ALL WHO CALL ON THE NAME

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU REALLY CALL ON THE NAME OF JESUS?

Romans 10:9–13 ESV

9 because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. 11 For the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.” 12 For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him. 13 For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

Supporting Scriptures: Joel 2:32; Acts 2:21, 36–38; Matthew 1:21; Mark 10:46–52; Luke 18:9–14; Acts 9:10–18; Acts 22:16; 1 Corinthians 1:2

INTRODUCTION — MORE THAN SAYING A NAME

Romans 10:13 contains one of the greatest promises ever given to humanity:

“For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

WHOSOEVER.

That means the door is open.

It doesn’t matter where you came from.

It doesn’t matter what you have done.

It doesn’t matter how long you have been running.

It doesn’t matter how badly you have failed.

It doesn’t matter how deep the pit has become.

Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

But I want to ask a deeper question this morning:

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO REALLY CALL UPON THE NAME OF THE LORD?

Because there is a difference between saying His name and calling upon His name.

Jesus said:

“Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven…” — Matthew 7:21

They said, “Lord.”

They knew the vocabulary.

They knew how to speak religiously.

But Jesus makes it clear that merely saying the right words is not the same thing as knowing Him.

So Romans 10:13 cannot simply mean:

If I pronounce the word “Jesus,” I am automatically saved.

There is something deeper happening.

There is something happening in the heart.

There is something happening in the spirit.

There is an awakening.

There is conviction.

There is faith.

There is repentance.

There is surrender.

And out of all of that comes a cry:

“JESUS, I NEED YOU!”

1. BEFORE YOU CALL, SOMETHING HAS TO AWAKEN IN YOUR HEART

Go to Pentecost.

Peter stands before the crowd and preaches Jesus Christ.

He tells them about His death.

He tells them about His resurrection.

And then he declares:

“Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ.” — Acts 2:36

Watch what happens next:

“Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart…” — Acts 2:37

The word translated “pricked” comes from the Greek katanýssō (κατανύσσω).

It carries the idea of being pierced, stabbed, or deeply stung.

Peter’s sermon didn’t merely make them think.

It pierced them.

Suddenly they saw something they hadn’t seen before.

THEY SAW JESUS DIFFERENTLY.

And when they saw Jesus differently—

THEY SAW THEMSELVES DIFFERENTLY.

That’s conviction.

Conviction is not merely:

“I’m a bad person.”

Conviction is when the light of God reveals:

“Something is wrong between me and God—and I need Him.”

Notice their response:

“Men and brethren, what shall we do?”

They didn’t say:

“Wonderful sermon, Peter.”

They didn’t say:

“That was interesting.”

They didn’t debate his theology.

They didn’t walk out saying:

“I’ll think about that.”

They said:

“WHAT SHALL WE DO?”

Something had happened inside them.

CONVICTION IS AN INVITATION TO RESPOND

Jesus said concerning the Holy Ghost:

“And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment.” — John 16:8

There are moments when the Holy Ghost begins dealing with a human heart.

Things that never bothered you before suddenly bother you.

Things you justified begin becoming difficult to justify.

You begin seeing yourself differently.

You begin thinking about eternity.

You become aware of your need for God.

And sometimes you don’t even understand why.

That’s not condemnation pushing you away from Jesus.

That’s conviction drawing you toward Him.

Conviction says:

“You need Jesus.”

2. TRUE CALLING BEGINS WITH REVELATION OF WHO JESUS IS

Romans 10 doesn’t begin with verse 13.

Look at verse 9:

“That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus…”

And then verse 13:

“For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

The question becomes:

WHO ARE YOU CALLING?

This isn’t calling upon a religious idea.

This isn’t calling upon a philosophy.

This isn’t calling upon merely a historical teacher.

You are calling upon:

JESUS CHRIST THE LORD.

Matthew tells us:

“And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.” — Matthew 1:21

His name announces His mission.

The Greek Iēsous reflects the Hebrew name associated with Yeshua/Joshua, carrying the meaning:

“THE LORD SAVES.”

Every time you say Jesus, His very name points toward salvation.

He came to save.

He came to rescue.

He came to redeem.

He came to reconcile.

He came to deliver.

3. CALLING UPON JESUS IS THE CRY OF FAITH

Romans 10:10:

“For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness…”

Before the mouth calls—

THE HEART BELIEVES.

This is why calling upon Jesus is not a magic formula.

The power isn’t in pronouncing syllables.

The power is in the One upon whom you are calling.

You aren’t trusting the prayer.

You aren’t trusting your emotion.

You aren’t trusting the preacher.

You aren’t trusting the altar.

YOU ARE TRUSTING JESUS.

BARTIMAEUS SHOWS US WHAT CALLING LOOKS LIKE

Mark 10 tells us about blind Bartimaeus.

He is sitting beside the highway begging.

Then he hears something.

“And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth…”

He couldn’t see Jesus.

But somebody told him:

“JESUS IS PASSING BY.”

And Bartimaeus cried:

“Jesus, thou son of David, have mercy on me.” — Mark 10:47

Notice what is inside his cry.

REVELATION

“Jesus…”

He knew who was passing by.

FAITH

“Son of David…”

That’s Messianic language.

HUMILITY

“Have mercy…”

He wasn’t demanding something from Jesus.

He knew he needed mercy.

DESPERATION

When people told him to be quiet:

“he cried the more a great deal…”

You cannot silence somebody who realizes:

“THIS MAY BE MY MOMENT!”

AND JESUS STOOD STILL

Mark 10:49 says:

“And Jesus stood still…”

Don’t rush past that.

Jesus is traveling.

People are surrounding Him.

Noise is everywhere.

But somewhere in the crowd, one desperate blind man cries:

“JESUS!”

And Jesus stops.

Think about that.

The cry of faith caused the Son of God to stop walking.

Bartimaeus couldn’t see Jesus.

But Jesus could see Bartimaeus.

Bartimaeus didn’t know exactly where Jesus was.

But Jesus knew exactly where Bartimaeus was.

Somebody needs to hear this:

YOU MAY NOT BE ABLE TO SEE HIM RIGHT NOW, BUT HE CAN SEE YOU.

You may not understand what He’s doing.

You may not know how He’s going to fix it.

You may not know where the answer will come from.

But you can still cry:

“JESUS, HAVE MERCY ON ME!”

4. TRUE CALLING BRINGS YOU TO REPENTANCE

Now return to Acts 2.

The people have been convicted.

They ask:

“What shall we do?”

Peter answers:

“Repent…” — Acts 2:38

The Greek verb metanoeō (μετανοέω) carries the sense of changing one’s mind, with the New Testament usage involving a turning toward God.

Biblical repentance is deeper than emotion.

You can cry without repenting.

You can feel guilty without repenting.

You can regret consequences without repenting.

Repentance says:

“I DON’T WANT TO KEEP GOING MY WAY.”

Repentance says:

“JESUS, I WANT YOUR WAY.”

This is where salvation confronts lordship.

We sometimes want Jesus as Savior without Jesus as Lord.

We want Him to rescue us from hell but not interfere with our lives.

We want forgiveness without surrender.

We want mercy without transformation.

But Romans 10:9 says:

“confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus…”

Calling upon Jesus means I am acknowledging:

“YOU ARE LORD, AND I AM NOT.”

5. CALLING UPON HIS NAME MEANS APPEALING TO WHO HE IS

Throughout Scripture, a person’s name represents more than a collection of sounds.

It points toward identity, character, authority, and reputation.

Therefore, calling upon the name of Jesus means I am appealing to Jesus Himself.

I am calling upon His mercy.

His authority.

His saving power.

His faithfulness.

His finished work.

His lordship.

His identity.

When I cry:

“JESUS!”

I am saying:

“You are the One I need.”

“You are the One I trust.”

“You are the One who can save me.”

“You are my Lord.”

6. PAUL CONNECTS JESUS WITH JOEL’S PROMISE

There is something powerful happening in Romans 10:13.

Paul is quoting Joel:

“And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the LORD shall be delivered…” — Joel 2:32

In the Hebrew text, LORD represents the divine name YHWH.

Then Paul takes that passage and places it in a context centered on confessing Jesus as Lord.

Romans 10:9:

“confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus…”

Romans 10:12:

“the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him.”

Romans 10:13:

“For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

Paul isn’t presenting Jesus as merely another religious teacher.

He places Jesus at the center of Joel’s promise concerning calling upon the Lord for salvation.

That is an extraordinarily high declaration about who Jesus is.

And that’s why:

“Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.” — Acts 4:12

THERE IS SOMETHING ABOUT THE NAME OF JESUS!

7. CALLING UPON JESUS DOESN’T END WITH A MOMENT—IT BEGINS A LIFE

This is important.

Calling upon Jesus isn’t merely something Christians did on the day they were converted.

Paul describes believers this way:

“…all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord…” — 1 Corinthians 1:2

Look at that.

Who are Christians?

PEOPLE WHO CALL UPON JESUS.

I called Him when I needed salvation.

I call Him when I’m weak.

I call Him when I’m tempted.

I call Him when I’m confused.

I call Him when I’m hurting.

I call Him when I’m afraid.

I call Him when I don’t know what to do.

I call Him when everything is going well.

I call Him in worship.

I call Him in thanksgiving.

JESUS ISN’T JUST THE NAME I CALLED WHEN I GOT SAVED.

JESUS IS THE NAME I KEEP CALLING BECAUSE HE IS MY LORD.

8. THE PUBLICAN SHOWS US THE HEART OF THE CALL

Jesus tells about two men praying in Luke 18.

One is a Pharisee.

He talks about everything he has done right.

The other man stands far off.

He won’t even lift his eyes toward heaven.

He beats upon his chest and says:

“God be merciful to me a sinner.” — Luke 18:13

Jesus said:

“I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other…” — Luke 18:14

One man came with his résumé.

The other came with his need.

One said:

“LOOK WHAT I’VE DONE.”

The other said:

“GOD, I NEED MERCY.”

And mercy went home with the man who knew he needed it.

9. CALLING UPON THE LORD IS CONNECTED TO OBEDIENCE

Acts 22 gives us another important picture.

Ananias tells Saul:

“And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord.” — Acts 22:16

Notice something.

Calling upon Jesus did not produce passivity.

It produced a response.

Saul had encountered Jesus.

Saul believed.

Saul had been humbled.

And now he was commanded to respond.

This is important because biblical faith isn’t merely mental agreement.

FAITH MOVES.

Noah believed—and built.

Abraham believed—and went.

Peter believed—and stepped out of the boat.

The Pentecost crowd believed—and responded.

Saul encountered Jesus—and obeyed.

True calling says:

“JESUS, WHATEVER YOU WANT FROM ME, MY ANSWER IS YES.”

10. WHAT ACTUALLY HAPPENS WHEN SOMEONE REALLY CALLS ON JESUS?

Let’s bring all of this together.

The experience will not feel identical for everybody.

Some people weep.

Some people don’t.

Some people experience overwhelming emotion.

Others experience quiet assurance.

We should never make a particular emotional response the test of salvation.

But Scripture does reveal a spiritual pattern.

REVELATION

“I see who Jesus is.”

↓

CONVICTION

“I see my condition before Him.”

↓

FAITH

“I believe Jesus can save me.”

↓

REPENTANCE

“I turn from my way toward Him.”

↓

CONFESSION

“Jesus Christ is Lord.”

↓

SURRENDER

“My life belongs to You.”

↓

OBEDIENCE

“What do You want me to do?”

↓

A NEW LIFE

“I will follow You.”

That’s calling upon Jesus.

YOU CAN SAY HIS NAME WITHOUT SURRENDERING TO HIS NAME

There are people who know how to say:

Jesus.

They sing about Jesus.

Post about Jesus.

Talk about Jesus.

Attend church in Jesus’ name.

But the question this morning isn’t:

“DO YOU KNOW HIS NAME?”

The question is:

“HAVE YOU REALLY CALLED UPON HIM?”

Have you surrendered?

Have you repented?

Have you trusted Him?

Have you given Him your life?

Is Jesus JUST someone you believe exists—

or is Jesus your Lord?

APPLICATION — MAYBE YOU NEED TO CALL AGAIN

And now I want to speak to the believer.

Maybe you really did call upon Him years ago.

But somewhere along the journey, you became self-sufficient.

You stopped calling.

You started carrying everything yourself.

You stopped praying like you once prayed.

You stopped seeking Him like you once sought Him.

You learned how to survive without desperation.

Maybe God brought you here this morning simply to remind you:

CALL ME.

Jeremiah 33:3:

“Call unto me, and I will answer thee…”

Psalm 50:15:

“And call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee…”

Maybe you don’t need another strategy.

Maybe you don’t need another opinion.

Maybe you don’t need another person telling you what to do.

Maybe you need to get alone somewhere and cry:

“JESUS!”

Not casually.

Not religiously.

But from the heart.

PROPHETIC INSIGHT / CALL TO ACTION

I believe there are people who have been around Jesus without ever completely surrendering to Jesus.

You know the songs.

You know the Scriptures.

You know when to stand.

You know when to clap.

You know when to say amen.

But somewhere underneath all the religion there is still an unsurrendered heart.

Today Jesus isn’t asking for your vocabulary.

HE’S ASKING FOR YOU.

And there may be somebody else who says:

“Pastor, I’ve messed up too badly.”

Listen to Romans 10:13 again:

“For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

It doesn’t say:

Whosoever has a clean history.

It doesn’t say:

Whosoever has never failed.

It doesn’t say:

Whosoever has everything together.

It says:

WHOSOEVER!

That means there is room for you.

ALTAR CALL — JESUS, I NEED YOU

I want to bring you back to Bartimaeus.

He’s sitting beside the road.

He can’t see Jesus.

People are telling him to be quiet.

But something inside him knows:

“JESUS IS NEAR.”

And he cries:

“Jesus, thou son of David, have mercy on me.”

And Scripture says:

“JESUS STOOD STILL.”

Maybe that’s all your prayer needs to be this morning.

You don’t need impressive words.

You don’t have to understand every theological question.

You don’t have to clean yourself up before you come.

Come recognizing who He is.

Come believing.

Come repenting.

Come surrendering.

Come saying:

“JESUS, HAVE MERCY ON ME.”

“Jesus, save me.”

“Jesus, forgive me.”

“Jesus, I surrender.”

“Jesus, I need You.”

“Jesus, You are Lord.”

And perhaps there is a believer who needs to cry:

“Jesus, I need You again.”

Not because He left you.

But because you’ve been trying to walk without depending upon Him.

THE FINAL CRY

Church, listen to me.

There will never be another name that can replace His name.

Money cannot replace it.

Religion cannot replace it.

Success cannot replace it.

Pleasure cannot replace it.

Your goodness cannot replace it.

Your works cannot replace it.

Your denomination cannot replace it.

Your preacher cannot replace it.

When sin has broken you—

CALL JESUS.

When guilt has condemned you—

CALL JESUS.

When addiction has chained you—

CALL JESUS.

When your heart has wandered—

CALL JESUS.

When you don’t know how to get home—

CALL JESUS.

When you need mercy—

CALL JESUS.

When you need salvation—

CALL JESUS!

Because the promise still stands:

“For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

But don’t just say His name.

CALL UPON HIM.

Call believing.

Call repenting.

Call surrendering.

Call trusting.

Call because you’ve finally realized:

“JESUS, THERE IS NOBODY ELSE WHO CAN SAVE ME.”

And when that cry comes from a heart that has seen who He is—

everything changes.

CLOSING

The name of Jesus is not a religious password. It is the name of the Savior.

We aren’t saved because we learned how to pronounce His name.

We call His name because our hearts have awakened to the truth:

HE IS LORD.

HE IS SAVIOR.

HE IS OUR ONLY HOPE.

And today the invitation remains:

“For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

JESUS, I NEED YOU.

JESUS, HAVE MERCY ON ME.

JESUS, I SURRENDER.

JESUS, YOU ARE LORD.