10/25/2018
In this day and age when the Church has been taken hostage by the influence of the world, and often forgets who it really is... who it represents in power; it isn’t surprising that we as individual believers find ourselves weakened, and led astray. But the truth of the matter is that the Church is meant to represent the creator of the universe, and you and I have been authorized to act in the name of His Son Jesus Christ for the glory of God!
“"Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father. Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.”
John 14:12-14 ESV
Through our belief in Jesus Christ we have been given the right to wield His power, and the right to act in His stead... asking whatever will bring glory to God and seeing it done. We are emissaries of the divine! Do you ever look at yourself in this way? Do you picture yourself as if you were sitting in a great hall before the United Nations Assembly, and on the front of your desk is a sign that reads “Heaven”, “Eternity”, or “Jesus Christ Son of God”? You carry the name of Jesus, and you act in His name!
“saying to them, "Go into the village in front of you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her. Untie them and bring them to me. If anyone says anything to you, you shall say, 'The Lord needs them,' and he will send them at once."”
Matthew 21:2-3 ESV
When Jesus was preparing to enter triumphantly into Jerusalem, he sent for a donkey and a colt, and He sent for them in the name of the Lord. Carrying someone’s name is not trivial; it means that we act in their stead. Listen to what God told Moses...
“Then Moses said to God, "If I come to the people of Israel and say to them, 'The God of your fathers has sent me to you,' and they ask me, 'What is his name?' what shall I say to them?" God said to Moses, " I am who I am." And he said, "Say this to the people of Israel: ' I am has sent me to you.'" God also said to Moses, "Say this to the people of Israel: 'The Lord, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you.' This is my name forever, and thus I am to be remembered throughout all generations. Go and gather the elders of Israel together and say to them, 'The Lord, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob, has appeared to me, saying, "I have observed you and what has been done to you in Egypt,”
Exodus 3:13-16 ESV
A name, it is more than a word, or a few letters... it is the representation of that person and brings to mind, and to bear, the power of that person as well.
During the time of Moses, and before, there is no mention of a written signature, but God placed a rainbow in the sky as a sign, and Abraham circumcised himself as a sign... these were a form of signature. Then, as time passed by, men of power would place their wax seal on documents, and then in a more modern world we began to sign our name to them, and by doing so we are saying that I as a person guarantee this this... I am giving you my word that this is true, or this will be done. Now in today’s world we use a card, a number, or such thing to identify ourselves as the one who guarantees, authorizes, or agrees.
Names, signs, seals, signatures, numbers... they mark us and convey power, they can save us...
“saying, "Do not harm the earth or the sea or the trees, until we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads."”
Revelation 7:3 ESV
They can assure us...
“And God said, "This is the sign of the covenant that I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for all future generations: I have set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and the earth.
When the bow is in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth."”
Genesis 9:12-13, 16 ESV
They can cause us to fear...
“And you shall say to him, 'The Lord, the God of the Hebrews, sent me to you, saying, "Let my people go, that they may serve me in the wilderness." But so far, you have not obeyed. Thus says the Lord, "By this you shall know that I am the Lord: behold, with the staff that is in my hand I will strike the water that is in the Nile, and it shall turn into blood.”
Exodus 7:16-17 ESV
And they will give us power...
“The seventy-two returned with joy, saying, "Lord, even the demons are subject to us in your name!" And he said to them, "I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven.
Nevertheless, do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven."”
Luke 10:17-18, 20 ESV
So when Jesus gives us the right to call on His name it is not trivial, and grants us the power to act in His stead, but it comes with awesome responsibility...
I, like most of you, have a credit card, and there have been occasions when I have given that card to one of my children and said “go to the store and get this thing you need.”, but when I do, I am trusting them to exercise that spending power in the manner I have dictated. The same is true when we use the name of Jesus... He tells us very specifically that we must believe in Him, and that what we do in His name must glorify God.
I chastise my children if they buy something with my credit card that I did not intend for them to purchase, and God does the same. When Moses struck the rock, rather than speaking to it in the desert and caused it to gush forth water, God chastised Him...
“And Moses lifted up his hand and struck the rock with his staff twice, and water came out abundantly, and the congregation drank, and their livestock. And the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, "Because you did not believe in me, to uphold me as holy in the eyes of the people of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land that I have given them."”
Numbers 20:11-12 ESV
Representing Jesus Christ in glorifying God carries with it more than incredible power, it brings awesome responsibility. So where is the Church today? Where are we today? Are we wielding the name of Jesus to glorify God in the Son, or are we striking the rock twice?
Jesus intends that we call on His name, and when we do this, as He intends us to, we can change the world! When we call on the name of the Son of God we will glorify the Father, and do wondrous things such as performing signs, placing seals, and being the signer of the name of Jesus before all of creation. Have we abdicated this power? Have we laid down the pen, placed the wax and seal back in its box, forgotten the authority we carry in the name? If so then we are not glorifying God as we should, and what a sorrowful loss that is.
Church... are you ready to remember the name of Jesus? Sons and daughters of God... are you prepared to glorify Him in the name of Christ?
Prayer:
Father, thank you for your Son Jesus Christ, and for hearing my voice as I pray in His name for those things that will bring you glory in Him. Help me Father to know your will, and to live within it; praying always as Jesus did for those things that would honor you. I pray for the Church, Holy Father, and ask that you lead it in representing you in power and glory once more. I pray that the Saints call on the name of Jesus in like manner so that each one would glorify you through your Son... as He has told us to do. I call out in the name of Jesus “Rise up Church of Christ!” And I call out in the name of Jesus “Glorify God all you saints!” Help us Lord to shake off the influence of the world, and take hold of the promise you have set before us. Renew in us,Holy Father, our belief in your Son, and the glory which is yours by His name! Holy, Holy, Holy, are you the great I Am, Yahweh, and He whose name knows no end! Praise be to you always, and let your glory know no end!
Rich Forbes