HEALTHY FAMILIES FOR ETERNITY

the Gate Beautiful and the Temple. There is
a man who has been lame or paralyzed since
birth. He is brought to this place each day to
beg. He locks gazes with Peter and John, and
asks for money. You know how it is, when
someone approaches you begging. You can
turn your eyes, like a Pharisee and “cross to
the other side”. Peter responds in words that
have become part of everyday parlance—but
first he says, “Look at us!” The man looks
with a hopeful expectancy, and then comes
the disappointment: “Silver and gold I do
not have, but what I have I give you.”
Hope dashed! Have you experienced this?
You needed money or something else and
the giver changes the game! But the story
doesn’t stop there.
“‘In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth,
walk.’ Taking him by the right hand (notice the
words right hand—CHM is the right hand of
the Gospel Message), he helped him up and
instantly, the man’s feet and ankles became
strong. He jumped to his feet and began to
walk.” (Acts 3:6-8). The man’s demeanor
changed—walking, jumping, and praising
God. Can you, can I imagine this? Bereft of
movement from birth, he now has energy and
joyful ability to move, walk, jump, and be
exuberant about it all! What a change!
The people noticed; the Pharisees noticed,
and questioned—by whose power; how
did this happen? Peter, the one who had
denied Jesus, boldly speaks up following
his commission to Comprehensive Health
Ministry, “Feed My sheep.” “It is Jesus’ name
and the faith that comes through Him that
has given this complete [comprehensive]
healing to him.” (Acts 3:16).
Body, mind, spirit, social, and emotional—
all aspects are being addressed in this event.
The Sanhedrin now gets involved, they were
in the silos of denial: “By what power?” (Acts
4:7), and Peter, primed and filled by the
Holy Spirit, responds:
“If we are being called to account
today for an act of kindness shown
to a cripple and are asked how he
was healed, then know this, you and
all the people of Israel: It is by the
name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth,
whom you crucified, but whom God
raised from the dead, that this man
stands before you healed…”
Acts 4:9-10
And here is the punchline—burgeoning
from an act of healing of body, mind, and spirit:
“Salvation is found in no one else,
for there is no other name under
heaven given to men by which we
must be saved.”
Acts 4:11
There it is! No other name, the name of
Jesus—in family ministry, education, youth
ministry, public campus ministry, chaplaincy,
children’s ministry, publishing ministry, health
ministry—Comprehensive Health Ministry—
no other name than Jesus—central, foremost,
foundational, and final!
But look at the reaction of the people,
Sanhedrin and all…
“When they saw the courage of Peter
and John and realized they were
unschooled, ordinary men, they were
astonished and they took note that
these men had been with Jesus.”
Acts 4:13
Will people be astonished, surprised,
pleased, awed, delighted, taken aback that we
have been with Jesus—regardless of topic or
challenge? Will they be astonished that God’s
Spirit can keep His Church united despite
the varied viewpoints? Note that there is a
subtle, but definite difference in nuance. As
I wrote the script, I wrote “untied” instead
of “united”, only one letter placement
difference. Yet here is the difference between
strength and weakness, “United we stand,”
“Together we can do more.” “Unity is
strength,” or—God forbid—the opposite,
personalized by the end result of being
divided and conquered! Have you, have I
been with Jesus?
SERMON
27
MISSION, HOPE, AND HEALING