His Name is Wonderful

His Name is Wonderful--Bruce Grice

A. What's in a name?

A big fierce lion pounced on a monkey in the jungle & he demanded,

"Tell me the name of the king of the jungle." The frightened monkey answered, "You are, O lion." The next animal that the lion met was a zebra and he pounced on the zebra asking, "Tell me the name of the king of the jungle." The terrified zebra responded, "You are, O mighty lion." So the lion let him go. The lion then came to an elephant & asked him the same question. The elephant grabbed the lion with his powerful trunk & twirled him around & around, tossing him about 50 feet. The lion got up & said, "Alright, just because you don't know the answer is no reason to get mad."

What's in a name?

The Bible says that a good name is rather to be chosen than great riches. (Proverbs 22:1)

A rancher once lost his beloved dog. So he placed an ad in the newspaper to recover the dog. The ad read, "blind in one eye, one ear has been shot off, has a broken tail, and he answers to the name Lucky."

Great name, but it didn't seem to fit.

What's in a name?

Juliet asked Romeo that question:

"What's in a name? That which we call a rose, by any other word would smell as sweet."

2. That may be true, but plants are not people. Names make a difference to people.

Parents know that in naming a child.

*What do you think of when you hear the name, Shakespeare? Poetry.

*What do you think of when you hear the name, Beethoven? Music.

*What do you think of when you hear the name, Judas? Traitor.

Names are especially meaningful in the Bible.

In Genesis 2, God named the first man Adam "dust" because he was made from the dust of the ground.

In Genesis 17, God changed Abram's name to Abraham "father of many nations"

But there is a name that is above every name.

A precious name. A powerful name. A conquering name. An eternal name. It is the name of Jesus.

When the smallest child whispers the name of Jesus, in his night time prayers, every demon in hell trembles in absolute fear.

The name of Jesus can break the shackles of misery & fear. It is a name that can open prison doors & set captives free.

*In that name, there is forgiveness for the unforgivable.

*Love for the unlovable. *Hope for the hopeless.

The name of Rockefeller will open the doors of finance.

The name Einstein will open the doors of science. The name of Jesus will open the gates of heaven & close the gates of hell:

She will bear a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins. Matthew 1:21

B. His name is above every name.

Men often give themselves titles (prince, duke, lord). Usually given to gratify their own egos.

Herod the Great is a lofty title, but he was a moral monster

who murdered 9 of 10 wives. He was the man, who by legal decree, demanded that his only son be executed the day he died, so that Israel would mourn, because he knew that Israel hated him & loved his son. He was the man who decreed that all of the innocent should be slaughtered when Jesus was born in Bethlehem's manger (Matthew 2).

2. Herod certainly was not great.

3. Yet, there is One who walked across the stage of human history, whose greatness is greater than any human tongue can tell.

Jesus is called . . .

Advocate, Alpha and Omega, Beginning and the end, Bread of life,

Bright morning star, Carpenter, Chief cornerstone, Good shepherd, Christ,

Deliverer, Door of the sheep, Faithful witness, Great High Priest,

Image of the invisible God, Head of the Church, Immanuel,

Judge of the living and the dead, King of Kings, Lord of Lords,

Lamb of God, Light of the world, Living bread, Messiah, Rabbi, Master, Mediator of a better covenant, Savior, Son of God, Way, truth, and life.

What names! Names that can only fit Jesus.

Your response? Praise, Adoration, etc.

Sooner or later you come to a crisis you can't handle by yourself.

Something happens that money & power & influence can't affect.

What do you say when bad things happen to good people.

The name of the Lord is a strong tower, and the righteous run into it and they are safe in the storms of life. Proverbs 18:10

In Genesis 22, we find a picture that reflects the strong tower

of the name of the Lord.

It is the picture of Abraham climbing Mt. Moriah with his son, Isaac.

Only Abraham knows that Isaac is to be sacrificed on top of the

mountain. And Isaac asks his father a heart stopping question,

"Father, where is the lamb for sacrifice? You have the dagger, you have the wood . . . where is the lamb?"

Abraham reaches down into the deep reservoir of his soul, and says, "Jehovah-jireh" which literally translates, "God can see." It implies God will provide. When Isaac asks Abraham, "Where is the lamb?", Abraham could have said, "I can't see how God is going to get me out of this." Have you ever said that? By faith, Abraham ran into the strong tower & said, "Jehovah-jireh" . . . "God can see."

God can see what we cannot see.

On the other side of the mountain, unseen by Abraham, was a ram.

When Isaac would ask Abraham, "Father, where is the lamb?" Abraham would say, "God can see." When Abraham went to the top of the mountain & built the sacrificial altar, he knew . . . God can see. As he tied his son, hand & foot, he knew . . . God can see. With the razor sharp dagger lifted high into the air, Abraham knew . . . God can see.

No matter how great the crisis today, run into the strong tower of the name of the Lord & say, "Jehovah-jireh," . . . God can see.

He sees your broken heart.

The tears, the lump in your throat, the hurt in your soul.

The name of the Lord is a strong tower, and the righteous run into it and they are safe in the storms of life. Proverbs 18:10

His Name is wonderful . . .

Open in your Bibles to Isaiah 9:6

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government will be upon his shoulder, and his name will be called "Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace."

I. WONDERFUL

Literally, Isaiah says, he will be a "wonder."

1. We live in a world that can take your breath away . . .

a. Glorious sunsets, majestic rainbows

b. Incredible creations . . . Grand Canyon, Niagara Falls, etc.

2. Yet, Jesus is One whose very nature is a wonder.

3. He surpasses human thought & reason!

Could man have invented Jesus?

No! Man's inventions . . . are imperfect.

4. He is God Himself! (Scriptures)

"Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM" John 8:58

" . . . He who has seen me has seen the Father" John 14:9

Is it not significant that this word, wonder, comes first?

Unless I know something of His wonder, I can never come to Him

for counsel, power, peace.

2. Wonder leads to worship! Wonder leads to listening to Him (through His Word); learning of Him; living daily for Him; and, longing for His return to take us Home.

Everything about Jesus makes us say, "I will see this wonder!"

1. At His birth in Bethlehem the shepherds & the people "wondered at those things which were told them." (Luke 2:18)

Imagine the wonder of looking down in a manger and seeing God!

Peter & the other fishermen would have lived ordinary lives, had they never met Jesus.

He transformed their lives into lives of wonder.

Peter met Jesus . . . Mark 1 - Peter confessed Jesus . . . Mark 8...Peter preached Jesus . . . Acts 2

A. It was just another storm on the Sea of Galilee until Jesus cried, "Peace, be still." (Mark 4).

1. In John 11, It was just another time of weeping, loss, for a loved one who died like countless others, until Jesus showed up in Bethany at the tomb of Lazarus & shouted, "Lazarus, come forth!"

And, a dead man of 4 days came out of that tomb of death.

2. It was just another assignment the temple police had to arrest this Nazarene carpenter in John 7, but they returned empty handed muttering, "No man ever spoke like this man!"

3. It was just another trip to Damascus for Saul until a surprise visit from Jesus changed the life & the course of history for Saul. (Acts 9)

B. Jesus opens our eyes to the splendor of the lilies & the freedom of the sparrows (Matthew 6).

He shows us the beauty of children (Matthew 18).

1. In Mark 15, it was just another execution in Jerusalem until Jesus turned the symbol of death, a cross, to a symbol of life eternal.

2. Jesus is Wonder! His name is wonderful! Perhaps the greatest wonder of all is the wonder of Jesus living in daily fellowship with Christians today.

3. His transforming touch changes the direction & mission of our lives.

4. In Him . . . ordinary people living ordinary, meaningless lives can find the extraordinary because of the wonder of Jesus.

Wonderful, Wonderful, Jesus is to me,

Counselor, Prince of Peace, Mighty God is He;

Saving me, Keeping me from life's sin and shame,

Wonderful is my Redeemer, Praise His Name!

His Name is Wonderful! You can go to Him as . . .

COUNSELOR

Kings of that day had several counselors & advisors.

The practice is still observed today.

The President has his cabinet & special advisors to whom he turns for counsel & advice.

. But this child would seek no counsel for He would be the Counselor.

1. He would have no need to surround Himself with counselors & advisors because He is Counselor.

2. Today, where people turn for help is some indication of their character & faith.

Some turn to alcohol or drugs, horoscopes, psychic friends network.

3. Good places to turn for counsel include parents, doctors, counselors.

4. Yet, the One who literally is "wonder" is the supreme Counselor!

{HE MADE YOU}

C. To whom could you go for better counsel than the One who created you in the first place?

He is the Alpha & Omega of life. Beginning & end.

When did your life begin?

Was it when you squinted in the light of the delivery room?

Took your first breath & let out your first scream?

It was Groucho Marx who said:

"Although it is generally known, I think it's about time to announce that I was born at a very early age."

3. It was earlier than Groucho thought.

"For Thou did form my inward parts; Thou did knit me together in my mother's womb" Psalm 139:13

Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous - and how well I know it. You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, as I was woven together in the dark of the womb.

You are not an accident. A biological oops.

You are part of God's plan . . . Jeremiah 1:5 I knew you before I formed you in your mother's womb. Before you were born I set you apart and appointed you as My spokesman to the world.

If God knew Jeremiah before he was born, what makes you think you are any different?

The same God who created the universe, the same God who threw the Milky Way into the sky, the same God who scooped out the oceans with His hands, the same God who etched the Grand Canyon with His finger, and painted across the sky with rainbows & sunsets.

That same God created you, and God doesn't make junk!

Jesus is the Alpha & Omega, first & last, beginning & end, of who you are.

He knows everything about you. He knows your name; your struggles; your fears; your dreams.

{HE IS HONEST WITH YOU}

B. A good counselor never tries to protect you from the problems of life. That's impossible anyway.

1. Instead, he helps you face them.

Jesus is wonderful because He prepares us for life's difficulties:

*He tells you the truth about Satan

". . . He was a murderer from the beginning, and has nothing to do with the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks according to his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies."

*He tells you the truth about Sin "I told you that you would die in your sins, for you will die in your sins unless you believe that I am He" John 8:24

C. Jesus knows the decisions you have to make in this life.

He knows how important some of those decisions are.

He wants you to choose the right way, so . . .

We turn to Him for counsel.

Never has there been a more loving, patient, honest, concerned counselor in all the world than the One is a "wonder".

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His Name is wonderful because He is . . .

MIGHTY GOD

World today craves power . . . in relationships, business, etc. Books written, movies made, about quest for power.

Yet, the only One who can empower people with what they really need is Jesus. He is mighty God!

What a paradox that a babe in a manger could be called mighty!

Yet, even as a baby, Jesus revealed power.

His birth affected the heavens as a star appeared over the place where He lived.

2. His birth shook King Herod.

His birth brought angels from heaven and shepherds in from the hillside:

. . . with the heavenly host praising God and saying, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among men with whom he is pleased to dwell." Luke 2:13,14

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Jesus was a profile in power in His life.

1. He was the most dynamic personality who ever walked the earth!

*He was powerful in His miracles.Giving sight to blind, Raising the dead, etc.

*He was powerful in His teachings.

Whether in the temple; person's home; sitting around the glow of a warm campfire; or on a mountain (Matthew 5-7) He never compromised, backed down, etc.

"And when Jesus finished these sayings, the crowds were astonished at His teaching, for He taught them as one who had authority" Matt. 7:28

*He was powerful in the way He faced His death.

Powerful in the way He faced the mockery of justice; and, powerful in the way He died.

So powerful was He that a thief said, " . . . this man has done nothing wrong. Jesus, remember me when you come in your kingdom." Luke 23:41,42

A Roman soldier proclaimed, "Surely this man was the Son of God!" Matthew 27:54

2. But the most powerful of all was His resurrection & ascension.

He is wonderful because He is mighty God!

His power is available today.

But to all who received Him, who believed in His name, He gave power to become children of God. John 1:14

The One who is wonderful can empower you to be something you will never be able to be on your own.

Now to Him who by the power at work within us is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think; to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus . . . Ephesians 3:20,21

He is wonderful because He is . . .

IV. EVERLASTING FATHER

"One who is eternally a Father"

1. Now & forever, God's Great Gift guards His people and supplies their needs as a father does for his children.

2. What a beautiful thought: He is eternally a Father to His people!

B. Most of us have had the benefit of having a father who loved us, cared for us, and met our physical needs . . . maybe you didn't . . . Isaiah says Jesus is eternally . . . the ideal Father to His people.

1. What a comforting thought that those little ones brought into this world have a beginning, and, into eternity they will live.

And, through it all, Jesus is there!

He is wonderful because He is everlasting Father!

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He is wonderful because He is . . .

PRINCE OF PEACE

His life was so full of peace.

He was the only one asleep in the boat on the storm tossed Sea of Galilee because He was the only one at peace.

Calmly He went through the trials & crucifixion.

His peace did not come from the absence of trouble.

His peace came from a life surrendered to the Father.

Being at peace with yourself is a direct result of finding peace with God:

Being therefore justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Romans 5:1

To find peace in your life, you go to the Prince of peace.

A mother wishing to encourage her young son's progress at the piano brought him to a concert given by the famous Polish pianist, Paderewski. When the evening arrived, they found their seats near the front of the concert hall and spotted the majestic Steinway piano waiting on the stage. Soon the mother found a friend to talk to, and the boy slipped away. At 8:00, the lights in the auditorium began to dim, the spotlights came on, and only then did they notice the boy upon the piano bench. He was innocently picking out "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star." His mother gasped, but before she could retrieve her son, the master appeared on the stage and quickly moved to the keyboard. He whispered to the boy, "Don't quit. Keep playing." Leaning over, Paderewski reached down with his left hand and began filling in the bass part. Soon his right arm reached around the other side, and together, the old master & the young novice held the crowd mesmerized.

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In our lives, unpolished though we may be, it is the Master . . . the One named wonderful who surrounds us, encouraging us time & time again: "Don't quit. Keep playing."

And as we do, He augments & supplements, until a work of amazing beauty is created.

"Therefore we also pray always for you that our God would count you worthy of this calling, and fulfill all the good pleasure of His goodness and the work of faith with power, that the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you, and you in Him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ."

2 Thessalonians 1:11,12

Our response to Jesus is one of praise & adoration.

Falling on our knees before Him. After all, everyone will one day:

Therefore God has highly exalted Him and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Phil. 2:9-11

Heaven: a new home, a new body, a new life, and, a new name:

I will give some of the hidden manna to everyone who wins the victory.

I will also give to each one who wins the victory a white stone with a new name written on it. No one knows this new name except the one who receives it. Revelation 2:17

2. Isn't it incredible to think that God has saved a name just for you?

One you don't even know?

3. Your eternity is so special no common name will do.

The best is yet to be. Don't give up. Finish the journey.

If you have yet to become a Christian, the Lord can give you a new nature, a new beginning (2nd Corinthians 5:17).

Respond in faith, repent, confess, wash away the past, now.