The healing of the lame man at the Beautiful Gate, illustrating his condition of being born into sin and his dependence on others. It contrasts this natural state with the transformative power of Jesus Christ, emphasizing that salvation is not earned through works or rituals but is a free gift received by faith in Christ's atoning sacrifice. The message highlights that just as the lame man was instantly healed and made whole, accepting Jesus provides a permanent cure for sin and spiritual helplessness. The sermon concludes by urging listeners to recognize their own spiritual lameness and to embrace the remedy offered through Christ's name, leading to a life of praise and eternal hope.
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Peter and John went up together into the temple at the hour of prayer, seeing the ninth hour, and a certain man laying from his mother's room was carried, whom they lay daily at the gate of the temple, which is called beautiful, to ask on the men that entered into the temple. And seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple, asked and on. Peter, fastening his eyes upon him with John, said, Look on us. and he gave heed unto them, expecting to receive something of them. Then Peter said, Silver and gold have I none, but such as I have, give I thee.
In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk. And he took him by the right hand and lifted him up, and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength. And he leaping up, stood and walked and entered with them into the temple. walking and leaping and praising God. And all the people saw him walking and praising God. And they knew that it was he which sat for arms of the beautiful gate of the temple. They were filled with wonder and amazement at that which had happened unto him. As the layman which was healed, held Peter and John, all the people ran together unto them in the port that is called Solomon, greatly wondering.
I want to speak on the incident, the miracle, of the healing of the lame man. First of all, we note his condition. Second, we note his position. Third, his occupation. Fourth, his expectation. And finally, his transformation. Now, there seem to be five long words, but we'll try and break them down as we go along. Here you have this lame man, and his condition is given to us, lame from birth, who was carried every day to the beautiful gate of the temple. There he was expecting a handout from the sympathetic public.
That's the way he made his living. Well, I think we have a beautiful type of man by nature. This fellow was born in this condition. lame from birth. And that's true of man by nature. Behold, I was shaken in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me. So said David, and that is true of every individual. Born in sin and shaken iniquity. How dependent this man was. He depended upon others to bring him to the gate, where he might hold out his hand for anything the public might be pleased to contribute.
Dependent upon those who carried him, dependent upon others to care for him, dependent upon others to give to him, they might sustain his life. Man is so dependent. There are lots of things man can be independent about, but there's one thing you're dependent upon. That is the very life that you live, the very breath that you draw. dependent upon God. Just as dependent as a newborn day, God holds a brittle thread of light in his hands, and if he were to close it tight enough, that would be your end. Man is dependent upon God for the health and the strength he has.
Some people like to brag and boast about their ability to make money. They think they have the brain. how they speak of their excellent health and what they can do. Let me say, friend, in the final analysis, man is dependent upon God. For the very breath that he draws, the strength that he has, the time that's granted him, man is dependent upon God. And yet, he doesn't recognize that fact, how dependent man is. You notice this fellow being who has tripled? laying from his birth. Seems strange, doesn't it, that a man should be laid from his birth, and it's strange that one should be born in sin, dependent upon God, helpless, not responsible for his condition.
And that's true today. You are born in sin, shape and iniquity, if not your fault. You have nothing to do with your coming here. You were born a dependent and had nothing to do with your sinful state as you were born into the world. Who do you blame for your present life? Well, could you blame your parents? Some do. They blame their parents for their state. Others, they blame God. Why should they suffer as they do? It wasn't their... Will that they were born certainly is not their choice that they're in the state they're in.
Who is to blame? Friends, sin entered into the world through Adam and Eve when they sinned against God. And so death has passed upon all men for all of sin. We've got to go right back to our first parents. They're the ones that caused us to be spiritual crippled, unable to walk straight and upright before God. Here is Mother Eve, and she held the whole human race in her hands. By her disobedience to the will of God for taking of that forbidden fruit, she held, and the human race held with her. And just like Mephibosheth he was born, lame on both his feet, because his nurse let him fall where he was but a baby.
Why are people deported? Why are their physical distortion? Why are people born in tragic conditions? And who is responsible and who is to play? Adam and Eve is to play. If you want to go further, you can say the devil is responsible. Nevertheless, here we are. What are we going to do about it? I used to ponder this as a boy before I was saved or lay awake at night. And I thought, well, it looks like it's a little unfair. If I pass the age of accountability or I pass the age of responsibility, I should die in my sin and I'll go to hell.
Yet I have nothing to do with being born into this world. And I used to reason that. When I passed the age of accountability, when I knew I was a sinner and needed Christ and I didn't receive Him, I used to feel as though it was more or less a mistake. And I felt somehow there was something unpaired about it until I began to see God's wonderful plan of salvation. Do children go to hell? Some say they do. They're not responsible for their condition. The Bible says they go astray as soon as they be born speaking lies.
Foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child. On the very part of foolishness is a sin. Our little babes only a few weeks or a few months old, and you see something demonstrating itself, and there's something manifesting itself. What is it, sin? You see, temper. The little child wants attention. If it don't get it, it'll let you know. Sin is bound up in the heart of the child, and sin cannot enter heaven. So where are we? How can babies go to heaven? It's not their fault that they're sinners. Then how can they go to heaven?
They can't work their way to heaven. They're not old enough to do any good work. And they haven't got the money. Where does a child come in? There's a lovely piece of poetry that I think tells the story. Bold infidelity turned pale and die beneath this stone for sleeping infants lie. Say it. Are they lost or saved? If death by sin, they sin, for they are here. If heaven's by works, in heaven they can't appear. Oh, human reason, how do you pray? Turn to the Bible's sacred page, the knots on tie.
They died for Adam's sin. They live, for Jesus died. In John one and twenty-nine, the Lord Jesus has spoken of, as John looked upon, Behold the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world. What is the sin of the world? The sin of the world is Adam's sin. It's the sin that plunged the whole world of the human race into its sad plight before God. Therefore, I'm a sinner because Adam's sinned. When Jesus Christ came, he took away the sin of the world. And he's responsible for babies and children up until the time when they're able to make a choice.
If they make a choice against Christ, they become sinners now, not by birth, but by choice, and then by practice. If you're at the age of responsibility, and I presume you are this morning, you can't blame Adam and Eve for your sin. You can't blame your parents for your sin. You may say they shouldn't have got married. Neither of them were physically fit. They had a disease or malady that they passed on to me, and therefore I'm in my present flight. You can't blame Adam and Eve, and you can't blame your parents for your breath and flight of being a sinner.
You are to blame, because God has provided a remedy. Here's an illustration. I meet a man one day, and I tell for the look of him, he's got a certain disease, a dreadful disease. When we get into conversation, And right away he begins to berate his parents. He's bitter against God. He says my parents had no business getting married. Both my mother and father had this trouble. And my brother had it and he died. And I've got it. And there's no hope for me. And he tells this woeful tale.
And I said, friend, I've got news for you. Do you know I have that same disease? and I think it was more advanced than yours. You know, I found a medicine one day, and after the first bottle, I noticed a remarkable change, sort of better. After the second bottle, that medicine, by I was really making progress. By the time I had taken three bottles, I was almost well, and today there's no sign of that disease in my body, I'm enjoying excellent health. And I've got such confidence in this medicine. I'm going across here to this store and buying you three bottles.
And I want you to go home and take this medicine as described. You'll see it on the bottom. It won't cost you a penny. I'll take it. All you do is take that medicine. And you'll have the same results that I have. Well, he looks kind of skeptical. I get the medicine I give it to him. And away he goes. My last word is, be sure and take it. Two weeks later, I pick up the newspaper. I leave the account of his dead. I've got straight. I'm going around to see the family. I go down to see the family.
And as soon as I walk into one of the rooms, I see a parcel, a very familiar parcel on the mantelpiece. And I walk over and I look at it. It's the parcel I gave him with three bottles of medicine untouched. He didn't even take the wrapping off. Why is, who's to blame now and why did he die? When a remedy, a cure was placed right in his hands, free. Someone else purchased it. recommended it, and put it right in his hand. All he had to do was take it. He refused to take it.
He can no longer blame his parents or anyone else. He had the remedy presented to him. He refused to take it. Let me tell you, friends, you can't blame God that you're a sinner. You can't blame your parents. You blame yourself. Because God sent his son into this world knowing man's sad plight, knowing man was a sinner, knowing man was helpless. God shed his son, and on that cross Jesus shed his precious blood, and this is the medicine. It cost God his son, it cost Jesus Christ his life, and this morning, in the simplest possible language, I'm trying to wrap up a portion.
Jesus Christ, his sacrifice on the cross, I offer to you is free, and I know at work. Because I was a sinner once, just like you. And there are many here this morning who were sinners, lost sinners, helpless sinners on the way to hell, couldn't save themselves, their case was helpless, and they took this very same cure, this very same remedy, and they can sit here this morning and say, I'm saved, I'm going to heaven, it works. What is that medicine that I'm offering you this morning? Jesus Christ and His precious blood is the only cure for your sin.
The blood of Jesus Christ, God's Son, take it away all sin. And this is a universal cure. I said I identified that parcel. Yes. Friend, I could go anywhere in this world and identify the remedy that God has given for sin. If I were to go to the dense jungle of Africa and I heard a man get up and say, you know, friends, I found out I was a guilty sinner one day. I used to worship idols. I found out I was a guilty sinner one day. A missionary came along and he told me about God having a son and how that son died upon the cross and shed his blood for poor sinners.
I knew I was a sinner and I accepted Christ as my Savior and I got a peace. That was the end of my item. Right away I identified the medicine. I tasted it myself one time. I recognized it wherever I go. I could go anywhere in this world and so can any born-again Christian. And he can identify the medicine, God's cure for sin, the precious blood of Christ. If I were to go somewhere in Albany, I don't suppose I'd have far to go this morning. I might hear a man say, folks, If you don't want to go to the bad place, then we question if there's such a place. But if you want to go to heaven, and we don't know what kind of a place it is, just keep the Ten Commandments and do the best you can.
Be loyal to your church and be sure and pay your time. That's not the medicine. I feel like spitting. I heard that. That's not the medicine. It doesn't taste right. And yet many are being offered that parcel this morning. Do the best you can. Live a good life. Be moral. Be respectable. Be a member of the church. Get baptized. And all the rest of it. Try and keep faith around. That's not the medicine, friend. For your sin, that's no remedy for your sin. The blood of Jesus Christ, God's son, cleansed us from all sin.
Jesus Christ is the remedy. Behold the Lamb of God, which takes away the sin of the world, and a baby who is born in sin, and we're all born in sin, should it die before it reaches the age of accountability. It goes to heaven, sheltered by the blood of Christ. When a person comes to that age, when he hears the gospel, I'm not going to say when that age is. It varies because of the intelligence of the child. Some children are more intelligent at ten than others are at eighteen. It depends on the environment of the home where that child is brought up. There's a lot of things to enter into the picture as to the exact age when a person becomes responsible to God.
But I know this. The moment a sinner, a boy or a girl knows he's lost and he cannot save himself. And Jesus Christ died on the cross for him. And all he has to do is take Christ as his Savior and the authority of this book. When a child knows that much, He is responsible. He has had the medicine put in his hand. He refused to take it. But when that age is, it is not for me to say. Some say twelve, because Jesus is at the age of twelve when he began his ministry in the temple. Some say because he raised a little girl at twelve.
Jericho's daughter, that's the age of twelve. I don't believe so. I've talked to young people in their teens who are mentally retarded. It's up to God to say when that age of responsibility is. And when they pass of irresponsibility over to being responsible. We've got an audience this morning of adults. And if you were not responsible, you weren't responsible when you came into this chapel, if you didn't know the way of salvation before you're responsible now because you're a sinner and God loves you he gave Christ to die for you and Jesus shed his blood upon the tree and it's here in the book and God's telling you and he's offering you this wonderful salvation it's up to you to accept it you're not only a sinner by birth you become a sinner by choice when you reject Jesus Christ, you've chosen him.
And thus becoming a sinner by choice, you're a sinner by practice. Like that. Here's this man at the beautiful gate of the temple. This is his position. We've noticed his condition laying on both his feet, laying from birth. He's never taken one step straight. And you haven't taken one step to the glory of God unless you're born again. You may have taken many a step to the church. You may have even stepped into a baptismal tank. You may have taken many a step to help somebody who's sick or visited someone in the hospital.
But unless you've been born again by the Spirit of God, you've yet to make your first step to glory by God. God sees you as a spiritual cripple. spiritually laid with all the men who were trying to get to heaven in the wheelchair of church membership, depending upon the clutch of good works. And lying upon the walking stick of some ordinance, friend, you're just a poor sinner laying on both your feet. His position outside the beautiful gate. Why was it a beautiful gate? Its workmanship was beautiful. It was a beautiful gate because it led into the beautiful temple.
It's a beautiful gate because it's the type of Jesus Christ. He says, I am the way, the truth, and the life. No man comes under the ponder but by me. Yes, it's a beautiful gate. And you can apply it to Jesus Christ. How beautiful he is. He's the only one who deserves the use of the word. Beautiful. He's altogether loved. His name should be called Wondon, counselor of the mighty God, the everlasting Father, and the Prince of Egypt. You see him with a fair beam in the manger. He's beautiful. Say him as a man who fell.
He's beautiful. Say him as a man going about, healing all who were oppressed by the devil, healing all who were sick and oppressed by the devil for God was with him. How beautiful is his life. His deportment. His very manner, beautiful. I see him on the cross, with blood trickling down his beard. From the holes from whence they pour the hair. I see a crown of horns upon his head. He's disfigured. Spikes in his hands and his feet. There's his pattern. Loat whatever's upon him.
There he is. He's still beautiful. The slime, the spittle from their filthy mouths hangs upon his face. He's beautiful. Never was Jesus Christ so lovely in the eyes of his gods when he hung in shame on Calvary for you and me. All those marks of darkness honored but enhanced the Son of God before he didn't have to be there. He didn't have to be. He permitted them to nail them there. He permitted them to spit in his face. He permitted them to tear the hair from his cheek.
He permitted them to contribute every scar. On that blessed body, he did it willingly. For you and for me, I never was Jesus Christ so pleasing to his Father as when he submitted himself, to all the darkness, honor, the indignity, the shame, the suffering, the sorrows of the cross, that he might say the likes of you and me. And you see him there, you can say, he's beautiful. He was beautiful to me. And I saw him die in my stead and pain my head. Yes, he's beautiful to everyone who's trusted.
When he rose again, There is the morning, beautiful the spring. There he is, the beautiful son of God. Today God's right hand is beautiful. At the beautiful gate, are you at this gate this morning? This man was just outside at the beautiful gate. We're not told who brought him here. persistent, unmentioned workers. The Bible doesn't mention the names of a lot of people who are engaged in good things. We don't know the names of the people who patiently, consistently, brought this man and placed him down there every morning at this beautiful gate that there he is.
One thing they brought him to the right place. And you know, the preacher, doesn't do all the work, neither will he get all the credit when people get saved. There are those unmentioned workers who bring people to the meeting, who invite folks to come, and they bring them where they can sit and listen to the gospel. These people brought this man to the right place where he could hear the gospel of the grace of God. And here we find him in his position. but noticed his occupation. Asking alms. Asking alms.
He wanted money. He was still concerned with the physical. He was plying upon the pity of the public. Asking alms. He would eye everyone that went to pass from the gate. But he got something for me. I'm a poor lame man, lame from birth. Never took a stint in my life. He got something. You know the story. Here comes Peter and John. You come walking up to the gate. Peter and John pass in their eyes upon the man. Peter says, Look on us! Look on us!
I wonder if the man get any comfort out of that. Of course he wanted them to see him, but he wanted them to give him something. They say, look on us. Look on us. And it says he gave kingdom to them. I want to say something to Christians this morning. Every Christian should be able to say to every sinner, look at me. Look at me. Some people who call themselves Christians, I say call themselves Christians, are not worth looking at. because of their unhappy faces and their defective lives.
They're stumbling people. There are more people out of church today. More people have gone to the beach and away from the church today because of Christians, the professing Christians, people who claim to be what they're not. They're just stumbling blocks. Oh, the many you meet. You ever go to church? No, I'm better off and alone than the dude go. Why should I go? Look at my neighbor. He does things I wouldn't do. Me go to church. Yes, that's the curse of today. People who profess to be what they're not, and they're just stumbling blocks.
Every born-again Christian should be able to say to a sinner, like Peter and John said to this lame man, Look on up! You want to see someone who's saved and going to heaven? You want to see someone who's happy, who's got a peace and a joy? You want to see someone who knows his sins are forgiven and knows he has everlasting life? Look at me! Look at me. Yes, they should be worth looking at. Could you say that as a Christian? Can you say to an unconverted person, well, do you want to see somebody who is really happy all the day long?
Someone who really knows Jesus Christ, who knows he's going to heaven, who knows when the authority of the word of God, his sins are all forgiven. If you like to see someone who's happy, and his happiness doesn't depend upon the things of this life, his happiness depends upon Jesus Christ. Look at me. Look at me. It is this of poor sinners. are going to look at other professing Christians. They're going to go to hand. The friend, and I want to say this too, even lift your sights higher than even a Christian. I don't care who the man or woman is, the most godly person you know, the most spiritually minded individual you know of.
Don't let your eye rest there, but they can make mistakes too. Look at Christ if you want to see perfection. You'll not find it any man or any woman. If you want perfection, look at Jesus Christ. If I were perfect, I wouldn't need a savior. The very fact I need Christ proves I'm a mistake and I'm a failure. Our responsibility is to point people to Jesus Christ. Nevertheless, our lives, our behavior, our department should commend Jesus Christ.
Would you pay attention to a drunk man staggering around on the street corner preaching the gospel? Would you pay any mind? No, you wouldn't. So it is, if we're going to preach the gospel and tell people how to get saved and go to heaven, our lives should commend the message. These things began Jesus both to do and to teach. He did it first before he taught it. Look on us. Look on us. Not only should we be happy and holy, but I want to tell you one thing. You better look at the Christian whenever you get the chance.
One of these days you won't be able to see one. Every time you can see a Christian and all the time you can see a Christian, you have a chance to be saved. But the day is coming when you won't see a child of God. Jesus Christ is coming one of these days and every born-again Christian is going to heaven. And you won't be able to set eye on one. All the time Noah was walking around, his wife and three daughters and their sons, The door of the ark was still open, but when they went in and the door was shut and they were no longer visible, the opportunity was gone as that was happening.
And because of Christians still here, you have a chance. One of these days, you'll see none of them. I don't know when that day will be. Some Sunday people may wander to this chapel. There'll be no rest to Wilson here, I'll tell you. And won't be any who are really born again. I'd like to think that there'll be no one here after the Lord comes. I'd like to think that every one of you is born again and ready to go. That some may come hoping maybe it hasn't happened what they've heard about.
Yes, Jesus is coming. Though you ought to thank God for every Christian you see, you still have a chance. Look on us, said Peter and John. Not only those thoughts, they want to get his eyes off himself. The poor man, no doubt, was constantly looking at his lame feet. Peter and John said, look at us. We can't save you. We can't heal you. but we're willing to help you. Look on us. And it says he gave heed unto them. He gave heed unto them. Expecting, here's his expectation, expecting to receive something of them.
They had a right. He had a right to accept something when they invited him to look at them. And friend, you have a right when you go to church. You have a right when you're invited to a place. to expect something when you get there. Think of what all you folks could be doing this morning. There are many things at home you could have attended through, the places you could have gone, the people you could have visited. Wouldn't it be tragic if I spent all your time? Ask you to come out here, but when you got here, I didn't tell you anything. I gave you nothing. You know you can throw sawdust to the birds about two or three times instead of crumbs.
It won't fool them long. That's the reason a lot of people are not going to church. They didn't get anything when they went. Maybe they didn't get anything. Maybe they got a message on money. Something like that. Unless Jesus Christ the bread from heaven is free. The artist doesn't get it. Only Jesus Christ will satisfy the truly hungry heart, the man or woman who's lost and wants to be saved. You can tell him to join the church. No, I've tried it. Get baptized. No, I've been baptized. I'm still lost.
Well, do the best you can. I tried that. Friend, have you tried Jesus Christ? He's the one that's saved. He expected something and you have a right to expect something. I make it my business all week and devote my time most of the week. It was a morning meeting and tonight's meeting, another meeting. But when the people come, they might get something. It's my responsibility and it should be your expectation you have a right to expect. Look on us, she said. Silver and gold have we none. but such as we have, give we unto thee.
Silver and gold have we none. The disciples didn't have any money. We don't have any silver and gold. And, friend, supposing we had a ton of silver and a ton of gold, we were able to dump it right here beside you at this beautiful gate. You'd still be a cripple. It's not money you need. It's something in it. Friend, if I were a millionaire to give you all the money you wanted, that wouldn't satisfy your aching heart. If something else you need. Sell with a speech and groan with deep thought, have we none, but such as we have. Give we thee, in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk.
Never heard of that before. Other people threw me a little coin, but these people now, or it's in my feet, I'm lame. My, what wouldn't I give to be able to walk? In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk. Ah, yes, they gave heed. He gave heed unto them expecting something. They really told them. Some people go to church out of courtesy. Others to criticize. Others go out of curiosity. Some come out of concern. They're interested. They'd like to be saved. Friend, if that's your attitude this morning, concern you've got the answer.
In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk. Jesus Christ can be journeyed. What good calling any other name over a poor sinner. Here's a man dying. He knows he's dying and he's a sinner. He says, I want to be saved. I'd like to know I'm going to heaven. I'd like to know all my sins are forgiven. Well, now listen, do you know Wesley, John and Charles Wesley? Well, yeah, I think I heard about those fellas. What's that got to do with it? Well, do you know Knox? You know he started the Presbyterian. Do you know him?
Well, yeah, faithly. What's he got to do with me? Well, what about Spurgeon, the Great Baptist? What about him? Oh, no. What about Martin Luther? He started the Lutheran. What about the Apostle Paul? What about John the Baptist? Then you could speak all those names and many more over a poor dying sinner, and they wouldn't meet us need for a second. But oh, how wonderful. You see a man dying, facing eternity. You could say, friend, do you know the Lord Jesus?
There's none other name under heaven given among men whereby you must be saved. I don't care what other name it may be, nor the name is worth mentioning. Do you know Jesus? In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk. Oh, what a wonderful name. What a glorious name. After crucifixion and death and resurrection, in the name of the risen Lord, Live up and walk. That's the only name worth mentioning. His name should be called Wonderful Counselor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Principally. His name should be called Jesus, for he shall save his people from their sins.
With the name of Jesus, every knee shall bow in every tongue confess that he is Lord. The glory of God the Father. In the name of Jesus Christ, rise up and walk. We say that to you this morning, friend, in the name of Jesus Christ. Will you, this very moment, in the name of Jesus Christ, acknowledge you are lost. Acknowledge that you want to be saved. Acknowledge the fact that you will believe on him. You will accept him. You will trust him right now. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, I am going to, in all my hope, I'm going to trust my soul to him, Jesus Christ of Nazareth, who died for me on the cross, who shed his blood, to put my sins away.
That's the answer. That's the answer. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk. Notice what happened. The transformation, perfect sounds at the person. Second, how real it was. They didn't say, fellow, can you wiggle your toe? Let's see if you've got some light in that book. I know when they sit in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk, the fellow leaps, and tell you that. Walking, leaping, and praising God, can you deny that? It was real. It was a mighty chain. Yes, it was real.
And furthermore, it was permanent. Permanent. went with the light through the gate into the temple and thank god when you come to know jesus christ as you're saving you're born again you're made a new creature in christ it's permanent another thing you'll notice it's free they didn't say now boy you can walk