What\'s in a Name? May 21, 2023 by: John Herbert | Series: Misc Audio Study Notes PDF https://s3.amazonaws.com/cornerstonejax/sermonfiles/T003_20230521.mp3 Refresh A Recap from the Sermon Re 2:17 "He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes I will give some of the hidden manna to eat. And I will give him a white stone, and on the stone a new name written which no one knows except him who receives it."' Today's message will be given by Steven Babine. The full text of this message can be found by clicking the PDF button. Sunday May 21st 2023 ‘What’s in a Name?’ 1). Re 2:17 "He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes I will give some of the hidden manna to eat. And I will give him a white stone, and on the stone a new name written which no one knows except him who receives it."' There is an overcomers’ promise in the Revelation Chapter 2, which speaks of a white stone, upon which the one who has overcome will have a new name written. A new name, which according to our verse, will be known to no one except him who receives it. a). Within our modern world names are little more than that, just a name, a means of identification. However, from our verse, this new name which the overcomer will be given, has enormous significance. The stone on which the name is to be written, is seen in original language as a pebble worn smooth by handling. And this may well bring to mind the child training of the Lord, the stones being built together as a spiritual house – 1 Pe 2:5 you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. This word stone is an interesting word as it also has the derivative meaning of a verdict of acquittal or a ticket of admission. b). And the word translated name has a great deal more to it than a means of identification, it is a word that speaks of authority and character. And so, what do we see here? We see the one who overcomes given a white stone pointing to a verdict of acquittal or a ticket of admission with a name written on the stone that no one understands with absolute clarity apart from the person receiving it. And this new name has to do with the authority given to that person based on their character, that which has distinguished them in the race of faith; that which God has seen in that person from the foundation of the world. And in that Day, if we should receive a white stone, it will be perfectly clear to us why we have been given that particular name. Not only that, but it seems likely that this new name will be the name we are to be known by, it is what we will be named, during the time of the Millennial Kingdom. It will be our given name, our surname. c). And as far as the economy of God is concerned a person’s name can have a tremendously significant importance as it will speak volumes about that person from God’s perspective. d). And as an example of the given name and the significance God attaches to it, we will remember the father of faith, Abraham – Ge 17:5 No longer shall your name be called Abram, but your name shall be Abraham; for I have made you a father of many nations. The name Abram, we might remember means ‘honored father’, but the given name, ‘Abraham’, ‘father of a great multitude’, takes us to a different level, the significance of which is seen in God’s promise to this man who had no children - Ge 22:17 "blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply your descendants as the stars of the heaven and as the sand which is on the seashore; and your descendants shall possess the gate of their enemies. 18 "In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice." And we can find a key here as to why Abram was given a new name at the end of v18, ‘because you have obeyed My voice.’ e). We will also remember the new name given to Jacob – Ge 32:28 And He said, "Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel; for you have struggled with God and with men, and have prevailed." A transition from ‘the supplanter’ to ‘the prince who will rule with God’, and in this given name is the prophetic promise of the conclusion of God’s dealings with His chosen people - Ho 6:2 After two days He will revive us; On the third day He will raise us up, That we may live in His sight. 2). So, as we look at the name changes for Abram and Jacob, we see the plan of God writ large in the names that they are given, Abraham and Israel. But what of ourselves? What will determine our new given name in that Day? Well, if we turn to the Scriptures, there is a particular example we can look at, that will hopefully provide us with great encouragement – Jn 1:41 He first found his own brother Simon, and said to him, "We have found the Messiah" (which is translated, the Christ). 42 And he brought him to Jesus. Now when Jesus looked at him, He said, "You are Simon the son of Jonah. You shall be called Cephas" (which is translated, A Stone). In these verses from John, we see the Lord Himself, upon His first meeting with Simon, giving him the Aramaic name, ‘Cephas’ which the Holy Spirit then translates for us as ‘A Stone’. In this we might hear echoes of Revelation 2:17, as the name ‘Cephas’ is given to Simon as a descriptive title of what his character will ultimately be. a). The word ‘stone’ used by the Holy Spirit to translate ‘Cephas’ is from the Greek word ‘Petros’, which itself means a large but detached fragment of rock. And the word is used here metaphorically to describe Peter as a man who will be seen as a rock because of his firmness and steadfastness in the faith. b). The name Peter is the English spelling of the Greek word Petros. Simon is then destined to become the rock man. c). And the Lord changing Simon’s name to Peter is recorded by all the Gospel writers - Mt 10:2 Now the names of the twelve apostles are these: first, Simon, who is called Peter…… Mr 3:16 Simon, to whom He gave the name Peter……. Lu 6:14 Simon, whom He also named Peter, and Andrew his brother; James and John; Philip and Bartholomew…… It would not be unreasonable for us then to see the name Simon Peter as denoting the two parts of this extraordinary man, that are in constant conflict with each other, the man of the flesh and the man of the spirit. And from the life of Simon Peter recorded in the Scriptures it is not hard to see the constant tension between these two. d). Simon is ultimately to be Peter, but as with us, there was a process for him to go through in order to get there – Heb 12:5 And you have forgotten the exhortation which speaks to you as to sons: “My son, do not despise the chastening of the LORD, Nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by Him; 6 For whom the LORD loves He chastens, And scourges every son whom He receives.” 7 If you endure chastening, God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom a father does not chasten? So, let’s look at a few incidents from the life of Simon Peter that will help us piece this together and also give us some encouragement in our own race of faith. And to begin, let’s look Simon Peter’s call to follow Christ – Mt 4:17 From that time Jesus began to preach and to say, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." 18 And Jesus, walking by the Sea of Galilee, saw two brothers, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen. 19 Then He said to them, "Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men." 20 They immediately left their nets and followed Him. There is of course a very clear focus to the events here. Jesus is now beginning to preach and to say, ‘Repent for the Kingdom of the Heavens is at hand’. John the Baptist has been imprisoned and his message to prepare the people for the coming of Messiah is over and as a result Jesus Himself takes up the same message, but it would be clear from this point onwards that the establishment of His Kingdom would now be for a time yet future, hence He recruits those who will prepare the way for a people other than Israel to receive the Kingdom of the Heavens. e). Simon called Peter and Andrew his brother hear the voice of the Lord and immediately follow Him, with the promise that He will make them fishers of men. We can see a connection here with the parable of the dragnet cast into the sea to collect some of every kind in the Matthew 13 Parables. But at the time of their calling neither Simon nor Andrew would have understood what was to be involved in fulfilling it. f). We can find a parallel between this and our own experience when we heard the Lord’s voice calling us to follow Him in order to receive the Kingdom of the Heavens - Re 3:20 "Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me. 21 "To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne. And our ability to hear His voice and to choose to open the door, is by God’s design, a result of the work of the disciples who became Apostles. g). Then in a parallel function to being fishers of men the Lord has afforded us the privilege of working with those already caught in the dragnet, through the preaching and the teaching of the Word of the Kingdom, something that we are all involved in, with a view to the salvation of the soul at the Judgment Seat. And I suspect that none of us who heard His voice at the beginning, understood what it would mean for us either. 3). Let’s move on to an incident when the steadfastness of Peter results in something quite extraordinary - Mt 14:22 Immediately Jesus made His disciples get into the boat and go before Him to the other side, while He sent the multitudes away. 23 And when He had sent the multitudes away, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray. Now when evening came, He was alone there. 24 But the boat was now in the middle of the sea, tossed by the waves, for the wind was contrary. 25 Now in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went to them, walking on the sea. 26 And when the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, "It is a ghost!" And they cried out for fear. 27 But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, "Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid."28 And Peter answered Him and said, "Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water." 29 So He said, "Come." And when Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus. 30 But when he saw that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried out, saying, "Lord, save me!" 31 And immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him, and said to him, "O you of little faith, why did you doubt?" Peter is the only person that Scripture records, apart from Jesus, who walked on water. This was a moment of extraordinary faith and courage as he trusted completely in the Lord ignoring the circumstances that surrounded him. However, as he took his first steps he then saw ‘that the wind was boisterous’ and as a result ‘he was afraid and began to sink, causing the Lord to rebuke him, ‘O you of little faith, why did you doubt?’ So, what did Peter doubt? Not that he could walk on water, because that was something he was never able to do, but rather his doubt had to do with the Lord and His ability to sustain him in the midst of the storm. This is why we are admonished in - Heb 12:1 Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking [from this world] unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. The very nature of our pursuit of the Kingdom, has taken us in a direction that we have never gone before, a direction, that at times feels as insubstantial as walking on water. However, this is a journey that the Lord has already made, and we can also walk as He did if we have faith in His ability to sustain us as we go. We are not immune to ‘the sin that so easily ensnares us’, the sin of unbelief. And as a consequence, it is our common experience to have times of extraordinary faith and then almost the next moment to be looking at our circumstances and all that is going on around us and then begin to sink in a sea of helplessness and even hopelessness, just as we saw with Peter. It is the hope that is set before us that provides our motivation to keep walking in the midst of the insubstantial circumstances of our life, and this is what we exhorted to do - Col 1:23 if indeed you continue in the faith, grounded and steadfast, and are not moved away from the hope of the gospel which you heard, which was preached to every creature under heaven, of which I, Paul, became a minister. And from here we can return to Peter and an event that I am sure is very familiar to us - Mt 16:13 When Jesus came into the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, saying, "Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?" 14 So they said, "Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets." 15 He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?" 16 Simon Peter answered and said, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." 17 Jesus answered and said to him, "Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. 18 "And I also say to you that you are Peter, [Petros] and on this rock [Petra] I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. 19 "And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven." 20 Then He commanded His disciples that they should tell no one that He was Jesus the Christ. 21 From that time Jesus began to show to His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day. 22 Then Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, "Far be it from You, Lord; this shall not happen to You!" 23 But He turned and said to Peter, "Get behind Me, Satan! You are an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men." It is the revelation that Simon Peter received that is brought forth from above, ‘You are the Christ, the Son of the living God’, that is the basis for the Lord naming him ‘Rock’, the rock man, for this will be the foundation on which Peter’s steadfastness will eventually be built. And we have noted in v18 that Jesus used two words for ‘rock’, ‘Petros’, which we have previously seen, and ‘Petra’, which literally means, ‘the massive living Rock’. The ‘Petra’, on which His church is to be built is Christ Himself, as the Heir of all things, Christ in His regality. Peter, ‘Petros’, on the other hand, is a fragment of that living rock in the same way as Scripture describes us as living stones - 1Pe 2:5 you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. It may not be surprising that the Scripture that speaks of this is found in 1 Peter. a). Hand in hand with the revelation that Peter received concerning the Lord’s identity, is the fact that the Christ had to first suffer and then to enter into His glory, which is exactly what the Lord began to show to His disciples in Mt 16:21, the same thing that He pointed out to the two on the road to Emmaus, that they had missed. b). And it is then in Mt 16:22 that the Rock with the revelation took Jesus aside and began to rebuke Him concerning this, saying, "Far be it from You, Lord; this shall not happen to You!". Which in turn gave rise to the Lord’s rebuke of "Get behind Me, Satan! You are an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men." c). And in this event, we perfectly see the tension between Simon and Peter. In one moment, he has spiritual revelation that is unbelievably profound in its significance and in the next he is given over entirely to his flesh. d). And how many of us, having had this same revelation, still find ourselves taking the Lord aside to rebuke Him in the sense of being more mindful of the things of men than the things of God? But before we may get too down hearted by this let’s remember that the Lord gave Simon the name ‘Petros’ in full prior knowledge of the events in his life including this one; just as He is in full prior knowledge of our own impersonations of Satan. e). Then in another event where Simon Peter referenced the same revelation from Matthew Chapter 16, we find the rock man’s faith right alongside his unbelief - Jn 6:61 When Jesus knew in Himself that His disciples complained about this, He said to them, "Does this offend you? 62 "What then if you should see the Son of Man ascend where He was before? 63 "It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life. 64 "But there are some of you who do not believe." For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were who did not believe, and who would betray Him. 65 And He said, "Therefore I have said to you that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted to him by My Father." 66 From that time many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more. 67 Then Jesus said to the twelve, "Do you also want to go away?" 68 But Simon Peter answered Him, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. 69 "Also we have come to believe and know that You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." And again, as we view these two incidents at Caesarea Philippi and Capernaum side by side, we see both the ascendancy of the man of faith and the man of flesh. The tension between the two is strikingly obvious. And would I think, be descriptive of our own experience. 4). It is on the night of the Last Supper though, that we see Simon Peter at his lowest point - Mt 26:33 Peter answered and said to Him, "Even if all are made to stumble because of You, I will never be made to stumble." 34 Jesus said to him, "Assuredly, I say to you that this night, before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times." 35 Peter said to Him, "Even if I have to die with You, I will not deny You!" And so said all the disciples. At first glance there appears to be steadfastness here and courage, but this is Simon Peter’s flesh speaking, and once again he is not hearing what is being said by the Lord. Again, he is not being mindful of the things of God, but the things of men. And this continues on later in the evening – Jn 18:10 Then Simon Peter, having a sword, drew it and struck the high priest's servant, and cut off his right ear. The servant's name was Malchus. 11 So Jesus said to Peter, "Put your sword into the sheath. Shall I not drink the cup which My Father has given Me?" All of which brings us to the High Priest’s house - Lk 22:59 Then after about an hour had passed, another confidently affirmed, saying, "Surely this fellow also was with Him, for he is a Galilean." 60 But Peter said, "Man, I do not know what you are saying!" Immediately, while he was still speaking, the rooster crowed. 61 And the Lord turned and looked at Peter. And Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how He had said to him, "Before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times." 62 So Peter went out and wept bitterly. The seemingly steadfast, courageous rock, Peter, denied any association with the Lord three times, and it is upon the third denial that the rooster crowed, and the Lord turned and looked at Peter. And as the eyes of the Lord searched his heart, Peter remembered the word of the Lord and filled with devastating remorse he left the lighted courtyard and went into the darkness outside. a). This is the same Simon Peter who healed the sick, cleansed the lepers, raised the dead and cast out demons, who had the revelation of Christ’s Deity and Kingdom, who was with Him on the Mount of Transfiguration. And yet here it seems, in this one moment, Simon Peter came face to face with the depravity of his own heart, and perhaps saw that which he had never seen in himself before. And this is a place he had to come to. Indeed, it is a place we all have to come to – Ro 7:18 For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find. 19 For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice……24 O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from the body of this death? 25 I thank God—through Jesus Christ our Lord! But for Peter, this was not the end of the story - Jn 21:15 So when they had eaten breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me more than these?" He said to Him, "Yes, Lord; You know that I love You." He said to him, "Feed My lambs." 16 He said to him again a second time, "Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?" He said to Him, "Yes, Lord; You know that I love You." He said to him, "Tend My sheep." 17 He said to him the third time, "Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?" Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, "Do you love Me?" And he said to Him, "Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You." Jesus said to him, "Feed My sheep. 18 "Most assuredly, I say to you, when you were younger, you girded yourself and walked where you wished; but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will gird you and carry you where you do not wish." 19 This He spoke, signifying by what death he would glorify God. And when He had spoken this, He said to him, "Follow Me." 20 Then Peter, turning around, saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following, who also had leaned on His breast at the supper, and said, "Lord, who is the one who betrays You?" 21 Peter, seeing him, said to Jesus, "But Lord, what about this man?" 22 Jesus said to him, "If I will that he remain till I come, what is that to you? You follow Me." The Lord asked Peter three times if Peter loved Him, once comparing Peter’s love with that of the other disciples and twice in relation to just Peter. And Peter responded three times that the Lord knew he loved Him. Much is missing however, in the English translation. b). Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon, son of Jonah, do you love [agape] Me more than these?" He said to Him, "Yes, Lord; You know that I love [phileo] You." And what we will immediately see is that there are two types of love in the question and the answer. ‘Agape’ is a self-sacrificing love, the love that epitomizes the nature and character of God Himself, ‘God is love [agape]’. ‘Phileo’ on the other hand, could be best understood as brotherly love. In Peter’s response to the Lord’s question, we can see that he has humbled himself. He doesn’t choose to compare himself with the other disciples but focuses only on what he knows of himself. c). He said to him again a second time, "Simon, son of Jonah, do you love [agape] Me?" He said to Him, "Yes, Lord; You know that I love [phileo] You." Here we may again see the Lord testing him. Whereas, from his experiences on the night of the Lord’s betrayal Peter would not want to compare himself with the other disciples, what would he do when given the opportunity to speak only with regards to himself? And Peter of course can only give the same response. d). He said to him the third time, "Simon, son of Jonah, do you love [phileo] Me?" Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, "Do you love [phileo] Me?" And he said to Him, "Lord, You know all things; You know that I love [phileo] You." The third time Jesus questioned Peter He used the word ‘Phileo’ and in using this word He asked with a sharp directness whether Peter had any real affection for Him at all. This is why Peter is grieved by the Lord’s use of ‘Phileo’. Peter’s response had to remain the same. e). The shocking realization that Peter had was that from the outset he had only ever had a personal attachment and friendly affection towards the Lord, he, to that point, had never had the kind of self-sacrificing, surrendering devotion that the Lord requires. f). And I am sure that if we search our own hearts, we will find that our love for the Lord is much closer to that which Peter expresses than that which the Lord requires of us. And how would we know? Through our actions, through our words, through our thought life - Jn 14:21 "He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. Before we lose heart though, it is as well to remember that to love the Lord and each other with ‘agape’ love is the result of process, a process to spiritual maturity, the child training of the Lord. And most certainly we have seen Peter in process. And having come out the other side of it, he is able to instruct us from his own experience – 2 Pe 1:5 But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, 6 to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, 7 to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love. 8 For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 For he who lacks these things is shortsighted, even to blindness, and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins. 10 Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble; 11 for so an entrance will be supplied to you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. As we continue to look at the verses in John Chapter 21, we find that following the Lord’s questioning of Peter, came the Lord’s instructions to him that offered the opportunity to serve his Lord with the self-sacrificing devotion found in agape love, ‘feed My lambs’, ‘tend My sheep’, ‘feed My sheep’. g). Peter then is to feed and shepherd the Lord’s lambs into their maturity, from lambs to sheep, in preparation for the Lord’s return. It will then be in the self-sacrifice necessary to properly prepare the sheep of His pasture for the return of their Lord that Peter can now demonstrate his agape love for the Lord. h). Then as a consequence of his faithfulness in this Peter will be that rock of immovable steadfastness even to the point of suffering a martyr’s death on the cross - 19 This He spoke, signifying by what death he would glorify God. And when He had spoken this, He said to him, "Follow Me." 20 ¶ Then Peter, turning around, saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following, who also had leaned on His breast at the supper, and said, "Lord, who is the one who betrays You?" 21 Peter, seeing him, said to Jesus, "But Lord, what about this man?" 22 Jesus said to him, "If I will that he remain till I come, what is that to you? You follow Me." And finally, the Lord made clear that Simon Peter’s path in following Him is his own and he is not to concern himself with what others appear to be doing or not doing – ‘You follow Me’. 5). And as we follow Simon Peter into the Book of Acts, we find this - Ac 1:15 And in those days Peter stood up in the midst of the disciples (altogether the number of names was about a hundred and twenty), and said…… Ac 2:14 But Peter, standing up with the eleven, raised his voice and said to them, "Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and heed my words. Ac 4:8 Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, "Rulers of the people and elders of Israel…… It is Peter, the rock, who stood up in the midst of the disciples in order to lead the fledgling church. It is Peter, the rock, who preached the first message of the re-offer of the Kingdom by the church. It is Peter, the rock, who spoke with boldness to the same rulers and elders who had crucified the Lord. a). It is Peter, the rock, who first took the message of the Kingdom to the Gentiles - Ac 10:44 While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who heard the word. 45 And those of the circumcision who believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles also. 46 For they heard them speak with tongues and magnify God. Then Peter answered, 47 "Can anyone forbid water, that these should not be baptized who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?" And it is Peter, the rock, who was given to write two epistles concerning the salvation of the soul, who at the beginning of the second, described himself as - 2Pe 1:1 Simon Peter, a bondservant and apostle of Jesus Christ….. He is Simon, the rock man, first and foremost a bondservant and then an apostle of Jesus Christ. And the word bondservant, is best understood as someone who’s own will is in total subjection to the will of another, to the total disregards of his own interests. What a long way Simon has come to now be Peter. b). And what about us? Will we submit to the process? As we go back to where we began with the white stone in the Revelation Chapter 2, we will realize that because of the relativity of time, our new name has already been written on that white stone. Will we allow ourselves to continue to be child trained by the Lord to become what is written there? Or will our name be erased and our stone cast aside? What\'s in a Name? May 21, 2023 Speaker: John Herbert Series: Misc Category: Sunday Morning https://s3.amazonaws.com/cornerstonejax/sermonfiles/T003_20230521.mp3 Download Audio x
Refresh A Recap from the Sermon Re 2:17 "He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes I will give some of the hidden manna to eat. And I will give him a white stone, and on the stone a new name written which no one knows except him who receives it."' Today's message will be given by Steven Babine. The full text of this message can be found by clicking the PDF button. Sunday May 21st 2023 ‘What’s in a Name?’ 1). Re 2:17 "He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes I will give some of the hidden manna to eat. And I will give him a white stone, and on the stone a new name written which no one knows except him who receives it."' There is an overcomers’ promise in the Revelation Chapter 2, which speaks of a white stone, upon which the one who has overcome will have a new name written. A new name, which according to our verse, will be known to no one except him who receives it. a). Within our modern world names are little more than that, just a name, a means of identification. However, from our verse, this new name which the overcomer will be given, has enormous significance. The stone on which the name is to be written, is seen in original language as a pebble worn smooth by handling. And this may well bring to mind the child training of the Lord, the stones being built together as a spiritual house – 1 Pe 2:5 you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. This word stone is an interesting word as it also has the derivative meaning of a verdict of acquittal or a ticket of admission. b). And the word translated name has a great deal more to it than a means of identification, it is a word that speaks of authority and character. And so, what do we see here? We see the one who overcomes given a white stone pointing to a verdict of acquittal or a ticket of admission with a name written on the stone that no one understands with absolute clarity apart from the person receiving it. And this new name has to do with the authority given to that person based on their character, that which has distinguished them in the race of faith; that which God has seen in that person from the foundation of the world. And in that Day, if we should receive a white stone, it will be perfectly clear to us why we have been given that particular name. Not only that, but it seems likely that this new name will be the name we are to be known by, it is what we will be named, during the time of the Millennial Kingdom. It will be our given name, our surname. c). And as far as the economy of God is concerned a person’s name can have a tremendously significant importance as it will speak volumes about that person from God’s perspective. d). And as an example of the given name and the significance God attaches to it, we will remember the father of faith, Abraham – Ge 17:5 No longer shall your name be called Abram, but your name shall be Abraham; for I have made you a father of many nations. The name Abram, we might remember means ‘honored father’, but the given name, ‘Abraham’, ‘father of a great multitude’, takes us to a different level, the significance of which is seen in God’s promise to this man who had no children - Ge 22:17 "blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply your descendants as the stars of the heaven and as the sand which is on the seashore; and your descendants shall possess the gate of their enemies. 18 "In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice." And we can find a key here as to why Abram was given a new name at the end of v18, ‘because you have obeyed My voice.’ e). We will also remember the new name given to Jacob – Ge 32:28 And He said, "Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel; for you have struggled with God and with men, and have prevailed." A transition from ‘the supplanter’ to ‘the prince who will rule with God’, and in this given name is the prophetic promise of the conclusion of God’s dealings with His chosen people - Ho 6:2 After two days He will revive us; On the third day He will raise us up, That we may live in His sight. 2). So, as we look at the name changes for Abram and Jacob, we see the plan of God writ large in the names that they are given, Abraham and Israel. But what of ourselves? What will determine our new given name in that Day? Well, if we turn to the Scriptures, there is a particular example we can look at, that will hopefully provide us with great encouragement – Jn 1:41 He first found his own brother Simon, and said to him, "We have found the Messiah" (which is translated, the Christ). 42 And he brought him to Jesus. Now when Jesus looked at him, He said, "You are Simon the son of Jonah. You shall be called Cephas" (which is translated, A Stone). In these verses from John, we see the Lord Himself, upon His first meeting with Simon, giving him the Aramaic name, ‘Cephas’ which the Holy Spirit then translates for us as ‘A Stone’. In this we might hear echoes of Revelation 2:17, as the name ‘Cephas’ is given to Simon as a descriptive title of what his character will ultimately be. a). The word ‘stone’ used by the Holy Spirit to translate ‘Cephas’ is from the Greek word ‘Petros’, which itself means a large but detached fragment of rock. And the word is used here metaphorically to describe Peter as a man who will be seen as a rock because of his firmness and steadfastness in the faith. b). The name Peter is the English spelling of the Greek word Petros. Simon is then destined to become the rock man. c). And the Lord changing Simon’s name to Peter is recorded by all the Gospel writers - Mt 10:2 Now the names of the twelve apostles are these: first, Simon, who is called Peter…… Mr 3:16 Simon, to whom He gave the name Peter……. Lu 6:14 Simon, whom He also named Peter, and Andrew his brother; James and John; Philip and Bartholomew…… It would not be unreasonable for us then to see the name Simon Peter as denoting the two parts of this extraordinary man, that are in constant conflict with each other, the man of the flesh and the man of the spirit. And from the life of Simon Peter recorded in the Scriptures it is not hard to see the constant tension between these two. d). Simon is ultimately to be Peter, but as with us, there was a process for him to go through in order to get there – Heb 12:5 And you have forgotten the exhortation which speaks to you as to sons: “My son, do not despise the chastening of the LORD, Nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by Him; 6 For whom the LORD loves He chastens, And scourges every son whom He receives.” 7 If you endure chastening, God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom a father does not chasten? So, let’s look at a few incidents from the life of Simon Peter that will help us piece this together and also give us some encouragement in our own race of faith. And to begin, let’s look Simon Peter’s call to follow Christ – Mt 4:17 From that time Jesus began to preach and to say, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." 18 And Jesus, walking by the Sea of Galilee, saw two brothers, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen. 19 Then He said to them, "Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men." 20 They immediately left their nets and followed Him. There is of course a very clear focus to the events here. Jesus is now beginning to preach and to say, ‘Repent for the Kingdom of the Heavens is at hand’. John the Baptist has been imprisoned and his message to prepare the people for the coming of Messiah is over and as a result Jesus Himself takes up the same message, but it would be clear from this point onwards that the establishment of His Kingdom would now be for a time yet future, hence He recruits those who will prepare the way for a people other than Israel to receive the Kingdom of the Heavens. e). Simon called Peter and Andrew his brother hear the voice of the Lord and immediately follow Him, with the promise that He will make them fishers of men. We can see a connection here with the parable of the dragnet cast into the sea to collect some of every kind in the Matthew 13 Parables. But at the time of their calling neither Simon nor Andrew would have understood what was to be involved in fulfilling it. f). We can find a parallel between this and our own experience when we heard the Lord’s voice calling us to follow Him in order to receive the Kingdom of the Heavens - Re 3:20 "Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me. 21 "To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne. And our ability to hear His voice and to choose to open the door, is by God’s design, a result of the work of the disciples who became Apostles. g). Then in a parallel function to being fishers of men the Lord has afforded us the privilege of working with those already caught in the dragnet, through the preaching and the teaching of the Word of the Kingdom, something that we are all involved in, with a view to the salvation of the soul at the Judgment Seat. And I suspect that none of us who heard His voice at the beginning, understood what it would mean for us either. 3). Let’s move on to an incident when the steadfastness of Peter results in something quite extraordinary - Mt 14:22 Immediately Jesus made His disciples get into the boat and go before Him to the other side, while He sent the multitudes away. 23 And when He had sent the multitudes away, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray. Now when evening came, He was alone there. 24 But the boat was now in the middle of the sea, tossed by the waves, for the wind was contrary. 25 Now in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went to them, walking on the sea. 26 And when the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, "It is a ghost!" And they cried out for fear. 27 But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, "Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid."28 And Peter answered Him and said, "Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water." 29 So He said, "Come." And when Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus. 30 But when he saw that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried out, saying, "Lord, save me!" 31 And immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him, and said to him, "O you of little faith, why did you doubt?" Peter is the only person that Scripture records, apart from Jesus, who walked on water. This was a moment of extraordinary faith and courage as he trusted completely in the Lord ignoring the circumstances that surrounded him. However, as he took his first steps he then saw ‘that the wind was boisterous’ and as a result ‘he was afraid and began to sink, causing the Lord to rebuke him, ‘O you of little faith, why did you doubt?’ So, what did Peter doubt? Not that he could walk on water, because that was something he was never able to do, but rather his doubt had to do with the Lord and His ability to sustain him in the midst of the storm. This is why we are admonished in - Heb 12:1 Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking [from this world] unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. The very nature of our pursuit of the Kingdom, has taken us in a direction that we have never gone before, a direction, that at times feels as insubstantial as walking on water. However, this is a journey that the Lord has already made, and we can also walk as He did if we have faith in His ability to sustain us as we go. We are not immune to ‘the sin that so easily ensnares us’, the sin of unbelief. And as a consequence, it is our common experience to have times of extraordinary faith and then almost the next moment to be looking at our circumstances and all that is going on around us and then begin to sink in a sea of helplessness and even hopelessness, just as we saw with Peter. It is the hope that is set before us that provides our motivation to keep walking in the midst of the insubstantial circumstances of our life, and this is what we exhorted to do - Col 1:23 if indeed you continue in the faith, grounded and steadfast, and are not moved away from the hope of the gospel which you heard, which was preached to every creature under heaven, of which I, Paul, became a minister. And from here we can return to Peter and an event that I am sure is very familiar to us - Mt 16:13 When Jesus came into the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, saying, "Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?" 14 So they said, "Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets." 15 He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?" 16 Simon Peter answered and said, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." 17 Jesus answered and said to him, "Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. 18 "And I also say to you that you are Peter, [Petros] and on this rock [Petra] I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. 19 "And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven." 20 Then He commanded His disciples that they should tell no one that He was Jesus the Christ. 21 From that time Jesus began to show to His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day. 22 Then Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, "Far be it from You, Lord; this shall not happen to You!" 23 But He turned and said to Peter, "Get behind Me, Satan! You are an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men." It is the revelation that Simon Peter received that is brought forth from above, ‘You are the Christ, the Son of the living God’, that is the basis for the Lord naming him ‘Rock’, the rock man, for this will be the foundation on which Peter’s steadfastness will eventually be built. And we have noted in v18 that Jesus used two words for ‘rock’, ‘Petros’, which we have previously seen, and ‘Petra’, which literally means, ‘the massive living Rock’. The ‘Petra’, on which His church is to be built is Christ Himself, as the Heir of all things, Christ in His regality. Peter, ‘Petros’, on the other hand, is a fragment of that living rock in the same way as Scripture describes us as living stones - 1Pe 2:5 you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. It may not be surprising that the Scripture that speaks of this is found in 1 Peter. a). Hand in hand with the revelation that Peter received concerning the Lord’s identity, is the fact that the Christ had to first suffer and then to enter into His glory, which is exactly what the Lord began to show to His disciples in Mt 16:21, the same thing that He pointed out to the two on the road to Emmaus, that they had missed. b). And it is then in Mt 16:22 that the Rock with the revelation took Jesus aside and began to rebuke Him concerning this, saying, "Far be it from You, Lord; this shall not happen to You!". Which in turn gave rise to the Lord’s rebuke of "Get behind Me, Satan! You are an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men." c). And in this event, we perfectly see the tension between Simon and Peter. In one moment, he has spiritual revelation that is unbelievably profound in its significance and in the next he is given over entirely to his flesh. d). And how many of us, having had this same revelation, still find ourselves taking the Lord aside to rebuke Him in the sense of being more mindful of the things of men than the things of God? But before we may get too down hearted by this let’s remember that the Lord gave Simon the name ‘Petros’ in full prior knowledge of the events in his life including this one; just as He is in full prior knowledge of our own impersonations of Satan. e). Then in another event where Simon Peter referenced the same revelation from Matthew Chapter 16, we find the rock man’s faith right alongside his unbelief - Jn 6:61 When Jesus knew in Himself that His disciples complained about this, He said to them, "Does this offend you? 62 "What then if you should see the Son of Man ascend where He was before? 63 "It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life. 64 "But there are some of you who do not believe." For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were who did not believe, and who would betray Him. 65 And He said, "Therefore I have said to you that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted to him by My Father." 66 From that time many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more. 67 Then Jesus said to the twelve, "Do you also want to go away?" 68 But Simon Peter answered Him, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. 69 "Also we have come to believe and know that You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." And again, as we view these two incidents at Caesarea Philippi and Capernaum side by side, we see both the ascendancy of the man of faith and the man of flesh. The tension between the two is strikingly obvious. And would I think, be descriptive of our own experience. 4). It is on the night of the Last Supper though, that we see Simon Peter at his lowest point - Mt 26:33 Peter answered and said to Him, "Even if all are made to stumble because of You, I will never be made to stumble." 34 Jesus said to him, "Assuredly, I say to you that this night, before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times." 35 Peter said to Him, "Even if I have to die with You, I will not deny You!" And so said all the disciples. At first glance there appears to be steadfastness here and courage, but this is Simon Peter’s flesh speaking, and once again he is not hearing what is being said by the Lord. Again, he is not being mindful of the things of God, but the things of men. And this continues on later in the evening – Jn 18:10 Then Simon Peter, having a sword, drew it and struck the high priest's servant, and cut off his right ear. The servant's name was Malchus. 11 So Jesus said to Peter, "Put your sword into the sheath. Shall I not drink the cup which My Father has given Me?" All of which brings us to the High Priest’s house - Lk 22:59 Then after about an hour had passed, another confidently affirmed, saying, "Surely this fellow also was with Him, for he is a Galilean." 60 But Peter said, "Man, I do not know what you are saying!" Immediately, while he was still speaking, the rooster crowed. 61 And the Lord turned and looked at Peter. And Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how He had said to him, "Before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times." 62 So Peter went out and wept bitterly. The seemingly steadfast, courageous rock, Peter, denied any association with the Lord three times, and it is upon the third denial that the rooster crowed, and the Lord turned and looked at Peter. And as the eyes of the Lord searched his heart, Peter remembered the word of the Lord and filled with devastating remorse he left the lighted courtyard and went into the darkness outside. a). This is the same Simon Peter who healed the sick, cleansed the lepers, raised the dead and cast out demons, who had the revelation of Christ’s Deity and Kingdom, who was with Him on the Mount of Transfiguration. And yet here it seems, in this one moment, Simon Peter came face to face with the depravity of his own heart, and perhaps saw that which he had never seen in himself before. And this is a place he had to come to. Indeed, it is a place we all have to come to – Ro 7:18 For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find. 19 For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice……24 O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from the body of this death? 25 I thank God—through Jesus Christ our Lord! But for Peter, this was not the end of the story - Jn 21:15 So when they had eaten breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me more than these?" He said to Him, "Yes, Lord; You know that I love You." He said to him, "Feed My lambs." 16 He said to him again a second time, "Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?" He said to Him, "Yes, Lord; You know that I love You." He said to him, "Tend My sheep." 17 He said to him the third time, "Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?" Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, "Do you love Me?" And he said to Him, "Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You." Jesus said to him, "Feed My sheep. 18 "Most assuredly, I say to you, when you were younger, you girded yourself and walked where you wished; but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will gird you and carry you where you do not wish." 19 This He spoke, signifying by what death he would glorify God. And when He had spoken this, He said to him, "Follow Me." 20 Then Peter, turning around, saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following, who also had leaned on His breast at the supper, and said, "Lord, who is the one who betrays You?" 21 Peter, seeing him, said to Jesus, "But Lord, what about this man?" 22 Jesus said to him, "If I will that he remain till I come, what is that to you? You follow Me." The Lord asked Peter three times if Peter loved Him, once comparing Peter’s love with that of the other disciples and twice in relation to just Peter. And Peter responded three times that the Lord knew he loved Him. Much is missing however, in the English translation. b). Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon, son of Jonah, do you love [agape] Me more than these?" He said to Him, "Yes, Lord; You know that I love [phileo] You." And what we will immediately see is that there are two types of love in the question and the answer. ‘Agape’ is a self-sacrificing love, the love that epitomizes the nature and character of God Himself, ‘God is love [agape]’. ‘Phileo’ on the other hand, could be best understood as brotherly love. In Peter’s response to the Lord’s question, we can see that he has humbled himself. He doesn’t choose to compare himself with the other disciples but focuses only on what he knows of himself. c). He said to him again a second time, "Simon, son of Jonah, do you love [agape] Me?" He said to Him, "Yes, Lord; You know that I love [phileo] You." Here we may again see the Lord testing him. Whereas, from his experiences on the night of the Lord’s betrayal Peter would not want to compare himself with the other disciples, what would he do when given the opportunity to speak only with regards to himself? And Peter of course can only give the same response. d). He said to him the third time, "Simon, son of Jonah, do you love [phileo] Me?" Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, "Do you love [phileo] Me?" And he said to Him, "Lord, You know all things; You know that I love [phileo] You." The third time Jesus questioned Peter He used the word ‘Phileo’ and in using this word He asked with a sharp directness whether Peter had any real affection for Him at all. This is why Peter is grieved by the Lord’s use of ‘Phileo’. Peter’s response had to remain the same. e). The shocking realization that Peter had was that from the outset he had only ever had a personal attachment and friendly affection towards the Lord, he, to that point, had never had the kind of self-sacrificing, surrendering devotion that the Lord requires. f). And I am sure that if we search our own hearts, we will find that our love for the Lord is much closer to that which Peter expresses than that which the Lord requires of us. And how would we know? Through our actions, through our words, through our thought life - Jn 14:21 "He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. Before we lose heart though, it is as well to remember that to love the Lord and each other with ‘agape’ love is the result of process, a process to spiritual maturity, the child training of the Lord. And most certainly we have seen Peter in process. And having come out the other side of it, he is able to instruct us from his own experience – 2 Pe 1:5 But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, 6 to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, 7 to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love. 8 For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 For he who lacks these things is shortsighted, even to blindness, and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins. 10 Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble; 11 for so an entrance will be supplied to you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. As we continue to look at the verses in John Chapter 21, we find that following the Lord’s questioning of Peter, came the Lord’s instructions to him that offered the opportunity to serve his Lord with the self-sacrificing devotion found in agape love, ‘feed My lambs’, ‘tend My sheep’, ‘feed My sheep’. g). Peter then is to feed and shepherd the Lord’s lambs into their maturity, from lambs to sheep, in preparation for the Lord’s return. It will then be in the self-sacrifice necessary to properly prepare the sheep of His pasture for the return of their Lord that Peter can now demonstrate his agape love for the Lord. h). Then as a consequence of his faithfulness in this Peter will be that rock of immovable steadfastness even to the point of suffering a martyr’s death on the cross - 19 This He spoke, signifying by what death he would glorify God. And when He had spoken this, He said to him, "Follow Me." 20 ¶ Then Peter, turning around, saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following, who also had leaned on His breast at the supper, and said, "Lord, who is the one who betrays You?" 21 Peter, seeing him, said to Jesus, "But Lord, what about this man?" 22 Jesus said to him, "If I will that he remain till I come, what is that to you? You follow Me." And finally, the Lord made clear that Simon Peter’s path in following Him is his own and he is not to concern himself with what others appear to be doing or not doing – ‘You follow Me’. 5). And as we follow Simon Peter into the Book of Acts, we find this - Ac 1:15 And in those days Peter stood up in the midst of the disciples (altogether the number of names was about a hundred and twenty), and said…… Ac 2:14 But Peter, standing up with the eleven, raised his voice and said to them, "Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and heed my words. Ac 4:8 Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, "Rulers of the people and elders of Israel…… It is Peter, the rock, who stood up in the midst of the disciples in order to lead the fledgling church. It is Peter, the rock, who preached the first message of the re-offer of the Kingdom by the church. It is Peter, the rock, who spoke with boldness to the same rulers and elders who had crucified the Lord. a). It is Peter, the rock, who first took the message of the Kingdom to the Gentiles - Ac 10:44 While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who heard the word. 45 And those of the circumcision who believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles also. 46 For they heard them speak with tongues and magnify God. Then Peter answered, 47 "Can anyone forbid water, that these should not be baptized who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?" And it is Peter, the rock, who was given to write two epistles concerning the salvation of the soul, who at the beginning of the second, described himself as - 2Pe 1:1 Simon Peter, a bondservant and apostle of Jesus Christ….. He is Simon, the rock man, first and foremost a bondservant and then an apostle of Jesus Christ. And the word bondservant, is best understood as someone who’s own will is in total subjection to the will of another, to the total disregards of his own interests. What a long way Simon has come to now be Peter. b). And what about us? Will we submit to the process? As we go back to where we began with the white stone in the Revelation Chapter 2, we will realize that because of the relativity of time, our new name has already been written on that white stone. Will we allow ourselves to continue to be child trained by the Lord to become what is written there? Or will our name be erased and our stone cast aside?