Pastor Rich's sermon - Sunday, March 9, 2003

Every name has a meaning.

What do you think of when I say the name:

Abraham Lincoln, Bill Clinton, Martin Luther King, Mother Teresa?

When people say your name, how do you think other people respond? How would you like them to respond? Sometimes it is good and sometimes it is bad. Sometimes it is both. I remember a professor I had in seminary who I thought as excellent. Yet some of my fellow classmates despised him.

This just shows that opinion may vary depending on how a person knows you. Someone’s impression about a particular person may be as shocking as a parent listening to a teacher tell them how wonderful their daughter or son is to have in class. All the while the parent is thinking, ‘Are you talking about my child?’

So how do you hope people would respond to your name? How do you hope you will be remembered?

I am sure we all hope that we will be remembered positively. We hope that whoever gives our eulogy at the time of the death will say nice things about. I am here to tell you that you don’t have to hope they will say nice things. Truth is today like every day you and I are determining what that eulogy will be. No one has more control over what will be said about you now or then, than you.

In Philippians 2:1-11 Paul’s provides us with a beautiful eulogy for Jesus.

“Therefore God exalted Him to the highest place
and gave Him the name that is above every name,
that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.”

Today’s society has lost a sense of how awesome the name of Jesus is. It no longer commands the respect, the full attention of people outside of the church and sadly at times inside the church.

I have heard people talking about God and describing not the God of the Bible that I know. They describe God as a cosmic bellhop, or as an absentee God, or as God the magician, or they have a carefully defined God, as though they have completely figured God out.

Additional proof that today’s society has lost a sense of awe about Jesus is found in the present day attitude that all religions are the same.

Do you honestly think we are honoring Jesus when He is seen in the way we look at Gandhi, or Buddha, or Mohammad, or Joseph Smith. I ask you, who gave these men the same authority as Jesus? If they have the same authority as Jesus why does the Bible say,

“that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow
in heaven and on earth?”

Where in the Bible does it say that there are many ways to God? God didn’t say that. God gave authority to Jesus. God’s Word states,

“Jesus is the way the truth and the life,
NO ONE comes to the Father but through Him.”

Look at ways that Jesus encourages and supports us as listed by Paul in Philippians 2:1-5. No doubt Paul lists the very ways that He was encouraged. He found comfort, fellowship with the Holy Spirit, tenderness, compassion, and complete joy, harmony with Jesus, love, and unity.

To that list Paul lists other characteristics of Jesus in verses 6-8. Jesus is divine but did not see Himself as equal to God. He became a human. He became a servant. He was obedient to death. Jesus gave up His right in order to obey God and serve people. Jesus had a servant attitude. He lived God’s purpose not self-purpose

When you pray to God through Jesus Christ, are you mindful of the awesomeness of Jesus. Are you mindful that you are praying in the name that was given the highest place of any other name? Are you aware that you are praying in the name that should cause every knee to bow? What you think about Jesus will determine how you pray and if you pray.

Don’t shortchange your prayer life, by shortchanging who Jesus is.