Bobby Roberson was the pastor of Gospel Light Baptist Church in Walkertown, North Carolina. He went home to be with the Lord in February of 2018.
“But while he thought on these things the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost.” (Matthew1:20) There are three times His name is mentioned right here: “And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS:” Do you see that? “…for he shall save his people from their sins. Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying...” (and He’s repeating Isaiah 7:14) “Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name…” Notice those words, “His name”. “…Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us. Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife: And knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son: and he called his name JESUS.” (Matthew 1:20-25) If you’ll notice, the word ‘Jesus’ is in three of those verses that I read. “Jesus.” When I was thinking about this message, you know, you find a lot of bitter people. Maybe some of you listening to me may say, “Well I’d go to church but, ‘So ‘n’ So,’ they hurt me.” Do you know what you need? Either get saved or get your eyes back on Jesus. I have never met a Christian, critical and bitter, that’s got their eyes on Jesus. Friends, let me give you a verse in Hebrews 12:1. “Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,” Looking, where? “Looking 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 is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.” “His Name;” just think about it. There are more songs, I believe, written on the Name of Jesus than any other, if you’ll think about it. Think about all the institutions all over America, and there are more that started in the Name of Jesus than all others. Just think about that tonight. I put down some things about Jesus that I want to share with you. When you read the word, ‘Redeemer,’ that’s Jesus, you know? “Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:” (I Peter 1:18-19) He’s the Redeemer. Then, He’s the Savior. There’s no other Savior except Jesus Christ. The Bible tells us that. He’s the Light of the World, and, “…he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.” (John 8:12) Jesus is the Light of the World. He’s the True Light. You know the scripture that talks about that. He’s the I AM in the Bible. Way back yonder in the Book of Exodus, do you remember when old Pharaoh wouldn’t let the children of Israel go? And do you remember what the LORD said? “Moses, you go down there and tell them that I AM sent you. I AM. The same I AM back there is the same I AM that said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” (John 14:6) That’s Jesus, the great I AM. He’s the Sun of Righteousness. You know, the Bible said, “But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings;” (Malachi 4:2) That’s the Lord Jesus Christ. He’s the “Daystar” in the Bible. He’s the “Bright and Morning Star.” That’s right. That’s Jesus, I’m talking about. And, He’s the “Rose of Sharon.” I put this down; He’s the “Lily of the Valley.” When I think of the Lily of the Valley, I think of Big Bobby that used to preach for us. He’s with the Lord now. I had the joy of going to Holland. Some of you who could have gone, were going to Jerusalem, and for some reason we ended up in Holland one night. It’s a beautiful place. Holland is known as “The Lilies.” They raise lilies by acres and acres over there. Jesus is the Lily of the Valley. Old Bobby was preaching one day and it blessed my heart. He said, “In Holland the men hunt deer on horses and hunt with dogs. In other words, they’ll ride a horse, or a mule. They get the dogs after the deer.” Bobby said in his message, “If that deer can make it into that big, old field of lilies out there, the deer will go right out into the middle of that thing, and lay down.” And he said, “That old dog will come up to the lily field and he can’t go any further. He’s sniffing for his prey. All he can smell is lilies, and he’s lost his deer. He can’t find it.” And Bobby said, “When the devil gets after you, get out there and lay down right in the middle of God’s Lily Field, and the devil will go crazy trying to find you.” I never will forget that illustration, and it always blesses my heart. So, Jesus is the Lily of the Valley. He’s the “Fairest among Ten Thousand to Our Soul.” If you know Jesus tonight, He’s the Fairest of All. And, He’s the “Lamb of God,” Do you remember? John the Baptist came as the forerunner of Christ; and he’s out there baptizing at the River Jordan. Here comes Jesus, walking down the bank. Old John said, “Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.” (John 1:29) Jesus is the Lamb. Go over there, in Revelation, and, Who do you see, in Revelation chapter 5? You see Jesus, the wounded Lamb. We’ll be reminded of that throughout eternity in Heaven. He is the Lamb of God. He’s the “Balm of Gilead.” That’s Healing. Jesus is the Balm of Gilead. Here’s something else I put down; He’s the “Word of God.” Jesus is the Word of God. Go to John 1:1, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” Then, verse 14, “…the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.” So, Jesus is the Word of God. And, He’s the “Great Physician.” He’s the GREAT Physician. We pray for people that are sick that God will use these physicians and that that GREAT Physician will come on the scene. He’s the Great Physician. And He’s the Good Shepherd. He’s the one Who gave His life for the sheep, you see. He is the Good Shepherd. And He’s King of kings, and Lord of lords. And, of all the kings and great men that have come in the world, Jesus is the King of all kings. That’s just a few things. I believe I have seventeen of them that I wrote down. And that’s just touching the Name of Jesus. The Name of Jesus. Years ago, bI worked for the Life Insurance Company. We collected from house to house. They don’t do it now, but we did. And, I remember walking up to the car lot. Some of you remember that Dodge and Plymouth dealership. After I collected, I walked up to the used car lot, there, and was talking to different people. There was a fellow standing there who let out a curse word; “G-D,” you know, and I thought, “Man, that’s just horrible to think about.” He didn’t know me. He just thought that was his way of talking! I hadn’t been saved very long. I was trying to think, “Lord, how am I going to get to that man?” I kind of walked up a little further and said, “Jesus, Jesus, Jesus…” I hung around there about 15 minutes and he never cursed anymore. There’s something about that Name that gets people. JESUS. It’ll make them sit up and think! That’s what I’m talking about. Serve In His Name Now, I’ve put down five things about that Name, “Jesus,” that I want to share with you. I want to remind you that, ‘in His Name,’ we serve God. If it’s not in His Name, we’re not serving God. We may be serving, but we’re not serving God. Listen, Colossians 3:17, “And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.” What’s he saying? “Whatever I do. and whatever you do, we do it in the Name of Jesus Christ.” That’s what I’m talking about. ‘In His Name’ we serve God. Only ‘in His Name.’” There’s so much of just going through routines and rituals that’s not serving God, my friend. We serve Him like the Bible says, or we’re not serving Him. I put down another verse. Listen to what old Peter said. Do you remember in Act, chapter 3, when Peter and John were going up to the temple to pray? Here’s a man, holding his little cup out, asking alms from people who were going to the temple. He held his little tin out and Peter said, “...Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk.” He did, you see, so I’m just saying, “We serve Him in Jesus’ Name.” In John 15:5 He said, “…for without me ye can do nothing.” I say this, “Christian, in the times that we are in today, you don’t hear much about ‘Jesus.’ You’ll hear about religion. You’ll hear about doing good. You’ll hear about being peaceful. But, you don’t hear much about Jesus. But it’s all Jesus. I don’t mean, partly; I mean, it’s ALL Him. It is Jesus Christ, the Bible says. We are to serve in His name. pray in His name I wouldn’t give you a-dime-a-dozen for a bunch of prayers, unless they’re prayed in Jesus’ Name. Now, I put down some verses, a whole lot actually. But, listen to this verse in John, chapter 14 and verse 13. “And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.” In the next verse, “If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.” Timothy tells us, “For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;” (I Timothy 2:5) That word ‘Mediator,’ means Jesus, is ‘a go-between-er.” God’s Holy. You and I are not. But, Jesus Christ sits at the Right Hand of the Father and He’s making intercession for us. Now, when we pray, how come you always say, “And we pray in the Name of Jesus Christ?” That’s the only Name to pray in! That’s the only Name. It used to be that when I’d go to pray for somebody in the hospital, they’d say, “Reverend, that’s such a pretty prayer.” And I’d think, “Phooey! I’m not praying to make something ‘pretty.’ I mean, it’s not a ‘pretty prayer.’ Some TV preacher will say, “We’ll write off a prayer and we’ll send it to you.” We get burdened about people and we get us some candles and light them, and we stand, and bow our heads. I’ve seen some of this Muslim crowd bow down to the ground. That’s pitiful, that’s pitiful. You say, “Well, you believe this and they believe that.” No. I believe it because the Bible believes it. I believe the Bible. That’s my Book, and that’s your Book. Anything apart from the Bible, if it’s Bobby Roberson, or whoever, just lay it aside. We pray in the Name of Jesus Christ. When I go to Him in prayer, I say, “Father. In Jesus’ Name I come to You, and ask...” And, I have to tell you. Every time I start to pray, I have got a bunch of sins to confess. The Lord brings them before me. Do you ever? I sure do. I know that I’ve got to confess my sins, and He is faithful. He’s the one that forgives and cleanses by His Blood. I get that straight, then I say, “Father, in Jesus Name I’m coming into Your Presence.” Do you know, according to the Bible, that Jesus is sitting at the Right Hand of the Father? Jesus looks down and says, “Father, one that I bought with My Blood is calling out to You. Father, would you do something here? Would You do it for Me?” That’s Bible. We pray in the Name of Jesus Christ, you see. That can be a pretty prayer, I don’t care, but just being ‘pretty’ that’s not the real thing, my friend. What gets answers from God is praying in Jesus’ Name. About 40 years ago, I’m guessing; a long time ago, do you remember Woodland Baptist and some of you all went, and we’d go down to the lake every year? There was a camp meeting. Some people would take their vacation, some from Woodland and some from here, and we’d go together. I would usually do the preaching at that time. But, it was like a big wagon wheel thing. I mean, right in the middle, the hub, that was our meeting place. That was the auditorium. There was a hall all the way around it. So we would go in there for our meeting and have services. And then, afterwards, we all stayed in different rooms, nice rooms, you know. I enjoyed going down to it. There was a big, old lake, must have been 20 acres,. Out in front of it there was an open tabernacle. Some of us men, before our last service on Sunday, during the night, we would go down there and pray in that tabernacle. Some of them old boys hadn’t been saved long, but boy, they were talking to God. I loved to hear them. One night I was there, and a man who is a pastor now, he had just gotten saved a few weeks before and he went with us. He was praying close to me. Wwhen I got through, he was still praying. He said, “Jesus,” he said, “You know…” and he told Jesus the man’s name, up yonder at the hospital in Winston. He said, “They’re going to operate on him tomorrow. And, Jesus, would you just sew him up real good?” I got a blessing, just listening. I thought to myself, “Now, that’s from his heart. That’s what God wants.” Folks, we need to serve the Lord with our heart. Don’t ever let yourself get to trying to impress somebody. That’s flesh. Just follow it with your heart. That’s the thing. Pray in Jesus’ name. I went to a service one time with somebody. One fellow came out in a black robe and the one that was standing beside him was in a white robe. I said, “What does that mean?” Somebody said, “Well the white robe is the priest, and the other is the father.” People went up there, and they looked at them, and they bowed on their knee, and did all this junk and I thought, “That’s sad to be so ignorant.” There isn’t any earthly priest. In the Old Testament, that was temporary. But, Jesus Christ, He’s the High Priest now, you see. You say, “Well, if I could get this deacon, or that preacher to pray about this and pray about that…” I’m going to tell you the truth; if you’re living for God, I don’t care if you can’t read nor write, you can get in the Presence of God as good as the preacher or anybody else. We need to realize that, and we need to go to Him in prayer daily…and our prayers are in Jesus” Name, in Jesus’ Name, you see. And that means so much. Separate in Jesus’ name And I’m just saying, we serve God in Jesus’ Name. We pray, in Jesus’ Name.” And then, in Jesus’ Name, we’re separated from the world. in Jesus’ Name. Now, I can give you a lot of verses. But, listen to II Timothy 2:19. “Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity.” You see, it’s through Him. Do you remember II Corinthians 5:17, “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” Where is that separation? That’s in Jesus. You read John 17 if you’re not familiar with it, and Jesus is praying to His Father. “Father,” He said, “The world’s going to hate them like it hated me. And, Father, they’re not OF the world; they’re IN the world, but not of the world…” He’s talking about the born again Christian. “…Now, I want You to keep them from the temptation.” That’s what Jesus prayed for us. Friends, our separation is in Jesus Christ. I mean, nothing will seem wrong until you get saved. Then after you get saved, you kind of wonder whether you ought to do this or do that. What is that? The Holy Spirit pricking your conscience. That’s the Lord showing you. He’s Jesus, the One that separates you. There are things that you or I might do that might not hurt us. But, the precious Lord Jesus, we don’t want to hurt His Name, so we don’t do that. Yet we’re in a day where people have the idea, “Well, bless God, you get saved, and that’s alright, you just go on doing what you want!” No you don’t ‘go on.’ You’re bought with a price. “What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.” (I Corinthians 6:19-20) When the Holy One, Jesus Christ, comes into your heart, the more that you serve Him, the more you love Him, the more you will become like Him and want to please Him. Listen to what Paul said in II Corinthians 5:14. “For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead: And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again.” What’s Paul saying? Paul is saying, “I can’t get over how much He loves me. It controls me. It pushes me to live unto Him, instead of live just for myself.” You don’t go out yonder, and get drunk, take dope, and run around with somebody’s husband or wife, and then act like everything is fine when Jesus is your Savior! You don’t do that! Why? Because you’re something? No, He’s Something! The Love of Christ is what constrains us and what changes us, you see. One old fellow says, “You don’t hitch your horse to the same hitching post, when Jesus comes in.” Isn’t that wonderful? I’m just saying that we’re separated in His Name. Listen, His Name means ‘Savior.’ That’s what it means. The Bible says this, in I John 2:23, “Whosoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father: (but) he that acknowledgeth the Son hath the Father also.” It’s in His Name that we’re saved. Acts 4:12, “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.” We need to realize that. Over here, in John 20, you listen to what the Lord Jesus says in the last two verses. “And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book:” Now notice... “But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.” You might have what? “…life through his name.” (John 20:30-31) It’s Jesus, and we’re save through His Name, and Him alone, you see. It’s through Him we’re separated from the world. The name of Jesus. It’s Jesus that we serve. Then I close with this thought: “It’s to His Name that every knee is going to bow.” Every knee is going to bow, and every tongue is going to confess. Look at Philippians 2 and verse 9: “Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” The name of Jesus, a name which is above EVERY name. By the way, Christian, when you look at our world, falling apart and everything’s a mess, the devil can get you down. But, wait a minute. Don’t you forget that Jesus Christ has got a Name above all of those names. He’s got the Power to tell those, like this bunch of atheists that have put up signs; “Don’t go to church.” That’s pitiful. They’re so blinded, on their way to Hell. They’ll believe, about the first five seconds after they leave this world and they’re burning in Hell, they’ll believe in God. They will bow, but it will be too late. A whole lot of them claim that they’re atheists, but I heard one. He got hurt and said, “Oh, Lord! Help me.” He wasn’t a very good atheist, was he? That evolution crowd, they’re so dumb it’s pitiful. I mean, for a man to think that you came, sprung from a one cell amoeba, to a monkey; and this went to that, til there was a man… Anybody’d know that’s all man-made stuff. The Bible says, “We are created in His Image.” He didn’t create the animals in His Image. He created man. Man is body, soul and spirit. God is Father, Son and Holy Spirit. He created us in His image. That’s not hard to believe. I have peace in believing what God says. That’s the only peace that you can have, is Him. Now, God has highly exalted Him and He’s given Him a Name which is above EVERY name, that at the name of Jesus, ‘those who would like to, bow.’” That isn’t what He said. “…at the name of Jesus every knee should bow...” Over there in Revelation, chapter 5, do you remember what we’re doing in Heaven? We’re bowing before Him. Now, that’s what He said, “…every knee should bow and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. These infidels, and so called ‘atheists’ can run around and put up their signs and all that junk, but, that doesn’t bother you if you’re saved. You feel sorry for them that they’re blind, and pray that they’ll get saved, but I mean, why should that bother you? They say, “Don’t go to church.” And these liberals are accusing us, “Oh, they’re against us!” No. A Christian doesn’t pay any attention to that mess You just feel sorry, and you want to win them to the Lord, if you can. You don’t want them to go to Hell. But, if they reject the truth of the Gospel, every one of them that have made light of Jesus Christ, every knee, they’re going to bow. Do you remember in Revelation 20? “And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.” Somebody said, “Well, if you die and you’re lost and you go to Hell, why do they come out?” I said, “They’ve never bowed their knee.” I believe that’s it. Death and Hell are going to deliver them up. That crowd that doesn’t want Jesus, they’re going to come out of the grave, and they’re going to walk up and bow, and say, “I was wrong, but You are right, Jesus.” EVERY KNEE IS GOING TO BOW! Just think about Jesus! Praise the Lord. That’s a sweet Name, isn’t it? The sweetest Name I ever heard, it thrills my soul, is ‘Jesus Christ.’ You just keep your eyes on Him. You say, “Well, Gee, I got hurt!” Well, He got hurt, too. He died for you. You and I have never been crucified. I was thinking about a fellow who’s in Heaven, now. He told me more than 50 years ago, “If you ever leave that church, I’ll come back.” But, I never left. Over 20 years later, he didn’t live right around here, but he called and said, “I’d like to meet with you. I’d just like to take you out, Brother Bobby, and get you something to eat.” I’d meet him out somewhere and he’d whisper and say, “I love you, Brother Bobby” God takes care of all those things, you don’t have to. I didn’t say, “Well, how come you told me...?” and, “Naw, forget that!” Don’t you carry around a bunch of bitterness down in your heart! “Somebody hurt my feelings…” Well, like Brother Lester Roloff said , “We’re supposed to die to self. So if somebody hurt us, then it’s our own fault, because you can’t hurt something that’s dead.” Let them talk as they please, and you just keep on and keep your eyes on the Master. He is the Savior. Keep on praying and serving in the Precious Name of Jesus Christ |
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