The Name of Jesus
Acts 4:18-31
________________________________________
Good Morning everyone, Glad that you have joined us this morning.
Please turn to Acts chapter 4:18-31 Read from Bible clearly
The sermon title is “The name of Jesus” - To most, the name of Jesus will get our attention. We know that name carries weight if we are one who reads their bible or has been taught from the bible what Jesus did and who Jesus is.
What’s in a name? Typically, we use names to distinguish one person from another.
We all cannot all be named Bob or we could not communicate with each other.
We would not know who was talking and who was to be listening.
Most cases our names do not have much meaning to us in the Western Culture.
Our last name makes us part of a clan.
Any meaning attached to a name is either unknown to the person or the person is not concerned with the meaning of their name.
Here in the West, we name our children with certain names because the name sounds neat or because the name has some sentimental value to us.
My case, Anthony is usually an Italian name of which I am not…but when your mother liked the actor Tony Curtis, you get the name Anthony.
Some of you are so young you have never heard of that actor.
He was good looking, charming, and great speaking voice, intelligent. I guess she knew ahead of time how I would turn out. (Ha Ha)
However, in Eastern cultures, especially in biblical times, Jewish people attached much greater significance to names.
To the Jews, a person's name signifies worth, character, reputation, authority, and ownership.
Apostle Paul records under the power of the Holy Spirit about the name of Jesus.
Philippians 2:9-11
“Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that was above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus is Lord.”
Peter and John were preaching Jesus, as the Christ.
Peter and John were teaching about Jesus’ resurrection.
The religious leaders grabbed the men and kept them in custody until morning, interrogating them about Jesus being preached.
Then they learned from Peter Jewish history that Jesus was the rejected Cornerstone.
Peter said, “You have rejected the foundational leader of the nation and your heritage, His name is Jesus, and by His name this miracle was performed.”
Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, immediately began boldly and confidently speaking about the Cross and the Gospel.
The religious leaders forbade the Disciples from sharing Christ.
Then Peter and John were forbidden to discuss the name of Jesus.
Teach in the Name of Jesus
Read Acts 4:18
Why were these leaders forbidding teaching in Jesus’ name?
In the original language, this command from the religious leaders was forceful. They basically said, under no circumstances are you to teach in the name of Jesus again!
Remember Peter’s statement
Acts 4:12-
Neither is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved."
The name of Jesus is the most powerful name that has ever existed or will exist; however, any power that comes from the name of Jesus originates and comes from the person of Jesus.
There is nothing magical in the name of Jesus without the actual person of Jesus, God the Son.
Some people think they can invoke the name of Jesus and demand their own will to be done because of a magic formula of simply using His name.
There are false religions that use the name of Jesus without believing in the “real” Jesus, so their Jesus is not powerful.
The Hebrew name for Jesus is Jeshua or Joshua, and there are many people in history with that name who do not possess the power of Jesus, God the Son.
John 14:6 Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
Notice what Jesus said, “Except through me” so the person of Jesus is where the power lies.
The saving, healing, protecting, justifying, and redeeming power of God resides in the Person of Christ, and Jesus is His name.
Jesus laid down His life to save sinners, and He exercised His authority to raise it up again, so that any who call on His name in faith can receive forgiveness of sins and eternal salvation”
Jesus’ power was fully displayed when He finished the work of redemption on the Cross at Calvary and again as He raised Himself back to life again.
John 2:19
"Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up."
Because of the blood of Christ, we are offered salvation, we become new creations, and we become righteous in Him, as we receive a restored relationship with the Father.
At the moment of salvation, the Holy Spirit comes to live within us and we become children of God Most High.
We are co-heirs with Christ, so we have the authority to identify with the powerful name of Jesus.
Romans 8:16
“The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God”
Romans 8:17
“And if children, then heirs — heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together.”
The only power strong enough to take a person from being dead in their sins and trespasses and turn them into a Child of God is God the Son, Jesus Christ.
When Peter and John answered the Sanhedrin, they told these religious leaders that they were going against the LORD with their order for the men to stop teaching in the name of Jesus.
“Is it right in the sight of God to listen to you more than to God”?
We are to obey the law of the land, except when those laws directly contradict the Word of God.
. They spoke by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Peter and John were compelled to speak about the things they had seen and heard.
These men were compelled by the Holy Spirit to share and obey.
Peter and John knew what the LORD told them to do, and they were also empowered by the Spirit to complete the task.
“Finding no way of punishing them, because of the people”
The religious leaders were not moved by the LORD, but they feared the opinion of the crowd because the people knew the healing of the lame man was from God.
They cared more about man’s opinion than God’s.
Galatians 1:8
“But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed.”
Galatians 1:10
“For do I now persuade men, or God? Or do I seek to please men? For if I still pleased men, I would not be a bondservant of Christ.”
The first thing Peter and John did after being released by the religious leaders was to go to the others and tell them all that was said and done to them.
The Good News of how the LORD protected Peter and John.
How the Holy Spirit had used Peter to proclaim the Gospel to these unbelieving religious leaders, was something worth talking about.
They raised their voice with one accord. This means they prayed in unity as they had the same mind when they prayed.
Psalm 133:1
“Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!”
Notice how these believers begin their prayer by proclaiming the truth about God’s power. They realized who it was that brought about this miracle as well as the freedom for Peter and John.
Acts 4:24
"Lord, you are God, who made heaven and earth and the sea, and all that is in them.”
After proclaiming the truth about God’s power, we should use prayer times to repeat the LORD’s promises back to Him.
2 Timothy 3:16
All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness,
2 Timothy 3:17
“That the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.”
Did you know that The Old and the New Testaments have the same author, JESUS, even though forty different human authors were used?
When we say Jesus Christ, we know Jesus’ last name is not Christ. Jesus means Yahweh saves. Christ means the Anointed One, the Promised One, the Messiah, and God the Son.
Again, we see the sovereign hand of Almighty God was involved with the death of Christ on the Cross, even though sinful men played a part in His death.
This same Peter said in 1 Peter 1:20 He (Christ) indeed was foreordained before the foundation of the world but was manifest in these last times for you.
1 Peter 1:21 who threw Him believe in God, who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.
Peter was letting the people know that even though the Cross of Christ was the LORD’s plan for our salvation, the people’s sin was still responsible for His death.
Those who rejected Jesus and called for His execution were responsible for the actions of their lawless hands.
As a Christian we are not filled with the Spirit only once.
Christians are baptized once by the Holy Spirit, but we are commanded in Ephesians 5:18 to be continually filled with the Spirit, which means controlled by.
In other words, we are to be “immersed” in Him constantly.
Boldness is necessary today, as we live for Christ and boldly declare Him through our thoughts, speech, and actions.
Their boldness was a gift from God, received through prayer and by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Close,
In the Bible, when people spoke or acted in the name of Jesus, they did so with His authority.
We can call on the name of Jesus to receive His grace and His gift of salvation.
His grace us sufficient
I am glad for second and third chances
His gift of salvation is for all!!!!!
We can call on the name of Jesus to receive the power to share Christ with other people.
We can ask for boldness to proclaim His name and live out his principals and teachings
We cannot do these things on pour own.
Sharing Christ is intentional
We can call on the name of Jesus to remind us of His eternal presence in our lives.
The Spirit of the living God lives within us as believers.
His presence breaks the spirit of fear
Presence matters in our lives
We call on the name of Jesus when the enemy attacks.
I can do all things through Christ that gives me strength
Resist the enemy and he will flee- When the enemy attacks, know who you need to call upon.
Book by Louie Giglio “Don’t let the enemy sit at your table”- means, don’t invite him where he should not be in your life.
We call on the name of Jesus when we need His peace, hope, love, and wisdom.
The peace of God that passes all understanding- it’s a God thing!
This world has no hope, there is hope in Jesus!
There is no greater love that Jesus can show than providing for our salvation and empowering our lives through the Holy Spirit.
We can call on the name of Jesus to gain the ability to follow Him.
Call upon His name!
Ask Him to help you follow Him
Be intentional and be determined to follow
Prayer as led by the Lord
