It’s the high festival of Pentecost on May 11, 2008 with the 3 assigned readings of: Numbers 11:24-30; Acts 2:1-21 and John 7:37-39. The text for the sermon is Acts 2:21 which reads, “And it shall come to pass that whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

On that great day of Judgment, how do you know that you will be calling on the name of the Lord? And just what does it mean to call on His name? Can you wait until that Day and make sure you say, “Jesus!” Is that sufficient to call on His name? Probably not in light of the passage in which Jesus says that on the last day there will be those who did use His name and even did miracles in His name and He will not know them!

There are two approaches to the Bible prior to delivering a sermon. The first is interpretation using the principle of “Scripture interprets Scripture.” The second is application using the principle of “Law and Gospel.” Obviously, prior to applying a text to the hearers, the proper interpretation of a passage needs to be understood. If the interpretation of this passage is that simply speaking the name “Jesus” is sufficient to meet the criterion of “calling on His name” then the sermon just needs to teach the names of God so the hearers will be prepared.

Obviously, that is not the intent of the passage. My name is Thomas Baker. However, there are over 7 of us with that name in the Greater St Louis area. If my mother sends a birthday card to me but has the wrong address, I won’t receive it. It is not enough to use the name; one must have the right address.

There are many in this world who use the word “god” and even “Jesus” but have the wrong address! For example, both Muslims and Mormons even regard Jesus as a great prophet but when they pray, the caricature to whom they direct their prayers is the devil himself. So how do you know that you are rightly calling on His name? How do you know that you are sending your prayers to the right address?

From the immediate context we learn that Peter is preaching his Pentecost sermon. However, in this portion of the message he is quoting from the prophet Joel. While the quotation includes part of verse 32 of Joel, chapter 2, it does not include the entire verse which reads, “And it shall come to pass that whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved. For in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there shall be deliverance, as the Lord has said, among the remnant whom the Lord calls.”

The context of the entire Bible reveals that those who call on the name of the Lord are those whom the Lord has called! So the question is no longer, “Are you properly calling on the name of the Lord?” but rather “Have you been properly called by God?” The theologian of self-glory will examine his works, his faith and his experience to make that determination. Such an introspection should result in great doubts.

But the theologian of the cross will look outside of himself to the promises of God connected to the cross of Jesus Christ. Where does one look? One looks to the promises of God attached to an event in which we were passive and God was active. That event is, of course, our baptism, during which God attached the promises of His call to you in the waters of salvation.

So when the question as to whether you are included in those who call upon the name who will be saved is asked, you can confidently reply, “Yes, because I have been baptized into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” What God demands for salvation (calling upon the name of the Lord), He supplies in us through the power of the Holy Spirit who calls, enlightens and keeps you in the one true faith. Then, when you as a believer calls upon the name of the Lord, your prayer is going to the right address.