Something About That Name | Bryan L. Carter | Sermon Notes — Hello Pastor

Sermon Notes

Something About That Name

Bryan L. Carter

Concord Church • Oct 12, 2025 • 32 min

Start a Devotional

Take this message with you through a journey of Scripture, reflection, and prayer.

Summary

In Acts 19, Pastor Bryan Carter highlights the supreme authority, power, and holiness of the name of Jesus Christ. True Christian faith centers entirely on Jesus as the divine Son of God, requiring sound theology rather than using His name as a shortcut for self-serving power. When believers honor His name through authentic relationship, sincere repentance, and complete surrender, God's transformative power moves mightily in their lives.

Themes

Supremacy of Jesus ChristSpiritual Authority vs. Fraudulent FaithMiracles and Divine PowerRepentance and Complete SurrenderSound Theology and Spiritual Growth

Pastor's Points

1.

Jesus is the center of the Christian faith

2.

There is power in the name of Jesus

3.

The name of Jesus is to be honored and exalted

Key Points

1.
Jesus Christ is the central core of the Christian faith, requiring sound theology that recognizes Him as the divine Son of God rather than just a prophet or moral teacher.
2.
Honest conversations and private biblical instruction within the church help believers identify gaps in their understanding and grow in true faith.
3.
Jesus is fully God and fully man, the eternal Word made flesh who humbled Himself to die on the cross as our substitute and rose triumphantly over death.
4.
God performs miracles to validate His message and demonstrate His divine power, which belongs exclusively to Him and not to human ministers or physical objects.
5.
Attempting to invoke the authority of Jesus without an authentic personal relationship leads to spiritual powerlessness and defeat.
6.
The holy name of Jesus must never be abused for personal gain, prosperity promises, ungodly lifestyles, or political agendas, but must be approached with reverent obedience.
7.
Honoring the name of Jesus produces genuine repentance, open confession, and a willingness to break completely away from past sinful practices.

Sermon Moments

“Worldly Fixation vs. Christ Fixation: In a world fixated on brand-name clothes, shoes, cars, and universities, believers are challenged to fixate their hearts on the greatest name of all—Jesus Christ.”

“Savior, Not Sponsor: "Jesus is our savior, not our sponsor... He is our master, not our mascot."”

“Identity Theft of Jesus's Name: Warning against attaching Jesus's name to human agendas, white Christian nationalism, prosperity schemes, sinful living, universalism, or political parties.”

“The Sons of Sceva: The comical yet cautionary account of impostors trying to cast out demons using Jesus's name without knowing Him, only for the demon to respond, "Jesus I know, and Paul I know, but who are you?" before overpowering them.”

“Burning the Scrolls in Ephesus: New believers publicly confessing their sins and burning their magic books, demonstrating complete surrender and a decisive break from past ungodly practices.”

“The Homeless Man at the Mission: A story illustrating how even when spoken by someone seeking a quick meal, the preaching of the gospel and the name of Jesus carry supernatural power to bring listeners to their knees in faith.”

This Week

Evaluate your foundational beliefs about Jesus to ensure your faith is centered on Him as the divine Son of God rather than viewing Him merely as a good teacher or moral prophet.

Commit to reading God's Word daily—aiming for at least one or two chapters a day—so you can grow in spiritual understanding and avoid gaps in your theology.

Participate actively in church Bible study, Sunday school, or small groups where you can ask honest questions, wrestle with truth, and grow alongside other believers.

Examine your heart to ensure you are surrendered to Jesus as Lord rather than treating Him as a "personal concierge" to serve your selfish desires.

Repent of any subtle attempt to attach Jesus's name to ungodly lifestyle choices, pride, greed, or political agendas.

Identify any sinful habit, toxic relationship, or worldly distraction in your life and decisively lay it down at God's altar ("burn the scrolls").

Call upon the name of Jesus with reverence and faith during times of trial, giving God all the glory for His miraculous work in your life.

Remember This

The name of Jesus carries absolute divine authority and saving power, calling every believer to move beyond superficial faith and fully honor Him as Lord.

A Challenge for You

"I wonder who in the room today, what is it today that you need to burn and lay down at the altar of God and say, 'I'm not going back there anymore. I'm not going back to that habit, to that relationship, to that way of thinking, to that pridefulness, to that arrogance. Today, I lay it down and I honor your name.'"

These are personal sermon notes shared to help you remember the message — not a replacement for Scripture, your church, or your pastors.