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Posts Tagged with Jesus

Death is Swallowed Up

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My column from yesterday in the Twin Falls, Times News:

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The life of Jesus, the Christ, as described in the Holy Bible alone, has been historically documented with multiple eyewitnesses of His resurrection, bearing evidence of this real person. On this historic weekend, remembered since the first generation of Christians as the Lord’s Day, this same Jesus would put death forever under His foot.

“O Death, where is your sting? O Hades, where is your victory” (Hosea 13:14)

If you have not already made plans to gather with a New Testament church, ordered by the Bible, you should consider this today. Be sure it is a church that is submitted to the Lordship of Jesus and is governed by the authority of the Word of God.

Here is how the apostle Paul spoke of this great victory to the church in Corinth.

“But the glorious fact is that Christ did rise from the dead: he has become the very first to rise of all who sleep the sleep of death. As death entered the world through a man, so has rising from the dead come to us through a man! As members of a sinful race all men die; as members of the Christ of God all men shall be raised to life, each in his proper order, with Christ the very first and after him all who belong to him when he comes.

Then, and not till then, authority and power, hands over the kingdom to God the Father. Christ’s reign will and must continue until every enemy has been conquered. The last enemy of all to be destroyed is death itself. The scripture says: “He has put all things under his feet.” But in the term “all things” it is quite obvious that God, who brings them all under subjection to Christ, is himself excepted.

Nevertheless, when everything created has been made obedient to God, then shall the Son acknowledge himself subject to God the Father, who gave the Son power over all things. Thus, in the end, shall God be wholly and absolutely God.

To refuse to believe in the resurrection is both foolish and wicked.

Further, you should consider this, that if there is to be no resurrection what is the point of some of you being baptized for the dead by proxy? Why should you be baptized for dead bodies? And why should I live a life of such hourly danger? I assure you, by the certainty of Jesus Christ that we possess, that I face death every day of my life! And if to use the popular expression, I have “fought with wild beasts” here in Ephesus, what is the good of an ordeal like that if there is no life after this one? “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die!”

Don’t let yourselves be deceived. Talking about things that are not true is bound to be reflected in practical conduct. Come back to your senses, and don’t dabble in sinful doubts. Remember that there are men who have plenty to say but have no knowledge of God. You should be ashamed that I have to write like this at all!” (1 Corinthians 15:20-34 Phillips Translation)

Have a blessed Resurrection Day!

The Nature of God

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NOTE: This is the print version of my defense on the Biblical nature of God at an inter-religious dialog group I belong to. This is a monthly gathering of different religious leaders of different religions intended to have honest dialog about what we believe. Not an exercise of universally ecumenical platitudes of different ways of looking at the same god. This is an honest discussion of what we believe based on our religious texts. For me, this is a place where I have engaged in fair debate of what I believe.

Tonight (March 19, 2018) I have the responsibility to give a discourse on the nature of God contrasted by the Muslim and Mormon gods. It promises to be an exciting exchange. I wish you could be there with me. For now, most of the conversations are closed to the dialog group.

Here is the print version of what I will say:
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I hold to the historic Baptist confession statements on the nature of God.

To speak of the nature of God, I hold to the sufficiency of the Holy Bible. To say “Holy Bible”, I mean the Old and New Testament only. I receive it as a certain and infallible standard of knowledge of God, faith, salvation, and holiness.

“The light of nature and the works of creation and providence so clearly demonstrate the goodness, wisdom, and power of God that people are left without excuse; however, these demonstrations are not sufficient to give the knowledge of God and his will that is necessary for salvation. Therefore, the Lord was pleased at different times and in various ways to reveal himself and to declare his will to his church [His people]. To preserve and propagate the truth better and to establish and comfort the church with greater certainty against the corruption of the flesh and the malice of Satan and the world, the Lord put this revelation completely in writing. Therefore, the Holy Scriptures are absolutely necessary, because God’s former ways of revealing his will to his people have now ceased.”

2 Timothy 3:15–17; Isaiah 8:20; Luke 16:29, 31; Ephesians 2:20. Romans 1:19–21; Romans 2:14,15; Psalm 19:1–3. Hebrews 1:1. Proverbs 22:19–21; Romans 15:4; 2 Peter 1:19, 20. (1925 New Hampshire Confession)

I hold agreement with confessional statements throughout history that place the Holy Bible as the only reliable authority to know God. All of the Holy Bible was given by inspiration of God to be this authoritative word of God. This is not a position of opinion, this is an exercise of intentional investigation using the rules of logic to defend all opinions of God against this reliable standard.

From the 1689 Second London Confession: (similar to the Westminster Confession)

The Lord our God is one, the only living and true God. He is self-existent and infinite in being and perfection. His essence cannot be understood by anyone but him. He is a perfectly pure spirit. He is invisible and has no body, parts, or changeable emotions. He alone has immortality, dwelling in light that no one can approach. He is unchangeable, immense, eternal, incomprehensible, almighty, in every way infinite, absolutely holy, perfectly wise, wholly free, completely absolute. He works all things according to the counsel of his own unchangeable and completely righteous will for his own glory. He is most loving, gracious, merciful, and patient. He overflows with goodness and truth, forgiving iniquity, transgression, and sin. He rewards those who seek him diligently. At the same time, he is perfectly just and terrifying in his judgments. He hates all sin and will certainly not clear the guilty.

1 Corinthians 8:4, 6; Deuteronomy 6:4. Jeremiah 10:10; Isaiah 48:12. Exodus 3:14. John 4:24. 1 Timothy 1:17; Deuteronomy 4:15, 16. Malachi 3:6. 1 Kings 8:27; Jeremiah 23:23. Psalm 90:2. Genesis 17:1. Isaiah 6:3. Psalm 115:3; Isaiah 46:10. Proverbs 16:4; Romans 11:36. 13Exodus 34:6, 7; Hebrews 11:6. 14Nehemiah 9:32, 33. 15Psalm 5:5, 6. 16Exodus 34:7; Nahum 1:2, 3.

To start with the authority of the Bible is of importance to me because this is the place that identifies what standard I would use here to define the nature of God as defined by the Bible. If the Bible is true then I must consider what it says, not only about the nature of God but also the nature of other gods. If the Bible is not true then logic would require that I declare the God of the Bible to not be a true god at all. Logic requires that the reader of the Bible accept its claims as true or false. I receive it as true and satisfied to use is to address the nature of God.

My use of the English word “God” is to mean Yahweh. The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. (arguably not at all the same deity of Islam or Mormonism.)

  • The God of the Bible is defined as one, only one. (Deuteronomy 6:4, Isaiah 43:10-11, 1 Corinthians 8:6, Jude 4, etc…)
  • The God of the Bible is defined as a jealous God. (Exodus 34:14, An almighty God is not arrogant to be jealous of worship being given to another. Logic would say that the most high is not irrational to make exclusive claims about a loving God. A loving God would want all to worship the true God. A loving God would not love if he shared His glory with any lesser.)
  • The God of the Bible is described as a God with no equal. There is no other. (Isaiah 45:5)
  • The God of the Bible is described as a spirit. (John 4:24)
  • The God of the Bible is described as an eternal God, not having a beginning or an end. (Job 36:26, Isaiah 57:15)
  • The God of the Bible is described as an immutable God. (Malachi 3:6, Numbers 23:19, Hebrews 13:8)
  • The God of the Bible is described as an all knowing God. (Psalm 147:5, 1 John 3:20)
  • The God of the Bible is described as an all present God. (1 Kings 8:27, 1 JOhn 3:24)
  • The God of the Bible is described as a triune being. (see references on Baptist Faith and Message)

James White, of Alpha and Omega Ministries, argues that to speak of the trinity it is necessary to define and distinguish the terms “being” and “person.”

“It would be a contradiction, obviously, to say that there are three beings within one being, or three persons within one person. So what is the difference? We clearly recognize the difference between being and person every day. We recognize what something is, yet we also recognize individuals within a classification. For example, we speak of the “being” of man—human being. A rock has “being”—the being of a rock, as does a cat, a dog, etc. Yet, we also know that there are personal attributes as well. That is, we recognize both “what” and “who” when we talk about a person.”

“The Bible tells us there are three classifications of personal beings—God, man, and angels. What is personality? The ability to have emotion, will, to express oneself. Rocks cannot speak. Cats cannot think of themselves over against others, and, say, work for the common good of “cat kind.” Hence, we are saying that there is one eternal, infinite being of God, shared fully and completely by three persons, Father, Son and Spirit. One what, three who’s.”

NOTE: We are not saying that the Father is the Son, or the Son the Spirit, or the Spirit the Father. It is very common for people to misunderstand the doctrine as to mean that we are saying Jesus is the Father. The doctrine of the Trinity does not in any way say this!

The three Biblical doctrines that flow directly into the river that is the Trinity are as follows:

1) There is one and only one God, eternal, immutable.

2) There are three eternal Persons described in Scripture – the Father, the Son, and the Spirit. These Persons are never identified with one another – that is, they are carefully differentiated as Persons.

3) The Father, the Son, and the Spirit, are identified as being fully deity—that is, the Bible teaches the Deity of Christ and the Deity of the Holy Spirit.

The most critical claims of Jesus are of interest in the Biblical claims of who God is. If We get Jesus wrong we get everything wrong.

For Jesus to say, “I am the way the truth and the life, no one comes to the Father but by me.” (John 14:6) one has to search who this Jesus is.

His nature, according to the Bible, is eternal. Meaning; not created, not an offspring, not a representation of, not another god, not simply a view of God.

His nature, and Biblical claims, demand that we view him as eternal God.

God is not an unknown, unsearchable essence. God is not a higher reality of humanity. God is not many. God is not human. God was never less than He currently is and He will never be greater than he is (if this were possible he would not be God to begin with).

What does it mean to say “Jesus is God incarnate” or “Jesus is God in the flesh”?
This is a most important question. It is not to say that God ever stopped being God. It is not to say that this is when Jesus became a god. God the son, Jesus, never gave up being God and he never “became” God. This simply means that in order for God to be in the flesh, he would need to be born with flesh, incarnate. Not by natural means. If by sexual intercourse, then he would not be of divine nature but a fleshly nature. This would have to be done by supernatural means. A supernatural work of God, ruling over His creation and entering His creation to redeem humanity.

This is intended to be a starting place for a longer and larger conversation on the nature of God.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me for more discussion. Paul Thompson (208) 410-2529 or idahopaul@gmail.com

“For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,” declares the LORD.” (Isaiah 55:8) Meaning, we need God to tell us who He is if we are to accurately know who He is. Otherwise we will create a god in our own image and not know Him at all.

Primary Sources:
Psalm 50
1 The Mighty One, God, the Lord, has spoken,
And summoned the earth from the rising of the sun to its setting.
2 Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty,
God has shone forth.
3 May our God come and not keep silence;
Fire devours before Him,
And it is very tempestuous around Him.
4 He summons the heavens above,
And the earth, to judge His people:
5 “Gather My godly ones to Me,
Those who have made a covenant with Me by sacrifice.”
6 And the heavens declare His righteousness,
For God Himself is judge. Selah.

7 “Hear, O My people, and I will speak;
O Israel, I will testify against you;
I am God, your God.
8 “I do not reprove you for your sacrifices,
And your burnt offerings are continually before Me.
9 “I shall take no young bull out of your house
Nor male goats out of your folds.
10 “For every beast of the forest is Mine,
The cattle on a thousand hills.
11 “I know every bird of the mountains,
And everything that moves in the field is Mine.
12 “If I were hungry I would not tell you,
For the world is Mine, and all it contains.
13 “Shall I eat the flesh of bulls
Or drink the blood of male goats?
14 “Offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving
And pay your vows to the Most High;
15 Call upon Me in the day of trouble;
I shall rescue you, and you will honor Me.”

16 But to the wicked God says,
“What right have you to tell of My statutes
And to take My covenant in your mouth?
17 “For you hate discipline,
And you cast My words behind you.
18 “When you see a thief, you are pleased with him,
And you associate with adulterers.
19 “You let your mouth loose in evil
And your tongue frames deceit.
20 “You sit and speak against your brother;
You slander your own mother’s son.
21 “These things you have done and I kept silence;
You thought that I was just like you;
I will reprove you and state the case in order before your eyes.

22 “Now consider this, you who forget God,
Or I will tear you in pieces, and there will be none to deliver.
23 “He who offers a sacrifice of thanksgiving honors Me;
And to him who orders his way aright
I shall show the salvation of God.”

Baptist Faith and Message
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God the Father
God as Father reigns with providential care over His universe, His creatures, and the flow of the stream of human history according to the purposes of His grace. He is all powerful, all loving, and all wise. God is Father in truth to those who become children of God through faith in Jesus Christ. He is fatherly in his attitude toward all men.

Gen. 1:1; 2:7; Ex. 3:14; 6:2-3; 15:11ff.; 20:1ff.; Levit. 22:2; Deut. 6:4; 32:6; 1 Chron. 29:10; Psalm 19:1-3; Isa. 43:3,15; 64:8; Jer. 10:10; 17:13; Matt. 6:9ff.; 7:11; 23:9; 28:19; Mark 1:9-11; John 4:24; 5:26; 14:6-13; 17:1-8; Acts 1:7; Rom. 8:14-15; 1 Cor. 8:6; Gal. 4:6; Ephes. 4:6; Col. 1:15; 1 Tim. 1:17; Heb. 11:6; 12:9; 1 Peter 1:17; 1 John 5:7.

God the Son
Christ is the eternal Son of God. In His incarnation as Jesus Christ He was conceived of the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary. Jesus perfectly revealed and did the will of God, taking upon Himself the demands and necessities of human nature and identifying Himself completely with mankind yet without sin. He honored the divine law by His personal obedience, and in His death on the cross He made provision for the redemption of men from sin. He was raised from the dead with a glorified body and appeared to His disciples as the person who was with them before His crucifixion. He ascended into heaven and is now exalted at the right hand of God where He is the One Mediator, partaking of the nature of God and of man, and in whose Person is effected the reconciliation between God and man. He will return in power and glory to judge the world and to consummate His redemptive mission. He now dwells in all believers as the living and ever present Lord.

Gen. 18:1ff.; Psalms 2:7ff.; 110:1ff.; Isa. 7:14; 53; Matt. 1:18-23; 3:17; 8:29; 11:27; 14:33; 16:16,27; 17:5; 27; 28:1-6,19; Mark 1:1; 3:11; Luke 1:35; 4:41; 22:70; 24:46; John 1:1-18,29; 10:30,38; 11:25-27; 12:44-50; 14:7-11; 16:15-16,28; 17:1-5, 21-22; 20:1-20,28; Acts 1:9; 2:22-24; 7:55-56; 9:4-5,20; Rom. 1:3-4; 3:23-26; 5:6-21; 8:1-3,34; 10:4; 1 Cor. 1:30; 2:2; 8:6; 15:1-8,24-28; 2 Cor. 5:19-21; 8:9; Gal. 4:4-5; Ephes. 1:20; 3:11; 4:7-10; Phil. 2:5-11; Col. 1:13-22; 2:9; 1 Thess. 4:14-18; 1 Tim. 2:5-6; 3:16; Titus 2:13-14; Heb. 1:1-3; 4:14-15; 7:14-28; 9:12-15,24-28; 12:2; 13:8; 1 Peter 2:21-25; 3:22; 1 John 1:7-9; 3:2; 4:14-15; 5:9; 2 John 7-9; Rev. 1:13-16; 5:9-14; 12:10-11; 13:8; 19:16.

God the Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of God. He inspired holy men of old to write the Scriptures. Through illumination He enables men to understand truth. He exalts Christ. He convicts of sin, of righteousness and of judgment. He calls men to the Saviour, and effects regeneration. He cultivates Christian character, comforts believers, and bestows the spiritual gifts by which they serve God through His church. He seals the believer unto the day of final redemption. His presence in the Christian is the assurance of God to bring the believer into the fullness of the stature of Christ. He enlightens and empowers the believer and the church in worship, evangelism, and service.

Gen. 1:2; Judg. 14:6; Job 26:13; Psalms 51:11; 139:7ff.; Isa. 61:1-3; Joel 2:28-32; Matt. 1:18; 3:16; 4:1; 12:28-32; 28:19; Mark 1:10,12; Luke 1:35; 4:1,18-19; 11:13; 12:12; 24:49; John 4:24; 14:16-17,26; 15:26; 16:7-14; Acts 1:8; 2:1-4,38; 4:31; 5:3; 6:3; 7:55; 8:17,39; 10:44; 13:2; 15:28; 16:6; 19:1-6; Rom. 8:9-11,14-16,26-27; 1 Cor. 2:10-14; 3:16; 12:3-11; Gal. 4:6; Ephes. 1:13-14; 4:30; 5:18; 1 Thess. 5:19; 1 Tim. 3:16; 4:1; 2 Tim. 1:14; 3:16; Heb. 9:8,14; 2 Peter 1:21; 1 John 4:13; 5:6-7; Rev. 1:10; 22:17.

The Apostles’ Creed: 140 A.D.
“I believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, And in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord, Who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, Born of the Virgin Mary, Suffered under Pontius Pilate, Was crucified, dead, and buried. He descended into hell; The third day He rose again from the dead; He ascended into heaven, And sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty; From thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead. I believe in the Holy Ghost; The Holy catholic [meaning, church throughout time and in all places] Church, the Communion of Saints; The Forgiveness of sins; The Resurrection of the body, And the Life everlasting. Amen.

The Nicene Creed: 325 A.D.
I believe in one God, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible.

And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, begotten of the Father before all worlds; God of God, Light of Light, very God of very God; begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father, by whom all things were made.

Who, for us men for our salvation, came down from heaven, and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the virgin Mary, and was made man; and was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate; He suffered and was buried; and the third day He rose again, according to the Scriptures; and ascended into heaven, and sits on the right hand of the Father; and He shall come again, with glory, to judge the quick and the dead; whose kingdom shall have no end.

And I believe in the Holy Ghost, the Lord and Giver of Life; who proceeds from the Father [and the Son]; who with the Father and the Son together is worshipped and glorified; who spoke by the prophets.

And I believe one holy catholic [meaning, church throughout time and in all places] and apostolic Church. I acknowledge one baptism for the remission of sins; and I look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen.

Meet Bear Morton

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On February 4, 2018 Eastside Baptist will host our second Burning in the Soul preaching series. I have invited “Bear” Morton, pastor of Magic Valley Bible Church in Twin Falls, to come and preach what is burning in his soul.

Meet Greg “Bear” Morton:

Bear has been shepherding God’s people who gather at Magic Valley Bible Church in Twin Falls for more than 17 years. Bear is married to Cherie and they have six children; Stephanie, Jamie, Joshua, Jordan, Madison and Riley.

Bear is an Idaho native, born and raised in Boise. Bear is one of the biblically faithful contributors to the weekly pastors column in the Twin Falls, Times News. (Any time you read one of his columns online be sure to like it and share it. When publications like this get traffic online it communicates to the editor that it is read and it is liked when it is read. Share it on your social media outlets too.)

Magic Valley Bible Church is a faithful preaching post of the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ in Twin Falls. You can rejoice in the Lord that there are other faithful churches with faithful biblical preaching happening in the city. This church, MVBC, and this preacher, Bear Morton, are a blessing to all who live in the Magic Valley. Don’t miss out on this.

Gather with me on Sunday, February 4, 2018 at 6:30 p.m. to hear a word from God delivered through this local pastor. Be encouraged that there are many faithful preachers. Be challenged in your relationship to Christ. Be corrected by the power of the Holy Spirit as we sit together under faithful preaching.

Bear will be addressing the intercessory work of Jesus from John 17.

Be sure to invite someone to come with you.

Here are some influential books (other than the Bible) that have impacted Bear. Consider reading one this year.

  • Amillennialism and the Age to Come: A Premillennial Critique of the Two-Age Model by Matt Waymeyer
  • Biblical Doctrine: A Systematic Summary of Bible Truth. John MacArthur and Dick Mayhue
  • D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, Preaching and Preachers
  • Spurgeon’s Sorrows: Realistic Hope for those who Suffer from Depression by Zack Eswine

 

Satan Dares Us To Be Careless

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Have you ever been tempted to use Scripture to disobey God?

If you are being honest you understand the question and the answer is, “yes.”

In a time of war, if your enemy can twist your own words to wage war against you he will successfully win the battle. Don’t forget, Christian, you are at war with the enemy of God. That enemy is a master manipulator and crafty in twisting the words of God. Look around. The shifting in our culture is exhibit A, a living indictment against many professing followers of Christ.

Scripture is powerful for both you and your enemy. It is powerful for the enemy if you don’t know God’s word and powerful for you if you do know it.

The savor of all repenting sinners, Jesus the Christ, was under the attack of the master manipulator who twister of the word of God in Matthew 4:5-6. Satan chose to tempt Jesus with that powerful tool, the very words of God Himself, but was not counting on Jesus actually knowing these words or knowing how he chose to use Scripture out of context to make it seem okay to disobey God.

Human history is full of examples of how Satan chose to use Scripture like this. Unlike Jesus, we prove how little we know the word of God. Think of it for a moment – remember the garden with Adam and Eve and King David committing adultery and murder. Not to mention the ongoing misuse of Scripture by Satan to convince many that they will become equal with God by becoming gods or that it is possible to earn your way to heaven or loss your salvation. Many in our day believe that human life is not to be revered as abortion numbers continue to show the nation less interested in the glory of God and more interested in convenience. And then a hundred other more subtle lies that salvation comes in the act of baptism or speaking in tongues.

If the follower of Christ is not aware of this then he/she is likely to be won over by the enemy. This is no time to be careless in your relationship with God.

The only thing we do when we are persuaded by the enemy of God is prove we are a careless people with the things of God.

Remember this follower of Christ; Satan loves to take God’s word and twist it all up so we don’t know if it’s truth or not.

Here are some warning signs that you have successfully been won over by the chief of all liars:

  • You think there is no God.
  • You don’t think you are a sinner and God surely wouldn’t judge you as one, or at least not the kind of sinner deserving of hell.
  • You think God wants you to do something that is a contradiction of his word.
  • You think reading the bible is something other people should do.
  • You treat others as less important than you.
  • You think of yourself as more spiritual than others.
  • You think praying is something for old women.

Is it possible that you’ve become careless in your relationship with Christ? Is it possible that your church has become careless in her duty?

Reader, today, while it is still called today, don’t be a sloppy and careless follower of Christ like many have become in our day. What partial truth has Satan duped you of lately? What lie have you agreed to believe in order to justify your sin?

Do you not see Satan tempting you, daring you even, to be careless?

O, that the community would find a people devoted and careful to follow and obey God. Calling all sinners, repent and submit with joy to the Word of Life, Jesus the Christ! Be among those with a past that once were believers of lies but have repented and turned to Christ. Stop your careless ways today and live in the light of truth.

The Savior is able to make all things new!

The Sweetest Name I Know

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New Series: From This Side of the Pulpit; A reflection of a preacher from his side of the pulpit. 

It was June, 2001 that the Lord’s people at Eastside Baptist Church invited me to become their pastor. While reflecting over the past 14 years of preaching I decided to hunt down a file of hand written sermon notes. It may come as a surprise to some, this practice of hand written sermon notes has not changed; with the exception of a few seasons of trying to do my sermon work on a computer, (not very consistent with this method.) There are about 40 sermons or so that are saved on 3.5 inch discs (yes, I was that cool).

For several years now, my sermon notes start out on a small notebook in my back pocket, they eventually get formulated into hand written notes in the margin of my wide-margin bible and eventually make way to blog posts.

For nearly the past 5 years, by the kindness of friends in Nevada, my audio sermons are archived at SermonAudio.com.

Today’s blog post was first a sermon preached at Eastside Baptist Church, circa 2001. While going over old sermon notes I noticed that I didn’t give good citation to some of the quotes or sources. This is not the work of a good writer. the main outline of this sermon came from hand written notes from a sermon by Paul Powell

The Sweetest Name I Know
Philippians 2:5-11

Shakespeare asked the question, “What’s in a name?” He said that a rose by any other name would smell just as sweet. In a sense that is true. You could call a rose a stink weed or a skunk blossom and not change the fragrance of that rose. But in another sense a name means everything. If I were to give you a check for $10,000.00, the people at the bank would laugh at you and tell you that the check was not worth it. But if you were to be given a check from a millionaire worth $10,000.00 you would be a richer man. It’s the name that makes the difference – there is something in a name.

If I announced that I was going to preach at the Roper Auditorium tonight, a few of our faithful members would be there. If I announce that Billy Graham was going to preach there tonight, there would not be enough seating.

The name of Jesus, there is a name that means something! It means something in heaven – it means something on earth – it means something in hell.

Philippians 2:5-11

5 Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. 8 Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 9 For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

His Name is a Powerful Name:

Think of the names in the past.

  • Alexander the great: at the age of 33 he had conquered the known world. At the age of 33 he died in drunkenness and debauchery. (citation needed)
  • Caesar: He led the Roman legions to conquer one land after another. One day a dagger in the hand of his friend, Brutus, conquered him. (citation needed)
  • Napoleon: He brought Europe to her knees before him. He died in exile on the island of St. Helena. (citation needed)
  • The Kaiser, Hitler, Mussolini, each one powerful names that went down into defeat.
  • France once boasted of the power of Louis the Great. It was said that he was the one great man of the world. But one day he was conquered by death. At his funeral the great cathedral was packed with mourners. The came to pay a final tribute to the one whom they considered great. The cathedral was dark except for one lone candle which shone over the golden casket. At the appointed hour Massilon, the court preacher, stood up to address the assembly. He slowly reached over and snuffed out the one candle which had been put there to symbolize the greatness of the king. Then from the darkness came just four words, “God only is great.” (citation is needed)
  • The energizer bunny even wants you to “feel the power.” Everyone who has ever bought a battery knows that the power will eventually die.

People of the world claim greatness and power for a while, then death cuts them off.

But not so with Jesus. He had power to create the world. He has power to change the course of history and the destiny of nations. He has power over death and disease. He has power over the grave His power never diminishes and some day all of heaven and hell and earth will know this name.

Jesus; that’s the sweetest name I know!

His name is an Exalted Name:

Richard Whitney had a good name. His ancestors came from England. His father was president of a Boston Bank. His brother was a partner in J.P. Morgan Company. Richard was a leader in prep school and college. He bought a seat on the New York Stock Exchange for $65,000.00. Five times he was elected president of the Exchange. He signed 2,000 membership certificates for the Exchange. Then one day they found that he had misappropriated funds which had been entrusted to him. He lost his good name, lost his big job, and was sent to prison for five years. Then the New York Stock Exchange called in all the certificates which he had signed, erased his name and had them signed by the new president. The name of Richard Whitney was no longer a good name for a broker to have hanging on his wall. (citation needed)

Today, this could be said of others like Jim and Tammy Faye Baker, Pete Rose, Daryl Strawberry, Arthur Anderson, and countless others whose name today carries nothing but shame.

Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and blessing. (Revelation 5:12)

The name of Jesus is and will be exalted.

Jesus, the sweetest name I know!

His Name is a Saving Name:

Listen to what the Scripture says about His  name:

  • “You will call His name Jesus, for he will save His people from their sins.” (Luke 1:31)
  • “There is no other name under heaven, given among men, whereby we must be saved.” (Acts 4:12)
  • “Whoever calls upon the name of Jesus shall be saved.” (Romans 10:13)

Call upon your goodness and there is no salvation.
Call upon your good works and there is no salvation.
Call upon your charitable gifts, and there is no salvation.
Call upon your religious formalities and there is no salvation.
But call upon Jesus and you will find full salvation.

His name is a powerful name, His name is an exalted name, and His name is a saving name.

Call upon His name!

Do You Love Me?

Posted on Leave a comment on Do You Love Me?

I’ve been told in various settings that there are no dumb questions and no wrong answers. I’ve lived long enough to prove both of those statements wrong. I am still trying to master the art of asking good questions.

Here are a few of the good questions…

  • “If a man dies, will he live again?” (Job 14:14)
  • “Does it profit a man to gain the whole world, and forfeit his soul?” (Mark 8:36)
  • “What will my life be like tomorrow?” (James 4:14)
  • “What shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?”  (Matthew 27:22)

These questions must be asked. They require being answered truthfully.  The most important questions are asked of mankind, by Deity.

  • “Do you love me?” When Jesus asked this question of Peter, it required an answer.

The events leading to this question began days earlier. It was on the night Jesus was betrayed, he met with the disciples to observe the Passover. Jesus shocked them with the statement, “one of you will betray me” (Matthew 26:21). The disciples began to respond to this statement with questions, “Lord, is it me?” But Peter, characteristically, boasted that he would never betray the Lord. “These other guys my fail you, Lord, but not me!” Peter assured Jesus that he would be faithful through death.

Just a few hours later Peter would be proven unfaithful and unable to defend the Lord’s honor.

There’s good news that comes after this crushing behavior of Peter.

He must have felt such shame and regret that he was so weak. But Jesus completed his work in Peter by restoring him and instructing him to “feed the Lord’s sheep” (John 21:15-17).

Paul Powell, in his book, Jump Starting Dead Churches, lays out three arguments of how we should answer this question should the Lord be asking us, “do you love me?”

  • Love the Lord supremely
  • Love the Lord actively
  • Love the Lord Openly

What a challenge. God wants us to be right with him. He knows that unless he builds the church, the gates of Hell will overcome her. The Spirit is willing to love the Lord supremely, actively and openly. But the flesh is too weak to do this. When we attempt to love the Lord from the works of the flesh we are not strong enough to follow through with our love. We are only strong enough to love the Lord when we repent of trying to love him only in the flesh, and plead with him to strengthen us to love him.

It’s one thing to know the Lord, quite another to be known by the Lord. Where it is important to ask good questions, it is perhaps more important to answer the questions posed by the Lord. “Do you love me?”

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