Formosa Baptist Church
2026-05-17
      • Bible Trivia
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  • Big Idea for the Series: In the book of Acts, we see God advancing his Kingdom by his Spirit through his Church.
    FCF: Christians are those who bear the name of Christ. The name of Jesus is not a magical incantation to be used to get what we want or manipulate God. Rather, when we take on the name of Christ we enter into union with him, receiving both the sufferings and the glories of Christ as our own.
    Intro:
    Last week we looked at chapter 18 and we saw that Paul had discipled Aquila and Priscilla, who in turn discipled a young preacher named Apollos.
    Aquila and Priscilla had met Apollos at Ephesus and heard him preach there. They recognized that he had a genuine calling to the ministry upon him, but he needed a bit of discipleship because his knowledge of the faith was lacking in some areas. So, they took him under their wing and discipled him further.
    Apollos then went on to Corinth (in the region of Achaia, Acts 18:27), where he was welcomed and established his ministry there.
    Paul has now left Apollos behind at Corinth and Paul now comes back to Ephesus. His first trip through Ephesus was very brief (Acts 18:19-21), but already there are Christians at Ephesus, so Paul picks up with ministry to them. Paul will end up staying in Ephesus for longer than he stays in any other city—two years.
    Paul later writes one of his greatest letters to the church at Ephesus, the letter to the Ephesians.
    So, we pick up the story here following Paul as he ministers at Ephesus.
    Acts 19:1–20 ESV
    1 And it happened that while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul passed through the inland country and came to Ephesus. There he found some disciples. 2 And he said to them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” And they said, “No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.” 3 And he said, “Into what then were you baptized?” They said, “Into John’s baptism.” 4 And Paul said, “John baptized with the baptism of repentance, telling the people to believe in the one who was to come after him, that is, Jesus.” 5 On hearing this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 6 And when Paul had laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they began speaking in tongues and prophesying. 7 There were about twelve men in all. 8 And he entered the synagogue and for three months spoke boldly, reasoning and persuading them about the kingdom of God. 9 But when some became stubborn and continued in unbelief, speaking evil of the Way before the congregation, he withdrew from them and took the disciples with him, reasoning daily in the hall of Tyrannus. 10 This continued for two years, so that all the residents of Asia heard the word of the Lord, both Jews and Greeks. 11 And God was doing extraordinary miracles by the hands of Paul, 12 so that even handkerchiefs or aprons that had touched his skin were carried away to the sick, and their diseases left them and the evil spirits came out of them. 13 Then some of the itinerant Jewish exorcists undertook to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits, saying, “I adjure you by the Jesus whom Paul proclaims.” 14 Seven sons of a Jewish high priest named Sceva were doing this. 15 But the evil spirit answered them, “Jesus I know, and Paul I recognize, but who are you?” 16 And the man in whom was the evil spirit leaped on them, mastered all of them and overpowered them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded. 17 And this became known to all the residents of Ephesus, both Jews and Greeks. And fear fell upon them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was extolled. 18 Also many of those who were now believers came, confessing and divulging their practices. 19 And a number of those who had practiced magic arts brought their books together and burned them in the sight of all. And they counted the value of them and found it came to fifty thousand pieces of silver. 20 So the word of the Lord continued to increase and prevail mightily.
    Prayer
    Last week, we saw that Aquila and Priscilla had to disciple Apollos because he had some gaps in his understanding of the gospel. He knew of the baptism of John, but had not yet fully understood the message of Jesus.
    Acts 18:25–26 ESV
    He had been instructed in the way of the Lord. And being fervent in spirit, he spoke and taught accurately the things concerning Jesus, though he knew only the baptism of John. He began to speak boldly in the synagogue, but when Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him aside and explained to him the way of God more accurately.
    Well, in this passage, we see in the first few verses that Paul encounters a group of Jewish disciples of John the Baptist. Paul realizes that they have not received the Holy Spirit and so he promptly fills in the gaps and then rebaptizes them in the name of Jesus. It’s the same exact issue that Apollos had in the previous passage. Apollos had only been baptized in John’s baptism, so too these disciples had only been baptized in John’s baptism.
    What’s going on here? Did the preacher who baptized them just get the formula wrong and forget to say “in the name of Jesus?” or is there more going on?
    Well, as you might suspect, there’s a lot more going on here.
    I’m going to try to connect some really big concepts this morning to this passage, which will have us looking at several deep truths. So, to help you follow along and not get lost, let me give you an overview of where we’re going.
    The big question that I want to answer this morning is this: “What does it mean when we say “in the name of Jesus?” What does it mean to be baptized in the name of Jesus or to pray in the name of Jesus? And then, we’re going to look at a cautionary tale in verses 13-20 of what the name of Jesus doesn’t mean.
    So, first, I’m going to very briefly explain where the concept of baptism came from in the Old Testament and what John’s baptism symbolized.
    Second, we’re going to look at what the phrase and concept “in the name of Jesus” means. We’re going to specifically break down what it means to pray “in the name of Jesus” and to be baptized “in the name of Jesus,” and what the implications are for us who bear his name. This is going to be the main part of the message today.
    Finally, we’re going to look at the cautionary tale in verses 13-20 that warn us of the dangers of misunderstanding or misusing the name of Jesus.

    OT baptism was an incomplete shadow of NT baptism. (vv. 1-4)

    When we open the New Testament, a lot of things have changed since the Old Testament days. One of those things is that John the Baptist is running around baptizing people.
    Well, if you know your Bible, you know that the word “baptize” does not occur in the Old Testament

    Baptism likely developed from Old Testament ritual washings.

    The Old Testament Law places a big emphasis on cleanness. Animals were classified as either clean or unclean, people could become unclean through contact with the dead, bodily emissions, skin infections, contact with someone who was unclean, and a slew of other circumstances.
    Priests in the tabernacle from the tribe of Levi, aka “Levitical Priests,” had to undergo cleansing rituals before they could enter the tabernacle to serve.
    Exodus 30:18–20 ESV
    18 “You shall also make a basin of bronze, with its stand of bronze, for washing. You shall put it between the tent of meeting and the altar, and you shall put water in it, 19 with which Aaron and his sons shall wash their hands and their feet. 20 When they go into the tent of meeting, or when they come near the altar to minister, to burn a food offering to the Lord, they shall wash with water, so that they may not die.
    Most of the washing rituals in the Old Testament focused on just the hands and feet or the objects that were contaminated, but there were situations that required a complete bath.
    These washing rituals symbolized cleansing and repentance. In Isaiah 1:16 when God is rebuking Israel for their sin, he commands them:
    Isaiah 1:16 ESV
    16 Wash yourselves; make yourselves clean; remove the evil of your deeds from before my eyes; cease to do evil,
    So, ritual washing was a symbol of repentance and cleansing from sin and defilement in the Old Testament.
    There’s also historical evidence that somewhere around the time of Christ—possibly just before or after—when Gentiles wanted to convert to Judaism, they would be fully immersed in water in the presence of a Rabbi as part of their ritual cleansing.
    Probably the reason for this is because Gentiles were considered unclean all the time, so they wanted to make sure they were fully cleansed before admitting them as part of Judaism.
    But, in John’s ministry, he’s not just washing the hands and the feet of the Levites, and he’s not just telling Gentiles they need to be fully washed, he’s commanding EVERYONE, all Jews, to be baptized.

    John the Baptist’s baptism was about repentance.

    And the word “baptize” in the Greek is baptidzo, which means to immerse in water. So, John comes along and he’s fully immersing everyone because his message is that the Messiah is coming and everyone needs to repent and be cleansed from their sins.
    Matthew 3:1–6 ESV
    1 In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, 2 “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” 3 For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah when he said, “The voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord; make his paths straight.’ ” 4 Now John wore a garment of camel’s hair and a leather belt around his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey. 5 Then Jerusalem and all Judea and all the region about the Jordan were going out to him, 6 and they were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins.
    So, John was an Old Testament prophet and his baptism was an Old Covenant baptism.
    So, when Paul encounters these “disciples” in Ephesus, they are still Old Testament believers. They don’t know about the Holy Spirit yet, they’ve been baptized in John’s baptism, but they either don’t yet know about Jesus or don’t know the full story yet.
    Acts 19:1–4 ESV
    1 And it happened that while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul passed through the inland country and came to Ephesus. There he found some disciples. 2 And he said to them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” And they said, “No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.” 3 And he said, “Into what then were you baptized?” They said, “Into John’s baptism.” 4 And Paul said, “John baptized with the baptism of repentance, telling the people to believe in the one who was to come after him, that is, Jesus.”
    These may have been disciples Apollos made, because they have the same doctrinal insufficiency that Apollos had been preaching (Acts 18:25; 19:2-3), namely, a general knowledge of and faith in the Messiah, but awareness only of John the Baptist’s baptism. John’s baptism was about repentance and pointed forward to Jesus. It was rooted in an Old Testament concept of washing and ritual purification and picture washing away one’s sins.
    That was true and right, insofar as it went. But, now on the other side of Jesus’ resurrection, in the New Covenant, baptism took on a much deeper meaning.
    So, what is so different about Christian baptism that Paul felt the need to re-baptize these people?
    In order to understand that, we need to answer a fundamental question:

    What does “in the name of Jesus” mean?

    Acts 19:5–6 ESV
    On hearing this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. And when Paul had laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they began speaking in tongues and prophesying.
    Apparently, whatever this means it’s very significant because it results in them being filled with the Holy Spirit where they had not been before.
    Romeo and Juliet, “What’s in a name?”
    Romeo (a Montague) and Juliet (a Capulet) are from families that are sworn enemies, yet they fall in love.
    In the most well-known scene, Juliet suggests that they should just change their names since the names are enemies and they would still be the same people even if they went by different names.
    O Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo? Deny thy father and refuse thy name. Or if thou wilt not, be but sworn my love And I’ll no longer be a Capulet.
    ‘Tis but thy name that is my enemy: Thou art thyself, though not a Montague. What’s Montague? It is nor hand nor foot Nor arm nor face nor any other part Belonging to a man. O be some other name.
    What’s in a name? That which we call a rose By any other name would smell as sweet; So Romeo would, were he not Romeo call’d,
    Retain that dear perfection which he owes Without that title. Romeo, doff thy name, And for that name, which is no part of thee, Take all myself.
    The problem of course, as the star-struck lovers discover, is that it’s not that simple. Romeo bears the Montague name, and with it, the burdens and privileges of that family. And Juliet bears the Capulet name and the burdens and privileges of it. They are both inseparably tied to their family names.
    The “name” refers to a lot more than just the letters and the sounds they make--it refers to his identity and family, aspects of who he is that he can’t simply change even if he were to take a new name. In fact, Juliet herself says as much—
    What’s in a name? That which we call a rose By any other name would smell as sweet; So Romeo would, were he not Romeo call’d...
    So, when we’re talking about the “name” of Jesus, we’re talking about a lot more than just the letters on the page.

    The “name” of Jesus is refers to his authority, work, and character.

    When we’re talking about the name of Jesus, we’re not talking about the letters “J-E-S-U-S,” we’re talking about the identity of Jesus. Who he is, what he has accomplished, and the authority that he has. His character. His “family name.”

    We represent his authority and character when we invoke Jesus’ name to:

    Perform miracles and exorcisms

    Acts 3:6 ESV
    But Peter said, “I have no silver and gold, but what I do have I give to you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk!”
    Acts 16:18 ESV
    And this she kept doing for many days. Paul, having become greatly annoyed, turned and said to the spirit, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.” And it came out that very hour.
    Any miracles that we see performed in Scripture by the Apostles are always “in the name of Jesus,” that is, invoking his authority and power. And that’s true today, too. If a miracle is performed, it’s in the name of Jesus, not in our own power.
    Even when Paul’s handkerchiefs and aprons were healing people, it was in the name (authority, power) of Jesus
    Acts 19:11–12 ESV
    And God was doing extraordinary miracles by the hands of Paul, so that even handkerchiefs or aprons that had touched his skin were carried away to the sick, and their diseases left them and the evil spirits came out of them.
    We represent his authority and character when we invoke Jesus’ name to:

    Exercise church discipline

    Matthew 18:15–20 ESV
    “If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses. If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector. Truly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. Again I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.”
    Jesus cares about the purity of his bride, the church. So, when a church follows the biblical model given by Jesus himself to discipline a member who refuses to repent, that church discipline is done “in the name of Jesus,” with his authority.
    1 Corinthians 5:4–5 ESV
    When you are assembled in the name of the Lord Jesus and my spirit is present, with the power of our Lord Jesus, you are to deliver this man to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord.
    We represent his authority and character when we invoke Jesus’ name to:

    Baptize believers

    Acts 19:5 ESV
    On hearing this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.
    Now, if you’re thinking, “I thought Jesus commanded us to baptize people in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit?” Why does Paul only mention Jesus in this passage?
    Matthew 28:18–20 ESV
    And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
    Notice that in the Great Commission, Jesus said that we are to baptize in the name (singular), not names (plural). If we remember that the “name” of God means his authority and character, we realize that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit share the same name. They have the same authority (“all authority in heaven and on earth”) and character. To know Jesus is to know the Father and to know the Spirit. They are three in one. So, there is no difference between baptizing in the “name of Jesus” or “in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” It is one name, Lord/Yahweh.
    We’re going to talk more about what it means to be baptized in the name of Jesus in a moment, so we’ll come back to this.
    We represent his authority and character when we invoke Jesus’ name to:

    Demonstrate love, compassion, and mercy

    Mark 9:41 ESV
    For truly, I say to you, whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because you belong to Christ will by no means lose his reward.
    When we show generosity, love, and compassion “in Jesus’ name” to our brothers and sisters in Christ we do it as a representative of his character to our spiritual kin. To be kind in Jesus’ name is to be kind because that’s who Christ is, and you belong to him and desire to be like him and show others who he is.
    All of these examples we’ve just discussed focus on demonstrating the character and authority of Christ as representatives of Christ to other people. But, “in Jesus’ name” also carries with it the idea that Jesus represents us to the Father...

    We appeal to the finished work of Christ and the character and will of Christ when we pray in Jesus’ name for:

    Forgiveness, mercy, and grace

    Salvation comes through the name, the finished work, of Jesus
    Acts 10:43 ESV
    To him all the prophets bear witness that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.”
    No one else has done or could do what is necessary to save you. There is salvation in no other name:
    Acts 4:12 ESV
    And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”
    Romans 10:13 ESV
    For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
    To “call upon the name of the Lord” is to say, “I believe in the accomplished work of Jesus Christ. I believe that he died for my sins, was buried, rose again, and is now seated at the right hand of the Father.” It means that you are putting your faith in what Christ has done for you.
    The name of Jesus—the finished work of Jesus—is how we can have confidence when we pray to the Father. We know that Christ is our High Priest, interceding for us to the Father:
    Hebrews 10:19–22 ESV
    Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.

    All our requests

    Literally anything and everything you pray for must be done in Jesus’ name. And prayers that are made in Jesus’ name will always be granted.
    John 14:12–14 ESV
    “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father. Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.
    So, does that mean that if I pray “Lord, please help me win the lottery, in Jesus’ name, Amen” that I’m guaranteed to win the lottery? No, because that’s not what “in Jesus’ name” means.
    “In the name of Jesus” means “in accordance with his character and will.” But Jesus was not a selfish money-lover. He was generous and he was content with his humble status.
    You can’t pray selfishly “in Jesus’ name.” That’s a contradiction.
    1 John 5:14–15 ESV
    And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him.
    We’ll come back to this idea shortly, so I’m not going to say any more about it for now.
    So, what does it mean to be baptized “in the name of Jesus”?

    To be baptized in the name of Jesus is to take on his identity as your own.

    Old Testament washings and John the Baptist’s baptism were about repentance from sin. That’s part of what Christian baptism is about, but it’s not the whole picture.
    Baptism is the external declaration or outward picture of the internal reality that you have become a new person.
    To be saved and baptized is to take the family name. It is to become part of the family of Christ, so that the character of Christ becomes your character. The family burdens and privileges become your burdens and privileges.
    It is to be bound in union to Christ. It is essentially the same thing as what happens when a couple gets married and the wife takes her husbands name. They become one. They take on a new identity as a unit. It’s a whole new life.
    When we are saved and baptized in the name of Christ...

    We enter into the sufferings of Christ.

    Over and over in Acts we have seen the believers persecuted, rejected, chased out of synagogues and towns, beaten, imprisoned, stoned, and even killed, so we’re not surprised that when Paul preaches in the name of Christ, he is rejected.
    Acts 19:8–9 ESV
    And he entered the synagogue and for three months spoke boldly, reasoning and persuading them about the kingdom of God. But when some became stubborn and continued in unbelief, speaking evil of the Way before the congregation, he withdrew from them and took the disciples with him, reasoning daily in the hall of Tyrannus.
    And this isn’t just a fluke; suffering is a part of the Christian life because it was a part of Christ’s life. Jesus said,
    John 15:20 ESV
    Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours.
    Suffering is not an optional part of the Christian life that some people have to endure and others get a pass on. If we are children of God and heirs with Christ, we will suffer with him.
    If you become a Christian, you’re probably going to loose some of your friends. Some of your family may even disown and reject you.
    Romans 8:16–17 ESV
    The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.
    We’d like to leave the suffering part out, but we can’t. You can’t live with Christ unless you die with him. You can’t reign with him unless you endure with him. Because if you deny him and you reject the suffering, you reject the family name and you have no part or share in his glory.
    2 Timothy 2:11–12 ESV
    The saying is trustworthy, for: If we have died with him, we will also live with him; if we endure, we will also reign with him; if we deny him, he also will deny us;
    To be saved and baptized in the name of Christ is to take on his name. It is to take on his sufferings and bear the burden of the family name of Christ.
    And this is why it was such a big deal that the disciples in this passage hadn’t been baptized in the name of Christ. It wasn’t just that the preacher got the wording wrong when he dunked them—it was that they had not entered into a relationship with Christ. They weren’t saved. They hadn’t taken the family name yet.
    Acts 19:2–4 ESV
    And he said to them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” And they said, “No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.” And he said, “Into what then were you baptized?” They said, “Into John’s baptism.” And Paul said, “John baptized with the baptism of repentance, telling the people to believe in the one who was to come after him, that is, Jesus.”
    They had repented of their sins, and that’s great. But, salvation is in the name of Christ. It’s more than just saying you’re sorry for your sins. It’s entering into an unbreakable union with Christ. It’s taking the family name. It’s dying to the old you. It’s putting your faith in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus.’
    Have you done that?
    See, some people have this notion in their head that getting saved is just “trying harder to be a good person.” But that isn’t what it is.
    Getting saved and baptized is about giving up your identity—who you are—your desires, your ambitions, your name, and taking upon yourself the name of Christ and all that comes with that.
    It’s not about being a better version of you, it’s about no longer being “you” anymore.
    And you will never be saved until you are completely done with who “you” are.
    But, something wonderful happens when you take the name of Christ. Yes, you will suffer with him. Yes, you will die with him.
    But you will also rise with him.
    You enter into the sufferings of Christ, but you also...

    We enter into the glories of Christ.

    We see that when these 12 new believers put their trust in Christ and gave their lives to him and took on his name in baptism, they were filled with the Holy Spirit just as Jesus had been:
    Acts 19:5–7 ESV
    On hearing this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. And when Paul had laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they began speaking in tongues and prophesying. There were about twelve men in all.
    To be baptized in the name of Jesus is to be baptized in the Holy Spirit. They share one name— “Lord.” So when you receive the one, you receive the other.
    Paul himself had been a rebel to God, someone who took joy in persecuting and killing Christians. But after he took the name of Christ, he became a new person.
    Acts 19:11–12 ESV
    And God was doing extraordinary miracles by the hands of Paul, so that even handkerchiefs or aprons that had touched his skin were carried away to the sick, and their diseases left them and the evil spirits came out of them.
    He received a new identity. Instead of being someone who brought fear and pain to people, he becomes someone that God uses to heal people and bring freedom.
    If you take the name of Christ, you will receive a new identity.
    Remember all the bad news from the verses earlier?
    Remember I said that you’re probably going to loose some friends and family if you become a Christian? Well, that’s true. But you’re also going to gain some.
    John 15:20 ESV
    Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours.
    And, even if you lose your inheritance from your earthly parents when you become a Christian, taking the name of Christ means you’re part of his family, and you get an inheritance from God the Father. You get adopted into the family, with all the privileges.
    Romans 8:16–17 ESV
    The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.
    You’re going to suffer with him, but you’re also going to be glorified with him.
    I don’t know exactly what a heavenly awards ceremony looks like, but it’s got to be spectacular.
    Imagine the moment in your life where you received the greatest honor. That doesn’t hold a candle to what awaits us in heaven. I’ve never received a crown in an earthly awards ceremony. Those are only for kings and queens. But that’s what awaits those who are part of the royal family of God. Hollywood’s red carpet has nothing on what awaits us in heaven.
    Don’t believe me? Look what Paul says:
    Romans 8:18 ESV
    For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.
    It’s not just that the glory tips the scales; it’s that the glory that awaits us is so much greater that if you were to bottle up all the suffering of this life, the sum total of suffering in all the wars that have ever happened, all the famines, natural disasters, death, crime, sin, and evil that has taken place on this planet throughout history it would not even be a drop in the bucket compared to the glory that awaits us.
    2 Timothy 2:11–12 ESV
    The saying is trustworthy, for: If we have died with him, we will also live with him; if we endure, we will also reign with him;
    But, there’s a warning here in this passage as well for any who might try to misuse the name of Jesus. There’s this story about these Jewish exorcists that unsuccessfully try to cast out demons, and instead get attacked. Now, it might not seem like these are related stories, but they are absolutely related.
    The point of this story is to warn us against thinking about the name of Jesus wrongly.

    “In the name of Jesus” is not a magical incantation.

    Acts 19:13–14 ESV
    13 Then some of the itinerant Jewish exorcists undertook to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits, saying, “I adjure you by the Jesus whom Paul proclaims.” 14 Seven sons of a Jewish high priest named Sceva were doing this.

    The name of Jesus can only be invoked by those who bear his name.

    Acts 19:15 ESV
    15 But the evil spirit answered them, “Jesus I know, and Paul I recognize, but who are you?”
    “in Jesus’ name” is not just some magical formula that we tack onto the end of our prayers and requests to tap into a power source.
    The name of Jesus is the authority of Jesus; you cannot claim the authority of Christ if you have not submitted to the authority of Christ.
    The name of Jesus is his character, his will, his authority, his work—it represents who he is. The words are meaningless if they are not backed up by an internal reality. So, when these Jewish exorcists that don’t know Christ attempt to use his name, it does not go well for them...
    Acts 19:16 ESV
    16 And the man in whom was the evil spirit leaped on them, mastered all of them and overpowered them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded.
    Those who attempt to gain the glories of Christ without accepting the sufferings of Christ will receive the sufferings without the glories.

    The name of Jesus is not a tool to manipulate God.

    Acts 19:13 ESV
    13 Then some of the itinerant Jewish exorcists undertook to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits, saying, “I adjure you by the Jesus whom Paul proclaims.”
    Humans cannot manipulate or trick God. He knows the heart and he holds the future in his hands. Empty phrases and rituals are powerless. Saying “in the name of Jesus” doesn’t magically grant you whatever you want.
    Praying in the name of Jesus means in accordance with his will and character. So, requests that are not in accordance with his will and character are automatically denied.
    James 4:3 ESV
    3 You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions.
    This is why praying “in the name of Jesus” to win the Powerball is not likely to work for you. This is why praying for something that is sinful is not going to work out.
    If what you’re asking for is not something that Jesus would ask for, then you’re not praying “in Jesus’ name,” you’re praying in your own name.

    Those who bear the name of Jesus delight in bringing glory to the name of Jesus.

    Acts 19:17–20 ESV
    17 And this became known to all the residents of Ephesus, both Jews and Greeks. And fear fell upon them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was extolled. 18 Also many of those who were now believers came, confessing and divulging their practices. 19 And a number of those who had practiced magic arts brought their books together and burned them in the sight of all. And they counted the value of them and found it came to fifty thousand pieces of silver. 20 So the word of the Lord continued to increase and prevail mightily.
    God grants requests in the name of Jesus when those requests glorify the name of Jesus.
    Magicians seek to use spiritual power to glorify themselves. Christians seek to use spiritual power to glorify Christ.
    I don’t think it’s a coincidence that many of those who become believers were magicians. This whole encounter exposed their hearts and they realized that they were seeking their own glory.
    But, when they encountered the glory of Christ and the power of Christ, they realized that the magical powers they had trusted in before were meaningless and empty.
    Conclusion:
    Have you come to that point yet? Have you come to the point where you have ceased trying to make a name for yourself and you delight in making a name for Christ?
    Or is the name of Jesus just a tool you use to try to get what you want and prop up your own name?
    Have you taken on his identity—both the sufferings and the glory? Have you become a child of God? A son or daughter of the king?
    Have you publicly declared your name-changing decision through baptism?
    When we truly understand the name of Jesus and what that means, it ought to bring us to a point where we despair of trying to make a name for ourselves and we live only for the glory of the name of Jesus.

    Benediction

    Romans 8:14–18 ESV
    For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him. For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.

      • Acts 19:1–20NIV2011

      • Acts 18:25–26NIV2011

      • Exodus 30:18–20NIV2011

      • Isaiah 1:16NIV2011

      • Matthew 3:1–6NIV2011

      • Acts 19:1–4NIV2011

      • Acts 19:5–6NIV2011

      • Acts 3:6NIV2011

      • Acts 16:18NIV2011

      • Acts 19:11–12NIV2011

      • Matthew 18:15–20NIV2011

      • 1 Corinthians 5:4–5NIV2011

      • Acts 19:5NIV2011

      • Matthew 28:18–20NIV2011

      • Mark 9:41NIV2011

      • Acts 10:43NIV2011

      • Acts 4:12NIV2011

      • Romans 10:13NIV2011

      • Hebrews 10:19–22NIV2011

      • John 14:12–14NIV2011

      • 1 John 5:14–15NIV2011

      • Acts 19:8–9NIV2011

      • John 15:20NIV2011

      • Romans 8:16–17NIV2011

      • 2 Timothy 2:11–12NIV2011

      • Acts 19:2–4NIV2011

      • Acts 19:5–7NIV2011

      • Acts 19:11–12NIV2011

      • John 15:20NIV2011

      • Romans 8:16–17NIV2011

      • Romans 8:18NIV2011

      • 2 Timothy 2:11–12NIV2011

      • Acts 19:13–14NIV2011

      • Acts 19:15NIV2011

      • Acts 19:16NIV2011

      • Acts 19:13NIV2011

      • James 4:3NIV2011

      • Acts 19:17–20NIV2011

      • Romans 8:14–18NIV2011

Formosa Baptist Church
jason_hill@formosabaptist.com
https://www.formosabaptist.com/
9 members