Northeast Rally - Proclaim the Name
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Introduction
Introduction
Acknowledge Andrew Lucas and Andrew Tramonte.
Thank the youth for the dedication and youth pastors/pastors for their unity and friendship.
Mention MTM and the $85,000 that was raised last year, compared to the $35,000 that was raised 4 years ago.
Philippians 2:9–11 (CSB)
9 For this reason God highly exalted him and gave him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow—in heaven and on earth and under the earth—11 and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Tonight I’m preaching, Proclaim the Name.
Pray & be seated.
The Beginning
The Beginning
We have a lot of ground to cover so I’m going to just jump in. We’re going to jump around the Bible fast, but all the scripture will be behind me on the screen, to follow along with. Let’s start at the beginning. Literally.
Genesis 1:1 (CSB)
1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.,
God, in this instance the Hebrew word is Elohim, created everything. We know the story right - in the first 3 days he created the earth, sky, land, seas, and space. In the next 3 days he filled those things with living things. Then he rested.
Now the word elohim is in an interesting word. Elohim is used in scripture as God with a capital G, or gods with a lower case g. It can also refer to angels or spiritual beings or an old testament reference to sons of God, also lowercase S. The reality is that Elohim refers more to diety or spiritual beings. The word we translate as God, is Elohim. But… that’s not His name. And I know you’re jumping ahead of me here going “yeah we know, His name is Jesus” but we aren’t there yet.
When we refer to God with a capital G, we have put honor on the word for gods (lowercase g), to designate that we’re talking about the one true God. This is obviously important. But that’s not His name.
We skip ahead to Genesis 11 and now the people have multiplied after the flood and Noah, and they’re building a huge tower and they say this:
Genesis 11:4 (CSB)
4 And they said, “Come, let’s build ourselves a city and a tower with its top in the sky. Let’s make a name for ourselves; otherwise, we will be scattered throughout the earth.”
The people are trying to make a name for themselves! Not for God.
Next we get to Abraham, first called Abram, when he hears from God for the first time.
Genesis 12:1–3 (CSB)
12 The Lord said to Abram: Go from your land, your relatives, and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. 2 I will make you into a great nation, I will bless you, I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, I will curse anyone who treats you with contempt, and all the peoples on earth will be blessed through you.,
Now wait, God is telling Abram he will do what? Make his name great. He didn’t want the other peoples names to be great - so what is different about this time? Let’s keep reading.
In Genesis 14, Abram helps defeat some kings that are going to war and afterwards he is blessed by a king named Melchizedek, who was also a priest who worshipped a god by a different but similar name.
Genesis 14:18–20 (CSB)
18Melchizedek, king of Salem, brought out bread and wine; he was a priest to God Most High. 19He blessed him and said: Abram is blessed by God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth, 20and blessed be God Most High who has handed over your enemies to you. And Abram gave him a tenth of everything.
Melchizedek worshipped a god named El Elyon. That means God Most High. But there’s an implication here that we quickly jump past. This is the same God that created the heavens and earth and that had called Abram to be a great nation, but to Melchizedek He had revealed Himself as God Most High, El Elyon, not Elohim. We will see that God is in the habit of revealing Himself in different ways to different people.
In fact, Abram knew God as a different name. Abram, consistently referred to God as Lord, Adonai. The biblical translators have a hard time with this translation because we don’t actually know if the Hebrew letters YHWH is pronounced Yahweh, because the Jews became very superstitious about the idea of saying the name, so that they didn’t use it in vain. They said, if we don’t say it at all, then it’s not in vain. So they normally translate it as The Lord. In your Bible it might be in all capital letters even. That’s how you know when Lord means Yahweh the name, versus adonai, for just lord. But when Abram calls Him Lord God, he’s not proclaiming Yahweh, he is using a different word for God, adonai.
Genesis 15:6–8 (CSB)
6Abram believed the Lord, and he credited it to him as righteousness. 7He also said to him, “I am the Lord who brought you from Ur of the Chaldeans to give you this land to possess.” 8But he said, “Lord God, how can I know that I will possess it?”
Exodus
Exodus
But let’s keep moving. We’re going to skip to the book of Exodus, where we begin to really focus in on this name Yahweh. A new character is introduced named Moses. Moses has now run away from Egypt and is living and working in the desert. Now there’s a bush near him on fire but it’s not burning out and God calls to him from the fire.
Exodus 3:6 (CSB)
6Then he continued, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” Moses hid his face because he was afraid to look at God.
God here, is Elohim.
But He goes on a few verses later:
Exodus 3:14–15 (CSB)
14God replied to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: I AM has sent me to you.” 15God also said to Moses, “Say this to the Israelites: The Lord, the God of your ancestors, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you. This is my name forever; this is how I am to be remembered in every generation.
In verse 14, God says to tell the Israelites that He is I AM WHO I AM. The translation here is tough, but that’s what we’ve come to recognize as best. The Hebrew here is incredible though. It’s haya aser haya. More on that in a moment. Then we get to verse 15 and God says to say this. The Lord (Yahweh) the God of your ancestors (elohim). This is our first introduction to Yahweh in scripture. But Moses got to hear this in such a neat way. Because when God said I AM WHO I AM and I AM has sent me, he then built upon that word haya and called Himself Yahweh. haya is the root word, the base word, of Yahweh. Look at the letters here.
We skip a couple of chapters and God says this to Moses:
Exodus 6:2–3 (CSB)
2 Then God spoke to Moses, telling him, “I am the Lord. 3 I appeared to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob as God Almighty, but I was not known to them by my name ‘the Lord.’
God says, I am Yahweh, but to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, I was known as God Almighty, El Shaddai. I was not known by my name, Yahweh.
So God’s name is not God. God’s name is not Elohim. God’s name is not El Elyon. God’s name is not El Shaddai. God’s name has now been revealed as the I AM, as Yahweh.
But let’s keep moving because we get to an incredible moment in Exodus 33.
Exodus 33:12–23 (CSB)
12Moses said to the Lord, “Look, you have told me, ‘Lead this people up,’ but you have not let me know whom you will send with me. You said, ‘I know you by name, and you have also found favor with me.’ 13Now if I have indeed found favor with you, please teach me your ways, and I will know you, so that I may find favor with you. Now consider that this nation is your people.” 14And he replied, “My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.” 15“If your presence does not go,” Moses responded to him, “don’t make us go up from here. 16How will it be known that I and your people have found favor with you unless you go with us? I and your people will be distinguished by this from all the other people on the face of the earth.” 17The Lord answered Moses, “I will do this very thing you have asked, for you have found favor with me, and I know you by name.” 18Then Moses said, “Please, let me see your glory.” 19He said, “I will cause all my goodness to pass in front of you, and I will proclaim the name ‘the Lord’ before you. I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.” 20But he added, “You cannot see my face, for humans cannot see me and live.” 21The Lord said, “Here is a place near me. You are to stand on the rock, 22and when my glory passes by, I will put you in the crevice of the rock and cover you with my hand until I have passed by. 23Then I will take my hand away, and you will see my back, but my face will not be seen.”
Whew, there’s a lot here, but really what we are seeing is that Moses has noticed something about Yahweh - there is a difference in being in His presence and seeing his Glory. Moses has experienced His presence in a burning bush. He’s experienced his presence on top of Mount Sinai but he is craving more. He wants to know the full glory of God. The Hebrew word for glory is Kabod. It means honor, distinction, and abundance. That’s what Moses wants to see.
So, let’s see it.
Exodus 34:4–7 (CSB)
4Moses cut two stone tablets like the first ones. He got up early in the morning, and taking the two stone tablets in his hand, he climbed Mount Sinai, just as the Lord had commanded him. 5The Lord came down in a cloud, stood with him there, and proclaimed his name, “the Lord.” 6The Lord passed in front of him and proclaimed: The Lord—the Lord is a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger and abounding in faithful love and truth, 7maintaining faithful love to a thousand generations, forgiving iniquity, rebellion, and sin. But he will not leave the guilty unpunished, bringing the consequences of the fathers’ iniquity on the children and grandchildren to the third and fourth generation.
There it is. This is what we have been working towards. Proclaiming the name. Yahweh, Yahweh is a compassionate and gracious elohim. Slow to anger and abounding in faithful love and truth, maintaining that faithful love to a thousand generations. That passage right there is the most quoted passage of the Bible, in the Bible.
Literally, it’s quoted over 20 times. Here’s a few.
Numbers 14:18-19 – Moses appeals to God’s mercy when interceding for Israel after their rebellion.
The Lord is slow to anger and abounding in faithful love, forgiving iniquity and rebellion. But he will not leave the guilty unpunished, bringing the consequences of the fathers’ iniquity on the children to the third and fourth generation. Please pardon the iniquity of this people, in keeping with the greatness of your faithful love, just as you have forgiven them from Egypt until now.”
Nehemiah 9:17 – The Levites recall God’s patience with Israel’s rebellion.
They refused to listen and did not remember your wonders you performed among them. They became stiff-necked and appointed a leader to return to their slavery in Egypt. But you are a forgiving God, gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in faithful love, and you did not abandon them.
Psalm 86:15 – David proclaims God's compassionate nature.
But you, Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger and abounding in faithful love and truth.
Psalm 103:8-10 – David praises God’s mercy and forgiveness.
The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in faithful love. He will not always accuse us or be angry forever. He has not dealt with us as our sins deserve or repaid us according to our iniquities.
Psalm 145:8-9 – A declaration of God’s kindness.
The Lord is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and great in faithful love. The Lord is good to everyone; his compassion rests on all he has made.
Joel 2:13 – A call to repentance, emphasizing God’s mercy.
Tear your hearts, not just your clothes, and return to the Lord your God. For he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger, abounding in faithful love, and he relents from sending disaster.
Jonah 4:2 – Jonah complains that God is too merciful.
He prayed to the Lord, “Please, Lord, isn’t this what I said while I was still in my own country? That’s why I fled toward Tarshish in the first place. I knew that you are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger, abounding in faithful love, and one who relents from sending disaster.
Nahum 1:3 – A contrast, showing both God’s patience and justice.
The Lord is slow to anger but great in power; the Lord will never leave the guilty unpunished. His path is in the whirlwind and storm, and clouds are the dust beneath his feet.
This collection of passages illustrates God's deep commitment to His name and His people, revealing His ongoing desire to be known and to reveal His sovereignty and mercy. All of these are examples of prophets and kings reminding God of His promise to Moses and over the Hebrew people - Yahweh is merciful. Yahweh is gracious. Yahweh is slow to anger.
Ok great Kris, but what’s the point? I’m glad you asked.
Jesus
Jesus
We’re going to fast forward from the Old Testament all the way to the New Testament. We’re going to start with John 1. This is the Apostle John, a disciple of Jesus, looking back and writing about Jesus.
John 1:1–5 (CSB)
1In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2He was with God in the beginning. 3All things were created through him, and apart from him not one thing was created that has been created. 4In him was life, and that life was the light of men. 5That light shines in the darkness, and yet the darkness did not overcome it.
John 1:10–14 (CSB)
10 He was in the world, and the world was created through him, and yet the world did not recognize him. 11 He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. 12 But to all who did receive him, he gave them the right to be children of God, to those who believe in his name, 13 who were born, not of natural descent, or of the will of the flesh, or of the will of man, but of God. 14 The Word became flesh and dwelt among us. We observed his glory, the glory as the one and only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.
We observed his what? His glory. The greek word here is doxa and it’s an awesome word. Because it’s the equivalent to Hebrew Kabod glory from Exodus 33 and 34. But it’s more than that. Doxa in greek is always connected to three things: royalty, majesty, and light. The glory of God in the OT is the same as the NT. It’s a bright heavenly light shining. It’s significant of the royalty and majesty of who God is. And John said we observed his Glory, the same one as of God from the OT.
Whew, but John goes on.
John 1:16–18 (CSB)
16 Indeed, we have all received grace upon grace from his fullness, 17 for the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has ever seen God. The one and only Son, who is himself God and is at the Father’s side—he has revealed him.
The law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. But let’s back up - what did Yahweh declare to Moses?
Christian Standard Bible Chapter 34
The LORD—the LORD is a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger and abounding in faithful love and truth
And then John goes on, no one has seen God (not even Moses) but this Son, this Jesus Christ, well He has revealed what God looks like.
The Gospel of John is incredible. I don’t have time to dive into it fully but through out the books John mentions 7 times that Jesus declares himself as the I AM, the haya, of the OT. In Greek, I AM is ego eimi. And there’s a version of the Old Testament in Greek called the Septuagint. In it, the I AM WHO I AM statement is Ego Eimi. And so in John when he declares I AM, he is proclaiming that He is the I AM, He is Yahweh.
1. "I am the Bread of Life."John 6:35, 48, 51
2. "I am the Light of the World."John 8:12
3. "I am the Door (Gate) of the Sheep."John 10:7, 9
4. "I am the Good Shepherd."John 10:11, 14
5. "I am the Resurrection and the Life."John 11:25
6. "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life."John 14:6
7. "I am the True Vine."John 15:1, 5
But there are two other instances I want to highlight. The first is when Jesus is approached by some religious leaders who are questioning Him. He makes mention that Abraham rejoiced for the day when Jesus would walk this earth. The Jews say “you aren’t even fifty yrs old, how can you say you’ve seen Abraham?
John 8:58–59 (CSB)
58 Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, before Abraham was, I am.” 59 So they picked up stones to throw at him. But Jesus was hidden, and went out of the temple.,
Why did they pick up stones? Because Jesus just said, that he was the ego eimi. The I AM. Yahweh.
Let’s look at another passage. In John 18, Jesus has just finished praying in the garden and a group of people and Judas come to get Jesus.
John 18:4–8 (CSB)
4 Then Jesus, knowing everything that was about to happen to him, went out and said to them, “Who is it that you’re seeking?” 5 “Jesus of Nazareth,” they answered. “I am he,” Jesus told them. Judas, who betrayed him, was also standing with them. 6 When Jesus told them, “I am he,” they stepped back and fell to the ground. 7 Then he asked them again, “Who is it that you’re seeking?” “Jesus of Nazareth,” they said. 8 “I told you I am he,” Jesus replied. “So if you’re looking for me, let these men go.”
Why did they fall to the ground? Because Jesus said Ego Eimi. I AM.
I want to look at one additional passage before we move into the rest of the NT. In John 17, Jesus is praying in the garden.
John 17:6 (CSB)
6 “I have revealed your name to the people you gave me from the world. They were yours, you gave them to me, and they have kept your word.
John 17:11-12 (CSB)
11 I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them by your name that you have given me, so that they may be one as we are one.12 While I was with them, I was protecting them by your name that you have given me. I guarded them and not one of them is lost, except the son of destruction, so that the Scripture may be fulfilled.
John 17:24–26 (CSB)
24 “Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, so that they will see my glory, which you have given me because you loved me before the world’s foundation. 25 Righteous Father, the world has not known you. However, I have known you, and they have known that you sent me. 26 I made your name known to them and will continue to make it known, so that the love you have loved me with may be in them and I may be in them.”
Wow. This is Jesus in His humanity praying and in these words we find some profound truth.
Jesus REVEALED the name to the people. What had once been hidden, has now come to light.
He prays that God would protect them BY HIS NAME that was given TO JESUS.
While Jesus was with them, he protected them by HIS NAME, JESUS.
He prays that they will see HIS glory.
He says God the world hasn’t KNOWN you - they won’t even say your name. But I’ve known you and they known you sent me. And Jesus made that name known.
I haven’t mentioned this yet, but do you know what Jesus name means?
Jesus is the greek form of Yeshua in Hebrew. Yeshua is the shortened form of Yehoshua. Yehoshua is made of two words: Yah Shua. Yah is Yahweh shortened. Shua means saves or is salvation.
Jesus name literally means Yahweh is Salvation. And He was revealing the name to the people. He was declaring the name as protection. He was proclaiming the name as the glory of God. John said it right, “We observed his glory, the glory as the one and only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.”
Epistles
Epistles
Here’s where all of this comes together and ties back to our opening scripture that most have you forgotten. :)
In the Septuagint, the greek translation of the OT, the word translated for Yahweh is kyrios. And in the NT, the word kyrios is used a lot. As in a lot a lot.
As in every time that Paul opened one of his letters a lot.
Paul’s origin story in scripture is that he’s a Jewish religous leader named Saul. He has a rabbi, named Gamaliel, meaning his entire life is focused on reading, understanding, and memorizing scripture. Saul has something called the Shema memorized. The Shema is Deuteronomy 6:4 ““Listen, Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.” In Hebrew, that is Yahweh is elohim, yahweh is one. But in greek, that is kyrios is theos, kyrios is one.
And in every single one of Paul’s letters that he wrote, he uses this type of language to declare that Jesus is Yahweh, kyrios.
Romans 1:7 “To all who are in Rome, loved by God, called as saints. Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” ,
1 Corinthians 1:3 “Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” ,
2 Corinthians 1:2 “Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” ,
Galatians 1:3 “Grace to you and peace from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ,” ,
Ephesians 1:2 “Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” ,
Philippians 1:2 “Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” ,
Colossians 1:2 “To the saints in Christ at Colossae, who are faithful brothers and sisters. Grace to you and peace from God our Father.” ,
1 Thessalonians 1:1 “Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy: To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Grace to you and peace.” ,
2 Thessalonians 1:2 “Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” ,
1 Timothy 1:2 “To Timothy, my true son in the faith. Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.” ,
2 Timothy 1:2 “To Timothy, my dearly loved son. Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.” ,
Titus 1:4 “To Titus, my true son in our common faith. Grace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Savior.” ,
Philemon 3 “Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.”
Paul is saying “before we would say that Yahweh is God and Yahweh is the only one. But now we say God is the father and Yahweh seen in Jesus Christ.”
In our opening scripture, Philippians 2:9-11, Paul is using the context of everything we just heard and says this:
Philippians 2:9–11 “For this reason God highly exalted him and gave him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow— in heaven and on earth and under the earth— and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
First, God proclaimed His name over Moses and showed him the glory. Then Moses and others reminded God of his promise but declaring his name over situations around them. Jesus declares his own name and through it he gives light and protection to his disciples and followers. But it’s Paul, it’s the apostles that show us that Jesus is literally the salvation that has to be proclaimed. Jesus is yahweh. Jesus is kyrios. Jesus is salvation.
I said all of that tonight to get to the simplest of points -
Proclaim the name of Jesus and you’ve proclaimed everything.
You don’t have the words to say? Proclaim Jesus and you’ve said it all.
Proclaim the name of Jesus and you’ve declared grace and love.
Proclaim the name of Jesus and you’ve proclaimed faithfulness and peace.
Proclaim the name of Jesus and you’ve proclaimed forgiveness.
If you want to see the glory of God, proclaim the name in your life.
Proclaiming the name, means following Jesus. It means repenting - that means TURNING your life around. You were pointing at sin and now you’re pointing to Jesus.
Proclaiming the name means going down in the waters of baptism in Jesus name.
Proclaiming the name means being filled with the spirit of Jesus to help you overcome the sin and temptation in your life.
Proclaiming the name of Jesus means you’ll walk as a christian should walk.
These altars are open tonight to give you an opportunity to proclaim the name, fall before the one who saves, cry out to Jesus, and find salvation, forgiveness, deliverance, and healing tonight.
