November 24, 2019

No Other Name

Bible Text: Acts 4:1–12 |

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What's in a name? Do you recall that question from Romeo and Juliet? Juliet was trying to persuade Romeo to change his name, forsake his family connection, and marry her. For Juliet, the name meant nothing; Romeo would still be Romeo no matter what he was called. As things turned out, it wasn’t that easy. In fact, names mean quite a bit. They are part of our identity, link us to our history, and shape who we are.

That is especially true of, “The name that is above every name” (Philippians 2:9), Jesus. It was in his name that the Apostle Peter healed a man outside the temple one afternoon (Acts 3:1-10) which resulted in a sermon being preached to an amazed crowd that had witnessed the whole thing (Acts 3:11-26). When Peter called for the lame man to rise and walk, he did so, “In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth.” Within hours, the religious leaders were up in arms. Some weeks prior they had seen to the execution of Jesus, and now people were being healed in his name. So, Peter and John were arrested, held overnight, and questioned the next morning. During the interrogation they were asked, “By what power or by what name did you do this?” They answered, “By the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead.” What’s in a name? Well, if it’s the name of Jesus, all the power of God apparently. And it is no different today. We’ll look at together in Acts 4:1-12 this Sunday and see the implications for our lives.

Sermon Notes

The Book of Acts (Chapters 1–7)
No Other Name
Pastor Todd Dugard
Acts 4:1–12
November 24, 2019
For me, “Jesus” is the only name worth...
...losing my freedom for (v. 1–3)
As one of the few remaining Communist-run countries, Vietnam is a difficult place for Christians to live. New believers are often forced to leave their homes, children of believing families are asked to leave school, or are discriminated against while at school, not given the medical care or attention they need. Printing the Bible is restricted in Vietnam, making reading or even owning a copy of God's Word difficult. One man reported that his extended family worked with the authorities to chase him out of his home after he came to faith in Christ. He and his family are displaced from their home and are continuing to face persecution for their faith.
...believing in (v. 4)
...being questioned over (v. 5–7)
Daniel 2:20–21a
...boasting about (v. 8–12)
Galatians 6:14a