There is power in the name of Jesus. In this relatively affluent part of the world, where we feel that we are in control of our lives, we don’t fully appreciate this part of Jesus the way our brothers and sisters in other parts of the world may. We may appreciate the compassion of Jesus when we are personally going through a tough time, and we may appreciate the grace of Jesus when we personally stand in need of forgiveness, but we may not appreciate the power of Jesus, the power that can heal illness, the power that can defeat evil, the power in his name. There is power in the name of Jesus.
The gospel of Jesus Christ is inclusive, not exclusive. There are more than a few people today who believe that the gospel of Jesus Christ is not inclusive, but exclusive. They present a false assumption that the world would be one big happy family, standing around the campfire, everyone singing “Kumbaya” in four part harmony, if Jesus had not come along to sow the seeds of division. Here’s the flaw with their worldview. The world, without Jesus, is plenty divided. Always has been. The world has always been tribal, fragmented, hostile, contentious. Christians have a word to describe the state of the world, as Jesus found it. We call it sin. We call it a fallen world. Jesus isn’t the one who divides the world. Jesus is the one who can unite the world.
The gospel message of Jesus cannot be stopped. The Bible says, “God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believeth shall not perish, but have eternal life. God did not send the son to condemn that world, but that through him the world, each one of us, would be saved. God will not be content until every person has had more than enough opportunities to make that decision. God wants for us salvation, the fullest and healthiest life, in every sense, in this life, and then eternal life in the world to come. That is salvation, and that is only through the power of the name of Jesus.
In our sermon this Sunday we will talk about how salvation is through Jesus Christ.