In Jesus Holy Name June 26, 2022
Text: Acts 4:12 Redeemer Lutheran
“The Cost of Preaching Jesus”
Russian born, author and researcher Ariel Durant helped her husband William Durant co author their book: The Story of Civilization. She wrote: “There is no significant example in history, before our time, of a society successfully maintaining moral life without the aid of religion.” “The greatest question of our time is . . . whether men can live without God.” Western culture no longer looks to Christianity as its moral source. But what will be its new source for moral ethics?
Watching our news we know this is true. This is the battle ground. The culture must find a new moral source, their option is “government”. That reality introduces major problems for lawmakers, as our culture awaits the Supreme Court decision on the Abortion issue. Amid such confusion, Christians should not give up but position individuals to provide the guidance our society needs. Here are several examples of how Christians and Christian organizations are providing guidance.
Today we should trust that God is not absent, nor does He lack concern. He is on the move in our own culture as He was in Jerusalem. 1) Organizations like Habitat for Humanity, which has built more than 200,000 houses, with much of the labor provided by caring Christians. 2) Samaritan Purse is working around the world, which speaks loudly for the name of Jesus.
3) The International Justice Mission aggressively tackles the problem of sexual trafficking, as does our local support for “Breaking the Chains”. 4) Prison Fellowship International, established by Charles Colson, has chartered work in more than 80 countries. At the present time almost half the legislature and cabinet of South Africa spent time in prison, but now they influence their government. God is using Christians to have an impact on the leaders of tomorrow.
Last Sunday in our message on Acts 3, I stated that “God is on the move in Jerusalem”. There are now 3,120 new Christians in Jerusalem. These new Jewish followers of Jesus did not stop going to the temple at the time of prayer. In Acts chapter 3 we find Peter and John going up to the temple at the time of prayer at 3 in the afternoon. The Temple, no doubt, has become one of the meeting places for the new Christian Community.
Peter and John are just trying to keep up. No doubt they were going to the Temple to answer questions about Jesus. On the way into the temple they were stopped by a man crippled for 40 years. We know that the physical presence of Jesus is in heaven. The new reality is that His Spirit causes Peter to reach out his hand to the crippled man. Peter said: "I have no silver and gold, but what I do have I give to you. In the Name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk!" The man's feet and ankles were immediately made strong.
It was a special moment for the man no longer crippled, who went into the temple laughing and jumping and shouting. He was, as you might understand, positively giddy for the impossible had become possible. His running and jumping and cheering drew much attention. Peter gave his 2nd sermon in the Temple regarding the power of the risen Jesus. That’s the point…Jesus had told the disciples to tell His story first in Jerusalem…. The Holy Spirit drew the crowd. All Peter had to do is tell the Jesus story. Acts 4 states the number grew to 5000 after the healing of the man crippled from birth.
When the rulers of the Jews heard about all this, they had Peter and John arrested and held overnight. The rulers were disturbed because the apostles were “proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection of the dead.” It was the Sadducees who had the Temple guards arrest Peter and John. You and I know the reason. the Sadducees didn’t believe in the resurrection of the dead…. How sad. … But that is why they are called: “Sad-u-sees”. They were incensed with the claim that Jesus himself had risen from the dead. Such dangerous teaching could not be ignored.
The next day Peter and John were brought before the Sanhedrin—the Supreme Court of ancient Israel. This group of 70 men had with Rome’s permission.— to enforce Jewish law, to try cases, and to settle disputes. Acts 4:7 tells us that the Sanhedrin asked these two apostles a very leading question: “By what power or what name did you do this?” What a question! And what a moment for the followers of Jesus.
What will Peter do? He has three choices: 1) He can apologize for making trouble. There’s no way he’s going to do that. 2) He can say nothing and hope for the best. Peter never “said nothing” in his whole life. 3) He can seize the moment to preach the gospel—which is exactly what he does.
Peter answers the basic question in verse 10. Who did this? (Read v 10-11) Answer: Jesus did. He could have stopped there but he didn’t. He continues his answer in verse 11, knowing that he might never have a chance like this again. “It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed. He is ‘the stone you builders rejected, which has become the capstone.’”
In these two verses Peter says four things to the Jewish leaders:
1. You crucified Jesus (literally true).
2. God raised him from the dead (also true).
3. His power healed this lame man (also true).
4. You rejected God’s stone of salvation (also true).
Verse 11 is actually a quotation from Psalm 118:22, which speaks of a rejected stone becoming the capstone To reject Jesus means that you have rejected God’s cornerstone. Since the cornerstone is the foundation, anything you build upon a wrong foundation will itself also be wrong.
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Billy Graham has often said it this way: “A dead Jesus can’t save anyone, but a living Jesus can change your life.” Hebrews 2:14-15 tells us that Christ came to free those who were enslaved to the devil through their fear of death. On Friday it looked like the devil won, but on Sunday Jesus won the only battle that really mattered. (notes from sermon by Ray Pritchard Keep Believing, Easter 1998)
The resurrection tells us how it is all going to end for the child of God. The Gospel Singing Group “The Cathedrals” have a song that contains this line: “I’ve read the end of the Book and we win.” It’s true. We win in the end. Easter teaches us that when the Battle of the Ages finally comes to the end the home team wins.
The future may not be pleasant but we will overcome it if our faith is in the One who rose from the dead. That’s what it means to call Jesus the Living Stone. It gives us courage to face our cultural problems and our own historical existence..
“Salvation is found in no one else because there is no other name by which we may be saved.” “Jesus only and only Jesus.”
1. You cannot reject Christ and have any hope of heaven.
2. You cannot look at any other religious leader for salvation.
3. You cannot combine Christ with anyone else or anything else.
4. You are not free to make up your own religion.
5. You cannot save yourself.
Today's message is about how Jesus has rescued us. Let me tell you about just one more. On May 25, 2006, Mt. Everest climber Lincoln Hall was left for dead by his guides who took his hat, gloves, and oxygen. The following day they shared the news of Lincoln's demise. Their announcement was wrong. Lincoln was suffering from altitude sickness, but he was still very much alive.
The following day, Daniel Mazur and his expedition stumbled upon Lincoln. Now Mazur was just two hours from completing his own quest and reaching Everest's peak, but he left that goal and spent four hours carrying Lincoln down to the base camp. It was a noble rescue ... a rescue not unlike the Savior who left heaven and sacrificed Himself to save you.
Jesus hung on that cross, rejected by man, and forsaken by His Father, He was carrying your sins. Think back on the worst thing you've ever done, ever said, ever thought. Remember the cruelty, the anger, the lies, the theft, the lust, the foul stench of past broken commandments. Know that your Savior knew your sins and wished to save you from them. To redeem you from those sins is why He lived, to rescue you from the devil and damnation. That is why He died to show He had destroyed the domain of death is why He rose three days later. (from Rev. Ken Klaus Acts 2, 2018)
Jesus was crystal clear when He shared that He is the Way, and no man comes to the Father but by Him. The public opinion polls may encourage you to refuse to believe that truth, but Jesus remains the only way-the only possibility for salvation-God has made. Jesus' blood that was shed on the cross of Calvary is the only means whereby you can be forgiven of sin, and it is the righteousness of Christ that must be applied to you if you desire to be in heaven for eternity.
The good news story of God's gracious act of redemption. The Father conceived the plan and His Son fulfilled that plan. The Pharisees and Sadducees said: "I don't like the Jesus' story. I believe I'll put my trust in another deity, another divinity who will lead me to safety." To such people we can only say, "Jesus alone is the resurrection and the life; only by believing in Him is there salvation and escape from hell." (ibid Rev. Klaus)
Some historians clump Christ with Muhammad, Moses, Confucius, and other spiritual leaders. But Jesus refuses to share the page. In John 14:6 Jesus declares, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but by me.” He could have scored more points in political correctness had he said, “I know the way,” or “I show the way.” Yet he speaks not of what he does but of who he is– “I am the way!”
His disciple Peter announced, “There is salvation in no one else! God has given no other name under heaven by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12). (MaxLucado)
