What's In A Name Series

Have you ever been in a fickle and all you could do was start think of someone to call upon. All you could do was try to remember that individual’s name. Maybe you saw someone but you couldn’t remember that person’s name (Now I know I’m not by myself in this situation). Since the beginning of time, names were significant; they’re important. Biblical names had meaning; they were brands, the family’s trademark.

Get.Bible gives Six Reasons Why Names are Important in the Bible

Listen, a biblical name wasn’t given because it sound cute. Oh no! Biblical names:

-Recorded aspects of a person’s birth; -Communicated God’s message.

-Expressed the parents’ reaction to the birth of their child.

-Secured the solidarity of family ties; -Established an affiliation with God

-Established authority over another, indicated a new beginning or direction in a person’s life-

For example, God changed:

-Abram’s name to Abraham

-Sari to Sarah

-Jacob to Israel

And though God didn’t change the Hebrew boys’ names, they were changed:

-Daniel to Belteshazzar

-Hananiah to Shadrach

-Mishael to Meshach

-Azariah to Abednego

Let’s draw this a little closer to home and work. I bet you’ve heard these sayings before:

-My name is all I have; Boy, girl you better not go out here and mess up my name

-Just tell them you bought the car from Bill at Tysinger

If your name is from someone famous then it opens the doors to employment, promotions, special privileges; it’s a connection. Yet on the other hand, if your name is unfamiliar, less famous then your chance of moving up the ladder even though you have all the education and training required is less likely. Does anybody know what I’m talking about?

In the corporate world, it is highly essential that one protects his/her business name/brand and/or logo for the business' reputation is tied up with its name. Thus you don’t want someone else using your brand. The business name is the cornerstone of the company’s identity and impacts the company’s tone and first impressions. That’s why mama said, “You better not go out here and mess up my name.” Mama wasn’t going to have you doing any and everything for it to reflect back on her. Oh yeah, “You’re Carrie’s daughter.”Mama was the cornerstone of our family and though we didn’t have much, her children carried her brand which was a good reputation.

Listen today’s message isn’t Business Admin 101 but, selecting the right business name is important. So it is spiritually. We too should take the right steps to in assure that we are labeled, branded with the proper name. Listen, this morning, let us address the subject, “What’s in a Name?”

We’ve established that a name is one’s identity. Sadly, people love stealing other’s identity. Identity theft is on the upraise. I’m not just referring to your credit but moreso to your soul. The enemy wants to steal your identity because he relinquished his identity. According to Isaiah 14:12 his name was is Lucifer meaning morning star. Church, the devil doesn’t have access to heaven any longer. Look at the latter part of verse 12, “How you are cut down to the ground…” Because he’s been evicted, he does not want you to have access either.

He wants to keep you thinking that he can then he feels he has won the battle. Be not ignorant of the devil devices church. He will do whatever he can to charm you to his side and take on his name. Afterall, “he’s a thief that came to steal and kill and destroy” (John 10:10). “What’s in a Name?” His name is ‘thief’ and this thief wants to annihilate you, to take you out! He wants to demolish, remove your name out of the Book of Life. He desires to do so because his name is not written in the Book of Life. What is the Book of Life? The Book of Life is found in Revelations 3.

Revelation promises eternal blessings for those who are obedient to God’s Word. “Blessed are those who reads and those who hear the words of prophecy” (Revelation 1:3). There were some who wanted to cease the spreading of the Gospel of Jesus Christ like Emperor Domitian. Domitian banished (exiled) Apostle John to the Island of Patmos for John refused to stop preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ. In a vision while on the Island of Patmos John penned the Book of Revelation. Revelations primarily deals with two vital concern. It deals with the church in the End Times, the “apocalypse” meaning to unveil, uncover, God’s purpose and plans of the church. Secondly, Revelations deals with one’s “relationship” in Christ and Christ’s eternal sovereignty. Understand this scripture validates scripture. And while not directly stated, Revelations reflects God’s covenant promised made to Abraham in Genesis 12:1-3 (a promise to bless Abraham and all of his descendants). God continued this promise with Abraham’s descendant, Moses. In Exodus, God saw the injustice of His children; thus, He called Moses to lead His children out of slavery into the Promised Land. A land where Abraham’s descendant would inherit the Land of Israel. So the correlation of Exodus and Revelation is Israel’s (the Children of God) relationship in God and their (our) final resting place with God.