A Name Without Character is a Recipe for Failure!

King James Version Chapter 17

5 Neither shall thy name any more be called Abram, but gthy name shall be ||Abraham; hfor a father of many nations have I made thee. 6 And I will make thee exceeding ifruitful, and I will make knations of thee, and lkings shall come out of thee.

Gen 17:5-6

King James Version Chapter 15

16 Ye have not chosen me, but bI have chosen you, and cordained you, that ye should go and dbring forth fruit, and that eyour fruit should remain: that fwhatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.

John 15:16

Acts 4:12 KJV 1900

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

What it means to take on God’s name

Let us begin this morning with a simple definition of God’s name: “God’s name is synonymous with his person, his presence and his power, and is therefore held in the highest honour.”

Martin H. Manser, Dictionary of Bible Themes: The Accessible and Comprehensive Tool for Topical Studies (London: Martin Manser, 2009).

According to Roman’s 8:28, we know that every man is meant to conform to the likeness of Christ. What does this mean though…His likeness should change us, we must be altered somehow, but again what does this mean. Should our character be changed? If God trusts us with the power of His name, does he require the Character of Jesus Christ as well?

Off Course! By taking on the name of Jesus Christ, we are to take on the Character of Jesus Christ through holiness.

The Recipe to a godly Christian Life: The Plan of Salvation, Holiness, and Fruit

Many of us here today have heard of the shows about cooking, such as Cutthroat Kitchen with Alton Brown or Nailed it with the annoying lady with a obnoxious voice. All these shows require that the competitors cook under certain parameters. While one show, Nailed it, is famous for its absurd stupidity (at least in my house), the other is known for how the chefs will cook under various constraints. They may have their utensils taken away, certain key recipes removed, or even find themselves making meatballs in a ball pit. Picture trying to cook meatballs in a Chuck-i-Cheese ball pit…not me.

While it seems that there are challenges such as, difficulties brought on from other competitors, time constraints, and inexperience in regards to Nailed it - both shows require something in common: a recipe. If one is going to cook, they need to have a recipe. Without it, well they’re asking for failure.

The word of God presents every Christian with a three-fold recipe to success. Between Genesis and Revelation God has given us what we need to get to heaven: The Plan of Salvation, Holiness, and Fruit.

The Plan of Salvation

Acts 2:38 KJV 1900

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 Ghost.

Acts 2:38

John 3:5 KJV 1900

Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.

John 3:5

Acts 4:12 KJV 1900

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

I’m not going to find my salvation in Baal, Buddha, Brahna, or Vishnu, but only the name of Jesus Christ.

I didn’t get saved by titles - there was no power alone in the name of the Patair, Huios, and Hagios Pneumatos - they all had a name, Jesus Christ

(Preach here a bit)

Anything apart from the name is a replacement of the real thing - have you ever tried eating something with a substitute?

Have you ever tried cooking bread without flower?

Have you ever had margarine on a bagel when you expected real butter?

The real thing always seems better…we see this in food, but for many this is not the case in their walk with God.

People today settle for counterfeit preaching

Well it makes me feel good, but doesn’t transform my life

It matches my agenda

Acceptance of things that are not right according to the Bible

Adultery, drunkenness, homosexuality, and murder are still sins last time I checked the recipes for failure!

Many don’t know any better or haven’t had a preacher tell them any different

You are the preacher! GO!!!!!!

The Recipe to Salvation = Repentance + Baptism in Jesus Name + Infilling of the Holy Spirit + Live a holy Life

Holiness

The book of Leviticus can be summed up in two Scriptures:

The New Revised Standard Version Ritual and Moral Holiness

19 The LORD spoke to Moses, saying:

2 Speak to all the congregation of the people of Israel and say to them: You shall be holy, for I the LORD your God am holy.

Lev 19:1-2

The whole book focuses on consecration of the people, but starts at the priests.

A Priest was required to operate as a holy vessel given unto God. They were consecrated through rituals of cleanliness, sanctification, sacrifice, and anointing.

The people were required to abstain from unclean foods and maintain cleanliness at all times, but Jesus said, “There is nothing from without a man, that entering into him can defile him: but the things which come out of him, those are they that defile the man.” Jesus was talking about the inward appearance of the heart. If a man bare evil fruit, he would be judged based on the evil fruit he bore.

The Holy Bible: King James Version, Electronic Edition of the 1900 Authorized Version. (Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 2009), Mk 7:15.

Today, we have the law written upon our hearts according to Jeremiah 31, the Holy Spirit. You see, for the Israelites the ten commandments, covenantal laws, and sacramental laws were God’s grace to them - the law allowed them to have relationship with Yahweh. Under the New Covenant we are granted fellowship with Jesus through the Holy Spirit and separation from sin. Ultimately, the definition of holiness is separation unto God.

For we are a holy people, called to be holy as God is holy. Do not profane the holy temple by defiling it with sin and then spewing it out.

Jesus did not have a problem with the Law, His problem was with the Pharisees failure to understand the purpose of the law. When purpose becomes replaced by tradition, one has lost their way.

EXPLAIN THE COMMON, HOLY AND UNCLEAN

King James Version Chapter 1

13 Wherefore fgird up the loins of your mind, gbe sober, and hope †to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you hat the revelation of Jesus Christ; 14 As iobedient children, knot fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts lin your ignorance: 15 But mas he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of nconversation; 16 Because it is written, oBe ye holy; for I am holy.

1 Pet 1:13-16

People will know you by what comes out of your mouth!

Every year passover is celebrated by the Jews - the festival last 7 days. The meal eaten prior to Passover is called the Seder Meal. At this time Jewish families come together from every tribe and read the Haggadah, or “order”, unto their family in reminder of how God had freed them from slavery and idolatry. A very important ceremony is done by removing all the leaven within the homes. According to the Word given to Moses by God, the Israelite were to not eat leaven during Passover. Leaven was a proto-type for sin.

Today, we have many who are cooking up nice fluffy biscuits of sin within their spiritual lives. It looks appetizing, but in reality this is a recipe of death. Only by the blood will we be saved and that blood was shed by Jesus Christ.

Fruit

King James Version Chapter 13

6 He spake also this parable; A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard; and dhe came and sought fruit thereon, and found none. 7 Then said he unto the dresser of his vineyard, Behold, these three years I come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and find none: ecut it down; why cumbereth it the ground? 8 And he answering said unto him, Lord, let it alone this year also, till I shall dig about it, and dung it: 9 And if it bear fruit, fwell: and if not, then after that thou shalt ecut it down.

- Luke 13:6-9

Jesus has called the church to bare fruit.

Notice that the servant was giving the fig tree one more chance. He said, “let me dig about it and dung it”

Sometimes we get frustrated when God puts bitter things into our life, but ultimately it’s because He wants us to bare fruit

“A fruitless Christian is asking for a crappy day.”

King James Version Chapter 5

7 ||Be patient therefore, brethren, unto uthe coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman wwaiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and xhath long patience for it, until he receive ythe early and yzlatter rain.

James 5:7

GOD HAS CALLED US TO BARE FRUIT

Spiritual (Gal 5:22-23)

Galatians 5:22–23 KJV 1900

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.

Physical: good works and souls (Mt 5:16; Jas 2:14-17; Mt 28:19)

Those who do not bare fruit - fail to please God.

Multiplication requires that we bare fruit spiritually and physically

Closing

While none of us are looking to be on cutthroat kitchen today, we are all cooking in the game of life. We all have the ability to choice what products we use for our salvation, holiness, and even what fruit we bare.

Let us keep true to the gospel of Jesus Christ - let us not dilute God’s word to please people, but tell them the real thing. They need it whether they know it or not.

Healthy food will result in a healthy body, let us focus on true doctrine so that the body of Christ would be what it is called to be

Altar Call:

Today if you need to reconsecrate yourself to God, if you need the Holy Ghost, if you need sin removed out of your life, if your suffering from an addiction, this altar is open.