I'm very happy to be here today and to see all of you who are
here. Very pleased to be able to be
your speaker this morning. And I hope that what we have to
say will be suitable and appropriate for the Lord's Day
worship service. It's been a while since I've
been here. And of course, we have a
turnover in the congregational attendance.
Since I've been here, and many of you people, I see.
And I think I'm at different places across the Brotherhood.
But I'm glad you are here today and I'm glad to see you this
morning. I invite your attention to the
reading of God's word in the 19th.
Chapter of the book of Acts, read a short verse year to
introduce the general thoughts of the sermon.
The record says, and this was known to all the Jews and
Greeks, also dwelling at Ephesus and fear cain't fell on them all
and the name of the Lord Jesus was magnified.
Now, that's what. You want to talk about for a
little while. This morning magnifying, the
name of Jesus, the church at Ephesus was one of the most
outstanding and historical congregations in the New
Testament. History.
We have of course to begin with you stablishment of the church,
which we'll talk about more in detail.
In a moment. Later on we have the Apostle
Paul's farewell address to the Elders of this outstanding
congregation And then of course we have the epistle that he
wrote to the congregation later on from a prison cell.
And then finally we have a dictated letter from the Lord
Jesus Christ right out of the glory courts of heaven.
So the church at Ephesus was a very outstanding congregation
want to talk a little while about that this morning, the
Apostle Paul was passing through and he found 12 people, 12
million adults meeting, In Ephesus now.
But let me just say a word about the city of Ephesus.
It was the one of the most outstanding cities of the day.
It was a great post, great outstanding place and one of the
things that made it so outstanding was the fact that it
was the religious center of the world and culture, the Temple of
the Great Goddess. Diana was there.
And I'm not going to bore you with the details of the
dimensions of that place because it would take a little while.
While you might not even want to believe some of it if I told
you, but it was one of the greatest temples ever built, it
was one of the wonders of the world.
At that time, we were told and people went there from all over
the world because within this Great temple was the idol of
this beautiful princess. This Diana who supposed to
Falling Out of Heaven, I believe, is way it goes.
And people went there from all over the world to worship her
Now just say this in briefly details this morning that their
worship was, I Pagan worship, it was a lewd, immoral worship,
very, very essential but that's the way the pagans worshipped
and they had levels of different according to dr.
McKnight of worships and you graduated on up to the highest
which was the mystery of that Temple. and it became something
very very sought far and very, very sought after now the
Apostle Paul when he wrote his epistle he counteracted that and
he showed that we have some Mysteries to and in that pea
pistol the epistle to the Ephesians, you'd be surprised
how many times he mentions the word mystery in there and he
shows that the greatest mystery of all was when Jesus as Christ
was crucified for the sins of the world and brought all people
together in one body the church. But now I'm beginning to get off
on some bypass so early. Let's go back to the story now
then. We find that a the Apostle Paul
found these 12 men there and I suppose they had families.
But in this terrible, terrible situation, they were trying to
maintain a little Church of Christ over there and I'm sure
they must have had all kinds of problems. later on, he came back
by and Talk to these people and settle down with him for a
little while and great things were accomplished.
Now during the period of his experience there, some things
happened and I want to mention these things to you.
I'm not going to cite the passages but they're all found
their 19 chapter and in the surrounding versus you can read
them there, he walked to, but we find something that took place
over there and I want to Make sure this because it's very
outstanding in the history of this congregation.
When he preached to these people, they heard the Gospel of
Jesus Christ. And these people who had been
worshipping in that old Temple Down.
Yonder Herod. What he preached?
They believed. Yes, because we know that you've
got to believe the Bible tells us that we must believe, unless
we can are asking, we can't be saved but they're not only
believe. They turned our they repented.
It's called Turning here and they turn so completely till
they burn their books and their guides in textbooks and so on
rituals that they have had in their worships they burn these
things. Now boy, that's what I call a
good clean. Sweep of repentance just burned
up their works that they had eight thousand dollars worth the
piled it up in the streets and burden and that's something
outstanding to when a man of Burn up that much profit to him.
That goes to show you something about him, that he's willing to
sacrifice his finances. That is something.
Well, they turned not only did that did that.
But as you read on over there, the Bible will tell you that
they can fast and show their needs confessed.
But then, of course, when they heard the truth, that were
baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, that's what the
record tells us. Whosoever shall confess.
That Jesus is the son of God. God dwelleth in him and he in
God well that meant that they confess that Jesus Christ and
didn't. They were baptized, I want to
tell you something right here. These people believed repented
confessed and were baptized. You notice what I did?
When I would be to gospel, that's what you did.
When you obeyed the gospel, that's what makes a Church of
Christ. Now, I want to fast forward for
a moment and go over here. To the epistle and I'm getting
off my subject again. But I'm going to fast-forward to
go over here to the book of Ephesians where he wrote this
church a letter. And I want to just drift right
down there to the second chapter and I want to show you what he
said by grace are ye saved through faith and that not of
yourselves. It is the gift of God, not of
Works, lest any man should boast, aha saved by grace.
You know, that's what the calvinist tell us and some
Church of Christ preachers today.
What we know we are saved by grace, but they say you You are
saved by grace, only. You don't do any works.
You don't have to do anything. God Saves You by his grace and
the quote this passage. What if there's ever a passage
in the world that they don't need to quote?
It's that one. They think, though they found a
marriage Nest right here. They think they've really done
something. When they found this verse by
grace, are you saved through faith?
And that not of yourselves, it is not of works.
Well, first, I just want to say right here that anytime you
find, Works condemned in the New Testament scriptures.
That's always the works of Moses law.
But anytime you find Works Advanced and commanded, it's the
works of faith. The commands of Jesus Christ and
it's the grace of God on one side and it's the faith of man
on the other side that makes this thing come together and I
obey the gospel. Now here's what I'm talking to
you about the next time, you hear a person tell you, that you
are saved by grace and they, quote the scripture to you say,
well, let's go see how they were saved by grace.
They were saved by grace by Believing by Eating of their
sins and turning the Bible, says, and burning their books
and confessing and showing their deeds.
And by being baptized. Now, these people who did that
were saved by grace, and I'll Advance it further, then I'm
going to tell you. Unless you've done that you are
not saved by grace, because that's the grace of God right
there. And it's not a works either.
That is not the works of the Moses law.
It's not the works of God condemning.
It's the commandments of Jesus Christ, because that's what Paul
preached down there. Well, we go on with our sermon.
Now, after this, we find that some great things happened.
Paul found a synagogue of the Jews there in Ephesus and he
stayed there for three months, and preach the gospel.
To these people tried to turn these Jews.
But, you know, his work was interrupted, people became a
vicious against his teachings, the work of the Lord, never run
smoothly, and if you think you're going to have a smooth
job, when you start working for the Lord, some young people.
Preachers wants to become preachers because they think
it's a easy job. Well, you can make a easy job
out of it. We've got a lot of preachers.
You've got easy job because of never do anything, but if you
work for the Lord and you put everything, you've got into it
and you're sincere about it, the devil's not gonna leave you
alone, you can be assured that. Now the Apostle Paul's work was
interrupted in that synagogue became so bad.
He had to leave. He had he had to get out of
that. He went right down town and
found a hall or a school or a lecture hall the school of
tyrannus and he entered into that.
And for two years, he preached I don't know how regular is
preaching was, but over the space of two years, he preached
down there and his preaching was so great, it was so powerful, it
was so moving, it was so renowned till all of these, you
heard about it. The Bible says, it was so
outstanding Miracles, were done in the name of Jesus.
They took napkins in that took handkerchiefs and they took
aprons off of his body and took it down and laid it on the sick
and they even recovered from it and thanks for going on.
So great. Wait well those Miracles stirred
people up. Now, if you want stir people up,
you start performing Miracles. Well, they perform some
Miracles. Well they had some fellows down
there who were looking on and they had an old priest down
there, who was the chief of the priest and his name was skiba.
Well, he had seven sons and they were young priest.
I reckon, but they had seen Paul do this.
And so, they thought they would try their hand, they wanted to
become some miracle workers. They were just about as much
miracle workers as we have today.
They were some fakes. That's what they were, but they
said that he's going to try their hand.
And they found a man there who had an evil spirit or demon.
So they walked up and decided, they'd ply their trade on him,
and they said, we command you in the name of Jesus Christ.
And that Paul preaches to come out of him.
Well, now they overstep their limits right there.
Yes, sir. And I want to tell you something
happens, this is almost Smiler below and if it weren't so
serious, I just smiled real big about it, but I'll tell you what
happened, that evil spirit and that man said, Paul, I know, and
Jesus, I know. But who are you?
And leaped on them. Tom up, rip their clothes off of
them, and scratch them, and Claude them, and handle them, so
badly till they went out of that house like scared rabbits, what
down that street naked as jaybirds just as fast as they
could go. And I'll tell you everybody on
the street corners and pointing at him and laughing.
Now I don't have much But I'll tell you is one of my aunt used
to say, I'd give a pretty to turn that.
Turn them loose on Tulsa, Oklahoma and a few television
stations that I hear from place to place and see what happens.
Well, a Bible said, when this happened, the word of the Lord
was magnified. Because everybody knew that they
were fakes and everybody knew that what Paul was doing was the
work of the Lord and the Bible said, the name of Jesus was
magnified and the word of the Lord grew mightily.
Well, that's my sermon for this morning.
Magnifying the name of Jesus. Now, you know that we can
magnify the name of Jesus in our lives.
We must magnify the name of Jesus.
You know, the name of Jesus is the name of all names.
It blossoms on the pages of History, like 10 flowers of
10,000 spring times. And it sounds and reach sounds
down Through the Ages. Like the music of all requires
both visible and invisible. The name of Jesus is the
sweetest name on several songs, sweetest name on Mortal tones.
The song says. But you know, it not was not
always. So, The name of Jesus was our
was a despised and rejected name, in fact of the business.
Isaiah the prophet said he would be despised and rejected of men
and that was fulfilled in the life of Jesus Christ.
Do you know why that was, you know I'd preach the long time
before I really got to the root of this thing.
It really do. White was those Jews had been
promised a messiah and they were looking for a messiah to come
but they warp their minds over. What Messiah was going to be and
what he was supposed to look. Like they got it in their mind
and he was supposed to be a political fellow or a military
man or a man of royalty who would be born in a king's
Palace, he would be a prince, he'd be walking around, he had
maybe ride in a chariot, maybe you'd have white horses drawing
him maybe you have Coachman to attendee that's what the kind of
had an idea of But Here Comes this fella.
Born in the manger and laid in a feed trough and wrapped up in
burlap. Grew up in, obscurity didn't
even have a home. He said, foxes have holes and
fowls of the air have nests, but the son of man, hath, not where
to lay his head slip out in the mountains, hair was wet with the
Dew of Heaven, selected him, 12 losers, and they walked all
around over the country together that man.
That man, zombicide, no way. That's not our style.
He was a disgrace and they were ashamed of him.
They didn't want anybody going around.
Calling him their Messiah. They're still looking for a
messiah to come. We're looking for the real
Messiah. Get rid of that, man.
They did everything they could. I remember stories came out of
World War Two. One little Jewish boy, was, was
associating with Protestants. And all the Protestants were on
their job, and they were really telling him about Jesus and
teaching to him about Jesus, and he got so impressed with it
until he his faith began to shake a little bit, but he got
very sick and the priest came to him, and he was asking the
priest. He said, priest, what's the
difference in Jesus and Messiah? Well, he said, now, this Jesus
fella, he just an impostor who came, and he's not the Messiah,
but besides Is really coming. Sometimes the little young
fellow looked up at him and said, well, priest, when Messiah
comes, what's he going to have on Jesus?
That's a good question. When Messiah gets here, what's
he going to have on this fella? He's done everything.
Moses law said he was going to do, he's done everything.
The prophet said he was going to do now.
What's a are going to do when he gets here?
If this is not the Messiah That's right.
Well, they finally killed him. They nailed him to a cross his
name. Jesus said one time you believe
in God believe. Also in me but they won't do
that. But they got him and they nailed
him to a cross, to get him out of the way.
They'll a demon Joseph do too. Out there somewhere close by.
There was a beautiful little garden.
I know it must have been a pretty fun because the rich
man's Garden. It must have had the fairest
flowers and the previous shrubs and everything.
So they pull the nails out of those cold, Icy hands and blue
vein feet and they laid him away.
This was through our benefactor of his with name.
Of Joseph of Arimathea, a rich prosperous City.
Joseph evidently was a big shot. He was rich man and he evidently
had some some power with pilot. The Bible says he went in and
crave, the body of Jesus big, the body of Jesus.
It, he had to put on some kind of little bit of a pressure, but
he was yielded, He was a secret disciple, you know, I reckon
he's praised the Heritage business.
If he just spoke right out and was open with it, I've known a
lot of church members that way today.
They're good, they're good church members but they are a
little bit shy about what they believe.
They don't want to talk to their boss about it.
They don't want to talk to their Associates about it.
Joseph was kind of that way, but though he was a coward in life,
he was emboldened by the death of Jesus.
And so after Jesus died, he felt badly about that and he came in,
and he sought for the body of Jesus at guided.
And, and they hurriedly wrapped him up and took him out there
and put him in his own. Zone tomb, that he had prepared
for his own death. I'll have to give that to him.
He, you, he gave him a good bearing place.
That's, that's pretty sorry. But that's the best he could do.
Now, he gave him his burying place and they put a stone over
the door. So he wouldn't come out but the
enemies told pilot. Now listen, those fellas.
Have got some kind of a rumor floating around here that he's
going to come out of the Grave. You put some Guards over that
door and you hold him there. So they won't go in and steal
that body. Take it out of there and claim
he's resurrected. Well, God knows how to handle
things, and I don't know when man Leverett learned that he
can't stop the on moving power of God Almighty.
Those guards went down there and course, God chloroform that
whole bunch, you know, they all went sleep.
And they went to sleep, and when they went sleep, of course,
Jesus came out to, he didn't have to have some type of stone
rolled way, they roll the stone away so they can look in not so
he could get out. And when they looked being he
was already gone. And he showed himself to be
alive of many infallible. Proofs, he came and he went and
he came and he went but after a while, one day after 30 days, he
went with the walk with his disciples out, he's from the
city of Jerusalem up a little hillock, after that Mount of
Olives, he called it and he was walking up, that hill with them,
teaching them, telling them about himself and telling about
what to do telling me he's going to leave and all of a sudden
they watched at his feet began to move off the ground, We got
to move up up up up and they're looking up straight up at him
somehow or other. I think they get the feeling
that this is goodbye for real. They look up and godsend that
cloud down out of heaven and wrapped him in its folds and
like, old Elijah bold, he went away.
Him or got to heaven. Did he look back down?
So those disciples and I know we had a tender feeling for them.
He loved them. They were Meehan, they were
Earthly, they were humans. He dispatched an angel down
there quicker than lightning. And that angel stood by their
side and said, you men of Galilee why stand ye gazing
upward into heaven, for this same Jesus, whom you've seen go
away into heaven, shall so come in like manner, as you've seen
him, go away. And they were told to go to
Jerusalem, stand up that way, but that's washed Jesus, as he
went away, as he went away and they got up you under close to
heaven and I don't know much about heaven, but I'll tell you
what, when he got up, he under real close some, where's he got?
Close to the Gates of Heaven and Psalms 24 was fulfilled.
There was an ain't that was a course.
It started singing Somewhere. Lift up your heads O, ye gates
and be ye lift up, ye Everlasting doors.
And the king of glory shall come in.
And somebody asked, who is this? King of going, isn't the Lord
Mighty in Battle? Is He?
And ladies and gentlemen, the Bible tells us that the Angels
lifted up, the Gates of Heaven that day and Jesus Christ walked
in His work finished. My Redemption finished.
He had done his job. He had come home, 33 years, he'd
been out of that place. Now he's come home.
Daniel's prophecy was fulfilled in Daniel 7 and 14.
It said and I saw in the night vision one like unto the son of
man come to the Ancient of Days and a kingdom was given unto him
in glory and power and soul. Well listen back to my subject
now, he went down that street Main Street of Glory to God.
Sits on the throne Down, Yonder on the other end and you know
what? God's child it out and said let
everybody in heaven, Bow Down and Worship Him.
Never Angel. Ever seraphim.
Ever cherubim. Everything including fell down
and worshipped Jesus said day. God reached down and took a
crown and laid it on Jesus's head in the Bible said.
He gave him a name which is above every name that at the
name of Jesus every knee should bow in Heaven and Earth and
things under the Earth. So now the name of Jesus is
magnified. Let's talk a little bit about
that. Why is the name of Jesus
magnified because God the Father magnified.
It now only in this name is salvation found because God has
planned it. So Acts 4:12 says neither is
there salvation in any other for there is none.
Other name. Given under Heaven among men
whereby we must be saved. Moses Abraham Joshua, Elijah
stand out in prominence but just name stands out in preeminence
John 14:6. Jesus says, I am the way, what
does he mean by that? He physically know his Direction
his instruction is the way. And the way you get to heaven,
is through Jesus. And that means by what he tells
you and what he leaves for you, he is the way.
Well, next is the only name. That will validate our prayers.
Today, that name is so wonderful till it validates our prayer.
The Bible tells us in John, 15:7 16, that whosoever that
whatsoever ye shall ask in my name.
He may give it to you. It's the only name heaven will
acknowledge. And when we say our prayers, you
notice we always conclude in Jesus name.
And as the Apostle Paul says, over there in Ephesians, for
Jesus sake down, south the old-timers used to the about
stopped it. Now some wise people have
stopped them from it, but I think, I still believe it you
say 4G in Jesus name and for his sake.
I'll tell you whatever God does for you.
Today is for Jesus sake, because God loves his son and God honors
his cell phone. It's the only name that will
validate my Deeds. I don't care if I'm
philanthropist, is they call it and I give a million dollars to
the college Down. Yonder, get my picture put all
over the front page of the paper.
It doesn't amount to a hill of beans spiritually speaking.
Unless I do it in Jesus name. And that means by his authority.
It's the only named will validate my work in this world.
That's the reason why I tell people you've got to be in
Christ for your Deeds to accomplish anything because
nothing else will also How many I magnify His Name by rendering
obedience, and I spoke to you about that to begin with?
I reiterate it, I must obey. Jesus said why call you me?
Lord Lord and do not the things which I say, you know, the word,
Lord, beans master and it's inconceivable that you have a
master. You being the servant and you
won't do what the master told you.
Why are you calling me master master, but you won't do what I
tell you to do Jesus. Says so then I must do what he
says. And pick people who devise their
own Plan of Salvation, people who have there, more Beach types
of Salvation and their other various ways of being saved.
They can expect to be magnified are magnified, the name of
Jesus, through that, not expecting to benefit from it.
I must obey which, of course, as I said, is salvation by grace,
Believing on him repenting of our sins, confessing my faith in
him and by being baptized and becoming a member of his church.
Next to love the Lord Jesus and his salvation, magnifies the
name of Jesus, Psalms 40. And 16 says, let all those, who
seek that all of those that seek thee rejoice and be glad in
thee, let such as love thy salvation, say continually the
Lord be magnified. Next.
I o magnify the Lord Jesus by putting him into my life and by
manifesting him in my life and by showing him in my life.
It's inconceivable to be a one of his people and not Magnify
Him, but we have some people today who claim to be followers
of Jesus, but they magnify everybody else.
Besides Jesus. the magnifier big ball player, maybe that's all he
talked about the baptizer that magnify a big politician, maybe
our big Statesman even Or maybe some religious preacher.
But if I want to magnify Jesus, I've got to show him in my life
and showed the people that I'm here is because I have involved
his teachings and his principles and his philosophy into my life
so much so that people can see it.
You know, the man the crippled man at the gate at the beautiful
gate who was healed and who joined on with Peter and Paul
and went on inside the gate, leaping and praising God.
The Bible said that the people who looked on saw that man.
And saw these people who had done it, they said, they took
knowledge of them that they had been with Jesus.
It was evident. It was obvious in their life.
They talk like him, they acted like him.
They seem like him that Magnify Him.
How do I do that by reading his word and by praying by
constantly striving to be more like him every day?
And I'm magnifying game when I do that.
I read a beautiful little story one time.
That struck me as very, very touching, but it illustrates
this fact so much. It was story of a preacher who
had some friends in Kansas City. Missouri.
He said it was in the home of some lovely Christian people who
had one sweet little daughter and she was stricken with a
malady, cut her down, and she died.
Before they realized it. After she had gone, they had no
photograph of her, nothing whatsoever.
Not even a snapshot that was adequate and these at and they
were old and not taken recently. They were heartbroken and came
to this preacher and said oh if we just had a picture of our
loved it youngster before us today and he said I know one
artist. In the back streets of Kansas
City who one time earned a great livelihood.
But his age and other circumstances, forced him from
the center of the profession. He had the skill like the artist
today to do to do for the FBI and if you were to describe
somebody, they can draw the picture and Flash it on the
screen, all the paper and people can recognize the individual.
From what the artist has portrayed.
Well, they went to the alert to the old largest and to this
profession professional man. and they told him about it and he
said, don't get your hopes up. But give me all the descriptions
that you can of your little daughter.
Tell me the color of her hair of her eyes of her size of what she
liked. Bring me her toys.
Tell me some things about her what she said, and you go home.
And when I call you, you come, I'll make do as best as I can to
make a composite of your little daughter.
Well, they went home and in weeks they got a call, they went
to the old artist in back streets of Kansas sitting in a
Dusty little Studio back there. And when they walked in, he told
him, he said, now, as I told you don't be disappointed.
If I don't do what you expect, because I've done the best I
can, he had have a seat here and he unveiled the picture.
Oh, they jumped to their feet. Rush to that picture.
Tears sprang in their eyes and said, how could you possibly
have done it? You bound of had some kind of
picture there was a lightness of their little daughter.
Like they could believe You know what happened?
He took all the evidences and put it together, and people were
able to recognize it. Now, that's what we do with
Jesus. I've never seen Jesus.
You've never seen Jesus. But his Apostle Peter said, whom
having not seen. We loved and who though now.
We see him not yet rejoicing, we yet, believing we Rejoice with
joy, unspeakable and full of Glory but I can take this
evidence right here. I can read everything there is
about Jesus and I can learn it and I can put it into my life.
And when I put that all together into my life and when you put it
all together in your life, people are going to see Jesus in
it. And his name is going to be
glorified magnified. I have one little Point here.
I want to read before I close The poem says, so he painted a
picture of Judas and the model who posed for the part, how to
face a repulsive in Cruel till it taxed.
Even the artist great art and a story.
He told us, he painted the story of Jesus.
So sweet when it was finished. The man took his wages and just
rambled on out into the street years passed and the artist
grown famous wish to picture of Jesus to paint.
So he searched to be found him a model with a sweet kindly face
of a saint, but before he had picked up his brush ascribe, the
artist, I've done you, I know That's true said the man.
I was Judas. But it happened a long time ago.
And the Man in the story that you told me, he's coming to my
heart. Thanks to you.
And it isn't my face that you see, sir.
But the face of the man shining through Ladies and gentlemen is
Christ in your life. Today is his name magnified in
your life. In what you do and what you say,
if he's not, we're just playing a game.
Now, that's what it's all about. I've told you what it takes to
magnify the name of Jesus by obedience.
I've told you what it takes to be saved by grace.
Have you done that are maybe you're a member of the church.
Maybe you've been a follower of Jesus Through The Years, but
somewhere down the road. The road got rough are
distractions but can't came your way and took your mind away.
And you straight away from the pet straight and narrow path
that you want to come back and renew your allegiance to him.
Take that name, that's above every name that the Apostle Paul
called Anna more, excellent name and wear it proudly as long as
you live. If that's the case, we give you
the privilege. While we stand and what we say,
We thank you for listening to our podcast, put on by the
Church of Christ at 22:15 plans. Road in Bakersfield, if you
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Please email us at info at True Church of Christ
Bakersfield.com. Our service times are on Sundays
at 10:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. and Wednesdays at 7:30 p.m.
Please make plans to join us. We would love for you to be our
honored guest.