Don’t Leave The Poor Man At The Gate

The time was about 3:pm.;Peter and John went to the temple to pray. No mention of the man’s name or his family. But much is said about his condtion and his daily plea for human sympathy. This certain man was lame from birth. Everywhere he went he was carried by some descent folk of his day. The text does not say whether he was dropped off or dropped at the gate by temple-goers. But day after day many of temple-goers would passed by and give him alms. But there were others who would pass by and give inattentive looks. Yet many would notice the gate called beautiful and avoid the lame man altogether. It is very significant that the worshippers would passed by daily leaving this man at the gate. It teaches us something about the misconception of worship. Worship involves healing. It does not passed by the lame and the poor. Genuine worship acknowledge the power of its source and its author. There is power in the name Jesus. It is interesting that Peter and John had no gold to give but Jesus they had. But it is also true that the church today has gold to give but Jesus they don’t have. We as a church must never leave the poor man at the gate. Let us learn several lessons from the text:

I. The PRAYER HOUR is a Life Altering Hour.

(Observe the miracles: 1st His limbs received strenght, 2nd He stood up, 3rd He was leaping, 4th He was praising God, 5th He entered the temple 6th He was full of joy, and 7th, He was liberated from the life of a parasite.

II. Corporate Prayer is the Church’s Greatest Necessity. (Peter and John)

III. Sympathy is not Compassion.

(They brought him to the temple but left him at the gate)

IV. When the Church Left the Poor Man, it was Tentamount to Leaving Jesus at the Gate.

(The poor man represented the least, the left, the last, the lame, and the lost.

V. The Efficacy of the Name JESUS.

(The name Jesus can get you some money but money cannot get you Jesus....

VI. When They Left the Poor Man, They Left Their MISSION at the Gate.

VII. Real Joy will Come, When Our Mission is Without Barriers.

Conclusion: When Peter and John gave the poor man Jesus, he clung to them. If the church today would give folk more of Jesus they might cling to the church. We have enough silver and gold but not enough Jesus......