Baby Steps Acts 3:1-10 CLICK TITLE FOR AUDIO
The scene is afternoon prayer outside the Temple in Jerusalem. Laying there at the Beautiful gate is a lame man. He’s been lame from his mother’s womb. He reminds me of a lost man [lost because of his natural birth] hanging around church. He has no spiritual life so he has no spiritual walk [he’s told to walk in the Spirit but he can’t because he is spiritually crippled]. So, he begs for help to glean something from the church to make it through another day or week. I mean church without Jesus is just like that.
Suddenly help arrives, not in the form of more religion, but in a couple of soul winners. Old Peter and John showed up. They could tell he needed Jesus a lot more than he needed money. They let him know right away that they weren’t there to just lead him to Jesus. They were there to help him “rise up” [v.6] out of the condition of his life and begin a new “walk.” See Ps 40:1-2. Often soul winning is about getting a decision. It shouldn’t be. It ought to be about salvation and about a changed life and a new walk, too.
Now look at the spiritual significance of everything that happened to this poor fellow the moment he got saved. What you are looking at is a picture of salvation and the baby steps of a brand new child of God. This is the way the Lord intends for his children to start so they can go into full stride.
He needed Jesus Christ – v.6 – We don’t need to build relationships with people just to be their friends. They need Jesus and we need to preach him to them. They are lost and they need to be saved.
He needed some help getting up – v.7 – God uses men to disciple new converts and “get them on their feet.” It is not enough to just go tell them about Jesus and leave them for the vultures. They have been living lost all their lives and now they are one day old in the Lord.
He began to get strength – v.7 – he is a new creature in Christ. Jesus lives in him. So, there is the supernatural strength of God in him to make him strong. And he has to stand on that strength.
He wanted to run – v.8 – ‘he leaped up’ but like a young colt he wasn’t strong enough to run. There is an early zeal with young Christians that needs to mature or they will fall down.
He stood – v.8 – Eph 6:10-11, 13-14. He had to get his legs under hi. And young Christians need to learn how to stand, before they can walk or run.
He walked – v.8 – he was risen to walk in the newness of life. Young Christians need to walk and they need to see the progress in their lives even if their steps are baby steps and even if their growth is seemingly imperceptible. Year after year the progress will be noticeable like it is with growing children.
He entered the temple – v.8 – which is like going to church [Acts 2:46]. The best place for a young Christian to take his baby steps is in church among the support of good preaching and teaching and loving brothers and sisters in Christ.
He was leaping – v.8 – young Christians will be happy in the Lord and they need to realize that true joy is in the life of Christ. They are loved, saved and rejoicing.
He praised God publicly – v.8-9 – this was like the public profession of faith. Jesus said, confess me before men. He was lost and now he is found. That is something to praise the Lord about.
He had a testimony – v. 9-10 – they saw him walking and praising God and they knew he had been changed. If you are the babe in Christ your friends will see the difference. And as long as your baby steps take you in the right direction you will get further and further from what you were and become more and more what God wants you to be. And that is a good testimony!!