The power of Jesus' name...

The power of Jesus’ name...

14 But seeing the man who was healed standing beside them, they had nothing to say in opposition.

15 But when they had commanded them to leave the council, they conferred with one another,

16 saying, "What shall we do with these men? For that a notable sign has been performed through them is evident to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and we cannot deny it.

17 But in order that it may spread no further among the people, let us warn them to speak no more to anyone in this name."

18 So they called them and charged them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus.

19 But Peter and John answered them, "Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God, you must judge,

20 for we cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard. 21 And when they had further threatened them, they let them go, finding no way to punish them, because of the people, for all were praising God for what had happened.

22 For the man on whom this sign of healing was performed was more than forty years old.”

What triggered the Sanhedrin’s recognition and realization of the power of Jesus’s name was what the apostles have been empower to do in this instance. Both Peter and John had fearlessly confronted the Jewish leaders with and through the power of Jesus’ name, through its authority and through its truth.

This attempt by the Sanhedrin to suppress the apostles’ teaching about Jesus’ name gave them a priceless opportunity. They boldly seized it and proclaimed the gospel to the highest officials of the nation and it was their belief in the gospel that strengthens them in the time of persecution. But where did that faultless faith come from? Where did that certainly of cause come from? Where did that sense of total protection and provision come from? I believed it came from God’s Word and I believed it came from one particular source of the Scripture found in the Psalms. for instance seems to explained their great resolve, that in Jesus’s name there is power that cannot be denied, power that cannot be deterred, and power that cannot be defeated. Along with our passage this morning I think it sets the stage for their victory here in .

Let us pray...

The power of Jesus’ name ...cannot be denied.

14 But seeing the man who was healed standing beside them, they had nothing to say in opposition.15 But when they had commanded them to leave the council, they conferred with one another,16 saying, "What shall we do with these men? For that a notable sign has been performed through them is evident to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and we cannot deny it.”

The unexpected boldness of Peter and John, and the presence of the healed man standing with them, put the Sanhedrin in an impossible position. “But seeing the man who was healed standing beside them they had nothing to say in opposition.” The Sanhedrin was taken aback for the moment and for the moment they were caught flat -footed and could not maneuver around the sheer fact that the power of the name of Jesus’ had deliver an awesome miracle before the very eyes of many in Jerusalem. Peter’s convincing defense show that he was not leading the people away from God but he was leading them to a closer, fully, and more intimate and intense walk with God through faith in His one and only Son, Jesus Christ, whom as risen from the death. Having ordered Peter and John to go outside of the Council meeting so that they might talk amongst themselves. The members of the Sanhedrin began to confer with one another. Peter had completely turned the tables on them, and now the court was in recessed while they considered what to do with these two men. The question was not an easy one to answer. Peter and John had broken no laws, they had not broken anything Jewish customs, and they had ably defended themselves from the Old Testament Scriptures based on God’s Word.

For the Sanhedrin to punish them further would be incredibly risky, in light to the fact that a true and noteworthy miracle had been done in the eyes of many and was easily verifiable and apparent to all who live in Jerusalem. The reality of the power of Jesus’ name as becoming self-evident and was spreading through the city. The power of Jesus’ name could no longer be denied, though they could not deny it, they did not accept it.

But they became a living illustration of the words of

, “Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil.”

Such are the blinding affects of sin, they knew the truth but they suppressed the truth, refused to accept the truth and rejected the truth of the power of Jesus’ name and His resurrection.

They even when to great links to further their deceit, they did all that they could to conceal the truth of the resurrection of Christ our Lord look at this passage.

, 11While they were going, behold, some of the guard went into the city and told the chief priests all that had taken place.12 And when they had assembled with the elders and taken counsel, they gave a sufficient sum of money to the soldiers

13 and said, "Tell people, 'His disciples came by night and stole him away while we were asleep.'14 And if this comes to the governor's ears, we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble."

15 So they took the money and did as they were directed. And this story has been spread among the Jews to this day.”

So right now in this instance, The Sanhedrin was in the middle of their worst nightmare, they had executed Jesus for claiming to be the Messiah. And all the facts at hand seem to prove that He was the Messiah and all the people were repeating those claims.

The Sanhedrin had no other choice other than to take some overt action to stop, to slow down, to shudder, to salvage, and to silence the knowledge of the power of the name of Jesus, this truth and this knowledge had to be denied. So what do they do, look at verses 16-17, “ ...What shall we do with these men” For that a notable sign has been performed through them is evident to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and we cannot deny it. But in order that it may spread no further among the people, let us warn them to speak no more to anyone in this name” This was their plan to stop the incriminating truth from going forward, this was their plan to deflect the indisputable knowledge of their direct involvement in the execution of Jesus for claiming to be who He truly was. This was their plan to try to intimidate Peter and John into silence by warning them to speak no more to anyone in this name. It is ironic, that the early believers had to be commanded to be quiet concerning Jesus and we modern believers must be commanded to qualitatively come forth proclaiming the power in the name of Jesus. This is a important fork in the road in the very history of the Church of Jesus Christ. If the apostles accepted this deal, if the apostles agreed with this deceit and if the apostles acquiesced to their demands, all subsequent church history would have been radically different. Napoleon wrote said concerning the concept of history, “History is the version of past events that people have decided to agree upon.”

Everything hinged on their willingness to obey God at all costs and to go all in, leaving the consequences to God. They understood that the power of Jesus’ name couldn’t be deterred.

The power of Jesus’s name...cannot be deterred.

18 So they called them and charged them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus.19 But Peter and John answered them, "Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God, you must judge, 20 for we cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard."

We do not see any fear, any fret, and any faulting here; the two men answered the request with a rebellious righteousness. Saying this, “... Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather then to God, you must judge, for we cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard.” The question for me here is where did this focused, foundational and firm faith come from? This level of faith did not exist in John14:1, when Jesus says to them “…let no your heart be troubled, believe in God, also believe in me...” This level of faith did not exist in the Garden of Gethsemane, when Jesus asks them, you cannot even pray with me for an hour? This level of faith did not exist in them prior the crucifixion, when Jesus tells them, Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you”().

I believe what brought them to this new level of faith was the fact that they we filled with the Holy Spirit, and the Holy Spirit had made good on the promise given by Jesus when He said in

, “ These things I have spoken to you while I am still with you. But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.”

I believed that Jesus is the ultimate author of all Scripture, that He is the word make flesh. Could not the apostles here have be thinking a passage in the Psalms during their imprisonment, seeking comfort but receiving clarity for what challenges which laid ahead for them.

Turn the , for a moment; this psalm really explains what it means to trust in God and to learn to live in that trust.

We must always remember that God is worthy of our trust in everything, I said God is worthy of your trust in everything, in things little and things big, in things trivial and in things tremendous, in things we fear and in things in which we walk by faith. David wrote this psalm; when David was on the run from Saul. We can embrace this text as a text of refuge at any time and from any place in our Christian journey and I think this would be true of Peter and John if indeed they were looking to this Psalm for strength for their journey.

Bishop James Hannington who lived in Africa and was beginning held in prison because of his witness for Christ. Found himself in Oct of 1885, being tortured and beaten in prison and was said to be delirious with pain, as he wrote in his journal these words.

I am being brought low, and I am broken, but I am also comforted by the words of . Again just maybe Peter and John appealed to this for comfort and clarity. Because they knew that God was worthy of their trust in every situation.

Do you know that God is worthy of your trust?

When should you trust God? Trust God in the good days, and you should trust God in the bad days.

First, we find an affirmation of trust in God people, seen in our confidence that can be surely placed in God. Verses and 1-6 is a song of affirmation of the security of God’s people, an affirmation of God’s ability to provide protection and provision and affirmation of our undying trust in a Holy God. There are two questions that set the very foundation for our trust in God, remember, trust lives in confidence in God, look at the first question in , The Lord is my light and my salvation, whom shall I fear? Look at the second question, The Lord is the stronghold of my life of whom shall I be afraid?

These rhetoric questions tells us that David was tempt by circumstances at the time to live in fear in this moment. And if David a man after God’s on heart was tempted to live in fear.

Who do we think we are? Fear comes but fear also flees if we maintain our confidence in God. When a believer lives in fear, there are only two reasons, (1) a guilty conscience produces fear, you are fearful because you know you are not living right and it’s only a matter of time before it catches up with you. A guilty conscience produces fear. , “The wicked flee when no one pursues, but the righteous are bold as a lion.”

This is incredible, wicked people run even when no one is chasing them.

What can you do if you are a wicked person? What can you do to escape such a plight? Just do what the Bible says!

, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

But if fear in a Christian’s life is not induce but a guilty conscience. If fear in a Christian’s life is not about them being not living right. If fear in a Christian’s life is cause by people, places, and pursuers continues. Then a lack of faith, a lack of relationship and a lack of confidence in Christ can only induce this fear.

If it is not sin-produced fear, the only reason a child of God would live in constant fear is because of a constant lack of confidence in God. Being afraid of people, being afraid of circumstances, and being afraid of threats, can come only from not living in total confidence in God. David is teaching us here in verse one that he has reasons to be afraid but I refused to be frightened by my fears! Why! Because the Lord is my light and my salvation, whom shall I fear, the Lord is the stronghold of my life of whom shall I be afraid. I am not afraid, because I’m living with confidence in my God. Why should we live with confidence in God? Because God is worthy of our trust, no one can do us like the Lord, no one can do for us what our Lord can do for us. Remember in Hebrew Scripture whenever something is repeated it is repeated to make a greater emphasis. Look at the repeating of the personal pronoun, my, my, my, David is emphasizing that he has confidence in his circumstances because as he states, my God is my light, my God is my salvation, my God is the stronghold of life.

So if we are afraid and bewildered by our lives does it not beg the question whether we really know God and if God is ours?

David is not afraid of his fears because of the personal relationship he has with God. Do you know Jesus? Do you have a personal relationship with God? Then why are you afraid?

Were these same questions rolling around in the minds of Peter and John as they sat in their prison cells. Sitting there thinking about how they would address the Sanhedrin on the day after their arrest. Did fear itself try it best to enter the jail cell with them, but was asked to leave by their confidence in God? Sometimes you have to tell fear to go away, resist the Devil and he will flee!

Go away fear, because the Lord is my light, my salvation, and my stronghold, whom shall I fear! Never forget how great your God is, this is not self-confidence, but God-confidence.

There are three things that we must keep in mind as Peter and John probably kept in their minds as well in the darkest of times. (1) Remember that my God is our light. When we are tempted to be afraid and frighten by the many evil things lurking in the darkest of this life, remember as we walk to the valley of the shadow of death, we will fear no evil for our God is there, His rod and His staff comforted me. Though I’m in the dark I have a light, which leads the way for me. This is the only time in the Psalms that God is called by “the title light”, God is always associated with light, because light represents goodness, purity, and clarity. But if we really gasp what is being said here it is not that God just provides light, but that God is light.

God is goodness, purity, clarity, and righteous. When I’m in trouble it is my God who is able to provide the light for me to see my way out.

(2) Secondly, we should never be afraid because God is my salvation, here salvation is not speaking to the forgiveness of sin, but to the fact that God can and will deliver us from trouble. You see you even though my light is with me, I might get tripped, or tricked, or even trapped along life’s dark path, but I also have a God who is my deliverer, who is my salvation.

Peter and John recognized in their hearts that whatever awaited them on the next morning at their trial God was able and would deliver them from all hurt, harm and danger.

Why do you think that they could speak with such confidence? Listen to what they said at their trial. “19 But Peter and John answered them, "Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God, you must judge, 20 for we cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard.”

Think about it, this is what they are saying, “You see because God is my light and my salvation, the same God that shows me my way is the same God who has the power to deliver me, so I cannot be quiet but I my speak of all that I have seen and heard and I must let the power of the name of Jesus be known!

And brothers and sisters we can say the same thing about our lives, the Lord is my light and the Lord is my salvation, and the Lord is my stronghold, the stronghold of my life, the older translations says that He is my strength, which means God is a place of refuge, God is my hiding place. The Sanhedrin thinks that have thrown Peter and John off their game by arresting them and throwing them in jail for the night. But Peter and John are using their uncomfortable accommodations as a refuge, a hiding place in God to prepare themselves for what the morning will bring. And because God is their strength, their stronghold, they have confidence that God will deliver them.

Have you ever been in trouble? Have you ever been on the run? Have you ever needed a refuge to run to?

I thought one of those questions would provide for me a witness among you this morning, but I’m glad I brought my own.

, “The name of the LORD is a strong tower; the righteous man runs into it and is safe.”

So God who is my light and who is my salvation, is also the God that I can run to in times of trouble and He will deliver me from my circumstances, now who would not want to serve a God like that!

Now if this fact served to give David great confidence, how much more confidence to it give to Peter and John, and how much more confidence should it give to you and me.

Peter and John knew first hand that if they could run to the cross, Christ was there and now He is raised! Risen as the Savior of the world, whom God rose from the dead, and seated Him on the right hand of God. Seated in majesty, as Lord of lords and as King of kings, as a conqueror, prophet, priest and king, and able to deliver us from all hurt, harm, and danger.

So New Life when should you trust God, in the good days and in the bad days… is known by some to be two independent songs sewed together, they say that because verse 1-6 has a different tone that verses 7-14. In we see an abrupt change in verse 7 where David shifts from 3rd person to 2nd person.

In verses 1-6 David talks about the Lord and in verses 7-14 David talks to the Lord. Verses 1-6 are all affirmations and verses 7-14 are all petitions. Verses 1-6 are a song and trust and verses 7-14 are a song of lament. Verses 1-6 are a song of faith and verses 7-14 are a song of fear but I believe that is not two songs but one song.

You do understand that you can wake up in the morning singing verses 1-6 and go to bed singing verses 7-14 but always remember. That Jesus is the same, today, yesterday, and tomorrow!

Peter and John did not heed to the Sanhedrin request, they were obedient to God and yet disobedient toward men. It is clearly a biblical principle that believers are to obey their government.

Peter himself taught such obedience in , “Be subject for the Lord's sake to every human institution, whether it be to the emperor as supreme, or to governors as sent by him to punish those who do evil and to praise those who do good. For this is the will of God, that by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people. Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God. Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor.”

The reaction of Peter and John, however, give us the limits of Christian obedience. They would gladly obey if they could do so without disobeying their sovereign Lord.

But when God’s commands conflict with those of the government, the government then must be disobeyed.

Think about the actions of the government in Pharaoh’s day and the instructions given to the Hebrew midwives,

, “Then the king of Egypt said to the Hebrew midwives, one of whom was named Shiphrah and the other Puah, “When you serve as midwife to the Hebrew women and see them on the birthstool, if it is a son, you shall kill him, but if it is a daughter, she shall live.” But the midwives feared God and did not do as the king of Egypt commanded them, but let the male children live. So the king of Egypt called the midwives and said to them, “Why have you done this, and let the male children live?” The midwives said to Pharaoh, “Because the Hebrew women are not like the Egyptian women, for they are vigorous and give birth before the midwife comes to them.” So God dealt well with the midwives. And the people multiplied and grew very strong. And because the midwives feared God, he gave them families. Then Pharaoh commanded all his people, “Every son that is born to the Hebrews you shall cast into the Nile, but you shall let every daughter live.”

But when God’s commands conflict with those of the government, the government then must be disobeyed.

Although Peter and John refused to obey the Sanhedrin, they nevertheless treated them with respect. They did not argue with them, nor pretend to submit and then go and disobey. Instead, they carefully and respectfully explained to the Sanhedrin that that could not stop preaching the in the name of Jesus, they could not stop telling about all that they had seen and heard. Paul would later write concerning this compulsion these words,

, “For if I preach the gospel, that gives me no ground for boasting. For necessity is laid upon me. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel!

Peter and John knew that there might be trouble if they kept on preaching and teaching in the power of the name of Jesus. But they also understood, that there was much more trouble if that were to stop preaching and teaching in the power of the name of Jesus. They understood woe unto them if they did not preach the gospel of Jesus Christ. And woe unto us if we do not proclaim the name of Jesus! The content of the message about in the name of Jesus stress that they were eyewitnesses of the life of Jesus, His death, His burial and His resurrection,

, “That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life—the life was made manifest, and we have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was made manifest to us—that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ.”

The Sanhedrin sought to regain their credibility by having Peter and John to deny the resurrection of Jesus Christ and the power of His name but they would not nor could not. It is very interesting that they recanted! Even though greater and more bruising persecution appear in their lives, the apostles never denied the central truth of the resurrection of Jesus. Even though every one of the twelve except for John died a martyr’s death, no one ever deny the truth about Christ or were ever deterred in proclaiming His name.

The power of Jesus’ name… cannot be defeated.

, “And when they had further threatened them, they let them go, finding no way to punish them, because of the people, for all were praising God for what had happened. For the man on whom this sign of healing was performed was more than forty years old.”

Even as the Sanhedrin further threaten Peter and John could have found security and solace in the words of

, “Though an army encamp against me, my heart shall not fear; though war arise against me, yet I will be confident. One thing have I asked of the LORD, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and to inquire in his temple.”

Though the Sanhedrin all 71 of them were threating them there was no fear in their hearts. Because their confidence was in God; that allow them to keep there focus and the one thing that was truly important. Which was the pleasure of dwelling in the house of the Lord, to be in the Lord’s presence, to worship the Lord with gladness, all the days of their life.

Though the leaders of the council charged them not to speak or teach … in the name of Jesus, Peter realized the impossibility of abiding by this prohibition, demonstrating that believers have the responsibility not to obey authorities when such authorities prohibit preaching the gospel or otherwise require Christians to disobey God’s explicit commandments.

The Sanhedrin were cornered; they had run out of options. Having threatened the apostles further they let them go, since they could not find any legitimate basis on which they might punish them. Look for a moment at;

, “For he will hide me in his shelter in the day of trouble; he will conceal me under the cover of his tent; he will lift me high upon a rock. And now my head shall be lifted up above my enemies all around me, and I will offer in his tent sacrifices with shouts of joy; I will sing and make melody to the LORD.”

The Lord is the stronghold of my life, He is a very present help in the time of need, He is shield and my strength is the strength of my life, my refute in the time of storm, and my way-maker, making a way out of no way.

, “Then the high officials and the satraps sought to find a ground for complaint against Daniel with regard to the kingdom, but they could find no ground for complaint or any fault, because he was faithful, and no error or fault was found in him. Then these men said, “We shall not find any ground for complaint against this Daniel unless we find it in connection with the law of his God.”

You see the action of the Sanhedrin was not a commitment to justice as it was practical politics. They feared the reaction of the people because that could find no wrong in them. All of the people who were glorifying God for what had happened. For what had happened to the man who was born lame and lived this way for forty years. They learned by experience that the power of Jesus’ name could not be defeated, not by harm, not by suffering, and not by intimidation. The power of the name of Jesus’ cannot be defeated.

, “Now who is there to harm you if you are zealous for what is good? But even if you should suffer for righteousness' sake, you will be blessed. Have no fear of them, nor be troubled, but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect, having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame. For it is better to suffer for doing good, if that should be God's will, than for doing evil.”

These words that I will close with on today come from a Christian man who has been an invalid for all of his life. This man has been lonely and obscure all of his life and has lived in constant pain and suffering.

“ Loneliness is not a thing of itself, not an evil sent to rob us of the joys of life. Loneliness, loss, pain, sorrows, these are all disciplines, they are gifts from God to drive us to His very heart. They are sent to us to increase our capacity of Him, to sharpen our sensitivities and understanding, to temper our spiritual lives so that we might become channels of his mercy towards others. So, that we might be used by a Holy God in the building and bearing of fruit for His kingdom. But this can only happen when we seized these gifts and not shy away from them, these gifts must not be used as excused for living in the shadows of life but used a shining objects and God’s grace. They must be used as messengers of hope, however painful, to bring other souls to the knowledge of the true and living God.

So use your pain, use your persecution, and perhaps use your purposeful suffering to show people that God is worthy of their trust and that they should believe and received what is in the power of the name of Jesus.