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We're going to get into the word today and I'm going to follow off of where Pen left us off. One of the key themes she was speaking about was this whole theme of metanoia. And I want us to understand something about this act of metanoia.
Who remembers what metanoia is? It's a changing of the mind.
The thing is, sometimes we as believers tend to think we can do the work of it ourselves — just by forcing our minds to change or think in a certain way. Unfortunately, it doesn't work like that. It comes by the word of God. It comes by engaging with the word of God and allowing that word to bear fruit in your mind.
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And I would go further to say this: the word of God is a person. So there's only one person who can cause and allow metanoia to happen. It's Jesus. There's nothing you can do. You must engage with the person for you to truly change. There's no change outside of the person of Christ.
Today I want to take us through an aspect of this person of Christ. I've named today's sermon "Name Above All Names."
This theme is so interesting for the year of abiding in Christ. In John 15:5 it says:
Apart from me you can do nothing.
So if we want to do something, we have to know the person we are abiding in. Today I'm going to take us through the understanding of this person and the aspect of him that is the name above all names.
When you abide in Christ, the fruit isn't just intimacy. The fruit is total liberation and confidence in him. Sometimes we fall victim to certain cycles because we truly have not known who he is. We've just known him to be, "Oh yeah, this is a man who was God and he died for my sins." And for some of us, that's where it ends.
But I'm here to tell you that you need to understand who he is at a deeper level so that faith, confidence, and authority enter your life. This theme of abiding in Christ isn't just so we get intimacy — it's so that you will truly walk in him. And anyone who walks in him cannot be bound by the things of this world. It's not possible, because he's the Son of God who came to set free.
Repeat after me:
As I hear the word, faith enters my members. I will believe in the power, dominion, and the authority of the name of Jesus.
Let's go to Philippians 2:9–10:
Therefore God has highly exalted him and given him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow of those in heaven and of those on the earth and of those under the earth.
One thing we have to understand: the name of Jesus isn't just an identification of the person. It's also a place. It's a rank and an authority.
Literally, the Greek word for name here is onoma. It covers everything — including the thought or feeling which is aroused in the mind by the mentioning. So even the feelings you feel at the mention of this name are included in this name of Jesus. That freedom is included in the name. Another definition is that it speaks to one's rank or authority.
So when Jesus died on the cross, when he humbled himself, walked the earth, and submitted himself even to the point of death — God the Father now gives Jesus this name, this rank, this authority that is above every other name, above anything in the heavens, above anything in the earth.
We are not just speaking about a first name like Efua or Nelson or Alice. We're looking at a rank or authority. Wherever it's evoked, every single thing has to bow at the mention of it.
Whenever we gather and worship, we're lifting up the name of Jesus. We're not just saying it in vain to identify who we're worshiping. What we are evoking is the power of that name and the authority of that name in the room.
So we don't say the name lightly whenever we gather and worship. Even in your room when you're praying, don't say it lightly — because you are evoking a rank and authority in your life. If you could understand this, your mind would be able to comprehend that all the dealings in your life can stand no chance against this person of Jesus.
Let's look at Proverbs 18:10:
The name of the Lord is a strong tower. The righteous run into it and are safe.
The Hebrew word for "name" here is shem. It means the reputation, fame, glory, the name of God — and the part I want us to pay attention to: it's a memorial or a monument.
When you study what the cross has achieved, you understand how much of a miracle it is. How can someone who was a person with just a first name now become someone with rank, authority, and power — and become a place? The Lord turned Jesus, who walked the earth, into a place where everyone could come into.
So when we say you're in Christ, we're not just saying you're in a person. We're saying you are in the place of Jesus that is called Jesus. That is his name. Christ — the office which he functions from.
When we talk about abiding in Christ, we're not talking about just getting familiar with a person. It means abiding in a place, in a location, in the strong tower that is meant for the righteous.
And we know that this is the name of Jesus spoken about in Proverbs 18:10 because scripture informs scripture. One of the definitions of shem is reputation, fame, or glory. And we know this is Jesus because in Philippians 2:9–10 the Lord has given him the name above every name. God has given him a reputation. God has given him glory.
So we can put Jesus in this scripture and say: the name being spoken about is the name of Jesus.
When we abide in this place that is Jesus, whatever is of this office is also at work in your life by reason of abiding in that place. Like when you have access to an office space, you have access to all the utilities and the spaces in that office.
Whenever we come into that name, there are things that we can obtain. Ephesians says we've been blessed in Jesus with every spiritual blessing. That means in this name is every spiritual blessing — it's your inheritance. It's in this place and it's for you to obtain and grab it, because his name is a place. It's an office. Whatever his name speaks for or can accomplish, you — by right of being in his name — can lay hold of it.
Let's look at Psalm 91:1–2:
He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, he is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in him I will trust.
With reputations, ranks, and titles, there's a common consensus that the one who bears the name has earned that name. Jesus has earned this name, becoming a space and a place. And with ranks and titles, there are credibilities attached.
If a general of an army was in this room and terrorists came in — God forbid, in Jesus' name — there's a level of confidence we'd have because the man of God will know what to do. Or less dramatically: if someone came to rob and police officers were in the room, we'd have confidence because the person of authority will know what to do.
It's the same with Jesus. When we're in this place that is the name of Jesus, we have a confidence because the man of the reputation is with us. He has a reputation of dealing with the things we think are weighing us down. That's his work. That's his job.
So anyone who dwells in the secret place — that secret place of the Most High is Jesus, by the way — has a refuge and a fortress, and can trust in him, because the one who is the reputation is the name of that place and dwells in that place.
He's earned this title that is the name above all names. Therefore he has become a refuge, because there's no thing, no person that can stand against this name and the power and the authority it evokes. All things have been subjected under this name. Everything in the heavens and everything in the earth has to abide and obey this name.
Jesus earned this name by one thing. If you read the whole of Philippians 2, you see there's a point where it talks about him being obedient and submissive to the point of death. Him being obedient and submissive to the point of death evoked an active ordinance, precept, and law that is now hinged on his name.
The law is this: every knee has to bow and every tongue has to confess.
It's a law now. It's not just a nice-to-know or something that if we believe enough we can have. It's become a law by reason of his sacrifice, by reason of him obeying and submitting to the point of death.
Some of us believe, "But some of the things we're going through — we deserve it. It was our fault." Okay, some of it might be partly true. But there's a law that you have come under that you can evoke in your life because you are in the name of Christ.
You can evoke this principle that every knee must bow and every tongue confess his lordship. Everything under the heavens, everything under the earth. There's no thing, no situation, no oppression too big that can stand against this name, because it's become a law. You can't challenge a law.
So what we've come into is more than just a relationship with a person — we've come into a new governance. We are governed by the name that is above all names.
Abiding in Christ must lead you to this place where you understand that you are governed by the one who is the name above all names. And that governance must inform your reality. Reality should not inform that law. The law informs your reality — whether it's depression, anxiety, cycles of sin, whatever it is. It has to obey the law and this principle because it is under the name above all names.
All these things are just names. There's something we need to understand about names, too.
Throughout the word, the name of Jacob meant something, and he lived according to the meaning of his name. Isaac lived according to the meaning of his name. Anyone named in Scripture — we always see something about their life that identifies with the meaning of their name.
So if you allow the name of depression, the name of anxiety, the name of whatever sin, to attach itself to you, you're going to live in the reality of it. Some of us have clothed ourselves with the name of these things, thinking we're identifying — no. What you are doing is watering down the work of the cross in your life.
What did Jesus go to die for then? He suffered in obedience to the point of death. Can you imagine being fully God, walking this earth restricted — people spitting, doing stuff — but he endured that to the point of death, that you might live in this reality under his name and under no other name.
Our God is a jealous God. We apply it to idols. You don't understand — some of that can be applied to the things you're letting run in your life. He's a jealous God.
He wants you to be given over to him. Not weariness. Not these things that try to find expression in your life. This is why we need to abide in the word — that our mind would be free from these lies that ascribe power to some things that are just specific names trying to find expression through you.
Even as I was going through this, the Lord brought to my mind the whole aspect of David and the cave of Adullam. It's a type and a shadow of what happens when people come under the name above all names.
Even the meaning of Adullam means justice for the people. It's a place of justice. A place of liberation. A place that is in his name. It's a typology of the name above every name.
Just like in the cave of Adullam, we come into that name one way and we leave another by force. Do you think the men wanted to become mighty men? They just became, because they were in a place that demanded that out of them. The name above every name demands a warrior out of you. It demands someone bold. It says those who are strong in their God will do great exploits.
So you come into the name, and by reason of being in that name, exploits are a natural occurrence. It's one of the fruits of John 15. Because if every name is subjected and everything bows at the name of Jesus, miracles just happen — sometimes the enemy likes to act up and say, "Look, I'm here. I've got authority." So miracles and exploits naturally have to happen to remind the enemy of who he is and his position under the name above all names.
Every ruler, every principality, every demon, every power — subjected under the name above all names.
The name above all names is a place of justification. Galatians 2:6 — make a note of it — speaks about justification in Jesus.
One thing we must also notice: the name of Jesus is separated and holy. So by reason of the name of Jesus being separate and holy, if you are found in that name, you are separated and holy.
When it says "be ye holy as I am holy," it's because you're in his presence. There's no other option but to be beholding as in a mirror the glory of God, being changed from glory to glory. In the presence of who you are in, you become, you behold, you reflect. If he's holy, you are holy. If he is separated, you are separated. It's not a fight.
Some of you have been living like it's a war. You're fighting, you're struggling. It's because knowledge and wisdom hasn't entered. Your struggle with holiness, being separate, your struggle with righteousness — it's because you have not understood the word yet.
If you understood the word, you'd live from that place. It was never meant to be a struggle. This is why we say there's a possibility not to sin. It is possible, because you're in the presence of the one who knew no sin, who became sin, that you might become the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus.
There's depth to this word. The word is living and active. If you would engage with it, all those things you are struggling with become easy. It just becomes fruit. He says anyone who abides in me will bear much fruit.
When you abide and you come into knowledge, into wisdom, into understanding, it becomes fruit:
So don't struggle. Get in your word and begin to live from that place, and allow the one who's the name above all names to bear that fruit in you.
Some of you — the boundaries aren't enough because you keep breaking them yourself. You set the boundary, you break it the next day. This is what true metanoia is: you separate yourself from your works. You come into the understanding that you're in a name, and the one who is in that place will bear fruit in your life. Get the word in you and believe it.
Now let's look at the meaning of "safe" in Proverbs 18:10 — "the righteous run in and are safe." The meaning of this word "safe" means to be set high, too high for capture.
When I looked at this, I screamed. Who's high? The name above all names is high. We've been seated in heavenly places in Christ Jesus. That safe place is him. Who has been set high? Jesus. We haven't been set high — but we are found in him. So therefore, we are in a high place too high for capture.
If we understand some of these things, you'll begin to walk and people will think you're arrogant in the things of God. But you're not. You're righteous.
That's the way God wants us to walk — with divine arrogance against darkness. To believers, we're lowly and humble. We're servants. The first shall be last. But to the face of darkness — oh no, no. May he think I'm prideful in Jesus. Paul was bold, he's confident. But it's not in him. It's in Christ. We have to walk with boldness.
If you are abiding in Christ this year and your only thing is intimacy and kumbaya — not understanding, not a revelation of position, and you're not imparted with confidence, boldness, and faith — then you haven't understood this year. There are things that are going to come and try you this year. So you need to get the boldness now. Not when trials come — "Oh, where was this word?" No — understand it now. Get into the word now, that in the day and in the face of trials, you'll be able to stand.
The word for safe is to be set high, too high for capture, to be exalted. It's the name of Jesus that's high, and it's the name of Jesus that is exalted.
In Psalm 121 he says:
I will look to the hills from whence comes my help.
Who do you think David is talking about? There's only one man he could be talking about — the one who was exalted high, the one who was set above capture. He looks up towards the hills. The hills are exalted. The hills are his name. His name is far above everything.
Psalm 121 even talks about how the sun shall not smite you by day nor the moon by night. It's because those things are under the name. Everything in the heavens is under the name.
David, just by answering, caught a revelation of something he could not yet understand. But we have had the privilege through Christ Jesus to now come into light and understand this.
That hill spoken about is the name of Jesus. This also brought me to Calvary — the hill where Jesus died, was sacrificed for our sins. I began to dig deeper and I found out that whenever someone was crucified, their name is on the cross above them.
John 19:19:
Now Pilate wrote a title, put it on the cross, and the writing was: Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews.
This was written on Jesus's cross, placed above him. Every sin — Isaiah 53 talks about all these things that were put and nailed on him. So every single thing nailed on his body was nailed under his name — even physically painting a picture of Philippians 2:9–10.
God is intricate. God is meticulous. He communicates things to further deepen our understanding. If we weren't going to get it, you'll get it another way. Even physically — this is why God wanted Jesus to die in this way: to communicate a prophetic message that his name is above everything. Your sin was nailed on the cross, and it was nailed under his name.
So in Jesus, in his name, you are set high, separated. Some of us don't live separated because we haven't yet understood that we're under the ordinance. We just know it because scripture says it. But when wisdom enters, you begin to actually live from this space.
Some of us — this was the picture that came to me — it's like police coming to arrest you. You haven't done anything wrong, but you just jump out the car: "Take me." That's the posture we're living from. That's how funny and silly it is in the spiritual.
Colossians 2:13–15 (NLT):
You were dead because of your sins and because your sinful nature was not yet cut away. Then God made you alive with Christ. He forgave all our sins. He canceled the record of the charges against us and took it away by nailing it to the cross. In this way, he disarmed the spiritual rulers and authorities. He shamed them publicly by his victory over them on the cross.
We live as though there are certain charges that stand against us and they're valid. Even though they're not valid — and even if they were, because Jesus took it, it's no longer valid.
Some of us need to come into this understanding: every single charge has been dropped now that you are in the name above. Everything raising an accusation against you — you remind it: "Hey, we bow. Please bow."
Anxiety, depression — all these things trying to show a face are an accusation. That temptation is putting an accusation there, hoping. And this is how wicked the enemy is: he raises an accusation before you've committed, to see if you'll fall into it. Then he can bring the accusation to the court of heaven.
He's convinced you that you're already accused, so you might as well. And then you two just go, "Oh, okay, since I'm here." And then you get to the court of heaven and he says, "Hey, look, God. They did it."
And what can you say there? Even there you can still say: no charge. Every charge against me has been nailed to the cross. Even with the plethora of evidence, it's been nailed to Jesus. Even if you were caught in the act, it was nailed to the cross as Jesus's punishment, and the debt was paid.
So you have the right to refuse the charges brought up against you. You're in the name above every name. Every single name trying to identify itself with you — you have the authority to separate it from your life.
If you are to abide in Christ and you don't come into this revelation — you're still bound by condemnation, still bound by cycles — then you truly haven't abided yet. There's still something you are to understand.
We thank God — this is why we took communion in light of mercy. Because if we're left to ourselves, we're finished. But his mercy — even if it's taken us a while to understand — his mercy covers us. He speaks for us. He intercedes for us.
We have a high priest whose name is above all names. Not only is he a place, he's also our high priest interceding for us. To the enemy, he has a strong hand against. To us, he's a hand of mercy. He's our high priest. He says, "Where are those who have accused you? Where are they? Go and sin no more." That's our intercessor.
Even of this thing of charges and accusation — even if we've done something, God will advocate and erase. It's finished. So any accusation, any charge that stands, any door — is only by ignorance and lack of knowledge. That's the only door. It's not that you did it and are worthy and deserving of the punishment. It's because you were ignorant of what would erase that charge.
As we look at this theme of abiding in Christ, the Lord is delivering us from ignorant minds. No more will your mind be ignorant. No more will you distantly have an idea of what the cross has done. You are meant to know fully and stand confident, that you boldly approach the throne of grace, that you might obtain mercy.
Sometimes we only understand boldness and faith as being tenacious. We must be tenacious in truth. Not tenacious in trying to beat down his head — tenacious in upholding truth and keeping it.
Peter led us in prayers talking about — it's not enough just to hear this. You have to keep the word too. Even today — everything we've shared, we've all been saying "wow, great." It's possible, if you don't keep this word, that your life will still be afflicted by many things. So you must keep the revelation.
Ever since I got this and understood, every day I'm just saying, "God, thank you, I'm in the name above every name." Today I truly believe God is going to deliver us from mental prisons. I believe the word has done it, but any stubborn mental prison will be broken today.
We preach good words. Revelation is in the house. But the reason we're not seeing application or the wisdom and understanding in our lives is because of this thing of mental prisons and the lack of being able to keep the word.
You must war for your ability to keep the word today. You can't just keep hearing and agreeing while the fruit of your life doesn't testify. That's the goal of abiding in Christ — that you will bear much fruit. Not just work, not just deed — but that the fruit of the word is evident in you.
The only legitimate charge that exists is lack of knowledge. Hosea 4 says:
O people of Israel, the Lord has brought charges against you, saying there's no faithfulness, no kindness, no knowledge of God in the land.
My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I will also reject you from being priests for me.
For some of us, that rejection is being refused to partake in being in the name of Jesus. Jesus says he gave them up to a depraved mind. Because of your lack of desire to engage — to be present in his name, to know you're standing in his midst and you're in a place far set above everything else — the Lord gives you up because of your desire.
So you have to desire today: "Lord, I need to know the depth of my position, my place in this name that's above every other name."
We're going to enter into a place of prayer now. One of the things that has to break in this house are mental prisons. Not just depression, not just anxiety — but this fogginess that refuses to subject itself to the reality of the word, that makes it hard to keep the word. We're going to break that.
Don't take this lightly, because this is a matter of life and death. You will experience life if you keep this knowledge of the word. You'll experience death if the word keeps passing by and leaving.
For some of you, after today, you need to develop a practical practice — from today. Even every Sunday, if it's one day in the week: "I'm going to go back to the word, listen to it, make notes, and study those scriptures to actively act against" what tries to rise up.
So let's begin to pray. Have we all understood that we're in the name above every name? So that means your mind is subjected to that name. Do you believe that your mind is subjected to the name of Jesus?
Open your mouth and pray. "God, my mind — my mind is subjected." Somebody lift up your mind right now. Boldly approach the throne of grace and find the mercy that will clear the fog from your mind. War over your mind: "My mind, I understand the word. I come into the reality of the word."
For our weapons are not carnal, but they are mighty in God for the pulling down of strongholds. We take every thought captive and command it to come into obedience.
Oh mind, no more shall you linger. No more be satisfied with the things of the world. Don't be a captive any longer. You have now become the one who takes captive. Take some things captive in your mind. Name them one by one — the things that are trying to imprison you. Name them and take them captive.
You are no longer a weary man. You've become one of David's mighty men. Grab them, take captive. This is a war — a war you have already won in Christ Jesus.
One of David's mighty men took 800 at once. This is the type of authority, ability, and strength found in the name of Jesus. Some of you need to take the 800 at once — those in your mind. Grab them. Pull the strongholds down. Make some things obedient to Christ in your life.
Deuteronomy 32:30:
How could one person chase a thousand of them and two people put ten thousand to flight, unless their Rock has sold them, unless the Lord has given them up?
This Rock, this Lord, is Jesus — the name above every other name. So those things afflicting your life, the Lord has sold them and given them up to you. We can take them in mass. Not even one by one — mass.
How can one chase a thousand? How can two chase ten thousand? There are more than a hundred of us in this room. So every single affliction will be driven out today. Paniym City, we chase a million. Your might is in Christ. Chase them out. Drive them out of this house.
We're no longer praying for self. We're praying for the body. We're praying for Paniym City Church. Intercede. All darkness must be driven out.
By my God, I can leap over a wall. By my God, I can run through a troop. Someone needs to get arrogant today. Do you know what you can do in your God?
And on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
And on that rock, I will build Paniym City Church, and the gates of hell cannot prevail.
The Deliverer is in the house. If I drive out the demons by the finger of God, then the kingdom of God has come to you. Paniym City, the kingdom of God has come. The finger of God is in the house. Turn it into an arrow. Fire upon the enemy.
From the office of Christ, we have a message. O death, where is your sting? Great light shines. Somebody chase a thousand. Somebody chase ten thousand. Somebody chase a million. Out, oppression. Out.
If you are afflicted by some things that need to be broken today, run to the altar. The finger of God is present today. Every sin pattern will break today. Come kneel at the altar. This isn't cute. I need you to war for your freedom.
The chains will break today. Chains of sin, chains of depression, that ignorance — stop it, spirit of ignorance. It will break today. Get as close as you can to the altar. Continue to war. Continue to pray. Partner, partner, partner.
Today, Paniym City, we are more than the two that will drive out the tens of thousands. We'll drive them out by the millions today. If I drive out demons by the finger of God, the kingdom has come to you. The cycles will be broken today.
Jesus said, "I saw Satan fall like lightning." Some of you, get that image. Let the image enter your mind. Satan has fallen like lightning in your life. He's fallen because of the name above all names. For the Lord has given him the name above every other name by which every knee will bow and every tongue confess his lordship. Every ruler, every principality bows at the name of Jesus.
Ministers, pastors, help me drive out that demon, drive out that cycle. Don't pray over them — declare. Speak to that cycle in them. Decree.
We drive it out. Today, liberation has come. We say out. The snare has been broken and you have escaped like a bird out of the snare of the fowler. The snare has been broken and Jesus reigns.
We decree and declare over Paniym City — just like in Malachi 3 — that the Lord will lead every captive out. They escaped and they came out with the Lord their God on their heads.
This is the testimony of Paniym City this year: that the Lord their God, Jesus, would be at their heads leading them out of captivity — that we have been broken out of captivity.
I even hear over Paniym City this year, as the word comes with might and power, that the Lord will come with healing in his wings over this house — that the realm and window of healing will be opened by the word of the Lord as we enter with understanding and wisdom of his word. The wings of healing will be spread over this house.
Father, we come into agreement and we decree and declare this 2026: by April, may we see the reality of the wings of the Lord and his healing power over this house.
If there's any sickness in your body, lay hands on it right now. Continue to pray in the place where there is sickness.
Lord, we thank you that you are the name above every other name. We partner with all you're doing in this room. We decree and declare — any illness, any ailment, from the head to the toe — we drive it out right now by the name of Jesus. Every single person will come to testify a good report.
Whose report have we believed? We have believed the report of the Lord.
I even see a scribbling out of every record that has been written by the enemy. I see an erasing of it in the name of Jesus right now. The report of the Lord will have evidence in the life of every single person.
Any death, any sickness that has been subscribed, cycles of sickness, cycles of weakness — we break it now in the name of Jesus. Your word says even the knee of sickness has to bow and its tongue has to confess your lordship. So we decree and declare — it confesses and it bows now.
We thank you, Lord, that your life is present right now in our members and in our bodies. And we thank you because it is done — because you have done it.
In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.
