What God Wants

He who has an ear, let him hear....Revelation 2:7

God wants to reveal Himself to us.
For us, it's about listening.

While the beggar [who was a cripple Peter had just healed] held on to Peter and John, all the people were astonished and came running to them in the place called Solomon's Colonnade. When Peter saw this he said to them:

Men of Israel, why does this surprise you? Why do you stare at us as if by our own power or godliness we had made this man walk? The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified his servant Jesus. You handed him over to be killed and you disowned him before Pilate, though he had decided to let him go.

You disowned the Holy and Righteous One and asked that a murderer be released to you. You killed the author of life, but God raised him from the dead. We are witnesses of this. By faith in the name of Jesus, this man whom you see and know was made strong. It is Jesus' name and the faith that comes through him that has given this complete healing to him as you can all see....Acts 3:11-16

What would you say if you knew people were listening? (And they are not always listening.)

This is what Acts 3 is about. The healing of the crippled beggar got their attention.

Physical healing is temporary.
Spiritual healing is permanent.

1. Peter got the attention of the people

Verses 9 and 10: When all the people saw him walking and praising God, they recognized him as the same man who used to sit begging at the temple gate called Beautiful, and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him..

What turned their heads?

But if you cannot heal people, what will make them listen? Why would they listen to us?
Peter had an attentive audience. How do we get an attentive audience?

Very simply, our lives have to be changed.

Everyone is being observed all the time.

Usually they want one of two things. They want to either (1) See us real and authentic, or (2) see us fall - then they can be relieved and say, "Good, this isn't for real afterall! I knew it all along!"

2. The Groundedness of Peter

Verse 12: Why do you stare at us?
He could tell they wanted to glorify him, so he had the divert their attention back to God.

Seeing a man healed did not automatically direct their attention to God. (Isn't that still a problem?)

Remember after the burial of Jesus, Peter, determined to move on, said "I'm going fishing." And then he was surprised by the grace and mercy of Christ, as He appeared and spoke gently and lovingly to him, and reinstated the unfaithful Peter to a position of authority in God's plan for the church.

3. The Exaltation of Christ.

The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jesus had glorified Jesus. That is what we also must do when we get the opportunity.

Sometimes faith results in healing. We don't ask for healing often because we don't need it!

If all He can do is heal crippled people, then what can He do for me?

Many of those people in the crowd Peter was speaking to had seen Christ, beaten, bleeding, and nailed to the cross. It was Ground Zero. Peter testified to His resurrection.

What would you say to people if they were listening?

Are we living in a manner that would get their attention? Get them to listen?
Are we walking in integrity and in the power of the Holy Spirit?

Can we share the message of Christ in a manner that would exalt Him?