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Welcome everyone to Redemption Church in Plano Tx. We pray blessings to you all!
Too all our online friends, whatever needs you have, please make them known to us and we will pray over them as soon as we read them.
Without
We are in the 5th week of our series – Without.
In week 1 we told you – Without Jesus Nothing. We can do nothing without Jesus.
In week 2 we told you – Without Faith Impossible. It is impossible to please God without faith.
In week 3 we told you – Without Knowledge Perish. There is a Godly knowledge we can’t do without.
In week 4 we told your – Without Love Meaningless. Without love we are just noise.
Please turn with me to the book of Acts, chapter 3 this evening.
I have had this sermon series planned out with prayer and study, but this past Friday I really felt the Lord grab a hold of my heart and I knew I had to preach it to you.
I believe I have a message straight from the Lord, and as importantly I believe I have a message that brings honor & glory to Jesus Christ.
Acts 3:1-16 (NIV) One day Peter and John were going up to the temple at the time of prayer—at three in the afternoon. 2 Now a man who was lame from birth was being carried to the temple gate called Beautiful, where he was put every day to beg from those going into the temple courts. 3 When he saw Peter and John about to enter, he asked them for money. 4 Peter looked straight at him, as did John. Then Peter said, “Look at us!” 5 So the man gave them his attention, expecting to get something from them.
6 Then Peter said, “Silver or gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.” 7 Taking him by the right hand, he helped him up, and instantly the man’s feet and ankles became strong. 8 He jumped to his feet and began to walk. Then he went with them into the temple courts, walking and jumping, and praising God. 9 When all the people saw him walking and praising God, 10 they recognized him as the same man who used to sit begging at the temple gate called Beautiful, and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.
11 While the man held on to Peter and John, all the people were astonished and came running to them in the place called Solomon’s Colonnade. 12 When Peter saw this, he said to them: “Fellow Israelites, why does this surprise you? Why do you stare at us as if by our own power or godliness we had made this man walk? 13 The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified his servant Jesus. You handed him over to be killed, and you disowned him before Pilate, though he had decided to let him go. 14 You disowned the Holy and Righteous One and asked that a murderer be released to you. 15 You killed the author of life, but God raised him from the dead. We are witnesses of this. 16 By faith in the name of Jesus, this man whom you see and know was made strong. It is Jesus’ name and the faith that comes through him that has completely healed him, as you can all see.
Pray with me… Lord thank you for your Word.
Today I desire to entitle this sermon “Without the name of Jesus…”
Without the name of Jesus…
In Acts 3 there was a lame man laying beside the temple gate known as “beautiful.” As we read, the lame man was begging for money & food.
As we read, Peter & John looked straight at the begging disabled man.
Acts 3:4 4 Peter looked straight at him, as did John. Then Peter said, “Look at us!”
Notice the straight forward intention of these Jesus followers. They looked straight at the man.
Obviously the man was not looking at them, because Peter had to say “look at us.”
Church of Jesus, we need to stop looking away. We need to look directly at our city and we need to say “look at us.” We need an “excuse me, I need your attention” kind of boldness.
Acts 3:6 Then Peter said, “Silver or gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.”
Peter says “In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.”
People were astonished when they saw the disabled beggar walking, jumping, and praising God. The people at the temple were astonished and Peter begins to preach Jesus to them.
Peter declares in Acts 3:12 that it was not Peter & John’s power & godliness that made the man walk.
Too often when we see a miracle, we think “wow whoever prayed must have been really powerful & holy.” Peter tells us clearly that we should not ever think this way.
Here is why the miracle happened.
Acts 3:16 By faith in the name of Jesus, this man whom you see and know was made strong. It is Jesus’ name and the faith that comes through him that has completely healed him, as you can all see.
Because the name of Jesus was present…
Because faith in the name of Jesus was present…
This is why the miracle took place.
Without the name of Jesus – no miracle
Without the name of Jesus, that man would still be laying in his condition.
No hope…
No strength…
No miracle…
When Peter made the name of Jesus present… the miracle happened.
It is the name of Jesus… and faith in the name of Jesus that healed the man.
In Acts 4 the religious leaders & teachers of the law had Peter & John arrested by soldiers. They held Peter & John over night and questioned them in the morning.
Acts 4:7 They had Peter and John brought before them and began to question them: “By what power or what name did you do this?”
Annas the high priest and Caiaphas and many others where there… These very men who falsely accused Jesus and put Him on a Cross to be crucified, they ask Peter & John “BY WHAT POWER OR BY WHAT NAME DID YOU DO THIS?”
They knew the miracle had happened, but they claimed to not know by what power or what name it had occurred.
Acts 4:8-10 Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them: “Rulers and elders of the people! 9 If we are being called to account today for an act of kindness shown to a man who was lame and are being asked how he was healed, 10 then know this, you and all the people of Israel: 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.
Lord let us be so bold today. Peter stood in front of the people who crucified the Lord and told them without hesitation that it was the name of JESUS…. WHOM YOU CRUCIFIED but whom God raised from the dead, that the lame man was healed.
Church, since when is it ok to become nervous or bashful to declare the power of the name of Jesus?
We live in a culture that becomes uncomfortable with using the name of Jesus with any reverence… meanwhile the same culture will use that same wonderful name of Jesus with every irreverent use.
Christians we need to be filled with the Spirit like Peter…
Christians we need a “look at us I want your attention type boldness…
Christians we need to be able to look at the power brokers in our culture and declare the name of Jesus…
Peter goes on to say these powerful words.
Acts 4:12 Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.”
Without the name of Jesus – no salvation
The name of Jesus heals!
The name of Jesus saves!
Peter looked at the very men who killed Jesus, and dared to utter the name of Jesus.
When His name is present and faith in his name is present… Powerful things take place!
In Acts 2 Peter stood up and made the name of Jesus present in the crowded streets of Jerusalem. Faith in the name of Jesus was present as 3000 souls were saved.
In Acts 4 another 5000 are saved as the name of Jesus and faith in Jesus is present.
In Acts 8 Phillip made the name of Jesus present in the city of Samariah… The entire city came to faith in that name!
In Acts 9 a Christian killer named Saul was blinded in the middle of the dessert. Saul cried out “who are you Lord” and the voice came back “I AM JESUS.” The name was present and faith in the name was present and that man regained his sight and became the apostle Paul.
In Acts 10 Peter made the name of Jesus present to the gentiles and then faith in that name saved them.
That is the first 10 chapters of Acts. The name of Jesus is present! Faith in the name of Jesus is present!
Is His name present in you?
Is faith in His name present in you!
Philippians 2:9 Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
1 Corinthians 6:11 And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.
Proverbs 18:10 The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous man runs into it and is safe.
musician
Colossians 3:17 And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
Make his name present.
Make faith in His name present.
Speak His name.
Believe in His name.