“THERE’S SOMETHING ABOUT THAT NAME…& IT AIN’T DONALD OR HILLARY!” Phil. 2:5-11
INTRO – Prov. 22:1 – “A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches, & favor is better than silver or gold.”
When we go into the voting booth Tuesday, we will look at a list of names & have to choose which of those names represents someone who is the best person to lead our nation. Neither of the top 2 names of those running for President are names that are good names according to the unchanging biblical standards of decency, holiness, & morality. So, pray, hold your nose, vote, & TRUST GOD W/ THE OUTCOME! He is the one who is ultimately in control & we can trust Him.
- Prov. 21:1 – “The king's heart is a stream of water in the hand of the Lord; He turns it wherever He will.”
- Dan. 2:21 – “He changes times and seasons; He removes kings and sets up kings; He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding…”
There is one thing that we can bank on about both of the names that we’ve heard so much about every day on the news & in the media: Neither the name Donald nor Hillary is the Name that is above all names! There is only ONE name that fits that definition – JESUS!
- “[Jesus Christ] is the reason, the goal, the aim, the intent, the point, the purpose, the end, the terminus, the consummation and culmination of every molecule that moves (Col. 1:16).” (Sam Storms)
- “God, in His love and grace, has made us a part of His plan. But we are not the center of it; Christ is.” (Dan Stone)
There truly is something about that name! So let’s talk about that name:
It’s a HOLY name – There are a lot of Hispanic men whose name is Jesus. They’re ordinary, sinful men, living their lives in a myriad of different ways.
- Jesus Ortiz – sports columnist
- Jesus Ramirez – digital graphics expert w/ Adobe
- Jesus Montero – professional baseball player
Even the name “Jesus” in was a common name in biblical times. It was about as common to those in Judea as “John” is to us today. That name didn’t have the significance to them in that time as it does to us today.
But isn’t it amazing how God takes the ordinary & makes it extraordinary. He takes the common & makes it uncommon. He takes the unremarkable & makes it remarkable.
The name, Jesus, now is the most holy name in the whole universe. There is no other name which inspires more worship than the name Jesus. There is no other name which engenders more passionate commitment than the name Jesus. There is no other name which instills more courage & faith than the name Jesus. The holy name of Jesus is the name that changes everything in our lives!
- His name is holy b/c He is God – God the Son, 2nd person of Trinity – “in very nature God”
- His name is holy b/c He is Lord – Master
- His name is holy b/c He is the Christ – Messiah, the Chosen One
It’s a HEALING name – How many times has someone in need of healing called out the name of Jesus? How many times have we done that right here in this church, in this service? Why do we do it? B/c there is power for healing in the name of Jesus!
- James 5:13-16
God is still in the healing business. He still heals people of their sicknesses & diseases. We can & should call out to Him for physical healing. We have to trust Him to do what is best & what brings Him the most glory, even if that means that the physical healing doesn’t happen in this life the way we want it to happen.
Sometimes it is God’s will to heal in this life, sometimes it’s not.
But our full physical healing happens in heaven for those who know Christ & have called upon His name for their spiritual healing. Rev. 21:4 describes the true, complete healing we should all long for – “He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, & death shall be no more, neither shall their be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”
He also heals us relationally.
He always heals us spiritually.
It’s a HELPING name – Think about Jesus’ earthly ministry – How many times did people call out to Him in their time of need, in those desperate times in their lives when they needed the help that only He could give?
- The royal official who begged Jesus to come heal his son (John 4:46-54)
- A leper who asked Jesus to heal him.
- The centurion who asked Jesus to heal his servant (Lk. 7:1-10)
- The disciples crying out for Him to save them in the midst of the storm on the sea (Mt. 8:23-27).
- Jairus pleading w/ Jesus to heal his daughter (Mt. 9).
- 2 blind men crying out for Jesus to heal them (Mt. 9).
Sometimes there are times in our lives when we simply don’t know what to pray. The weight in our lives is so heavy, so deep, so overwhelming that we find ourselves struggling to know what to say when we pray.
It’s in those times that I want to encourage you to just to call His name out.
- When the fear is debilitating, call out His name.
- When the future is uncertain, call out His name.
- When the grief is drowning us, call out His name.
- When the hurt is deep, call out His name.
Bro. Mack when he brought Vicki’s mama home. First night alone. The fear & uncertainty mounting up. Didn’t know what to do or what to pray. Got her in the bed & knelt down beside his bed & simply called out the name, “Jesus.” Overwhelmed w/ peace. The calm assurance of the risen, living Savior came over him.
Johann Sebastian Bach – wrote “J.J.” at beginning of every piece of music he wrote. Stands for “Jesu Juva” – “Jesus Help Me” in Latin.
Video: “Just Say Jesus.”
It’s a HALLELUJAH name –
