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| > Sermon Archive > Sermons by Author > Pastor Keith Davis > Better than Silver and Gold! | Previous Next Print |
| Order Of Worship (Liturgy) Acts 3:1-10 Songs: TPH# 8C, 86B, 492, 291 |
Beloved congregation of our Lord Jesus Christ, what is better, what is more valuable than silver and gold? Right now – in this economy --not very much. Gold prices, for example, are very high. This week an ounce of gold is worth about $6100 (ounce = 2” eraser). A 1 kilo bar of gold, which is about 2.2 pounds, is valued at about $202,000 CAD!
Just imagine if you had ten pounds of gold sitting around your house. That’s a small fortune! And in the hearts and minds and imaginations of many people (even us here today), that much gold would solve a lot of our problems. That kind of wealth could go a long way to paying down debt, to giving us some peace of mind, and maybe even affording us a little happiness and fun.
Again, that’s the way we think. But the account we just read teaches us an important spiritual truth – a truth that this lame beggar needed to hear, and one that we need to hear as well. As children of God, we possess a treasure far more valuable than silver and gold. We possess something that gives true and lasting peace, that gives us an unshakable hope, comfort and confidence come what may – so that even if we lost everything of earthly value, we would still be rich beyond measure.
Do you know that that treasure is? It’s Jesus. We have Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord.
In Jesus we have something that all the silver and gold and riches in the world cannot buy. We have the forgiveness of our sins; we have peace with God; we have fellowship with God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit; we have the gift of eternal life, and we are heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ to all the riches and splendor and glory of Christ’s eternal kingdom.
Peter writes in 1 Peter 1, In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you…
This is the treasure that is better than silver and gold – and this is what Peter and John offer to this lame beggar in Acts 3. Our theme for this passage: Peter Offers Jesus to a Lame and Hopeless Beggar.
- The Desperate Condition of this Beggar
- The Invaluable Gift that He Receives
1) The Desperate Condition of this Beggar
The text begins with Peter and John going up to the temple at the hour of prayer, at 3:00 o’clock in the afternoon. If you’re wondering why Christian converts are still going to the Jewish temple, remember, Jesus often taught in the temple (Luke 21:37), and Jesus called the temple a house of prayer. We also read in Acts 2:46 that the believers met in the temple courts to pray. So, it’s very likely that Peter and John were doing just that. They were going to the temple to pray.
As they went up, they encounter a man who was unable to walk since he was born. Every day he would be carried to the gate of the temple called Beautiful and there he would beg for alms. The word alms is defined as a gift of charity (in this case almost certainly a monetary gift or offering given to the poor). It was a custom for beggars like this to ask for alms outside the temple.
Boys and girls, we’re told that this man was unable to walk since he was born. It means that when he was born, his feet or his legs were not fully developed, so he was not able to walk or even stand. And at this time, there were no surgeries that could be performed; no special leg braces he could wear, and no modern wheelchair for him to get around.
It meant that from childhood, he had to be carried everywhere he went, or he would have to drag himself along the ground. It would have been a very humiliating way to live. In addition to that, there was no possibility of this man being employed, of getting a job, of earning a wage – other than what he earned as a beggar. It is almost certain that he had no wife, no children, and no future posterity. He would live and die as a lame and hopeless beggar.
But that’s not even the extent of this man’s disability. Commentator Derek Thomas suggested that there was also a spiritual dimension to this man’s disability. It seemed that he was also cut off and separated from the presence and worship of God. Due to this man’s crippled condition, he would have been deemed unfit to go beyond the temple door.
In Leviticus 21:18ff, Aaron was told that no male offspring of his who had a physical blemish or was blind or lame or had a mutilated face or limb could draw near to offer the Lord’s food offerings. And so, it was thought, perhaps this rule was also applied to the worshippers themselves.
We already know that those who were afflicted with leprosy were kept outside the camp and considered to be unclean. So, it is possible that those who were born blind or mute or deaf or lame were also considered to be spiritual out-casts – unfit for the presence of God. And the way this scene plays out – it does appear that this was the case, that this lame man was forced to keep his distance from God.
This gives us a more comprehensive view of this man’s situation. His disability was not only of a physical nature, but it was also spiritual in nature. He was helpless and hopeless – separated from society and cut off from God. In that way this man is a living illustration of the helplessness and hopelessness of fallen man.
But there’s another interesting detail to consider. We learn from Acts 4:22, that this man was more than 40 years old. We’re not told how many years he had been begging at this temple gate, but the sense is that he had done this for a very long time – every day he would be carried there to beg for alms from those who were passing by.
Although the text says nothing about this – we wonder if Jesus had ever seen him sitting there. Did Jesus know this man? Did their paths ever cross? Did Jesus ever give him alms? Did Jesus ever speak to Him? We may also wonder, why didn’t Jesus heal him? When we read the Gospel accounts, we’re told about the many miracles Jesus did. Wherever he went, people brought to Jesus the sick, the dying, the deaf, the blind, the lame, and the demon possessed. And Jesus healed them.
But the simple truth is, Jesus didn’t heal everyone on the face of the earth during his ministry. He didn’t heal everyone in Judea, or Samaria, or Galilee. He healed many who were brought to him, but we can assume that there were many who did not come and remained in their afflictions.
And the reason Jesus appointed and commissioned the Apostles (and by extension, the church after them) is because the work of salvation, the proclamation of the Good News of Jesus Christ, and the ministry of spiritual healing is a work that will continue until Jesus comes again.
The truth is, our world is full of lame beggars, spiritually speaking, who lie helpless and hopeless in their sin, and they desperately need to hear the message of salvation; they need to believe in the person and power of Jesus Christ to save them from their sins, to redeem them from the power and penalty of sin.
Perhaps there are those listening today, or right here in our sanctuary, who don’t know Jesus. You’re still lost in your sins. Today God calls you to hear the Gospel, to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ so that you can be saved. Could today be the day of spiritual healing for you?
And the truth is, every one of us who believes in Jesus – we need to hear and believe the Gospel as well. Believing sinners need the Gospel just as much as lost sinners -- because we still stumble and fall into sin; we still need to come to Jesus, to confess our sins, to be admonished and encouraged, to ask the Lord to forgive us, and to give us the blessed assurance that we are cleansed.
And so, the work of the church, the proclamation of the Gospel goes on every day. And even though Christ Himself did not heal this lame beggar, there was still hope for him. And Peter and John were about to reveal that hope to him. That is our second point …
2) The Invaluable Gift that He Receives
We have considered the Desperate Condition of this Man, now we consider the Invaluable Gift he Receives. Let’s look at verse 3. Seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple, he asked to receive alms. Peter and John were no-one-in-particular to this man. They were just two men among the many who passed by him every day of the week. Notice, he sees that Peter and John were about to go into the temple, and so he asked of them the very same thing that he asked of everyone passing by: would you give me an offering, a donation, a coin or two?
Most worshippers who went to the temple came with a monetary offering for the priests, or the temple tax or whatever was appropriate. We do the same thing. Boys and girls, you bring your collection notes or maybe a looney or a toonie that dad or mom give you. And when the collection bags come around you drop in your notes or your looney.
And since God commands his people to give to the poor, this man was not asking for anything unusual. I don’t think it is a stretch to say that giving alms to this lame beggar was an act of worship.
So, the beggar sees Peter and John coming up to the gate, he asks them for alms. But Peter and John do something unusual. Verse 4 -- we’re told that they both directed their gaze upon this lame beggar. Then they commanded the man “Look at us.”
The fact that they had to tell him this means that the beggar must have lowered his eyes as they approached, or what is more likely, as commentators suggest, his eyes were already on the next people walking toward the gate. In other words, this man had done this so long that there was no expectation that there would be any personal interaction between the beggar and those who gave.
People walked up. He asked for alms. The people either dropped a coin or two in his hand, or they kept walking. Then the next person walked up, and the scene repeated itself. It was a daily routine. That’s what this lame beggar expected. But not on this day. On this day, Peter and John disrupted that routine.
Look at us! they say. Then verse 5 tell that the lame man fixed his attention on them, expecting to receive something from them. Maybe he got excited thinking that Peter and John were going to give him something extra, perhaps a larger gift than others.
But that’s not what happened. Instead, Peter replied: I have no silver or gold… Let’s just pause there a moment and consider this part of Peter’s response. First of all, Peter was not insinuating or implying that it would have been wrong for him (or for anyone else going into the temple), to give this man alms, to give this man a gift of a few pieces of silver or gold.
As I said a moment ago, God commanded those who were rich to give to those who had need. And the truth is, this man needed silver and gold to eat, to survive, to pay his rent, maybe even to pay those who carried him to the temple gate each day.
Likewise, there’s nothing inherently wrong or sinful in possessing silver or gold, or in having or accumulating earthly wealth. Peter is not condemning wealth nor is he suggesting that pious Christians should live in a perpetual state of poverty.
Job, for example, was enormously blessed by God; he was among the wealthiest men of his generation. Solomon was blessed by God with great wealth. Having or possessing silver and gold is not the problem. The problem comes in loving silver and gold more than we love God.
1 Timothy 6:10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs. And in Luke 12:15 Jesus says: “Take care, and be on your guard against all greed/covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.”
So, what did Peter mean then, when he said, “I have no silver and gold”? I believe Peter was telling this beggar that he literally had no silver or gold. They didn’t have any money to give to this man. The Apostles, like Jesus, were not wealthy men.
From what we know, Jesus never owned a home. Jesus never owned a nice acreage in the hills of Judea, or a vacation villa on the shores of the Sea of Galilee. In Matthew 8:20 Jesus said, The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to rest his head.
And the Apostles who followed Jesus were similar. In fact, during his ministry, Jesus sent them out to preach, and he commanded them “Take nothing for your journey…Don’t take a walking stick, a traveler’s bag, food, or money, or even a change of clothes.” They were to be fed and supported by those to whom they ministered.
So, Peter and John had no silver or gold to give to this poor man -- but what DID Peter and John have, boys and girls? What type of wealth, what form of riches did Peter and John have that they could share with this helpless and hopeless beggar? What was the one thing they could share?
It was Jesus! It was the hope of salvation and healing in the name of Jesus of Nazareth! Look at the second half of verse 6. Peter said, “In the Name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk!”
Jesus Christ of Nazareth was the one who was crucified and died on Calvary’s cross for the sake of sinners. But then he rose from the dead after three days and appeared to many people. This lame beggar lived in Jerusalem. Surely, he had heard all the stories about Jesus. Surely, he has heard of his death and resurrection -- but still (at this point) he does not believe in Jesus.
Yet, on that very day, through the preaching of Peter and John, by their willingness to stop, to interrupt his routine, and share their invaluable treasure with this poor, lame, helpless beggar, he came to know Jesus as His personal Savior and Lord. It’s true, it never says that. The text does not explicitly state that by the supernatural indwelling of God’s Holy Spirit, this man’s heart and spirit and will were regenerated and he put his faith and hope and trust in Jesus and was saved.
But that’s exactly what happened. That is implied by this man’s response. Verse 7-8. And he took him by the right hand and raised him up, and immediately his feet and ankles were made strong, and leaping up, he stood and began to walk and entered the temple with them …!
Evidence of the remarkable and immediate effect of this miracle as well as this man’s salvation was seen in his unrestrained joy!! He leapt up! Any doctor would tell you about the physical impossibility of this account. Someone who was lame from birth does not immediately rise and stand and leap – except if Jesus gives him the strength and power to do so!
Also notice, for the very first time in his life, he entered the temple along with Peter and John, and he went on walking, and leaping and praising God! He gave gratitude and worship to the God of His salvation! His joy and worship was pure and lovely and could not be withheld or restrained!
What an unbelievable day this was for that man! Peter had performed a mighty miracle in the Name of Jesus! Here this lame man sat at the temple gate, asking and expecting only something earthly, only something temporary, only something fleeting as silver and gold.
Yet God is so gracious, so loving, so kind and compassionate that he gave this man a gift that he could never imagine! He gave him the gift of healing in his body which was an extension of the healing that Christ gave to his soul!
What a treasure it is to know Jesus – to HAVE Jesus!! Let’s just explore that treasure for a few moments. In Jesus we of the treasure of the forgiveness of sins! We confess let all of our sins past present and future are forgiven for the sake of the precious blood of Jesus Christ, the blood that was poured out for us on the cross of Calvary.
But in addition to that, we also have the treasure of granting forgiveness to those who sin against us. That means that we do not have to carry around in our hearts the heavy weight and burden of a grudge, or bitterness, anger and resentment toward those who sin against us. Rather, we can forgive them as God in Christ has forgiven us. Only in Christ do we possess that treasure!
We also possess the treasure of peace with God for evermore – knowing that we fear no condemnation in Christ. We possess the treasure of sweet fellowship with God and intimate communion as brothers and sisters in Christ – having everything in common in Christ.
We possess the treasure or true comfort and hope -- we confess that we live and die in the joy and comfort of knowing Jesus, of knowing that nothing can separate us from the love of God in Jesus Christ our Lord. That means that even though our outward circumstances may never change, even though we may face numerous challenges and trials and afflictions and endure much sorrow and heartache – the one thing that remains, the one constant that no one and nothing can steal away is that we are loved by God, that we belong to God, and that we will be with God for all eternity. With that in mind, we can endure any trial for a moment – knowing the joy that lies ahead. Only in Christ can we lay claim to that treasure!!
We could go on for hours citing all the countless treasures we have in Jesus Christ! Truly he is better than silver and gold – and all else that this world offers! As the old hymn goes,
“I'd rather have Jesus than silver or gold; I'd rather be His than have riches untold;
I'd rather have Jesus than houses or lands; I'd rather be led by His nail-pierced hand…
Then the refrain:
Than to be the king of a vast domain or be held in sin's dread sway. I'd rather have Jesus than anything this world affords today.”
Amen
* As a matter of courtesy please advise Pastor Keith Davis, if you plan to use this sermon in a worship service. Thank-you.
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