THE NAME OF JESUS
ACTS 4:1-13
INTRO-
***I WANT TO TALK TO YOU THIS MORNING ABOUT JESUS, I HOPE THAT WOULD BE OKAY WITH EVERYONE
I THINK THERE ARE 3 KINDS OF CHURCHES:
1. DEAD AND DRIED UP, JUST WAITING FOR DIRT TO BE PUT ON THEM.
OUR FOUR AND NO MORE ATTITUDE
2. THE CHURCH THAT IS ON FIRE, CONSTANTLY TRYING TO STAY ON THE CUTTING EDGE OF WAYS TO TELL PEOPLE ABOUT JESUS.
3.THE CHURCH THAT SAYS THEY WANT TO BE ON FIRE, BUT NEVER QUITE GET THINGS RIGHT FOR THAT TO HAPPEN TO PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY.
ILLUSTRATION-
THE VILLAGE ATHEIST WAS NOT A BAD MAN, HE JUST DIDN’T BELIEVE. HE WAS NOT INTERESTED IN CHURCH...AND THERE WAS ONLY ONE IN THE AREA. ONE DAY THE CHURCH BUILDING CAUGHT ON FIRE, AND THE WHOLE TOWN RAN TOWARD IT TO HELP EXTINGUISH THE FLAMES.. INCLUDING THE VILLAGE ATHEIST HEY, THIS IS SOMETHING NEW FOR YOU, THE FIRST TIME WE’VE EVER SEEN YOU RUNNING TO CHURCH HE REPLIED, “THIS IS THE FIRST TIME I’VE EVER SEEN THE CHURCH OF FIRE”
PROBABLY IF YOU HAVE BEEN A CHRISTIAN AWHILE, YOU HAVE SAT IN A DEAD CHURCH OR ONE THAT NEVER SEEMS TO GET OFF THE GROUND.
I THINK ROSEDALE IS A GROWING CHURCH THAT HAS A DESIRE TO REACH OUT TO THE COMMUNITY, NOT AFRAID TO TRY SOMETHING NEW, SOMETIMES WE GET CAUGHT SHORT O F MANPOWER TO MOVE FORWARD.
SOME PEOPLE SAY THAT ALL YOU NEED FOR GROWTH IS NEW CONVERTS, THAT’LL SET THE CHURCH ON FIRE NO... WHAT WE NEED IS SOME FIRE, AND THEN WE’LL SEE PEOPLE CONVERTED.
WHY DO I SAY THIS?
I SAID MY MESSAGE IS ABOUT JESUS, BECAUSE.... YOU CANNOT BE A CHURCH ABOUT JESUS AND NOT BE A CHURCH ON FIRE
DEAD CHURCHES DON’T TALK ABOUT JESUS-
THEY PREACH A SOCIAL GOSPEL:
LET’S JUST GET ALONG
LETS NOT MAKE ANY WAVES
LIVELY CHURCHES TALK ABOUT JESUS AND THEY INVITE JESUS TO MAKE THE CHANGES IN OUR LIVES
GENESIS 22- ISAAC ASKED HIS FATHER ABRAHAM - AS HE WAS ABOUT TO BE THE SACRIFICE-
THERE’S THE WOOD AND THERE IS THE FIRE...WHERE IS THE LAMB?
CHURCHES TODAY:
WHERE’S THE FIRE?
R.G. LEE- “GOD NEVER INTENDED FOR THE CHURCH TO BE A REFRIGERATOR IN WHICH TO PRESERVE PERISHABLE PEOPLE- HE INTENDED IT TO BE AN INCUBATOR IN WHICH TO HATCH CONVERTS
ROSEDALE IS TO BE A HOSPITAL FOR SINNERS, NOT A REST HOME FOR SAINTS.
FISHERS OF MEN, NOT KEEPERS OF THE AQUARIUM
TOO OBVIOUS TO MISS V 13
“NOW WHEN THEY SAW THE BOLDNESS OF PETER AND JOHN AND PERCEIVED THAT THEY WERE UNEDUCATED AND UNTRAINED MEN. THEY MARVELED, AND THEY REALIZED THAT THEY HAD BEEN WITH JESUS.”
THE WORLD IS LOOKING FOR SOME PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN WITH JESUS
IF YOU ARE A CHRISTIAN THIS MORNING, THE NAME OF JESUS IS SPECIAL TO YOU.
HE IS THE SAVIOR OF YOUR LIFE
HE PAID A PRICE THAT YOU CANNOT PAY
JESUS LOVES YOU AND YOU KNOW HE HAS A PLAN FOR YOUR LIFE
THINK ABOUT THE SONGS THAT WE SING ABOUT JESUS:
“LORD I LIFT YOUR NAME ON HIGH”
“JESUS, JESUS, JESUS, THERE’S SOMETHING ABOUT THAT NAME
THE NAME OF JESUS - THE NAME THAT EVERY KNEE WILL BOW, EVERY TONGUE CONFESS THAT HE IS LORD
THE BIBLE TELLS US THAT “ALL SCRIPTURE IS GIVEN BY INSPIRATION, IT’S GOD BREATHED, IT IS PROFITABLE FOR DOCTRIINE, FOR REPROOF, FOR CORRECTION
IT TELLS US:
WHAT IS RIGHT
WHAT IS WRONG
HOW TO GET RIGHT
HOW TO STAY RIGHT
ACTS CHAPTER 2
DAY OF PENTECOST
THE HOLY SPIRIT COMES TO DWELL IN THE LIVES OF BELIEVERS, PEOPLE ARE FILLED WITH THE SPIRIT.
AS A RESULT , ONCE FEARFUL DISCIPLES NOW HAVE THE BOLDNESS TO BE AMBASSADORS FOR JESUS CHRIST
LET ME TELL YOU SOMETHING
THAT DOES NOT HAPPEN IN THE NAME OF:
MOHAMAD
MORMON PROPHET
BUDDHA
CONFUCIUS
IT HAPPENS IN THE NAME OF JESUS CHRIST BECAUSE JESUS CHRIST IS THE ONLY ONE THAT IS ALIVE AND WELL
THIS CANNOT BE MISSED
WE NEED THE POWER OF GOD WORKING IN OUR LIVES...AND IN OUR CHURCH
ACTS 3:6- PETER SPEAKING WHEN CONFRONTED ABOUT HEALING A MAN IN NEED
“SILVER AND GOLD HAVE I NONE, BUT SUCH AS I HAVE I GIVE THEE.. IN THE NAME OF JESUS OF NAZARETH RISE UP AND WALK”
IF WE ARE GOING TO BE A CHURCH ON FIRE- WE ARE GOING TO HAVE TO SPEND SOME TIME WITH JESUS.
THERE IS SOME CHARACTERISTICS THAT WE WILL HAVE IF INDEED WE HAVE SPENT SOME TIME WITH JESUS.
WRITE THESE DOWN
I. IF WE HAVE BEEN WITH JESUS- WE WILL BE CHANGED
PEOPLE WILL NOT HAVE TO GUESS IF WE HAVE BEEN WITH JESUS
THESE WERE ORDINARY MEN- FISHERMEN GOING ABOUT THEIR BUSINESS
THEY WERE UNEDUCATED, UNTRAINED, THEY DID NOT HAVE A LOT OF INFLUENCE, NOR POWER IN THEMSELVES, BUT THEY TRANSFORMED THE LIVES OF MILLIONS
JESUS CHANGED THEIR LIVES
MY SON TONY USES THE PHRASE, “I CAN SHOW YOU BETTER THAN I CAN TELL YOU”
THEY DID NOT TALK ABOUT IT, THEY LIVED IT.
1 CORINTHIANS 2:4-5
“AND MY SPEECH AND MY PREACHING WAS NOT WITH ENTICING WORDS OF MAN’S WISDOM, BUT IN THE DEMONSTRATION OF THE SPIRIT AND OF POWER THAT YOUR FAITH SHOULD NOT STAND IN THE WISDOM OF MEN, BUT IN THE POWER OF GOD.”
II. IF YOU HAVE BEEN WITH JESUS- YOU WILL CARE FOR OTHER PEOPLE
YOU WILL NOT BE ABLE TO LOOK AT THE HURTING THE SAME WAY
YOU WILL WANT TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE
ILLUSTRATION-
AGNES BOJAXHIU WAS BORN IN 1910 IN MACEDONIA TO ALBANIAN PARENTS. AT THE AGE OF 18 SHE WENT TO CALCUTTA INDIA TO TEACH IN AN AFFLUENT SCHOOL. “ THE SAINT TO THE GUTTERS” AS SHE WAS CALLED.. WE KNOW HER AS MOTHER TERESA.
WHY WAS MOTHER TERESA SO COMPELLED ?
BECAUSE SHE HAD BEEN WITH JESUS.
“YOU WILL NEVER REALIZE JESUS IS ALL YOU NEED UNTIL JESUS IS ALL YOU’VE GOT”
III. IF YOU HAVE BEEN WITH JESUS - WE WILL HAVE GODLY BOLDNESS
V7- THE SANHEDRIN ‘S QUESTION TO PETER
“BY WHAT POWER, OR BY WHAT NAME , HAVE YOU DONE THESE THIS”?
HE PREACHED THE GOSPEL
HE LETS THEM KNOW THE JESUS THEY CRUCIFIED IS STILL ALIVE AND WELL
BY THE NAME OF JESUS
IN YOUR OWN STRENGTH - IN YOUR OWN WISDOM, IN YOUR OWN ABILITY- BURNOUT
YOUR FIRE WILL DWINDLE TO A FLICKERING FLAME, A SMALL SPARK, AND WILL EVENTUALLY GO OUT
IN THE GREEK- “IN THE NAME OF”MEANS BY THE AUTHORITY OF- WE DO THE THINGS IN THE AUTHORITY OF JESUS CHRIST- OUR LORD AND SAVIOR
WE CAN BE BOLD AND COURAGEOUS, BECAUSE WE DO NOT DO IT IN OUR OWN POWER
THE SAME WAY THAT A POLICEMEN SAYS “STOP IN THE NAME OF THE LAW”
BECAUSE THEY HAVE AUTHORITY BEHIND THEM THAT IS MORE THAN JUST THEM.
JESUS TAUGHT HIS DISCIPLES AND HE TEACHES US THAT WE CAN DO THINGS FAR MORE THAN OUR ABILITY , BECAUSE WE HAVE THE AUTHORITY OF GOD BEHIND US.
DO YOU WANT TO KNOW WHY THERE IS NO OTHER NAME BUT THE NAME OF JESUS- BECAUSE GOD SAID SO - IT IS THAT SIMPLE
NO OTHER NAME FOR HEALING
NO OTHER NAME FOR LIFE
NO OTHER NAME FOR SALVATION
NO OTHER NAME FOR RESTORATION
THERE IS NO OTHER NAME FOR COMFORT, HOPE, FORGIVENESS, PEACE, PROTECTION, TRUTH, HIS NAME IS ENOUGH
IN THE NAME OF JESUS IS AUTHORITY- IF YOU ARE A CHILD OF GOD
GALATIANS 6:9- “LETS NOT GROW WEARY IN WELL DOING FOR IN DUE TIME WE SHALL REAP IF WE FAINT NOT”
ROMANS 8:31- “IF GOD IS FOR US WHO CAN BE AGAINST US”
JESUS IS ALL WE NEED
CLOSING;
ILLUSTRATION-
MARTIN LUTHER ONCE HAD A DREAM WHERE HE WAS IN HIS HOUSE AND SAW JESUS COMING UP THE WALK TOWARD HIS DOOR. LUTHER EXAMINED HIS SURROUNDING AND REALIZED THAT EVERYTHING WAS AN ABSOLUTE MESS. CLOTHES WERE THROWN OVER THE FURNITURE, OLD FOOD WAS SITTING OUT, TRASH WAS EVERYWHERE. AND HE THOUGHT, “HOW AM I GOING TO LET THE LORD OF LIFE, JESUS CHRIST, COME IN TO A MESS LIKE THIS.” HE HURRIEDLY TRIED TO STRAIGHTEN UP BUT THE MORE HE PICKED UP THE GREATER THE MESS BECAME. FINALLY, JESUS WAS KNOCKING AT THE DOOR, LUTHER ,RESIGNED HIMSELF TO THE MESS AND AS HE OPENED THE DOOR, HE SAID, “JESUS, COME ON IN, IF YOU THINK THAT YOU CAN COME INTO A PLACE LIKE... AND AS HE TURNED HE SAW THAT EVERYTHING HAD BEEN PUT INTO ORDER, EVERYTHING IN IT’S PROPER PLACE. THE HOUSE WAS IMMACULATE AS CHRIST ENTERED IN.
***WE MAKE SUCH A MESS OF OUR LIVES- WE TRY TO STRAIGHTEN IT BY
OURSELVES,
WE NEED TO SUBMIT TO JESUS, OPEN OUT HEART TO HIM....HE MAKES US A NEW CREATION
IT IS JESUS THAT CHANGES OUR LIVES
WE CAN TRY TO FIX THINGS, BUT JESUS CHANGES THINGS
IF YOU HAVE BEEN WITH JESUS:
1. OUR LIVES WILL BE CHANGED
2. OUR LIVES WILL BE FILLED WITH COMPASSION
3. OUR LIVES WILL BE FILLED BY HIS SPIRIT AND WE WILL BE COURAGEOUS MEN/WOMEN FOR GOD.
V7- BY WHAT POWER , OR BY WHAT NAME DO YOU DO THIS?
PETER FILLED WITH THE SPIRIT
YOU AND I FILLED WITH THE SPIRIT- IT IS BY THE NAME OF JESUS CHRIST OF NAZARETH
SALVATION IS FOUND IN NO ONE ELSE, FOR THERE S NO OTHER NAME UNDER HEAVEN GIVEN TO MAN BY WHICH WE MUST BE SAVED
ORDINARY MEN/WOMEN THAT HAVE BEEN WITH JESUS”
