The Name of Jesus

Am I the only person struggling to remember names?

You know, it's become such a problem for me that even my memory foam mattress doesn't remember.

I seem to have perfected the skill.

No kidding.

I can meet somebody new for the first time, shake their hand, get their name, and forget it simultaneously.

I kid you not.

But let's be honest, we've kind of gone crazy with names in our day, haven't we?

Have you noticed there are zillions of names being used?

And that's great.

I love the creativity.

But by contrast, in the uh, let's say 1880s, do you know that 53% of all baby boys had the same name?

How do you like that?

And what what was that name, by the way?

Do you know?

No, for the uh past uh hundred years, the top baby boy name in the in America is Michael.

What about uh what about the most popular girl names in America in the past hundred years, over a hundred years?

Mary, you're correct, I'm hearing Mary out there.

That's been the top spot 41 times.

All those fancy new names we're hearing are tough enough to spell, but now you can't even spell the name that you thought you knew.

You meet a little boy named Joey, and he spells his name J-O-E-I-G-H.

I'm not kidding you.

So I've decided to get with the times.

I'm putting you on notice, I'm changing the spelling of my name.

It used to be J-O-N.

Not anymore.

Now it's J apostrophe H H.

Apostrophe A H dash A H H dash apostrophe A H dash apostrophe H, apostrophe H dash N N dash N N N.

Please get it right.

This is true.

In the United States of America, there are 18 doctors named Dr.

Doctor.

It's true.

We have uh another called Dr.

Surgeon, a psychiatrist named Dr.

Couch, even an anesthesiologist named Dr.

Gas.

It spells it G-A-S-S, though.

So you know, in Bible times, naming children was not about innovation or uniqueness or creativity.

As cool as those things are, destiny and purpose were wrapped up in the naming of a child.

They describe the hope-for trajectory of that child's life.

But you and I both know one name.

One name more than any other in history has impacted our world.

And that name is at the center of the story we're gonna look at this morning.

I invite you to open your Bible to the book of Acts.

You thought Pastor Jim was gone.

We were gonna do no.

We're gonna look at portions of Acts 3 and 4 today.

Just kind of go back.

Because this story is at the heart of some truths we need to hang on to.

With your permission now, I'm gonna read this extended passage for us.

I'm gonna tell you up front, it takes about the same length as a song that we've sung to read, but it's worth reading this, worth sharing this.

We'll have the words on the screen, but out of respect for the word of God, would you join me in standing as I read for us from the Word of God?

All right.

I'm gonna start at Acts 3, verse 1.

Acts 3:1

Now Peter and John were going up to the temple at the ninth hour, the hour of prayer.

And a man who had been unable to walk from birth was being carried, whom they used to set down every day at the gate of the temple, which is called beautiful, in order for him to beg for charitable gifts from those entering the temple grounds.

When he saw Peter and John about to go into the temple grounds, he began asking to receive a charitable gift.

But Peter, along with John, looked at him intently and said, Look at us.

And he gave them his attention, expecting to receive something from them.

But Peter said, I do not have silver and gold, but what I do have, I give to you in the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene.

Walk! And grasping him by the right hand, he raised him up, and immediately his feet and his ankles were strengthened.

And leaping up he stood and began to walk, and he entered the temple with them, walking and leaping and praising God.

And all the people saw him walking and praising God, and they recognized him as being the very one who used to sit at the beautiful gate of the temple to beg for charitable gifts.

And they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.

While he was still clinging to Peter and John, all the people ran together to them at the portico named Solomon's, completely astonished.

But when Peter saw this, he replied to the people, Men of Israel, why are you amazed at this?

Or why are you staring at us as though by our own power or godliness we had made him walk?

The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified his servant Jesus, the one whom you handed over and disowned in the presence of Pilate when he had decided to release him.

But you disown the Holy and Righteous One and asked for a murderer to be granted to you, be put to death.

You put to death the Prince of Life, whom God raised from the dead, a fact to which we are witnesses.

And on the basis of faith in his name, it is the name of Jesus which has strengthened this man, whom you see and know, and the faith which comes through him has given him this perfect health in the presence of you all.

We'll skip ahead to Acts 4.10.

Peter and John are before the council.

Peter continues, let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel that by the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, by this name, this man stands here before you in good health.

He is the stone which was rejected by you, the builders, but which became the chief cornerstone.

And there is salvation in no one else.

For there is no other name under heaven that has been given among mankind by which we must be saved.

Thank you for standing.

Would you please be seated as we explore three awesome keys to understanding the power of the name, the name of Jesus?

Key number one, if you're taking notes, there is power in the name of Jesus.

There's power in the name of Jesus.

If you didn't get a note page, our talented usher team is happy to get one to you if you'll slip up your hand, or even a Bible if you'd like to borrow one.

There is power in the name of Jesus.

By the way, what do you call a power failure?

A current event.

Process the current event with me in this passage.

Here's a man that scripture says was unable to walk from birth.

What a wretched experience.

There's no government programs back then.

There's no snap cards.

There's no social setting, no safety net of any kind to bail him out.

Note the further humiliation in Acts 3:2.

Acts 3:2

It's as if this man, they used to set him down every day at the gate of the temple, which is called beautiful, in order for him to beg for charitable gifts from those entering the temple grounds.

Carried every single day, dependent every single day.

The same thing every single day, no hope for any improvement every single day.

Have a good life.

And then along comes Peter, and the beggar understandably asked for a donation.

In response, Peter says in verse 5, I do not have silver and gold, but what I do have, I give to you.

In the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, walk.

Walk.

There is power in the name of Jesus.

I love it.

Look again at verses seven and eight.

And grasping him by the right hand, he raised him up, and immediately his feet and his ankles were strengthened.

And leaping up he stood and began to walk.

And he entered the temple with them, walking and leaping and praising God.

There is power in the name of Jesus.

Verse 10 drives home twice to this amazed crowd that it was the power of Jesus' name that brought about this miracle.

Acts 4:10, let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel that by the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, by this name, this man stands before you in good health.

Acts 4:10

Truly there is power in the name of Jesus.

Have you discovered that power?

Some years ago, I was asked to do a freelance production of some radio public service announcements, pointing out the dangers of marijuana.

Okay, glad to do it.

But they wanted to feature the voices of some prominent politicians to give some meat to the message.

I don't have any connections in Washington, DC, but Bob did.

Bob got me on a plane.

Bob met me in Washington.

Through Bob's name, we got into the Capitol building.

Through Bob's name, we made it through security.

On Bob's name, we got underneath in the tunnels of the United States Congress.

Representatives, senators.

In the power of Bob's name, we ended up in the office of the Speaker of the House.

Third in line to the president.

Did some recordings.

I had no power.

But wow, the power of Bob's name, which is nothing compared to the power of Jesus' name.

There's power in the name of Jesus.

Key number two, there is salvation in the name of Jesus.

Peter declares to the religious leaders in Acts 4.12, and there is salvation in no one else.

For there is no other name under heaven that has been given among mankind by which we must be saved.

Must.

Underline those two phrases, by the way, no one else and no other name.

I like doing that in my Bible.

No one else, no other name.

This idea of salvation only in the name of Jesus is stated repeatedly in Scripture.

John 14, 6, Jesus said to him, You know it, I am the way, the truth, and the life.

No one comes to the Father but by me.

You can quote that verse, I bet.

What about John 3, 17?

God did not send his son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through him class might be.

You guys are a game today.

1 John 5, 11, 12, and the testimony is this that God has given us eternal life.

And this life is in his son.

The one who has the son has the life.

The one who does not have the son of God does not have the life.

Salvation is available exclusively in the name of Jesus.

Buddhists offer enlightenment.

Hindus offer karma.

Sikhs offer reincarnation.

But only Jesus offers salvation.

Only Jesus.

People will often tell you these days, well, that's not very inclusive.

Salvation, only the name of Jesus.

Guess what?

The offer of salvation is open to everyone.

God's offer could not be more inclusive.

Here's how inclusive that offer of salvation is.

It says in Acts 2.21, it shall be that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.

Same promise in Romans 10.13.

Whoever calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved.

And of course at VBS, we learned 2 Corinthians 5.17, if anyone is in Christ, I feel like having Lindsay come up here and teach that.

I think she's down in children's church, though, or she would.

Salvation is available exclusively in the name of Jesus.

But salvation is available to absolutely everyone who chooses to believe.

By the way, did you notice in those verses we just shared, those words, everyone, anyone, whoever.

That's inclusive.

Key number three every name you know needs the name of Jesus.

You've taken notes.

Every name you know needs the name of Jesus.

If there is salvation in no other name, if Jesus is the only name by which we must be saved, then every name you know needs the name of Jesus.

Your coworker, your neighbor, your friend, your relative, they need the name of Jesus.

Your car mechanic, your mail carrier, your waitress at the place you like to go, your garbage man, they all need the name of Jesus.

Your babysitter, your boss, your hairstylist, your your school teacher, they need the name of Jesus.

Are they hearing that name from you?

From your lips, from your life.

See, if we don't really get this, we will never grasp the sense of urgency that Jesus intends for us to have.

If every name we know needs the name of Jesus, what should that say about our priorities?

What should that say about our prayer life?

Two action steps, let me suggest to you.

Number one, look after your soul.

Is it right with you and God?

Have you admitted that you've messed up, you're a sinner?

We're all sinners.

The Bible makes a clear case.

All have sinned, all have fallen short of God's glory.

That's me, that's you.

Think of the guy who buys a parrot that was originally owned and trained by a preacher.

And the parrot keeps squawking at this uh new owner of his repent, you sinner.

Judgment is coming.

And the man says, Why do you keep calling me a sinner?

I haven't done anything really all that bad.

And the parrot glares and says, Don't worry.

I've seen enough of your type.

It's only a matter of time.

Well, the Bible says we've all sinned.

Would you really have the audacity to say you're perfect?

I sure wouldn't.

You can talk with Diana afterwards.

She'll set you straight.

Romans 6.23, the wages are result of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through the name Jesus Christ our Lord.

Look after your soul.

Romans 10.13, whoever calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.

If you'd like somebody to pray with you to receive Christ after the service, let's talk.

I'm glad to talk with you.

Pastor Dennis will talk with you.

Ed, would you raise your hand?

Ed is the best guy in the world to have a talk with.

He'd be glad Bruce, where are you, Bruce?

Look at that guy back there.

Bruce.

He'd be glad to pray with you.

Find somebody.

Let's let's do this.

Look after your soul.

Don't wimp out.

Look after your soul.

You've only got one.

Step two, look after your neighbor's soul.

Every name you know needs the name of Jesus.

What does it look like to look after your neighbor's soul?

Does it mean you're you know, tracking them, you're trolling them, you're no, no.

It's not about judging them either.

It's about loving them intentionally for the purpose of sharing the name of Jesus with them.

It's about living out the Jesus lifestyle for them to see.

My friend Jack lives this lifestyle, and I try to learn from him.

He's got neighbors, in his case, uh, they happen to be Irish neighbors.

And he would go over there and visit them regularly and hang out with them and share little little bits about his faith once in a while.

Well, this Irish neighbor of his, uh, let's call him Peter, gets really sick, ends up in the hospital.

Jack goes over and visits him on a Sunday.

Jack goes back, visits on a Wednesday.

By Saturday, his neighbor Peter is dead.

And uh, through the wonder of uh of home health care, he was taken back to his home to die.

So there he is, his body in the living room.

Jack goes over to spend time with them, and the wife asks him to pray.

In a room full of Irish Catholic folks, would you pray?

You know what Jack prayed?

Jack said, Father, I thank you that Jesus said, I am the resurrection and the life.

He who believes in me though he were dead.

A testimony right there.

He went on to, Jack said he quoted John 3.16 as well, pointing to the name of Jesus.

And he got that opening, he got that platform because he was interested in them.

He was looking after his neighbor's soul.

See, people don't read Bibles in our culture today, have you noticed?

But they do read you.

They do read you.

What's the book of your life saying about Jesus?

Some practical ideas.

Invite your neighbors to the easy things, the outreach events that we have here at church.

Custom created for people who don't need Jesus.

I I think of uh our summer VBS.

What a what a well-done thing that is.

Whole church comes together.

It's a great opportunity to invite kids in your neighborhood, maybe relatives, kids, whatever, to be here.

Before that, we had a hog roast with food and games in the parking lot.

It doesn't get any easier than saying, hey neighbor, do you like to eat?

Come eat with us.

This is a growth area for our church.

We need we're working on, and we need to keep working on.

Christmas concert series is coming up, I noticed.

Isn't that right, Dennis?

Three of them.

Three opportunities to invite neighbors who don't know Jesus.

Every time we do these concerts, Dennis makes sure that there's a very clear, creative, very brief gospel message presentation.

Wow.

Everybody likes Christmas music.

Easy, easy, easy.

Look after your neighbor's soul because every name you know needs the name of Jesus.

By the way, a neighbor is anybody you meet.

At home, far away, somewhere in between.

Jesus made that clear, right?

With his story of the Good Samaritan.

Every week, between five and ten million Americans watch a television drama known as Fire Country.

Anyone here want to own up to seeing Fire Country ever?

Wow, nobody here has watched Fire Country.

CBS Oh there's a there you go.

Thank you, sister.

Appreciate that.

I saw a commercial for Fire Country where the main character, Bodhi Leon, says, I'm here to save as many lives as possible.

I thought, wow, is that why I'm here?

Is that why you're here to save as many lives as possible?

Or are we mostly about growing in as much knowledge we can about the Bible?

Attending Christian functions, doing Christian things, listening to Christian music, but not really impacting our culture, not really looking after our neighbors' souls.

Why are you here?

The best thing you can do if you want to look after your neighbor's soul is to pray for them.

That sounds like, oh yeah, really?

Let me catch a nap.

It's the absolute truth.

Praying for them, for their salvation.

For their salvation.

Now, why is praying for their salvation such a big deal?

If you're taking notes, it invites the supernatural power of God.

Merely by praying for them, you are inviting the supernatural power of God into that relationship.

Wow.

You are.

When you pray for an unsaved neighbor, it brings you into a direct partnership with Christ, whose passion is seeking and saving the lost.

It's his hobby, it's the thing he likes best.

And there you are alongside with him, working toward that same goal.

Awesome.

Praying for your neighbors makes you curious about your neighbors.

You can't help it.

Once you start praying, their lives are in your orbit, their concerns become yours.

It opens your eyes to their needs, their hurts, their fears, their hopes.

It leads you to do acts of kindness for them in the name of Christ.

It just sort of flows.

You don't gotta work at it.

It creates moments when you can easily say a word of witness for Christ.

I've seen it happen time and time and time again.

You notice I didn't say you have to become an expert evangelist.

Didn't say that.

Because you don't.

You just have to look after your neighbor's soul.

Care about their soul by praying for their soul.

He's not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

Every name you know needs the name of Jesus.

Missionary Milt Cunningham was a guy who prayed for the souls of his neighbors.

Prayed for the souls of anybody he met.

He happened to be on an airplane that was getting ready to leave the gate and fly from Atlanta to Dallas.

He is seated in the middle of the cluster of three seats.

To his right is a young girl, maybe 13 at the most.

She has Down syndrome, very, very bright, very chatty.

And uh so they sit in there, and all of a sudden she says to him, as they're waiting for the rest of board, Mister, did you brush your teeth this morning?

Like you would have been.

He was kind of taken aback, and he says, Why why why, yes, I did.

Good.

That's what you're supposed to do.

A few more people walk down the aisle and she says, Mister, do you smoke?

He says, No, uh, no, no, I don't smoke.

Good.

Smoking will make you die.

Alright.

She's still not done.

Mister, do you love Jesus?

He smiles and said, Yes, I do love Jesus.

I really do.

Good.

Because we're all supposed to love Jesus.

Well, about that time, the guy on the aisle seat makes his way, plops down.

So the three of them are there, and he and before he can get his seatbelt clicked, the girl whispers to Milt, Hey, ask him if he brushed his teeth this morning.

He says, I'm not doing that.

Ask him.

And he says to the guy, excuse me, sir.

Uh, my friend here on the right has asked me to ask you if you uh brushed your teeth this morning.

He goes, What?

And he looks over and sees the smile on her face, and he says, Yes, I did brush my teeth this morning.

Oh, great, thank you.

She wastes no time.

She says to Milk, ask him if he smokes.

I'm not doing that.

Ask him, sir.

My friend here wants to know, do you smoke?

No, no, no, no, I don't smoke cigarettes.

No.

They start pulling away from the gate.

And she says, uh, ask him if he loves Jesus.

Ask him.

I don't feel comfortable doing that.

Ask him.

Sir, my friend wants to know, do you love Jesus?

He'd had this big old smile on his face, and it just disappeared into a cloud.

And the guy says, Well, in all honesty, I cannot say that I do.

It's not that I don't want to.

It's just that I don't know him.

I don't know how to know him.

I've wanted to all my life.

And now I've come to a point in life where I really do need him.

I need him a lot.

What would you say?

That plane soared to the skies from Atlanta to Dallas.

And Milton Cunningham listened as this man shared about his life, his failures, his disasters, his brokenness, and then had the chance to share his own personal testimony.

He explained how to become a follower of Jesus.

And he did it all because a little girl with Down syndrome dared Milt to ask, Do you love Jesus?

See, every name you know hates the name of Jesus.

And I'm thinking if a young girl with Down syndrome can name the name of Jesus, can't we?

Shouldn't we?

Doing something just a little bit different today.

I'm inviting the ushers to come down the aisle.

They got a stack of cards.

They look like business cards.

They're gonna hand them out.

They're not business cards.

It's a card with three or four blanks on it and says, names I'm gonna pray for.

This is your invitation to cement this message and make it more than something we heard on a Sunday.

But take action.

What I'm inviting you to do is write down the names of people that God will put on your heart that you're gonna commit to praying for, get this every day until the end of the year.

That's your commitment.

Not the rest of your life, but something doable.

Where are we at?

October, November, December.

Not even, you know, not even three full months.

I think it'll take about 30 seconds to pray for them.

It's not a rough task.

But as you pray, you're gonna find yourself more interested in them.

Talking with them more, praying for them even more.

And I want to invite you to take 30 seconds now to write down those names.

I'll give you time to write them down, and then we've got another assignment.

Once you've filled out that uh that card, do the smart thing.

Take a picture of it with your phone.

Because you might stick it in your wallet, or you might not, or your purse, or you might not.

And you'll always have that little that little reminder on your phone.

But but keep that card in your in your purse, your wallet, and just trot it out every day, every day, every day.

Your prayer card is a private reminder, and that's great.

But we need a public commitment as well, a public reminder.

Out in the lobby on a table, we've got a vinyl banner fabric thing.

And and we're gonna fill it up with names.

The names of the people on your prayer card.

Now, now, hands on, just just just hold on a second here.

We're not gonna use any last names.

No last names.

Just Steve, Frank, J H O O O N, Apostrophe A H.

Something like that.

Okay?

Or you could say my uncle, Uncle Bob, whatever you wanted, but no.

No last names, please.

Okay?

We're gonna fill that up, and and and you're gonna see it there, and we're gonna post this on the wall.

It's our wall of names.

Names we love is the actual heading that's on there.

And uh we'll post that so Sunday after Sunday, again until the end of the year, we'll see those names as another reminder to pray for those who need the name of Jesus.

So when the service is over, please do that.

Don't bypass it.

This is our family coming together for people who need to be in this family, or at least the family of Christ, right?

We're praying for them.

So there'll be a couple of people out there helping you, big pile of markers.

Just go at it.

Sign away, all right?

And let's make this wall of names together.

Let me pray for us.

Lord, thank you that there is power in the name of Jesus.

There is salvation in the name of Jesus.

And we acknowledge that every name we know needs the name of Jesus.

We cannot save them any more than Peter could make that guy stand up and walk.

But in the name of Jesus we come.

In the name of Jesus we pray, asking for their salvation against all odds.

The last people on the planet that might come to know you.

That's what we think about some of these.

We dare to believe.

We dare to hope.

We dare to pray.

We're committing to that.

We're committing to that now.

Would you help us be faithful in the days ahead?

To pray every day for the names on our cards, to look for ways to look after their souls.

Thank you that you looked after our soul.

Thank you, Jesus.

Amen.