[0:00] Well, if we could, for a short while, if we could turn back to the portion of scripture that we read in the book of Psalms and Psalm 72.
[0:10] Psalm 72, and if we consider just the last few verses of this Psalm, Psalm 72, I will read again at verse 17.
[0:21] May his name endure forever, his fame continue as long as the sun. May people be blessed in him, all nations call him blessed.
[0:32] But blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, who alone does wondrous things. Blessed be his glorious name forever. May the whole earth be filled with his glory.
[0:44] Amen and Amen. I'm sure that we've all heard of the phrase, what's in a name?
[0:55] What's in a name? But you know, what I didn't realise is that the phrase, what's in a name, it originates from William Shakespeare's romantic play Romeo and Juliet.
[1:06] And you know, it's one of those phrases which we've adopted into the English language, what's in a name? And it's just, as it was, it's just like many of the phrases which we've adopted from the Bible.
[1:16] We've brought them into the English language without even thinking about them. Like there's phrases such as, it fell by the wayside from Mark 4, or the 11th hour from Matthew 20, or the blind leading the blind from Luke chapter 6, or the phrase at their wit's end, which is Psalm 107, or judge not lest you be judged, Matthew 7, or I escaped by the skin of my teeth, which is Job 19, or an eye for an eye, which is Exodus 21.
[1:49] All these English phrases and these quotes that we've adopted, we've either taken them from the Bible, or like this one, we've taken it from William Shakespeare, the phrase, what's in a name?
[2:05] What's in a name? And there's a lot to be said about a name, because as you know, names have meaning. Take my name for instance.
[2:15] The name Murdo means Mariner, and my surname Campbell, or cow, beale, means squint mouth, which I suppose is probably how some would describe the free church minister in Barbus.
[2:29] They would say that he's a Mariner with a squint mouth that doesn't stop talking. But you know, what's in a name? Because there's a lot to be said about a name, especially when it comes to the Bible, because in the Bible, names not only have meaning, names also have a message.
[2:47] For instance, the name Adam, it means man, because Adam was the first man whom God created. The name Eve means mother of living, because it was through Eve that life would come into this world.
[3:01] The name Abraham means father of many, because the Lord promised Abraham that through his descendants all the nations of the earth would be blessed, so that Abraham, he would be a father of many nations.
[3:16] The name Moses means drawn out of water, which is what happened to Moses when he was a child. He was drawn out of the River Nile by Pharaoh's daughter.
[3:26] The name David means beloved, because David was the man after God's own heart. And Jesus, he even named one of his disciples Peter, which means rock.
[3:38] And Jesus affirmed to Peter that it would be upon his confession of faith, it would be upon that rock that Jesus would build his church and that the gates of hell would not prevail against it.
[3:50] And so what's in a name? Because in the Bible, names not only have meaning, they also have a message. And that's certainly true about the name of Jesus, because when the angel appeared to Joseph, the angel said, call his name Jesus, for he shall save his people from their sins.
[4:14] And as you know, the meaning of Jesus's name is salvation or or savior. And the message of his name is he shall save people from their sins.
[4:25] Call his name Jesus, call him savior, call him salvation, for he will save his people from their sins. And you know, it's this precious name, the precious name of Jesus, it's this precious name that I'd like us to consider today, because there's no other name like the name of Jesus.
[4:47] And you know, these closing words from Psalm 72, they remind us of three things. They remind us that Jesus has an enduring name, an exclusive name, and an enriching name.
[5:01] Sam, the closing words of Psalm 72, they remind us that Jesus has an enduring name, an exclusive name, and an enriching name.
[5:13] So there are three headings today. First of all, an enduring name. We're told in verse 17, may his name endure forever, his fame continue as long as the sun, may people be blessed in him, all nations call him blessed.
[5:34] The closing words of Psalm 72 are powerful words, but they're also prayerful words, because Psalm 72 is a prayer, and it's a prayer that was written by King Solomon.
[5:47] But Solomon's prayer, which was written around 1000 BC, Solomon's prayer is a prayer for another king, a king who hadn't yet been born, because Psalm 72 is Solomon's prayer for the king of kings.
[6:03] Solomon's prayer is for the greater than Solomon, the Lord Jesus Christ. And what Solomon prayed for in Psalm 72, he prayed for the king, his kingship, and his kingdom.
[6:17] As Solomon brings his prayer to a conclusion, he prays that the name of the greater than Solomon would be an enduring name.
[6:27] Solomon prayed, may his name endure forever, may his name continue as long as the sun. Solomon prayed that the name of Jesus would endure and last as long as the sun itself.
[6:43] Because you know, despite the passing of time, despite the centuries that have rolled on, despite all the changes in history, despite all the generations coming and the generations going, despite all these things, the sun has remained the same.
[7:00] The sun has remained the same since it was first spoken into being at the creation. The light and life of the sun, it hasn't diminished or deteriorated or even declined in any way.
[7:14] And that's what Solomon prays for the greater than Solomon. He says, may the name of Jesus be an enduring name, an everlasting name, an eternal name.
[7:26] May the name of Jesus bring light and life to all generations. May the name of Jesus endure as long as the sun.
[7:36] And you know, what a prayer. What a prayer. And is that not our prayer? Because is it not our prayer that the name of Jesus would continue to bring light and life to the darkness and deadness of our generation?
[7:55] Is it not our prayer that the name of Jesus would be made known to those in our generation? Is it not our prayer that the name of Jesus will be made known to those in the generation coming up behind us?
[8:09] Is it not our prayer that the name of Jesus would be respected and remembered, especially in a world that seeks to ridicule and remove the name of Jesus? Is it not our prayer, my friend, that the name of Jesus would be made known to the generations that are yet unborn?
[8:25] Is it not our prayer that generations yet unborn, as the psalmist puts it, generations yet unborn will praise and magnify the Lord? My friend, is it not our prayer that like the sun, the name of Jesus will continue to bring light and life to the generations of this world?
[8:49] Is that not our prayer? But you know, the thing is, the name of Jesus will endure. And the name of Jesus will endure not because of our prayer, but because of who he is.
[9:05] My friend, the name of Jesus is an enduring name, an everlasting name, and an eternal name, because he is the great I AM.
[9:18] You know, that's what Moses was reminded at the burning bush, because when Moses was commanded and commissioned to lead the Israelites out of Egypt, Moses said to the Lord, Moses said, if they ask me, what is your name?
[9:34] What shall I say to them? And the Lord said to Moses, I AM who I AM. And the Lord said, say to the people of Israel, I AM has sent me, for this is my name forever, by which I am to be remembered throughout all generations.
[9:53] And with that, the Lord reminded Moses that he has an enduring name, an everlasting name, and an eternal name, because he is the great I AM.
[10:05] And you know, is that not what Jesus asserted and affirmed to the crowds who questioned his identity? For Jesus, he made known his identity with those seven I AM statements.
[10:19] And he made those seven I AM statements in order to assert and affirm that he is the great I AM, and that he has an enduring name, an everlasting name, and an eternal name.
[10:33] Because Jesus said, I AM the bread of life, whosoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whosoever believes in me shall never thirst. Jesus said, I AM the light of the world, whosoever follows me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.
[10:50] I AM the door. I be of any man enter in he shall be saved and go in and out and find pasture. Jesus said, I AM the good shepherd, the good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.
[11:04] I AM the resurrection and the life whosoever believes in me though he were dead yet shall he live and whosoever lives and believes in me shall never die.
[11:14] Jesus said, I AM the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me and Jesus said, I AM the true vine and my father is the vine dresser.
[11:28] Time and time again Jesus repeatedly asserted and affirmed that he is the great I AM and that he has an enduring name, an everlasting name, and an eternal name.
[11:42] In fact, in the book of Revelation, Jesus asserts and affirms to the church by saying, I AM the alpha and the omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.
[11:57] Jesus asserted and affirmed that he is the great I AM. He is without beginning and without end and his name will endure because he will endure.
[12:09] My friend, the name of Jesus is an enduring name, an everlasting name and an eternal name because he is enduring. He is everlasting and he is eternal.
[12:23] And you know, this is the difference between the name of Jesus and every other name because every other name seeks to make a name for themselves. Every other name wants to be known.
[12:35] Every other name wants their name in lights. Every other name wants to be remembered. Every other name wants fame. Every other name wants fortune. Every other name wants followers, whether they're a film star or a false savior, whoever they are, when they want fame, fortune or followers.
[12:55] And the thing is they may have fame, fortune and followers for a time. But when they're gone. When they leave this world, their fame, fortune and followers forget them.
[13:11] They forget them because unlike the name of Jesus, they don't have an enduring name. They have an ephemeral name. They have a temporary and transient name.
[13:23] But the name of Jesus, my friend, it's an enduring name, an everlasting name and an eternal name because the name of Jesus is above all names.
[13:36] The name of Jesus is the name above all names. Every other name, my friend, every other name in this world will decrease, decline, depreciate, deteriorate, decay, die and even disappear.
[13:52] But the name of Jesus is life. Life giving, the name of Jesus is living and life giving because the difference between Jesus and all the false saviours of this world, the difference between Jesus and every other name, the difference between Jesus and those who seek fame, fortune and followers, the difference is that when they're gone, they're gone.
[14:22] And their fame, fortune and followers soon forget them. But the name of Jesus, it's an enduring name, an everlasting name, an eternal name because why Jesus is not dead?
[14:39] He is alive today. He is alive today. And as our Bible asserts and affirms to us, even though Jesus was obedient unto death, even the death of the cross, he defeated death, he conquered the grave and he has been highly exalted.
[14:55] He has been raised from the dead and he has been given a name which is above every other name. And as the Bible reminds us, it will be at the enduring, everlasting and eternal name of Jesus that every knee, every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father.
[15:21] Every knee will bow in heaven and on earth and in hell and every tongue will confess that he is Lord to the glory of God the Father.
[15:31] My friend, this is why the name of Jesus is not only an enduring name, it's also an exclusive name.
[15:41] It's an exclusive name. That's what we see secondly. We see an enduring name and then secondly, an exclusive name. An exclusive name.
[15:53] We'll read again in verse 17. May his name endure forever, his fame continue as long as the sun. May people be blessed in him, all nations call him blessed.
[16:05] Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, who alone does wondrous things. Blessed be his glorious name forever. May the whole earth be filled with his glory. Amen and amen.
[16:18] You're at a recent Presbytery meeting, all of the ministers that we were reminded of the importance of attending in-service training.
[16:30] And in-service training is held in January every year. We're about a third of the ministers come together to be challenged and also encouraged by listening to lectures and then taking part in discussions about pastoral ministry.
[16:44] And of course, the purpose of in-service training is to create friendships and to encourage fellowship between ministers within the denomination.
[16:55] And I have to be honest, I always enjoy going and meeting different people in-service training. But I remember once reading about the late R.C. Sproul, who was an American theologian and author, who wrote about the time that he had to attend his in-service training.
[17:15] And Sproul, he bluntly said that whenever he attended these things, they were often boring and tedious. But he said, I will never forget that one incredible speaker whose topic centered upon Jesus Christ.
[17:29] He said, when the well-respected elderly professor climbed up the steps to the podium to give his lecture, he cleared his throat and then smiled.
[17:39] And from then on, said Sproul, the professor spent the next 45 minutes slowly repeating off by heart every name and every title of Jesus Christ in the Bible.
[17:55] And just to give you a flavor of what he quoted, Sproul wrote, Rock of Ages, Redeemer, King of Kings, Bread of Heaven, Living Water, Son of God, Our Shure Foundation, Good Shepherd, Fairest Among Ten Thousand, Savior, Mediator, Our Advocate, Alpha and Omega, The Stone the Builders Rejected, Beginning and End, Wonderful Counselor, Friend of Sinners, Great Physician, Anointed One, Healer of Broken Hearts, Lamb of God, Prince of Peace, Blessed Hope, Our Atonement, Mighty Fourthress, Shelter, The Narrow Gate, Lord of Grace, God of All Comfort, Word of Life, Rose of Sharon, Lily of the Valley, Bright and Morning Star, Glorious Lord, Emmanuel,
[18:59] Living Word, Chief Cornerstone, Creator, Ancient of Days, The Eternal One, Author and Finisher of our Faith, First and the Last, Son of Man, Almighty God, Resurrection in the Life, The Way, The Truth in the Life, The True Vine, Everlasting Father, Captain of our Salvation.
[19:23] And Sproul said, That's just scratching the surface. But he said at the end of the 45 minute lecture of the names and titles of Jesus, the entire audience that in service training was reduced to quiet tears.
[19:39] And this is what happens, says Sproul, when we focus upon Jesus and all that he has accomplished, because every name in the Bible is directing our attention towards him.
[19:53] And you know, my friend, that's the truth. The truth is Jesus, he not only has an enduring name, which a name which is above every other name, but Jesus also has an exclusive name.
[20:08] And you know, the fact that Jesus has an exclusive name is something that the Israelites were very familiar with in the Old Testament. They were familiar with the exclusive name of God, because for the Israelites, the name of God was considered to be a specific name, a strong name, and a special name.
[20:28] And the exclusive name of God is what's repeatedly emphasized throughout the book of Psalms, where he is the Lord. He is Yahweh. And for the Israelites, they would confess the specific, strong and special name of the Lord.
[20:44] They would confess it every morning and every evening in a prayer called the Shema. And the Shema was a confession of faith where the Israelites would repeat the words, Hero Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one.
[21:00] And in the Shema, in that confession of faith, the Israelites, they confessed that there is no other God, there is no other name, except Yahweh. They confessed that Yahweh is an exclusive name.
[21:15] And the name Yahweh is the ancient Hebrew form of the word I am, which as we said earlier, that's the personal name that the Lord revealed to Moses at the burning bush.
[21:29] And it's that personal name of God, which appears six and a half thousand times in the Old Testament. God has revealed us the I am. He is Yahweh.
[21:41] He is Jehovah. He is the covenant King. He is the Lord. And for the Israelites, they considered the name of Yahweh. They considered it to be so holy and they feared taking his name in vain that they treated his name as an exclusive name.
[22:00] Because whenever the Old Testament scriptures, whenever they were read aloud and the Israelites would come to to read the name Yahweh on the scroll, they would never pronounce the name Yahweh or Lord.
[22:14] Instead they would say, I don't know. The Israelites, they considered the name of Yahweh to be an exclusive name, which is why our English translations, they have the name Yahweh written as Lord in capital letters.
[22:31] So whenever you see the name Lord in capital letters, as it is there in verse 18, whenever you see that name in the Old Testament, remember that it's a specific name.
[22:42] It's a strong name and it's a special name. And the Old Testament saints, they confessed this name Yahweh. They confessed this name because they came to discover that there is salvation in no other except Yahweh.
[23:00] Because he is the Lord. He is the covenant King. He is Jehovah. And that's what Abraham confessed. That's what he confessed on Mount Moriah. Abraham confessed Jehovah Jireh, the Lord is my provider.
[23:15] Moses confessed after crossing the Red Sea. He confessed Jehovah Nisi, the Lord is my banner. It's what Gideon confessed when there was peace with the enemies.
[23:26] He confessed Jehovah Shalom, the Lord is my peace. It's what Jeremiah confessed about the salvation of Israel. He said Jehovah Sidkenu, the Lord our righteousness.
[23:38] It's what Ezekiel confessed at the end of his ministry. Jehovah Shama, the Lord is there. And it's what David confessed in the well-known words of Psalm 23.
[23:49] Jehovah Rohe, the Lord is my shepherd. Now, I find all of these Old Testament saints, they confessed that Yahweh, that the Lord has an exclusive name and that there is salvation in no other.
[24:07] There's salvation in no other. But you know, that was not only the confession of the Old Testament saints. It was also the confession of the New Testament saints.
[24:17] Because when Peter, the apostle Peter, when he made a stand for Christ in Acts chapter four, he explained that the personal and exclusive name of Yahweh, it refers to Jesus.
[24:32] And Peter was explaining that Jesus is Yahweh. Jesus is the great I am. Jesus is the covenant king. Jesus is Lord. Jesus is Lord.
[24:45] And then Peter, he asserts and affirms that there is salvation in no other. He says there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved other than the enduring and exclusive name of the Lord Jesus Christ.
[25:02] And you know, my friend, that's what you've been reminded today. There is no other name. There is no other name under heaven given among men by which you must be saved other than the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.
[25:21] And His name is enduring and His name is exclusive. But as we see lastly, He not only has an enduring name and an exclusive name.
[25:34] He also has an enriching name. That's what Solomon reminds us in the closing words of Psalm 72. The name of Jesus is an enduring name, an exclusive name and an enriching name.
[25:50] An enriching name. He says in verse 17, May His name endure forever. His fame continue as long as the sun.
[26:00] May people be blessed in Him. All nations call Him blessed. Blessed be the Lord the God of Israel who alone does wondrous things. Blessed be His glorious name.
[26:12] Forever may the whole earth be filled with His glory. Amen and amen. Now we said earlier that Psalm 72 contains powerful words, but also prayerful words because Psalm 72 is Solomon's prayer for the King of Kings, for the greater than Solomon, the Lord Jesus Christ.
[26:36] And what Solomon prayed for was the King, His kingship and His kingdom. And as we've discovered, Solomon prayed that the greater than Solomon would have an enduring name and an exclusive name and an enriching name.
[26:52] And Solomon prayed that the way in which the name of Jesus would be an enriching name was through blessing. That's what's repeat, that's the repeated emphasis of Solomon's what you could call as Solomon's doxology as he brings his prayer to a conclusion.
[27:09] Solomon is praying that the greater than Solomon would bring blessing to the nations of the world. That's what he says. May His name endure forever. His fame as long as the sun.
[27:21] May people be blessed in Him. All nations call Him blessed. Blessed be the Lord the God of Israel who alone does wondrous things. Blessed be His glorious name forever, may the whole earth be filled with His glory.
[27:35] Amen and amen. And you know, whenever we read the word bless or blessed in the Bible, we always have to remember that it's a royal term.
[27:46] It's a term which literally means to kneel. And it's a word that carries with it the image of a king, a king, the King of Kings.
[27:57] And he's standing up from his throne and those who are in the presence of the King, they are all kneeling before the King with their head bowed and their hand outstretched.
[28:08] And the wonder of wonders is that they are receiving from the gracious hand of the King what they don't deserve. They're being blessed. They're being blessed.
[28:19] And that's what Solomon prayed for. He prayed for the King of Kings, the greater than Solomon, the Lord Jesus Christ. He prayed that those who come and call upon his name, those who commit their life to his name, those who cast all their cares upon him in his name, Solomon prayed that they would receive from the gracious hand of King Jesus what they don't deserve.
[28:44] Solomon prayed that they would know blessing, that they would know help and healing and hope, that they would know it all through the specific, strong and special name of Jesus.
[28:56] Because my friend, the truth is he has an enduring name. He has an exclusive name and he has an enriching name. And blessing only comes through his name.
[29:09] Blessing only comes through his name. But you know what Solomon, he specifically prays for? What he prays for is that those who call, those who commit and those who cast all their cares upon the name of Jesus, they will receive his righteousness.
[29:28] That's what Solomon emphasizes. He says that at the beginning of the Psalm in the opening verses. He says, give the King your justice, O God, and your righteousness to the royal son.
[29:39] May he judge your people with righteousness and your poor with justice. Let the mountains bear prosperity for the people and the hills in righteousness.
[29:50] Solomon prayed that the greater than Solomon would be a King of righteousness, a King of righteousness who will bless all the nations of this world with his righteousness.
[30:02] Solomon prayed that the name of Jesus would be an enriching name through which sinners can come and receive the righteousness of this King.
[30:14] And you know, is that not what happened at Calvary? That's what Calvary is all about. Where Yahweh, where the great I am, the covenant King, the Lord Jesus Christ, who knew no sin and yet he became sin for us so that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.
[30:37] That we might graciously receive his righteousness through his enriching name. My friend, that was Calvary's great transaction where the worst about us was laid upon him and the best about him was laid upon us.
[30:55] Our sins transferred to Christ. His righteousness transferred to us all because of his enriching name. And you know, my friend, is it any wonder that the hymn writer said, man of sorrows, what a name.
[31:12] For the Son of God who came, ruined sinners to reclaim, hallelujah, what a savior, bearing shame and scoffing rude in my place, condemned he stood, sealed my pardon with his blood.
[31:29] Hallelujah. What a savior. What a savior. What a name. What a name. My friend, they called his name Jesus because he would save his people from their sins.
[31:47] And you know, Psalm 72 is reminding us today that Jesus has an enduring name which is above all names. Jesus has an exclusive name because there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.
[32:04] But Jesus also has an enriching name because without him, my friend, your life is empty. But with him, you are able to be enriched through his name and made righteous by his grace.
[32:21] You are able to receive from the gracious hand of the King what you don't deserve. What a name, the name of Jesus.
[32:33] And you know, my unconverted friend, the promise of God's word to you today is that if you believe in your heart and confess with your mouth that Jesus Christ is your Lord, then you will be saved.
[32:53] Because the Bible says to you, whosoever, whosoever calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved.
[33:05] Whosoever calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved. His name is Jesus, my friend. And he has an enduring name.
[33:17] He has an exclusive name. And he has an enriching name. And there's no other name by which you can be saved apart from his name, the name of Jesus.
[33:31] So you make sure today you call to him. You make sure you commit your life to him. You make sure you cast all your cares upon him because they called his name Jesus for he shall save his people from their sins.
[33:50] May the Lord bless these thoughts to us. Let us pray. O Lord, our gracious God, may give thanks to thee that there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.
[34:09] And Lord, that thou wouldst impress upon us our need, our need to be saved. And Lord, to know where to go that we have to call upon the name of Jesus, for there is no other name to call upon.
[34:24] No other name will do apart from this precious name. We thank the Lord that we are able to come to thee, a holy God, and that we come not in our own name, but in the name of Jesus.
[34:38] Help us to cast every care upon thee. Help us to commit our lives to thee. Help us to confess, Lord, that we are in absolute need of thee. O Lord, we realise that without Jesus we can do nothing but the promises that with him all things are possible.
[34:57] Bless us then we pray, bless thy word to us. And Lord, our prayer is like Solomon prayed, that his name would endure and last like the sun.
[35:07] Lord, that more the world over would know this precious name, and that they would know and be assured that whosoever calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved.
[35:20] Cleanse us then we pray, watch over us we ask, for we ask it in Jesus' name and for his sake. Amen. Well, if we bring our service to a conclusion, we'll sing in the words of that Psalm, Psalm 72.
[35:38] Psalm 72 we're singing the last three verses of the Psalm in the Scottish Psalter. Psalm 72 from verse 17, his name forever shall endure, last like the sun it shall.
[35:53] Men shall be blessed in him, and blessed all nations shall him call. Now, blessed be the Lord our God, the God of Israel, for he alone doth wander us works, in glory that excel, and blessed be his glorious name to all eternity, the whole earth let his glory fill.
[36:12] Amen. So let it be. These verses in conclusion to God's praise.
[36:34] All together, let it be.
[36:50] And let God all theổ gone, let God all the mighty born, all the most holy ones have For he alone, the wondrous works, In glory that exels.
[37:18] And blessed be his glorious name, To all eternity.
[37:32] The whole earth lets his glory, Then the men so let it be.