Miracles: Becoming Someone's Miracle

Miracles         Becoming Someone’s Miracle 

Acts 3: 1-10

Well friends, it’s good to be with you today. Especially today, which is an exciting day at Lakeside.  Actually, I’m excited for the next few weeks. Today we’re taking in new members; next week we’re celebrating baptisms and on Oct. 20^th, we’re celebrating Laity Sunday…all of which point to the undeniable fact that God is changing lives right here! Friends, you should be proud! Because I am! I am so grateful that God considers us worthy to be a part of the body of Christ. And so we should celebrate well! When you see those folks after church, make sure you celebrate them. But you know what else we should celebrate? We should celebrate the story these moments proclaim: these moments, when we take vows and renew covenants and say “yes” to Jesus are moments that shout to the world that we are ready to play our role on God’s team!  Because ultimately, that’s what discipleship is all about. As we grow as disciples we move from the sidelines, watching what God is doing, to participants, helping his team to victory. We move from receiving miracles to letting God do the miraculous through us! And that’s the heart of today’s text from Acts. If you have your Bibles…

For three years, Peter and John and the disciples watched Jesus change the world, but when the day of Pentecost came, everything changed. In Acts 2, which marks a transition in God’s plan with the pouring out of the Spirit, these men and women who were comfortable watching God do all the work were now promptly inserted into the “game.” Suddenly, Jesus leaves the playing field and says, “I’m leaving. Now it’s your turn. You’ve watched me, you’ve studied me, you’ve learned from me, and now my Spirit is in you…so go. Go and do the things I’ve done. Go and continue my work. Go and be my hands and feet.” And so that’s what they did, and that’s we’re called to do.

Now, I know all this might sound a bit scary and you know what? It is kind of scary. To read about the miracles that Jesus sets in motion is one thing, but to do those miracles? That’s a bit overwhelming, isn’t it? I mean I can’t even begin to imagine what went through Peter and John’s mind when they bumped into the man asking for help. They knew what Jesus would do; they saw him heal hundreds of people. But that was Jesus, and this was them. That must’ve been an overwhelming moment, yet interestingly enough, Peter and John don’t run away; they don’t ignore the man or try to get out of their discomfort. Instead, they approach this God-appointed opportunity with confidence, the same confidence I believe you and I can have when God brings miracle moments in our direction. 

You know, I believe God is always putting people in our lives who need a touch of his grace. There have been numerous times in my life when the right person showed up at the right time and spoke a word I needed to hear or placed a hand on my shoulder, and it was exactly what I needed. And there are times when I’ve been that person for others. When those moments come, and they will, we don’t have to make our roles complicated. We just need to be faithful. Peter and John didn’t set out that day to do any miracles, they simply set out to be faithful, and because they were faithful, God gave them an opportunity to offer Jesus to someone in need. 

As your pastor, one of my primary tasks is to equip you to offer Jesus at any moment. And I’m convinced that one of the best skills we can learn is how to pray with others; Not just for others, but with them. God’s Word says that where two or three are gathered in Jesus’ name, Jesus is uniquely present in that moment. And so it stands to reason that every time we offer to pray with someone, we open up the possibility that God just might do a new thing. So today, I’d like to teach you how to pray with others. I know it can be a bit uncomfortable, but I believe you can do it. I have faith in you, and if you apply these 4 simple steps, I believe God will do miracles through you. So here are 4 simple steps you can take to offer Jesus to a hurting world. 

 The first step in learning to pray with others is to acknowledge that Jesus is already at work. If you notice in this story, Peter and John are on their way to the temple to pray and what they discover is that Jesus was already working on this man’s heart long before they arrived on the scene. I often take comfort in reminding myself that I’m not responsible to “take” Jesus anywhere. Jesus is already there- at the hospital, at Wal-Mart, the other end of the phone… he’s already there. My job, our job, is be present to what Jesus is doing in the moment. That’s the first step. Just acknowledge that Jesus is there!

Once we get the sense that Jesus is up to something (and it’s not mysterious- we’ll see the tears, we’ll hear the stories, we’ll have an inward impression), the second step is simple: We ask the other person if we can pray with them. Most of the time, the answer will be yes. On the rare occasion, someone might decline, and that’s ok. You’ve still been faithful! But chances are, most people will let you pray right on the spot if you offer. Don’t miss out on that opportunity. Those opportunities usually happen when we least expect them and because of the timing, we will feel ill-prepared. But we have everything we need. We might not have cash on us or a number to refer, but what we have, friends, is Jesus. And we should never shy away from that. When we pray, we are lifting that person up into the hands of a God who loves them. I don’t think there’s a gift greater or more precious than that. So ask if you can pray, and if the answer is yes, go on to step three. 

Step three is this:  Ask for specific requests and take the time to listen. Don’t just rush into prayer. Listen to their heart and be sensitive to the Spirit’s leading. Give people space to verbally acknowledge what they want God to do and give them the gift of listening. That’s a powerful, intimate gesture. When you stop what you’re doing to ask how they are, you’re acknowledging that you see them and care about them. It doesn’t have to be long, just intentional. And they might confide in you about a situation at work or a sick child or a lingering fear. Those are holy moments, brothers and sisters, holy moments that God has specifically invited you to enter so that you can offer them Jesus! So ask how you can pray and trust the Spirit to give you words your friend needs to hear. 

And finally, before you leave, pray. It doesn’t have to be a long or flowery prayer and it really doesn’t matter how you sound. A few words might be all it takes, just enough to acknowledge that you’ve heard the matters on their hearts and that you care enough about those matters to carry them to Jesus. That’s all it took for Peter and John…In the name of Jesus, walk. That’s how miracles occur…with messy, human lives, prayerfully lifted up into God’s hands. And if we’re brave enough to do this simple act of praying with others, we will watch God do the amazing through us. So this week, friends, live with a holy expectation that God is up to something redemptive, and when those opportunities arrive, pray…and let God’s healing grace, love and power flow through you. Amen.