One afternoon Peter and John were going up to the temple at the hour of prayer, the ninth hour.Peter and John were going up into the temple at the hour of prayer, the ninth hour.Now Peter and John went up together into the temple at the hour of prayer, being the ninth hour.Now Peter and John were going up into the temple at the hour of prayer, being the ninth hour.
5 sermons cite this verse
… many who heard the message believed, and the number of men grew to about 5,000. So we've got over 5,000 folks growing. How is that happening? Well, it all started back in Acts chapter 3, verse 1. One day, Peter and John were going up to the temple at the time of what? At the time of prayer at three in the afternoon. They go up intentionally to pray. They heal this man. They stand up and preach, and the number grows to over 5,000. Look in. We read just a second ago, Acts chapter 4, verse 31. After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. They were all filled with the Holy Spirit. They're speaking the Word of God boldly. That's a direct result of prayer. Look over in Acts chapter 6, verse 7. Acts chapter 6, verse 7. Listen to what the Bible says there. The Word of God spread. The number of disciples in Jerusalem increased rapidly, and a large number of priests became obedient to the faith. So the Word of God is spreading. The number of disciples in Jerusalem is increasing. Why did that happen? Well, we read it just a second ago, verse 3 and 4. …
… Acts 3 said, Now when Peter and John went up into the temple at the hour of prayer being the ninth hour, it was 12 noon, they had a time set, a place set, and there was a lame man laying there. Now I want you to think about this because Jesus had gone through that same gate over and over and over when he was alive. And I'm sure if that man was laid there daily, whom they laid daily, the text says in verse two, whom they laid daily. Jesus had passed him by over and over apparently but they kept laying him out and on this day Simon Peter and John come and the man says give me and he says silver and gold have I none but such as I have I give it to you in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk And here's my point. Had the man not kept showing up daily, you never know what day is the tipping point for your family. …
What I want us to do is next week we're going to look at Acts 2, 42-47 as well as Acts 4, verse 32-37 and see the picture of community. But I want us to see what's sandwiched in the middle. It's a story of Peter and John and a guy who's crippled from birth in Acts 3, verse 1. And we'll start reading there. And I want us to see the significance of this story played out even in our community of faith here at the church at Brook Hills. Verse 1 says, One day Peter and John were going up to the temple at the time of prayer at three in the afternoon. Now a man crippled from birth was being carried to the temple gate called Beautiful, where he was put every day to beg from those going into the temple courts. When he saw Peter and John about to enter, he asked them for money. Peter looked straight at him, as did John. And then Peter said, look at us. …
… you can't work around. And in Oakland, something happened. I was in the middle of my sermon. I was preaching on Acts chapter three, verses one through 10. The message was called surprise. And I was talking about Peter and John at the gate called beautiful. And a man showed up and he wasn't expecting to get healed, and they weren't expecting to be healers, but surprise. Right when I'm revving up, I've gotten my background covered, all the lights in the whole arena go out. Not gradually, not dimmed. Out. I'm thinking, huh, that's weird. They'll come back on in a minute. Six minutes and 45 seconds. No, I'm not exaggerating. It felt like six years. It felt like six years, because all the lights go out. The first thing I think the whole audience thought was, oh, this is a part of his sermon. So I tell them real quickly, I'm like, this is not a part of my sermon. I'm standing up there. Ten seconds goes by. …
… Acts chapter 3, verse 1 through 8, and they laid me there every day around the time of prayer, and the Jews would pray at 9 a.m. and 12 p.m. and 3 p.m., and at this point, One day I met some preachers that were headed to the gate. Headed to the gate, but also headed through the gate. And I believe their names were Peter and John. But I'm so happy because this morning, God has changed my life. And I'm jumping and I'm happy. And I'm like some of y'all. You didn't need any music today. You were your own music. You really didn't know what was going to happen when you got in here. You're just so glad that God got you in here that you're going to let the redeemed of the Lord say so. And then some folk got the nerve to ask, does it take all of that? If you didn't pick me up, you can't shut me up. If you don't know my full story, stop hating on my glory. …