#Bible Timeless Truths. Calling Home Part 2b. Why Don’t We Call God by His Name?
Last week was part 2a of this series.
The next several weeks continue the focus on the Lord's Prayer, Jesus' description of the way we all need to "call home" to our Father. The key verse each week is highlighted in the passage below.
The next several weeks continue the focus on the Lord's Prayer, Jesus' description of the way we all need to "call home" to our Father. The key verse each week is highlighted in the passage below.
Prayer
5 “And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. 6 But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. 7 And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. 8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.
9 “This, then, is how you should pray:
“‘Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
10 your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
11 Give us today our daily bread.
12 And forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
13 And lead us not into temptation,[a]
but deliver us from the evil one.[b]’
hallowed be your name,
10 your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
11 Give us today our daily bread.
12 And forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
13 And lead us not into temptation,[a]
but deliver us from the evil one.[b]’
14 For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.
Matthew 6:5-14
Due to a lack of organizational strategy when I was taking the sermon notes, Timeless Truths sometimes turn into, "I don't have all the parts in some sermon series." Part two of the current series is one of those.
Dr. Keith Newman, my pastor when I heard him preach this message, graciously sent me his expanded sermon notes. You get a lot more good stuff in Part 2a (last week) and 2b (this post) because of that.
I don't think it's a coincidence it was Part 2 I can't find.
Keep reading.
I broke Part 2 into two posts on purpose!
People have all sorts of names for God. Many of those names could be described as anything but Hallowed. What did Jesus mean when He gave instructions about prayer saying, “When you pray, say, Our Father in heaven….”
“hallowed be your name”
Hallowed comes from the Greek word “HAGIO” which is also the word for holy.
Last week was about OUR RELATIONSHIP. This week is about OUR REVERENCE, or
What place do you give God in your life?
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. A.W. Tozer
What place do you give your Heavenly Father in your life? Is He more than just
Have you set Him apart as Lord?
Do you approach prayer with a Reverence reserved for only Him?
- the man upstairs?
- the Big Guy in the Sky?
Have you set Him apart as Lord?
Do you approach prayer with a Reverence reserved for only Him?
Three Primary Names of God in the Old Testament:
Elohim – God the Mighty Creator.
Yahweh – The Lord who is the Covenant-Keeping One.
Adonai – Master or Lord.
In Jesus’ time, the Jews so reverenced the name of God that they would not say the sacred name Yahweh because it was so holy. They took the consonants out of the name Yahweh and the vowels out of the name Adonai, put them together, and formed a new word that King James writers translated
JEHOVAH.
When Jewish scholars copied the Scriptures, they selected a new pen with which to write God’s name so they would not dishonor God by writing His name with a pen that had been used to write other words. After using the new pen to write God’s name, they broke it so it could never be used again.
God’s name was very serious to them. While their practice could be considered very Legalistic, today we too often approach God in a very lazy manner.
Put a BIG RED STOP SIGN immediately following the words, “Hallowed be your Name” in your Bible.
That is exactly what Jesus wants you to do,
before we really get started in prayer.
That is exactly what Jesus wants you to do,
- to stop, to set apart,
- to see God in His holiness,
- to revere Him
before we really get started in prayer.
Have you been to any Hallowed Places?
- Hospital maternity wards. Neonatal Intensive Care Units.
- Snow-capped mountains with water running down the side into streams, blue skies, and an eagle with wings spread riding the air currents.
- Worship services when God’s presence is so very real and there really aren’t any words that need to be said.
When We Hallow God’s Name:
1. We are Silent and Still!
PART 2b BEGINS HERE.
If you will study the Bible closely, you will see that the words Holy and Hope go together. Where you see one, you will see the other, either in the same verse or at least close by.
Jesus gives us the Lord’s Prayer as a Model Prayer during the Sermon on the Mount. The Sermon on the Mount is a message about living a Holy life in an Unholy World.
When we pray to a Holy God and see Him in all His righteousness, like Isaiah in the temple, we will hear His call to Holiness.
Jesus gives us the Lord’s Prayer as a Model Prayer during the Sermon on the Mount. The Sermon on the Mount is a message about living a Holy life in an Unholy World.
When we pray to a Holy God and see Him in all His righteousness, like Isaiah in the temple, we will hear His call to Holiness.
Holiness is the Hope of our world. Our world needs people that will raise the Tent Pole, Hallowing God’s Name in their own life, in the life of their family, their church, in their world. We are to be more than peace lovers or peacekeepers. We are to be peacemakers, taking righteousness into our world. It’s true…
Our Name can Honor or Dishonor God’s Name.
You and I can honor or dishonor our family name. My son had a friend that lived in the neighborhood next to ours. One afternoon this friend arrived at our house before Andy arrived home.
Brandon is one of those friends that was in and out of our house several times a week, he ate dinner with us on a fairly regular basis, he felt at home at our house and we felt like he was a part of the family. While I don’t know Brandon well, I know that he is a servant.
When he was at our house, he brought honor to his family’s name. I’m not sure what he’s like at home, but I know what he’s like with us. On this particular day when he arrived early, instead of just sitting around watching t.v. waiting for Andy to arrive, he jumped right in without being asked and helped me make a bed with freshly laundered sheets. You see he had brought honor to his family’s name.
Brandon is one of those friends that was in and out of our house several times a week, he ate dinner with us on a fairly regular basis, he felt at home at our house and we felt like he was a part of the family. While I don’t know Brandon well, I know that he is a servant.
When he was at our house, he brought honor to his family’s name. I’m not sure what he’s like at home, but I know what he’s like with us. On this particular day when he arrived early, instead of just sitting around watching t.v. waiting for Andy to arrive, he jumped right in without being asked and helped me make a bed with freshly laundered sheets. You see he had brought honor to his family’s name.
When you choose to follow Christ, you become the bearer of His name. As a Christian, I carry the name of Christ everywhere I go.
Solomon understood the value of a good name. He wrote…
“A good name is more desirable than great riches; to be esteemed
is better than silver or gold.” Proverbs 22:1
The prophet Daniel prayed,
“O Lord, listen! O Lord, forgive? O Lord, hear and act! For your sake, O my God, do not delay, because your city and your people bear your Name.” 9:19
You know at least one story of how a grandparent's or parent's reputation gave instant credibility to a child.
If an earthly name can mean so much, how much more can the name of God mean?
“Hallowed be your name”…the tent pole goes up, order prevails, the world shakes off chaos.
“Hallowed be your name”…and when it is, the soul knows its home. There is holiness…there is hope!
3. We are Worshipful and Willing!
The Lord’s Prayer teaches us the sovereignty of God the King, but it also teaches us that people have free will. Adam could choose to eat the forbidden fruit. Abraham could choose to lie. Peter could choose to deny. Judas could choose to betray. And they all chose wrong.
Worship is a Choice.
“Worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness.”
Psalm 96:9
The command is to worship God. We do that when we hallow His Name. But the choice is still ours. Some people don’t worship God because of ignorance, even though their inner hearts know God. Some people don’t worship, because their hearts are rebellious because of sin, they are caught up in the world of Me. Some people don’t worship God because they are too busy with the cares of the world. Some people have just forgotten because other things have crowded out God.
Jesus says, CALL HOME, but when you do, start by slowing down, in fact, stop.
Willingness to take the next step will be the result. In fact, next week we will see just how willing we have to be.
- Hallow the Father’s Name.
- Worship.
- Let those moments of reverence prepare your heart.
Willingness to take the next step will be the result. In fact, next week we will see just how willing we have to be.
You and I have a heavenly Father that walks with us, even through life's valleys. The Bible tells us that our Savior Jesus Christ is at the right hand of God even right now making intercession for us. The Word of God goes on to say that even when we don’t know how to pray, the Holy Spirit prays for us.
I’m not sure how that makes you feel, but it makes me anxious to call home.
Father, Your reputation is at stake in me today. May I live in such a way as to do your person great credit. Because of my behavior, many people see you in me, and so honor Your Name because of it.
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