Momentum - Week 5
During my college days, my friends and I put together an Ultimate Frisbee team, competed against all the fraternities and clubs in Intramural sports, and beat everybody. Season after season, we dominated the league. Ultimate Frisbee is a little like Soccer with a frisbee. But I am not as light as I once was!
I am not just heavier, I am out of shape! I went to the beach last week with family from out of town. I was throwing a Frisbee with my nephew. One of his throws went astray and was headed toward a family relaxing in the sun. So, I took off running like I was still playing Ultimate Frisbee in college. And as I reached for that disc, I miscalculated my pacing and my momentum, tripped in the sand, fell, and hit my head on the back of the chair or the family I was trying to protect. In my mind, it felt like I was running as fast as I could in my college days, but in reality, I am sure my fall looked more like a slow-motion scene from a bad movie.
I had momentum, but it was going in the wrong direction. In Acts 3, we’re going to read about a man whose entire life changed when God gave him a new direction.
Acts 3:1-12 (NLT2)
Peter and John went to the Temple one afternoon to take part in the three o’clock prayer service. 2 As they approached the Temple, a man lame from birth was being carried in. Each day he was put beside the Temple gate, the one called the Beautiful Gate, so he could beg from the people going into the Temple. 3 When he saw Peter and John about to enter, he asked them for some money. 4 Peter and John looked at him intently, and Peter said, “Look at us!” 5 The lame man looked at them eagerly, expecting some money. 6 But Peter said, “I don’t have any silver or gold for you. But I’ll give you what I have. In the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, get up and walk!” 7 Then Peter took the lame man by the right hand and helped him up. And as he did, the man’s feet and ankles were instantly healed and strengthened. 8 He jumped up, stood on his feet, and began to walk! Then, walking, leaping, and praising God, he went into the Temple with them. 9 All the people saw him walking and heard him praising God. 10 When they realized he was the lame beggar they had seen so often at the Beautiful Gate, they were absolutely astounded! 11 They all rushed out in amazement to Solomon’s Colonnade, where the man was holding tightly to Peter and John. 12 Peter saw his opportunity and addressed the crowd. “People of Israel,” he said, “what is so surprising about this? And why stare at us as though we had made this man walk by our own power or godliness?
I don’t know how old this man was, but I do know that since he was born, he had been carried around wherever he went. He never learned to stand or walk, and he never knew what it was like to run and feel the wind on his face. Most likely, he was not married, he did not have children, and was dependent on others. During this time period – anybody that was crippled, blind, paralyzed, or diseased was considered an outcast. From the time of his birth – this crippled man had been rejected by the world. This man was just sitting outside the temple asking for money…and unexpectedly, his life was changed forever.
Peter and John looked at him and said to him, “We do not have any money, but what we do have, we give you. In the name of Jesus, get up and walk!” Then Peter took him by the hand – and as the man rose to his feet – his feet and his ankles were healed!
Suddenly this meant: No more begging for food! No more depending on other people to move him around. No more dragging himself through the town.
He was changed. He was made better. He was a new person.
If by faith you believe that you have been forgiven. If by faith you believe that you Jesus rose from the dead and one day he will return. If, by faith, you took a moment, received Jesus into your life, and committed to follow Him. Then you KNOW exactly how this man felt.
Before you and I became a follower of Jesus, we were just like this crippled beggar. We lived crippled by sin. Crippled by shame. Crippled by guilt. Crippled by hopelessness. Crippled by doubts.
But when we became followers of Jesus, we were made new and set free! We were set free to follow Jesus. We were set free to show GRACE to others. We were set free to HOPE and to BELIEVE THE BEST DAYS ARE AHEAD. We were set free to experience the overwhelming, never-ending, breathtaking love of God found through Jesus.
So, as we seek to build momentum in our lives, understand that…
STEPS OF FAITH BUILD MOMENTUM
Acts 3:8-9 (NLT2)
He jumped up, stood on his feet, and began to walk! Then, walking, leaping, and praising God, he went into the Temple with them. 9 All the people saw him walking and heard him praising God.
Every step that man took was a step of faith. He was accustomed to his legs NOT working. Since birth, his mind and body had been wired to understand his legs were useless. He learned to live without his legs. But, if he continued to believe that his legs were useless, the miracle would not have mattered one bit. Every step he took, was a step of faith in his new life. With every step, his mind told him, “This is not possible. Our legs are useless. We are going to fall.” And, I am willing to bet since you became a follower of Jesus, you have probably heard some of that same type of negative self-talk too.
Maybe you tell yourself that you can’t stop living the way you used to live, because you are too old, to entrenched in your ways and unable to live a changed life. It’s not true. If you want to build momentum in your new life, look at what this man did…
He didn’t just take a few steps – this man was walking, leaping, and praising God with his body.
WALKING – this shows us that this man was healed.
LEAPING – this shows us this man had strength.
PRAISING – This shows us that Jesus was credited for the change, not Peter and John.
This man understood that his useless legs were gone, and now he was a brand new man. He had strong feet and legs, and he CELEBRATED with all his might.
If there is anything that the people of Myrtle Beach do well – whether they are born again or not – is CELEBRATE! People love to PARTY! We party on the beach – we party one boats in the ocean. We celebrate on the miniature golf courses. We go on helicopter rides and race go-karts. We like to celebrate and gather with friends. We ride Harley’s from all over and party hard.
And…at Beach Church, we really seem to CELEBRATE well.
We celebrate Baptisms. We have dropped Beach Balls from the ceiling, we have shot confetti cannons off, we have celebrated through cheers and applause…And, today we will be celebrating with the 33 people who will be baptized in the ocean. And, I want to encourage you to come out and make a scene of celebration. Cheer and applaud when somebody comes out of the water.
And, we don’t just celebrate baptisms. We celebrate when marriages are rescued from the brink of divorce and redeemed. We celebrate stories of people being rescued from addictions and their new life in Jesus. We Celebrate Recovery every Friday night. We have a pattern of celebrating because…
WHEN WE CELEBRATE JESUS,
PEOPLE NOTICE
As this man was whooping and hollering, leaping and shouting and praising God, all the people who were outside the Temple area heard the celebration and came rushing in!
Acts 3:9-11 (NLT2)
All the people saw him walking and heard him praising God. 10 When they realized he was the lame beggar they had seen so often at the Beautiful Gate, they were absolutely astounded! 11 They all rushed out in amazement to Solomon’s Colonnade, where the man was holding tightly to Peter and John.
The people who heard the CELEBRATION were curious about what had happened, so they ran together and surrounded the man, Peter, and John.
When we celebrate our faith those without Jesus –those on the outside of our faith – will be curious and notice. They will be captivated as they see us living lives that CELEBRATE GRACE, REDEMPTION, FORGIVENESS, HEALING, SECOND CHANCES. CELEBRATION will draw others in – because people love to have a good time! People love to celebrate!
If you don’t believe me – stand up in a crowded restaurant, tell people it is your child’s birthday, and ask them to join you in singing HAPPY BIRTHDAY and see if they join in.
When I was a Student Pastor in Georgia, Kristy and I hosted some college students at the house. I was at the grocery store buying food. My daughter Naomi was about four years old. She found out we were having a party, and she stood up in the shopping cart – spread her arms wide, and yelled – EVERYBODY COME TO MY HOUSE! The more, the merrier.
CELEBRATING WINS
LEADS PEOPLE TO JESUS
Crowds of people rushed in when they heard the celebration of the former crippled man. Jesus had told Peter and John to tell everybody about him – and now, because of the hollering and celebration of this man, all these people gathered around Peter and John. We see how Peter responded in verse 12.
Acts 3:12 (NLT2)
Peter saw his opportunity and addressed the crowd. “People of Israel,” he said, “what is so surprising about this? And why stare at us as though we had made this man walk by our own power or godliness?
Peter SAW his opportunity to tell others about Jesus!
The crowd was full of questions. They wanted to know how Peter and John had made this man walk – and Peter took the opportunity to tell them about Jesus. Peter tells them about forgiveness and hope through Jesus for the rest of this chapter. He helped them understand that the power of Jesus healed the crippled man and that the Power of Jesus can give them new life as well – new spiritual life. The only reason why those people were there was because the celebration of the man had drawn them in.
I love it when friends and family are invited to celebrate baptisms! I love it when they give their lives to Jesus and are baptized as well. An invitation to celebrate your faith in Jesus can result in more people experiencing a lifechanging relationship with Jesus.
So, check it out – Peter took the opportunity to tell them about Jesus – and skip to Acts 4:4 as Peter wrapped up his message.
Acts 4:4 (NLT2)
But many of the people who heard their message believed it, so the number of believers now totaled about 5,000 men, not counting women and children.
When followers of Jesus celebrate our faith – others can be drawn in out of curiosity and become followers of Jesus as well. Followers of Jesus can celebrate because Jesus defeated sin. Followers of Jesus can celebrate because Jesus has defeated death. We can celebrate because Jesus holds the keys to life and death in his hand. We can celebrate because Jesus has defeated hopelessness, loneliness, and addiction. We can celebrate because Jesus sent his Holy Spirit to guide us. Followers of Jesus can celebrate because we know for certain that we will be in heaven.
We can celebrate because NOT ONE THING will ever be able to separate us from the love of God.
That is why CAPTIVATING CELEBRATION is one of our GUIDING VALUES at Beach Church – and I invite you to make it one of yours.