Search for the lost, bring back those that stray away,
put
bandages on those that are hurt,
and make the weak strong.
Ezekiel
34:16
Washington
D.C. is a beautiful city by day and I believe an even prettier city at
night. As you walk through the center
mall and you look around at all the museums and monuments all lit up it is
amazingly beautiful. Unfortunately,
looming in the shadows is one of the nation’s largest drug-trafficking and crime
riddled cities.
Why
all the light? It keeps the criminals
away. Light has a way of doing
that.
My
question is this “Have we as Christians become so comfortable in the light that
we have become afraid of the shadows?”
God
has given us the responsibility, as Christians and as a church, to reach the
people in the shadows – the hurting and crippled people. The church above all
else should be a place for people who have problems.
The
church was designed for the single mother who works two jobs to support her
kids. The church is for the drug addict
who can’t stop his habit. The church is
for the man who can’t stay away from pornography on the internet. The church is for the young person who
struggles with self-esteem. The church
is for the alcoholic who is ready to admit he needs help. The church is for the person that returns
home to a beautiful house that has been empty ever since the divorce. The church is for the person that bought the
new car only to discover it’s a lemon.
Church is for the family that went on the long saved for vacation to
Florida only to encounter 50 degree temperatures and cold rain. The church is
for the hurting, the crippled, the disenfranchised, the confused, the lonely,
the people lost in the shadows of life.
Jesus
called us to be a city on the hill, a beacon of light, for the world to see.
Why? Because we have nothing to hide. So
why is it that we have adopted the idea “what happens at church stays at
church”?
Our story from the first
church today tells of someone that lived in the shadows and his encounter with
those that lived in the light. This is the story of crippled beggar, someone
that lived in the shadows.
One day at three o'clock in the afternoon, Peter and
John were on their way into the Temple for prayer meeting. At the same time
there was a man crippled from birth being carried up. Every day he was set down
at the Temple gate, the one named Beautiful, to beg from those going into the
Temple. When he saw Peter and John about to enter the Temple, he asked for a
handout. Peter, with John at his side, looked him straight in the eye and said,
"Look here." He looked up, expecting to get something from them.
Peter
said, "I don't have a nickel to my name, but what I do have, I give you:
In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk!" He grabbed him by the
right hand and pulled him up. In an instant his feet and ankles became firm. He
jumped to his feet and walked. The man
went into the Temple with them, walking back and forth, dancing and praising
God. Everybody there saw him walking around and praising God. They recognized
him as the one who sat begging at the Temple's Gate Beautiful and rubbed their
eyes, astonished, scarcely believing what they were seeing. The man threw his arms around Peter and John,
ecstatic. All the people ran up to where they were at Solomon's Porch to see it
for themselves.
Acts 3:1-10
The
beggar in our story was forbidden to enter the temple by law because of his sickness (Lev
21:16-18). This
beggar would have been only one of many at the temple gates this day. After all this was a great place to beg. Wealthy individuals on the way to temple
liked to have the opportunity to show off their kindness to the less fortunate.
What
a contrast it must have been? The temple
gate 45 feet tall and covered with silver and gold towering over and casting
shadows on the crippled beggars sitting by the passageway. The beggars cried out to anyone and no one
all at the same time. All the while
people passed by without even looking. Some
paused only long enough to drop some coins.
Surely someone could do something about having them removed from this
entrance? And then came Peter and John.
Now
there were many healings performed by the Apostles. Did you ever
stop to ask yourself, “Why did Luke record this one?” Many
theologians speculate that Luke recorded this story because it resulted in an
opportunity for Peter to once again preach to a large group. I
believe Luke recorded it to teach us something about the actions of Peter and
John as they lived their faith. The
actions they took that day can teach us something about how we live our faith today:
1)
They Met
Peter and John did not
hide or even avert their eyes. They were
part of the culture of the city. They
were headed to the Temple for afternoon prayers just like everyone else.
They were not
isolated. They did not only associate
with other Christ followers. Peter and John lived
there lives amongst the shadows of the city.
Look around you. Think about the
places you go, the people you see. Do
you know them? Do you talk to them? Have you any connection to them? If you invited them to church, would they
even know you?
2)
They Connected
3000 people had just
responded to the Gospel message. How
important could converting one person be?
After all the early church needed growth and big numbers if it were to
survive. But Peter and John were not to
busy for one.
As they declared, “Look
at me!” were they thinking of the story Jesus told them of the lost sheep? Were they thinking of the
woman who had touched Jesus garment in the crowd?
Most likely 1000s of
people had already walked by that day, but at this moment Peter and John
connected with this man. Do you notice the hurting
souls that are around you? Not all of
our hurts are easy to see. How easily
distracted are you from the needs of those around you?
3)
They Touched
Peter and John were
willing to reach down to the street level.
They were willing to touch the untouchable. Are willing to rub elbows with anyone? Are you willing to carry
them to Jesus? Will you open the door
and invite them? Will you sit with them
and talk with them? How dirty are you willing
to get in order to grow the Kingdom of God?
4)
They Gave
Peter and John what they
had and more importantly what this beggar needed. This beggar needed
healing, but didn’t know to even ask.
What people really need is NOT a church, not a program, not a social
club, not a fancy sermon, not great music, not a small group, not a Sunday
school class, not a cup of coffee, not even a pitch in dinner.
They don’t need to
discuss doctrinal issues or debate theological ideas. They don’t need to know
who wrote the book of Isaiah.What people need is
Jesus. But so many are so last in the
darkness and shadows, they don’t even know to ask. They need Jesus. Peter
and John gave this man Jesus. When people come to our church they ought to be
able to find Jesus, but the people you encounter every day ought to be able to
find Jesus in you.
We
who have met Jesus have nothing to hide. Our
weakness, strengths, wounds, hurts, and disappointments are all in the open to
God. We are called to be light. Nothing hides in the light.
When
we have nothing to hide, we will meet people where they are and we will bring
the healing touch of the Master to them. You
know, this culture is full of miserable people who would like to forget about
life forever. They are the people that
live in the shadows. Many
of these people are your neighbors, your co-workers, your friends, your family
members. We need to learn to embrace our
faith boldly in ways that declare we have nothing to hide … nothing at all. We
must be able to go out and meet people in the community, connect with them,
become involved with them, and give them the greatest gift we have to offer.
Go and be light in the world.
Have
you forgotten that you have nothing to hide?
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