Sermon for Sunday May 27th, 2007
At The Time Of Prayer by Steve Shepherd
Acts 3:1-3:10
INTRO.- ILL.- A lady said, “As my five year old son and I were headed to
McDonald’s one day, we passed a car accident. Usually when we see something
terrible like that, we say a prayer for those who might be hurt, so I pointed
and said to my son, ‘We should pray.’
“From the back seat I heard his earnest request: ‘Please, God, don’t let those
cars block the entrance to McDonald’s.’”
Brothers and sisters, I hope that prayer means more to you than just asking for
what you want in life! I think we should thank the Lord every time He gives us
something good, but to focus on our wants while neglecting others is
self-centered. God help us if we only pray that way!
ILL.- There was once a godless seaman who was in a boat fishing with his
companions when a storm came up which threatened to sink the ship. His
companions begged him to offer a prayer; but he declined, saying it was years
since he had prayed or gone to church.
Finally, they insisted and he offered this prayer: “O Lord, I have not asked You
for anything for fifteen years, and if You deliver us out of this storm and
bring us safe to land again, I promise that I will not bother You again for
another fifteen years.”
Is that the way some people pray? They only speak to God when they are in
trouble? I fear this is true for many people. I’ve often felt like people use
God as they would a spare tire: they only get Him out and use Him in times of
emergency! Again, God help us if that’s the only time we pray!
ILL.- One Newsweek article entitled “Talking to God” claimed that 78 percent of
Americans pray at least once a week, and 57 percent report praying every day or
even more often.
What about you? How’s your prayer life? I hope you have a daily prayer life.
Better yet, I hope you have an hourly prayer life! I hope that you are
constantly talking to your Father!
ILL.- C.S. Lewis said, “The moment you wake up each morning, all your wishes and
hopes for the day rush at you like wild animals. And the first job each morning
consists in shoving it all back; in listening to that other voice, taking that
other point of view, letting that other, larger, stronger, quieter life come
flowing in.” That’s what praying should be.
ILL.- John Bunyan said, “He who runs from God in the morning will scarcely find
Him the rest of the day.” What a frightening thought that is! If I want the
Lord’s blessing on my life then I must seek Him early and often.
ILL.- There’s a delightful painting that depicts a Christian farmer who has left
his plow and turned aside in the early glow of morning to pray. The outstanding
thing about the picture, however, is that while the man is lifting his heart to
God, an angel is going on with the plowing for him!
We just might be surprised at what God is doing while we are praying. He can
listen to us and work at the same time.
Mark 1:35 “Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up,
left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.” We can’t find
a better example than that of Jesus. We all need to imitate Him when it comes to
prayer and to everything else.
PROP. - In our text, Peter and John went to pray and something good happened.
Let’s think about it and what it has to do with our prayer time.
1- At the time of prayer we may be tested
2- At the time of prayer we must do good
3- At the time of prayer we must point to Jesus
I. AT THE TIME OF PRAYER WE MAY BE TESTED
Acts 3:1-5 “One day Peter and John were going up to the temple at the time of
prayer—at three in the afternoon. Now a man crippled 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.”
ILL.- Four high school boys were late to their morning classes one day. They
entered the classroom and solemnly told their teacher they were detained due to
a flat tire. The sympathetic teacher smiled and told them it was too bad they
were late because they had missed a test that morning. But she was willing to
let them make it up. She gave them each a piece of paper and a pencil and sent
them to four corners of the room. Then she told them they would pass if they
could answer just one question: Which tire was flat???
Often in life it seems that we are put to the test. Our patience is tested while
driving in heavy traffic or perhaps when dealing with children. Our honesty is
tested when we make out our taxes. Our strength is tested when we may be called
on to work long hours. Our faith is tested when we are called on to serve in
some form or another.
While Peter and John were going to pray their faith was tested. A crippled man
put them to the test for help. It was as though God was saying, “You believe in
me. You talk to me but do you serve me?”
This story is like the story of the good Samaritan. How many times have we
passed by people who needed our assistance, our kindness, our love, our
testimony for Christ?
It seems that if we are going to be a people of prayer and faith then we will be
tested.
ILL.- For 30 years, Randy Murphy drove without a traffic incident, without being
stopped by the police, and without a driver’s license. Then, the 46 year-old
Knoxville, Tennessee native’s luck ran out. On his way home from work as a
dishwasher, he turned up the volume on his radio. Turning the corner he was
stopped by police officer Mark Taylor who pulled him over because of the blaring
music. When Officer Taylor asked Murphy for a driver’s license, Murphy admitted
he didn’t have one.
What would we expect in that situation? Officer Taylor asked Murphy why he
didn’t have a license. Murphy said that he couldn’t read well enough to pass the
written test. With uncommon courtesy, Taylor told Murphy, if he were willing,
he’d like to help him with the reading part of the test.
The police officer gave Murphy his pager number. Later that afternoon, Murphy
paged Taylor to schedule their first meeting. For the next three months the men
met several times a week to review the test booklet. When Murphy felt ready,
Taylor accompanied him to the department of motor vehicles. Murphy took the test
six times before he passed it and then sailed through the road test. Taylor’s
act of kindness earned him the Officer of the Month award from the Knoxville
Police Department.
My question is: Would you have helped that stranger like that Police officer
did? He was put to the test and we are often put to the test in regard to our
faith in many ways.
Will we be ready? This is where our faith and prayer should make a difference.
II. AT THE TIME OF PRAYER WE MUST DO GOOD
Acts 3:6-8 Then Peter said, "Silver or gold I do not have, but what I 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."
Peter and John were motivated to do good because they’d been in the presence of
God many times, with Jesus, etc.
ILL.- A well-know professional golfer was playing in a tournament with President
Gerald Ford, fellow pro Jack Nicklaus, and Billy Graham. After the round was
over one of the other pros on the tour asked, ‘Hey, what was it like playing
with the President and Billy Graham?’ The pro said with disgust, ‘I don’t need
Billy Graham stuffing religion down my throat!’
With that he headed for the practice tee. His friend followed, and after the
golfer had pounded out his fury on a bucket of golf balls, he asked, ‘Was Billy
a little rough on you out there?’ The pro sighed and said with embarrassment,
‘No, he didn’t even mention religion.’
Sometimes being in the presence of certain people can do things to us. In the
case of this golf pro he felt a certain amount of conviction just being in Billy
Graham’s presence.
ILL.- Many years ago when I lived near the Lake of the Ozarks in central
Missouri the Bass Angler’s Sportsman's Society (BASS) held their first 3-day
bass tournament on the Lake.
I went a couple of times to watch they call the ‘weigh-in’ to see what the pros
caught. Pros like Roland Martin were there, Bill Dance, Jimmy Houston and a host
of others. And whenever they weighed in their bass and talked about the
fantastic catches they were making, it made me want to go fishing and in a
hurry!
Some people motivate others very strongly. Preachers like Don DeWelt and Wilbur
Fields (OCC professors) motivated me to preach. And Don DeWelt motivated me to
pray.
What do you motivate people to want to do? Does your presence do anything good
for others? Does it cause them to want to do good and serve? Are you a
motivator? Are you an encourager with your attitude, actions and speech?
I Cor. 15:33 “Do not be misled: "Bad company corrupts good character."
If we’re in the presence of evil, we’re motivated to do evil, but if we’re in
the presence of God, we’re motivated to do good. After prayer, we should want do
good things.
ILL.- I once heard the story of an organist who was getting ready to play as the
church service began. When he put his hands on the keys there was no sound.
Everyone knew something was wrong, so the preacher quickly got up and led in
prayer. The janitor was aware of the fact that they hadn’t plugged in the organ.
So he went during the prayer, plugged in the organ, wrote a note and handed it
to the organist. The note said, “After the prayer, the power will be on.”
After the prayer, the power will be on to go, to do, to serve, to love, to
minister, etc.
ILL.- James Duncan, who preached with great power, was asked what was the secret
of such powerful preaching. He said, “The secret was thirteen hours of
consecutive prayer.”
Perhaps the reason we don’t do more for Christ is because we don’t pray more!
III. AT THE TIME OF PRAYER WE MUST POINT TO JESUS
Acts 3:11-16 “While the beggar held on to Peter and John, all the people were
astonished and came running to them in the place called Solomon’s Colonnade.
When Peter saw this, he said to them: "Men of Israel, 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? 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. You disowned the Holy
and Righteous One and asked that a murderer be released to you. You killed the
author of life, but God raised him from the dead. We are witnesses of this. 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 given this complete
healing to him, as you can all see.”
By faith in the name of Jesus, this man was made strong. There is something
special about that name!
ILL.- There is only one man in the world who ever tore up a $1,000,000-a-year
salary contract. When the United States Steel Corporation took over the Carnegie
Company, it acquired as one of its obligations a contract to pay Charles M.
Schwab that unheard-of sum as a minimum annually.
J. P. Morgan didn’t know what to do about it. The highest salary on record was
$100,000. He was in a quandary. Finally he summoned Schwab, showed him the
contract, and hesitatingly asked what could be done about it. “This,” said
Schwab, and tore it up. That contract had netted Schwab $1,300,000 the previous
year.
Schwab said, “I didn’t care what salary they paid me. I was not animated by
money motives. I believed in what I was trying to do and I wanted to see it
brought about. I canceled that contract without a moment’s hesitation.”
“Why do I work? What do I work for?” he continued. “I have more money than I can
begin to spend. I have no children and nobody to leave it to. My wife is rich
enough in her own right. She does not need it. I do not need it. I work just for
pleasure I find in work, the satisfaction there is in developing things, in
creating. Also, the associations business begets. The man who does not work for
the love of work, but only for money, is not likely to make money nor to find
much fun in life.”
I don’t know of many people who would turn down a salary like that but
apparently, Schwab did. Money was not his thing.
Brothers and sisters, what you are living for? Working for? What is your life
all about? Pleasure? Money? Relaxation?
I Cor. 10:31 “So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the
glory of God.” No matter what we do in life we should live for the glory of God.
Phil. 1:21 “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.”
ILL.- When he was 88 years old, the late Supreme Court Justice Oliver Wendell
Holmes once found himself on a train. When the conductor came by, Justice Holmes
couldn’t find his ticket, and he seemed terribly upset. He searched all his
pockets and fumbled through his wallet without success.
The conductor was sympathetic. He said, “Don’t worry, Mr. Holmes, the
Pennsylvania Railroad will be happy to trust you. After you reach your
destination you’ll probably find the ticket and you can just mail it to us.”
But the conductor’s kindness failed to put Mr. Holmes at ease. Still very much
upset, he said, “My dear man, my problem is not ‘Where is my ticket?’ The
problem is, ‘Where am I going?’”
Where are you going in life? Where is your life headed? What are you living for?
It’s Jesus who healed the lame man in our text. And it’s Jesus who saves us and
gives meaning to all of life. It is Jesus who gives the abundant, rich, full
life!
And we must point to Him.
CONCLUSION---------------------------
ILL.- Someone said, “There is a vast difference between saying prayers and
praying.”
Our prayers are most than just “saying” a prayer. Prayer should rightfully be
plain, open, but reverent talking to God as our loving Father. And once we rise
from prayer we should be ready for action, ready to serve, ready to take on the
world, the flesh and the devil!
God help us to pray! And we should pray, “Lord, fill us with your Spirit, with
your heart, and with your grace to bless others!”