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Series Code: BOL
Program Code: BOL000638A
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00:01 (Breath of Life Theme Music)
00:06 Sermon #B638 - There is Power in the Name 00:20 Pastor Byrd:Acts chapter 3 verse number one if you have it let me you say, Amen. [Congregation: Amen.] 00:25 The word says now Peter and whom everybody went up together into the temple at the hour of what? 00:30 [Congregation: Pray.] 00:32 Being the what hour? And a certain man lame from his mother's womb was carried whom they laid daily 00:39 at the gate of the temple which is called what everybody? [Congregation: Beautiful.] 00:42 To ask alms of them that enter into the temple. Who seen, Peter and John about to go into the temple 00:48 and he asked in what? [Congregation: Alms.] 00:50 Alms and Peter fastened his eyes upon him with John said, “Look on us,” 00:56 and he gave heed unto them expecting to receive something of them. 01:00 Then Peter said, “Silver and gold have I none,” but such as I have to give I thee in the name of Jesus. 01:08 In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and what everybody and he took him by the right hand 01:13 and he lifted him up and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength, 01:18 and he leaping up, stood and walked and entered with him them into the temple walking, 01:24 leaping and praising God and all the people saw him walking and praising God 01:28 and they knew that it was he, which sat for alms at the beautiful gate of the temple, 01:34 and they were filled with wonder and amazement at that which had happened unto him. 01:41 Now, I want you to have a struggle with what to call this sermon, 01:43 I even asked Pastor Goodridge to help me, I thought about calling it dancing in the church. 01:48 But then I figured some of you would take that DVD and you'd send it everywhere 01:51 and look he's saying dance in the church, so we'll just go with dance, there's power everybody says power. 01:57 [Congregation: Power.] 01:58 In the name. [Congregation: In the name.] All right you may be seated, very good. 02:00 All right so now you feel good you feel comfortable there's power. [Congregation: In the name.] 02:04 In the name, all right quickly two of the disciples Peter and John. 02:08 Peter and whom everybody. [Congregation: John.] 02:10 Are on their way to the temple for a three o'clock prayer meeting at the church. 02:15 This wasn't abnormal or strange for them but it was normal for them 02:20 because biblical history suggests that devout Jews and Gentiles went to the temple 02:26 to observe three times of prayer every day at 9AM, at 3PM, 02:34 and at 6PM so then this wasn't strange for Peter and John they went to church for prayer meeting 02:42 because they knew that with much prayer there's much what everybody. [Congregation: No.] 02:46 Now, Peter and John were prayer partners and every Christian ought to have a prayer partner 02:53 because there's power in prayer, and there's power when you pray with somebody in prayer. 03:01 Jesus even said that in Matthew 18 when he said that if just two of you, 03:05 so touch and agree it shall be done for wherever there are two or three gathered in my name 03:13 I should be in the midst but in this text, 03:16 Peter and John are on their way to the temple for their usual time of afternoon prayer 03:21 but just as they get to the temple, they get to the gate which is called beautiful, 03:27 everybody say beautiful. [Congregation: Beautiful.] 03:29 They meet a man who's laying from his birth and the man's begging for money. 03:34 Now notice it's important to note that the man's not inside the temple 03:41 but the man's outside the temple begging at the gate. Let me say it again 03:47 because somebody missed that. The man is not inside the temple, 03:52 but the man is outside the temple begging for some money. Now, every day he's at the gate he's begging. 04:03 In order to live he has to beg, in order to survive he has to beg, in order to eat he has to beg. 04:10 He can't work, there are no social service institutions, there is no Social Security, 04:18 there is no public assistance, this man has to beg 04:23 but if the truth be told even though we have social service institutions today, 04:28 even though we have the united way, even though we have the salvation army, 04:34 even though we have Adventist community services, 04:37 even though we have Social Security there are still some people in the 21st century 04:44 who live in the United States the most industrialized nation in the world and they still have to beg. 04:52 In fact nearly one-half of the world's population three billion people 04:58 live on less than 2$ and 50 cents per day, 05:04 and of these three billion people, 1.3 billion live less or less than the dollar and 25 cents per day, 05:15 and there are some people that think that given all of our government, 05:18 and non-government assistance to help the poor that we shouldn't be seeing beggars on the streets. 05:25 But I need you to understand that sometimes it's hard for people to get on their feet 05:30 because we do live in a society where the rich are getting richer and the poor are getting poorer. 05:38 In case you didn't know not all beggars are con artists, not all beggars are on drugs or alcohol, 05:49 not all beggars are mentally disabled there are some beggars who have genuinely had a hard life, 05:58 they've had a tough life. Now you may sit there and act like you don't know what I'm talking about 06:03 but if you don't believe me, miss your check one month, and see what happens to you. 06:09 Do I have a witness in this place? [Congregation: Yes.] 06:11 I tell folks don't look down on another folk because somebody knows your one check away. 06:17 One pay period away from foreclosure, from bankruptcy, from homelessness, 06:23 do I have a witness in this place? [Congregation: Yes.] 06:25 Somebody knows if it had not been for the Lord on my side where would I be, 06:31 but then there's a flipside to this. There are some people who don't want to do better for themselves. 06:38 They like to talk about what they don't have instead of using what they do have. 06:42 They'd rather wallow in the pits of discouragement despair and discomfort by indulging in pity parties. 06:49 Some people don't want the responsibility of what goes along with being healed, 06:53 being sick gives them an excuse to lie on their backs, and wait until somebody else does something for them. 07:00 The fact is that there are many people who will go through extraordinary lengths 07:04 to avoid doing something in their lives. 07:06 They live in the twilight zone right zone of thinking that doing nothing will get them something. 07:14 For them nothing is right neither right no wrong, nothing is neither good nor bad, 07:18 nothing neither helps or hinders, nothing is sorrow no joy, nothing neither laughs no cries, 07:23 nothing comes or goes, nothing is nothing 07:26 because it is nothing and nothing will be nothing but nothing for there is nothing to be but nothing. 07:31 So because they do nothing they're in the same place where they've always been. 07:35 [Congregation: Oh yes. That's right.] 07:36 Their minds are stagnant, they have no new ideas. 07:42 Innovation is dead and buried, creative thoughts don't stand a chance. 07:49 Thinking outside the box never crosses their minds they think that things will never change, 07:58 so they do the same thing they've always done and that was this lame beggar. 08:04 The lame man sat at the same place begging for the same money every day. 08:12 Every morning the lame man waited for somebody to carry him to the gates, 08:17 every evening the lame man waited for somebody to carry him back home, 08:21 and then between the morning and the evening he begged. But you know I'm a businessman 08:27 and I want to say at least we ought to give this beggar some credit 08:31 because at least he was a wise beggar, at least he was a businessman beggar. 08:38 Why? He picked the most profitable spot in Jerusalem to beg. Each day he said at the gate of the church, 08:46 outside the church to have the best chance possible to receive money from those entering the temple, 08:54 after all, my friends if there were people who should have been concerned 08:57 about the needs of other people it should have been those going to church, 09:01 after all, folk can't go into church and pray and ignore the cries of those at the gates, 09:10 so the man waits at the gate of the church but not only that he's a wise business beggar 09:16 because people coming to this temple to this gate, we're probably people of means 09:21 because the Bible says that the gate was called beautiful 09:25 which means it was decorated with Corinthian bronze, 09:29 and when the sun rose the sun cast its glorious glow upon the gate. [Congregation: Yes.] 09:35 But let's expand this concept of begging because it's not just those outside the temple who are begging, 09:42 but it's also those inside the temple who are begging. What am I talking about I'm so glad you asked. 09:48 You see a beggar is defined as one who comes to get something but gives nothing. 09:55 Let me say that again, a beggar is somebody who comes to get something but never give something. 10:03 [Congregation: All right.] 10:05 There are a lot of people who come inside the church and they want something but they give nothing. 10:14 They want something out of worship, but they don't want to give anything in worship. 10:21 They want somebody to pray for them, but they don't want to pray for somebody else. 10:27 They want a good hymn but they don't want to sing the hymn, they want a good sermon 10:34 but they don't want to encourage the preacher during the sermon, 10:37 they're always ready to receive but they're never ready to give. 10:43 Peter and John walk up to the gate, the blind beggar-- 10:48 the lame beggar rather start screaming, “Alms, alms, alms,” which meant money, money, money. 10:59 The Bible says that Peter looks at it and he says look at us. 11:06 Now this is important, why is this important 11:09 because it's in harmony with those actions of Jesus when the average Jesus went to heal somebody. 11:14 Remembers Jesus never walked up to somebody and simply touched them 11:17 and healed them without first directing their attention to himself. 11:21 Jesus always captivated the attention of the individuals he wanted to heal 11:26 and directed them to focus their eyes upon him, 11:29 and the reason he did this is because it stirred a sense of expectation. 11:34 It quickens the individuals faith. This is what is happening right here in Acts 3, 11:40 the man thought that he was going to get some money from Peter and John, 11:45 but his faith was quickened by Peter's words, 11:49 look at us which means in order to receive anything from God you've got to first expect something from God. 11:58 And that's why when I come to church I'm looking for a miracle. 12:02 I'm expecting the impossible because without faith it is impossible to please the Lord. 12:09 Now there are some of us, who've been going to church for years 12:14 but your lives are no different from when you first started going to church 12:18 because you've never given your attention to God help me Holy Ghost. 12:22 You've never expected to receive anything when you came to church. 12:26 You come down to the altar for prayer but you really are not expecting God to do something on your behalf. 12:31 Where do you come to church, when you get in a church service you turn your mind off. 12:37 You start thinking about other stuff, you take a mental vacation. 12:42 You're looking at your phone, you're on social media. 12:46 You're thinking about what you're going to eat after you get out of church, 12:49 but life changing truth that comes from the word it misses you, 12:54 it passes you right on by and you can sit in here for years and never be changed. 13:01 There are some young people who've been raised in the church. Some of them grew up right with me, 13:08 but they show no evidence that God is at work in their lives, 13:11 and that's because they've never heard those words from Jesus, look at me and pay attention, 13:18 this is why Jesus always said to the people who told me preached. He that hath an ear let him hear. 13:25 But as soon as the beggar is told by Jesus to look at Him. 13:30 Peter has the man's attention, and the man expects to receive something, 13:38 Peter responds to the man's one begging plea with two responses. 13:46 First, Peter admits his financial bankruptcy. 13:51 He admits his financial bankruptcy in the material realm and so he says, 13:57 “Silver and gold have I none,” in other words what he's trying to say is we don't have what you want 14:06 but we do have what you need, because there's a difference between our needs and our wants 14:12 I wish I had a church in this place. We want a lot of things but we only need some things. 14:18 What are you talking about? Well, we want a Bentley but we really only need a Ford. 14:25 We want some steak, Swiss steak. [laughter] 14:30 But we only need some salad. We want a hamburger but the impossible burger is really what we need. 14:41 Wants satisfy a desire but needs satisfy a necessity. 14:48 Peter said we don't have anything in the material but I do have something in the spiritual. 14:55 If you're looking for money, if you're looking for silver and gold, 15:01 I have none but I've got something better. Peter said in the name of Jesus of Nazareth, 15:11 rise up and walk and friends of mine it's at that miraculous moments, 15:17 as this man is looking at Peter and John as he hears these words at the mention of the name of Jesus 15:25 something miraculous begins to happen, strength comes flowing into his ankles. 15:31 Peter senses it he takes him by the hand. The Bible says the right hand and he lives him up. 15:38 The man rises up, the man begins to leap, 15:42 and shout and jump around trying out this newfound strength in his legs which he'd never known. 15:49 But as I'm reading this story you all, I asked myself the question. 15:54 Why didn't Jesus heal the man when Jesus was on planet Earth himself? 16:03 After all, the man had been lame from his birth. [Congregation: Mercy.] 16:09 Which means he had to be around when Jesus was on this Earth, 16:14 because remember Pentecost happens only 50 days after Jesus resurrection, 16:21 Acts chapter 3 which we're reading from comes after Acts chapter 2 when Pentecost took a place, 16:28 so the man then had to be alive when Jesus was on this Earth. But Jesus is a on time God. 16:36 [Congregation: Praise God.] 16:38 Our timing it's not his time, somebody knows he may not come when you want Him, 16:45 but he's always right on time feel like preaching now, and one of the reasons in my eisegesis, 16:53 not exegesis, I see Jesus that I believe Jesus didn't heal the man when he was on this Earth, 17:00 it's because Jesus wanted to show us that there's power in the name of Jesus not in the person of Jesus 17:16 but there's power in the name of Jesus. 17:22 It was the name of Jesus that lost the power of God to work in this man's body, 17:29 strengthening his ankles in his feet. It was not the person of Jesus because Jesus had died. 17:38 Jesus had been buried, Jesus had risen, Jesus had ascended back to heaven, 17:45 Jesus was not physically there, but the healing took place. [Congregation: Whoa.] 17:55 Because of the name. Somebody's still not getting this. [Congregation: Whoa. [applause] 18:02 You see back in the day it was believed that the name of a person carried both the power 18:12 and the authority of that person. So then if a king sent a messenger in his name, 18:19 that messenger represented the same power and the same authority as that king. 18:27 You understand what I'm saying. In other words, if Pastor Williams sends Pastor Goodrich in his name. 18:34 Pastor Goodridge represents all the power, 18:37 and all the authority has wrapped up in the name of Pastor Williams. 18:42 You know all not hearing what I'm saying, 18:44 back in the day it was believed that the name of a person carried both the power 18:51 and the authority of that person, that's why when I tell Christyn and go get Caileigh 18:57 and tell Caileigh to be quiet. 18:59 Caileigh understands she's not listening to Christyn but she's listening to her daddy 19:04 because Christyn is speaking in the name of Carlton Byrd and she's carrying all the power 19:11 and the authority of my name and when the name of Jesus is spoken. [Congregation: Yes.] 19:20 When somebody speaks in the name of Jesus the same power, 19:27 the same authority of Jesus is now in that person, the same power over heaven and earth is in that person, 19:38 the same power over demons is in that person. 19:43 So in the name of Jesus, I have power over demons. 19:49 In the name of Jesus, I have the power to tread over serpents. 19:54 In the name of Jesus, I have the power to tell sickness to flee. 19:59 I have power to tell cancer to go in remission. I have the power to rebuke bankruptcy and foreclosure. 20:07 In the name of Jesus, students you have power to declare an A over a F. 20:16 There's power when we preach in the name of Jesus. There's power when we pray in the name of Jesus. 20:24 There's power when we witness in the name of Jesus. There's power when you serve in the name of Jesus. 20:32 There's power when you touch in the name of Jesus. There's power when you work in the name of Jesus, 20:40 there's power when you worship in the name of Jesus, all hail the power of Jesus' name. 20:47 Let angels' prostrate fall at the name of Jesus. Every knee shall bow, every tongue must confess, 20:55 there is no other name under heaven whereby we can be safe but the name of Jesus. 21:03 Peter told the man to get up, to rise up, to walk in the name of Jesus. 21:14 I'm almost done but I got one more point, got two more points. 21:17 How many more points everybody? Two. All right. 21:22 Before Jesus, think about it you all because I got Oakwood got to come with something 21:27 because you all have read the Bible. So you got to come with something think about it. 21:32 Before Jesus told the man to rise and walk, the man had everything he needed to walk. 21:44 He had feet, he had ankles, he had legs, he had knees, he had hips, he had tendons, he had muscles, 21:57 and he had bones. The man had all the basic equipment that God gives to every one of us 22:04 but the man still couldn't walk. But when Peter told him to rise up and walk in the name of Jesus, 22:19 when the power of the name of Jesus was released in him, his feet got to moving, his ankles got to shifting, 22:31 his knees got to bending, his hips got to moving his legs got to walking. 22:39 Peter didn't lay hands on the man. Peter didn't touch the man, Peter didn't anoint the man, 22:48 but in the name of Jesus, the man walked. Some of us are just like the lame man. 22:59 Some of our churches are like the lame man. Some of our ministries are like the lame man. 23:07 Some of our schools are like the lame man. We have everything we need to live for Jesus. 23:17 We have everything we need to grow God's work. We panels, we have organs, we have speakers, 23:27 we have screams, we have podiums, we have buses, we have internets, we have websites, we have preachers, 23:37 we have teachers, we have choirs, we have the intellect, we have the structure, we have supports, 23:45 we have skills, we have talent, we have gifts, we have money, we have resources, we have buildings, 23:53 we have members, we have everything we need. [Congregation: Amen.] 23:58 But the reason some of our churches aren't growing. The reason, 24:05 some of our institutions aren't growing is because we don't have the power. 24:12 But in the name of Jesus give us power, power to walk right, power to talk right, power to act right, 24:28 power in our churches, power in our ministries, power in our schools, power in our preaching, 24:36 power in our teaching, power in our singing in the name of Jesus gives us power. 24:47 But I got one more thing to teach. 24:52 and just like Peter the church needs to offer healing to people whether they believe or not 24:55 because if you live the life of Christ before them by beholding they will become change. 25:03 But like Peter, we've got to help people up. I'm almost done but I'm a throw this in, 25:11 I've got a problem with folk who make it to the Upper East Side. [Congregation: Yes.] 25:17 Who forget about the rough side, from whence they come from? 25:23 I've got a problem folk when I hear them say, I've got mine now you get yours. 25:30 I get bothered when I hear folks say you've got to pull your own self, by your own bootstraps. 25:39 Let it be clear today I stand on the shoulders of somebody else 25:47 and it's my job to help pull somebody else up so they can stand on my shoulders. 25:56 Peter took the lame man by his right hand and he lifted him up and when the man was healed, 26:07 the man couldn't stop leaping, he couldn't stop jumping, he couldn't stop shouting, 26:15 he couldn't stop dancing, he couldn't stop praising, 26:19 because somebody cared enough to reach out say him in the name of Jesus and his life was changed. 26:32 The man was walking, the man was leaping, the man was jumping, the man was dancing, 26:39 the man was praising God, and just like the man. When God does something for us, 26:48 we shouldn't keep it to ourselves but we ought to tell somebody, we ought to show some sign, 26:59 lift your hand, wave your hand, clap your hand, stomp your foot, say Amen, nod your head, smile, 27:13 but tell somebody what God has done for you 27:18 because when he's done something for me I can't keep it to myself but I've got to tell somebody, 27:26 because when I think of the goodness of Jesus and all he's done for me, my soul cries out. 27:33 Hallelujah, thank God for saving me. Who cares what side of town you're from, say something. 27:42 Who cares how many letters you have behind your name, say something. 27:47 Who cares you have a big house or not, say something. 27:51 Who cares if folks look out you're funny, say something. 27:55 Who cares if folks talked about you, say something. If God been your bridge over troubled waters. 28:03 If God woke you up this morning, If God healed you from cancer, If God healed you from that disease 28:10 if God helped you pass that class, if God paid your tuition, say something. 28:17 Let them redeemed, of the Lord say so, there's power in the name of Jesus. 28:26 There's salvation in the name of Jesus, there's healing. [Congregation: Applause.] 28:34 In the name of Jesus, we have everything we need. 28:49 Thank you very much for tuning in to this week's Breath of Life broadcast. 28:53 We hope and pray that you've been blessed by Dr. Byrd's inspirational message. 28:58 If you would like to hear this sermon in its entirety, 29:00 please feel free to visit us at www.breathoflife.tv. 29:06 Or, call us at (256) 929-646 29:12 [end] |
Revised 2019-05-02