The Living Christ in The Church

hen Peter said, Silver and gold have I none: but such as I have  give I to you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk. Acts 3:6     Lenins embalmed remains lie in a crystal casket in a tomb in Moscow. An inscription on the casket reads: " He was the greatest leader of all peoples, of all countries, of all times. He was the lord of the new humanity. He was the saviour of the world!  Now the thing is this, all that Lenin did was past tense, he's dead. We have the true saviour of the world, the Living Christ!     So how do we know that Jesus Christ is living in power in us? For the church that was in Jerusalem, the healing of the lame man signified the power of the living Christ and that He was present among them. How about us? Do we see lives being changed miraculously? Are things happening among us that amaze us and fill us with wonder? The book of Acts emphasizes the reality of the living Christ. Lets consider three lessons from Acts 3.    1 ( The lesson of a crippled society and what can be done about it) Peter and John had an encounter with a lame man who had been crippled from birth. Each day someone would carry him to the gate Beautiful. He begged from the crouds of worshippers who passed this prominent place. This is where the mans healing took place.        The man saw Peter and John approaching the gate, so he begged them for money. Why Peter and John? Only God knows the answer to that. But Peters words changed the mans life: " Silver and gold have I none: but such as I have, give I to you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk. Peter took the man by the hand and helped him up. The man was healed instantly. He jumped to his feet and walked around praising God. This crippled man had been made whole.      The truth is that all of us are crippled and need healing. All of us have sinned ( Romans 13:3) : we are like sheep who have gone astray (Is 53:6). Like the lame man at the gate, we are helpless and powerless, spiritually crippled without Christ. Salvation is our most basic need.     Our society is crippled too. With its crippled morals, marriages, and relationships. Our society is crippled with perversion. Abortion continues to claim innocent lives, pornography continues to cripple homes, sexually immorality is a way of life for millions. People are crippled by substance abuse. People are crippled with bad attitudes, anger hate, resentment, bitterness, and unforgiveness. Only Jesus Christ can bring us the healing we need.     2 ( The lesson of divine authority and how to appropiate it.)  Acts 3:6  says that Peter healed " in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth. " Jesus promised His disciples, And whatsoever you ask in My name that will I do."  so Peter spoke in the name of Jesus Christ. Ther is power and authority in Jesus' name! The answer to our crippled generation as the name of Jesus Christ, not silver or gold, or self-help, or positive thinking. And Peter claimed this authority of Jesus' name.     Jesus was given all authority in heaven and earth. (matt 28:18)  He shared His power with the apostles, and according to Ephesians 1:19-23, all believers have this authority. All that we do should be done in the awareness of spirituall authority. We have the authority to call people to salvation. We have the authority to resist the devil and make him flee. We have the authority to live victoriously. We have the authority to enforce Christ's victory in life, and in home, and church, and nation.     This spiritual authority is not to be taken lightly: it is to be exercised by believers who are filled with the Spirit, living cleansed lives, and walking by faith. There is power in the church when believers appropriate this authority.     3( The lesson of a living message and its relevance for our times)   Peter explains that the miraculous healing of the crippled man was Gods work. It was the Living Christ at work. What makes this first-century message relevant to twenty-first-century times?         A. The message of responsibilty for Christ death. (acts 3:13-14) The apostles declared that the crucifixion was the gretest crime of all time. The fact is, all of us are responsible for Chrit's death.     B. The message of the resurrection of Christ from the dead. (acts 3:15)  Without the resurrection ther is no hope, ne salvation, no churcu, and no living Christ.     C. The message of the power of Christ's presence. (act 3:16)  This is the secret to the christian life and the source of power in the church.     D. The message of repentance and new life (acts 3:19)  Repentance is a forgotten message in our generation, but there is no new lifw without it.     E. The message of revival that comes from the presence of the Lord. (acts 3:19)    F. The message of the return of the Lord. (acts 3:21) The message of the early church was the second coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. His coming was always in the consciousness of the first believers, and so it should be in ours.    G. The message of  response to Gods message. (acts 3:22-26)  It is a simple message: hear and be blessed (v22) or refuse to hear and be destroyed. Responding to Christ brings untold joy; rejecting Him brings spiritual ruin. and seeing it is a free gift from God, why refuse it?    Whenever the message of salvation is preached, something happens. The book of Acts is living proof of the living Christ in the church. The living Christ means hope for a crippled society, authority for the people of God, and a message for all times. Apply His power and authority to your life by faith, and lat His Word be living and active in you!