Jesus Changed My Life and He Wants to Change Yours

The audio of this teaching is available on Spotify.

What Does Acts 3 Teach Us About Life Change and Sharing Faith?

In this message from our Unstoppable Church series, Pastor David explores how Peter and John's encounter with the lame beggar at the Beautiful Gate reveals a powerful truth: life change creates a platform for proclamation. When Jesus fundamentally transforms our lives, we naturally want to see Him change others.

This passage occurs right after the Day of Pentecost, where 3,000 people were baptized at the morning service. Peter and John return for the 3 PM prayer service - what would have been "second service" in modern terms. Despite the exhausting morning of preaching and baptisms, they remain spiritually alert and available for God to use them. Pastor David illustrates how ordinary moments can become extraordinary when we have eyes to see as Jesus sees.

The healing leads directly to Solomon's Portico, a literal elevated platform where Peter will preach and 5,000 more people will come to faith. This physical platform represents the spiritual platform that life change creates for every believer to proclaim the gospel.

How Did Peter and John Heal the Lame Man at the Beautiful Gate?

The healing miracle in Acts 3:1-10 occurred during the afternoon prayer service at the Jerusalem temple. Peter and John, unlike thousands of other worshippers, actually saw the lame beggar who had been placed daily at the Beautiful Gate. Instead of giving money, Peter declared, "I don't have silver or gold, but what I do have, I give you in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth—get up and walk!"

Pastor David explains that the Beautiful Gate was strategically positioned as the entrance to the part of the temple where people paid tithes, offerings, and gave alms to the poor. For a beggar, this was prime real estate - the logical place to position yourself if you needed money. The man had been lame from birth and was carried there daily, yet countless worshippers had passed by him year after year without truly seeing his condition.

What's remarkable is that Peter likely had money with him (he was entering to pay offerings), but he recognized this man needed something far greater than temporary financial relief. The healing was instantaneous and complete - his feet and ankles became strong, and he began walking, leaping, and praising God. This dramatic transformation drew a crowd that would become the audience for Peter's next sermon.

What Are the Three Hurdles That Keep Christians From Sharing Jesus?

1. You can't see what you aren't looking for

Pastor David explains that Peter and John had been transformed by walking with Jesus, watching Him heal the sick, raise the dead, and cast out demons. Their lives had been fundamentally changed, giving them eyes to see people as Jesus saw them. Out of thousands of people passing through the Beautiful Gate during the Pentecost festival, only these two actually noticed the lame beggar's condition.

Pastor David compares this to researching a car online and then suddenly seeing that make and model everywhere you drive. Your awareness changes what you notice. When Jesus changes our lives, we develop spiritual vision to see people's deepest needs rather than just walking past them focused on our own agendas.

2. You can't give what you don't have

Peter's response reveals the limitation of surface-level solutions: "I don't have silver or gold, but what I do have, I give you." Pastor David notes that many well-meaning people offer advice about parenting before they become parents, or marriage counsel before they're married. They can't give what they don't have through personal experience.

Similarly, until Jesus has fundamentally transformed our own lives - taking us from being dead in our trespasses and sins to being alive through His perfect payment - we can only offer temporary Band-Aid solutions. We might toss coins to ease our conscience, but we can't offer the ultimate life change because we haven't experienced it ourselves. Changed people change people, but unchanged people can only offer superficial help.

3. You won't participate in what you're not propelled by

The crowd witnessing the healing was filled with awe and astonishment, but Peter and John were propelled to action. Being captivated by Jesus' power isn't enough - we must be propelled by our own transformation to participate in His mission.

Pastor David illustrated this perfectly with a story about his 9-year-old daughter Tatum, who spent 2.5 hours picking morning glory vines from a chain-link fence at the softball field. Why would a child do such tedious work? Because she was propelled by the knowledge that she would play on that field. Her personal investment motivated her participation. When we truly grasp how Jesus rescued us from death to life, we become propelled to participate in bringing others to that same life-changing encounter.

How Does Life Change Create a Platform for Proclamation?

Just as major life events (marriage, parenthood, loss) change how we act and give us new authority to speak, spiritual transformation through Jesus creates a platform for sharing the gospel. The healed man's testimony drew 5,000 people to faith because his visible change validated the message.

Pastor David reflects on his own life-changing moments - September 5, 2015, when he married Taylor; August 22, 2016, when he became a dad to Tatum; and October 13, 2019, when he learned about his youngest brother's struggle with addiction. Each day fundamentally changed his identity and actions, giving him new authority to speak from those experiences.

Before social media, people announced life changes through newspaper birth announcements and obituaries. They created platforms for proclamation because significant life events demand to be shared. Whether for celebration, grief, or excitement, we naturally want others to know when our lives have been fundamentally altered.

The same principle applies spiritually. When Jesus changes our lives, we gain both the motivation and the authority to speak about that change. We're not just sharing religious theory - we're testifying to personal transformation. The lame man didn't need to attend seminary or learn apologetics. His walking, leaping, and praising God was his sermon.

Throughout history, foundations and organizations have been built on life-changing experiences. Susan G. Komen Foundation exists because someone's life was altered by breast cancer, creating a platform to help others facing the same challenge. When Jesus changes us, we gain a platform to help others discover that same transformation.

What Does It Mean That Changed People Change People?

When Jesus radically transforms our lives, we naturally want to extend that same invitation to others. Like the four friends who tore through a roof to bring their paralyzed friend to Jesus (Mark 2), we become willing to do anything to bring others into the presence of Christ.

Pastor David draws a powerful parallel between Acts 3 and Mark 2. In Mark's account, four friends saw their paralyzed friend's desperate need and refused to be deterred by crowds blocking the doorway. They climbed onto the roof, removed clay tiles and straw, and lowered their friend down to Jesus. The text says Jesus saw "their faith" - not the paralyzed man's faith, but his friends' faith - and declared his sins forgiven.

Both stories involve people who had been fundamentally changed by Jesus (or at least heard of His life-changing power) and were willing to do whatever it took to bring someone else to that same encounter. The paralyzed man in Mark 2 walked away carrying the mat he had lain on his entire life - now a testimony to Jesus' transforming power.

This is the natural progression: Jesus changes us, we see others through His eyes, and we become willing to remove whatever obstacles stand between them and encountering Christ. Whether it's a simple dinner invitation or figuratively "tearing off someone's roof," changed people are compelled to change people.

How Can I Apply This Message to Share My Faith Today?

Pastor David's Challenge: Between now and our next gathering, invite a neighbor, coworker, or friend into your home to begin building relationship with this mindset: Jesus has changed my life and He desperately wants to change yours. Lead with radical hospitality and authenticity, sharing how Christ has transformed you while acknowledging life isn't perfect.

The goal isn't to deliver a polished presentation but to build genuine relationships that create opportunities for gospel conversations. Start with hospitality - invite someone over for dinner, offer to help with a project, or simply be present during their difficult season. Authenticity matters more than perfection. Share how Jesus has changed your life while being honest that you're still growing and learning.

As Pastor David explains, as a church plant carrying out the mission to see people find full and meaningful life through personal relationship with Jesus, we must be willing to do anything to bring others into His presence. This might look like:

• Regularly inviting non-believing friends into your home

• Being genuinely interested in your neighbors' lives and struggles

• Sharing your own story of transformation naturally in conversation

• Creating spaces where friends can ask questions about faith

• Living with the expectation that Jesus wants to change the lives of people in your community

The key is remembering that friends of Jesus bring friends to Jesus. We're not trying to argue people into the kingdom or win debates - we're inviting them to encounter the same life-changing Jesus who transformed us.

What Makes This Different From Other Healing Stories in Acts?

This miracle occurs at a strategic location - the Beautiful Gate led to where people paid tithes and gave alms to the poor. The beggar positioned himself where money would flow, but Peter and John offered something far greater. The healing led directly to Solomon's Portico, an elevated platform where 5,000 more people heard the gospel.

The timing is also significant. This happens during the Festival of Pentecost, when Jerusalem would have been swollen with hundreds of thousands of visitors. The morning service had already seen 3,000 baptisms, and now thousands more are streaming through the temple courts for afternoon prayers. The visibility and impact of this miracle were maximized by both location and timing.

Pastor David emphasizes that it's important to understand that the Book of Acts contains both prescriptive passages (commands for us to follow) and descriptive passages (historical accounts of what happened). Luke records 30 miracles over a 30-year span - roughly one miracle per year. The early church may not have seen more miracles than we do today; we just don't always recognize God's miraculous work in marriages restored, children conceived after years of infertility, or other "impossible" situations.

Pastor David shares from his own experience: "I've been a part of a marriage that was on the brink, that looked like it was dead and going to be dissolved, receive reconciliation and restoration. There's no logical explanation of why that happened other than God worked a miracle. I've been able to celebrate with people who struggled for years and years with infertility, and I've got to celebrate the conception of their first child with them. That's a miracle that we still see today."

Why Do Some Christians Struggle to Share Their Faith?

Many believers want to see Jesus change others but face internal hurdles. We may lack spiritual vision to see people's true needs, haven't experienced deep personal transformation ourselves, or aren't truly propelled by gratitude for our own salvation. Overcoming these barriers unlocks our natural desire to bring friends to Jesus.

Pastor David explains that the first barrier is spiritual blindness - we're so focused on our own agendas that we miss the opportunities right in front of us. Like the thousands who walked past the lame beggar daily, we can become spiritually nearsighted, seeing people as interruptions rather than divine appointments. This changes when we ask God to give us His eyes to see people as He sees them.

The second barrier is our own shallow experience with Jesus. If we've never truly grasped how completely Jesus has transformed us - from death to life, from enemy to friend, from condemned to justified - we won't have much to offer others. Surface-level Christianity produces surface-level evangelism. We need to regularly remember and celebrate our own rescue.

The third barrier is lack of genuine propulsion. We might be impressed by Jesus' power or agree with Christian doctrine, but we're not propelled by personal gratitude and joy. When we truly understand what Jesus has done for us, sharing that good news becomes as natural as a new parent showing baby pictures or newlyweds talking about their spouse.

Scripture Reference: Acts 3:1-10
Series: Unstoppable Church
Pastor: David Watson
Key Truth: Life change is a platform for proclamation