2011
The Name of Jesus
Acts, Media, Sermons | by Pastor Adam Sinnett
Podcast: Play in new window
Audio | Acts 3
Summary
God is moving in powerful ways so far in the book of Acts. Jesus is saving people from their sin. Lives are being changed daily. The church is declaring and displaying the nature of the gospel. The church is on fire. Amidst this, it is helpful to reflect on our own lives and the life of our church. Is this the kind of thing that is going on in my life and church? Is there passion, joy and thankfulness? Is God showing up? Is Jesus making himself known? Do we believe this could be true of us? God offers all this, and more, in the name of Jesus.
Introduction
Last week we wrapped up a short mini-series within our larger series through the Book of Acts. Today we are moving ahead into chapter 3. Luke, the author of Acts, began this great book with the words “In the first book, O Theophilus, I have dealt with all that Jesus began to do and teach…” (Acts 1:1) He wrote the Gospel of Luke to record what Jesus began to do and teach. We can infer that he wrote the book of Acts to record what Jesus continued to do and teach – through his Spirit-filled Apostles.
So far, in the first two chapters, Jesus ascended into heaven, the Apostles replaced Judas with Matthias, the Holy Spirit arrived on the day of Pentecost, Peter preached his first sermon (3,000 conversions!) and the early church was born. In chapter 3, Luke zooms in on the first of fourteen miracles he records, along with Peter’s second recorded sermon. This is a very exciting time for the church. God is moving in powerful ways. Jesus is saving people from their sin. Lives are being changed daily. The church is on fire. Jerusalem is taking notice.
Amidst all of this is it helpful to reflect on our own lives and the life of our church. Is this the kind of thing that is going on in my life? Is this going on in our church? Is there a sense of passion, joy and thankfulness? Is God showing up? Is Jesus making himself known? Do we believe this could be true of us? The big idea in this section is that Jesus wants your full trust so that you can have full life. So, in light of that, we’re going to ask four questions to help assess our trust.
Questions
#1 Do you believe Jesus can meet you at your moment of greatest need? (Acts 3:1-8)
Here’s the connection for us. Like the beggar, we think we need one thing (money, success, new job, etc.), but Jesus knows what we really need. We think our timing is right, but Jesus knows when we need it. Why was the lame beggar healed then and not earlier? Why him and not others who were likely around him? Why Peter and John and not Jesus, who likely also walked past this same man? We’re told the difference was “faith in Jesus name”. Whose faith was it? Paul’s or the man? It’s not clear, but it was likely a mixture of both. Do you believe Jesus can meet you at the moment of your greatest need? The Bible tells us that God knows exactly what you need, when you need it. “My God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.” (Phil 4:19) God supplies all our needs. Our needs may not be what we want or think we have to have, but our REAL needs – by faith in his name.
3:16 healed “his name – by faith in his name – has made this man strong” (4:10)
2:38 “Repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus” (10:48; 16:18)
8:12 Philip “preached good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus” (9:27)
15:26 “men who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
There tends to be two extremes in the church when it comes to “faith”:
The first emphasizes WHO our faith is in, not the amount.
The second emphasizes HOW MUCH faith we have, not as much about the Person our faith is in.
The biblical reality is that they are both true. God is concerned with WHO our faith is in and HOW MUCH our faith is in Him. Our salvation isn’t incumbent on the amount of faith we have, but it is incumbent on how you see God work in your life.
Mat 6:30 “…will he not much more cloth you, O you of little faith?
Mat 15:28 “O woman, great is your faith!”
Mat 17:20 “If you have faith like a grain of mustard seed…nothing will be impossible for you.”
Mat 9:29 “According to your faith be it done to you”
All this means that God is moved by faith (or trust) in Him. It touches His heart and He responds to it. When we talk about biblical faith, we’re talking about a faith that cries out “Jesus help!” NOT “Jesus, I’ll try harder.” Faith is an embrace of Jesus not an embrace of yourself. The phrases “try harder” and “do better” are not in the Bible. However, “trust”, “depend”, “follow” and “believe” are in the Bible roughly 1,000 x’s. This is why the Apostle Paul says in Rom 9:16, “It depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy.” Your faith has a direct bearing on what you’re going to see God do in your life, which is why Jesus said things like “All things are possible for the one who believes!” (Mk 9:23) Jesus cares about WHO our trust is ultimately in AND HOW MUCH of our trust is in him. If we’re honest our response is the same as the father’s to Jesus in Mk 9:24, “Lord I believe, help my unbelief!”
Application
- This is a good time of year for a self-assessment. What is your greatest need?
- Are you willing to trust God for what he knows you need, not what you think you want or what you think should be?
- Are you willing to trust His timing and plan for you – even if it happens to be different than others around you?
- Are you asking God for alms instead of asking for more of Him?
#2 Do I see God working around me and respond in awe? (Acts 3:9-11)
When the crows saw what happened to the man they – RAN! Do you have the capacity to see what God is doing in our world and be amazed and astonished? They were awestruck. Do you have that capacity? Kids do. New parents do. New Christians do. The early church did. Do you?
Q: What is main enemy to astonishment? Cynicism.
Cynicism is the enemy of amazement and astonishment. It finds its roots in being suspicious of God. It often leads to numbness towards life. It is always skeptical, but poses as a realist. Always questioning, while posing as authenticity. The cynic says things like “I wasn’t born yesterday…I have seen some things…I’ll believe it when I see it…it couldn’t be…” The cynic is always asking, “I wonder what really happened?” “What’s the real story?” The cynical spirit is the opposite of a childlike spirit. It just so happens to be the dominant spirit in our city, Seattle.
The cynic always always critiquing and expecting worst but never engaged and hoping for the best. Oddly, cynicism protects you from disappointment but that’s because you’re perpetually disappointed. In the end it prevents you from doing anything out of fear of further disappointment. The reality is, if you cultivate a cynical spirit, you’re just hurting yourself.
Cynicism started in the Garden of Eden when Satan lured Eve with cynical lies, “God is holding back on you…” Oddly, we call it authenticity or realism, but the Bible calls it UNBELIEF. Unbelief always kills wonder, kills hope, and kills amazement.
Growing as a Christian is growing increasing less suspicious of God and more suspicious of yourself. Genuine faith and awe come from knowing my heavenly Father loves, enjoys, and cares for me. Do you see what God is doing around you? Are you filled with wonder? You’re life is a miracle from God and “He gives to all mankind life and breath and everything” (Acts 17:25)
Everything good in your life is from Him and “Every good and every perfect gift is from above.” ( Jas 1:17) Your salvation is a supernatural work of God. Your church, Downtown Cornerstone, is a creation of Jesus. God is at work here. Do we have eyes/ears to see it? Or, are we caught up in a fog of cynical unbelief?
Application
- Where do you see God work in your life?
- Where do you cynicism? What difference does it make to view cynicism as unbelief?
- Where is God inviting you to respond in awe, astonishment and amazement?
#3 Do I reflect God’s glory or absorb it? (Acts 3:12)
1 Cor 4:7 “What do you have that you did not receive? If then you received it, why do you boast as if you did not receive it?”
Application
- What is the primary object of glory in your life?
- Who does your life point to?
#4 Do I actively identify and embrace Gods promises? (Acts 3:13-26)
This section has a lot of talk of “foretold”, “fulfillment”, been “spoken”. These are all words of “promise”. The promises of God refer to who God promises He is and what he promises he will do and who he promises we are in Him. Therefore, it is crucial that we identify his promises in the scriptures and embrace them (i.e. bank our life on them. Identifying and embracing God’s promises is vital to cultivate our passion, joy, obedience to Christ. We get a sampling of His promises here:
#1 Fulfilled Promises
vs 24 “All the prophets who have spoken, from Samuel and those who came after him, also proclaimed these days.”
#2 Hard-to-Hear Promises
vs 23 “it shall come to pass that every soul who does not listen to that prophet shall be destroyed…”
#3 Gracious Promises
vs 19 “Repent therefore, and turn again, that your sins may be blotted out…refreshing…send the Christ…to bless”
#4 Hope-Filled Promises
vs 21 “until the time for restoring all the things about which God spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets long ago.”
Application
- Are you actively identifying God’s promises? Do you know who He promises to be, how He promises to act and who He promises you are by faith in His Son?
- Are you actively embracing God’s promises that you have identified? Are you banking your life on them? Are you nurturing and stretching your faith with them?
Conclusion
Jesus heals for a reason, typically to draw our attention to greater spiritual truths. That is true here. This lame beggar is a picture of the spiritual state of the whole of humanity: lost, paralyzed, helpless from birth, without a hope in the world.
- Like the beggar, the world is unable to help us.
- Like the beggar, we naturally think our greatest need is anything but Jesus.
- Like the beggar, we ask for alms (things of this world) that offer little relief and eventually run out.
- Like the beggar our only hope is if Jesus shows up in a big way
- Like the beggar our only hope is to respond by faith in the name of Jesus Christ. Trusting him, forsaking all others and respond in walking, leaping and praising God.
We are here this morning, not to seek alms, but to seek a cure for our spiritual paralysis. Whether you are a Christian or not, you need the power, forgiveness that can only come through the name of Jesus. Are you spiritually paralyzed? Are you hopeless? Jesus offers healing for you today and every day. It doesn’t matter that almost 2,000 years have passed. With God a thousand years is as a day. God here makes a promise to bless us by turning every one us from our sin. He is moving towards you with blessing this morning. Will you respond in faith?
Take some time this week to reflect on these questions:
#1 Do I have faith that Jesus will meet me at my moment of greatest need? HE WILL.
#2 Do I see God working around me and respond in awe? HE’S AT WORK.
#3 Do I reflect God’s glory or absorb it? HE GIVES YOU GREATER JOY AS YOU GIVE HIM GREATER GLORY.
#4 Do I actively identify and embrace God’s promises? HE WILL FUFILL ALL HIS PROMISES, HE HAS SO FAR.
Isa 1:18 “Come now, let us reason together, says the Lord: though your sins are like scarlet,
they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool.”
Ps 103:12 “As far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us”