God's Power for Daily Living (Part 6)

There is a well-known story about Sir Thomas Aquinas and his visit to the Vatican when he arrived in the Vatican.

He was given the red carpet treatment. He was shown some of the priceless treasures that very few people have ever seen in the Vatican.

St. Thomas Aquinas was absolutely bedazzled by this fabulous wealth. The enormity of the wealth of the Vatican and at the end of his visit still bedazzled by what he had just seen a senior cardinal turned to him and said you see Thomas, the church can no longer say what Peter said in acts chapter 3 that silver and gold have on Thomas Aquinas turned to the Cardinal and said yes sir I understand, but neither can the church say at the name of Jesus Christ, rise up and walk. It comes as no surprise to most of us to know that one of the greatest hindrances for God to work among his children is the silver and the gold were drawn in by this our human resources our own very blessings that God has given us often get in the way of experiencing the power of God first came that our trust in our material possessions often hinder us from fully trusting in the living God. Our preoccupation with what we have our preoccupation with what we want to have often crowding God out and crowding his power from working in the lives of his children as he would want to work that our focus on our likes and dislikes, our focus on our personal taste keeps the hand of God from doing what he wants to do in the midst of his children.

Even though I also pray for miracles, even those who want God's supernatural intervention to be manifested in their lives. They often ask for those things for selfish and self-centered reasons not God's glory all yes I know we kind of pay lip service by giving God the glory. But often we ask for what we want. We don't wait before God and to God what do you want done with replacing your Bibles to the book of acts chapter 3, I believe this chapter clearly spells out the biblical understanding the true and accurate biblical understanding of medical the true and biblical understanding of signs and wonders.

This is a magnificent chapter acts chapter 3 tells us unequivocally that God's supernatural intervention is not for showbiz acts chapter 3 tells us without a shadow of doubt that God's supernatural interventions and dealings in the lives of his children are only for serving God's ultimate purpose, namely the salvation of the souls of the lost people. This was the first miracle that was performed by the apostles since the day of Pentecost, but it was the second message the second sermon that was preached by Peter namely, the first one was the sermon during the day of Pentecost. What is this first miracle well remember first Peter and John have been business partners is not unusual for them to be together, Peter and John have had close friendship, Peter and John together with James made the inner circle of the Lord Jesus Christ Peter and John were entrusted by the Lord Jesus to go make preparation for the Passover meal.

Peter and John were alone of all the 12 follow Jesus into the house of Caiaphas, the high priest after Jesus was arrested.

Peter and John were the first disciples to visit the empty tomb, so this is a close friendship, and here we see them in the book of acts partners in ministry together ministering to the needs of others ministering the word of God. This was about 3 o'clock in the afternoon.

You see, the Jews prayed three times a day. They prayed in the morning they prayed at noon and then they prayed in the evening. The evening time was the highest peak in terms of the crowd near the temple while they didn't when they finished work they didn't go to watch soap operas. CNN then went to the temple to pray and therefore that the crowd was at its peak. At that time so that as they were walking what happened. There were confronted with human hopelessness. There were confronted with human helplessness. Let me tell you something I've been on that side and I'm on the side and I know the difference between living without hope and living with hope and I can tell you out of the live with hope than anything else in the world.

Hopelessness. As such, are a horrible condition to live in but that was a condition of this man. It was a hopeless condition and you notice of course Dr. Luke as a physician is obviously very interested in this man's physical condition, congenital condition is interested in that and therefore he tells us some details look at for example a chapter 2 Dr. Luke tells us that this man was born crippled.

He was born that way.

In acts 422 he tells us that he was in his condition for 40 years. This man was severely crippled, so much so that he was totally and utterly and completely dependent on others to carry him from one place to another. That will pick them up in the morning and that will put them somewhere and then when he needs somebody to thicken someone else there have he has the motion to them they have to pick him up and that the carrier and then have to bring them back and carry him and put it back for 40 years and all this man was hoping for would just barely.

The physical necessities. What this man was only hoping for begging for was whatever he can give in order to exist is only one please listen carefully, because this is the condition of every one of us every one of us were born crippled with the disease of sin. Every one of us were all born with their eternal hopelessness written all over our foreheads.

Whether you are born in a mansion or born in the hot when they are born rich or poor when they are born black or white, all born crippled with the disease of sin were born, heading for the structure throughout our lives we knew no other way of living, other than the enslavement to see throughout our lives we knew no other way of living other than merely existing throughout our lives we knew no other way of living, other than Satan and sin, taking complete control over us and they carried us apart from this place to this place and we are pulled by our noses throughout our lives we were living at the door of the pain of Gilpin discontentment throughout our lives we lack hope. We went from this program to this program. From this counsel to this counselor from this method of help with this method of help. Throughout our lives we went from alcohol to pills, hoping that something would ease the pain of guilt, something would ease the pain of life. We were in a hopeless condition.

All right, only a person who does not know Jesus Christ does not yet recognize the hopelessness of his or her case.

But if you know Jesus as your Savior. Surely you recognize your condition before Christ and then after Christ. Thanks be to God for many of us here have moved and took us from hopelessness from our condition of just existing. The point of his heavenly power intervening in our lives because Jesus sent his word of power to us because his word of forgiveness came to us because his word of redemption came to us because his word of salvation can trust because his Word of healing came to us. Jesus use somebody in your life. I don't know who in Autocare.

I want to know who but God knew somebody in your life that pull you off your crippling condition of sin. Jesus use somebody to stretch his or her hand to lift you of your begging, spiritually speaking condition of sin.

Jesus sends somebody to you to stretch out his hand or her hand to rescue you from… Of hopelessness and Madonna of the pain of guilt Jesus and somebody and stretch out his or her hand and delivered you from the destiny of eternal destruction.

A man belongs here Peter said to the man silver and gold. I have none. But at the name of Jesus Christ. What does it mean when you do something in the name of Jesus Christ. What is it me when you do something in the name of Jesus Christ means that you are acting consistently with his will. When you do something in the name of Jesus Christ. It means that you are doing something that he himself would do when you do something in the name of Jesus Christ. It is doing something on his authority doing something in the name of Jesus Christ is doing something with his delegated power to you and so Peter commands the beggar together and did he get up.

Look at healings response healings evidence.

The man's joy and excitement knew no bounds. He wasn't merely walking that wasn't enough for him. He was jumping nearly killed himself running down the steps.

He was sleeping like a kid with a new toy that he waited for. For over a year. The shackles have been broken crippling is no more the change that held him to the ground. Paul Nelson pleasing right on this one. If you have never experienced victory over sin. If you have never experienced victory over addiction. If you have never experienced victory over your love of money and things. If you have never had victory over your false guilt.

You are in one of two conditions you're either have never experienced the power of salvation. The liberating power of the Lord Jesus Christ in your life or you have experienced the liberating salvation of Jesus Christ but your living in disobedience. The good news is today. You can be set free no matter where you are, no matter what condition you in today. You can be set free. Let me tell you something. Whatever you out of your condition might be. That's the good news of the gospel today can be set free lesson on trusting your silver and gold is a what's wrong with silver and gold. Nothing wrong with them, but when they become the object of your comfort and the object of your security is everything wrong with Don trusting her intellectual ability. Nothing wrong with being intellectual but when your intellect become the source of your pride. You are in terrible danger.

Don trusting your family connections. Nothing wrong with them the connections.

I thank God for my family, but they will not bring you the grace of God that you desperately need this morning. Simply allow the power of the Holy Spirit to come into your life to set you free.

When you do that right now by your heads in prayer have official sermon yet, but I feel the spirit of God is going to set some people at this moment.

At this moment I'm led of the Spirit of God by your heads in prayer. Please and if you're a person that you be enslaved. Whatever it is been addicted to whatever it is, God set me free today when you do that between you and heaven else's business is your business get to the Internet and you addicted to pornography God set me free today you face a problem in the first thing you do is to go to the bottles I got set me free today. I believe the power of God, the Holy Spirit will set you free. If you ask him sincerely and if you ask him today when you do that.

God bless you, my God honor you, because God said he will honor those who honor him.

Father God in the name of Jesus as I do this in obedience to you. I pray that the Holy Spirit were set your people free.

Father God I pray in the name of Jesus that your Holy Spirit will come into these precious people who love you, who trust you because I believe that that you can when they can't, and that you loose them and set them free. A lot. I receive that on their behalf and they receive that from you. In Jesus name, amen. First, I was a medical then there was a message I don't want to misunderstand what I'm going to tell you but this is biblical. The core the miracle is always a servant to the message. The miracle is always subservient to the message. The miracle is always inferior to the message. What do I mean by this because the miracle is temporary, but the message is permanent because the miracle is finite, but the message is eternal because the miracle is for a season, but the message is forever. Therefore, the medical has to be subservient to the message when Jesus Christ walked into the tomb of Lazarus, who is been dead for four days and he cried out in a loud voice saying Lazarus, now Lazarus got up and walked the Bible said people believed Lazarus died again, but those who were saved were eternally safe and then this man walks into the near the beautiful gate near the temple and and he tells himself and gold have I none but that the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk in.

The man gets up and walked the Bible said, many believed that man died again. But those who believed were eternally saved. So Peter begins his message by identifying the dissenting of sin is here for just the miracle taken place and that was the end of it over so that is not nice is not great for this man must have some power and few people might go around us and hit Phyllis about this power as we know later. Some sorcerers were trying to buy the power of the Holy Spirit actually thought they could purchase it but the message is superior to the miracle. That is why Peter goes on to preach the message and the message that Peter preached and those who were saved as a result of that message will live forever and you're not going to see them in heaven. That's why he begins by the persisting of sin. Let me tell you something all preaching, all teaching all ministry all witnessing. I don't care where it is what is done in a church outside of the church. If it does not begin with sin and repentance of sin, it will not have salvation with it. Somebody told me years ago and this is what I tell everybody he said I tell them all you need to do to be saved is just take Jesus into your life as if this is like telling somebody with a shotgun wound.

All you need to do is to put a big Band-Aid on it. The bullet still inside when I read the Bible from cover to cover. I find particularly all of the preaching. All of the teaching all of the witnessing all of the ministry that is done by the apostles. They had to begin by identifying sin and had to begin by confessing sin and had to begin by repenting of that sin and salvation takes place.

Look at versus 13, 14 and 15 of the book of acts chapter 3, Peter identified their sin and what wasn't. Is what he said. He said the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob, the God whom you claim to worship the God who brought your forefathers out of the slavery of Egypt that very God who promised you long ago through Moses that he will raise a prophet like unto myself referring to Jesus. This God who told Abraham even before that for you and your seed the whole family of the earth shall be blessed, referring to Jesus, the God who gave all these promises about Jesus in the Old Testament.

The God who promised to as I have is going to be a suffering servant was going to come and die for your sin. The same God sent you is Messiah sent to his son. But what have you done, you crucified him. You rejected him. You delivered him to Pontius Pilate.

You just be our only hope of salvation as of now, the only one God on oh I know this is not politically correct. You not supposed to tell somebody you you you you you see fit is supposed to just be gentle and sweet and just float around it somehow hope a message I had to tell you this, I feel that my life is too short to know when I'm going to die so I'm not going to play the game winner tell you the truth, and if the tooth going to cause you to repentance out of Joyce. If not outcry over you. But isn't it amazing to read this message and you can scratch your head as it is not ironic. Listen to who's talking this wasn't John who was quietly there in the fall of the Lord all the way to the cross.

This was in one of the quiet ones.

This is Peter talking. What an irony this is a very man this all this about any knowledge of Jesus is and what is this, is he a hypocrite is not beloved. This is a very core of the Christian faith.

This is the very heart of the gospel is taken down people for the same saying that he had committed. When I invite you to come to Christ when you're dear family member, friend, pray for you and invite you to come to Christ. We don't do this out of superiority over fleas understand that because we feel any better know because we have experienced firsthand the B-17 of sin, but also because we know firsthand the benefits of repentance. Look at versus 1718 19 the book of acts. The benefits of repentance.

Is Peter said he said he acted in ignorance.

What is Peter saying he is making a well-known Jewish distinction Old Testament distinction between the sin of omission and the sin of commission whether our sins are committed through automation or correlation. The consequences of the same does not excuse ignorance is no defense.

But when repentance takes place. God in his mercy God and his grace is willing to wipe the past sins clean. Not only that Peter said that the fear of judgment will also be wiped away.

Not only that, he also said that the march needed refreshment to your soul.

That sense of peace.

But since of contentment that since of resting is going to take place this on the benefits of repentance and salvation. In other word wiped out here.

Verse 19 is a picture of an ink that was written on papyrus and got wiped out with a wet sponge is or how can that happen to see the ink back then in the ancient days not like our Inc. did not have the asset content that hours have been for the ink did not bite into the papyrus so you can simply get a wet sponge and your wife that pager, papyrus, and illegally will be as clean as new.

You would not know there was anything written on it and that's what Peter is saying here when you repent of your sins.

When I repent of my sins, God, and not merely because our sins from the list. He with the sponge of his blood. Wipe the dog clean that was wired beyond the possibility of recall wasn't disappeared with no chance of it being found without trace Peter saying, just like Jesus when he saw his master hanging on the cross looking down as his body dripping with blood.

He looked down at those who hammered the nails in his hands and feet and then he looked up to heaven is at father forgive them for they know not what that Peter saying even the horrible sin of rejecting the son of God and executing the Messiah will be white when you repent. What a great God.

We talked for a moment to those of you who are having a hard time accepting the forgiveness of God in the document and talk to those of you who have a hard time forgiving themselves. Paul said, even our conscious condemn us, but God is greater than our conscience and talk to just throw second 42. If God is willing to forgive those who nailed his son to a cross, will he not be willing to forgive you. Ask yourself that question is that Michael you don't understand. I had an abortion.

I've murdered my baby Michael you don't understand. I have betrayed the most sacred vows that any man or woman can take on the lips of their marriage valves. Michael you don't understand. I have abused people I have abused my responsibility especially those folks trusted me.

Michael, you don't understand. You just don't understand that I've embezzled a new one is that there belong to me.

Michael, you don't understand all beloved, I do understand. I really do.

I understand what God said.

Whatever the magnitude of your sin.

God's grace is greater than your sin. All of us have faced the persisting of sin. Many of us have known the benefits of repentance, but also many of us know the blessings of surrender, Peter closes his sermon in acts chapter 3 verses 25 and 26 the last two verses in the chapter with a hopeful note. Remember, this whole episode began on the note of hopelessness. It began on the note of helplessness of human hopelessness and now it concludes with the heart of the blessings of God. Peter is saying to them is saying you can experience the fulfillment of the promise of God to Abraham that in Jesus Christ the nations of the world will be blessed is the good news all the riches of the blessings of salvation.

All of the riches of the blessing of the covenant promises are available to you today.

They're yours for the asking. Just as they were available to Peter's hearers in acts chapter 3. Regardless of what you've done, regardless of the low self-image that you might have, regardless of the guilt that you might be carrying God will bless you when you repent and surrender. Repentance is not just feeling sorry for what you've done only because he got caught or whatever, that's what the world gives us from the media standpoint. Repentance is deciding to change course.

Repentance is a crying to God with a desire to change.

Asking for his power to change you is what repentance is all about, and God will visit you with heavenly refreshment because that's what he promised when you turn to him. Melanie tell you a little preview about the next message is God doing great things in the church was on the last message in this message. The devil is never happy when God doing great things. Among his people and the devil were starting all kinds of trouble as we will see in the next message but let me give you that word of comfort. The blessings of repentance included in that package the power to face the opposition and to defeat Satan and sin.

Amen.

Shall we pray father God in the name of Jesus and in the part of his blood, we stand before you. We have nothing in us that would qualify us to even, the out the door of heaven, but because of Jesus's righteousness because of his death and resurrection, we can come into your very own throne and sit at your table. We thank you for him and thank you for his salvation made this day be a day of repentance, made this day a day of rejoicing in heaven for those who repent in Jesus name, amen.

Thanks for listening to this message from Dr. Michael. You sat recently featured on leading the way. If you'd like to know more about us, please visit LTW.org that LTW.Borg