27th Mar 26 | 16:08
Studies by Book
01 Acts 03 01-10 THE HEALING OF THE LAME MAN 03 Acts 03 01-05 Moving people from sight to faith
📖 Acts 03:01-10
03 – 10Nov2022 – *Moving people from sight to faith* - _Acts 03:01-10_ - THE HEALING OF THE LAME MAN - Bible reading: _Matthew 9:36-38_
“Lord Jesus, thank You that You are sending us out as labourers to reap the harvest. Our task is to bring people into Your kingdom. In Your name, we pray. Amen.”
*_Acts 3:1-2 Now Peter and John went up together to the temple at the hour of prayer, the ninth hour. (2) 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 from those who entered the temple;_*
One day, when we are in the presence of God, we will enjoy the fullness of His kingdom, where there will be no more sickness and suffering. _Revelation 21:4 And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away."_
Jesus saw the harvest and He is calling us to see the harvest as He does. *_Matthew 9:36-38 But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd. (37) Then He said to His disciples, "The harvest truly is plentiful, but the labourers are few. (38) Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out labourers into His harvest."_*
Since Peter and John saw themselves as labourers sent into the harvest, the Holy Spirit made them notice this lame man, who was sitting there, begging for alms.
*Are we as His church, disposed to see ourselves as labourers sent out into the harvest field, where people are hurting? If we do not perceive who we are then we will not be able to do what God desires to be done, in our time, generation, and context, to bring people out of their darkness and bring them into the light of God.*
_Acts 3:3 who, seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple, asked for alms._
The only expectation that the lame man had was alms from people. Whereas, when we are in God’s kingdom, our perspective changes and we begin to see how we can be one with God to bring about all that God has purposed in and through us.
_I Corinthians 2:9-10 But as it is written: "EYE HAS NOT SEEN, NOR EAR HEARD, NOR HAVE ENTERED INTO THE HEART OF MAN THE THINGS WHICH GOD HAS PREPARED FOR THOSE WHO LOVE HIM." (10) But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God._
*The kingdom life is no more a self-centred life but a life that is set free to think and move along with God, accomplishing His purposes in us and through us for our time, generation, and context.* *_Acts 3:4 And fixing his eyes on him, with John, Peter said, "Look at us."_*
Peter and John wanted this man to take his eyes away from his circumstances and begin to see them as those ushering in God’s kingdom. This is where faith is born.*
This man did look at Peter and John but he was still looking at them only for alms. _Acts 3:5 So he gave them his attention, expecting to receive something from them._
*Peter and John were moving this man from the realm of sight to the realm of faith.*
A similar situation took place at Lystra. _Acts 14:8-10 And in Lystra a certain man without strength in his feet was sitting, a cripple from his mother's womb, who had never walked. (9) This man heard Paul speaking. *Paul, observing him intently and seeing that he had faith to be healed, (10) said with a loud voice, "Stand up straight on your feet!" And he leaped and walked*._
People must take their eyes away from their temporal, and material and from what they see and look at the eternal, spiritual and at what they cannot see. For this change to take place, we, as His labourers must take a deep interest and connect with people.
In this incident with the lame man in _Acts 3_, healing took place instantaneously and this is God’s doing. *As we engage with people, healing may not take place immediately and physical healing may not take place at all but healing takes place in the inner man.* We, therefore, must continue with people and move them from the realm of sight to the realm of faith. This requires commitment and persistence on our part as labourers sent by God to reap the harvest.
Jesus moved the blind man from the realm of sight to the realm of faith. _John 9:11 He answered and said, "*A Man called Jesus* made clay and anointed my eyes and said to me, 'Go to the pool of Siloam and wash.' So I went and washed, and I received sight."_
From a place of knowing Jesus as a man, the blind man moved to the place where he saw Jesus as God and he worshipped Him. *_John 9:38 Then he said, "Lord, I believe!" And he worshiped Him.* The blind man, though he was once physically blind, moved from sight to faith.
```As labourers sent into the harvest, our task is to move people from the realm of sight to the realm of faith.```