Grace in Tullahoma

Titus 1:5-9

Have you ever wondered why we do some of the things we do? (Why do we… say bless you when someone sneezes? Yell at ballgames? At a concert reply to the person on stage with screams?…)

There’s things in life that we don’t always know why we do them, but we just do. It’s also true with our faith. There are a lot of things we do, and we always have done them, but we probably don’t know why. We’re going to be looking at one of those tonight.

Why do we pray in Jesus’ name?

John 14:13-14 – 13 Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.

John 16:24 – 24 Until now you have asked nothing in my name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.

What exactly is Jesus saying here? Is he saying that if you add his name to the end of a prayer, like it’s the magic potion that makes your prayer come true? It’s saying the name of Jesus is like rubbing the magic lamp to make the Jesus genie come out to grant you your wishes.

Well, that can’t be what it is meaning. I would be a billionaire, there would be world peace, and my sister would still be alive if that was the case. That’s not what Jesus is saying. We don’t pray in his name as a tack on to get what we want. So, what does he mean?

We’re going to see two things here about Jesus and prayer.

First, we’re going to see that we pray in Jesus’ name, because He has authority.

Tell me what comes next… *sing* “Stop! In the name of _____________.” In the name of love is the phrase. A similar phrase is…if you are running from the cops, they might yell out something… “Stop! In the name of ____________.” In the name of the law. You see, even if you can’t see the officer, the offender understands who is telling them to stop—and by whose authority. This officer is there to enforce the law not under his own authority, but under the authorization of the law and government.

It’s very similar to the experience that Peter and John have before the rulers, elders, and scribes in Jerusalem.

Acts 4:5–10 – 5 On the next day their rulers and elders and scribes gathered together in Jerusalem, 6 with Annas the high priest and Caiaphas and John and Alexander, and all who were of the high-priestly family. 7 And when they had set them in the midst, they inquired, “By what power or by what name did you do this?” 8 Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers of the people and elders, 9 if we are being examined today concerning a good deed done to a crippled man, by what means this man has been healed, 10 let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead—by him this man is standing before you well.

In the days when powerful people couldn’t send an email or make a phone call, they sent their orders through people who were given the authority to speak in their name. When those ambassadors gave orders, they did so with the authority of the person in charge.

When Jesus gave the disciples the Great Commission, He began by establishing his authority.

Matthew 28:18-20 – “18 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 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, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

Why is it important for Jesus to let the disciples know that universal authority now belongs to Him? Because He has come back from the dead and established that He is God. He’s now transferring that authority to them as they’re being sent around the world to speak on His behalf. They are now ambassadors empowered to speak for Christ (2 Cor 5:20).

But remember, he points out that he has authority on earth and in heaven. And he invites us to use that a

Titus 1:1-4

Romans 6:1-6

2 Timothy 4:9-18

Romans 1:16  – For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.

We’re starting a new series tonight in conjunction with a new initiative we have started in our city this week. We are going to be talking about what it means to “Speak Jesus.” We’re going to see what it means to not be ashamed of the gospel and why the name of Jesus is so important to speak to those around us.

At the heart of what we are seeking to do in our community is Romans 1:16, and in particular the beginning words: “I am not ashamed of the gospel.” This verse is the very heart of the book of Romans, written by Paul — a kind of thesis statement of the book.

So, let’s start off by asking this question: What makes a person feel shame?

Today we will focus on the words: “For I am not ashamed of the gospel.” You see the link with verse 15. The reason he is eager to preach the gospel in Rome is that he is not ashamed of the gospel. Let’s begin with the general question: What makes a person feel ashamed? Consider some examples.

First, suppose a boy brags to his friends that he can outrun the new kid in the neighborhood. So the kids set up a race — say, once around the block. Both boys walk the route and see where all the obstacles are and where the turns are made. Then they line up. The neighborhood kids are all out watching. Someone says, “Ready. Set. Go!” And the bragging boy is simply left in the dust. The skinny new guy finishes 40 or 50 yards ahead of the braggart. When that happens it is very likely that the braggart feels ashamed. He feels that he has made a fool of himself.

Second, suppose someone you don’t like at school has a dad who is in jail. And suppose that you make fun of him for this and call him names and point out to people that his dad is a crook. And you boast that your dad is a successful financial officer at a major bank. Then one day you go home to the terrible news that your dad has been arrested and charged with embezzling hundreds of thousands of dollars. The next day you don’t even want to go to school because you are so ashamed — both of your father and of yourself.

Third, suppose you are invited to a costume party — you carefully pick out your costume and work so hard on looking good. You are invited to a party and you check with people whom you think are reliable advisers about what to wear and how to look. But when you get there you realize that you are totally wrong in the way you dressed. Everyone is in like suit and ties and you are dressed as an Avenger. You are so embarrassed that you don’t want to go into the room.

Finally, suppose you have a part in a play — just a small one perhaps, because you are nervous and not very good at acting. Maybe you have two lines at some key point in the play. You memorize the lines. The play begins. Your heart pounds out of your chest. The audience is large. Everyone is doing beautifully and setting a high standard. Your moment is drawing near. And at the exact moment, you freeze. You try to say the two lines. Everybody is looking at you. But you can’t do it. Someone whispers to you your lines — to no avail. Somehow they get around you. You run off the stage, and want to run off the planet. You feel so ashamed.

We all know what it is to be embarrassed — or to be ashamed. What would keep you from being embarrassed or ashamed in situations like that? Well, one answer would be that stronger legs would have kept you from losing the race and being put to shame by the new guy. And a more honest dad would not have embezzled, so you wouldn’t be ashamed of him. And with better counsel from your friend you wouldn’t have dressed all wrong for the party. And better nerves in front of a group would have let you remember your lines and speak them with excellence. In other words, you could avoid being ashamed if you could always keep yourself in the best light and never let anyone feel

WATCH OUT Psalm 15

2 Timothy 4:1-8

Change the World – Gideon

Judges 6:1-16, 25-26

Who wants to know how to catch a monkey?! Who thinks it would be the coolest thing in the world to walk around with a monkey chilling on your shoulder? Well, you’re in luck! You will learn how to catch your very own monkey! But you will have to wait until the end of the message to find out how!

Have you ever read or heard something that just straight up scared you? Maybe you viewed your life in one way, but then— all of a sudden—your whole perception changed. Perhaps, you read or heard about someone who upset or angered you or someone who you have looked down on, and then you realize that you are a lot more like that person than you would like to think.

Reading the book of Judges can do this to you.

I know that we are sinful and constantly turn our backs on God, for God’s Word tells us that, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23 ESV) However, when I read about how the Israelites constantly turned their backs on God, I most likely and purposefully have not been relating to them personally. I would like to think that I wouldn’t have turned my back on God like they did, even though I know I am no better than they were. I pray you see the same thing that I have from Judges 6.

We are going to conclude this series by seeing ourselves in the person we are studying tonight. We are going to see that God sees something in us even when we don’t see it, and we are going to see actions we must take in order to be used by God to change the world.

Please turn with me to Judges chapter 6 as we take a look at Gideon and how God used him to lead God’s people to victory over their enemies.

[PREFACE TO SCRIPTURE READING]

Up until this point in Scripture, there had been a constant pattern with the Israelites. God would provide for them, then they would turn their backs. God would provide for them again, then they would turn their backs again. A common phrase found throughout this whole ordeal was, “The people of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the Lord.” Time and time again this happened—just like it happens for us time and time again. Out of this pattern came the period of the judges.

And so begins our story…

Judges 6:1-16 – 1 The people of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, and the Lord gave them into the hand of Midian seven years. 2 And the hand of Midian overpowered Israel, and because of Midian the people of Israel made for themselves the dens that are in the mountains and the caves and the strongholds. 3 For whenever the Israelites planted crops, the Midianites and the Amalekites and the people of the East would come up against them. 4 They would encamp against them and devour the produce of the land, as far as Gaza, and leave no sustenance in Israel and no sheep or ox or donkey. 5 For they would come up with their livestock and their tents; they would come like locusts in number—both they and their camels could not be counted—so that they laid waste the land as they came in. 6 And Israel was brought very low because of Midian. And the people of Israel cried out for help to the Lord.

7 When the people of Israel cried out to the Lord on account of the Midianites, 8 the Lord sent a prophet to the people of Israel. And he said to them, “Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: I led you up from Egypt and brought you out of the house of slavery. 9 And I delivered you from the hand of the Egyptians and from the hand of all who oppressed you, and drove them out before you and gave you their land. 10 And I said to you, ‘I am the Lord your God; you shall not fear the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell.’ But you have not obeyed my voice.”

11 Now the angel of the Lord came and sat under the terebinth at Ophrah, which belonged to Joash the Abiezrite, while his son Gideon was beating out wheat in the winepress to hide it from the Midianites. 12 And the angel of the Lord appeared to him and said to him,