What We Have to Give (1 of 6)
Series: Acts--The Church in Action
Roger Thomas
Acts 3:1-16
Introduction: The God we serve, that verse we all know says, "is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine." He really can. Sometimes we limit God. Sometimes we limit him by asking for too little. God loves to surprise us by exceeding our expectations as he did for the lame beggar in our story.
We seldom see sights like this in small towns. They are not unusual at all in the city. Beggars still frequent busy streets, train stations, and airports. We have all witnessed a version along the I-70 exit in Columbia. Maybe a disheveled a man simply holds a cardboard sign, "Money for food." Sometimes he just holds out a can. No sign is needed. We know what he wants.
The lame man in our story asks for money. He gets far more. I want to call your attention, not to his request, but Peter's reply. "Silver or gold I do not have, but what I have I give you." If we were in Peter's sandals, what would we have to give? What is it that we as a church or as individual believers have to offer, not just beggars, but also our friends and neighbors? Consider what we can't offer and then what we can.
What we can't offer. There's a lot we can't offer. We are all too aware of that. What can a church of a couple hundred people do? Even in a small community like ours, what can one church do to meet the challenge of so many needy people? Just think of the families, the kids, the teens that you know who need some sort of help. Imagine that multiplied many fold. I am not just talking about financial need, although there is plenty of that. Emotional, family and spiritual needs of all sorts surround us. What do we have to offer?
We can't offer our money to solve all the problems around us. We can and should be generous. That's a basic mark of Christian character. We ought to do what we can to meet the physical and material needs of the poor aroun ...
Series: Acts--The Church in Action
Roger Thomas
Acts 3:1-16
Introduction: The God we serve, that verse we all know says, "is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine." He really can. Sometimes we limit God. Sometimes we limit him by asking for too little. God loves to surprise us by exceeding our expectations as he did for the lame beggar in our story.
We seldom see sights like this in small towns. They are not unusual at all in the city. Beggars still frequent busy streets, train stations, and airports. We have all witnessed a version along the I-70 exit in Columbia. Maybe a disheveled a man simply holds a cardboard sign, "Money for food." Sometimes he just holds out a can. No sign is needed. We know what he wants.
The lame man in our story asks for money. He gets far more. I want to call your attention, not to his request, but Peter's reply. "Silver or gold I do not have, but what I have I give you." If we were in Peter's sandals, what would we have to give? What is it that we as a church or as individual believers have to offer, not just beggars, but also our friends and neighbors? Consider what we can't offer and then what we can.
What we can't offer. There's a lot we can't offer. We are all too aware of that. What can a church of a couple hundred people do? Even in a small community like ours, what can one church do to meet the challenge of so many needy people? Just think of the families, the kids, the teens that you know who need some sort of help. Imagine that multiplied many fold. I am not just talking about financial need, although there is plenty of that. Emotional, family and spiritual needs of all sorts surround us. What do we have to offer?
We can't offer our money to solve all the problems around us. We can and should be generous. That's a basic mark of Christian character. We ought to do what we can to meet the physical and material needs of the poor aroun ...
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