Acts 4:5-12. There is Power in the Name!

Text: Acts 4:5-12
Focus: Preaching Jesus
Function: To help people see how God helps us share our faith.
Form: Storytelling with observations.

Intro:

This passage is the end of a great story about a fantastic miracle that just kept unfolding and unfolding. It that takes place in the first few weeks of the Church and it happens as the disciples were on the way to a prayer gathering.

And I want to set the stage for this passage before we get into it.

One commentator, while setting the stage for this passage tells us: “There was a great outpouring of the Holy Spirit during an evangelistic outreach.”

If you know the story, you’ll get this, if not, hold on, I’ll fill you in. I thought the comment was rather odd. I mean, did the apostles wake up that morning and say to themselves, “Let’s go to the Temple, have a prayer meeting as a way to witness about Jesus and then heal the first lame beggar we see?”
Because what had happened. The apostles were on the way to pray, and all of a sudden the Holy Spirit speaks to one of them, they see a man begging and the Bible says he was “lame from birth.”
The text says, “Peter and John saw the man had faith enough to be healed.” So they said to the man: “Silver and gold, we don’t have, but what we do have we give you. In the name of Jesus of Nazareth, stand up and walk.”

The man immediately stands up, starts walking and when he realizes what has happened he starts leaping and shouting praise to God.

I said it was an odd statement the commentator said. I don’t think that is the kind of event a person plans for.

I mean, how do we plan a miracle? We believe in them. Many of us have seen them, But how do we know if a miracle is going to happen? How can we control God?

And then there is this mystery, what does it mean when it says: “They saw the man had faith to be made well.” (explain from previous chapter)

How could they know? It’s not like people wear signs on their forehead “I’ve got faith.” This is a supernatural thing. The faith, and the apostles ability to recognize it are both miracles from God.

And, the commentator calls it “an evangelistic outreach,” but the apostles didn’t plan it; God planned it.

I get the feeling that the apostles are just as surprised as the man was.

Then, this crowd gathers because they recognize that a genuine miracle has really happened. Peter and John are quick to tell the crowd that they aren’t special people.

They make it clear that “the name of Jesus healed the man.”

There is power in the name of Jesus.

Apparently this is a famous beggar. A huge crowd of people trust Jesus as their savior as a result of this miracle. And that really upsets the authorities.

So, Peter and John are arrested and the story just keeps unfolding as they face the judgment of people who are not happy that Jesus Christ is still not silent. Even though they killed Jesus, their plot didn’t work.

And that is where our text starts today.

Their question is right to the point: “What, or who, gives you the right to do this?”

I am amazed at the question! A miracle has happened, so it is obvious who is behind the action. Why do they need to question them? In questioning them, they are questioning the source, God Himself.

And I love the boldness of Peter’s response. Peter puts it right back on them.

You know, it’s all in the way you say something. I didn’t like the commentator’s observation because it seems to minimize the fact that a miracle was unfolding. I don’t know why people have to play down the supernatural.

But Peter is clever in his defense. Or, I should say the Holy Spirit because the promise from Jesus was that the Holy Spirit will give us the words to say when we are called on to testify about what God has done for us. Trust God to let help us speak.

Peter says: “If we are trial for doing a good thing….”

I don’t believe it is Peter’s intent to humiliate them. If that was the case, he could have said: “You hypocrites!” But instead he causes them to consider that the trial is about an act of kindness. He is trying to make them think about what they are actually doing.

He goes on in his boldness. This happened in the name of Jesus whom you crucified!

The power in the name of Jesus gave him boldness to tell it like it is. Don’t you like it when someone is just straight and to the point? He doesn’t answer like a politician.

And then he tells them, God raised Him from the dead.

So, Peter’s on trial for doing something kind, and Peter points out their previous failure at trying to control this Jesus situation.

Peter lets them know that they thought they could stop God, but even death cannot contain Jesus.

And finally, he boldly tells them something that still needs to be preached today: There is salvation in no other name but the name of Jesus.

Okay, that is the story. Now, there are several lessons I want us to learn from his boldness.

First thing: (SHOW) Everything begins with prayer.
• They were on the way to pray
• Prayer places us in proper position.
o It reminds us that it isn’t us, but God at work
 How often to we pray, but then secretly think that it was our cleverness, or planning, or skill that brought success?
 Cleverness, planning and skill also come from God.
 And God is able to confound the wise if He so chooses.
 We need God’s help in everything.
 We have the privilege of asking for it in everything.
 I am not just talking about spiritual things like sharing our faith as the apostles did.
 But God is honored, pleased and blessed by every single prayer we make.
 It places us in the proper context between us and God.
o Success is by God’s grace, not our effort.
• This whole miracle unfolds, I believe, because they were on the way to pray
• On the way to pray, they meet a man
• They look at who he really is
o Do you remember the phrase “They saw he had faith to be made well…?”
o They take time to consider him
o He isn’t an evangelism project, a number to add to the baptismal roles, a statistic to report to the parent denomination, or an item to be given to Church council.
o They see him as a child of God, a person for whom Jesus died.
• By looking at this man, they see faith.
o I don’t understand how
o But I know the truth of it
o When they took time to consider the man, who he really is, God got involved
o (SHOW) God gets involved in our genuine concern for others.
o Kathy and I once began to attend a church.
 The first few weeks, this one couple called on us several times
 They really made us feel welcome and a part of the church
 As soon as we joined, they were always too busy for us
 We felt like their friendship was insincere, we felt manipulated
 God wants genuine concern for people.
• While on the way to pray, they meet a man, and then they heal the man.
o Again, a miracle, but God is involved
• And it isn’t just the lame man who receives Christ
o A multitude of people get saved
o The miracle causes widespread recognition
o Remember, they are merely going to pray, and God gets involved.
• But the events aren’t over:
o Then a twist
o They get arrested
o Persecution and suffering can be part of the plan.
o Their own faith and commitment is tested.
o Jesus said, there are many who quickly respond to God’s call, but then allow themselves to be distracted by the worries and cares of this world
o They may be saved, but they lose their effectiveness.
o The persecution opens the door for more ministry
o It keeps them focused on God’s mission.
• All of this because of their taking time to pray.
• God just kept bringing more and more.

Here’s the second thing, we already hinted at it: (SHOW) The miracle came through “an act of kindness”
• Peter said, “We’re on trial for an act of kindness.”
• The whole sermon focuses on this importance of the act of kindness.
• They weren’t out “to perform a miracle”
• It wasn’t a man-made evangelistic crusade
• The miracle cam when they were giving and showing mercy.
o Not just mercy, but mercy combined with faith
o They weren’t out just to do a good deed.
o They combined their good deeds with faith.
o Not just mercy, but mercy with intentional faith in Christ.
o This is where the Holy Spirit is working today, still
o So often, we do good, and try to do good because we know that good works, for the sake of unbelievers and those less fortunate are what we are saved to.
o But we forget that God gets involved and we can, and should expect a miracle.
o That is why we are praying over the cookies we are making for the Kairos weekend.

Third thing and I am going to get a little deeper and theological here: (SHOW) The question of pluralism is answered by this “act of kindness”
• We get criticized for this verse: There is salvation in NO OTHER NAME.
• Pluralism is the belief that all religions lead to God.
• A popular phrase, all rivers lead to the sea.
• All the spokes on a wheel lead to the center.
• Every religion is a path to God.
• This verse offends some people for many reasons because they say
o It seems unfair when people have never heard
o It seems wrong to assume that only we are right, I mean, isn’t that why radical Moslems become suicide bombers.
o Aren’t they just as convinced?
• I hate having to engage in this argument
o But that doesn’t mean I will shrink back from believing this verse.
o To it I say several things the most important is this: The claim that Jesus is the only way is proven by the fact that Jesus died and rose again! The proof of the resurrection changes everything.
• But there is a whole different perspective when we look at the point, “The question of pluralism is addressed by the act of kindness.”
• For the most part, the people who ridicule, or cannot accept the idea that we are exclusive in our faith have encountered a Christianity that forgot that the Church exists for the good of the world.
• This “act of kindness” is our defense.
• God poured out His Spirit, set the stage for Peter’s bold claim as a result of the “act of kindness” that they were on trial for.
• If the Church’s mission, to care for the needs of the world were forefront in her activity, then the criticism against her would be much less.
• I don’t get involved with the argument with people.
• I refuse to get involved with that argument.
• Instead, I preach the kindness of God that heals, restores and forgives.
• That is what Peter and John were about the day that miracle happened.
• I am convinced it starts out with an attitude of prayer, as they align themselves with the purposes of God.

Fourth, (SHOW) being with Jesus transforms us.
• The next verse tells us this.
• After Peter’s bold speech, the council met to discuss what he said.
• And the bible says, “They took note that these men had been with Jesus.”
• Now, what we know from that statement is that these men were known collaborators, disciples of Jesus.
• If they considered Jesus the enemy, then these men were the enemy as well.
• But there is a spiritual truth behind it.
• Spending time with Christ makes us more like Him.
• Would that be said about you?
• Would your times spent with Christ be obvious to people around you?
• Has His nature rubbed off on you?
• Would you be able to forgive as Jesus did?
• Will you care for others like Jesus did?
• Will you give your life for others like Jesus did?
o The apostles were willing to be persecuted, because they had spent time with Jesus.
o They knew what was the most important things to God.

CONCL:
(SHOW) Is the fact that you know Jesus obvious to the people you meet?