No other name
This week is on Acts 4:8-12:
The Holy Spirit spoke through Peter here when the apostles were being confronted by leaders. Through God's power, they'd healed a guy who was disabled. Instead of being happy for him, the leaders were worried that God's power would eclipse their own. They didn't want to lose their cheese. They turned their legal powers against the apostles and brought them in for serious questioning. A lot of people would be afraid in a situation like that, but the Holy Spirit enabled Peter to be very brave.
Peter's statement is a home run of a testimony about God. When we're persecuted for God's sake, we're being called to account for an act of kindness. "Why did you heal that guy?" "Why did you tell those people about Jesus?" "Why did you refuse to pick up a gun and kill that guy over there in the name of our country?" "Why are you feeding those homeless people?"
People ask us why we do those things, but they're afraid of the answer. They don't want to know it is the Holy Spirit who inspires us to do God's work. They don't want God to get the credit for something man can't do. If you're "lame" it means there's something you can't do in your own strength. We're all lame, but the people who don't know they're lame get angry when they see people walk by the power of the Holy Spirit. They don't want to be reminded that there is someone greater.
Mankind crucified, but God raised from the dead. Think about that for a minute. What life-giving, renewing power do we have? We're lame! Worse than that, we actually mess things up! We crucify, but God raises from the dead. We reject things that God builds with and on. We can't do it, and when we try we make things worse.
Salvation is found in no one else. There is no other name by which we can be saved. Name one other thing that can save mankind, or defy the natural laws of the universe. There is no other. How can we not worship in our hearts when we think about that? Think about God's unique greatness this week. There is no other name by which we can be saved, no power that can surpass our weakness besides God's power.
Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them: “Rulers and elders of the people! If we are being called to account today for an act of kindness shown to a man who was lame and are being asked how he was healed, 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. Jesus is
“‘the stone you builders rejected,
which has become the cornerstone.’
Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.”
The Holy Spirit spoke through Peter here when the apostles were being confronted by leaders. Through God's power, they'd healed a guy who was disabled. Instead of being happy for him, the leaders were worried that God's power would eclipse their own. They didn't want to lose their cheese. They turned their legal powers against the apostles and brought them in for serious questioning. A lot of people would be afraid in a situation like that, but the Holy Spirit enabled Peter to be very brave.
Peter's statement is a home run of a testimony about God. When we're persecuted for God's sake, we're being called to account for an act of kindness. "Why did you heal that guy?" "Why did you tell those people about Jesus?" "Why did you refuse to pick up a gun and kill that guy over there in the name of our country?" "Why are you feeding those homeless people?"
People ask us why we do those things, but they're afraid of the answer. They don't want to know it is the Holy Spirit who inspires us to do God's work. They don't want God to get the credit for something man can't do. If you're "lame" it means there's something you can't do in your own strength. We're all lame, but the people who don't know they're lame get angry when they see people walk by the power of the Holy Spirit. They don't want to be reminded that there is someone greater.
Mankind crucified, but God raised from the dead. Think about that for a minute. What life-giving, renewing power do we have? We're lame! Worse than that, we actually mess things up! We crucify, but God raises from the dead. We reject things that God builds with and on. We can't do it, and when we try we make things worse.
Salvation is found in no one else. There is no other name by which we can be saved. Name one other thing that can save mankind, or defy the natural laws of the universe. There is no other. How can we not worship in our hearts when we think about that? Think about God's unique greatness this week. There is no other name by which we can be saved, no power that can surpass our weakness besides God's power.
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