So close, but lame.

 

My heart froze in my chest. I could not believe this was about to happen.

My mind was racing, " "Are you serious? There are people everywhere and this guy is actually going to start this?"

The thing which made it all the more surreal was this was about to happen right in the middle of a crowded place. His name was Leroy, and God was about ready to open my eyes!

This was a divine appointment, and the thing which makes these appointments divine, is the fact you have no control over the scheduling.

Before I tell you what happened with Leroy, I want to share something with you.
I have been reading in the book of acts, and when God opened my eyes to this thing, my paradigm was changed.

"Now Peter and John went up together into the temple at the hour of prayer, being the ninth hour. And 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, to ask alms of them that entered into the temple; Who seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple asked an alms. And Peter, fastening his eyes upon him with John, said, Look on us. And he gave heed unto them, expecting to receive something of them.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 all the people saw him walking and praising God:And they knew that it was he which sat for alms at the Beautiful gate of the temple: and they were filled with wonder and amazement at that which had happened unto him. And as the lame man which was healed held Peter and John, all the people ran together unto them in the porch that is called Solomon's, greatly wondering."  ~Acts 3:1-11

The early church is about ready to explode. The book of acts summed up simply would be this: JESUS WENT UP, THE HOLY SPIRIT CAME DOWN, AND THE CHURCH WENT OUT!

The catalyst in sparking the church being born is found here, and it starts with some of the saddest words I have ever heard in verse 2 “…a certain man lame from his mother’s womb whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple which is called… beautiful.”

I have read this passage many times, and I have placed myself outside this gate many times in my mind. I would like for you to imagine if you would you and I are at this very spot in time, and I would invite you to notice with me a few things about what we see here at this gate.

 How meaningless did life must seem for him? Everyday the same as the last. The moment this man breathed his first breath, he was lame. 

From birth, his greatest need seemed to be centered on just eating enough today to gain the strength to wake up the next day and beg… beg for just enough money to buy just enough food to eat just enough that day to wake up the next and beg.

1^st  thing I notice is something that you and I can immediately identify with.

HE WAS BORN INTO A CIRCUMSTANCE THAT HE HAD NO SAY ON.

 
“And 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, to ask alms of them that entered into the temple;”   ~Acts 3:2

We can identify with him in this regard because like this man, we were born into a circumstance we had no say on.

”Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:”  ~ Romans 5:12

You and I were born spiritually behind the eight ball. If anyone ever tells you differently, put one hand on your wallet and one hand on your wife, they are up to no good.

HE WAS BORN INTO THE STATE OF DEPENDENCE ON THE GRACE OF ANOTHER.

 

“And 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, to ask alms of them that entered into the temple;”   ~Acts 3:2

We can identify with him in this regard because like this man, we were born dependent on the grace of God.

“But not as the offence, so also is the free gift. For if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many.”    ~Romans 5:15

 
He did have one very powerful thing going for him in this season of life that we find him.

Please notice what is written in verse two.

“And 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, to ask alms of them that entered into the temple;” ~Acts 3:2

Did you see it?

“…whom they laid daily..”

 

He had a “THEY” in his life. Thank God for the “They”.

This group of people did their very best to get him to a place where he could get help.

You know, I cannot imagine where my life would be tonight if I had not had a “They” in my life.

It was my Mom and Dad who helped me find Christ.

It was a pastor by the name of Gary Roberts who helped me find the way to walk with God as a 14 year old boy.

It was a retired engineer from Monon Trailer Corporation named Tara Banerjea who helped me learn how to talk to my heavenly father as a 15 year old boy.

It was a lady named Charlotte Mann who helped me as a young man understand How God speaks, and how to listen to his voice in every current of my life.

These people were the “They” who carried me to Christ, and to new aspects of my relationship with Him. Thank God for the “they” in my life, and the “They” in your life.

Who were the “They” in your life?
They brought him daily to the best place in life they could.

“…whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful,..”

Every day, they “CARRIED” him to a gate called beautiful. Misery and Beauty met here every day. An un-beautiful circumstance lay in the gate of beauty every day. Here he lay every day, scanning the faces that streamed by him, asking for them to give him help.

 

WATCHING TIME, LIFE, AND PEOPLE WHO HAD WHAT HE DID NOT SLIP BY.

As we look at the scene unfold in front of us, I would ask you to notice something else.

 

“And 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, to ask alms of them that entered into the temple;” ~Acts 3:2

He was content to meet the smallest of his needs, but in his mind he was lame as well.

His thought process was crippled. In his mind, the greatest need that he had was money for his crippled existence. This is not completely crazy, because our churches are full of people who come on routine, lay at the gate, and on routine ask in their own way for the surface needs.

When I was preaching during a Friday night ministry at our church, a lady and her husband came in to visit. They both accepted Christ as their savior and they began to grow spiritually. One night this lady was involved in a severe car wreck that badly damaged her leg. I remember her coming into church on a wed night in a wheelchair and asking for me to pray for God's comfort and mercy. The doctors were going to amputate her foot on the following Monday. I asked her if she would rather us pray for God to restore her foot? She readily agreed, but reiterated to me what the doctors had said.

I was able to get ahold of some people who would believe God's healing hand, and anoint her with oil and prayer. She went for the surgery, and this was the last I had heard from her for a bit. Several weeks later, I remember seeing her walk into the place we met each Friday. She had both of her feet! God had healed her, and the doctors told her the day of the surgery the foot would not need to come off. Her testimony each Friday would not be a well memorized speech, she would simply stand to her feet and say, "I can do this because of Him!"
                    
Day after day, the “THEY” of their life will continue to carry them to the gate to beg for the surface needs. I do not want to minimize surface needs, but most surface needs are symptoms of a root need. This man begged for alms, (Symptom of being crippled) his root need was that he needed to walk. He did not know to ask the right questions.

 Thank God that two faces that were in the crowd were different that day.

 

   “Who seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple asked an alms.”  ~ Acts 3:3

 Of all the people who passed him under that gate beautiful that day, here were two that God would use to transform this lame man, shake the city, and set off a chain reaction that would ignite the early church.

What separated Peter and John from the others that passed by that day? This man was in the beautiful gate. I imagine just by the gates name that this was the gate of choice for the religious people. It looked beautiful.

Let me just draw this thing a little closer here. Of all the people that passed by this lame man…

this gas station attendant
this sales clerk
this neighbor couple
this shaggy looking homeless man
this rough looking lady
this teenager no one has time for
this spiteful co-worker
this relative that should know better
this forgotten nursing home inhabitant
this hospital room mate
this employer
this employee

Of all the people that pass by these that lay at the gate…carried their perhaps by the prayers of a grandparent, or the guidance of another…asking for the surface needs to be met, simply because they do not understand how to ask the right questions.

What separates someone that God could use and a nameless crowd of faces too busy to notice an opportunity?
 

“Now Peter and John went up together into the temple at the hour of prayer, being the ninth hour. And 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, to ask alms of them that entered into the temple; Who seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple asked an alms.”  ~ Acts 3:1-3

Act 3:4  And Peter, fastening his eyes upon him with John, said, Look on us.

What separates someone that God could use and a nameless crowd of faces too busy to notice an opportunity? The first thing I notice here is:

FIRST,THEY SAW HIM.

They saw him, and they saw the true need.

You will remember when Jesus SAW the multitude, it was more than just “Hey, look how many showed up” multitude. It was a multitude of individuals, and He was MOVED WITH COMPASSION. A moving inside… a yearning, a troubled pain….

“But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd.” ~Matthew 9:36

“And Jesus went forth, and saw a great multitude, and was moved with compassion toward them, and he healed their sick.”   ~ Matthew 14:14

“And Jesus, moved with compassion, put forth his hand, and touched him, and saith unto him, I will; be thou clean.” Mark 1:41

“And Jesus, when he came out, saw much people, and was moved with compassion toward them, because they were as sheep not having a shepherd: and he began to teach them many things.”   ~ Mark 6:34

The spiritually lame are all around us folks. The “They” in their life faithfully carry them to the gates we pass by every day… Do you see them?

 "And he gave heed unto them, expecting to receive something of them." ~ Acts 3:5 

 
SECOND, THEY SPOKE TO HIM.

I am not the smartest guy in the world, but I have figured out the best way to start a conversation is to speak.

When you ask God to help you see the people needing to see Him most in their life, the next thing to ask of Him is to give you the words to speak.

"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." ~ Acts 3:6 

The Father will give us the words to speak to those who are lame.

"And he took him by the right hand, and lifted him up: and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength." Acts 3:7 

THIRD, THEY TOOK HIS HAND AND LIFTED HIM UP.

Peter and John were willing to do more than look at him, they went farther than speaking to him…they reached out and they touched.

I think this is the step most people never reach. We see sometimes very well how much people need the Lord. We notice the characteristics symbolizing the lame.

Seeing with the intent to speak is a bit more difficult step…If we get to this one, we rarely go beyond.

 

Healing most often requires a touch.

 I want to  point something beautiful out here.

" THEREFORE IF ANY MAN BE IN CHRIST, HE IS A NEW CREATURE: OLD THINGS ARE PASSED AWAY; BEHOLD, ALL THINGS ARE BECOME NEW. AND ALL THINGS ARE OF GOD, WHO HATH RECONCILED US TO HIMSELF BY JESUS CHRIST, AND HATH GIVEN TO US THE MINISTRY OF RECONCILIATION;  TO WIT, THAT GOD WAS IN CHRIST, RECONCILING THE WORLD UNTO HIMSELF, NOT IMPUTING THEIR TRESPASSES UNTO THEM; AND HATH COMMITTED UNTO US THE WORD OF RECONCILIATION.   NOW THEN WE ARE AMBASSADORS FOR CHRIST, AS THOUGH GOD DID BESEECH YOU BY US: WE PRAY YOU IN CHRIST'S STEAD, BE YE RECONCILED TO GOD.  FOR HE HATH MADE HIM TO BE SIN FOR US, WHO KNEW NO SIN; THAT WE MIGHT BE MADE THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD IN HIM."  ~2 Corinthians 5:17-21

God does not ask us to point out to a lame man that he cannot walk. We have been given the MINISTRY OF RECONCILIATION. Our job is to show people the love of Christ. The law brings a man to the knowledge that he is a sinner, grace is what saves a person, not law.

Would you be willing to ask God to help you SEE the ones He would Have you SPEAK to, and empower you to TOUCH them so that they could have the root need met?

"And he leaping up stood, and walked, and entered with them into the temple, walking, and leaping, and praising God.  And all the people saw him walking and praising God: And they knew that it was he which sat for alms at the Beautiful gate of the temple: and they were filled with wonder and amazement at that which had happened unto him." Acts 3:8-10

Awesome things happened because of this moment in time.

I wonder after this moment, how prone this former lame man was to stop at the beggars he saw in the gate. What would he tell them do you think when they asked alms of him? Let me throw a suggestion out there...

"Hey, I was like you. I mean, I was born into a condition I had no say on. In fact, I was born into a situation that required me to rely on the grace of another." Then he would smile and say, "Then I met someone who introduced me to a name that changed my life forever!!!"

This is the part where I need to tell you about Leroy.

 I was pumping gas when Leroy approached me. He needed gas, what a coincidence? He began to tell me about all of the ways that society had held him back, and I opened my wallet.

"I have eleven dollars Leroy, how much do you need?" I asked.
He looked at me warily. "I need eleven dollars." He replied nervously.
When I handed him the eleven dollars he thanked me and started to turn away. "Leroy" I called out.
He took a step back toward me and I said, "Leroy, don't thank me. Jesus told me to give to ANY man that asked. He did not say, only if they have a legit story, or only if they are going to use the money for moral purposes. He just said to give."

He just stared at me but he never left, so I continued, "Leroy, what do you need?"
"I need a job" he stammered.
"Is that all? just a job?" I asked. "Is there anything else?"
Leroy began shifting uncomfortably, "No man, I just need a job." he mumbled.
"Leroy, I believe that God would give you a job if we asked Him." I moved in closer to him and held out my hand. "Leroy, I want to pray, right now that God would give you a job. Would you ask Him with me?"
Leroy took my hand. He scooped his cap off his head with his other hand and bowed his head. Right there two of the Father's kids talked to Dad about a need. I say Kids because Leroy did not yet know he was one of the Father's kids.
As I was praying for a job, the bizarre happened. The Holy Spirit told me of Leroy's real need. Leroy had been lied to. I am not sure who it was that lied to him or even why, but this was someone that had enough of Leroy's respect for Leroy to live his life in the shadow of that lie. I asked the Father to break the power of that lie, and release Leroy from that lie and lead him into the truth about who he was to Christ. As I prayed for this, Leroy began to shake. Literally shake convulsively. Then he began to cry. God broke the barrier. Leroy wasn't a bum. Leroy was a prince. He was worthy of God sending His Son to die for. When we finished praying Leroy looked up at me, still holding my hand, looking at me he said, "Thank you, God bless you for that... I felt God here man...I can't explain this, but He is here."
I have no idea how many times Leroy had asked for money, but I do know that this appeared to be the first time asking for money that he discovered God was real enough to touch him.

 

The lame are all around us, for some the need is to meet Christ, for some the need is to grow in the grace God gave them, for others the need is to be disciple in their faith.

I wish that I could tell you that I am diligent to SEE the lame lying in the gates I pass through all the time…I wish I could tell you that I have the boldness to always SPEAK to the lame I do SEE…

I wish I could tell you that I have always been faithful to reach my hand out and TOUCH, and lift up those I SEE….The truth is, this hits me very hard. This kind of stuff is called being a Christian.

 

Let me show you a verse that most preachers apply exclusively to money.

"Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again." ~Luke 6:38

This verse is a favorite to twist when an offering needs to be raised. The truth is, it is not about money at all. This is referring to surrender. The amount of you whichyou give to Him, is the amount of you that He will use!

The amount of your emptiness determines the amount of your filling. The Child of God who would ask God to help them SEE, SPEAK, and TOUCH is the one who God can use to make the difference.

Climbing with you,
~Dan