The Strength to Rise Up

I'm gonna get right into the word of the Lord if that's all right. Amen. Acts chapter 3 verse number 1

Acts 3 · chapter mention

Acts chapter 3 verse number 1 if you haven't seen a man if you don't have it should be on the screen shortly

Acts 3 · chapter mention

Acts chapter 3 in verse number 1 it says now Peter and John went up together

Acts 3 · chapter mention

into the temple at the hour of prayer being the ninth hour and a certain man a

Certain man lame from his mother's womb was carried

Whom they had laid daily at the gate temple

Which is called beautiful to ask alms of them that entered into the temple

Who seen Peter and John about to go into the temple asked an arms Peter?

Fascinating his eyes upon him with John said look on this

And he gave heat unto them expecting to receive something from them then Peter said silver and gold

I have none

but such as I

Have give I thee in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth

rise up

somebody said rise up and

Walk and he's 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

and

leaping and

praising God

For the next few moments. I want to preach to you from this subject the strength to rise up

the strength

To rise up. Can we just pray one more time father? We thank you for what we feel in this house

We thank you God for

Every young person that sits here today God we thank you for every first-time guest every visitor God

I pray that you would allow them to open up their heart and their mind that they may receive what you have for them today

Because if they take what they receive from you today God their life will never be the same

We declare it we decree it right now in Jesus name

Amen, I want to say give the Lord one more big hand clap of praise as you're seated this afternoon

The strength to rise up

The strength to rise up

One thing that we have to understand church is that every part of the body is crucial for

survival

But if you had to rank the importance of each organ it seems that the brain and the heart would be at the top

When we discuss our spiritual makeup

The mind and the heart also seem to be at the top of the list of importance as well

But what does the Bible say about the heart and the mind?

What's the difference between the two and

what is the relationship between the mind and the heart the

Heart and the mind are mentioned thousands of times throughout the Bible

And if we were to go throughout if we were to go through the many different passages

Mentioning the heart and the mind we could come up with many different

definitions for the heart and the mind depending on how each word is used in a biblical context and

general however the heart refers to the part of a human that controls the desires

Emotions hopes

Dreams and other intangible parts of our being

The mind typically refers to the part of a human that controls the intellect the reason and the thoughts and we

Are saved through faith according to Ephesians chapter 2 and verse 8

Ephesians 2 · chapter mention

The mind and the heart must be engaged in this very process because to have faith in God

We must believe and trust God can someone say amen

Believing now my beloved brothers and saints believing requires the mind

But to trust someone it requires the heart

We are saved through believing certain facts about God God sent his son into the world

Jesus died on the cross for our sins and and God raised Jesus from the dead on the third day and and Jesus

Ascended into heaven and God sent his spirit to dwell in people who become

Christians these are some of the most important facts that we must believe in order for us to consider us to be Christians

But if our faith ends with the beliefs of the mind that is not saving faith

James chapter 2 and verse 19 states you believe that there is one God

James 2 · chapter mention

good even the demons believe that and

and

Shutter in other words Satan believes the truth about God in his mind

But he does not live for God

He does not trust God and James 2 goes on to explain that faith without deeds is death

This means that if we just believe in certain facts our faith is not genuine

genuine faith

It affects the way that we live and our life will only be lived for God if we learn how to trust him

in order to have saving faith it requires belief and

Trust which requires the mind and the heart therefore the mind of the heart must both be engaged

through the power of the Holy Spirit

Those who truly know God will love God with all of their heart and their mind in fact the Bible says in Matthew chapter

Matthew 22 · chapter mention

22 in verse 37 it says Jesus said unto them about shall love the Lord

Thy God with all the heart and with all thy soul and with all

That mind and I believe that this is the greatest

Greatest commandment that was given to humanity and because it is the greatest

Commandment it is also the greatest attack that the enemy has set for the church and especially to the young people

He's trying to come into their mind

He's trying to come into the heart because he knows that everything that flows out of the heart is the rivers of life

But I want to sound the alarm to this generation to let somebody know that we must surrender everything to Jesus

He it's not good enough just to come to church. He's got to have a heart

Head on mind. We must be transformed by the renewing of our mind

We've got to live different young people if that is the greatest attack of the enemy

We are to offer up the greatest shield that said devil you can't come into my heart

There were you can't come into my mind. I'm more than a conqueror. I'm a man of God

I'm a woman of God. I will live for him and him alone

Come on can somebody give God some praise right now you must

Serve the Lord with all of your heart and with all of your mind

You must serve the Lord with all of your strength is gonna cost you something young people

But you need to surrender everything to him

Our heart and our mind they belong to Jesus can someone say a man

Now going back to our text that we read

It is a certain man the Bible says doesn't even give the name of this man

But what we do know is that this man?

Was laying from his mother's womb

The Bible says that they laid him at the temple

Dately

Which means that there was a level effort that took that had them lift him up take him to the temple and

Take him back

and scholars say that

That this man was approximately 40 years of age so so can you imagine?

what how how this individual was in his mind if you can you imagine how defeated he may have felt not only was he

Physically bound but there had to be an emotional thing that was attached so that there was a mental thing and you imagine

all of your life being

Lifted up and taken to the temple and and and you being a scavenger and being helpless and being hopeless

This was the type of situation that this man was facing and

This leads me to the first thing I want to declare to you today church is that the strength to rise up is

having the right posture

The strength to rise up is having the right

posture the verse number two is says and a certain man lay from his mother's room was carried whom they lay daily at the

Gate of the temple which was called beautiful to ask of them alms and entered into the temple whom seen Peter and

John about to go into the temple asked and alms and Peter

Fastening his eyes upon him with John and said look on

On us in other words look at us

Which tells us that when this when this man was lame at the temple his posture

was with his head down

And he gave heat to them

expecting to receive

something

from them

See what you have to understand young person. It's not that the man was incapable to receive

His miracle, but it's just that he didn't have the right

posture

Before the miracle took place in his life Peter had to address his posture

Peter had to address the way that he was thinking in his heart and his mind

Peter had to address the situation of where he was and and to be fair this man was just sitting there all

All day long from morning from sun up to sun down and he was and he was

Defeated in his mind defeated in his body couldn't provide for his family like a normal man would he couldn't go out and work

He couldn't go out and get an education. He couldn't go out and make something of himself

He was just defeated in his mind and sitting there

But when the man of God looked at him he said boy you better look at us in other words to lift up your head

And he addressed his posture

But you have to understand something here today church that in order for you to rise up

In order for you to be who God has called you to be you've got to be in the right position

In order for you to receive the miracle that God has for your life

Y'all know what I'm saying here today

This is why I get so frustrating pastor when I see young people going through things in their life and they come into church with an

Attitude and they can't talk to nobody they can't shake nobody's hand and they're wondering what God hasn't done a miracle in their life

And why God hasn't done something great in their life

And I've come to awaken and sound the alarm to this generation

But if you want to receive your miracle if you want to receive the strength to rise up

You've got to have you got to address God with the right posture

You've got to come into this place with your hands lifted up

You've got to come into this place not with your hands in your pocket, but you've got to come into this place

Singing unto God because as you praise him through the storm as you praise him when you feel defeated

God will stretch down and you'll say rise up. I've got a miracle. I've got a plan

I've got a purpose for your life young people. We need the right

posture can somebody give God some praise in this house. Don't you ever let a Sunday go by where you're defeated

Don't let every Sunday go by where you come in with your hands down you walk into this place

Even if you lost your job

Even if you come on a somebody to help me preach

Even when you feel like you're depressed when you're dealing with unforgiveness

Come into this gates with Thanksgiving and enter his course with praise

Come on somebody lift up the name of Jesus and say God I want to have the right posture

The strength to rise up is it having the right posture you need to have the right posture

And it's interesting because Jesus or Peter addresses this but it was almost like he had the same encounter

Found in John after Jesus was already

Resurrected the Bible says that that Peter he he went and he went fishing and

What was tormenting him in his mind is that he had forsaken his master not just once not just twice but three times and

Jesus the Bible says he sees him sitting

He says he was fishing and Jesus sees him and he looks at him and he said Peter

Cast your net on the other side and the Bible says that he was naked and when he saw that it was Jesus

He covered himself up in other words that his posture and his heart was important in the right direction

And he says Peter if you love me then you'll feed my sheep sir Peter

If you love me you will feed my sheets when he said turn to the other side

And I think that speaks to our lives because some of us are trying to serve God and get through our mess and get through our

Hangups and trying to go into the next level that God has for us, but we don't have the right posture

We're not in the right position

But I just want to encourage city like youth that you have to look up

What do the heels would come at your health?

You've got to look up to a supernatural as straightness a though. I walk through the valley of the shadow of death

I will fear no evil why because I rather and that staff that comfort me you you've got to get in the right position

It's not that he was incapable to receive this miracle

But is that he was an in the right position?

He had to address his posture

Number two the strength to rise up is in those who you surround yourself with

So after Peter

Addresses his posture. I love what the Bible says in verse number seven

It says and he took him by the right hand and

lifted him up and

And immediately his feet and ankle bowls receive strength and he leaping up and stood and walked and

Entered with them into the temple walking

leaping and praising God

As I mentioned earlier the Bible says that this this lame man was unable to walk since birth

And the scripture also gives us insight

To this man in his position, but not only was he lame his whole entire life

But I want you to catch this

But everyone that went into the temple

Offered him arms. I want you to catch that the Bible says that they laid him at the temple

daily

In other words the temple where the people of God would enter in to the temple to praise

God I want this to seek in because this man was around the people of God and

None of them could give this man what they needed

He was around religious people he was around with Sunday goers he was around with Bible study

Attenders he was around with people that went into the temple

Can you imagine 40 days and every single person that walked by?

Just gave him a little bit of silver just gave him a little bit of gold just gave him a little bit of food

But nobody nobody could give this man what he needed not a Pharisee not a believer at that time

Nobody could give this man what he needed

But as soon as this man encountered Peter and John who had been with Jesus who had been with Jesus when he

When he did the miracles who had been with Jesus when he raised the dead who had been with Jesus when he fed the

5,000 everything begin to change and I want to tell you I want to tell you something today young people

But the strength to rise up is in those who you surround yourself with if you ever want to be who God has called you to be

If you ever want to be something in the kingdom of you've got to get around the right people

Oh, come on. Yeah, I hear what I'm saying you've got to get around the right people

So maybe just maybe the reason why you haven't gotten into the next season

Maybe just maybe the reason why you haven't received your miracle is because you need to check your friend group

You need to check who's around you though

There's a saying that your friends are just like an elevator

You're either going up or you're going down and I'm not telling you to just push everybody to the side and be stuck up

And be all by yourself

But what I'm saying to you there are only few people in your life that will be there when the tough gets going

There are only a few people in your life that when you're in the middle of your storm will show up at your doorstep

Those are the right people that I want to be around I choose to be around those who have been with Jesus

I don't want to be around nobody who hasn't been with Jesus. I've got to have my close friends

Who learn how to be close to Jesus if you're close to Jesus?

I want you in my circle if you're after Jesus

I want you in my close friends if you're after prayer if you're after

Fascina if you're after his word

I want to be around you because in order to rise up. I've got to get around the right people. Oh

Come on somebody you all need to receive that in your life

You've got to get around the right people you got to change your crowd

You got to delete those numbers you got to leave them behind because where you're going

That everybody can go the plan that God has for your life

Huh, not everybody can come and that's the hard reality, but you've got to get around people like Peter

You've got to get around people like John you got to get around people that believe in prayer

You've got to get around people that believe in the fast. You know, you've got to get around the right people

And

As he got around the right people the Bible says that he would that Peter went to this man

And he lift him up at his right hand and immediately the Bible's the Bible says that he began to receive strength

In his ankle balls and he began to walk

He began to praise and leap and praising God you've got to get around people that will lift you up

You've got to get around people that will lift you up out of depression that will lift you up out of anxiety

That will lift you up in hard times that will lift you up. You've got to get around people that will lift you up

These men were the only men that haven't had enough faith to do the impossible

He said silver and gold I don't have I don't have any of those things, but what I do have is exactly what you need

Young people you need friends

That tell you what you need to hear

Not what you want to hear

Because you think that they're hurting you but the reality is is that they're lifting you up. I

Was somebody can receive that right now

Some of you have have left certain groups because they've only told you the truth

They've only told you something and I'm gonna tell you something right now

I love people being around me that don't always see it. That's the way I see it

I love people that are around me that challenge me

I love people that are around me say, you know, Stephen

I don't I don't agree with you and I'm gonna tell you why I love to be around people that just don't have

Have any shame to believe in God because what they are trying to do is give you what you need

Not what you want to not what you're not what your flesh desires

But they want to give you what you need and young people if you want the strength to rise up

You've got to get around people that will lift you up

That will encouraging you in challenging times who you surround yourself matters

It's mind-boggling to me this man was there for over 40 years and nobody can

Until the disciples of Jesus came

My god, that's why small group is important or you call it city groups, right?

City groups in part you got to plug into a community. Let me tell you something

You will not have the strength to rise up if you're not plugged into this house and to this community

And to what God is

Because these are the people that are gonna pray for you in the midnight hour

These are the people that are gonna pick up the phone when everything is going wrong and all hell is breaking loose in your life

And you need somebody to talk to you need somebody to counsel you you need somebody to hear what you come on

I can are you here what I'm saying today. These are the people that are gonna lift you up

My god

And I feel this thing I'm almost done I'm almost done

Last thing I want to say to you and submit to you is that when we rise up

Others will know that Jesus lives

Not if when

We rise up others will know that Jesus lives the Bible says in verse number 13

And act chapter 4 this is now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John and

They perceived him and they being the Pharisees perceived them that they were unlearned and ignorant men

They marveled and they took knowledge of them that they had been with

Jesus and

Watch this in verse 14 and beholding the man which was healed

Standing with them they could not watch say nothing

Against it

They could not they could not say nothing

Against it the man was standing in front of of their very own eyes

This man was standing in front of these people who mocked the disciples who belittled the disciples

Who didn't trust the disciples who didn't believe in this man that they were following named Jesus

They didn't believe and what he was about but when they saw the miracle in front of their eyes

They could not say nothing

Against it and I just want to tell city like youth that when God raises you up when you lift would you get lifted up?

When you rise up when you rise up out of the ashes

It's not for your glory and it's not for your honor

But it's so that way people can know that Jesus still lives that Jesus is still

Alive and that the blood of Jesus

Steel works the reason why you are standing here today after the trial after the storm after the tribulation

It's because that Jesus can know that he is alive

The reason that we are here today young people the reason why we rise up

The reason why we rise up to the occasion the reason why we rise up in challenging times

The reason why we get rise up in the middle of this society the reason why we are still here and still serving

Is so that we can let somebody know that Jesus still lives

Because when if you knew what I've been through if you knew what I've done

If you knew where I've been you would have never thought but by the grace of God

I'm standing right here. I'm living proof that there is still of God

A city like youth you are living proof that there is a God a God that's more than able a God that can do the impossible

A God that can heal your body a God that can heal all your diseases

I believe in a God that is still alive. He is risen from the grave

He is alive and well rise up and testify about the goodness and the mercy of I

Feel this thing right now come on you ought to lift up your hands to the heaven and just say thank you God

For bringing me through the storm. Thank you God for lifting me up

God, thank you God for not forgetting about me and I'm gonna testify

I'm gonna tell everybody everybody that I meet at school everybody that I meet at work

I've got to let them know that Jesus still live