Faith and the Name of Jesus

Ac 3:1 One day Peter and John were going up to the temple at the time of prayer-- at three in the afternoon.  2 Now a man crippled from birth was being carried to the temple gate called Beautiful, where he was put every day to beg from those going into the temple courts.  3 When he saw Peter and John about to enter, he asked them for money.  4 Peter looked straight at him, as did John. Then Peter said, "Look at us!"  5 So the man gave them his attention, expecting to get something from them.  6 Then Peter said, "Silver or gold I do not have, but what I have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk." 7 Taking him by the right hand, he helped him up, and instantly the man's feet and ankles became strong.  8 He jumped to his feet and began to walk. Then he went with them into the temple courts, walking and jumping, and praising God.  9 When all the people saw him walking and praising God,  10 they recognized him as the same man who used to sit begging at the temple gate called Beautiful, and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.  11 While the beggar held on to Peter and John, all the people were astonished and came running to them in the place called Solomon's Colonnade.  12 When Peter saw this, he said to them: "Men of Israel, why does this surprise you? Why do you stare at us as if by our own power or godliness we had made this man walk?13 The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified his servant Jesus. You handed him over to be killed, and you disowned him before Pilate, though he had decided to let him go. 14 You disowned the Holy and Righteous One and asked that a murderer be released to you. 15 You killed the author of life, but God raised him from the dead. We are witnesses of this. 16 By faith 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 given this complete healing to him, as you can all see.

Observations:

1. They did not say - Lord do whatever your will is.
2. The were fully convinced that the man would be healed.
3. They said be healed and the healing came:

16 By faith 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 given this complete healing to him, as you can all see.

There is a Relationship between Faith and The Name of Jesus

I. Name of God in the Old Testament

A. Jewish respect for the name of God

1. Speaking God's Name
- By 200 AD the Jewish Rabbis were not saying the name of God out loud.  The would substitute lesser names for God like, Adonai would replace Jehovah/Yahovah/Yahweh.
- After the temple was destroyed in 70 AD the most sacred names for God were not pronounced.

1. So the next generation of Jews lost the pronunciation.
2. Originally the Hebrew alphabet did not include vowels.
3. Later small markers were included to indicate vowels

So today we are not sure if God's most scared name is Yahweh/ Jehovah or a different pronunciation.

2. Writing God's Name

Ex 3:13 Moses said to God, "Suppose I go to the Israelites and say to them, 'The God of your fathers has sent me to you,' and they ask me, 'What is his name?' Then what shall I tell them?"  14 God said to Moses, "I AM WHO I AM.  (Descriptive: self existent)     This is what you are to say to the Israelites: 'I AM has sent me to you.'" 15 God also said to Moses, "Say to the Israelites, 'The LORD, the God of your fathers-- the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob-- has sent me to you.' This is my name forever, the name by which I am to be remembered from generation to generation.

The Lord= Yawhey/Jehovah

Moses hidden in the cleft of the rock:

Ex 33:19 And the LORD said, "I will cause all my goodness to pass in front of you, and I will proclaim my name, the LORD, in your presence. I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.

- Jews avoid writing this sacred name of God.
- Because they believe it is dishonoring, not to write it, but to discard it once written.
- They also believe that it is dishonoring to erase or cross out God's name once it is written.
-  So they will substitute a lesser name like Adonai or leave letters out.
-  Even in English, Jews will often write the word G-D ( Leaving out the o)

B.  God wants His name honored

Le 22:32 Do not profane my holy name. I must be acknowledged as holy by the Israelites. I am the LORD, who makes you holy

II. New Testament Name of Jesus

A. Things Connected with name of Jesus

1. We have life in the name of Jesus: Joh 20:31
2. Baptized in the Name of Jesus: Acts 2:38
3. Only be saved under His name: Acts 4:12
4. Miracles through His name: Acts 4:29
5. Forgiveness through His Name: Acts 10:43
6. Justified by His Name: 1 Cor 6:11

B. Jesus the Christ
1. Jesus =Yeshua/ OT-Joshua  Salvation/save
2. Christ =  Anoint/rub  (Set apart chosen)

III.  What did Jesus mean by this  Statement?  "In My Name"

Joh 16:23 In that day you will no longer ask me anything. I tell you the truth, my Father will give you whatever you ask in my name.  24 Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete.

A. The Name has Authority

Php 2:9 Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name,  10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth,  11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. B. Trust in the integrity behind the Name
     
B. Faith is based upon the integrity of His Name.

2Co 1:20 For no matter how many promises God has made, they are "Yes" in Christ. And so through him the "Amen" is spoken by us to the glory of God.

C. To act in Jesus Name is to act as a representative of that Name to honor and protect it.

- Do not profane the name

Mt 15:8 "'These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.  9 They worship me in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by men.'"

- Believe by faith in accordance with the character of the Name. (What would Jesus do?)

Does the exercising of your faith honor Jesus?

IV. Faith and the Name of Jesus

Ask whatever you want in my name…

Qualifiers for our faith:

1. Is it God's will?

(How do we know what God's will is?)

-  Is His Will confirmed in scripture?

Ro 12:2 Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is-- his good, pleasing and perfect will.

- Is His Will confirmed by Holy Spirit?

1Co 2:9 However, as it is written: "No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him" -- 10 but God has revealed it to us by his Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. 11 For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the man's spirit within him? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God.  12 We have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us.

2. Does it dishonor or honor the Name? 

Jas 4:3 When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.  4 You adulterous people, don't you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God.  5 Or do you think Scripture says without reason that the spirit he caused to live in us envies intensely?

Pleasures: Hay-do-nay  (Hedonistic)  Lusts

This has been interpreted to mean God does not want you to have anything that is pleasurable.

1. Has lead to a poverty is spiritual mind set
2. People have bounced the other way to a Riches are the ultimate goal mind set

Both lack balance

3. Does our heart condemn us?

1Jo 3:21 Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God 22 and receive from him anything we ask, because we obey his commands and do what pleases him.

ONLY THEN BIBLICAL FAITH CAN GROW AND BE EXERCISED

Does it agree with the word?
Does it agree with the Holy Spirit?
Does it honor or dishonor his name?
Does our heart condemn us?

Three theological views that effect our prayers and ability to exercise faith

#1. Christian Defeatist
- Not sure what God's will is
- Prayers often have this flavor:

1. Lord things are bad I sure hope you do something.
2. Tone of voice is troubled, defeated, lacking faith.
3. Often the words "Your will be done" are included in prayer.

 

BECAUSE THEY DO NOT KNOW WHAT GOD'S WILL IS!

#2. Candy store Christian
- I'll have two of those, three of these…..
- The most important thing here is I want it!

#3. Christian who exercises Biblical faith

- Checks the word
- Listens to the Holy Spirit
- Asks if this will honor or dishonor the Name
- Do I need to repent to get into position to
   receive from God

Once he knows God's will and has lined up with it - He can pray in faith being fully persuaded that what God has promised He will also do.

VI. Application:

Those of you who have been seeking God will fall into two categories today:

#1.
You agree that what you are seeking is God's will according to scripture and the Spirit - it will honor the Name, not dishonor. But you have not yet jumped in with both feet to believe

#2.
You are unsure of what God's will is.

Until you are sure, you can never pray in faith So you need answers:
- Does God's word reveal his will in this?
- Does the Holy Spirit confirm God's will?
- Does it dishonor or honor the Name?

You also need is wisdom:

Jas 1:5 If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.  6 But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.  7 That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord;  8 he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does.