[0:00] But it's good to be here. Let's think about some names. Who named you? Ever wonder why somebody gave you the name you got?
[0:15] They named me Wallace. And I learned I was named after Wallace Cromer. I never met the man, but they liked the man. They just took his name and gave it to me.
[0:27] But if you ever thought about who named you, why would anybody name you Billy Joe, Maxine?
[0:40] Why'd they name that? Well, you know, I've got great-grandchildren now. Got seven great-grandchildren. And I was always interested in what they was going to name them.
[0:55] I think parents have gained that right. But at least one of them has got part of my name, my last name. And I'm thankful for that.
[1:07] But names identify you. Everybody here has got a different name. And that's how we know you. So names are important. I'm going to be preaching from Philippians chapter 2.
[1:24] And I'll read those verses in a moment. But as we think about names. Philippians chapter 2, and I'll begin reading about verse 5.
[1:38] Proverbs says, A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches. Loving favor rather than silver and gold.
[1:54] So your name is important, according to what Solomon said. So let's think about that. Philippians chapter 2, verse 5.
[2:07] Paul, as he writes, says, Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus, who being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God, but made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men.
[2:35] And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.
[2:48] Wherefore, God hath highly exalted him, and given him a name, a name above every name, that at the name of Jesus, every knee should bow of things in heaven, things in earth, things that are under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
[3:28] Who named him? We'll talk about that. We sing, There's a name I love to hear. I love to sing its worth.
[3:40] Sounds like music in my ear, the sweetest name on earth. Names mean something. And certainly there is a name that means something.
[3:53] The Bible says it means something in heaven, means something on earth. It means something in war trace. Jesus is the sweetest name I know, and he's just the same as his lovely name.
[4:12] And that's the reason why I love him so. For Jesus is the sweetest name I know. There are a lot of things we could say about the name of Jesus.
[4:24] The name of Jesus has been on the lips of every generation. Every prayer we pray. As I listened to Ronnie's prayer a while ago, he ended it by saying, In Jesus' name.
[4:43] Wouldn't do any good to pray in any other name. The name of Jesus is a powerful name.
[4:54] Just think of the names in the past that represented power. Alexander the Great, his name represented power. They say he conquered the known world by the time he was 33 years of age.
[5:09] The name Caesar represented a powerful name. He led the Roman legions to conquer one land after another. We don't know much about him.
[5:19] Just a place in history to read about him. But how many times have we realized that power is dangerous in the wrong hands?
[5:31] Napoleon had a powerful name. He brought Europe to her knees. But history says he met his Waterloo. His name was powerful.
[5:42] But he didn't have power over his own life. But the name of Jesus is a powerful name. The psalmist said he only is my rock and my salvation.
[5:53] He is my defense. I shall not be moved. During the day, final days that Jesus walked on the earth, the disciples went away to Galilee and to a mountain where Jesus had appointed.
[6:08] And the Bible says when they saw Jesus, they worshiped him. His name is powerful. Matthew 28 says Jesus begins to speak and he says, All power is given me in heaven and in earth.
[6:28] Therefore, go ye and teach all nations. Baptize in them in the name of the Father, the Son, the Holy Ghost. And teach them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you.
[6:41] And lo, I'm with you even to the end of the world. The age, the earth. Only Jesus has the power to speak to the world.
[6:56] Some frighten the world when they speak. But we need to tremble when we hear the name of Jesus. The Bible says, Fear not them which can kill the body but are not able to kill the soul.
[7:12] But rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. We serve a powerful Lord and we need to celebrate it.
[7:25] Jesus has the power to forgive sins. You came today with some sin in your life.
[7:36] You know, I know that. Because all have sinned. He has the power to forgive sins. He said, I have the power to lay down my life and I have the power to take it up again.
[7:49] That's power. He had the power to speak to Lazarus. The Bible says he's been in the grave four days. And Jesus said, why? He's just sleeping. I'll wake him.
[7:59] I'll sleep. Jesus went on to say, he said, I'm the resurrection and the life. He that believes in me, though he was dead, yet shall he live. Jesus walked up in front of that tomb and said, roll back the stone.
[8:14] And Lazarus' sister said, Lord, he's been dead four days. He's begun to stink. But they obeyed Jesus.
[8:29] Jesus called out his name. Lazarus, come forth. The Bible says he came forth bound hand and foot with grave clothes.
[8:41] And the face was bound with a napkin. And Jesus said, loose him and let him go. That's power. Well, the power that Jesus had, there's power in the name of Jesus.
[8:59] And Jesus wants to release that power against the sin in my life and your life. Sin is the deadly disease of the soul.
[9:10] But Jesus has the power to heal all manner of disease. He has the power to change the course of history and the destiny of nations. He has a power that never weakens.
[9:22] And one day his power is going to be demonstrated before us all. His power will be demonstrated before Christians when he says, as we hope, well done, thy good and faithful servant.
[9:39] Enter into the joy of the Lord. I'm waiting for that. I'm 84 years old. I'm longing for that.
[9:51] It's not going to be as long as it has been. Jesus has power. His power can help me.
[10:05] It has helped me. And it has helped you. His power to forgive sins is the reason that he left heaven.
[10:18] His power is going to be demonstrated before the unsaved when he says, depart from me. I never knew you. The Bible says in Revelation, and the sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them.
[10:33] And they were judged every man according to his works. And death and death and hell were cast in the lake of fire. This is the second death. Today we look out on the world and it seems that Satan has the upper hand.
[10:49] The hand of Satan is here. It's certainly in America the hand of Satan is being demonstrated more than we would like in our land.
[11:03] This is his day. But this won't always be. Jesus is coming again. The Bible says, as I read, every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that he is Lord.
[11:21] So I hope I'll convince you, has convinced you that his name is powerful. But his name also represents sacrifice. It's a sacrificial name.
[11:35] He sacrificed all the joys of glory of heaven for you and me. He held the highest position in glory. He was a central figure in heaven. The saints in glory sang his praises.
[11:47] Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts. But for our sakes he gave all that up. He shed the garments of glory and came to earth to suffer and die as our Savior.
[12:00] He humbled himself, the Bible says, and became obedient even to death. In heaven all things were his. But here he had no home that could call his own.
[12:15] Didn't have a bed where he could lay his head. Didn't have a table that he could sit down for a meal. The richest in heaven became the poorest of the poor. The highest of the highest in heaven became the lowest of the low.
[12:31] The greatest of the great in heaven became the servant to the earth. God demanded a sacrifice for every spot and every blemish of sin that's in our lives.
[12:51] God looked down and said, I don't like sin. I don't like what people are doing. But you know they need a way out.
[13:08] God said, I'm going to put capital punishment on sin. That's how much I hate it. Did you realize God put capital punishment on sin? He said, somebody's got to die.
[13:21] Somebody's got to pay. And he looked about. He didn't find me. He passed me by. Passed you by.
[13:32] Passed everybody by. And he said, this person that pays for the sin of everybody, about to be somebody without spot or blemish, he's got to be perfect. Because I hate sin.
[13:44] And he looked and considered, it's got to be my son. It's got to be my son. Abraham was a good man.
[14:00] But he didn't measure up for the job. Moses was a great leader, but parts of his life were disobedient. David was a great king, but he didn't compare to the king of kings.
[14:16] The name of Jesus was certainly a sacrificing name. Sacrifice means suffering. When Judas placed the kiss of betrayal upon his cheek, Jesus suffered from that point until he died and said, it is finished.
[14:34] Jesus suffered. The capital punishment for our sins. And God said, I'll just forgive you for all your sins. If you'll just believe what I did for you through my son on Calvary's cross.
[14:51] And repent and believe by faith. And invite him into your heart and life. I'll just wipe it all clean. That's what God did.
[15:02] So his name's powerful. It represents sacrifice. It's also a conquering name.
[15:16] Jesus always conquers. Never lost a battle. When Satan came up against him. Those three temptations, you remember? After he was baptized of John the Baptist in the River Jordan, that his angels took him into the wilderness, the Bible says.
[15:36] Stayed there 40 days. When he came out, Satan was standing at the door. I got you.
[15:47] I know you're hungry. Why don't you just turn these stones into bread? Jesus said, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.
[16:03] Then Satan took him to a pinnacle and thought, I got you here. But Jesus said, Thou shall not tempt the Lord thy God. Well, I know you like to be in control.
[16:18] How about the kingdoms of the world I give you? Jesus said, Thou shall worship the Lord thy God, and him only shall thou serve. It's a conquering name. The time is coming when all who reject him will have their place.
[16:37] One that conquers always controls. Some say that in this materialistic world, we live by the golden rule. The one that's got the most gold makes the most rules.
[16:50] Have you permitted Christ to come into your life and control it? Do you let him have control? One day, God had a big job for Moses.
[17:03] He said, Moses, what's that in your hand? Moses was so surprised that God didn't even notice such a little thing. He said, Well, God, it's just a staff. God said, Lay it down.
[17:21] Moses didn't have trouble to lay it down. And it became a serpent. And God said, Pick it up again. Well, I'm sure there was some hesitation, but Moses obeyed and picked it up and became his staff again.
[17:41] Tom Madden, or some of you may remember that name of long ago, he said, Brother Tom, how do you always accomplish much?
[17:52] He says, I lean on my staff. Moses leaned on his staff. That was a serpent. God said, Pick it up.
[18:05] It became a stick again. And under God, Moses used that staff to do mighty things for the Lord. Maybe God is wanting you and me to lay something down.
[18:21] Lay down some habit that's been hindering you. Lay down some critical spirit.
[18:36] Lay down some secret sin that's sort of been in your life and gnawing at you for 20 years. God will tell us, pick up your life after you've laid it down and serve me.
[18:54] God promises that he will preserve us. I remember my mother used to preserve things. She used to preserve some fruit.
[19:06] I remember peaches. She gathered some peaches and she said, I'm gonna make some peach preserves. And she put them in a pan and do the cooking, whatever, and add sugar and sugar and whatever until she said, they have become preserves.
[19:27] They will last. God preserves us as Christians. He not only keeps us, but he keeps us sweet and preserves us.
[19:41] You know, pickles will keep just as long as peaches. The Bible says that one day God's gonna separate the sheep from the goats.
[19:55] I believe he's gonna separate the peaches from the pickles. It's a powerful name. It's a sacrificial name.
[20:09] It's a conquering name. But the Bible says it's also an exalted name. It's a exalted name. God highly exalted him. Gave him a name that's above every name.
[20:27] Where'd he get that name? Mary didn't give it to him. Joseph didn't give it to him. The Bible says in Matthew, thou shalt call his name Jesus.
[20:44] For he shall save his people from their sins. Only God can bestow upon him a name that's above every name.
[20:54] If God should ask you to name someone to sit on the throne with him, there'd be some opinions.
[21:08] Some would say, why, how about Paul? Paul wrote the good portion of the New Testament. Hasn't he earned that spot?
[21:20] Or we might say, George Washington was the father of our country. We preachers might say, what about D.L. Moody or Spurgeon?
[21:31] You know, they was great preachers. We read their books today. The songwriter said, all hail the power of Jesus' name.
[21:49] Let angels prostrate fall. Bring forth a royal diadem and crown him Lord of all. Yes, it's a powerful name, a sacrificing name, and a conquering name.
[22:09] But lastly, I want to tell you, it's a saving name. It's a saving name. The Bible says, thou shall call his name Jesus.
[22:21] Why? For he shall save his people from their sins. The Bible says, as many as received him, Jesus, gave to them, he gave the power to become the sons of God.
[22:39] You want to be akin to God? The Bible says in Acts 4.12, sort of one of my favorite verses, there's none other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved.
[22:57] There is none other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved. Don't ever forget the name Jesus.
[23:07] Don't ever call his name in vain. Just pray and say, in Jesus' name we pray. The Bible says, whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
[23:22] Jesus came to seek and to save that which was lost. Philippian Jailer in the 16th chapter of Acts asks a question, what must I do to be saved?
[23:40] He had an answer ready. Do you have an answer ready? He said, believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved. And the Bible says he's able to save to the uttermost.
[23:55] My friend, what a name. What a name. Thou shalt call his name Jesus. When you pray, pray in Jesus' name.
[24:09] It's a saving name. If you'll call upon him today, he'll save you if you're not saved. Let's pray. Lord, thank you for this time together in this wonderful church that preaches the gospel, that leads people to saving knowledge, that cares on your work, is a shining light, and is doing a good thing for you, Lord.
[24:41] Lord, bless this congregation, bless this church, this pastor, this ministry. And Lord, may it continue till you come again. Lord, be with all of us during this invitation and have your way and your will in each of our lives.
[25:01] We pray in Christ's name. Amen. And amen. She'll come and lead us in a hymn, I guess. Your pastor will be here.
[25:21] If you're able, would you stand and turn to page 317. It's actually going to be only trusting. Page 317. Amen. Amen.
[26:09] Amen.