WEDNESDAY 27th
As we continue the theme of the name of Jesus today, we will consider five short points.
We GATHER in his name.
In 1 Corinthians 5, Paul is having to deal with an individual who has sinned, but the context is not so important for now, but a statement he makes in v4 is, ‘When you are assembled in the name of the Lord Jesus . . .’ From this we can deduct that when the Church gathers together it must always be in the name of Jesus, or because of the name of Jesus, or to put it in another way, in our coming together, Jesus should always be at the centre and the purpose for which we have come together. In Matthew 18:20 Jesus says, ‘For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.’ If we want to know the presence of Jesus among us when we come together, we must gather in his name. It is not about you or me, it is all about Jesus and to lead us to the second point, when we come together:
We GLORIFY his name.
In our coming together we should seek to glorify his name. Sadly today we are living in an age of celebrity, the world is full of celebrities, and sadly it is a culture that is creeping in, or has crept into the life of the Church, we have made celebrities out of leaders, pastors, worship leaders etc. The one who should be the centre of our attention when we gather together is the one who’s name is above every other name, he alone is the one we celebrate and worship, he alone is the one who deserves all the glory and honour, he alone is the one we should be exalting. Thank God for leaders, pastors, and worship leaders who God has raised into places of leadership and authority, but never ever should they become the focus of our attention, if they do not point us to a place of glorifying God, then we should remove ourselves from them, and if they themselves become the centre of our attention, then we reposition ourselves into a new place where the Lord is being glorified.
We GO in his name.
It wasn’t until I was putting yesterday’s devotion together and reading the verse from 3 John 1:7 that I put two and two together and realised that an old hymn we used to sing years ago was probably based upon this actual verse of Scripture. I have sung the hymn many times, not realising its source. The Scripture says, 3 John 1:7 ‘For they have gone out for the sake of the name, accepting nothing from the Gentiles.’ The hymn we sang was ‘For my sake and the gospel’s, go and tell redemption’s story.’
It is for the sake of the name of Jesus that many have left the shores of the United Kingdom to share the gospel around the nations of the world. As a result, many have given up homes, families and even their lives for the name of Jesus and the sake of the gospel. They have reckoned that because of his name it was worth it, they realised that putting Jesus first, putting him at the centre meant that nothing else mattered but redemptions story. And as Paul testified about himself, they went willing to suffer for his name, some even imprisoned because of his name and some even faced death because of his name.
To lead to our next point, this verse in 3 John is followed with verse 8 which says, ‘Therefore we ought to support people like these, that we may be fellow workers for the truth.’
We GIVE of our resources in his name.
Thank God for those who are willing to go, but we are not all called to leave the UK to serve God on foreign soil, but we can all play our part. First in praying for them, and prayer for mission or prayer for mission organizations should always feature in our prayers, but secondly, we can give, we can give financially to support the work of worldwide mission. And as we give, we give in his name, for the furtherance of the gospel story so that it will lead to many more coming and calling upon the name of the Lord and being saved. Colossians 3:17 ‘and whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.’ This includes our giving!
Finally
We GIVE thanks in the name of Jesus.
Ephesians 5:20 ‘Giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.’
We have come into His house
Gathered in His name to worship Him,
We have come into His house
Gathered in His name to worship Him,
We have come into His house
Gathered in His name to worship Christ, the Lord
Worship Him, Jesus Christ, the Lord.
Let’s forget about ourselves
Concentrate on Him and worship Him,
Let’s forget about ourselves
Concentrate on Him and worship Him,
Let’s forget about ourselves
Concentrate on Him and worship Christ, the Lord
Worship Him, Jesus Christ, the Lord.
Let us lift up holy hands
Magnify His Name and worship Him,
Let us lift up holy hands
Magnify His Name and worship Him,
Let us lift up holy hands
Magnify His Name and worship Christ, the Lord
Worship Him, Jesus Christ, the Lord.
He is all my righteousness
I stand complete in Him and worship Him,
He is all my righteousness
I stand complete in Him and worship Him,
He is all my righteousness
I stand complete in Him and worship Christ, the Lord
Worship Him, Jesus Christ, the Lord.
Bruce Ballinger CCLI788682