Our lives are filled with unexpected circumstances. We are even taught to expect the unexpected. Perhaps, like me, you’ve heard a phrase so much over the past few weeks, you are almost numb to it: “These unforeseen times we are in.”

But seriously one word that defines our lives over the past two months is “unexpected”. The plans many of us made, did not turn out the way we thought. 

However, many times the unexpected events provide the most memorable, perhaps even the most significance moments of our lives. (I’m sure you can think of an example in your own life.) One thing we must remember:

God uses our unexpected circumstances so that we can be His witnesses and bring others Him. Make sure you are ready.

We need to keep these two truths in mind:

• What’s unexpected for us is part of God’s perfect plan.
• We participate on God’s mission as we are going about our lives.

In Acts 3, the apostles find themselves in an unexpected situation. In verses 1-3, the Apostles, Peter and John, notice a man who was placed at the gate. In these situations, relatives would bring a lame family member to sit at entrance of the gate. Unable to learn a trade, this was a means of getting money.

The man’s placement is quite strategic, as he was situated near the temple treasury where people would bring their offerings. So people were already in the giving mindset. As Peter and John approached, he thought he might get a few shekels, but he received so much more. 

⁴ Peter, along with John, looked straight at him and said, “Look at us.” ⁵ So he turned to them, expecting to get something from them. ⁶ But Peter said, “I don’t have silver or gold, but what I do have, I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, get up and walk!”⁷ Then, taking him by the right hand he raised him up, and at once his feet and ankles became strong. ⁸ So he jumped up and started to walk, and he entered the temple with them—walking, leaping, and praising God.

This miracle was instantaneous and complete. This act follows a pattern set by Jesus in His miracles. There was no gradual process, but rather an immediate healing. This man had been lame since birth; he’d never been able to walk. So, the miracle wasn’t just that he could stand on his own two legs, but he now has balance, coordination, and strength he never had before. Peter and John didn’t need to support him as they walked into the temple. Look, he’s jumping and leaping. It was as if he had been walking his whole life. Like a child with a new toy, he couldn’t resist using his new-found ability.

What does this mean for us? We aren’t apostles. God doesn’t call us to confirm his power in miraculous ways. What can we take from Peter and John interaction with this man?

For us, we see the mindset God has for us as we participate on his mission. As you are going: Each of us must:

• Be ready to respond to the brokenness around you.

How often do you pay attention to this needs of those around you? In your neighborhood, in your church family, in our community? When you think of others who are struggling, what thought first comes to mind?

There are broken people all around us, sometimes it’s obvious like the lame man in this story. Other times, it’s underneath the surface. We must commit to open our eyes and reach out.

Our heart must match his heart. Of all the things we know about Jesus, what is the first thing that comes to mind.

One writer, Dane Ortland recently wrote a book called: “Gentle and Lowly”. In it, he looks at Jesus’ heart of compassion, which defined His ministry.

“When we take the Gospels as a whole and consider the composite picture given to us of who Jesus is, what stands out most strongly? Yes, he is the fulfillment of the Old Testament hopes and longings (Matt. 5:17). Yes, he is one whose holiness causes even his friends to fall down in fear, aware of their sinfulness (Luke 5:8). Yes, he is a mighty teacher, one whose authority outstripped even that of the religious PhDs of the day (Mark 1:22). To diminish any of these is to step outside of vital historic orthodoxy. But the dominant note left ringing in our ears after reading the Gospels, the most vivid and arresting element of the portrait, is the way the Holy Son of God moves toward, touches, heals, embraces, and forgives those who least deserve it yet truly desire it.”   -Dane Ortland

Also, we must be ready for God to act in our lives, even in unexpected ways.

Remember the first verse of the passage. The apostles weren’t going to the temple courts just to see this man. They were going to a prayer meeting, but God gave them another objective along the way. What was an unexpected occasion for them, was all part of God’s perfect plan. God calls us to be ready for him to use us as his ministers to the world around us. This is the heart of Jesus’ Great commission. Go and make disciples, is actually better translated, “as you are going, make disciples.”

This is how God works. We participate on His mission as we go about our ordinary daily life. Or, put another way, His mission should defines our daily lives. The first step to capturing Jesus’ heart and embracing his “divine interruptions”. Realizing that many times, often times, God works when we least expect.  We must commit ourselves to stay connected to Him day after day. As believers, we must continually walk in His Spirit as God leads us. We pray that his heart will become our heart.

• Recognize how the wonderful works of God open the door to share His Word.

We also see that miracles weren’t not simply a divine magic, but pointed to a greater purpose of redemption and restoration. When Jesus did miracles, or authorized his disciples to do them, he healed leprosy, cured blindness, stopped storms, made the lame walk again, he raised the dead. The miracles we see in scripture point to his saving purpose. God uses miracles them to point us to his future redemption that only comes through Christ. A future where God’s power is clearly seen and he returns the world to this perfection it was meant to have all along. 

We see that this miracle got the people’s attention, to say the least. When God moves in power, it gets people’s attention. They were a captive audience. We see throughout scripture. Miracles point us to God’s restoration and redemption. On a practical level, Mercy sets the stage for the message.

When we truly care for people, it opens the door for the gospel. People need to see a godly lifestyle, before they will accept a godly message.

People will notice our good works, which give us an opportunity to point to Christ.

Sharing the hope of Christ begins with our lifestyle. Before we speak a word from our mouths, our lifestyle, how we talk to others, how we choose to lean in the needs of those around us—those things speak for us.

Others will see your redeemer through your redeemed life. As believers, we don’t want anything we do or how we conduct to prevent us from pointing us to Christ.

Deeper still, we must realize how God uses our acts of kindness, our compassion, our attention to the needs of others to prepare them to hear the good news of Jesus.

Ask yourself this: who is someone I know that needs to hear the gospel, and what can I do for them that will get their attention and give me an opportunity to point them to our Savior?

I think the old statement holds true: “People don’t care what you know, until they know that you care.”  There are countless ways we can use our lifestyle, our kindness and compassion to point others to Christ. Ask God what it looks like in your life. 

• Embrace your God-ordained opportunities to share with others news that will save their life.

Similar to his sermon in Acts 2, Peter doesn’t shy away from the bad news, that these people were responsible for killing Jesus. However, it becomes good news because God raised Him from the dead. This was all part of God’s perfect plan.

Peter tells them, they had no idea the magnitude of their actions. Just as Jesus said as he hung on the cross—“Father forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing.”

These words give hope. While we hear the bad news of their responsibility for Jesus’ death, we see God hasn’t given up on them. The same is true for anyone this side of eternity. He hasn’t given up on us. If these people who demanded that the Son of God be crucified have hope, then no one is beyond hope.

As we see in this passage we can’t shy away from the truth of sin. We must give the whole truth, even the bad news. But we realize the hope that springs from it:

¹⁹ Therefore repent and turn back, so that your sins may be wiped out, ²⁰ that seasons of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that he may send Jesus, who has been appointed for you as the Messiah.  -Acts 3:19-20

We see that word repent in verse 19- That means to turn around, to realize the responsibility for your sin, and commit to turn the complete opposite direction—from running away from God, to running toward him. The Bible says if we confess our sins, he is faithful to forgive us and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. We see it there. Repent, so that your sins are blotted out. His death on the cross and resurrection from the dead pays for our sin and gives us victory over sin and death. His blood pays the price and makes us clean.

If you don't know Christ, this is the first step. 

If you do know him, I pray you never lose sight of the wonder of our salvation. I pray every day you are overwhelmed with the grace of God for a sinner like you, like me, like everyone. As Christians, we never “graduate” from the truth of the gospel. It must drive all that we do. We have a God who loves us so much that he die to save us. We have the Holy Spirit who he gave to lead us. We are saved into a wonderful family of God, the church to support and care for us along the way. What a Savior! What a God we serve.

How will you respond this week?

• Ask yourself, what is God teaching you during this unexpected season that will change your life and point others to Him?

We are all facing an unexpected season in our lives. What is God teaching now that you can and must take with you moving forward? What fruit is God growing in your life right now that you need to pick before it withers and you move on? Maybe it’s a renewed commitment to reading His Word regularly. Maybe it’s increased confidence in the goodness of God to get you through the trials in your life.

Maybe it’s time with your spouse or your kids that are leading to stronger and deeper relationships. Don’t lose that when as these weeks go on. Or maybe you are realizing I have to really make an effort to connect with and serve my church family. Hang on to those things. Ask the Lord to use this season to renew your passion for him.

Have a great week!

Pastor Sam