Names

Names

"Therefore God has given Him a name which is above every
name that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of
those in heaven, and of those on earth and under the earth."
Philippians 2:9-10

If you went to a Detroit Tigers game this past year, you would have seen lots of people with a Tigers jersey with the name of their favorite Tiger on it. And now that it's the fall, sweatshirts with university names are everywhere with people proudly displaying the team they root for and support the most. And here in Michigan, it won't be long until the red and white Red Wing hockey jerseys of the most popular Wings are being worn everywhere supporting the local team.

In Bible times, names carried significance and a name revealed a person's character, heart, and purpose in life. The ultimate name is Jesus which means "He shall save His people from their sins" but there is also Isaiah meaning "God is salvation", Nehemiah which means "God is comfort", a ministry seen in Nehemiah's life as he returned to Jerusalem to lead the people in rebuilding the walls of the city and a host of others whose names carried weight and destiny.

Other names spoke of character as seen in Jacob's life. He was named Jacob which means "deceiver", had his name changed to Israel meaning "prince with God" and later was named Jeshurun, or "straight one", each name reflecting what God was doing in his life and carrying a message of encouragement and hope to those who are still looking for God to change and refine them.

I probably should mention a little idiosyncrasy I have. With one exception, I don't wear anything with a sports figures' name on it, whether that be a hat, sweatshirt or jersey. Years ago, I went to buy a hat and I could have sworn that the Lord said "no, that person's life isn't right, you shouldn't be wearing their name". It made sense to me and I've kept to that for almost 20 years now. It's not something I recommend to others but it's a reminder that names have significance.
But back to our main thought today.

As Christians, we carry the name of Jesus with us and so much of what we do is "in the name of Jesus", whether it be praying for healing, or baptizing a new believer. The early church, in Acts 5:41 "rejoiced that they were counted worthy to suffer for His name" and Paul exhorted Timothy to live a life that brought honor to the name of the Lord. For anyone who knows that you are a believer, you are carrying the name of Jesus wherever you go and in whatever you do. That name should radically affect the way you live, your attitudes, your words and choices, and the love you show others.

Let's all make sure that our lives live up to the name that we were baptized into and are living for. Let's make sure that we can proudly wear the sweatshirt with the name Jesus boldly embroidered for all to see!

God Bless,
Pastor Joe
Gateway Church