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rounded by the splendors of moun tains and temple, and yet, he was outside the gate. He was lying on the pavement at the very foot of the steps leading up to the temple, but outside. So it is with the unregenerate world of humanity." It is close by the good grace of God, near to things lovely and holy, but outside. And what was this man doing? He was not asking for strength to walk, but for alms. A pauper outside the gate! Here is the church’s opportunity, namely, to tell of Christ who “ suffered without the gate” that men might rise and walk inside. 3. "Then Peter said. Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee" (v. 6). Peter had nothing to help this unfortunate man along in his crippled condition, but he did have something that would cure his crip pled condition so that he could live a normal life. Today the church has been endeavoring to give men some thing to help . them along in their helplessness instead of4sharing with them the life-giving gospel which can make them walk. Spiritual healing is what men need, and not doles of money, social service, changed envi ronment, education, or reformation. These things have their place, but they are no substitute for the gift of life. It is the glorious privilege of every Christian to share the unspeak able Gift with those outside the gate. 4. "In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk" (v. 6). If, and when, some orte gives you a check for one hundred dollars, the one whose name appears at the bottom of the check puts his resources behind it to make it good. Thus anything done in the name of Jesus Christ has all the power and resources of the Son of God behind it. It is our privilege to go to a lame and helpless world with the healing gospel “ in the name of Jesus Christ.” A gospel in any other name w ill not heal. Golden Text Illustration A cts 4:13 A happy Christian one day met an Irish peddler, and exclaimed: “ It’s a grand thing to be saved!” 7 “Eh?” said the peddler. “ It is, but I know something better than that.” “Better than being saved?” said he. “What can you possibly know better than that?” . > “The companionship erf the Man who has saved me!” was the unexpected reply. When we have His friendship, .oth ers w ill take knowledge that we have been in His presence. —Adapted from Believer's Pathway. v. At the Beautiful Gate A cts 3:1-8 MEMORY VERSE: “Our help is in the name of the Lord, who made heaven and earth” (Psa, 124:8).
disciples, and they themselves would have been filled with fear. Peter and John gave ,a definite and clear testimony to the effect that, whatever orders the rulers might give, if those commands opposed the com mands of the risen Lord Jesus, His disciples could do nothing but “speak the things which we have seen and heard.” Being afraid of an uprising on the part of the people who knew 'of the healing of the lame man and were convinced of the God-given power of Peter, and John, the rulers feared to punish them as they would have been delighted to do. However, they could and did threaten them and then let them go. Thus the “men of Israel” gave their own answer to this second opportunity to repent and find for giveness (cf. Acts 3:12-26). The rebel lion manifested against the Person of Jesus Christ during His life on earth persisted after His death, and was re vealed in the rebellion against His message delivered through these two leaders in the early church, Peter and John. The days of suffering for Christ’s sake are not over. It would be well for every Christian to learn, from this account of the experiences of Peter and John, both how to be bold for Christ and how to be victorious in Him. Points and Problems 1. "They were p r i c k e d in their heart" (Acts 2:37). The word here translated “pricked” occurs nowhere else in the New Testament. It is a very strong word, and suggests pierc ing, penetration, and deep grief. Those who had heard Peter’s great sermon were suddenly and deeply af fected with anguish and alarm in view of what Peter had said, and felt an irresistible compunction to do some thing about it. A ll preaching should appeal for a verdict. Preaching should compel men to action. No sermon has fulfilled its proper purpose if it does not cause the hearers to say, “What shall we do?” If sermons are to pro duce such an effect as this, they must be of the nature of Peter’s—founded upon the Word of God. 2. "A certain lame man . . . whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple" (Acts 3:2). This man was sur- BLACKBOARD LESSON
do. Peter’s reply was clear: For the remission of sins, they must repent— they must turn from their thought of Jesus’ being an impostor—and be .bap tized. If they would do this, the Holy Spirit would be given to them. They could be fully assured of this result, because they had the promise of it from God, a promise announced by their prophets. But; as a nation, the “men of Israel” rejected Peter’s exhor tation and continued in their rebel lion against - Jesus, and therefore against God. While the nation, as such, rejected Peter’s exhortation, there were indi viduals, numbering about three thou sand, who accepted ~the teaching, were saved, and were added to the number of disciples. When the"'Word is preached in the power of the Holy Spirit, it always produces conviction, and, in those who believe and obey it, conversion. II. H ealing (Acts 3:1-8) The lame man at the Beautiful Gate of the temple had no thought qf re ceiving anything from Peter and John other than material aim«. He was a helpless beggar looking to two men for the aid he needed. Peter and John were also helpless beggars, but they were looking' to One who is mighty and able to meet any need. They had a God whose resources were, and are, sufficient to meet every human need —physical, psychical, or spiritual. He answered the jirayer of Peter and John and made the lame man whole. There was a miracle within a miracle in this case. The man’s feet and ankle bones received strength, and he was taught to walk immediately; normally, walk ing is an acquired art. The healed man entered the temple with. Peter and John in such a manner as to at tract the attention of all the people gathered there, and the way was thus opened for Peter to proclaim the truth to them. III. T estifying (Acts 4:13, 18-21) As a result of the healing of the lame man, Peter and John were ar rested and placed in the prison. The next day they were brought before the rulers and the priestly governors of the people. These high officials were astonished at the boldness of the supposedly ignorant and unlearn ed men. These men were regarded as being ignorant and unlearned be cause they had not attended the recog nized schools. Moreover, the rulers were amazed at the boldness of these two mefi because they were recog nized as having been with Jesus and therefore should have been fearful of meeting the same treatment that He had received. Had the rulers fully realized that Jesus Christ whom they had crucified had risen from the dead, they would have known the source of the boldness and power of these two
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