A New Name (Pt2)

Background Story: The book of Acts that follows the start of the early Church and the spread of the Good News.

Read Acts 3: 1-16

One day Peter and John were going up to the temple at the time of prayer—at three in the afternoon. Now a man who was lame from birth was being carried to the temple gate called Beautiful, where he was put every day to beg from those going into the temple courts. When he saw Peter and John about to enter, he asked them for money. Peter looked straight at him, as did John. Then Peter said, “Look at us!” So the man gave them his attention, expecting to get something from them.

Then Peter said, “Silver or gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.” Taking him by the right hand, he helped him up, and instantly the man’s feet and ankles became strong. He jumped to his feet and began to walk. Then he went with them into the temple courts, walking and jumping, and praising God. When all the people saw him walking and praising God, 10 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.

11 While the man held on to Peter and John, all the people were astonished and came running to them in the place called Solomon’s Colonnade. 12 When Peter saw this, he said to them: “Fellow Israelites, 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? 13 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. 14 You disowned the Holy and Righteous One and asked that a murderer be released to you. 15 You killed the author of life, but God raised him from the dead. We are witnesses of this. 16 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 completely healed him, as you can all see.

Big Idea: We live out our Christian walk through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Peter is proof that God can use anyone for amazing purposes! In Luke 5, we meet Peter fishing in the Sea of Galilee. He’s a simple man prone to saying the wrong things who Jesus called to something greater saying, “from now on you will fish for people.” Later, Jesus changed Simon Peter’s name to Peter in Matthew 16:18 and said, ” I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.”

This is Peter. He’s not a preacher, a scholar, or a priest in the temple. He’s a man of faults who denied even knowing Jesus. Doesn’t it seem like a risk to choose this guy to lead the first church? But with God, He not only sees who we are today, but He sees beyond the present to who he created us to be!

As it turns out, Peter was the perfect person for the job because he was an empty vessel usable by the Holy Spirit! When Peter got up and preached in Acts 2 or reached out and touched the lame man in Acts 3, he never desired the glory or recognition. He recognized that all power came from the Holy Spirit and he was willing to be used by Him. For Peter and for each of us, we need the power of the Holy Spirit. When we attempt to live out this Christian life in our own strength and power, we end up exhausted and frustrated. The Holy Spirit is the one that stays and counsels us (Jn 14:16-17), helps us know God (1 Corinthians 2:10-11), helps us to pray (Romans 8:26-27), convicts us of sin (John 16:7-8), helps us change (Galatians 5:22-25), and much more.

We don’t change to become more like Jesus or be used for God’s purposes through our own strength. We change, mature, and grow through daily surrender and submission to the Holy Spirit’s work in our life. Peter is the perfect example that God can redeem and use any life that is submitted to Him!

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