Thank you, Melvin! TELECAST SERMON FOR SUNDAY, JANUARY 27, 2019 "JESUS IS SOVEREIGNTY OVER ALL " HEAD PASTOR BILLY HAN, JR. These weekly telecasts are especially significant to us, because they allow us the opportunity to come into your homes and share the glorious Gospel of the Kingdom of God with you, at the push, pull, or turn of a button, and in the comfort of your surroundings. May the Lord bless you, for taking this time to draw closer to Him, by reading the Word of God with me and receiving today's sermon entitled: "JESUS IS SOVEREIGNTY OVER ALL." The flashes of lightning in the night, that accompany an imminent storm, sometimes affords people a quick glimpse of illumination. With each flash, a quick glance gained can be compared with the images in the mind's eye. As one watches with greater intensity, he starts to acquire with passion, an appreciation of the magnificence and grandeur of what is taking place right before his very eyes. Yes, we struggle to understand our God in much the same way. In the darkness of this life, we cannot see Him, but we know He is there. We thank our God for the flashes of light and glimpses that reveal Him. He is constantly revealing Himself thru the creation, thru the Bible, thru His miracles, thru the zeal and power of the Holy Spirit, and by His presence in our hearts, minds, bodies and souls. God's name is yet another, most-often over looked, flash of illumination, by which we can truly come to know Him. He is known as the self revealing-god because of His many descriptive titles and names that are given to Him in the Scriptures. These reveal His nature and works in different time frames. Gaining the knowledge, wisdom, and understanding, behind the name of Jesus, allows you, our TV viewers, to see for yourself His Sovereignty, majesty and grandeur, that will leave you with a greater sense of awe and worship for the one Whose name is above all names. The Gospel is the good news that reveals (1) the name of Jesus saves us from sin and death; (2) Jesus can heal our sin-sick body, soul, and spirit; (3) Jesus baptizes with the Holy Ghost. This is God's gift, which is manifested by "speaking in unknown tongues." This power will lead and cause us to hear Him say, "Come up Hither." And last, but not least, (4) Jesus is coming soon, and a lot sooner than many think. Jesus told the Pharisees, "The Kingdom of God cometh not with observation but the kingdom of God is within you." Bro. Paul informs us in Romans 14:17, "For the Kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost." Truly, we should be able to see and understand that if we serve Christ Jesus in these things, we become acceptable unto God and approved of men. In other words, going to church is not like going 1
to a party with food and drink and good times; but instead, it is the serious business of serving the Lord. "The Gospel of the Kingdom of God" allows us a multi-faceted view of our Lord Jesus Christ. He was the first Pentecostal Preacher Who preached repentance and believing "The Gospel." Let's read Mark 1:14-15, "Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the Kingdom of God, And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel." Repentance is Godly sorrow for sin. It is to have a change of heart in regard to self and sin. Believe is an action word; therefore, it requires that you not only hear but also do something about that which you've heard. Reading in Mark 16:16, we find what must be done. "He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned." Baptism (from the Greek word Baptizo) means to be dipped, plunged, or immersed in the water. In accomplishing the full process of baptism signifies the believer has taken on a type of the Lord's death, burial, and resurrection. Bro. Paul explains in Romans 6:3-6, "Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Therefore, we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be in the likeness of His resurrection: Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin." From this, we can correctly gather that baptism (according to scriptural directions) is a necessity to salvation. The unbeliever will reflect his lack of faith thru inaction. Damnation, the unbeliever's reward, is eternal separation from God. Nicodemus, a man of great power, wealth, and education, heard the many testimonies concerning Jesus and the Gospel work. He came to Jesus inquiring about being born again. John 3:5 says, "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." Many today are like Nicodemus, well established in their personal lives and worshipping the Lord, but not in the fullness of "The Gospel of the Kingdom of God". Remember this, Jesus is the Author and Finisher of this salvation plan and He spoke this verse. The words "Verily, verily" means "Truly, truly" and should remind us of the truthfulness of God's Word. The phrase, "I say unto thee," lets you know that Jesus is the only one who can save you. Look at the word "except." Its location in this verse tells everyone to obey exactly as Jesus says to do or else everything is for naught. The phrase "be born of water and of the Spirit" simply refers to water baptism (which was explained earlier) and Holy Spirit baptism (which is the outward manifestation of the indwelling Christ, thru the speaking in the unknown tongues). 2
To be baptized by the Holy Spirit is a wonderful and glorious event in one's life. It is an occasion of seeing and hearing how God makes Himself a reality to the recipient of this precious gift. Now, Jesus tells us that personal possession of His name and His Spirit is mandatory, I repeat, mandatory, for one to enter into the Kingdom of God. In this same 3rd chapter of John, and reading on in the 6th and 7th verses, Jesus continues by saying, "That which is born of the flesh is flesh (We've all been born of our mother's womb into this world); and that which is born of the Spirit is Spirit", (we must be born of the Spirit in order to become a new man in the new life that is led by the Holy Spirit)." "Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again." This statement shows us the urgency of what Jesus has to say to all men everywhere. As Jesus prayed for the church to be kept pure, He said in John 17:20, "Neither pray I for these alone (The apostles and believers of His time) but for them also which shall believe on me (the pastors and believers who were yet to come) through their word (the very Truth that the apostles received and that was passed on through the power of the Holy Spirit)." Peter, on the day of Pentecost, in power and demonstration of the Holy Spirit, used the keys to "The Gospel of the Kingdom of God." The multitude of people who were gathered to celebrate the feasts heard him and were pricked in their hearts and inquired of him, "What must we do?" Ant TV viewers, the same question should be pondering in your heart, "What must I do to be saved?" Acts 2:38 is the answer to that question. "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." Again, repentance is Godly sorrow for sin. There is a difference between repentance and confession. Confessing is owning up to wrong doing and is good for the soul. However, repentance is a positive change in attitude that causes the believer to depend on the Lord for a life of righteousness. Notice that Peter said, "Be baptized every one of you." This means that no one is excluded from baptism in the salvation plan. Also note, that the scripture uses the word "name," in the singular form; thus, in this dispensation of grace, there is only one saving name to be applied in baptism. Peter uses the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. The engaging topic in the Bible is about the selfrevealing God Who makes a way of escape for His people that will obey. Heb. 2:3 says, "How shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him." We receive two promises for our obedience in repenting and being baptized in the name of Jesus. First is the remission of sins, that is what the Lord forgives, He forgets. Our sins are removed as far as the east is from the west and they are remembered no more. Secondly, there is the gift of the Holy Ghost. This anointing abides in us, helping and teaching us to abide in Him. God's Word in Matt. 10:22 informs us, "And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved." In the world today, there is an abundance of religious cults, vain customs, and traditions founded by men that others have chosen to follow. Peter, inspired by the Holy Spirit, admonishes us today thru 3
Acts 4:12, by saying, "Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved." This is so very simple to understand, but many have made it a difficult task. Only the name of Jesus can save. There is no other name, way, or truth. Names and titles have been important to the Lord God Almighty from the beginning of time. In the very beginning of the book of Genesis, God named His creation as it was brought forth. In Gen. 1:3-5 we read, "And God said, Let there be light: and there was light. And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness. And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day." God created an expanse and christened it heaven on the second day. He named the dry land, earth, and the gathering waters, seas, on the third day. Man was created on the sixth day and God did place Adam in the Garden of Eden to work, naming all the animals, as well. Names often convey something related to a person's birth. Isaac is a good example of this. God told ninety-nine year old Abraham that he would have another son. This patriarch literally fell on his face laughing. God told Abraham to name the child Isaac, which means "laughter" in the Hebrew tongue. Many other great and not-so-great names of Biblical History enjoy similar accounts. Pharaoh's daughter rescued three-month-old Moses from a floating basket, hidden in the reeds of the Nile River. It was she who named him Moses, which in Hebrew means "drawn out." Other aspects about an individual can also be revealed by a name. A one-word summary of what a man has done or what he is can be given as a name. Such is the case of Alexander and his impact on the world. His name is summed up in the title Alexander the Great. The relationship of William to England is summed up in his, title William the Conqueror. John's function in Bible history is summed up in his title, John the Baptist, and of course, the politics and the character of Simon are contained in his title, Simon the Zealot. This is especially true concerning the Son of Man, Jesus. The virgin birth by Mary explains how Jesus was given the title, Son of Man. God predicted that His son would come from a virgin and also gave Him a name, seven hundred years before the birth of the Savior. The prophet Isaiah, through the power of the Holy Ghost, spoke. We read Isaiah 7:14, "Therefore the Lord Himself shall give you a sign; Behold a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel." "God with us," is the meaning of the name of Immanuel. This tells us of the incarnate nature and presence of Jesus. Another prophecy containing names that reveal more of the nature and work of the Messiah was also spoken by Isaiah. We read in Isaiah 9:6, "For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace." 4
The announcement of the very origin of the One named Immanuel (found in Matthew 1:18-25), is the fulfillment of Isaiah's prophecy. Mary and Joseph were given more names for their new son, such as Jesus, which means Savior, and Son of the Most High, Son of God, and again, Immanuel. During Jesus' public ministry as an adult, people thru familiarity began to alter what they called Him. The healing of the blind man, found in John 9, is a classic example of this. When the crowds questioned the beggar in regards to who had healed him, his simple answer was, "A man that is called Jesus." When the Pharisees interrogated him about Jesus at a later time, his view had changed, and he called Him by a more important title. There was a division amongst the people questioning the blind man. John 9:17 reads, "They say unto the blind man again, What sayest thou of him, that he hath opened thine eyes? He said, He is a prophet." Finally, after being thrown out of the temple by the Pharisees, this same man encountered Jesus again, believed in Him as the Son of Man, called Him his Lord, and worshipped Him. His spiritual blindness was healed as his understanding of Jesus progressed from seeing Jesus as only a man, to seeing Him as a prophet, then as the Son of Man, and finally as the Lord. Today, the most common title used for Jesus is Lord. Is Lord Jesus Christ more than one name, just as Father, Son, and Holy Ghost are more than one name? The name Lord Jesus Christ is the full and complete redemptive name of our Savior to be used for salvation. Father, Son, and Holy Ghost are titles (names) of the three manifestations of our one and only God. In other words, the difference lies in the object or objects being identified. In the Great Commission, Jesus told His disciples to "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost (Matthew 28:19)." Now, if your view of this scripture is as an identification of three separate and distinct objects of thought, then it is clearly three titles of God's presentation of Himself to the world. Let us not limit the power of the Lord God Almighty. Remember, Jesus said to baptize "in the name of" not names of. So, Lord Jesus Christ is a compound name which reflects His deity as the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost. Thus, Lord Jesus Christ is the only full and complete name to be used for the baptismal ceremony, in this dispensation of grace that has been given to us. Consider this, a person may have the name of Joe Ray Doe. When spoken to or of, the variations of his name might be Joe, Joe Ray, Ray, Ray Doe, or his full name of Joe Ray Doe. It doesn't matter whether you use a variation of his name or his full name, you are still referring to one person. Colossians 2:9 says, "For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily." It is crystal clear in the Word of God, the way the disciples refer to their converts' baptisms, that they used the name of the Lord Jesus Christ in the actual baptism ceremony, or variations of that compound name. The proof is in the pudding and is easily discovered by comparing the following: 5
1) Acts 2:38 reads, "...be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ; 2) Acts 8:16 reads, "...only they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus"; 3) Acts 10:48 reads, "...be baptized in the name of the Lord"; 4) Acts 19:5 reads; "...they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus"; 5) Romans 6:3 reads; "...were baptized into Jesus Christ..."; and verse 4 reads, "Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up..." Thus, it is always Jesus that is being referred to in water baptism. When utilizing the full compound redemptive name of Lord Jesus Christ, His deity (the Father, the Son, the Holy Ghost) is given full recognition; and consequently, we have observed Isaiah 42:8, "I am the Lord: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images." Furthermore, we acknowledge Isaiah 43:10-11, "Ye are my witnesses, saith the Lord, and my servant whom I have chosen: that ye may know and believe me, and understand that I am he: before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me. I, even I, am the Lord; and beside me there is no Saviour." The Father was in the Son (John 17:21), the Holy Ghost was in Jesus (Luke 4:1, John 3:34), and He, of course, was the Son (Matthew 1:21, Isaiah 9:6). When we are baptized into our Lord Jesus Christ, we are buried with Him in all that His wonderful name implies. Many fail to see the Lord Jesus Christ in all that God is, the Father (the Source), the Son (the Means), or the Holy Ghost (the Comforter, the Regenerator). The Father, Son, and Holy Ghost are one in our Lord Jesus Christ. The name of the total Godhead is Lord Jesus Christ...the name "Jesus" in particular, is God's name. "Jesus" is a name with a great deal of meaning. The name Jesus is the same as Jehovah, except Jesus is Greek and Jehovah is Hebrew. God said that Jehovah was His name (Exodus 6:3). The name Jesus is, by inheritance, a more excellent name than any name borne by the angels (Hebrews 1:3-4). Why is this? Well, Jehovah is God's Old Testament name and Jesus means the same in Greek; so, it follows that God's name is Jesus. Jesus in His humanity was crucified; but in His resurrection was made both Lord and Christ (Acts 2:36). As Lord, He is God (the Sovereign) over all and as Christ, He is the Holy Ghost (the very Anointing) Himself. Thus, viewers, the one name, the name to possess for your salvation, the only full, complete, and redemptive name is LORD JESUS CHRIST. If you would like to learn more about God s Word and the Church, and view these telecast presentations in their entirety, please visit our website at http://jesuscomingsoon.org. 6
Until our next telecast, this is your host, Head Pastor Billy Han, Jr. expressing my sincerest appreciation to each of you, who have allowed us to come into your homes. May the good Lord bless and keep you all in the hollow of His hands. Entire contents of this text copyright 2019 by The Apostolic Faith Church (Jesus Coming Soon), Honolulu, Hawaii. All rights reserved. 7