Sermon Video - "No other name", Acts 4:1-12

In response to Peter's healing of a crippled man and his preaching to the people in the name of Jesus, the religious leaders demand to know by whose authority Peter has acted.  In his defense, Peter boldly claims that the sole source of his healing power is the resurrected Jesus Christ.  His conclusion is Christianity's exclusive claim; that there is no other name that we have been given that can save us.

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Sermon Video: "the name of Jesus" - Acts 3:11-16

Following the miraculous healing of a man born crippled, Peter explains to the gathering crowd that it was not the power responsible did not belong to him.  The miracle was through and in the name of Jesus of Nazareth, the same Jesus who the people of Jerusalem put to death.  By insisting that the name of Jesus, and the faith that comes through him, was the basis for the healing, Peter is declaring Jesus to be God himself.  Only God has the power to perform miracles because there is only one God.  In the end, it is faith in Jesus Christ that can heal, both body and spirit, and nothing else.

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"worship God acceptably" - Hebrews 12:28

It is amazing how much one word can change what you take from a verse.  If instead, Hebrews 12:28 read, "worship God with reverence and awe" it would certainly make a point worth noting.  God's mercy and love deserve reverence and his power inspires awe, as such the verse makes total sense.  However, when the word "acceptably" is added to the mix (same in NIV, NKJV, the NASB has "an acceptable service"), an added requirement is spelled out for the people of God.  If there is a way to worship God "acceptably" then there must be an unacceptable way to worship God.

Do you mean that I could direct my love and devotion to the right place (that is God) and still be short of what God wants from me?  That's exactly what the verse is saying.  We don't have to go far in Scripture to find examples of people who failed in their worship of God because they did it in the wrong way.  Cain springs to mind, whose sacrifice was inferior to that of his brother Abel.  King Saul learned the hard way that to offer a sacrifice to God that was unauthorized would cost him the right to rule Israel.  Throughout the prophets God warns his people that their hollow sacrifices would mean nothing without obedience.  As Jesus teaches the people he repeatedly demolishes the Pharisees for having the letter of the Law but being far from the Spirit of the Law; they may have perfected the form of worship, but are nowhere near the heart.

Is an acceptable form of worship the serious approach of many Catholics and Orthodox who treat the Mass with great solemnity?  Or does God prefer the utter exubrance of the Pentecostals who celebrate like no other?  The answer is not to be found in the form of worship (each end of the spectrum has something to offer, and many places in between as well), but the heart of the matter.  If we appreciate the seriousness of what Jesus has done for us and find the joy that being forgiven should bring, we're on the right path.  The question is not so much how you worship, as it is why.  If you feel connected to God through Latin chants, go right ahead.  If shouting out during the praise band's modern anthems brings you closer to God, knock yourself out.  Why do we worship?  To bring glory and praise to God.  In the end, it is your heart that determines if your worship is "acceptable" in the sight of God.

Sermon Video: "What I have I give you" - Acts 3:1-10

On his way to the temple to pray, Peter is stopped by a crippled man asking for money.  Rather than simply give what is expected (and needed, the man had to live too), Peter offers healing in the name of Jesus Christ.  Peter then helps him to his feet and moments later his is jumping for joy.  This episode illustrates for us the need to take action when we see suffering in our world and not simply turn a blind eye.  Moreover, we need to offer help in the name of Jesus because only the Gospel can take a glass of water and turn it into Living Water.  As Christians, we have no excuse for not being active (as individuals and as churches) in helping to alleviate and solve suffering.  Whatever you have, you can give.

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Sermon Video: "I will sing in the shadow of your wings"- Psalm 63

In this psalm David expresses his joy and confidence which come from the love and protection of the Lord.  Despite wandering around in the desert, David knew that God was with him in the no matter what.  If the doubts came in the night, God was there.  That absolute confidence in God's Word allowed David to proclaim his ability to sing out in the shadow of God's protective wings in defiance of his enemies.  We too, with the guarantee of the Holy Spirit can rejoice in our confidence in the promises of God.

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