Will You Take His Name? by Brother Duke Hansen

         Good morning. In this new year, I wanted to speak with you at length some this morning about some truths that are in the scripture. These truths are very hard for us to understand in the flesh. There is a reason that not everyone is meant to see the hidden truths of God. Everyone is looking for an easy way to salvation, sometimes through their own imaginations. There are things in the scripture hidden to us who are not in the word. A good example is the story of the three wise men. You ask around to believers and they will tell you that the wise men approached the manger with gold, frankincense and myrrh. The actual truth is the wise men did not find Jesus until he was 12 days older. It is natural for your flesh to be deceived. Your flesh likes that deception because it helps you escape reality. Deception buttresses the harsh facets of life, by distracting you with hobbies, entertainment, possessions. 

        We are going to start reading scripture from the book of Acts the second chapter. We are going to read starting in verse 25.

        25 For David speaketh concerning him, I foresaw the Lord always before my face, for he is on my right hand, that I should not be moved. 

        The physical presence of Jesus is not on the right side of God. It isn't two figures in heaven. Jesus is the right hand of God. That right hand symbolizes the power of God. This is another hard truth people don't want to recognize. It is one name one spirit not three separate but equal beings. David was close to the Lord in his life and recognized his power. Let us go to verse 26.

        26 Therefore did my heart rejoice, and my tongue was glad; moreover also my flesh shall rest in hope:

        27 Because thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, neither wilt thou suffer thou thine Holy One to see corruption. 

        28 Thou hast made known to me the ways of life; thou shalt make me full of joy with thy countenance.

        29 Men and brethren, let me freely speak unto you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his sepulchre is with us unto this day.

        30 Therefore being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn an oath to him, that of the fruit of his loins, according to the flesh, he would raise up Christ to sit on his throne;

        31 He seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not left in hell, neither did his flesh did see corruption.

        32 This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses.

        33 Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear.

        34 For David is not ascended into the heavens: but he saith himself, The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand,

        35 Until I make thy foes thou footstool.

        36 Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made the same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ.

        37 Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?

        38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

        Now, as an illustration of the troubled times which we live in, there are altars which are in the front of our sanctuary that are being removed by churches today. In order to usher more people in, the act of personal humility has been done away in favor of a repeat after me prayer. When God sees the altar in church, God sees the measure of faith and obedience on display. You might see a piece of wood fashioned together, but God sees power! David found that God preferred his obedience over sacrifice. God desires from you and me today as he did with David a broken and contrite spirit. We can offer that spirit to him or we can take that spirit, hold it back, only give a portion. God is not going to force this. Let's briefly look at verse 39 of Acts 2.

        39 For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.

        The promise is unto you! Go back and re-read the 38th verse again. There is a truth plain as day given by Paul. Repent, be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. No other name in baptism for what is the remission of sins. What is remission? It's a cancellation. Cancel your sin, not cast them off for a moment. Now, turn to the book of John the third chapter and 16th verse.

        16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

        The verse explains in detail what God did for us and what he will do for us. If you are okay with openly walking in sin, you have no faith in this verse. 

        17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.

        18 He that believes on him is not condemned: but he that believes not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. 

        His name is the problem. The name Jesus has always been a problem not only in the world, but in many churches as well. How can man have a problem with a name? It is because your flesh is in charge. You may be like one of those in the multitudes Jesus spoke to in parables, unable to understand. If you believe in one lie you will eventually fall for a whole host of lies. 

        19 And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.

        Jesus breaks down the condemnation. There is one God and his name is Jesus. The movement by the enemy since the church's beginning is to remove and change the name of Jesus. In Ephesians 5:22-23 Paul speaks on how Jesus is the husband and we, the church, are the bride. As is custom, the bride takes the husband's name. If you aren't willing to take the name of Jesus in marriage, you deny him and are not taking any of his benefits.

        Going to give a hard truth this morning. every time you pray and you don't end the prayer in Jesus name, baptize in any other name but Jesus alone, disavow the Holy Spirit, you are following the spirit of antichrist. If you pray and end the prayer in his name, be baptized in his name only, seek fervently his Holy Spirit, you are empowered.

        If you have a partial faith or lacking in some faith in any area of your relationship with God, you have no faith. It is all or nothing. When the disciples went out with the name of Jesus to spread the gospel, carrying that name got them beaten, tried, imprisoned, tormented, tortured, and put to death. This is something to meditate upon this new year. If you take his name, you need to truly understand the scope and depths of what you will face when you take his name. 

        Wherever you are at your walk, look into the value of that name in your life. Study and search the scriptures on your own. We don't want to miss God or the opportunities he gives us daily if we are open to them. Without the name of Jesus, there is no way out of here. You cannot obtain salvation by setting your faith on an imagination. Will you take his name today?