Dancing with the Scars

Welcome to this edition of PowerPoint with Jack Graham later in the program will tell you that you can get a copy of Dr. Graham's evangelism bundle. The first hears the message Dancing with the Stars would like you to take God's word and turn with me once again to the book of acts studying it together power of spiritual engagement. That's the story of the book of acts and the spirit of God is filling his people. The church is flourishing, reaching people for Christ city is being captured with the words of the gospel. Not only are great crowds coming to Christ, but one by one people's lives are being transformed. As these believers followers of Christ are now scattering across the city and in the power of the Holy Spirit, they are engaging people with the gospel your sharing faith in the Lord Jesus Christ in the power of his name and title of the sermon is dancing with the scars not the popular show that you may watch on television each week, but a man who was born lay disabled who now is on his feet in the name of Jesus with scarred lands, emotional scars, hurts, hang-up habits of the past. Now, dancing and leaping and praising God worshiping the Lord Jesus Christ and he becomes a powerful exhibit in the testimony of the case for Christ. Verse one. Chapter 3 the book of acts and Peter and John were going to the temple of the hour of prayer, the night out, which was 3 o'clock in the afternoon, and a man lame from birth was being carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple that is called the beautiful gate to ask all of those entering the temple, seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple. He asked to receive all Peter directed his gaze as did John and said, look at us and he fixed his attention on them them expecting to receive something from the Peter said I have no silver and gold, but what I do have I give you in the name of Jesus Christ of mass rise up and walk and he took him by the right hand and raised him up, and even median. 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. He was dancing with the scars and all the people saw him walking and praising God and recognize him as the one he said at the beautiful gate of the temple asking for all and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what happened to him. You look at this man in acts chapter 3 Bible tells us he's 40 years of age and every day for day to day, month after month, year after year. Someone brought this man, who was born at birth, disabled his limbs, his legs did not work. You had a congenital birth defect of some kind. He was paralyzed. He was immobile. Every parent course looks and longs of the day when those children take the first steps in his parents never saw that day.

Here was a young man, a boy who never played with the other kids see, never chase the ball, someone began to take him as a business proposition down the beautiful gate where he would set in this particular arena where worshipers would walk by on their way to prayer on their way to the temple to worship God in there was the assumption of course that people who were on their way to worship God especially devout and pious Jews that he sat there that perhaps they would open their hearts of compassion and give him something.

He subsisted like you magic this perhaps you seen beggars before either on our own streets here in America. Or maybe you've traveled abroad and you know that this kind of life still exist today. You go to Israel and walked through the gates of Jerusalem even to this day.

You see, beggars athlete placed there doing the same thing that this man was doing crying out, begging just to live just to get by just a little money to eat another meeting so day after day.

This man is there laid daily at the gate of the temple begging for money in a long time to mend that day on their way to church on their way to worship their worship is been transformed because now they know Jesus Christ and being good Jews. They continue to practice their Jewish faith, knowing that they have received the Messiah, knowing that they understand the fulfillment of their faith and knowing that Jesus is alive and they are filled with the spirit of God and so they are on their way to worship an incredible and amazing experience awaits them there on the way to worship and did you know that when you come with unexpected heart and spirit filled life to worship the Lord Jesus Christ. There is always something amazing, something wonderful that awaits you when you go in his name. These men are witnesses, Peter and the others have been preaching boldly in large crowds of the day of Pentecost and responded but but ultimately that the powerful witness of the church included not only the public acclamation of the gospel is crowds were coming in hearing the message, but they were doing exactly what Jesus told them to do. They went out and as they were going. Jesus said, as you are going wherever you go wherever your feet take you talk about me.

You tell people about me and how they can know me.

And so, on their way as they are going to worship.

Now they have a new sensitivity. Now the spirit of God has given them real love and compassion for people. Now they are responsive to the means of people around them. So when they're walking in the gate and this man is crying out on some of the poor palms look for bonds with the poor as he's crying out, they stop, most likely in the past they have done what many of us do when someone cries out immediately go on this time full of the spirit of God engage following Christ, Peter and John stop and the words of the Scriptures tell us that they they fix their attention on this man. They fasten their eyes on him, and Peter said look at me, look at us and he said that because think about a man who everyday was begging. Maybe you've seen this every day, begging his hands out with his head bowed living a life of shame and failure and defeat. Now course, we know that disabled people today so often lead productive lives meaningful lives in.

I know the stories of of men and women who faced incredible difficulties and disabilities in their life and they've overcome them so often in the power of faith in the power of Jesus. So certainly were not suggesting that that every disabled person is somehow hopeless and helpless.

But this man was hopeless and help. He was empty, and his head must've been down looking at that same spot that same pavement. The same rags that he was wearing.

Every day is is heady it is down. I love the Scripture which tells us that the Lord is the lifter of our head so Peterson looking wanted to make eye contact with. So he looks up and sees a couple of former fishermen and exciting great. These guys probably got nothing to give me just a couple of Galileans while he was expecting to receive something from them.

Peter said listen, I have no silver and gold. What I have I give to you in the name of Jesus rise up and walk.

And at that moment. Now think about this. Think about the bold faith Simon Peter and John is a man is been laid here for all these years is 40 years of age and never walk and Peter is bold enough in the name of Jesus to extend his hand and say all right would you do that, would you walk by someone in a wheelchair and say in the name of Jesus get up and offer your hand let's go was an incredible act of faith as a matter of fact later on when Peter would explain this miracle. He would say it was faith in this name faith in this name of Jesus Christ, whose faith wasn't. It wasn't the man on the ground. It wasn't this lame man's faith. He had he had no faith.

Apparently, at this point it was faith of the believer on the Christian who had so much confidence in the power of Jesus Christ that he knew if he offered his hand the power of Jesus would do the rest. It was the hand of Peter, but it was the power of Jesus you're listening to PowerPoint with Jack Graham and the message dancing with the scars you have a God-given calling to take the gospel to the world. That's why we put together a special bundle of resources to help you grow in your lot of the gospel and share it with others. This evangelism bundle includes three of Pastor Jack Graham's books to help an Easter blank, but in God's promises for doubt filled days. This evangelism bundle is our thanks for your gift today and thanks to a generous matching grant gift today will be doubled. So call now to request your evangelism bundle when you give call 1-800-795-4627 that's 1-800-795-4627.

You can also text the word PowerPoint to 59789 and don't forget to visit Jack Graham.org where you can shop our E store. Give a gift online or sign up for Dr. Graham's free daily email devotional our website again is Jack Graham.Margie Ellis Québec. Today's message Dancing with the Stars. It was the hand of Peter, but it was the power of Jesus. The changes that's an incredible example is that of the viral witness and what we are to be about as followers of Christ we have the most amazing, the most wonderful, the most life-changing message of all that is the message of salvation in Jesus Christ. Yes, we believe God still heals. He makes people whole. And yes, God does in his own time, perform miracles, physical miracles, such as this one. Read Psalm 103 is I've been reading Psalm 103 recently just meditating upon it. Bless the Lord, O my soul and forget not all of his benefits to forgive all of your iniquities that heals all of your sicknesses, your diseases, who lives your spirit in crowns your life with righteousness. Yes, God is still at work. God can still perform miracles of power and grace and glory in people's lives with the greater miracle that takes place in this man's life was, not the fact that he walked but the fact that he became a worshiper. Here is a man that is outside the gate. According to the laws of the Jews, a broken man like this a disabled man like this was not allowed in the inner sanctum in the inner circle of the people of Israel the place of worship. And so he's laid outside the gate. He is not all from God. He is cut off from the worship of the one true God and he's helpless and hopeless. He was dependent upon someone to carry him there and lay him there every he's illustrative.

See all of us who were born, unable to walk with God, unable to know and to worship God disabled by a fall. There was a man in the Old Testament by the name of my favorite ship and the pivot shaft was crippled with his nurse and when David's army was pursuing the Army of Saul. He was the grandson of Saul, the famous chef was a little child and and the nurse dropped him as a baby and he was crippled in this fallen. He liked this man is illustrative of every person on the face of the earth that we have a congenital heart defect. A birth defect, and that we cannot know God and we are helpless to do anything about it. We are hopeless and our future is is dark in and we have no life.

We just existing and it it matters not if you're a lame beggar are you are a sophisticated skeptic are eight we are all born incapacitate incapable of living life and enjoying life.

No matter what pleasure you may find if you don't know God, you don't have him in your life you're just like this man laying at the gate beautiful I can ever read the story without thinking about how many people are laid near our dates, and they're just waiting for some spirit filled Christians become along in the power of the name of Jesus to extend a hand and say in the name of Jesus rise up and walk with us exactly what happened immediately, instantaneously, and Dr. Luke the physician who gave us the account of the book of acts actually uses medical terms to describe what happened to this man.

Apparently there was a disconnection in the ankles and the fee that immediately.

This man is change. He is on his feet and I love the fact that it it says that when Peter took hold of his hand.

He uses a word which says seized him, he didn't even say okay careful now, careful, careful, no heat, he seized him and he jerked me fold them up and immediately. This guy jumps up and he's walking and easily Annie's praising God. He is celebrating recovery. You can recover in the power of his name.

You don't call upon just a higher power, but you can call upon the name of the highest power, the Lord Jesus Christ and then you can be free from your bondage, you can be on your feet, leaping, dancing, praising God and celebrating recovery.

That's what this man.

He was dancing with the scars all this emotional baggage all the scars of a lifetime.

All that the sale and the failure now he's a worship he's praising God.

You said silver and gold I don't have what I have I give you what what he wanted was money but he got something far better than money. He got his lie very first time I heard about a seminary student who was preaching for his professor and he preached on this sermon. You know this man.

He he he he didn't get what he wanted. He got what he needed and the title of this preacher boy sermon was. He asked for alms. And he got legs. He should get an F for that sermon time, but he got his legs that he got his lie and as a result of this witness. These two spirit film saw someone laying at the gate outside of place of worship, picked them up and they just didn't offer a hand down her help gave him something far better. They gave him the power the presence of Jesus Christ. Because you see these two men knew that Jesus is alive. You have eye witnesses to the resurrection say Jesus is alive and to prove that he is alive in the name of Jesus stand up and walk because what happens now. The people who had known this man maybe even Peter and John had known this man may they pass this guy on the way into the temple scores of times that everyone in the area knew about this guy and now he's on his feet.

He's in the temple he's worshiping the family is astonished everybody is wondering.

The Bible says there wondering their astonished or say what happened. He Peter the blowhard.

The Braveheart stands up and preaches and that's what you have and the rest of the third chapter of acts it is the words of Peter as he preaches the gospel. First you got the witness of these men and then you got the wonder of the man transformed and then you have the words that the testimony of faith and he takes advantage. He seizes the moment does this businessman take to say to everyone who's running up there wondering what happened to this to tell them this is happened because Jesus is alive, the same one that you crucified, put on the cross turned over to evil men to crucify him the same one who is the Savior and Redeemer and Lord. He calls him the author of life, he uses a wonderful descriptive name of Jesus.

He calls him the servant of God he calls him the son of God.

He calls them the Savior and the Redeemer and and the author of life and and he preaches Jesus Christ he proclaims the gospel because now this man is standing in the Scripture says that this man is clinging.

I me I don't know if he is exhausted from all this dancing or what, but he says he's clinging to Peter at any standing) and Peter just goes that any sane look at this man look like Jesus is not in his life. Here's how you can know this same Jesus, and he preached the cross and preach the resurrection and then he told them to repent and receive Christ before it was too late. He said you have done this thing in ignorance on many shows him a lot. Gracie said you did this thing in ignorance, you crucified the Messiah, the Savior, you did it in ignorance, but now you know I challenge you if you are in skeptic. If you are an unbeliever.

If you wonder Jesus is real and Christianity is true, I challenge you to investigate the claims of Christ upon your life because when you stand before God and you're not going to be able to plead it. We live here at the so-called buckle of the Bible belt churches are on every corner. Many of these churches are preaching Christ of the gospel you live in the light. You can't claim ignorance. Do yourself a huge favor and make the case for Christ in your own life, investigate the claims of Jesus. What Jesus did for the slain man will do for you, this man that is reach out there listening to PowerPoint with Jack Graham and the message dancing with the scars 3.2 billion people in our world still have no access to the good news of Jesus, and we must do what ever it takes to reach the lost, with the hope of Christ. That's why we're excited to tell you about a matching grant that will double what ever you give today to help reach more people to PowerPoint your support will help broadcast the gospel into some of the most spiritually dark corners of the earth will say thanks for your gift by sending you three of Pastor Graham's books share the gospel right where you are. This evangelism bundle includes the help of Easter life and God's promises for doubt filled days so call now to have your gift doubled by the max requester evangelism bundle: 1-800-795-4627 that's 1-800-795-4627. You can also text the word PowerPoint to 59789 that's PowerPoint to 59789 and don't forget to visit Jack Graham.org where you can shop our E store.

Give a gift online or sign up for Dr. Graham's free daily email devotional our website again is Jack Graham.Margie Castro what is your PowerPoint for today.

Today we been talking about people whose lives were radically transformed by Jesus and how they became exhibits of his power.

Their amazing testimonies proved to everyone around them that Jesus was at work in their lives. As a result, many people came to know the Lord and salvation in Christ through their testimonies through their stories. I love to hear testimonies of God's work in people's lives of miracles of healings of dramatic conversions. There always so encouraging is important for us to remember that God is in the business of changing people's lives and the greatest miracle of all is the miracle of salvation.

You know what, not every person is experience something as dramatic as a great healing or miraculous deliverance.

The truth is when you ask Christ to come in your life. He begins to work and he continues to work and that is a miracle. Each and every day he is changing you restoring you making you more like himself. He is transforming your life. Just as he transformed the lame beggar's life with all the distractions of daily life is easy sometimes to overlook the ways that God is working working and answering our prayers speaking to you through his word, arranging your circumstances or encouraging you through other people. Yet in all of this, God is trying to show you how real and how present he is in your life, and he is giving you your own story to tell with others. Your own testimony of what Christ is done in your life. The Lord Jesus is powerful and he is powerfully at work in you. So I encourage you to look for the daily evidence of God in your life.

Tell other people about it. Don't wait for some spectacular demonstration of what God is doing but just share the way that he is loving you ministering to you speaking to you in his word the daily demonstrations of his power that are happening every single day. Look, and that is today's power.

Remember when you give a gift to PowerPoint your gift will be doubled by a matching grant call one 800-7954 627-1800 795467. You can also text the word PowerPoint 259789 to join us again next time.

As Dr. Graham brings a message, but how you can stand strong for Jesus in the face of opposition. That's next time on PowerPoint with Jack PowerPoint with Jack Graham is sponsored by PowerPoint ministries