind man was expecting to receive something from them, maybe a few things of change. And, you know, maybe if you haven't, if you can't relate to the blind man, I just add this little side bit this morning. Um maybe that's where you start. If you're like, I'd feel a little uncomfortable, like saying, look at me, then maybe this the person in the story that you need to relate with isn't Peter and John this morning. Maybe it's the blind man. Maybe you haven't had an encounter with the living Christ, and you need to go back to Jesus' instruction and the Beatitudes when he says, Blessed are those who are poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. What that means, poor in spirit means that I'm bankrupt and begging poor. I've got nothing. I'm just like the lame man when it comes to this power from on high. I need Jesus. That's the first step in the kingdom to acknowledge that I, like the blind man, have nothing. But he has this expectation in that moment. And so here is Peter's classic line. And it, I'm sorry, ESV, you just don't do justice to King James. I grew up a little in a household with King James, and I can still remember my dad preaching sermons. Silver and gold have I none, but what I have, I give to you. I love it. He says, I have no silver and gold, but what I do have, what I do have, I give to you. And I think that's the most important line.

SPEAKER_02 29:47

What I do have. So again, let me ask you this morning, what do you have? Is it just religion? Is it just behavior modification?

SPEAKER_00 30:06

Is it just trying to be a good person and go to church for your family's sake? Or have you experienced the empty tomb?

SPEAKER_02 30:16

Have you been clothed with power with the Holy Spirit?

SPEAKER_00 30:21

Because religion, nothing to give. Nothing to this lame man. Culture, the world, nothing to give. But a spirit filled a Christian with the same power that raised Christ from the dead, living in them.

SPEAKER_02 30:47

You have everything to give. So what do you have?

SPEAKER_00 30:54

Do you have the Holy Spirit or empty religion? Because again, religion couldn't help this blind man. And honestly, religion cannot help this broken world heal. And how many of you know our world needs healing?

SPEAKER_02 31:13

Amen. Religion can't do it.

SPEAKER_00 31:18

But Jesus, the one who got up out of the grave, has ascended to the right hand of the Father who poured out his Holy Spirit. The same Jesus who wants to continue his story, his mission in and through you. Well, my friends, that changes everything. And so what does Peter say? He says, In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk. In the name of Jesus. What does that mean? It's not some magical incantation that you tack on to prayers. It means that in that moment, Peter and John were acting out of the delegated authority of King Jesus. They were truly ambassadors, ministers of reconciliation. In the same way that when you go to a foreign country and you are standing in the embassy, you are on not foreign soil, you are on American soil. And the ambassador of to that foreign nation is acting in the delegated authority from the United States. In the same way, when the church gathers, that is not earth, that is the heavenly place, right? It's where God has delegated his authority, where the spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And so here, Peter and John are acting in this delegated authority. They are ambassadors of heaven, acting by faith. They are ministers of reconciliation. And the same spirit that was on Jesus is now in Peter and John. And I want you to not miss what happens in this moment. They say rise up and walk, but then they do something. It says he grabbed him by the right hand and raised him, and then and then immediately his feet and ankles were made strong. I don't know if you've ever prayed for someone or felt inclined to pray for someone. I remember one time to my shame, I was in college and I really felt God calling me to pray to someone.

SPEAKER_02 33:42

But I was terrified. I was terrified. Because I think they were in a wheelchair or something. This is where faith like rubber meets the road kind of thing.

SPEAKER_00 33:59

I think it was, I don't I remember what pastor it was, but he selled space he's uh he said that faith is spelled R-I-S-K. So here's Peter and John believing. I believe in this moment they have the supernatural spiritual gift of faith. They believe that God is going to do this. He reaches out, grabs his hand, and something happens. Power, health begins to flow in this man's legs, and he begins to walk. This wasn't saving faith. This wasn't ordinary faith. I believe when you look in 1 Corinthians 12, we'll get there in this series, but one of the spiritual gifts is the gift of faith. And the gift of faith is like this infusion of faith that you believe with every fiber of your being that God is going to do what He is asking you to do. And you step out in faith, and God works, God heals, God does miracles. I remember one time my associate, my dad's associate pastor, they were wanting a child, and um the wife was experiencing um spotting, and it was very clear that she was miscarrying. And my dad tells a story that um after church they went over to the house, begin to pray for her, and they prayed for a few hours, but there was something that transpired somewhere in the midst of that prayer time where my dad described it as just feeling like no, God is going to heal. Not in their own imagination, not in their own wishful thinking, but that God himself like had infused in them the supernatural faith to press on and to believe. This is what I would call the supernatural gift of faith. And this is, and the story is they continued to pray until there was it like it's done. And that I don't know how old Rochelle is, but she's an adult now and singing for the Lord and doing itinerant ministry with the family. And but that's what I think was happening here. I think there was something infused into Peter and John, a supernatural spiritual gift. And they say, Rise up and walk.

SPEAKER_02 36:35

So I I do need to probably pause here for a brief second and just say, Does God always heal? No. But do we pray? Do we ask? Do we say, Lord, heal believing?

SPEAKER_00 36:57

And not all of us will have this the gift of faith. We can ask, it says that to ask, seek spiritual gifts. We can ask, Lord, give me faith, increase my faith. The disciples said the same thing. But we have to understand this morning that because of the empty tomb, because of the Holy Spirit, everything changed, and now the Holy Spirit is pouring out spiritual gifts to the church so that Jesus Christ can be manifest in our language, can be made irresistible. He is at work, church. And maybe this morning the first step for you is just to acknowledge that maybe you've experienced religion and churchianity, but not the risen Christ. Jesus is alive. And so what happens? He leaps, he enters the temple. And what is Luke communicating in this moment? The age of the Messiah is here. This is what John the Baptist was looking for before his execution. This is the age of the resurrected king. It is breaking into the world. The world is beginning to heal. The kingdom is coming on the earth in this moment. And not only is his body healed, but the relationship with God is healed because now, guess what's happening? He clings to James, um, to Peter and John, and he's walking into the temple. He has been reconciled, he's worshiping and walking. It is truly a miracle. And what happens? All the people saw him. The story continues. People are watching. And when we step out in faith and we make Jesus irresistible, whether it's an act of kindness or a supernatural act and operating in spiritual gifts, we will see the watching world be filled with wonder and amazement. And the greatest miracle is simply someone being born again. So when you share the gospel and someone crosses over from death to life, the whole world will begin to wonder, what is this? And so let me ask you this morning: do you long for this? Do you want to see this happen? Because this is what happens when the empty tomb begins to touch our everyday life. We take what we're celebrating and remembering in here, and we're taking it out there into our everyday life. And so this begins to make a scene, and we'll read about this in a couple weeks. Um, ultimately, the religious aren't happy, and there are consequences for Peter and John, but they use even that persecution to preach the gospel. And Peter, in this moment, I love it, he's not so amazed at the miracle that he misses the moment and preaches the gospel. Because again, the spirit falls, the word is preached. And the same boldness that he experienced on Pentecost, he preaches, and the spirit falls in this moment, the word is preached. And again, I want to make this note miracles are not for miracles' sake. We aren't looking for miracles, we're looking for salvation, we're looking for because healings eventually that person will die. They're all used as a platform for the preaching of the gospel, and some of us just want to see miracles. Oh, I would totally believe if I saw a miracle. Uh, talk to the Israelites. They saw amazing miracles. Red Sea parted and they still didn't believe. How many of people saw Jesus' ministry and still didn't believe? I'm all for miracles, I'm all for healings. I Lord, do it. But it always is a platform for the preaching of the gospel. So again, if God wants to use you to pray for people, to serve people, and if God has given you spiritual gifts to encourage or to prophesy or to lead or even to have the gift of faith to pray for the sick and see them made well, again, all spiritual gifts are intended to point people to Jesus.

SPEAKER_02 41:37

And so, last closing thought, because I think for some of you, like, how could I ever pray like that?

SPEAKER_00 41:46

And I love Peter's response when they all begin to look at him because look at what Peter says. He says, Why do you wonder at this? Why do you stare at us? And this is critical. Because they make it not about Peter and John, they make it about Jesus. And look what he says there in verse 12. He says, When Peter saw it, he addressed the people.

SPEAKER_02 42:16

And look at this. As though by our own power or piety we have made him walk. When you pray for someone, it's not in your name.

SPEAKER_00 42:33

It's not in your power, it's not even in your piety. Well, what's piety mean? Piety, this Greek word for piety, it means godliness, devoutness, religious reverence, or proper worship or right relation to God. In other words, Peter's saying it's not about our spirituality, it's about Jesus' authority. And for some of us, we don't pray these prayers because we think, ah, I'm just not doing so great in my Christianity these days. Who am I to pray this? Exactly. Who are you? You have to operate in the delegated name and the delegated authority of Jesus. You're not praying in your piety, you're not praying in your power, you're not praying in your name. You're praying in the name of Jesus.

SPEAKER_02 43:26

So I love it.

SPEAKER_00 43:27

Peter and John, you're looking at the wrong guys. You're saying the wrong name. It's the name of Jesus. That's why this man is healed. Because Jesus is glorified, everything changes. And then at the very end, he says, It's in his name, by faith in his name. That's what has made this man strong, whom you know. And it's by that faith through Jesus that this man has perfect health in the presence of you all. Faith in In the name of Jesus. And catch this, it's always the object of our faith, not the faith itself that makes the prayer strong. Meaning, if my prayer, even though I might say the name of Jesus, but I'm really putting confidence in my own power and my own piety, that is a weak prayer. But if my faith is in the name of Jesus, then the object of my faith makes the prayer strong. And this is why Jesus says that a mustard seed-sized faith in the right object is greater than a mountain-sized faith in the wrong object. I don't know if you caught that. A mustard seed size of faith. If it's in Jesus, moves mountains. But if you have the greatest confidence and faith in your own name and your own piety and your own power, it will move nothing. So again, our faith is in Jesus. The tomb is empty. Jesus is alive, church. He is king of the world, and he is calling us to continue the story to see salvation, healing, and deliverance in the world in Jesus' name. Church, we are to continue the story of Isaiah 61. The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is upon us to preach good news to the poor. We are walking in the year of the Lord's favor. So go back to 2 Corinthians chapter 6, verse 1. We are working together as ambassadors of heaven, working with King Jesus to see his kingdom come, his will be done on earth as it is in heaven. So, church, the last question this morning is Will you receive the grace of God in vain or not? Peter and John did not receive the grace of God in vain, but instead they lived it out by faith. And the world, as we will see and continue to see throughout this series, was turned upside down. Let's pray.