What’s in a Name

Transcript

This transcript was generated automatically from the audio and may contain small errors.

Hello, everyone. My name is Steve Herring, and it is a privilege to be able to bring you a word from the Lord today at the invitation of your pastor, Drew Caperton. Drew and I have known each other for a number of years, going back to when we were both seminary students. Drew and I also served at Hulen Street, him in a more official capacity as our discipleship pastor, where as I was afforded the privilege of teaching and leading on Sunday mornings in various capacities. And so over the years I felt like I got to know Drew very very well. I have an immense amount of respect for him as a person and as your pastor. One thing that I love about Drew is that he's able to take complex deep theological topics, things that have flummoxed the church for hundreds of years and break them down and teach them in a way that makes them instantly understandable and relatable. One thing I don't like about Drew is being on his

paintball team. We had a number of men's retreats and at Healing Street it was always easier to be on a team that was against Drew because at least you had one large target to aim for. So that's what I'll say about that. But when Drew asked me to come down and speak, I knew that it was going to be a privilege and something that I've been looking forward to. I didn't know exactly what capacity that would take and now here we are. If it looks like I've never done this before, it's because I haven't. And so to be able to talk in front of a camera and not get that feedback from the audience is a little bit new and unique for me, but I'll trust that you're right alongside me anyway. So without further ado, I do want to get into the word and just be able to speak a passage that has been impressed upon me that I hope also challenges and inspires you today as well.

Before we get into the scripture passage for today though, I do wanna begin by asking this question to you. Something for you to think about as we get started. Where does your name come from? Your parents gave it to you and I'm sure they had a good reason for giving it to you. Have you ever looked at the definition behind your name? For me, I was named Stephen after a pastor up in New York made a strong impression on my parents. And the real definition, if you could call it that, of my name, in Greek it means crown. What does that have to do with anything? It doesn't really impact the way that I live. What about a nickname? Do you have a nickname that you were given or that you earned at some point in your life? For me, when I first started college, I changed my name from Steven to Steve. And I felt like I was creating for myself a new identity, that I could be a new person

now that I lived away from home. And I think it worked. I've known and have been known to Steve ever since. And that's something that I kind of did for myself. But I always thought that the coolest people in the world were those that were given nicknames by somebody else. Like a really cool nickname that they got because they did something brave or courageous. I think what's interesting is that Jesus was in the business of giving nicknames to his friends as well. I mean we know about Peter named Simon. Jesus said no no I'm going to call you Peter. We'll see why today. But then he also had nicknames for James and John. He called them Barrageonies, the sons of thunder. You see, for Jesus, it wasn't just the identity, the marker name that someone was given when they grew up,

but he gave them these names based on their personalities, based on their character traits. And that name began to identify them. I think it's an interesting pattern because it applies to us as well. As Christians, what does that mean now that we have this name and this identity? We're gonna talk about all of this today. Let's begin by reading. Our passage of scripture comes from Matthew chapter 16 verses 13 through 20. Let me just read the whole passage. You can follow along and then we will go back and discuss it. Matthew chapter 16 verses 13 through 20. Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, He was asking his disciples, who do people say that the Son of Man is? And they said, some say John the Baptist and others Elijah, but others Jeremiah or one of the prophets. He said to them, but who do you say that I am? Simon Peter answered, you are the Christ,

the Son of the living God. And Jesus said to him, blessed are you Simon Barjona, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you from my Father who is in heaven. I also say to you that you are Peter And upon this rock, I will build my church and the gates of Hades will not overpower it. I will give the keys of the kingdom of heaven and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. Then he warned his disciples that they should tell no one that he was the Christ." This is such an important passage for a number of reasons, but most of which is because we see Jesus asking the disciples about his identity. Jesus wants to know, first of all, who people say that he is. And people say John the Baptist, Elijah, or one of the prophets. I thought it was interesting that some of the people thought that Jesus was John the Baptist

because some of Jesus' disciples, Andrew, for example, was originally a disciple of John the Baptist. I think Andrew knew better, knew that Jesus wasn't John the Baptist because he had been under both men. But he begins and he says, who do people? But then he turns that question on the disciples themselves. And you can imagine that maybe they're hesitant, not sure what exactly to say, until Peter steps forward. Peter, who has already stepped forward and walked on water with Jesus, who's the first to speak and the last to listen. which is interesting because the name Simon actually means in the Greek to listen or to hear, excuse me, in Hebrew, but Simon to listen or to hear. I think you can see why Jesus did not think that that name applied very well to Simon. And so instead he called him Peter. And what he's doing here, when Peter replies, Peter says, you are the Christ, the son of the living God.

He gives the right answer. He's correct for once and he gets it right. And Jesus says to him, blessed are you Simon Bar-Jonah, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. In verse 18, he bestows a new name on him. He says, you are Peter and upon this rock, I will build my church. I think it's interesting what's going on here because what Jesus is saying is you Peter, your name literally means this name I've given you literally means rock but then Jesus says and upon this rock I will build my church a Little bit of controversy here. What is the second rock that Jesus is talking about? There's a little bit of interplay in the words because in the Aramaic it's the exact same word Patreous Peter and rock are the same word Now as Jesus saying that he will build his rock upon Peter. I I don't know. I don't think that's the case because Christ is the foundation of

the church. Is he saying that he will build it on the confession that Peter makes? That Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Living God? I think that that's a little bit closer to the truth, but I also think it's important that at this moment Jesus is bestowing authority on Peter and the rest of the Apostles because he says, I will build my church. What's interesting is that this is the first time the word church is used in the New Testament. Jesus refers to this gathering, this group of people as a church, and he calls it his own, and he says the gates of Hades will not overpower it. Then in verse 19, I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven." He's giving Peter authority, not authority to say who gets to be a Christian and who doesn't,

or who gets to go to heaven and go to hell. What he's telling Peter is that he gets to be the one to first proclaim the message of salvation to the Jews and then to the Gentiles, and we see this fulfilled in Acts. In Acts chapter 2, it's Peter that stands up and addresses the crowd. And in Acts chapter 10, it's Peter that first brings the message of the salvation for the whole world to the Gentiles in Cornelius and his family. All of this talk of binding and loosing really just threatens to detract from the main point of the passage. The controversy that exists in the role of St. Peter as he's interpreted by the Catholic Church, was he really the first pope? And does this passage provide evidence of that? I don't think so. And even though we don't have time to get into it here, suffice it to say that Peter is not the main character in this story, or any Bible passage, really.

This story hinges not on Peter's identity. It's important, and I want to bring up that point that Jesus calls Peter by a different name, not the name his parents gave him, but the name that reflects who he was in God's economy. But this passage starts with Jesus asking the disciples about his own identity. He wants to know who the disciples say that he is, and even when Peter answers, he does so recognizing that Jesus isn't just a teacher, he isn't just a prophet, but he is the Christ, the Son of the Living God. And I think what's important to realize is that when Peter recognizes Jesus's identity, Jesus is able to respond and affirm who Peter is in him.

When Peter says that you are the Christ, the Son of the Living God, Jesus recognizes and tells Peter that it's the Holy Spirit working in him that brings about that knowledge. And so I think it's the same the same is true for us as well. That when we recognize who Jesus is, he names us. He calls us not by the name that our parents give us, but by the name that we're called to be in him. So who is it that Jesus is calling you to be today. It's not fearful, afraid, or uncertain. He's calling us to be faithful. He's calling us to be loved, trustworthy, compassionate.

And it's not because we in and of ourselves are these things, but it's because God's Spirit works inside of us. Once we recognize who Jesus is, we can realize who we're created to be. That's why I love this passage because the disciples get it wrong so many times and I think we can relate to that. But this is one instance, maybe the best instance in all of the Gospels where Peter finally gets it right. He recognizes who God is, who Jesus is, and it's not anything that comes out of his own knowledge as Christ testifies. The same is true for us of our own power, of our own volition. It's not that we're smarter or better or more than somebody else, but it's that we recognize who Christ is, that He lives inside of us. That we're called not to go out and make our own glory, but to share and to partake in His, to find where God is working and to partner alongside Him.

And so I trust that as we look over this passage, as we are challenged by it and encouraged, that we would just remember that God names us. He doesn't call us by the name that our parents give us, but He calls us by who we are to be in Him. And maybe it always doesn't feel that way. Again, Peter wasn't always a rock. He ran away from Jesus. During the moment of Christ's arrest and trial, he failed him at the last minute. But then you juxtapose that with the Peter that stood up in Acts chapter 2 that met Cornelius in Acts chapter 10, and Jesus was right to build his church on this man and his confession. That's the confession that we need to make as well. Jesus, you are the son of the living God. So my prayer is that we would live out our life in that way, despite all of the uncertainty, despite our lack of knowledge about the future and the ways in which God would work in us,

that we would just be more attuned to His Spirit and stop relying on ourselves. pray. Father God we thank you for this time that we can examine this story that we can look at your truth and how God you seek a personal relationship with each one of us. Lord that you don't play favorites or or esteem people more highly based on their ability or perceived talents. The God that you come to us and you meet us where we are and that you draw us up out of the darkness, that you reveal yourself to us, put your spirit inside of us, and call us to a work that is so much more powerful and bigger than anything that we can imagine ourselves. We thank you God for the way in which you continue to work in us and we pray that Lord we would be known by our true names, the name that you have for us, followers of Christ, and we would move forward in that knowledge and seek to serve and to honor you in the way in which we live our lives. It's

In Jesus name we pray these things. Amen. Thank you.