Acts: Power of Jesus' Name

If you have your Bibles, hope that you do, if you'll turn with

me to Act Acts chapter three. This morning, we'll pick back in our

study through the Book of Acts, Acts chapter three. We'll start in verse

eleven. In just a few moments here Act chapter three, starting a verse

eleven total. My message today is a testimony of Jesus. Now, I

don't know if you've ever watched a court case on TV, on a TV

show or maybe Judge Judy or whatever it may be you've watched. But if

typically if you watched some type of judicial court case, you'll notice there'll be

a testimony or eyewitness. Someone will be brought upon to stand and they'll give

an eyewitness account of evidence, of outlines the details of what happened. And

then there's after those although eyewitnesses give their testimonies, then that information that goes

to the judge or the jury and they deliberate. They take that information and

they deliberate on it and make a determination on what they're going to do with

the evidence that is before them. As we come to Acts chapter three,

that is kind of the kind of imagery of what Peter is doing here.

Peter is building a case. He's being a case for Jesus. And here

Peter is an eyewitness to what happened with Jesus and what's happened to the life

of this landman, and he seeks out from the very beginning of this message

as he speaks in just a moment, he seeks to give a testimony,

a testimony of Jesus from him being an eye witness of that. And he

wants the Jews who are hearing this case, who are who are now trying

to determine for themselves what does this mean? He wants them to hear a

testimony from him as an eyewitness, and he wants them to deliberate in their

own heart what does this mean for me? So I ask you today as

we begin this passage scripture, I believe this is what God calls us all

to do as we come to his word. He wants us to hear truth

from him. He wants us to hear first eyewitness testimony from his apostles about

who Jesus was. And then he wants you an eye to determine in our

hearts who is Jesus and what does the Bible say about Jesus? And then

what are we going to do? About that, how are we going to

respond to who Jesus is? So this morning I want you to see testimony

of Jesus here in this message. This morning, Peter gives three different points

understanding about who Jesus is, who Jesus was, and he gives that to

the Jews, and then next week we're going to see how he asked them

to respond. And I want you to be thinking about this today and this

week. How have I considered who Jesus is and what does that mean for

me? And how have I responded to those things? As you come to

this pastor's scripture, just remind you what's happened last week. Last week at

beginning in chapter three, we see Peter in John going into the temple and

there's a lame man. There's there by the gate, the beautiful gate is

called, and he's been lame from birth and he's begging, and Peter and

John look at him and um and and scripture says, they look at him,

they gaze at him, they see his needs, and they said,

what silver and goal we don't have, but what we give you, what

we have will give you. And in the name of Jesus, rise up

at what they take his hand and they pick him up, and he's he's

healed. And Scripture says, all the people in the Syna God, as

they went in for prayer, they're amazed. They're at wonder about what has

happened and how this lame man has now been healed. And as we come

to this passage this morning, there now went into the Syna God, they

have prayed, they're they're coming out of being in um in that area of

prayer and in the outer court, if you will, And we're going to

see that in just a minute. And everybody's gathered together. Everybody's wanting to

find out what happen. And all right, we see listen to laymen,

we've seen every day stand beside this gate. Now he's healed, and so

everybody's inquiring what's happened, How did this happen? How can this be?

And Peter, as we come to this passage of scripture, he stands up

and gives a testimony. And so let us stand together and let's read Peter's

testimony of Jesus. And next week we'll see how he calls them the response.

So we'll start in verse eleven and says that while he the laymen clung

to Peter and John. All the people, utterly astonished, ran together to

them into Portico called Solomon's. And when Peter saw it, he addressed the

people, men of visual why do you wonder at this? Why do you

stare at us as though by our own power or piety that we have made

him walk? The God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God

of Jacob, the God of our fathers, glorified his servant Jesus and whom

you deliver over and denied in the presence of Pilot when he had decided to

release him. But you denied the Holy One, the Holy and Righteous One,

and ask for a murderer to be granted to you, and you killed

the author of life and whom God raised from the dead. To this we

are witnesses and his name, and by faith in his name has made this

man strong in whom you see and know, and the faith that is through

Jesus has given the man this perfect health and the presence of you all.

Let's pray together, Father, I thank you Lord for this morning. I

thank you Lord for this testimony of who Jesus is. By Peter's words,

Lord, as he gathered as people gathered from all over that day to hear

the testimony of Peter. Lord, there are people gathered all in this room

today, watching on line, watching on TV, and they've gods together to

hear the testimony of you Jesus. And Lord, just as your spirit gave

function that day to Peter. Lord, may your spirit give me words to

say and the power to save them. Lord, I pray you would cleanse

me, Lord, as your servant, that you cleanse me from the top

of my head that solds my feet, that I might be your messenger,

your mouthpiece today. So give me clarity of thought and clearity speech. And

Lord, I pray that Lord, flowing from Lord your word today. Lord,

may your holy Spirit speak to the hearts of hearers today. And Lord,

as you speak, Lord, may we respond Lord to your truth.

Lord, I pray that we would get a glimpse of Lord, your son

Jesus today and we would be moved by who he is and what he came

for us. Lord, we love you, so lead us today. We

come together together as a body of believers, longing to hear a word from

you today. So Lord, may you speak. Lord. Now we pray,

Amen, you may be seated The first testimony that Peter gives of Jesus

is first he wants the hearers today or those they are gathered there at in

the Synagod, to see the servant hood first, the servant hood of Jesus.

See the passage scripture verse eleven says that he clinging, and that's the

lame man clinging to Peter and John. You can imagine after Peter and John

lead this man to healing, they go into Synagod and pray, and maybe

in the inner court they're all gathered, they're praying, and as they're leaving,

the Bible says, he's kind of kind of attached to their hip.

He's fallen along with them. And so we know in the inner courts where

they would pray, and then they would leave outside the inner court and they

would go into it's kind of a big open area called the outer court.

Scripture describes it here as a portico, which was called Solomon. So this

is a particular area outside the inner court. It's a large gathering. A

lot of people would have been in that area, and the Bible says that

when they got into that area, that scripture says, and all the people

utterly astonished. People were amazed. They're amazed at what's happened at this lame

men. They had seen this man every day as they've went into the temple,

these Jews, if they've been in and pray day after day or week

after a week, they had seen this man who had been laying there since

birth. Scripture says, since childhood. Daily they laid him at this gate.

They knew this man, they knew where he was, they knew how

he's been afflicted his whole life. And suddenly now this man who once was

lame, who once was a beggar, who once was carried every day at

the gate, is now a man who's completely healed, completely changed, is

walking or enjoying? Is everything's changed about this? And they are. Scriptures

says, they're amazed. They're astounded about how did this happen? The Bible

says, all these people are gathering together, and you can imagine just the

buzz that's in the room, and they're wanting to know how did this happen.

Maybe they weren't there at the right moment. They had heard somebody else

say this is what happened. Peter came up and says, by the power

name, but they're wanting to hear at firsthand. So they're all gathered together.

Peter scripture says in verse two, he sees this, Scripture says,

and then listen what he says to them. He says, men of Israel,

he's talking to the Jews there. He says, why do you wonder

at this? Listen to the words in verse twelve, Men of Israel?

Why do you wonder at this? And why do you stare at us?

He says to them, You're you're wondering, You're you're astounded that this happened,

and this happened to this man, and you're looking at us, you're

staring at us, like and then I love what he says. Don't stare

at us. It's not by our power. We didn't have power to heal

this man. It wasn't me, Peter, it wasn't John. It's not

anything that's in us that had the power to do this. And it's not

our piety is not piety is the religious devotion. It's not that we were

so religious or we're so holy, we're so good that we can do something

this imaging. There's nothing in us, Peter says, me or John that

has the power or the religious devotion. Sudn't allow this to happen? What

how did this happen? Then? And then Peter outlines how this happens.

And listen when he says in verse thirteen, this and the wording here says

the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob,

and the God of our fathers. He uses language here, actually language

that they would have known from Exodus three six. Exodus three six as a

passenger scripture was you remember Moses goes and he founds the burning bush. You

remember that that story. And when he goes into his burning bush, the

Bible says, what Moses, take off your sandals? What you're standing on

holy ground? And Moses asks, who's calling me? Who is this that

speaking? And this is what the Lord responds to Moses. He says,

I am what God speaks from the bush and says, I am the God

of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, the

God of Jacob. Who was it that spoke from the burning bush? It

was a great I am, It was the God of Abraham, It was

a God of Jacob. And using that same language that God used to identify

himself to Moses. Peter uses that in the same language and says, Hey,

listen, folks, it's not by my power or my religious devotion that

this man is healed. It is your God that you worship. It was

your God that you have followed, that you've been devoted to, that you've

just been praying to your God. And listen to what it says in this

passage scripture. It's the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and

the God of Jacob and the God of our fathers. He has done what

he has glorified his servant Jesus. He glorified his servant Jesus. Here he

says, your God that you have worship has done a work. He's the

one that's doing this work. And who has he done it through. What's

the instrument that he used to bring healing in this man's life? Well,

it is his servant Jesus. You see in this time, as you can

imagine, as these Jews have gathered together and you've known this for you would

have to know it. During this time, there had been so much misinformation

and so much conspiracies around who Jesus was, such a denial, who Jesus

was among the Jews. They've been all kinds of rumors that had been,

all kinds of different testimonies and false truths that came out about Jesus. And

these Jews do not believe Jesus is the Messiah. We've talked about that at

great length. They deny Jesus. And here Peter says, don't look at

us. It's not our piety or a religious devotion. It's not our power

who has done this. It's your God's servant, Jesus, who has done

that, who has done this. And I love this imagery that he used.

As he uses this in this passage of scripture, he says, God

has glorified his servant Jesus in scripture and the Old Testament prophecies. We know

the Old Testament there was prophecies about this coming Messiah. And one of the

imageries that the prophets would give about this coming Messiah is that he was going

to be a servant. And Isaiah fifty two thirteenth says, the Lord describes,

behold, my servant shall act wisely. He shall be high and lifted

up, and he shall be exalted. And the prophecy of Isaiah. Isaiah,

the prophet prophesied that Jesus, the Messiah God would it would be God's

servant, and as God's servant, God would exalt him. Acts three.

Peter says, this Messiah, this Jesus, is a fulfillment of Isaiah's prophecy.

He was God's servant and God exalted him. I love the image of

Donadi says that this was the servant that Isaiah talked about. This is it

is exalted servant that Isaiah talked about. And who was the one who was

doing the exalting? Who was going to be the one who was going to

exalt this servant? The Lord was And here Peter says, just as the

prophet said, God did it. God glorified his servant Jesus. But I

want you to hear also he uses his term what prophecy said he was going

to be this servant. Who was he going to serve? Well, first

he was going to serve who the Lord? Do you know? In the

Baptism of Jesus and Luke by the way and Isaiah forty two, another prophecy

of Jesus from Isaiah which says, behold my servant, and whom I have

behold my chosen and whom my sole delights. I have put my spirit upon

him, and I will bring forth justice to the nations. The Lord talking

about his servant, he says, this servant, and whom I chosen and

whom I delight God, describing that this Messiah would be who he delighted in,

who he would choose. And you know in Luke thirty three twenty two

describes jesus baptism and when the Bible says he was baptized, what happened?

What the Holy Spirit descended upon him? And they like a dove. And

there was a voice from what a voice from heaven? And you know what

that voice from heaven? Who was that voice from heaven? The Lord?

Right? And what did the Lord say about this? It says, behold,

what behold my beloved, not servant, but my beloved son, and

whom what with you? I am well pleased. You see, Jesus was

what God's glorified servant and who he was well pleased and was chosen by God.

But he was a servant who what served the Lord. But I want

you to see in this passage, here's want him wanting the hears to hear

he wants you to hear when you understand about who Jesus is. Understand he

was a servant who first served the Lord. He first was faithful to follow

what the Lord wanted for him. What does the we see the imagery in

the garden as he was praying the guard simity, right, Lord, if

you're sugar, will made this cup be taken from me? But not my

will, but yours Lord. It was this suffering servant who submitted to the

will of the Father. He was a servant. You can imagine that this

time these Jews had heard all kinds of rumor Mills and you know that's the

rumor mills are alive and will right, they were alive, and well then

they're still alive and will to day. Right. You're all kinds of rumors

of different things where you see them on Facebook or Twitter or whatever it is,

or at the beau Jangles on or at the coffee shop or whatever it

may be, at the barber shop, opera, the hair salon. There's

all kinds of rumors about stuff that happened. You can imagine this time there

was all kinds of rumors about who Jesus was. You imagine if you even

go back to the testimony of Scripture right and Luke, when Jesus was committed

over to their religious leaders, right, and they then took him and brought

him before Pilot. What did they accuse him of? The accused of this

men's leading a rebellion, right, he's leading a rebellion against Rome. And

he says he's what he says, he wants to be what the king of

the Jews, even so much Scripture says in Luke twenty three one through five,

Pilot goes to Jesus privately, it says, are you the king of

the Jews? These people are saying you're leading a rebellion. They say that

you say you're the king of the Jews. It was a false accusation that

he was. They were saying that even in Luke twenty two, I mean

twenty three five, and they were urged, really say, he stirs up

the people teaching to all through Judea. He's stirring up a rebellion. It's

a false accusation that Jesus was trying to raise up a military rebellion against wrong.

That's what the Jews were saying about Jesus. Even some of the Jews

had said that he cast out demons by by the power of Satan, that

he was empowered by Satan. Right, and all kinds of false accusations about

Jesus. He's not really from God. He's just a rebellious leader, just

trying to bring up a resurrection or insurrection against the wrong. But all that

was the thoughts, right, all these different lies, And here Peter is

saying, listen, this Jesus. They claimed that he wanted to be king.

They claimed that he wanted to lead a rebellion. But this Jesus,

what did he come to do? He came to serve, serve the Lord.

But listen, I want you to hear, but her serve who serve

the Lord and serve sinners? If you thought about that when Jesus, you

think about who Jesus is, and you think about what he was like.

He was a man who served the Lord and wanted to live for what God

called him to chose him for. He was a man who came to serve

others. That's what Mark ten five I meant five, for even the son

of Man came not to be served, but to serve, and to give

his life a ransom. One of the first famous quoted passages or scripture says,

what for God so loved the world that he gave his only son,

that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God

did not send his son into the world to condemn the world, but in

order that that that world might be saved through him. Didn't come to condemn,

He came to what saved. Paul even talks about Jesus says, this

is a trustworthy and divert deserving of awful acceptance that Christ, Jesus came into

the world to save sinners, and whom I am the foremost. And Matthew

twenty, you remember the sons of Thunder came and they wanted to set at

the right hand and left hand of Jesus, wanted to be him to set

up this keenly reign like these Jews were saying that Jesus was trying to do.

And Jesus said, at the very end of that, what even as

the son of Man came not to be served, but to serve and to

give his life as ransom. When I was a youth pastor many years ago,

I decided one time, and I think I may have done it on

one or two times, and on Wednesday Night was in it was kind of

our our time where we you know, we would have our kind of our

worship service look like we do here, but as we have Wednesday Night service

urs students. And that was when I had kind of my largest crowds.

One night I decided and I think I like I said, I think I

did this more than once, but I know in particular, one night I

decided on Wednesday night, I was going to take the youth from the youth

room and I was going to take them into the Fellowship Hall and I was

gonna have chairs kind of lined up in a line where they all sit in

a straight line. And then that night they'd had no idea I was going

to do this, but I was gonna wash their feet. And I remember

I got a bowl of a big metal bowl, and I setting them all

in the line and I went one by one and you know what, they

no, no, no, nopeean, you're not gonna washing my feet.

You know they've been outside playing basketball and you stinky feet. You know.

They no, no, they anyone want to take the shoes off. And

I said no, no, no, no, We're gonna do it.

I'm to do it. And just the uncomfortable feeling you could, you could

feel, it was like tangible. They did not want me to touch their

stinky fit. They didn't want me anywhere near their feet. They did anyone

take their shoes off. They want to take their socks off. But one

by one I washed their feet and it was a like I said, what

don't want you to hear about? That's how uncomfortable that made them feel.

And can you imagine that? As I'm just a youth pastor, but can

you imagine? And John thirteen, the night before Jesus died, he's brought

his disciples together, and the Bible says he took off, got a towel

and got down and and Peter says, no, no, no, the

Lord, you're not gonna wash my feet? Right? And John thirteen,

he poured out water in a basin. He began to wash his disciples feet

and began to wipe them with the how that was wrapped around him. He

came this im and Peter and he said to him, Lord, um,

do you wash my feet? And the answer said, what am I doing?

You do not understand now, But afterward you will understand that. Peter

says, you shall never wash my feet. He says, if I do

not wash you, you have no share with me. Jesus came to serve,

to serve cinners. Can you imagine, can just put yourself in that

shoes. Imagine if Jesus was here today and sat you on this front view

and got down on his knees, took off your shoes right here and wash

your feet. Every There's not a person in this room would say no,

Jesus, you are You're You're. We're not just talking about you're an important

person. You are, you are. Lord. How is it that you

would serve I'm just a filthy sinner? Why would you do this for me?

But listen, that's the kind of love the Lord has for you,

a sinner. He came for you. And it's uncomfortable, as Peter Phillips

in that moment, as comfortable as those teenagers felt in that room today and

that room many years ago. I want you to I want you to feel

that. I want you to feel the great love that Jesus has for you.

That he came to this earth, he came to save you, He

came to serve God the Father. But he came to serve you as sinner.

And that's what he says to them this passage of scripture. The God

of our fathers glorified his servant Jesus. And the next part he wants them

to see, and not only the servant hood of Jesus. Jesus came from

the lame. He came for the broken, He came from the sinner.

He came to serve the Lord. But he came to serve sinners. But

secondly, he wants them to see the suffering of Jesus. And I asked

chapter three, I mean thirteen. He says, here, by the power,

by the God, and he describes the God, the Father, he

glorified his serve Jesus. And then listen away, says this servant Jesus that

God glorified. He wants them to see his suffering, but suffering at whose

hand their hand? Listening to scripture, whom you delivered over and denied in

the presence of Pilot when he decided to release him. But you denied the

Holy One, the Righteous One, and you ask for a murder to be

granted to you, and you killed the author of life in whom God raised

from the dead this we are witnesses. He wants them to understand how did

God glorify the son? Well, you think about in our world if you

think about when man receives glory of praise or we would say in our world

we would use the term glory. But when when when someone in our world

receives fame? How do they get fame in this world? How they get

recognition in our world? Well, they get it through power, right,

a position of power of some sort. They get it, um, by

getting the position of power. Some get fame through success. Right, win

an NBA championship or a Major League championship, or win some race, or

win some golf tournament, or win some cooking prize or something. Right,

you win something and be successful, like start tesla, you know, um,

put a rocket in space. Right. If you do something like that

and you're successful, then you get what fame? Right, So power,

success, and then wealth. Right, if you have a lot of money,

have a lot of things in this world, then you get fame with

that wealth. Right. In scripture, he describes how Jesus get fame.

How did he get glory by suffering? Who wants that? Anybody sign up

for fame? Glory through suffering. Well, that's how Jesus received glory.

That's how God gave glory to the son was through suffering. Follow the imagery

of the passage in this passage. In God, the God of allyes It,

the God of Jacob, the God of our fathers, glorified his servant

in whom you delivered over. He got it through suffering, and he got

it suffering at their hands. He reminds them in this passage, and go

through this quickly. He reminds them of this passage in Luke twenty three,

and again this is Luke who's writing this, who writes acts, And Luke

twenty three he describes Pilot Pilot's the chief priests, the RelA just leaders had

had captured Jesus, had taken him through like a makeshift court system throughout the

middle of the night, had found him guilty in their mind of these false

accusations, and they took him to Pilot because Jerusalem was under Roman jurisdiction,

so that Romans had to sends him to death. So they took him to

Pilot, and Pilot comes to them after evaluating him. You remember Pilot and

says like, I don't really want this. I don't want to deal with

this. He says, I'm going to send him to Herod right, and

see if Herod can find him for aught. Maybe Harold Harod would deal with

it, and I don't have to deal with it, sends the Herod.

Herod can't find anything wrong with him, and he presents him back to the

pilot right. And so then pilot like goes back before the Chief priest in

looke thirteen I mean twenty three thirteen. He goes back to the Chief Priest

and in verse thirteen he says, you brought this man to me as one

who was misleading people as an accusation. Right, he's leading up a rebellion.

And after examine him before you behold, I do not find any guilt

in any charge against him. I found a fault in him. And then

verse fifteen says neither to hit Herod for he sent him back to us.

And he says, look there's in verse fifteen, look nothing deserves death has

been done by him, like you're bringing all these false accusations. He's trying

to lead this rebellion, he's not doing it. Therefore, he says,

I'll punish him, release him, and then verse eighteen, listen to what

says, but they cried out together away with this man, release us.

Babb Us a man who'd been thrown in prison for leading an insurrection and started

in the city and for murder, and Pilot or dress him once more in

verse twenty desire and release Jesus, but that kept shouting crucify him, crucify

him. And at third time he says, why what evil has he done?

I have found no guilt in him deserving death. Therefore I will punish

and release him. But they demanded, with loud cries, that he should

be crucified. In this passage here Peter is in the syno God in Jerusalem,

and he says to them, you're wondering how this happened. You're wondering

how this lambman is healed. It's by God's suffering servant in whom what who

suffered at your hand? Pilot gave him to you Jews. He told you

there was no fault in him, and he gave him back to you.

And what did you do? You gave him back to Pilot and demanded that

he would be crucified, and you instead wanted a known killer. You gave

one scripture says, look at what he says here, but you denied the

whole righteous one. He's using a compare and correct contrast. What Jesus was

holy and righteous. Barabbas was a condemned sinner. That's who you gave up.

And you asked for a murderer to be granted to you. And listen

to what this in verse fifteen says. Fifteen says, and you killed the

author of life in whom God raised from the dead. You know, probably,

like I don't know about you, the worst feeling in life, absolute

worst feeling of life, is when you have done something in your own decision

or whatever it may be, that's brought harm or hurt to someone else.

Right, that's absolutely the worst feeling, right, you know, when you

did something that brought harm to someone else. I remember when Chloe was a

little baby, and that was not twelve years ago, that was nineteen years

ago. I was prepared this week, and so she was she was a

little and you know, it was first baby, and we had the little

baby carriers, you know, your little bassinet, you had the little handle,

you know, and had her in that and we were in seminar housing

and so we didn't have any like way to pull up to the door,

and so you had to park and then you had to you know, run

into the little and it was raining. It was like pouring rain. And

so I decided we went to the store and we went to go get formula.

And so, you know, back then we had the we did the

powder of formula and we went. We went big that day. We got

the big can, all right, So we didn't want to have to go

back the store lot. We just want we got the big can. And

so I remember thinking, Okay, it's raining, I got to get her

in. I got to get the formula in, and I have a handful

of something else. So I decided, this is so not smart, So

don't ever do this. I decided, within the same hand of the carrier,

I would also had the back of the formula, right, oh,

you know what's going to happen here, So the placid back. So I

went running. You jumped down the car run. It swung like this,

right, you know, just by accident. It was like motion, you

know. And when I swung, the carrier went this way, and so

did the formula, and it smack Chloe in the head. Oh my goodness,

she was crying. You know, she's a little baby, and you

know it was our first child. I'm like, she's gotta you know,

she's got a good cushion. We like watched her for three hours, wouldn't

let her sleep. You know, she was fine, It didn't hurt her

at all. But I felt I felt terrible new dad, you know,

trying to make sure you do everything right bad I did, But I felt

horrible that I had caused her harm. Can you imagine what it must have

been like for those you sitting in that day and that temple and Peter says

you were there. You were in that crowd when Pilot said there's nothing wrong

with Jesus, and you were there and you cried out, crucifying. It

was by your hands that the Holy Righteous Servant of God suffered. You put

him on that cross. It was you cried out, crucified. You're responsible

for one of those nails going in his hand. You're responsible for one of

him being pierced by his side. You're the one of the ones who responsible

for his suffering. Can you imagine the weight of what that must felt like,

that I was responsible for killing God's son. Can I say to you

today Isaiah fifty three six. I think it's a very powerful passage scripture.

Listen what it says. The prophet Isaiah says, we all like sheep,

have gone astray. We turned everyone to his own way, and the Lord

has laid on him. What the iniquity of the Jews, No, the

iniquity of us? All can I say to you today? According to the

Word of God, it wasn't just the sins of the Jews that put Jesus

on the cross. It is my sin and your sins today that also put

him on that cross. Says When we think about our Jesus, and we

think about the testimony of Jesus, may we know that he was a Jesus.

We see the servant hood of Jesus, but maybe we see the suffering

of Jesus who suffered because of our sin. Lastly, I want to remind

you of the power of Jesus, Peter says, and in what he says

in verse fifteen, and and you killed the author of life and God raised

from the dead. And we are we are we to this. We are

witnesses. We are witnesses to his resurrection. But we also witnesses of your

crucifying him verse sixteen. And in his name, and by faith in his

name has made this man strong in whom you see and know, in the

faith that is through Jesus has given this man perfect health and the presence of

you all. He reminds them lastly the servanthood of Jesus, secondly the suffering

of Jesus. But thirdly he reminds them of power of Jesus. It is

by the power of Jesus name and faith in Jesus that this man has been

changed. You know what that message is for those shows that day. It's

just like that lame man has suffered his whole life. You Jews have suffered

from sin your whole life. And just as God has radically changed him,

God can change. There's a story of a man to Kaichi. To Kaichi

was a man who was was hanged in nineteen eighteen for murder. He'd been

sent to prison twenty twenty times and had been known to be as cruel as

a tiger. On one occasion, he attacked the prison official. He gagged

and bound This man um. He was gagged a bound for his attackle On.

The official said that when they um, they kind of hung him up

or suspended his body, not but his neck, but his suspended to the

torturing. He says that he told were barely reaching to the ground, But

he stubbornly refused to say he was sorry for what he did to the prison

guard. Just before being sentenced to death, to Kaichi was given a new

Testament by two Christian missionaries, Miss West and Miss McDonald. After visiting Miss

West, he began to read the story of Jesus. Jesus's trial and execution.

His attention was grabbed by the sentence. Father, forgive them, they

know not what they do to Kaichi said, did those words? I stopped,

and I was stabbed to the heart, as if a five inch knell

was driven in my heart? Was that that verse revealed to me? He

says, I shall call it the love of the heart of Christ. I

shall call it his compassion. I don't know what to call it. All

I know is an unspeakable, grateful heart. I believed Takaichi was sentenced to

death, be accepted it from then on, said it was fair, right,

impartial judgment of God. Now the word of faith kind of spread about

about Takaichi. Miss West would begin to share him truth of scripture and about

suffering, and he would talk about how he wasn't sorrowful for the suffering he

was experiencing, but he was awaiting faithfully his death. He was locked up

in a prison, a six feet by nine inch cell, but he would

say, I'm happier now than in the days of my sinning, when I

didn't know God day and night. Now I've talked with Jesus. He said

these words, as a poor yet making many rich certainly does not apply to

the evil life I led before I repented. Perhaps in the future someone in

this world may hear that the most desperate villain that ever lived repented of his

sins and was saved by the power of Christ, and so they too may

also repent and believe. Then may it be that though I am poor myself

might be able to be rich in Christ. At the last words of when

they executed him, he said these words, my soul purified today. Returned

to the city of God. To Kaichie found that Jesus was God's servant,

but he came to serve a sinner like him. To Kaichi found that Jesus

suffered because of his sin. But Tokaitchi found that there is power in the

name of Jesus. How about you today, do you know this suffering servant?

Do you know the power that's in the name of Jesus? Will you

pray with me? Father? I thank you Lord for your word. Today,

Lord, I pray we would feel the weight of Lord, your servant

hood, and how you've came to serve the Lord, God, God,

how you came to serve sinners, as Paul said, ritched as we are.

Lord, you came for us. God. I pray that we would

recognize just the impact of our sin and how it puts you on the cross.

And Lord, I pray today we would know that there is power in

your name Jesus. Lord, lead us in this time of invitation. I

pray if somebody that comes to this altar, I pray they do that.

Lord, I pray there's some here today do not know you as Lord and

Savior. Do not know the power that lay men felt that day or to

Kaichi and how Lord you change his life or to day. It would be

those here are here that feel like they're unworthy Lord of Salvation, unworthy of

your cleansing power. But today Lord, you want to change them. You

want to serve them. You want to, Lord, lead them, And

Lord, I pray they would be those today that would put their faith in

You Jesus for salvation. So I pray they'd be those that in a sound

of my voice it would pray and prayer of faith the day and the power

of your name, that you might save them, You might forgive them,

that you might change them. Lord, we love you, We thank you

Lord for this time. In your name, we pray am Jesus pain to