Bible Text: Acts 3:1-10 | Preacher: Rev. Dr. Lou Saldiveri | Series: Sunday Morning Worship | Intro: As you know, scientists and pharmaceutical companies are working hard to develop a vaccine for the Covid-19 virus. Plus, they are trying to develop treatment protocols and medications that are effective in combating this virus to help people recover from this devastating disease. Covid-19 can be debilitating and terminal. Please realize that there are some illness that have no real treatment or vaccine. In those cases, the most that could happen is for a physician to try to alleviate some of the symptoms.

There is a disease for which the best scientists in the world will never develop a treatment or vaccine. This disease is fatal and has everlasting pain and suffering. A disease needs to be named so we know what it is we face. The disease is sin.  I would suggest to you that Jesus Christ went to the cross and was raised 3 days later to provide the only permanent cure for  this deadly disease called sin. Not only does he provide the cure, he brings about regeneration and new life for those who put their trust in Him as their Lord and Savior.

1. The Gospel Ought to Unite People
1. Peter and John
1. Peter was jealous of John when Jesus walked to earth
2. I am sure there were many times when John felt like telling Peter to shut up
3. Peter was a type A personality with a mouth that would engage before his brain, uncontrolled anger, and sometimes violent
4. John was more reserved, non-violent, and reserved
1. Steve Saint
2. Diverse people coming together in unity through faith in Christ: United by the Holy Spirit
1. In the church, it is  possible to have unity in diversity
2. Explain between and uniformity
3. They went to afternoon prayer together
2. The Gospel Can Cure Spiritual Blindness
1. The lame man was lame from birth
1. So from the time he was born to the time of the encounter with Peter and John, he had to be carried by someone else all of his life
2. He begged for a living everyday  by the temple gate called, Beautiful
3. Peter and John enter in and the lame man asked them for money
1. Peter and John didn’t have money, but that had something far greater e.g. the gospel
2. They told the beggar to look at them
3. They told him about Jesus and in Jesus’ Name, commanded the beggar to get up and walk
4. One of the Apostles took the beggar by the right hand and helped him up
1. instantly, the beggar’s feet and ankles became strong
2. He jumped, walked, and started to praise God
3. His had new life and new purpose
4. People who witnessed the transformation were amazed
4. How much greater is it that the gospel of Jesus Christ is able to remove our paralysis caused by sin?
1. Sin makes us lame and blind and spiritually and morally bankrupt
2. Only the cross of Christ can heal us and make us whole again giving us new life and new purpose
3. The Gospel of Jesus Christ Demands a Response
1. Illustration: An invitation to a wedding.
1. He went to a place of worship
2. He was jumping and praising and glorifying God
3. He knew he didn’t deserve to be healed
4. He knew that the healing came form God through Christ and conveyed by Peter and John
5. Sometimes we can look like the frozen chosen
1. Have we forgotten the incredible dept from wish we have been forgiven?
2. Have we forgotten that Jesus paid out penalty on the cross in our place and endured the full wrath of God that we deserved?
3. Have we forgotten that by faith in Christ, you and I have been given new life and new purpose?

Closing: So, are you ready to tell your story of how Christ healed you from spiritual blindness? We don’t need to be rich to tell our story. We don’t need to be a theologian to tell our story. All we need to do is praise and glorify Jesus Christ and tell people how he healed us from our spiritually lame state .