What does the world expect from the church? To many we are a tolerated irrelevance or a mere crutch for the needy. The church often panders to and perpetuates such views. But the apostles knew and were confident in their identity, and communicated it to others.
In Acts 3, Peter and John go up to the temple, and find there a man crippled from birth, who begs money from them. His expectations are low, and Peter and John have no means of meeting them. However, they raise his expectations, and confidently call upon him to exercise faith in Jesus Christ of Nazareth. They have the right priorities, and know whose they are and who they preach.
They teach the startled crowd the same lesson. Pointing away from themselves and to God, they make the same bold demand for faith in the crucified Christ, and many believe.
Do we see the issues as clearly as Peter and John? Do we exercise the same faith and demonstrate the same boldness? We should preach the same message with the same faith and expectation, and ask God that may would be made completely whole in their souls.
SERMON ACTIVITY
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