3/28/10 Acts 3
The Name of Jesus
Peter and John are headed to the temple during the hour of prayer when they are interrupted by a beggar who is lame. Peter and John both focus their attention on him and Peter speaks to the beggar and gives the lame man something for which he did not ask. Peter, in the name of Jesus, gives the man the ability to walk. For the lame man this was not even a request worth asking for, because he had accepted the reality that he would never walk because he had never done so. His response was immediate worship, not of Peter or John, but of God. He knew that this could have only come from God. It is possible that this man had heard of the healing work of Jesus the Nazarene, but never had the opportunity to cross paths with Jesus who caused the blind to see and the lame to walk. Because He lived in Jerusalem he may have heard that Jesus was crucified and rose again, but this still did not affect his physical condition. But when Peter and John come to him and told him to walk in the name of Jesus everything change for him in a moment.
From this morning until this Wednesday evening there are five large area churches that will be holding revival services, not evangelistic crusades, and certainly not healing services, which will have various speakers preaching in the name of Jesus. Preaching in the name of Jesus is central to the power of God that worked in Peter and John. Later in chapter 3 Peter is telling the crowd at the temple who are filled with amazement about the healed lame man that this miracle was not because of Peter and John’s own power or piety (righteousness), but rather it is based on the faith that they have in the name of Jesus. “it is the name of Jesus which has strengthened this man whom you see and know; and the faith which comes through Him has given him this perfect health in the presence of you all” (Acts 3:16).
An analogy for us is to see the church in America is largely lame and is not walking, but rather sitting at the gate and some too proud to beg and others begging for all that the world has to offer. Therefore we need a fresh encounter with preaching that is done in the name of Jesus. If we are strengthened by his great name and our spiritual health revived then the first thing we will do will be to worship God as did this lame man who went walking, leaping, and praising God after he had been healed in the name of Jesus.
Prayer: Father in Heaven, You are the source of all power and strength. My simple request is that you will give your laborers preaching in the name of Jesus today, in these five churches and beyond, an anointing of your Holy Spirit for the spiritual healing of your church and the praising of your great name. Has the church been carried by others long enough? Has the church sat begging from the world long enough? Father, it will only be by your grace that you will strengthen the spiritual condition of the church. How long Oh Lord? Maybe it is time the church begs in the presence of the only one that can provide our healing, in Jesus name. Amen.