For His Name Sake

Introduction

You go because you have love for the Lord that is demonstrated through your obedience.

We know, love, and rejoice that he first loved us.

As you go out I want to remind you the motivating factor of knowing that God wants His name known.

We plan to put these words above the pictures in the back. for his name's sake they went forth 3 John 1:7

Seen very clearly in this passage

Isaiah 48:9–11 (KJV 1900)

9 For my name’s sake will I defer mine anger, And for my praise will I refrain for thee, That I cut thee not off.

10 Behold, I have refined thee, but not with silver; I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction.

11 For mine own sake, even for mine own sake, will I do it: For how should my name be polluted? And I will not give my glory unto another.

People throughout history have (and continue) to be ignorant of the true God. Even when they know His name they do not know Him for who He is.

Pharaoh questioned God Exodus 5:2 And Pharaoh said, Who is the Lord, that I should obey his voice to let Israel go? I know not the Lord, neither will I let Israel go.

Nebuchadnezzar questioned God Daniel 3:15 Now if ye be ready that at what time ye hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and dulcimer, and all kinds of musick, ye fall down and worship the image which I have made; well: but if ye worship not, ye shall be cast the same hour into the midst of a burning fiery furnace; and who is that God that shall deliver you out of my hands?

Questioned the existence or power of God is not just for the world leaders.

It is for the depressed teenager in Indonesia who realizes that Islam will not give him hope.

It is done by the father in Argentina who doesn’t know how to handle the pressures of life and knows he is as likely to find relief from the friend at the bar as he would at the confessional booth

The true God is questioned by the kids in the villages outside of Kathmandu who have been indoctrinated with the belief that their are gods for every area of life and they are beginning to realize these gods are not reliable

God wants to be known – not simply by name – God wants to be known globally as GOD

What is a Jesus? - Austin Till or “Yes, I know about Jesus the Mother of God.” Both are ignorant of the true God

Psalm 46:10 Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.

Ezekiel 38:23 Thus will I magnify myself, and sanctify myself; and I will be known in the eyes of many nations, and they shall know that I am the Lord.

God desired that the Egyptians would know Him Exodus 7:5 And the Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord, when I stretch forth mine hand upon Egypt, and bring out the children of Israel from among them.

God wanted to the children of the Israelites to know Him Exodus 16:12 I have heard the murmurings of the children of Israel: speak unto them, saying, At even ye shall eat flesh, and in the morning ye shall be filled with bread; and ye shall know that I am the Lord your God.

From Lucy Becker in Argentina to the imam in Indonesia God wants to be known.

We see God act in accordance to wanting His name know all throughout the Bible

David killed Goliath so the world would know there is a God in Israel 1 Samuel 17:45-46 Then said David to the Philistine, Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: but I come to thee in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied. 46 This day will the Lord deliver thee into mine hand; and I will smite thee, and take thine head from thee; and I will give the carcases of the host of the Philistines this day unto the fowls of the air, and to the wild beasts of the earth; that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel.

Abimelech, the Philistine king, conversing with Abraham. Genesis 21:22 And it came to pass at that time, that Abimelech and Phichol the chief captain of his host spake unto Abraham, saying, God is with thee in all that thou doest:

Pharoah, Egyptian King, recognizes God in Joseph’s life Genesis 41:38 And Pharaoh said unto his servants, Can we find such a one as this is, a man in whom the Spirit of God is?

God’s name represents His global reputation.

1. God revealed His agenda regarding His own name as it applied to His purpose with Pharoah’s life Exodus 9:16 And in very deed for this cause have I raised thee up, for to shew in thee my power; and that my name may be declared throughout all the earth.

2. Did it work? Did God accomplish His goal of global fame through the deliverance of His people from Egypt?

Words of Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law Exodus 18:1 When Jethro, the priest of Midian, Moses’ father in law, heard of all that God had done for Moses, and for Israel his people, and that the Lord had brought Israel out of Egypt

Rahab’s testimony Joshua 2:10-11 For we have heard how the Lord dried up the water of the Red sea for you, when ye came out of Egypt; and what ye did unto the two kings of the Amorites, that were on the other side Jordan, Sihon and Og, whom ye utterly destroyed. 11 And as soon as we had heard these things, our hearts did melt, neither did there remain any more courage in any man, because of you: for the Lord your God, he is God in heaven above, and in earth beneath.”

Daniel mentioned in his prayer that God had gotten Himself worldwide fame through the Exodus – 1500 years after the fact! And now, O Lord our God, that hast brought thy people forth out of the land of Egypt with a mighty hand, and hast gotten thee renown, as at this day; we have sinned, we have done wickedly.

Are the darkest days on the field. When you are beyond frustrated with those you are working with remember that you are there for His great name! God has made wonderful promises to those who go out for His namesake.

Look at how this understanding shaped Moses life and ministry.

Numbers 14:11–20 (KJV 1900)

11 And the Lord said unto Moses, How long will this people provoke me? and how long will it be ere they believe me, for all the signs which I have shewed among them?

12 I will smite them with the pestilence, and disinherit them, and will make of thee a greater nation and mightier than they.

13 And Moses said unto the Lord, Then the Egyptians shall hear it, (for thou broughtest up this people in thy might from among them;)

14 And they will tell it to the inhabitants of this land: for they have heard that thou Lord art among this people, that thou Lord art seen face to face, and that thy cloud standeth over them, and that thou goest before them, by day time in a pillar of a cloud, and in a pillar of fire by night.

15 Now if thou shalt kill all this people as one man, then the nations which have heard the fame of thee will speak, saying,

16 Because the Lord was not able to bring this people into the land which he sware unto them, therefore he hath slain them in the wilderness.

17 And now, I beseech thee, let the power of my Lord be great, according as thou hast spoken, saying,

18 The Lord is longsuffering, and of great mercy, forgiving iniquity and transgression, and by no means clearing the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation.

19 Pardon, I beseech thee, the iniquity of this people according unto the greatness of thy mercy, and as thou hast forgiven this people, from Egypt even until now.

20 And the Lord said, I have pardoned according to thy word: