We live in a culture that makes much of names.
We spend time & money to make a name for ourselves. We use social media platforms to elevate our name & our brand above the rest. But at the end of the day none of that really matters. When all is said & done there is only one Name that matters. Only one Name that stands. And it’s the Name that we are called to carry.
The psalmist said it this way:
Not to us, O Lord, not to us,
but to your name goes all the glory
for your unfailing love and faithfulness.
Psalm 115.1
People may recognize you & connect with you because of your last name. I remember one Sunday morning when I had to have a “talk” with Will & some of his buddies. Two of his best friends had spent the night at our house. And what happens when boys get in a room together? It doesn’t matter if they’re 9 years old, 19 years old, or 90 years old! Boys wrestle! And these three friends had been laughing & playing & wrestling all night & all morning. But now we were at church. So I had to have the “talk” with them. “Ok guys. I’m glad you’re having fun. But now we are at church. So no wrestling.”
Then I reminded them that they were about to go to class. And I asked them, one at a time, “What’s your last name?” They each said their last name. “OK, everything you do & how you behave in class reflects directly back on your mom & dad because of your last name. What you do matters. It reflects directly on us.”
We understand this. The name we wear matters. We all want to have a good name. We all want to be respected, loved & thought well of. So what name do you wear? What name do you carry?
[Tweet “How you carry the name you carry matters. #carryyourname”]There’s a greater Name we are called to carry.
There’s a Name that outweighs the name you were given. A Name that trumps every other name. And this Name matters. And what we do matters because it reflects the name we carry.
How we carry the name we carry matters.
We carry a name, not a tradition.
We carry a name, not a religion.
We carry a name, not a regulation.
We don’t carry the name Jesus & a religion. We don’t carry the name Jesus & a tradition. We don’t carry the name of Jesus & a book of regulations. All we carry & all we need to carry is the Name Jesus. The moment we start carrying the name of Jesus & anything else we’ve missed it. We’ve essentially said Jesus isn’t enough.
How we act & react will reveal who we follow.
How we react in the moment will reveal who we really are at our core. And it will also speak the loudest to those around us about who we are & Who we follow.
And this is the worlds problem with us – with Christians, with Christ followers. They have seen & they have heard our reactions to the culture around us & they have not been impressed.
We know this is true because we know people, people who in our minds are spiritual giants, people who – when tragedy struck, when life got hard, when things went terribly wrong, they responded with such faith, with such grace, with such peace that we were left speechless. Because at that moment when everything went wrong they didn’t respond how we would have responded. What was revealed at their core was the One they follow, the One they trust. What was revealed was Jesus.
What are we known for?
In the ancient city of Philippi there was a church. They were known for being divisive (Philippians 2:2-4; 4:2-3). They were known for preaching & teaching based on a legalistic code & observance of law (1:28; 3:2-3, 7-11, 18-19). This is what they were known for. And Paul says, “Wait, wait, wait.” This is not what the people of God are supposed to be known for. No. The people of God are supposed to advance the purposes of God & the name of God. They should be identified by & recognized as a people who carry the same attitude that Christ Jesus demonstrated.
Paul says it this way in Philippians 1.27:
“Above all, you must live as citizens of heaven, conducting yourselves in a manner worthy of the Good News about Christ. Then, whether I come and see you again or only hear about you, I will know that you are standing together with one spirit and one purpose, fighting together for the faith, which is the Good News.”
And then Paul says these words to this church in Philippi. Remember how Christ acted & how he reacted. This is the essence of His character. And this is what we’re striving for as men & women who carry His name, who want to be like Him in every way.
Philippians 2.1-11
Is there any encouragement from belonging to Christ? Any comfort from his love? Any fellowship together in the Spirit? Are your hearts tender and compassionate? Then make me truly happy by agreeing wholeheartedly with each other, loving one another, and working together with one mind and purpose.
Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too.
You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had.
Though he was God,
he did not think of equality with God
as something to cling to.
Instead, he gave up his divine privileges;
he took the humble position of a slave
and was born as a human being.
When he appeared in human form,
he humbled himself in obedience to God
and died a criminal’s death on a cross.
We, Christians, believers, followers of Jesus of Nazareth, we carry a name. Christ.
The name we carry matters. How we carry the name we carry matters.
[Tweet “What we do matters because it reflects the name we carry. #carryyourname”]What we do matters because it reflects the name we carry.
May we carry the name Jesus well.
MESSAGE: Carry Your Name: What Name?
TEXT: Philippians 2.1-11
PODCAST: Click Here
Please leave a comment below. And subscribe to my blog by entering your email address & you’ll get each new post delivered right to your inbox! Thanks!
