Acts 4:32-5:11

THE CHURCH: A PEOPLE WHO GIVE RADICALLY

I believe that God delights in his children when they take his commands to the extreme limits in joyful obedience. We could call this “radical faith.”

            Recently, I had a conversation with a friend about giving to ministries and causes. One word that he used stuck in my memory bank and has not left it since: Risk! What do we risk when we give our money to others? “Risk” flies in the face of our culture’s message of “comfort.” We desire more than anything to be comfortable financially, to not have to worry about having enough. There is nothing wrong with wanting to have enough, unless it becomes an obsession.

            “Risk” asks us to give generously now, not worrying about future consequences or perceived needs that are long down the road. “Risk” means giving because someone needs you and what you have, even if it means being the one in need later on. Our pride grimaces at this because we don’t want to be the one in need. Being in need means having to humbly receive the help of others. But being in such a position also means being willing to put our faith in God, that he will provide. That’s what some would call a risk; others might call it “faith.” Faith is risky. Or shall we call it “radical”?

            Out of our text today, Acts 4:32-5:11, I want to share four basic elements for radical giving. The church we have been studying in Acts was filled with the Spirit and on fire for the Lord Jesus. Out of that fire came a passion for giving. But the church was not perfect, even at this early stage. So from the Ananias and Sapphira incident, I also want to share four hindrances to radical giving.

            If we are a people filled with the Holy Spirit we will live out the words of our faith through deeds that match our confession.

            Consider with me the four basic elements of radical giving.

The Basic Elements for Radical Giving

a) Transformed hearts and minds – Believing in the risen Lord Jesus Christ had revolutionized the thinking of this church. Following the resurrection of Jesus, the Pentecost event, and their prayers regarding persecution, this body of believers had become connected. “All the believers were one in heart and mind” (4:32).

            There were two effects of believing in Jesus: the heart was loosened in relationship to things, and tightened in relationship to people. The key to this transformation was believing in Jesus as Savior and Lord, and trusting him for all you need, being satisfied with what God has for you in Jesus.[i] This faith drives a new attitude in regards to people and things.

            We can see this effect easily in Canadian giving stats. Macleans reported that the “gold standard for generosity in the country…is Steinbach, Man.” The median donation was $1,830 in 2013 which was equal to 6.6% of the median total income in the city. The second place community was Abbotsford-Mission, BC.[ii] Macleans won’t report this, but is it surprising to you that both communities are the Bible belts of their provinces?

b) A new attitude concerning possessions – Faith in Jesus cannot help but affect how we see our possessions and money. Suddenly, what we clung to as if a life preserver in a sea of uncertainty becomes a mere tool in the service of the King.

            Luke carefully reminds us that the church of Christ was a sharing community. We have heard this before in 2:44 almost word-for-word. Luke’s burden seemed to be to set Christians free from the love of things, to firm up our love for people, and to use what we have for their betterment. “No one claimed that any of their possessions was their own, but they shared everything they had” (4:32b). It makes you wonder if this church were around today, they wouldn’t have a communal riding lawnmower or snow-blower.

            The foundation for this mindset was the teaching of Jesus (Luke 12:32-34). Here Jesus taught that we have been given the kingdom – what can compare with such a prize? So sell what you have and give to the poor.

c) A new attitude towards the poor – A common refrain heard in society is that the poor are poor because of bad decisions. In other words, a person is poor because they deserve to be poor. That thinking has seeped into the church and we hear it in idle conversation. Jewish thinking in Jesus’ day was that a rich person was blessed by God, and conversely a poor person lived under a curse.

            The teaching of Jesus birthed a new attitude in the minds of believers towards the poor. We read in v.33 that the apostles taught about the risen Lord and God’s grace worked powerfully among them. It changed them so “that there were no needy persons among them” (34a). Out of the grace of God, the church learned to show grace in material ways to those in need.[iii]

            If the love of Christ has impacted you, that love will flow naturally out of you to others. John makes the connection between Christ’s sacrifice and our duty to our brother in 1 John 3 (1 Jn 3:16-17). If we have received his love, we will love others, including, or especially, the poor.[iv]

d) A new attitude of sacrificial giving – If our hearts and minds have been transformed by our faith in Christ, and if our grip on our possessions is loosened so that we care for the poor more than for luxurious living, to sacrifice for their sakes will come naturally. The attitude of the early church was such that they sold houses or land giving the money to the apostles to distribute among the poor.

            Some use the old adage “give till it hurts.” That is not the sense here. Barnabas, the example of this sacrificial giving, was so joyful in his giving that he was called “son of encouragement.” The Lord does not want us to hurt, nor to deprive our families of their needs for some so-called “noble” cause. God loves a cheerful giver; giving should be a joy, not a burden. Paul told the Corinthians, “Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion” (9:7). You can’t give sacrificially (that is, as worship to God) if you are grumbling about your loss.

            Love motivates sacrifice. From the overflow of your love for a cause or a person, sacrifice will come easily and joyfully.

Four Hindrances to Radical Giving

While Joseph a.k.a. Barnabas was a shining example of sacrificial giving, Ananias and Sapphira revealed that the church was not filled with perfect people. It never has been and never will be on this earth. Luke does not hide the sins of the first church; he bravely sets them before the reader to remind him or her that we can all fall and be hindered.

a) Wanting to hold on to money – The first hindrance to radical giving we see in Ananias and Sapphira was a love of money. The husband conspires with his wife to sell a piece of land, bring most of the money to the apostles, but keep a little for themselves and tell the church that they gave all of it.

            What a misunderstanding of the spirit of giving. There was no church rule saying that they had to sell their property. We read that “no one claimed any of their possessions as their own,” but that didn’t mean they didn’t have stuff. They simply acted as though stuff didn’t matter. No one forced Ananias to sell his property. If his heart didn’t tell him to sell it and bring the money, don’t do it, Peter implied.

            The love of money does strange things to the mind and to one’s actions. Paul told Timothy that the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil.[v] For Ananias, that meant lying.

b) Wanting to appear generous – Why would Ananias lie to the church? Barnabas was lauded as a godly believer for his generosity and selflessness. Ananias may have seen this and desired the same recognition. Deep in the heart of each of us is this little nagging demon that taints our righteous acts: this one is called “competition.” If we see someone getting attention for a praiseworthy deed, we can either rejoice with them or envy them.           

            Prompted by a love of money and a desire to be seen as generous, Ananias’ mixed motives led to his lying. Perhaps this is why Jesus warned people who gave to the poor not to let their left hand know what the right hand is doing (Mt 6:1-4). Our hearts love flattery; we can’t help but brag a little. But Jesus tells us that our Father, our biggest fan, knows what we do, so do it in secret. (news story on prom date).

            The Bible calls mixed motives “hypocrisy.” And hypocrisy is always motivated by self-love. We want to impress others to make them think we are something that we know in our hearts we are not.

c) Thinking you can fool the Holy Spirit – Hypocrisy does not fool the Holy Spirit. In response to Ananias’ declaration that he had given the whole amount, Peter calls him out. “How is it that Satan has so filled your heart that you have lied to the Holy Spirit…You have not lied to men but to God” (5:3&4).

            First, Peter equates lying to the Holy Spirit with lying to God; second, Peter implies that lying to the church is the same as lying to the Spirit. While the story of Ananias and Sapphira’s conspiracy has a drastic end, perhaps even over-the-top in terms of judgment, it does emphasize the seriousness of lying to the Holy Spirit – or trying to discredit the Holy Spirit.

            How does a person discredit the Holy Spirit? The couple may not have truly believed that the Spirit was present in the church. Or they understood he was present but didn’t take him seriously. Perhaps they thought God would tolerate their indiscretions that they were under grace in this matter.

d) Thinking there are no consequences for deceit – How wrong they were. Ananias fell dead; then when his wife kept up the pretense of generosity, she died.

            You might wonder why this couple was treated so severely. If hypocrisy was so grave a sin to the Holy Spirit, why haven’t others died? I think that God wanted to set an early example to the church. God wanted the church to know that the moment we start pretending to be what we really are not, death enters in, because we are cut off from the vital reality of communion with Christ and his body, the church.[vi] This explains the contrast between life in the Spirit and, as Peter put it, allowing Satan to fill you. That is death.

            There are consequences to hypocrisy, pretense and deceit before God and his church. The church itself has to take this seriously and bring discipline to the body. There are two extremes to church discipline however: Extreme Severity, where we discipline members for the most trivial offense, and Extreme Laxity, where there is no discipline at all, even for serious offenses.

            If we take a strong stand against sin, someone will say we are not being loving. But to tolerate sin is to encourage it to spread through the church and destroy others. That’s not loving either.

            What does this have to do with radical giving? Integrity. To walk in the light, as John calls it, is to walk transparently before God and the church, to give without pretense, to serve without applause, and to love Christ above all else.

Several years ago, I was asked to be part of a panel on giving before a college chapel at Steinbach Bible College. The theme was “Why I enjoy giving to SBC.” It seemed an odd topic, and I was chosen because our church supports SBC. Others on the panel went on and on about the joy of giving their money away. And I, being a bit of an agitator, decided to take a different approach: I said, I do not enjoy giving my money away, but I am compelled by the love of Christ and his kingdom purposes to do so.

            A very pious answer it was (I was trying to be different). But the truth is, giving money away can be, should be, and is, a joy. My wife has taught me that through her generosity. I believe that the church in Jerusalem could not help themselves – they were so overjoyed and filled with the love of Jesus Christ that they just could not help themselves. They considered it a privilege to bless others with material goods and monies. The benefit of this attitude is freedom, freedom from the cares of this world.

            Paul, reflecting on the joy of giving, left us with considerations when giving. I think this is a good way to close as we think about radical giving:

“…if the willingness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has, not according to what he does not have. Our desire is not that others might be relieved while you are hard pressed, but that there might be equality. At the present time your plenty will supply what they need, so that in turn their plenty will supply what you need. Then there will be equality…Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously” (2 Cor. 8:13-14 & 9:6).

                                                                        AMEN

---

[i] John Piper, “Be Like Barnabas Not Like Ananias” sermon, Feb. 10, 1991.

[ii] Aaron Hutchins, “No, Alberta does not give the most to charity” Macleans Feb. 20, 2015.

[iii] Fulfills the OT teaching that “there should be no poor among you…” Deut. 15:4

[iv] See also James 2:15-17

[v] 1 Timothy 6:10

[vi] Ray Stedman, “Body Life” sermon, Peninsula Bible Church, 4/26/70

Acts 4:23-31

HOW THE CHURCH RESPONDS TO PERSECUTION

We do not know the meaning of persecution here in Kleefeld. Not really. We do not know the meaning of suffering for our faith to the point of bleeding and dying.

            Other Christians do. Our brothers and sisters know what it means to be hated for loving Jesus.

            A 19-year old Christian girl in China was beaten and thrown into a filthy cell. It was dark, but from the smell she knew that the slimy floor was covered with human excrement. There was no bed or chair. She had to sit and sleep in this filth. She squatted down so that as little of her bleeding body as possible would touch the floor and silently gave thanks to the Lord that she was worthy to suffer for Him. She asked Him for wisdom and strength, not to get out of this terrible place, but that wherever He put her, she would be able to continue to preach the gospel.

            One day as she quietly sang a hymn, the Lord impressed upon her, “This is to be your ministry.” She thought, “I’m all alone. Whom can I preach to?” Suddenly an idea came to her. She stood up and called the guard. She offered to clean up all the excrement in all the cells. The guards were surprised but consented. This young woman found herself scrubbing floors and simultaneously preaching to people who had lost all hope of seeing another human being.[i]

            This girl knew persecution. She knew what it was to suffer for Jesus. She also knew how to respond to persecution. She began by praying.

            Is our church experiencing persecution? It depends on your perspective. Let me remind you of the body principle in 1 Corinthians 12:26, “If one part suffers, every part suffers with it…” What happens to our brothers and sisters happens to us. So even if we do not feel the beatings and hardships that they do, we share in their pain as members of the body. And when the body of Christ suffers persecution anywhere in the world we are compelled to pray for them. Today we recognize the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church (a week late). And after the fashion of the believers in Acts 4:23-31, we are going to pray in response to persecution.

First, we acknowledge the God to whom we pray

We have studied the text where Peter and John healed a lame man and the reaction that it brought. They were dragged before the Sanhedrin to explain their actions. Having been released with threats not to talk about Jesus, they returned to the believers and told them what happened (23).

            Now if the supreme court of Canada ordered you not to talk about Jesus in our free country, what would you do? Canadians might organize a rally, write letters or tweet about it, or march on Ottawa in protest. But these believers in Acts did not turn to the government to appeal this injustice; these believers turned to God in prayer.

            I find that there is much to learn about prayer from the Bible. I am still learning, and here in this text is a lesson worth noting. Peter, John, and the disciples lift up their voices together in prayer. They began by acknowledging who God was, and is, and will always be. Note the four parts of this address:

“Sovereign Lord” – This is an interesting title for God. The Greek word used here is where we get the word “despot” from. Though negative in our minds, it is used of a slave owner with unchallengeable power. What the disciples mean to say is that their God is the Master of everything.

Creator God – Then in a seemingly unrelated manner, the disciples acknowledge that God is the creator of all things, that he made the heavens, the earth, the seas – everything (24). While this may seem odd, what they were doing was declaring that nothing is impossible for God. And this situation, these threats and the looming danger, is not beyond God’s power. (Acknowledging God as creator in prayer – 2 Kings 19:15; Jer 32:17; Ps 146; Deut. 4:32-35).

Almighty God – Next, they quote a Psalm of David that speaks of the world’s hostility to god. By quoting this passage about the nations raging and banding against the Lord’s Anointed, they affirmed their agreement that the people of the world have always resisted God and his people. But God is enthroned as Lord over the universe, David says, and He laughs at the puny efforts to oppose him (Ps. 2:4-5).

Providential God – Finally, they acknowledge that God is the God of the events of history. Herod and Pilate conspired to kill Jesus, but they were mere actors in the great Redemption event. Though God’s people might suffer at the hands of evil men, they knew the truth – “God’s got this.”

            What we learn from their prayer is that we need to recognize the person and power of the God to whom we pray. We remind ourselves and declare to God in prayer that He is God and He is able and He is Sovereign over everything. This is worship! Prayer needs to begin with worship.

What do we pray for the persecuted church?

So once we have acknowledged the person and power of God, what do we pray when faced with persecution? What do we pray for our brothers and sisters who suffer?

            Let me tell you what they did not pray for: They did not pray for deliverance from these threats. They did not ask that this suffering be alleviated (though that would be okay). They did not ask for the members of the Sanhedrin to be judged and punished. And let me tell you, that surprises me a little. What did they pray?

            They prayed, “Now, Lord, consider their threats…” They asked God to take notice of this, to pay attention to what they are doing to them. But they knew that God knew. What we demonstrate in prayer is that we know that he knows. God knows what happens to us. There is never a time when God is unaware of what happens to you and me. But as we pray, we cry out and admit our need for his help. It’s like a young swimmer who struggles to stay above water, sinks time and again, and could just call out to the swim coach for help but won’t.

            “Now, Lord, consider their threats,” they prayed, “and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness” (29). Isn’t that remarkable? Speaking God’s word is what got them into trouble. Now they pray for greater boldness to keep doing it, just like the Chinese girl in our opening story.

            As we think of Christians throughout the world and pray for them, we have two requests: Lord, take note of their suffering, and give them power to keep speaking the name of Jesus, even in the face of suffering.

            But the disciples prayed one more thing: “Stretch out your hand to heal and perform signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus” (30). In other words, God, make yourself known. Show the people that you are real and that Jesus is your Son.

            This is what the church prayed for in the face of persecution, and it is what we can pray for the global church of Christ.

God’s Answer to Prayer

What did God do in response to this prayer?

            God answered their prayer in three ways:

            The place where they were praying was shaken. This was a sign of God’s presence, an affirmation that God’s Spirit was with them.

            They were all filled with the Holy Spirit. This was not another Pentecost. They had the Holy Spirit permanently dwelling in each of them. But, as we learned from Eph. 5:18, we are to be continually filled with the Spirit. The Holy Spirit enables us to do God’s will and to recognize God’s purposes.

            They spoke the word of God boldly. They preached to anyone who would listen. To preach is to proclaim, to declare – so, just so you know, not just the preachers were doing this, everyone who believed in Jesus preached. And we see a pattern emerging in this: We preach – the World persecutes – the church prays – We preach.

            Check out what happens next in Acts 5:

5:12 The apostles performed many miracles

5:14 Many people were saved

5:16 Crowds gathered around the apostles

5:18 The apostles are arrested and thrown in jail

5:19 God sets them free that night by a miracle

5:21 The apostles resume their public preaching

5:27 The apostles are questioned by the high priest who reminds them of the order not to preach in the name of Jesus

5:29 Peter replies, “We must obey God rather than men!”

5:30 Peter preaches to the Sanhedrin

5:40 The apostles are beaten and released

5:41 They leave the council rejoicing

5:42 They continue preaching the gospel everywhere

            When Christians are filled with the Spirit, you can’t stop them. Go ahead and arrest them – they’ll preach in prison. If you kill them, people get convicted of their sin and believe in Jesus and carry on the mission.[ii]

            God will answer our prayers for our brothers and sisters. Will we pray for them?

John Piper said, “If you do not know that life is a war, you will not know what prayer is for.”

            We may be immune to the spiritual battle that rages around the world. Oh, we do feel the tremors here – we feel the political pressure to conform to the Canadian version of common morality. It doesn’t jive with the Biblical standard, but we do not yet feel the heat for sticking out. But there is a battle, an invisible war, taking place in the spiritual realm. The real enemies are not the LGBTQ activists or the Right-To-End-Life proponents, but the principalities and powers that are behind them (Eph 6:12).

            Prayer, though, is our chief weapon in this struggle. We can do a lot of things when we have prayed; we can do nothing until we have prayed. If we believe this then we will pray every chance we get. We cannot fight this fight on our own; we need the Lord to fight for us.

           

I want to invite you to pray this morning. Open Doors ministry (opendoors.org) has identified the top 50 countries where it is most difficult to be a Christian. This ministry measures persecution by the degree of freedom a Christian has to live out his or her faith in five spheres of life – private, family, community, national, and church life – as well as by tallying acts of violence. For the past 14 years, North Korea has topped the list. The top three drivers of persecution worldwide are Islamic extremism, dictatorial paranoia, and organized corruption which affects Christians economically.

            But as Li Tien En, a famous house church Christian in China used to say, “Persecution is two parts opportunity, one part crisis – God always brings opportunities out of a crisis.”

            So please join me in prayer for these nations where it is difficult to be a Christian. My hope is that each of you will adopt a country and pray regularly for our brothers and sisters according to Acts 4.

                                                            AMEN

           

---

[i] From a sermon by Steven Cole, Lesson 13: How to Respond to Persecution, 2000.

[ii] From a sermon by Ray Pritchard, A Place to Pray, January 31, 1999.

Acts 3:12-26

WHAT’S IN A NAME?

What’s in a name? Do you know what your name means? Does the name define the person, or does the person give meaning to the name?

            I researched my name this week. I have long known that my name, Darryl, means “beloved one,” or so I thought. It was interesting to discover that “Darryl” as a name for babies found its height of popularity in the late 1960s, which makes sense since I was born in 1968. I also discovered that “Darryl” is derived from “Darrell” (misspelling) and comes from an English surname derived from the Norman French d’Airelle. This denotes someone who comes from Airelle in France. So much for “beloved one.”

            The most famous “Darryl” was Darryl Sittler of the Toronto Maple Leafs. So much for famous Darryls.

            I researched “Sharon” a little bit too, and found that for a brief period it was used as a boy’s name. Like I said, I think the person gives meaning to the name, more than the other way around.

When I think of “Sharon,” well….

            You know the name “Jesus” means “the Lord saves.” Jesus is the Greek form of Joshua or Y’shua (Aramaic). But you also know that there were hundreds, maybe thousands, of Jewish boys who were named “Jesus.” It was a popular name.

            What makes the name “Jesus” stand out? What is it about the name of Jesus that inspires faith? What is it about the name of Jesus that can heal the crippled man in last week’s text? It is not the name on its own, but the person who bears that name. The person of Jesus, the man from Nazareth, the Son of God, gives meaning and power to the name “Jesus.”

            Now the question is: Do we believe in this name, Jesus Christ, and all that it represents? Today’s text asks this very question. What do we, as followers of Jesus Christ, believe about this name? And I must be honest and vulnerable here; I have a lot to learn about having faith in this name, so I don’t pretend to have all the answers.

Why are you surprised?

Just as Pentecost and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit provided an opportunity for Peter to preach, so also did the healing of the lame man in the temple courts. People came rushing up; they were astonished.

            Peter asks a penetrating question, “Why does this surprise you?” Jesus had spent three years in Galilee and Judea healing hundreds of people, raising some from the dead, and casting out demons. Why are the people surprised that this man was healed in the name of this Jesus? Peter and John had said to this man, “In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk” (3:6). Why would a healing be so strange?

            The sub-question is equally challenging: Why do you think that it is our power, or our piety that healed this man?

            The question is important for us today. Why are we surprised at healing in the name of Jesus? Or better yet, why do we feel cynical or skeptical when we hear of someone being healed? A Facebook friend who was said to be dying of cancer recently posted that he has been healed. His paralyzed legs now move, and the lump on his neck has decreased. Instead of celebrating, some of us have doubts.

            So Peter’s question hits us head-on: Why are you surprised that a man was healed in the name of Jesus?

You rejected the NAME

Peter goes on to lay four indictments on the audience gathered before him in Solomon’s Colonnade. First he explains that, “The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified his servant Jesus” (13a). C.S. Lewis said that every sermon in Acts makes mention of the resurrection, it was that important to the gospel proclamation.

            Then Peter lays the guilt on the people. He says:

            YOU handed him over to be killed…

            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.

            From a sales perspective, guilt doesn’t sell. If Peter was trying to win converts to Christ, why lay a guilt trip on the people? Who would respond in our day and age to a message that made you feel like dirt? People spend thousands of dollars and hours of time going to therapists to overcome guilt.

            But if the guilt fits…As in Peter’s Pentecost sermon, it was important to remind people that they rejected Jesus. Even if they didn’t yell “Crucify him,” they didn’t yell “Don’t!” Peter knew this better than anyone, since he denied Jesus three times. Every person who does not accept Jesus rejects him. That’s okay, because that’s where we all start.

            I believe Peter’s intention here has to do with the name of Christ. He emphatically makes it clear that everyone rejected Jesus to his death. He does this to make a startling contrast. You disowned him; you killed him; you rejected the name of Jesus. But look at the power that is in this name; look at how God glorified this name.

There is power in the NAME

Peter provides the answer to his own question. If you are surprised by this healing, consider the name of Jesus. He says, “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 completely healed him, as you can all see” (3:16).

            We could ask a lot of questions regarding faith. Is it our faith in the name of Jesus that heals? Is it the faith of the one healing? Or the faith of the one being healed? Peter focuses on two things in his response: first, the name of Jesus is powerful and effective; second, this man was healed through faith that comes through Jesus. Faith in Jesus plays a significant role in this healing. You will remember that Jesus could perform very few miracles in his hometown because of a lack of faith (Mk. 6:5). But for those who believe in the name of Jesus, healing was a reality.

            Peter uses numerous titles that apply to Jesus that are summed up in the phrase “the name of Jesus.” Jesus’ name stands for everything that he is and does. In verse 13, Peter refers to Jesus as the Servant, a reference to the Suffering Servant of Isaiah 52:13-53:12, where the prophet predicts that the Servant would be “pierced for our transgressions.”

            Jesus is also called “the Holy and Righteous One” (3:14). He was without sin and therefore could offer himself as a substitute for sinners as a perfect Lamb. When Jesus confronted a man possessed by an evil spirit, the spirit cried out, “What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are – the Holy One of God!” (Mk. 1:24). Jesus was like no other man in that there was no sin in him.

            Peter then refers to Jesus as the “author of life” or the “pioneer of life” (3:15). Jesus is the originator of life and the author of our salvation (Heb. 12:2) which ensures eternal life. Jesus himself declared that he is the life (John 14:6), so that if you have Jesus as your Savior and Lord, you can know life now, not just in the life to come. True life is known through living for Jesus.           

            Title is stacked upon title to make the point: the name of Jesus is like no other. There is power in that name. In fact, Peter and John will say “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved” (4:12). That’s exclusive. There is no other name which can set the captives free from the chains of sin; there is no other name through which we can come to the Father in heaven (Jn. 14:6); there is no other name that reveals the Father God, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Period!

            Please note that the healing has become a secondary subject in Peter’s message. The centrality of Christ was his concern. The healing was a stage for the real crux of the matter – the continued proclamation and glorification of Jesus Christ. Don’t focus on the healing but on the One who can heal.

Pardon my ignorance

I have a catchphrase when I am new to a committee and unsure of how things work: “Pardon my ignorance, but …” Ignorance can be a wonderful excuse for not knowing any better. I just didn’t know. I was not aware. People will excuse a certain measure of ignorance if it is genuine.

            Peter makes this concession to his audience, “I know that you acted in ignorance, as did your leaders…” (3:17). This concession refers back to the four indictments: You handed him over to be killed; you disowned him before Pilate; you disowned the Holy and Righteous One; you killed the author of life. You didn’t know any better. Even Jesus said, “Father forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing” (Lk. 23:34).

            There is a lot of grace in Peter’s concession. Peter attributed the sinful actions of his audience to ignorance. But where there was ignorance there was also guilt and grace. We must be gracious with ignorance concerning the name of Christ. Many are darkened in their understanding of Jesus through ignorance:

            Paul said, “They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts” (Eph 4:18). I admit that I wince when I hear someone use the name of Jesus as an expletive. If someone yells “Jesus Christ” when they hammer their thumb, or whatever, I hurt inside. But then I concede that they don’t know him, or they’re praying…awkwardly.

            Paul himself noted that ignorance was his motivation in persecuting the believers: “Even though I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man, I was shown mercy because I acted in ignorance and unbelief” (1 Tim. 1:13). Ignorance is simply blindness to the truth of Jesus Christ. Some people just don’t get it. And the only reason we do is due to grace and the Holy Spirit.

            Peter holds out grace to those in darkness because Jesus is gracious. “He (Jesus) is able to deal gently with those are ignorant and are going astray, since he himself is subject to weakness” (Heb. 5:2).

            So there is pardon for ignorance.

Repent and believe in the NAME

But now that you know that you have ignored the name and the truth has been revealed to you, you cannot remain under the cover of ignorance. A response is required. Faith!

            Following the Pentecost sermon, the audience was cut to the heart and they wondered what they were to do with this Jesus. Peter said then, “Repent and be baptized…so that your sins may be forgiven…And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit” (2:38). Similarly, Peter gives a challenge in this sermon, “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 Messiah…” (3:19-20). The challenge is almost identical.

            Turning from this ignorance, the hearer is to turn then to the name of Jesus and believe. The healing of the lame man is a token of the greater prize, the healing of the broken spirit, the estranged man or woman separated from God now gaining access to God, and the forgiveness of sins. Peter says those sins will be wiped, or blotted, out. Ancient writing was done on papyrus and the ink had no acid in it. This ink did not bite into the paper like our modern pens but simply lay on top of the papyrus. To erase the writing, the scribe would merely use a wet cloth to wipe it away. So God wipes out the sins of the person who takes seriously by faith the name of Jesus Christ.

            The Holy Spirit comes into the heart of the believer and, as Peter now illustrates this presence, times of refreshing (peace, relief, joy) come to the believer.

            Putting one’s faith in the name of Jesus comes with an ongoing mandate. As Peter reminded the Israelites, Moses had promised that a prophet like himself would come to the Jews one day. This ancient promise was fulfilled in Jesus, Peter says. And he further reminded them of Moses’ words: “you must listen to everything he tells you” (3:22). Again we have that exclusivity that marks the Christian faith. We do not need to listen to other leaders, teachers or religious people from other faiths, but we do need to listen to Jesus. When you believe in the name of Jesus Christ, there is no other name that has the power to change your life like his name.

So if this name, Jesus Christ of Nazareth, is like no other, what is our response? Do we trust this name? Do we put our faith in this name? Do we believe what the Scriptures tell us about this name?

            I cannot claim ignorance. I know the truth of the Gospels. Yet I find myself among those who are skeptical, cynical, and dubious, when it comes to healing and miracles. I am confessing to you that my faith is not what I would like it to be in regards to such things. As the father who brought his son to Jesus cried, “I do believe. Lord, help my unbelief!”

            If we claim to have faith in the name of Jesus Christ, there is more at stake than healing and miracles. If we claim to have faith in this name then, as Peter reminds us, we must listen to Jesus. We read our Bibles, do our devotions, and nod our heads. But do we act in faith? Can we trust our injustices to the judgment of Christ, that he hears our prayers and knows our sorrows, and will make all things new and right? As we struggle with “chronic” sins and confess yet again that we have failed to remain pure, can you trust the name of Jesus that you are forgiven and he is working through the Holy Spirit to free you from your chains?

            In short, you know the truth, but have you put your total faith in the sweet name of Jesus, so that your life and actions are completely submitted to his grace?

            Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved!

                                                            AMEN

Some men called Him Rabbi, good teacher, nothing more

The Son of just a carpenter who taught along the shore

Some men called Him Master, Elijah come again

Some left their nets to follow Him to learn to fish for men

Some say He's Messiah, I Am, who's always been

The Baptist called Him Lamb of God who takes away our sin

What's in a name that the demons flee

What's in a name that the captives go free

What's in a name that every knee should bow

In the name of Jesus, name above all names

There is power and glory, forever and ever

Forever and ever

Some said Son of David returning to His throne

Some said He's the Son of Man with origin unknown

And one said He's the Son of God, the Rock on which we stand

The Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end

No other name can sound so sweet

No other name is so complete

No other name can bring release

The Mighty God, the Prince of Peace

(Petra – “What’s in a name”)