ELCOG 3/9/08

Text: Acts 3:19

This morning I want to encourage you to expand your expectations. Often we are all guilty of limiting what God can do. We operate in a measure of faith, but then we don’t put total trust in Christ for certain areas of our lives. We must be willing to expand our faith and to take our worldly blinders off so that we can see what Christ is really able to do. The world tries to block out what God can do. It blocks it out by causing us to hear negative reports and seeing the result of a world without faith. We begin to fall in line with the thought process that this problem or situation is not going get any better. It’s not that we really don’t believe god; we just never consider God for his help. We forget that God sends his help and his anointing to get us through all aspects of life.

In verses 1-7 we find a story where Peter and John were heading to the temple and a certain crippled man was laid each day at the gate of the temple called Beautiful so that he could receive charitable gifts. When Peter and John was asked by the man for a gift they look at him with a stern look

(maybe it was a look of faith or a look of compassion) but they gazed at him and said sir, look at us! And the cripple man looked up expecting to get money from them.

This man was there to make enough money to buy some bread a piece of fish. (verse 5) He looks at Peter and John expecting to get a few coins tossed in his cup. How many of you this morning have come here with your little cup expecting God to give you a few coins to help you buy a loaf of bread or a few fish, but God has much more prepared for you today. You came expecting coins, but God is about to give you something a lot more than coins.

God is saying this morning to look at Him. Fix your eyes on God. Sometimes if you are going to get more from God you have to expect more from Him. If you really want to make a life then you need more than a few charitable coins you need a miracle.

In verse 6 Peter said, Silver and Gold I do not have…. Sir, I know you want some money. I know that you probably need our silver and our gold, but that is not what we have to give. I know that you are expecting us to give you money, but we are broke. However, what we have we will give to you.

So Peter said, "In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk!" Then he took him by the hand and raised him up. He was expecting money but he got a miracle. We need to raise our expectations! Some of you are looking at me this morning expecting one thing, but I want to tell you about the greatest thing that I have ever received. His name is Jesus Christ. He is the bread of life. He will provide all of your needs. He will do more than give you bread he will teach you how to make bread. He is Jesus. Raise your expectations!

The crippled man stood up and his feet became strong and he began walking and leaping and praising God. And all the people saw him praising God and they recognized him as the cripple man and they were filled with wonder.

Don’t hide your praise! Someone else may see God through your praise. Let them see a child who is proud of their father. You and your praise may be the plow that prepares them for a message that will lead them to salvation in Jesus Christ!

Verse 11: The healed crippled clung to Peter and John and a crowd gathered around them and a door was opened for a message to be preached.

The sermon – verse 11-26

Verse 12-14: Why are you so surprised? It is not us who healed this man, but God. The God of your forefathers has glorified His servant and His Son. This is the same Jesus that you rejected. This is the same Jesus that you denied and crucified. You demanded that this Jesus be crucified and that a murder be set free.

Verse 15-16: You are guilty of killing the very source of life. But God raised him from the dead and we are witnesses of this miracle. And it is this Jesus and faith in him that has healed this man before your very eyes. Now, you can not deny that this is the same one that lay crippled for years at this gate. This is the same many that many of you have helped over the years, but now look at him; he his walking, leaping and praising God.

Verse 17-18 I know that you have acted in ignorance, but God has fulfilled what was told of him by the prophets, that His Christ (the messiah) should undergo ill treatment and be afflicted and suffer.

Verse 19: So repent. Change your mind and change your purpose so that times of refreshing can come from the lord.

This morning some of you have come to church with your change bucket and you need to realize that your life is not going to ever be refreshed by the handouts, but I have come to tell you that real refreshing comes from the lord after you repent. If you truly want peace of mind – repent. If you truly want your life to feel better – repent! After you repent then a season of refreshing can come. After you repent then a new fresh wind can blow n your life. You will never collect enough coins to save yourself. You will never clean up enough to make a difference in your life. You need to repent. Raise your expatiations and see God. You came to church this morning to try to get a little help, but I’ve come preaching that there is new life in Jesus Christ. I am here to tell you to repent because Jesus wants your old things to pass away. He has something better for you…raise your expectations!

Verse 22-24: The prophets all talked about this messiah. Every soul that does not listen to and understand by hearing and does not take heed will be exterminated from the people. In other words, if you don’t repent you will be judged. Repent. God is calling today for you to return and repent.

Raised expectations: A cripple man looked for silver and got new legs. Peter and john heading to the temple for a prayer service and ended up healing a man and preaching to thousands.

See if you come to church with low expectations you may over look a great miracle. Had Peter and John done the norm that day a lot of souls would have been lost. But they had higher expectations and God gave them a great harvest.

We see in Acts 4:4 that about 5,000 people got saved from this miracle and this message produced by Peter and John. They had high expectations and God produced.

Where are your expectations today? Are you here with your cup for coins? God wants you to stop looking for coins and start looking for Him. He wants to give you new legs to stand on. He wants to provide an opportunity for you preach a message to a crowd of unbelievers that are astonished at what God has done. But we must have bigger expectations! God can and will do more that what is expected!