SALVATION IS FOUND IN NO OTHER NAME!
Acts 4: 12-33
Dorn Ridge Church of Christ (Centennial Park July 20, 2014)
INTRODUCTION:
1.) This morning, I want to focus on what might be one of the greatest assertions of the Christian faith.
2.) In Acts 4: 12, the apostle Peter declared: “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.”
3.) When we believe that declaration:
A.) It will result in a transformation of every part of our being,
B.) There will be a boldness to proclaim that message, and
C.) The resurrection of Christ will be proclaimed with power.
I. WHEN SALVATION IS FOUND IN NO OTHER NAME THERE IS A TRANSFORMATION OF EVERY PART OF OUR BEING.
1.) Peter and John were filled with courage.
A.) These men had just been ordered by the top religious authorities to not preach about Jesus Christ.
B.) These men had already demonstrated a powerful courage.
ba.) Acts 4:18-21
bb.) The death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ had made a powerful impact on the lives of Peter and John.
bc.) The greatness of that event and the coming of the Holy Spirit of God had completely transformed these men into bold and courageous ambassadors for Jesus Christ.
bca.) The threats of men, even these leaders of the Jewish faith, could not persuade them from proclaiming the message of Christ.
bcb.) The transformation that had occurred in these men was of God.
.01) When Almighty God transforms the heart of man, it is more powerful than the threats of those who oppose the Plan and purpose of God.
2.) The religious leaders were astonished because these were unschooled, ordinary men.
A.) These were not men who had been trained by the Jewish leaders and rabbis.
aa.) In that day there were no Bible Colleges, or many of the institutes of higher learning we have available today.
ab.) The training to proclaim the Word of God came through an older experienced rabbi who would take younger men into his care, and train them in speaking and leadership.
ac.) This was the case with the man we call the Apostle Paul.
ad.) Paul had studied under the great Jewish rabbi Gamaliel.
ada.) To have studied under the direction of such an influential leader would today be an education on par with one studying in the halls of Harvard, Yale, Cambridge, or Oxford Universities.
B.) These Jewish leaders knew for a fact that Peter and John had not received such training from any of the Jewish leaders.
ba.) They knew this because in all likelihood the greatest of the Jewish rabbis and leaders would have been present at this time.
bb.) In fact they would likely have been the very ones questioning Peter and John for preaching the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
C.) These were men who were described as unschooled, ordinary men.
ca.) These men had received no formal higher education.
cb.) Though it doesn’t come out in this passage of Scripture, these men would have also been from the area of Galilee.
D.) These men were fishermen.
da. I am not saying there anything wrong with fishermen, but they were not on the highest rungs of the social order of that day.
db.) They were looked at as very unlikely choices to be preaching and teaching.
dba.) Yet, be that as it may, I want you to notice one other fact of the passage of Scripture that made a big difference:
3.) They took note that these men had been with Jesus.
A.) Acts 4:13
B.) What a powerful statement that could be made of these Apostles.
ba.) Even though these men were not trained by the leading Jewish rabbis to be teachers, they had received over three years of teaching under the leadership of Jesus.
bb.) Yet as we look at these men, it was not just their training from Jesus.
bba.) It was not many weeks earlier these men were far more cowardly, and lacking in influence, even to the point of running and fleeing for their lives when Jesus was arrested.
bbb.) Now these men were bold in proclaiming the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
bbc.) The difference was that now they knew and had witnessed the death, the burial, and the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
.01) They had been completely transformed because of the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ.
bbd.) The resurrection of Jesus Christ gave them confidence that “salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.”
C.) That is a statement that one should be able to be made of any Christian.
ca.) The world should be able to look at anyone of us and recognize that we have been with Jesus.
cb.) Jesus is not only the Christ, but He is also our Christ.
cba.) The price that Jesus paid for our salvation, should give each and every Christian a burning in the heart to let others know of our Saviour.
II. WHEN WE BELIEVE THAT SALVATION IS FOUND IN NO ONE ELSE THERE WILL BE A BOLDNESS TO PROCLAIM THAT MESSAGE.
1.) The Jewish leadership were against the church and the Apostles.
A.) At first the church was tolerated, but more and more, as the church and its leaders proclaimed that Jesus is the Christ, the greater was the hatred and opposition against it.
B.) The greater the opposition to the message of Christ, the greater also the need for divine strength to give boldness in the proclamation of that message.
C.) The church realized the situation. They themselves had experienced persecution because of Jesus Christ.
ca.) The church realized that if they were receiving persecution, that the pressure on the apostles must have been nearly suffocating.
cb.) Thankfully, the church as well as the apostles had the wisdom to know that the battle they were in was greater than themselves.
D.) Satan and his fallen hosts have always tried to pollute the souls of the one part of creation made in the image and likeness of God.
da.) The reality is that Satan was successful in this endeavour.
db.) Until Jesus Christ came into this world, Satan had conquered every soul that had ever come into this world.
dba.) When Jesus broke through the gates of death that all changed.
dbb.) When Jesus rose from the dead He conquered Satan and the forces of evil.
.01) Colossians 2:15
.011) What a powerful scene!
.012) By means of the resurrection from the grave, Jesus Christ made a spectacle of Satan and his demons..
.013) Beyond the shadow of a doubt the resurrection proved that “salvation is found in no one else for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.”
E.) The church needs to realize that Jesus Christ has already defeated Satan
ea.) We do not have the same power in and of ourselves.
eb.) It is only when we humble ourselves and seek God’s power that we can defeat Satan.
eba.) The early church sought the power of God to battle the forces of darkness and to enjoy the victory that God has already won.
.01) Acts 4:23-24a., 29
F.) Spiritual battles than man’s strength; they must be fought with the power of God.
fa.) The Apostle Paul addressed the church at Ephesus on this very subject.
faa.) Ephesians 6:10-13
fb.) James taught the same truth.
fba.) James 4:7-8
G.) The church of Jesus Christ recognized the greatness of the spiritual conflict they were in.
ga.) We also are in a theater of war with the forces of evil.
gb.) Today we can know with confidence what side we are fighting for, and need to align ourselves with Jesus Christ.
gba.) He has already defeated the forces of Satan.
gbb.) Through Him, we too can have the victory.
2.) The church prayed for great boldness in proclaiming the Resurrection of Jesus Christ.
A.) Acts 4:29
3.) They prayed that Jesus Christ would perform great and powerful miracles.
A.) The church had seen the power of God.
aa.) In seeing it they were greatly humbled and astonished at the advancement of the church because of the Power of God through Jesus Christ to heal this crippled man.
ab.) It was not from selfish motives the church had prayed for more miracles, but that through them God could further prove to those who rejected Jesus that He is in fact the Christ.
ac.) I want you to observe what happened as a result of this time of prayer, for boldness, and for the miraculous working of God.
4.) The place where they were meeting was shaken by the power of God.
A.) Acts 4:31
B.) There was a physical moving of the power of God.
ba.) It seems that God had caused an earthquake as evidence of his hearing and answering that prayer.
bb.) Certainly there is no shortage of critics who would look at this passage and inform you that earthquakes occur somewhere every single day.
bba.) We have to ask what it was that made this earthquake so different that they saw it as a sign from God?
bbb.) Let me point out a few extra details of the text:
.01) The earthquake was not a widespread earthquake.
.02) The earthquake didn’t even shake the entire city of Jerusalem.
.03) In fact the reason they knew this was a sign from God was that the only the temple of God, and more specifically this room of the temple where they were meeting was shaken.
.031) Something else happened.
C.) They were all filled with the Holy Spirit.
ca.) Earlier the book of Acts Scripture records of a very special manifestation of the Holy Spirit of God.
cb.) In this passage there is again the moving of the Holy Spirit, but it is different than in Acts 2.
cc.) This time there was spectacular manifestation of the Spirit of God as was be seen before.
cca.) The work of God happened in the hearts of these apostles, and within the hearts of those in the church.
.01) God’s answer to their prayers, was just as they had requested for the boldness to proclaim the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
.02) God had answered their prayers.
D.) Because of this they were empowered to speak the Word of God boldly.
da.) When I was a child there were times that one child would dare another child to do something risky, or even stupid.
db.) I am not going to that to you today, but I am going to give you a dare.
dba.) In fact I will go beyond a mere dare and double dare you today in your walk with Jesus Christ.
dbb.) I dare each person here who bears the name of Jesus Christ, to ask God to present you with the opportunity to tell someone else about the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ, and the hope you have in that Christ.
dbc.) The double dare part of this challenge is that when Jesus gives you the opportunity to speak for Him
(and He will), that you would have also prayed that God would give you both the courage and the wisdom to speak of what Jesus had done for you.
III. WHEN SALVATION IS FOUND IN NO OTHER NAME THE CHURCH MUST PROCLAIM THE RESURRECTION OF CHRIST WITH POWER.
1.) The Apostles continue to testify of the resurrection of Christ.
A.) God had answered the church’s prayer to give them boldness, and they proclaimed the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
2.) The apostles testified of the resurrection of Christ with great power.
A.) This does not necessarily mean the apostles were eloquent speakers or even that they were talented in their approach or delivery to the people.
aa.) What it does mean is they so believed in their message that they gave it their very best.
ab.) Even more than this it means they preached the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
ac.) What God would accomplish was through His proclaimed Word, more than through the oratorical genius, of Peter or John, or any other preacher that has come since that time.
aca.) Rom. 1:16
acb.) 1 Cor. 1:18
3.) There was much grace upon them all.
A.) When people come out of the darkness into the light, there is an awareness of the Grace of God working within each person.
aa.) As the church grows in the grace of God, the love of God is felt within the church.
CONCLUSION:
1.) Do you truly believe that: “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.”
2.) If you truly believe that truth, have you made Jesus your Lord and Saviour.
A.) If you have never done this, there is no greater time than this moment to come forward and give your life to Jesus Christ in the waters of baptism.
3.) If you not only believe this truth, but are living it today, that encourage you to let others also know that truth, that they too may know the joy of a saving relationship with Jesus Christ.
