Healing: In the Name of Jesus

INTRODUCTION

Good morning LC.

Two weeks ago, we spoke of God as the compassionate healer.

How compassion is a character trait of God and expressed in Jesus, who healed many because he was moved with compassion.

Today, we will be discussing Healing, in the Name of Jesus, the compassionate one.

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WE HAVE ALL SEEN THE CHARACTER OF THE YELLING PENTECOSTAL FAITH HEALER

“In the name of Jesus”

Grew up Pentecostal / seen the yelling and pushing preachers a lot / seen healings /

Have also seen a little 3-4 year old quietly whisper - “in Jesus name” followed by healings.

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TODAY, I WANT TO TRY AND ANSWER A COUPLE QUESTIONS.

Why do we as Christians pray “In the name of Jesus”?

What does it and doesn’t it mean to pray in the name of Jesus?

Finally, who can rightly pray in the name of Jesus?

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Mark 16:17–18 NASB95

“These signs will accompany those who have believed: in My name they will cast out demons, they will speak with new tongues; they will pick up serpents, and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.”

With out going into the serpents and poison part did you see the first sentence?

In MY Name, they will…

John 14:11–15 NASB95

“Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father is in Me; otherwise believe because of the works themselves. “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do, he will do also; and greater works than these he will do; because I go to the Father. “Whatever you ask in My name, that will I do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. “If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it. “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.

Last two sentences are connected to one another!

In my name, I will do it

If you love me you will keep my commandments.

Three Points here

We pray for healing in the name of Jesus because Jesus tells us to.

Asking for healing in the name of Jesus is about Jesus bringing the Father Glory.

It is more about Glory to God than healing to our body.

Asking in jesus name is connected to obedience.

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Let’s break that last part down.

When you come in the name of another, you come in the authority of that person.

So the name is connected to Authority - I come in the name of the United States of America - Ambassador of the USA

The ambassador represents the authority of the USA but is also under that authority.

If I pray in the name of Jesus, I am expressing two incredible truths.

The person Jesus has Authority.

I the one coming in that authority MUST also BE under His authority.

Thus the name of Jesus for John and Mark is also connected with obedience to His commands.

THEREFORE, I PRAY NOT BASED ON MY AUTHORITY BUT BASED ON HIS AUTHORITY (ALL AUTH..GIVEN TO ME…)

I ALSO MUST BE IN A RELATIONAL POSITION TO HIS LORDSHIP.

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TWO WILD STORIES THAT SHOW WHAT I AM TALKING ABOUT.

Peter, John and the Lame Beggar.

Peter and Joh go to the Temple to pray at 3pm - traditional Christian prayer time.

see and hear a lame beggar - crippled from birth

The beggar begins begging John and Peter for money.

Acts 3:4–9 NASB95

But Peter, along with John, fixed his gaze on him and said, “Look at us!” And he began to give them his attention, expecting to receive something from them. But Peter said, “I do not possess silver and gold, but what I do have I give to you: In the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene—walk!” And seizing him by the right hand, he raised him up; and immediately his feet and his ankles were strengthened. With a leap he stood upright and began to walk; and he entered the temple with them, walking and leaping and praising God. And all the people saw him walking and praising God;

Did you see that?

Declared healing in the name of Jesus

And then what did the beggar do?

Got up, danced and Praised God!!!

It is more about the glory of God than the healing itself.

This gives Peter a big audiance he then preaches the resurrection to.

They are arrested during the sermon.

But look!

Acts 4:4 NASB95

But many of those who had heard the message believed; and the number of the men came to be about five thousand.

THE AUTHORITY OF JESUS IS ALL ABOUT GIVING THE FATHER GLORY.

Don’t just pray for your healing - pray for God to be glorified through your circumstance.

We have to shift our perspective from, I want healed, to God I want you to be glorified.

When we pray for people our perspective needs to be switched - from God please heal this person to God be glorified in and through this person.

NOW LETS LOOK AT A STORY OF PEOPLE WHO ARE NOT UNDER THE AUTHORITY OF JESUS AND ARE NOT SEEKING THE GLORY OF GOD.

Acts 19:11–19 NASB95

God was performing extraordinary miracles by the hands of Paul, so that handkerchiefs or aprons were even carried from his body to the sick, and the diseases left them and the evil spirits went out. But also some of the Jewish exorcists, who went from place to place, attempted to name over those who had the evil spirits the name of the Lord Jesus, saying, “I adjure you by Jesus whom Paul preaches.” Seven sons of one Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, were doing this. And the evil spirit answered and said to them, “I recognize Jesus, and I know about Paul, but who are you?” And the man, in whom was the evil spirit, leaped on them and subdued all of them and overpowered them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded. This became known to all, both Jews and Greeks, who lived in Ephesus; and fear fell upon them all and the name of the Lord Jesus was being magnified. Many also of those who had believed kept coming, confessing and disclosing their practices. And many of those who practiced magic brought their books together and began burning them in the sight of everyone; and they counted up the price of them and found it fifty thousand pieces of silver.

The name of Jesus is not magic!

The sons of sceva were trying to use the name of Jesus as a magical word.

Within Jewish magical practices it was believed that a name carried the soul of the person. If you new the name you could curse a person, if you knew the name of a divine being you could put that being into practice to have dominance over others.

This is what the sons of Sceva were doing.

They did not recognize the authority of Jesus, only the power of Jesus.

They were not submitted to the Lordship of Jesus.

They were not concerned with God being glorified but rather for making a name for themselves.

TOO MANY TODAY USE THE NAME OF JESUS LIKE IT IS A MAGICAL TOOL TO GET WHAT YOU WANT.

We are not seeking discernment asking the HS what God desires.

Many are not seeking God to be glorified but rather they use the name to get something.

GO BACK TO THE LAST STORY -

LAME BEGGAR WAS AT THE GATE BEAUTIFUL FOR YEARS BEGGING.

Jesus never healed him? Why?

Jesus said, I only say and do what the father says and does.

When John and Peter came upon the man whom they likely passed every day, soething different happened.

Men under the authority of Jesus, seeking the Glory of God, were able to listen to the Holy Spirit and on that day, God chose to heal in the authority of Jesus.

Why? For the Glory of God.

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Jesus is compassionate towards our infirmities!

Jesus is still more concerned for the Glory of God.

When we use the name of Jesus we are saying, as one who is under the authority of Jesus, I come in the authority of Jesus.

But we need to make sure we are truley coming in the authority of Jesus and not in a vain attempt to get attention.

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THIS IS WHAT I WANT YOU TO FULLY UNDERSTAND!

Our God is a compassionate God!

He has sent us into this chaotic world to bring order in and through His name which is the name above all names.

And at the end of the day, it is for the Glory of the Father.