Title: Receive more than expected
Contents
Acts 3:1-10 Receive more than expected
Wouldn't it be great if something worked out better than expected? There are many people in the Bible who did far better than they expected. Among them is Peter. He was a fisherman who made a living catching fish on the Sea of Galilee all his life. The lake water is so clear that you have to fish at night. This is because if you try to catch fish during the day, the fish will see the net go down and the fish will run away.
That evening, Peter went out to fish and did not catch a single fish all night. Peter's expectation was to catch a full boat. But it's disappointing. They were washing their nets without catching a single fish. The fatigue seemed to overlap even more. Then Jesus came and said, “Let down your nets into the deep for a catch.” Peter obeyed. They caught a lot of fish so that the nets were torn. I filled it twice. The expectations were doubled, but the reality was doubled. It's really exciting to live a life that goes better than you expect.
There are many exciting things like this in the Bible. 5,000 male adults were listening to Jesus from morning to late in the evening in the Badseda wilderness. Jesus said that they were hungry and could not go home and were about to fall. It was really pitiful. So Jesus told his disciples to give them something to eat. The disciples gave three excuses. “This place is empty.” “It is already dark.” “200 denarii is not enough.”
But Jesus fed them all with two fish and five barley loaves. And there were still 12 Gwangju-ri left. They only expected to satisfy their hunger, but Jesus fed them more than they expected. Everyone, in the life of following Jesus, exciting things happen with results that exceed expectations. “My cup is overflowing!” He confesses with happiness.
This is today's text. It is a moving story of Peter and John going to the temple to pray and raising a beggar who had been sitting lame for 40 years begging. There was only one temple in Jerusalem. No, there is only one in all of Israel. It is a national temple where all the people gather. But there was a lame beggar who had been begging for 40 years at the door.
There were three prayer times a day in this temple. 9 a.m., 12 p.m. and 3 p.m. It was time for Peter and John to go up to the temple to attend the 3 p.m. prayer meeting. The beggar held out his hand, begging as always. As you know, the begging seat in front of the temple gate is the most prestigious seat in all of Israel. This is the best place for beggars to make the most money. He was probably the king of the beggars of Jerusalem, or that he had occupied the position for so long, or that he was sent by the king of beggars.
Peter and John tried to give the beggar money, but there was no money. Then Peter and John took the beggar's wrist. And said. “Silver and gold I do not have, but what I have I give I give in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.” And he took the beggar's right hand and lifted him up. The crippled man suddenly gained strength in his feet and ankles and got up to walk and run.
And walking and jumping, he praised God who had performed miracles for him. This is the content of today's text. The crippled man received more than expected. The crippled man only asked for a few bucks and he got up and became a walker and runner. It was unimaginable. An unexpected event happened.
In Acts 4:22, it says that the beggar was about 40 years old. In verse 2 of the text, it is said that he was lame from birth. In other words, he was a crippled man who had lived on the ground for 40 years. However, in verse 9, the lame man became a man who praised God. The fleshly person has changed into a spiritual person, the earthly person into a heavenly person, and the sedentary person into a running person. A history that exceeded expectations.
I hope that the history that exceeds our expectations will happen to us today as well. Not only the beggars, but also Peter and John received more than expected. Peter and John were going up to the temple to pray when it was time for prayer. They just prayed and were about to return, but they experienced a miracle of raising a cripple. And when the news spread, 5,000 people believed in Jesus. More history than expected. As I deal with today's text, I bless you once again that you and I will receive more blessings than expected. So, how do you live a life that exceeds your expectations? Let's take a look through today's protagonists, the crippled man and Peter and John.
There are four words that stand out in today's Bible text.
1. every day
2. In front of the temple gate called the temple beautiful gate
3. During prayer time
4. In Jesus Name
1. every day
“The one who daily puts in the door of the temple called the Beautiful Gate to beg from those who enter the temple” (verse 2). He's been there for 40 years. After persistently and persistently devoted to one task, I experienced a miracle that exceeded my expectations. It is the result of digging a well and digging a well. A person who is persistent will surely achieve results that exceed expectations.
2. Temple Gate
Here's the second secret to going beyond miracles to excitement. is the word. The place he begged for every day was the beautiful gate of the temple, so he went beyond expectations with excitement. Had it been the market floor, such a miracle would not have happened. Had it not been for the train, this would not have happened. His seat was at the beautiful gate of the temple. Where you have been is so important. Even if you play, you have to play in the place of miracles for miracles to happen. Even if you spend your whole life in a nightclub, you will not receive the Holy Spirit experience. However, if you continue to dwell in the house of God, you will experience miracles.
3. At prayer time
There is another secret that the crippled man went beyond expectations with excitement. A word that stands out in today's text. That's right. Today's miracle happened while going up to pray. A miracle did not happen while going to the temple to meet people. It's not like a miracle happened when I went to counseling. A miracle happened while we were going to pray. A miracle didn't happen when I was alone and quietly going to pray, but when the two of us went to pray together, a miracle happened. “Where two or three are gathered in my name, I am with you,” said the Lord.
And Jesus said. “My house is a house of prayer for all people” (Mark 11:17). The temple is a house of prayer. Jesus did not say, “My house is a house of communion.” He did not say, “My house is a meeting house.” Did you see a person who received the Holy Spirit while eating? Have you ever heard of someone who was caught on fire while playing yut? Did anyone say that the gift of the Holy Spirit came upon them during the meeting? Church is good for eating, fellowship and meetings, but the essence is prayer. When you pray, miracles happen. The secret that the crippled man exceeded expectations and lived with excitement was an incident caused by a person who went to pray during prayer time.
4. In Jesus Name
Listen to what Peter and John said as they grabbed the lame man. “Silver and gold I do not have, but what I have I give I give in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.” No matter how persistent you are, no matter how much you pray, no matter how beautiful the temple gates are, without the name of Jesus Christ, miracles will not happen. That is, the name of Jesus is the key.
A factory is nicely built. However, I gave hundreds of billions of won and the machine did not move. Finding out the cause was simple. Electricity is not connected. The same is true. The name of Jesus is power. Someone said something meaningful. “These days churches have silver and gold, but there is no Jesus name.” Peter and John had no silver or gold, but the name of Jesus. Even if we don't have silver and gold, if we have the name of Jesus Christ, amazing things will happen.
In fact, today's protagonist is not the crippled, not Peter and John, but our Lord Jesus Christ. It is a miracle that Jesus performed. We cannot do anything without the Lord. Such a miracle can only happen when there is a God who gives more than we expected. Ephesians 3:20 introduces God like this: “He is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that is at work in us.”
That's right. The God you and I believe in is a good God who fills us with more blessings than we expect in this foreign land. I pray that you will receive blessings beyond your expectations in this foreign land while looking at and following such a good God. And I wish you a richer and more relaxed life.