What's In A Name?

9 THEREFORE GOD ALSO HAS HIGHLY EXALTED HIM AND GIVEN HIM THE NAME WHICH IS ABOVE EVERY NAME, 10 THAT AT THE NAME OF JESUS EVERY KNEE SHOULD BOW, OF THOSE IN HEAVEN, AND OF THOSE ON EARTH, AND OF THOSE UNDER THE EARTH, 11 AND [THAT] EVERY TONGUE SHOULD CONFESS THAT JESUS CHRIST [IS] LORD, TO THE GLORY OF GOD THE FATHER. [PHL 2:9-11 NKJV]

WHAT’S IN A NAME?

EACH AND EVERY ONE OF US IN HERE HAS BEEN GIVEN A NAME. MOST OF US HAVE A FIRST, MIDDLE AND LAST NAME. OUR PARENTS GAVE US THE NAME WE HAVE FOR A REASON. WE MAY HAVE A NAME OF A FAMILY MEMBER OR LOVED ONE THAT PASSED. WE MAY BE NAMED AFTER OUR PARENT OR GRANDPARENT. WE MAY HAVE BEEN GIVEN THE NAME OF SOMEONE FAMOUS DURING THE TIME WE WERE BORN.

SOME OF US HAVE BEEN GIVEN A NICKNAME THAT ONLY OUR FAMILY KNOWS US BY. SOME OF US HAVE BEEN GIVEN EMBARRASSING NICKNAMES AS A CHILD, THAT WE GOT STUCK WITH…..AND ARE STILL CALLED BY THAT NAME TODAY……POOKIE……STINKER…..JUNEBUG……LIL MAN….PUMPKIN……SCOOBY…..MOONEYE……BOO BOO…..LIL MAMA…. BIG BUG….LITTLE BUG…..ROACH….. SMOKEY….FATS……..FAT DADDY. WE MAY NOT EVEN KNOW HOW WE GOT THE NICKNAME…..SOMEBODY JUST STARTED CALLING US THAT NAME….AND WE GOT STUCK WITH IT. WE MAY EVEN HAVE A PET NAME THAT WE CALL OUR SPOUSE……OR SIGNIFICANT OTHER….HONEY BOO……BABY LOVE……SWEETIE……LOVEY......HONEY BUNS.

WHATEVER YOUR BIRTH NAME OR NICKNAME MAY BE, THERE IS A REASON WHY YOU’VE BEEN GIVEN YOUR NAME. NAMES ARE POWERFUL OBJECTS AND OUR NAMES ARE SIGNIFICANT TO US. OUR NAME IS OUR IDENTITY…. IT IS HOW WE INTRODUCE OURSELVES. IT IS HOW WE CHANGE OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH SOMEONE…..AT ONE POINT WE ARE STRANGERS…..AND AFTER WE EXCHANGE NAMES……WE ARE AN ACQUAINTANCE….A FRIEND…..A COMPANION.

SOMETIMES WE CAN USE OUR NAME TO GET US OUT OF TROUBLE…… WE CAN USE OUR NAME TO HELP GET US INTO AN EVENT WE MAY NOT HAVE BEEN INVITED TO…… WE CAN USE OUR NAME WHEN WE ARE KNOWN IN THE COMMUNITY…. WE CAN USE OUR NAME OR SOMEONE ELSE’S NAME TO GAIN FAVOR…GET HELP FROM SOMEONE….OR EVEN GET A JOB.

OUR NAME IS WHAT WE ANSWER TO……WHEN SOMEONE CALLS OUT OUR NAME……WE RESPOND……GARRY LEWIS……CAROL MOSELY…….. SOME OF US HAVE BEEN CALLED OUT OF OUR NAMES…..SOME OF US MAY HAVE BEEN CALLED NAMES…..AND VERBALLY ABUSED. SOME OF US MAY STILL FEEL THE PAIN OF THE NEGATIVE NAMES…..YOU WERE CALLED. IN THE WORDS OF TYLER PERRY…..”IT’S NOT WHAT YOU ARE CALLED…….IT’S WHAT YOU ANSWER TO” THEY MAY HAVE CALLED YOU EVERYTHING IN THE BOOK…….BUT KNOW THAT YOU ARE A CHILD OF GOD.

WHAT’S IN A NAME…..

THERE IS MEANING IN A NAME…….THERE IS SIGNIFICANCE IN A NAME…..THERE IS POWER IN A NAME…… BUT MOST OF ALL…..THERE IS A NAME…..THAT IS ABOVE ALL NAMES…

THERE IS NO OTHER NAME…..THAT CAN COMPARE……..THERE IS NO OTHER NAME THAT IS GREATER….

A NAME THAT WAS GIVEN…..BY GOD…..AND WHO IS GOD…….

GOD UNDERSTANDING THE POWER OF A NAME…..GAVE HIM A NAME…..TO REFLECT HIS PURPOSE WHILE ON EARTH…..AND AFTER HIS RESURRECTION….. THAT WE MAY ALL BE SAVED….

JESUS MEANS SAVIOR……. HE IS OUR SALVATION…… HE IS OUR DELIVERANCE……

ACTS 4 AND 12 TELLS US.... 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." [ACT 4:12 ESV]

GOD HAS GIVEN HIM THE NAME, JESUS, AND IT IS IN HIM THAT WE HAVE REDEMPTION, VICTORY AND HOPE. FOR THAT REASON, WE ARE TO WORSHIP HIM AND PROFESS HIS AUTHORITY IN OUR LIVES.

IT’S IN THE NAME OF JESUS…..THAT WE FIND FREEDOM FROM THE CONSEQUENCES OF SIN……AND WILL NOT TASTE THE STING OF DEATH…..

IT’S IN THE NAME OF JESUS….THAT WE ARE RELEASED FROM ALL OPPRESSION OF THE ENEMY…..AND WE FIND PEACE.

IT’S IN THE NAME OF JESUS…..THAT WE RECEIVE HEALING FROM OUR SICKNESS…..AND SAFETY IN OUR STORMS.

IN ORDER FOR YOU TO ENJOY THE BENEFITS ….IN THE NAME OF JESUS…..YOU MUST UNDERSTAND THE AWESOME POWER…..IN HIS NAME.

THEREFORE…..LET ME SUGGEST THAT THERE ARE SOME THINGS THAT WE NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE NAME OF JESUS….

I BELIEVE THAT FOR ONE……THAT WE MUST UNDERSTAND WHAT IT MEANS ….THAT HIS NAME IS ABOVE ALL NAMES…..

LISTEN…..IT SAYS…… THAT GOD “HIGHLY” EXALTED HIM…..AND GAVE HIM ……YOUR BIBLE MAY SAY “BESTOWED”…..A NAME THAT IS ABOVE ALL NAMES…..

NOW THERE IS SOMETHING HERE…..WE NEED TO HIT THE PAUSE BUTTON….AND REFLECT ON…..IT SAYS…..THAT GOD “HIGHLY” EXALTED HIM… IT IS TRANSLATED FROM THE GREEK VERB…..

HU PER OOP SAW OO…… WHICH MEANS…..”TO EXALT TO THE HIGHEST RANK AND POWER” …..”TO RAISE TO SUPREME MAJESTY” …..”EXALTED BEYOND MEASURE”.

NOW WE UNDERSTAND….THAT JESUS IS ABOVE ALL THINGS…..BUT TO GET A BETTER GRASP ON JUST HOW SIGNIFICANT THIS IS……WE HAVE TO UNDERSTAND THE USE OF THIS GREEK VERB……

YOU SEE MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS….. THIS IS SIGNIFICANT……BECAUSE……THE USE OF THIS GREEK VERB…..IS ONLY FOUND ONE TIME…….IN THIS ONE VERSE……..OF THE BIBLE……