Authority of the Name of Jesus

My assignment today is to communicate to you about the authority of the name of Jesus Christ. And uh hopefully I can do that. Normally, this would take me several months, but I'm going to try to condense that into I'll give you the Reader's Digest condensed version this morning. The authority. We've been talking about the book of Acts and the things that went on in the book of Acts.

And one of the most prominent features of the book of Acts is the usage of the name of Jesus Christ. I am so appreciative of the fact that um men advance the truth. It wasn't it wasn't something that happened overnight. I was reading again brother Frank Uert's book on the phenomenon of Pentecost and how the truths of of Jesus name baptism particularly were unearthed in the early part of last century. We'll get into that.

But uh from Acts the 4th chapter:es 8-12, it's a very familiar portion of scripture and we can get so acclimated to hearing these things that they become commonplace to us. They can become so ordinary. And yet I want us to have a fresh appreciation today for the name of Jesus Christ. It's not a magic incantation that we just spout uh glibly. It is a the most powerful name ever revealed to man.

from Acts chapter 4. Then Peter filled with the Holy Ghost said unto them, "You rulers of the people and elders of Israel, if we this day be examined of the good deed done to the impotent man, by what means he is made whole, be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, said, "Even by him doth this man stand here before you whole." This is a stone which was said it not of you builders. Boy, he puts it right at their doorstep. He lays it squarely at their feet and and you can see them just ducking for cover as Simon Peter says, "You did this to the King of glory." He was said it not of you builders which has become the head of the corner. Neither everybody say neither is there salvation in any other name.

Let me lay to rest here this idea this pluralistic idea that all roads lead to heaven. Neither is there salvation in any other. Muhammad was false prophet. Buddha, Confucious, all of those men who claimed to have a religious uh revelation, the way. Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life.

Neither is there salvation in any other. For there is none other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved. The Acts of the Apostles it's called. and it introduced the authorized apostolic church. I'm going to give you a synopsis very quickly.

Chapter one, there was the promise of power. Chapter two, we read of power received. And at that point, persecution began. They said, "You bunch of drunks, bunch of crazy people." And Peter said, "They're not drunk. They're drunk, but they're not drunk like you think.

They have received the baptism of the Holy Ghost." So the promise of power in one, the power received in two, and persecution begins. Chapter three, there was a healing of the lame man in the name of Jesus. And chapter four, there was preaching in the name of Jesus. And there was persecution that arose against those who preached the name of Jesus. They were imprisoned.

They were beaten. Chapters 5-7, many were healed, signs and wonders, and then more persecutions, beatings, imprisonment, and Steven was executed for preaching in the name of Jesus. chapter 8 and n more persecution by a man by the name of Saul until he was himself converted and met Jesus on the road to Damascus and he began preaching in the name of Jesus Christ. In chapters 10 11 there was was evangelism to the Gentiles. Chapters 12-4 more persecution.

James was killed. Peter was imprisoned. But the word of God grew and multiplied. The Bible says they took Paul and they stoned him. More persecution.

You get the picture here. They had been authorized and empowered for the miracles that they were performing and witnessing. But among the things, let me say something that's very unpopular right now. And that is one of the things that we have been authorized for is persecution. I don't have time to go into all the the the scriptures that where Jesus said, "They hated me, they're going to hate you." He said, "Listen, you you got to get this picture.

We have been authorized and we have authority in persecution and tribulation. Not only are we authorized for it, we are appointed and anointed for enduring persecution." You remember the story of Breer Rabbit? And Breer Wolf was going to kill him. He was going to eat him. And Breer Rabbit says, "Oh no, don't do that.

Just throw me in the brier patch. I hate the brier patch." And Breer Rabbit was born for the brier patch because when Breer Wolf threw him in the brier patch, he just stood there laughing at Brother Wolf. Because Bear Rabbit was born for the brier patch as some preacher preached before. He was born. We are born.

We are anointed and we are appointed and we are authorized to endure persecution and tribulation. We are born for this. Uh because persecution and tribulation cannot do to the child of God what is intended to do and what it is designed to do. And that is to paralyze us with fear and doubt. And no weapon that is formed against the believer will prosper.

The tribulation and the trials that the early church faced only made them stand taller in the face of that persecution. And the word of God was preached and the name of Jesus Christ was proclaimed more and more. Why? Because Jesus gave them a clue. He said, "These things I have spoken to you that in me you may have peace." Oh, hallelujah.

I am so thankful for the peace of God that passes understanding that when the trials and the afflictions and the tribulations come to us, we can stand under the canopy of the peace of God that passes understanding. He said, "In the world you shall have tribulation, but be of good cheer. I have overcome the world." There are certain characteristics of authority. And sometimes we interchange the words power and authority, but they're two different things. Two very different things.

Authority is a legal right. It is a right to command or to act. While translated power in the King James version, many times it means authority, legal right. You have an authorization. And so for all of us here today, you don't have the power against spiritual darkness in yourself.

It is derived. The authority that you have and that I have is not intrinsic in me. It is derived from God himself. That's why when you receive the baptism of the Holy Ghost, Jesus said you shall receive power. So it is derived and thus it it's given to me.

It's delegated to me. I am accountable for this. Uh it is limited in us. It's limited. You're not authorized to do anything.

There's a there's a a book that tells us what we have been authorized for and what we have authority for. And so my authority, while Jesus proclaims certain things, I I want to get there this morning, but my power is my authority is limited. I don't have unlimited authority. And it is also revocable. Let me go over some Old Testament stories with you.

In the story of Judah and Tamar, his daughter-in-law whom he was supposed to, you know, by law he was or by by tradition, he was supposed to give Tamar uh the nextborn son once her his son had died and and married her. And he was supposed to give her another son. And and he did that. two sons died and and so he's got another son and uh he he withheld that son from her. But Tamar Tamar tricked Judah.

You can read this story in Genesis chapter 38. She tricked Judah. She dressed as a prostitute as it were and she caught Judah as he was going uh by the way and he he decided, you know, he was going to indulge himself. He didn't recognize his daughter-in-law because she had disguised herself. And and she says to him, "What are you going to give me?" He said, "I'm going to give you a kid of the goats." And she said, "Uh, but but I don't have one right with me at this point." She He said, "What shall I give you?

What do you want from me?" And she said, "Give me your ring. Give me your ring." Why? Because it's got your seal. It's got your name. It's got your authority.

I want your authority. I want your name because the authority is invested in the name. In Egypt, you can read this story about Joseph in chapter 41 of Genesis verse 42. It says this when he elevated Joseph and Pharaoh took off his ring from his hand. They were called the shinu in Egypt.

We called them the cart. You can see them in the hieroglyphics. The hieroglyphics of Egypt contain the name of the pharaoh. And so when he gives Joseph his ring, he's giving him, Sister Amber, his name. And he's saying, "You've got authority in this kingdom, and you can use my name." In Persia, King Ahazi, he revoked Hmon's authority.

In Esther 8 and verse two it says, "And the king took off his ring which he had taken from Hmon and gave it unto Morortei. And Esther set Mordei over the house of Hmon." And and so the investment of the name was in the seal of the king in the ring that he wore. So you need understand a little bit more about the prodigal and why the elder son got so angry when that prodal came from the pig pin and his father took off his ring and he gave it to him. He was given him the authority of his name. Hallelujah.

But it was limited and it was revocable because in human beings authority is derived from another source. But for the eternal God, the creator of all things it is intrinsic. It is inherent. He doesn't get his power and authority from anywhere else. Hallelujah.

There is no other source. I wish I had time to explain this this morning, but when Moses talked to God and and God revealed himself, the name that he gave Moses in Hebrew was a it wasn't Yahweh. That's he is a third person singular. When God spoke, he didn't say he is. He said I am.

Now in the naming convention when God names something it's about source and purpose. So when when Moses said I want who shall I say sent me God couldn't point to a source. He couldn't point to another source. So he points to himself and says I am I am in God for the eternal God. Authority is intrinsic and inherent in him.

It's not revocable. It's not temporary. It's not lent. Authority simply exists in God because of who he is. Because of who he is.

But stay with me. When the eternal God pulled back the the veil and stepped into his own creation, assuming identity as a human being. The Bible says this, this is not cardon. This is the Bible. He took upon him the form of flesh.

He made himself of no reputation. He took the form of a servant. He became subject to the very creation in order to make all creation subject reconciled to himself. God who had all power came in a body. Colossians 1:19 and 20 says this, "For it pleased the Father that in him should all the fullness dwell.

and having made peace through the blood of his cross. By him to reconcile all things unto himself, by him I say, whether things in earth or things in heaven. Second Corinthians 5 verse 19 says this, to wit or know this, that God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself as eternal God. He is the unqualified first and the last. We we use these terms interchangeably.

Let me slow down and teach you something here. We use these terms interchangeably. First and last, alpha, omega, beginning and ending. And they are not interchangeable. First and last.

This was a term that God used of himself. He spoke to Isaiah. Isaiah 44:6. Thus sayeth the Lord, the King of Israel, his redeemer, the Lord of hosts. I am the first and I am the last.

And beside me there is no God. No God. Woo. Brother, when I when I latched on to this, brother Richie, I got a hold of something here. First and last, that is not the same as beginning and end.

First means there is nothing before. Last means there is nothing after. That's what the Lord said. There's nothing before me. There's nothing after me and there's nothing beside me.

I am the Lord. He didn't note this. He didn't say of himself, I'm the beginning and ending. Because the beginning of something is a point in time where something starts. It has an origin.

God didn't say, "I am the beginning and the ending." That's finite. That's within time and creation. He said, "I'm the first, nothing before me, and I'm the last, nothing after me. But when he puts himself in a body and he introduces himself in a body, he says, "Not only am I the first and the last, I'm the beginning and I'm the ending, the alpha and the omega. Now I have listen that whole shmear about the eternal sunship.

It ain't right. It applies to Jesus Christ who had a beginning and an ending. Jesus. But he didn't stop there. That same Jesus that revealed himself to John on the island of Patmas, he didn't just say, "I'm the beginning and the end." He said, "I am the first and the last two." Kind of gives you a clue as to who this Jesus was.

Not only did he have a point in time beginning and a point in time ending, he said, "I am that eternal God also who nobody before me and nobody after me, even though I am here finite in time, I am that God." Whoa. Hallelujah. As a human, he is beginning and ending. But as God, he is first and last. Woo.

I hope that doesn't blow your theology out of the water, but you need to get a hold of this. He is the initium at finish. He is the beginning and the ending as a human. It indicates a start and finish. It indicates boundaries and parameters as the man Christ Jesus.

But as God eternal, he said, "There's nobody around me, nobody before me, nobody after me, and nobody beside me." Hallelujah. It's a subtle distinction between eternal and temporal. Both terms are used. It's all right to say Jesus is God. I don't back up on that.

We've been vil vilified for for saying that Jesus is God. He is God. But he's man too. He had a beginning and an ending. And and pertaining to the humanity, Jesus authority as a man was derived just like yours is.

I'll get in trouble with some trinitarian brethren today, but uh Jesus as a man pertaining to his humanity, authority, he said this. He said, "It's given to me. It's given to me." and the authority that was given to him. He proclaimed it at the beginning of his ministry when he made six statements of what he was anointed for. Luke 4: 18 and 19, he said, "The spirit of the Lord, that's a spirit of lordship." And I'll tell you something that God will never relinquish to anything or anybody and that's his lordship.

It was a thing that Satan desired to ascend to the heights and exalt his throne. He wanted lordship, not godhood. He wanted lordship to be the Lord of all. God will not relinquish his lordship. And here's Jesus standing there saying to this crowd, "The spirit of the Lord is upon me because of these things.

He's anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor. He sent me to heal the brokenhearted. He sent me to preach deliverance to the captive. He sent me to recover the sight to the blind. He sent me to preach and set at liberty them that are bruised.

And he said, he sent me to preach uh the acceptable year of the Lord. That that word there acceptable means promising. The promising year of the Lord. The beginning of the year. Roshashana.

Roshashana. It's it's proclaimed. It starts with the feast of trumpets. They blow the trumpets and they proclaim a new year. The ministry of Jesus began with a clarion trumpet sound that says, "Hey, everybody look at me.

The spirit of the Lord, I'VE GOT the authority of heaven behind me." Hallelujah. And he said, "I'm here to preach about the promising year of the Lord." Oh, thank God. Let me reveal something to you. I like this year of the Lord's stuff. You contrast this with the day of the Lord, which is a day of darkness and gloom, the day of the Lord.

You contrast this with a day of wrath and a day of trouble and distress. You contrast this with our light affliction which is but for a moment. You contrast the year of the Lord for with this psalmist who wrote for his anger endures but for a moment. Weeping may endure for a night but I'm here to tell you that the year of the Lord is expansive. It's bigger than any day or night of weeping.

It's bigger than any moment of light affliction. The year of the Lord is expansive. Hallelujah. Somebody get a hold of that. You're going through a season of darkness.

You got a whole promising year ahead of you that Jesus promised that that that that he proclaimed the year of the Lord. And so and and so when in in life, let me let me give you this trail here in life. Uh he declared authority over every disease, every sickness, every plague, every demonic power that existed in the realm of creation. Everybody say he did that in life. He did that while he was living.

He sent his word and to heal people. He put his hands on blind eyes and they were healed. He healed lepers. Uh he raised the dead back to life. Uh he healed all kinds of disease.

He cast out legions of devils. He showed that in life as the man Christ Jesus he had authority that he was authorized to do these things. But when he died, by dying, he declared his authority over sin in the flesh. When he cried, and I know we like to say to Telsty, that's the Greek. I don't think Jesus was speaking Greek on the cross.

I think he was speaking probably Aramaic, which was the common language of the Jews back in those days. So although we say and it's recorded as tatelisty, it's the it's the the force of the perfective, it means it stands being finished. But what Jesus cried on the cross when he gave up the ghost and dismissed his spirit as the as the wording says, it was what the Old Testament priest would come out and declare to the crowd on that great day of atonement. when that priest would come out, after the glory of God had come down upon that ark and receive the sacrifice, after the blood had been acceptable, after the sacrifice had been made, and he had stood in the glory of God, he would pull back those those uh gates uh of the tabernacle and he would walk out to that crowd and he would say one word, shalim. You know it better as shalom probably.

Peace. We've just made peace with God. We've just been reconciled to God. And so Jesus would have said in Aramaic, "Shalim, peace." We've been reconciled to God by the cross of Jesus Christ. And in taking that body into death, he declared his authority over sin in the flesh.

For what the law could not do in that was weak through the flesh. God sending his own son in the likeness of sinful flesh. For sin condemns sin in the flesh. Y'all not getting excited about this. I get excited ABOUT THIS WHEN I THINK of what Calvary accomplish.

WHEN I THINK ABOUT THE SALVATION THAT was purchased for me on that rugged crossuh of shame and suffering. WHEN I THINK ABOUT THE PIT THAT IT DIGGED ME FROM. WHEN I THINK ABOUT THE SIN THAT WENT DOWN WITH HIM. OH, HALLELUJAH. SHALIM.

So in death, he took his body of flesh and the sin that was representative that was representative of he took it down IN DEATH. BUT WHILE THAT body was bound in death, let me tell you something. The spirit wasn't dead. The spirit was still active. Why?

Because in order to redeem everything, he had to have authority over everything. So now he lays on a slab in a tomb. But in the spirit, he invades the very domain of hell. If you don't believe this, listen to what Peter said. For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the spirit, by which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison.

Brother Willilifford, I believe that he made that word preach caruso. It means to proclaim. I believe he marched right up to the gates of hell and made a proclamation. I am here just to serve notice to you that you have lost the victory. You have lost your power.

And I'm fixing to break the yokeh on a whole bunch of people by taking captivity captive with me when I get out of this place. It was simply a proclamation in the spirit because in his resurrection, he declared authority over death when he picked up that fleshly body and stood him up on his feet and marched him out of that tomb. And Jesus says this, "I am he that liveth and was dead and behold, I am alive." Woo! I know it's not Easter yet, but thank God he arose. I am he that liveth and was dead.

And behold, listen, he is alive forever more. Oh, hallelujah. But I got to hasten on here. Pastor Brad says we don't care anything about schedules, right? Let's put it to a test.

I'm just saying I think when people come in here they ought to feel the power of God. I'll probably get fired for this. But that's okay. I am fired. I'm fired up right now.

Hallelujah. Because I'm fix to tell you something. the authority that he gained. What is it that he ascended but that he first descended to the lower regions of the earth and when he came when he got up again he he he made captivity captive and he did all that but after he was exalted he makes this declaration in Matthew 28:18 he said and Jesus came and spoke unto them saying if he's got it all nobody's got anymore for if he's got it all, there ain't nothing left for anybody. Don't let Satan lie to you and make you think that he's powerful.

He said all authority. That word there is exusia. It is not dunamis. It is not the the ability. He said all authority.

WHOA. ALL AUTHORITY. We're almost getting there, but we're not quite there yet. All authority, he said it's given, derived, this man Christ Jesus says to us, all authority is given unto me in heaven and in earth. That means in all of creation.

But he didn't stop there because in verse 19, he gave them a commission. He extended his authority to the ones who were standing before him. And he says to them, "Now you go forth. Now you go out and begin to preach IN THIS NAME AND BAPTIZE people in this name. In Mark 16, he elaborates on the extent of that authority.

And these signs shall follow them that believe uh in my name. They shall cast out devils. Uh they'll speak with new tongues. Uh they'll take up serpents. If they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them, and they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.

And they went forth and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them. God. Oh, this is supposed to be a Sunday school lesson. In Acts chapter 2, 120 people receive the authority of anointing in the name of Jesus Christ. I build the case that Jesus is the family name.

Ephesians chapter 3 says, "For this cause I bow my knee unto the father of our Lord Jesus Christ, of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named." H let me let me leap forward. There really is something to this. This name of Jesus. This name of Jesus. This name of Jesus.

It's break time almost. But the name of Jesus. Oh, names that we have forgotten. names like Gar and and Boss and and we we we've we've uh we've lost names like Frank Uert and and uh we've we've lost them, but they advanced this truth and and they got a glimpse. Woo!

The Holy Ghost fell into Topeka, Kansas, then to Ouza Street. But but there was something missing. There wasn't a full restoration until these men picked up the book. They picked up the book and they said there's more to it there. They This is the way they did it in that primitive church in the book of Acts church.

They baptized them uh in the name of Jesus Christ uh for the remission of their sins. Uh we got to get back to that. Some of them said, uh, Glenn Cook and and some of those old-timers, Howard Goss and and those men, they grabbed a hold of this truth of the name of Jesus. It wasn't a new rhythm. It wasn't a new cadence that they were marching to.

It wasn't a new drummer. It was a rhythmic cadence that had began on the day of Pentecost to which the church had from the beginning had marshed in the name of Jesus. in the name of Jesus. Uh in the name of Jesus. Uh until uh it was lost.

It may have been obscured over the centuries of time. But somewhere along in the early 20th century, somebody picked up the book and found the place where it says, "And Peter said unto them, repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus." Uh and the name of Jesus. The cadence resumed from the rivers. They baptized them in the name of Jesus. Uh in the streams they baptized them in the name of Jesus.

It echoed in the tent meetings. It echoed in the brush harbors. It went from there to the horser fiberglass baptistries. In the name of Jesus Christ, I baptize you for the remission of sin. A song.

child of sorrow and of woe. Oh, it was what we sang at every baptism. It was more than that. It was a proclamation that when you come out of the waters of baptism, take the name of Jesus with you, child of sorrow and of woe. It will joy and comfort give.

You remember, take this everywhere you go. And then we would sing this because there was an appreciation for what that name meant. precious name. Oh, how sweet. Hope of earth and joy of heaven.

Every time we put somebody down in the water in the name of Jesus, we would sing that same old song. we would resurrect it for every baptism. Listen, let us not stray too far from that that roots the roots of our raising the roots the thing that was so hard fought the thing that Jesus gave his life to give to us was the authority of the name of Jesus Christ. So when we baptize you in the name of Jesus Christ, don't forget to take the name of Jesus with you. Child of sorrow and of woe.

Let's stand. It will joy and comfort give you. Take it now wherever you go. precious name, oh how sweet hope of earth and joy of heaven, precious name, hope of earth and joy of heaven in the name of Jesus. If you've ever been healed, it's in the name of Jesus.

If you've ever been delivered, it's because of the name of Jesus. If you're saved today, it's because of the name of Jesus that was proclaimed to you. The proclamation of the ga gospel is only in the name of Jesus Christ because it belongs to him. It is the gospel of Jesus Christ that saves us from our sins. And though we are an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.

Don't be swayed, folks. Uh it's time to latch a hold of the name of Jesus Christ and hang on to it for dear life. It is in these troublesome times. Uh in these shaking timesh it is the stability. We as the church are not going down in a in a smoky haze.

We are going up in triumph. We have been authorized by THE NAME OF JESUS TO STAND in these evil times. God bless you. Let's thank him again together. Father, we thank you for the privilege that we have in Jesus Christ.

The name, the name, the name, it's everything. It's everything. Amen. Amen.