Faith in His Name

22 April 2015

Opening Prayer/Worship

Hymn: I could not do without thee

Theme: Believe in Jesus Christ

Topic: Faith in His Name

Reading: Acts 3:12-19

When Peter saw it, he addressed the people, ‘You Israelites, why do you wonder at this, or why do you stare at us, as though by our own power or piety we had made him walk? ¹³The God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, the God of our ancestors has glorified his servant Jesus, whom you handed over and rejected in the presence of Pilate, though he had decided to release him. ¹⁴But you rejected the Holy and Righteous One and asked to have a murderer given to you, ¹⁵and you killed the Author of life, whom God raised from the dead. To this we are witnesses. ¹⁶And by faith in his name, his name itself has made this man strong, whom you see and know; and the faith that is through Jesus has given him this perfect health in the presence of all of you. ¹⁷ ‘And now, friends, I know that you acted in ignorance, as did also your rulers. ¹⁸In this way God fulfilled what he had foretold through all the prophets, that his Messiah would suffer. ¹⁹Repent therefore, and turn to God so that your sins may be wiped out,

Introduction

One of the several ways of expressing or describing faith in Jesus Christ is faith in His Name.  The Bible tells us that the name of the Lord is a mighty tower, and those who run to it shall be saved; also that at the mention of His name, all knees shall bow and every tongue confesses that Jesus is Lord.  At the mention of Christ’s name demons tremble.  His name is above all other names! Faith in the name of Jesus Christ is synonymous with faith in God.  When we say we have faith in the name of Christ we are simply saying that we know Him, and have put our trust in the Lord our Maker.  Faith in the name of the Lord means that we believe that Christ is alive, and that He will keep His promises to us.    

Questions/Discussion

1. How is there power in the name of the Lord?

Proverbs 18:10

The name of the Lord is a strong tower;
   the righteous run into it and are safe.

Philippians 2:5-11

⁵Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus,
⁶ who, though he was in the form of God,
   did not regard equality with God
   as something to be exploited,
⁷ but emptied himself,
   taking the form of a slave,
   being born in human likeness.
And being found in human form,
⁸   he humbled himself
   and became obedient to the point of death—
   even death on a cross. 

⁹ Therefore God also highly exalted him
   and gave him the name
   that is above every name,
¹⁰ so that at the name of Jesus
   every knee should bend,
   in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
¹¹ and every tongue should confess
   that Jesus Christ is Lord,
   to the glory of God the Father. 

2. What are the lessons for us in Luke 24:36B-48 regarding having faith in the name of Jesus Christ?

Luke 24:36B-48

Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, ‘Peace be with you.’ ³⁷They were startled and terrified, and thought that they were seeing a ghost. ³⁸He said to them, ‘Why are you frightened, and why do doubts arise in your hearts? ³⁹Look at my hands and my feet; see that it is I myself. Touch me and see; for a ghost does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have.’ ⁴⁰And when he had said this, he showed them his hands and his feet. ⁴¹While in their joy they were disbelieving and still wondering, he said to them, ‘Have you anything here to eat?’ ⁴²They gave him a piece of broiled fish, ⁴³and he took it and ate in their presence. ⁴⁴ Then he said to them, ‘These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you—that everything written about me in the law of Moses, the prophets, and the psalms must be fulfilled.’ ⁴⁵Then he opened their minds to understand the scriptures, ⁴⁶and he said to them, ‘Thus it is written, that the Messiah is to suffer and to rise from the dead on the third day, ⁴⁷and that repentance and forgiveness of sins is to be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. ⁴⁸You are witnesses of these things.

3. In what ways do we put our faith in the name of Jesus Christ?

Psalm 4:1-8

Refrain: The Lord does wonders for the faithful.

Answer me when I call, O God, defender of my cause; you set me free when I am hard-pressed; have mercy on me and hear my prayer. "You mortals, how long will you dishonour my glory; how long will you worship dumb idols and run after false gods?" R Know that the Lord does wonders for the faithful; when I call upon the Lord, he will hear me. Tremble, then, and do not sin; speak to your heart in silence upon your bed. R Offer the appointed sacrifices and put your trust in the Lord. Many are saying, "Oh, that we might see better times!" Lift up the light of your countenance upon us, O Lord. R You have put gladness in my heart, more than when grain and wine and oil increase. I lie down in peace; at once I fall asleep; for only you, Lord, make me dwell in safety. R

Romans 10:5-15

Moses writes concerning the righteousness that comes from the law, that ‘the person who does these things will live by them.’ ⁶But the righteousness that comes from faith says, ‘Do not say in your heart, “Who will ascend into heaven?” ’ (that is, to bring Christ down) ⁷‘or “Who will descend into the abyss?” ’ (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead).⁸But what does it say? ‘The word is near you, on your lips and in your heart’ (that is, the word of faith that we proclaim); ⁹because if you confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. ¹⁰For one believes with the heart and so is justified, and one confesses with the mouth and so is saved. ¹¹The scripture says, ‘No one who believes in him will be put to shame.’ ¹²For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; the same Lord is Lord of all and is generous to all who call on him. ¹³For, ‘Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.’ ¹⁴ But how are they to call on one in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in one of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone to proclaim him? ¹⁵And how are they to proclaim him unless they are sent? As it is written, ‘How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!’

1 John 3:1-7

See what love the Father has given us, that we should be called children of God; and that is what we are. The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. ²Beloved, we are God’s children now; what we will be has not yet been revealed. What we do know is this: when he is revealed, we will be like him, for we will see him as he is.³And all who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure. ⁴ Everyone who commits sin is guilty of lawlessness; sin is lawlessness.⁵You know that he was revealed to take away sins, and in him there is no sin. ⁶No one who abides in him sins; no one who sins has either seen him or known him. ⁷Little children, let no one deceive you. Everyone who does what is right is righteous, just as he is righteous.

Intercession/Worship

Conclusion

Faith in the name of the Lord means that we believe that Christ is alive, and that He will keep His promises to us.

The Collect for Third Sunday of Easter

O God, your Son made himself known to his disciples in the breaking of bread. Open the eyes of our faith, that we may see him in his redeeming work, who is alive and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Eucharistic Prayer A

The Lord be with you.

      And with thy spirit.

Lift up your hearts.

      We lift them up unto the Lord.

Let us give thanks unto our Lord God.

      It is meet and right so to do.

It is very meet, right, and our bounden duty, that we should at all times, and in all places, give thanks unto thee, O Lord, holy Father, almighty, everlasting God, creator and preserver of all things. But chiefly are we bound to praise thee for the glorious resurrection of thy Son Jesus Christ our Lord; for he is the very Paschal Lamb, which was offered for us, and hath taken away the sin of the world; who by his death hath destroyed death, and by his rising to life again hath restored to us everlasting life. Therefore with angels and archangels, and with all the company of heaven, we laud and magnify thy glorious name; evermore praising thee and saying:

Holy, holy, holy, Lord God of Hosts,

heaven and earth are full of thy glory.

Glory be to thee, O Lord most high.

Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord:

Hosanna in the highest.

Blessing and glory and thanksgiving be unto thee, almighty God, our heavenly Father, who of thy tender mercy didst give thine only Son Jesus Christ to take our nature upon him, and to suffer death upon the cross for our redemption; who made there, by his one oblation of himself once offered, a full, perfect, and sufficient sacrifice, oblation, and satisfaction, for the sins of the whole world; and did institute, and in his holy Gospel command us to continue, a perpetual memorial of that his precious death, until his coming again.

Hear us, O merciful Father, we most humbly beseech thee; and grant that we receiving these thy creatures of bread and wine, according to thy Son our Saviour Jesus Christ’s holy institution, in remembrance of his death and passion, may be partakers of his most blessed body and blood;

who, in the same night that he was betrayed, took bread; and, when he had given thanks, he brake it; and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take, eat; this is my body which is given for you: Do this in remembrance of me.”

Likewise after supper he took the cup; and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, saying, “Drink ye all, of this; for this is my blood of the new covenant, which is shed for you and for many for the remission of sins: Do this, as oft as ye shall drink it, in remembrance of me.”

Wherefore, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, we thy humble servants, with all thy holy Church, remembering the precious death of thy beloved Son, his mighty resurrection, and glorious ascension, and looking for his coming again in glory, do make before thee, in this sacrament of the holy bread of eternal life and the cup of everlasting salvation, the memorial which he hath commanded:

We praise thee, we bless thee, we thank thee,

and we pray to thee, Lord our God.

And we entirely desire thy fatherly goodness mercifully to accept this our sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving, most humbly beseeching thee to grant, that by the merits and death of thy Son Jesus Christ, and through faith in his blood, we and all thy whole Church may obtain remission of our sins, and all other benefits of his passion; And we pray that by the power of thy Holy Spirit, all we who are partakers of this holy communion may be fulfilled with thy grace and heavenly benediction; through Jesus Christ our Lord, by whom and with whom, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, all honour and glory be unto thee, O Father Almighty, world without end. Amen.

The Lord’s Prayer

And now, as our Saviour Christ hath taught us, we are bold to say:

Our Father, who art in heaven,

hallowed be thy name,

thy kingdom come,

thy will be done,

on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread.

And forgive us our trespasses,

as we forgive those who trespass against us.

And lead us not into temptation,

but deliver us from evil.

For thine is the kingdom,

the power, and the glory,

for ever and ever. Amen.

The Breaking of the Bread

We do not presume to come to this thy table, O merciful Lord, Trusting in our own righteousness, But in thy manifold and great mercies. We are not worthy So much as to gather up the crumbs under thy table. But thou art the same Lord, Whose  property is always to have mercy: Grant us therefore, gracious Lord, So to eat the flesh of thy dear Son Jesus Christ, And to drink his blood, That we may evermore dwell in him, And he in us. Amen.

Alleluia! Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us;

Therefore, let us keep the feast. (Alleluia!)

O Lamb of God, that takest away the sin of the world: have mercy upon us.

O Lamb of God, that takest away the sin of the world: have mercy upon us.

O Lamb of God, that takest away the sin of the world: grant us thy peace.

After Communion

Almighty and everliving God, We most heartily thank thee That thou dost graciously feed us, in these holy mysteries, With the spiritual food of the most precious body and blood Of thy Son our Saviour Jesus Christ; Assuring us thereby of thy favour and goodness towards us; And that we are living members of his mystical Body, Which is the blessed company of all faithful people; And are also heirs through hope of thy everlasting kingdom.

And here we offer and present unto thee, O Lord, Ourselves, our souls and bodies, To be a reasonable, holy, and living sacrifice unto thee. And although we are unworthy, Yet we beseech thee to accept this our bounden duty and service, Not weighing our merits, but pardoning our offences; Through Jesus Christ our Lord, To whom, with thee and the Holy Spirit, be all honour and glory, World without end. Amen.

The blessing

The peace of God, which passeth all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in the knowledge and love of God, and of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord: And the blessing of God almighty, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit be amongst you and remain with you always. Amen.

The Scattering

Alleluia! Go forth into the world,

rejoicing in the power of the Risen Lord.

      Thanks be to God. Alleluia!