The Remedy for Unrest

Excerpts from the Sermon by Lester Roloff

Our Heavenly Father, we thank Thee for Thy Word and for the privilege of being Thy people—saints of God, who love Jesus because He first loved us. Help us to walk in that love. Bless the sick and those who suffer. Bless those in sorrow tonight. Speak sweet peace through the Prince of Peace to them. Help us, Lord, to know that we desperately need King Jesus—and that we need Jesus to be King in our lives and hearts. So give us that liberty and freedom apart from which no man can speak and be a blessing. Help us to help the people. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Turn with me, please, to the Book of Philippians. The second chapter has to do with the name that is above every name. No matter how dark or dreary or discouraged the situation may look, there is one thing that brings hope and help—and that’s to put our faith in the name that’s above every name.

Our cities are uneasy tonight. Cities across America are burning because we’ve let the main fires go out. When we let the fires of evangelism burn down to cold ashes, we ask for trouble—and we’ve got a bunch of it. There is no hope for improvement until King Jesus is recognized again in His world. We’ve torn our little clock of life and civilization to pieces. And instead of asking the Big Clockmaker to put her back, we’re trying to work on it ourselves.

Some say that alcohol is the answer to unrest. They claim it makes youngsters happy and gives them some peace. That’s where we are as a civilization—and it’s pathetic. Well tonight I want to preach about the true remedy to this world’s unrest:

Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus…. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted Him, and given Him a name which is above every name…. And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord… –Philippians 2:5-11

That’s the remedy right there—confessing that Jesus is Lord (Romans 10:9). The most drastic thing that ever happens to anybody is when they get saved. It puts them up on a different plane. It throws them from the natural to the supernatural—all in one operation. I mean, it turns them right out of darkness into the marvelous light of the Lord Jesus Christ (II Corinthians 5:17).

Jesus is the answer. He carried all our grief and sin and burdens. He carried the load, but most of us are weighed down—trying to carry the old burden. He is our burden bearer! We’ve left the Bible out, and now we’re sick. We’re bankrupt and miserable because we got away from the Bible. Oh, that God’s people could put Jesus’ name where it ought to be tonight and love Him and put Him first.

O Lord, our Lord, how excellent is Thy name in all the earth! Who hast set Thy glory above the heavens. –Psalm 8:1

Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus. –Philippians 2:5

Now the only way to fill your mind with the mind of Christ is to fill it with this Book right here. The only way to get the bad out of your mind is to get some good into it—that’s Jesus and His Word. And it takes time.

Commit thy works unto the Lord, and thy thoughts shall be established. –Proverbs 16:3

If you will get busy as a Christian for Jesus, that will give you plenty to think about. There’s no danger in the will of God, and there’s no safety outside the will of God. We don’t have to be afraid of anything the Lord volunteers us for.

…Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house. –Acts 16:31

That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow… –Philippians 2:10

Now what about the name of Christ? I believe that salvation is wholly of grace—there isn’t any other way. But it all comes through one name, and that is the name of Jesus. His name is above everything. There’s no progress away from the Word of God. Most of our teachers and professors are pointing people away from God and His Word. We need to come back to the name that’s above everything.

Let me tell you something else: you will never enjoy God’s peace until you surrender your life to Jesus. He can give you complete victory over all of it. But you can’t have victory until you have Jesus. Now a lot of people want victory—they want the blessings. But they don’t want the Blesser.

The Lord is the portion of mine inheritance and of my cup: Thou maintainest my lot. –Psalm 16:5

The Lord maintains my lot. He is my maintenance man. He’s my sustenance man. He’s my portion. This world won’t have true peace until it has Christ back in His rightful place. But until then our peace won’t come from anything in this world. Our peace isn’t man-made or man-given. It comes from Jesus Christ. Our peace is not a program. It’s a man—whose name is above every name. Jesus is the Prince of Peace now, but He’s fixing to come and take the throne one of these days.

When John the Baptist saw Jesus coming, he called Him the “Lamb of God” (John 1:36). Why? Because the people needed a Lamb for an offering. They were sinners, and John preached to them what they needed. And that’s what we ought to be preaching today. Why don’t we go back and rekindle the paths of evangelism and preach Jesus to the people? We have the hope they need to hear about.

We’re living in the midst of unrest. But you cannot have victory without a battle. The greater the battle, the greater the victory! You never raise the dead without the devil taking notice. And when you get lost people saved, you will get unsaved people stirred up.

Listen, dear friends, there’s just one thing God has convinced me of that He’s interested in, and that’s people. When Jesus Christ came, he didn’t come to die for the calves or cows. He came to die for sinners, just like you and I. Brother, Jesus was interested in people. Are you?