Ministry Verses Money (Acts 3: 1-10)

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Welcome:
Hello and welcome,  I'm so glad you're joining us today. In this episode, we're diving into the topic of "Money Versus Ministry," exploring Acts 3:1-10, where Peter and John encounter a man who had been lame from birth. This passage holds powerful lessons about focusing on what truly matters in our lives and ministries. So, grab your Bible, get comfortable, and let's explore how we can prioritize ministry over money.

Episode Notes: Money Versus Ministry (Acts 3:1-10)

Summary: In this episode we look at the story of Peter and John healing a lame man at the temple gate called Beautiful, as recorded in Acts 3:1-10. This powerful narrative highlights the importance of focusing on ministry and meeting people's deepest needs rather than being fixated on financial concerns. Peter and John's example teaches us the significance of spiritual friendship, community support, and the transformative power of faith in Jesus Christ.

Key Points:

1. Context and Setting:
   • Peter and John, spiritual friends and partners, were heading to the temple for prayer.
   • They encountered a man who had been lame from birth, begging at the temple gate.
2. The Interaction:
   • The lame man asked for alms, expecting financial help.
   • Peter and John directed their gaze at him, asking for his attention.
3. The Miracle:
   • Peter declared he had no silver or gold but offered healing in the name of Jesus Christ.
   • The man was miraculously healed, leaping for joy and praising God.
4. Lessons on Priorities:
   • While financial support is necessary, our primary focus should be on ministering to people's spiritual and emotional needs.
   • True ministry involves addressing deeper issues beyond immediate physical or financial needs.
5. Application for Today:
   • As individuals and churches, we should prioritize ministry over money, emphasizing the importance of community support, spiritual growth, and emotional well-being.
   • Sharing the message of Jesus Christ and demonstrating genuine care for others should be our primary mission.

Discussion Questions:

1. How can we balance the need for financial resources with the call to focus on ministry?
2. In what ways can we support those in need both physically and spiritually in our communities?
3. How can we cultivate spiritual friendships like Peter and John to strengthen our faith and ministry efforts?

Reflection: Reflect on times when you may have focused more on financial concerns than on ministering to others. How can you shift your focus to align more closely with the example set by Peter and John in Acts 3:1-10?

Action Step: Identify one person in your community who could use support—whether physical, spiritual, or emotional—and reach out to them this week. Offer your assistance, prayers, and friendship, demonstrating the love of Christ through your actions.

T

Transcript

Money Verses Ministry.  (Acts 3:1-10)

Transcript: 

It seems to me that a lack of money is a problem for many people. People often talk about having more month than money, and lately, it seems this difficulty has become more pronounced. While inflation has somewhat decreased, for which we are thankful, we are still facing significant economic challenges. Hundreds of thousands, even millions, of layoffs worldwide are impacting our economies and we have recently experienced one financial crisis after another.

When financial crises occur, whether personally or collectively, we tend to focus heavily on money, which is understandable. The same thing can happen in churches—they are always need for funds. In virtually every church I’ve been in, there’s constant discussion about budgets and money. 

While paying attention to money is necessary to some extent, I suggest that it shouldn't be our main focus. There are other, more important things that we should prioritize. One such focus is mentioned repeatedly in scripture and is connected but also contrasted to money is found in the particular passage we are going to look at today.

Welcome…

This passage recounts the story of Peter and John going to the temple and encountering a man who had been lame all his life. They healed him, and he was able to walk for the first time.

One day Peter and John were going up to the temple at the time of prayer—at three in the afternoon.

(Acts 3:1)

As the story opens, Peter and John are on their way to the temple. Even before they became followers of Christ, they were partners in a fishing business and remained close after becoming disciples.

Peter and John were spiritual friends and partners. This brings me to an important question: Do you have a spiritual friend like that? Someone you can discuss spiritual matters with? 

Our companions significantly influence us, so having a spiritual buddy is crucial for our growth. If you’re Peter, you need John. If you’re John, you need Peter. 

Now a man who was lame from birth was being carried to the temple gate called Beautiful, where he was put every day to beg from those going into the temple courts.

(Acts 3: 2)

This man couldn’t work due to his condition, so begging was his only means of support. Judaism emphasized almsgiving, so the temple was a strategic place for him to beg.

Every day, his friends or family would carry him to the temple, where he hoped to receive money from worshippers. This was his routine, and it highlights the importance of community and support in times of need.

When he saw Peter and John about to enter, he asked them for money. them.

(Acts 3: 3)

The story continues with Peter and John’s interaction with the lame man, which leads to his miraculous healing. This story emphasizes the importance of focusing on what truly matters—faith, community, and support—rather than being solely fixated on financial concerns. 

When the lame man saw Peter and John about to enter the temple, he asked them for alms. The story begins simply with a beggar requesting alms from Peter and John. What happens next is fascinating. Let’s look at the text. In verse 4, it says, 

Peter looked straight at him, as did John. Then Peter said, “Look at us!” So the man gave them his attention, expecting to get something from

Of all the things I could imagine someone saying to a beggar, "Look at us," is not one of them. They both looked at the lame man and said, "Look at us." This seems significant because making eye contact is a deeply intimate act.

We often ignore people by avoiding eye contact. If you’re walking down the street and see a beggar or homeless person, and you don’t want to be bothered, you avoid looking at them. It’s a natural way to avoid interaction.

On the other hand, looking someone in the eye is one of the most intimate things you can do. It’s more intimate than shaking hands, maybe even more so than talking to them. Peter and John were being intensely personal when they said, "Look at us." The lame man gladly looked at them, expecting to receive money.

Now, let’s suppose they gave him money. While almsgiving was a part of their religious practice, if they had given him money, it would have been a temporary solution. Whatever they gave might have bought a meal or paid rent, but only for a short while. Instead, they will met the man’s deepest need.

6 Then Peter said, “Silver or gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.” 7 Taking him by the right hand, he helped him up, and instantly the man’s feet and ankles became strong. 8 He jumped to his feet and began to walk Then he went with them into the temple courts, walking and jumping, and praising God.

(Acts 3: 6-8)

The man leaped for joy, is says in the King James Version. He was filled with joy, walking, leaping, and praising God. 

The people's reaction is also significant. Verse 9 says, 

When all the people saw him walking and praising God, they recognized him as the same man who used to sit begging at the temple gate called Beautiful, and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.

(Acts 3: 9-10)

They recognized him as the man who sat begging at the Beautiful Gate and were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened.

I wanted us to look at this story and draw a principle from it. What is this passage trying to tell us? 

Instead of focusing on money, Peter and John focused on truly ministering to the man’s deepest need. This passage is partly about money because that’s what the man was asking for, but it’s clear Peter and John didn’t have any. Instead, they gave him something far more valuable—healing and a new lease on life. 

In chapter 2 of Acts, we saw that the early Christians pooled all their resources into a common community pot, which might explain why Peter and John didn’t have any money on them. But the passage clearly emphasizes that they didn’t focus on money—they focused on ministry. 

This is the key truth I want us to think about: instead of focusing on money, we need to focus on ministry.

For too long, and too often churches have been overly concerned with money. I understand the need to pay bills and keep the lights on, but sometimes this focus can become excessive, overshadowing the true mission of the church, which is to minister to people's needs. T

Tere's a famous story about Thomas Aquinas, a renowned medieval theologian. One day, he observed Pope Innocent II counting money. The Pope remarked, "We can no longer say, 'Silver and gold have I none.'" Aquinas replied, "True, but neither can we say, 'Rise up and walk.'" 

This apocryphal story my not be true but it still highlights that an excessive focus on money can cause us to lose sight of the church’s true power and purpose.

But if our focus should be on ministry, not money then how do we apply this passage? Should we start holding healing services since Peter and John healed the lame man? I don’t doubt that God can and does heal people. 

This man in Acts 3. Verse 2 tells us that he was lame from birth. Imagine he is an adult now and every day, someone had to carry him to the temple and back home. This required a dedicated group of people to meet his physical need consistently. 

However, Peter and John didn’t just meet the man’s physical need; they also addressed his spiritual needs. The man exercised faith, his physical ailment prior to this event paralleled his spiritual condition: he was born crippled, unable to walk, just as we are born spiritually crippled, unable to walk with God. He was financially poor, symbolizing spiritual bankruptcy. He sat outside the temple, symbolically separated from God, not able to enter the presence of God. 

Yet his instantaneous healing, through faith, mirrors our spiritual healing available immediately through faith in Jesus Christ.

Everyone is born spiritually separated from God, unable to walk with Him. Jesus Christ died and rose again to bridge that gap. Trusting in Him addresses our deepest spiritual needs. People need the Lord, and it is our job to share the good news.

Our task is to share the message of Jesus Christ, ensuring people understand that it’s not just about religious services or ritual prayers but about genuinely seeking forgiveness and placing faith in Him. 

By focusing on ministry rather than money, we can truly still today meet both the physical and spiritual needs of those around

People need to know the Lord, and yet we often pass by them by, People today are spiritually homeless. All most have ever heard is ritualistic prayers, like the Lord’s Prayer, without understanding their true meaning. 

Jesus taught us to pray this way, but the essence of His prayer was about having a relationship with God, not just reciting words. We need to focus on ministry, not money, by meeting people's physical needs whenever possible but also more importantly in fact by addressing their spiritual needs.

In the story from Acts, the lame man, once healed, was leaping for joy.This passage is full of emotion, with the man praising God and expressing his newfound freedom. We should minister to people not just physically and spiritually, but also emotionally. Emotional support is a vital aspect of ministry.

Sometimes people just want to be seen and heard, sometime people simply want to know that someone cares about them. This story underscores a fundamental human need: to be seen and valued. There are many people like that man, just wanting to know that someone cares.

One of the way we can show them that we  care and more importantly God cares is by ministering and encouraging people. 

Our focus should be on ministry, not money, both in our individual lives and as a church. I rarely talk about money in messages I give because I believe our focus should be on ministry. Many ministries happen quietly, behind the scenes, without public recognition, and that’s how it should be. 

We should continue this focus, encouraging each other, praying for one another, and offering words of support.

In 1 Corinthians 14, Paul discusses spiritual gifts, addressing the misuse of speaking in tongues in the church. The key point Paul makes is that all these gifts are given not for self-edification but for the edification of others. 

The love chapter, 1 Corinthians 13, emphasizes that love is about thinking of others, not ourselves. In chapter 14, Paul highlights that all gifts are for the purpose of building up the church community. The focus should be on ministering to one another in every possible way.

John Wesley encapsulated this idea beautifully: “Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, in all the places you can, to all the people you can, as long as you can.” 

Let’s follow the apostles example and focus on ministry, not money, meeting physical, spiritual, and emotional needs with love and compassion.

I submit to you that he is an example to us and that we ought to do likewise we ought to just go focus on ministry. SDo even if you in a position today where right now silver and gold you have little or none you can still serve and minister to people.

I think this is a model for us all, we may not always have silver and gold, but we can always live our lives serving the Lord and encouraging other people.