Good morning and welcome. This is Sunday, September twenty seventh, twenty twenty six. You are tuned to the live broadcast of a service for the worship of God, which is coming to you from the Sanctuary of Grace Covenant Presbyterian Church in Richmond, Virginia. A live audio stream is available at the Grace Covenant website, which can be found at grace hyphen Covenant .org. Just select the radio button, then listen live.
Oh, oh, Oh, oh, Oh, oh, This. This is the day that the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it. Good morning, and welcome to Grace Covenant Presbyterian Church this Lord's Day. I am co-pastor Joanna Sidnor, and here at Grace Covenant, we welcome all who come to worship, whether in person, whether listening on the radio, or watching live stream.
We greet you in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. At this time, I'd like to turn your attention to the announcements. Please follow along as I highlight a few. Welcome to Grace Covenant's newest member, Scott Wagner. He joins our online community from Grandville, Ohio.
Grace and peace to Scott and his family, Bobby and Owen. Is God calling you as an officer of the church? Then talk to a member of our nominating committee and let them know that God is speaking to you. And if you know someone who would be a good candidate, turn in your names to the nominating committee: Matt, Chris, Elizabeth Russell, Gary Flake, or Laura Lee Savage. In your bulletin, you'll see this insert.
You can read through it for more details. Join us on Wednesday for Wednesday night supper. This Wednesday, September thirtieth, in the Fellowship Hall. Dinner begins at six p.m. Followed by our program at six six thirty, when we will hear from Christy Dalton about Feedmore and the great impact it has on the Richmond community.
We hope to see you on Wednesday. Many thanks to those who donate to Feed More. The first Sunday of every month, since the beginning of the year, we have collected eight hundred and eighty-two pounds of food and two thousand one hundred fifty-eight dollars and fifty cents in donations. Praise God!
So as we rejoice. In reality, that Christ is the bread of life. We seek to share bread with our neighbors wrestling with hard times.
So we thank you in advance for your support. Remember to bring your donations next Sunday. Finally, let us remember to pray for one another. Prayer changes things, especially those who are on our congregational prayer list. And if you have a prayer request, please look in your bulletin for the card.
Write out your prayer on that card and place it on the plate during offering or in the prayer box located in the nothex. Again, prayer changes things, and we are called to pray for one another without ceasing. Read your bulletin and find out the many ways that you can participate in God's community here at Grace Covenant.
Now, let us prepare our hearts and minds to worship the Lord. Please stand for the call to worship. Let us worship God. He is our refuge and our fortress, our God in whom we trust. Let us confess with our mouths, Jesus is Lord, and believe in our hearts that God raised Him from the dead.
Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. Let us call upon our true God, believing Him in our hearts, confessing Him with our mouths, worshiping Him in spirit and in truth. Once again, welcome to the live broadcast of a service for the worship of God, which is coming to you from the sanctuary of Grace Covenant Presbyterian Church at 1627 Monument Avenue in Richmond, Virginia. This is the 103rd year of radio ministry at Grace Covenant, and today's broadcast is number 5,264. This morning's sermon, entitled.
The name that has all power will be delivered by the Reverend Calvin H. Sidnor, the fourth co-pastor, assisting in the service today are Carson Glossop, our liturgist, Chris Martin, our director of music and organist, the chancel choir, and the Reverend Joanna W. Sidnor, co-pastor. Our opening hymn is "Crown Him with Many Crowns," which is number one hundred and fifty-one in the Presbyterian Hymnal. And we, the proud of heaven, rise and stand, and we stand with thee.
And all the angels we have seen We stand before the holy scene. Never we shall part. If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves. And the truth is not in us, but if we confess our sins, God, who is faithful and just, will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. In humility and faith, let us confess our sins to God using the prayer of confession.
Eternal and merciful God, you have loved us with a love beyond our understanding. And you have set us on paths of righteousness for your name's sake. Yet we have strayed from your way. We have sinned against you in thought, word, and deed, through what we have done and what we have left undone. As we remember the lavish gift of your grace symbolized in baptism, O God, we praise you.
And give you thanks that you forgive us yet again. Grant us now, we pray, the grace to die daily to sin, and to rise daily to new life in Christ, who lives and reigns with you, and in whose strong name we pray. Amen. Hear the good news. All the prophets testify about Christ that everyone who believes in Him receives forgiveness of sins through His name.
Thanks be to God. Please be seated. At this time, children ages three through six are invited forward for children's chapel, and they may be picked up in the fellowship hall immediately following worship. Also invited forward are youth ages seven through twelve for youth chapel, and they will return following the sermon. And childcare for babies and children under three is available in room one hundred and one.
Praise God for our children. Let us pray. Bless us, O God, that in the reading and hearing of Your Word, our hearts and minds will be open to receive Your love and wisdom. That we might grow according to your will, through Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen. Today's Old Testament reading is Psalm seventy-eight, verses one through four and twelve through sixteen.
Listen for the word of the Lord. Give ear, O my people, to my teaching. Incline your ears to the words of my mouth. I will open my mouth in a parable. I will utter dark sayings from of old, things that we have heard and known, that our ancestors have told us.
We will not hide them from their children. We will tell to the coming generation the glorious deeds of the Lord, and of His might, and the wonders that He has done. In the sight of their ancestors, he worked marvels in the land of Egypt, in the fields of Zoan. He divided the sea and let them pass through it, and he made the waters stand like a heap. In the daytime, he led them with a cloud, and all night long with a fiery light.
He split rocks open. In the wilderness, and gave them drink abundantly, as from the deep, he made streams come out of the rock, and caused the waters to flow down like rivers. The word of the Lord. Thanks be to God. Good morning.
Our New Testament reading comes from Philippians chapter two, verses nine through eleven. Listen again for the word of the Lord. Therefore, God also highly exalted him and gave him a name that is above every name.
So that at the name of Jesus, every knee should bend in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. The word of the Lord. Thanks be to God. Let us pray. O Lord, open our hearts and minds by the power of Your Holy Spirit.
That as your word is proclaimed, we may hear what you are saying to us today.
Now let the words of your servants' mouth and the meditations of our hearts be pleasing in your sight, O Lord, our rock and our redeemer, through Christ. Amen. The sermon title this morning is "The Name That Has All Power." As believers, we are called to embrace and proclaim the prevailing authority. Of the name of Jesus, a truth that compels us to live with transformed hearts, serve with a renewed purpose, and confidently call upon Him at any moment.
Well, what's in a name? A name carries weight. A name tells a story. It connects us to our ancestors and traditions, and shows us where our families come from. A name tells people what to call us.
A name is powerful because if people know our family names, it tells them a little bit about who we are.
Some cultures even have naming ceremonies. In the biblical world, names carried even deeper significance. One common practice was to give a new name to mark a brand new season. A new covenant, a transformed life. Think back to Abram.
He became Abraham when God made His covenant with him in Genesis 17. Sarah, Abraham's wife, became Sarah when God promised her a son. Jacob wrestled for a blessing and was given a new name, Israel. Simon became Peter, a renaming that revealed the authority of Jesus. A name signifies identity and destiny.
In our passage, Paul points to Christ's ultimate victory and to the Father's act of giving His Son a name, fully in keeping with His triumphant triumph over sin and death. To understand this passage, we have to look at a world that the Philippian church lived in—a world dominated by Roman imperial power. In verses five through eleven, known as the Christ hymn, Paul flips that world upside down. Both Caesar and Christ claimed ultimate authority over the world, but they claimed it in completely different ways. Caesar demanded allegiance through force, military power, and total control.
Jesus claimed supreme authority through humility, self-emptying, and the cross. That world, just like our world today, defined greatness by status and dominance. But Jesus redefined power through sacrificial love. This hymn's descent appears in verses five through eight, which remind us that Jesus, who has always been equal to the Father, laid His glory, His eternal glory, to the side. He was born a baby, lived as a man, and became so poor on the cross that we might become so rich.
And through perfect obedience, His suffering and death became the sole source. Of our eternal salvation.
Now, the verses we're dealing with this morning, verses nine through eleven, it marks a dramatic turning point in the therefore, and a shift from his humiliation to the affirmation of his exalted status. It urges us to live worthy of the gospel and reminds us of the deep blessing of belonging to the body of Christ. Where we fall under the authority of the mighty name of Jesus, to fully participate in the life of Christ and to grasp how His self-emptying humility yields ultimate power and hope, we are called to exalt the one name that holds true authority over the entire cosmos. As the apostle Paul declared in Philippians two and nine, therefore God also exalted him and gave him a name that is above every name. From the beginning of Scripture, we learn that God spoke the entire universe into existence out of nothing by the power of His Word, establishing divine order and declaring all that He made was good.
And very good. Just as God's word brought light out of darkness at creation, Christ, the Word of flesh, carries out the unstoppable work of redemptive grace. He reclaims and recreates us for true worship, not to offer a spiritual buffet where we can pick and choose what we like, but to restore us to the order He originally created for us. Paul wanted the church to know that, because of the complete work of grace in Christ's life, ministry, death, resurrection, and ascension, God the Father didn't merely exalt him in the earthly realm; He highly exalted him, raising him into the immediate presence of the Father in heaven. God did not grant him a temporary title.
No, He bestowed upon him the supreme and cosmic name, above every name—a name that reveals His divine identity and marks His ultimate authority. To be highly exalted is to be placed far above any human pedestal and elevated beyond any earthly reputation or title. In fact. The Greek term for highly exalted appears only once in the entirety of the New Testament, and it is right here. Perhaps revealing the unrepeatable honor God gave to His Son.
This cosmic authority is evident throughout Scripture, in the Old Testament vision prophetically. Daniel chapter seven verse fourteen foresaw His reign. To him was given dominion and glory and kingship, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that shall not pass away, and his kingship is one that shall never be destroyed. In the gospel proclamation, Jesus Himself declared in Matthew twenty-eight and eighteen, "All authority in heaven and in earth has been given to me." In the apostolic witness, one on the day of Pentecost, Peter proclaimed in Acts chapter two, verse thirty-six.
Therefore, let the entire house of Israel know with certainty that God has made him both Lord and Messiah, this Jesus whom you crucified. We see the exalted reality affirmed again by Paul in Ephesians chapter one, verses twenty and twenty-one. Where God seated Christ at His right hand in heavenly places, far above all rule and authority in power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age, but also in the age to come. Brothers and sisters, no other name except Jesus carries this authority and power. We certainly know how to exalt names in our human context.
We give honor where it is due, rightly lifting up individuals who have achieved greatness and transformed society. You might not have heard this name, but we'll consider Jose Andres, a renowned chef and humanitarian who received the Presidential Medal of Freedom for his work at the World Central Kitchen. His name is honored around the globe because, in moments of catastrophic crisis, he turned desperation and hunger into tangible hope, serving millions, hundreds of millions of meals after disasters in Haiti, Puerto Rico, Ukraine, and Gaza. We rightly we rightly honor selfless human service, admiring names that reflect extraordinary sacrifice. But notice the difference.
Human greatness feeds the hungry for a day. The authority of Jesus breaks the power of sin and death forever. The greatness of His name, Christ's name, casts out demons. The assurance of His promises and His name answers prayers. And the authority of His name stands as the only name.
Under heaven, by which we must be saved, God is indeed good. Because of what Christ accomplished on the cross, our faith cannot remain private; it must take shape in humble service to one another. When we are placed, when we place our absolute trust in the name that is above every name, we step into the world as ambassadors for Christ, reflecting His likeness. In carrying his authority into every space we enter, yet Paul makes it clear in our passage here that our calling extends far beyond outward representation. To bear his name is to be drawn into wholehearted worship.
We must not only exalt him; we must also worship him. In verse nine, Paul highlights the Father's sovereign initiative in exalting the Son. In verse ten, he reveals our obligatory and joyful covenant response to that supreme name.
So that at the name of Jesus, every name, every knee should bend in heaven and on earth, and under the earth. The gravity of His name demands full submission. That every knee should bow reveals Christ's present reign and points forward to that future cosmic moment when all creation will be compelled to acknowledge His lordship. While bowing has long served as a cultural marker or sign of respect or submission to authority, Scripture gives it far deeper weight. In a religious sense, bending the knee is reverent worship in God's immediate presence.
As we remember, Moses quickly bowed when God revealed His glory and His covenant name. In Psalm 95 and 6, King David invited the community to joyful worship and the proper posture of response, saying, "Oh, come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the Lord our Maker." Even Jesus himself was no stranger to that posture, as he and his followers regularly knelt when they prayed. And Paul himself knew a little something about what it meant to bend the knee in submission to God. On the road to Damascus, he encountered the overpowering glory of Jesus in a blinding light. He cannot stand before the risen Christ as an equal, so he fell to the ground and called him Lord.
When we bow, we celebrate the gospel and offer our love, praise, and gratitude to the ascended God-Man, Jesus, who reigns with absolute authority yet meets us with grace.
Some denominations are more demonstrative in their bowing and kneeling than others.
However, as Presbyterians, we often express this more modestly. We might bend the knee with our heads bowed in prayer when confessing church creeds or when singing together as the body of Christ. Though traditions may. Vary across congregations and individuals. Real worship always starts within.
When we fix our eyes on Christ's majesty, our hearts will naturally bow in humble adoration. Regardless of our physical posture, genuine worship reflects a heart already surrendered to Him, and that surrender cannot be confined. To Sunday service, bending the knee to Jesus is a daily way of life, expressed through at least two practical ways. First, submission through service. Jesus modeled this ultimate humility by washing his disciples' feet, and you follow him whenever you stoop to serve others in love.
It might look like caring for others' material needs as a form of worship, whether it means preparing a meal for a family in crisis, serving the vulnerable, or using your daily gift to lighten someone else's burden. Second, spiritual submission—bending the knee. For example, on Tuesday, might look like holding back harsh words. Not having a harsh tongue in a tense meeting, choosing forgiveness over holding a grudge in a marriage or friendship, or yielding our own plans when God prompts us to step out on grace. As essential as this daily surrender in worship is, the Apostle Paul shows us that bending every knee ultimately.
Leads to every mouth being opened. We must confess and glorify. We cannot keep the power of Jesus' name to ourselves. Paul writes in verse eleven, and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father. Here, Paul applies the Old Testament passage that belongs strictly.
To Yahweh, the personal name of God, directly to Jesus. This means Jesus fulfills the role that only God can fulfill, ruling over all. In Isaiah chapter forty-five, verse twenty-three, the Lord who created the heavens and the earth proclaims, "By myself I have sworn from my mouth." Has gone forth in righteousness, a word that shall not return to me. Every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear. The word "swear" or "confess" refers to taking a public oath and pledging absolute authority.
And in our text, this conviction confesses that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God, implying an exclusive, unashamed commitment. To him, everything that was created was created for God's glory. The Holy Spirit' work is for God's glory. Everything we are called to say and do as Christians is ultimately for God's glory. And again, Scripture affirms this truth, as we see in Psalm nineteen and one.
The heavens themselves declare God's glory through the natural world. And the seraphim in Isaiah's vision proclaimed, "The whole world is full of His glory." And in Isaiah forty-three, humanity itself was created for God's glory. And here's the powerful thing: at the center of all glorification stands Jesus Christ, who prayed in John seventeen that the Father would glorify Him. And who reigns in Revelation five as the Lamb, receiving glory, honor, and blessing from every creature in heaven and on earth. Imagine us here on a Sunday morning, voices joined as one, surrendering our hearts to the Savior whose name transforms our lives.
But when the final amen is spoken. And the doors swing open. We head home to our routines. The true measure of our worship isn't how deeply we bow within these four walls, though that is powerful. It's how we carry that surrender into Monday morning.
God's glory isn't just confined to Sundays. When we leave, our daily lives become a space where Christ's authority is on display to a world that is watching. Kingdom work—that's what it is. It's a kingdom work that Pastor Joanna spoke about last week through Christ's inviting grace for all. Therefore, confessing and glorifying require more than words and lit service.
They require our very lives. If we speak, let us speak life in Christ's name. If we act, let's do all things for His glory, cultivating the fruit of the Spirit and giving thanks for His unending faithfulness. May we never be ashamed to proclaim. The name that saved us, brothers and sisters, embracing the unrivaled power of the name of Jesus, who knows each of us by name, leaves us unchanged.
No longer, it compels us to walk with surrendered hearts, to serve with kingdom purpose, and to anchor our lives in His abiding power. Let us step. Into this week, with hearts transformed by His grace and lives aligned with His purpose, call upon Him in your moments of weakness. Stand firm in His authority. Know that no circumstance in your life is beyond the reach of His name.
And go bear witness to that name that has all power and meets us right where we are. To God be the glory. Amen. Please stand as we sing hymn 148 in the blue hymnal at the name of Jesus. You are listening to the live broadcast of a worship service at Grace Covenant Presbyterian Church.
You have just heard this morning's sermon entitled "The Name That Has All Power," which was delivered by the Reverend Calvin H. Sidnor IV. The congregation will now join in singing "At the Name of Jesus," which is number 148 in the Presbyterian hymnal. All things bright and beautiful. All things bright and beautiful.
All the wonders of the world. Every hope we hold in common. This is the kingdom of God, and it is on the move. We are the ones who have been called to this. Brothers and sisters in Christ, we have heard the word and responded with song.
Let us now respond by stating what we believe, using the Apostles' Creed as printed in the bulletin. I believe in God the Father Almighty. Maker of heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ His only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried. He descended into hell. The third day He arose again from the dead.
He ascended into heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty. From thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead. I believe in the Holy Ghost, the Holy Catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, and the resurrection of the body and life everlasting. Amen. Please be seated.
Let us go to the Lord in prayer.
Sovereign and loving God, Creator of the heavens and of the earth, we gather today to lift our hearts in prayer and thanksgiving. In the beginning, you spoke your word of life into existence, shaping the cosmos and declaring it was good. In the fullness of time, that same word became flesh and dwelt among us, redeeming a broken world and revealing the boundless depths of your everlasting love. You graciously formed us in Your image, that we might live in harmony with one another and glorify Your holy name. For the wonder of all that You have done, we give You thanks and praise.
Gracious Lord, we thank You for Your enduring faithfulness across every generation. We give thanks for the outpouring of Your Holy Spirit, who inaugurated the community of faith and launched the mission. Of your church, we give thanks for all communities of faith, for the saints who have gone on before us, and for all who form the body of Christ across this nation, in our world. We're especially grateful for our brothers and sisters gathered here today in worship with us. We thank you, O God, for the precious gift of life, for the beauty of this day.
Seasons that are transitioning, O God. For the endless measure of grace you pour into our lives, grant us spiritual discernment to recognize your presence around us, and give us joyful hearts that, at all times, we might be able to say thank you, Jesus, for all that you have done for us. God, our Savior, we. Claim your love in Jesus Christ for the whole world. We commit ourselves to caring for those around us in your name.
We lift up to you today all who serve and are served, those who labor selflessly for the benefit of others, and those who receive their care. For those walking in isolation, O God, those attempting to navigate life's heaviest burdens all on their own. Open their lips to cry out to you, and send us, Lord, their neighbors to walk alongside them with assurance—the assurance of your abiding love and peace with us. Lord, we pray for those under heavy burdens, all who feel the weight of suffering, whether through the brutality of war. The strain of financial hardship, with the pain of serious illness, lay your hand of healing, hope, and holy presence upon every situation.
Lord Jesus, we pray for our nation and all who lead. Guide their hearts, minds, and actions in every decision they make, that they may truly seek the justice, peace, and welfare of all people. We pray over the city of Richmond and its leaders, O God. Reveal Your guidance in every decision made for its residents, and equip us to be a tangible blessing in the community. Strengthen this congregation, O God, all who serve and worship in this church, so that everything we do brings glory and honor.
To the name of Jesus, the name above every name. Grant us true humility and wholehearted obedience to Your Lordship. Anchor us firmly in the might of Your love. We lift up every individual and family to You this day. Where there is division, bring reconciliation.
Where there is pain. Bring healing and wholeness. Grant us the courage to be first responders of love, patience, and forgiveness. God of refuge, we lift up all who have been impacted by violence. Protect and restore our fragile hearts, and by your spirit, strengthen them to wholeness and peace.
We pray for all who have been affected by the forces of nature, those who have endured fierce storms and heavy rains, and those weathering them right now. Be their shelter from on high, and when all seems lost, remind them that you hold them securely in your hands. Be with our brothers and sisters who struggle daily. For food, shelter, and security, O God, provide for their immediate needs, and embolden us to do the hands-on work that Christ has set before us. Comfort all who mourn this day.
Surround those who grieve with your tender compassion, and grant them the peace that passes all understanding. Lord Jesus, watch over your children everywhere. And fill our hearts with lasting joy. As we bow before the name that has all power, we pray together, the prayer you taught your disciples how to pray. Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever and ever. Amen. Amen. Everything we have is a gift from God, and our offering is an opportunity to express our gratitude and reliance on Him. And now, brothers and sisters in Christ, I invite each of us to give as the Spirit leads, sustaining the vital ministries of Christ's church.
As the plate plate is passed, please place your attendance cards, prayer requests, and offerings on them. For those worshiping with us at home, thank you for your continued financial ministry. You can send your offering by mail through your banker online at www.grace-covenant.org/give-online. Praise God from whom all blessings flow. All this time.
The. Oh, oh, Exalted are the blessings of the King of Peace and Beauty. God of wonder, we offer you these humble gifts. Signs of your goodness and mercy. Receive them with our gratitude, that through us all people may know the riches of your love in the Word made flesh.
Amen. As we continue to stand, let us sing Him 142 in the blue hymnal. All hail the power of Jesus' name. Oh, heaven above, Jesus, and heaven below, we call upon Thy name and Thy name we call upon. We call upon Thy name and Thy name we call upon.
Each rose we see is a picture of the love we have received. Each rose we see is a picture of the love we have received. Each rose we see is a picture of the love we have received. Every dream, every thought, we set us to cross. To reach the majesty ahead, and find the hero.
To reach the Majesty, awesome and mighty God. I remember seeing from the end of the pier, the tall building and the lights on the bridge above. We invite each of you to join us in the social room immediately following the worship service for refreshments and fellowship. Go out into the world, bearing witness to the name that is above every name, Jesus, our Christ and Lord. Stand confident in His finished work.
Live under His lordship, and serve the mission of His kingdom. Hear now these words of blessing: the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God. And the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen. The.
Oh, oh, The. For the past hour, you have been listening to the worship service at Grace Covenant. Presbyterian Church in Richmond, Virginia. Please join us again next Sunday through our radio ministry or in our sanctuary at 1627 Monument Avenue. Your announcer today has been Rusty Stadler, and the audio technician was John Miller.
This service streams live and can be accessed through the Grace Covenant website, which is grace-covenant.org. We now return you to the Truth Network on WLES five ninety AM and ninety seven point seven FM.
