January 26, 2014
Stetson Memorial United Methodist
Church
Sermon
Series on “The Names of God”
Sermon
4 of series-
“The
Sacred Names of God: El Chay”
Joshua
3:7-13
2
Kings 19:14-16
(All Scripture is from The Names of God Bible)
“Hello
My Name Is El Chay”
A
reading from 2 Kings 19 verses 14-16. . . listen for and to the word of God for
you and me the people of God:
2
Kings 19:14-16 Names of God Bible (NOG)
14
Hezekiah took the letters from the messengers, read them, and went to Yahweh’s
temple. He spread them out in front of Yahweh 15 and prayed to Yahweh, “Yahweh,
Elohim of Israel, you are enthroned over the angels. You alone are Elohim of
all the kingdoms of the world. You made heaven and earth. 16 Turn your ear
toward me, Yahweh, and listen. Open your eyes, Yahweh, and see. Listen to the
message that Sennacherib sent to defy Elohim Chay.
Let
us pray. . . Loving and eternal God, giver of all true wisdom and might, we
pray for your mantle of wisdom to fall upon us gather here today. May we gain
wisdom and insight from your word. We ask that you would open your word to us
so that we may catch a glimpse of what you would have us do in and with our
lives. Speak to us in ways we will understand. Speak Lord, We are eager to hear
your voice. . .
I love the movie Frankenstein. It makes
me laugh to myself when Frankenstein announces ---it’s alive! His “creation”
comes to life after he took body parts from all these different people and with
a flash of lightning. . . IT’S ALIVE! Of course what happens after with the
“creation” turning out to be more of a “monster” to people doesn’t surprise me.
What did he expect trying to do something that only God does right. . . But there are times when I use Dr
Frankenstein’s Exclamation “It’s alive” whe trying to get the girls up in the
morning. . .
This morning we are continuing on our
journey as we talk about the “Sacred
Names of God” and pray in those very same names. Last week we talked about
Elohim, Creator God. It would stand to reason that this week we would talk
about El Chay. . . the Living God. . . The name El
Chay- The Living God- emphasizes God’s role as Creator of all that is, in
contrast with idols made of wood and metal or stone which are created by human
hands. It sets the God of Israel apart from the gods of the surrounding
nations. How do we know we serve the Living God? How do we know He will hear
our prayers?
Well the 2nd Kings Scripture
from this morning we hear the prayer of king Hezekiah when they when God’s
people were threatened by the King of Assyria. Hezekiah knew he served a Living
God. . . El Chay. His God would listen, hear and see what was going on and
would stop Sennacherib king of Assyria and Babylonia. El Chay was not like the
gods of the people around him. . . He was the Living God who acted on behalf of
Hid people. We too, as Gods people serve
a living God and we, like Hezekiah, know that our God is still alive and
working things out for His people. . . what confidence we have to know that our
God acts on our behalf.
The inhabitant of the area in which
Hezekiah lived worshipped idols instead of El Chay. Talking with the idols made
of stone and metal was and is like
talking to thin air. . . It does no good
but when we talk with El Chay. . . now
that’s a different story. El Chay is
a living God who sees and hears His children...His worshippers like you and me.
We can fulfill our need for worship by
bowing down before El Chay, the Living God who transcends culture and time and
yet is present with us today. This is the God who created heaven and earth.
. . created you and me in our mother’s womb. . . who has counted every hair on our heads. He is
not the work of our hands but we are the work of His.
Jeremiah 10:3-5 tells us:
“The religion of the people is
worthless. Woodcutters cut down trees from the forest. The hands of craftsmen
prepare them with axes. Craftsmen decorate them with silver and gold and fasten
them together with hammers and nails so that they won’t fall over. These trees
are like scarecrows in cucumber gardens. hey aren’t able to speak. They have to
be carried, because they can’t walk. Don’t be afraid of them. They can’t harm
you. They can’t do you any good either.”
Like in the times of Hezekiah we too
have enemies that we must contend with. . . often these enemies come from the
inside verses the outside. There is rage and anger, addiction and depression. .
. situations that look hopeless. We
can’t defeat these on our own. . . the problem seems so big that we may think
it is too large for El Chay to deliver us. . . but we need to reject that lie.
. . our God is a live and more powerful than anything we could ever come up
against..
We have seen it right here at this
church how He still continues to be involved in the life of his people and will
answer our prayers. As Hezekiah prayed
in trust, we too can pray in that same trust. We have seen, with our own eyes,
the deliverance of the Lord in our lives and in the lives of those around us. .
. we have seen marriages renewed. . . the lost found. . . we have seen miracles
happen when there was no hope.
The 3rd Chapter of Joshua
from this morning. . . the Israelites were entering into a new land. But it was
a land that had inhabitants that probably didn’t want to give up their land to
the people of God. They had this land for a long time and were not about to
give it up to a bunch of foreigners. . . But they had El Chay with them. . . they were
going to prosper. . . they were going to take over the land in which the Living
God promised them. They had no reason to fear. . . we too
have that same God on our side but we too have those times in which we fear the
unknown. . . fear going to a new land, a new chapter in our faith walk. But as
did the Israelites we too are loved and watched over by the same Living God who
wants us to have victory in all that we do. The Israelites trust grew as El
Chay drove out their enemies and blessed them richly. God continues to drive out our enemies. . . addiction, fear,
hopelessness, brokenness, and brings us to a place of blessings, freedom peace
and a sense of purpose.
Throughout Scripture, we see how God’s
people trusted in. . . believed in. . . the One true Living God of Israel. . . our
God who is still living and breathing to this very day. 2 Corinthians 6:15-16 tells
us: “Can Christ agree with the devil? Can a believer share life with an
unbeliever? Can God’s temple contain false gods? Clearly, we are the temple of
the living God. As God said,
“I will live and walk among them. I will
be their God, and they will be my people.” And
I will live among them and they will be MY
PEOPLE.
WE serve a living, breathing God. Our
God continues to act on behalf of His people. El Chay will take those parts
within us that are dried out and broken and mold them into something of beauty.
El Chay will come to our rescue if we only but ask. Are you in need of a hero. . . a knight in
shining armor. . . to come and rescue you not only for your enemies but from
yourself as well? Call out to El Chay and He will come and rescue you from all that ails you. Call out to El Chay and He will set you free from your
prison cell and bring you into a land flowing with milk and honey. Pray in the
name of El Chay and be made alive again in our Savior and Friend, Christ Jesus.
. . Yeshua the Christ.
Let us pray. . .
Lord,
You are a God who speaks, who hears, and who acts. Thank you for making us and
breathing life into us. Please watch over us and hear us when we cry to You;
deliver us from our enemies and glorify Your name so that everyone who knows us
may know that You alone are El Chay, the living God. Amen.
January
26, 2014
Sermon 4 of “What’s In A Name…”
Sermon Series on “The Sacred
Names of God”
Names
of God and Definitions from Sermon today:
-
El
Chayà Living God
Joshua
3:7-13
2
Kings 19:14-16
Jeremiah
10:3-5
2
Corinthians 6:15-16
(All
Scripture is from The Names of God Bible)
Worship
Songs:
-
Soon
and Very Soon (King)
-
Praise
to the Lord, the Almighty (Lord, King)
-
Spirit
of the Living God (Living God)
Prayer
of Thanksgiving
children’s
sermon
“We
have a living and breathing God who is always there for us.
He
answers us when we call. Our God is not dead…He surely alive…“
by
Pastor Ruth
and sermon “Hello My Name is …El Chay”
(in the bulletin
as “Hello
My Name is …El Chay / Living God”)
by
Pastor Ruth Foss
sermon blog
meditation blog
“God’s Whisper” blog
Stetson Memorial United Methodist Church
Patten, ME
January 26, 2014
&
Sermon 3 of “What’s In A Name…”
Sermon Series on “The Sacred
Names of God”
Names
of God and Definitions from Sermon today:
-
El
à God
-
Elohimà God
-
EloahàGod
Genesis
1:2-2:3
Deuteronomy
28:2-6
(All
Scripture is from The Names of God Bible)
Offering
– “I Will Bless the Lord”
Prayer
of Thanksgiving
children’s
sermon
-
“and God Created. . . “
by
Pastor Ruth
Closing
Song – “Friend of God”
and sermon “Hello My Name is …El, Elohim, and Eloah”
(in the bulletin
as “Hello My Name Is. . . God“)
by
Pastor Ruth Foss
Stetson Memorial United Methodist Church
Patten, ME
January 19, 2014
&
Baptism
of the Lord Sunday
(and
a time to celebrate and remember our own baptism)
Sermon 2 of “What’s In A Name…”
Sermon Series on “The Sacred
Names of God”
Names
of God and Definitions from Sermon today:
-
Yeshua
--> Jesus
-
Mashiach --> Christ,
Messiah
Matthew
1:18-21
Psalm
2
Mark
1:14-20
Matthew
3:13-17
(All Scripture is from The Names of God Bible)
Reception
of new members
Offering
– “The New 23rd”
Prayer
of Thanksgiving
children’s
sermon
-
There is only One who can save us, Jesus, the one Savior
Closing
Song – “The River Is Here”
and sermon “Hello My Name is …Yeshua/Mashiach”
(in the bulletin as “Hello My Name Is. . . Jesus, Christ,
Messiah“)
by
Pastor Ruth Foss
Stetson Memorial United Methodist Church
Patten, ME
January 12, 2014
&
Epiphany Sunday
Epiphany of the Lord Sunday
Sermon Series on “The Names of God”
Sermon 1 of “What’s In A Name…”
Names
of God and Definitions from Sermon today:
-
Ha-Shem ->
the Name
-
Ehyeh -> I Am
Exodus 3:13-14
Leviticus 24:10-16
(All Scripture is from The Names of God Bible)
offering
– worship your holy name
Prayer
of Thanksgiving
children’s
sermon
-
different names, different meaning – one person
-
many names for God, all one God
communion
–
-
“Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus”
-
“Lord, You Are More Precious Than Silver”
and sermon “Our Many Faceted God”
(saved as “Hello My Name Is. . . “)
by
Pastor Ruth Foss
Stetson Memorial United Methodist Church
Patten, ME
January 5, 2014
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reserved. Contact me at Ray Foss for usage.
See all 35,240+ of my poems at www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com
Poetry Where You Live.
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