Randall Caselman
Bella Vista Church of Christ
May 6, 2001 A.M.
“Whatcha” Gonna Do With “Whatcha” Got?
Reading - Acts 3.1-13, 16, 4.3-4 & 13
Dwight L. Moody was born in 1837... and died in 1899 at age 62. Probably the most outstanding thing about Dwight Moody was his enthusiasm for evangelism. As a member of a congregational church in Chicago, Moody begin to invite people to church services. Those he invited were not ordinary folk... but people off the street... The poor... The homeless... The bum... Alcoholics... Prostitutes... Those no one else would think of inviting. The church fathers asked him to stop. So Moody... with his own money... rented the last four pews in the church building so he could bring in who he wanted. Finally... The church leaders even stopped this.
Later he began an undenominational church on the shores of Lake Michigan which grew to be one of the largest churches in the 1800s. The first time he tried to preach before an audience, one of the deacons said... “Brother Moody... Don’t ever try that again, you were terrible... Your voice is weak, your mannerism embarrassing, and your English atrocious.” Dwight Moody looked at him and said... “Your voice is strong... Your manner good... Your English proper... Why don’t you preach Jesus to others?... WHATCHA GONNA DO WITH WHATCHA GOT? True... We might not agree with Moody’s theology... But he asked the right question. A question that we must all... one day answer.
Jesus made the same point in His parable of the TALENTS. One man was given five talents... One two... and the third only one. When the Master of the house returned... faithfulness was not determined by how many talents a servant had been given... But rather by what he had done with that which he had been gifted... WHATCHA GONNA DO WITH WHATCHA GOT?
Go with me now to the Temple Mount... It is three o’clock in the afternoon. Peter and John are entering the Temple area for the traditional time of Jewish prayer. A beggar, a man crippled from birth has been carried there so he can ask for help. This was a common practice for people who were physically, socially and financially bankrupt to be laid at the gate. As Peter and John approach, he asked for alms... He wants money. Peter says, silver and gold, money, I have none... but what I do have, I will give to you. We must know this morning that God’s children... Genuine New Testament Christians... Are those willing to be used... WHATCHA GONNA DO WITH WHATCHA GOT?
Like Peter and John, all of us stand at the Temple Gate this morning. What are we going to do with the gifts that God has blessed us with? How do we become people God can use?
First... We note that God uses those with right motive. Here Peter and John are coming to the Temple to pray... They wanted to be right with God. These two Apostles were doing right things at the right time. They were in the right place at the right time. God can use people like this.
Enoch was doing right... And God took him home with Him.
Noah was doing right... And God used him to save mankind.
Abraham was doing right... And God used him to bless the world with Jesus.
David was doing right... And God used him to deliver the Israelites form the Philistines.
Jesus pronounces God’s blessings on those of pure motive... Blessed are the pure in heart. When I say pure motive, I want you to contrast Peter and John here... With Ananias and Sapphira ... Just two more chapters over in Acts five.
Church... God never promises to use us when we do things for the wrong reason... When we do things to be seen of others. Again in the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus repeatedly warns against doing our acts of righteousness... Giving alms... Praying... Fasting for the wrong reason... Out of an improper motive.
-Well... I’ll help the widow... Assist the crippled... Care for the shut-in, if they will remember me in their will... Wrong motive.
-I will come to church three times a week so that others will be impressed with my
faithfulness... Wrong motive
-I will give to the poor and needy so that others might see my good works... Wrong motive.
God uses those who want to be right and do right.... Because they love the Lord.
Jesus says... People who do things out of improper motive already have their reward.
God uses those who understand that Christianity is more than ritual. We can’t help from noticing here that there seems to be... A relationship between the church... The Christian... Between children of God... and helping people.
A relationship between power and prayer.
A relationship between worship and giving.
Between worshipping & serving God... and serving our fellow man.
I wish we could learn that Christianity is more than a Sunday morning ritual.
-James tells us that... Pure religion... Religion that God accepts is this, To look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.
-Paul says in Romans six, that after baptism... We are to become instruments of righteousness.
-In Romans 12... He says that... Reasonable and acceptable worship to God includes our becoming living sacrifices... Our becoming people God can use... Are we willing?
-In Ephesians 2... We find that God created us... Saved us... To do good works that He predestined us to do.
-Jesus contends that as often as we do good things to others... We are doing them to Him.
Indeed... God uses those who understand that religion is more than a Sunday morning ritual.
Thirdly... God uses those who are willing to be interrupted.
Our world is so caught up in proper scheduling that we seldom respond to interruptions.
I believe it is true some of our most useful moments are those that are unplanned... RIGHT?
Moments where God brings us into contact with others who are in need... And we interrupt and serve... We must JUST DO IT!!
The Priest and the Levi were doing good... They... like Peter and John, were on their way to the Temple to worship... But they were unwilling to be interrupted... And Jesus condemned them for their unwillingness. The Good Samaritan lives in eternal legion because he was willing to be interrupted. Indeed!!... God can use those precious folk who are willing to be interrupted to serve others.
God uses those who see... and are sensitive to the needs of others. Our world is divided into givers and takers. Great churches are made up of givers. Jesus is our example.
-In John chapter nine... as Jesus was leaving the Temple... He was confronted by a blind man.
-The people saw this man everyday... He had just become another fixture at the Temple gate.
-The Pharisees saw a problem with healing on the Sabbath.
-The Apostles saw a theological question about who had sinned, this man or his parents?
-Jesus saw a person in need... and a chance to let God’s glory be seen.
What do we see?
Let’s play out some common scenarios to modern day situations similar to this one in our text...
Peter could have said... You’ve got a legitimate need... But our prayer service starts in five
minutes. John and I understand your need... But you’ve caught us at an inopportune time.
Or we could have heard Peter say... Ain’t it a disgrace that such a fellow would position
himself here at the gate to the Temple... The front door to the church building... Just ignore
him... Perhaps he’ll go away... Or die.
Peter could have said... John are we the only ones to help?... Let somebody else do something
for a change.
Peter could have said... I don’t have any money with me... John, do you have a dollar?
Peter could have said... We’ll bring it up at the next Elder’s meeting
Indeed!!... God uses people who see... and are sensitive to the needs of others.
God uses those willing to inspire hope in others.
Note the end of verse five... This lame begger looked at Peter and John expecting something.
Folk... The world is looking at us in the church, this church, expecting great... good... tender... loving... merciful... forgiving attitudes.... What will we give them???
We have it all!!... We are the world’s most economically blessed people. And spiritually... We have it all... REDEMPTION... FORGIVENESS... RECONCILIATION... THE PROMISE OF HEAVEN... What else do we want??
As His children... God wants to use us...
He wants us to be givers...
Encouragers...
He wants to inspire hope through us.
Jesus said... God wants you to be the salt of the earth... The light of the world... Are we willing??
God will use those who will use what they have.
Moses said... I can’t... I don’t have the equipment... God said... What is that in your hand?
The Apostles said... We don’t have enough to feed this crowd... Jesus said... What do you have?
Peter said... I don’t have what you want... But I have what you need... In the name of Jesus, arise and walk.
God’s people... Genuine givers are always looking for ways to help... They are creative thinkers.
Church... God is not asking us to become or do something we cannot become or do. He is only asking us to use the talents he has given us to serve Him and others.
People ask me... What can I do in the church... I don’t know... What do your have?
God has given us all five things... TIME... TALENT... TREASURE... ENERGY... TRUTH.
And faithful stewardship is how we use our Time... Talent... Treasure... and Energy according to Truth. What can we do?
Perhaps a visit to the hospital or nursing home.
Say an encouraging word to those out of duty.
A smile... A hug,
A word of forgiveness,
Mow a lawn... Bake a cake.
We must be like Peter... Use our imagination.
God uses people of faith.
Look at verse seven and verse sixteen.
Peter took him by the hand... Helped him up... Peter does for this man ALL he could do... Right?
Peter can help him to his feet... He can’t make him walk.
Peter can pull him up... But can’t cause him to leap.
Peter can support his weight... But can’t empower him to run.
Peter has done all that he and John can do... Now this man’s fate is in the hands of God.
Church,
Have we done all we can in the area of soul winning?... Then trust God for the increase?
Have we done all we can for our children and loved ones?... Then turn it over to God.
Have we done all we can in forgiving others?... Then have faith.
Have we done all we can do for our health problems?... Then trust God.
Here is an interesting fact... The dominant characteristic of those people God uses in the Bible, either individually or collectively, are those with faith. When you can’t see God’s hand at work in your life... Trust His heart... Have faith in His promises.
One of the most exciting stories ever to come out of my work with Gospel Tracts International is about Patsy Wooten, a member of the Johnson congregation. She sent a tract with a Bible lesson, to a student in West Africa. Seven years later, a man found it blowing on the streets of Ghana... He picked it up... read it... and was baptized into Christ.
We must do what we can do, and trust God for the rest.
God uses people who are willing to give Him the glory and praise.
Look at verse ten through thirteen... This cripple beggar was leaping, jumping...walking... Doing all those things he had always wanted to do... But was never able.
All the while... Scripture says... He was still holding to Peter’s hand.
The people began to surround Peter and John in wonder and amazement.
Peter saw what was happening and said... Wait a moment... Don’t suppose for a moment that this healing was by our power, our godliness.... The praise goes to the God and His Son Jesus.
David said... God leads us in paths of righteousness for His name sake, for His glory and honor.
Jesus said... Let your light shine so that others can see your good works and glorify your Father.
In Revelation 1.6 John writes... To Him be the glory and power for ever and ever... AMEN!!
I am convinced that greater things are not being accomplished for Jesus today... Because we’re too concerned about the part we play and the credit we’re gonna receive.
God uses those who are willing to give Him the glory and praise.
Then lastly, we note that God uses ordinary men, women and teens.
Look at the last verse of our text... When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus.
Folk... We don’t have to be someone special for God to use us. All that is required is that we be willing to spend time with Jesus...
Submit to His will... Obey commands...
Have His heart... His attitudes... His disposition...
Conform to His image... Follow His example.
Are we willing?... I pray that we are... Indeed... We can become people God can use.
Do you see the results of our becoming people God can use?
Verse four of chapter four... Many who heard the message believed... and the number of men grew to about five thousand.
When we... In humility submit to God...
When we yield to His will through the Word...
When we become people God can use...
Those we touch will be brought to a faith in Jesus. Genuine New Testament evangelism is ours individually and corporately as a church, becoming people God can use.
Question... What do we need to do this morning to become such a person?
Do you need to believe in Jesus?
Do you need to repent of your sins?
And put Jesus on in New Testament baptism?
Perhaps as a child of God, we need to...
Change our attitude,
And conform more to the IMAGE... More to the HEART of Jesus, so that God can work through us.
How ever the lesson has spoken to you... Respond!!
Whatcha Gonna Do With What you’ve heard?
Will you come!!
