Scripture: Philippians 2:9-11
RETELL: Mark 4:35-41 (Jesus Calms the Storm)
That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, "Let us go over to the other side." Leaving the crowd behind, they took him
along, just as he was, in the boat. There were also other boats with him. A
furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was
nearly swamped. Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples
woke him and said to him, "Teacher, don't you
care if we drown?" He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the
waves, "Quiet! Be still!" Then the
wind died down and it was completely calm. He said to his disciples, "Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?"
They were terrified and asked each other, "Who
is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!"
Who is this
Jesus that even the wind and the waves obey him? The world is drowning in a
storm and don’t realize that Jesus is right there in the boat with them. All
they need to do is call his name and he will quiet the storm and calm the
seas. Well that is not always true,
sometimes he wants us to ride out the storm to prove that we can do all things
through him who strengthens us. When Jesus acts – as in telling the storm to
cease – he is speaking with the same God power that brought the seas and the
wind into existence. The same power when Moses said who should I say is sending
me and God answered – tell them “I am that I am!”
Even people
who do not believe that the historical Jesus was the son of God still recognize
there is power in his name:
There
is a tone of voice by which someone would yell out JESUS! Or JEEESUS CHRIST!
That is offensive to those of us who believe. How often do you hear a similar
tone with the words “Buddha!” “Mohammed!”, “Hare Krishna!”, “Ron Hubbard!”, “Shirley
McClain!”
Just
using the name of Jesus or tacking “in the name of Jesus” to a request is not
what it means to access power in Jesus name.
Acts 19:13-20
Some Jews who went around driving out evil spirits tried to invoke the
name of the Lord Jesus over those who were demon-possessed. They would say,
"In the name of Jesus, whom Paul preaches, I command you to come
out." Seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, were doing this. One
day, the evil spirit answered them, "Jesus I
know, and I know about Paul, but who are you?" Then the man who had
the evil spirit jumped on them and overpowered them all. He gave them such a
beating that they ran out of the house naked and bleeding.
17 When this became known to the Jews and
Greeks living in Ephesus, they were all seized with fear, and the name of the
Lord Jesus was held in high honor. Many of those who believed now came and
openly confessed their evil deeds. A number who had practiced sorcery brought
their scrolls together and burned them publicly. When they calculated the value
of the scrolls, the total came to fifty thousand drachmas. In this way, the word of the Lord spread
widely and grew in power. 50,000 drachmas = millions $ today.
RETELL: Luke 7:1-10 (Centurion’s Servant Healed by His Word)
When Jesus had finished saying all this in the hearing of the people,
he entered Capernaum. (Map
Slide) There a centurion's
servant, whom his master valued highly, was sick and about to die. The
centurion heard of Jesus and sent some elders of the Jews to him, asking him to
come and heal his servant. When they came to Jesus, they pleaded earnestly with
him, "This man deserves to have you do this,
because he loves our nation and has built our synagogue." So Jesus
went with them.
He was not far from the house when the
centurion sent friends to say to him: "Lord,
don't trouble yourself, for I do not deserve to have you come under my roof.
That is why I did not even consider myself worthy to come to you. But say the
word, and my servant will be healed.
For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell
this one, 'Go,' and he goes; and that one, 'Come,' and he comes. I say to my
servant, 'Do this,' and he does it."
9 When Jesus heard this, he
was amazed at him, and turning to the crowd following him, he said, "I tell you, I have not found such great faith even in Israel." Then the men who had been sent returned to
the house and found the servant well.
The Centurion
recognized there was power in Jesus that did not require a physical act – Jesus
confirmed that faith in him was required for the miracle to take place. It is
not just saying Jesus name, it is acting as Jesus representative and asking in
his name what he desires done. When Jesus says ask anything in my name – he is
talking to people who understand that he means ask anything that would come
from the heart and wisdom of God. You can’t say, “God, give me a new car in
Jesus name” OR “God, make me better looking, in Jesus name” and expect it to
happen – that is not acting as a representative of Jesus because you obviously
don’t know the heart and wisdom of God. When you receive power of attorney for
someone – you are to act in their best interest – making decisions you know
they would make for themselves.
Peter and John – two of those
closest to Jesus served as representatives of Jesus and are involved in a strategically
located story that says more about the name of Jesus than anything else in all
of scripture.
Acts 3 – Silver and gold
have I none – clap clap
Acts 3:1-4:12
One day Peter and John were going up to the temple at the time of
prayer — at three in the afternoon. Now a man crippled 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. When he saw Peter and John about to
enter, he asked them for money. Peter looked straight at him, as did John. Then
Peter said, "Look at us!" So the
man gave them his attention, expecting to get something from them. Then Peter said, "Silver or gold I do not have, but what I have I give you.
In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk." Taking him by the
right hand, he helped him up, and instantly the man's feet and ankles became
strong. He jumped to his feet and began to walk. Then he went with them into
the temple courts, walking and jumping, and praising God. When all the people
saw him walking and praising God, 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 beggar held on to Peter and John, all the people were
astonished and came running to them in the place called Solomon's Colonnade.
When Peter saw this, he said to them: "Men of
Israel, 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? 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. You disowned the Holy and Righteous One and asked that a murderer
be released to you. You killed the author of life, but God raised him from the
dead. We are witnesses of this. 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 given this complete healing to him, as you can all see.
17 "Now, brothers, I know that you
acted in ignorance, as did your leaders. But this is how God fulfilled what he
had foretold through all the prophets, saying that his Christ would suffer.
Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times
of refreshing may come from the Lord, and that he may send the Christ, who has
been appointed for you — even Jesus. He must remain in heaven until the time
comes for God to restore everything, as he promised long ago through his holy
prophets. For Moses said, 'The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet
like me from among your own people; you must listen to everything he tells you.
Anyone who does not listen to him will be completely cut off from among his
people.'
24 "Indeed, all the prophets from
Samuel on, as many as have spoken, have foretold these days. And you are heirs
of the prophets and of the covenant God made with your fathers. He said to
Abraham, 'Through your offspring all peoples on earth will be blessed.' When God raised up his servant, he sent him
first to you to bless you by turning each of you from your wicked ways."
CHAPTER 4 The priests and the captain of the temple guard and the
Sadducees came up to Peter and John while they were speaking to the people.
They were greatly disturbed because the apostles were teaching the people and
proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection of the dead. They seized Peter and John,
and because it was evening, they put them in jail until the next day. But many
who heard the message believed, and the number of men grew to about 5,000.
5 The next day the rulers, elders and teachers of the law met in
Jerusalem. Annas the high priest was there, and so were Caiaphas, John,
Alexander and the other men of the high priest's family. They had Peter and
John brought before them and began to question them: "By what power
or what name did you do this?" Then Peter, filled with the Holy
Spirit, said to them: "Rulers and elders of
the people! If we are being called to account today for an act of kindness
shown to a cripple and are asked how he was healed, 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. He is "'the stone you builders rejected, which has become the
capstone.' Salvation is found in no one
else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be
saved."
Phil 2:9-11
God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is
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 confess that Jesus Christ is
Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
John 6:53-59
Jesus said to them, "I tell you the truth,
unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no
life in you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I
will raise him up at the last day. For my flesh is real food and my blood is
real drink. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in
him. Just as the living Father sent me and I live because of the Father, so the
one who feeds on me will live because of me. This is the bread that came down
from heaven. Your forefathers ate manna and died, but he who feeds on this
bread will live forever." He
said this while teaching in the synagogue in Capernaum.
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