Sunday evening for 8/16/2009
Hallowed be Your Name- Matthew 6:9 c
Introduction:
Explain my name. Davon, Lanny, Huss.
WBTU:
A. Names are important. They tell us where you came from and they represent where and who you are. It is said that a person is only as good as their name.
B. (Prov 22:1 NIV) A good name is more desirable than great riches.
Thesis: When Jesus prayed, Hallowed by Your name, he wants us to recognize 4 truths about God.
For instances:
1. Jesus wants us to see that God has a name.
A. God is not like a dog. Some dogs, as long as you show them affection or give them treats, they will come running and wag their tails and be just so excited. If we didn’t know there name we could call them “Fido” or “Ginger” or any name and they would respond. We could even call them “Dummy” and they would think that is fine as long as we pet them and keep giving those treats.
B. Some people treat God like these nice but dumb dogs. You can call him “Allah” or “Buddha” or “Sheva” or “Yin” or “Yang” or “Zeus”. It really doesn’t matter as long as you are sincere and show him love and affection.
C. God is not a dog and he will not be treated like a dog. God has a name and He will only respond to a Biblical name.
D. What is God’s name? (Many more but these are the more generic names)
1. Elohim
a. Refers to God as the Creator
b. It is the most frequent Hebrew word for God (over 2,500 times in OT)
c. (Gen 1:1 NIV) In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
2. Adonai
a. Refers to God as Lord or Master
b. (Gen 4:1) Adam lay with his wife Eve, and she became pregnant and gave birth to Cain. She said, "With the help of the LORD I have brought forth a man."
3. Yahweh
a. Means the Self Existent One
b. (Exo 3:14 NIV) God said to Moses, "I AM WHO I AM. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ’I AM has sent me to you.’"
c. For most of there history, the Jews so revered this name of God that they dared not even say it. They took the consonants out of the name Yahweh and the vowels out of the name Adonai and put them together to create a new name for God, Jehovah, one that they could say.
d. (Exo 20:7 NIV) You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God, for the LORD will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name.
d. God names himself with Yahweh.
E. Jesus identified himself with this name in (John 8:58 NIV) “I tell you the truth," Jesus answered, "before Abraham was born, I am!"(John 8:59 NIV) At this, they picked up stones to stone him, but Jesus hid himself, slipping away from the temple grounds.
2. Jesus wants us to see that God’s name is holy
A. Don’t use the word Hallowed anymore. Hallowed means “holy” or “separate.” God is separate from us.
B. God is pure, untainted and unpolluted. When we consecrate something here, we are setting it apart for God’s use. This is holiness for man. In the way of God, he is holy in the sense that there is nothing lacking in him. He is perfect. He is Whole (Holy = Wholly)
C. God is not consumed like we are with petty jealousies, irrational angers and twisted and warped thinking and actions.
C. (Acts 4:13 NIV) When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus.
D. When we have an encounter with God we realize our sin. (Luke 5:8) When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus’ knees and said, "Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!"
E. (Isa 6:1 NIV) In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord seated on a throne, high and exalted, and the train of his robe filled the temple.(Isa 6:2 NIV) Above him were seraphs, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying.(Isa 6:3 NIV) And they were calling to one another: "Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory."(Isa 6:4 NIV) At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke. (Isa 6:5 NIV) "Woe to me!" I cried. "I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the LORD Almighty."(Isa 6:6 NIV) Then one of the seraphs flew to me with a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with tongs from the altar. (Isa 6:7 NIV) With it he touched my mouth and said, "See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for.”
3. Jesus wants us to see that God wants us to praise Him.
A. (John 4:23) Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks.
B. Worship, plain and simple is surrender! It is saying that God is God and I’m not Him. It is saying I honor Him, trust Him, look to Him, respect Him and give Him the Name that is above every name.
C. It’s saying I am a learner, a student, a seeker of truth, a disciple and apprentice that wants to be taught by Him, learn from Him and be like Him.
D. We are talking about worship that admires, adores, reveres, and respects God.
E. When we worship, when we pray “Hallowed by Your name,” we are remembering that God is: Greater than our problems, greater than our sorrows, greater than our needs, greater than our fears, and greater than anything we face.
F. When we worship and pray in this way, we are reminding ourselves that God our Father is all powerful, all knowing, and present at all times.
G. And though this world can be overwhelming, unrelenting and unforgiving at times, we not only have a God, a Creator, a King and Lord, but a Father who says, (Mat 11:28 NIV) "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.(Mat 11:29 NIV) Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.(Mat 11:30 NIV) For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."
H. (Rev 22:17 NIV) The Spirit and the bride say, "Come!" And let him who hears say, "Come!" Whoever is thirsty, let him come; and whoever wishes, let him take the free gift of the water of life.
I. The truth is that there are too many churches where His name is not hallowed and worship is not life changing or taken seriously. The concept that church time is a sacred encounter with the living God is passing away in our modern approach to worship.
J. Very often the order of worship, special music, the technology, the latest fellowship function, or even the preacher’s personality are considered of far more importance than the authority and person and presence of God Himself. In some worship services, the people are scarcely aware of the presence of God.
K. It is not surprising that many churches are little more than another country club or civic group in the community. For where our heavenly Father’s name is not held high, the church loses its impact and power upon the lives of its people.
L. A.W. Tozer maintained that the church’s greatest loss today was the loss of reverence for God himself. It was his firm conviction that God would honor any group of believers who honored Him. Where He is neglected or ignored, death is sure to follow.
M. Like the prophet Isaiah, we would do well to have our spiritual eyes opened to see God’s very presence in our midst. We would do well to worship reverently. We would do well to remind ourselves always that God our Father deserves our sincere and honest respect, our deepest gratitude.
4. Jesus wants us to see that God does not force us to honor Him.
A. (Luke 19:37 NIV) When he came near the place where the road goes down the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of disciples began joyfully to praise God in loud voices for all the miracles they had seen:(Luke 19:38 NIV) "Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!" "Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!"(Luke 19:39 NIV) Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, "Teacher, rebuke your disciples!"(Luke 19:40 NIV) "I tell you," he replied, "If they keep quiet, the stones will cry out."
B. What happens when we refuse to acknowledge or worship God? Read Daniel 4:29-37
C. When we worship the Lord this is what happens- (Prov 3:5 NIV) Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding ;( Prov 3:6 NIV) in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.
D. When we worship we are led to service. (Isa 6:8 NIV) Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, "Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?" And I said, "Here am I. Send me!"
