Dear friends, please turn with me in your Bibles to the Book of Acts, the Acts of the Apostles, Chapter 3. Acts Chapter 3, verses 6 to 8. By way of introduction, Acts Chapter 3, from verse 6. Then Peter said, silver and gold have I none, but such as I have, give I thee. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk. And he took him by the right hand and lifted him up, and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength. And he leaping up stood and walked and entered with them into the temple, walking and leaping and praising God. And our subject this morning is a lame man lifted, a lame man lifted. Well, we come to this tremendous account, this glorious account of a miracle recorded for us in the book of Acts. Now last week, for those of you who were with us last week, we looked at a verse from the gospel according to Luke. We looked at a parable, remember, of the mustard seed, the small mustard seed that grows into a great tree, a tree so high that the birds of the air lodge in the branches of it. And the picture was of something small growing to something very great. That is the nature of the kingdom of God, smallness to greatness. And now we come to consider a passage in the book of Acts, which as some of you will know is, well, for want of a better word, it's the sequel to the gospel according to Luke. Both books are written by Luke, the Gospel according to Luke is obviously written by Luke, but perhaps not many are aware that the Acts of the Apostles are also written by Luke, Luke who was a doctor, a physician, He's the only Gentile writer in the New Testament. When I say Gentile, of course, the only non-Jewish writer in the New Testament. All the other writers in the whole of Scripture hail from Israel. All the others are Jewish, but we believe Luke came from Antioch in Syria, but he makes his contribution to the New Testament. Two contributions. the Gospel according to Luke, and the Acts of the Apostles. And the Acts of the Apostles, of course, are explaining what the disciples did after the Lord Jesus Christ died, after he was resurrected, after he ascended up on high. What happened to the disciples? What did they do? This is the sequel, of course. And, well, we read in the Acts exactly what they did. They preached the gospel and, well, they could work miracles, such as the miracle we will consider this morning. But the power that they had to work miracles was not from themselves. And the apostles were always saying this. The apostles themselves had not been turned into supermen as they were. They had not been turned into gods. able to do amazing things. No, they knew that their power was from Christ. They were, in a sense, they were ordinary men, but they had been given the Lord's power and they were showing forth His power, showing that He wasn't dead. The miracles of the apostles, they were part of the evidence that Christ had risen. There was much evidence that Christ had risen. Many people saw him, of course, his resurrection appearances. But you see, when the apostles went forth, showing that they had the same power as Christ, well, this showed, of course, he wasn't dead. He's not in the grave. He has risen. He has ascended up on high. So the miracles of the apostles, they were part of the evidence that the Lord Jesus Christ had risen from the grave. And well, this is what the apostles taught, but these were the miracles of the apostles, but they were truly the power of the Lord Jesus Christ. And we will see this in this miracle. but this is a truly wonderful miracle there's so much in this i was at pains to know what to leave out rather than to include but let's just look at the context verse one of chapter three now peter and john who were the disciples two of the innermost disciples the inner circle they went up together into the temple at the hour of prayer being the ninth hour they are going to the temple in Jerusalem and it is the time for prayer the second hour of prayer actually in the Jewish day there were two hours of prayer but this is the second hour the ninth hour which is uh 3 p.m according to our time and when they get to the temple well what is there there's a certain man lame from his mother's womb was carried whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple which is called beautiful so at the gate of the temple there is a lame man and well just in case you are unsure of what lame means well it very simply means he was disabled he could not walk we read he has to be carried to the gate of the temple and it's a specific gate of course a gate that has a name it's called beautiful that was how it was known we believe it had a more official name it's uh identified or being identified as a gate which was called the naikonor gate so it sort of had two names but it was a very beautiful gate so it was known to be the most beautiful gate, the gate called beautiful. But anyway, this man is, well, he's led there, he's begging. He would daily be there asking alms of them that entered into the temple. So alms, he's asking for money. When you gave alms, you would give money to the poor, or sometimes not just money, you would give food, anything that they needed. Almsgiving was really showing charity. to the poor, that's what it means to give alms. And so he's asking, he's begging at the gate of the temple. And then verse three, well, who's seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple, asked an alms. So he asks, he begs of Peter and John. And verse four, Peter fastening his eyes upon him with John said, look on us. Well, there was so much even I could have said about this. Peter fastening his eyes upon him. He didn't ignore this beggar. No doubt many people, they would just go into the temple, they would ignore beggars. Just like nowadays, we're all guilty of this. We see people on the street begging, needing food and money. How many times do we just ignore them? But Peter, he didn't ignore the beggar. He did not ignore this man. In fact, he fastened his eyes upon him. He has an interest in this man. Far from ignoring him, it's the opposite. He fastens his eyes upon him. Well, this is just like the heart of God, isn't it? God has an interest in us, even if nobody else has an interest in us. Even if nobody else cares about us, we're unimportant to everybody else around us. God has an interest in us. This is what it's showing. Peter fastened his eyes on the one that everybody else was ignoring. Peter fastened his eyes on him. And the Lord is looking upon us even now, but we have to look to him. It's very interesting, isn't it? that Peter said to the man, look on us. You see, God has a strong interest in us, in each and every one of us here, no matter who we are. But do you have a strong interest in him? That's what Peter is saying here. Peter is looking intently upon this man, but you have to look on us. And so this is what we say to people. The Lord is interested in you, come and hear of him. But are you interested in him? Are we all interested in Him this day or are we just coming here just to ignore everything that is being said? Just to let it pass through one ear out the other? Dear friends, listen to the words of Peter. God has an interest in us. Look on us. Look at what we have to offer you. Hear the word of God. That's how I would put it in this context. So there was much we could have said about that. And look with expectancy, verse five. He gave heed unto them, expecting to receive something of them. And then we have these words, these amazing words. Then Peter said, silver and gold have I none, but such as I have, give I thee. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk. Well, dear friends, these words are tremendous. Well-known, I'm sure, to many of you. Led us well. We only have time just to briefly look at these words and various aspects of this wonderful miracle. But silver and gold have I none. Well, of course, Peter and John and all the disciples, all the apostles, even the Lord Jesus Christ, they were not wealthy men. And so they apparently had nothing to give this man, but they do have something to give, which is far greater than earthly riches. And this is what we declare. This is what the gospel has to offer. The Christian life is not about acquiring earthly riches for yourself. And I say this from time to time. Some people are very mistaken over this. We have the prosperity gospel that is preached in many churches. This idea that if you go to the Lord, you'll be rich. You'll have more money in your bank account. You'll have a big house. You'll have a nice car. God wants you to be wealthy. Well, if that is the case, why do we read words such as these? If money is so important, why don't Peter and John come and give him money? If God wants everyone to be rich, they don't do that. In other words, this is not important. Silver and gold have I none. That is not important. Silver and gold have I none. We have something far more important for you, something far more precious. This is the Christian faith. By the way, if we extend this point, The Christian life is not just about changing our outward circumstances. It's not about, well, you know how people will say, if only my circumstances around me were changed, then I'll be happy. If only this situation in my life was changed, or that situation in my life was changed, then I'd be happy. But God doesn't focus entirely upon our outward circumstances. He can change our outward circumstances. Yes, of course He can. But what is He going to do to this man? He's going to do far more than that. He is going to change him. He's going to change him. And this is what the Christian faith does. When we come to the Lord, this is the power of the gospel. It doesn't always change our outward circumstances. Christian people, sometimes they have to live with the same circumstances they had before they were saved. God doesn't change those things, but this is the marvel of it. God changes you. He changes you so that whatever your circumstances are, Whether you're rich, whether you're poor, whether you're living in prosperity or in the worst poverty, you can still rejoice. You can still be glad because you are changed. So that's the wonder of it. So this is why these words are here. Silver and gold have I none. The Christian faith is not about wealth, it's not about changing your life, your outward circumstances, giving you a better job, a better this, a better that, helping you pass your exams. God changes you so that whatever happens to you, well, there is peace and there is joy because you are changed. And this man is going to be changed. It's this man who is going to be changed. And this is the great wonder of it. And so we read this, silver and gold have I none, but such as I have, give I thee in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk. And verse seven, and he took him by the right hand, here's the miracle, and lifted him up and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength. Well, this is a tremendous miracle. This is incredible. The feet and the ankle bones of this man received strength. This was the first time he had ever had strength in those areas of his body at all. We remember that this man was disabled. He was lame from his mother's womb, from birth. He's never had strength in his feet or in his ankle bones ever in his life. This is the first time that he is receiving strength or life in them. And this is a wonderful thing. What a joy it must have been for him to have strength where he had never had strength before in his life. And you know, I put it very simply to you. This is a picture of Christian conversion. This is in a great sense what happens to every Christian because this is what I say very often. We as Christian, or as men, as natural men, we are all like this man. We are all born with a disability, not a physical disability, of course. We're not all born with a physical disability, but we are born with a disability nonetheless. This is a spiritual disability. A spiritual disability. There is a great part of our being that is not functioning as it should, and never has. Since we have been born, it has been knocked out. What part is that? Well, of course, it's our soul. The most important part of us. This is what the Bible teaches us. Without God, by nature, the natural man, he is spiritually disabled. His soul, well, it's there. Of course it is. We all have a soul. The soul is where the character is. The soul is where our personality is, our loves, our likes, our passions. Everything is in the soul. It's there. But you know, without God, it's never had any strength. just like this man's ankle bones. It's never had any strength. It's never had any life in it. It's there, but it's not living. In order for our souls to live, we must know the Lord. We must know Him. We must have a relationship with God. We must know His love in our lives. We must be able to love Him. This is what life is about. Life is about relationship. If we don't have relationships in our lives, we are not really living. We are existing, but we are not living. And your soul needs the highest relationship. It needs God, or else it's not living at all. It's there, yes, but it's barely existing. But it's only when we come to the Lord that that part of us suddenly has strength, suddenly has life, You know, we read later on in this account, and we won't have time to go through all this account, but we read later on what exactly it is that gives this man strength. Verse 16, we are given the reason. His name, through faith in His name, hath made this man strong, whom ye see and know, yea, the faith which is by Him. have given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all. It's faith that has made this man strong. This is what gives our souls life. It's faith. So many people living in this world without faith. They are faithless men and women, millions, multitudes. And this is their disability. Their souls are dead, are lifeless. This is what we need, dear friends. We need faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Otherwise, you are spiritually disabled. A great part of you is not functioning. You need that strength and that life that only God can give. Otherwise, well, our souls, they are lost, but time is running on. Let me just take you to verse eight. And these words here, because there's another illustration given here. There's an illustration of conversion in the feet and the ankle bones, or the soul being blessed and being brought to life in verse seven. There's another illustration in verse eight. And he leaping up stood, this lame man stood for the first time. He walked for the first time and entered with them into the temple for the first time. Now, this is interesting. He was able to go into the temple for the first time. Perhaps some of you will be aware that if you were disabled, if you had any physical defect, you were not able to go into the ancient temple, into the Jewish temple. Nobody with a disability was allowed to go in. Why was that? Is God being cruel and harsh? Why was nobody with a disability allowed to go into the temple? Well, you see, let me try and explain to you in this way. The temple on earth is a picture of a greater temple. It's a picture of a greater temple, the eternal temple. Sometimes we sing of this in our hymns. There is an eternal temple. The temple on earth is a picture of heaven. And what do we learn about heaven in the scriptures? Nobody with any blemish, nobody with any corruption, nobody with any sin can enter into heaven, into the place where God dwells, because it's a holy place. It's a holy place. God is holy. And the place where he dwells is holy. Everything is perfection. Nothing with any blemish or defect of any kind can enter into the earthly temple. Why not? Because nothing with any blemish can get into heaven, the eternal temple. None of us can. And well, this is bad for us, of course, because as I've just mentioned, by birth, by nature, we all have defects. We are all sinners. Our souls, they are corrupt. We are rebels against God. We don't want God to rule over us. We don't want to obey His laws. We break His laws. We go our own way. We love the world. We love our sin. Can we just go into heaven just like that? After all we've done, all the times we've sinned against God with all our offenses upon our records. We can't, dear friends. The only way to enter into heaven is through Christ. We cannot do it by ourselves. This is why Christ came. He came to remove our sin from us, to wash us of our sin so that we may at last go into the temple. Without Christ, we can never go in, just like this lame man. He can't go in, he's stuck at the gate. He's stuck outside, He's unable to go in, even if He wanted to. Everybody wants to go to heaven, but difference, you yourselves, you are not able to go into heaven unless you put your faith in Christ. He's the only way that you may enter in because He's the only one who has dealt with your sin, washed you of your sin on the cross. We are washed by His blood. On the cross, Christ died for our sins. All of our sins were laid upon Him. All of the sins of all those who believe in Christ were laid upon Him, and He bore them all away. They're washed away. So now our sins, we are clean. We are without spot, without blemish. We have been washed by the blood of the Lamb of God. Now we can enter in. There is no corruption in us. because Christ has washed us, he has blessed us, he has saved us. You see this wonderful illustration, this lame man, he's a picture of us all, he can never enter into the temple, he's always outside, but he can go in by faith through Christ, only by the power of God and faith. in what Christ has done for him. This is a picture of salvation. It's a picture of conversion. But let me draw to conclusion. Remember how this started? What the man was asking for? He was asking for alms. He was asking for silver and gold. That's what he thought. would be sufficient. That's what he thought would give him some happiness and some contentedness. Give me silver, give me gold. But God gave him something far, far greater than that. And what do we learn from that? Well, let me put it to you in this way. God's intentions for you. or God's plan for you. I don't like putting it that way, but let me do so for now. God's plans for you, his eternal plans for you are far greater than anything you can plan for yourself. Dear friends, this man, he's just asking for silver and gold. How limited, how limited that is compared to what God was actually gonna do for him. God was going to change him in a way he could never change himself. Now, why do I say this? Well, because I'm sure there are people who hear the gospel, perhaps even now, they say to themselves, you know, this is all well and good, but you know, I've got great plans for me. What about all my plans and my ambitions for my life? I've got my life mapped out. I'm gonna do this, I'm gonna be rich. I have dreams of glory. Dear friends, your dreams are absolutely nothing compared to what God has in store for you. Don't make the mistake this man made. Just give me silver and gold. That's what I want. Is that like you? I want my dreams. What I think is good. What I think will give me happiness and joy. God's plan is so much greater. It transcends this life. It goes way beyond this. Your plans are just for your life. just for the next 20, 30 years. God's plan is forever. Eternal joy and peace and bliss forevermore. It's far greater than anything you can imagine. This man, silver and gold, and what does God make of him? Walking and leaping. Just to be able to walk would have been good enough, but he's leaping. Dear friends, The Lord wants to bless you in ways you cannot even imagine. He wants your cup to be full, to be overflowing. Are you just going to settle for your own limited plans and ambitions for your life? They are so small, they're so tiny compared to what God has in store for you in this life and even forevermore. Dear friends, it's so foolish to turn away from God, to live how you want to live, a limited life, and reject the God who wants to bless us in wonderful and eternal ways. Dear friends, these are the applications. So much more I could have given to you. But this is what Peter said, silver and gold have I none. That's not what you need. You don't know what you need. But such as I have, give I thee. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk. This is what the Lord is saying to each and every one of us. Rise up and walk. God calls you to himself. Christ calls you to himself, to his eternal temple, to live forevermore with him. Accept that invitation, draw near to him, and you will be eternally blessed, dear friends. May the Lord bless these words to us.