It Is All In His Name!

Names of God, Laurell Hubick https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QU2MLVrTc8k

Psalm 92 NIV

A psalm. A song. For the Sabbath day. 1 It is good to praise the Lord and make music to your name, O Most High, 2 proclaiming your love in the morning and your faithfulness at night, 3 to the music of the ten-stringed lyre and the melody of the harp. 4 For you make me glad by your deeds, Lord; I sing for joy at what your hands have done. 5 How great are your works, Lord, how profound your thoughts! 6 Senseless people do not know, fools do not understand, 7 that though the wicked spring up like grass and all evildoers flourish, they will be destroyed forever. 8 But you, Lord, are forever exalted. 9 For surely your enemies, Lord, surely your enemies will perish; all evildoers will be scattered. 10 You have exalted my horn like that of a wild ox; fine oils have been poured on me. 11 My eyes have seen the defeat of my adversaries; my ears have heard the rout of my wicked foes. 12 The righteous will flourish like a palm tree, they will grow like a cedar of Lebanon; 13 planted in the house of the Lord, they will flourish in the courts of our God. 14 They will still bear fruit in old age, they will stay fresh and green, 15 proclaiming, “The Lord is upright; he is my Rock, and there is no wickedness in him.”

Pray

Opening Hymn

Announcements:

I couldn’t help but feel today’s Psalm reading was appropriate for today. On 9/11/2001, our nation reeled with the attack on the World Trade Center. As I read verse 11, I remembered the elation when we heard about the defeat of those enemies who were behind that hideous attack.

Psalm 92:11 NIV

11 My eyes have seen the defeat of my adversaries; my ears have heard the rout of my wicked foes.

I could not help but think of those that have so much hate that they would attack innocent men, women, and children for what they determine are righteous causes. But then I remember verse 4-7

Psalm 92:4–7 NIV

4 For you make me glad by your deeds, Lord; I sing for joy at what your hands have done. 5 How great are your works, Lord, how profound your thoughts! 6 Senseless people do not know, fools do not understand, 7 that though the wicked spring up like grass and all evildoers flourish, they will be destroyed forever.

And then there is that wonderful promise.

Psalm 92:12–13 NIV

12 The righteous will flourish like a palm tree, they will grow like a cedar of Lebanon; 13 planted in the house of the Lord, they will flourish in the courts of our God.

This is our eternal outcome. How I look forward to that day!

I have just a few announcements today:

First, I want to acknowledge Frankie’s report of the pastoral review. I just want to say thank you to our board and you my church family for the confidence you have in me. It really means a lot. I am very happy to be here and to stay for as long as God allows. You have been a wonderful church family and those who have served on the board have been wonderful to work with. Your Board carries a lot of responsibility. They try to share out the work load when they can, but it is still a lot of work. We meet monthly and often have a lot of business to accomplish. They all have tasks they perform outside those meetings and often get stuck with things that fall through the cracks. One of those things right now is the lack of a custodian. If you would be willing to help us with some of this, please let me know. We will not dictate to you what you have to do, but if there are tasks large or small that you would be willing to help with, we would appreciate it. I noticed our windowsills are pretty dusty, so perhaps you would just be willing to quickly wipe something like that down or if you notice something that needs a little extra care, feel free to just take care of it. we would appreciate it.

• Parsonage update

We have a nice house that has been our parsonage for a lot of years. However, It is needing a lot of TLC. Linda’s family has indicated that they would be interested in selling us her beautiful home. So, we are in the process of seeing if we can get enough from our current parsonage to buy her, which is in very good condition. Please keep us in your prayers as we go through this process. We have had an offer on our current location. It is lower than our asking price but it was a good beginning offer. We are in that offer/counter offer stage. In the meantime, we have had another viewing. If they are interested, we could find ourselves in a good place for a sale.

You should know that no sale will take place without a final vote our congregation. If you have any questions or concerns regarding this process, please feel free to ask me or any of our board members: Frankie Thamert, Helen Tucker, Ann Humphrey, or Patty Hartley. We can answer any questions you may have. If we acquire Linda’s place, we will have a beautiful piece of real estate and a nice home for any pastoral family that may come after me whenever that time comes. Hopefully not too soon! 😊

Alabaster Month

This month is Alabaster month. That means, if you have an alabaster box full of change and bills that you need to empty to give room for more, we will be placing our larger collection box up here near the altar so you can dump yours in.

With that, let us continue in worship.

Ezekiel 20:1–12 NIV

1 In the seventh year, in the fifth month on the tenth day, some of the elders of Israel came to inquire of the Lord, and they sat down in front of me. 2 Then the word of the Lord came to me: 3 “Son of man, speak to the elders of Israel and say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Have you come to inquire of me? As surely as I live, I will not let you inquire of me, declares the Sovereign Lord.’ 4 “Will you judge them? Will you judge them, son of man? Then confront them with the detestable practices of their ancestors 5 and say to them: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: On the day I chose Israel, I swore with uplifted hand to the descendants of Jacob and revealed myself to them in Egypt. With uplifted hand I said to them, “I am the Lord your God.” 6 On that day I swore to them that I would bring them out of Egypt into a land I had searched out for them, a land flowing with milk and honey, the most beautiful of all lands. 7 And I said to them, “Each of you, get rid of the vile images you have set your eyes on, and do not defile yourselves with the idols of Egypt. I am the Lord your God.” 8 “ ‘But they rebelled against me and would not listen to me; they did not get rid of the vile images they had set their eyes on, nor did they forsake the idols of Egypt. So I said I would pour out my wrath on them and spend my anger against them in Egypt. 9 But for the sake of my name, I brought them out of Egypt. I did it to keep my name from being profaned in the eyes of the nations among whom they lived and in whose sight I had revealed myself to the Israelites. 10 Therefore I led them out of Egypt and brought them into the wilderness. 11 I gave them my decrees and made known to them my laws, by which the person who obeys them will live. 12 Also I gave them my Sabbaths as a sign between us, so they would know that I the Lord made them holy.

3 Worship songs

John 6:25–35 NIV

25 When they found him on the other side of the lake, they asked him, “Rabbi, when did you get here?” 26 Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, you are looking for me, not because you saw the signs I performed but because you ate the loaves and had your fill. 27 Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For on him God the Father has placed his seal of approval.” 28 Then they asked him, “What must we do to do the works God requires?” 29 Jesus answered, “The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.” 30 So they asked him, “What sign then will you give that we may see it and believe you? What will you do? 31 Our ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written: ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’” 32 Jesus said to them, “Very truly I tell you, it is not Moses who has given you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven. 33 For the bread of God is the bread that comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” 34 “Sir,” they said, “always give us this bread.” 35 Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.

Prayer Chorus

Prayer (You may wish to have them remain standing as I will be reading the text promptly after your prayer.)

Sermon:

It Is All In His Name!

“Exodus is a God-centered book with a God-centered message that teaches us to have a God-centered life. Whatever problems we have, whatever difficulties we face, the most important thing is to know who God is.”

(Exodus-Saved for God’s Glory, see clipping).

Nothing makes this clearer than our passage today. So, without further ado, let’s get right to it.

Exodus 5:22–6:8NIV

22 Moses returned to the Lordand said, “Why, Lord, why have you brought trouble on this people? Is this why you sent me? 23 Ever since I went to Pharaoh to speak in your name, he has brought trouble on this people, and you have not rescued your people at all.” 1 Then the Lordsaid to Moses, “Now you will see what I will do to Pharaoh: Because of my mighty hand he will let them go; because of my mighty hand he will drive them out of his country.” 2 God also said to Moses, “I am the Lord. 3 I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob as God Almighty, but by my name the Lord I did not make myself fully known to them. 4 I also established my covenant with them to give them the land of Canaan, where they resided as foreigners. 5 Moreover, I have heard the groaning of the Israelites, whom the Egyptians are enslaving, and I have remembered my covenant. 6 “Therefore, say to the Israelites: ‘I am the Lord, and I will bring you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians. I will free you from being slaves to them, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with mighty acts of judgment. 7 I will take you as my own people, and I will be your God. Then you will know that I am the Lordyour God, who brought you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians. 8And I will bring you to the land I swore with uplifted hand to give to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob. I will give it to you as a possession. I am the Lord.’ ”

The Word of God for the People of God. Thanks be to God!

Pray

I. It Is All in His Name: LORD

William Lyons Phelps, an American educator and literary critic once wrote...

We are all so vain that we love to have our names remembered by those who have met us but once. We exaggerate the talents and virtues of those who can do this and we are ready to repay their powers with lifelong devotion. The ability to associate in the mind names and faces is a tremendous asset to a politician and it will prolong the pastorate of any clergyman. (William Lyons Phelps, American educator and literary critic, quoted in Bits & Pieces, June 22, 1995, p. 17.)

It makes us feel good to be remembered by our name, however, God’s name carries a power and depth far behind our names. I read somewhere that there is something like 1,000 different names for God in the Bible. God reveals important things to us about Himself through His names. But there is one name that stands out among them all. In our passage today, it is “LORD” with all capital letters. It is also known as Yahweh. After the Babylonian exile, the Jews began to refrain from using this name as they felt it was too holy to be used commonly, so they deferred to others names they considered less holy.

When we left off last week, Pharaoh had denied Moses’ request for the children of Israel to take time off to go worship their God. Now keep in mind that there were laws in Egypt allowing people to take time off to worship whatever god they may serve, but Pharaoh does not permit the Israelites to do so. Not only does he not permit it, but he increases their workload by prohibiting them the crucial straw they need to keep their assigned quota. He is punishing them for even making the request.

Moses returns to God and asks why God has allowed this to occur. In fact, Moses blames God for this hardship coming upon his people. But God does not get mad or frustrated with Moses. Instead, God answers Moses’ question with an incredible statement.

Exodus 6:1NIV

1…“Now you will see what I will do to Pharaoh: Because of my mighty hand he will let them go; because of my mighty hand he will drive them out of his country.”

God then reveals His special name. And He does so in such a way that implies that His name is enough to ensure that He is able to achieve this incredible feat.

Exodus 6:2–3NIV

2 God also said to Moses, “I am the Lord. 3 I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob as God Almighty, but by my name the LordI did not make myself fully known to them.

This is a powerful statement. God refers to Abraham as His friend in Isaiah 41:8

Isaiah 41:8NIV

8 “But you, Israel, my servant, Jacob, whom I have chosen, you descendants of Abraham my friend,

Yet, now he tells Moses that He has not made Himself known to Abraham and his kindred the way He is about to reveal Himself to these descendants of Abraham. What does that mean?

Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob knew God as El Shaddai meaning God Almighty. God was personal with them and even blessed them in many ways. He guided their steps and revealed Himself to them in various ways. However, they never experienced God in this personal way through major divine miracles. These Israelites will now see God do amazing things to free them from this bondage as well as provide for them later on, fulfilling all God’s promises to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

Abraham was told by God that his descendants would become great in number. He was told that they would leave their promised land to become enslaved in another land for 400 years. But God also informed Abraham that they would be freed and the nation enslaving them would be judged. These prophesies and promises were handed down, father to son, generation to generation. Yet, this generation of Moses’ time would see with their very own eyes the mighty deeds of God’s own hand fulfilling these prophesies. They will know God by this new name “LORD” (all caps). It literally means, “I AM”.

All these promises will be fulfilled because, God is who He is. Literally nothing was created or exists without Him. Nothing can be done or achieved without His approval. It does not matter who Pharaoh is or what authority he has here on earth, because no one has authority without God’s say so.

This “I am the Lord” statement is made 5 times in this chapter making it clear that this is an important declaration. The reason they can count on the success of their mission with Pharaoh is because of who God is. He is making this very clear.

In Exodus 6:1-2, God says not only will Pharaoh let them go, but he will literally demand they leave his nation. Why? Because… “I am the LORD!”

In Exodus 6:6, God says...

6 “Therefore, say to the Israelites: ‘I am the Lord, and I will bring you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians. I will free you from being slaves to them, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with mighty acts of judgment.

In Exodus 6:7-8 God says,

7 I will take you as my own people, and I will be your God. Then you will know that I am the Lordyour God, who brought you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians.8And I will bring you to the land I swore with uplifted hand to give to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob. I will give it to you as a possession. I am the Lord.’ ”

and it is reinforced at the end of the chapter.

Exodus 6:29NIV

29 he said to him, “I am the Lord. Tell Pharaoh king of Egypt everything I tell you.”

Why the emphasis on this name? Because it says all that needs to be said why He has the power and authority to do all He is affirming He will do. So, let us take a deeper look at what this name conveys as we see 7 very important revelations of God through His name, “the LORD.”

A. Seven Revelations of the name “LORD” (Yahweh)

1. The Name LORD conveys God’s Self - Existent and Eternal nature (Revelation 22:13)

God is self-existent. That is, he was not created. He has no beginning; He just always was. He is eternal. He has no end. He will never die or fall out of existence.

Revelation 22:13 NIV

13 I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.

LORD literally means “I AM!” It is the name that God revealed to Moses at the burning bush.

When we have children, we give them names. In some cultures, children are not given a final name until later as they seek to give the children names that fit their personalities or talents. I was once told that you should be careful what you name your child as they will over time begin to become what their name means. I admit that I am skeptical on that one. In our society, few people know what their name means, and some names have no meaning other than to be a derivative of their parents’ names or some other thing. However, God’s name LORD, is very direct and to the point.

Revelation 1:8 is another verse that makes this point.

Revelation 1:8NIV

8 “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.”

Not only is He self-existent, but He is eternal as these verses reveal. Let me add one more to the mix.

Psalm 90:2NIV

2 Before the mountains were born or you brought forth the whole world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God.

As I said earlier, everything that exists only exists because God created it/them. He is the only perfection of self-existence. This indicates the power for which He abounds, and I doubt we will ever comprehend the full extent of His power.

Second,

2. The name LORD reveals God’s relational nature (Psalm 19)

Psalm 19NIV

1 The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. 2 Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they reveal knowledge. 3 They have no speech, they use no words; no sound is heard from them. 4Yet their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world. In the heavens God has pitched a tent for the sun. 5 It is like a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, like a champion rejoicing to run his course. 6 It rises at one end of the heavens and makes its circuit to the other; nothing is deprived of its warmth. 7 The law of the Lord is perfect, refreshing the soul. The statutes of the Lordare trustworthy, making wise the simple. 8 The precepts of the Lord are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the Lord are radiant, giving light to the eyes. 9 The fear of the Lord is pure, enduring forever. The decrees of the Lord are firm, and all of them are righteous. 10 They are more precious than gold, than much pure gold; they are sweeter than honey, than honey from the honeycomb. 11By them your servant is warned; in keeping them there is great reward. 12But who can discern their own errors? Forgive my hidden faults. 13Keep your servant also from willful sins; may they not rule over me. Then I will be blameless, innocent of great transgression. 14 May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.

This speaks of a God with a relationship to all of creation. The earth, sky, and so forth, as well as people. We see it in God’s concern for the Israelites suffering and His delight in freeing them from the Pharaoh’s cruelty. It is seen throughout scripture as it describes God’s concern that we are lost to sin, and He pays a great price to free us from that bondage of sin.

God’s relational nature is not only extended to Israel, but to all His creation. You and I included. He longs to have a relationship with you. Isn’t that incredible, that this self-existent, eternal God desires to have a relationship with you? You are important to God! Everything He has created and done is for you and me and anyone willing to listen and open themselves to return His love.

Not only is He relational, but...

3. The name LORD conveys that God is with us (Luke 17:20-21)

Luke 17:20–21NIV

20 Once, on being asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, Jesus replied, “The coming of the kingdom of God is not something that can be observed, 21 nor will people say, ‘Here it is,’ or ‘There it is,’ because the kingdom of God is in your midst.”

Another word for this is omnipresent. This self-existent, eternal God is not limited by time or space. He is always everywhere. That means He is always in our midst. He is aware of what is happening in our life at any given moment. Nothing takes Him by surprise.

He is also omniscient. This means that He is always completely aware of every thought we have. We can never hide from God. God is the only person who completely knows us for who we are. This is a very scary thought but remember this, no matter how imperfect you are God still loves you. He is always working to bring you into a relationship or a deeper relationship with Him. Can you imagine this?

For this reason, God always knows what is going on. He knows the past. He is aware of our current events, and He always knows the future. So, once again, nothing can take Him by surprise. He always has a plan. He is always ahead of the situation. We can depend on that. We should find peace in that.

Another reason He is dependable is also evident through His name LORD.

4. The name LORD reveals God’s unchangeable nature

Malachi 3:6NIV

6“I the Lord do not change. So you, the descendants of Jacob, are not destroyed.

1 Chronicles 16:14–15 NIV

14 He is the Lord our God; his judgments are in all the earth. 15He remembers his covenant forever, the promise he made, for a thousand generations,

What a breath of fresh air this is. In our world, people can change. They are affected by circumstances, and they can change in their desires, their priorities, and even their temperaments at times. Relationships are always risky. There is no guarantee that a spouse, boyfriend/girlfriend, or even just a friend, will not for some reason have a change of heart about your relationship and abandon you. It is fear of this abandonment why many wish to just live together. They are afraid to commit, either because they may change their mind or their significant other might. Of course, this does not prevent the crushing ache when a relationship dissolves. However, God never changes. His objectives do not change. We can always depend on Him for this reason. And if we and those we have a relationship with do trust in God, He can help us overcome the odds and have a better chance for wonderful relationships here on earth.

Next, we find…

5. The name LORD defines someone unlike us (Psalm 50:21; Deut 6:4; Mark 12:29-30)

We often heap false judgments on others because we see them as we see ourselves. We assume their motives and responses are like ours. However, we are each different. We have different temperaments, different personalities, different priorities, etc. and so forth. However, we are alike. We are humankind. We were created in the image of God, but we are not God. God is unique. We misunderstand God if we try to compare Him with ourselves.

Psalm 50:21 (NIV) 21 When you did these things and I kept silent, you thought I was exactly like you. But I now arraign you and set my accusations before you.

We cannot judge God by how we would respond to something.

There is only one God. He presents Himself in three separate forms, but He is one God. There are no other gods! God makes this clear early on in Israel’s history.

Deuteronomy 6:4NIV

4 Hear, O Israel: The Lordour God, the Lord is one.

When questioned about which was the most important commandment, Jesus replied.

Mark 12:29–30NIV

29 “The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. 30 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’

God is holy and this holiness was conveyed to Israel through the name LORD to the extent that they did not use it in any common way and even deferred to other names before using this name, LORD. We should always have proper respect and reverence for God.

Sometimes I think we have become to relaxed in our attitude about God in our nation. We like the idea of friend and Father, but we also forget that God is or judge. He is the only one with the authority to do so, and we need to hold a healthy respect of that. Two of Aaron’s sons will appreciate this too late. They make light of God and God’s instructions, and God destroys them where they stand. We too often forget these accounts. Perhaps we do not preach them enough.

The next thing we can understand by His name is...

6. The name LORD is a covenant term (Nehemiah 1:5)

The name LORD/Yahweh was most often used when connected to the covenant.

Nehemiah 1:5NIV

5 Then I said: “Lord, the God of heaven, the great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love with those who love him and keep his commandments,

God was a covenant making God and He is always faithful to His covenant and His many promises throughout the scriptures. This is another reason the name LORD is such a personal term. You can always count that God will fulfill His promises and His promises include you if you have put your trust in Him.

and finally,

7. The name LORD relates great mystery (1 Tim 3:16; Col 1:26-27)

No one else can say “I AM”. God alone has that title, and it conveys mystery as much as extreme personal relationship. The idea of self, eternal existence is beyond our comprehension. A God who is Omnipresent(present everywhere at all times), Omniscient (totally aware and understanding of everything; our thoughts, our reason, our world), and is Omnipotent(all powerful, no one or anything can compare to God’s power). Yet, when we choose to have a relationship with God, when we open ourselves to Him, He reveals Himself to us in such incredibly personal ways.

God is a mystery, but He desires to reveal the mystery to us if we will only let Him. This is part of why Jesus came to earth to be with us. Look at 1 Timothy on this subject.

1 Timothy 3:16NIV

16 Beyond all question, the mystery from which true godliness springs is great: He appeared in the flesh, was vindicated by the Spirit, was seen by angels, was preached among the nations, was believed on in the world, was taken up in glory.

And Colossians 1:26–27 NIV

26 the mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to the Lord’s people. 27 To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.

The mystery described in these verses is God’s desire and plan for our salvation. However, I believe there is a greater mystery that is God Himself. Christ in us is bringing new revelations of this mystery every day. I believe one of the delights of eternity will be pealing back His layers for all eternity. I think our eternal journey will be one of greater and greater discovery of just who God is.

Conclusion:

When God told Moses, “I AM the LORD!” God was saying, I got this! Nothing can stop me from overcoming. Step back and watch me work and be amazed as I deliver your salvation!

Before I close, I want to just touch briefly on Jesus’ revelation of who He was through the name LORD. I preached an entire series on this once a few years ago. But look quickly at Jesus’ “I AM” statements all found in the book of John.

1. I Am the Bread of Life: (John 6).

2. I Am the Light of the World: (John 8).

3. I Am the Gate of the Sheepfold: (John 10).

4. I Am the Good Shepherd: (John 10).

5. I Am the Resurrection and the Life: (John 11).

6. I Am the Way, Truth, and Life: (John 14).

7. I Am the True Vine: (John 15).

Each time Jesus made one of these statements, the people knew He was professing Himself LORD. He was revealing His identity.

I want to close with Psalm 19 once again. I feel it encompasses well most, if not all, of God’s essence through the name LORD/Yahweh. Especially His relationship to man and all creation.

Stand and give God worship as I read this passage.

Psalm 19NIV

1 The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. 2Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they reveal knowledge. 3They have no speech, they use no words; no sound is heard from them. 4Yet their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world. In the heavens God has pitched a tent for the sun. 5 It is like a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, like a champion rejoicing to run his course. 6 It rises at one end of the heavens and makes its circuit to the other; nothing is deprived of its warmth. 7 The law of the Lord is perfect, refreshing the soul. The statutes of the Lordare trustworthy, making wise the simple. 8 The precepts of the Lord are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the Lord are radiant, giving light to the eyes. 9 The fear of the Lord is pure, enduring forever. The decrees of the Lord are firm, and all of them are righteous. 10 They are more precious than gold, than much pure gold; they are sweeter than honey, than honey from the honeycomb. 11By them your servant is warned; in keeping them there is great reward. 12But who can discern their own errors? Forgive my hidden faults. 13Keep your servant also from willful sins; may they not rule over me. Then I will be blameless, innocent of great transgression. 14 May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.

Pray