We Are...Agents of Healing

We Are Agents of Healing
Acts 3:3-10

Agent – broker, handler, minister, doer, worker (agent of beauty could easily be
referred to like this; Minister of beauty, handler of beauty etc…)
Bats, “WE NEED BATS, because they are beautiful”, Yeah right!
• Bats are often demonized in horror movies and on Halloween, but they are
actually a benefit to humanity.
• National Geographic magazine explains that we need bats because:
• They eat insects
We Are Agents of Healing

Acts 3:3-10

• They pollinate crops
• They fertilize crops with their guano.
• Its a beautiful thing too:
• Camp outside and not worry about insects
• Plant flowers and watch them grow healthy
• To be a farmer of any kind and have your crop fertilized for free…
• That’s some of the beauty that bats bring…
• Bats are an endangered species, due to the white-nose syndrome
plaguing the North American bat population.
•
• Even their saliva is an essential factor in developing blood-thinning
medication that helps to treat stroke victims.
• There are some beautifully ugly things in everyone’s life. You never thought
dad’s belt was beautiful, or mom’s time-out corner…
• You know the beautiful things:
• That produces greatness in you.
• That forced you to another level.
• That made you grow
• How beautiful were they really? If you’re honest you must admit that they
were quite ugly indeed, but the finished product or the final results were
amazingly beautiful.

1. What is beautiful?
• Our definition – a combination of qualities, such as shape, color, or form, that
pleases the senses, especially perception (sight), pleasing the senses or
mind. The essence of beauty
•
• What is God’s definition of beauty? God’s definition of beauty can be
described in a way and a place:
• The way God sees us… He is captivated by our beauty, He can’t take his
eyes off of us.
.” Psalm 45:11
• The place God looks to find our beauty… He doesn’t look outward…
•
• 1 Peter 3:3-4
• The Lord has been known to find beauty in some of the oddest places.
• Let’s look at that with scripture..
•
Acts 3:3-10
• The Gate called Beautiful
• Why was it called “Beautiful” if that was where the beggars were?
• Because beauty can be camouflaged with the unwanted, undesirable, and
the humanly impossible, because beauty is that which achieves or
exemplifies the creative nature of God.
• How can beggars be beautiful? Very simple everything that God created He
personally said that it was good.
• Good in this aspect is better than beautiful because beauty in our eyes is
relevant to the one comprehending it.
• When God made the statement it was Good, says that it pleases Him for all
things to be, or they would not be at all.
• The word good in Genesis 1:10,12 comes from the Hebrew word ṭôḇ,
meaning generous, festive, pleasing, and oh yes Beautiful
• You are not in a ugly situation, for God has allowed it to be… That
makes whatever you are facing or going through beautiful.

• The Beautiful Gate was the name given to one of the gates of the Temple in
Jerusalem. It is usually identified as the passage from the court of the
Gentiles to the court of the women, which, despite its name, permitted both
(Israelite) men and women. The meaning of the term was actually that it was
the courtyard of the Temple where women could also enter i.e. the Temple
complex became more restrictive as one got closer to the Most Holy Place,
from almost everyone permitted in the court of the Gentiles, then
successively to Israelite men and women, then men, Levites, priests, to the
High Priest.

• ILLUS.- bro. Budd and Sis. Adora – anytime your down its selfish because
you are only looking at your situation and not others.
Mark 16:17-18
Now a man who was lame from birth was being
carried to the temple gate called Beautiful.

3 Things Every Person Has:
1)Every person has a need
2)Every person has hidden pain
3)Every person has potential
We all have been beautifully and wonderfully made, therefore we are all
ministers, making bringers of the good news…
“How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!” Romans 10:15b

• There are a lot of things considered beautiful, but…
It’s Beautiful When. . .
1. We are led by the Spirit (v. 2)
Acts 3:2
• Jesus Peter & John had most likely walked by him before…
• Believers are not required to give every homeless person standing at
intersections money, but if God says give then give. Order & Spirit-moments
• The lame man was fully compliant with the order of that day, and something
amazing happens which to others could be looked at as unfair.
• The Apostles are led to healing one of the lame at the gate. What about all the
others, sometimes you have to do for one what you would do for all.
It’s Beautiful When. . .

2. We see the potential of beauty in places of brokenness
(v. 2)
Acts 3:2
• What do we really see as a potential place of beauty? Definitely not our
broken areas.
• Most believers view brokenness as a scar or something ugly.
• Really now…
– Can a man lame from birth really see the beauty in begging
– Can a barren couple see the beauty in people having multiple
children.
– Can a believing kidney patient that’s waiting for a transplant see
the beauty in those with healthy kidneys and won’t serve God.
– Can a man that has to walk to work see the beauty in hoodlums
driving pristine automobiles.
– Can a spirit-filled pastor of a small church see the beauty of other
pastors with mega-churches.
• How many days did the beggar in this chapter have to psyche himself up
to look or expect a good day of collection at the gate.
• You can beg for so long for the wrong thing that asking for what you
need is not even an option. This was the case of the beggar.
It’s Beautiful When. . .

3. We understand that no one has everything, but
everyone has something (v. 6a)
Then Peter said, “Silver or gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you.
Acts 3:6a
• We have to stop merely trying to fix the world’s problems with the world’s
resources
• Could any believer imagine having a serious need and being at the gate of
the temple where Jesus and His disciples frequent and not ask for a miracle.
• Many believers have gotten used to operating without the working of miracles.
• It’s really bad when those in need of miracles, come to the place where
miracles can happen and should happen, and won’t even expect it or even
ask for it.
• I am not insinuating that you only ask for healing when we preach about it, but
every time you come into the house of God expect Him to actually be home.
Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord
2 Corinthians 3:17
• Imagine being sick with cancer and going to the hospital looking for food
when medical attention is what you need.
• How many times have you come to church and wouldn’t even speak of the
miracle you needed?
• Was it because you didn’t believe the leaders had the power to get a prayer
through.
• Have we reversed the statement? “The power of God have I none, so I’ll only
give you silver and gold?” So that’s the only thing we expect from God
through the church is crisis relief to help pay a bill.
• Shame on us for such a misuse of God’s power.
•
It’s Beautiful When. . .
4. We see lives changed (vv. 6-7)
Acts 3:7-10
• From ashes to beauty
•
ILLUS.-picture of a catapult
•
• Change can either become chains (that hold you back) or a catapult (that
launches you forward)
Four things:
1. Commit for the next 4 months
2. Be early (expectancy)
3.Sit upfront
4. Get involved