Where you carry the name you carry matters
*Photo cred Rachael Wise
Location matters.
Where we carry the name we carry matters.
Last week my son Will, who is 9 years old, asked me this question. “Dad, do you think I can make a difference?”
I said, What do you mean?
He said, “There are kids in my class at school who aren’t Christians. Do you think I can make a difference? You know, help them want to become a Christian?”
To which I responded, “Absolutely!”
Where we carry the name we carry is important because people need to know the God we know. People need to share the hope we have. This is precisely why children are so eager to share their faith. In their minds, God is the best thing ever! Wy wouldn’t we share Him?
We’re eager to share when something amazing happens in our lives, when we get new things, when we’ve seen a great movie… but we seldom share the greatest part of our lives.
The Call to Go
There is too much at stake. There are too many people who don’t know Jesus. It’s not enough to show up at church every week. Every aspect of our lives has to reflect that where we carry the name we carry matters. Because one day, every knee will bow & every tongue will confess that Jesus is Lord.
Jesus said it this way…
“…go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” – Jesus
Here’s what I think Jesus was saying to his disciples then & what he’s saying to you & me today: Where you carry the name you carry matters. It’s not just that you carry his name, it’s not just how you carry his name, it’s not just what name you call him… it’s where you carry his name that is also of the utmost importance. Where you carry the name you carry matters.
Where do you carry His name? Really? Can we ask ourselves some hard questions?
1. Where do we carry His name in the community?
Do the people in our neighborhood know we carry the name Jesus? Do the people at our place of work or at our school know we carry the name Jesus? Do we spend any time in the mission of Jesus over the course of the week, the month or the year? Do we carry His name into our community in a helpful way?
2. Where do we carry His name in the world?
What foreign or domestic mission are we physically involved in? Not just financially. Not just prayerfully. Not just in lip service. Where in the world do we have boots on the ground carrying the name of Jesus forward? Being personally, physically involved on location in carrying the name of Jesus forward matters.
3. Where do we carry His name with our time?
What percentage of our time over the course of the month is specifically given to carrying His name to a specific location? Jesus said, “Go,” which implies you take time to carry his name to a place. Where are we going & carrying His name?
4. Where do we carry His name with our money?
We invest in what we love. We spend money on the things we care the most about. Is the mission of God high on that list for us? Do we need to reorganize how we spend our money so that we can go & carry the name of Jesus where He wants us to go & carry His name?
Where you carry the name you carry matters.
It matters because there are people who need the hope that you have all around you. They’re just waiting on you to tell them, show them, that you know the ultimate source of love. That you know the one true God. That you are in a relationship with God Almighty.
We talked about this at the church where I serve a couple of weeks ago. A few days later, on Wednesday, my son came to me & said, “Dad, I did it!” “Did what?” I asked. “I talked to the boys at my lunch table about being a Christian.”
May we all have the courage of a 9 year to start the conversation at our lunch tables or whatever table the Lord leads us to. Because His name matters. And where we carry the name we carry matters.
MESSAGE: Carry Your Name: Name Above All Names
TEXT: Matthew 28.19-20
PODCAST: Click Here
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I serve as the Co-Senior Minister at First Colony Church of Christ in Sugar Land, TX. I enjoy sports, running, fishing & life with the family. I’ve been in ministry since 1999. My wife Alisha & I have three amazing children, Will, Ella Grace & Emma Love. Thank you for stopping by my website!
