January 5, 2014
Stetson Memorial United Methodist Church
Sermon Series on
“The Names of God”
Sermon 1 of “What’s
In A Name…”
Exodus 3:13-14
Leviticus
24:10-16
(All Scripture is from The Names of God Bible)
“Our Many
Faceted God”
(Show Video of the “Names
of God”)
I
have heard it said that Eskimo’s have about 400 names for snow. Now that’s a
lot of names for one thing. It may be hard to fathom that one thing could have
so many names. But then I think about how many names each of us goes by.
Sure…my name is Ruth but I have so many other names I go by…and each name has a
unique undertone. Let’s see there’s:
1.
Pastor Ruth: I am called this by those
who God has me shepherd
2.
Mom: Used by my daughters and most of
their friends
3.
Honey: Used by my loving husband
4.
Ruth: Used by my mom
The
list just goes on. Names sort of explain…they say who you are to the one who is
calling you that name. Each name I am called sort of says what “role I am
playing” at that time. I am sure that most of you go by more than one name.
Our
God also goes by different names at different times depending on what was going
on in the life of those who were calling upon His name…depending on how God is
viewed at the time of the person calling out His name…what they needed from
Him. There are different names that are used when you are calling upon Him for
strength…or guidance…or to just be there with the person. As a matter of fact…I
think there are about 72 names that the Hebrews called God. Can you believe it…72 different names for
one God? By the way, some of the names are for God through Jesus Christ…
There is beauty and elegance found in each name of God. As a matter of fact,
each of the Names comes with a promise of and from God that is associated with
the name.
With
that being said, I would like to invite you all on an excavation…a treasure
hunt so to speak…this year as we dig up the treasures of God’s Names and the
promise that it holds for you and me. For the year 2014, we are going to be
looking at the names of God…praying the names of God…understanding the message
and promise behind the name. I pray that by doing so, we will all grow in our
love and faith of God. I pray our vision of God would grow wider and larger as
we begin to understand these sacred names that we may not hear every day but
they are not any less important to our understanding of who God is. So let’s
begin on our treasure hunt. In the Scriptures from this morning, you heard me
use a couple of names that you may not recognize…Ha-shem and Ehyah.
Now
the word Ehyah that I used in the
Exodus scripture simple means “I Am.” When Moses wanted to be able to tell the
Israelites the name of the person who sent him God just said My Name is I Am.
Now here is Moses, in front of the burning bush that God used to speak through
to him. He has been called to go and free to people from their slavery and the
only name he is given is “I Am”. I think that Moses must have felt a little
“jipped”. He wasn’t given some long fancy name…nor was he given a name that
spoke some kind of power. All he got was “I Am”. Now who would want to put
their trust in a person named simply “I Am”? They probably thought that Moses
was just making up the name. Their God was supposed to be great so He really
should have this great, fantazmalatical name…something like “The All Powerful
God Who Rules Over Everything… but it was just simply “I Am”.
So…what’s
in a name? This name that Moses gave the Israelites is a name that is so sacred
that even Jews today don’t pronounce it…it is and was a deeply sacred and holy
name. Now this name not only reveals that God has always been there but it also
reveals that God is a God who is always present…He just is. I Am the God who is always with you…you
never walk alone; I AM the way, the Truth and the Life; I Am the true Vine…
The
other name that I used this morning in the Leviticus scripture was Ha-Shem which means “the Name.” Now…His…and our…Name is our reputation. God’s
reputation was and is one of glory, power, holiness, protection, trust and
love. So When you call upon the “Name” of God…you call upon His presence…to act
in His name is to act with His authority…to fight in His Name is to fight with
His power and might…and to pray in His name is to pray to Him…to invoke His
name. Now invoking His Name is not some sort of magical thing…when men and
women of faith call upon His Name…they are exercising their faith in God. When
we pray to Ha-shem…we are praying to
the holy God who dwells with us, hearing and answering our prayers. When you call me I will answer…Because you
know my name I will protect you…I will call upon the name of the Lord and be
saved
Beloved…to
know God’s names…to pray God’s names…well it is a privileged access to Him. As
we pray the Names of God we pray about and to His character…about and to His
Nature…about and to His very essence. God…by revealing His name…invites each
and every believer into relationship with Him. But it comes with
responsibility…you shall not take the
Name of your God in vain. Cursing in His name certainly dishonors His name
but by living a life that contradicts His character also is using His name in
vain. As we journey together on this treasure hunt for His names…as we look at
the many facets of who He is, may we draw ever nearer to His heart and fall
more deeply in love with the One who shares His most precious names with His
beloved children…our Lord and our God. May we grow in stature as we rediscover
the Hebrew names of the One who created heaven and earth.
Let us pray…
Our Great God Ehyah…may
we come to understand that You are I Am…the One who was…who is…who will always
be. May we come to understand that You are always with us and that we never
walk alone because I Am goes with us. May we honor Your Ha-shem…you name in all
that we say and do. As we call upon He-shem may You draw ever near to hear and
answer. Thank you for protecting us as we sojourn in this world. You truly are
the Great and Powerful I Am.
Amen
January
6, 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
sermon blog
meditation
blog
“God’s
Whisper” blog
Stetson Memorial United Methodist Church
Patten, ME
January 5, 2014
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