No Other Name: Suffer, Speak, Call on Jesus

Devotional

Day 1: The Lame Man Leaping in Court

Peter and John gripped the healed man’s arms as temple guards approached. Hours earlier, this beggar had danced through Solomon’s Colonnade—legs strong, voice shouting praise. The crowd’s awe turned to murmurs when the priests arrived. “By what name did you do this?” they demanded. Peter answered: “Jesus Christ of Nazareth—the One you crucified.” The healed man stood as Exhibit A, his bouncing feet testifying louder than arguments. [32:01]

This miracle wasn’t about spectacle but signature. Jesus stamped His authority on the lame man’s legs like a king’s seal on a decree. The religious leaders hated the name because it exposed their empty rituals. When God moves, counterfeit power structures tremble.

Where has Jesus’ power visibly marked your life? His healing isn’t limited to bodies—He restores broken relationships, addiction-crippled wills, despair-paralyzed hearts. What healed area of your life can you let others see today? When others ask “How?”, will you credit Jesus’ name?

“If we are being examined today about a good deed done to a disabled man—by what means he was saved—let it known to all of you… that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth… this man is standing before you healthy.”
(Acts 4:9–10, CSB)

Prayer: Thank Jesus for one specific rescue in your life. Ask Him to make it a conversation-starter today.

Challenge: Text one person about how Jesus helped you this week. Name Him explicitly.

Day 2: Builders Rejecting the Cornerstone

The Sanhedrin scowled as Peter quoted their own scriptures: “The stone you builders rejected has become the cornerstone.” These men had spent lifetimes stacking theological bricks—sacrifices, feasts, laws—yet kicked aside God’s foundation stone. Jesus’ resurrection proved their religious system couldn’t save. Only alignment with Him gave life. [54:00]

Jesus isn’t a decorative statue on our self-built temples. He’s the load-bearing beam holding eternity’s structure. To ignore His centrality collapses everything. The religious leaders preferred a DIY project they could control rather than bowing to God’s blueprint.

What “bricks” have you stacked to earn God’s favor—church attendance, Bible knowledge, moral behavior? How might Jesus be asking you to dismantle your self-made structure and rest wholly on Him? Where have you treated Christ as an accessory instead of your foundation?

“This Jesus is the stone rejected by you builders, which has become the cornerstone. There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to people by which we must be saved.”
(Acts 4:11–12, CSB)

Prayer: Confess one area where you’ve built life on your own terms. Ask Jesus to be your cornerstone anew.

Challenge: Write down three “good deeds” you rely on for worth. Cross them out and write “JESUS” over them.

Day 3: No Other Name Under Heaven

Peter’s voice echoed in the marble chamber: “No other name.” The high priest flinched. Soldiers tightened their grip on the apostles’ arms. Every religious leader knew names held power—Yahweh, Abraham, Moses. But this uneducated fisherman claimed a crucified carpenter’s name surpassed them all. [59:49]

Jesus’ name isn’t a magic word but a master key. It unlocks prison doors, heals broken bodies, and—most crucially—opens heaven’s gates. The Sanhedrin feared losing their monopoly on spiritual access. Peter declared the scandalous truth: salvation comes through allegiance to a Person, not performance.

How often do you functionally believe other “names” save—therapy, politics, self-help? What situation are you facing where you need to speak Jesus’ name instead of offering advice, excuses, or silence?

“There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to people by which we must be saved.”
(Acts 4:12, CSB)

Prayer: Ask Jesus to reveal where you’ve trusted lesser “saviors.” Repent and declare His sole sufficiency.

Challenge: When faced with a problem today, whisper “Jesus” before taking action.

Day 4: Peter’s Fear Turned Boldness

Peter smelled the same incense that filled the air when he denied Christ. The same Caiaphas glared down. But the fisherman-turned-preacher didn’t stammer this time. Holy Spirit fire burned through his fear. “You crucified Him. God raised Him.” The healed man’s laughter rang louder than Peter’s past denials. [43:15]

Courage isn’t the absence of fear but the presence of Christ. The same Spirit that resurrected Jesus empowered Peter’s witness. Our adequacy comes from God’s Spirit, not our eloquence. When we speak Christ’s words, He amplifies them beyond our abilities.

Where have you let past failures silence you? What relationship or environment makes your palms sweat to mention Jesus? How might the Spirit want to transform your fear into faithful speech today?

“Then Peter was filled with the Holy Spirit and said to them… ‘There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to people by which we must be saved.’”
(Acts 4:8,12, CSB)

Prayer: Ask the Holy Spirit to fill you afresh. Name one fear holding you back from speaking Christ’s name.

Challenge: Share one Bible verse about Jesus with someone before sunset.

Day 5: Salvation’s Echo in a Jail Cell

Chains clanked as guards shoved Peter and John into a cell. Outside, 5,000 voices praised God—new believers baptized in the name they’d just jailed. The apostles’ bruises became badges of honor. Persecution couldn’t silence the Word; it only spread the fire. [39:38]

Gospel opposition often precedes gospel harvest. The authorities tried to bury the message but only planted seeds. When we face resistance for Christ’s name, we join a chain of witnesses stretching back to locked-up apostles. Our faithfulness in chains fertilizes others’ faith.

What modern “chains” make you hesitant to witness—cancel culture, family tension, career risks? How might your courageous stand, even in small ways, water seeds you can’t yet see growing?

“But many of those who heard the message believed, and the number of the men came to about five thousand.”
(Acts 4:4, CSB)

Prayer: Ask Jesus to strengthen believers facing persecution. Commit to praying for one by name this week.

Challenge: Write down three people opposed to the gospel. Pray for their salvation daily.

Sermon Summary

Acts chapter four unfolds a decisive confrontation over the name of Jesus. The narrative begins with the miraculous healing of a man lame from birth, followed by a public proclamation that the miracle happened by the name of Jesus Christ. Religious leaders respond with arrest and interrogation because a proclaimed resurrection threatened their authority and interpretive control of scripture. The apostles experience immediate opposition, yet the gospel produces fruit even while they sit in chains; many believe as the message spreads beyond any attempt to silence it.

The text draws three clear demands: endure hostility for the name, declare the name boldly, and invite people to call on that name for rescue. Suffering will come when the name confronts entrenched power, and opposition does not always signal personal failure; it often signals that the name has been heard. Boldness arises not from temperament but from the Holy Spirit enabling fearful mouths to confess truth. Peter’s defense moves from irony to indictment: the very leaders who rejected and crucified Jesus now face the reality that God raised him. The resurrection functions as divine vindication, overturning human verdicts and proving Jesus to be the cornerstone.

The cornerstone image tightens the argument: the stone rejected by the builders becomes the foundation for God’s house, and every other stone must align with it. Jesus stands as the decisive axis around which belonging and judgment pivot. The passage closes with the climactic claim that salvation belongs to no one else; the same Greek root links physical healing and spiritual rescue, underscoring that signs point to a deeper rescue available only through Jesus of Nazareth. The exclusivity of the claim receives a pastoral framing: exclusivity is not arrogance but mercy, because a single cure for a lethal condition demands naming that cure.

The call moves from courtroom to altar: recognize sin, trust the risen Jesus, and bear public witness through baptism and confession. The narrative insists that naming Jesus, suffering for the name, and calling upon the name constitute the church’s faithful response until every knee bows and every tongue confesses the risen Lord.

Key Takeaways

1. Suffer for the name of Jesus Opposition will often follow clear gospel proclamation, not because of personal failure but because the name destabilizes existing power and self-sufficiency. Endurance reframes persecution as participation in apostolic witness and aligns present loss with the vindication God has already enacted in the resurrection. Suffering becomes a badge of fidelity rather than proof of defeat. [33:15]
2. Speak up for the name boldly Boldness comes from the Spirit, not from temperament or social confidence. Opening the mouth amid fear declares that Christ’s worth outweighs personal comfort, and it turns trembling into testimony. Courage grounded in the Spirit confronts cultural pressures and exposes false authorities. [40:24]
3. Call on the name now The same divine power that healed bodies points to a present, personal rescue for sinners. Calling on Jesus names the only effective cure for spiritual death and places the soul under Christ’s sovereign rescue. The invitation demands an honest appraisal of sin and a trust in the risen Lord. [51:23]
4. There is no other name for salvation The resurrection declares God’s verdict and secures Jesus as the cornerstone of God’s building; every claim that competes with that cornerstone proves unfit. Exclusive truth claims flow from divine mercy, not cruelty, because the stakes are eternal and humanity needs a true remedy. Aligning with the cornerstone decides membership and destiny. [57:05]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[28:38] - Acts 4 context and title: No Other Name
[33:15] - Suffer for the name of Jesus
[40:24] - Speak up in fear and boldness
[51:23] - Call on the name for rescue
[57:05] - Exclusive claim: no other name

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading
Acts 4:1-12 (ESV)
1 And as they were speaking to the people, the priests and the captain of the temple and the Sadducees came upon them, 2 greatly annoyed because they were teaching the people and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection from the dead. 3 And they arrested them and put them in custody until the next day, for it was already evening. 4 But many of those who had heard the word believed, and the number of the men came to about five thousand. 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. 11 This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone. 12 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.”

Observation Questions

Why were the Sadducees specifically annoyed by Peter and John’s teaching (v. 2)? How does this connect to their beliefs about the resurrection?
What two contrasting outcomes occurred after Peter and John were arrested (vv. 3-4)?
In verse 11, Peter quotes Psalm 118:22. What does the metaphor of the “cornerstone” imply about Jesus’ role in God’s plan?
According to the sermon, how does the Greek word sozo (used in v. 9 and v. 12) link physical healing to spiritual salvation? [58:02]

Interpretation Questions

Why might opposition to the gospel sometimes signal that the message has been heard clearly, rather than indicating personal failure? [36:21]
How does the Holy Spirit’s role in Peter’s boldness (v. 8) challenge the idea that courage is only a natural personality trait?
The sermon states, “Exclusive truth claims flow from divine mercy, not cruelty.” How does Acts 4:12 support this perspective?
What does the healed man’s presence in the narrative (v. 10) reveal about the relationship between miracles and gospel proclamation?

Application Questions

When have you hesitated to speak Jesus’ name because of fear? What practical step could you take this week to rely on the Holy Spirit’s boldness instead of your own confidence? [45:00]
The sermon asks, “When was the last time speaking Jesus’ name cost you something?” How would your relationships or priorities shift if you embraced suffering for His name as a “badge of fidelity”? [37:48]
How can you explain the exclusivity of Jesus as the only Savior (v. 12) to someone who views it as intolerant? What metaphors (e.g., doctor, fireman) from the sermon could help clarify this truth? [01:00:36]
In what areas of your life do you struggle to align with Jesus as the “cornerstone”? What habits or choices need to change to reflect His centrality?
The Greek word sozo ties physical healing to spiritual rescue. How does this deepen your understanding of Jesus’ power to save? Who in your life needs to hear about this “deeper rescue” today? [59:21]
Baptism publicly identifies someone with Christ’s death and resurrection. If you haven’t been baptized, what holds you back? If you have, how can your baptism empower you to “suffer for the name”? [01:06:02]

Sermon Clips

32s

#ConfessJesus

“There is no greater contempt for the god of the universe. I mean, it's just the the brazier high handed going, I gave you my absolute best and it wasn't enough. There is no other place but hell for you. When you turn and look at him that way. So, here's what I want to say. Come to the one that men has rejected but god has raised. Come to the chief cornerstone. Come to the crucified and risen savior and if you come to him, go and confess him.”

35s

#PeterRedeemed

“This man cannot face a teenager with a candle a couple weeks ago. Why would god use Peter after such a public failure? That is precisely the point. That is precisely the point. The man who denied Christ before a servant girl now confesses him before the Sanhedrin, the highest council, the high priest himself, and preaches the resurrection of the man they just crucified. And here's why. So no one watching can say Peter did this in his own strength.”

36s

#OnlyNameSaves

“The apostles needed this name. The rulers needed this name. I need this name. You need this name. The men in that council chamber had to choose and you have to too. There is no fence to sit on. You can deny this exclusive name to trust in your own good works, to pretend that all paths lead to god. That is to stand with the Sanhedrin or you can throw away your own righteousness and call upon the name that can spiritually save you and give you health in Jesus Christ.”

38s

#GospelGrowsDespiteOpposition

“Think about this. Gospel opposition and gospel fruit can happen at the same time. You need to hear that. I think we tend to think we need to have a culture that that kind of we we can leverage the gospel. The gospel is independent of the culture. It has a self generating power of its own. That's what you have to see. While the apostles sit in a cell, the word of God is loose. Do you see that? More were added that day after they were thrown into custody than the day there were the signs and wonders at Pentecost.”

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Mt. Carmel Demorest This sermon · AI assistant

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