A Miracle at the Beautiful Gate - Acts 3:1-10

good morning church today's scripture reading is taken from Acts chapter 3 now Peter and John were going up to the temple at The Hour of Prayer the ninth hour and a man lame from birth was being carried whom they laid daily at the Gate of the temple that is called the beautiful gate to ask arms of those entering the temple seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple he asked to receive arms and John directed his gaze at him asked the John and Peter directed his gaze at him asked the John and said

look at us and he fixed his attention on them expecting to receive something from them but Peter said I have no silver and gold but what I do have I give to you in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk and he took him by the right hand and raised him up and immediately his ankles and feet were made strong and leaping up he stood and began to walk and entered the temple with them walking and leaping and praising God and all the people saw him walking and praising God and recognized

him as as the one who sat at the beautiful gate of the temple asking for arms and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him this is the word of the Lord hey good morning church so good to see you my name is Matt uh one of the pastors here and and uh I so thank thank ful to be with you today uh worshiping Jesus like that uh even though there's this glowing orb in the sky out there it's beautiful like everyone in Vancouver they're at the beach now and people

think it's weird to be at the beach in March but it's not if you're in Vancouver and the Sun comes out and so uh just so glad you're here uh want to worship Jesus here and then go to the beach uh or whatever you have uh afterward but uh just before we get into that text that Abby read for us um a couple things uh so a couple things to mark your calendars with first of all uh Easter weekend is in two weekends so it comes early early this year March 31st is Easter Sunday and

uh want to D direct your attention to a few things so Good Friday March 29th we are getting together with Coastal Church again and First Baptist again so like we did last year which was so much fun and such a joy we're all we're all getting together here uh 9 and 11 uh we did one Gathering last year and it was just like it was packed and people were at the back back and in the lobbies and so we're going to do two this time so 9 and 11 this is Good Friday March 29th really

want you to be here and not to miss out on this like the Lord moves in a special way it's very different it's not like a Westside style necessarily but it's like the Lord moves in a very special way when his people come together and worship him together and and break some of those barriers that sometimes exist between us and so we're really excited about that uh if you're for some reason working that day just like don't show up just come here instead if you need a note from your pastor just let me know I'll

send you a note that works every time no one can argue with that and so uh would love to have you up for that and then Saturday uh the very next day we have a family event just want you in prayer for this if you're not already involved in it our like kids team had I think a goal of a hundred people they got 700 and Counting and so I did I ran some numbers that's like seven times more than the goal uh and so it's crazy and so praise God but it just speaks to

the hunger that's out there right now when you know we we inv our friends and and and our neighbors and people we love to things it's like there's just a hunger and so please be praying for all those people coming out on that weekend also and then Sunday Easter Sunday we've got more than 20 people being baptized on Sunday which is really exciting also yeah uh so so big weekend but just like it's it's a it's a special you know we don't make a big deal about like Christian calendar stuff necessarily um but a couple

times a year like Christmas Easter we just really as a people want to show that that kind of of Devotion to celebrating Jesus and our City's watching and and people are hungry and so just would invite you just to really set that weekend aside um not just for family time or meals or whatever but actually to worship Jesus and celebrate the reality of Resurrection Life so uh make sure that's dialed away for you and then April 14th which is a Sunday uh two weeks after Easter April 14th 1:30 we're having a just a family update

whatever like I I just my I have a desire to spend more time hearing from you talking to you uh about about what's going on here big picture stuff not just out of the text but like what the Lord's doing in our midst in the church and so I want to share with you a little bit of the vision what's happening uh Jos our executive Minister will give you an update on the our finances our fiscal year ends June 30th and we're close like we're we're almost tracking and so we need some help to kind

of push us over and balance the budget this year but we also want to hear from you like things you're seeing in the body questions you have anything Ministry related what's going on the church what's happening in this area that area um Nat will give more instructions on that on the back end but we're asking you to send your questions in ahead of time and then we're just going to get together and and just have like about an hour a little over an hour and uh just hang out and hear some cool things that God's

doing around the body so I want to invite you out to that April 14th 1:30 make sure that's locked away too all right all right let me pray for us and uh yeah I'm excited about this text so father we love you father thank you for sending your son Jesus and Jesus thank you for sending your spirit and and we we just ask you to come and speak come and have your way come and come and move Lord however you want to this morning like we are just so thankful to be your kids we're just

so thankful to be your sons and daughters your family we're so thankful for the church the family our brothers and sisters we're thankful for the church in this city we're thankful Lord that it's you who builds the church and that you're at work building this church too Jesus would you would you just come and and and interrupt our time if you want to lead us we pray in your name amen so we're in Acts and and uh we've been going through uh lately just this summary uh of the early Church in the end of Acts

2 and and looking at kind of the markers of the the the of Jesus people when the spirit was poured out on them and we saw you know they were voted they had devoted themselves to these four things to the apostles teaching to the fellowship to the breaking of bread and the prayers we worked through we walked through that we looked at kind of what was happening in the early church kind of the markers of the early church and there was a summary uh that that allowed for the passage of time as Luke is recording

acts for us and now we're coming to to chapter three and we're going to zoom in on some of the specific things that were that were happening and and today is going to begin kind of one story that's going to carry for for quite a while for us but but as as you've been coming through this I hope you've been having the same sense that I've been having I've been hearing from from quite a few of you who who have been saying things like this but you know it wasn't just that that God had work

to do in his church then like he he's working in his church now like he's not done with his church and and the thing that's like really on been on my heart and that like had me up late last night uh with him and and thinking about you and and Us in this city is just that like I don't think we've seen yet all the church is meant to be in this city I don't think we've seen it like I don't I don't even think we've actually come close to seeing it I I don't think

when we look back at you know the beginning of acts like I don't think we're looking back at the Glory Days of the church the good old days of the church and we all should Pine for those days and oh wouldn't it have been amazing to be there I I think we're meant to be there today and so and so the spirit okay I'll let you clap for that a few of you that's good that was a good point great Point Matt thanks I don't think he's done I and and I and I say that

for a couple reasons one because I like I see what he's doing in you like really I I I'm I feel like I'm in a very privileged position to get to hear a lot of what the Lord's doing kind of in a macro sense in this church I get reports from people and staff and and I hear from the elders and whatever and I get I get these stories and I hear like there there's a there's a deepening like really a deepening spiritual ual hunger in this church like people are getting hungrier there there is

a there are people right now coming like more and more to like to to the end of themselves in the wrestle against you know habitual sin or or spiritual apathy or lethargy like there there's a there we're coming to these places like the the you know nominal Christianity that that mushy middle thing is kind of died out and now the people who are left we either we've either walked away from Jesus or we're just trying to figure out how do we how do we actually do this thing called life with Jesus how do we not

just play religious games but actually walk with him and so he's working with us and discipline us disciplining us like a father and he's taking us through the things that we're afraid of and he's leading us through through through places he's calling us to trust him like I'm seeing all this happening in the body I'm also seeing like this real uh desire and longing for Holiness like I'm really a longing for Holiness to to be purif ified people not just not just people who who know like who who we want to confess our sins and

and constantly repent but we also want to grow to maturity and right now Jesus in this city he's saving lost people and Jesus in this city is discipling his people to maturity and I I've seen it happen and so I know he wants to do more in the church because I'm seeing it in you I'm also seeing it in texts like these you just can't get around that the scripture paints a picture for us of of a church like on fire a church alive vibrant moving in the presence and power of Jesus and that's what

we see in this text let's look at it together uh there's a lot there's a lot I believe for us in just these first 10 verses now Peter and John verse one now Peter and John were going up to the temple at The Hour of Prayer the ninth hour so so it's it's it's 3 p.m. 9th hour is 3 p.m. and and Peter and John are going up literally to the temple you had to Ascend up to the temple through some gates up to the Temple Mount they they they they you have to know that

at this point in church history all these Christians were coming out of Judaism these were observant Jews and and Devotion to Jesus meant that actually the temple remained a very important part of their lives like the they were their lives were built around the temple before they came to Jesus but now after they came to Jesus they didn't like all of a sudden just leave the temple they kept the in the temple they they kept on following some of the rhythms they had before but everything about the temple and worship at the temple had changed

for them they understood now that every word in the law and the prophets and the writings every word was fulfilled in Jesus every sacrifice was fulfilled in Jesus and that's why we see all through the book of Acts as the apostles entered new cities often the very first place they go to preach the gospel are Jewish synagogues they they go to the people who have context for Jesus the Old Testament the law prophets and writings they have context for Jesus they go there and they they preach the gospel it makes perfect sense because everything there

was meant to point to Jesus everything there was being fulfilled in Jesus had been fulfilled in Jesus so they would go there and these were places of evangelism for them not just personal worship but evangelism which got them into a lot of of trouble but I but I think it's important for us to notice church that like when they came to Jesus they didn't just like throw their schedules out the window they actually had rhythms and routines that they followed in in in in religious life and worship and I think we as a church need

need to remember that today they were devoted to the apostles teaching they were devoted to Fellowship to the breaking of bread and the prayers and their devotion led to a lifestyle their devotion led to a lifestyle and the same is meant to be true for us as Jesus people devotion leads to Lifestyle Jesus actually wants control of our schedules do you know that he wants your Google cow he really does like he claims authority over it he claims it as his own I I it might be one of the places that you've yet to release

to him as your schedule like I just I just would encourage you with this like like if you have never like laid your daily and weekly monthly yearly rhythms at the feet of Jesus say and said like what do you like and what don't you like would you change anything would you add anything how do you want me to live like you need to do that there's there's joy for you on the other side of that obedience because it's impossible it's impossible to walk with Jesus as Lord to to say he's Lord to live with

him as Lord until we actually give him our lives so these people they're walking with Jesus they're in these routines they're on their way to the temple verse two and a man lame from birth was being carried lame from birth was being carried whom they laid daily at the Gate of the temple that is called the beautiful gate to ask alms of those entering the temple so Peter and John they're going up lit L to the temple they're passing through these Gates and at one of these Gates was was a beggar now this story is

going to stay as I said in focus for a little while and in Acts 4:22 we're told that this man paralyzed from birth who was laid daily at these Gates he was in his 40s and I want you to notice that he's in his 40s that he's paralyzed from birth and that he was laid daily at these Gates because it means means that this has been this man's daily routine for decades and decades includes all of jesus' public Ministry Jesus spent a a good amount of time in his life and with his disciples going up

with them to the temple and it means that more than likely like almost certainly this man would have seen Jesus and Jesus would have seen this man this was almost certainly not the first time that jesus' disciples saw this man probably not even the first time since the spirit was poured out on them I wonder if Jesus ever saw this man this beggar paralyzed from birth who was laid daily at the beautiful gate and I wonder if he ever saw this man and knew the father was saving this healing for his disciples and a powerful

moment for the early church I told you last week in our text because our text you know mentions uh the miraculous signs and wonders and I told you last week in our text the miraculous isn't the point because it wasn't the point of that text but in this text the miracle we're going to see is the point the spirit wants us to see him continuing to work in power after Jesus had ascended now through the the church this is the whole flow of Acts it's the continuation of Jes all that Jesus began to do and

teach so we're going to look at the miraculous today this miracle we're going to see a lot of the miraculous in Acts a couple things I want you just to keep in mind as we go into this first Christians do not wield the power of healing or any other sign Wonder or Miracle according to our own own Wills this is very important I'm going to double down in this as we go through the continue through the text here but it's really important you understand this we do not wield the power of God according to our

own Wills but that being said Jesus still heals and his people are still meant to walk in his power Jesus still heals he still moves just like this like we're reading in this text he still heals and his people are still meant to walk in his power so the people of Jesus filled with his Spirit you have to know this about being a Christian if if you're a Christian you have to know this about about yourself and we're going to look at it in just a second in the text but jesus' people have been given

they have been given gifts that the world needs to see Jesus people have something to offer the sick and the oppressed and the enslaved Jesus people have what the world needs okay you're with me you're very quiet on that point but I know you're with me so let's look at it I want to show you what I mean in in verse three Luke writes that this man asking MMS of those entering the temple seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple asked to receive alms now alms are just you know gifts Financial gifts

ordinary part of religious worship uh giving money to those in need it was a it was a very important part of religious life God had even made provision for it in in their law so he's asking for Ms he's asking for money and he read this in in verse four and Peter directed his gaze at him as did John and said and I love this look at us Peter directed his gaze at him as did John and said look at us I love the way Luke writes this because what we're being told there's this beggar

at the gate he has been there for decades this is no not new this is this is not uncommon this was an ordinary part of going up to the temple just like it's an ordinary part for you of going to your car after a gathering there's a beggar there and Peter and John In This Moment know for sure they know for sure that this man was about to be healed they know for sure now how do they know well they know in the same way that Jesus knew Church they were in communion with the spirit

of Jesus we don't know if they heard it if they felt it if they saw it but however it happened they had prophetic insight into this moment like I said a few minutes ago like as Jesus people we give him our schedules Jesus what do you how do you want us to live like you have my calendar here it is you have our family calendar here it is wouldn't that be amazing if we did that as families too like what if he said no extracurricular sports or dance or anything for your kid what if it

was just like anyways that's a whole other rant but M we give them our whole schedule and then but it's not just so we give them our schedule a as we're going this is just Peter and John in their everyday ordinary rhythms and as they go they're paying attention as they go they're listening for the still still small voice of the spirit as they go he is able to interrupt them I want you to know something like first of all the voice of the holy spirit is called in Scripture A still Small Voice the spirit

is pictured when he comes down and ascent and rests on he's pictured as a dove a a dove is a is a bird you can scare away very easily a still Small Voice is one that you can overpower very easily with noise and distraction we're told that we can Quench and resist and grieve the spirit but but here's what you need to know about about jesus' people when we come to Jesus he makes us alive in in the scripture will we'll point to our spirit say he makes us he makes our our spirits come alive

in him and the spirit is that place of communion with Jesus so so when you become a Christian this is why you're born again because you you come alive in your spirit the place that was dead in you now comes to life Springs to life and now you have this place where you can you can literally move through your life in a physical sense be seeing people talking to people doing your work and at the same time paying attention to the still small voice of the Holy Spirit we have an incredible capacity for this this

is not just for those who know how to multitask because it's not not happening in your in your mind it's not happening in your emotions it's not happening in your will this is happening in your spirit we've been made physical and spiritual in the image of God and so a as His Image Bears we've been created to move through our lives move through the physical Dimension while paying attention and communing with him in the spiritual that's what's Happening Here they'd passed this man before Jesus had passed this man before he was in Judea while Jesus

was there he had not been healed but as Peter John Peter and John moved to the temple at 3 pm. on this specific day the spirit stops them and shows them tells them impresses upon them however he did it what he was about to do so they stop they're plans have changed the spirit was allowed to interrupt them they both look at this man and Peter says look at us he wants his attention because he knows what's about to happen Peter and John understood that that jesus' people walk in the authority of Jesus so they

see this man with their eyes hear him asking for help with their ears and at the at the same time they're aware of the spirit speaking to them prompting them and changing their plans they were on their way somewhere else and now they've stopped and they say to the man look at us and in verse five we read this he fixed his attention on them expecting to receive something from them but Peter said I have no silver and gold but what I do have I give to you in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth

rise up and walk and he took him by the right hand and raised him up and immediately his feet and ankles were made strong so this is the main part of today's text the main section of the first 10 verses and before we see where it leads and what it means for us and and then my favorite part of the gathering before we we respond to Jesus together and worship him and just like ask him to just continue speaking and counseling and and and moving as as he would I want you to see three like

three really important aspects of this healing I want you to see that the disciples knew what they had to give that the authority to heal was the name of Jesus and that Peter stepped out in faith on behalf of the paralyzed man Church the disciples knew what they had to give Peter said look at us I love that because it just rings with authority like when you know Jesus is moving speaking healing there's Authority that comes with that so so Peter says look at us and this man looks them expecting what expecting cash he wants

money MMS the text tells us like he is expecting to receive cash he probably thinks these guys are really full of themselves drawing all this attention like staring at him look at us we're going to give you $2 to buy a bagel at Tim hortens he's expecting cash like Ms and notice this his expectation is good the Lord desires for his people to take care of those in need his expectation is good but in this moment he's coming into contact with the people of Jesus and the spirit of Jesus through them and so what it

means is that his expectation is way too small God wants to do way more for him than he is expecting I want you to notice this too what he was expecting actually didn't matter at all that's significant it's why Luke records it for us what he was expecting didn't actually matter at all it was jesus' disciples who knew what he was about to be given who knew what they had to give so so let me ask you a question do you know Christian do you know that you have been gifted do you know that when

you came to Jesus the Holy Spirit had already planned even before that good works for you to walk in but good works specifically that he would move through you in power for like do you know that you have been gifted empowered and anointed for Supernatural works of ministry we are people who are devoted to the Apostles teaching that means the authority of the scriptures and we've studied this before the New Testament is very clear that every single Christian has received spiritual gifts one or more spiritual gifts that are to be used for the building up

of the church that means lost people coming to Jesus and Christians being disciple to maturity let me ask you another question because you might might know that you might know okay yeah I know I've read the Bible I was here when we studied that I've checked it out online I understand the Bible says we've all been gifted you might know that but here's another an even even more important question do you know what your gift or gifts are it is almost like like you can know that the spirit gives gifts but if you don't know

what your gift is you are going to have a very difficult time being prepared for moments like this if you until you know how the spirit likes to move through you specifically you will have a very hard time hearing receiving paying attention to his prompts when he sends them we are actually as Jesus people meant to train ourselves up in the gifts that he gives they aren't just automatic things the Apostle Paul tells the church in Corinth Earnest they already had spiritual gifts everywhere he says earnestly desire spiritual gifts the Apostle Paul tells Timothy this

pastor pastoring in Ephesus fan the gift that was given you into flame fan it into flame you have a gift Christian but it might just be like a glowing Ember like a coal it's like glowing you're meant to Fan it until it's a burning hot fire and when you know how the spirit loves to move through you now as you move through your everyday ordinary life it becomes much easier to perceive his promptings to stop when he says stop every Christian's been given a gift let me let me show you just quickly here here here

are some of the gifts that the New Testament says the spirit gives his people apostleship teaching exhortation leadership shepherding evangelism Faith healing prophecy words of knowledge and wisdom tongues interpretation of tongues discernment of spirits Miracles Administration Mercy service and helps giving it's not a comprehensive list but but we as a church have gone through the gifts in the New Testament we've defined them and we've we've we've shown you kind of what it would look like if you what how you can discern whether or not you have specific gifts so I invite you if you don't

know what your gifts are please go back and listen to that write down those definitions screenshot those definitions then take them to some people you know who love Jesus and ask them what they see in your life like we've been through this in gospel communities we need to do it more and more and more again but we need to know what our our gifts are but just because Jesus gives us gifts remember doesn't mean we use these gifts in our own authority first the Disciples of Jesus knew what they had to give the second thing

we have to see about this moment of power is that the authority to heal was the name of Jesus Peter says in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk He [Music] commands He commands in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk the name of Jesus church is not a formula it is not some magical incantation that works whenever we say it in fact we see this in Acts some people they were watching the the the Disciples of Jesus moving in this kind of power and healing and casting

out demons and doing these things in in the name of Jesus they wanted that power for themselves so they went around they started using the name of Jesus like a formula like a magical incantation and in Acts 19 we see what it happens they they actually confront a demonic Spirit using the name of Jesus like a formula they are attacked physically stripped naked and run away in fear no healing in Jesus name means it means this the actual person of Jesus is there doing the work that's what it means to come in his name means

you're coming with him it's not just like I'm going to do this on his behalf it's he's doing it and he's using me right now in this moment to do it that's what it means to to work in the name of Jesus it means his will is being worked out it means it's his authority on display this is very important especially with gifts like healing because sometimes people make the mistake of thinking that the gifts become ours but they're not ours they're his he's using them through us and if we forget that like we end

up in building all kinds of destructive and dangerous harmful and hurtful theology no the the power of jesus' name is the power of communion with Jesus it's the power it's the authority the authority of his name comes from knowing him abiding in him the power to say look at us and then command a healing this comes when we know that Jesus is healing speaking giving a Word of Wisdom or a tongue or a prophecy or laying a burden to give on our hearts and then we step out with him the power comes when Jesus people

are entirely submitted to Jesus as Lord our schedules are his and as we move through them we're listening in the spirit we're quiet in the spirit we're paying attention in the spirit and then we hear him say no stop and you pray for that person stop and tell them I love them give that person some money call your mom tell her you love her you listen for the voice of Jesus his instructions are most of the time very simple it's because he's training us he wants to develop the muscles slowly over time we are to

live we are to betray ourselves for godliness to Fan the gifts into flame we step out with him seeking his heart and loving him is the key to all of this and what we see in this passage is that when we when we know him and are devoted to his priorities for us we can hear him and step into the things that he's doing before they even happen like one more time we step into the things he's doing before they even happen the disciples knew what they had to give the authority was the name of

Jesus and that's why Peter was able to step out in faith on behalf of the paralyzed man this is very significant it is very significant in this text that the paralyzed man had zero faith for his own healing how much Faith did he have none none he wasn't even thinking about healing what did he want a donut he wanted so like what did he want he wanted cash a few bucks he had zero faith for he wasn't even thinking about healing he was expecting money but Peter and John were walking with Jesus so they knew

that they had something way better for him so Peter says in the name of Jesus it's his first name Christ his title as the Messiah Jesus Christ of Nazareth this is just where he's from that specific Jesus the the one who lived and died and Rose and ascended the one who was put to death on a Roman cross and then raised from the dead in the name of the god of Abraham Isaac and Jacob the Living God who created all things like this specific God In The Name Of This Jesus who sits on that Throne

rise up and walk and then before anything had even happened Church before anything had even happened Peter reached out took the man's right hand and lifted him up and then the text says immediately immediately that means right as Peter moved the healing came this 40 year old man who'd never been able to walk had his feet and ankles restored can we just notice for a second that Peter and John stood there full of Jesus spirit and looked at this man paralyzed from birth who had no faith for healing and because Jesus because they were paying

attention to what Jesus Spirit was saying they were able able to reach into his life literally take him by the hand and be a conduit for the power of God the church exists for this you might have a gift of healing or you might not have a gift of healing but whatever gift the spirit has given you it exists so you can do exactly that so you can step into places where people need to be strengthened where people need to be experienc love where people need to experience hope and healing and life and where they

need to experience somebody reminding them that this orphan Spirit like we talked about last week this orphan Spirit that's like ruling over us that it it's meant to be replaced by the father Heart Of God like your gifts are given so that you can step out in faith on behalf of those who don't have any or are wrestling with theirs we need this in the church because some of the feeble knees and the weak hands are right here right now and the spirit has put gifts in the people in this room for the others in

this room and then you walk out of here going through your everyday ordinary rhythms and you pass by more people and the spirit might just say to you hey can you stop for a second just go have a conversation with that person you never know what might come up he'd never walked but now his feet and his ankles are restored verse eight and leaping up I like that leaping up he stood and began to walk and entered the temple with them walk in and leaping and praising God and all the people saw him walking and

praising God and recognized him as the one who sat at the beautiful gate of the Temple of course they recognized him he'd been there for decades asking for alms and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him church it's the awe we talked about last week remember awe the church exists to produce the awe of God in the world the church exists to draw wonder and amazement out of the people of our city that's why we're planted here one of the most I think special things about this text is also

one of the easiest things to miss we're told the man leapt and Luke repeats it twice he leapt up and then walking and leaping and praising God all the people were in awe wonder and amazement but but but this phrase the phrase used for this and the specific word for leaping it's the Greek word homi and it's significant it's it's only used a very few times one of the times it's used is in John for when Jesus told us that the Holy Spirit would be in us like a spring of water that gushes up in

and through US same word Hali the spirit will gush up leap out of jesus' people when we see this man this this paralyzed man who leaps up he's a picture for us of what the spirit does in jesus' people he's meant to do in jesus' people to flow out of us to gush out of us to LEAP out of us well that's good you like that okay that's good I like the little clapping section over here they're they're my favorite people it's not true that's my wife she is my favorite person but this word is

even more special see in the subagent which is the Greek translation of the Old Testament which was which Jesus disciples would have used and been very familiar with in the Greek translation of the Old Testament we actually see the same phrase used and as Luke is being inspired by the holy spirit in this writing this this would not have been lost on him that the spirit led him to pen a phrase that was written down prophetically in Isaiah 35 and and Mike before you put that on the screen don't just put on the screen yet

I want to I want to I want to just I want to read for you a little bit about uh where this fits in so we we see this prophecy in Isaiah 35 we we are shown a new age a new age is being described for us if you remember the prophecy from from Joel 2 we see that this new era begins when Jesus spirit is poured out and now Luke records this phrase for us from from Isaiah 35 and it's very significant I I want to read a little bit for you and then we'll

put a piece of it on the screen in Isaiah 35 we read this of this new era this new age which is the age of the church the age of the spirit the Wilderness and the dry land shall be glad the desert shall rejoice and Blossom like the crocus it shall Blossom abundantly and rejoice with with joy in singing the Wilderness and the dry land shall be glad the desert shall rejoice and Blossom do you see what's happening the Lord is is is spreading a table in the wilderness the Lord is pouring out streams rivers

of living water in the dry places he's producing fruit where before before it was impossible and then we come to verse three where we're told what the people of God are to do in this era and I think this is for us I think the spirit wants to do this work in us today he writes strengthen the weak hands make firm the feeble knees say to those who have an anxious heart be strong fear not behold your God will come with vengeance with the recompense of God he will come and save you just before Mike

before you put that on the screen let me just read that one more time I want to read it right to you if you need some strengthening today in your hands to do the work you've been called to if you need some strengthening in your knees to move the way he's put it on your heart to move if you have an anxious heart I I I want to I want you to hear these words of God strengthen the weak hands make firm the feeble knees say to those who have an anxious heart so this is

for you if your heart is anxious be strong fear not behold your God will come with vengeance with the recompense of God he will come and save you and now verse 5 then the eyes of the blind shall be opened and the ears of the deaf unstopped then shall the lame man leap like a deer there's our phrase the paralyzed man leaping and the tongue of the mute Sing For Joy for Waters Break Forth Church in the wilderness and streams in the desert the burning sand shall become a pool and the Thirsty GR Springs of

water in the haunt of Jackal where they lie down the grass shall become Reeds and rushes church this is why we exist in this city We Exist yeah we exist we exist to be that River Head the Lord has put the river maker within us and individually and together we are meant to have the spirit flow blowing out of us so much so that he begins to pull in our midst and the river runs through through the city and new trees spring up and bear fruit and the fruit is good for the people to eat

like it's good for the people who are slaves to step out of their captivity they see the light and they move out of the darkness they see the heart of the father and they reject the orphan Spirit they come to Jesus they have their sin washed away they come out from under the wrath of God it's why the church exists this is the age and the era that we exist to announce to the world these are the days when captiv are being set free right that's what Jesus said at the beginning of his ministry he

said that he came to announce the year of the Lord's favor this is the year of the Lord's favor when anybody who calls on the name of the Lord Lord will be saved so what does it mean for us band you can come on out well I told you this is my favorite part of the Gathering because this is where this is where I don't know if the Bard you guys yeah you guys come on out I I I don't know if um I don't know exactly how the spirit wants wants to do this this

morning but I believe he wants to strengthen weak hands and F fir up feeble knees and I believe he wants to speak to anxious Hearts but then I don't think he wants to keep that here and I don't think he wants to do that just so that you and I could have a really sweet time with him personally I think he wants us to know I know that he wants us to know that he has gifted us he has gifted you to move on behalf of others he has gifted you to see the Lost come

to Jesus and Christians discipled to maturity and so as we go into this time of responding to him I I I want to invite you we we always come to this time when we remember the gospel and we remember Jesus and the work that he did and we we have to approach this time it's very important for us to approach this time never as people with our own plans and agendas and power we come to Jesus just as as children and we come to him and we ask him to fill us we ask him to

meet us he has gifted you he has anointed you he has empowered you some of us need to ask him today what gift what gifts have you given me what gifts have you given me how do you desire to work in power in my life work through me on behalf of others but then don't forget the authority to operate in your gift is the name of Jesus it's communion with Jesus and that means he needs to purify anything that stands in the way of your relationship with him right now so you need to ask him

again like a child not just what are my gifts but also where am I grieving you quenching you where do I need to be made holy and you need to step out you need to be strong in the strength of the Lord to move he wants our participation in this life he wants you to Fan your gift into flame there are some things that happen have to be cut off in this church there is some darkness that has been accepted that needs to be refused from here on there are some decisions that have to be

made in this room I'm convinced of it today where you say no more because Jesus I love you I want you he has Ministry for for you I I I I feel I I had this uh this prompting in in the first in the first Gathering during the response set of worship and I was sitting there and I started to have this desire that I know is not from me because my desire was like that I could just sit with every single person in the room like face to face and we could just like I

could ask each person like hey what is it for you where is he stirring in your heart what is the longing that he's stiring in your heart and and find it for each person and then I realized that's impossible for me to do but it's actually a desire for him to come and do what only he can do the spirit wants to be your counselor right now he wants to meet with you face to face right now where is he stiring you where is he longing he wants to address that thing and move you forward

right now he wants to cut that thing off right now he wants to add that thing to you right now last week someone came to me uh after one of the Gatherings and said I feel like the church is in this place where we want to respond but our feet feel stuck we can't quite move forward and he said I just had this image of Jesus standing like face to face with each person just saying just look at me and then lift your leg so so I want to invite you to look at him and

then lift your leg take a step toward him today communion service come on up come get your communion reflect on this take that time for prayer we'll I'll come out after one song We'll remember the gospel together and then we'll just keep worship worshiping him so will you stand and let me pray for you oh Lord Spirit of the Living God fall fresh on us Spirit of the Living God fall fresh on us melt us mold us use us Spirit we invite your presence we know that you're here but we invite your work I ask

Lord for every heart that you're stiring right now that there would be an agreement with that prayer I just invite you church with in your own heart to just tell them I invite your work I invite your hand I invite your power I invite you to come and convict come and strengthen come and tear down come and build up Spirit we invite your work would you lead us would you expose whatever we need to see today and would you send us out of this place walking leaping praising God rivers of living water flowing out of

Us come and count so Lord each one of us face to face I ask in Jesus name amen e