SERMON: THE NAME ABOVE ALL NAMES

THE NAME ABOVE ALL NAMES
18 January 2009

I. Introduction
-- turn in Bibles to Acts 4

1. 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.
2. They were greatly disturbed because the apostles were teaching the people and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection of the dead.
3. They seized Peter and John, and because it was evening, they put them in jail until the next day.
4. But many who heard the message believed, and the number of men grew to about five thousand.
5. The next day the rulers, elders and teachers of the law met in Jerusalem.
6. Annas the high priest was there, and so were Caiaphas, John, Alexander and the other men of the high priest's family.
7. They had Peter and John brought before them and began to question them: "By what power or what name did you do this?"
8. Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them: "Rulers and elders of the people!
9. If we are being called to account today for an act of kindness shown to a cripple and are asked how he was healed,
10. 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.
11. He is "`the stone you builders rejected, which has become the capstone. '
12. Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved."
13. When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus.
14. But since they could see the man who had been healed standing there with them, there was nothing they could say.
15. So they ordered them to withdraw from the Sanhedrin and then conferred together.
16. "What are we going to do with these men?" they asked. "Everybody living in Jerusalem knows they have done an outstanding miracle, and we cannot deny it.
17. But to stop this thing from spreading any further among the people, we must warn these men to speak no longer to anyone in this name."
18. Then they called them in again and commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus.
19. But Peter and John replied, "Judge for yourselves whether it is right in God's sight to obey you rather than God.
20. For we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard."

-- every March I go to the annual meeting of military wildlife biologists and wildlife managers -- these are usually really great conferences and great times for us to interact professionally and socially with our peers from around the United States and even those who are stationed in out-of-country installations
-- this is one meeting I don’t miss -- partly because of the information but partly because this is the one meeting where I get together with a few of my closest friends -- especially one friend that I worked with when I was with the Army -- although we’re separated by miles and work for different services now, we still remain pretty good friends and talk on the phone or by e-mail on a regular basis
-- it’s kind of funny that we’re friends, because we’re so different -- I’m an evangelical Christian and he’s an agnostic Jew who doesn’t believe in a personal God or in the faith of his fathers -- we’ve talked about religion from time to time and we understand each other -- we understand our differences -- and we accept who we are
-- so you can imagine my surprise at my friend’s reaction when we went to the social gathering of the group one night at a meeting down in Orlando -- it was an outside barbecue -- really informal -- and as everyone started to line up to get their plates, the president of the organization called on a retired member to offer up a blessing for the meal
-- he asked that everyone bow their heads and pray with him -- and he prayed to God and thanked for the food and asked Him to bless it for the nourishment of our bodies and souls -- my friend was o.k. with that -- he didn’t believe in God in that way, but it didn’t bother him that others did or that they talked about it verbally -- but when this guy closed his prayer by saying, “and we pray all this in the name of your son Jesus Christ,” you could feel the tension and the shock and unbelief emanating from my friend
-- he began to complain to me -- “How could he do that? -- how could he mention that name?” -- my friend became irate and I think he complained to the leadership of the organization about it to try to keep it from happening again
-- funny, isn’t it? -- he’s not a religious person -- he doesn’t even believe in God -- he was fine with the prayer -- he didn’t even have a problem with that -- until the name of Jesus was mentioned

II. The Name
-- what is it about that Name? -- what is it about the name of Jesus that causes some people to react in such a harsh way? -- whether they’re non-religious or whether they’re from another religion, most people don’t have a problem when someone prays in the name of God -- but if you mention Jesus, they get very, very upset

-- I assume that most of you have heard some of the controversy concerning the prayers and religious services that will be offered up this week around the inauguration of President-elect Obama
-- when Obama announced that Rick Warren -- the pastor of Saddleback Church and the author of “The Purpose-Driven Life” -- was going to give the invocation -- an outcry went up from the media elites and from a lot of Americans throughout this country
-- how would he pray? -- would he just pray to God? -- or would he, they whispered, dare to mention “the Name?” -- would he end his prayer by mentioning Jesus like Franklin Graham did back in 2001?
-- I’m not sure if you remember, but Franklin Graham was invited to offer a prayer at the inauguration of President George W. Bush in 2001 -- before he prayed, a fellow participant asked him if he intended to pray in the name of Jesus Christ -- Graham said, “Yes -- and you should do the same” -- Graham told him, "That's the only thing we've got."
-- and, sure enough, Graham ended his prayer with these words, “We pray this in the name of the Father, and of the Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.”
-- within days, a lawsuit was filed against President Bush for Graham’s prayer, alleging that it was an unconstitutional endorsement of religion -- they were outraged that Graham invoked the name of Jesus -- Graham responded, "If you don't want someone to pray in Jesus' name, don't invite an evangelical minister."

-- as the outcry against Pastor Rick Warren grew in the days after the announcement, perhaps President-elect Obama remembered what happened with Graham -- he took steps to diversify his spiritual team for the inaugural events -- he’s included Muslims, Buddhists, and liberal Christians to round out his team
-- one person he asked to participate is the Right Reverend Gene Robinson -- the openly homosexual Bishop whose appointment as Bishop caused a split within the Episcopalian and Anglican communities
-- According to the Associated Press, "Robinson said he doesn't yet know what he'll say, but he knows he won't use a Bible -- 'While that is a holy and sacred text to me, it is not for many Americans,' Robinson said. 'I will be careful not to be especially Christian in my prayer.'" [Washington Update]
-- I think it’s a given that Gene Robinson will not pray in the name of Jesus

-- this prohibition on the name of Jesus in America today isn’t just revolving around presidential inaugurations -- it doesn’t just come up when prayers are offered -- there is a bias and a prejudice against Christians using the name of Jesus in any communications with others
-- you can talk about God -- you can talk Buddha -- you can talk about Muhammad -- but don’t you dare mention the name of Jesus
-- this is not new -- as this passage shows, this has been going on since Jesus died on the cross and rose again on the third day -- this has been going on since men and women have gone forth and spread the good news of the God who became a man and died to save us from our sins
-- let’s look back at this passage again and see what we might learn

III. Scripture Lesson (Acts 4:1-20)
-- before we turn back to the Scriptures, let me give you the context to clue you in on what’s going on -- this takes place shortly after the Day of Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit came in power and indwelt Christ’s remaining believers
-- Peter and John have assumed leadership of the followers of Jesus -- they were still very much Jewish -- and continued to go to the Temple to worship and to pray -- one day as they were going into the temple to pray, they were met by a crippled man at the gate called “Beautiful” -- he begged them for money -- but, instead of giving him money, they healed him through the power of Christ and the Holy Spirit within them
-- a great crowd of people surrounded them in the commotion of the healing and Peter and John began to preach to them -- they caused such a commotion that the temple guards came up to them and questioned them
-- look back at verse 1

1. 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.
2. They were greatly disturbed because the apostles were teaching the people and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection of the dead.

-- I’m sure you’ve heard of the Sadducees before -- they were one of the two leading sects of Jews in that day -- along with the Pharisees -- the Sadducees controlled the temple and were the temple leaders while the Pharisees focused more on teaching the Scriptures and were known for their legalism and their moral code
-- the Sadducees did not believe in the resurrection of the dead -- so you can understand why they were disturbed at Peter and John’s teaching that Jesus rose from the dead

-- verse 3

3. They seized Peter and John, and because it was evening, they put them in jail until the next day.
4. But many who heard the message believed, and the number of men grew to about five thousand.
5. The next day the rulers, elders and teachers of the law met in Jerusalem.
6. Annas the high priest was there, and so were Caiaphas, John, Alexander and the other men of the high priest's family.
7. They had Peter and John brought before them and began to question them: "By what power or what name did you do this?"

-- at this point, it’s a question of authority -- who gave Peter and John the right to speak in the temple? -- where did they get their power? -- where did they get their authority?
-- that used to be the question posed to people who preached Jesus to others here in America -- Josh McDowell points out that when he used to preach on college campuses, the people who gathered to listen to him never questioned the veracity of his statements about Jesus -- they questioned his authority -- what right did he have to preach to them? -- what authority allowed him to come and preach? -- that’s the same questions that the Sadducees are asking Peter and John in these verses

-- verse 8

8. Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them: "Rulers and elders of the people!
9. If we are being called to account today for an act of kindness shown to a cripple and are asked how he was healed,
10. 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.
11. He is "`the stone you builders rejected, which has become the capstone. '
12. Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved."

-- Peter makes it clear -- he names the Name -- he tells the leaders of the temple, “It is by the name of Jesus that we have the authority to preach -- it is by the name of Jesus that we have power -- it is by the name of Jesus that this man was healed -- it is by the Name -- there is no other”

-- and look how the Sanhedrin responded -- verse 13

13. When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus.
14. But since they could see the man who had been healed standing there with them, there was nothing they could say.
15. So they ordered them to withdraw from the Sanhedrin and then conferred together.
16. "What are we going to do with these men?" they asked. "Everybody living in Jerusalem knows they have done an outstanding miracle, and we cannot deny it.
17. But to stop this thing from spreading any further among the people, we must warn these men to speak no longer to anyone in this name."
18. Then they called them in again and commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus.

-- when your authority -- when your right -- to preach and to share the gospel has been established -- then those who oppose you begin to attack your message -- “Stop using that Name -- stop preaching in the Name of Jesus -- stop telling people about Him -- you can talk about God -- you can pray to God -- but stop using the name Jesus”
-- kind of funny, isn’t it? -- the exact same arguments that we’ve hearing the past several weeks once the news got out that President-elect Obama had invited Rick Warren, an evangelical Christian, to come to Washington and pray
-- “He can talk about God -- he can pray for the nation -- but he can’t use the name of Jesus -- He can’t speak to anyone in this Name”

-- what do we do when people criticize us for speaking the name of Jesus? -- what is our response to those who want to prevent us from using His name?
-- it is not politically correct to speak the name of Jesus in public -- to pray to Him where others might hear -- to tell others about Him or to insinuate that He is the only way to heaven and all the other religions are just man-made paths to no-where
-- have you ever been asked to pray in public? -- have you ever felt led to tell someone about Jesus? -- what did you do? -- did you stand up and name the Name or did you bow to public pressure?

-- verse 19

19. But Peter and John replied, "Judge for yourselves whether it is right in God's sight to obey you rather than God.
20. For we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard."

-- Peter and John stood up for what they believed in -- they stood up for Who they believed in -- “It is more important to obey God,” they said, “than to obey man -- no matter the cost to us”
-- are we willing to pay the cost to obey God and speak the name of Jesus in public?
-- a lot of Christians -- like Bishop Robinson -- won’t stand up for Jesus in public -- they act like they’re ashamed of Jesus and of mentioning His name -- “Better not to offend,” they say, “and still take the opportunities to pray and to preach”
-- but, a watered-down gospel is no gospel at all
-- in Romans 1:16, the Apostle Paul wrote, “I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes” -- I am not ashamed of preaching about Jesus -- I am not ashamed of using the name of Christ
-- Jesus Himself warned us about the coming of this day -- the time when we would be persecuted and ridiculed and harassed for using His name -- in Matthew 10:32-33, Jesus said, “"Whoever acknowledges me before men, I will also acknowledge him before my Father in heaven. -- But whoever disowns me before men, I will disown him before my Father in heaven.”
-- failing to speak the name of Christ -- failing to acknowledge Him before men when we are in public -- is the same thing as disowning Him

IV. Closing
-- Adolph Menzel was a German painter in the 19th century who specialized in paintings of Frederick the Great -- one of his most famous paintings is called, “Frederick the Great's Address to His Generals Before the Battle of Leuthen.”
-- This historical piece depicts Frederick's speech to his generals in December 1757 during the Seven Years' War before their famous battle in Silesia against the Austrians -- Menzel worked on it for three years, but never finished it -- if you look at it today, the monumental painting contains the background and the generals standing in a semi-circle, but the main figure of Frederick the Great is left blank
-- Menzel's famous painting is a picture of our lives today -- The background of career, interests, pursuits and achievement is complete -- The faces of significant people like family, friends and colleagues surround us -- But the central and most important figure is left incomplete
-- Jesus Christ has been given a name that is above all others and rightly deserves to be the focal point of our lives -- the greatest need of every person is to have Christ in the center of their whole life -- not just the part that comes to church on Sunday
-- by allowing the media and the culture to be like the Sadducees -- by allowing them to tell us to stop naming the name of Christ -- we are foolishly allowing Him to be a blank figure in our crowded lives -- forever living on the fringe, but not in our heart or the heart of America
[Humanities and Social Sciences Online; Pulpit Helps, May 2008, p.28]

-- what will you do when you are given the opportunity to speak the name of Christ in public? -- when you are called to make a public statement of your faith, are you willing to do so, despite the cost it may bring?

-- I want to leave you with a story of one man who took the opportunity to do what was right when he was afforded that chance -- During last week's BCS National Championship football game, Tim Tebow, the quarterback for the University of Florida, ran onto the field with John 3:16 inscribed on the black under his eyes
-- every time the t.v. focused on Tebow, you could clearly see that Bible verse -- as a result of Tebow standing up for Jesus in such a bold way during the national championship, Google reported that the biblical reference subsequently became the most popular search item for the next several days -- because Tebow was not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, thousands -- if not millions -- of people were exposed to the gospel
-- while I know the odds are that none of us will ever have the chance to stand on the national stage like Tim Tebow or Rick Warren, we still have the opportunity every day of our lives to speak the name of Christ to others
-- when you have that opportunity this week, will you stand like Peter and John and boldly name the Name of Christ?
-- let us pray