THE LIVING WORD TRANSCRIPT
Program Air Date – 11-21-10
LESSON TITLE: “BEHOLD ALL THINGS HAVE BECOME NEW: A NEW NAME”
WELCOME
In 1 John 5:7, we hear proclaimed, “For there are three that bear witness in heaven: the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit; and these three are one.” It is before this Godhead which we assemble on this glorious Lord’s Day. May we praise our God!
Let me also say, good morning and welcome to our program. It is always a privilege to have you with us to hear the Living Word of God and we are excited that you have chosen to give this time of sacrifice to our Creator. Won’t you take advantage of every opportunity this morning to give your own reverence to the Lord, as we together offer this time of worship to Him. May all things be done, to God, for God and unto His glory? Let’s begin our offering to God with a prayer!
(PRAYER)
As we continue to Worship before the throne of God, let’s sing a song of praise that reminds us of just how much God loves us in connection to revealing His Perfect Will. So, won’t you join in with the congregation at this time as we sing together, “Farther Along?”
(SONG # 1)
DEVOTIONAL THOUGHTS
In James 4:10 we read, “Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up.” So how about it, have you learned to humble yourself before God and others? Let’s consider further what the Bible has to say about these things!
Jesus gave us an interesting thought concerning such truth in Matthew 19:30, there He said, “But many who are first will be last, and the last first.” Consider this thought for a moment. How many of us like to be seen of others? How many of us like to be on top or to sit in the best place? The fact is, a true child of God is not interested in being first or in being on top, he/she is simply interested in putting God and others first.
To understand this idea even better, we will consider our third passage of the morning. In Philippians 2:8 we read, “And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.” Here we read that Jesus humbled Himself! But how far was He willing to go to show His humility? Even to death. We all know that Jesus left His home in heaven to come to the earth as a mere man. Furthermore, He lived, suffered and even endured temptation as He was on this earth. Then finally, He was willing to even go to the cross and bear the ultimate pain and anguish - so that you and I could have forgiveness of sins and be saved. Now that’s true humility!
So I might ask you to consider at this time, just what type of humility you demonstrate in your daily life? Are you willing to humble yourself to the extent that Christ did? Are you willing to give of yourself fully, to God and others? So how about it, will you be first and thus last, or will you choose to be last and thus first?
As far as our main study of the day, we will be continuing our study entitled, “Behold All Things Have Become New.” Our specific lesson of the morning will deal with, “A New Name.” So please stay with us this morning and after our next song together, we will be lead in our main thoughts of the day.
This morning we are happy to have brother Brent Green with us again. Brother Brent is the minister for the Carthage Church of Christ, as well as an instructor at the Bible Institute of Missouri. We look forward to him guiding our thoughts from God’s Word in just a few minutes. But for now let’s join together in our second song of the morning. The name of this hymn, “Footprints of Jesus.”
(SONG # 2)
LESSON
By Brent Green
What a great opportunity to study the Word of God. Again this morning, we have another great opportunity to think about the new things that we now have because of Christ.
In 2 Corinthians chapter 5 and verse 17 Paul says, “Therefore if anything if in Christ, he is a new creation. Old things have passed away, behold all things have become new.” Now we like new things most of the time better than we do old things. Here he is not talking about physical things. But indeed all things have become new. There are many things that have become new because of the new order of Jesus Christ. And to think about what the prophets of old said in Isaiah chapter 62 and verse 2, “You shall be called by a new name.” Not a name that you once had. Not a name that once described who you were and what you were about but a new name, a name even given there in prophecy. So let’s think about even the importance of names.
Names indeed have meaning in this life.
Think about even individual names from the Bible. Abraham, back there in Genesis 17 and verse 5. His name meant “father of many nations.” So indeed his name had a special meaning as God had promised to make him a father of many nations.
Even later on Israel, his name meant “you have struggled with God and with men and have prevailed.” There in Genesis chapter 32 and verse 28. And so his name had a special meaning.
What about even our Lord and Savior Jesus? That’s what the name “Jesus” means as it was given there in Matthew chapter 1. Even the name “Emmanuel,” another name for our Savior means “God with us.”
Well you think about physical names, I’m sure your names even have a special meaning. If nothing else because they were given to you by your parents. So indeed names do have a special meaning, even family names as a wife would take the last name of her husband, or even as last names themselves would designate a place from where your family is from or another special meaning. Well names indeed have meaning in this life.
They also have a great significance. Reason why when you hear the name “Rose” or you talk about a lilac bush and the good smells that are associated with those names, well they have a meaning there. There is a significance to those names. They may smell much sweeter than any other flowers that we might talk about. Well there is significance behind those names as they are given. If I say something “is hot like coffee,” well coffee is a name which indicates that it is hot generally most of the time. Or “ice cold…” Certain words that we use as names have a significance with them.
Well, there is indeed a great significance that comes with many names throughout the Bible and throughout our history as we think about them. But even more than that, think about the power that is in a name. The reason why you see certain names on different products, on different brands is because those names help sell those products. There is a power behind those names. As you think about the power in those names, even the names sometimes that can open doors. If you want to get something done sometimes you have to go find the person with the right name to open the door, so to speak, for you. And so all of this indicates the fact that names are important, and so they indeed have meaning. They have a significance. They have power.
But we’re not just talking about names in general. We want to talk about this in relationship to what Paul said there in Corinthians. Paul said there in Corinthians, “All things have become new,” while Isaiah said there in chapter 62, “a new name.”
Think about the names as we would think about them in the Bible, but even more than that, think about a way of life that is associated with a new name in the New Testament. I want you to consider with me several verses in the book of Acts. If you have your Bibles, turn with me there because we’re going to look at several passages that mention a way of life that was indicative of those who ultimately were going to take this new name.
In Acts chapter 9 and verse 2, it is one of the places where we begin talking about a new way of life. It says here that they asked letters from him to the synagogues of Damascus so if he found any who were of the Way, whether men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. Here Saul is seeking individuals to persecute and even put to death and he was seeking those who were of a certain belief. He was seeking those who were obtaining a certain lifestyle, those who were of the Way.
Well think about several instances that this idea is used throughout the book of Acts.
Acts chapter 19 and verse 9 there were those in Ephesus who spoke evil of the Way.
Later on in Acts chapter 19 verse 23 there arose a riot in Ephesus, a great commotion arose about guess again- the Way.
Even later on in the same book after Saul becomes Paul, as God changes his name, he begins to recap some of the things he used to do against the Way. There in Acts chapter 22 and verse 4 how he persecuted this Way unto death.
Even later on as he would talk to Felix and give a defense there in Acts chapter 24 and verse 14 about the Way.
Even in that same chapter after Paul had spoken to him, Felix himself said that he more accurately understood or had knowledge of the Way.
What are we talking about? We’re talking about names and the names that we have. Well think about this Way, and those here who had a certain belief system, those here who were following a certain pathway. Well it reminds me of what Jesus Himself said there in John 14 and verse 6. Jesus said, “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Light.” Well those who were considered to be in that Way following that Way were the followers of Jesus Christ. They were following Him. By doing such, their beliefs and actions were united in Him.
When you think about those who were following Christ, those who were of the Way, those who were following this way of life, a new lifestyle, not conformed to that lifestyle of old. There in Romans chapter 6 and verse 4 he talks about those who were buried with Christ in baptism, who conformed to the death, who arose to walk in what? Newness of life! A new way of life and to live a new life meant that they were going to have a new name to characterize that new lifestyle.
Well Jesus again said there through the inspiration in 2 Corinthians chapter 5 and verse 17 as Paul wrote these words as we already read, “Behold all things have become new.” With this new way of life came a new name and indeed a new name now signifying the lives which was characteristic of these individuals who have put on Christ.
Now I want us to think in the time that we have about that new name. From where did it come? These that were following this new way, these that were following the way of Christ, what new name did they receive?
Well this new name as we read earlier was one that was prophesied of old.
Go back with me again to the Old Testament in the book of Isaiah. Isaiah in several places talks about the name that was going to come for those that would follow Christ, those that would follow this new way of life given to them by their Savior. Isaiah chapter 56 is one of those instances. There in verse 5 the prophet says, “Even to them I will give him my house and within my walls a place and (guess what) a name, better than that of sons and daughters and I will give them an everlasting name that shall not be cut off.” And the prophecy was specifically talking about the Gentiles and how they themselves would be able to become sons of God, daughters of God, but even more than that they would be given a name, a better name than what they had, even more so than being simply called a son. Here was an everlasting name.
Move on over just a few chapters later to Isaiah chapter 65 where again the prophets about 600 years before the coming of Christ talked about this new name. Isaiah chapter 65 in verse 15, here the prophet says, “You shall leave your name as a curse to my children for the Lord God will slay you and I call His servants by another name,” talking about those who would leave God and leave that area of faithfulness that would be cut off but the others who remained faithful, who were His servants, would be given what? Another name! The prophecy again about another name, a new name that would be indicative of those who would be servants of God.
Then we go backwards just a couple of chapters to again that verse in Isaiah chapter 62 where again the prophet says about salvation and those Gentiles who also would see righteousness, that “you shall be called by a new name which the mouth of the Lord will name.” Not only was this going to be another name, a name for His servants, not only was it going to be an everlasting name, but here was going to be a name given by God. Who better to name you than the Father who was in Heaven? So that name prophesied of old even a name that would replace all other names.
Let’s go to the New Testament for a moment to the book of Galatians. There was definitely many different names by which people went before the coming of Christ. Of those of old, the Patriarchs, they served under another law. Those who served under the law of Moses, and many took various names as the followers of God. But Jesus would come and replace all of those names with another name, a new name.
Galatians chapter 3, as we begin to read about those who had conformed now to the plan of salvation given by Jesus Christ. It says there in Galatians chapter 3 and verse 26, “For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus.” Verse 28 says, “There is neither Jew nor Greek. There is neither slave nor free. There is neither male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.”
Well how did these become sons of God, daughters of God? Well they were in Christ. They had put on Christ ultimately as we will learn in baptism, and by doing such they would no longer take other names, no longer Jew or Greek, no longer slave or free, no longer anything else, but in Christ they would receive ultimately a new name, no longer a division there.
Well look over there to that verse we skipped over, verse 27 of Galatians 3. It says, “For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.” Well how did they get into this relationship? They put on Christ. They took on His way of life that He detailed for them through the scripture, and the revelation that was given to the apostles. They became His followers. They began following Jesus who was the Way unto the Father in Heaven. They put Him on in baptism and they were in Christ. They were wearing the name of the Savior, were wearing here the name of the Master.
When we talk about the importance of a name, its meaning, its significance, its power, the name that was prophesied of old, the name that was indicative of those who were walking according to a new way of life; those who were following Jesus’ plan, what new name are we talking about?
Well look with me in Acts chapter 11 and verse 26. A name that was characteristic of those who were following Jesus Christ, those who were in Christ, what new name did they take? Acts chapter 11, as those who were of the Way had gathered there in Antioch, a name was used to describe them; a name was used to signify those who were of this Way. Do you remember what name that is? Acts chapter 11 and verse 26 the last sentence in that verse says, “And the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch.” The name with meaning and significance and power, the name that signified those who were of the Way, the name prophesied of old, the name given to those who followed Christ. What was that name? It was “Christians,” meaning those who were of Christ, those who had put Christ on in baptism. Think about that name. That’s the new name no longer male or female, slave or free, no longer Jew or Gentile, no longer any other division. Those who are in Christ are called by one simple name. The name given to them signifies that they are followers of Christ Himself, the name Christian.
You see it is interesting as we read there several times Isaiah chapter 62 and verse 2 that “God gave this name.” It wasn’t a name given by men to signify some creed. It wasn’t a name given by men to somehow give reference to what maybe some men or group of men or women do here on this earth. No, the name given by God gives the glory to God, the name Christian.
Think about wearing that name. What a privilege it is to wear this new name, to know that we don’t have to wear any other name because there is no other name by which we can be saved except that of Jesus Christ. What a privilege it is to know that we are Christians when we follow God’s plan and continue to follow it. Well what a joy it should be for us to live as Christians, and also what a great responsibility it is to wear that name, to know that as we walk around people should be able to see Christ in us by the way we act, by the way we speak because we should be known by our name, by our name Christian as we live for Christ.
And also what a great reward there is in that new name “Christian.” Looking forward to that heavenly home. Knowing that if we are in Christ and we truly count it a privilege, we uphold our responsibility to live according to the dictates and standards of God, live up to that name, know that there is a reward in the future. If we don’t see it in this life, the blessings that is from living in Christ because there are blessings promised in the earthly life, to know that we have a home in heaven prepared for us. A great reward comes along with this new name.
Think about the power in a name. Think about what God has given to us. Again there in 2 Corinthians chapter 5 in verse 17, we again recall the fact that there are new things now, a new order because of Christ. “Now all things,” in verse 18, “are of God.” The things that we’ve talked about this morning, the name that we’ve received. And the new things, if anyone is in Christ he is a new creation, old things have passed away, behold all things have become new.
We indeed as followers of Christ have a new name. It has power, significance. It is a great name given to us by God Himself when we conform ourselves to His standard and live His Way. Count it a privilege. Understand the responsibility and everyday wear that name looking forward to that great reward and that home in Heaven with God someday.
(SONG # 3 - “Give Me The Bible!”)
CLOSING COMMENTS
Let me thank you again for choosing to be with us today, in this offering to God. I hope our time together has been an encouragement and blessing to all of us. We invite you back every Sunday morning at 7:30, as we commit ourselves to this worship to God!
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How important it is that we choose to wear the new name which our God has revealed for His People! Will you do what is necessary to become a true child of God? Will you proudly wear the name Christian?
(Program closing)