Focus and Faith (Acts 3:1-10)
Gearl Spicer, September 11, 2022
Part of the Heart of Our Story series, preached at a Sunday Online service
Acts 3:1–10 (Listen)
3:1 Now Peter and John were going up to the temple at the hour of prayer, the ninth hour. 2 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 alms of those entering the temple. 3 Seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple, he asked to receive alms. 4 And Peter directed his gaze at him, as did John, and said, “Look at us.” 5 And he fixed his attention on them, expecting to receive something from them. 6 But Peter said, “I have no silver and gold, but what I do have I give to you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk!” 7 And he took him by the right hand and raised him up, and immediately his feet and ankles were made strong. 8 And leaping up, he stood and began to walk, and entered the temple with them, walking and leaping and praising God. 9 And all the people saw him walking and praising God, 10 and recognized him as the one who sat at the Beautiful Gate of the temple, asking for alms. And they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.
(ESV)
Sermon Notes
Heart of Our Story
Focus and Faith
Acts 3:1-10
9/11/22
What are you focused on?
Our focus must be fine tuned to His eternal purpose while observing how to live out our faith!
Focus - the ability to eliminate all temporal distractions and see eternal purpose
Faith - believing beyond what we see to what we know - Jesus
*and a man who had been lame from his mother's womb was being carried along, whose they used to set down every day at the gate called Beautiful, in order to beg alms of those who were entering the temple .Acts 3:2
*But Peter, along with John, fixed his gaze on him and said Look at us! And began to give them his attention expecting to receive something from them .Acts 3:4-5
*But Peter said, I do not possess silver and gold but what I do have I give to you: In the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene-walk! Acts 3:6
Transforming the ordinary to extraordinary:
I. Faithful men with a clear focus - Acts 3:1
*Prayer is not optional and commitment must be a way of life!
II. A broken man looks for the minimum - Acts 3:2-3
*In our darkest moments we should look for all He can do!
III. A personal challenge that changed his life forever - Acts 3:4-5
*A call to focus lead to a new life of faith!
IV. The heart of the message aligned with the need of His life - Acts 3:6-10
*We should not to surprised that God works miraculously in our lives!
Results of faith and focus:
1. Walking and leaping and praising God
2. Wonder and amazement
3. The lame beggar walked home for the first time
Do you trust Him for miracles?