Restoration Through Faith - Acts 3

Pastor Dan Walker, PhD, MDiv

Introduction: Unlocking the Chains That Bind

In our lives, we all face moments when we feel bound by invisible chains. These chains could be of worry, addiction, sin, sickness or despair, and they often feel impossible to escape. These chains hold us tight, they restrict our movement, and they suffocate our spirits.

The good news is that there is a promise of liberation, a hope of breaking free and experiencing true restoration. That hope is found in the heart of the Gospel, the good news of Jesus Christ. Imagine for a moment, the relief and overflowing joy of a prisoner who, after years of confinement, feels the weight of the chains fall away as the cell door swings open.

That powerful image of unlocking chains pictures the freedom and restoration that faith in Jesus offers us. Today, we’re going to be talking about Restoration Through Faith and how the chains that hold different parts of your life captive can be broken. This is not an abstract idea but a lived reality made possible through Jesus Christ.

John 8:36 (ESV) So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.

Jesus came to set people free and to break the chains that have bound them. People talk about all kinds of freedom, whether political, financial, or personal, but not all freedom truly satisfies. The only true freedom that can be found is in Jesus.

Luke 4:18-19 (ESV) “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty
those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”

Who did Jesus say He had come to set free? He came to set those in poverty free, to free those who are captives, to free those bound by illness, and to bring liberty to those who are oppressed. Jesus came to break every chain of bondage.

He hears our cries, comes to our rescue, and shatters the chains that hold us captive. True freedom and restoration are not found in our own strength and efforts, no matter how determined we may be. True freedom is found by placing our faith in Jesus Christ, the only one with the power to break our chains and lead us into a life of liberty and purpose.

God Works Through Ordinary People

Acts 3:1-3 (ESV) Now Peter and John were going up to the temple at the hour of prayer, the ninth hour. And a man lame from birth was being carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple that is called the Beautiful Gate to ask alms of those entering the temple. Seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple, he asked to receive alms.

Our story begins with Peter and John doing what ordinary believers do. They were going to their place of worship for a prayer meeting, following a normal spiritual rhythm of life. At the same time they were entering the temple, a lame man was being carried and set down by the gate.

This man had been lame from birth, meaning he had never known the experience of walking. He was brought by his friends or family to beg for donations from those going to the temple. When Peter and John approached to pass him as he lay on his bed, he called out to them for some money.

Peter and John had three options before them in that moment. They could have simply ignored the beggar and kept walking. They could have given him some money and moved on, or they could have recognized that this was an opportunity for a miracle.

The third option is what they chose, and it made all the difference. They saw beyond the immediate request to the deeper need in front of them. God often works through ordinary people who are willing to see with spiritual eyes.

Acts 3:4-6 (ESV) And Peter directed his gaze at him, as did John, and said, “Look at us.” And he fixed his attention on them, expecting to receive something from them. But Peter said, “I have no silver and gold, but what I do have I give to you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk!”

First of all, Peter and John looked intently at the sick man and then asked the man to look at them. Most likely, the beggar was avoiding eye contact and struggled with poor self-esteem from years of dependence. By looking at the two men, they gained his full attention and prepared him for what God was about to do.

Peter had no money to give the man, but he had something even better. Peter carried the power of the Holy Spirit which had come upon him through Spirit baptism. That same power was the power that Jesus ministered in during His earthly life.

That power of the Holy Spirit was capable of making the lame man walk. Peter did not pray for the man but issued a command, just as Jesus often did. In the name of Jesus Christ, he told him to rise up and walk.

Seeing Ordinary Lives as Opportunities for Miracles

Too often we put different people on a pedestal and think we could never do the things that they did. Peter and John could have put Jesus on a pedestal and thought that without Jesus present there would be no more miracles. Instead, they believed that the same power of the Holy Spirit that was in Jesus was now in them.

On an ordinary day, they were faced with an impossibility, a man lame from birth. Nothing could be done by doctors in their day or in our day for that matter. But that impossibility became an opportunity for a miracle.

The lame man’s disability was a chain that had bound him, and Jesus wanted to set him free. God wants you and me to see difficulties and impossibilities around us as opportunities for a miracle. Sick people are an opportunity for a healing miracle, and God can use you to bring His healing power to those in your life.

Notice that Peter and John did not pray for the man but simply commanded him in the name of Jesus to do the impossible. That required faith in God’s power and faith that God would use them. May God help us move from missing miracle opportunities to boldly speaking the command of faith.

God’s Power Brings Restoration

Acts 3:7-8 (ESV) And he took him by the right hand and raised him up, and immediately his feet and ankles were made strong. And leaping up he stood and began to walk, and entered the temple with them, walking and leaping and praising God.

Peter had just given the command, rise up and walk, but at first nothing seemed to happen. The man was still lying there, and the moment demanded a response of faith. Peter did not give up but reached out his hand and pulled the man to his feet.

It was at that moment and not before that his feet and ankles experienced a miracle and were made strong. The man instantly knew that something supernatural had taken place. He began to walk, leap, and praise God in response to what had happened.

Acts 3:9-10 (ESV) And all the people saw him walking and praising God, and recognized him as the one who sat at the Beautiful Gate of the temple, asking for alms. And they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.

Notice that the healing miracle was not just for the man who received it. All the other people in the temple saw the visible result of God’s power. They were filled with wonder and amazement because they had seen that lame man begging outside the temple for years.

Now he was no longer confined to his bed but could walk and leap freely. The miracle became a testimony that pointed beyond the man to the power of God at work. God often uses visible restoration to awaken spiritual curiosity in others.

Acts 3:16 (ESV) And his name—by faith in his name—has made this man strong whom you see and know, and the faith that is through Jesus has given the man this perfect health in the presence of you all.

Peter made it clear that the miracle did not happen through his or John’s power. It happened because of faith in the name of Jesus. Jesus, through His Spirit, performed the miracle so that the man could walk, not again, but for the first time.

This man had been lame from birth, which means he had never walked before. The miracle was not only the strengthening of his ankles but the instant ability to do something he had never done. God’s power brought complete restoration to his life.

Stepping Out in Faith to Release God’s Power

In this message, we are focusing on physical healing as an example of restoration through faith. However, any other chain that may bind a person can be broken through the power of the Spirit. Difficulties in other people’s lives are opportunities for God to work a miracle through you.

Miracles turn people’s hearts toward God because they get people’s attention. This is true for both those who receive the miracle and those who know them. Don’t be afraid to step out in faith by simply asking someone if you can pray for them.

If they say yes, and most people will, pray for them right then and there. It often has a greater impact when prayer happens in their presence and they see God respond. There is spiritual power associated with nearness and physical touch that we see repeatedly throughout the Bible.

Salvation Is Found in Christ Alone

Acts 3:19-21 (ESV) Repent therefore, and turn back, that your sins may be blotted out, that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that he may send the Christ appointed for you, Jesus, whom heaven must receive until the time for restoring all the things about which God spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets long ago.

Let’s review the sequence of what happened. Peter and John noticed a lame man, a problem looking for a miracle. They spoke the command, raised the man up, and the miracle captured the attention of both the man and the crowd.

Peter then explained to the crowd that what happened was the result of faith in Jesus. The next step was clear, the crowd needed salvation in Christ. The first word in preaching the Gospel in the New Testament is repent.

People must repent and turn away from their sin in order to receive the gift of salvation. Salvation involves the forgiveness of sins and a restored relationship with God. Peter also speaks of times of refreshing from the presence of the Lord.

These times of refreshing come from the work of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit strengthens and refreshes us through His power. One day, God will send Jesus back to restore all things in a new heaven and a new earth.

Acts 3:26 (ESV) God, having raised up his servant, sent him to you first, to bless you by turning every one of you from your wickedness.”

Peter again mentions the resurrection of Jesus, who first appeared to the Jews. He was addressing Jews in the temple, not Gentiles. Yet both Jews and Gentiles are saved in the same way.

Salvation comes through repentance and faith in Jesus Christ. God blesses people by turning us away from sin and wickedness. There is no salvation without repentance and a turning away from what separates us from God.

Pointing Every Miracle Toward Eternal Salvation

When we studied Acts 2, we saw that the coming of the Holy Spirit was accompanied by signs and wonders. Miracles are signs that point to the power of Jesus. While miracles bring restoration, their ultimate purpose is to turn people to Christ.

Salvation is the greatest miracle of all. Never forget to point the person you prayed for to Jesus as Savior and Lord. As you continue to pray for your Five Friends Focus, God will give you opportunities to pray, see miracles, and share the Gospel.

One simple way to share the Gospel is to invite someone to church. We pray for miracles every Sunday for everyone who asks. People will hear the Gospel and have an opportunity to respond.

Conclusion: Living in Freedom Through Faith

This morning we have talked about restoration through faith. We began with the image of chains being unlocked and falling away. God desires to bring restoration and healing into your life, setting you free.

He also wants to use you to bring restoration and healing to others, setting them free from the chains that bind them. May we daily walk in the freedom that comes through faith. Let us use our freedom to serve others and help them find that same freedom.

The key to freedom in our lives and in the lives of others is faith. Without faith, it is impossible to please God. Faith comes by hearing and believing the word of God, and may His Word birth mountain-moving faith in your heart today.

📘 Continue the Journey

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