Magnifying the Name of Jesus (Quality: Average)

[0:00] The Lord's help will speak from the latter part of the 17th verse in the 19th of the Acts of the Apostles.

[0:12] The Acts of the Apostles, chapter 19, and the latter part of verse 17. And the name of the Lord Jesus was magnified.

[0:28] And the name of the Lord Jesus was magnified. You will not be surprised, sir. We're reading this text this evening.

[0:40] We mentioned it this morning in speaking from the ninth verse of this same chapter, when divers were hardened and believed not to speak evil of this way.

[0:54] That we said this was the sequel to the whole matter. Through his mysterious windings in the ministry of the gospel and the preaching of it, the Lord magnified his name.

[1:16] We have to turn to many scriptures to prove this mysterious way to us, that he does work and none can hinder him, and that his ways are higher than our ways.

[1:42] And his thoughts are higher than our thoughts. And they are higher and we are made to believe it. Because the Lord's thoughts are supreme.

[2:01] And what to us looks disaster and failure, as it does here in this 19th chapter, the hardening hearts of many who heard the gospel preach, one would think that the apostle would be sadly cast down, that he would be ready to give up.

[2:32] And now he was urged on, disputing continually with them, maintaining the same theme, as we often read in the Acts of the Apostle, that he contended that Jesus was the Christ.

[2:55] that was his main message to them. He had to lay before Jew and Gentiles, the most positive assertion, that Christ would come in the flesh.

[3:12] So that this hardening, of which we spoke this morning, is very different from the hardening you've just been singing about. Very different.

[3:25] That hardening, that hardening, which feels itself hard, that heart which knows, that it's frozen as hard, in that Hindu dress song.

[3:42] Very different position from a heart, that absolutely like concrete, rock hard, knows no shadow of a slothnet or turn, and is stirred up to enmity, by the very hearing of the gospel, in the name of Christ.

[4:10] Lord, though these two are not to be compared. to a healthy hearth, brethren, and felt,SO that to the Lord art being forced, taken to them, is a very vital thing.

[4:26] And if such a text as this would greet any of you today, if you confess hardness of your heart, you'll be a very different person from the one we were speaking of this morning.

[4:48] Nevertheless, there is that obdue hardness of the carnal mind and heart that does not relent upon whom the Gospel has no effect.

[5:08] And quite the reverse, it turns them against God, his truth, his plan of salvation, his holy doctrine, his holy will and way and everything to do with it.

[5:29] So that Paul was faced with people like this and not a very congenial company either, who opposed him so bitterly and has not this been so.

[5:47] Anyone who has slightest acquaintance with church history through the ages will know that this stirs up the carnal mind to its greatest depth.

[6:04] And man will not have such things as these. He's his own master, he talks of if he were on inequality with God, that it is optional with him whether he is sound or whether he isn't.

[6:23] And through a false doctrine, false teaching gives him every encouragement to believe that he is master of his own eternal destiny.

[6:40] But not so in the teaching of the word of God, nor here. So that through these amazing changes in Ephesus, the name of the Lord Jesus was magnified.

[7:04] And what a blessed truth it is, and what an encouraging truth. And how it has stood the church of God through all ages in such good state.

[7:22] And he has felt that the Lord God omnipotent reigneth over all the base designs of erroneous men.

[7:35] And such enemies has no bounds unless kept within them. And we have the case of these sons of Siva in this chapter which we read this morning.

[7:53] Who called over a man possessed with er, an evil spirit, the er, name of er, Jesus.

[8:04] And to their utter astonishment, or his utter astonishment, the answer from this devil possessed man was, Jesus I know, and Paul I know.

[8:22] But who are you? And such was the unloosed power of this evil spirit within this man that he turned on these seven sons of Siva.

[8:38] The priest, not the priest of course of the Jews, but the false one among the Ephesians. And er, we read that they, er, cast him out.

[8:55] They fled out of the house naked and wounded, so that the devil's own city was destroyed. And er, the er, people saw this remarkable scene of the er, control of the evil spirit in this particular individual.

[9:19] And these things are nothing new. We do not have them in such a gross form as they had them in those days.

[9:34] But we hear men, even today, speak and write such terrible things, with regards to the Lord Jesus, that are not kept to be mentioned from the pulpit.

[9:54] And er, what Christ is, and his work, is cottoned down in the dust by them. And they do not hesitate to put their pen or tongue to the farthest extreme.

[10:13] And the church of God is stirred by these things. And her beloved Lord is, er, so spoken of.

[10:25] And individual believers are also brought to you how solemn the times are in which they live. And that we have ample ground here to view the complete control of God's enemies.

[10:49] whether they are within the breast of devilish men, or whether they are brought out into the open, and spread abroad, and many follow their penicous ways.

[11:07] And it is true this. And this is what leads up to our text. And this was known to all the Jews and Greeks, also, dwelling in Ephesus, and fear fell on them all.

[11:22] And the name of the Lord Jesus was magnified. This means collectively, first of all, and then it means individually.

[11:37] This much despised, this blasphemy name, the Lord Jesus became larger in the lives, views, beliefs, men.

[11:54] And what I sweet thought it is, to come to the unfolding of this in the New Testament.

[12:07] And see that it is called by one name, and that is, growing in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.

[12:22] This is the key and the text. This is where we stand, all fall. Upon this ground, the foundation, which standeth sure the Lord doth then and of his.

[12:41] The church has ever had this one desire for the Holy Ghost's teaching, that the name of the Lord Jesus might be enlarged in their heart.

[12:57] So that if we look at just these two names, with the Lord's help, it might be the name of the Lord Jesus.

[13:11] This is the blessed title that he bore for the most part. Paul refers to him generally as the Lord Jesus Christ.

[13:25] And Luke refers to him here as the Lord Jesus, leaving out Christ, the anointed.

[13:37] This makes no difference, of course, whatsoever. But the magnifying of the name of the Lord Jesus is a part, and a great part, of the work of the early spirit through the ministry of the gospel.

[13:57] And when you come, first of all, to the basis that we sought to lay down this morning, of the hardening of the heart of many, who grow harder and harder in sin, of the enmity of the hatred of the Lord, who will not have this man to reign over them.

[14:27] And the more they hear of him, the more they hate him. The more they criticize him, the more they turn against his salvation.

[14:40] And you come to such characteristics, they know not the hidden evils of their own heart.

[14:53] So that we are enjoined by such scriptures as this, to ever bear in mind, that although the enemy seems to make much headway, as he seems to do today, that is, through remarkable work, God going on, the hearts of his people, magnifying, enlarging, exalting, extolling the name, above all other names, of the Lord Jesus.

[15:36] Now this first word then, Master. He called me Master and Lord.

[15:49] And he said, Well, for so I am. Thus spoke Jesus, when he was upon earth, the Lord.

[16:01] There is something very homely, very particular, about this magnifying of the name of the Master.

[16:16] The Master in the churches, as was revealed to John in the vision of the seven candlesticks in the first of Revelation.

[16:30] There you see him in his unrivaled good, seen never before witnessed by human eyes.

[16:43] And John in Patmos saw his former beloved Master and Lord.

[16:55] And his Lord spake to him from heaven. And now that he is, exalted at the right hand of his Father, and ever liveth to make intercession for his people, who think you are the people that are going to be concerned, in his high office, in his high office, as it is revealed now in these New Testament cards.

[17:33] In what position does he occupy? Creator? Yes. Indeed. Indeed. Is this the height of a sinner's desire? Are there not high and holy offices of which he is the Lord and the Master, which evidenced him in all his tenderness, his compassion, his loving-kindness, who was encouraged and worthy sinners to go to him?

[18:11] And give them an open invitation, according to the Gospel, to do so. Are there not characteristics set out, which he sets so clearly before his chair, that he is the Master, of their coming, of their coming, and bids them to come? And see how they come? And with what struggles they come? And yet, come they do. What fights, conflicts, what temptations, how much of a devil within them is mastered by divine grace?

[19:04] The whole history of the Church is filled with these remarkable incidents of the very worst of sinners coming to the Lord and coming to him intelligently as one they are willing to serve.

[19:26] And one that they have to serve. And one that they have to serve. And one that they can understand as far as their eyes have been opened, as an advocate. To stand between a holy God and their sinful soul.

[19:48] The Apostle. The Apostle's description of this Master was that he was determined to know nothing save this Master and him crucified.

[20:02] It is here that there is true, that there is true, that there is true, the dark pathway of a discovery of the wickedness of one's own heart. The name of the Lord Jesus is enlarged.

[20:20] And with this enlargement, there comes a confession. Dear Lord says one of our hymn writers, and may I come?

[20:32] And when this starts early in life, how great is the blessing. And when a soul is brought to this great advocate, and as time proceeds, he feels his need, the greater, who can express fully the sacred advantage of knowing the Lord.

[21:00] Of knowing the Lord Jesus in this way. It is either softening, as I said this morning, or else a heartening. And the answer lies in our own breath.

[21:20] But with this approach to an advocate, which the Lord Jesus is, there is also a sacred awe upon the Spirit.

[21:40] He is not treated as an equal. There is not treated as an equal. There is a recognition of his vast knowledge, vast ability, of his complete understanding.

[21:54] And the answer lies in the heart of his heavenly. Peter appealed to this long before Pentecost, when Jesus pressed home upon him the question, did he love him or not?

[22:06] He said, thou knowest all things, thou knowest that I love them. And in days to come, the name of the Lord Jesus was truly magnified in the heart of his servant people.

[22:25] But there was a sacred awe upon his Spirit. He could not trifle with the majesty of heaven that he now is.

[22:39] But this magnifying will only be by experience. The loss when there is no confession.

[22:53] The loss to us individually when there is no understanding of our need. What is our religion to us?

[23:07] If he doesn't take us to the footstool of mercy, to the propitiation for our sins. At what solemn disadvantage we stand when we have nothing to confess.

[23:25] If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves. And you are not likely to hear people anywhere at any time say, I have no sin.

[23:41] This is more of a hidden action of the heart before a holy God that has nothing to confess.

[23:52] Nothing to tell out. Very different from the cases of those godly men in the scripture whose hearts are over-flowed with confessionism.

[24:04] It is this that enlarges the name of the Lord Jesus and magnifies it. Magnification can go on and does go on.

[24:22] The Lord Jesus becomes more enlarged as life continues and need with it.

[24:34] It is not something once seen remains the same. It is an enlargement of heart, a growing in grace, a greater need of the Savior.

[24:52] Vastly different therefore from what we were speaking this morning. Vastly different. But the issue lies with the hearer.

[25:04] And the plain fact is that we are given the other side of the map. That we may ponder and ask ourselves a question.

[25:16] Has the name of the Lord Jesus been magnified in my heart over the years? Is it being magnified now?

[25:28] Do I see more in Him? Of Him? Well, look at the scope there is here. You may turn to several of these vast areas of divine revelation where you see the scope and work that the person of the Lord Jesus Christ set before you.

[25:56] The Book of Leviticus is one of them. And its unfolding in the epistles to the Hebrews is another.

[26:08] Where you may see magnificent, glorious work set out in type and shadow.

[26:20] And then, as Paul unfolds it, fully fulfilled. I wonder if you could honestly say you've ever drawn any sweetness out of the Book of Leviticus.

[26:35] Why we should be regarded as hopelessly out of date in many quarters of the religious world in saying such a thing as this.

[26:47] I wonder if any of us can honestly say we've been drawn to the Levitical discovery of the sacrifice, of the mode and method of worship, of the tabernacle and all its fitting and the mercy seat and so on.

[27:16] It is a very blessed, let me recommend it to you younger ones. When one gets older, these things, these favours that we've had in our early days, leave an impression in our mind that our minds are not so agile, not so free to see and pick up and trace out the marks of the Holy Ghost in setting forth the Lord Jesus.

[27:56] But what beauty in the Levitical law. Don't mistake it with the Lord Moses, will you?

[28:07] The Levitical law was that which God ordained for his ancient people and intended and fulfilled the opening up of it in Gospel days.

[28:25] So that the essentials of the Levitical law is that the essentials of the Levitical law are the essentials of the Gospel. The atonement of Christ, the perfection of Christ, all set forth in all the Levitical law.

[28:39] Oh, I would that God might favour our young friends with a desire to prayerfully examine these ancient types and shadows.

[28:58] Persuaded as I am that now is the time in the days of their youth to consider the vast issues that God had in his holy purposes, caused them to be written in those days for our learning.

[29:24] And truly they are. So that this is one vast area of examination for you to consider with regard to the magnifying of the work of the Lord Jesus.

[29:45] I said prayerfully. And prayerfully I meant. Oh yes. But if you have a guilty conscience and conviction of sin, the need in your heart, the need in your heart, and if you know the difference between the two characters we have been speaking of, those that were hardened and those that were softened, you will find a vast area to examine here, which will magnify the name of the Lord Jesus.

[30:38] And then just one more, and that is the prophets, particularly Isaiah, though we mustn't set one above the other.

[30:51] But in this matter, what a vast area of school in the prophecy by Isaiah of the glad tidings of salvation.

[31:07] And to pick out Christ in the Psalms as well, to see His Holy Name magnified.

[31:19] In your distress, in your searching, say, the psalm which refers to the heart panting after the water brook.

[31:34] So pant it may soar after thee, O God. Will not the Lord be magnified in such sacred petitions as these, expressed so many, many years ago, but it will be through very trying things.

[31:57] Will not be a course that you will find has no obstacles in it. The way is to be cast up. Ministerially this has to be done.

[32:11] The way cast up and the stones gathered out, otherwise you will find nothing in it, of a spiritual and a comforting nature.

[32:23] The beauty, therefore, of God's rich provision in magnifying the name of the Lord Jesus is seen, not only at the time it was magnified, all the time before He came, but in the time that is now past since He came.

[32:47] He's intervening 2,000 years. And whatever may yet remain in this world's history, be sure of this that the name of the Lord Jesus will still be sanctified.

[33:06] The one, a parent who fear God, a prayer that this may be shown with their children, and others do. This is where the root of real micro-godliness comes in, seeing more of the Lord Jesus, that I may know Him, says Paul.

[33:30] and the power of His resurrection. All this succeeds His resurrection.

[33:43] And in this Gospel day, it is the progressive work and purpose of the Holy Ghost to enlarge Christ in the heart and life of the sin.

[33:56] And that this means something else has got to go. And that means that self has got to be put on one side. Here comes the subtle work of the devil.

[34:13] He doesn't come now in his outward form, as we see him here. He comes as an angel of life.

[34:24] He comes as a srily of the devil. Dulls your appetite. Keeps you quiet. Living in luxury.

[34:37] These forgetting God, like the Israelites do. And they became fools, they forget God. What danger there is in this.

[34:51] I figured every day of my life in the Lord's merciful kindness to me in my later years one of my greatest dreams being full and forgetting God so easy you only want the slightest thing to hinder you and you'll forget it and he is so observant of expressed gratitude just like earthly parents are so you children are taught to say thank you and you don't always say it and although no one says anything to you you don't realise that they notice that you don't say thank you I do

[35:52] I realise that there's something missing and if it be so with earthly friends and parents what is it in the sight of God the leper that returned to give thanks was highly commended what do we know about the Lord Jesus being the very channel and source through which every blessing comes you may say it comes through some very difficult pathways of course it does of course it does and this makes it all the sweeter the clearer this is one of the points of the magnification if the man had been a leper he wouldn't have had any need to come to Christ and if you are not a guilty sinner you won't have any need to come to the blood of the atonement and as for any question of gratitude thankfulness that there is a fountain filled with blood born from Emmanuel's name you'll never return gratitude so you may draw a straight line through your profession you know and ask yourself on which side of the line it stands because there comes or will come a day of solemn awakening when it will be revealed and it will be too late revealed that there was no true knowledge of the Lord Jesus he was never really magnified in your heart as your Jesus your master you weren't prepared to serve him you weren't prepared to give time and you're all in his service it wasn't to you reasonable that you should lose the benefits of this life that you might take the benefits of the life to come the name of the Lord

[38:37] Jesus Saviour I shall call his name Jesus for he shall save we cannot be saved before we're lost can we?

[38:51] you're not feeling feeling this is awful feeling speaking naturally to get out of your neck in the water when you can't swim and when you feel that awful sudden nervousness and anxiety that you're in a position of danger you don't then offer suggestions as to help someone to save you you are glad to take the nearest rope that's thrown to you all the life felt will be it what it may or cling to the nearest path floating on the water it's lying it's lying it's at stake so with the magnifying of the name of the Lord Jesus as the

[39:53] Saviour which means exactly what it says for he shall save his people from their sins and that's simple English and plain English and that's what they need saving from and that is what they will be saved from and the awful sense of loss insecurity danger which they feel when they are convicted of their sins will be rejoicing their heart when it is removed and he brings them up out of the horrible pit this is where the Advokai links this is where the name of the Lord Jesus is magnified they link together they're separate they're linked and they will never be separated anymore in the other the Lord

[41:09] Jesus Christ so that there is a progressive magnifying and endearment and singing more in a precious cry as time goes on now to this end you may be left yourself that you may know like Hezekiah what is in your heart this gracious King was delivered by his fervent prayer and the Lord's mercy and his life was extended 15 years not many cases like this in the scripture but in that solemn 39th of Isaiah chapter that I read a good deal of my life where the men come from

[42:22] Babylon and ask to see the treasures of the Lord's house that are held there and he shows them everything there was nothing that he didn't show them he whips their appetite I see what the valuable collection there is we told that the Lord left him that he might know what was in his heart he promised the Lord that he would go softly all the days of his life alas for him they didn't and these subtle agents from Babylon having seen what they did to him at once had about obtaining them and did obtain them eventually now there isn't had no cake above a friend before the throne of love but what magnifying of the

[43:37] Lord Jesus in his loving kindness and his pity in his love and in his pity he redeemed them pity is something that you may discard in your faith I don't want any pity don't like the word and certainly do not want God to be pitiful to me but in this blessed name and title of the Savior his everlasting pity he sees abject condition and he saw his servant as he cried abject condition just the same as he saw David's abject condition when he numbered the people and had it not been for divine pity that angel would have gone on destroying

[44:47] God stopped him through these mysterious circuitous meetings the Lord brings about the magnifying of the Lord Jesus if you can trace this in your life as dark as it may be today here here's gospel word for you that there's not any reason that you should give up hope simply because you cannot see your hand in front of your face eyes and eyes this very thing which is so oppressive to you may be the very thing that ultimately is going to magnify the Lord Jesus in your life more than it's ever been magnified before and you're going to see more in vital godliness and in the merits the

[45:58] Lord Jesus Christ than you ever thought existed there but there's two sides to it isn't there there's the hungry side the thirsty side and then the other side and they shall be filled blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousness for they shall be filled and this magnification of the person and work of the Lord Jesus is a lifetime work and happy are they who come now to bring in every power that all that they pass through has tended to this one end and that is that Christ should be first and

[47:00] Christ should be last and Christ should be all in all Amen and increase the part of m a very much I have to pay worth and let福 for $