Whats in a Name?

Hey everyone needs one of these note books with the I AM booklet with it, I will be explaining what these are for at the ends of the message, but for today, and really every part of this series we want you to take notes in this journal, during your week as you use the booklet use this journal and fill it up with everything God wants you to learn and grow in. Because we are starting a new series today called “I Am” where over the next 8 weeks as a church we are looking at the 7 I Am Statements of Jesus in the book of John and we are going to see who Jesus is based on his own words.

Names are important aren’t they, names can give us identity and purpose. If I were to ask you the question who are you without using your name how would you answer? What qualities would you say, what defining attributes, or flip it how could you describe yourself if you only had your name to define yourself? Names are important because if we are honest, your name is the sweetest word in the world to you.

Names matter, names in the biblical account when used identity someone’s destiny, it told them to what clan they were a part of, family matters, if you were honorable or not, strong or not, have integrity or not, names meant more than just Cameron, they went deeper than that. One OT scholar writes this, “in the world of Hebrew scripture, a personal name was often thought to indicate something essential amount the bearers identity, origin, birth circumstances and divine purpose that the bearers was intended to fulfill.” Now if that is true about humans, its even more true about God. For God has a name.

I want you to open up your Bibles to Genesis 1:1, “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the Earth” Before anything was created, time, space, Adam and Eve, human invention, pizza rolls, or the Denver Broncos, Glory. God was there. But interestingly enough most people when asked if they know God’s name they would say…God. But that isn’t his name, just like “The Lord” isn't God’s name. God or “The Lord” isn’t God’s name, rather It is a title. King isn't someone’s name, its their title, CEO isn’t someone’s name, it's their title, Pastor isn't my name, it is a title. So God doesn't just want you to call him by his title, he wants you to call him by his name. Because what you call someone, says a lot about your relationship. God wants you to know him and know him deeply, not just through informal titles, but by his personal name. (Heavenly Father)

In Genesis God calls a man Abraham who would be the father of Israel, to worship him instead of the Gods of Mesopotamia where he was born. Abraham's relationship with God was so close and so robust that three different world religions trace their linage back to Abraham, Jews, Muslims and Christians. But catch this, even Abraham doesn’t know God’s name. God tells Abraham that he is God Almighty, and that translates to El-Shaddai. El was the Canaanite word for the King of the God’s, and Shaddai means might. Mighty King of the Gods. Another way was El-Olam which means God everlasting. Abraham and the writer of Genesis used names that were attributes to God but not God’s name itself.

So in Exodus 3 we meet a man named Moses, and he used to be in the Egyptian home, but he was an Israelite who were enslaved by the Egyptians. By the millions. Long story short while Moses was living with the Egyptians he killed a man, and ran away for 40 years. All this time, from the moment the Israelites were enslaved to Moses was over 400 years and the Israelites kept praying to God to free them and then one day maybe you know this Moses is walking, and he sees a different sight, he sees a burning bush. Moses and God go back and fourth in talking and God tells him that he will be the one to lead the Israelites out of captivity. And Moses asks this question, 13 Moses said to God, “Suppose I go to the Israelites and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ Then what shall I tell them?” 14 God said to Moses, “I am who I am. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I am has sent me to you.’” 15 God also said to Moses, “Say to the Israelites, ‘The Lord, the God of your fathers—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob—has sent me to you.’ “This is my name forever, the name you shall call me from generation to generation. - Exodus 3:13-15

Moses has just asked the God of the universe what his name was, the audacity of this statement, cannot go untalked about. He isn't just saying that is your name, he is saying what is your character like, what are you truly all about, what is your identity, what is your power, what are you all about. And for the first time in human history God speaks his name. I just imagine tremors under Moses feet as a name this powerful is spoken, I see all animal life remaining silent, I feel like Moses could only hear his own heart beat.

And the name isn't one that automatically sounds powerful. It’s not Zuzes, Posideon, or Thor. It was a moment in Moses life that was about to change his life, it would give him an new purpose and a new way of thinking, and I am hoping during this series you will understand it also, that God’s name, gives you a new purpose and understanding of who he is. God simply says, “I AM” God speaks, “I am who I am.” One way to translate it would be “Whatever I am, I will be.’ Meaning whatever God is like, he is like that all the time. Whatever God’s character is like, he is like it all the time. If God is compassionate, he is compassionate all the time, if God is gracious he is gracious all the tie, if he is slow to anger, he is slow to anger all the time, if he is jealous he is jealous all the time, if he is righteous his is righteous all the time, if he is love he is love all the time. God is the great I AM.

It also shows that where we lack, God doesn’t. When you don’t have hope, God is saying I am Hope. When you are weak God says I Am Strong, when you don’t feel like you are enough, God is saying I Am enough, where you are sinful God is saying I AM sinless, when you say you can’t earn your salvation God is saying I Am your rescuer, when you struggle with mental health God is saying I Am the Healer. When you feel like you are broken God is saying I am the Restorer. When you feel Joy, I Am your Joy, when you feel peace, I am your peace, when you…fill in the blank. God is the great I Am. God has told us his name, because wants us to know what he is like.

So this series is called, “I Am - Jesus in His Own Words” why are we looking at the Old Testament. The reason is we have just laid the ground work as to why the I Am Statements of Jesus are so powerful. Because Jesus uses the same words for “I Am” that God used to tell us his name. In essence, Jesus is saying two things 1: I Am God. 2: If you want to know what God is like, look at me.” In the very beginning of the book of John, John basically writes a prologue to his entire gospel, and in that prologue it give us an outline of the entire book of John. And listen to what he says about Jesus.

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4 In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. (1:1-4)

9 The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. (9-10)

16 Out of his fullness we have all received grace in place of grace already given. 17 For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is himself God and is in closest relationship with the Father, has made him known. (16-18)

John in these verses is telling us what Jesus is like, that he is God in a human form, and as we read these 7 I Am statements, dive into them, and learn to love and cherish them, we will see more of Jesus and more of our Heavenly Father in heaven. We know God’s name, he is the I AM, he is Jesus. We know God’s character because we know Jesus, we know God’s temperament because we know Jesus, we know God's love because we know Jesus.

This sereis for you, and for our church as a whole is a burning bush opportunity for us to know God as I AM. It is an opportunity for you and for me to dive into and learn more about Jesus. It is about us carrying this name that we proclaim and boldly go into our schools and tell others about Jesus, into our homes and be a light of hope, to go into north Peoria and shine brightly to people who need Jesus.

God desires for you to know Him.

So here is our goal,

Walk through booklet and journal. Don’t miss a week. I want to challenge you to take Jesus seriously these next 8 weeks, dive into your bible and see what God will do when we lean into our relationship with him, and see how you grow when you truth the great I AM.