The Name of Jesus

INTRO:

Wildweek

Wild Stories of the Bible

The unique ways that God works in revealing Himself

Seven Sons of Sceva

Acts 19:11–20 ESV

11 And God was doing extraordinary miracles by the hands of Paul, 12 so that even handkerchiefs or aprons that had touched his skin were carried away to the sick, and their diseases left them and the evil spirits came out of them. 13 Then some of the itinerant Jewish exorcists undertook to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits, saying, “I adjure you by the Jesus whom Paul proclaims.” 14 Seven sons of a Jewish high priest named Sceva were doing this. 15 But the evil spirit answered them, “Jesus I know, and Paul I recognize, but who are you?” 16 And the man in whom was the evil spirit leaped on them, mastered all of them and overpowered them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded. 17 And this became known to all the residents of Ephesus, both Jews and Greeks. And fear fell upon them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was extolled. 18 Also many of those who were now believers came, confessing and divulging their practices. 19 And a number of those who had practiced magic arts brought their books together and burned them in the sight of all. And they counted the value of them and found it came to fifty thousand pieces of silver. 20 So the word of the Lord continued to increase and prevail mightily.

Acts 19:

God doing mighty works through Paul

People are taking notice

7 brothers have a family business of exorcising demons

Hear about the power that Paul is walking in

Look and find a demon possessed man

Demon possessed people are not ones you want to discover

Mark

Mark 5:3–5 ESV

3 He lived among the tombs. And no one could bind him anymore, not even with a chain, 4 for he had often been bound with shackles and chains, but he wrenched the chains apart, and he broke the shackles in pieces. No one had the strength to subdue him. 5 Night and day among the tombs and on the mountains he was always crying out and cutting himself with stones.

So these brothers actively sought out these kind of people

They found a man and attempted to mix the name of Jesus with other pseudo-science

Acts 19:13 ESV

13 Then some of the itinerant Jewish exorcists undertook to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits, saying, “I adjure you by the Jesus whom Paul proclaims.”

Acts 19:

Missed the point:

They found a man and attempted to mix the name of Jesus with other pseudo-science

Paul had no power on his own

Christ is not a magical genie or incantation

Christ is not for the boasting of ourselves

The name of Jesus is far superior to any of that

The brothers saw Jesus as a marketing ploy

How can we bottle Him up and make a profit off of His name?

Their profession was all about the glorying of themselves

raising their popularity

gaining their wealth

Yet the Bible tells us this:

Philippians 2:9–11 ESV

9 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Philippians 2:

Jesus isn’t a person you can play around with

The Name of Jesus Cannot Be Used for Personal Gain

How can this be, the bible says false teachers will come, aren’t there those who make a profit off of telling false doctrine?

Yes, but the reward the gather from that is the only one they receive

I turn very leery of anyone who believes their abilities lie in what they have accomplished or done

Remember God is not mocked

Matthew 7:21–23 ESV

21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ 23 And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’

Waving the banner of Christ gains you nothing in the sight of God

God examines the heart

Same happens with the 7 brothers

They had no power on their own

sought to invoke the name of Christ as a magical, pagan incantation

we see God’s reward

Acts 19:15–16 ESV

15 But the evil spirit answered them, “Jesus I know, and Paul I recognize, but who are you?” 16 And the man in whom was the evil spirit leaped on them, mastered all of them and overpowered them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded.

Acts 19:

The demon answers them

This is a big UH-OH moment

Lose your clothes in a fight no one argues who won that fight

The Name of Jesus is the Power of God

Acts 19

Acts 19:17–20 ESV

17 And this became known to all the residents of Ephesus, both Jews and Greeks. And fear fell upon them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was extolled. 18 Also many of those who were now believers came, confessing and divulging their practices. 19 And a number of those who had practiced magic arts brought their books together and burned them in the sight of all. And they counted the value of them and found it came to fifty thousand pieces of silver. 20 So the word of the Lord continued to increase and prevail mightily.

Compared to Christ everything is inferior

There is no greater name

The apostles were asked when they healed a man what authority they were doing this under and Peter responds in Acts

Acts 4:10–12 ESV

10 let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead—by him this man is standing before you well. 11 This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone. 12 And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”

The power of new life is found in Jesus Christ

A man was able to walk again (New Life)

Magic practitioners burning their spell books, losing 120 years worth of wages to follow Jesus

The name of Jesus has power to free you from the bondage and slavery of sin

it is by His name and His name alone that you will be saved

STOP

The seven brothers believed that they could invoke the name of Jesus like a spell, attempting to gain something by using Christ; in what ways have you seen others or even yourself seek after Jesus as a means to get something rather than seeking Him just for Him?

Why does seeking after Jesus to gain something never work?

Why is Jesus greater than anything else

Where have you believed more in your own power, or in various things, rather than in Christ to be your joy, hope, and passion?

Why is Christ

After the brothers were beaten, many came to faith and destroyed the things they believed to give them hope, at great personal costs. What have you placed your hope in other than Jesus? Why do you still cling to those things if they have failed? What will it cost you to let those go? Why are you afraid to let them go?