Preaching the Man - Jesus Christ
And they called them, and charged them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus. (Acts 4.18, ASV)saying, We strictly charged you not to teach in this name: and behold, ye have filled Jerusalem with your teaching, and intend to bring this man’s blood upon us. (Acts 5.28, ASV)
My wife and I are attending yet another series of out-of-town meetings. For the last two or so years, we’ve taken off time and spent thousands on airfare, hotels, and food to go where we knew that the preacher was going to preach in the Name. We’ve done that because nowadays church services are all about us - what we need, what we feel we need, what we want, blah blah blah. While Jesus may be mentioned here or there, the entire emphasis is on putting into motion some kind of covenant principles or four-step process so that we can self-actualize over the course of the coming week.
The Early Church was not interested in self-actualization, but in declaring the victory of Jesus over death, sin, hell, and the grave, even to those who would persecute them for the message. Jesus’s victory gave those men and women courage to withstand stonings, prison, beatings, and even being lit afire as “the light of the world” - hardly the stuff of our Wonderful Life teachings today (it’s difficult to think of Peter’s upside down crucifixion as part of the “blessed life” as we understand that ready-made phrase today).