Online Sermons

By Scott Phillips

When Lame Expectations Meet and Apostolic Mindset

What do you do when you meet someone whose thinking is on the wrong level? It is hard to relate with people who have had certain life experience. Life has away of causing us to relegate our thinking to

survival concepts. However I think it goes without saying, we must have a mind change.

To often lame expectations meet lame excuses.

Silver and Gold have I none. Imagine that, the apostles with Pentecost behind their belt, faith burning in their heart, but yet the golden steed had not arrived. So often we can fall into these lame excuses and never go any further.

Silver and Gold have I none.

That can become the crux of our conversation. We can position ourselves at beautiful gates where people go to worship looking for

money, but lame mindsets can't get in the house of God. Often people take their bodies to the temple, but their brains hang out at the gates. The carnal mind cannot understand the things of God, so while we reach for the mighty God, we plot and scheme silver and gold plans whereby we reason we will reach the world.

How many calls have I received from people who of honest heart and fervent faith were asking me for silver and gold? I get emails

regularly from India from christians and they share with me their need for some silver and gold. We are bombarded from all

directions this plea for silver, gold, plastic or paper.

How did the early church reach the world of their day? Was it Radio, Internet, Television, marketing campaigns, nice buildings or

billboards? I am not against these things, please bear with me. I have been on radio and will again. I send out this via the

internet and have a website, spend a lot of money on marketing and would love to have a few billboards and just built a new building.

How did they, the early church, do what we seem to have trouble doing with all of these aids available to us? All of the things listed takes silver and gold, and if you're like me, I don't have enough to do what I want to do.

Peter and John said, silver and gold have I none. He did not follow that by saying, "Give your way to a miracle." He did not tell him for a monthly partnership he could get his latest series on how to get healing. He simply did what he did because something came alive inside of him when he fastened his eyes on this lame man.

We live in a religious world whose leaders are money grubbing and money hungry who think gain is godliness. In the words of the

Apostle, "from such withdraw thyself." Phillips translation, "Don't have anything to do with them for they are walking in the error of

Balaam, selling their prophecy to the highest bidder."

What would happen if you would fasten your eyes on someone who needs what you have? You may say, I don't have the money or I don't have

a van or I don't have a place to preach or you repeat what your last lame excuse was. Quit worrying about what you don't have and

realize and say, "There is something I do have."

We can spend our lives worrying about what we wish we had and not use what we do have. You do have a power that can transform people's lives. It does not require a degree, certificate, training course, position or title. All it requires is for you to let your

lame excuses get an apostolic infusion to start doing what you can do.

Following this lame mans encounter with someone who understood the power that resides inside of everyone of us, he walked, leaped and

praised God into the temple. The result was that multitudes were added to the church. About five thousand men. Imagine trying to

teach them all Bible Studies.

To answer my earlier question of how the early church reached their world, they used what they had and did not let their lack stop them.

The great miracle we need is not for the lame to start walking, but our lame thinking to be lifted up to a new level. To fasten our

vision on those things we can put our hands on. Lift them up, pull them up, drag them up and walk them into the presence of the Lord.

"And Peter, fastening his eyes upon him with John, said, Look on us."

Quit whining about what you don't have and what you can't do.

These are lame excuses.

"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." Acts 3:6

Pray this prayer.

Lord Renew me in the Spirit of my Mind. Transform my Thinking. Help

me to see an opportunity for your Spirit to do a miracle. I have

decided I am not going to let what I don't have, stop what I do have.

In Jesus Name,

In Him, By Him, Through Him,

Scott Phillips

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